I am going to ask everybody who is better, the 99er's or the 15er's. I would say the 15er's since they won in a more competitive field and they won the finals in regular time. The 99er's won theirs in a penalty shootout.
It's a fascinating question. However, after seeing the way this team dominated a powerful and technically proficient German team in the semis and then deployed Carli Lloyd as the Annihilator 2015 tonight, and remembering how the 99ers got by Brazil because Scurry had the game of a lifetime and nearly lost the championship game after Akers had to leave the game at the end of regulation, I would say that, in a head to head matchup, the 2015 team would win. Though Akers, Fawcett and Lilly would get spots on this team, many of the other 99ers would have trouble earning them, particularly based on the play of the last two games. Overbeck would be a tougher call. There is no way that Chastain, Milbrett, Foudy, Parlow or Sobrero would start on this team. Hamm versus Morgan would be a tough call. Overall I give Solo the nod over Scurry although Scurry's game against Brazil in '99 was the best any keeper has ever had for the USA in a big game. The edges seem to go to this year's team.
The 99s were also outplayed in the final and fortunate to get to PKs, and they had more of a home field advantage. OTOH the 99s had a played complete game, but did so against mostly lesser competition. IMHO the 99 Chinese women's team was the best ever. I would pick them over any women's team from any year over a theoretical series of games.
Begs the additional question...all-time best USWNT 11? ------------------Abby -------------------------------Mia (a healthy Morgan is hot on her heals) ---------------------Akers --Lilly-------------------------------------Pinoe ---------------------Lloyd --Kling------Sauerbrunn----Fawcett----? ---------------------?
It's funny that you have Lloyd here as a defensive midfielder, a role in which she has proven to be most ineffective. I'd rather see Lloyd as a withdrawn forward and push Mia out wide. Or maybe drop Akers back behind Lloyd.
IMHO, Morgan has a long ways to go before she's judged to be better than Mia. Kling is too new to make an all time team. Sauerbrunn -- maybe, certainly a possibility for the future. Rampone should be on the team.
How many players from 99 would have even made this year's roster? I think that group of players is amazingly over rated. Akers had the highest peak of that generation and would be a lock, but she wasn't dominate in 99.
The two additional defenders should be Overbeck and either Whitehall or Krieger. Klingenberg lacks tenure. And, likely Johnston in time will make this list.
I guess its all a matter of opinion, and not trying to be antagonistic, but saying the 99 Chinese women's team was the best ever is, IMHO, hilarious. They were similar to this Japanese team in their technical ability and efficiency. But the U.S. teams generally equal (the 99 U.S team was nearly as proficient technically) or exceed that team in pure technical prowess, and far exceed that Chinese team in general athletic ability. Oh, and furthermore, the U.S. team was not outplayed in the 99 final.
As a team I will take this 2015 group everyday. The 99's did not dominate the final, and super players like Akers were on their last leg. I just don't see them holding a candle to this team. I also think it is hard to compare era's.
You're wrong. Lloyd never played as a dedicated 6 in this tournament. Early on she played pulley w/ Holiday, in which she (Lloyd) was usually the more advanced CM. She was not a dedicated 6. She's very good at that. Especially when she was younger and covered more ground. In "The Big Adjustment" Ellis made a Pirlo-esque decision to structure the team around Lloyd's skills. And, it worked great. But, if I'm doing an all time best 11, I'm not structuring that to accommodate one player. Lloyd could still do, from that position, what she did in this WC - late runs onto balls, pk's, and a 50 yard goal. None of her 4 goals vs. Germany & Japan were non-DM goals.
You're looking at her positives here, and I agree they could be performed by a DM. But you're ignoring her one BIG negative, which is that she is known to make the occasional WTF pass directly to the other team. When that happens in our own offensive third, so great harm. But if it happens in our defensive third, it's a potential disaster. I think Akers would be much less likely to make that errant pass.
Totally agree with that. My counter argument is that she's just not a playmaker/passer, period. Heck, Kling's was the best pass in the build up to the O'Hara goal. Akers, in her prime, could play make. But, Carli absolutely belongs in the 11. So, that's where I'd put her. Just going backward, to me, the really difficult decision is outside mid - Which do you leave out? Lilly, Millie, or Pinoe? How do you pick one?
You're prolly right. Maybe. But, no left back we've had has ever had a tournament like Kling's. She was off the charts good. I love Rampone. But, I don't think she unseated Overbeck in many peoples minds. And, Sauerbrunn, to me, had an insanely good tournament. Other than if you added set piece scoring, I can't imagine a CB having a better tournament. JMO.
Of course, the way the USA played last night, they would have beaten any women's team from any year decisively.
Curious as to who everyone feels will retire after this world cup. Will Abby and Rampone try to hang on for another Olympic medal?
So I just noticed that Fox Sports is replaying the US run today. Probably did yesterday, but I wasn't paying attention.
I would say the standard of passing and chemistry was better in these last three matches than any of the matches in 1999. I have those matches recorded and I have watched them many times.
Some of the 99 matches were just littered with amateur mistakes. The quality has risen quite a bit since then. Also the ability to retain possession and pass through pressure is much better.