USWNT Formations & Lineups at WC & OLY

As I watch the US women's 3rd attempt to repeat as WC champions (1995 & 2003 being the other attempts), I have had a lot of comparisons & context in my head.

What would a win do for the individual resumes of players like Lloyd, Sauerbrunn, Morgan, Rapinoe, & Ertz? Are we in Akers, Hamm, Fawcett, Lilly, Overbeck territory? Milbrett & Gabarra? Wambach & Pearce?

How about on a team level? That early generation (some of them, anyway) won WCs in 1991, 1999, and Olympics in 1996 & 2004. Would a win here vault this team and some of its players into that stratosphere?

As I began to ponder, I started to think about who was on which teams. I can get lineups & some stats (would love help on assists!) from the net, but I realized my memory was indeed kind of fuzzy on how we lined up.

Did Akers move to MF in '95 WC or was she still up top. Was the CM setup flat or diamond with Higgins & Foudy in '91? Where did MacMillan play when she started? Etc.

Anyway, the upshot is I am trying to get a grip on how we lined up at major tournaments. And I find I need some assistance. Yes, there is some variance (injuries, suspensions, tactics), but we usually have a preferred lineup from jump, or find it at some stage.

Anyway, here are my somewhat educated guesses & best recollections. Please correct my if I am wrong. I hope to work my way through all 7 previous WCs and 6 previous Olympics before the end of the tournament.

 

First up, 1991 WC in China. 80 minute games. With announcers refering to the team as "girls" on TV.

Still, we won. Carin Jennings (Gabarra) was voted MVP (Golden Ball) and also was the second leading scorer (Silver Boot). Michelle Akers (-Stahl in those days) won the Golden Boot with 10 goals and the Bronze Ball.

Preferred XI pretty easy to peg as it was identical for each knockout game. And there were no subs in the last two. Each of our top 11 players started at least 5 of the games. 5 started all 6 (Harvey, Foudy, Werden (Overbeck), Akers-Stahl, & Jennings (Gabarra)). Hamilton, Hamm, & Lilly played in all 6. Heinrichs, Higgins, and Biefeld (Fawcett) started in and played in 5.

Formation was 343. My only question is a small one, flat or diamond in MF? Kind of hard to tell, both Higgins & Foudy do get forward some. Best guess:

-----------------Harvey--------------
--Biefeld----Werden----Hamilton--
Hamm---Higgins---Foudy---Lilly
---Heinrichs---Akers-Stahl---Jennings

Defender Debbie Belkin was our most used defender, playing in each of the first four games, starting 2. Forward Brandi Chastain & defender Lori Henry each played 2 games with 1 start. While forward Wendy Gebauer & midfielder Tracey Bates (Leone) each got 1 start. Backup gks Amy Allman & Kim Maslin-Kammerdeiner did not play.

Anson Dorrance the HC.

9/11 of the preferred starters are in the HOF and one reserve (Chastain). Exceptions are Harvey & Hamilton.

Any corrections/comments or recollections welcome.

 

1995 WC in Sweden is way fuzzy. Made more so by the fact I cannot find complete video and did not watch it live. And by the fact that Akers' injury had us use different lineups (with a lot of rotation in the 3rd group game).

My main fuzziness centers on Akers. Was she still a forward in '95? By the Olympics in '96 I know she was at CM, but the lineups from '95 make more sense with her up top (as Milbrett started the games Akers didn't play & they never started together).

I also cannot remember Roberts' position clearly (CM I believe) or if Venturini or Hamm was furthest forward (Hamm I think).

The preferred XI is the same 10 with Milbrett for Akers, but I do not know if the shape changed.

My fuzzy recollection has us 343 again with Scurry in for Harvey; Fawcett, Overbeck, & Hamilton reprising their roles on D. Hamm moving up to Heinrichs' spot up top with Akers & Gabarra. I have Roberts taking Higgins' spot next to Foudy (with more of a diamond look) with Lilly again on the left and Venturini in Hamm's old spot.

-------------------Scurry--------------
---Fawcett---Overbeck---Hamilton
--------------------Roberts-----------
Venturini-------Foudy--------Lilly
Hamm---------Akers-------Gabarra

When Akers got hurt (game 1) we plugged Milbrett in. Stayed mostly that way until the SF loss where Akers started again.

Is this anywhere close?

 

Some stats notes from 91.

1991 WC:
Goals: Akers 10, Jennings 6, Heinrichs 4, Hamm 2, Foudy 1, Biefeld 1, Gebauer 1.

Appearances:
6 = Foudy, Harvey, Werden, Hamilton, Akers-Stahl, Jennings, Hamm, Lilly.
5 = Biefeld, Higgins, Heinrichs.
4 = Belkin
2 = Chastain, Henry
1 = Gebauer, Bates

Starts:
6 = Foudy, Harvey, Werden, Akers-Stahl, Jennings.
5 = Hamilton, Hamm, Biefeld, Higgins, Lilly, Heinrichs.
2 = Belkin
1 = Chastain, Henry, Gebauer, Bates
---------------

 

Some 1995 stats & notes:

1) Fawcett & Overbeck played every minute.

2) Goals:
3 = Milbrett, Venturini, Lilly
2 = Hamm
1 = Foudy, Fawcett, Overbeck, Keller.

Starts (games)
6 = Fawcett, Overbeck (c), Venturini, Lilly, Hamm, Hamilton.
5 = Scurry, Foudy (6), Gabarra (6)
4 = Roberts (5), Milbrett (6)
2 = Akers, Staples-Bryan (4)
1 = Webber, Cromwell (2), Manthei (2)
0 = Keller (4), Rafanelli (2).

Mary Harvey (GK) & Jen Lalor (D/M) did not play.

8/11 of the preferred starters are in the HOF (Scurry, Fawcett, Overbeck, Foudy, Lilly, Hamm, Akers, Gabarra) and 1 reserve (Milbrett). Non HOF starters = Hamilton, Venturini, Roberts.

 

Gotcha. Thanks for the memory enhancement. I could not remember when the switch happened.

But those lineups/subs do make more sense with Michelle up top. Straight swap with Milbrett coming in for her.

Rewatching some of those earlier games gives me a renewed appreciation for Akers, Fawcett, and Overbeck.

I firmly believe Michelle is our best ever (at two positions). Fawcett perhaps as well (RCB, RB).

Of course as I cycle through the more recent stuff, I reserve the right to tilt towards Mia, Abby, Lilly, & Lloyd.