The U.S. girls’s nationwide group cruised by means of the group stage of World Cup qualification, amassing a +12 aim differential. However John D. Halloran cannot shake the sensation that one thing is off with this squad.
BY
John D. Halloran
Posted
October 21, 2014
10:28 AM
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WITH A 6-0 WIN OVER HAITI on Monday night time in Washington, D.C., the USA girls’s nationwide group received its World Cup qualifying group and can now advance to Friday’s semifinals the place a berth within the 2015 World Cup shall be on the road.
Carli Lloyd, Abby Wambach (2), Meghan Klingenberg, Christen Press, and Morgan Brian all scored for the Individuals. Listed here are three ideas from the match.
What’s the U.S.’s Finest XI?
With such a packed qualifying schedule and blessed with depth that no group on the planet can match, the U.S. as soon as once more rotated its beginning lineup on Monday night time.
Megan Rapinoe reprised her position because the U.S. No. 10, with Wambach taking part in heart ahead flanked by Press and Tobin Heath on the wings. Lauren Vacation and Lloyd took up their ordinary spots within the heart of midfield. Kelley O’Hara began at proper again instead of Ali Krieger and Christie Rampone got here again into the beginning lineup for Becky Sauerbrunn at heart again.
Rapinoe and Heath, who had been each glorious on Friday night time, delivered combined performances towards Haiti, however it was apparent from the opening whistle that Press was able to play. All through the match she made glorious diagonal runs, confirmed a willingness to run at defenders, mixed nicely along with her teammates, and supplied some glorious service into the field.
Wambach appeared to have a quiet night time, not often getting concerned—besides, paradoxically, when she was scoring or creating objectives. All through the event, Wambach has appeared gradual, however there isn’t any doubt she continues to be excellent at what she does greatest—posting up within the field and wreaking havoc.
Wambach created the U.S.’s first aim by difficult the Haitian keeper and forcing her to parry fairly than catch the ball, inflicting a rebound that Lloyd calmly took down and deposited at the back of the web. Wambach additionally tallied two herself, each opportunistic finishes on free balls in entrance of the web.
Klingenberg Continues to Impress
Solely 4 gamers have began all three U.S. group stage video games: Lloyd, Vacation, Rapinoe, and Klingenberg. The primary three are World Cup and Olympic veterans; two months in the past, many thought-about Klingenberg a protracted shot to even make the roster.
Parlaying two robust performances in September towards Mexico right into a roster spot, Klingenberg is now slowly cementing her identify into the U.S.’s beginning XI. To be truthful, the groups she has performed nicely towards as of late (Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala, and Haiti) usually are not world beaters, however Klingenberg has accomplished her job and accomplished it nicely.
Her 1 v. 1 defending has been strong and she or he has gotten ahead exceptionally nicely. Her companies from the left flank have been glorious and she or he hit an absolute stunner of a aim on Monday night time.
Yo, Meghan Klingenberg. YOOOOO. #USWNT http://t.co/9KSqPO9zGS https://t.co/fW8Igc66Tk
— Stars and Stripes FC (@StarsStripesFC) October 21, 2014
In the meanwhile, Klingenberg has received the spot on the left, over gamers like Stephanie Cox and Kristie Mewis (who didn’t make the World Cup qualifying roster) and over Kelley O’Hara, who was the U.S.’s starter at left again within the 2012 Olympics.
Don’t fear, be completely satisfied?
It’s troublesome to get overly enthusiastic about three group stage wins over CONCACAF minnows. Nevertheless, three wins are three wins and development to the semifinals is development. It’s additionally price noting that the U.S. completed group play with a +12 aim differential—not too shabby.
Nonetheless, it feels just like the U.S. has underachieved to this point on this event. On Monday night time, the U.S. appeared disjointed within the assault for a lot of the first half and struggled from a mix of unhealthy touches, poor service, and missed probabilities.
It additionally looks like this group continues to be in transition two years after former coach Pia Sundhage left. Since then, the federation has employed and fired one coach, Tom Sermanni—who appeared to shake issues up by broadening the participant pool and implementing a extra possession-oriented fashion—and has moved on to present head coach Jill Ellis.
The group has seemingly struggled for an id over that interval and continues to be struggling, at occasions, by means of the rising pains of a tactical shift away from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3—a change largely applied underneath Ellis.
To make certain, the competitors stage on this CONCACAF event hasn’t helped. The U.S. nonetheless doesn’t know the way it stacks up towards elite groups and loads of questions nonetheless stay. However as disjointed because the U.S. assault has been, it hasn’t been simple for the U.S. taking part in towards groups which can be typically bunkering 5 defenders and 4 midfielders behind the ball.
Maybe that is an occasion wherein U.S. followers merely must shut up and be completely satisfied about three wins, however one thing nonetheless feels off. The swagger the U.S. as soon as took the sphere with is lacking and the “fear factor” that groups as soon as had when taking part in towards the U.S. merely isn’t there.
Perhaps the U.S. is simply ready till subsequent summer season to kick it into excessive gear, however the sneaking suspicion stays that this group isn’t able to compete towards the likes of Sweden, Japan, Germany, and Brazil subsequent summer season.
John D. Halloran is an American Soccer Now columnist. Observe him on Twitter.
