USA's mastery of fine details helped them beat talented England

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jul/03/usa-england-womens-world-cup-semi-final-hope-solo

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The game between the United States and England took women’s football to another level. It had everything you could want in a semi-final: two VAR decisions; great goals by Ellen White (OK, with one pulled back for offside); a penalty; a penalty save; surprise line-up changes; a tactical battle between the two managers, and, unfortunately for England, heartbroken fans.

This World Cup was a turning point for the women’s game in England. The team have won a lot of respect around the world for their talent and the way they play. Since 2015 they have addressed some of the issues that have held them back for so long. The next goal if they want to really succeed is to work on the fine details that make the difference between winning and losing at the highest level.

All three goals (four, if you include the one called offside) in the game came from horrible defending. I said from the beginning of the tournament that this was not going to be a competition with fantastic defending and that’s what we got in the semi-final. England – as well as the US – obviously need to tidy up their backline but, importantly, I really want to see England convert their penalties.

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Nikita Parris missed two spot-kicks during this tournament. Ellen White – who is their main goalscorer – doesn’t feel comfortable taking them. So it was up to the captain, Steph Houghton, a defender and not a specialist penalty taker, to do the right thing and step up to take the crucial kick against the US. That took courage but Steph didn’t look confident before she took the kick even if Phil Neville said after the game that England had practised hundreds of penalties. Watching from the other side of the pitch, I knew from the way she lined up in front of the ball that she was going to go to the goalkeeper’s right. That’s what goalkeepers are taught to see. Top penalty takers are also taught how to disguise which direction they will shoot. It’s these details that make the difference. To compound things, Steph also mishit the kick. There was no pace on the ball and it was not placed in the corner, making it easy for a well-trained goalkeeper to save.

In my experience with the US team, we worked on penalties a year out from any tournament. Every day after practice we would all take a penalty – and that included us goalkeepers. Players get more comfortable and more confident over time. The coaches keep records about how players responded to penalty kicks and what they did in training. Those little details are what England seemed to neglect and can be the difference at the highest level.

Alyssa Naeher had a great save in the first-half to confirm that no one is going to score against an American goalkeeper from outside the box. American goalkeepers are well trained and historically very strong, an area in which England have struggled down the years. It has been great to see Alyssa gain more confidence as the tournament has gone on.

Starting Christen Press was a great decision from Jill Ellis. Christen can run up and down the sideline forever: she’s fit, she’s fast, and she scores goals. She should have played more minutes across the whole tournament by now, though. It’s been strange to see Carli Lloyd, who came into the England game as a late substitute, go from being the US team’s goalscorer to being the closer in tight games. That shows how much attention is being paid to game management by the US, and how much Carli’s calming presence, ability to hold the ball and intelligence is needed when the game gets hectic and stressful.

That said, people have told me they want to see the US keep possession and go for another goal to close out a game. Instead, the tactic seems to be conservative: put five defenders at the back and head for the corner flag with the ball and wind down the clock. I understand why that can be a good idea but the message I get is that people would love to see the US play football for 90 minutes. We have quality players who can play with style and lock down the game in a less conservative way.

Rose Lavelle has really made a name for herself in France. So many people are asking me to tell them all I know about her and I was sorry to see her leave the field injured. She will have just as big a mental challenge as physical to be ready for the final. If she gets fit in time she might still question her body and if she misses the final it will be heartbreaking for her – and fans.

That’s why some US players will now be happy there are a few days break until the final. Crystal Dunn and Tobin Heath can run and run but Megan Rapinoe will benefit from some extra time out. Megan should look at missing the semi-final as a positive step towards having an amazing game in the final. Hopefully on Sunday, just like in 2015, the US team can take women’s football to an even higher level.