Servus Syndicate Members,
To purloin a phrase from CAN 2013, I’d say we’re in for the “ass-kicking-terrific-awesome-historic-mother-of-all-motherfucking weekends.”
Your friendly bookie just posted a piece lamenting the lack of continental variety in the Copa America quarterfinals now that the two Asian teams have been eliminated. I suppose it’s only fair to note that we’re lacking diversity here in the FWM as well. Europe contributes seven of the eight remaining teams.
Meh…So what? The European teams are themselves diverse. Other regions need to invest more in their programs if they wish to compete. Whilst professing my lifelong love of the women’s game in this year’s “State of the Syndicate Address”, I noted that the women’s teams have deep historical roots in Europe.
Clubs were formed organically from community athletic societies. Hence, as long as there were girls who wanted to play, we had teams for them. Note that this wasn’t the case in the U.K., but they’re no longer part of Europe anyway. Don’t falsely assume that you can easily shit on my point!
Europeans can be fairly accused of not taken women’s football as seriously as they should, but overall they’re more apt to watch a match or support a club than most. Another story you can read a bit about in this year’s “State of the Syndicate” address concerns the long struggle to establish a viable women’s professional league in the United States. It’s been quite the journey.
Your friendly bookie still can’t get over the “magicJack Team” in the now defunct WPS. Really? That’s where you opted to stick your two-time World Champions? I’m aware that the German girls have to do Commerzbank commercials to drum up enthusiasm and the French players do their regular nude photo-shoots….but at least they weren’t hawking computer dongles in Boca Raton.
A Euro-centric quarterfinal round shouldn't bother anyone. What an amazing story-line it makes for. The defending champs, and sole representative of the rest-of-the-world, must now beat three European teams on European soil in order to retain their title. Will they succeed?
Tonight’s guest says “fuck yes”. I know. I know. We’re recycling another photo, just like we did in last night’s AFCON Lines. It’s just too good a photo to remain buried back in the preview section. After sitting out one match and having a two consecutive quiet games, the Tigress Heavenspawn will soon be back in a big way.
Thursday, June 27th
England vs. Norway
vs. 
Only one obstacle stands in the way of Phil Neville’s girls much anticipated date with the Americans in the semi-finals. That obstacle: Phil Neville. Way back at the beginning, the bookie picked the English to knock off the Americans in the Semis, the phase of the tournament where they heavy favorites will be most vulnerable.
It still might happen, but Neville has to get there first. It’s not happening with Jill Scott in midfield. Bookie beseeches the quintessential England man to at the very least make this ONE change. We’ve been tracking her form throughout this tournament. It’s time. As a public service, the bookie has built a fine 4-1-2-3 for you below.
Start Carney and thin things out a bit in the midfield. Let Bronze float in there a bit more if problems arise. Squeeze Saevik and Engen out of the game and let the rest take care of itself. Don’t let your best chance to bring England some glory slip away. You needn’t do this.
The Norwegian Grasshoppers didn’t implode as predicted. They haven’t exactly thrived either. Recall that this was not all that great a team even with Ada Hegerberg on it. They were downright horrible in the 2017 Euros. As predicted, they were talented enough to upset the Aussies in the previous round. Bookie’s lineup projection was pretty spot on with one enormous exception: Caroline Graham Hansen.
What a match she had! What injury? She’ll need to be just as good here to beat the favorites. Saevik, Vilde Risa, Engen, and Thorisdottir need to bring their best as well. Somehow one doesn’t see the stars aligning in quite the same way for all these vital players on another matchday. It’s a tight turnaround for them after a grueling 120-minute ordeal.
Lionesses win. If they don’t, expect an anti-Neville tirade in tomorrow’s daily.
Projected Lineups:
“The Three Lionesses” (4-1-2-3)
Toni Duggan Ellen White Nikita Parris
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Fran Kirby Keira Walsh
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Karen Carney
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Alex Greenwood Lucy Bronze
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Steph Houghton Millie Bright
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Karen Bardsley
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“The Grasshoppers” (4-1-3-2)
Isabell Hervlosen Caroline G. Hansen
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Guro Reiten Ingrid Engen Vilde Risa
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Karina Saevik
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Kristine Minde Ingrid M. Wold
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Maria Thorisdottir Maren Mjelde
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Ingrid Hjelmseth
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Prop Bets (as always, feel free to offer your own)
Over/Under—3 Goals
120 Minutes—Straight Up
Penalty Shootout—Straight Up
White brace—2 to 1
Jill Scott start—2 to 1
Reiten set piece goal—2 to 1
Engen from outside the 18—2 to 1
THE LINE: England +1 Goal
Friday, June 28th
USA vs. France
vs. 
The arrangement we saw from Jill Ellis, covered extensively in the Day Eighteen recap, isn’t going to work this time. There’s no sense in even having Julie Ertz on the pitch if she’s going to play that inverted role on the third axis. Everyone has their opinion. That’s the beauty of these tournaments, and the reason your friendly bookie will be again using most of the immediate gambling winnings to pay down the exorbitant cell phone bill.
