Deutsche Welle writes disparagingly about the sleepy World Cup semifinal between Holland and Sweden. Team USA will come with its usual theatrics and hi-octane attack on Sunday to liven up the proceedings before a worldwide audience.
The weak Swedish performance was surprising given the manner in which the team dismantled the Germans earlier and played a very tough match against Team USA.
Deutsche Welle and Wall Street Journal 7.3.2019
Netherlands 1-0 Sweden
(Groenen 99′)
Jackie Groenen’s (Shown above and below) fine extra time strike settled a forgettable World Cup semifinal against Sweden and set up a World Cup final against the United States on Sunday in Lyon.
The Dutch team has been one of the best-supported sides in France. While Americans traveled in the largest numbers, Dutch fans have made themselves more obvious, pouring into city streets and turning entire stadium sections orange. On Wednesday night, they even had two bugle players providing a 90-minute soundtrack in the stands.
Back home, their games have set viewership records. Their quarterfinal against Italy, for instance, drew an audience share of 80.3% in the Netherlands, according to FIFA. Sunday’s game will likely be another record-breaker for the Dutch, but the team itself is under no illusions. Against the three-time world champion Americans, it will be a clear underdog.
“Now we have to party,” defender Stefanie van der Gragt said, draped in a Dutch flag. “And tomorrow we’ll talk about the USA.”
The thought of Dutch orange blobs in the stands — not to mention the novelty of relative newcomer playing for the title — was irresistible. Also appealing: the Dutch horn section belting out kitschy numbers and the unbridled joy of the fans.
Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher saved the game when she blocked a penalty kick by England in the 84th minute.
A dismayed team of Lionesses fought on only to watch the Americans party on the pitch in Lyon, France. It appears the Brits are equally upset over Alex Morgan’s “Tea time” moment after scoring what proved to be the winning goal in the 2-1 nailbiter.
The Americans, along with their England born Coach Jill Ellis will play in next Sunday’s final against either Sweden or Holland.
The Guardian 7.2.2019
Tea Time on the Pitch.
US goal celebrations were a talking point yet again during Tuesday’s World Cup semi-final against England. After Alex Morgan scored USA’s second goal of the game, she raised her fingers to her lips, miming a sip of tea. (shown below)
“In the highest pressure game of this World Cup, Alex Morgan still had the presence of mind to produce a bespoke England celebration: She mimed sipping a cup of tea. “(Wall Street Journal).
“The Americans’ second goal was a matter of when not if. It came courtesy of Alex Morgan. The Californian’s bullet header was her 106th in US colors and ultimately proved the winner in a game where the scoreline didn’t truly reflect America’s superiority on the night. Her tea-drinking goal celebration were perhaps a further reminder of the confidence that runs through this US team.” (Deutsche Welle)
The meaning was not clear, although public opinion seemed to be balanced between the motion being a shot at England’s fondness for tea; a reference to the ease with which Morgan scored; or the fact that Morgan’s goal came on her 30th birthday. Piers Morgan called it “a declaration of war”.
Christen Press celebrates her goal in the 9th minute. She took over for Megan Rapinoe, forced out of the match with a hamstring injury.
U.S. forward Alex Morgan heads the team’s second goal past England goalkeeper Carly Telford.PHOTO: RICHARD HEATHCOTE/GETTY IMAGES
“Credit to the U.S.A. They do it time and time again. That’s why they’re winners,” England midfielder Jade Moore said. “If we want to start to turn the screw, if we want to be champions of the world, we’ve got to take a leaf out of their book and find a way to win.”
In San Francisco it is mild and pleasant by the Pacific Ocean. In Europe the temperature is totally off the Thermometer. In Berlin today it is 101 degrees Farenheit.
Excerpted from Deutsche Welle 7.1.2019
The last day of June has beaten all previous temperature highs for the month. Heat-related deaths have been reported in several European countries.
Germany set its all-time highest June temperature on Sunday, with 38.9 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) recorded in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The country has been baking in an early summer heat wave; however, Germany’s all-time high of 40.3 degrees Celsius still stands.
Fifty-seven runners at Hamburg’s half marathon were hospitalized on Sunday after many collapsed in temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius, officials said. Some 141 runners needed treatment in what fire service officials described as “an emergency with mass casualties.”
