OT: Go USA! *
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I admit I don't watch soccer or the women's team, until it's an Olympics or World Cup type event. Are they just having a bad half or is this par for the course?
Hope Solo with a couple great saves in the first half to prevent the Aussie from being ahead.
Goal USA. 2-1.
She is our standout today for sure. Great ball handler.
They are the best team in the world. Their best player, and the best player in the world, Alex Morgan, has not played in months. It will take some time to get into a rhythm. Thankfully they have the best GK in the world to bail them out when they are not playing well.
I watched this late. We finally started to settle in it seems in like the 65th minute. Really calmed down, spread them out, and played our game.
Love Rapinoe's game.
They're one of the top teams. Whether they are the best is debatable. Germany has been ranked #1 in the FIFA rankings for a few years. The US was top ranked for a number of years, but they last won the World Cup in 1999. They seemed to be the best team in the 2011 World Cup, but lost in the finals to Japan.
The US has not been all that dominant against the other leading teams in the world over the past several years.
In the lead-up to this year's World Cup, the US team was so-so. Then again, you could argue that the results reflected Morgan being out for her injury, Wambach missing some of the action, Johnston replacing Rampone due to Rampone's injuries, etc.
Good opening match, but the this squad just like the USMNT is lacking a pure attacking central midfielder who can hold onto the ball and settle everyone down. AUS could have easily been up 2-3 goals at the half as they dominated the first 35 minutes. Thankfully the US settled down and played much better. Heath came on and really did well to help close out the match as they really started knocking the ball around once she got in. AUS may have been tired at that point as well. Great 3 points, but they will have their work cut out for them with the next 2 matches.
I completely disagree regarding their lack of a pure attacking mid. Lloyd is as good as they come. She is a complete player too. I believe she has the second most career goals on the team behind Wambach and she destroys everything in the MF. She is the female version of Michael Bradley. Don't confuse her prowess on defense with a lack of skill on the ball. She is the real deal and without her the US can not win the Cup. If she our Solo were to go down their chance of winning it all is gone.
She was a complete non factor in the first half yesterday. In fact the Aussies were eating them up in the middle of the pitch and Ripino had zero help inside when she had the ball out wide. The Aussies came right through the middle and the US had no answer and no real possession. She is a tough girl and a good defensive central midfielder, but apparently we may have varying opinions on what an attacking central midfielder does.
Michael Bradley's best position is a defensive midfielder, but Klinsman has been pushing him up. Bradley is not a natural attacking central midfielder, but is a great defensive one. He's been out of position for a while now, but the US has no better options apparently. His ball skills are not that of the world's elite in terms of holding on to the ball in order to slow things up and distribute. He has gotten better, but that is not where he excels or made his mark coming up.
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She has 63 career goals as a midfielder and is the only midfielder in U.S. history to even have over 50. Lloyd struggled in the first half because the US's tactical approach was ridiculous. Who plays a flat MF in a 4-4-2? This isn't 1992. Once Holiday played deeper in a DM role and allowed Lloyd the freedom to get forward she dominated the game.
Michael Bradley had 19 goals in a Erdevesie season for Herenveen. Holding MFs who can play in front of the back four and play simple are a dime a dozen. We have Kyle Beckerman playing that role for heaven sakes. Bradley is a true box to box MF. Klinsmann knows exactly what he is doing getting him further up the field. We scored 4 goals against the Dutch without Dempsey, Bedolla or Altidore on the field. If Bradley didn't generate offense in that game, who did?
It was a Friendly and it did not work out well in the WC. He had no touch and gave the ball away way too much. You may be the only person I've heard say Bradley is excelling after the move. I'll chalk it up to a difference of opinion. I love MB the player, but he lacks the ball skills to excel there. There is a reason he lost PT at ROMA and is back in the MLS. The elite midfielders excel in Europe. He's a scrappy hard nose tough player, but you can't make this sale that he has the ball skills of an elite central midfielder. He doesn't, but nobody on the current US roster does either. Just because someone is the best US player does not make them great or even one of the best in their position.
Lloyd is pretty much the same as even against inferior opponents at times the US cannot control the ball long and launch it to AW. This is just me, but I prefer to see an actual distributor make things happen and dictate a game. Someone who the play has to go through. Launch it to Abby or kick it long to Morgan/Leroux can work, but maybe I expect a bit more out of that position.
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