I just wanted to say that there was one moment in the match where Emily Dickens, the U.S. goalkeeper, was being threatened by a Canadian attack, and the U.S. defensive unit seemed well organized. Emily Sonnett didn’t run into Dickens and Dickens’ management of the situation, e.g., isolating and staying on top of the Canadian attacker, was superb.
This is the primary area of improvement I noticed from U.S. soccer matches in the past, and it seems, at least in this match, that there was a lot more organization and cool headedness amongst the U.S. goalkeeper and defensive back line. Well done and keep it up.
So. I would like to see better use of ‘ticky tacky.’ For example, what Lindsey Heaps is really good at, or even what Sentnor, Coffey and Patterson are good at. A lot of teams press nowadays and being able to use ticky tacky is important to maintaining ball control and for moving the ball forward. Players need more confidence with this.
Players need to have better positional and player awareness of how ticky tacky works and where they should physically be to either assist or contribute to ticky tack or to get out of the way of the ticky tacky. Ultimately, players need to be able to plan 1, 2, 3 steps into the future, while using ticky tacky.
Lastly, we need better in box (attacking third) awareness – at least we did in game one against China. There were plenty of times during this game that Alyssa was open in the box but the team didn’t see her or didn’t pass to her.
Heyo, a couple of points from this match and actions for the future.
First of all, the refereeing was terrible, once again. I’m starting to think that we need to create or invent a new soccer association or organization whose goal is quality refereeing, no corruption, and effective group governance of multiple nations, e.g., the “International Soccer Association.”
Secondly, the U.S. has to work on it’s “last line of defense” strategy. Seen from that collision between Sonnett and the goalie in game one, the blown coverage for the first goal in game two as well as the 1st goal Japan scored against the U.S. in their game against the U.S. in the SheBelieves Cup.
I think that Sonnett has the tendency to overthink situations, overreact to other situations, and not coordinate effectively with the U.S. goalie as well as other members of U.S. defense/ team in other defensive situations. Sonnett needs improvement. She’s great, but also a liability, especially in “last line of defense” situations.
Third, I think we saw promise from our front line, but we also saw that Cat was not comfortable enough sharing the ball with her teammates in the attacking third. I think A.T. was generous in the attacking third, but Cat was not reciprocal. I think Cat was good at passing to her team outside the attacking third, but once Cat got in “goal range” I think she lost her sense as a facilitator and thought only of scoring. This is problematic as we had multiple chances and runners in on goal for a solid pass from Cat.
All our players have to be able to fill multiple roles throughout the field. Whatever it takes to score goals. That means being able to pass, shoot, hold the ball up, etc. where the players are on the pitch and whatever situations or moments they may find themselves in. This is the only we can win.
Fourth note, the Brazilians, like the Colombians, have a tendency to play dirty and cheaply. Flopping and faking injuries is part of their culture of sport. It’s a shame, and coupled with incompetent/ crooked/ bent referees, this is a problem.
Fifth, I like Becky S.’s commentary and analysis. I think she’s a great addition to the broadcast booth.
and lastly, I hope against the upcoming Chinese team, in anticipation of them using an excessively defense style, that we counter by using an excessive offensive style. I’ve said this before, but I think on-field adaptability is key. If the coaching staff and players can coordinate this, without use of subs or the halftime whistle, I think that would be great. I think this would be a great opportunity to practice this especially offensive style.
Hello!!!! Here are my notes on the match. There are a couple things I will talk about, but will primarily harp on one thing.
Overall, I think the match went well. We saw some new faces, which I love, by the way. Spread the love! and we saw new improved tactics by the U.S.. The U.S. did struggle at times, but overall I think we did alright.
Okay. The big thing I want to harp on: the defensive mistake during the 24th minute, which almost resulted in a Brazil goal. That mistake was Sonnett and Tullis-Joyce colliding when defending against a Brazilian striker…. The same thing happened in the USA vs Japan game in the SheBelieves Cup, except during that game, Japan capitalized on this defensive mistake and scored a goal (Japan’s first goal of that match). We are lucky that the Brazilian striker was incapacitated by this exchange or else it could have been a goal scoring chance for Brazil…
What I wanted to say (and harp on) is that U.S. defenders have to better coordinate their defensive strategy with U.S. goalies. Right now these two positions are not playing together and rather seem to be playing at odds, instead of coordinating and playing off one another. I feel like U.S. defense has a tendency to enter ‘panic mode’ where U.S. defenders and goalies lose all rational thinking and just decide to throw the kitchen sink at the opposing team. I think this specifically happens in situations where an opposing striker is making towards the U.S. goal and the U.S. defense is thin, e.g., only one defender, or only the goalie is between the striker and a shot on goal. I think this is the area that the U.S. has to focus on for the future; coordinating that “last line of defense” so our team doesn’t inadvertently create a goal scoring chance for the other team, e.g., what we almost saw during the 24th minute of this game and what we definitely saw in the game against Japan.
