Shadow Scholar Syndicate: FWM/CA/N 2019--Day Twenty-Eight Recap

Your “Syndicate Hangover” is proudly presented by “Perrier”

Your friendly bookie remains more of a San Pellegrino man, but we’ll accord the hosts some respect for their second-rate club soda. Along with La Croix, it’s an acceptable option when the only other alternative happens to be Seltzer Water.

Day 28: Recap

Bookie’s Stats—

Spread: 48-62

Straight up: 64-30-16

Bookie found himself captivated early in the AFCON after watching the truly galvanized team play of the…er…“squirrels of Benin”. Two rounds and two goalless draws later, he found this brief infatuation to be rather embarrassing. You would too. Trust me. Raving about…er…“squirrels” doesn’t sit right.

Now it’s an all “squirrel” day! Congratulations Benin! You still haven’t technically won an AFCON match EVER, but you’re headed to the Quarterfinals!

True, a lot of this has to do with horrible misses from Hakim Ziyech, Belhanda, Boufal, AND Boussoufa. It was also a horribly officiated match that the ref lost total control of from the moment he gave Adenon his first booking in the 41^st.

A win remains a win. As much as I love my Teranga Lions, theirs wasn’t a victory worthy of awarding the day. The Senegalese played a pretty sloppy game also marred by lousy officiating.

Up with the…er…“squirrels!”. Yeah. Go squirrels.

S.S.S. Tactical Breakdown

I know, America. I know. Some Syndicate Members have checked in to state that they miss their girls already. It’s so hard to say goodbye. Even a World Championship isn’t enough to make parting more sweet than sorrowful. That familiar feeling of post-international-tournament melancholy looms.

We all know why this is. It’s because the internationals literally connect you with the rest of the world. Everyone gets together to share a collective moment. Returning to the perfunctory world full of petty nonsense takes some adjustment. There’s also the fact that these teams are about to be dissolved. In this particular instance, this sucks for U.S. Fans because this team that it was so easy to fall in love with will shortly cease to exist. Future incarnations of the USWNT will look very different. As impossible as it is to say, this bookie doubts a women’s side as complete as this will be assembled for quite some time.

As we prepare to say goodbye to perhaps the greatest female footballing side ever, we’ll draw it up for them one last time.

Lineup—USA—Match Seven (Projected) (4-3-3)

Megan Rapinoe Alex Morgan Tobin Heath

Lindsay Horan Sam Mewis

Julie Ertz

Crystal Dunn Kelley O’Hara

Becky Sauerbrunn Abby Dahlkemper

Alyssa Naeher

I fully expect Rapinoe to start. This may be the 34-year-old’s final match in the country’s colors. Rose Lavelle’s hamstring problems look to be more serious, so I don’t anticipate she’ll get the go. Horan and Mewis get deployed behind the strikers with Ertz potentially taking on more traditional number-6 duties. I happen to think it would behoove Ellis more to keep her closer to the defensive set-up.

With this U.S. Side designed to absolutely smash-mouth the opposition early, expect at least one early goal. I don’t see them reverting back to the five-back set at all in this one. They’ll go all out in what will be the final curtain call for a whole generation of stars. The further ahead they are, the earlier Ellis can insert Lloyd and potentially Krieger for one last curtain call. I expect both of them will announce their international retirement following the match. Sauerbrunn and Rapinoe are likely to hang up their cleats too.

Players that won’t retire immediately, but very likely won’t be back in four-years-time include Tobin Heath, Christen Press and Kelley O’Hara. You could take your friendly bookie’s advice and actually check them out in the NWSL sometime. It’s a fun league to watch either on tele or in person. It goes without saying that tickets are pretty cheap and you can easily introduce your daughter to the stars post-match.

Somehow I think players Julie Ertz and Alex Morgan have one more World Cup left in them. Who really knows, though? Injury and form can knock them out at any time. Both players are also married and may have other priorities after winning back-to-back world championships. I’d personally think winning a third world championship would be better than popping out a kid….but I’m not a woman.

Share a moment with them one last time America. Bookie finds himself misty-eyed as we prepare to part.

“Riffs of the Day”—Day Twenty-Eight

Reader: I wonder how Allah handles it when both teams pray before a penalty shootout.

Vicey: Probably too busy not existing to take much notice. Either that, or he’s got one of those automated text messages that say, “Please put the ball in the back of the net yourself”

Reader: Haha. Cebio Soukou just got carded for having his wedding ring on.

Vicey: Love it. Being married is a bookable offense! Funny that women are allowed to wear jewelry on the pitch, but men aren’t. Actually, I found the fact that he refused to return to the pitch unless he could put a piece of athletic tape on his ring finger kind of oddly sweet. It almost made me want to believe that there’s such a thing as “romantic love”.

That lasted all of five sublime minutes.

Reader: How does one pronounce Benin?

Vicey: Let me get back to you on that one, 164-M. I’ve always pronounced it [Be-NEEN], but these British broadcasters keep saying [Be-nin]. I’d say that that’s just English mangling of a French intonation, but the studio guy—who I believe is fluent in French—just said [Be-nin] too. I’ll check with my froggy sources. Might be the case that studio guy actually isn’t fluent in French and just wants to be ethnically cool.

Reader: Aliou Cisse has crisper, better starched shirts than Jogi Löw.

Vicey: Now you’ve crossed the line, 16-M! I’ll have you know that….wait a second…come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time I saw Jogi Löw in a button-up dress shirt. He hasn’t been rocking the blazer or scarf in ages either. In Russia he was just sporting blue T-shirts and sweatpants. He’s gotten way too cozy. Oh, man. It’s going to take another bad Summer to send him on his way.

DAY TWENTY-NINE—PREVIEW

We’ll list the two Third Place Match Lines here in the dailies instead of composing a separate post for them. Note that the Championship Picks will not be constitute a “Goodbyes” Section as your friendly bookie will carry on until the end of AFCON. Aware of the fact that it will be “Goodbye” for some of you, there are some warm sentiments in the works.

Third-Place Match

England vs. Sweden

vs.

Bookie’s rising early to bid farewell to his Lionesses. I’ll miss you, lasses….just as sure as I won’t be missing the spoilsport Swedes.

THE LINE: England +1 Goal (debuting)

Third-Place Match

Argentina vs. Chile

vs.

This would have made for a fine final. Messi prepares for his final Copa America campaign next Summer by completely obliterating the old foe that forced him into premature retirement.

THE LINE: Argentina +2 Goals (debuting)

Nigeria vs. Cameroon