Posted on January 22, 2012

By Michael Lewis
TropiGol.com Editor

VANCOUVER — There’s just got to be a better way. There’s just to be.

The farce that was played out in the second game of the CONCACAF women’s Olympic qualifying doubleheader at BC Place on Friday night was downright embarrassing for soccer, CONCACAF, Dominican Republic and to an extend, the U.S. Women’s National Team.

In case you hadn’t heard the final score: U.S. 14, Dominican Republic 0.

Now, that was a futbol score, not an American football result.

At this stage of the competition, double-digit scores that look like gridiron football scores should be a relic of the past.

In a short qualifying tournament, many times whether a team goes through or how it is placed for latter rounds or the semifinals is based on goal differential.

After the first set of games, the Americans are ahead of Mexico, 14-5, in goal differential. The Mexicans drubbed Guatemala in the first game of the doubleheader, 5-0. Barring a major upset those two teams should go through to the semifinals. One goal is to avoid host Canada in the semifinals, because the two semifinal winners will book a spot at the London Summer Games.

So you can see why teams want to score as many goals as possible.

Here is the tough question: How do you stop a team from playing its attacking style? Is it fair? Do we ask baseball players to strike out when their team is winning by 10 or 12 runs? Do football teams stop running the ball forward when they are routing opponents (passing, particularly long balls is another issue for another time)?

No.

“If there is a tie between two teams in our group, then it comes down to goal differential,” U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo said. “I’m really proud of our team respecting our opponents so much that to the point we never let up. It was entertaining.”

The final stats were mind-boggling: The Americans outshot the Caribbean side by an amazing 49-3 margin — more than one every other minute and placed 25 shots on goal.

“We want to win our group stage and to do that, it might come down to goal differential so we needed to take care of business in the second half,” U.S. striker Abby Wambach said. “You can put your foot on the ball and stop playing or you can respect the game, respect your opponents and keep playing soccer.”

Asked if she felt for the Dominican Republic, Solo replied, “There is no feeling. This is a professional game. It’s Olympic qualification. You put the best teams on the field for the Olympics. They have some ways to go. Hopefully, we enlighten them and they continue to put money into their federation and continue to grow women’s soccer.”

I thought of one possible short-term solution: Cut the number of teams in qualifying down from eight to six to make the final round more competitive. That probably would mean less Carribean teams (my new final round format would include the U.S., Canada and Mexico from North America, two Central American sides and one Caribbean team).

I posed that question to U.S. coach Pia Sundhage at the post-game press conference.

“No I don’t think so,” she replied. “I think its a wonderful experience for all of us to be here. On the contrary, the more chances teams have to travel and play games is that really matters in tournaments. The other thing is that we had a good start. We just got a momentum and played so well. That wouldn’t happen against them 10 times in 10.”

So, that’s the quandary. You don’t want blow outs, but don’t want to stunt the growth of women’s soccer.

Teams can can and do get better. In 1994, I watched the U.S. pummel Mexico, 9-0, during a qualifier for the 1995 Women’s World Cup in Montreal. Today, some 18 years later in 2012, the Mexicans can play the Americans on equal terms and even beat them (ie., the upset in the 2011 WWC qualifying semifinals in October, 2010). Of course, Mexico is a much larger country than the Dominican Republic has more resouces and players from which to choose.

Unfortunately, the media never got an opportunity to ask Dominican coach Rufino Sotolongo and his team what they thought to the result or if they had any solutions. They left the stadium immediately after the game and went back to the team hotel.

I can only assume they were not happy campers.

With a match with Mexico looming here on Sunday afternoon. the Dominican Republic might not be an extremely happy lot to talk to after that match as well — assuming they don’t split for their hotel immediately afterwards.

With so much stake on the line, we could be heading toward yet another farce.

Photo: U.S. coach Pia Sundhage: “The more chances teams have to travel and play games is that really matters in tournaments.” Andy Mead/YCJ

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Categories: Dominican Republic, Editorial, Guatemala, Mexico, Olympic Qualifying, U.S.A., Women
Tags: Abby Wambach, BC Place, CONCACAF women's Olympic qualifying tournament, Hope Solo, Pia Sundhage

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