(2019 WWC) USWNT Criticized For 13-0 Score Vs. Thailand

[Webster]

...there's being unprofessional and running up the score and then's there the U.S. Women and their disgraceful performance against Thailand, even though they won...

(Yahoo Sports) The U.S. women’s national team opened World Cup play on Tuesday in dominant, historic fashion.

Their 13-0 victory over Thailand was a record margin for the Women’s World Cup and cause for elation for the team and its fans. Alex Morgan’s individual tally of five goals tied a tournament record.

But as the USWNT celebrated turning a 3-0 halftime rout into a new standard for dominant play against an overmatched opponent, some took umbrage with not only the margin — but the players’ continued celebration of the scores well after the game was in hand.

‘There are kids watching’
Clare Rustad and Kaylyn Kyle, analysts for Canadian sports network TSN and former players for the Canadian women’s national team, had some of the strongest rebukes. "I just think they could have won with some humility and grace, and they just couldn’t manage to do that," Rustad said."Celebrating goals later in the game like this is just completely unnecessary.”

Kyle grabbed the baton from Rustad and ran full bore into “disgusted” territory. “What is this?” Kyle responded. “They’re the No. 1 team in the world. And for me, I’m disgusted, honestly. You’re going up against a team that’s their first time in the World Cup. They’re just happy to be there. ... I’m embarrassed. I was a female professional athlete. There are kids watching this.”

It’s actually the second time Thailand made the World Cup after the team’s debut in 2015.

Rustad, Kyle weren’t alone in criticism
Like with Kyle and Rustad, the score wasn’t the primary issue for many critics, but how the players handled themselves and the fact that such a disparate matchup was allowed to take place to begin with.

The counterargument
Of course as with most everything involving social media, there were strongly worded takes on the other side, with many questioning if a men’s team would receive the same criticism.

Of course the U.S. men’s national team didn’t even make the most recent World Cup, much less beat an opponent by double digits, so there’s no real comparable to hold Tuesday’s result up against.

 

[Lamb]

What exactly did they do? Were they supposed to make the opponents feel better during the game?

 

[Albion]

Note that it was Canadians who took offense.

And after the ”disgraceful” and ”disgusting” (to borrow a few terms from them) behavior of Canadian fans following the Toronto Raptors victory over the Golden State Warriors the other day in an NBA playoff game, they have no room for criticizing anyone else.

 

[Webster]

What exactly did they do? Were they supposed to make the opponents feel better during the game?

No, but once it became apparent the US Women were going to win (I mean, they were up 4-0 after 50 minutes or so) I think Jill Ellis and Company could've throttled them back but no, they had to pour it on for goal differential...its' the type of arrogance that turns fans (like myself) off of supporting them.

Note that it was Canadians who took offense.

And after the ”disgraceful” and ”disgusting” (to borrow a few terms from them) behavior of Canadian fans following the Toronto Raptors victory over the Golden State Warriors the other day in an NBA playoff game, they have no room for criticizing anyone else.

I thought of that but in this case, they've got every right to complain; this was a "kick 'em while they're down" performance by the U.S. Women and it was just disgusting in the end; they were going to win no matter what and didn't need to curb-stomp the Thailand squad like they did.

 

[Albion]

I thought of that but in this case, they've got every right to complain; this was a "kick 'em while they're down" performance by the U.S. Women and it was just disgusting in the end; they were going to win no matter what and didn't need to curb-stomp the Thailand squad like they did.

Oh, settle down. It was the USAs first win in the tournament.

And as for the Canadian loudmouths, they might have had enough class to apologize for their countrymen--Toronto Raptors fans--who jeered Kevin Durant of the California-based opposition team when he went down during the game with a painful season-ending injury the other day. No, there is very little excuse for making these churlish people into some sort of consciences of the sports world!! Maybe if it was the Thai players and fans, there might be something to be said...but not when its these people.








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[psalms 91]

I agree with Albion and Lamm come on, they just did what rthwey trained to do and no I dont think the score has anything to do with celebration. What was disrespectful or wrong with the celebration?

 

[Lamb]

No, but once it became apparent the US Women were going to win (I mean, they were up 4-0 after 50 minutes or so) I think Jill Ellis and Company could've throttled them back but no, they had to pour it on for goal differential...its' the type of arrogance that turns fans (like myself) off of supporting them.I thought of that but in this case, they've got every right to complain; this was a "kick 'em while they're down" performance by the U.S. Women and it was just disgusting in the end; they were going to win no matter what and didn't need to curb-stomp the Thailand squad like they did.

What do you mean by they "could've throttled them back"? If I were a coach of any professional game and my team members weren't giving it their all throughout the entire game, I'd be rethinking if they should be on the team.

 

[vince284]

What do you mean by they "could've throttled them back"? If I were a coach of any professional game and my team members weren't giving it their all throughout the entire game, I'd be rethinking if they should be on the team.

I’m not sure what Webster meant, but the players should never “throttle back”, they should play their best 100% of the time. However, the coach Jill Ellis and “company” could have throttled back by giving their star players more rest, and played their less-skilled/experienced players. However, I’ve been in sports all my life and have been on both ends of a good “kicking”, and there is sportsmanship involved where the celebration can be overdone. IMO, That is the responsibility of the entire team. I didn’t watch the game, I’m going by the comments made in the media. The players should have scored the goal, but not rubbed in the face of the opposing team and frankly the world of soccer/football.

 

[tango]

Seriously? Sports at world-class level and people think the winning team shouldn't be playing competitively?

Do these people think the losing team should get a participation trophy for showing up or something, or maybe take the winner's glory despite losing because, you know, they tried really hard?

 

[Albion]

I agree with Albion and Lamm come on, they just did what rthwey trained to do and no I dont think the score has anything to do with celebration. What was disrespectful or wrong with the celebration?

It may also be said that soccer is not a sport in which you can easily throttle back. Imagine the team sitting on a big lead by having its players simply stand around while the other team did whatever it wanted. Or perhaps that team would kick the ball back to the opponents every time they got control of it. This would be unfair to the fans, potentially threatening to the lead, and possibly also prompt the governing authorities of this international competition to take disciplinary action against them.

There is one other possibility, already mentioned by another poster. That is that the coach could have played his less skilled team members more and his better players less. But the score (13-0) was, as I understand it, mainly rolled up in a few dazzling minutes towards the end of the game. From the 50th to the 56th minute, the USA scored 4 goals in the fastest amount of time in tournament history. However, the lead had been nothing special half-way though the game.

That said, it may be worth noting that this controversy seemed to start with the issue of running up the score, but a day or two later it had become about the team members congratulating each other and celebrating following each and every goal, as though THAT was unheard of.