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
I’m looking at this picture of my daughter Ava
someone took three years ago as she was watching me
during the semifinals of our tennis club’s singles championship:
Standing there with her back to the camera,
her little fingers curled around the metal wiring of
a chain link fence, she’s trying to capture my attention
before I hit a kick-serve from the ad-side court;
Intently focused on the task at hand, I bounce the green ball
twice in front of me, toss it slightly behind my center of gravity
into swirling winds three feet above, coil like a spring,
and then, with every ounce of my being, explode upwards
while Ava stands there - still - her wide eyes searching an empty cage.
5/8/2017
August 28th in Hong Kong Open Squash Championship...
Nicol losing semifinals in Hong Kong, not surprising at all...
What's surprising is her steely determination to excel once more...
For a retriever like her, the writing has been on the wall...
The lowered tin favors attacking players, the emerging younger ones...
They whack and demand winners with each hit at the ball...
Nicol with her aging legs and defensive play overall...
Why, she can win and beat some of these young pretenders to her crown...
But it is impossible that Nicol can be as successful as she was before...
People, we are lucky witnesses today the fading of squash undisputed queen...
Ouch! It hurts but the truth is out there in plain sight...
We are witnessing the fading of squash once brightest light....
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