American Soccer Now contributor John D. Halloran takes the lengthy view in his evaluation of Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier, sharing 4 observations in regards to the match and the gamers.
BY
John D. Halloran
Posted
October 16, 2014
5:44 PM
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THE UNITED STATES girls’s nationwide group kicked off World Cup qualifying on Wednesday night time with a 1-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago in Kansas Metropolis, Kansas.
The win got here on the again of a lone purpose from Abby Wambach, however contemplating that the U.S. was a heavy favourite to win the match—the U.S.’s all-time report towards Trinidad and Tobago heading into the match was 7-0 with the U.S. holding a 54-2 benefit in targets scored—the end result was actually not what many anticipated.
Listed below are 4 issues we discovered from the match.
Some Modifications
Being the primary recreation of the U.S.’s World Cup qualifying marketing campaign and never having accidents to any of its main stars, U.S. head coach Jill Ellis doubtless began what she sees as her finest lineup towards Trinidad on Wednesday night time.
The core of the group primarily remained the identical with Hope Solo, Ali Krieger, Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn, Carli Lloyd, Lauren Vacation, Wambach, Megan Rapinoe, and Alex Morgan all within the beginning lineup.
The one semi-surprises within the beginning XI have been Christen Press on the fitting wing and Meghan Klingenberg at left again. However contemplating that each Klingenberg and Press have featured prominently within the U.S.’s current matches, neither was a stunning choice.
Klingenberg earned the beginning over Kelley O’Hara, who was the starter for the U.S. in its gold medal-winning 2012 Olympic marketing campaign. However Ellis has been sluggish to make use of O’Hara within the again and Klingenberg’s sturdy type within the U.S.’s current video games towards Mexico justified her begin.
Within the match towards Trinidad, Klingenberg proved she belonged within the beginning lineup, repeatedly placing good service into the field, getting ahead exceptionally nicely, and minding her defensive duties. Her play of the night time got here within the 74th minute when a giveaway out of the again by Solo almost resulted in an equalizer for Trinidad. Nonetheless, Klingenberg’s restoration on the play made the distinction in breaking apart the play and preserving the shutout for the People.
Press, for her half, began over a number of veterans, together with Sydney Leroux, Heather O’Reilly, and Tobin Heath.
Though Press did have plenty of strong passes within the attacking third to open up alternatives for teammates, she struggled in entrance of web. Within the 14th minute, she had an open header which she hammered straight on the Trinidadian goalkeeper and, within the thirty ninth minute, Press could not get a strong shot off from an open probability within the field. She additionally struggled on plenty of events together with her first contact, inflicting her to lose possession.
The Formation
As anticipated, the U.S. started in a 4-3-3, the identical formation the group has utilized in each recreation beneath Ellis. Simply as within the U.S.’s first pleasant towards Mexico final month, Wambach was deployed within the No. 10 function taking part in beneath the striker, Morgan.
Using Wambach as a No. 10 made the U.S. seem like taking part in in a 4-4-2 as Wambach usually stayed excessive and near Morgan, with Lloyd and Vacation sitting deeper within the middle of the U.S. midfield.
Usually, an excessive amount of is fabricated from formations. Many U.S. followers have been extremely crucial of the group’s 4-3-3—preferring the group return to a 4-4-2—however with Wambach within the No. 10 function, it is a distinction and not using a distinction.
The issue with the U.S. assault appeared to have extra to do with Wambach herself who, regardless of scoring the successful purpose, struggled all through the match. Whereas Wambach is each the U.S.’s all-time main purpose scorer and holds the world report for all-time worldwide targets, she regarded sluggish and out of types towards Trinidad.
On a number of events she struggled to get on the top of passes which led her into house and, uncharacteristically, could not put away a number of aerial probabilities within the field. To be truthful, nobody on the U.S. had a very good night time on the offensive finish of issues, however Wambach additionally ought to have finished higher with a pair of gilt-edge probabilities within the 52nd and 73rd minutes.
The opposite massive query that continues to be for the U.S. is the function of Vacation within the group’s new system. Within the U.S.’s final a number of matches, Ellis has most well-liked to play Vacation because the group’s No. 6, sitting in entrance of the middle backs.
On the one hand, Vacation’s distribution out of the again is solely world class. On repeated events towards Trinidad, Vacation switched the sector to open up the U.S. assault, together with a number of 60-yard cross-field passes that have been merely jaw-dropping.
Then again, Vacation is a world class attacking midfielder and, arguably, the U.S.’s finest option to play the No. 10 function. Vacation’s attacking skill helped her membership group, FC Kansas Metropolis, to the NWSL title this fall and Vacation initially broke into the U.S. beginning XI within the 2011 World Cup as a ahead.
Nonetheless, if the U.S. have been to push Vacation into the assault, it might solely create extra of a logjam at these positions and nonetheless not resolve the truth that the U.S. would not have an skilled holding midfielder on the roster.
What was up with Rapinoe?
Arguably the worst efficiency of the night time got here from Rapinoe, who’s often one of many group’s most dynamic gamers. On Wednesday night time, Rapinoe repeatedly gave the ball away and struggled to do something productive within the attacking third.
Her lack of straightforward possession has been apparent when she’s performed the No. 10 function for the U.S. and it continued to be an issue whereas taking part in large towards Trinidad.
She did have a few good moments, placing in a superb service throughout the face of purpose within the ninth minute and hitting a shot off the crossbar from 40 yards out simply earlier than halftime. Nonetheless, these moments did not overshadow her repeated dangerous touches and passes, or the open probabilities she missed within the 52nd and 62nd minutes.
Going ahead
Wednesday’s match might have been an anomaly and, contemplating the U.S. has outscored its group stage opponents by a mixed rating of 99-2 of their previous conferences, development to the knockout spherical is virtually assured.
However there is not any doubt that the U.S. was unfocused towards Trinidad, one thing that should not have occurred contemplating the lengthy camp the U.S. needed to put together for this match. Practically everybody on the group had a poor recreation—from Solo in purpose to Morgan up entrance. The U.S. additionally struggled towards Trinidad and Tobago’s velocity—one thing they do not see fairly often from extra technically proficient squads like Germany, Japan, France, and Sweden.
World Cup qualifying in CONCACAF is all the time a little bit bit difficult, because the U.S. discovered 4 years in the past when a loss to Mexico in qualifying compelled the squad to play a home-and-home sequence towards Italy to earn its means in. However contemplating that the U.S. is the No. 1 group on the earth, internet hosting the qualifying match, and competing towards a sequence of groups which have by no means even performed in a World Cup, the U.S. ought to do significantly better.
John D. Halloran is an American Soccer Now columnist. Comply with him on Twitter.
