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| Five things USA must do in the Women’s World Cup | Five things USA must do in the Women’s World Cup |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| 1. Use the flanks | 1. Use the flanks |
| The Americans have had an inconsistent past six months. Losses to powerhouses France and Brazil are one thing, but scoreless draws to low-ranked teams like Iceland and South Korea are quite another. What has been remarkably consistent is this: when the Americans play poorly, no matter the opponent, it’s partly due a narrow focus on trying to push the ball straight through the middle. When the Americans resort to direct soccer and channel their efforts into a brute force attack, it quickly turns into an easy riddle for opponents to solve. | The Americans have had an inconsistent past six months. Losses to powerhouses France and Brazil are one thing, but scoreless draws to low-ranked teams like Iceland and South Korea are quite another. What has been remarkably consistent is this: when the Americans play poorly, no matter the opponent, it’s partly due a narrow focus on trying to push the ball straight through the middle. When the Americans resort to direct soccer and channel their efforts into a brute force attack, it quickly turns into an easy riddle for opponents to solve. |
| To pick apart the high caliber of teams awaiting them in Group D and beyond, the Americans need to use the flanks and stretch the field. Instead of turning inside as they tend to do, they should switch the point of attack, work the ball along the edges of the field and force opposing defenses to lose their shape. When Americans do that, things tend to open up so they can move the ball around and go for goal. | To pick apart the high caliber of teams awaiting them in Group D and beyond, the Americans need to use the flanks and stretch the field. Instead of turning inside as they tend to do, they should switch the point of attack, work the ball along the edges of the field and force opposing defenses to lose their shape. When Americans do that, things tend to open up so they can move the ball around and go for goal. |
| 2. Take their chances | 2. Take their chances |
| The Achilles heel for the Americans of late has been their finishing – or lack thereof. In their last three send-off friendlies heading into this World Cup, they had a combined 70 shots with only eight goals to show for it, a shot conversion rate of just 11%. Although it’s become more apparent against recent softer opponents, it isn’t exactly a new problem. Over 10 games in the past six months, the Americans scored on just 12% of their shots. | The Achilles heel for the Americans of late has been their finishing – or lack thereof. In their last three send-off friendlies heading into this World Cup, they had a combined 70 shots with only eight goals to show for it, a shot conversion rate of just 11%. Although it’s become more apparent against recent softer opponents, it isn’t exactly a new problem. Over 10 games in the past six months, the Americans scored on just 12% of their shots. |
| The problem, it seems, is twofold. First, it comes down to good, old-fashioned finishing. A case of the finishing yips seems to have affected all US forwards in recent months. But the Americans will also need to wait for better chances on goal. The impatience that causes the Americans to jam the middle and avoid the flanks may also be to blame for the US women taking shots that should instead be passes. If they stay composed and move the ball around until they have the right opportunity, they should be able to improve their shot conversion rate. | |
| 3. Use players in the right positions | 3. Use players in the right positions |
| Coach Jill Ellis has a conundrum of sorts on her hands. The American bench has incredible depth and too few spots on the field for all that talent. Ellis’ approach at times has been to move players into unfamiliar positions so the same group can start, no matter what the scenario. In some cases, like putting striker Christen Press on the wing as a midfielder, it has worked out. But many times, it hasn’t. | Coach Jill Ellis has a conundrum of sorts on her hands. The American bench has incredible depth and too few spots on the field for all that talent. Ellis’ approach at times has been to move players into unfamiliar positions so the same group can start, no matter what the scenario. In some cases, like putting striker Christen Press on the wing as a midfielder, it has worked out. But many times, it hasn’t. |
