Poor Becky... when your defensive winger has to run around your center back to make a play on the charging striker...
She often does-- was a big part of the 2015 WC. Other teams were worn down just getting out of their own end. I've been arguing for some years that she is the greatest defensive striker of all time. (Haven't generated much interest, though...)
I've just noticed your Bill James quote. I remember SO long ago when I first discovered his brilliant work. It was just as he was going from being rather obscure to the beginning of becoming known. I was overwhelmed! Thanks for this lovely moment remembering when I first read one of his books.
Boy, Waldrum's done a nice job there; their attack is suddenly fluid and flexible, no longer dependent on speed and strength alone. I thought Rose had a terrific game, just being a can opener in the offensive end. Pass after pass that found the vulnerable point. I wonder if she expects to coach someday... Pinoe had a terrific game too, about as good as it gets in a limited minutes garbage-time appearance. I keep expecting her to show age related brittleness, but she just keeps being more and more resilient. Naeher is convincing me it is too early to just give the job to Murphy. Good outing. Mace seemed a bit uncertain just where she was supposed to be a lot; you could see the tools though. Huerta was sterling. Fox was effective even though her passing seemed to be off. Horan was doing a very creditable Popp imitation. Sofia Smith screws up a lotta chances-- but she creates so many that even if her conversion rate is poor, her counts are excellent. Pugh. Pugh. Pugh pew pew, all fall down you've all been shot... Lauren Gregg sighting, the first in 20-25 years...
That's not Waldrum's doing. Nigeria looked better before Waldrum came on and moved away from a game based solely on speed and strength years ago.
Hard to tell what Vlat's long term plan is. Some players are obvious, others ...who knows? I'll just stick with ones that I think are not a sure thing. Morgan - I dont know what to think? other than the PK, she seemed mostly invisible. Either the wheels are gone or other teams are simply faster now. Is she the plan going forward? I hope not cause she seems to have lost a step or two. Rapinoe - Im sorry but she is so finished. I started counting her poor passes and gave up. Slow, Lazy and no longer that useful. Vlat has to stop wasting minutes on her. She's had her day and its over. I really hope to see some of the newer players next time out. We really have to start developing more, younger players to go along with the young, fast forwards we have.
Hmmm. Got to say I didn't see it happening at all against us right through the last time we played them. How many years ago was that?
Last time we played them was last year (right before the Olympics), but Waldrum was already coach. But, you can go all the way back to the 2015 WWC game, and see that Nigeria wasn't playing just a speed/power game. Followers of the Nigerian WNT would say the team's form has dipped since Waldrum has become coach (and their record shows it). Nigeria is a good team, and the scoreline would not have been 4-0 had Nigeria not been missing 6 starters, regardless of who was coach. They just don't have the depth that the US does; really, no team has the depth that the US does.
If you say so. Got to say it seemed to me that their reaction to every confrontation was still to try to push past or run past or usually both. The kind of weaving passes we saw on the third seemed new to me; admittedly the team was improving each time out, and getting more sophisticated on an individual level; but I never saw much tactical change on the group level until now...
I believe the answer is Macario, if she returns to form. Hatch being a back, back up. Though Hatch isn't exactly young. These appear to be the 9's. Rodman is a winger along with Williams if she can ever return to form. I think tougher decisions lie ahead in the midfield, depending on players coming back from injury and maternity... And defence, same issues with Dalkamper, O'Brian, Dunn, and Davidson along with the current crew.
OK, just had a conversation in the Hotel Lobby across the street from the Stadium with Kristine Lilly………. KRISTINE LILLY