You could make an argument for either Hamm or Lilly as WOTM. One thing I will say about Lilly: The bigger the match, the better she plays.
Yes. Her header off the goal line against China in WC 1999 was huge. She is a complete player who lets her game do the talking.
I was at the game today and came back with a few thoughts. The game other than a couple of excellent goals was pretty disappointing. The pace was pretty slow and technically the US was quite limited. The crowd was also very, very quiet for a National Team game or even compared to a MLS United match. Originally we were going to stay for the 2nd game, but based on what we saw we decided to go home before the second game got underway.
I'm very happy with the three points. Let me join the chorus that thinks Milbret should have come in for Parlow and not Abby. The attack wasn't the same after that point. Actually, the ball never touched her head. She completely whiffed. I won't criticize her about it too much since she did score on a harder chance. She won't get an easier chance, though. She did tire early and should have been the first one out (minus the injury). Parlow's favorite move finally worked for her I thought is took Parlow and Abby a bit to get their chemistry right; they made the same run several times. I thought Abby was a force and she did well getting wide at times and providing good service/getting a couple of corners. On Scurry's card: She made a bad decision and I think the ref had to give a yellow. I do not think the foul was a red card foul (there were defenders behind her so she wasn't the last back) but there was the possibility that the ref might have decided to make an example of her or be swayed by the spectacular flip/fall.
Some thoughts from match... Did Boxx really mean to score? It looked like she was trying to head it back across the goal mouth, but it ended up looping in... important goal for US though. I think Sweden would have scored again if Boxx had not scored... Milbrett does not deserve to play for the USWNT -- she was awful. I hope she stays on the bench next time. Mia was superb. Those corner kicks were textbook. The USWNT are always good at set plays -- corners, free kicks, etc.
Is Wendy I-forget-her-last-name moonlighting as Parlow's press agent? She couldn't couldn't seem to stop gushing over Parlow during the broadast. On the Lilly goal, Wendy practically had an orgasm over the pass to Wambach while remaining comparitively calm about Wambach's even more impressive moves after she got the ball.
Lilly rightfully was player of the match. Her goal was a decisive play and a professional finish. But more than that, she was a dominant force in midfield, stealing balls, starting attacks, making lead passes, running hard, doing all the things that makes her the underrated superstar she is. Hamm also was stellar. She's indefatiguable and her passing and game sense were on. The touch back to Lilly on the first goal reminded me of Bebeto's to Romario in the '89 South American championship final. And she was a team leader out there today, too. It was a big opening game and they needed her. Wambach was fabulous. That first goal owed more to her spectacular moves. 6 ft 160 pound strikers in the women's game aren't supposed to leave defenders with their shorts dangling around their ankles; Sweden's coach had to pop a blood vessel over that. Wambach's first move around the defender was so confident and smart. Then, to have the presence to make the outside foot dish to Hamm while being pummeled to the ground only clinched it for me that Wambach is going to be a presence in this Cup. And her absorbing double-teams and hits left Hamm and Lilly more room to move freely. Wambach earned her keep Sunday. For those of you criticizing the substitution pattern, get off Heinrichs' back. Wambach is too valuable to risk losing to an injury. She was getting tackled like an American football running back every time she sacrificed herself to win air balls. With a 2-0 lead and a key game Thursday, why leave her in as a target? And clearly Reddick was the right substitution for Chastain, delivering another solid performance like we've come to expect. Wagner was rusty, and getting a card was foolish. Expect Boxx to start again Thursday. Great save by Scurry late. Not the prettiest game ever, but the Nordic teams don't let you play pretty, and the USA clearly earned its win.
Overall, the analysis in your post was very enlightening. But .... The Wambach sub-out was just plain dumb. A 2-0 lead against Sweden, the No. 5 team in the world, is not secure. And immediately after Wambach came off, the Swedes changed tactics, scored a goal, and came very close to tying us when they got a free kick at a very dangerous spot. Clearly pressure was relieved when Wambach went off the field (and Parlow tired), and the Swedish offense was able to open up. Meanwhile, they were able to clamp down on Tiffeny by man-marking. Wambach gave them massive matchup problems, and Tiffeny didn't. Finally, using the second sub as April did took away some of the US' tactical flexibility late in the game, as we had to burn one substitution because of Brandi's injury. I really don't want to beat down on April too much. She should feel good about the result. But we didn't have to let Sweden back into the game.
