I woke up this morning wondering if last nights game really happened the way it played out. The narrative throughout the Cup so far has been Germany the juggernaut, most shots Ever! Most goals Ever! Most amazing Ever! Soo tough, soo unstoppable.
We also heard how our gals just aren't as good as they have been in the past. There's been a drop off in creativity and quality (as if we've ever been that creative). I watched every second of every USWNT game, and I'll admit, that's how it looked to me too. It seemed as if our team was past it's prime, and the youth we were playing weren't stepping up their game.
And then there was China. Suspensions and subs aside, the China game acted as a slumpbuster. It set us up for a historic semifinal match up of #1vs#2 that our gals truly believed they'd win. Germany came out strong the first ten minutes of each half, but like Mike Tyson put it, "Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth." USA dominated, completely imposing their will on the Germans. I can't remember the last time I saw the USWNT dominate a quality opponent so completely.
And how about all the haters? Australia talks $#!t after they lost to us. Brazil talked $#!t, but couldn't even make it to the quarterfinals. Colombia talked $#!t and got rocked by us. And the German media and mens team were talking $#!t before the semifinal, only to eat a big bucket of chicken fried crow.
What a fun World Cup, everything clicking into place at the perfect time...