Anon asked…

Anonymous asked:

Who are you expecting to win this match??

I got the message during the first half of the championship game on Sunday. I had Twitter open just for DMing updates on the game, and chat windows open for the people that I usually talk to during the Final Four. (Three years, guys! What did I do before I had this crew? …sat through Tar Heel fangirling, but let’s not revisit darker times.) Lord only knows why I opened tumblr, but I’m glad I did.

For posterity, my answer:

Ha! No, seriously, I just laughed out loud. Until this game started, I figured Stanford. Notre Dame is good, but I am used to them being cautious and feeling opponents out. Lots of freshmen in the starting lineup versus Stanford’s clear dominance this season.

I am really surprised (and quite pleased!) at how good Notre Dame’s possession was in the first half. It’s like they picked right up where they left off against OSU, sans foul frustration. So the first half was much more even than I expected with close chances for both sides.

And now I’m not sure. I don’t want to jinx either team. They are both playing well. I feel like Stanford has to win this, that they deserve it, but Notre Dame has a real chance if the second half plays out like the first.

(Shh, don’t tell anyone, but I think this team is playing better than the 2006 or 2008 Irish teams did in the tournament. I never would have expected that.)

So here: I will win this match. Anyone who likes the best of women’s soccer in America will win this match. How’s that for an honest answer?

And then Notre Dame won and, flooded with joyful Irish soccer photos, tumblr broke.