It's a scary idea for opposing defenses, three players who can burn almost any defender 1v1 with pace. My only question is, are they all too similar? Would they all be looking to run into space? There is merit in a strong counterattacking game, but also a risk of being too direct. Or would they look to check back to the ball, to combine with each other? I will say I'm impressed with Lynn Williams' hold up play and passing. Speed is her best asset, but she is cultivating other parts of her game too. Blessing in disguise that Lloyd is off getting married. When she is available, she gets called up. When she gets called up, she suits up. And when she suits up, she plays. A lot of minutes. It is rare for her to ever miss a game. And, while undeniably she delivers the stats, her presence messes with the rest of the formation. We need to see how the team functions without her. Due to age, or injury, or loss of form (remember how streaky she used to be?), she might not be there to bail us out in big moments. A bit disappointed at the lack of new call-ups in the midfield. Ellis is experimenting a lot with defense and forwards, but she's kept the midfield almost intact. NWSL has yielded a crop of talented center midfielders but none except Colaprico got called up, and she never made a game day roster. Edmonds seems like a charity cap, for exceeding all expectations and being a leader on the new expansion team. But at age 29 I can't imagine she is in Ellis' long term plans.
Agree...it will be interesting to see Press/Dunn/Horan/Brian in Lloyds role for a couple matches. If u remove Lloyd and play Long as CB the midfield is already very young with Brian the sage vet at 23 so Im not surprised she is looking at other places. Im hoping she continues with the 3-5-2 this week. It gives her more slots to look at attackers instead of adding another defender who wont have to do anything against Romania.
Totally agree with the 3-5-2 and your reasoning behind it. We should work on the midfield these games. And, of course, on offense and on coordinating all 3 lines. Here's the roster again: GOALKEEPERS (3): Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns FC), Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars) DEFENDERS (8): Abby Dahlkemper (Western New York Flash), Jaelene Hinkle (Western New York Flash), Julie Johnston (Chicago Red Stars), Meghan Klingenberg (Portland Thorns FC), Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), Kelley O’Hara (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City), Casey Short (Chicago Red Stars) MIDFIELDERS (8): Morgan Brian (Houston Dash), Kristen Edmonds (Orlando Pride), Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC), Allie Long (Portland Thorns FC), Samantha Mewis (Western New York Flash), Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign), Andi Sullivan (Stanford) FORWARDS (5): Crystal Dunn (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride), Kealia Ohai (Houston Dash), Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars), Lynn Williams (Western New York Flash)
..........................ATG........Lynn........................... Tobin..........Crystal.................Christen..........Pinoe .......Lindsey...............Andi.................Allie......... Kelly.............Becky...............JJ.....................Ali ..................................Alyssa.......................... Bank on it.
It looks like a 3-4-3 this time: Today’s #USWNT starters for #USAvROU: Harris; Sauerbrunn (c), Long, Short; Ohai, Sullivan, Brian, Heath; Dunn, Press, Williams. pic.twitter.com/GzDrTViWLh— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) November 11, 2016
Got your wish, sort of. All three are in the starting lineup. Appears Ohai is a winger though, with Dunn-Press-Williams up top, or a 3-5-2 with Ohai and Dunn as wingers. I fear for Romania. This is quite an attacking lineup. They will be playing a lot of defense.
Try these links: http://wiz1.net/channel43 http://www.stream2watch.cc/live-events/football/usa-vs-romania-live-stream .
08' 1-0 USA high cross from 30m wide left toward Dunn sandwiched between 2 at 13m center, ball bounces off them leftward to 14m arc left. Press is completely unmarked running thereat, one-touch right foot shot in stride, across mouth over #12 Oprea, into back right high. 10' 2-0 Long passes from circle back to Sullivan at 30m center, diagonal pass to Press at 22m arc left. Press juggles and turns away from her defender, sweeps a delicate roll through box top mid-left for Brian(?) chasing to 12m mid-left. Heath comes through box left with a better angle, calls Brian off, one-touch right instep bend over Oprea, into right side netting high. 16' 2-0 Romania chase to 22m arc left, #9 Laura Rus hoofs square right to arc top wide right. #14 Lunca(?) one-touch cross to 9m center, Rusell hop-heads and beats Harris's horizontal dive toward right post -- juuuuuust wide right low. We're not completely safe with an experimental 3-back
Press's goal was "good" and Heath's was "not bad"? I thought the latter looked like a more difficult finish.
2016/11/10 Thu USA - Romania USA (Jillian Ellis): 3-1-3-3. 25 Lynn Williams, 23 Christen Press, 16 Crystal Dunn 17 Tobin Heath, 6 Morgan Brian, 7 Kealia Ohai 19 Andi Sullivan 22 Casey Short, 20 Allie Long, 4© Becky Sauerbrunn 24 Ashlyn Harris Romania (Mirel Albon): 4-2-3-1 ... that's so last year 9 Laura Rus 10 Andreea Voicu, 8 Stefania Vatafu, 14 Alexandra Lunca 7 Raluca Sarghi, 4 Ioana Bortan 16 Ana María Gorea, 6 María Ficzay, 3 Lidia Havristiuc, 2 Andreea Corduneanu 12 Roxana Oprea
24' 2-0 Yellow card on #9 Laura Rus. 25' 3-0 USA fk at 1m wide right, Heath bends it just over the 2-person wall to 6-top center. Brian is totally unmarked on a QB draw from box top center right up the centerline, stoop-heads a glancer into back left low past Oprea frozen and not at fault. 26' 3-0 Yellow card on #14 Alexandra Lunca. 28' 3-0 Romania subs in (1 of 6) #5 Adina Giurgiu for LDM #7 Raluca Sarghi. 31' 3-1 Romania outlet pass to circle back left, quick turn-and-chip to #9 Rus back-cutting through circle top, already way behind Long at circle center we still haven't learned. Harris races Rus to 27m arc left, Rus wins and rounds her to arc top mid-left, chips(?) into empty net.