I was going to say "if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle", but yours works, too. Dicicco is a few levels over Ryan, but it would be back to the same old, same old if he took over and we'd see Lilly and Scurry into their 50's. I've watched the USWNT games most of the time and not always all the way through because the style they are playing now SUCKS! Yeah, it was easier in the past to knock it around, but the girls had a big head start on the rest of the world and they haven't taken advantage of it to up their level above the ROW and now they are paying for it. Ryan came in and put in an under 10 attack. Boot and run, is what they are playing and for me, I can't stand to watch it. Gone before the tunnel.
I thought he should have been out after the North Korea game....leaving the ladies to play one player down for that period time was stupid.... Now he's trying to get everyone to refocus on Hope Solos "outburst" to avoid the fact that he honestly is a medioce coach.... Sack him before the 3rd place game.. Stick Lilly in charge for the 3rd place game...If the Ladies team is such a unified force...then they'll scrape a win and solidify the team as a unit. Simon Allen World Soccer Wrap PS... We would have been in the Final if Solo was in goal..I honestly believe that... Solo didnt have to apologize either..she'll be on the team long after Coach Ryan has dissapeared from our memories...
I don't particularly blame him for that - I doubt he expected that it would take that long for Abby to get back on the field.
Ryan deserves to be sacked ASAP, just as Sampson deserved to be sacked after the US Men's performance in '98*. When a coach chooses to sit or simply not choose a key player, he's rolling the dice with his own career on the line. The team wins, he's a genius, he continues to coach the team. The team loses, he's an idiot, he's sent packing. It may not seem fair, but it's the way of the sporting world. Personally, I would have preferred Hope Solo on the pitch regardless of the game or tournament outcome. Ryan needed to be thinking about the team's future, not just one semi-final match. IMO, Scurry was on the bench in case Solo was injured or sent off during the tournament. It was Solo's chance to learn. Ryan blew it. He rolled the dice and lost. Time for him to pick up his soccer ball and go coach somewhere else. (Like high school.) *Sampson had the good sense to resign, let's see if Ryan follows suit.
Ryan must be held accountable for his decision to bench his hot keeper and the resultant embarrassing defeat. He must be fired. He then compounds the issue by mishandling Solo's expression of frustration. He lacks the leadership necessary for such a position. If ever a coach's performance screamed out for dismissal... this is that situation.