Kritik und Lob » a difficult time, and it was my first experience

BRASILIA, Brazil -- It wasnt politically correct. But the first words out of Hope Solos mouth after an Olympic quarterfinal against Sweden were undeniably honest and entirely sincere in summing up a days frustrations.The United States dominated possession. It nearly quintupled Swedens shots. It had the first chance and the last chance in open play.The three-time reigning Olympic champion and current World Cup champion is also going home without an Olympic medal of any kind for the first time, eliminated by Sweden 4-3 in a penalty shootout after the teams played to a 1-1 stalemate over 120 minutes of soccer.Cue the goalkeeper who is rarely unwilling to speak her mind, in this case about a team that set out to defend to the last woman.I thought that we played a courageous game, Solo said. I thought that we had many opportunities on goal. I think we showed a lot of heart. We came back from a goal down; Im very proud of this team. I also think we played a bunch of cowards. But, you know, the best team did not win today; I strongly, firmly believe that. I think you saw Americas heart. You saw us give everything that we had today.Unfortunately the better team didnt win.The better team, yes. Almost undeniably. But not the team that best executed its assignment on this day.Which perfectly encapsulates the frustration, if it doesnt excuse the sentiment more suited to a sport with judges. Pragmatism is style in soccer.The United States knew this was coming. Coach Jill Ellis, who rarely shows her hand in the days leading up to games, didnt even offer the pretense evasiveness the day before this one. She used to work for Pia Sundhage, the coach who went home to Sweden after taking the United States to two Olympic gold medals. She knew Sundhage would be pragmatic, especially when it came to the United States. Everyone knew.The United States began Fridays game with a scoreless drought of more than 200 minutes against Sweden, including a scoreless World Cup draw a year ago in Canada. U.S. wunderkind Mallory Pugh was barely in high school the last time the Americans scored against a Swedish team.Sweden is not a minnow in womens soccer, not with players like Lotta Schelin and Caroline Seger. But Sweden and its coach are also not novices ready to run pell-mell into the breach. Certainly not after they were exposed by Brazil earlier in this tournament in a 5-1 loss.They had to do what they had to do, said Carli Lloyd, more measured than her teammate. They had to sit back. They sat back as we expected them to do. They werent confident in their abilities to open up because they opened up against Brazil, and the score sheet was not so great. So yeah, they sat back, they waited for that one moment to counterattack.That moment came in the 61st minute, not as some lumbering stroke of luck, but as the product of some nice interplay around midfield, short passes that set up an open look at a long ball toward Stina Blackstenius. The Swedish player got inside U.S. defender Julie Johnston, gathered the ball and beat Solo with a quality shot to the far post.It was fortunate, but it wasnt lucky. No luckier than the long balls Leicester City sent to Jamie Vardy en route to a Premier League title last season. Soaking up possession and hitting back with a lightning bolt is all the rage.The thing is, while the Swedes were committed and organized in their defending to the end, they werent exactly stopping the Americans in their tracks. The United States didnt play poorly. It wasnt precise enough. It didnt finish well enough; at least one missed chance likely will haunt each of the attacking players who were on the field. Maybe Crystal Dunn could have come on sooner. Maybe the gamble on Megan Rapinoe, a sub who had to be subbed when the game went to overtime, didnt work out. But the United States moved the ball. It had ample opportunity to deliver crosses into the box, to let Pugh slip into space in the middle of the field and play in Morgan, to set up set pieces.It has played worse and won on many occasions.Inside 18 yards, when theres 20 people in the box, it is tough, Ellis said. I dont care what level you play. It is really hard for an organized attack to break down an organized defense. Its really, really hard. So we knew we had a massive challenge. But in terms of what we tried to do, and how we tried to play, I actually thought today [was as well as the team had played] -- especially the first half, for sure, and part of the second half. We tried to play.The U.S. equalizer came in the 77th minute, and more luck was involved in it than in the Swedish goal. Before Alex Morgan could slide home the goal with a composed finish, the ball first had to reach her by way of a ricochet off a Swedish players head after a Dunn header.Surely that was the breakthrough, as a late goal has so often been in major tournaments, and especially those since 2011. But as much as the U.S. women pressed in the final 13 minutes, Dunns presence adding a different energy to the attack, the only ball that found the back of the net was Lloyds header that was incorrectly negated for offside (as was a Schelin goal seconds later).I felt like we were going to score again and win within regular time, Morgan said. But the time just kept going on, and they kept defending well. It never went in the back of the net. I was really optimistic. I didnt even anticipate it going into penalties, either. But it just wasnt our day today.Unfortunately, that means it was the last day in a major tournament until the 2019 World Cup, qualification willing.In the