Overall, though I thought U.S. defense performed fairly well. There was good coordination between the defense overall, save for that one mishap during the 24th minute. By the way, as always, Dunn is awesome and McKeown did well too. The newbie who came in at the 80th minute was great too (it was her first USWNT appearance).
Regarding other points. I thought Alyssa Thomspon did well. I thought her passing, vision, and creativity were overall great and I wish the rest of the team was as consistent as she with regard to passing, vision, and ‘pre-planning’. I think the U.S.’s passing and focus waned after scoring their first goal. There were many moment of sloppy passing, or rather errant passes that were not intentional or well thought out. The U.S. also looked kind of tired and also like they were surprised to have received the ball, in moments. Maybe that’s because the Brazilian press was tough and maybe it’s also because of the terrible, dangerous refereeing. Regardless, if the U.S. can up its consistency and focus, especially as the game goes on, that would be excellent.
The refereeing. I’ve said this before, but a yellow card offense is a yellow card offense, regardless of when it occurs in the game, e.g., the first minute or the last minute. I don’t know if refs have been instructed to dismiss penalties early in the match, but that is dangerous and also wrong. Cheating that goes unpunished, e.g., yellow or red card offenses, does affect the match. We really need better refereeing; either through updated training, or updated guidance from U.S. Soccer/ FIFA, or through use of disincentives that punish bad refereeing. Additionally, while I’m glad VAR was used during this International Friendly, “where was the VAR!?” Was it just there for posterity’s sake? Jeez, man. Both sides would have seen benefits from appropriate VAR use, or once again, is there some kind of guidance that’s been given to disparage the appropriate and effective use of VAR? Smh…
Lastly, a bright spot from this match was the U.S.’s use hold up play. Yes!!! I love it!! Cat was great, and it was great to see the U.S. use this strategy effectively. I think we do need more people than just Cat who can use hold up play, as the Brazilians started to be able to anticipate Cat being targeted to get the ball and hold it up for the rest of the team. We need more forwards and midfielders who are able to receive the ball under pressure and hold it for the team and or pivot with the ball, like Cat can do. This would give us more variety and capacity to bring the ball forward into the attacking third, which we struggled with.
Anyway, that’s it! As always, go Team!! and good luck with the next match!!
This post references the two international friendlies the U.S. had in England and the Netherlands, respectively, during the end of last year (2024). I think the ideas here are worth bringing forward, so I’m posting this to the blog. Thanks for reading!
After watching these two games, I came up with a recommendation for the USWNT; that all U.S. players should train the skillset of ball holding and ‘hold up’ play under pressure. For example, when some of our defenders tried to bring the ball forward into midfield to initiate an attack they were too easily shut down when they were pressed by the opposing team. What I would like to see from each member of our team is the ability to hold the ball under pressure and maintain a variety of attacking, passing, and defending options from this position.
For example, what we see with the U.S. Midfield, e.g., Rose, Lindsay, Lily, Sam and Korbin. When these players are pressed they don’t immediately fold or backtrack. They manage the ball in a way that allows the attack to continue, instead of being stymied or ‘constipated,’ for lack of a better word.
Additionally, I think that training to defend against this sort of hold up play is important, as well. For example, during the game against the Netherlands, I remember Tierna being undone and overtaken by a Dutch player’s effective use of hold up play in our own box which opened up a chance to a good shot on our goal.
In conclusion, I think each USWNT player, and the overall team, should be able to both use hold up play as well as be able to defend against it. Moreover, the team should feel comfortable when being pressed and not feel like they are suffocated whenever it does happen.
Initial Publication Date: October 30th, 2023; Revised Publication Date: December 2nd, 2024.
Note: I only managed to watch about one hour of the match (the first 35 minutes and the last 25 minutes); I was making dinner.
Key Takeaways…
Colombia plays dirty. The fouls, the flops, the obstruction of play, the exaggeration and faking of injuries. I’ve noticed this from previous matches against Colombia, as well.
The Ref refused to give out cards, at least until the 35 minute mark (I stopped watching after the first 35 minutes). The number of cards that weren’t handed out, that should have been throughout the entirety of the match, was ridiculous.
In Detail…
Colombia.
The insanely aggressive and flagrant fouls. For example, the way Thompson was tackled by the Colombian player towards the end of the second half. Colombia is playing to injure Americans.
The flops and fake injuries. The amount of summersaults and combat rolls I saw employed by Colombia was RIDICULOUS. It’s laughable, sad. and infuriating… In the second half, I thought one of the Colombian players had been possessed by demons. She needed an exorcism, not medical assistance.
