It's going to be a battle and we need to rotate some players with 3 days rest. CM needs to do so much better, especially passing wise.
England rolled over Norway because Bronze + Parris overwhelmed Norway's left flank. Bronze has a big engine and good control, and goes on aggressive overlaps up wide right. Either one alone might be manageable (like a lone Diani), but the two of them weaving and combining is ... a problem. 1. Stop the Bronze/Parris wide right speed attack. If Dunn is LB again, she must know which one she's marking, and somebody else must go with the other one. Solve that beforehand, not while it's happening. Stokes/Greenwood at LB is much less of an issue. Once England's wide right speed turns the defense and makes them chase backward, White is particularly deadly at trailing in the seams. (Probably all good forwards are, but White has recent reps at it.) All strikers like lurking on a defender's back shoulder, where you can veer off in any direction and open lateral separation. On England's 1st (early) goal vs. Norway, White actually ran an ideal triangle, and singlehandedly beat both CBs. She sped up onto Thorisdottir's back shoulder and coaxed her to continue running past 6-top, then veered centerward and made Mjelde feel the same pressure, then backpedaled away from them both and got herself completely unmarked in the hole behind them both, at 8m 6-right. And she did all of this early enough that Bronze saw her come wide-open, and passed to that spot. Then Scott trailed them both and also sat in the same hole. 2. Man-mark White's trailing runs. Maybe even cede outside position, so that the defender lurks on the attacker's back shoulder. On England's 2nd goal, Thorisdottir was again caught on the outside, not knowing exactly where White was (i.e. she was playing zone defense, not man-to-man). Credit Parris for threading the needle with a perfect pass, and so we must never let them connect that pass. I thought Norway could have dealt with Bronze and Parris's crosses if they just marked better in the box. Anyways, we're already in the mode of ceding wide crosses and intercepting them in the box, so we can keep doing this. 3. Do not let Bronze shoot from box top. (Meanwhile, they're typing something similar about Rapinoe ) Even if we do all of these elementary things, England remain a strong and fit team, with excellent ball control, and they'll surely create other chances. 4. Pass to shirt of same color
I don’t think we will beat England. I didn’t think they would beat France either. Yet here we are. I think I will continue on doubting. It worked 4 years ago. And seems to be working now.
This is an interesting spin. A reverse jinx sort of. I thought going into the France match that the doubters were unbalancing the cosmic scales and undermining the sheer psychological force of fan support propelling the team through this tournament. Maybe I'm wrong. Anyway, you do you.
Appropriately enough, 243 years to the day after the representatives of the 13 Colonies to the Second Continental Congress voted unanimously [New York abstaining] to approve the Declaration of Independence. Let's celebrate that anniversary by sending another equally powerful statement to England, shall we?
A small quibble. The vote was taken on July 2 and independence declared. A final draft was approved on July 4, (Jefferson’s draft was too long so they took out stuff like “stick it where the sun don’t shine, Kingy” ) and it was not signed until August 2, 1776
Which is why John Adams's letter quoted in my signature also includes the following: "The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more." The official "adoption" date was the one that ultimately stuck rather than the original "approval" date. I'm still amazed by the fact that both Adams and Thomas Jefferson lived until exactly fifty years after this adoption date. The signature process was a completely different matter. Not sure how factually based the portrayed meeting was, but I like Adams's clarification about this in the same HBO series:
This next game has trap game written all over it. Everyone saying “this game was the final”. Coach better bring in the young fresh legs, or this team is going to get drilled. They are winning, but look close and it can be very misleading..... We have zero ability to stretch the field, which shows why we have so few goal opportunities. When you watch this team, they just look slow. There’s no spark of energy....nobody to threaten the opposition..... I also think Phil Neville may be a better coach and motivator...
We need some squad rotation. Some players look completely spent, and we'll have one less day of rest than England. We've heard so much about the amazing depth of the USWNT roster. It's time to see a bit of that.
I would definitely start Horan over Lavelle. I would consider playing Krieger over O'Hara, because the latter has taken a beating. However, breaking up the defense the way it's playing would be an easy second-guess if it went wrong. I really don't know if I make any other changes, but I would strongly consider making subs a lot earlier than we have been in the last 2 games.
I've trying everything, in my long life. Jinxing doesn't work. Reverse-jinxing also doesn't work. Basically, I reached the conclusion that no superstition work. Just for you to know.
This game may be tougher than France honestly. The team is coming in tired, and England has looked in excellent form. Plus, our recent record against them is not that much better than the record we had against France. We drew them earlier this year (see above); we barely squeaked out a win last year (off an own goal); and we lost to them in the 2017 SheBelieves Cup.
Will this time you be including your blacks and natives? its just that the second biggest group of people in george washingtons army behind the ENGLISH colonials was infact black slaves that you promised freedom to if they fought. Guess what Happened. sorry but you brought the cheese so i brought a slice of reality, hope its a great game
I personally wouldn't break up the defensive line. But I would consider starting Press, and would bring in a sub for the frontline at the half; I'm not sure who I would sit of the frontline though. I don't know how you could sit Rapinoe after her performances but she looks gassed. Maybe sit whoever has the hardest time recovering? And I think Lavelle should stay in this game (I said the opposite for the France game) and Mewis should sit for Horan. In any case, Dawn Scott is earning every penny over the next couple of days if she gets these players recovered.
You had to be that guy. I'm not an idiot. I was painfully aware of that slice of reality and was anticipating someone feeling compelled to bring it. The idea was there in 1776 to give birth to a nation that would stand in opposition to monarchies, titles, and inequity in spite of seemingly insurmountable odds. It's taken about two centuries to realize that idea the way it always should have been, and although it should have gone a lot faster [and still not everything is perfect] we're obviously also celebrating our progress along that journey. To celebrate the history of the American Revolution and the initial spirit that drove the push toward independence is not to suggest in any way that the people behind it [or even the movement itself] were anything close to perfect and didn't have their flaws and hypocrisies. I will not get drawn into a political debate.
Semb - YOU know and I know that the overwhelming reason and single driving force behind the push for independence from England in the 1770’s was the eventual formation of the United States Women’s National Team.
As a Native American, just stop this. Don't talk about Americans using indigenous and African peoples for slavery if you’re England. That’s going to escalate really fast into something we don’t want this thread to be and I’ll get the mod to close it down
Regarding our players being gassed, I think that the issue is a two-way street. England is, essentially, in the same boat as the U.S. I know they'll have one more day of rest, but I don't think it'll make a huge difference. Just like Ellis, Phil Neville will have to consider how making any changes to his starting 11 will affect England's chances of success. Is it possible someone will be overthinking their lineup changes and subs? At this point, I'm trusting that the U.S. coaching staff will figure it out.
That 2-2 draw was interesting. Now I’m a big Pugh fan, but wasn’t this the game she started in the middle and didn’t look great? She’s definitely a better player on the wing and attacking.... that said, this game, we’ll be playing one of our true center mids.... I would like to see either her or Press start this game though. They have speed we need to go at this team. Much like they have players like Parris who have the same skill set.
Some interesting trivia, the following players were on the USA's U-20 championship winning roster in 2012: Dunn, Brian, Ertz, and Mewis
After coming off two wins by a combined 6-0 score and having relative success against the USWNT recently...I'm hoping the England ladies come in slightly overconfident.
As a Black guy who is the descendant of slaves in Virginia and North Carolina, ******** songs about the Battle of Baltimore, ******** England, and ******** Europe.
I’m amazed that I’m almost a year older than the oldest man to sign the declaration (Ben Franklin) was. I’m going out this afternoon and buying a gold tipped cane - just as soon as I get back from my bike ride.