Lots of red flags raised by the U20 WNT performance against Japan. Aside from the often-expressed systematic concerns about development, selection, and coaching, it now appears that many of the rostered players (many with lots of previous international experience) might not have some of the traits necessary to succeed at the U20 WWC. One match is obviously much too small of a sample size to draw such conclusions with any real confidence, but the issues are worth thinking about. Are they soft (i.e., lack toughness, bite)? Have they believed their press clippings? Do they feel entitled? I've watched a lot of u17 and u20 cycles over the years and, while there were lots of occasions where the team didn't look good enough to win, this is the first time I can recall when these other type of questions have arisen. Hopefully, the Japan match was just a blip (or wake-up call) and these questions will disappear going forward. To that end, I expect an intense effort by the US against Mexico this evening.
2015/06/04 Thu Brasil (): 4-1-4-1? Margery for Tabitha. 9 Kelen 10 Gabriela, 7, 8, 16 Margery 6 Yasmin 14 Matos, 4 Beatrice, 3 Karen?, 2 Isabela 12 Carla Japan (Asako Takemoto Takakura): 9 changes Kobayashi and Ichise leave tomorrow to play for their high school! 12 Sonoda, 17 Kiko Siike, 20 Rikako Kobayashi _ Hina Sugita, 15 Narumi Miura, 4 Risa Shimisu 5 Takemura, 8 Nane Ichise, 3 Haza, 7/19? 18 Yukari Morita
35' 0-1 Japan ck, Carla punched to Siike. 46' Brasil subs in (1 of 6) #17 Erika Abreu for #_ Brena. 46' Japan subs in (1 of 6) #2 Raku Norimatsu for #_. 55' Brasil subs in - (2 of 6) #_ Fernanda for #2 Isabela - (3 of 6) #18 Ochilia(??) for #9 Kelen.
56' 0-1 Kobayashi runs on at 8m 6-left, Carla slides and pokes ball -- Kobayashi hops out, still up, ball topspins closer to goal. Carla blatantly reaches right arm out and hauls Kobayashi down. Penalty, but no red card: Happy 18th birthday gift for Carla. 57' 0-2 Japan pk, #20 Rikako Kobayashi opens hips, right instep rising into back right 1/2 high, Carla dove wrong. 60' 0-3 Japan through-ball to #17 Kiko Siike stumbling past #3 sliding down at 13m right post. Siike stays up, snaps a shot across mouth in front of Carla sit-charging, no kick-save, bounces into back left low.
61' 0-3 Japan subs in: - (2 of 6) #19 Akire Shiraki for #17 Kiko Siike - (3 of 6) #13 Yui Hasegawa for #_ Hina Sugita. 68' 0-3 Brasil subs in (4 of 6) #11 Tabitha for RM #16 Margery. 70' 0-3 Japan subs in: - (4 of 6) #6 Kitigawa for LB #5 Takemura - (5 of 6) #16 Ryo Momiki for #20 Rikako Kobayashi. 72' 0-3 Japan send 2 to 6-top left, sharp shot under Carla into back right low. Way offside
77' 0-3 Japan subs in (6 of 6) #9 Asaku Miyagawa for #15 Narumi Miura. 78' 0-3 Japan have about 80%(!!) possession now, just pinging it around and feasting on Brasil's tired turnovers. Chip from circle left to Momiki leaning past at arc left, quick right-instep shot leaning back, spins wide left low. 89' 0-3 Japan riddle the goalmouth with 3-5 excellent chances, and shank them all. +1'. 90' 0-4 Japan tap down wide left for an overlap that catches Brasil numbed and depleted, late to the chase, uncontested cross from 10m to Shiraki jumping at 4m left post. Shiraki is tall, draws all of the attention -- ball is too tall for her, bounces to 3m right post. Miyagawa runs on alone, roofs a shot over Carla flinching. FT 0-4. Brasil look like they ran a triathlon, Japan look fresh.
