Don't think so. Think this tournament is about getting ready for the Olympics. The 2017 version of this tournament (hope it happens, with a better name) should definitely be about reloading.
Soooo we should not play up to our capability because if we did, the games would be boring? Most times, the "stiff" competition is mainly because of the player selection
Lucy Bronze really took Heath out of the match for long periods of match and her runs also gave our fullbacks all they could handle. She's a really great player. The England team looked fit and technical and organized. I thought Ohara had a poor showing, she wasn't connected her passes and she oddly looked tired from the start... Horan just looked ok, nothing spectacular. Sonnet's defense was pretty good, but her distribution is a pretty big step down form JJ's. This team is also starting to play fairly obvious soccer. the movements are predictable, the runs are as well. hopefully this will improve next match. I want to see Krieger back in and Dunn in for Heath. Pugh was a delight to watch.
I don't think this match was anything to panic over. Far from it. Beat the 5th place team in the world. And, this was a transitional team. Imo, our bread and butter in the WC was that we fielded 3 players on the back line that have ball skills at midfielder, or high-midfielder level. It took away our opponents ability to press us. How many passes in the WC went Johnston-Sauerbrunn-Kling. Add to that, Horan is nowhere close to Holliday at this point in time. That's not a knock on Horan. LH was a supertalented, super experienced vet in the prime of her career. Take away Johnston and Holliday from the line-up and it makes it a lot more difficult to do what we do. Add to that, a huge chunk of our offense in the world cup came from Rap and Kling doing 1-2's w/ Kling overlapping. Rap is out. That takes away a big part of our build up. So much of our buildup in the WC was on the left. So, Jill is trying to rebuild that with Kling and a partner, and trying to duplicate it on the right with O'Hara. No one will duplicate Kling on the right, as Kling is incredible. But, Ellis is trying to use O'H to build the attack. So, each of our outside partnerships are basically brand new. It's going to take some time to develop that. Brian and Horan are not there to orchestrate the build up, they're there to sit in, hold the ball, and switch the field. With Lloyd as the withdrawn forward, it's always going to be a struggle to get Alex the ball. And, teams have figured it out. Collapse on Lloyd when she gets the ball. She won't be able to get a decent shot and she won't be able or looking to pass to Morgan. Maybe when our outside attack improves, we'll get the ball to Lloyd or Morgan more. But, I don't ever see those two having a lot of chemistry. If Lloyd's going to play high, I think I'd rather her play at the top, with Alex under her. We've got several more games to get the outside chemistry re-established. When the games count, Johnston will be there to partner in the ball handling with Becky. And, this was the 5th best team in the world. Don't worry, be happy. Even if we lose close ones to France and Germany.
When this moment happened, I just smiled and nodded. "Yep, that's Broon." The crazy thing is how we've come to expect things like this from her; she's just that good. So semi-related personal story: In a college game, I actually executed a very similar move to this one. I did a rainbow-like move over my head and the head of an opponent and then turned and half-volleyed a pass to a teammate. Of course, it was all kind of on accident, but I still got a standing ovation from the guys' team that was watching. The fact that I still clearly remember it years later tells you how it was one of the highlights of my soccer career. The fact that Sauerbrunn can make a move like that just look effortless...
Do you really believe that the USA is simply far better than any other team? I'd ask you to look at results over the last 25+ years that clearly indicate the USA has always faced teams at or near their level. The names have changed somewhat over the years - first Norway, then China, then Germany and Brazil and Japan and France and England - but this has been a competitive worldwide sport since it became a worldwide sport. Or do you maintain that the USA, through seven managers and nearly three decades, has always been terrible at player selection? What really stands out over time is not the USA's failure to select line-ups, but the continued success against the world's top teams. No other country comes close to the consistency that the USWNT has shown. That doesn't happen if your coaches are idiots who can't select a squad.
