It’s been a few months now
Since you don’t greet me at the door
Sleep on the couch next to me
Still find your hairs in the couch
Your crate is still in the laundry room
Empty
It’s quiet now
We all said goodbye
I drove to Richmond to bring one of your boys home
We dug a hole in the backyard
Said a prayer together
I asked, “When you make the world right will you give me back my dog?”
Then we put you in a box
In your new bed
favorite toy
And favorite blanket
Sherri wrote you a sealed letter
“From Mommy”
We all feel your unwritten absence
The teams from all over the world,
Met down and under the world,
They came from Asia, Africa, Europe,
Latin America, North America, and all over the world.
The Women were young girls, stout and healthy,
In every game, they showed their vigor and muscle,
The expressions of scored goal were portrait kept in heart,
A missed goal was a heartbreak, they still tried their best.
Every game was delightful to watch,
The faces showed the expression of kicks,
Size and stature did not make any difference,
Tackle, passing, headers, and shots, what made all the difference,
Being a sport fan, I salute all the teams,
No matter who won, you all were my winners.
Both France and Australia were nil-nil until extra time when Aussie Alanna Kennedy’s misdirected header during a corner kick produced an own goal for France. The goal was disallowed for a foul inside the box by a French player. But Australia had more than luck on their side. Aussie goalie, Mackenzie Arnold, was a force to be reckoned with. The vanquished French coach Herve Renard said, “We came up against a Goliath of a goalie.” Then all it took was the late substitute Cortnee Vine to calmly convert the winning penalty kick. For the first time in their history, the host team Matildas are in the World Cup semifinals!
Vine’s PK winner
Matildas’ goalie Arnold—
France shown no merci
For two weeks, at all hours, I watched FIFA games
Familiarizing myself with all the players' names
But I won't be viewing the World Cup anymore
after the favored U. S. team was unable to score
Too much drama was promoted, so it would seem
over not singing the National Anthem, but I'd deem
their focus was on winning, as I think it should be
and not on patriotic agendas, "My country tis of thee."
A penguin (mascot) waddles so he can't play football
If he had tried, he'd have stumbled and taken a fall
Not once did I hear his name, Tazunis, mentioned
I don't think that slight of him was well intentioned
The U.S. team was defeated by Sweden in overtime
Their goalie, Zecira Musovic, played a game sublime
Time after time her heroic efforts prevented a score
No goals had been made, but the game was not a bore
U.S. women won the first tourney game by one goal
but wouldn't "Do it Again" and lost their favorite role
They didn't play, "Beyond Greatness," not even close
It was time they fly home and to Australia say, "Adios."
What is FIFA? I google to see
because football means nothing to me.
Whether football from here
or world soccer, it’s clear
facts and figures from me there won’t be.
My apologies to the contest sponsor!!
Knockout stage
Women’s World Cup
Sweden
versus U. S.
In regulation
nil-nil score,
ditto
extra time—
P Ks
To decide—
U. S. A.
three missed kicks seal fate
Kudos to Musovic
and
The Blue and Yellow!
It's a ball and you kick it
Seems simple enough
But it's more than a game
'cos you have to be tough
I'm not talking a buzz-cut
Or some scars from a fight
For this resolve is internal
Overlook it, you might
You may cuss, scowl or spit
That doesn't impress
Now this game's claimed by women
Swapping shorts from a dress
And the girls that will follow
In their thousands for sure
In competitive joy
This old game has it's cure:
It is teamwork and faith
It is laughter and tears
It is training like crazy
It is banishing fears
There's never been greater
A reason or rhyme
To describe this potential..
Ladies - this is your time
For the men have inspired us
Reaching dizzying heights
But the women converting
So many wrongs into rights
Take tenacity, love
Add a wholesome respect
Work ethic unriveled
With the fans they connect
Crossing boundaries, restoring
All that seemed far apart
The game has been longing for
This feminine heart
Raise your banners, peals of the orients
Maidens of fairness and might
Make proud your dear land and your parents
Cast your amber, shine so bright
Light up your flames to touch the sky
Soar to the heavens, fly so high
Let the world see your gleaming glow
From lands of sand to lands of snow
1st place
FIFA Women's World Cup Poetry Contest
Plucky Jamaica shocks the Copa America winners, Brazil, in a scoreless draw that propels the Reggae Girlz to the knockout stage for the first time in only their second Women’s World Cup, and with only one goal in Group stage. Contrast that with Brazil’s first group-stage exit since the 1995 World Cup. Not the best way for Brazil’s mighty Marta Vieira da Silva to end her sixth and final Women’s World Cup.
beautiful chaos
‘how the mighty have fallen’—
Reggae Girlz advance
***
Poetry notes:
"Oh How the Mighty Have Fallen" is a phrase that originates from 2 Samuel 1:19, an expression of David's lament over the death of Saul and Jonathan. It is also used today as a phrase to imply the decline of a once-great person or entity.
England’s coach, Sarina Wiegman’s decision to switch from their regular 4-2-3-1 formation to a 3-5-2 formation was a brilliant move that confused and frustrated China the entire match. With their 6 -1 victory, England remain at the top of Group D and move on to the knockout stages. This is the first time China have been eliminated from group stage during their eight Women's World Cup appearances.
Wiegman’s masterstroke
The Steel Roses bamboozled—
Lionesses roar
F ootball
with
W omen
( so )
C apable
United States had looked defeated after Netherlands' Jill Roord scored a goal in the 17th minute, the first time United States trailed in a World Cup game since the 2011 quarterfinals. In the second half Lindsey Horan became angry after a hard tackle by Netherlands’ van de Donk. Minutes later Lindsey scored the equalizer on a thunderous header.
USA humbled
Orange Lionesses’ Roord—
don’t make Lindsey mad
Can the undeniably lame
Play a hard football game
And it will still look the same?
Already, I’m suffering his shame
But see upon the brave lame
A thrust gigantic fame
And lips screaming his name
And discussing the amazing flame!
I myself shall God blame
For excellent legs he could claim
To with them FIFA balls tame
Leo Messi proving ‘A Real Dame.’
Though they don’t have the world’s admiration,
the women who played for my nation
won the World Cup with ease
showing great expertise
and fought against discrimination.
Pretending to sip English tea
and pissing off Trump royally,
Megan Rapinoe and
all her teammates so grand
are A-number one now with ME!
7/7/19 for Mark Toney's 2019 Fifa Women's World Cup Poetry Contest
Finally went online and read all about TEAM USA. Those gals have balls!! Wow!
VAR dispute
USA three match shutout-
Rio loss avenged
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