Hope Sinks

I sat through an entire women's soccer game for the first time in my life yesterday...and I was not disappointed. After wins over Brazil (in penalty kicks) and France in the knockout stage last week, goalkeeper Hope Solo and the USA women's soccer team faltered and lost to Japan in the Women's World Cup Final in penalty kicks, 3-1.  Japan became the first Asian country to win the Women's World Cup, but the 90 minutes of regulation were for the most part dominated by the United States as the Americans out shot Japan, 27-14.  The American women controlled the scoring opportunities in the first half without any balls touching the back of the net, and although Japan kept pace with the Americans in the possession game, it only seemed to be a matter of time before the Americans were hoisting the trophy.  But once the Americans pulled ahead with Alex Morgan's goal in the 69th minute, Japan just seemed to keep running - exactly the same way the country of Japan has just kept running since the earthquake and tsunami that have devastated the country since March.  Japan eventually tied the match in the 80th minute and held on to send the match to a 30-minute extra-time period.

Japan celebrated two improbable equalizing goals against the mighty USA on
Sunday night in the World Cup Final to force and eventually prevail on penalties.

Once again, the USA pulled ahead in the 104th minute with Abby Wambach's header, but Japan pulled another improbable equalizer by netting the second game-tying goal of the match with only 3 minutes left in the extra time period forcing penalty kicks.  Say what you will about soccer - and even women's soccer - but there is no other moment more exciting than a shootout for the World Cup Final.  Fresh off a shootout victory over Brazil a week earlier, the Americans appeared to have the advantage, but yet again, Japan overcame the odds and pulled out the win.  The USA did not get a good touch on their first two kicks which appeared to set the tone for a 3-1 shootout loss in only 4 rounds.

Even though the USA gave up a TON of chances to win on Sunday, the team didn't fail to capture America's attention on their way to a disheartening collapse in the Final.  Hollywood celebrities, pro athletes, and even President Obama became close followers of Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, and the team during the past couple of weeks due to their will to win and ability to overcome what had been a tough couple of years for USA women's soccer since the Gold Medal-winning performance in the 2008 Olympics.  In fact, the USA-Japan Final set a new record for global Twitter volume at about 7,196 tweets-per-second.  Which is most surprising because there appears to actually be 7,196 people that use Twitter.  (I may have to actually check out this thing we call Twitter...oh wait, I already have: @rwfarnsworth. FYI - I don't "tweet"...yet)  Twitter may love women's world soccer, but unfortunately Twitter doesn't buy tickets to Women's Professional Soccer League games....

Team USA and star goalkeeper, Hope Solo, accepted the second-
place trophy and were left to wonder what might have been

Which is why all good things must come to an end (unless you're Japan, of course).  Unfortunately for the USA women's team, the attention paid by the cheering public on their way to the World Cup Final will not result in a World Cup "bounce", and it will not materially improve the frailty of the Women's Professional Soccer League and the average player's $27,000-a-year salaries.  The USA sports scene is just way too crowded with limited room for a permanent place for women's soccer (even news of the developments of the NFL lockout led many Sports headlines and broadcasts over the result of Sunday's Women's World Cup Final).  At times, the 2011 Women's World Cup appeared to be even more exciting than the 2010 Men's World Cup, but the United States fan, in particular, was captivated due to the patriotic spirit that the women's run to the Finals evoked as opposed to an attraction to, and interest in, the talent and quality of play of women's soccer.