The lack of honor, the cheating, the stealing, the lying; this culture of sport and soccer is taught and reinforced from the top, down. The coaching staff are directly involved in propagating it. Sadly, this isn’t limited to just the Colombian team. In my opinion, Latin Soccer, at large, has the same ‘culture,’ or what I would call ‘corruption,’ of sport. It’s disgusting to watch many Latin teams play, i.e., many of the men’s teams.
Look, some American player’s have their moments, but this kind of wide spread cheating, and frankly, B.S., isn’t ‘endemic’ to US soccer. Americans, generally speaking, play with honor and dignity. Additionally, I would expect the American coaching staff to correct any type of dishonorable play that occurs by an American. For example, if I was coach and one of my players was pulling this sort of B.S. behavior, I would bench them. That behavior would not be tolerated and I don’t think it should be tolerated by the current U.S. coaching staff.
Referees.
I don’t know why the Refs refused to give out cards for the first half of the game. Are they told not to? Were they cheating? What justification is there for not giving a yellow or red card? Refusal to do so incentivizes dangerous play and subsequently, injury. A card is a card, it doesn’t matter at what point in the match the foul occurs. Stop warning players and hand out the damn card, immediately. The Colombian team is using every leniency they can to injure Americans to better secure their chances of winning these games.
Stand up to this kind of behavior. The American players can’t take this lying down. Stand up and push back. Do I mean start cheating like the Colombians? No. I mean don’t let them walk all over you. Don’t cower in fear. Be brave. Confront their bullshit. For example, Lindsey Horan. Thank God for her. She stood up to the Colombians and the B.S. from the Ref. We need more of the girls to follow Lindsey’s example.
Recommendations:
Publicly complain and be loud about these injustices. US Soccer, coaching staff, players, commentators/ broadcasters and fans should be very vocal. Do not silently suffer or let this go unattended. For example, use a post match press conference to call out Columbia’s dirty playing, coaching and their culture of soccer. During the same conference, call out FIFA and it’s referee policy which encourages injury through disregard of clear yellow and red card fouls. The USA can not tolerate our team being injured.
Refuse to play with teams, like Columbia, that play dirty. Set a standard and if teams violate that standard avoid playing with them until proper and appropriate reconciliatory measures are taken.
Oh, one more point. Alyssa Thompson is a beast. She is quick and has great link up play. I liked the quick passing we saw from this game. I think the US team should focus more on quick passing AND anticipating the 2nd, 3rd and 4th pass. It would really help. I noticed that some link up play fell apart because a player wasn’t expecting or anticipating a pass.
Anyway, that’s all for now. Hope you all are well.
Expectation: Mention critical moments that stand out to me. Touch on key takeaways at the end of the post. I will only post game notes from the most recent 11/13 game. However, I will draw on observations made from the 11/10 game as well. Enjoy!
2:39′ – 2:43′ Huerta’s pass not wide enough to avoid German interception. Good look though.
2:52 – 2:58′ Girma. Great defense and coverage.
3:07′ – 3:12′ Pugh’s weak pass to Smith gets picked. Need a stronger one touch pass here.
4:30′ – 4:35′ Smith’s pass is too far in front of Morgan. Morgan wasn’t expecting that much pace. Miscommunication.
8:26′ – 8:30′ Fox. Unnecessary turnover.
9:45′ – 9:52′ Fox. Good drive. I love to see defenders bringing the ball forward into space.
11:27′ – 11:33′ Girma’s pass to Huerta is behind her. Unnecessary turnover.
11:54′ – 11:58′ Girma. Good read on run and good defense.
12:27′ – 12:36′ Becky S. – Good effort and follow through.
13:35′ – 13:42′ Lavelle’s one touch pass back to Huerta is sloppy and leads to a turnover. Need a cleaner one touch pass.
14:16′ – 14:24′ Need cleaner one touch passes from Pugh at 14:19′ and Huerta at 14:22.’ Unnecessary turnover.
17:37′ – 17:40′ Huerta. Great defense.
17:40′ – 18:30′ German Goal (See Video)
Girma in wrong position to block the 2nd shot on goal. From a defender’s perspective, Girma should have covered the left shot angle of the German goal scorer, teammates Lavelle and Sullivan had the right shot angle covered. Naeher had both the middle and right shot angles covered. Girma needed to cover the left shot angle.
Girma needs to read what the most likely shot the German player’s going to take here. She has to be able to read the situation and know. Just by reviewing the tape we see that the U.S. defense, from the defender’s perspective, is heavy on the right but very light on the left. So, it is likely that the German goal scorer would try and shoot towards the left half of goal to score. This is exactly what happened. You have to be able to read your opponents and the situational defense to anticipate what your opponents are most likely to do. The reason I’m harping on Girma for this is because she was not actively engaged in defending the first shot, which means she had time to steady herself, analyze the situation and respond appropriately to the second. She didn’t do this well enough, I feel.
