Talking with a bunch of fellow football nuts, wondering why Leroux got so little playing time in later stages of WWC? Anyone care to hypothesize? Injury, not playing well, chemistry not there........?
Not surprised with the minutes she got. As long as Alex Morgan is better and Abby Wambach is on the team the other forwards will always miss out on play time. Is it fair? No, but it is what it is. If it was her not playing well in the first few games then that could be said to almost anyone else on the team save from the back line. Syd and Press got the same minutes and Amy got even way less. With Abby possibly retiring, it gives the coach more time to develop the other forwards more instead of them being played out of position or being used as super subs. I don't think she played her best against Sweeden, but she was good in the Australia game.
She missed 2 sitters vs. Sweden. Sent the ball to row Z. I didn't think much of it but I guess the coach did.
I think the Sweden match hurt her chances a lot. Also, it wasn't a good sign that Nigeria actually started playing better than us in the last 20 minutes (with a man down) after she came in. With Wambach probably gone, we still need someone with Leroux's physicality on set plays. She's always been very good with headers. However, with Lloyd likely taking over Wambach's role on this team, it may limit Syd's playing time. She's definitely a great back-up if Morgan gets injured again, but if they're both healthy, I think Morgan brings more to the game with her runs and being able to read the match.
Asked this in other threads .... is Leroux really all that fast? Everyone says she is .... but I have my doubts.
she's one of the most athletic players on the team and brings a lot of energy to the field. high work rate, her hold up play and short passing isnt bad, she's willing to play gritty defense, and she can outrun most fullbacks. thats where the compliments end, for me. i'd put her below morgan, press and rodriguez on the depth chart. her technical ability and finishing are in need of big improvement. for a forward, thats not going to get you big minutes. when we play other top teams like germany, france, japan, those 3 are going to see the field before her, if healthy. i remember in group stage, forget vs what team, she got a ball about 10-15 yards directly in front and center of goal, had a clear, uncontested shot and shanked it really high. i think it'd be worthwhile to try to teach her rb and maybe throw her there for a stretch of friendlies vs easier teams. krieger is getting up there in age and she doesnt offer technical ability or finishing either. they have a similar skill set and krieger is very effective and reliable back there, even if she doesnt offer much going forward. if she could tap into krieger's defensive mindset, she'd be a more athletic version of her. would have to try it soon while krieger is still around to groom her. never know if you dont try. wonder if leroux would be willing.
My biggest worry with Leroux at the fullback position are the subsequent hard fouls and yellow/red cards that will follow. I can just see someone like Necib making a move to get by her, and Syd driving her head right into the ground. I'll take that on the offensive end, but not necessarily in your own penalty box.
As someone said above, Syd is like a locomotive, in that once she gets up a head of steam she can be fast. But what she DOESN'T have is quick feet required for sudden change of direction. I don't think rb is the right position for her.
I think Leroux's passes and finishing is fine. What she lacks is the technical ability that Morgan or even Press have. If I was Ellis I would work with her on improving her technique (holding the ball, changing direction etc). Maybe she hasn't had a good 2015 in scoring, but in all honestly neither has most of our forwards. If I remember correctly though she was the top scorer or the 2nd on the team last year. I personally don't think Leroux, Press, and A-rod have been given adequate opportunities to prove themselves as forwards, but that is just me.
Putting her at right back is ridiculous. Instead of that, just replace her on the roster with Dunn (or any other good, young forward or rb depending on the greatest need...the U.S. has several of both).
I don't have a problem with giving Press and Leroux more time at the forward position. However, I've seen enough of A-Rod over the past several years that I'd rather take my chances with someone new. Sorry Amy, you're still a great girl. As far as our forwards are concerned, I completely agree that all of them had trouble finishing this year. That being said, you still have to factor in what their ceiling would be based on past performance with the NT. For instance, when Morgan was clicking on all cylinders she was scoring multiple goals per match against the best teams in the world. Not only that but a good number of her goals were finished in spectacular fashion. The hope is that moving forward she can regain some of that ability since we know she has it in her DNA. In contrast, last year I made the unpopular comment that Leroux had scored zero goals in 14 straight appearances against the top 6 teams in the world (although to be fair, most of those were as a reserve). However, in late 2013 and early 2014 she did score 5 goals against Canada, Japan and France. Even though I commended her for being our only scoring punch at the time, she has never really dominated a strong opponent for an entire match during her NT career (Mexico doesn't count). At the time I also stated that even though her 2 goals against Canada and France were great, the other 3 pretty much came off of bad defensive mistakes. For instance, against Japan she blocked the goalkeepers free kick right into the net (that won't happen 99.99% of the time), and her other 2 goals against Canada came off a steal from Sauerbrun (with a give and go with Press), which led to her tapping the ball in without any marking, and another when the 18-year old Canadian defender inexplicably headed the ball back to her feet standing in front of goal. At the time I said that if we're counting on these gifts in the WC, good luck scoring. As far as Press is concerned, even though she's scored less goals against top tier opponents in the forward position (compared to the other 2), she's had less opportunities facing these stronger opponents as well. The jury is still out on her, but the goal she scored against France probably can't be duplicated by any of our other forwards. At least that goal made me jump out of my seat and think hmmm, there is potential there!
The people saying Syd starts slow like a locomotive are incorrect. I've already posted this image... but here it is again: Syd is stopping and changing directions here, and manages to close in on Morgan in the first 4 steps. So as you can see, the reason she is "fast" is her first few steps. She gets to top speed quicker than Morgan. But once Morgan gets to her top speed, she is faster: As you can see Morgan starts pulling away from Syd here (this is a continuation of the same scene as from that first gif, if you can't tell).
If I were USSoccer Id turn Leroux into a right outside back. She can be a ferocious defender, has the speed to be a terror on the flank, is good in the air and would be the heir apparent to Krieger who likely calls it a day after the Olympics. At least Leroux would be playing and she could do some damage out there.
I just don't see the defender swap.... And regardless of the opponent, the touch, and skill required for these goals, says she is a forward: And her touch on this pass to Press, shows that with Morgan, Press, and Leroux available we are in good hands in the fwd position! If we are honest, NONE of the fwds lately have been accurate consistently on goal. How much of that lays with the service from the midfielders, in creating easier shots?!?
Same could be asked about Christen Press, wasn't she supposed to be like the breakout star of this tournament?
Well, just because she is playing fullback doesnt mean she still cant get time at forward. Fabienne Humm plays forward for her club but moved back to OB or sometimes AM for the Swiss because she has Dickenmann and Bachmann ahead of her. Humm had a WC hat trick against Ecuador that she completed in five minutes and had like 8 goals for the Swiss in WC qualifying. Leroux is too good and athlete to be sitting on the bench.
Because Ellis mismanaged the forwards and gave way too many minutes to Syds bff Abby. Honestly Press, Syd, & A-Rod got less minutes because of Abby. Ellis had no business starting Abby, she should of been a super sub all throughout the tournament.