Relaxing Women's Soccer

[Ian]

This is in no way indicative of my character or the soccer player I am...

Ha! Let others be the judge of that.

[cdobe]

This is clearly not part of the game. In continental Europe many of her actions would cause a red card right away. Brits are a little different though...

[Michael]

I don't get a chance to watch much soccer/football, and one of the reasons is I have to turn away from the TV whenever watching a men's game because of the ridiculous acting, pretending you got fouled. How can you be a man and act like such a weakling? I know, "It's part of the game." Compared to that, the clip of these healthy young women was great to watch. Go get 'em, girls!

[TaichiMantis]

I have played soccer for more than 35 years, mainly a goalkeeper but also a striker. In ever league you play in, you get to know who the dirty players are, and eventually make sure the refs do too. Supposedly keepers are more protected, but I've gotten my bell rung, been stomped on after the fact, elbowed in the face, etc. In an indoor coed match I had my arm broken when a guy half my age cranked on a ball I already had my hand on. No call on that one, but I prevented a goal. After it happened, I kind of layed there in shock. It felt like someone shoved my wrist up to my shoulder. I had to ask someone to please remove my gloves. The second half I played on the field, holding my right arm to my body, because our team was short on women..adrenalin is an amazing thing! Afterwards, my daughter pointed out that my wrist looked like hers after she broke it rollerblading. Sometimes the refs catch stuff, sometimes they don't. Of course no tv and no youtube back in my prime, but there were players just as nasty.

The ponytail thing made me laugh. We were doing techniques, mainly takedowns and locks, in our mantis class last week and I asked sifu about ponytail defense moves, since this is a favorite with guys who want to try to control a woman during an attack. Some of my classmates with longer hair were also interested. Sifu had some good ones I could teach some of those players...unfortunately in soccer it's usually the retaliator not the instigator that gets carded. We all laughed when my 74 yr old sifu with a balding head said, ok, now grab my hair, I show you!

Here is my favorite soccer/tai chi vid promoting the China vs US women world cup rivalry

[Darth Rock&Roll]

most martial artists that really love martial arts will cut their hair short so you remove one more tactical move from your opponent.

[Bhassler]

The highlights showed the game was physical in both directions, including an elbow to Lambert’s ribs by a BYU player during a dead ball.

Watch the video-- she was elbowed in the breast, not the ribs. I say fuck the girls that got taken down. The initial elbow wasn't even in the course of play-- Lambert was just standing there. If you want to start to play dirty then don't like the way the other person goes about it, I say go fuck yourself. It worked out perfectly. The girls who initiated got a deserved beat-down, and Lambert ultimately was held accountable for her actions.

[TaichiMantis]

most martial artists that really love martial arts will cut their hair short so you remove one more tactical move from your opponent.

Wow, maybe that's why the old masters decided to cut off their long braids...!!

Most most of us live and work in the real world, and some of us like long hair

[Kurt Robbins]

If that was me, after the game I would heel hook her knee to ribbons.

[yusuf]

This is clearly not part of the game. In continental Europe many of her actions would cause a red card right away. Brits are a little different though...

thats cause we invented the game and believe 'football is a game for gentlemen, played by hooligans'

[Ian]

most martial artists that really love martial arts will cut their hair short so you remove one more tactical move from your opponent.

er... taichimantis ain't a dude.