So much happened in this game, much of which wasn't during the run of play and we're not sure that most of it even merits discussing here.
That so many people are refusing to see the role of racism and colonialism in both on-field performance and off-field narratives is baffling, enraging and disheartening. The always-brilliant Brenda Elsey nailed the point on how this game played out.
Read MoreThis was as complete a game as I think we've seen from any squad in the tournament as the Germans picked apart the South African defense. They played their style of game and and did it to perfection. The passes were crisp, the ball-handling superb and everything just seemed to be clicking.
Read MoreEver since the United States Women's National Team defeated Thailand in their opening match of the 2019 World Cup, talk of the game has dominated the news cycle.
Caught up in the excitement of the win and seeing my team finally play up to their promise, I wasn't particularly tuned in to the building anger and frustration others had about what was happening. I didn't think too much about the score or the celebrations, but I also know I didn't have much perspective from which to see the bigger picture. But as I checked in on post-game commentary, I began to see why non-Americans viewed the events of the game differently than I did.
Despite the fact that Thailand is one of the handful of southeast Asian nations the United States doesn't have prominent questionable political or military history with, the optics of a stacked, strong American team demolishing them certainly weren't great. It's not difficult to see why someone watching would find it distasteful and upsetting.
Read MoreStarting with my controversial hot take – if this is what having VAR is, I'm not sure I want it. Or maybe better stated, if this is what the rules call for, I'd like a new discussion on the rules. I admittedly haven't gotten to watch a ton of games yet as I was out of town at a conference, but what I have seen has been a lot of awkward stoppages and the spirit of the game ruined. My opinion may change as the tournament progresses, but right now it feels like a lot of pedantic stuff that happens in normal run of play is deciding games and so far it's made things less enjoyable to me.
We started off with a bit of a shocker yesterday morning as Italy's Barbara Bonansea scored her second of the game just moments before the final whistle to give the Italians the upset win.
Read More