Projecting 2019 WWC Roster

6 weeks in, i also like how midge purce is staking a claim for herself.

...as a midfielder tho, it's going to be tough.

 

If Zerboni goes to the World Cup, and becomes the star of the midfield, it makes US Soccer look stupid for not calling her up until the latter 1/3 of her career.

That's why she won't make the rooster.

Long was still in her 20's when she first made it, and they knew she wouldn't be the best player in the midfield. Zerboni is on fire now. US Soccer is too political.

 

Doesn't matter where a player plays in the NWSL, if JE thinks they can play in the back, she will take her next choice wingers and make them OB. Seems to want a whole team of forwards some converted to defenders or midfielders. I actually think Purce should be tried at OB and see how good her defensive instincts are at the international level.

 

I don't believe Tobin has yet started a game but she is getting close to half of a game in playing time. She had a goal vs Utah last week or the week before. She's my favorite woman player or at least my favorite player to watch play. I hope she keeps progressing toward more time and can win a spot on the NT.

 

Heath is looking good with the Thorns. I feel the same. I enjoy the "spice" she adds to the game. Personal preference in some regard I know

 

On Purce, I think there's a bit of jumping the gun. Let's give her some time. Let's avoid falling into "any sample is reliable, no matter how small." She's had some good games with the Thorns, but that's not enough. If she has a season of very good games, then go for it.

PS - I'm a Thorns fan.

 

Just watched the Thorns-Reign game--one of the best NWSL games I've ever seen, maybe THE best--and Purce was excellent.

 

Ohai and Ashley Sanchez would be terrific assets to call up as wingers.
Sanchez sends in a beautiful ball, can score from all over, and hustles.
Ohai never gets tired, hustles, gets down the flank with ease, scores, etc.

Two dynamic players that could provide a fresh spark to the USWNT attack.
Pinoe is getting older, but will certainly be a starter on the 2019 team (as of now).
Heath has injury problems. Pugh is certainly a starter.

But you need 4 wingers on a 23 player roster.
They need to hedge their bets, and cover all the bases.
Call up both Ohai and Sanchez, and the winner between them gets a spot in 2019.

Pugh/Pinoe/Heath/Ohai/Sanchez

If someone goes down with an injury, there may be room for both Ohai & Sanchez.

Move Lavelle inside.
Good bye Allie Long.
Choose Lavelle over Sullivan (although Sullivan still has a bright future).

Keep Dunn at outside back.
She steals the ball better than anyone in the history of the women's game.
And she has pace. Natural attacking player, that can be a sneaky defender.
If she were developed there fully, she could be all-world.
USWNT needs depth there for their future.

Dunn is a nagging player that opposing attacking players would hate.

 

So Purce is out of camp with an ankle injury. That is a very bad break for her, given her form this year.

Assuming everyone was healthy and in peak form, who would be the best starting midfield trio for the U.S.?

I've become a bit irritated with this idea that Pugh is an automatic starter for the NT. What exactly has Pugh done over the last two/three years to merit such a status? She is completely one dimensional; granted, it is an important dimension, but it's not like there aren't other speedy wingers, with additional qualifies, who could play the position--Ohai, to name one--and Dunn! I've got nothing against Pugh except for the fact that I don't think she's done much to deserve her exalted status. She's the least accomplished of any of the NT starters, and by a long way.

 

I'm sorry, but this is baffling to the point that I wander if you've been watching different games than I, or are mistaken about which one is Pugh or something?

One dimensional?

 

Score Goals? Bother Defenses?

Still very young. Needs to be more consistent at things like crossing. But she can play off her teammates better than most give her credit for... go back to her play for Alex's game winning strike against France at the end of the game in the SBC a couple years ago.

 

I think Ohai will really need to have a prosperous year to get back into camp let alone on a roster. One of the reasons Ellis may have been less enthusiastic than others may be because she lacks discipline. Sometimes she has a tendency to be all over the field which can be a blessing or a curse...which I think rules her out as another fullback experiment. She strikes the ball well and does have that killer instinct when in form. But I think her best asset has been that she takes the ball away from the other team. A lot. She's like the Polamalu of Women's Soccer. A true ball hawk. Not just because of her work rate but because she anticipates and can be sneaky too. So her primary utility is that having her on the field can lead to more counters and offensive opportunities. Goal strikes would just be a bonus. It's just a matter of can she be disciplined enough with her positioning in Jill's system.

