Not as an AM, #10..... she is mostly interested in creating for herself and we need something else. Morgan, Sydney and maybe Abby are the scorers, not Lloyd
Seems kind of obvious to me. Midfield play is mostly nonexistent. The defense plays too many over the top and way too much accidental offense
This is the result of a defense that can't properly posses the ball in my opinion. The midfield can't do much when the defense can't even play them a proper ball they can handle.
Well Tom did talk about the defense in the pregame interview...maybe he'll start there and build from the back? I wouldn't mind seeing Buehler and LePeilbet disappear for starters
It wasnt only the first goal. It took about 3 replays before Margraff mentioned Mitts perfectly struck ball and as many on the beautiful assist Rapinoe provided. At least he got the assist right on Pinoes goal
Well IMO the midfielders cant possess the ball because they r generally out numbered. Under Pia, the plan, I guess, was fly the forwards and hope midfielders r drawn back opening space in the middle third. Under Ellis, who looks like a strategic genius compared to her old boss, they bring their forwards into the midfield to even the numbers with the idea the defensive line will hold shape rather than advance. Hopefully Sermanni, who has good rep for game strategy, will bring more possession elements into the offense.
Despite the apparent problems and despite our nitpicking, USWNT had a good year. USWNT misc. stats from USSF: Morgan's assist this game is her 21st assist and ties her for 2nd most assists in a calendar year with Jennings (21 in 91). Hamm holds the record at 22 in 2004. Abby's two goals moves her into 152 goals and 27 for the season, 1 shy of Morgan's 28 goals. 27 goals is also her 2nd highest season goal total in her USWNT career. BTW, USSF in their write up says that Abby's header today was her 63rd of her career. So 63 / 152 = 41.4% of her goals are headers. Wambach and Morgan tie the USWNT duo record with 55 combined goals in 2012, matching the mark set by Akers and Jennings in 1991. Leroux's goal marks her 14th of the season, all of them coming off the bench. That's a team record for most goals scored as a reserve in a single year. Alex Morgan has 58 career caps since she debuted in 2010. In those 58 games, she has been a part of 62 goals with 38 scored and 24 assisted. The U.S. improved to 97-2-7 when Abby Wambach scores a goal. In the 23-game unbeaten streak since the USA lost to Japan on March 5 at the Algarve Cup in Portugal, the USA has scored 73 goals while allowing 18 in 20 wins and three ties. The USA has not lost a match in a little more than nine months. The U.S. WNT finished the year with 120 goals, the third most all-time in a calendar year. The USA scored 124 in 2000 and 22 in 1991. 101 of the 120 U.S. goals were assisted. Abby Wambach was the only U.S. player start and play in all 32 matches this year. Carli Lloyd and Christie Rampone were the only two other players to play in all 32 matches. Over the 10-game Fan Tribute Tour, Abby Wambach led the team with nine goals. Nine different players scored the 36 goals during the Fan Tribute Tour.
Numbers 78 of those 120 goals came out of the forwards. If u take Lloyds 15 goals and pair them with Cheneys 11 assists they combine for one very good AM. Unfortunately, Cheney only scored 2 goals and Lloyds 1 assist tied her on the team with Krieger (who played only one game) and Solo Morgan's 77 points is the second highest ever. Solos 13 shutout (the record is 15) does not include 4 combined shutouts with Barnhart and Loyden.
A friend told me today that he listened to the game on Univision and the Spanish broadcasters called all of the assists immediately. I've noticed this before with most American announcers, and the way they ignore or discount assists.
Bad news for the US and BigSoccer: Jill Ellis remained unbeaten as interim coach, retains "waiting-in-the-wings" status.
OTOH, she did a terrific job, and I no longer see any reason for concern if she is ever hired. Not only did they run through the tour without any serious hitches, they also were playing better at the end than the beginning IMHO.
It's still possible she shoved Hope Solo at some point, which is automatic expulsion. We'll have to wait for the next book.
Against who? Ireland and China are not as good as a top flight D1 college team She was simply a continuation of Pia and put everybody out there to showcase everybody for Tom to watch. I am really, really hoping Tom's mission is to take this team forward. Jill cannot do that
My understanding of Jills roll as interem coach was to help the next incoming coach familiarize themselves not only with the current squad, but with the youth and players on the fringe in the development area of US Soccer. She was in charge of youth development before the interem, correct? I believe that was the goal, put somebody who can help whoever the next coach was know who else was out there besides the current squad.
The Mitts possible retirement subject is confusing. Back in late May she was quoted that basically as this being her last season "but refuse to use the word "retire"". http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-blogs/soccer/heather-mitts-will-call-it-quits-after-london.html I met her at a post game reception in Sep. and when people (non US soccer) there would wish her good luck in her future, she would say thank you. My impression was that the subject was not about the next tour game. More recently was the response to the news about the new coach Sermanni. I think she was/is thinking retirement but cannot say the word "retire" because once she does she cannot change her mind and her endorsement contracts are based on being on the WNT. She does not "retire", she just does not show up at the first camps in '13. But with a new coach, she could be saying to herself why not continue? When asked about Sermanni, her response is "I look forward to playing for him" (unsaid is "assuming I am asked back and get a contract, somebody in my marriage needs to be working with health benefits, and I cannot use the word "retire"").
No one in the Feeley household needs to be working with health benefits, unless they/he have/has done something foolish. His salary reached as high as 2 million, and he was in the league 11 years. And her salary's been solidly middle class, with significant endorsement money and income from sports journalism as well. Both will have coaching prospects if they choose to pursue them.
I would take Pia over Ellis any day, and the record backs that up. The only two "real" games against Germany Ellis's awesome strategic mind lost us both games when we had leads. You could argue she subbed to give everyone time on a fan victory tour game. I would argue that fan's prefer victory's, over seeing A-Rod play.
I always viewed Pia as more of a manager than a coach. She dealt with the personalities, forged team unity from a team in turmoil and kept everyone in focus. Not an easy task and she should get a lot of credit. She also gets credit getting more service from wings into the offense. She was also very loyal to her players which was both a plus and a minus. While loyalty is good it's easy to argue she stayed with players too long when she had better options. She seemed to have no interest in the league and didnt want to bothered with development teams. Among decisions I questioned was the slow emergence of Morgan in a World Cup year. I get she didnt want to throw her to the dogs but World Cup? After taking 121 minutes to score their first and only goal against Brazil, ud think she might have gone for more fire power for the semi against France. Instead she found herself 1-1 with Le Bleu in the second half and the ball living in the French end. After the game she admitted that her assistants came to the rescue. They took out Lloyd and A-Rod, moved Cheney into the middle and brought in Rapinoe and Morgan. The game turned. Cheney fed Wambach for the go ahead goal and Rapinoe assisted on the Morgan goal that iced it. Of course Pia still wasnt convinced about Morgan tho at least she did start Pinoe against Japan. When Cheney got hurt Morgan started the second half. Rapinoe again assisted on a Morgan goal followed by Morgan feeding Wambach's overtime goal. Did that convince her? Nope. At the start 2012 Pia wanted to go to 1-5 system (like she had 5 midfielders), but every time she played Morgan, she annoyingly scored goals, forcing Pia back to 2-4. U can add her wanting to get rid of Rapinoe in March cause her style didnt fit the team. Plus the benching of Lloyd for the Olympics (which I didnt disagree with but turned out awful) and u really have to wonder what she was thinking half the time. As to Ellis, Im not saying I want her coaching the team, but it wasnt her fault Rampone fell down, that Sydney Leroux was playing Right Back or that Solo got chipped by Mittag. (your three German goals)