I think any coach in NCAA DI Women's Soccer could take over the USWNT and still have a reasonably decent chance at winning the Concacaf tournament & dragging out a win against England. That's just how good & how deep the USWNT roster pool is. Personally I think Jon Lipsitz of Kentucky, among others, would be a great NT coach and would probably do better than Ellis. I don't think anybody is implying Ellis is an idiot. I really dislike the extremes argument, that by arguing against Ellis' tactics or progression that we somehow think she is an awful awful awful coach... that's not what's being said and it's not the point. We talk all the time on this forum about players, their performances, and who we think would do a better job. It's not that we think that player is bad, but we do think there is room for improvement through one route or another. Why can't we hold coaches to that same standard? Why do I have to be an Ellis hater if I think someone could do her job better?
I think it's only fair to mention how many times Holiday got lost on the field over the last two years. She could play at a very high level, but she often had average performances like Horan did last night. Can anyone tell me when Lloyd has ever had a great connection with another player on the team? She's always sort of been an island, a midfielder who shoots and scores more than she assists. Abby and Lilly where great together, Abby and Morgan were amazing for a year or two. Lloyd and Boxx often ran into each other. Lloyd and Cheney were a little bit better, but not nearly as good as Cheney and Brian.
I want to start another Midfielder because Tobin Heath is really Turntheballover Heath, and I don't think we can cover for her blunders out there. England played fantastic, and it was more like Tobin was the 12th Lioness out there at times. I never said to put out a Forward or have a Forward play MF. I just think we've got to have SOME OTHER OPTION available, and this is a great chance to try out a new player. I think we are all hopeful that Rapinoe will be back to 100% in time for the Olympics, but we also have to have an actual plan in case she comes back rusty and out-of-form.
The other option is a forward Crystal Dunn or Heather O'Reilly who Ellis doesn't like. Neither one is upgrade. Tobin didn't make Horan and Brian play like shit. They did that on their own like she did.
Horan and Brian haven't played on the WNT as much as Tobin has. We've seen the best of Tobin, and it ain't all that great. It ain't getting better. SURELY, there's SOMEONE out there that we can try. Hell, if people hate Ellis, can't she take a look at her beloved bruin roster and bring in someone from that roster, if the Senior National talent pool really is thin at MF?
haha, i sort of agree with this about Heath... BUT. she has been improving each year. I wasn't sure why she was on the team 5, 6 years ago. Now, she's earned her place. I'm not sold on her being a starter though. Pugh has proven to be our best wing option with Pinoe out. I think Dunn still has a lot of potential as a winger as well, it's all there.
She's earned her place much in the same way Abby Wambach had earned her place... no matter how bad she plays she won't get kicked off the team. I know, two totally different situations, but the end result is still the same. She's a permanent residence of the team and only injury or pregnancy will prevent her from making a roster. Have to disagree about the improvement. I thought she played her best soccer in 2014, but feel like she's been going downhill since 2015 Algarve. Wingers & Tar Heels I pay a little bit more attention to than CM's, so even though my impression on Carli Lloyd not playing all that good seems to match others sentiments, I can't say it with confidence like I can with Heath. Tobin just not good right now. Hope she can turn it around with such a star studded roster in Portland (Amadine!)...
It doesn't matter who you like or who you think is better. What is so hard understand about this.. Jill Ellis believes she is best option with the other starters. It's that simple.
On a lighter note. Great match to attend. Saw some familiar and met new characters and crazies. And finally, finally, finally a face-2-face with a board legend, and Semb you know who you are. Sooooooooooo spent the better part of the morning with the French National Team.................on a flight from Tampa. Le Sommer was in the seat directly in front of me....Le Sommer, I kept hoping for the oxygen mask to drop from above, cuz I could have used it. Mad mad respect for those ladies, hoping that we can be a little better than them on Sunday.
