Ill start the ball rolling....please comment!
Should we just call it now....Germany 10 -Ivory Coast 0.....The Germans look dominant. I think its going to be hard for the Americans to compete with that. We're an aging team that still relies on serving the ball to Abby Wambach. The final warmup game showed how one-dimensional we've become. I hope I'm wrong, but USA has its work cut out. Sweeden is sure to give the USA fits.
Thoughts?
I think the US should still have no problem advancing out of the group.
What would be a problem is if they finish 2nd then they'd face the winner of Group E which is likely Brazil followed by most likely Germany. If they can win their group then they'd have a much easier path to the semifinals only needing to beat a 3rd place team followed by the runner up of group A/C
You're most likely right. Today the US take on Australia; they shouldn't be much of a test. I read an article this morning that described USWNT as "deep". Do you agree? I see them as having some younger members, but relying more on the old veterans. My concern has been that the US has let the game pass them by.
I think the U.S. women's game has always been a physical and fitness oriented contest. Title IX gave us some tremendous athletes and while the rest of the world was developing female programs in the 90s and early naughts, we were well ahead. Now I think we still have great athletes, but the sophistication of soccer in the rest of the world is starting to show. We still play a very physical and fitness style, just like we have on the men's side. We are very good at it. But we are a naive soccer country. On the men's side we haven't caught up tactically and our a long ways away. On the women's side the tactical savvy of other countries is starting to catch up to our head start.
On both sides we need our athletes to become more soccer smart. That will occur as more and more youth and kids programs are actually taught by increasingly savvy coaches as opposed to dad's who may or may not have watched a series of VHS tapes in the 90s on how soccer is played and believe that the best way to teach soccer is to make kids run laps and practice shooting.
I agree with your assessment. Do you see it as a problem with leadership or the need to build a soccer culture. My experience has been that leadership perpetuates the athleticism over skill. You see young players who have great skills, but they seem -often- to get passed over by physical players with less skill. I don't think its a coincidence that Rapinoe was the best player on the pitch in game 1. She's probably our most skilled player.
Quote from: woacfan on June 10, 2015, 08:35:23 PM
I agree with your assessment. Do you see it as a problem with leadership or the need to build a soccer culture. My experience has been that leadership perpetuates the athleticism over skill. You see young players who have great skills, but they seem -often- to get passed over by physical players with less skill. I don't think its a coincidence that Rapinoe was the best player on the pitch in game 1. She's probably our most skilled player.
It's a development issue. The best way to field a travel team or even a college team that wins is to have the most athletic kids. The best way to win at the highest professional levels is not always the best athletes. I would almost guarantee you David Beckham as a child does not make a state select travel team as a kid in the U.S. He was much too slow and his skills wouldn't impress in those 2 day tryouts. Even Messi would struggle in the American youth development system. Not because he isn't or wasn't the best player on the field, but because we emphasized the wrong things. His size would have gotten him cut an awful lot from elite programs here. Fortunately it is changing. Coaches now actually understand the game instead of being a random father spending time with his kids. So quality is being recognized instead of just physical attributes.
Unfortunately college soccer in this country often doesn't help. The limited practice and season time means that the best way a coach can win is not necessarily by having the most skilled team, or by having a team that works together. There isn't enough time to actually make a college team based on skilled players and soccer IQ gel. So generally the teams with the best athletes win. Watch some PDL games and you will see the same thing. Short seasons, no team consistency or chemistry = athletic kick and run teams having success. Long term building and talent development like happens in more established soccer countries means athletic is still incredibly important, but it can be balanced by soccer IQ.
We have to get to the same point where we aren't valuing the fastest sprinter, but the most purposeful on his runs. We don't worry about the most physically imposing player, but the one who makes the best decisions.
USA manages a draw with Sweden.
They owned the second half but could not finish. The back line looked strong. The substitutions seemed to weaken the midfield. Rapinoe and Johnston looked great. Klingenberg made a game saving header.
Can they take the group with a win over Nigeria?
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.pastemagazine.com%2Fwww%2Farticles%2FGroupD_standings.png&hash=eaa83e967553b026778e4c8c61933ef095a189b7)
USA have struggled and yet their destiny is in their hands. A win and they take the group, a tie and they go through.
