I thought the ref was perhaps already turning from the play, but she saw all of the contact and determined that ball was enough...
40' 0-0 Sauerbrunn returned already. Romero right throw-in just past midfield, lost. USA do slightly-nervous ping at midfield, Mexico showing disruptive pressure to midfield. Square pass to Johnston, long 30m ground pass to 22m arc right -- accurate, but we just ping more. 41' 0-0 Horan runs to 22m arc top, #11 Ocampo lunge-stretches across her shins, trips Horan down -- no call. Mexico long switch up wide right, Sauerbrunn wins race and backpasses to Solo. 43' 0-0 USA very promising buildup through arc top right, but -- almost not-aggressive enough to take one-touch shots in the open windows. Morgan finally underweights a backpass, stolen by the swarm.
This is such crap, Lloyd can't even free kick on frame. boooooooooooooooooooooo Jill Ellis fired in 45 minutes...... and counting..
Without Rapinoe, US really doesn't have much individual creativity and it shows against a disciplined team like Mexico.
44' 0-0 #7 Rangel leaps high over Dunn to head away, fouls over the back. 45' 0-0 USA fk at ~25m arc left, Lloyd snipes for left 90 but blasts it just high wide left. HT 0-0. Mexico has feasted on our scattershot offense.
mexico is bunkering and we have no solution so far. Dont need a speed player like Morgan in a 1/2 field game. Time to roll out Press and Pugh. BTW I've counted at least 5 turnovers by Kling in the first 1/2. really like 40 minutes. Ellis needs to make changes and 1/2 not 60 minutes. Not sure we even had a shot
I don't understand wanting Morgan to come out; she is the best passing forward and is really good with her head on crosses. She is probably the most likely to find a way to score in this type of game. By the way, she is the least of the problems out there today. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind seeing the formation the US ended with the other night; it's risky but they could blow up the bunker. Mexico's attack doesn't seem imposing at all.
There is a tried & true solution to breaking down, organized, layered defenses... it involves speedy players on the wing, creative, patient players through the middle. It's no wonder Lloyd & Heath are having bad games, while Dunn seems to be the best attacking option. HT adjustments: Pugh/McCaffrey for Heath on the wing, move Heath/Horan to the 10... '60 adjustments: Press for Morgan, Pugh/McCaffrey for Dunn.
Hmm. I actually think Morgan is actually the worst passing forward between her, Press & Horan. She certainly hasn't been doing anything to change that opinion this tournament.
46' 0-0 USA subs in (1 of 3) #12 Christen Press for #16 Crystal Dunn. 46' 0-0 USA kickoff, longball to 7m 1/4 right -- floats just over Morgan's poaching head, Santiago collects. 48' 0-0 Horan sprays from circle right to Heath at 24m right touch. Heath cuts inside through 2 at arc top mid-right, hip-checked down. Foul.
49' 0-0 USA fk at arc top mid-right, bent to 6-top left post. Lloyd cuts unmarked from the left, #14 Annia Mejía jump-twists and heads ball away -- off Lloyd's forehead behind her, ball bounces away. Both Mejía and Lloyd go down, pop up: contact was more along the torso, not heads. 50' 0-0 USA plays from the back to midfield wide left. Mejía jumps and arm-brushes Morgan, who goes down into a ball. Stays down a bit, resumes.
52' 0-0 USA dink pass through box top mid-right to Press waiting like a coiled spring at 15m. Press uncoils, one-touch snap shot right instep low across mouth, beats Santiago frozen -- off left post low, bounces wide left. Klingenberg chips a cross back in, nothing. Somebody shoots from ~arc top, way wide right. 54' 0-0 Sauerbrunn short vertical pass to Press above circle top left, backpass. Johnston tries a 15m ground pass toward 25m center, intercepted. Mexico are calmly sitting in the lanes, daring us to dribble-drive or medium-pass. At least we're not hoofing longballs over the top, like worker bees. 55' 0-0 Morgan turn-and-shoot from ~arc top left, blocked over? 56' 0-0 USA left ck, Brian, no danger. USA dump ball back into left corner, miss a backpass beyond Klingenberg stumbling.
Argh. Trying relentlessly to find a stream of this match (outside US) Thanks for the updates, @Gilmoy
58' 0-0 Lloyd receives at 15m box left, tries to turn/shoot past 2, blocked. Mexico longball puts Sauerbrunn 1-v-1 with #19 Domínguez -- Sauerbrunn wins the slide-pass, Domínguez trips over her. 58' 0-0 USA cross from box left to 14m 6-right, 1-v-2 jumping header bounces away. 59' 0-0 USA down wide right, cross just too late, gk.
60' 0-0 Santiago gk to midfield mid-right. Horan jumps straight up as #7 Rangel submarines her back into Horan's side, takes Horan's twisting left forearm down across her face/chest, lands underneath and -- gets inadvertently cleated? Both down, Horan pops up. Stoppage for Rangel, in pain -- she resumes. Foul? No card, whew -- this ref 62' 0-0 Mexico right ck, shot wide or directly out. 63' 0-0 Klingenberg(?) precise ground pass to Press facing away with head down at 30m circle left. Press turns from a standing start, but tries to dribble away from 2 -- they overtake her, take ball. Run Christen run -- 64' 0-0 USA cross from ~box right to Press facing away at 8m center. Press tries the same move again, knockdown-spin-shoot, but jammed by 2, slices it wide left.
The way the US is playing, I'm glad I don' have a quality live English stream (only poor Spanish stream). This is painful. Looks like Press has been playing excellent thus far, has had some really good chances.
Just tuned in about 10 minutes ago and see more "want to" from the Mexicans. They're harder into challenges and the US is second best to most everything and pressing (no pun intended).