Where is the midfield play?

HAO needs to play. Chalupny looked bad in the few minutes she had last night.

 

I think this match might call for a 4-3-3, given the personnel we have available. With two midfielders out, it makes sense to replace one with a forward. Maybe this will help? Having Wambach/Morgan/Press up top and Lloyd/Boxx (I hope not)/Heath in the midfield might give us some better attacking options and would fit the style of play that Jill Ellis only knows how to coach.

I'd personally love a 4-4-2 (or 4-3-3, depending on how you want to view it) like this:

Solo
Krieger--Johnston--Sauerbrunn--Klingenberg
--------Heath-----Lloyd-----O-Reilly---------
--------------------Press---------------------
------------Wambach----Morgan-------------

 

I have been amazed at Holiday's relatively poor form. I think she is struggling with the turf, as her first touch and passes to others look way off. She has, at times, been a giveaway machine. What bothers me more about that is, after a give away, she seems to lollygag back on defense. For such a talented player, this tournament has been a very poor showing. I have seen the stat that says she has created the most chances of anyone on the squad so far, and okay, I guess I can see that (set pieces count, right?). But in the run of play I guess I have really been expecting much more from her. I hope we survive past China and she gets a chance to come in against Fra/Ger and make a statement.

 

I remember when Cheney was in the game with Rapinoe in the midfield againstJapan and the team went to hell when she went out injured and Rapinoe ran herself into the ground.

It would be neat if she got back to that point, but I don't see signs of it.

 

Who delivered the pass to Rapinoe when the second PK was awarded? (Or, is my brain completely addled and I have it all wrong?)

 

I believe Klingenberg.

 

The USWNT needs to prepare immediately after this tournament for 2019.

Jane Campbell is a future Karen Bardsley type on the international stage (tall, and similar style in her overall game).
She's not Hope Solo, but can still peak out as a Top 3 goalkeeper in the world with continuous development.
She has her flaws, but things she can certainly correct with further development from a good goalkeeping coach.
Arin Gilliland is the closest young player we have to a young Caitlin Foord type. Let's develop her immediately.
Sauerbrunn will be 34 in 2019, but you need one savvy veteran on your back line. She'll still be Iron Woman then.
Johnston could be the best DM in the world, if you train and develop her there, and emergency depth at CB as well.

4-1-3-1-1 Formation: (five layers of penetration and variance)

----------------------Campbell------------------------
Dunn----Roccaro-----Sauerbrunn-----Gilliland
----------------------Johnston------------------------
-----------Ohai-------Brian-------Lavelle-----------
------------------Press---------------------------------
------------------------------Morgan------------------


*Dunn and Gilliland are versatile enough they can switch sides at any point in the match. They can run for days.
**Ohai and Lavelle are versatile enough they can also switch sides, and Lavelle can play centrally as well.
***Maybe the 2 forwards connect better like this, Press doesn't play as high, and helps connect from better angles.

Attacking Mids/Forward Subs: Mallory Pugh, Megan Rapinoe, Sydney Leroux, Lindsey Horan, Sofia Huerta
Midfielder Subs: Danielle Colaprico, Erika Tymrak, Samantha Mewis "or" McCall Zerboni
Defensive Subs: Kelley O'Hara, Shea Groom, Maddie Bauer, Whitney Engen
Goalkeeper Subs: Who the heck knows at this point (Rowland? Franch?)

Shea Groom is converted as a multiplex attacking outside back to get down the flank with attacking prowess and she still maintains her pesky side when challenging, but plays smarter with it.

It's time to be revolutionary, and revolutionize the way the team plays and connects.
Anything is better than the crap they're playing right now.


(Associated Press) - Roccaro is ready to be a Rocc on the back line in 2019.