Temperatures in the country’s central Rhine-Main region and into eastern Germany were expected to reach up to 39 degrees on Sunday, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).
Organizers of Sunday’s Frankfurt Ironman event made contingency plans to keep athletes from overheating.
As huge crowds gathered in Paris for the annual gay pride parade, firefighters sprayed water on revelers, some of whom used rainbow-colored fans and umbrellas to counter the heat, which was expected to hit 38 degrees.
Heat-related deaths have been reported in Germany and France, mainly among the elderly. At least eight people drowned in bathing accidents across the two countries.
SFPD effectively by deploying overwhelming force swiftly put down a brief protest by the group “Anti-ICE SF” during the massive Pride Festival on the City’s Market Street thoroughfare.
Article and Photos – San Francisco Chronicle 6.30.2019
The group, part of Abolish ICE SF, handed out a printed letter of demands calling for SF Pride to exclude police and pointing out the hypocrisy they see in inviting police to celebrate the anniversary of a clash with cops.
“Too many years San Francisco Pride has chosen to ignore the asks for a safer pride free from police,” the letter said. “They care more about pleasing corporate interests and hosting a massive party than listening to LGBTQ2S communities and keeping them safe.”
Police arrested Taryn Saldivar, 21, of Oakland, and Kenneth Bilecki, 27, of Santa Rosa, on charges of resisting arrest and interfering with a parade route. Saldivar was also charged with battery on a police officer, police said, noting that one officer was treated at the scene for a nonlife-threatening injury.
As police drove the two protesters away in a van, the crowd chanted “Shame!” and “Let them go!”
Media chieftans are reluctant to publish hard hitting commentary when it comes to the current White House occupant. Better to kow tow rather than speak uncomfortable truths to power.
CNN Business 6.30.2019
New York (CNN)A Canadian cartoonist’s illustration of President Donald Trump playing golf over the bodies of two drowned migrants went viral Wednesday. Two days later, Michael de Adder said on Twitter that he had been let go by a publishing company in New Brunswick, Canada.
De Adder’s illustration depicted Trump asking the two dead migrants, “Do you mind if I play through?”
“The highs and lows of cartooning. Today I was just let go from all newspapers in New Brunswick,” De Adder tweeted. He later clarified that he had technically been under contract to work for Brunswick News Inc., and wasn’t an employee who could be fired.
Brunswick News Inc. responded in a statement on Sunday that “it is entirely incorrect to suggest” that it canceled a freelance contract with de Adder over the Trump cartoon.
“This is a false narrative which has emerged carelessly and recklessly on social media,” the publishing company wrote. It said that de Adder never offered the Trump cartoon to the company and had already decided to “bring back” another cartoonist it said was popular with readers. “[N]egotiations had been ongoing for weeks,” it stated.
De Adder tweeted that he would bounce back from losing the job and that he just had to “recoup a percentage of my weekly income.” De Adder has a book he said will be released in September.
He did not respond to a request for further comment from CNN Business.
The German team seemed tired in the near 90 degree heat, languid and unable to push themselves against a more aggressive Swedish group. Only in the final 10 minutes did the Germans go hard. By then it was too late. With Germany out of the action Team USA could meet Sweden in the final match on July 7. In Group Play the Americans bested the Swedes 2-0 in a tough match. See Blog post 6.20.2019 when I wrote the USA “Smothered” Sweden.
Deutsche Welle 6.29.2019
Despite taking the lead in their quarterfinal against Sweden, Germany’s World Cup tournament came to an end. Sweden executed a brilliant matchplan to expose Germany’s weaknesses emege victorious 2-1.
After 24 years of not beating Germany in big tournaments, Sweden finally overcame their poor run of form to seal a deserved win. Germany are the first team to score first and not progress at this tournament.
It all started so well for Germany, when Lina Magull scored a superb scissor kick after a brilliant assist by Sara Däbritz.
That goal seemed to wake Sweden up though, and not long afterwards Marina Hegering misjudged a long ball, Sofia Jakobsson latched onto it and fired past Almuth Schult.
“We are in process, but it’s not stable yet. We have to defend better,” Martina Voss-Tecklenburg said afterwards.
