As partially predicted, Homan had a rather shaky opening to her quest for a double double.
She knocked off a group of fawns in her opener but succumbed to a feisty group of English women in a mistake-laden 2nd game.
She was able to slither by a top team earlier this morning (Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg) as Hasselborg pulled a Kerri Einarson and turned in a dud - but still was able to force Homan to make her last stone in the 10th - - - even though Homan had led the affair 8-3 after 7 ends.
Ice looks a bit ragged - but Homan should be prepared. Her lack of on-ice emotions may actually work in her favour this week - but don’t be surprised if she drops one more game in that lengthy, boring round robin. OF course, TSN sent 3 broadcasters plus a technical crew to Asia, I guess they can’t show non-Canada games. Its been their history.
At the end of the week - Homan will have one or two losses attached to her card. Outside chance she gets rung up for 3 losses.
I read that in her loss to Scotland she gave up three in the 10th to lose by one. Unlike her. I haven’t seen any of the action yet, which is on in the middle of the night.
Update - last night - my Jets were getting fire-hosed in Van City, my favourite FBI shows were on TV and The Mean Girls, aka Team Rachel Homan were getting slapped silly by a resolute group of Korean Happy Girls, performing for their home audience. Homan now 5-2, one more loss could jeopardize their entry into the weekend World Curling Playoffs. Could it be The Kurse of The Kerri Einarson?
Mean Girls still have to go up against The Alina Paetz Experience. Very good chance they’ll have 3 losses at the end of the round-robin. Who woulda thunk?
Despite 2 (unexpected?) losses - the Mean Girls (Homan) are advancing to the 6 team playoff - even with a couple round-robin games left. Oly quesiton is whether they can qualify for a bye in the first round - not so sure being laid off for a draw will actually help that super squad. All Canadian players are at the top of the their positions in terms of shooting percentages. Can’t remember the last time thats happened. AMAZING!
Looks like the good 'ol USA has vanished after putting a scare into Canada earlier this week.
Prolly still boils down to Canada vs. Suisse or Can vs. SWE for gold.
Homan is really curling up a storm after a wee stagger in the early days. I still maintain that team would be good enough to making playoffs at a Brier - if they were allowed.
As for World Final - there’s really no mercurial team out there like Einarson who could rise to the occasion and snuff our Homan in a one-game finale. Einarson is a yo-yo curler but on her best days (getting rarer & rarer) she’s near unbeatable.
Looks like Tirinzoni has suddenly got old and her Ace in the Hole, Paetz is starting to show cracks. Sweden is very steady but strategically they are nowhere near the level of Homan or Tirinzoni.
I watched the last 4 ends of the game against the Swiss last night, which was very close. After Emma and Co. went up 6-5 the Swiss looked like they might score 4, but missed or partially missed a couple of shots to only tie it in the 10th and then we handled them pretty easily in the 11th with last rock.
Canada has clinched a playoff spot, which wasn’t really in doubt, and will clinch a bye if they win out against China and Italy which they should.
I thought Homan received a bye if she won her last two games, but I was wrong. She lost the tiebreaker to Korea and finished third and will need to win an extra game to triumph. Curling has more varied playoff systems and tiebreakers than any other sport I would wager. They should do something about that.
I thought so too. Actually, I think Rachel would rather play the extra game - she drew Scotland who don’t throw up very high numbers positionally. Rachel has those big horses on her front end that can sweep til the cows come home. Fleury might be a tad on the fragile side but she’s been a proven performer. Homan’s best poach in all the years she’s been poaching curlers from other teams is NO DOUBT TRACY FLEURY.
Homan also poached Sarah Wilkes & Jo Courtney before making her play on Fleury.
Kaitlyn Lawes was a really good 3rd for Jones - but Lawes has turned into a mediocre skip. Head to head, Lawes can no longer stand up to curling aces like Fleury - or even Savanah Tirinzoni or even Sara McManus. I suspect Lawes won’t be skipping next year - unless there’s some kind of shocker in the works.
