Sermanni Names 23 Player Algarve Cup Roster

When do you cap young players? They need international game time. I didn't see Press crying about getting her first two caps against an over-matched Scotland team, which was a LAUGHER. The point is, her feet are warm now and the butterflies are partially gone, when he puts her out there against a Sweden or Germany next. No, he'll start all of them against Sweden for their first cap.

Guess what? In sports, young players get their first taste of the pitch in laughers, but I keep forgetting that women's soccer is something different from any other sport.

 

No amount of cute smileys will mask that putting in players against bad teams will tell you nothing about whether they are candidates to replace current players.

We don't need players who can beat bad teams. Any good college team can do that. We need players who can compete against the other good teams in the world and can play well with the vets on the current team.

Capping players in laughers doesn't do anything but appease folks like you.

 

Dunn had the full camp plus will have another nine practice days or so before the first Algarve game. I expect to see both Dunn and Engen get decent minutes. I dont see China being a walker over. Their defense clogs things up and I think the three games in December took a lot of the awe out of them.

The most interesting thing is what to do about GKer. They generally carry two for something like this but maybe without Solo he will want to see all three. I really hope he caps Harris.

 

And the team looks much different now, esp with another 20-25 goal scoring forward coming out the mid-field and better mid-field play. A new coach can do wonders. Like I said, if China packs it in and doesn't attempt to score, they will keep it close. Even Brasil in its' current state can bet/has beat China 3:1

When do you cap young players, who have never had a cap on the international stage?

A. Against Germany's "A" team, so they can get the confidence beat out of them
B. Against China's "A" team, so they can have a better chance at a successful outing and build confidence.

Fanboys and girls are taking it to new levels. You don't put young players for the 1ST time in situations where they can succeed. Only on this board.

 

Yes UNC does but that works when you sign up for online courses before the semester starts. I suspect she was enrolled in "regular classes" for this semester before being invited to the USWNT first camp.

 

I would think Sermanni learns more about players as they compete against other world class players in practice than he does from friendlies. Friendlies have their purpose tho even if the other team cant win. Playing a loud stadium in front of a big crowd is hard to simulate. Game day preperation and keepng urself ready to enter a game and be effective r hard to simulate. Being a young star and suddenly being a sub is hard to simulate.

I do agree that playing well against a bad doesnt mean ull play well against good ones. The worst thing about friendlies against weaker teams is they just arent good enough to apply defensive pressure. This is a huge US weakness, especially in the midfield and it will only improve by playing better teams.

 

First I have heard. Have to wonder if something else going on. Only report from her not playing during camp was small leg injury and now not picked up for Algarve Cup?? I am very curious....

 

I don't think there's anything else going on. She did play the full 90 in the 2nd game, after all. Unless we hear otherwise, I'm inclined to believe that Solo is really injured.

 

Welllll-- if they play poorly, some folks might be inclined to think it tells you they aren't candidates yet. That would be it telling you something.

If they play well, then they may be ready to try their talents against better teams, and so on.

Plus laughers aren't always against bad teams-- if somebody has a big day and we get up 5-0 on Sweden, would putting her in be capping her against a bad team? What about Japan? Is a beaten team ipso facto a bad team?

 

I am pretty sure that Sermanni saw all he needed to in camp and realizes that Hope Solo sucks as a goalkeeper. She won't get another call up, and should just retire now.

/sarcasm

 

I would guess conspiracy theorists want the magic bullet to be that she was actually injured in some sort of domestic altercation. As usual, there is no reason to create an elaborate lie so Im inclined to believe the story as written. She's a professional athlete in training. If they needed to conjure something they just would have said she hurt it in camp.

 

USWNT reserves aren't much better than the starters for most teams outside the top 10. Even with caps Sydney had problems finishing against Scotland. Dunn and Engen were shaky. Press just happens to be a polished striker, who is probably top 10 in the world before her first cap.

Scotland, Iceland and China are good tests for bench Warmers vs Japan or Germany out the box.

Have any of you actually played even peewee sports? Geez, I can't believe this.

Scotland's starters aren't competition for untested, cap less players. Ony in women's soccer. I never heard anything like this in the years I played football.

