ASN: Alex Morgan Lifts U.S. to Sloppy Win Over England

The striker’s fiftieth worldwide purpose gave Jill Ellis’ crew a much-needed victory, nevertheless it additionally masked a couple of worrisome performances within the midfield and up prime. John D. Halloran assesses the scenario.

BY

John D. Halloran

Posted
February 14, 2015
10:34 AM

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THE UNITED STATES WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM actually wanted a win towards England on Friday. After going 1-1-2 in December, and struggling a humbling 2-0 loss to France on Sunday, questions on whether or not the crew was prepared for this summer time’s World Cup had been turning into extra frequent—and louder.

Because of Alex Morgan’s first-half header the U.S. received out in entrance and held onto the lead, defeating England 1-0 in a sloppy match performed in Milton Keynes.

Listed below are three issues we discovered from the competition.

The Protection Seemed Higher

Towards France, huge backs Meghan Klingenberg and Lori Chalupny took a beating. U.S. head coach Jill Ellis made some changes to the beginning lineup, reinserting Ali Krieger at proper again whereas pushing Klingenberg to the left and dropping Chalupny to the bench.

At first look, the adjustments appeared to assist, however England additionally made issues simple on the People with low stress and an lack of ability to maintain possession for any size of time.

Krieger appeared good, making quite a lot of necessary tackles, and he or she did properly to guard the again put up late within the match, heading away a harmful move within the dying moments.

However the large story from the final two matches on the defensive facet for the U.S. has been the play of Becky Sauerbrunn, Whitney Engen, and Ashlyn Harris. Because the 2012 Olympics Sauerbrunn has established herself as the most effective middle backs on this planet and in these two friendlies, particularly with captain Christie Rampone out injured, Sauerbrunn confirmed her value.

Engen’s final two performances additionally impressed confidence. Changing Rampone within the lineup, Engen performed properly in each matches—a truth that ought to give Ellis and U.S. followers confidence of their depth on the place, and perhaps even give Ellis a variety headache when Rampone returns.

Harris, filling in for suspended goalkeeper Hope Solo, performed properly for her second match in a row, parrying into the crossbar the one good shot England managed.

The rebound fell to an England attacker who put the ball away, however the purpose was (incorrectly) dominated to be offside.

Onside by a mile.. #USAvENG pic.twitter.com/aTPGmEzbNx

— Ben Jata (@Ben_Jata) February 13, 2015

Given the uncertainty of Solo’s standing with the crew, Harris’ performances within the final two video games have proved the U.S. has a succesful backup. The U.S. males’s goalkeeper, Tim Howard, even took to Twitter to congratulate Harris on her efficiency.

— tim howard (@TimHowardGK) February 13, 2015

Midfield is Nonetheless Sixes and Eights

If the U.S. backline impressed confidence, the midfield did simply the other. England didn’t apply a lot stress however the U.S. nonetheless spent a lot of the match resorting to fruitless lengthy balls and clearly lacked a inventive presence within the attacking third.

Alex Morgan will get her first contact within the twenty first minute.

— Caitlin Murray (@caitlinmurr) February 13, 2015

Morgan Brian and Lauren Vacation had been deployed as the twin No. 6’s in Ellis’ newfangled 4-2-2-2. Whereas neither may successfully get ahead towards France, each may achieve this towards England’s low-pressure protection and did so in creating the sport’s lone purpose. Nonetheless, that isn’t prone to occur if and when the U.S. performs groups like Germany, France, Brazil, or Sweden within the World Cup—and the U.S. is prone to battle with two of its key inventive forces pinned again.

Carli Lloyd was once more, confusingly, deployed huge within the midfield and as soon as once more she struggled to make a lot of an affect. Christen Press, the U.S.’s different huge midfielder, had an uncharacteristically sloppy recreation.

What’s Subsequent?

Sadly for Ellis, the 2 friendlies towards France and England might have created as many questions as they’ve answered. In each matches, Ellis deserted her beforehand most well-liked 4-3-3 for the 4-2-2-2. Generally referred to as a Brazilian field midfield—or as followers of the U.S. males’s nationwide crew will bear in mind, Bob Bradley’s “empty bucket”—the 4-2-2-2 does have its benefits.

If the U.S. is aware of it could’t win the possession battle, the 4-2-2-2 can be utilized to maintain the protection compact whereas presenting alternatives to counterattack—a tactic deployed within the U.S. males’s historic 2-0 win over Spain within the 2009 Confederations Cup.

Nonetheless, the 4-2-2-2 doesn’t clear up any of the issues Ellis was making an attempt to repair with the 4-3-3. The brand new look makes it troublesome, if not unattainable, to create a midfield overload in key areas of the pitch, and doesn’t have a spot a inventive No. 10 sitting straight beneath the forwards.

How this new system fares towards a 4-3-3 additionally stays to be seen as each France and England performed a standard 4-4-2. Moreover, switching formations this near the World Cup offers the looks that Ellis is greedy at straws and doesn’t have a real thought for the place the crew ought to be headed or the way it ought to be enjoying.

The opposite large query for Ellis is what to do with Abby Wambach. Towards England, Wambach was restored to the beginning lineup and failed to attain for her sixth straight match. Wambach should have a task to play within the crew, however maybe it’s only in conditions when opponents bunker defensively and provides the U.S. management of the midfield. That is solely prone to occur towards weaker opponents, or late in a match when the U.S. is chasing a lead and its opponent concedes the midfield. At this level in her profession, it appears quite apparent that Wambach gives little as a starter.

How Ellis manages Wambach, and what she will get out of her ageing star, might be essential to the U.S.’s success—or lack thereof—on the World Cup this summer time.

John D. Halloran is an American Soccer Now columnist. Comply with him on Twitter.