The danger posed by Vlatko's selection of an over-aged and injury-riddled roster to Olympics success is so serious that it calls for efforts to try to reverse-jinx the US team. I'm not worried so much about the first group stage match against Sweden, in which the squad will be fresh and which the US can recover from even if they somehow lost the match. I'm more worried about being lulled into a false sense of security, forgetting that the danger in how Vlatko selected the team lies in its wearing down in the short turnarounds and grueling schedule of the Olympics. Andy Mead made the fine distinction that the US team looks well-constructed to win any single match against any team in the world, but that's different than coming through a tournament where they'll need to play 6 matches over 17 days to win gold. The US has earned favorite status and its FIFA rating of 2197 (closest competitor Germany with 2073; the closest competitor in the Olympics would be Netherlands at 2035 where the 162 point rating difference correpsonds to about a 72% expected win probability). Even though the US rating was earned in large part by its success at a grueling tournament, the World Cup, that was two years ago, when Julie Ertz and Tobin Heath were 100% and other starting players had 2 years less mileage on their legs. As the tournament grinds on through the knockout stage, I don't think we can count on the US rating to be effectively 2197 anymore. Tobin Heath's return matches against Mexico were as auspicious as they could possibly be (except for her minutes being naturally limited as a precaution), but it's been my curious observation over the years that athletes often look great their 1st or 2nd performance back only for rust to creep in on a delayed basis after a long layoff. It's going to take a reverse-jinx to forestall this problem, which is what this thread is designed to do. Naturally I'll take credit for any success the US has. ADD: by the way, the one thing which was not auspicious about Heath's return? She fouled the Mexico player, clipped her leg, creating the turnover which led to her stunning return goal. An international ref is going to call that. As far as rust/timing goes, that's actually one of my concerns. Defense, timing of tackles.Of course that's the big worry with JJ, too, in her role as defensive mid
So there's no high press by the US against Sweden. In fact there's barely any pressure when Sweden has the ball in midfield, no backtracking by US forwards. US is, predictably, conserving energy and it's only the 1st group stage game, but this is something some of us have been saying: While the US is "managing the minutes" of their stars, other teams are playing 11 healthy players who have other plans.
Age has never been the problem for the US team. In this game the older players were actually putting in more effort than the young ones!
Don't know yet. Might have started a bit too late to help with the first game. Or it helped get the worst over in the first game. This voodoo/ oracle business is pretty murky, y'know.
At least we know where we stand. one more loss and the NWSl season will be back at full strength. No victory tours to gum things up.
Never!. The players are fine. He inherited a winning team. Its HIM and his nontactics thats the problem. Besides Hope Solo said about the Sermanni situation. Its easier to fire One person instead of 20 people.
He inherited an aging team that other world class teams are figuring out, while other teams have turned over their rosters with young and fresh faces. Two years is a long time in soccer. Things change quickly. What you were two years ago may not be the same now. Just ask Barcelona. Do you have a hatred for Vlatko or something that you can sure? Also name me some of his tactics or non-tactics you don't like.
I don't know why I come back to these boards. After being here over 17 years sometimes I ask my self enough of this stupidity and stay away for a while and then I fall for it every time.
I don’t think it will help much if we panic, but perhaps a bit more urgency on defence might be called for on the part of the players coupled with a reëvaluation by the coaching staff of which players can play well together is in order. A little panic might focus them. There were some very good players on the bench while Sweden pummeled the USA. The group Vlatko put on the pitch, including players that have been described in these pages as the best players in the World just didn’t do it. I don’t think you can blame that result on ageing players. The result was settled before they entered the match and the mistakes were made by the younger players. Sweden’s win was fully earned.
IDK about panic, but I remember thinking that Sweden looked every bit our equal during that last friendly. We didn’t look theirs in this game. I’m not following closely enough to know everybody’s health status, but if you’re going to bring an old-school squad, play the line-up you know works together. Put your leaders on the field. That means starting Rapinoe, Ertz, for sure (Lloyd is good off the bench). If they can come in to chase the game, can’t they start? Maybe there is some secret genius at work, but if we play like that against Australia, we won’t make it through.
