Agreed and most confusing.... "and need to do it quick, 4-5 months left" I believe is what she said.. what the what?
As much as I love Holiday, I've mused aloud here whether there's a place for her in the starting XI, which a few weeks ago seemed like heresy. But it partly depends on Morgan Brian and assumes she's more the playmaking midfielder. Several people said they liked Holiday, Lloyd and Morgan B best in a 4-3-3 but I simply have to believe that was against somewhat weaker opposition. If Morgan B's going to be your playmaking mid there, I don't see Holiday's role. Obviously I'm one of those hung up on that d-mid thing. Y'know, like I thought Amandine Henry was fairly useful for France yesterday? But it could just be me...
I would hope for the England game -- even at the risk of losing the game -- we look for alternatives to Holiday and Brian in the defensive midfield roles. Sit Holiday and Brian. Play somebody at defensive midfielder (Johnston?) for 45 minutes; somebody else (Huster?) for 45 minutes and see what you've got as alternatives. While you're at it you might try Brian as a second half sub for Carli Lloyd in the attacking midfield role. There's no law that I'm aware of that says Holiday and Lloyd have to play every minute of every game. We clearly have a problem with defense in the midfield - as people here have been saying for months -- and we need to work it out.
Your post makes too much sense. That's why I highly doubt Ellis will implement any of your recommendations.
by the way, anyone take note of any expert commentary on the midfield? I wasn't able to hear the play by play and commentary. Some people have said that DiCicco and Kasey Keller came to Ashlyn Harris' defense on that mishit cross ("shross") but I haven't heard much else about the rest of the team - the midfield, the defensive midfield, the Morgan/Press pairing, Wambach...
Your statement lost all chance of credibility at this point. Sorry, but Allie Long a #10? That's just ridiculous. There's a reason Portland wanted Boquete and it's not because Allie Long was such a great #10...
No, not really. I did not grow up playing soccer in the US. All that really does is show how incompetent you are. It doesn't irritate me, it just makes me less likely to believe anything you have to say. I don't think you understand what the word natural means... you might want to look it up. If Messi was natural, he never would have been a pro soccer player. With the growth hormones he is a short player. Without the growth hormones (aka left to his natural state) he is under 5 feet tall and never makes it professionally. I think what you are really meaning to say rather than natural is "prototypical" (having the typical qualities of a particular group or kind of person or thing ). And I would give you that Holiday is not your prototypical #10. But that doesn't mean she is incapable of playing as a #10. Serena Williams is not your prototypical tennis player and she's been one of the most successful tennis players ever.
If I were Ellis I would stick to a 4-4-2 and this would be my lineup vs.England ------------Morgan-----------Press------------- ---Brian---Johnston---Lloyd---O'Reilly-- --Dunn--Engen--Sauerbrunn--Krieger ---------------------Barnhart---------------------
Well US Soccer wanted us to forget that the tournament in December ever happened. A lot of people might have done just that.
That looks good to me. I would get Huster, O'Hara, and Rodriguez in the game for the second half. Just to see how they do.
brian on left wing? we need speed on the left too! johnston is too slow for dmid. great cd prospect. but too slow for dmid at the international level.
If I were try to win the world cup with defense Id have Ohai on the team and probably starting on a wing. Unfortunately her offensive game isnt world class at this point and Ellis seems completely disinterested in the defense.
The French used that same wide left slot to hide their play maker Necib. If u put Brian out there ud have to be hoping for the same thing. She isnt beating people to the corner.
With Morgan on the left flank most defenders will be marking her and might leave Brian wide open and she can make great crosses into the box.I'd rather have Brian on the left and not Heath. Johnston can give the US a more defensive midfield which is what they need.
Boxx has never been the quickest midfielder and look at how well she played that position in her prime. No, they don't need Johnston to be super quick - I mean, she can't be any slower than Holiday is right now. Johnston's key attribute is her positioning, ability to break up plays, hold the ball and make passes under pressure. That's what the primary attributes of a dmid should be.
there's a nightmare of difference here in that necib is playing with a midfield that is technical, plays with her every day at lyon, and knows her every little move inside out. so france can afford to have her there even tho technically she is not a left winger. the u.s. is negative on all those counts, so they cannot afford to have brian who is also not a left winger, play there. not against good teams. they won't be hiding her. they'd be exposing her. not quick, but fast. fast enough to run down some of the world's best, even when her reading was slightly askew. that's what i'm talking about johnston's lacking at the int'l level. didn't see her performance against china in brazil (altho some said her inability to mark the runner coming thru caused the chinese goal), but that last "hold the ball and make passes under pressure" was exactly what she could not do last time they tried her there that i saw. she was lost and gave the ball away several times.
But that's exactly what they did with Lloyd...played her out on the flank and having her curl into the middle. The difference with Brian is she would do her defensive work.
I'm thinking (hoping) the 4-3-3 is dead. Thus, a 4-4-2. Which, after being torched by Marta and whopped by France, means that we should play a defensive-minded central midfielder of the Boxx, Scott, or Buzcowski variety. Unfortunately I'm not sure we have or can develop one before the World Cup. I would try to do so in the next few games.
I'm not sure that it's possible either, but April Heinrichs had never played Boxx before the 2003 World Cup. Suddenly, Boxx was a starter for the first game.
you saw what you saw but peucherette starts off on the left not as part of a formation (either for france or lyon) but just because she prefers moving to her right, at least when she's starting up. and when she doesn't have the ball she's usually behind and not in front of abily, which doesn't correspond to their relative duties. it's deceptive to speak of slots as such for the midfield trio from sunday. they've played over 300 matches together in club, nearly 100 in bleu (except for henry) and have practiced together 6 times a week for almost 8 years.