i don't think i would change anything except bringing in another forward - cheney or another forward who might be playing well for the u23's. without abby, they still have time to make a few adjustments to the offense, and really tighten up the defense. 1. i have been harping on our poor set plays, so boxx and kai et al are going to step up to the challenge of scoring on set pieces. 2. the one thing i never liked about abby is she slowed down our offense terribly. arod and kai, the likely starters are going to have to pressure with SPEED, skill, and some of that fighting spirit i saw tonight in the second half. i would even try to bring tarpley back to the forward spot since she is such a natural goal scorer, and start heath at tarpley's left mid spot. but i didn't like what i saw of heath in the denver game. 3. our passing/possession out of the midfield has to be sharper, cleaner, precise. i still prefer boxx and lloyd there. wagner hasn't seemed to be back to her old self in the few minutes i saw her in these last two games. 4. mitts, rampone, markgraf, and chalupny with buehler and cox playing in the new zealand game will have to be our saviors in this tournament. we're looking for clean sheets every game. one thing i liked in the second half of last night's game. the team really looked like they were ready to fight for each other. maybe fight for abby. this is a great opportunity for the rest of the team to rise up and everybody bear a bit more responsibility. it's been done before. it can be done again. the odds can be beaten. GOLD FOR THE U.S.A.
Wow all very good insights and points. I think Tash and A-Rod will be very dynamic as long as they work together. They both have things that eachother lack so I think they'll be very good for eachother. They both have lightining speed. Tasha's vertical is sick, she's so fit now and she fights for every chance and A-Rod is good at making runs, retaining the ball, and setting up some action. I just hope that both are ready to handle the hacks that they're going to get but something tells me that they'll get up hit after hit. Tasha really has to step up b/c she is in the position to be one of the most important pieces of this system. She may not do it the way everyone wants her to but as much crap as she's been through I think she can pull it off. I agree about midfield, to me that's the missing link in the chain. I think Carli is a really good player but she fires the ball to much when she could have just passed it. I also hate how they usually revert to passing the ball back, rather than up into space or a close open man. I still don't think Boxxy has her eye of the tiger back but hopefully she finds it and controls it. HAO and Tarp are good midfielders but they have to maintain the guts they had as fowards. If they're in on the flanks they're going to have to make things happen, b/c I feel alot of the teams will crowd the middle of the pitch with bodies. I feel like the defenders are way more fit this time around. But they're going to have to play smart and strip the ball off or pressure any foward threats. Rampone is so steady and Chupa is just plain gutsy. Most importantly they all have to want it. Not just the younger ones but the older ones as well. Alot of players didn't have to worry about fighting for time so they put in average games. They have to come in with a swagger especially in the real physical games. Alot of people think we can't do it without Abby but if that were the case we'd only have her on the field every game. I'm feeling the adversity that this team now faces and I believe that they can pull off one of the greatest moments in women's sports history.
Oh I thought you meant my approach to the team being without Abby. I forsee alcohol and the fetal position. I liked what I saw of Kai and A-Rod together tonight. I've heard it a few times (in the game thread) about Cheney not being a lock for the replacement... isn't the roster already set? I know it isn't official like handed into the tournament, but I'm curious if folks think Pia would really bring in someone else at this point. Haven't the alternates been practicing and traveling with the team?
As much as I would like to think that the team would win it all... losing a player of Abby's caliber is going to make everything a lot harder. The number of defensive players that she draws is what opens up the offense for our faster players. Her presence on defense on set pieces and ability to head the ball is going to be missed. The Olympics will be interesting to see.
I think the team seriously think about moving Chalup into the midfield and bring on another defender for the roster spot. We are too thin in back and with Hao and Tarp able to play up front (even Wagner can play there) we have flexibility in the attack. The team can still medal without Abby, I just don't think Gold or Silver is in our reach but I didn't think they were before Abby got hurt. In a way, losing Abby might help the team because other teams have become to used to defending the U.S. one way. Now that the team is going to change, this might be more difficult. In last night's game Brazil was clearly flustered (I know, everybody else will have more time to adjust) by the change in the U.S style. Arod and Kai play much faster, along the flanks and want balls pushed through rather than "posting-up". If you play man-to-man like Brazil does this is far harder to defend.
The roster isn't set until it is submitted, the submission deadline date is July 23. If they submitted before the date, they are very bad team organizers.....
I agree w/ moving Chalup up. I don't like the Boxx/Lloyd midfield. I'd move Chalup up to a wide mid spot & move HAO or Tarpley into Lloyd's spot. Then, either play Lloyd & Rodriguez up top, or Kai & Rodriguez. What happened to Tina Ellertson? Couldn't she play Chalup's defensive spot? Or, I'd play Hucles wide w/ HAO or Tarpley in Lloyds spot & do the same thing as above w/ the forwards.
Not having Wombat changes our style of play, hopefully for the better. No don't get me wrong, I'd rather have her up there, but perhaps we can abandon the just kick it long in her general direction and see what happens in favor of some proper soccer. We've become too reliant on her muscling people off random balls directed her way and gotten further away from the play that makes the US one of the top clubs in the world. Hopefully, not really having that option will bring a little of the creativity and thought back to the squad. Certainly not to say I'm glad she's out, she's obviously a huge asset, but I think in ways we can be better without her.
She's fit and ready to go as far I know. She could play defense or for a stretch she could maybe be brought in as another foward b/c that's the position she used to play. She does have alot of good speed. And she was the only one who actually tried to and did stop Martha (a few times) during the WC match.
