Blog: Life of Sophie

100% agree!

Here comes Norway on Thursday

 

I must say it pleases me that women football get more spotlight. I cant say any of the decisions against Cameroon were wrong from the replays i saw.

 

I'd say Norway has a slight edge but it should be a good one either way.

 

I can't get over the spitting, idk, just something that always stands out as among the biggest insults you can give. I will say I didn't watch the game, but Sophie is no liar so I will take her word for it. Tempers flaring at the World Cup. Headbutts will be next is my guess, but whom?

 

Yeah, this happened in their game with Netherlands. Who knows what they said, but her reaction was shameful.

 

The camera's got the "Spit" incident in close up on the English player's arm.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/av/football/48739245
https://highlightsfootball.com/video/england-vs-cameroon-highlights/
https://www.itv.com/news/2019-06-23...rated-cameroon-side-angered-by-var-decisions/

The Cameroon team seemed to get more and more frustrated and angry the further the game went on.
By half time the Players and the Coach were excusing FIFA of Racism with the VAR decision on the off-side Goal.
This has got nothing to do with Racism, its the rules of the Game, as I said yesterday Cameroon were playing a different game

The Cameroon team spend 15 minutes arguing over the decision and the Ref did nothing (accept smile through the whole game)
she had other measures she could have taken part from the options of a Red or Yellow card.

But even then less than three minutes into the game when an English player was pushed she did nothing, ending up
with the last minutes of the game when an English player was pushed into the Cameroon Coaches legs, she did nothing.

There's a difference between "Tempers flaring at the World Cup", of course, you'll get players getting pissed off, but never from any
team so far in this Tournament on this scale, this was a lot more than tempers flaring.

This has been a "Happy" tournament and has done a lot for the Women's Game, its a shame that this sort of behaviour takes the shine off it.

They played well and contained Australia, this should be good.

I love a good battle, I hate walk over easy games (looking forward to seeing the USA being actually challenged).

Big Screen today at 5pm (UK time).
USA Vs Spain

Meanwhile

I’M A JOURNALIST BUT I DIDN’T FULLY REALIZE THE TERRIBLE POWER OF U.S. BORDER OFFICIALS UNTIL
THEY VIOLATED MY RIGHTS AND PRIVACY.
https://theintercept.com/2019/06/22/cbp-border-searches-journalists/

 

Yeah, you can't play the race card on VAR when it seems to have screwed just about every team in some way thus far. If I'm Cameroon, I fire the coach because obviously they have zero control over the players. And if I'm FIFA, I have a chat with the official who just let it keep going and going, this is the biggest event in women's soccer and of all stages to just let it sort itself out, this is the one you don't do that on. It could have turned into something a lot worse than it already was, and would have been a black eye on women's soccer. Imagine if England had retaliated and then some, it would be the number one thing taken from the whole event. Imagine if it had been in a more hostile environment, soccer riot is a term for a reason.

And I recognize there is a long history of racism in the game throughout the world, and African nations have experienced plenty of it of course and are still looked down somewhat in the soccer hierarchy. But something which has been messing with everyone in this tournament is not one of the examples of it.

As for the last bit; they're raiding businesses, homes, courthouses, threatening to send the National Guard in to cities which don't cooperate(just like any good dictator would). Rounding up undesirables, where have we seen this before? Could have sworn it was a big part of my history classes

 

https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/201...world-cup-wont-somebody-think-of-the-children

Another take on it Sophie. As an impartial observer of this, I can see good points on all sides. While you can't excuse Cameroons behavior, there does seem to be an undercurrent in the reaction to this that "women shouldn't do that", as opposed to the men's side(Zidane of headbutt infamy has a statue of that moment outside a stadium for crying out loud). The Cameroon players were in the wrong, but they don't really have anything to go back to if you look into their situation. The English press needs to cut the hyperbole that this somehow has ruined a whole generation of girls getting into the sport. The VAR is fine I suppose, but it's introduction has been clunky to say the least.

I kinda feel bad for the other teams and the England players, as they are now being completely overshadowed by this mess and the press is only making it a bigger sideshow with every shocker headline.

 

I heard the BBC Commentator say during the Match that Cameroon had represented Africa in an Inter-nation league?
But even if they didn't they are playing International level games, there are no excuses, I think the Cameron team thought they'd get away with it, in this case, they didn't, in fact, they got off lightly.

Cameroon background:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jun/04/womens-world-cup-2019-team-guide-no-18-cameroon

I think VAR will settle down, I think there needs to be more guidance for Ref's.
I was thinking of the "Hand of God" and Thierry Henry handball incident against Ireland in the 2009 World Cup qualification.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Republic_of_Ireland_v_France_football_matches
Even with its teething problems, I'm glad VAR is here.

I agree, cut it out before it begins, if Refs are seen take action I personally think that will soon have an effect on any teams that feel they have the freedom to bend the rules.

 

I think of course the British Press will react, just as I'm sure the Cameroon Press have today.
In Britain, it's already an old story and it's now onto Thursday.

Zidane with respect is while not ancient history is several Football generations ago.
His behaviour and that behavior in general is rare now (taking into account diving/play acting)but not entirely gone.
I found none of FIFA's reactions Racism in any way, Australia got an Offside goal it was heartbreaking, they got on with it.

