I think the speed is there. Up top we have 3 speedsters: Leroux, Morgan and Rodriguez. One is currently injured, one is still not match fit and the last is basically being treated like a non-entity by Ellis. In defense we have Dunn and O'Hara who could make up for the lack of speed but unless I'm told otherwise and both are injured, neither of them is seen as a viable option by Ellis. In short: we have speed, it just isn't being used. Rule of thumb is that you never let someone who's cold (i.e. just come onto the pitch) take a PK. Ever. Guess someone has the coach's ear and decided to change that
Kind of a extension from my post above. But "if" we want to do long-ball attacking (to change thing up during a match), we have the players to do so. Press, while not Thomis's level of speed, has the pace to get to balls. Morgan has long shown she is adept at that style. Rodriguez, still has speed. There are few defenders that can keep up with Leroux. And Dunn coming up the flanks would have many back peddling.......
In addition to this being the USWNT's first loss to France [and not even a close one], I've also read that this the first time in 13 years [and the fifth time ever] that the team has been shut out in two consecutive matches. It seems like the only precedents this team has set in the past year have been bad ones. Another thing I thought of late in the match: it's pretty bad when we can't even score a goal when we have four forwards on the field.
For me, when the tactical approach is getting behind the back-line and you can't do it, speed is the issue. However, I can agree to disagree.
How many bad games is Holiday allowed to play? Lori did get beat on those two goals, Carli Lloyd never helped her at all the whole game on defense.
This was a big win for France, but this was a HUGE loss for the U.S. I'd love to believe differently, but I can't. Most everything in this article is dead-on: http://equalizersoccer.com/2015/02/08/uswnt-loses-france-le-sommer-goal-analysis/ "Save a few good counterattacking opportunities in the first half, the United States never really seemed to be in this game. Had Alex Morgan or Christen Press found net on one of those through balls, perhaps this game goes a bit differently. But the only chances the U.S. managed to create against France were through pure speed on the counterattack, furthering the notion that opponents shouldn’t fear coming to play against the U.S. France looked like World Cup title contenders; the U.S. looked like title pretenders."
Is it that hard to pressure the ball? You don't let superior technical team have that much time and space.
P&G already hit the nail on the head...... Just so understand. Leroux isn't fast?!? Morgan, isn't fast?!? Rodriguez, isn't fast, and Dunn doesn't have pace?!? If that is your belief, then yes we can agree to disagree. One thing I think many will agree with, is this is the 1st time someone has said the above don't have speed........
Holiday will always start as long as Ellis is coach, no matter how lackluster she looks. She's one of Ellis' favorites, and we all know how coaches are with their favorites. Holiday could score a dozen own goals and she'd still get the start. She's the new Lloyd.
I agree about Morgan Brian, she played well. Her teammates don't know how to utilize her effectively, since she played a possession system at UVA. This is my US WNT line up. 4-3-3 formation Forwards: Morgan, Laroux and Press Attacking Mids: Heath and Brian Holding Mid: Lloyd Defenders: Klingingberg, Saurbrunn, Engen and Kreiger GK: Solo Head Coach: The Japanese or French Head Coach Glaring weakness: Lack of a true #10 playmaker. I think Brian can become this player in the years to come though, but the US WNT's style of play needs to evolve.
I kept yelling this at the TV. The US gave the French too much time on the ball; they collected it, turned, looked up, etc. When the US players had the ball, the French immediately swarmed them, sometimes sending three players at the player with the ball. To me, that means there's an open player nearby. The US players simply were not confident enough/technically sound enough to pick each other out when that happened. Cue the long balls.
They pretty much set Lori up to fail. Lloyd as her partner out wide. Thomis 1v1 against her. That to me is coaching.
You can NOT pressure the ball a full 90 minutes against a possession attacking team like France. No matter how fit the US WNT players are; they will be gassed the last 20-25 minutes of the game. This is NOT college soccer with unlimited subbing.
It absolutely can be done. There's a difference between intelligent pressure and ball chasing. Why not try to have tactically aware team defending and pressure the ball to force France out of their rhythm?
Far more than any game I've seen, this one exposed our players' lack of technical skills. It was true on attack and on defense. The French players were able to maneuver out of tight situations and our players' weren't. That's the concerning part, because it doesn't have to do with tactics and its hard to think of a remedy. Rapinoe may help with that on the attacking side, but that's just one player. Probably, the solution to that problem is long term, if US youth soccer can get the picture. But, it's going to be really long term.
Just a few observations, many of which have already been made I guess. I saw the last 60 minutes of the game only. France had a lot going for them going into the game. At this point in the year, they're bound to be more match fit than the US players. They were playing at home, in front of a pretty good crowd and they had more to play for. For the US, it was just another game against France. For France, we were the big bullies to be knocked off our pedestal. Plus, we did have several key players out. Well, France not only knocked the US off the pedestal, but knocked them on their butts and kicked sand in their faces (or was it that those little black clods from the artificial turf). Give France all due credit for dominating this match. However, none of the excuses nor France's play explains away how poorly the US played in this match. I wasn't particularly satisfied with anything I saw from anyone, back to front. First goal was a combo of Chalupny beaten on speed and Klingenberg waiting for the ball rather than marking Le Sommer. On the second goal, and I thought this when I saw it the first time and also after watching on replay, Houara would have been offside except someone in the middle of the field was back too far and prevented it. Now whether the AR would have called it or not, is another question. The goal itself was quite fluky, but it happened. It is what it is. I can only echo what others have said about most of the individual play. I think one thing that Morgan, Press, Leroux, and Wambach are going to have to accept is that scoring chances aren't going to be as plentiful as they were in the "good old days." The other teams are better and our midfield can't even play with other top midfields, let alone dominate. When the forwards get the chance to finish, they have to finish. The midfield is a disaster, but it would have helped if Rapinoe is there and Lloyd isn't out of position. At this point I don't even know what to do about def MF. If there were more time, I might even consider trying Chalupny there, but I think it is way too late in the game to make moves like that now. 2014 should have been used to figure things out and experiment. 2015 should be just for tweaking. I basically agree with everyone on the coaching. But the players got the coach they wanted, and maybe its the coach they deserve. I don't think you can reinvent this team in four months.
Never said fitness was the issue. It was obvious the technically superior French players were using the US speed and pursuit angles against them. They simply used feints and took the space the US player was pursuing from.
I thought both she and Kling we overmatched physically by France. I think she is/will be a very good NT player but may need more seasoning then the next four months allow, to hold her own against the top tier opponents.[/QUOTE] Well I agree that the perfect situation isnt bring someone in from college and have to start them in a WC. The worst part of the situation is trying to force feed her as a DM. She has a very slight build and is used to playing farthr forward. For the France match Ellis would have been better served with Lloyd at DM and Brian on the wing.
Dunn has Thomis type speed and many people on the usual sites were lobbying for a Dunn start just to try and negate Thomis. More troubling is the perception that Klingenberg is now the best US outside back. If this is true they neednt bother with that thing in Canada.