Girma has to realize that she is part of a defensive unit. It’s not her job alone to defend. Girma has to trust in her teammates and be able to defer to a team defense and team mentality when necessary. The ‘team wavelength,’ so to speak. Just because the ball is in the box, doesn’t mean you lose your cool and abandon this team mentality and team defense. Girma has to remember that she has great support, specifically from one of the best goalies in the world. She needs to calm down, focus and think about where she needs to be and be there. The rest is up to Naeher and her teammates. Girma’s life will be easier when she realizes this and her depth and capacity as a defender will improve drastically.
Lastly, Girma was not the last line of defense in this situation, Naeher was. Girma either didn’t realize this or panicked and forgot. There was no need for her to attack the German goal scorer the way she did. She had backup.
What I think the U.S. team and coaching staff should realize is that its okay for the opponent’s team to have a shot on goal. It’s going to happen. It’s part of the game. One of the primary objectives for U.S. defensive strategy should be forcing and/or allowing shots on goal that are easier to defend against, predict and control than those that aren’t. In this instance, for example, I’d rather allow a shot on goal that Naeher has clear vision of and a good chance of stopping than one Naeher doesn’t have vision of and won’t be able to help defend against.
Additionally, it looks like Naeher’s vision is occluded from both shots on goal during this exchange, which throws her off. For both shot attempts, her reactions to the shots are delayed. After the first attempt, she slips and can’t recover to save the second. As a team and as a defense we have to consider how our goalies best defend. For example, Naeher is an amazing goalie and will block most of what she knows is coming. As a team you have to play to that and trust in that, otherwise, your most powerful defender might lose value in important defensive situations.
20:10′ – 20:20′ (Video)
Terrible clearance attempts by Pugh, the 2nd of which leads to Sullivan being injured. These failed clearances allowed Germany a chance in the American box so Sullivan put her body on the line to defend. Two errors in one for Pugh – the clearances and the chance for Germany.
I’ve noticed that American clearance from the box needs improvement. Many times an American clearance falls at the feet of an anticipating German player which allows for another German chance and/or shot on goal. While I understand the urgency of clearing the ball from the box, a degree of level headedness should be involved when possible or the end result might be the same, a German goal.
24:20′ – 24:25′
Smith gets overtaken and dispossessed. Need more fight here from Smith to hang on to the ball AND block the German surround.
25:30′ – 25:40′ (Video)
Pugh missed shot on goal. I feel like Pugh would have had a better chance at scoring if she doesn’t shoot in this moment. For example, Pugh is driven to the outside of the German goal by a German defender where a second defender and goalie are waiting. The likelihood of scoring in this situation is slim. I think the best course of action would have been to hold onto the ball, turn around quickly and look for a different scoring opportunity. This type of 1v3 situation is ideal for defenders and easy to counter.
The same situation occurred in the 11/10 game as well, except Sophia Smith was attacking with the ball. It was the same 1v3 attacking/defending situation with the same result: A coordinated German defense zoned Smith to one side of the goal and then shut the attack down.
U.S. forwards have to be able to consider whether holding onto the ball is an appropriate option in this moment versus shooting. Taking a shot here is a waste in my opinion. Our forwards need to know that its okay not to shoot.
Perhaps the U.S. can practice a new strategy designed for break away drives like this, in which the forward holds onto the ball at the end of the drive (instead of shooting) and looks to pass to supporting attackers or simply create a different chance.
2nd Half
46:36′ – 46:40′ (Video)
Girma’s hesitancy to drive the ball forward into open space, ruins U.S. momentum. She, along with the rest of the American team, especially defenders, need to be able to bring the ball forward when its the best or only option.
At the end of the day flexibility as a player within any position, especially a defending one, is key. Roles, positions and formations have a purpose but shouldn’t limit players from doing what’s best for the team.
48:55′ – 49:00′
Lavelle could have steadied the ball and taken it to the right for a cleaner shot.
49:00′ – 49:05′ (Video)
Smith. Incomplete effort + poor pass decision.
Smith, after having passed to Morgan at 48:48,’ needed to continue running at speed for Alex Morgan’s pass at 49:00.’ This would have allowed Smith’s cross at 49:02′ to be ‘on time’ for Pugh.
After receiving the ball at 49:00/02,’ Smith immediately crossed it. This cross was too late for Pugh. Smith should have held onto the ball and driven into open space to create a better chance for herself or the team. If your initial plan or expectations don’t work out (crossing), adjust and reset, don’t force something that won’t work.
Smith needs to fight more here. She had a good run from 48:50′ – 48:58,’ but needs to stay with it and see the play through. She should have anticipated the pass back from Alex and should have held off on the late pass to Pugh.