Very uninspiring. I'm glad they are through, won the group, yada, yada but I feel like they just aren't there. Nothing clicks up front. Very disjointed and hard to watch for a WC favorite.
This team is short on finishers. One problem I've noticed is their stubborn commitment to serving the ball to Wambach. She is 37, and although still a great leader and veteran, not the guaranteed goal machine she once was. They need to have a more diversified attack. We're starting to see some flashes of pre-injury Alex Morgan. They need to get her going if they want to push through....
As far as I can tell the only ref from the US at World Cup is Margaret Domka... who was an all-american at Stevens Point in 2000.
The announcers seem to be in the middle of the crowd. It is hard to hear what they are saying.
Great fact FC Grizzlies Dad!
That was an ugly win if there ever was one!
US needs to develop an offense that doesn't completely involve Wambach; she's too old to be the centerpiece of the attack. Watching the game, I wondered if Klinnsmann would have jettisoned her the way he did Landon Donovan?
I still love Abby, but she isn't the same player any more and the USA needs more diversity in their attack....anyway, have tickets for Ottawa Friday! Anyone else going?
Another ugly win. Extremely unimpressed with the U.S. attack. It lacks creativity, cohesiveness, even individual performance of any kind is missing. Complete reliance on long balls and physical play. It's like watching a college team, and that's not necessarily a compliment. Abby is a tree. Most people think being like an Oak is a compliment. It's not. She has lost her mobility and serving long balls to her and crosses isn't working. The few creative talents are being stifled in this system. The midfield looks lost.
At least the back line is holding up, but that's easy to do when you don't have to build from the back or come forward to help in attack. Coke bottles lined up inside the 50 when the team is attacking is a bush league tactic. Booming the ball long or out of bounds is the best a h.s. team can do, not our national team.
Jill Ellis has taken this team backward tactically. I fully expect them to get past China on the strength of their defense and superior athletes. After that? A decent skilled, physically gifted team should take them apart if they don't improve drastically.
The Algarve Cup results of the last couple years have told the story. Someone needs to start teaching girls at a young age to play soccer, not to run a track meet with the biggest foot. The developmental squads in European leagues are going to permanently leapfrog us in a short time. The failure of a women's professional soccer league to take root, make money, and support development will soon take the U.S. out of the top tier of women's soccer.
Couldn't agree more. I think their dependence on Wambach is telling.
I am not a huge fan of target forwards because they lead to a one dimensional attack. The whole offense is geared to serving the ball into the stud player. Abby is too old to for that role. In fact, in the Columbia game she was a detriment. I love all that she has given to the team, but they have to move beyond that game if they are going to remain dominant.
The foot skills are lacking compared to other teams. I think Columbia showed that last night.
I do disagree with one point. I think that the failure to develop better players is not a gender issue, but an American soccer issue. I've addressed this before and gotten "smited" for my thoughts, but if you look at ODP the coaches have a love affair with big physical players even when their football skills are lacking. Physicality is great when matched with football skills, alone it only takes you so far. Its a problem with both the men's and women's game.
Here's hoping for some creativity! We'll be at Landsdowne screaming our heads off for USA regardless!
Quote from: woacfan on June 23, 2015, 06:32:19 PM
I do disagree with one point. I think that the failure to develop better players is not a gender issue, but an American soccer issue. I've addressed this before and gotten "smited" for my thoughts, but if you look at ODP the coaches have a love affair with big physical players even when their football skills are lacking. Physicality is great when matched with football skills, alone it only takes you so far. Its a problem with both the men's and women's game.
Here's hoping for some creativity! We'll be at Landsdowne screaming our heads off for USA regardless!
I agree 100% and made similar comments in an earlier post. But, I think it is changing on the men's side with the MLS development programs and youth teams and some of the national youth development programs. Mostly the MLS sides, where they are building long term. The addition of USL affiliates is a massive step forward. The more of those feeder programs exist, the deeper the talent pool, the more time in system, the better chance of discovering late bloomers and the more spots for the skilled to show how well they compete against the athletically gifted. The women's game does not have this. Unlike the WNBA, there is no sugar daddy to support a massive money loser. MLS isn't in that position and won't be for many, many years. Decades if ever. Unlike in Europe, a women's league is going to need to find and develop its own fans outside the men's structure. So far that has been a failure multiple times.