-Pia has to be considering, at least somewhat, to a diamond midfield. They've been exposed all year in this area with the flat 4 and its hard to imagine they can fix it in three weeks time. Boxx hasn't really been offering a whole lot offensively in the run of play as of late. If she concentrated more on the defensive side, this would give Lloyd more freedom to run the offense and get in position for shots. -As much as Chalupny would be an asset to the midfield, I don't know that disrupting the defense this late in the game is a good idea. I don't see Beuhler as a full time starter yet, and Cox isn't the fastest. With Abby out, would a 4-3-3/4-5-1 hybrid be our best choice rather than the 4-4-2 we've been using? Now that all our attacking options are smaller and quicker, they are going to need more numbers to be effective. I don't think any of our forward options have the presence to sustain the offense with only two of them. Just picture Kai and A-Rod, A-Rod and O'Reilly, Kai and Tarpley...those just don't sound like solid enough duo's. Tarpley and O'Reilly together up front would be intriguing with their chemistry, but that would throw everything else out of whack. Something like this, maybe? ------------------Solo--------------------- ---------Rampone-----Markgraf------------ --Mitts-------------------------Chalupny--- ------------------Boxx--------------------- ---------Lloyd----------Hucles-------------- --O'Reilly--------A-Rod---------Tarpley----- -Kai is best used as a sub when the opposing defense is tiring. -RalleeMonkey's idea about Lloyd at forward is intriguing because it maximizes her strengths (shooting, taking players on) and minimizes her weaknesses (turning the ball over, being caught out of position, etc.). She's also pretty tough physically and doesn't get knocked off the ball as easily as A-Rod or O.
Cheney will be called in. They didn't put her on the alternate list for the hell of it. she is the best forward in college right now. she'll take Abbey's place and someone else will fill Cheney's spot as alternate. Also Jill Ellis is the assistant, Cheney's collegiate coach. I'm sure she has cofidence in her and will push for Pia to bring her in. The days of trials are over. This coaching staff knows what they have in their roster as well as those in the pool like Ellertson and Trotter. They already have players of their style on the team. IMO, Cheney will be called in.
Would someone more familiar with Cheney mind explaining her style? I have to say I've never seen her play outside of a few college games and a choppy internet feed of the Four Nations Cup. I've heard she's quite a dangerous finisher in the box with decent size.
You can't replace .79 goals a game. You can't replace Abby's clutch play, determination, or experience. I'm going to miss seeing her this Olys and the team is REALLY going to miss her. While any team can win on a given day, we're going to be very hard pressed to win gold w/o Abby. I'm still rooting for the team to get through this disaster. Even before last night, Pia/the team needed to sort out the problem in the center of the pitch. Boxx needs to either sit on top of the back 4 and make smart possession plays to the other mids. Yes, she can, at times, be an offensive threat but we can't be havin' teams run down our throat. I'm not on the Lloyd bandwagon. I hope I'm proven wrong but I remain unconvinced--a role player, sure but not (imo) a go to, automatic starter type. I wonder if she's the sort of player who, if "on" can be great but if not then it is a real problem. I don't think Tarpley is at her best on the left. I said on the game thread that maybe Pia can push Tarpley forward (perhaps slightly withdrawn) and use Heath & Hucles on the left. Tarpley's goal spree came at the forward slot. I really like what O'Reilly has done on the rt and don't really want to change it. Although, can Hucles solidify the middle rather than be on the wing?
Been a lurker for a while, finally decided to stop being lazy and join. Anywho... It's pretty hard to replace a player like Abby. IMHO, Kai and A-Rod are fairly similar players with Kai having the obvious advantage in the air. I think that in starting them at the same time, the team loses its ability to be unpredictable (not that either are very predictable players). I think it'd be a good idea to push either Tarp or HAO up top to pair with either Kai or A-Rod (in this case, I favor Heather because of her speed, and she has seemed a little lost on the flank whereas Tarp seems to have adjusted to the midfield well). I actually think that Kai should start simply for the fact that she is relatively good in the air, and you lose that when Abby's not in. As far as filling the midfield position, I think either Hucles or Chalupa could fill the spot vacated by Tarp or HAO. Now, the player to replace Wambach is....Ali Krieger! I know everyone has mentioned Cheney as the obvious replacement, but I think that the team already has enough offensive players. I think it's the defensive line that needs some depth, especially if Chalupny is moved into the midfield. Krieger plays in Germany and know how to play that physical game. She also has some speed, and I think can battle in the air.
Cheney was called in...Trotter moved to the alternates list... http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_7962633.html
Honestly it's going to be VERY difficult to win without Wambach. She is too big, both literally and figuratively, and very physical imposing force around the net that has scored so many clutch goals. The one thing the U.S. has going for it is there are in a weak group. Having Norway and New Zealand should be fairly easy wins even without Wambach. If they were in the group with Germany, Brazil, and DPR Korea they could basically forget it barring a miracle. It's going to be a very interesting Olympics to see how this team does without its top offensive threat.
I don't know. Ellis looked like she was about to throw up every time they cut to her during the match yesterday. I don't think they would consider bringing in Ellerston who just had a baby and hasn't played a match since last fall. My guess is Cheney too.
Interesting. I think they are definitely going to need some experience up there with A-Rod or Kai. I think A-Rod is a more savvy, smarter player over 90 minutes that Kai. Kai is more physical and adds a presence in the air. Not sure I would count on either at this point to anchor/lead the offense.
All you have to do is play quick, let the ball do the work, and take your chances. My lineup: -----------------------Solo ---Chalupny---Rampone----Markgraf----Mitts--- -----------------------Boxx --------O'Reilly----------------------Tarpley -----------------------Lloyd --------Kai--------------------------Rodriguez