Defensive Analysis, Recommended Improvements, and Correlations to the USA vs Japan 2025 SheBelieves Cup Match Defeat.

(Much of the following is taken from the “USA vs Germany – 11/13/2022” blog post. It has been shortened and revised, appropriately)

Similarities to the defensive mistakes leading to Japan’s defeat of the U.S. in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup can be seen in this game against Germany. Please continue reading to see how.

Note, this post will start with details and notes from the USA vs Germany 11/13/2022 game, and then make generalizations about improvements to U.S. defense. Throughout, correlations to the USA vs Japan SheBelieves Cup 2025 game defeat, will be drawn.

Regarding the German goal, found during the 17:40′ – 18:30′ in-game minutes: Girma was in the 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 team. 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.

-> Correlation here to USA vs Japan (1st goal): Sonnett panicked and did not realize that she had Campbell as backup and/ or support. She forgot, or lost her cool to fear. As a result, she makes the same mistake as Girma, and obstructs/ interferes with the U.S. goalie. – Note, goalies and defenders must coordinate. The idea that the goalie is somehow incapable of contributing to a team defensive effort, or can only contribute when they are alone and without supporting defenders, or as a last line of defense, is problematic.

What I think the U.S. team and coaching staff should realize is that it’s 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.                                                                   

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 teamwork cost the U.S. the first German goal and caused Naeher to make an unnecessary out of box extension at the 78th minute.

-> Correlation to the USA vs Japan here: Defenders have to coordinate with goalies. The goalies and defenders are not somehow mutually exclusive when it comes to defense. Both help each other keep the ball out of the net.

Look. Ultimately, the overall goal for a defense is to prevent the ball from going in the net. That’s it. It doesn’t matter how it’s done, or which players do what, all that matters is that it doesn’t go in. If we remember this, and organize our defensive philosophy around this, our players will feel less restricted and more able to find the best way to defend the goal, in real time, and in ways that go beyond the limitations of defined roles, which realistically can’t always be met; soccer matches and players are inherently unpredictable.               

I feel like if the U.S. adopts this more open-minded, holistic defensive philosophy it will create a much more free flowing yet resilient defensive network which is more flexible and accessible not just to ‘defensive’ players, but to the whole of the team. A win-win.