From that point on, Germany looked rattled and despite cooling breaks and halftime, they couldn’t settle. Three minutes after the restart, Schult’s great save wasn’t enough to prevent Sweden from scoring as Stina Blackstenius stabbed home the rebound. Germany felt somewhat aggrieved that a tackle on Magull in the build up to the goal wasn’t seen as a foul by referee Stephanie Frappart.
Martina Voss-Tecklenburg had brought on Dzsenifer Marozsan at the break, in the hope of seeing an increase in creative play but the Germany star was kept relatively quiet.
With time running out, 17-year-old talent Lena Oberdorf was thrown on and she instantly gave Germany more dynamism. Alexandra Popp got to a header but was called offside. The decision was a close one, and needed VAR to confirm. Had Popp not been offside, it seemed Germany were due a penalty as Popp was also clattered by Swedish keeper Hedvig Lindahl. (photo shown above).
“We lacked a bit of fortune, and that hurts. We lacked attacking penetration. In some passages, we weren’t clinical or brave enough. We will grow,” Voss-Tecklenburg said afterwards.
In added time, Germany had two more chances. First Oberdorf headed wide with the goal at her mercy, and then Hegering couldn’t keep her header down. It was too little, too late from this Germany team who exit the tournament having learned lessons that should see a young squad come back stronger in the future.
No comment by me is necessary. The Deutsche Welle article with a little help from the New York Times and The Guardian says it all.
The Guardian 6.28.2019
Megan Rapinoe showed no sign of stemming her outspoken ways after scoring the goals that saw USA march one step closer towards the World Cup final.
“Go gays!” she said after the 2-1 quarter-final victory over France in Paris and when asked to comment on whether it being Pride month made her contribution more personally significant. “You can’t win a championship without gays on your team – it’s never been done before, ever. That’s science, right there!
Deutsche Welle 6.28.2019
PARIS – In a game billed as the biggest in the history of women’s football, the US overcame France in a thrilling contest. Fittingly, in a week when she has grabbed the headlines, Megan Rapinoe proved the match winner.
France 1-2 US
(Renard 81′ – Rapinoe 5′, 65′)
France again left a major tournament with nothing to show for its efforts. It has never finished higher than fourth at the World Cup, the Olympics or the European championships. It has departed its last five major tournaments — two European championships, two World Cups and an Olympics — in the quarterfinals.
Losing at home, to the United States, with the whole world watching, will only make the sting sharper. The Americans merely moved on, forming into a circle and dancing as they moved on to the semifinals for the eighth time in eight Women’s World Cups. (New York Times – bold type paragraphs)
Megan Rapinoe keeps delivering. At the start of the week, it was words. By the end, it was goals. Rapinoe is undoubtedly a woman for the biggest of occasions.
Rapinoe ran away in celebration after her early free kick flew in through a crowd. She stood with one arm raised up, the other raised out. (picture above). It was the celebration of someone who completely understood the irony of the situation. This woman, this hero of resistance, was the match winner just days after she had publicly and colorfully said she wouldn’t go to the White House. Even Rapinoe had to smile.
Rapinoe’s celebration for the second was louder than her first (shown above).
The 33-year-old has never shirked away from her values, and has made sure the world is actuely aware of what those values are. She has kneeled to protest social inequality in the US, constantly given her voice to the LGBTQ community, and has been a part of the lawsuit against the US soccer federation for equal pay. Everything Rapinoe says or does she does so with such conviction – whether it’s scoring goals in World Cups or supporting people who need to be heard.
In an era where the silence of many footballers is deafening, Rapinoe is loud and proud. For many, she is that rarest of things: an athlete truly worthy of the word hero.
At a time when women’s football is reaching unprecendented levels of attention and recognition, Rapinoe has not just used the platform football has given her to remind the world of her sporting talent but also to give voice to the issues important to her. She cares, not just about things close to her but also about many issues that she never has experienced. Empathetic and expressive, there’s a case to be made that Rapinoe’s football is an extension of who she is. There is no separation for the 33-year-old. From perfect placement to pink hair, she has always stayed true to herself.