The fashionable idea seems to be to move Julie Ertz back to centerback, giving Horan, Lavelle, and Mewis the start in midfield. Bookie finds this both unnecessary and potentially detrimental. Lavelle and Mewis began to find some chemistry toward the end of the last match. Such high-caliber players don’t need all that much time to gel. Horan is, after all, ordinarily a lead striker for her club teams. Everyone forgets that.
She did excellent work in the midfield for this team. Taking nothing away from her. At present, I’d like to see her get introduced later in the match. Her raw athleticism can be an asset in a late pinch. Even if the Mewis-Lavelle partnership left something to be desired, I think Ellis sticks with this work in progress as it shows such amazing promise. We still need to find a better midfield arrangement. How do we do it without changing personnel? We change the shape and modify the player instructions.
Compare and contrast how much difference just a little bit of movement makes. Lavelle and Mewis push inward. Mewis receives instruction to let Lavelle make most of the forward runs so she can drop back and assist Crystal Dunn as much as possible. Sauerbrunn has to cover more ground too. Dunn, despite her amazing match against the Spaniards, simply needs more inward support. Diacre might switch Le Sommer in order to exploit that space. I would.
Ertz shouldn’t stray too far from the attacking box. If she’s going to trade lanes with anyone it has to be Heath. Those two bombard the rattled Wendie Renard, showing no fear to contest aerial balls with her. After a bright start, the much-vaunted centerback has had an awful tournament. Griedge Mbock-Bathy has been scrambling around covering for her and now demonstrates visible signs of exhaustion.
Ceding control of the midfield shouldn't be taken as a sign of surrender. It’s actually a clever tactic. The French problems in this area, also extensively covered in the Day Eighteen Recap, lays out in great detail how this problem area may combust on its own accord. Let the old girls tire themselves out.
Diacre will come up with an offensive-minded strategy. She doesn’t have a choice. At home in front of a ravenous and notoriously impatient French crowd wants attractive football. They wanted it last week. They haven’t seen it since the South Korea game. They want risky play and Diacre will give it to them.
Bookie has done his best to piece together the best French strategy his presently football-overloaded brain can muster. I advocate a return to the false-9-approach used in the opening match. What needs to happen is a bit of the unexpected from Dunn and Mewis. If those two can hang back and focus for a bit, the counter-attacking paths will start opening up early enough.
This French squad is nowhere near as quality as most are saying. They’ve been overrated from the beginning. The real challenge for the U.S. women will come in the next round. Listing and fatigues, the Stars and Stripes have them on the ropes. Put them away, America.
Projected Lineups:
“Sam’s Angels ” (4-3-3)
Megan Rapinoe Alex Morgan Tobin Heath
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Julie Ertz
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Sam Mewis Rose Lavelle
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Crystal Dunn Kelley O’Hara
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Becky Sauerbrunn Abby Dahlkemper
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Alyssa Naeher
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“Les Bleaus” (4-3-3)
Eugenie Le Sommer Delphine Cascarino
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Kadidiatou Diani
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Elise Bussaglia Amandine Henry
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Amel Majri Gaëthine Thiney Marion Torrent
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Wendie Renard Griedge Mblock Bathy
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Sarah Bouhaddi
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Prop Bets (as always, feel free to offer your own)
Over/Under—3 Goals
120 Minutes—Straight Up
Penalty Shootout—3 to 1
Morgan brace—2 to 1
Lloyd brace—2 to 1
Karchaoui start —2 to 1
Perisset start—2 to 1
THE LINE: USA +2 Goals
Saturday, June 29th
The Netherlands vs. Italy
vs. 
One helluva double header on Saturday. U.S. Fans should carve out some time to tune in. Current trends suggest the Dutch may be the USWNT’s Final opponent. Cinderella has to be headed home here, and the bookie will gladly tell you why.
Brilliant tactics from Sarina Wiegman to finally get the Dutch (and, more importantly Lieke Martens) moving. It looked like she flipped Groenen and sent Spitse back to pair with van de Donk. Miedema dropped back too, though she’s not quite a false 9. She spent a lot of time on the left flank in rotation with Martens. Merel van Dongen also functions as a sort of “release valve”. All of This threw the Nadeshiko off and finally gave Martens some space.
With some of the initial pressure now alleviated, the only true “female Messi” in this tournament is free to really strut her stuff…and she will. Bookie sees her slicing through this enervated Italian back line with all her trademark finesse. She’s peaking at precisely the right time. I’m fully prepared for the dagger she’s about to drive through my poor German hearts in the semi-finals.
The formation you see below clears much more real estate. It works really well. We might even see a championship-winning formula developing before our own very eyes. Dominque Bloodworth in particular is really heating up. She’s been on absolute tear out of the back. Bookie was rather interested to learn that she recently popped out a baby only a few months ago. Is Postpartum Rampaging a thing?
Bertolini claims she doesn’t care about formations. She wants her players to essentially choose their own. Bookie isn’t buying. He recognizes a manipulative Italian woman’s con-game immediately. We’re going to see that no-holds-barred 4-3-3 from the second group stage match. They’re going for broke.