49:45′ – 49:50′ (Video)
Pugh. Missed shot on goal. Should have dribbled and held on a little longer and/or passed to Horan who was open at the top of the box.
I want to see the rookie forwards, i.e., Pugh and Smith, have more ‘staying power.’ They need to be able to hold off on a shot and/or hold onto the ball for a bit more and then release it.
Additionally, they need to become better at setting the ball and/or creating a better chance for the team overall. Their role isn’t just to score, but to help the team score. They need to work on this aspect of their game.
Often, Pugh and Smith suffer severe tunnel vision and miss better scoring chances and opportunities in the attacking third. They need to be able to look for better options when they’re in the thick of it.
52.35′ – 52.40′ (Video)
Horan misses pass to Pugh, who had a decent look on goal. Horan has ‘on and off’ moments where she misses subtle opportunities like this. She needs to work on her game awareness and situational awareness, much like Pugh and Smith. Same issue of tunnel vision for Horan.
53:03′ – 53:10′ (Video)
German mistake leads to American goal.
Follow up questions: How can we create more hesitancy on the German team? How can we force Germany to collapse, like we saw with this goal? How can we break the German team’s defensive cohesiveness? How can we isolate opportunities within the German defensive line?
55:00′ – 55:05′
Smith gets juked. She needed to stick to the open German player behind her, instead of double covering the player with the ball in front of her. Better game and situational awareness needed.
60:15′
Naeher. Good.
61:30′ – 61:43′ (Video)
61:30′ – 61:37′ Pugh. Misses pass back from Horan. She should’ve been expecting it because Horan was surrounded. Pugh needs better situational awareness here and better team play. Overall Pugh’s passing game needs an ‘upgrade.’
61:37′ – 61:43′ Girma. Missed passing chance to Huerta on the right. I would have liked to see more decisiveness and confidence here from Girma. It was a good look and would have been a good decision to pass to Huerta. The ball just needed pace.
Overall, need more confidence from Girma in bringing the ball forward and contributing more closely to the attack. As a rule, defenders have to be able to do this.
66:00′ – 66:10′ (Video)
Pugh. Should have shot. Pugh had the best opportunity to score here (between her and Alex Morgan). Pugh’s poor planning and poor ball control led her to run out of room and stumble over her shot window at 66:05’/66:06′. So, she dumped the ball to Morgan, who had three defenders in front of her (goalie included). Pugh needs to be more deliberate with her ball control and shot planning. Additionally, Pugh needs to learn to better manage her transitions from full speed to dribbling to shooting.
What we need to see in Pugh’s game are moments of more conscientious planning and game awareness. Running quickly and decent dribbling are not enough to score goals at this level of play. You have to be deliberate and intentioned with your movements and attacks. You have to have vision and plan out your attack or else you’ll fumble and/or miss your chance.
76:15/16′
Alex Morgan picks a German player’s pass which allows for Pugh’s chance on goal. Great tenacity from Alex.
This is what the American’s do well. Forcing errors and knowing when to press. We need to keep doing this and do it better. We need to develop strategies around this so it is not some ‘lucky’ or ‘random’ occurrence and can be combined with a goal scoring chance or some other chance. Needs to be tactic we can ‘turn on’ and deliberately do at a moments notice.
76:17′ – 76:28′ (Video)
Pugh’s missed chance on goal. I think she was too ‘gentle’ here. I would have liked to see more aggressive cuts + drives to throw the German goalie off and open up better shot windows.
What I’ve noticed is Pugh’s preference for a softer attacking style versus a more aggressive one. This preference, at times, makes her predictable and easy to defend against.
For example, after cutting right at 76:21,’ Pugh’s tendency to hold and dribble the ball was countered by aggressive play from the German goalie. Pugh was more reactive than aggressive and let the goalie dictate the exchange. Pugh ended up hanging onto the ball and waiting to shoot at the last second, but this decision, or lack of one, allowed the German goalie and defenders to severely narrow Pugh’s potential shot window and ultimately shut her down.
Attack suggestion: At 76:22/76:23 the German goalie came out to meet Pugh. Perhaps Pugh, anticipating this, could have cut hard and set up a shot.
Vision from Pugh. Once again, I would have liked to see Pugh more deliberate and intentioned here. Plan out an attack. Seems like Pugh didn’t have much of a plan and ran out of room to shoot.
Recommendations on Pugh’s attacking + driving style:
More variation.
Be able to use aggressive and soft play interchangeably and deliberately. Pugh was too easy to track and contain with her soft dribbling.
What I think I’ve noticed from watching Pugh these last two games is that she favors driving with her right side over driving with her left. If other teams notice this preferences they could more easily counter her play. We need to see Pugh be able to drive on the left and on the right and be able to do so interchangeably and within a single drive. She has to be able to mix it up.