There is a problem with Racism in the game, that comes from supporters and not FIFA and VAR decisions.

The English press needs to cut the hyperbole that this somehow has ruined a whole generation of girls getting into the sport.
The reason a whole generation of girls were "ruined" from getting into the sport was that the English FA banned the Women's Game in 1921, a ban that wasn't
repealed until 1971. Unlike the Women's game in the States which had investment since the 1950s, the Women's Game in England only came into its own in the
last 10/15 years when money/investment/training/Tv coverage came into the game.

www.sbnation.com (which is one Man's view) wrote:
"Lost in all of this is that England is through to the World Cup quarterfinals.
That’s not something you would know from a glance at the English press, though.
An entire country’s worth of journalists and media outlets had little time for celebration
of its team’s 3–0 victory, opting instead to devote all their energy to shaming Cameroon for being upset".
I think its a bit more than "shaming Cameroon for being upset", Cameroon starting elbowing/pushing within the
first three minutes, their game continued to be dirty from then on when they didn't get away within
they "Got upset", leading to them refusing to play, that in my book is more "being upset".

Yvonne Leuko clashed with Nikita Parris early in the first half .
They are lucky the team hasn't been fined by FIFA for bringing the game into disrepute.

If a Journo didn't reflect that in the Sports back pages in an English newspaper they wouldn't be doing their job.

Most of the Front Pages are dominated by the "Boris" stories, but if they'd looked around more...


Luke Edward background to the game in today's Telegraph, which is good apart from the headline.
The Cameroon team's disgraceful VAR protests have damaged the reputation of women's football.
Did he expect every team to play 100% by the rules because of our Gender? and the whole of women's football?

But perhaps a copy editor changed the heading, there's a more accurate subhead further in the article.
The Cameroon team’s behaviour has damaged the World Cup’s image.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-c...raceful-var-protests-have-damaged-reputation/

 

i read earlier today at lunch that representatives from Africa found the behavior disgraceful aswell and that it sends the wrong signals to young girls in Africa that looks up to their heroes. There will likely be more on this as the african part of FIFA will investigate their behavior.

 

I really hope they do, the Game doesn't want to show the Young (regardless of Gender) that this sort of behaviour is acceptable.

The Cameroon player who put New Zealand out of the World Cup pursued her Career against her Parents, immediate Community and Religion's wishes.
I salute her for that, its a shame that was tarnished by a majority of the team's unacceptable behaviour.

 

To be fair, she did nothing when she was pushed


I don't want to make fun of her but that woman doesn't even know the VAR signal.

Or maybe she has a huge TV


Meanwhile USA 1 Spain 1 at Halftime

 

Interesting.

 

That is a 50/50 penalty in my book. I think there is a contact but man i wouldnt want to be referee.

 

Germany here we come!!!

You are favorites but i hope we can give you a fight.

 

I've seen some huge TVs, maybe she does lol.

Definitely, I already agreed that race had nothing to do with those calls as VAR has negatively impacted damn near everyone so far.

I shared that article just to show another perspective. I don't necessarily agree with all that was said in it, and I don't think criticizing Cameroon is out of bounds for whatever reason. If it was just them being upset that they lost and the press ripped them for that, I'd be annoyed cause it's the World Cup why wouldn't you be upset at losing? The issue, at least with some publications, was the overall behavior from the team not just in this game but the entire time. And the fact they had generally shitty attitudes; I just watched that clip above from the Netherlands game, what the hell was that about? Look; I'm all for playing with a chip on your shoulder or not being friendly with your opponent at the time, whatever gets you in the zone to be at your most competitive. But throwing water in someones face? Spitting on them? You've gone from being competitive to just being a colossal asshole with that. Unless the people on the receiving end were throwing out racial slurs or something(which with HD cameras zooming in would have been noticeable) then you're just being an overly temperamental dick doing things like that.

While not every headline and coverage of this ventured into it, you did get an undertone of a "Women shouldn't act like this/be angry/etc." sexism in some. And I don't even necessarily think they knew they were doing it either, it's just ingrained that women should behave a specific way and if they don't then they are either not being ladylike or are a shame to all females, which you never see an allusion to in regards to us men. You never see a public male figures behavior be seen as an indictment or shame to all men, hell we usually celebrate(and elect 'cough') them.

I hope I wasn't seen as somehow defending Cameroons behavior; I do agree they played fairly dirty and seemed to treat everyone else like shit for whatever reason. I just wanted to point out that there are a lot more details to this story than just "they did bad", which I know you knew but seems to not be getting through to a lot of fans(look at me talking like I'm a big time reporter lol)

 

France meets USA, that is going to be interesting.

Observation on USA vs Spain, they won on penalties yes a win is a win, but what happened to them after the Spanish goal!?

It was Spanish faults that delivered the USA win rather than their skills which surprised me at the level they play which is going to make the game with France a must see.

Meanwhile

Onto Jessica Jones S3 ep5

Wifie to me: "Jessica is like you in a really bad mood".

Swapping Bourbon for gin.

BTW she's still a Wifie.