Rio Olympics: USWNT v Colombia, August 9, pre/pbp/post

Thanks to the win over France, the U.S. only needs a win or a draw in this match to secure first place in the group, and not the thrashing that they might have needed to pump up their goal differential numbers had they remained in second place after today's results. Given the reduced pressure, this game might be a good opportunity for Rapinoe to get some minutes in before the more dangerous knockout rounds.

 

Rest Lloyd, Morgan and either Long or Brian.

 

burning questions
1. Rapinoe?
2. Do they get the loser of CHN vs SWE or can NZ still get in the mix?
3. Does Press start?
4. R Pugh and Johnston ready?

 

Time to rest some of these players. Lloyd has been playing every minute so far geez, give her a break! She'll be burnt out and useless by the final(assuming we get there).

 

Not entirely correct. She got subbed off for Horan in 82nd minute of the game against France. I only remember because the commentators pointed out that she forgot to take off the captain's armband. Not sure if she was ever able to hand it off to Sauerbrunn.

Anyway, agreed. She has earned and could use a rest during this match, and the team probably shouldn't need her game-changing magic against Colombia.

 

Lineup idea:

Solo
Krieger--Johnston*---Good Hair--Klingy
(if healthy)
-------------Horan--------Brian--------------

Pugh-----------------Heath---------Rapinoe*
(if healthy)
------------------------Press-------------------------

I'm sure this is really stupid, but I kinda wanna see what Heath could do in the center of the field. Just having fun.

 

Rest Heath before any of these - she has carried the team on her back for the first two games.

RE Lloyd - she has been out of game competition due to her MCL. If her knee is OK, based on her past fitness, there is no need to rest her, particularly not for 'burnout' reasons.

 

I actually think we could see New Zealand and Australia. I think China can beat Sweden and then, New Zealand just needs to not lose by more than 2 goals. Or maybe I'm just hoping for New Zealand to advance....

 

They have to save something for WC qualifiers in 2018

 

I would start

O'Hara...................Morgan.................Dunn
...................Horan....................Press
.....................................Brian
Klingenberg-Sauerbrunn-Johnston-Krieger
....................................Naeher

Second half
Engen for either JJ or Broon
Long for Brian
at 60
Pinoe for Morgan, move Dunn to forward

 

Well, anyway, the punishing of Daniela Montoya is working to perfection...

 

I haven’t followed the U.S. Women’s National Team that closely since the 2015 Women’s World Cup. But I watched their first two games of the 2016 Olympics with great interest. I really enjoy watching them play. I have some thoughts on Tuesday's game against Colombia.


1. 4-4-2 with Lloyd in Central Midfield?

In the U.S.’s game against Colombia on Tuesday, would it be a good idea for Jill Ellis to start the team in a 4-4-2 with Carli Lloyd as one of the two central midfielders and Crystal Dunn and Alex Morgan as the two forwards? So the line-up would be this:

---------------------------------------------------Solo----------------------------------------


Krieger-----------------Johnston (or Engen)--------------Sauerbrunn-----------Klingenberg


----------------------------------------Lloyd-----------------Long----------------------------------


Press, Rapinoe or Pugh----------------------------------------------------------------------Heath


------------------------------------------Dunn-------------Morgan----------------------------------


In the first two games of the Olympics, it seems to me that the U.S. has played in a 4-2-3-1, with Alex Morgan as the forward and Carli Lloyd playing underneath Morgan as an attacking center-mid. The team has been strong defensively, well-organized in midfield and possessed the ball well (they out-possessed France 53 percent to 47 percent). But the team has lacked offensive punch. The team only has three goals in two games and was outshot by France 14 to 7, with France also having more shots on goal (5 to 3). Also, Alex Morgan has often seemed isolated up front and engulfed by defenders. She often hasn’t had enough players to play the ball to or to make runs that draw defenders away from her. Also, Dunn is very fast, moves well laterally and led the NWSL in scoring in 2015 with 15 goals. She also has 14 goals in 37 appearances for the U.S. It could well help the U.S. offense in the tournament to have Dunn closer to goal, where she can use her speed and explosiveness to create chances and to draw defenders away from Morgan.