Pugh has a bunch of opportunities to juke her defenders and cause them to trip over themselves. Pugh could use her speed and agility, combined with cutting and dribbling, to ‘break some serious ankles’ and put space between her and her defenders. She should try and work on this aspect of her drive, especially in 1v1 situations. Dig into these opportunities a little better and make her opponents fall over themselves. Her speed and dribbling are great skillsets that can be taken to the next level. Overall, these skillsets can be used to create better scoring opportunities for her and the team. If she can upgrade them, she will become much more lethal.
76:25′ – 76:28′ (See previous video)
Pugh’s poor pass to Lavelle hurts Lavelle’s one touch shot on goal. Pugh should have set that ball better for Lavelle, Pugh had the time to. Pugh needs to focus and give 100% effort even to minor stuff like this. These minutia matter. The play isn’t over until its over. Keep fighting for that goal.
Once again, I would like to see more conscientious and deliberate passing from Pugh.
78:41 – 78:52′
Naeher comes out of goal to make a risky, incomplete save. I wonder if the previous German goal, and failure of the American defense, influences Naeher’s decision to come out here. It appears that Naeher doesn’t trust her defensive unit. This lack of trust may cause Naeher to take an action that a goalie who does trust her defensive line wouldn’t take here. Girma had the attacking player covered.
Another possibility is that Naeher lost confidence in herself, or just the team’s defensive capability in general, to make a save, which is why she tried to clear the ball before it came closer to the box. Anticipating the worse she made a risky move.
79:25′- 79:40′ (Video)
Smith and Pugh could have passed left to Horan but I don’t think they noticed her. Horan had fewer defenders and more space to work with on the left of that drive.
I think Pugh’s tendency when dribbling + driving is to look down at the ball. While this is useful, it limits vision of other teammates and chances. Need Pugh to look up for other opportunities while she is dribbling and driving every now and then.
82:50′ – 83:10′
Becky good pass, Korniack great header/pass. Pugh good run. Great play overall.
84:20′ – 84:30′ (Video)
Girma. Poor pass. While I appreciate the decision Girma made here, I feel like it was a waste of a corner kick recovery chance. Girma had teammates on her wings who could have helped reset the scoring chance. The long ball is a nice thought, but without the needed precision or pace isn’t very practical or appropriate in this moment (everyone’s congested and there isn’t much space to run). I do applaud the effort and ingenuity behind the pass though and implore Girma to work on her passing precision.
Overall, I think Girma needs more confidence and assertiveness holding the ball and making decisions with it. I feel like Girma is a bit skittish when she has the ball at her feet and has an affinity for ‘getting rid of it’ instead of consciously looking for the best option for it. In this moment I’d like to see Girma hold the ball and recognize her teammates on her wings. It kind of feels like Girma just got rid of the ball prematurely.
Note, a similar situation occurred during the 46th minute of the second half, in which Girma chose to pass the ball over bringing it forward into open space.
Recommended improvements:
Girma needs practice and comfort holding onto the ball and bringing it forward, as well as the vision to see when passing versus bringing the ball forward is appropriate in creating the best chance.
As a whole, I’d like to see Girma being more confident and assertive with her ball handling and passing and more flexible with how she decides to play the ball.
Side note. If Girma was worried about being dispossessed by a German defender, she still has a good chance of recovering. Girma is fast, a fighter, and a great defender.
84.40′ – 84.48′
U.S. forwards/team. Great pressing to secure the turnover.
86.20′ – 86:28′
Pugh, poor pass. Ball was behind Smith so it killed U.S. momentum. Korniack was open on the left.
86.28′ – 86.33′
Lavelle notices Fox’s run on the left side of the field too late.
87.32′ – 87.40′
Pugh, missed a pass to Smith at 87.34′. Smith missed a cross from Pugh at 87.37.’
Would have like to see Smith look for that cross and be there for it and I don’t think Pugh noticed Smith on the inside (.34).
Game awareness from the youngsters needs improvement as does the effort they put in.
88:13′ – 88:18′ (Video)
Pugh. Took too long to shoot her shot (88:16/17′). She needs to be quicker, more decisive and deliberate, as I’ve mentioned. When Pugh is dribbling she has to be more conscientious overall.
Additionally, Korniack had a good chance on Pugh’s right. Overall a wasted chance.
91:30′ – 91:34′
Horan could have driven forward for an open pass from Lavelle.
93:30′
Vltako. Looking to make a substitution (Rodman) in the final seconds of additional time is unsportsmanlike. Wastes time and is pathetic. Don’t do that again.
Note: This assumes Vlatko’s objective was to bleed time and also assumes the Referee wouldn’t account for the time lost from the substitution.
Core Takeaways.