The Chinese didn’t have to work all that hard to slow down the Azzuri pace. The use of a paltry fourteen outfield players in a short tournament takes its toll. That’s why we saw Girelli subbed off. Most of the field players look totally depleted and they're only running on three- days-rest here, Bonansea in particular looks like she’s wilting bad. Even Giugliano’s young legs limbs are stilting.
I actually don’t think Girelli even gets the start here. Mauro is the best they can muster in terms of overdue squad rotation in the center. Giacinti has definitely taken over the right. Bookie will project Galli to take over the left. That gives them the best shot of keeping the assault fresh and innovative.
It should be pointed out that Wiegman hasn’t rotated much either. Bookie ultimately doesn’t think that will matter as the Dutch haven’t been playing particularly hard. Two-years removed from their European Championship, they’ve learned how to bide their time in tourney-football.
“Orange Crush”. Dutch win big.
Projected Lineups:
“Clockwork Leeuwinnen” (4-4-2)
Vivianne Miedema Shanice van de Sanden
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Lieke Martens Jackie Groenen
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Danielle van de Donk Sherida Spitse
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Merel van Dongen Desiree van Lunteren
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Stephanie van der Gragt Dominique Bloodworth
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Sari van Veenendaal
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“Azzzure” (4-3-3)
B. Bonansea I. Mauro V. Giacinti
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V. Cernoia V. Bergamachi
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M. Giugliano
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Elisa Bartoli Alia Guagni
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Sara Gama Elena Linari
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Laura Giuliani
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Prop Bets (as always, feel free to offer your own)
Over/Under—3 Goals
120 Minutes—2 to 1
Penalty Shootout—4 to 1
Annouk Dekker start—2 to 1
Martens Hat Trick—2 to 1
Girelli start—Straight Up
Bonansea brace—3 to 1
THE LINE: The Netherlands +2 Goals
Deutschland vs. Sweden
vs. 
If you happened to read the Day Nineteen Recap, you know that your friendly bookie remains concerned that he’s frequently NOT concerned about Sweden. I keep discounting this country, much to my financial chagrin. It is thus imperative that the bookie find some way to elevate his level of concern. It’s incumbent upon me to FIND a problem where there appears there is no problem to be found.
Hmmm….I do believe I need to start thinking like a woman. Change tracks!
Okay. Some think we’ve seen the best version of the Swedish lineup. If that happens to be true, then your friendly bookie’s concern lessens. Dammit. We’re not off to a very good start here. It’s just…. Sofia Jakobssen up front buttressed by Elin Rubensson? Doesn’t seem anxiety-worthy. My Mädels can handle that.
Hmmm….now I do believe I’m thinking like a mature adult. Change tracks!
Kosovare Asllani’s play has steadily improved. Slight tremor there. Hard to see her making much of an impact here as she’s mostly been buried to keep. Should Gerhardsson send her forward I’m actually confident in the improved play of Sara Doorsoun and Marina Hegering. They’ve really upped their game. I’m at the point now where I’m getting pissed at the television commentators for continually pointing out their flaws. That was soooo three matches ago.
Hmmmm….now I do believe I’m thinking like a hipster. Change tracks!
This isn’t working. I’m just not concerned. The only way I can bring myself to be concerned is by projecting a lineup that we’re very unlikely to see. I could give Peter Gerhardsson the benefit of the doubt and assume that Janogy is his “ace in the hole”. I’ll also tap Lina Hurtig for the start. Now I have something to be concerned about.
There’s also “Big Momma Hedvig”. Your friendly bookie doesn’t often allow keepers to scare him, but she could be the difference in this match. We really witnessed a spectacular penalty save from her in the previous match. I’m one hundred percent behind Janine Beckie for noting that it was a well-struck penalty. It wasn’t her fault.
Same eleven for the German girls, but I think we might see a change at left back. The veteran Gößling would constitute a perfect pick for this match. She can mostly stay put while Leupholz and Magull do their flight directing thing. Dallman could work and Oberdorf also made a strong case. I’ll nevertheless stick with Melanie and Lina. They’ll do just fine.
Projected Lineups:
“Die Nationalelf” (4-4-2)
Alexandra Popp Lea Schüller
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Sara Däbritz Giulia Gwinn
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Melanie Leupholz Lina Magull
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Lena Gößling Svenja Huth
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Marina Hegering Sara Doursoun
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Almuth Schult
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“The Blaugults” (4-4-2)
Fridolina Rolfö Stina Blackstenius
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Kosovare Asllani Lina Hurtig
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Caroline Seger Madelen Janogy
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M. Eriksson Hanna Glas
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Nilla Fischer Linda Sembrandt
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Hedvig Lindahl
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Prop Bets (as always, feel free to offer your own)
Over/Under—3 Goals
120 Minutes—Straight Up
Penalty Shootout—2 to 1
Maroszan Start—2 to 1
Popp brace—2 to 1
Rubenssson start—Straight Up
Lindahl howler—3 to 1
THE LINE: Deutschland +2 Goals
GENTLEMEN, ENTER YOUR WAGERS
