[Redrum]

I don't think I have the heart to watch a replay,  but the play I saw was that Buehler the Japan player crashed and Buehler went down.  The ball was loose sort of at her feet  and she was turned facing the left side of the goal.  If she leaves the ball out there  3 yards from the goal mouth  Japan kicks it in.  She couldn't take time to clear it to the short side because she was facing the other way.  Normally kick the ball across the goal mouth is  one of the dumbest plays one can make.  Except....the ball was already semi-loose right in front of the goal and if she'd done nothing the results were almost guaranteed to be bad.  She cleared it to the other defender (also in front of the goal mouth)  who couldn't handle it.  A sweeping kick could have cleared it up the middle but Buehler's feed came too fast and she couldn't react.    I was surprised that the announcer later hung it on Buehler.  Fact is it looked like just a bad situation where trying to kick it out or letting it stay loose and hoping the goalie could recover or another defender could clear it ...that either choice was bad.  That's what happens when the ball gets through right in front of the goal.  The other U.S. defender had the last chance to avoid disaster, but couldn't.

[Redrum]

I don't think I have the heart to watch a replay,  but the play I saw was that Buehler the Japan player crashed and Buehler went down.  The ball was loose sort of at her feet  and she was turned facing the left side of the goal.  If she leaves the ball out there  3 yards from the goal mouth  Japan kicks it in.  She couldn't take time to clear it to the short side because she was facing the other way.  Normally kick the ball across the goal mouth is  one of the dumbest plays one can make.  Except....the ball was already semi-loose right in front of the goal and if she'd done nothing the results were almost guaranteed to be bad.  She cleared it to the other defender (also in front of the goal mouth)  who couldn't handle it.  A sweeping kick could have cleared it up the middle but Buehler's feed came too fast and she couldn't react.    I was surprised that the announcer later hung it on Buehler.  Fact is it looked like just a bad situation where trying to kick it out or letting it stay loose and hoping the goalie could recover or another defender could clear it ...that either choice was bad.  That's what happens when the ball gets through right in front of the goal.  The other U.S. defender had the last chance to avoid disaster, but couldn't.