MISinformation: Live From Reims, it's USA versus Thailand.

Perhaps the most stunning thing about this game was that although it was in a tiny stadium Stade Auguste Delaune and they had sold out all the tickets, the 21,000+ stadium only had 18,000+ fans in attendance. OK, so the outcome wasn't too much in question, but Reims is only 45 minutes outside of Paris, and from what I saw on the train, many Americans had made the trip.

In any case, the atmosphere was charged and it was exciting to see the US Women take the field for their opening match. It didn't take long for the US to demonstrate that they were here to play and score goals. In the fourth minute, reminiscent of the opener, the US had a goal called back, due to an offsides. However, by the 12th minute Alex Morgan had seen to that and put one up on the board.

It is tough to compare the US team with the French team, since they had different opponents, but I have to say, while the US were clearly dominating, they did not look as sharp as the French -- the long balls into the box were not quite as precise. However, there was a fluidity to their play that was different from the French. I continue to anticipate what might be the best game of the tournament in the quarter final ...

Anyway, back to the US. One of my favorite players, Rose Lavelle, the lithe, quick, and magically footed midfielder looked dangerous from the beginning, so it was pleasantly satisfying to see her put in goal number two. By the 33rd minute, Lindsay Horan had also found the back of the net, which took the US women into halftime up 3-0, as the French had done.

The second half was an entirely different game. Quite honestly, there were so many goals in so short a time (10 goals in 45 minutes) that it was hard to keep track. I believe we ended up wit a total of five for Morgan, braces (2) for LaValle and Mewis, and one each for Push, Horan, Rapinoe and Lloyd. It's worth noting that Lloyd came in relatively early in the half (for LaVelle), Pugh for Julie Ertz (which seemed like an odd substitution until Horan came back for some time as defending midfielder), and then Press for Tobin Heath.

And this match's gratuitous selfie:

It turns out that we were sitting in the Thailand section, so after the game, we had the honor of cheering for the courageous Thailand women who never gave up, even in the face of the US onslaught. Their two speedy forwards continued to make attacking runs, annoy the defenders, and do whatever they could to try to erase that 0. I can only imagine how exhausted the defense was -- I was reminded of Bruiser Karen Bowen's, "I feel like a cone." response to our first ever appearance in the California State Cup tournament (where the nascent Bruisers played the top team in Northern California).