 

Here's another player that might be an intriguing player to experiment with.
She can play as an attacking mid, or up top.

http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer/college-player-profile/cali-farquharson/cpid-10032524

 

definitely reppin this for the amount of thought put into it. love where your head's at, and i like that 11 for the future. some thoughts:
- i agree with making some positional changes after the world cup like moving johnston to dm and rapinoe inside, but the 2016 olympic roster is going to have a largely similar personnel. this current group has a ton of talent, just needs confidence and better direction/preparation.
- klingenberg and o'hara are two days apart in age. do you really not see kling on the team in four years? she's been very solid in this tournament. her chances are better than o'hara's at this point.
- if press wants to continue starting, or even continue to be an option, she's gonna have to start playing with toughness. she has a dangerous shot from 25 yards in, nice pace and produces for her club team, but hasnt provided much proof recently that she's a legitimate international forward. her role/position is tricky to me.
- rapinoe turns 30 in a couple weeks. i'd pencil in dibernardo and killion for her and mewis/zerboni.
- harris in 2019 will be solo's current age. she's aching for a shot to be the regular keeper. from the chances she's gotten recently like in the algarve, i liked what i saw. i'd bet on her in goal.

 

I appreciate that, but this is what bothers me.
If we finish 3rd "AGAIN" in this tournament, I don't want to see the same movie for the 4th time.
You know, the one where we win the 3rd place game at the WWC, and 12 months later we win the Gold Medal at the Olympics. I've seen that same movie 3 times already. And we did virtually the same in 2011-2012 (Silver in WWC, Gold in the Olympics).

1995-1996 (Bronze in WWC, Gold in Olympics)
2003-2004 (Bronze in WWC, Gold in Olympics)
2007-2008 (Bronze in WWC, Gold in Olympics)
2011-2012 (Silver in WWC, Gold in Olympics)

We've seen this movie too many darn times already.
Personally, if we don't win the WWC this year, blow up the entire team, and start from the drawing board.
Go with a youth movement, and prepare for 2019 ASAP.

Honestly, I'd rather see a young/fresh team win the Bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics, than I would in seeing the same old veterans win the Gold medal at the 2016 Olympics. They've already done that too many times, and it's time to start winning Gold at the WWC again, and preparing for that with a 4-year plan, not an 11 month plan after failing with the whole Sermanni/Ellis thing recently, if the USWNT does not win the WWC this year.

 

If this back line can stay healthy and keep playing together, they are going to be tough as hell in the Olympics and maybe even could be good still in 2019. I hate that getting rid of Ellis requires a poor result now. If they get to the semis , I am sure it is enough to keep her on through the Olympics.

 

Possibly, but only if they give Germany/France a hell of a game the "American Way" with tough gritty play and barely lose. If they get crushed in that game, and lose by multiple goals, then she is done. Especially if the team "quits" on her if they fall behind by multiple goals in that semifinal match.

 

Ok, it is a rough spot in general to want her gone, but to obviously want the U.S. to do well. I see uva's coach on the bench. I would prefer him as coach over Ellis. Sampson has been great at uva. He is a heeluva lot better interview than Ellis, too! Uva has been playing some nice socce these last few years

 

I'm a big Steve Swanson fan.
Much better than Ellis.
He knew how to beat that German U-20 team in 2012.

Gotta still give props to newsouth on that.
He knew exactly how that was gonna go down, and called it perfectly before it ever happened.

newsouth for USWNT assistant coach, and team sports psychologist, in 2016-2020.

 

Third place is the standard. If she doesn't get there she is done for sure.

The public won't allow that the first coach not to medal could stay on. In fact, the last two Bronze coaches were fired.

 

This is certainly true.
And can't wait to be the only women's national team in the world to have 4 Bronze WWC medals.
No one can get 3rd place quite like the Americans in this millennium at the WWC. No one.

 

Newsouth even named the players and how it would go down!

 

Swanson was sitting next to Jill the last match.

If she goes, he goes with her. He's part of the problem, not part of the solution.

 

Who is new south?

 

Apparently one of the most brilliant tacticians in the game...

 

haha, he even predicted the 2014 U20 result, unfortunately this time not in favor of the USA..

 

I've been waiting for a long time for a CM like Morgan Brian to come to the national team. Future face of the USWNT.