1) The U.S., from these two games, did not score a single goal from an attacking initiation. The goal in the first game (11/10) was the result of good U.S. defensive pressure and sloppy German play. The first goal of the second game (11/13) was the result of sloppy German defense and the second goal of the second game was the result of good U.S. defense and pressure.
This is alarming and troubling. There were dozens and dozens of chances to score in both games, but we could not convert one. If we cannot score off a U.S. initiated attack, we may struggle to win games.
Why this difficulty in scoring? Our attacking third lacks cohesion, coordination and direction. Many young players, i.e., Pugh and Smith, limit U.S. scoring potential in various ways.
2) The Attacking Third
Forwards – Pugh and Smith
Overall, their involvement in scoring chances reduces the overall likelihood of a goal. Missed passes, poor and/or non-existent decision making, missing vision or planning. Their skillsets are useful, but rather useless without integration into a conscientious attacking front; any coordinated defense will shut them down.
Why do they fail?
Lack situational and team awareness
Don’t actively look for the best chance for goal
Lack vision + Don’t plan out attacking drives – they just drive at goal and see what happens
Robotically shoot at the goal instead of creating or looking for better chances
Aren’t patient with the ball. Prefer to shoot versus holding onto the ball, passing, drawing defenders, etc…
Aren’t connected to the team, i.e., the ‘team wavelength.’ Overall objective is for the team to score, not you. Be there for the team when appropriate. A goal counts regardless of who scores it.
Recommended improvements + desired skillsets (not limited to Pugh and Smith):
Improve situational and team awareness
Don’t commit to bad passes and bad scoring chances
Actively look for the best chance for goal
Know when to shoot vs pass vs hold
Pass more often and freely in the attacking third
Look to pass when dribbling (avoid tunnel vision)
Set the ball better for teammates
Vision – more intentional, thoughtful and strategic attacks + movements
Variability of attacking + driving styles
Give 100% until the play is done
Benched Players
What about many of the other forwards/midfielders that were benched for the majority of these two games, i.e., Rapinoe, Korniack, Rodman, Sanchez, Sullivan, Hatch, etc…
How do these players perform those necessary listed skills/ skillsets? What could be improved upon? What skillsets do these ‘benched’ players have that could be useful to the team? How do these skillsets compare to our current starting line up? Would a substitution or rearrangement be useful?
Overall recommendation: Coaching staff should study how players perform in the attacking third, specifically with regard to those listed skills and skillsets.
Direction + Takeaways
We need a more conscientious attacking front. As it stands, the American attacking third is disjointed.
We need strategies to incorporate all forwards’ and midfielders’ attacking styles into a more conscientious, coordinated attacking strategy. This means using players and specific skillsets more purposefully and to different ends. For example, Pugh and Smith’s speed and dribbling can be used to draw defenders out of position while creating opportunities for Morgan, Horan and Lavelle to either pass or shoot. I’d like to see a transition away from this idea that Pugh and Smith must score on their own. It is too simplistic, and any coordinated defense will shut them down (which we saw in these two games).
Guiding questions:
How can we more consciously integrate Pugh, Smith, and other forwards’ + midfielders’ skillsets into the rest of the attacking third to better create chances and score more goals?
How can their skillsets be used in more unique and non-direct ways to create better scoring chances? Traditional tactics and attacking patterns, at least those performed by Pugh and Smith during these games, did not work.
Player Redistribution
I’d like to see Lavelle and Horan more involved in the attacking third. They are experienced strikers and dribblers and currently have better game awareness than Pugh and Smith (my impression).
Exploratory Question: What if Pugh and Smith were reassigned to midfield while Horan and Lavelle joined Morgan as strikers?
My thought process behind this is that Pugh and Smith are fast and have decent dribbling skills but come up short in the box. What if we give Pugh and Smith room to use these strengths over greater distance, the midfield, while shifting the more experienced, conscientious players, both of which are good strikers and dribblers, forward? My current impression is that Lavelle and Horan have much better situational and team awareness than Pugh and Smith, so, theoretically, their goal chance creation and completion would be higher.
Additionally, I feel like Pugh and Smith might be able to learn something by playing in midfield as would the team and coaching staff. I think it’s worth consideration.
Formation + Strategy Change
Perhaps the U.S. could run a new formation that uses Pugh, Smith, Horan and Lavelle more interchangeably and/or cooperatively. Right now, I feel like there’s a disconnect between the U.S. midfield and U.S. attacking third that could be remedied.
Perhaps the U.S. could run a more forward/midfield fusion strategy that allows for more crossover between the attacking third and midfield.
Guiding Questions:
What would a U.S. fusion strategy look like?
What unique plays, strategies and formations could the U.S. run through a fusion system?
Where else can a fusion strategy be used? Perhaps between the midfield and defensive third? Perhaps throughout the whole field? Get creative with it!
