Yep, this answers my question. I think your math is off here. If the roster is 17 total and 2 are GK's, that leaves 15 field players on the roster. 10 field players will start and 5 field player will be subs, no? The drawback is that you don't have a 6th field player option, if the match goes into ET and penalties.
No Lynn wasn't an alternate technically because she was added before they left for Paris.She was on the full squad. Sams was added as the new alternate when Macario pulled out. Hal Hershfeldt is an alternate that is still available.
It doesn't seem harsh to me; it just abides by the 18-player roster rule with alternates only coming in for injuries. Under the old roster rules, if a player was suspended, then you'd be down to 17 players anyway.
I think by 'harsh' he was referring to 'compared to roster sizes of other major tournaments', like the WWC, at least that's how I understood it.
Emily Madril Sams is an excellent up and coming defender in her own right, she has earned everything to this point in her career. Any woman who makes this roster, deserves respect.
Thanks-- I thought I'd seen another name. And I wasn't quite sure that alternates cannot be added as alternates are used... It's what you learn after you know it all that counts... (Whitey Herzog)
Emma defended her decision to start Coffey and Rodman against Australia. She said Rodman is on a yellow, do we want her to sit Rodman tomorrow too? Now, this is a dumb and hard headed comment. She compared an inconsequential group game to a QF!!
Emma got us top of the group and top of all groups by metrics—- is that dumb? We instill some dose of fear to other teams and they’re looking at us as the team to beat. How do you do that on a major tourney? You play your best available players and stomp on who’s in front of you best you can. And remember Emma just took over recently, she doesn’t have that full roster scope. If we had a card happy ref on prior games giving 5-6 yellows on us, are you gonna sit 5-6? They just have to do their best…Rodman did, Coffey got unlucky.
Coaches make decisions. You may not like it, I may not like it, but it isn't our decision to make. If it ends up biting her on the bum, then so be it ( in my opinion). We can judge it then or start to judge her decisions going forward with a better argument. With Emma not having seen Coffey play all that often how could she know Coffey would do something like that? But I really need to see the results of Coffey sitting against Japan. If it ends up not mattering, what is to fuss about? (Other than poor judgement by Coffey which would need to be addressed by Emma) If it does and the women's team is sent home? You may end up having a point. I don't believe the USWNT will have an issue with Japan the way they are playing. Going further into the knockout round, will be more difficult. Edit: And Coffey was either having good luck or bad luck depending on one's take on her second foot/ankle stomping later in the game on the same player. Ref didn't card Coffey on that second foul, yet did on the first. Curious the difference. Either the first shouldn't have been yellow, or the second should have been yellow #2 and the US should have been down to 10.
Results make better critics? Sure but by then it will be too late. What more, I think wrong is still wrong no matter what. This US team had won for many years using strength and speed and neglected skills. Was that the right thing to do? We thought so until that wasn't enough anymore and we suffered setbacks the last couple of years. If we had learned earlier maybe things would have been different. Results may be good critics but we can learn when we lose and when we win also.
I think Coffey should have been sent off on the 2nd foul but the point is why put that on the hand of the ref when we can guard against it?
she’s definitely an improvement over Vlatko. From energy saving slow down to full throttle, she’s got this team quickly shifting gears, whereas same old Vlatko was hopelessly stuck in 2nd gear. She’s been real good in breaking down opponents defenses and/or lured them out of their safety zones. Also what helped is all the investment money that’s poured into the NWSL—basically stole thunder away from England’s WSL who previously were buying the world’s best. And not just in terms of players, but three Spanish coaches now as well. It’s a younger squad looking more in its prime & at least committed to playing in NWSL —previous members were notorious for skipping their club duties. And give credit to Emma for not picking over-the-hillers like Morgan or who weren’t back 100% like Macario. The Olympics is different too that they only allow two Euros to qualify; our perennial arch nemesis, Sweden, lost to Spain for one of the spots. Could be eating my words if we don’t pay attention to upcoming Japan as their a different kind of beast; very well disciplined squad with nerves of steel when handling pressure & can hatch an surprise or two, though we haven’t lost to them since early 2012
Shaw is available; Davidson is not. Also there's a thread for the quarterfinal: https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/uswnt-vs-japan-2024-olympic-qf-pre-pbp-post.2131952/