Hard luck the England girls.

[newyankee]

 If tonight's game was decided on points the ref would have stopped the game, England played that well and missed several really good chances.
Then to give away an own goal almost at the end was cruel. I felt for the girl Bassett, but she was trying to clear the ball and it just went in off the bar, that's how close they came .

 Well done to all of them, they put England back on the map, they are a team to be proud of.       

[dknward2]

They should all be very proud Japan didn't deserve that win. They give it there all felt so sorry for that poor lass Bassett so unlucky did everything right get to ball before the forward but unlucky just clipped the bar and in dunno if they had goal line technology was hoping the ref had missed it

[newyankee]

They had goal line technology dknward2.

[Chris Black come back]

It was well, well over the line. Can't really fault her for trying to get to that ball but it was definitely well over the line.

The Japanese penalty was also solid. The England player was crazy to be attacking her like she did in that position.

Overall England were the better team. Interesting that these gut wrenching disasters rarely happen to Germany or Italy etc. We should have from 90min onwards had ball in the corner and sat on play. They were too adventurous for me in the final minutes. Ruthless teams would kill those minutes. We did not and that poor lass has to carry that with her now. 

[PDX_Rover]

At 1-1 it's there to be won. You can't legislate for flukes like that. Better team lost. 25 years ago Gazza cried. Fluke goal in that game too. Gutted fir them but they did us proud.

[RobTheRover]

I stayed up to watch it.

Heartbreaking for the girls,  but at the end of the day they have gone far further than most thought. It's a great platform for women's football in the UK to kick on from.

Are we all going down to the next Belles home game in a couple of weeks?

[IDM]

Just seen the highlights this morning.  The winning goal was as far over the line as Lampard's that wasn't given..

Cracking effort from the women and a great achievement.

[idler]

A very disappointing finish, especially at 2am.
I'm just glad that I wasn't still working, that would have put the tin hat on it.
Taking the positives we could and probably should have been in the final. That can only be good for the women's game here.

[graingrover]

What a strong physical performance that was by the girls .

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Agree they have done us proud. In this game there were organised, disciplined and strong. The only disappointment for me was hoofing the ball and giving the ball away cheaply.

Yes they were executing the instructions to the letter and the width of both crossbars wad the difference but I thought the guile of Karen Carney a bit earlier would have given us more chance of an outright win.

I thought Japan ran out of ideas and were there for the taking but some of our forward play was disrupted by a needless hoof when a simple pass was the option. That led to their winner when a rare Japan incisive pass left Laura Bassett with no option to play the ball. Really feel for her.

Exceptionally cruel way to go out.

[VivaRovers]

Hopefully the interest will carry on into the domestic game and there'll be a few more at Belles games in the second half of the season.

Next home game is against Watford, Saturday 11 July, 6:15pm kick-off.

[BillyStubbsTears]

I once heard Tanni Grey-Thompson say that she was looking forward to drugs cheat scandals in the Paralympics because it would highlight how important the sport had become.

Women's football is obviously on its way because that dive for the England penalty was disgraceful. Folk would have been screaming blue murder if it had been the other way round.

[roversontheup]

 Not a dive in my eyes. She had her hell clipped. Not saying she didn't go down quite easily but definitely no dive.
I think the whole competition has been refreshing for its lack of amateur dramatics, histrionics and plain cheating!

Absolutely gutted for England and in particular Bassett. They/she really didn't deserve that ending.  Cruel, cruel way to lose. Hope they can pick themselves up for the play off match V Germany on Saturday.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Fair enough if I missed the heel clip. Only saw it briefly and it looked to me as though she felt a hand on her shoulder and collapsed. If I've missed summat, I retract my comment

[BillyStubbsTears]

Although luck balances out in the long run, England teams haven't had much in the very big games.

In the plus column, there was the Azerbaijani linesman in 66.

In the negative column there is
the Hand of God in 86
Breme's goal in Turin in 90
Anderton hitting the post and the ball bobbling an inch from Gazza's toe in 96
Then that heartbreaking own goal last night.

(PS. I wouldn't include Lampard's goal in 2010. Even if we had won that game, we'd have been hammered by any other decent side as we were nowhere near good enough to be real contenders.)

[Sandy Lane]

I thought it was a great match overall. 

About England's penalty, the commentators used the d word here in the U.S.  but they decided it was just, and also part and parcel of the game.  Imo the fall was embellished a bit and had they gone on to win, would have been more of an issue.  But after the way they lost and the humility and courage shown by them throughout the match, no one really noted it anymore. 

Great job by them!

[The Red Baron]

You could add to that Gordon Banks going down with a case of Montezuma's Revenge on the eve of the quarter final against West Germany in 1970.

[DRNaith]

The England penalty was correctly given, the one in favour of Japan however, should have been a free kick as the foul started outside the area.

[Chris Black come back]

If a foul continues into the box then a penalty can be given.

[Filo]

A cruel way to go out, both pens were very dodgy, Japan retained possesion well but were shite, England were by far the better team and if they had taken their chances would have comfortably won. For me the England keepers positioning for the winning goal was questionable, there was no need for here to be stood on the six yard line, had the Japan player taken the pass there was anoth England player covering that in all probability would have taken the Japan player wide, having said that the England keeper would still have struggled to get to the own goal such was it's position in the top corner and in off the bar, but she would have had a better chance of reaching it if she'd stayed on her line.

[DRNaith]

If a foul continues into the box then a penalty can be given.

I thought that was only with a continuation of a foul, for example shirt pulling or holding a player, where it may start outside the area but the offence continues into the area.  In this instance, the push, it occurred outside the area.

[newyankee]

Conspiracy theory or what ????    The English keeper, Bardsley, is actually an American who chose to play for England, to do with her forebears.

[Donny Viking]

Also thought all the girls put on a really good show throughout the tournament. Very little cheating, diving, spitting, swearing and arguing - but some big tackles still went in and they just got up, if they stayed down they were really hurt and often subbed off.  Atmosphere was very supportive and some of the skill and technique really impressed me. Puts many of the men's game to shame. Really enjoyed watching it and thanks for reminding me what football should be about. Now boys step up to the plate and follow......

[BillyStubbsTears]

Genius
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/33365095

I could have written it myself. In fact, maybe I did...

[idler]

Beating the Germans for the first time and scoring a penalty.
A great result. :0)

[BillyStubbsTears]

Christ but there were some comely wenches on the German team. Looked like RTR's avatar.

[BobG]

I was just going to mention, Billy, that I thought the Germans won hands down. Far more interesting to watch - apart from that absolute gorilla of a sub at the death of course.

BobG

[newyankee]

Fantastic result for the effort those girls put in. A much improved performance each game, by all that's right we should be playing the Yanks tomorrow.

CONGRATULATIONS on the highest World Cup finish.

[graingrover]

See some England players at the Keepmoat versus  the Belles end July


 http://www.doncasterroversbelles.co.uk/news/watch_englands_world_cup_stars_in_the_fa_wsl.html#dy6F1F6TTKXVMzbV.97

[Bristol Red Rover]

I watched several of the world cup games, and apart from one, I enjoyed them more than most mens matches. The French passing when they lost to Germany was slickly sublime. The drama in most games was captivating and even the tendency to play long ball worked in creating some exciting passages of play, despite a lot of those long balls ending up waaaay too long.

I expect the women's game to increase it's attendences a lot over the coming years, and hope the Belles can attract the local investment and support they deserve.