Rapinoe chooses not to sing the national anthem
At 15, she played her first youth international for the US. She scored her first World Cup goal in 2011. She has overcome three ACL tears. Now, aged 33, she was scoring a brace to guide the US into a World Cup semifinal. In the first half, she was everywhere. In the second, with France finally bursting out of their fear, her lack of defensive cover became a growing concern. The game grew fast and furious, another great piece of evidence that the women’s game is relishing the attention it is finally getting. Then, as she often does, Rapinoe popped up at the end of an excellent team move that exposed an out-of-place France defense to sweep home a second.
There were other heroes on the night, especially after Wendie Renard rose to head in a goal that reinvigorated a home crowd short of hope. Crystal Dunn was outstanding and Alyssa Naeher stayed calm when the US had to weather the storm.
This was Rapinoe’s game though. This was her moment to show the world what she has been doing for so long. The midfielder has said she wants to leave the game in a better state. Nights like this show just how much she is doing for the sport and for the US’ chances of winning another World Cup, but they also send another reminder: just how much of a privilege it is to see and hear Megan Rapinoe in all she does.
She makes America proud. Superstar fearless Megan Rapinoe speaks truth to bullying, whether on the soccer Pitch or to the current White House occupant.. Ms. Rapinoe is amped up for Team USA and its Friday match with the French team in Paris.
Excerpted from The Guardian 6.27.2019
USA midfielder urges teammates to ‘think hard’ about a visit Administration ‘doesn’t fight for the same things we fight for’
Megan Rapinoe has urged her USA teammates to “think hard” about associating themselves with Donald Trump. The 33-year-old found herself embroiled in a row with Trump after footage shot earlier this year emerged showing her saying: “I’m not going to the fucking White House,” when she was asked whether she would visit should her team win the World Cup.
Rapinoe, who is gay, has previously attacked Trump, claiming he is sexist and misogynistic, and described herself as “a walking protest”. She became one of the first athletes to join the then NFL player Colin Kaepernick’s protest against alleged police brutality by kneeling during the American national anthem.
After team regulations were changed Rapinoe now protests by refusing to sing the national anthem but her White House comments thrust her into the spotlight of the president, who accused her on Twitter of disrespect.
“Considering how much time and effort and pride we take in the platform we have, using it for good and leaving the game in a better place and hopefully the world in a better place, I don’t think I would want to go.
“I would encourage my teammates to think hard about lending that platform or having that co-opted by an administration that doesn’t feel the same way and doesn’t fight for the same things we fight for.”
The uber conservative media machine is already in overdrive about the ascendancy of the soon to be Queens District Attorney. I am posting the following editorial in full. As the old saying goes, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
New York Post 6.26.2019
The borough’s future is at stake: Its non-lefty majority needs to unite, and fast.
Lefties nationwide are crowing over Tiffany Cabán’s apparent victory in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for the Queens district attorney job. The question now is whether leaders who represent the solid majority of the borough’s residents can join together to beat Cabán in the general election.
This is about not just the rise of the Democratic Socialists, but also the slow death of the once-vaunted Queens Democratic machine. It started losing at least three years ago, to moderates angry at how the establishment had grown out of touch with local concerns.
Brian Barnwell beat longtime Assemblywoman Marge Markey on the issue of a homeless shelter opening in Maspeth. The next year, reformer Robert Holden ousted incumbent City Councilwoman Liz Crowley.
But the machine’s weakness attracted national progressives to move in, recruit Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to challenge Rep. Joe Crowley — and succeed in offing the king of the machine.
Rep. Greg Meeks took over as county chairman — and opted for business as usual. But AOC’s rise allows Queens lefties to fund-raise nationwide: Cabán drew a legion of small donations from across America, plus endorsements from Sens. Liz Warren and Bernie Sanders. The New York Times, desperate to renew its lefty cred, also blessed her.
And Cabán’s win wasn’t even Meeks’ only humiliation Tuesday: Lumarie Maldonado-Cruz also beat the machine, as the ex-Bronx resident won a “once-in-a-generation” countywide Civil Court race.
Borough President Melinda Katz, on Election Night a close second to Cabán, has a tiny chance of turning out the victor once all the votes are counted next week. More likely, she’ll need to find a way to fight on in the general election, by allying with voters the machine’s been ignoring — including the county’s Republicans. The current GOP candidate for DA has no hope, and there’s already talk of replacing him with Katz.
Lee's Perspective 