| Carli Lloyd is lethal in the center of the attack. Let her roam freely in the middle and she will terrorize defenses. But move her out to the wing, as Ellis did in a loss to France earlier this year, and her ability to do what she does best is neutralized. When creative flank player Megan Rapinoe was unavailable in the USA’s final send-off game last week, Morgan Brian took her spot – but Brian is normally a central midfielder and looked uncomfortable trying to adapt to the new role. With players like Tobin Heath and Heather O’Reilly on the bench who perform well out wide, Ellis will get the most out of her team is she lets her talent play where they have the expertise. | Carli Lloyd is lethal in the center of the attack. Let her roam freely in the middle and she will terrorize defenses. But move her out to the wing, as Ellis did in a loss to France earlier this year, and her ability to do what she does best is neutralized. When creative flank player Megan Rapinoe was unavailable in the USA’s final send-off game last week, Morgan Brian took her spot – but Brian is normally a central midfielder and looked uncomfortable trying to adapt to the new role. With players like Tobin Heath and Heather O’Reilly on the bench who perform well out wide, Ellis will get the most out of her team is she lets her talent play where they have the expertise. |
| 4. Beat Sweden | 4. Beat Sweden |
| The Women’s World Cup is a seven-game tournament to make it to the end, but the USA’s chances of getting there potentially hinge on a single game. The Americans begin their journey in the so-called “Group of Death” with the strongest non-seeded team in the tournament, No 5-ranked Sweden. Also there is No. 10-ranked Australia and African champion Nigeria. Whether or not the Americans beat Sweden will probably dictate whether or not they win the group – and that will have serious consequences. | The Women’s World Cup is a seven-game tournament to make it to the end, but the USA’s chances of getting there potentially hinge on a single game. The Americans begin their journey in the so-called “Group of Death” with the strongest non-seeded team in the tournament, No 5-ranked Sweden. Also there is No. 10-ranked Australia and African champion Nigeria. Whether or not the Americans beat Sweden will probably dictate whether or not they win the group – and that will have serious consequences. |
| Related: Women's World Cup 2015 - interactive wallchart | |
| If the Americans beat Sweden and top Group D, their knockout stage begins against a weak third-place team in Edmonton, the closest host city to Vancouver, where the Americans finish the group stage. After that, the Americans will face a second-place finisher from either Group A or C. Consider what happens if the Americans don’t top their group, though. They will have to fly 3,500 miles and five time zones away to Moncton to face the Group E winner, likely No 7-ranked Brazil. If they make it out of that, they will probably then face the winner of Group C, most likely 2011 World Cup champion Japan. Clearly, the path to the final drastically changes for the worse if they don’t beat Sweden and don’t top their group. | If the Americans beat Sweden and top Group D, their knockout stage begins against a weak third-place team in Edmonton, the closest host city to Vancouver, where the Americans finish the group stage. After that, the Americans will face a second-place finisher from either Group A or C. Consider what happens if the Americans don’t top their group, though. They will have to fly 3,500 miles and five time zones away to Moncton to face the Group E winner, likely No 7-ranked Brazil. If they make it out of that, they will probably then face the winner of Group C, most likely 2011 World Cup champion Japan. Clearly, the path to the final drastically changes for the worse if they don’t beat Sweden and don’t top their group. |
| 5. Never say die | 5. Never say die |
| Brazil’s Marta knows why the Americans can be difficult to beat. She once explained it to a reporter by pointing to her head. Did she mean that the Americans are good in the air? No, she meant that they have a winning mentality. When Abby Wambach scored a 123rd-minute header at the 2011 Women’s World Cup quarter-final against Brazil, it was the latest goal scored in women’s or men’s World Cup history and saved the Americans from elimination. It was also a perfect testament to the spirit of the US team. | |
| One thing the Americans haven’t lacked in big tournaments in self-belief, but with the Group of Death looming, they may be tested early and find themselves needing to rally. With the evolution of the women’s game and an expanded Women’s World Cup to 24 teams this year, this iteration of the tournament could be the hardest one the Americans have ever seen. If the US women can stay confident and execute their game plan, their American mentality could be the x-factor that pushes them through. | One thing the Americans haven’t lacked in big tournaments in self-belief, but with the Group of Death looming, they may be tested early and find themselves needing to rally. With the evolution of the women’s game and an expanded Women’s World Cup to 24 teams this year, this iteration of the tournament could be the hardest one the Americans have ever seen. If the US women can stay confident and execute their game plan, their American mentality could be the x-factor that pushes them through. |