Shoulda figured this out earlier but TSN neither sent a technical crew or a crew of broadcasters to Korea - instead relying on a shaky world internet feed, then couping up their cheerleaders (aka broadcasters) in a Toronto TV studio.
On the cheap is TSN’s middle name. Cable rates are high enough to dispatch at least one camera crew and two in-booth cheerleaders for a world championship.
I didn’t see the Korea game that was on in the middle of the night. I saw most of the game against Scotland, which was essentially over after her early 7 points. They also showed the end of the China/Sweden quarterfinal after the Canada game where the Swedes were up by two in the 10th when the Chinese skip made two brilliant shots in the 10th with hammer to score three and win by one.
Angle raise chip outs - both brilliant shots by China’s Wang. All for not as China got themselves squashed by the brilliance of Switzerland’s Alina Paetz in the semi-final.
Meanwhile, the hometown heroes (Korea) had Rachel Homan on the hook, was ready to reel her in but a whiff by the Korean 3rd late in the game, allowed Homan the peephole crack she needed to turn the game around and take hammer into an extra end - which in the end, she did not require. Korea let Homan off the hook while China did pretty much the same with Switzerland, although it was more about keeping the game close. Paetz/Tirinzoni never appeared to be out of control
Canada goes Back to Back!
First time since 93-94. (Schmirler)
Also joins Sandra as the only 2 Canadian Skips to win 3 World Championships.
What an incredible run from this team.
Much like Einarson winning 4 Scotties in a row, it’s absurd that this team isn’t automatically going to the Olympics but that’s Curling Canada for you.
Whatta tremendous level of satisfaction it must be for Team Rachel Homan, to vanquish the Queen of the World (Alina Paetz) two years straight, this team not leaving much doubt - lots of boot marks all over Queen Paetz & Savanah Tirinzoni (the Swiss Ring-Master).
Homan will be overwhelming favorites to win the Olympic berth, with only the mercurial Kerri Einarson presenting faint hopes.
Homan now historically moves to the very top of Canada’s curling pantheon - ahead of Colleen Jones, equal to Sandra Schmirler and only slightly trailing Jennifer Jones. Jones corralled 6 Canadian titles 2 Worlds & Olympic Gold. Her undefeated run to gold in the Olympics was unparalleled.
I expect R. Homan, currently sitting with 5 Scottie titles, to nab at least 3 more Scotties in the next 5 years, giving her 8 total by the time she retires. That would put her ahead of Jones in my books, even if she comes up empty at the next Olympics (either not winning gold or even not qualifying)
The Homan Team - man o man, they are frighteningly good. Little Tracey Fleury added some humanity to a very serious, mostly morose team, now Fleury is easily the best 3rd in the world. The front end are the big horses - Emma gracefully stepped down to 2nd and instantly became a great 2nd player, Wilkes has always been great at lead since taking a position with Homan.
Olympic Gold would move them ahead of Jones - based on 3 world championships in 5 trips to the well (60%) whereas Jones had 2 gold in 6 trips (33%).
And I’m a huge Jennifer Jones fan.
Things I don’t like about Homan:
Her morose demeanour - which is gradually improving as she’s now a mother
Poaching players from other top teams - grabbing Joanne Courtney just about destroyed Valerie Sweeting in Alberta, poaching Sarah Wilkes was a coup de grace. Bringing in Tracey Fleury was the cherry on the top of all the icing.
The older worlds and Olympics are weighted less in my books, since the international fields have improved immensely since then.
On the flip side, the current Scotties are also weighted less since it’s now an invitational and there’s no chance a good team doesn’t get to go, combined with the weakness of field.
The other part is Grand Slams, which seemingly get left out of discussions but ironically have the strongest field these teams play.
Homan is behind only Jones for GOAT status, and I do think she’ll end up there.
But this 2 year run is likely only comparable to Kevin Martin’s 09-10 seasons in terms of sheer dominance across the board.