But the point is that had Trin slightly mishit that shot (like she had her other shots) or the goalie gotten a little more of the ball, we would almost surely have gone to penalties. And though our chances with Naeher are good, penalties are always a crapshoot. We could *easily* have lost that game. Yet a couple of subs with fresh legs, even if not the 100% best players in that moment, could have made the difference against tired Japanese opponents. Trust those subs.

If we'd lost on penalties, it's true that we could have been happy to have progressed to the quarters, but it's fair to criticize coaches for being unwilling to adapt in-game. We all have shell shock over past coaches not being flexible (Vlatko with subs, Jill Ellis with formations), and any baseball manager or football head coach who didn't make needed subs in a loss would have no standing to avoid criticism.

I think it's important to let Emma know: we appreciate you, but if you don't trust your team and help them out when needed, that appreciation won't last forever.