Wambach was impressive -- she's just a monster out there -- so big, strong, and quick. Her cross that Parlow whiffed the header on was beautiful. And her run to set up the first goal was brilliant -- she looked so confident, it's amazing it was her first WC game. Lilly also had a great game, I thought. She was constantly getting the ball, and her strike on the first goal was fantastic -- a one-time shot that she buried (it was also a beautiful pass from Hamm, who had great presence of mind to lay it off so nicely, under such pressure). I thought the back line looked a little shaky at times, after Chastain went out injured. That's too bad that Chastain has a broken bone -- hopefully she'll be back for the knock-out rounds. I was surprised Wagner did not get the start, but Heinrichs ended up looking like a genius, opting for Lilly's experience. Was it me, or did Wagner look a little lost during her time on the pitch? For our number 10, playmaker, she seemed to get very few touches on the ball.
Well, on that page that I couldn't delete - which does show up on the main page - people have posted pretty decent comments. No hatred or bashing yet. I don't think we should assume the negative and hide away out of fear. Link us to the main page! All the WWC forums should link the main page.
Exactly. I was at the match, and I've now watched it on tape. On tv, you didn't see the way Abby handled being double and triple teamed and the space that gave Mia, Lil and Cindy. Her performance was phenomenal. As was Mia's, Lil's and Joy's. Brandi's main contribution was organization and leadership. Those definitely suffered when Cat came in. I hope Brandi makes it back for the quarters, and especially for the semis should we make them and end up facing Germany. I also saw the DPRK-Nigeria match on Saturday. The North Koreans are indeed excellent. They're fast, they're technical, they're organized, and much taller than I expected. They sucked at finishing and on corners, though. Might have been first game nerves, but it gave me hope that the US can beat them.
I agree with your analysis, but I don't think organization and leadership suffered because of Reddick. I thought she played well. And, as the only amateur, it's not for her to provide leadership. That should have been Sobrero. This is her 2d Cup, she's 26 or 27, and I honestly don't think she played up to the level we've come to expect of her. I also think Pearce has not gotten enough credit for the solid game she played. Sweden didn't even attack left most of the game, and Pearce even contributed with runs and distribution. She has played more completely as a player each time out. That being said, don't be surprised if Reddick is moved to the middle with Fawcett, with Slaton getting the nod on the left side. You heard it here first.
My Ratings for USWNT Vs Sweden SCurry: 6.5 (She's lucky she didn't get a red card) Fawcett: 7 Chastain: 6.5 Sobrero: 5.5 Pearce: 6 Foudy: 6 Boxx: 7 Lilly: 7.5 Hamm: 7.5 (my WOTM) Wambach 7 (I think April doesn't like her) Parlow: 6.5 (She's not fit for 90 minutes) ------------------------------------- The Subs: Reddick: 6 Milebert: 5.5 Wagner: 5.5 -------------------------------- Coach: April: 6 (she doen't like Wamback and it showed today, why else would anyone sub her best atacking player at 55th min of the game)
You have Foudy as the second worst player out there (I agree). Is outside midfield her natural position, or is that just a way to keep her on the field? Would she be more effective at attacking center mid in a 4-4-2?
Wagner didn't impress me either, she looked lost out there... April should play a 4-3-1-2 syetm, like AC Milan does. Hamm, as the play maker with Parlow on right and Wamback at left. Further, if the USA is in the lead by 2, at 70-75min April shoud then take out Parlow for another defensive mid field and move to 4-4-2 system.
I'll take a crack at this: STARTERS Scurry: 7 Typical match for the emotional, explosive personality that is Briana. She comes up with a big save, and gives us one moment of madness. But that moment may have intimidated the Swedes. They were out of sync for the rest of the first half. Chastain: 7 The defense sagged a bit without her. Fawcett: 8 Rock steady in central defense, and an unexpected offensive presence. Pearce: 6 Solid game from Christie. The Swedish offense mostly worked Sobrero's side of the field. Sobrero: 5 Outside is not really her best position in international soccer. A conservative choice by April. Slaton would be better in this position. Still, she did not hurt the Nats' effort. Boxx: 7 Excellent effort despite first-time World Cup jitters. A giveaway or two, but nothing that wound up hurting the team. Her dynamism out of the defensive midfield position added a new threat to the US arsenal. Her goal really took the steam out of Sweden, locking down the three points for the Yanks. Foudy: 4 Seems to have lost her offensive role. She didn't do anything bad, but she was pretty much invisible. Lilly: 9 Best two-way player in the first set of games in this tournament. Parlow: 6 Great first half. Ran out of gas way too early for a 25-year-old. What gives? Hamm: 9 Three assists. My player of the match, but by a very tiny margin over Lilly. She has really forged a wonderful partnership with Wambach, and I give her credit for raising Abby's game. Wambach: 8 The most consistently dangerous offensive threat for the United States. Sweden had a migraine trying to match up with her. After she was subbed out, the Swedes went on a 15-minute tear and nearly tied the game. SUBSTITUTES Reddick: 6 A good effort that earned her a starting role in central defense for the Nigeria game. Milbrett: 3 The spark disappeared from the US attack when Wambach came off and Tiffeny came on. She wasn't a credible scoring threat. Wagner: 5 One good play -- the pass to Lilly, who proceeded to win the corner kick that led to Boxx's goal. One awful play -- the yellow card that put Sweden a 20-yard dead-center free kick away from tying the game.
