Wambach probably really was better at judging flighted balls for headers. Akers was, too, back in her day.
Then again, why disparage them by calling it "garbage time" when all of them were subbed in in pretty much exactly the circumstances that were planned for at the time they were selected for the roster? And when it is a game whose result counts, not a matter of just playing out a friendly? And when two of them were injured in training before the next match or they may well have played in some other games? "Garbage time" is a basketball concept and does not transplant all that well to the World Cup... a 13-0 game, sure, but we have seen many times that a 1 goal lead in the 75th minute is still very much a live game, and a 2 goal lead in the 85th still offers plenty of opportunity for embarrassment. The jump from "I don't see the logic behind what they did there" to "there is no good reason they did that" is not one to be made recklessly, lest the egg be on your face (and self-applied) and not theirs...
Krieger for O'Hara Sauerbrunn for S.Mewis (and Ertz => DM) Davidson for Dunn Brian for Lavelle Press/Pugh for Rapinoe/Heath Lloyd for Morgan. C.Soto for Aedo (and Araya => CAM). 🚨 Ya está confirmada la alineación titular de #LaRojaFemenina para el duelo ante #USA por la @FIFAWWC 🏆🏟 Parque de los Príncipes🕛 12:00 horas📺 Chilevisión#DareToShine #VamosChile pic.twitter.com/AhIzi8QQlW— Selección Chilena (@LaRoja) June 16, 2019
I wonder if Endler can somehow stop part of the storm. (Did I mention I like Endler? And yes, I am aware she didn't manage to do much in the previous friendly matches vs USA, but this is the World Cup, it's different).
Boxx was hurt and not available at the point Abby was being subbed in for set piece defense, Boxx along with, I forget, either Rampone or Chalupny. Size and height were called for. Engen had those, true, but probably wasn't as effective on set pieces as even a superannuated Abby. Anyway, it is soccer-- if you have a defensive problem, you try to solve it with a sub at the position involved, not some other position. The shorter, smaller players were forwards, and the main thing that was needed flow-wise was a target forward who might be able to hold the ball upfield and dish to a ball handler.
I'm fine with it. Keeps players rested and off of yellows for the bigger games coming up. We had an easy draw in 2015 and played Colombia in R16, then China in QF. We (fortunately) had two key players out with accumulated yellows (Rapinoe & Holiday). I'd hate to have two starters (especially 2 MF's) out for the QF game against France.
At the LA Live watch party! 9AM and were ready! All the changes in the starting lineup made my head spin already!
This is a test of that trope that many of the US analysts have been trotting out: that the US could field two teams in this WC. This is nearly it.