Hope to see some of you there. I'll be the poor sap trying in vain to organize the Outlaws into celebrating the spirit of the Send-Off Series with a rendition of a certain century-old George M. Cohan classic.
The Fightin Kiwis will have their hands full in Becky’s Hometown. Our old friend Tom Sermanni will lead them into the ShowMe State. Soooooooooo, in 2015, the Send-off Series had matches scheduled in California, St Louis and Jersey and we won the whole d*mn thing. In 2019, the Send-off Series has matches scheduled in California, St Louis and Jersey……coincidence?!? hmmmm….HHHMMMM I think not, it is absolutely positively fate ladies and gentlemen. 24 more days. The Journey with these Women, with this Team will always be……… GLORIOUS
The real bottom line in any of these "run up" friendlies is that if we do not beat the opponent soundly then we have reason to worry but if we do win thoroughly we have learned very little. The only real reason for these matches is entertainment and to avoid players getting stale. All positions and rotations should pretty much be set by now and, baring injury, there is really little to learn so I intend to sit back and enjoy the soccer and wait, somewhat impatiently, for matches with real meaning to happen. I do wish however that it was easier to watch other country's similar matches. I would love to see some of Japan's or France's or Brazil's warm up friendlies leading up to the WWC.
Steppin' up to the plate for tonight's match at Busch Stadium: https://t.co/4yiVhyyQz6.#SendOffSeries X @VolpiFoods pic.twitter.com/nlFUSgyK8Z— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) May 16, 2019 TEAM | Here is the #FootballFerns team who will take on the @USWNT in St Louis. Kick off in 35 mins. #USAvNZL #LivingTheFern #ForTheFern @skysportnz pic.twitter.com/BUpiIUuR3G— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) May 16, 2019
03' 0-0 White and Dunn jump for a header at midfield near touch, White takes skull to face and stays down, jarred. Brief stoppage, as trainer applies the eyes protocol and ... the teeth protocol 04' 0-0 White returns! 05' 0-0 New Zealand chip from ~24m mid-left toward spot, knocked down in front of White, she shoots just over bar. 11' 0-0 Many wayward crosses (by us). Stadium crew laid down (real) turf over the Cardinals' infield, and the seams are scarps.
17' 0-0 USA have settled down into midfield probing forward passes, which don't work either. New Zealand play a solid 4-4 in back with 2 near circle back, waiting for the (not-so-)rare chance for a chance at a 2-v-2 break. Gregorius heads ball past Dahlkemper at circle top, has a 1-v-1, Dahlkemper hoofs it back to Naeher. Canny plan by Sermanni, calmly soaking up USA's scattered pressure. 18' 0-0 Dunn longball up arc left lane for Morgan 5m+ alone timing the high backline, but Morgan misses a flying foot trap try.
We are having a bit of a speed problem IMO. New Zealand is faster than us. Horan is getting beat badly .... too slow
20' 0-0 Baseball comedy (just) off the pitch: the corner boards are physically too close to the corner flags, and mess up long approaches. 21' 0-0 USA another couple of crosses into space, not accurately into strides, New Zealand sweep away the 50-50s. Heath(?) cross from 5m box right over 6-box, misses everybody, Rapinoe collects at box left foot. Cross toward 1m 6-right, O'Hara heads sharply down toward 6-top, Morgan reflex-volleys left roundhouse over bar. 24' 0-0 Bowen right throw-in at circle top, Lavelle promptly wins it and dribbles in tight space along right touch, backpass and switch right. High serve drops toward Rapinoe around 2nd base, New Zealand wins the bounce and clears. Rapinoe isn't getting much service, and isn't creating from nothing. 25' 0-0 New Zealand calmly pass across the back, as USA drops its frontline back to circle top. Sermanni knows how Sundhage beat USA. Hot and humid day, nobody can sustain a press.
27' 0-0 Rapinoe receives at circle top left, precise switch right. Pass left to Dunn, she stands up Duncan at 12m box left, drives past her down box left to 5m mid-left. Cross to 6-top 4-left, Morgan flicks across mouth (with left knee?), Nayler dives and blocks with left hand, wide right low. Reflexes. #FIFAWWC #ForTheFern #USAvNZL https://t.co/lb5gKQAy2F— Brendan Bradford, FIFA (@FIFAWWC_NZL) May 17, 2019 28' 0-0 Dunn shoots from ~10m mid-left to Nayler kneeling at left post. 29' 0-0 Rapinoe overlaps down box left to 3m, cross to 8m 1/5 left. Lavelle stoop-heads past a defender but doesn't get clean contact, medium-soft bouncer, Nayler dives right and smothers. 30' 0-0 Heath receives at 12m wide right, offside. New Zealand look calm in the back.
The field is horrible and the commentators seem to be talking about everything except the match. The US is again playing down to the opposition. There is, to this point, nothing good about this match even though Heath has scored.
31' 0-0 Gregorius pings ball through a high 3-line, gets past Dahlkemper toward box top left. O'Hara comes back and hip-bumps her off ball, slides upon ball and wraps her legs around it. Foul on O'Hara. 33' 0-0 Yellow card on Anna Green. 35' 1-0 Sauerbrunn longball to Morgan facing away at arc top mid-left. Morgan spins cw, prompt diagonal pass to Rapinoe at box top wide left. Heath creeps through box top right, New Zealand's back 4 are strung across 12m. Rapinoe sees Heath sneak up on the outside, steps to 7m and bends a fast ground pass outswinging away from Nayler, to 5m 1/8 right, Heath taps in. Held onside by RCB Moore way across the field, who was 1 step behind the rest of her back line. that @mPinoe cross 🔥that @TobinHeath finish 👌#SendOffSeries pic.twitter.com/mQ186D7fL4— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) May 17, 2019
40' 2-0 Rapinoe drills a ground pass from midfield arc left to Dunn at 30m box left. Dunn quickly passes down box left for Horan running inside-out. Horan crosses from 9m wide left over Morgan + 1 jumping at 6-top left post, it drops at 7m right post. Lavelle races in from box right, slides across Green and volleys across mouth over Nayler, into back left high. we're sure of it. these two have that magical connection and we're here for it.@LindseyHoran ➡️ @roselavelle pic.twitter.com/AJ2ZWmsUqF— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) May 17, 2019
45' 2-0 Lavelle counters down box right to 10m, cross to 6-top right post is too high for Morgan jumping. Bowen chases it through box (our) left, clears. +2'. 45+1' (of +2') 2-0 Vertical ground pass to Morgan in a tight 1-v-1 at box top mid-left. Morgan boxes out to create space, turns and shoots left foot too far across mouth, wide right low. 45+2' (of +2') 2-0 USA on another counter toward box top right. High cross drops around 10m left post, Riley sticks foot out and pops ball goalward, Nayler catches. USA are still running hard, New Zealand are starting to gasp. HT 2-0. I dunno if this beats any contender, but maybe we're on schedule.