If the U.S. were to start against Colombia in a 4-4-2 with Lloyd as one of the two central midfielders and the team were to struggle in the first half, Ellis could easily bring in Morgan Brian early in the second half for one of the forwards or outside midfielders, play Brian next to Allie Long in defensive-midfield, move Lloyd up to attacking center-mid and play the second half in a 4-2-3-1. It’s not as if the U.S.’s starting in a 4-4-2 against Colombia would mean that the U.S. would have to play the formation all game long.

However, if Lloyd were to play central midfield in a 4-4-2 rather than underneath the center-forward in a 4-2-3-1, it might weaken the U.S. midfield defensively. Lloyd tends to push forward and has, at least in the past, not always been particularly committed to playing defense or staying back when it would be appropriate. At the same time, she probably can play solid defense and contribute to good midfield defensive shape if she puts her mind to it. She is highly competitive, and playing good defense—including good positional defense—is often a matter of desire and will-power, which she has in abundance.

However, there is also the issue of whether Lloyd’s playing central midfield in a 4-4-2 would hurt the U.S. in terms of keeping possession. Would she tend to get so far forward that the team wouldn’t have enough players in the heart of midfield to play the ball to when the team is trying to build out of the back? But she is a good passer. So, when she gets the ball, she can help the team keep possession with her good passing. Also, Allie Long has a good midfield positional sense and is good in possession. So, if Lloyd gets far forward in midfield, perhaps Long can compensate by showing for the ball and making good passes in midfield.

But, judging from the match reports at ussoccer.com, since the U.S.’s 5-2 victory against Japan in the final of the 2015 World Cup, the U.S. has played a 4-4-2 with Lloyd as one of the two central midfielders only one time, namely against China on December 16, 2015. And the U.S. lost the match 1-0, their only loss since their 2-0 loss to France on February 8, 2015. Here is a link to the U.S. schedule since January of 2012:

http://www.ussoccer.com/womens-national-team/results-statistics

And here is the match report from the December 16 loss to China:

http://www.ussoccer.com/matches/wnt/2015/151216-wnt-v-chn#tab-1

Maybe the third game of the Olympics isn’t a good time for the team to try a line-up (a 4-4-2 with Lloyd in central midfield) that they haven’t been playing regularly over the last year. And the U.S. could win the 2016 Olympics by playing the style that they have been, namely good defense, strong possession and timely goals here and there. They beat France (a very good team) on Sunday with that approach. And Spain won the 2010 Men’s World Cup that way. Still, for the reasons indicated above, I believe that the U.S. should start in a 4-4-2 against Colombia on Tuesday.


2. Resting Players for Quarterfinals?

Are there any changes to the starting line-up that Ellis should make in order to rest players for Friday’s quarterfinal match? I think Ellis should start Ali Krieger instead of Kelly O’Hara at right back. O’Hara played 90 minutes in each of the first two matches, and she expended a lot of energy moving up and down the right flank. In addition, Krieger looked solid in her 20 minutes against France. She was sound in terms of her positioning. Also, with 92 caps, she has immense experience. So, she is someone we can count on.

However, I would be uneasy about not starting Carli Lloyd or Tobin Heath. It is important for the team to start to gel as it moves in to the knockout round. And the team has been a little pallid offensively. So, I think it is important for Lloyd and Heath to start to help the team build cohesion in the attack as the team moves forward.

Heath in particular has been an inspiration this tournament. She has been the midfield spark that the team found in Megan Rapinoe before her injury. Heath’s skill, dribbling ability and ability to advance the ball into the attacking third has really given the U.S. a lift. She has been outstanding. Hopefully she can keep it up. Also, I want to see her improve at making the final pass the results in a goal or making the final dribbling move and shot that gets her open. If she has a little more quality in her final offensive movements, it could help the U.S. score more goals.

 

Filed under Food For Thought.

So with just 3 minutes of stoppage time left Ellis looked to make a sub to waste time and get another ball handler in the match. That this was Press instead of Rapinoe who could have used three minutes under the lights tells me she still wasnt available.

 

hahah, yea...and colombia isn't used to warm weather.

 

anyone with any updates on Pugh and JJ?

 

Actually, many Colombian players are not used to the heat. Bogota has an average temperature every month of the year of between 55 and 57 which is cooler than just about every city in the U.S. Eternal spring, they call it. I doubt anyplace in Colombia is hotter than Kansas City in July and August.