For many who weren’t following alongside through the 2011 World Cup qualifying cycle — by which the U.S. misplaced to Mexico within the CONCACAF semifinals earlier than Alex Morgan lastly despatched the U.S. by in a playoff collection towards Italy — matches towards Mexico might need felt like a rivalry in identify solely.
The U.S. girls’s nationwide crew had not misplaced to Mexico since that second in 2010, and hadn’t misplaced to any CONCACAF opponent at house since 2000.
Monday evening threw that narrative out the window.
The USWNT was outplayed in a 2-0 loss in entrance of a boisterous crowd in Carson, Ca., and whereas it didn’t match the low of that 0-0 draw towards Portugal within the World Cup group stage final summer season, the crew’s remaining group stage match of this Gold Cup was (hopefully) a useful reminder that the crew hasn’t discovered their new, cohesive id simply but.
The factor that ought to fear followers essentially the most is how Monday’s efficiency was a mirrored image of the listless USWNT we’ve seen earlier than.
However how a lot ought to we learn into the 270 minutes performed this yr? How a lot does a loss change what must occur forward of the Olympics? And why is cohesion nonetheless such an enormous drawback?
Mexico supplied a essential check — and a reminder
Mexico deserves full credit score and nothing however reward for executing on Monday evening in all of the locations that matter. However by the identical token, the USWNT failed in lots of these areas.
That failure may be useful if used appropriately (see: losses to France in friendlies in the beginning of 2015 and 2019, each of which have been adopted by World Cup titles). Nonetheless, that’s been the takeaway for this U.S. crew for some time now. Sooner or later, the gamers and training workers both step up or they don’t.
What did the U.S. hierarchy wish to get out of those video games? If there was ever a time to let the crew’s younger gamers problem-solve in a troublesome scenario, it was on Monday evening, down 1-0 to Mexico after the primary half and with loads of unproven expertise on the sphere. Allow them to be examined. Allow them to fail, even! As a substitute, 34-year-old, 217-capped Morgan got here on after the break. That doesn’t inform interim head coach Twila Kilgore or the incoming Emma Hayes something about this crew proper now.
Morgan got here on towards Mexico (Ronald Martinez/Getty Photos)
The USWNT mystique is gone, and the rising degree of the remainder of the world is barely a part of the story. The gamers used to wield their collective repute and mentality as each sword and defend — it advised them one thing about themselves, and one thing about each different crew they confronted. With out it, they’ve misplaced a weapon and one thing extra symbolic.
Leaning into an old style underdog mentality is perhaps the play, as ridiculous as it might sound contemplating the U.S. continues to be ranked No. 2 on the planet by world governing physique FIFA. There was loads written on the USWNT’s lack of pleasure since these very unusual Tokyo Olympics, however much less concentrate on a attainable flip facet: harnessing the anger for good because it sits in pleasure’s place.
With a generational shift underway, youthful gamers who’re hungry for recognition and outcomes ought to take any emotional benefit they will discover.
First although, they need to get onto the sphere.
Why is cohesion nonetheless such an enormous drawback?
It’s price remembering that this Gold Cup is the USWNT’s first camp of the yr, and that it’s nonetheless preseason for the massive chunk of this roster that performs domestically within the NWSL. That’s not essentially an excuse for the cohesion points that plagued the USWNT on Monday, however it’s no less than useful context, together with the huge rotation in personnel that’s occurred by the group stage.
Heart again Naomi Girma looks like the important thing to fixing this drawback, instantly and in the long run. Although it’s comprehensible to wish to handle her load, Girma has already ascended to the tier of participant that you just want on the sphere always. She’s been by a World Cup now too — and was the USWNT’s finest participant in New Zealand and Australia by a really comfy margin.
Girma dealing with Argentina (Ronald Martinez/Getty Photos)
“One thing tonight that was lacking was only a little bit of bravery from the middle backs and willingness to play ahead,” Kilgore stated postgame. “No matter what number of numbers we’ve in entrance of the backline, the expectation is that we glance to play ahead passes, that we hold the ball shifting, and naturally that typically requires a steadiness and it comes again, however we do wish to play ahead.”
If the crew’s id is constructed upon enjoying out of the again, it looks like having your finest defender — a 23-year-old who the crew will construct round for the subsequent decade — on the sphere for the hardest group-stage match would have been a more practical use of Girma than pairing her with Tierna Davidson towards Argentina.
USWNT defender Kelley O’Hara stated on Monday that the crew had typically been “caught” inside sure formations and ways over the previous couple of years, and the efficiency towards Mexico had the identical really feel as a few of the crew’s extra irritating latest performances. On an evening like Monday, it feels just like the USWNT is clinging to the very id they should shed, and a few stunning ideas of play which might be nice in principle and typically have to exit the window when a recreation requires it.
It’s unattainable to know from the skin if the teaching scenario is enjoying a job right here — the whole lot coming from the crew (publicly, no less than) is that communication from Hayes and Kilgore has been wonderful and everybody understands the plan till Hayes arrives from Chelsea in Might.
Hayes not being current till then isn’t preferrred on plenty of fronts, but it surely’s merely a reality the USWNT should cope with. The federation made this settlement, and now the crew is coping with the ramifications of enjoying beneath an interim head coach stationed a continent away just a few months earlier than a significant event. It’s not preferrred and it’s not one thing that may be modified.
How a lot can we learn into beginning XIs and enjoying time?
The reply for me continues to be: “Not a lot in any respect.” However so you may see the three video games side-by-side, listed below are the line-ups…
Rotation was promised by Kilgore, and she or he delivered. With the media after Monday’s recreation, she bristled a bit at a query about whether or not that rotation had backfired.
“The entire group is ready to play,” she answered. “The entire group was ready to play tonight. We may have gone with a number of choices, and this was the group that we selected. I’m very assured that the group is able to executing.”
Kilgore stated that it was necessary for all gamers to have alternatives on this event, but additionally necessary for the crew to execute.
“It’s not nearly partnerships, it’s about methods, roles and duties,” she stated.
From my vantage level outdoors the privileged bubble of the USWNT technical workers, the Gold Cup nonetheless looks like the best place for experimentation, analysis and rotation. However for those who’re going to do it, you need to really commit.
(High picture: Ronald Martinez/Getty Photos)
