Agreed the Girma-Cook pairing needs some work together. Hope some real good friendlies can be arranged in the next few months. Spain next week should be a starting point for the WC run. Mistakes by Cook & Mace accounted for England’s goals.
I knew Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman were good, but I didn’t know they were THIS good. Each was a handful for England, who have played way more together and managed to close them down. With Macario and Pugh both missing in this one, it looks like the young front line is going to be terrific next summer - which is when it COUNTS.
I thought Rose had a bad game - for Rose, which is saying something. Think she just held it too long sometimes.
Yes, it’s a loss. But it’s a friendly against a very good team in a hostile environment, which will only help the less-experienced players going forward. Plus those youngsters held their own. Only a VERY tight offside call prevented a draw against the European champs. And just about any other team in the world would take that result in a heartbeat.
I didn’t realize that Pugh was going to miss the match, due to injury. Starting g Rupino, however, seemed a tentative and overly cautious move. Her only value now is to deliver some balls into the box, late in a game when our attack has been stifled. We would be better starting a young person with a future. Megan is pretty much done.
Why are all you Americans complaining about the offside? It was very tight but VAR showed it was offside. That happens every week in the Premier League. Nobody “conjured” anything up. Walsh ran the game and you lost to a better team.
They need to switch to a double pivot. Asking Sullivan to play as a lone 6 at this level is setting her up for failure, as we’ve seen time-and-again over the last year. Whether this means having Horan drop deeper to play alongside her or replacing Horan in the XI with Coffey, it’s the obvious way to fix the midfield. As it’s set up now, we’re never going to see the best of Lavelle (who, btw, had more tackles in this game than Sullivan).
Cook & Sullivan with forgettable evenings. Girma immense. the six in this system is too important to have a player in that spot who isn't going to win duels again and again. Lavelle should not be the player in your midfield who is winning possession more than the others, but thats whats happening when the six isn't functioning. should begin giving a prolonged look at Coffey at this stage. overall, Smith and Rodman take their clear chances in the second half instead of going high and wide off target and it's a different tone. very useful game just as the matches leading into 19' were.
That offsides decision and the way VAR was handled makes me very nervous about it in the coming World Cups. I thought it was fine in Russia and France, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be fine this year and next.
NWSL refs routinely allow Smith to be mugged. Apparently FIFA refs got the memo. She was pulled down close to the box and, naturally, no call. Yet they were able to conjure up an offsides out of thin air to overturn the tying goal.
I love watching Naomi Girma and Sophia Smith. Two players we are going to be seeing for many years to come.
3 thoughts
1) Rapinoe should not start for this team, she was poor offering nothing in offense or defense.
2) distribution out of the back was subpar
3) Lavelle needs to be in the ball more, playing out on the wing limits her abilities.
Sour taste for that awful offsides.
That second US goal that was called back was a beauty.
BTW, Grant, I love the “through-balls” quick comments.
Agreed the Girma-Cook pairing needs some work together. Hope some real good friendlies can be arranged in the next few months. Spain next week should be a starting point for the WC run. Mistakes by Cook & Mace accounted for England’s goals.
I knew Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman were good, but I didn’t know they were THIS good. Each was a handful for England, who have played way more together and managed to close them down. With Macario and Pugh both missing in this one, it looks like the young front line is going to be terrific next summer - which is when it COUNTS.
I thought Rose had a bad game - for Rose, which is saying something. Think she just held it too long sometimes.
Yes, it’s a loss. But it’s a friendly against a very good team in a hostile environment, which will only help the less-experienced players going forward. Plus those youngsters held their own. Only a VERY tight offside call prevented a draw against the European champs. And just about any other team in the world would take that result in a heartbeat.
On to Spain now. As Grant would say, FORWARD!”
I didn’t realize that Pugh was going to miss the match, due to injury. Starting g Rupino, however, seemed a tentative and overly cautious move. Her only value now is to deliver some balls into the box, late in a game when our attack has been stifled. We would be better starting a young person with a future. Megan is pretty much done.
I couldn’t find it to watch in Switzerland
Why are all you Americans complaining about the offside? It was very tight but VAR showed it was offside. That happens every week in the Premier League. Nobody “conjured” anything up. Walsh ran the game and you lost to a better team.
They need to switch to a double pivot. Asking Sullivan to play as a lone 6 at this level is setting her up for failure, as we’ve seen time-and-again over the last year. Whether this means having Horan drop deeper to play alongside her or replacing Horan in the XI with Coffey, it’s the obvious way to fix the midfield. As it’s set up now, we’re never going to see the best of Lavelle (who, btw, had more tackles in this game than Sullivan).
Cook & Sullivan with forgettable evenings. Girma immense. the six in this system is too important to have a player in that spot who isn't going to win duels again and again. Lavelle should not be the player in your midfield who is winning possession more than the others, but thats whats happening when the six isn't functioning. should begin giving a prolonged look at Coffey at this stage. overall, Smith and Rodman take their clear chances in the second half instead of going high and wide off target and it's a different tone. very useful game just as the matches leading into 19' were.
Disappointing match for Lavelle. A number of giveaways and poor touches in potentially dangerous areas.
That offsides decision and the way VAR was handled makes me very nervous about it in the coming World Cups. I thought it was fine in Russia and France, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be fine this year and next.
NWSL refs routinely allow Smith to be mugged. Apparently FIFA refs got the memo. She was pulled down close to the box and, naturally, no call. Yet they were able to conjure up an offsides out of thin air to overturn the tying goal.
England was by far the better team. Excellent control of the ball