Not all 7 managers were idiots, some were brilliant. Jill Ellis is more towards the first category. Our success, or consistency, is 100% due to the fact that we have a virtually bottomless pool of players to choose from. We could probably field 3 totally different teams that could beat most teams in the world. We have so many quality players that a fair number are starting to play for other countries because they are not in our NAT player pool. Mexico has many and the English goalie is from California. Getting by that. Our Colleges are now training many for regional NAT teams as well. The USA is LOADED and is providing a place for others to learn the game at a high level. With the exception of Anson Dorrance (true genius) and Tony Dicicco... the rest ... I don't really care about. The coach basically tries not to screw things up too bad. People have already forgot that Ellis was heading for a big fall in the WC when fate intervened and forced her to change her game plan. We were looking like crap and on the way to an early exit. So were the changes she made coaching genius or blind luck? If fate hadn't forced a change, would she even be the coach today? She now has everybody but Rapino healthy and once again, yes, we are winning but not often looking impressive in doing it. I think her true colors are once again starting to manifest themselves. With the Olympics looming, I would like to see the USA peaking and not squeaking by teams
I don't think its fair to Abby to compare the world's leading scorer to Tobin Heath. But I hear what you're saying. Like all coaches and people, we have favorites. Pia, as we recall, was furious. I'm Scandinavian, so I understand that stubborn streak that runs very very deep. (i love generalizations) I think Jill is more willing to experiment though.
I think part of that with Holiday was that she wasn't placed consistently in the same place, in the same formation. For years. I'm just saying that in the tournament, the talent she brought to that spot, and in the end her understanding, was very very important. It's not even fair to expect Horan to replicate that. Ever, maybe. But, definitely not now. No matter who we put there, there will likely be a dip from what Holiday did in the WWC. It's not a criticism of Horan. Completely agree. I'll say that the roll she's been on is historic. But, playing her where she is, that's not going to help Alex. I'd rather see Lloyd up top. Now, maybe if our buildup play is rejuvenated, and Lloyd is drawing a lot of defenders away from Alex, then great. But, right now, we're not getting the ball to either one very much.
Wow...kinda of surprised...think how upset everyone would be if they hadnt won the match. As to the state of the team. 1. If u dont like Ellis playing around with the roster then it hard to say u like Pugh either who is the product of that 2. When the entire team doesnt play well it's kinda harsh to pick out couple players and throw it on them. 3. The inability to break pressure comes down to 2 things: either the other team was athletically superior (not the case) or the team has not been properly coached 4. This offense is based on having time. Time to get OBs forward...time & space for the DMs play make and switch the POA. Ellis decided (apparently) to use this match as training on breaking a good press which is a good use of a friendly 5. If they had blown England out 5-0 everyone would have called them a tomato can
We didn't look athletically superior at all. England looked just as fast and fit and are a technical team.
Yea, I knew right away Abby was probably not the best comparison, but Abby is just at the top of the list of players who fit the example. Let's try someone else, Megan Rapinoe perhaps? There was an Algarve Cup not to long ago, 2014 I believe, that Rapinoe was perhaps in the worst form of her life. Many on this forum were suggesting she was done, and I was myself on the verge of saying she needed to be dropped from the roster or at the very least benched. The idea was laughable... Rapinoe has permanent tenure with the USWNT as long as she is fit to play. She had a spectacular spring & summer in the NWSL & with the NT, and that was that. Let's try another, more theoretical example. It's hard to imagine Morgan Brian ever having a dip in form quite like Tobin Heath is having over the past year. She's been spectacular in her positioning, ball distribution, and unexpectedly, her defensive accumen as a shoe horned holding midfield. Last night I saw something I had never seen from Morgan Brian... she was rattled with the ball at her feet. Her positioning was still excellent, she still popped up when & where she was needed, but she had a a few turnovers & very inaccurate passes here and there (tho nothing to the degree her teammates were enduring). If this was the start of a dreadful form of accuracy (inconceivable as that may seem), I'd like to think that Ellis had the courage to say, simply, that Morgan Brian was struggling (like EVERY player does at some point in their career) and perhaps needed to sit the next roster, or at least bench her. Tobin Heath, for me, is LONG past that point... but she is a poster child of the USWNT, an untouchable. She is infallible in the eyes of Jill Ellis. Her value to the program, even when she's counterproductive to the product on the team, is unquestionable.