 

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One year and one day. That’s right boys and girls – 31,622,400 seconds till the opening of France 2019.

Wiki page has really been updated scheduling wise since the last time I checked.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_FIFA_Women's_World_Cup
The draw for the final tournament will be held on December 8, 2018.

Some logistical observations
- 3 Group Stage matches will be in 3 different cities.
- Knock-out rounds matches will occur in “northern” cities
- Semis and Finals shift to the “southern” city of Lyon

​

 

Why not Paris? Why not the Stade de France?

 

This is EXACTLY why she should be on the roster. You need to have at least a player or two on the pitch who are high risk - high reward. And what better position for that than winger? If you have a strong enough back line, then this is fine.

Ohai takes chances, and could have been the missing piece to beat Sweden late in the match after Morgan tied the score 1-1 in Rio 2016. Ohai could have made a difference as a late game sub in extra time, in making sh*t happen against Sweden's impenetrable concrete force field of defense.

Ohai is more outside the box as a player. Just like you said, she sometimes leaves her (disciplined) box. Maybe that's exactly what we needed then in that moment. But Jill can't expand her horizons.

A fast, hungry, dedicated, fit, and fresh Ohai against Sweden's tired legs in minute 91-120 of extra time in that match. Sign me up.

 

Because Lyon is where most of the French national team members play their club soccer. This gives France a truly massive home field advantage.

 

But...it's not Paris.

Imagine the finishing stage of Le Tour in Lyon instead of down the Champs-Élysées...scandalous.

 

JE seems determined to take Lloyd to this WC. She has spent 3 years playing her all around; starting her, subbing her, trying to find someplace to put her. Last night Lloyd played #9 as a sub. That is Press's spot isn't it? I don't think Press can be a midfielder, at least not any better than Lloyd. Press came in on the wing and didn't do much wrong or right. Pinoe and Pugh and going, so I guess Press needs to beat out Lavelle, McCaskill, Heath, Williams, Rodriguez for a spot.

 

Prepare yourself; this is a long post. We're about a year out, so time for an update on where the team is. First, here are all of the players who've been called into camp since the Olympics:

GOALKEEPERS: Jane Campbell, Adrianna Franch, Ashlyn Harris, Casey Murphy, Alyssa Naeher, Abby Smith

DEFENDERS: Abby Dahlkemper, Tierna Davidson, Whitney Engen, Arin Gilliland, Jaelene Hinkle, Sofia Huerta, Meghan Klingenberg, Ali Krieger, Hailie Mace, Merritt Mathias, Tegan McGrady, Kelley O’Hara, Megan Oyster, Margaret Purce, Becky Sauerbrunn, Casey Short, Taylor Smith, Emily Sonnett, Chioma Ubogagu

MIDFIELDERS: Morgan Brian, Danielle Colaprico, Kristen Edmonds, Julie Ertz, Haley Hanson, Lindsey Horan, Jaelin Howell, Sarah Killion, Rose Lavelle, Carli Lloyd, Allie Long, Samantha Mewis, Heather O’Reilly, Brianna Pinto, Margaret Purce, Andi Sullivan, McCall Zerboni

FORWARDS: Crystal Dunn, Shea Groom, Ashley Hatch, Tobin Heath, Sydney Leroux, Savannah McCaskill, Jessica McDonald, Alex Morgan, Kealia Ohai, Christen Press, Mallory Pugh, Megan Rapinoe, Amy Rodriguez, Sophia Smith, Lynn Williams

That's the player pool. Now here's the pool of players who've received caps ranked by number of caps since the Olympics (caps in parentheses). Where players are tied I've ranked them first by most recent cap, then by seniority.

