My 3 Thoughts on USWNT-Costa Rica
My 3 Thoughts on USWNT-Costa Rica
U.S. heads to CONCACAF final with a 3-0 win, but you can't help but think the U.S. would struggle right now vs top teams at Euro 2022
The USWNT beat Costa Rica 3-0 on goals by Emily Sonnett, Mal Pugh and Ashley Sánchez in the semifinals of the CONCACAF qualifying tournament for the World Cup and Olympics on Monday night. The win put the U.S. in Monday’s final against the winner of Canada-Jamaica. Here are my three thoughts on the game:
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• Rose Lavelle had a filthy backheel. The U.S. was absolutely lacking in invention in Monday’s lackluster 1-0 win against Mexico, and a big reason was the absence of Lavelle—easily the team’s most creative midfielder—from the starting lineup. With the score 1-0 late in the first half, a successful U.S. counter-press by Sophia Smith forced a turnover deep in the Costa Rica end, and Lavelle instinctively backheeled to Pugh, who finished well for her first goal of the tournament. Lavelle brings something special to this U.S. midfield that’s unique to her, and when teams like Costa Rica are defending deep it’s even more important to have someone who’s willing and able to pull off a remarkable bit of skill in tight space at speed. For Pugh, too, her finish was hard-earned for a player who has been active during this tournament but had been frustrated by her inability to find the net. This U.S. team may be a work in progress, but I don’t think there’s much debate right now that Pugh and Smith should be the starting wingers.
• This U.S. team would struggle right now against a number of teams in the Euros. I fully understand that the U.S. right now is still trying to find the right combinations and isn’t attempting to peak for this tournament in the same way that teams are for Euro 2022. But it’s inescapable when you watch games from both tournaments at the same time that the U.S. would struggle right now against the current versions of England, France, Germany and perhaps Sweden and the Netherlands. U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski said on Monday that his team wasn’t ready today to play a World Cup but that it “absolutely” would be a year from now. Perhaps, but even with the U.S. controlling the game against Costa Rica from the start, and even if we allow that there are just two elite teams in CONCACAF (the U.S. and Canada), I’m not seeing this U.S. team playing in a way that would provide much confidence against one of those European teams.
• Naomi Girma should start the final. The U.S. has gone the entire tournament without conceding a goal, admittedly against weak opposition, but Girma (who didn’t start on Thursday) has been the best-performing centerback of the three-person rotation that includes Becky Sauerbrunn and Alana Cook. Cook had a couple shaky moments on Thursday, so I’d lean toward Sauerbrunn as the central partner for Girma. If there’s one big takeaway on a U.S. player from this tournament, it’s that Girma is the real thing and needs to be a starter going forward.
What are your thoughts? You can join the discussion in the comments below.
I watched England beat Norway in the Euros (9-0 I think) , and England seemed to convert every scoring opportunity. By contrast, we have watched Morgan, Smith, Horan and others miss “chip shots” time and time again. It is almost as though our players don’t want to give “that extra degree of effort” to assure getting the damn ball in the net. Instead, we see them shaking their heads and giving off a “ stunned look” of frustration. We need to either get hungrier players or make these players hungry. Otherwise, third place in a real tournament will be lucky. We also still have no real idea of how our defense will perform against a team that can threaten. So far, we have pretty much just needed to show up. I could have a clean sheet against Concacaf.
Understand not thinking the USWNT would do well at the Euros, and know that winning the final will be important, but I think you underplay how much the team is looking towards next year (for valid reasons).
The USWNT is using this tournament as a testing ground, rather than playing for results. And given their history, suggesting they won’t be ready when it is time to play for results is a definite gamble.