I don't mean to suggest that the end is nigh for the USWNT, but in light of Tuesday's subpar performance, I found this article to be especially interesting... June 3, 2015 MIXED REVIEW Akers thinks USWNT program is stagnant in areas http://www.bigapplesoccer.com/us/wnt.php?article_id=41336 It's very short but hints at some of the problems that are being discussed in this thread.
[USA-Mexico] 01' 0-0 Mexico #11 chest-blocked down, foul. Mexico fk at 27m center, #4 Rebecca Bernal shoots into the wall, deflects wide right. 03' 0-0 Harvey(?) turns down wide left, cross blocked -- by an arm? Handball. 03' 0-0 USA fk at 4m wide left, #12 Ogle to 6-left -- retake! 03' 0-0 USA fk mulligan, Ogle floats it across 5m, Mexico heads it out. Pugh backtracks through center circle, backpass to #18 Murphy.
15' 0-0 Mexico fk at circle top left, #4 Bernal chips it high into the wind gusts, Murphy basket-catches at 8m right post. 16' 0-0 USA clearance intercepted by Sonja Vasquez. Square pass intercepted by #4 Harvey, counters up centerline to 30m -- but final ground pass inaccurate, pinched shut. 18' 0-0 USA cross from the left, just miss a header at 8m left post.
23' 0-0 Harvey passes up centerline to Racioppi facing away at arc top, one-touch right instep flick across her body to arc right -- Mexico intercepts easily. Pretty idea, but the execution was too static. 24' 0-0 #9 Jacqueline Crowther strides down wide right, cross blocked over. 25' 0-0 Mexico 3rd right ck, to 6-center, Murphy catches high.
28' 0-0 #2 Elliston hoofs a high ball from circle to wide right to arc top, Racioppi jump-fakes, ball bounces behind her. #13 Jordan Harr runs on at 12m mid-left, shoots way high. 29' 0-0 Pugh cuts inside #4 Bernal across 19m from box right to mid-right, has all day with an open window -- finally shoots left-foot curl, way high. I sense a pattern ... 29' 0-0 Mexico to Crowther backshielding at box top mid-right, tap down wide right, cross to spot headed out by Jacobs.
30' 0-0 Pugh drives 1-v-1 down box left, cross blocked and cleared. 31' 0-0 Mexico right throw-in at 10m, USA rip ball away, but a mindless hoof misses Harvey to circle back, Mexico circulate it left. 33' 0-0 Mexico backpass to circle back right, Pugh disrupts, Mexico backpass to #1 Stephanie Berreras.
USA (Michelle French): 4-1-3-2? Identical to Japan starters. 9 Mallory Pugh, 11 Taylor Racioppi 13 Jordan Harr, 4 Mikaela Harvey, 10 Marley Canales 12 Emily Ogle 6 Sabrina Flores, 19 Kaleigh Riehl, 5 Natalie "Courtney" Jacobs, 2 Maddie Elliston 18 Casey Murphy Mexico (Roberto Medina): * = 2014/03 WWC-17 alumna. 11 Jana Palacios, 9* Jacqueline Crowther 8 Monica Flores, 6(c) Nancy Antonio, 16?* Eva González, _ Sonja Vasquez 5 Laura Orajel, 4* Rebeca Bernal, _* Vanessa Flores, 2 Jaclyn Rodriguez 1 Stephanie Berreras Sabrina and Monica are twins at Notre Dame Bet they have fun answering each others' cell phones: Hi, Coach! Oh, she's still in the shower --
36' 0-0 USA intercept(?), diagonal pass from 27m centerline toasts the high line to 13m mid-left. Harr and Berreras charge each other, Berreras toe-pokes it out to box top arc left. Pugh never quite settles the bouncing ball, shoots waaay high and wide left. We're tight with anxiety. 38' 0-0 Mexico right ck, hiiigh ball drops to 10m 1/3 left, header goes square right and drops to #11 Palacios unmarked at 10m 1/3 right. Full-windup left roundhouse, and she shanks it waaay high. Japan look on with blank incomprehension.
