Thanks for that. That's an impressive ratio that certainly doens't match what my eyes see for the National Team. I will check for National Team stats too. Maybe the NWSL (which I don't get to watch much) is just a lot different. If she plays a transition game, or a counter-attack game at club, she might do very well. Her play for the USWNT always seems sloppy and surprising in her inability to see a pass, make a pass consistently or get off a shot. I don't mean she never does anyting good. It's never that extreme, but she sticks out to me as lacking some basic soccer sense as if she has relied so much on speed during her devleopment that other skills have lagged. I'll see what Henderson has published on international games.
Following up on Smith, Portland plays a mix of transition and build up. My recollection is that Smith scores on both pretty evenly, but I do not have numbers so don't count on me being right. I agree generally with comments that the team needs to be better at finishing, but I too would like to see G v xG numbers for the team as a whole and for individual players. I do not remember seeing those from Henderson, and I follow his work closely.
Well, why should the possession game be the default game plan? Smith's Goals minus xGoals per 90 mins is 0.15, above 88% of forwards in the last 365 days. Considering how many shots she attempts, there's barely any players who attempts more shots than her and while being more efficient. Probably you are just crazy and pretty ignorant of this sport.
Olympic qualification happened two years ago which is an obsolete indicator of their current performance level.
Smith's Goals minus xG is even higher in the international competition. Her stat for the world cup is +0.2 per 90 mins, above 89 percent of players. You appear to be unable to update your opinion based on the fact.
Point me to those stats. I know you take it all very personally. I’ll update my opinion with facts. Stats are helpful, but xG is only generated from a shot. If someone doesn’t get a shot off, or botches a pass, that’s not on xG. But it’s still helpful and I am happy to be educated.
I thought the US looked good. The ball movement and the player movement were good. If you paid attention, there were a new movement off the ball that I never saw before with the US: A player pings a ball off a teammate near the touchline then makes a curving run on the outside, that's old but at the same time another player breaks straight down field on the inside, that's new. That combines with another player making herself available even with the receiver of the first ball allows for 3 passing options. That added to other movements gave us many good runs at goal. Problem was that we were terrible shooting at goal , especially Smith. Besides putting the ball on frame , I thinks Smith, Swanson n Rodman need to learn to chip the ball rushing keeper. They never seem to do that ever. They always either hit the keeper or trying to miss the keeper, their balls would go wide off frame.
I didn’t find FBref to have advanced stats for she believes and friendlies. Maybe they do. Post a link. I did notice that at the WC, Smith’s passing stats were abysmal. The team scored a grand total of One goal in 270 minutes after the Vietnam game. Smith only scored against Vietnam, the last place team at the Cup. After that, it has to be fair to question all of the players. I have a different opinion than you do about whether Smith is so great. Doesn’t mean I’m ignorant. Please just put me on ignore if you are so worked up because I don’t agree with you.
I am calling you out because you never engaged the debate in good faith and clearly out of your depth. You crticized Smith for not able to finished, got slapped on the face, and you are now shifting the focus and quibbling her passing ability. You believed Dunn and Lavelle could be better than Smith and Rodman. The fact is when they start together against South Korea, the right lane got overran by the opponent just AS I Predicted! You just could not take the lose, and could not update your faulty beliefs. You are ignorant. You are basically in agreement with nobody, others don't find it worth calling out your bullshit. If you have any humility or ability to reflect, you probably should think about whether you are so smart or achieved in your real life that your intelligence prowess is superior than almost everyone else. I will keep calling you out until you realize your ignorance and shut up.
Mexico started an well run, well organized youth program that got them all the way to the 2018 u17 WC finals as well as beating the US two out of the last three times at the u20 Concacaf finals. So eventually some of those promising youth will be creeping into their senior squad, but what works in youth might not necessarily work into adulthood. For example, at Can’s Huitema looked by far the most dangerous striker at that 2018 tourney, yet hasn’t exactly fanned out into an massive star, as well as champion Spain’s striker, Pina, still sitting on Barca’s bench/only one member from that 2018 squad(Navarro) made it to Spain’s Olympic squad. Moving forward, while Mexico’s league gotten good laurels, this year they’ve been outbid by the higher investment money from NWSL & thus hasn’t signed any new big name internationals(other than Hermoso signing again)—-and in fact loosing some previous major signees(I remember Fishel & Kanu playing at Tigres). Men or women, Mexican soccer can often feel isolated, and it’s obviously been showing, Beg to differ that this game was all that close—felt like US had it well in hand, just don’t expect high scores from the more deliberate paced Emma Hayes. Their Spanish coach had them well organized, just Mexico missing a few star quality type players to take them into top ten territory—-if San Diego Wave 16 year old, Bacneras is of Mexican decent, then they definitely need to sign her before Emma gets her hands on her—-as she’s got tremendous potential of being the next big thing
If there are 10 field positions, wouldn't you expect the CF to be above 90% of the other players that aren't tasked with being the main goal scorer? I realize in the WC she was primarily a left wing, so maybe ballpark that everybody played a 4-3-3 she should at least be better than 70% of the field. Do you know/point me towards data to compare to say, Beerensteyn, Martens, Caldenty, Redonda, etc ?
I’ll think on that. You give excellent advice. In the meantime, Smith is overrated --at least at international level. And it doens't really matter if anyone else sees that. I've said all along her skills do not suit a possession game and they don't. She was a dissapointment at the world cup and unless either Hayes shifts to a more transition or counter game, or Smith finds a new level, then the holes in her game will continue to be a problem. I'm sorry for you that you can only respond to disagreement with anger and insults. It's a common problem with people today, but that's the world we live in.
Smith needs to score more or sit down. She had a bunch of misses before she finally scored... not good enough. Hope Emma makes changes on Tuesday. Maybe Rose or Shaw up top? Somebody that can finish
Rewatching the game right now. Horan looks real slow out there. Mexico is flying by her, like she isn't even there. Yikes.
in Hayes version, Horan’s got less maneuvering cuz she’s stuck in an double 6 as well as safeguarding the left flank due to Nighswonger continues foray’s upfield. Hayes tactics designed to confuse the opponent, but complicated to figure out as well for me, but looks something like this; 3-2-3-2(with Nighswonger up at left wing, playing higher than Horan). Swanson probably going to being more inverted as either a double 9 or a makeshift AM. It’s really up to the players to conform to Emma’s vision than getting to play at their best self’s
That's the problem, double 6 can end up defending in certain circumstances. Mexico's offensive players were blowing by her like she was a traffic cone. More evident when, much younger, faster and fresh legged Albert came in. I did hear comment about EU leagues have been finished for a while now, and those players could be a bit out of playing shape. >shrugs<
Horan has been overrated her entire career, much like Sonnet. We have better options in my humble opinion.
This is crazy (not about Sonnet, who can be good but in the past has been something of a loose canon). Horan is one of the best mid-fielders in the world. She is not speedy, but ask Olympique Lyonnaise why she has been a key player on their team.
Smith's record in the international game has been pretty good, but so far at least, she appears to have had a tendency to ghost against high level competition. The friendlies against England and Spain and the WC come to mind. She strikes me as one of those players that relies largely on her physical advantages. When she comes up against a very disciplined defense with top shelf defenders, she struggles. She is talented though and still young and might put it all together, particularly with Emma as a mentor. I'm really looking forward to seeing how she responds at the olympics. If she can produce a solid showing throughout the tournament it will tell us a lot IMO.
Hmm, about this whole sloooow down game plan. Excruciating to watch. Hard to see a defensive winger up in the zone deep, just turn around and play it back. Yaaawn... half time.