 

IMO:
- Christen Press's plays that amazed "fangirls" and "fanboys" agst Scotland,
- Lindsey Horan's goal agst Issy,
didn't have much to do with the opponent's class.

What I mean is that you may field senior team with Arod as a striker vs team of 12yo girls and she still couldn't make these plays...

fanboy

 

I don't post here in the ladies much, but I have to say she has been impressive. I can't see how you play a team with a Wambach, Morgan, and Press in the attack. There really isn't an option that isn't deadly.

I doubt you want to play us for a draw, seems like you would be playing fire.

 

Well, they have a friendly with Germany, just before Germany goes into the Euros, so I am guessing that could be full vs full squad. I wouldn't hold my breathe because I think at this stage Germany can close out Morgan and Press. They still need a year, not less than one hand of caps. And Sydney still isn't there as a sub.

I'd like to see them against Japan at the cup, but as usual their coach leaves components home, so he has a scape goat if things look ugly. No matter what, he will bunker down and look for counters. I can't see anyone right now leaving their backlines open by pushing an attack and giving Morgan, Press and Sydney a bunch of through balls and one on ones.

Anyway it should be an interesting 2013, watching them learn to play together.

 

Did you watch the recent France - Germany match? The can't even pass to each other on the back line, much less think about closing anybody out. back line and keeper play was horrid.


This is Germany 2013, not the 2003 edition.

 

Didn't they just play two friendlies against the USWNT? If I'm correct, both ended in a tie. USA doesn't have Delie harassing central defenders and picking their pockets. That's two of Frances goals right there. Subtract her, and it was Germany 3:1France.

That games was like the 1st U20 game the USA played against Germany. People on this board were singing how great Germany was after a 3:0 but I said two of the goals were flukes, and Dunn and Ohai would finish Germany off in the rematch. Scores are sometimes deceiving.

Anyway, Germany at full strength will be an interesting friendly vs Revised FC USWNT. They are really good at pushing Morgan and Sydney wide on runs.

 

And did they close anybody down in those games? As I recall, back line play was the issue in those matches as well ( I'll admit Rampone falling on her face in a simple clear didn't look too great).


No, closing the USA down will not be on the agenda. They may score more, especially if the USA is still experimenting, but the USA wil not get shut out by Gerbany.

 

I have to admit you did say that the USA U20's would beat Germany the second time around but when you named the players that would pull it off that was a nothing short of amazing!.

 

I like Delie but wow! Harassing? The second goal she was just standing there and the 3rd string GK just pinged it off of her. On the third French goal the defender basically just rolled the ball to Delie. The biggest question was would the ball stop completely before it reached her forcing Delie to actually move. The Statue of Liberty could have gotten the same goal and assist Delie got. Even a peewee player could see that.

Now Necib's first goal was a thing of beauty. If u were alone on an empty field u couldnt have placed a ball more perfectly.

 

the point is, things happen when she is lurking around center backs. look at past game footage

3:07 and on...Delie ignites the French team. It's that plain and simple. Yeah, they are top 6 in the world looking pretty passing the ball, but I don't think they could beat the Netherlands without her. They are good for one goal at best between Tomis and Le Sommer. And who knows if the MF will be able to frame any of those long shots on a given night, but they are sure pretty to watch.

Necib She's the Goddess of Football again because she came up with one good shot against Germany but has been MIA since the 3rd place game against Sweden in the WC. I'll give her some credit because she had a thigh injur but so did Delie during the WC USA match.
As usual, I call it like I see it.

Delie's (lone striker without a true running mate, so it's much easier to mark her) goals per game are equal to Morgan but Delie is a junk forward.

 

US scrimmaged Denmark today and outscored the Danes 4-1. Goals for Morgan (2), Lloyd and Leroux.

http://www.ussoccer.com/Social/WNT-Blog.aspx

 

Saw a vid about the US GKs and Paul Rogers said that right before they decided Solo injury would keep her out of Algarve he had informed Ashlyn Harris that she wouldnt be on the roster. It's odd because I kept seeing reports of how well Harris did in camp.

 

The article doesn't mention GK's, but it does says highlights will be posted soon.