Wow, you are nice, I have never seen a 9 for any player given in any professional ratings. I think highest Pele ever got was a 8.5
Well, I was just trying to use the entire 1-to-10 scale. I hate to see those ratings where everybody gets a 6.
Foudy used to play on the right under DiCicco (4-3-3) and when Akers retired, she moved to the center where she has been most of the time in the past few years. This move was necessary at the time because there was really noone else with the skill set to take on the position. I think the fact that Foudy was not Akers (I do not mean this as a slight on Foudy, simply that Foudy is a different sort of player) also informed Heinrichs's shift to a 4-4-2. With the emergence of Wagner and Boxx, I think we see another evolution; one that gives versatility to the team in terms of formation but also paves the way for Foudy's graceful retirement in the next couple of years (and let's all acknowledge her tremendous contribution to soccer). In Wagner, the US has a playmaker with distribution skills equal to or better than Foudy's (although currently her defensive skills, IMHO, are not good enough to have her centrally in a 4-3-3). In Boxx, the team has someone who can dominate in the air, provide defensive toughness, and who will continue to improve in terms of possession (she's still prone to giveaways). Foudy, of course, provides the intangibles in terms of veteran leadership and that is why she stays on the field despite her gradual loss of form (having said that, I would not be surprised to see Foudy's old brilliance on display at points in the tournament--she is that savvy and passionate a player). The US is going to have a period of adjustment in terms of finding right and left middies post-WWC. Lilly, quite frankly, can never be replaced and I don't see any stunning candidates for the left (I think Hucles is second on the depth chart in terms of this roster and perhaps only if a 4-4-2). On the right, we have Parlow, Hucles, and Roberts, all of whom have done well recently but bring different qualities to the team. Oh, and MacMillan too, but I was never that fond of her as a midfielder. If I were Heinrichs, I would seriously consider running out Hucles or TR against Nigeria to take some of the physical beating that is bound to occur and, thus, keep others fresh and ready to go. One minor question; Parlow played so well yesterday that it really seems a shame that she somehow cannot go a full 90. I don't remember her ever being able to go a full 90 effectively (unlike, say, Wambach)--imagine how great it would be if one knew one wasn't going to have to sub her out? I also want to say how happy I am that we are all talking soccer--love the conversation! mingyung
Thanks for a very thoughtful, insightful post. I agree that Foudy is out there for the intangibles. I hope she raises her game a bit in the next few matches.
mingyung, thanks for your excellent analysis of Julie Foudy's game and the state of US midfield play. I too expect the veteran to provide us with at least one moment of brilliance in this tournament. Her leadership and passion are also hard to replace, especially with Brandi's injury and Mac probably filling a role as 10- or 20-minute (at most) sub.
It has been awhile but I think it says, Y-o-u--w-i-l-l--n-e-v-e-r--h-a-v-e--m-e--y-o-u--l-e-c-h-e-r-o-u-s--p-i-g-! N-o-w--p-u-t--y-o-u-r--t-a-n-t-s--o-n I am not sure what "tants" are...
April not liking Wambach? Kqql, why do you think April does not like Wambach? Do you have any facts to back that up besides that April subbed her out so soon when clearly she was a threat and powerhouse just being on the field, not to mention some of the great plays she made. Let me qualify and say that I'm not doubting you; rather I'm just curious as to how you drew that conclusion, whether you knew something I didn't. If not, maybe April had a good reason, whatever that might be, such as thinking (falsely) the game was in the bank and she should rest her (for whatever reason).