I cannot see us going the way of Australia or Japan. USA are too strong and deep for these lower tiered teams. Your last sentence is my genuine concern.
I think people are ignoring the essential fact here: The Italians, the Argentines-- they were good! It wasn't a matter of playing down to them, taking them lightly, and that sort of thing. They didn't behave like lower tiered teams. They played like they belong.
Just think: in France it's already officially been Game Day for 3 hours. I've been getting so stir crazy with anticipation for this match, and I'm just a fan spectating from over 4,500 miles away. I can't imagine how magnified the effect must be for the players on-site.
As the team's World Cup journey is about to finally begin in earnest, I feel like this is worth re-posting. Credit to @Knight1Rider for the initial post. Whatever it takes.
They’ve been watching the matches and by all reports are calm, focused, and raring to go. Plenty of newcomers to keep them hungry and veterans to an keep even keel. I can’t see them coming out flat. Think, early career Mike Tyson.
Yes, now 4 hours into 11th of June, and I am passing them all at the airport waiting for my flight back from Paris to Milano.
I just made the mistake of going over to the US soccer website. It was horrible before, hard to navigate, and they have somehow made it worse. Oh well, lets kick some arse tomorrow!
Web site, Men's soccer and most of the youth development. They are screwing things up in a methodical and quite through matter. Oh well, for now there is nothing further they can do that will impact my enjoyment of the next few weeks. The WWC is in progress and the Gold Cup (as bad as that can become) are both pretty much set and the players and coaches are really the only things that impact the play now. The higher ups can get back to screwing things up after the tournaments.
yes. in general, what's being confirmed is that the soccer is getting better over all. up until now, nobody seems to be getting beat 12-0, or 7-1. ... and low block is a thing. that was always true, of course, but every time we fail to score 4 or 5 or more against a team playing it the critics come out.
Yeah, the old website wasn't the easiest to navigate, but the new one is extremely clunky... filled with over-sized graphics, drop down banners and countless broken or completely missing links. You can't even find the Match Reports for the France/Spain games from 2019 on the new website... you have to use the Wayback Machine and go to the old website. The SEARCH function is a complete snafu. Many of the old articles are missing or gone. The older websites let you find almost all the articles and match reports all the way back to 1998... this new website only has some of the articles and match reports and only goes back to 2015.
Yeah, I've been impressed with the quality of some of the teams from Pots 3 & 4, particularly Argentina, South Africa, Italy, Scotland, China and Jamaica. (Only game I missed was NOR-NGA). They're noticeably a lot more competitive and look much better technically and tactically than the lower seeded teams in past years.
... and...they don't seem to give up a bunch of goals after minute 65 or thereabouts because they've just been physically overwhelmed by the supposedly better team. (great for the game!) don't expect the traditional uswnt physical fitness advantage. we are not faster and better physically and psychologically prepared than the other teams. that's so 1999 that julie foudy still talks about and expects it when she comments on uswnt games. that's done. we simply have to play better football. here's hoping we can do that today and in the next month.
Great point about the fitness... I was noticing that as well and expected a lot of the lower seeded teams to wear out in the 2nd half, but they didn't. I like Foudy, but give me Aly Wagner any day of the week.
Better than I expected too, but I never had the sense that they might win; the Canadians, for all that they looked older than they are-- they're kind of limited by Sinclair's pace now, they're better with her than without but she does cut back some of the things the rest of them can do--, were better organized, much stronger, and much better in the air. Cameroon stayed in the game mostly with speed and a kind of frantic approach. They could make trouble for somebody though.
Dahlkemper for Sauerbrunn: precautionary for a minor quad twinge. Ertz at LCB Lavelle's 1st WWC start HERE. WE. GO. YOUR #FIFAWWC Starting XI ⭐️Lineup Notes: https://t.co/Wwm6AeG0FN pic.twitter.com/7UymLztDCK— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) June 11, 2019 1138509429756846083 is not a valid tweet id Meanwhile, in Reims, we have our team news for #USATHA! 🇺🇸🇹🇭#FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/lPVQBnaLSd— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) June 11, 2019
...hmm.... mewis from the start. ertz as a cb rather than a mid. ... that brunn tricky quad may be ellis' first stroke of good fortune (or genius) this time around.
So strong. With Pugh, Lloyd, and Press on the bench. Sick as a dog, but excited for the game. If the universe was set on me seeing the game live, maybe she could have come up with something less phlegmy.
I guess Ertz is the backup CB. If Jill can't start Davidson against Thailand, she is not starting her against France. Mewis/Horan double pivot to replace Ertz gets our two best midfielders on the field. Ellis is pretty lucky she is the coach of this particular team.
It has begun... finally. All of the pre-game music confused me. Also, everything began early. FIFA wasn't running late. The walk-out was early.