end, the real frustration wasnt from what Sweden did, but what the United States couldnt do to finish what it started -- what it started Friday, and what it started with the World Cup title a year ago.Even just a few minutes more removed from the field, at the end of the questioning that began with her harshest words, Solo modified her stance ever so slightly when asked if it would be acceptable for some teams to play the way Sweden played.Youve got to take your hat off to them because they beat us, Solo said. So theyre going on, like I said, and were going home. They dont have as quality of players as the American team does or as Brazil does, so they have to play a way thats going to give them hope to beat a team like Brazil or the USA. And I think thats part of the tactical side of things. And Pia is somewhat of a tactician, so she dropped her team into a 50 and tried to hit long balls. They could only really score on the opportunity for a long ball or on set pieces.So I guess you can say its smart, but I dont think its respectful to the game.But no matter how strongly some feel otherwise, nowhere more than in the U.S., where the game is part athletics and part art, the game also is set up to produce an outcome.Solos words were a reflection of the frustration inherent in that.What they missed is that Sweden showed its heart, too, right down to Lisa Dahlkvists clincher in the shootout that beat Solo after the keeper delayed the proceedings to fix what she said was a faulty strap on her glove.It would be hard to eliminate the United States without courage.It might well have been a different outcome on another day. Maybe most days. Just not this day.Alec Georgen Jersey . 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Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career.Swansea head coach Francesco Guidolin has signed a new two-year contract.The Italian joined the club in January when they were just two points above the relegation zone and has since guided them to 11th place in the Premier League.A board meeting was held at the Liberty Stadium on Wednesday to discuss the 60-year-olds future and it has now been confirmed Guidolin will remain in the role. The Italian members of Guidolins backroom staff - Gabriele Ambrosetti and Diego Bortoluzzi - have also been offered new contracts. Francesco Guidolin has signed a new two-year deal with Swansea Im pleased to confirm that we have reached an agreement with Francesco on a new two-year contract, chairman Huw Jenkins told Swanseas official website.Francesco fully deserves the chance to continue his good work into the new campaign. He was prepared to come into the club at such a difficult time and put himself in a pressure situation with the club fighting for survival.He has achieved the goal of securing top-flight football for this club with plenty to spare and has earned the right to start afresh next season.Its going to be another challenge for everyone, but we are looking forward to seeing how far he can take this squad of players over a full season. Swansea beat West Ham 4-1 at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday There has obviously been a lot of speculation over recent weeks about a possible change of manager, but the board has been impressed with the way he has quietly gone about the job of improving performances and results since January.Jenkins later spoke to Sky Sports News HQ, where he explained further why the board felt Guidolin should be offered a new deal.The timing was right to make sure things are settling down well to make sure we can plan and get things right for the new season, to get Francesco signed up and to move things on, said Jenkins.We felt thhe clubs he worked for [in the past] were similar to Swansea.dddddddddddd We are a smaller club in the Premier League challenging big clubs and he has done that well in Italy.We are looking forward to him having the full preparation of pre-season, to get everything prepared in the right way, and we can all look forward to the season ahead.There was a lot of speculation in the press as to whether we were talking to other managers.We had discussions, and Francesco is aware of that, but the decision to go down this route is the right one for the club.Jenkins also confirmed US investors looking to buy the club had no input into Guidolins appointment. Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins said improved performances persuaded them to offer Guidolin a new contract Guidolin said he was honoured to be given a new deal.It is an important day for me, and I am honoured to be given the chance to continue managing this wonderful club, he told Swanseas website.I came into the club at a difficult time, and it was my first experience of the Premier League. Now, I have the possibility to start my work at the beginning of a new season; something Im excited about.I would like to thank my players first of all, plus the staff and our fans. It was very emotional for me to hear them sing my name after the game at West Ham, and Ive had nothing but good wishes from everyone Ive met on the streets of Swansea.The possibility for me to work with them and for them again is very important to me. Its an honour, and I am grateful to the chairman and the board for giving me this opportunity.Swansea host Manchester City in their final match of the season on Saturday, when they will look to finish their campaign with three victories in a row, following their 3-1 win over Liverpool and Saturdays 4-1 victory against West Ham.Also See:Guidolin unsure over futureWest Ham 1-4 SwanseaQUIZ: Old football groundsGet a ￡10 free bet! ' ' '