Gotta feel bad for Romania's #6 defender. She worked hard all game, didn't deserve an own goal at the end. Oh well, I'm happy for Heath.
90+2' (of +2') 8-1 Heath receives at 15m mid-left, cuts back to shake 1 defender, shoots right instep bend toward center low. LCB #6 Ficzay snap-decides to flick-block at 6m -- but turns it perfectly just inside left post, wrong-footing Oprea already diving the other way. Oog. FT 8-1. USA used to whomp Victory Tour tomato can teams by 8-0 or so, and we thought that was fast, but this team is ... fast and sharp, with some passing. I think Romania is a step or two above bad CONCACAF teams -- but our new players are two or four steps above our 2013 days. We'll see how it goes in 2017, esp. SheBelieves against France and Germany. I hope several USWNT players on full contracts are feeling an imbalance in the Force
Hard to believe we're going to have to wait more than 3 months before we see any more action from this team. After the Sunday match , of course.
More excited than I've been for this team in a long time. The depth of the talent pool is finally unleashed. They are no longer restricted to one-dimensional Abby ball. They are playing a modern, fast, skillful game. Jill Ellis (after treading carefully in 2015, when there was huge pressure to keep the veterans around for a coveted World Cup title) is saying and doing the right things to wipe complacency and entitlement from the program. Now, we will see what happens with the CBA.
I love that new players are getting looks, but I think only a few stick around. My guess is that only Williams and Sullivan are still with the team a year from now. Not that the others are bad, just that it's a really high level of play right now. It looks like Ellis is willing Short to make it, but I'm just not seeing it yet.
Thought Short had her best game. Liked that Ellis divided up the time. Hope she does it again in the second match. Hope Ohai can stick. Her improvement just from being in the camp has been remarkable.
It's a bummer Sullivan couldn't score with her college team in the stands like Brian did while in college.
I'm really not seeing Williams as a sure thing a year from now either, to be completely honest. Press and Morgan still seem to be at a level above the other forwards. Williams didn't make a strong case for herself last night, in my opinion. Can she get better? I don't know.
Press and Morgan are clearly above Williams, but on a 23 person squad I think Williams could tag on at the end. I suppose some of that depends on Leroux/Rodriguez and if she is also competing with midfielders like Dunn/Pugh/Lloyd.
She's fast and had that one play where she kicked the ball off the forward near end line, but as a LB, her passing and crosses have to improve significantly. She had that one play where she was on her own to pick out a player in the box, but wound up crossing the ball over the end line.
She definitely needs to score more against the tomato can teams. Both Press and Leroux did that from the very start. Heck, Morgan did that against top 10 opponents. I'm willing to give her more time, since she can at least keep up with the speed of play, unlike McDonald.
Williams was shying away last night, IMO, letting the veterans get most of the ball time. How often did they pass the ball to her? I saw a LOT of dribbling from Heath, Press taking every shot that came to her feet. Morgan has only one foot anyway and got lucky on an occasion. I think Williams if given a consistent shot and I said consistent, will turn out to be a star. Yes, they may be better now because they have been with the USWNT for a long time, this is Williams third game without being groomed in the US-U teams for many years like the rest have. She is still an outsider on this team but who has raw talent that needs patience to work in with the rest of the USWNT. Give her a chance and time. I like her a LOT. I saw Casey short wide open to the left, sprinting to open space and Tobin Heath does her "cutsie-pie"dribbling trying to go between 3 people instead of making a simple pass.
What's the difference here? Press, Leroux, Morgan and others were groomed for many years on the USWNT-U Youth systems. They have a head start. Also some of these players have known each other for years, not just on the senior team. Williams had little to none of that opportunity. She is new to the whole setup, system, players, etc. She has to be given a consistent chance to catch up. That's why I'm excited about her. A kid who did not have the privilege that the others had but got noticed because of hard work and success on her Club team in the NWSL, and not being groomed in the USWNT-U divisions for years. In my opinion.
I agree that these young players should be given time to develop, but I seriously doubt Morgan, Press, Leroux, etc. would've been given a legitimate chance with the NT if they didn't destroy below average teams from the very start.
What did you want her to do last night? Grab the ball from Heath, Press or Morgan and shoot it herself? There was only so much ball time to spread around and the "veterans" hogged most of it because they're fighting to stay on their fat contract a little longer, IMO.
Even if we forget about the game last night, I felt that in the 2 previous games she had multiple opportunities to score and didn't capitalize. For instance, Leroux scored 5 goals in one half against Guatemala and then had 4 against Mexico several games later.
Ok, well then why waste time on her. Forget it. Let's keep those or bring back those same players who got eliminated early in the Olympics but scored buckets against Guatemala their first time out or whatever. While we're at it, send Casey Short back to Chicago, who needs her? Just keep bring in those same ole tired-ass defenders couldn't defend to save their lives in the Olympics and play them till their 50 years old. Why change at all?
Never said to get rid of them or limit their opportunities. I'm just saying that I'm not as impressed as some other people are, especially with Short.
Yeah, she needs more time, and I'd invest it in her, at this point. Also, if she can make penalty kicks (a talent missing from some of our other star forwards), I'd add her to the squad, no questions.
Remember, no more handouts. You are assuming that Leroux and Rodiquez would even make the starting squad. Don't forget, Ellis has changed the system significantly and the aforementioned will have to earn back their spots on the team. It'll be an interesting battle to see if they can take those spots from anyone else. .
Don't get me started on the penalty kicks. If I was touted as one of the top forwards in the world, I'd be practicing taking 100 penalties per day, while hiring an expert to coach me. I love Morgan, but have been really disappointed with her penalty kicks. She typically just puts her head down and blasts the ball making sure she hits the frame. Not sure why she doesn't at least attempt to go low as she does during the flow of the match. There really isn't an excuse.
I'm not going to make any predictions at this point, because I think Ellis should keep whoever gives us the best shot to win another WWC title, at the end of the day. Having said that, I think she has time to take a deep look at and partially develop some of the young, up and coming, talent.
I like how Ohai and Dunn seemed to be on the same page. Haven't missed a beat since the college days and U-20.