44' 0-0 Harvey receives in stride at circle top centerline, rolls a diagonal pass for Pugh to arc top right. Bernal herds Pugh wide right to 10m mid-right, shot on the run never gets angle, floats way wide right into the hedge wall. 45' 1-0 #10 Canales wins a ball, squares to #4 Harvey at circle top. Harvey passes up centerline to Racioppi facing away at 24m, one-touch right-instep flick under her left foot springs Pugh to box top arc right, 2m ahead of #4 Bernal. Pugh rounds Berreras sprawling at the spot, taps left instep into empty net, center back low. HT 1-0. And Japan HC Takemoto Takakura thinks their finishing is poor
46' 1-0 USA subs in: - (1 of 6) FW #17 Ashley Sanchez for MF #4 Mikaela Harvey - (2 of 6) LB #22 Courtney Petersen for RB #2 Maddie Elliston (and #6 Sabrina Flores flips to RB?) - (3 of 6) #16 Savannah DeMelo for ?? (guessing RM #10 Marley Canales) 59' 1-0 Racioppi ground pass to box top mid-left for Pugh cutting diagonally. Pugh drives down mid-left to 4m, cross headed away at 6-top left. USA knock it down to Pugh, offside.
61' 1-0 USA subs in: - (4 of 6) MF #8 Parker Roberts for MF #12 Emily Ogle - (5 of 6) FW #_ Hana Kerner for FW #11 Taylor Racioppi. 63' 1-0 USA surge at box right and box top mid-right, all cleared, last ball knocked off our shin and over. 65' 1-0 Mexico create havoc in box mid-right, USA clear two crosses, 3rd shot bends way high and wide left.
67' 1-0 Mexico right throw-in, RB #2 Rodriguez takes it at 25m. Re-take -- ref makes her back up to 40m 68' 1-0 Foul on Riehl. Mexico fk at 22m arc right, Bernal shoots low into the 6-shin wall. USA awkwardly counter to circle top, but the wide pass right goes to nobody, into far touch. 69' 1-0 Harr comes back to ball, corkscrews self down and into shins. Yellow card on Harr.
70' 1-0 Mexico fk at 30m wide right, RB #2 Rodriguez chips it high to the spot, Murphy catches high in traffic and lands on her side. 71' 1-0 Harr rolls pass down wide left for LB Petersen overlapping, Mexico poke it off the touchline-side of the corner flagpole 71' 1-0 USA left throw-in. 72' 1-0 Mexico subs in (1 of 6) #_ Evelyn(?) González for #_ Belen Cruz. 72' 1-0 USA 2nd left throw-in. USA high pressure wins another throw-in. HC French exhorting them to press high ...
74' 1-0 USA overlap down wide right into a 2-v-2, no cross, patient backpass. Pugh flicks down wide right to #15 Kerner(?), she drives through box right but #5 Orajel steals on a perfect hook-away. 76' 1-0 #17 Belen Cruz whacked in the left shin at circle back box right. 77' 1-0 Mexico fk to box top center, flicked on at 14m mid-left. #8 Monica Flores runs on, but #16 DeMelo rushes her half-volley, way high. 78' 1-0 Mexico bounce a ball to 4m wide left, 1-v-1. Monica Flores drives past Sabrina Flores, but a stationary shin-block steals ball, S.Flores dribbles out. Uncanny, like she's seen that move for ten years, or something.
79' 1-0 #5 Orajel steals at circle top, left-outstep flick forward springs #11 Palacios clean through box top mid-left. CB slide-challenges at 12m, Palacios slides and shoots just high over bar. 80' 1-0 USA subs in (6 of 6) #7 Kelcie Hedge for LM #13 Jordan Harr.