"Urgency on defense" sounds like something that requires a lot of energy, a lot of running. Maybe even something like that high press which has been a constant feature of the US team for a while. Things which we appear to be conserving in an effort to "manage the minutes" of a roster rife with over-30 players and players just off the disabled list. Hell, yes, our problems seem to have a lot to do with over-age. Over-age or injured. (Of course, we can over-simplify the age issue; for instance I have no idea if Lloyd's age is a significant factor or not. She's an athletic marvel and may well be the exception to the rule) It's just one game and it's possible we could have had a team of Lynn Williamses, Morgan Weavers, Sophia Smiths, Simone Charleys who can run all day PLUS a fully healthy Julie Ertz and we still would've shelved the high press for the 1st match because of the grueling schedule. But it shows, sooner than we expected, the real dangers facing the US when they can't play at their normal energy levels. It doesn't show up in just fewer scoring chances or mis-hit shots. It shows up in our opponents having more possession than we like. It means they'll have more time and space to attack the way they like when they have the time and space. The backline will be exposed and under pressure that they're not used to being under. But we won't blame the over-age and injury limited forwards for it. We'll blame the backline. This is what some of us have been trying to warn people about. And, lo, it has already come to pass. Even before the knockout stage The entire selection of this roster, sticking with old favorites in spite of conditioning, is based on these "political " considerations of popularity and Vlatko has made all the easy, predictable decisions.
Hindsight is 20/20 and all, but I don't think Ertz could've started. Her coming in was her first time in a game since spraining her MCL in May. I actually don't think she would have come in at halftime if the team hadn't been down and needed her. They had said she'd build her minutes through the group stage (and yeah, that's a problem with bringing injured players on the roster, but we've gone over that ad nauseam). I would have imagined that she'd get like 30 minutes in the Sweden game, a half in the New Zealand game, and maybe 60-70 against Australia. On Rapinoe, it was either Heath or Rapinoe to start. I think Press, being on a hot streak, is written in pen on the starting line-up, and Morgan seemed sure to start over Lloyd. Heath had looked so good in her minutes in the send-off series that even though she's not 100% match fit, she seemed in better form than the current Rapinoe. Again, hindsight is 20/20, but I don't fault the decision to start Heath although Rapinoe honestly gave a bit of a spark when she came in...at least she connected on a cross!
Actually a good threat based on the precedent that Greg Ryan got booted after loosing in the WC semis even though he was reduced to ten players for half the game, Vlatko saving grace would be to win the Olympics, Close loss in the finals, maybe give him 50/50 chance. Loose again in the semis; he’s toast!
He lost by the biggest loss USWNT have eaver had and after a very questionable choice of gk. I stand by that how and against who is much more important for if he get to keep the job than when.
Vlatko has consulted the Oracles of Cardio and Physio and determined that today is a day of rest for Tobin Heath. But at least one of my big fears has been successfully reverse-jinxed into (at least temporary) oblivion — the danger of Press being run into the ground by the quarterfinals. She only had to play limited minutes against New Zealand because Heath played a full 90 minutes. We'll probably see a return of the Rapinoe/Heath cross-wing platoon with Press switching sides when Heath enters the game in place of Rapinoe. Meanwhile Horan gets a much needed break from the starting lineup. And instead — surprise! — it's Lavelle who's starting 3 games in a row. Are we really expecting her to go 4 in a row with the quarterfinals? Of course, we're counting on Dunn to just go all the way, game after game, grinding it out in a position she doesn't even like. *** Another worry which so far has been successfully reverse-jinxed are the yellow cards from mistimed tackles. It's probably not something we think as much about when a player comes back from injury, but it must be one of the harder things to get back your sense of timing on because so much depends on reacting to what an opposing player is doing. I thought the US was somewhat lucky to not pick up a couple yellow cards against Sweden as we grew frustrated and so I think the reverse-jinxing had some effect there. At least now we don't have to worry about yellow card accumulation either for the moment because yellow cards will, I believe, be wiped out after the group stage as they have in the past. Besides the yellow cards, I also just don't want to see the US responsible for injuring some other talented player in the Olympics. I was worried when Blackstenius got knocked out of the game when her head collided with Dahlkemper's.
The trouble with your plan is that both Morgan and Press were gifted 1v1 and did nothing with either. At least another chance by Morgan almost made it through VAR. I think that considering neither has been stellar against good opposition in fifa tournaments, I’d have no problem replacing either or both with Heath, Williams…. Pretty much anyone. Morgan had 6 goals in the last World Cup, but five were against Thailand. Press had one goal, which Pugh matched with way fewer minutes. Hell , give the old lady a shot. and the US looks like they are sleepwalking, conceding the midfield to the Aussies and giving up way to many chances in the box. We have all watched Sam Kerr, she feeds off those chances. The US doesn’t look like they will keep the ball out of their own net. Can they score more than one?right now they look like they are hopeing for a draw