My 3 Thoughts on USWNT-Nigeria
Sophia Smith strikes twice in an easy 4-0 win that makes you wish the England game could come a lot sooner
The U.S. women’s national team beat Nigeria 4-0 in a friendly in Kansas City, Kan., on Saturday. The U.S. goals came from Sophia Smith (two), Lindsey Horan and Alex Morgan. Here are my three thoughts on the game:
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• The U.S. combined well, often with Sophia Smith on the end of things. The 22-year-old Smith has been a goal-scoring machine for club and country this year, and that continued on Saturday as she struck twice in the first half to put the game out of reach quickly. Smith’s speed, balance, creativity and finishing ruthlessness have made her an emerging star, and those attributes were on full display against the Nigerians. (Smith hit the woodwork as well in the first half.) Give credit to the U.S. for also doing the passing combination work leading up to Smith’s strikes that has often been missing this year. Smith told me recently: “I want to be the best player in the world.” And if she keeps improving at the rate she’s going, that’s a real possibility in the coming years.
• Lindsey Horan is in better form than she was at the CONCACAF tournament. Horan wasn’t moving very well during the entirety of the July tournament, when her passing was up and down and there were questions about her being injured, but she was more fluid and dangerous in Saturday’s game. Her distribution created danger on several occasions, and she finished the U.S.’s second goal in the box after a move to create space before her shot. Horan has been an impact player for European champion Lyon, and you’d like to think she could be the same for the U.S., especially with the long-term injury absence of Sam Mewis. Even better, Horan was able to funnel the ball wide more quickly on Saturday than she had in July, which created more opportunities for quicker crosses to unbalance the defense. That’s a lot better than when the USWNT sometimes regresses to hopeful crosses aimed to nobody.
• I’m ready for the U.S. to play tougher competition (i.e., England). I understand the scheduling and other complications that have made the U.S.’s opponents this year not exactly a murderer’s row—Nigeria, Uzbekistan, Iceland, etc.—and the U.S. can’t choose its foes in a CONCACAF tournament. But it’s hard to take too much away from a lot of these games when the opposition just isn’t world-class. Nigeria, which will meet the U.S. again on Tuesday, finished a disappointing fourth at the recent AFCON (despite still qualifying for the World Cup) and was missing a half-dozen starters Saturday. That one U.S. game against Canada in July remains the team’s only elite opponent in 2022. But thankfully that will change on October 7 when the USWNT travels to Wembley stadium to meet European champion England in a friendly before a hyped-up, sold-out crowd. Can that game come any sooner?
What are your thoughts on the game? You can join the discussion in the comments below.
My 3 Thoughts on USWNT-Nigeria
The USWNT seems below the likes of England Spain, and possibly France. The USW u-20 team showed how woefully unskilled and even unconditioned the US players were. Passes and dribbling skills were outshown by Spain and Japan. I think we’ll have a decent enough barometer againsy England. The USWNT should try to organize regular scrimmages against college men’s teams if only to play against faster more physical players.
I agree that Horan was much better than in Concacaf outings. She seems fitter and leaner, as well. Pugh was also brilliant for 60 minutes. Morgan is getting chances but not converting. Fox looked more comfortable than vs Concacaf. Huerta is also blossoming. The subs didn’t get enou time to do much. I love Purce and Sanchez, but Nigeria was just kicking the ball out and away. Several subs did not play but will on Tuesday. Until your comments, I did t realiZe Nigeria was down 6 starters. Ugh. US Goalie and defense barely tested.