USA WNT vs. Japan...USA wins, but flat

I went to spartan stadium for the first time since the SJ Earthquakes got relocated to Houston. Spartan Stadium was a shadow of it's old self as I noticed during the National Antham that they took the bill board on the south end down. In my warped view this was just an insult to injury. In my humble opinion if the field was good enough for the WNT then it was good enough for the selfish MLS.

So we watched the game and noticed a lot of passes that seemed to have little or no direction in the first half. The USA played flat compared to the WNT in 1999.

You're probably asking why am I not comparing them to the 2003 WNT. It's because I know what went wrong there. They were demoralized by the demise of the WUSA just weeks before the WWC began. They played well, but lost their psychological edge. This year, you have a few of the old guard and a lot of newbies. Some name I recongized from the WPSL rosters I have reffed in the last 4 years.

Japan was fast, just like the Japanese team I ran line for last year. But they had a few key players. I noticed #11 of Japan and Shannon Boxx going at it a few times. Either referee Jennifer Bennet saw something and had a word with them or they just backed off on their own.

Speaking of Ms. Bennet, this was the first time I have seen her referee since she moved to California. Overall, she did a fine job, but I was a bit astonished to see she lost some basic mechanics like noticing a substitution. Wheelor had her flag up and Kari Seitz had her billboard up, but she was looking at the opposite end (Jr. AR's direction). The Jr. AR didn't mirror the substitution and I assume they were not using beeper flags. I wonder if the assessors saw that. Yes it got chippy in the end. I kind of chuckled when I holding foul in the penalty area was not called, but seconds later a handling the ball was immediately called. Either case justice was done, but the law book says, "Punish the most severe." Could be she was not in the correct "angle of view" that Bob Evans stressed over in his instructional DVD.

I'm still proud of our referee crew, being from the only country that is not allowing one referee to officiate the world cup, but two. And with my injuries, I should be able to catch most of the cup.

As for my injuries, I may recover September/October. Hopefully in time to get an assessment. They are not going to medical waiver me regardless of my medical situation. It will cost a Sam Adams or a Belhaven to get the sordid details out of me, but I promise you, it's worth every ounce of beer.