College programs, both men's and women's, are poor developers of talent. Great identifiers of physical attributes, but that's about it.
Was at Friday's game~ Great atmosphere!
Also, the best performance for USA. The score did not reflect the run of play. The passing was much more crisp than it had been in previous outings. For the first time in the tournament, USA looked like a potential champion. Tuesday's match versus Germany looks to be the big hurdle!
Germany is formidable, but many would argue France is the team that should have advanced. The USA will have to play their best game to hope to go through.
Quote from: woacfan on June 29, 2015, 07:27:19 AM
Was at Friday's game~ Great atmosphere!
Also, the best performance for USA. The score did not reflect the run of play. The passing was much more crisp than it had been in previous outings. For the first time in the tournament, USA looked like a potential champion. Tuesday's match versus Germany looks to be the big hurdle!
Germany is formidable, but many would argue France is the team that should have advanced. The USA will have to play their best game to hope to go through.
I was encouraged by Friday. They looked many, many times better. Still worry that there is no killer touch in front of goal. Amy Rodriguez put in a heck of a shift, but she couldn't put shots anywhere near frame. Instead of Wambach coming in, I would have rather seen Leroux and let the U.S. continue to run and press.
I'm not holding out a lot of hope against Germany. I just don't think the U.S. has the offense. But Julie Johnson gives me hope that the defense will continue to thrive after Christie Rampone's long and wonderful career closes out.
The Abby sub-in continued a string of questionable substitutions for Ellis. Being ahead late in the game, it didn't make sense to substitute in an immobile target forward.
I've been critical of Tobin Heath in the group stage, however, she played a very nice game on Friday. She was strong and tactical.
The US played a high pressure game, which might be what's needed to break down the German passing attack. I would take a page out of France's playbook. The French had the run of play in their game versus Germany. If we can pressure and pass like we did against China I wouldn't rule a win out. It will be tough, but with their very best game it might be possible.
Finally, the China fans were great. The atmosphere at the game was great! We had lots of pictures with Chinese and American fans arm-in-arm....a great day for international diplomacy. Surprisingly, the few ugly episodes I noticed at the game were Canadians hurling insults at American fans....disappointing!
Great game tonight!
Some thoughts:
(1) Ellis made great substitutions tonight. They proved extremely effective. I am even beginning to question my dislike of her habit of subbing Abby in late. Tonight Wambach was crucial on the buildup to the second goal. The other sub, O'Hara made a beautiful finishing move.
(2) Johnston looked good again except for that wild play in the box that resulted in the PK
(3) If the US wins in the final expect Hope Solo to bring some drama to the team. In her post game interview she was asked the rather lame question of "What are you thinking?" or something to that effect and Solo responded that we would all have to wait until after the last game to know what she is thinking....if its not about soccer, I don't want to know.
(4) Tobin Heath returned to her usual form- hard worker making bad decisions.
(5) Carly Lloyd- Fantastic. She has been amazing in the last 3 games.
(6) Meghan Rapinoe - Great! She is the creative force on the wing. Imagine if we had someone like her on the other side!
Overall, whether they face Japan or England, if they play another game like the last two, they will be hard to beat and would have to be considered a heavy favorite.
I can't believe you guys haven't posted lately.
4th of July then a World Cup win... too busy being all USA! USA! USA! to the rest of the world to post :D
Quote from: Gray Fox on July 07, 2015, 11:34:03 AM
I can't believe you guys haven't posted lately.
Too busy eating crow. That was a team that peaked at the right time. The group stage was very poor, but every elimination game they got better. From the weak performance against Columbia to a good but flawed game against China, a wonderfully dominant performance against Germany and finishing with the shock and awe start to the Japan game. I don't know why they started so slow and looked so poor through 4 games, but the last three games showed a team growing and gaining strength and confidence. They are worthy of being world champions without a doubt.
I agree....eating a lot of crow. Jill Ellis, who looked lost in the prelims was brilliant in the knockout stages. I really didn't like her late subbing of Wambach, but in the quarter-finals it led to a goal. Was actually away for the final and streamed the game in the wee morning hours in Europe while staring at the new stadium for St. Petersburg Zenit! Not a bad way to watch the final!
I am happy to have been wrong! Go USA!
Also, pleased to see some of the young players contribute. With a lot of the veterans leaving, its promising for the future.