Goalkeepers: Naeher (21), Harris (9), Campbell (3)

Defenders: Sauerbrunn (26), O'Hara (21), Short (21), Dahlkemper (19), Smith (10), Davidson (8), Sonnett (8), Huerta (7), Klingenberg (6), Krieger (5), Oyster (2), Mathias (1), McGrady (1), Mace (1), Engen (1)

Midfielders: Horan (27), Long (26), Lloyd (25), Mewis (24), Ertz (20), Brian (17), Sullivan (10), Lavelle (8), McCaskill (6), Zerboni (2), Hanson (1), O'Reilly (1-ret.)

Forwards: Morgan (26), Press (26), Dunn (25), Rapinoe (22), Williams (19), Pugh (18), Heath (11), Ohai (3), Rodriguez (2), Hatch (2), Leroux (2), McDonald (1)

Based on the numbers, but also taking injuries and versatility (something Ellis prizes) into account, I'd think that Ellis will name the following roster, if she were to name it now (and if all of the following were healthy):

Goalkeepers: Naeher, Harris, Franch (or possibly Smith? I know by the numbers it should be Campbell, but I think she played her way out.)

Defenders: Sauerbrunn, Dahlkemper, Davidson, Dunn, O'Hara, Short, Huerta

Midfielders: Horan, Long, Lloyd, Mewis, Ertz, Brian, Lavelle

Forwards: Morgan, Press, Rapinoe, Williams, Pugh, Heath

I named an extra outside back because of the physical demand Ellis's system puts on those players, but would Ellis want another midfielder or forward? Then Sullivan might get in over Huerta. Or maybe Zerboni will really play her way onto the roster if she continues in her present form. Or Sonnett could get in instead since she has played both outside and center back, but you have Ertz as a reserve center back there so that seems less likely.

I went back and forth a bit over McCaskill, Sullivan or Lavelle, but if Lavelle is healthy, I think she goes over any of them. I think Sonnett, Huerta, Lavelle, McCaskill, and Sullivan are all on the cusp (as well as the possibility of a player like Zerboni playing her way on to the team, and knocking out a player like Brian). I didn't list Smith as she has fallen out of favor. It may very well come down to who is healthy, and which of these players can show more versatility and get more caps before the WWC. Given the rash of injuries in the past couple of years, it also seems likely that someone will be injured come next spring, giving a player who is otherwise on the cusp a better chance at making the roster.

 

Just saw this tweet as well:

Says player pool is at 28 players but eyeing others, such as Sophia Smith (age 17).

Much more with Ellis in formal story in next 24 hours.

— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) July 11, 2018

Adding Campbell and Smith as well as Sonnett, McCaskill, and Sullivan to my list of 23 above gets you to 28. Or Rodriguez who is still allocated or maybe Zerboni instead of the keepers?

 

...hopefully their game, passion, and drive is at a HIGHER LEVEL than the (i'm assuming u.s.) men.

 

And here's the article that Goff promised in the above tweet thread.

A couple of quotations for those stuck outside the paywall:
On Lloyd:
"'With Carli, there’s that ‘it’ factor, but we have to be smart with where she is in her career,' Ellis said. 'The conversation I’ve had with Carli is that I do know what she is capable of doing, I do see value in what she has.'"

Ellis: "...What I saw coming out of the Olympics was we need to have players that can play against a parked bus and solve that, and we have to have players who can play in the open and transition.” (According to Goff, she sees players like Dunn and Lavelle as helping in that.)

According to Goff, Ellis is also now focusing on tactics and chemistry as opposed to increasing the player pool, but not ruling out players like Sophia Smith.

Also the Ellis quotation above in the tweet was referencing the women's and men's games in general, not specific teams, and was in reference to having any resources like VAR that are at the MWC available as well at the WWC.

 

Sophia Smith has a lot of long-term potential, it would certainly seem based on her many youth NT goals--but she's 17 and it's silly to even consider her for the senior NT now.

It sounds like Lloyd will be on the NT roster and I can envision Ellis sending her in in the 75/80th minute of a tie game or game in which the U.S. is behind.

 

Id be reluctant to carry a player that young who wasn't in the first 14 BUT Smith has a chance at U20 WC to make a statement against good international competition. If she has a good tournament she deserves to be in the mix IMO.