In Women's World Cup, don't root against Japan

[itsrobert]

Japan's northeastern seaboard remains devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, a natural catastrophe believed to have killed more than 15,000 people. The women's team has been respectable for years - team captain Homare Sawa is playing in her fifth World Cup - but hadn't previously been bent on dominance at the highest level. Over the past month, these women have found a higher calling, a chance to bring joy to their homeland, and for the first time in their lives, they believe they actually can win it all.

"They're playing for something bigger and better than the game," U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/15/SP3K1KB61F.DTL#ixzz1SNizfWWh

[Sky Masterson]

1. I'm not. I'm rooting for the USA

And I hope we win.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvG2AP9G6I0&feature=share

[JimGinPA]

2. +1

[11 Bravo]

3. +2

[Dappleganger]

5. Same here.

[Sky Masterson]

7. Another US team video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WjKMDpQPoU
Behind the Crest: Play the Game

[Dennis Donovan]

4. Rec'd - as wonderful as it is to see the US women's team in the finals...

...Japan has been thru, literally, HELL. I hope their women's team wins.

[firehorse]

6. maybe this sporting event can transcend the us vs. them, into we

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. I'm rooting for the North Korean Women's Soccer Team not to die

by the kill squads of their glorious leader




N. Koreans Fail Steroids Test, Blame Lightning (Again)

Five members of the North Korean women's soccer team have now tested positive for steroids and been penalized by FIFA. The investigation initially returned two players, defenders Song Jong Sun and Jong Pok Sin, so the testing was expanded to the entire North Korean team. The names of the additional three players caught in the scandal will not be released until after the tournament, where North Korea's team was eliminated in the first round.

Of course, North Korea is denying that their team has taken steroids, claiming instead that the test results were affected by two unexpected factors: consuming traditional Chinese medicine, including musk deer scent glands, and the players being struck by lightning. Forget about the doping scandal, we need to investigate the freak German electrical storm giving North Koreans super strength and endurance.


Boy, that was some lightning strike. When North Korea's women's soccer team lost to USA, it blamed the lingering effects of a lightning strike from earlier in the month. Now that five of its players have tested positive for steroids at the World Cup, the team is pulling out the lightning strike excuse again, reports AP: It says players recovering from the zap took traditional Chinese medicine—specifically the extract of a gland from a musk deer—that might be confused with steroids.

"This is a shock," said FIFA's president. "We are confronted with a very, very bad case of doping and it hurts." The agency's scientists are looking into the musk deer explanation






http://www.ology.com/sports/five-north-korean-womens-soccer-players-test-positive-steroids-may-be-superheroines

I say on today's game

USA 3 Japan 1

My team already got struck by lightning early.


LOL

[-..__...]

9. Why even have the match-up?

Just award Japan the win or have our team play without a goal keeper... that should them give a much needed boost of self esteem.

[LetTimmySmoke]

10. As a U.S. Citizen, I'm rooting for the USA. But if Japan wins, I'll be happy for them.

[Dawgs]

11. I'm rooting for Japan, and against USA.

Sorry. I think more than a few of these American players are too arrogant.