How would those ‘benched’ players serve in a fusion position? What skill sets would they bring?
Regardless of how it plays out, having Lavelle and Horan as strikers in the attacking third, or at least more closely integrated with it, should help improve goal completion versus just having Morgan, Pugh and Smith there.
3) Defensive pressure and scoring.
The goals we made off of defensive pressure and tactics is promising.
Guiding questions: How can we expand this skillset and improve upon it? How can we more deliberately force errors and turnovers from our opponents and capitalize on their mistakes?
How can a quick press cause this?
How can a quick change in formation cause this?
How can a quick change in attacking/defending strategy cause this?
How can American defense, midfield and offense invite mistakes and/or overextensions by opponents to create counter offensive and scoring opportunities?
4) American Defense.
Defensive Cohesion
The U.S. has to shore up their defense line. Our ‘defensive unit’ has to be able to confide in one another. Trust is key. For example, Girma’s job isn’t to shoulder all of the defense work and neither is Naeher’s. You have to put faith in your teammates, especially when you are defending against a goal scoring opportunity, or else you’ll just be picked apart. This means that each defender does their job well.
Naeher, Girma and the whole of the American defensive unit have to become more comfortable with each other. This lack of coordination and team work cost the U.S. the first German goal and caused Naeher to make an unnecessary out of box extension at the 78th minute.
Corner kick defense, recovery and clearance.
Needs work. We are way too sloppy in the box, i.e., Pugh’s poor clearance at the 20th minute.
Note: The German team had good positional set up to catch mishandled clearances. Seems like they had a specific formation they used for corner kicks.
Defensive flexibility.
I liked how most American defenders were able to confidently bring the ball forward into space. We saw this from Sauerbraun, Fox, Huerta and even Girma at times, although I would have liked to see it more often from Girma in specific moments.
I’d like to see Girma more confident as a play setter/ play initiator. Girma’s hesitancy to bring the ball forward and create chances is problematic. Girma is disconnected from what’s best for team in this respect. She needs more confidence, assertiveness and team trust to fill this role better.
Additionally, I feel that all U.S. defenders should feel confident as play setters/ initiators and the rest of the U.S. team should know how to respond to this defensive led initiation. For example, U.S. forwards and midfielders should not be dumbstruck when a defender brings the ball forward into space. They should anticipate it and have a corresponding strategy / plan for it.
The U.S. needs to be able to play from the back more cohesively and intentionally. When a U.S. defender initiates with the ball I should be getting the feeling that the U.S. is threatening a goal. I didn’t really get that from these games. It kind of just felt like the team was winging it. Additionally, no real support play came from midfielders or forwards. There was no real strategy centered around defenders who drive into space or look to initiate an attack.
5) Poor passing and unnecessary turnovers.
We need cleaner passes and on target one touch passing. We have way too many unnecessary, unforced turnovers due to passing errors.
New Ideas + General Discussion
1) Player Initiated Strategy: Real Time Team Adaptability
Ability for players to adapt formations, attacking/defending strategies and shape during play.
This flexibility can be used to change shape or formation to better counter the opponent’s strategy and/or to initiate a more advantageous position or play for the U.S., e.g., a surprise change in formation and/or attacking/defensive shape to throw off the opponent and create a goal scoring chance. The skies the limit!
Overall, I’d like to see more autonomy from players once they’re on the field and less overall reliance on coaching staff. This means the team isn’t waiting for a substitution or half time to change their strategy, formation or shape. If a change is desired it can be made on the fly and/or in that moment.
This allows players to have a more personal relationship with the game as they are more directly influencing what they themselves do and the direction the team takes.
If you think about it most players should have an understanding and knowledge of different shapes, attacking/defending styles, formations, etc. By asking them to be more directly involved, I feel it would help create a deeper understanding of the game and make them better players and much better teammates, overall.
Regarding in game adjustment, hypothetically, it could be directed by either group consensus, the team captain and/or through agreement among forward, defensive and/or midfield ‘captains’/groups. Yes, I am proposing a new concept of defensive, midfield and forward captains. A kind of mini-captain in charge of their third of the field. These are some possibilities.
2) Rapinoe (notes from the previous game (11/10)):
Rapinoe has great situational and game awareness. Her level-headedness and control allows her a calming and assertive influence over the game. She can set great plays in motion and reset play to reorient the team.
I’d like to see these skillsets more integrated into the overall US team and play design and more on display as whole. I’d like to see attacking/defending formations designed around these skillsets. Overall, I’d like to see Rapinoe as more of a play setter/ initiator.
Referencing the new adaptability strategy just mentioned, Rapinoe’s skillsets could make her a good fit for an ‘on field shot caller.’ She could be the one to make in game adjustments, i.e., change in shape, formation and/or strategy.
Zach's Soccer Blog 