World Cup Woes
So as bad as the US has looked – I have to admit at least they advanced to the knockout stages – who would have dreamed #2 Germany, #5 Canada, Brazil and everyone’s early round darling Colombia would be going home while 3 African nations Nigeria, South Africa and Morocco have moved on. They said this Women’s World Cup was going to be the most attended, most watched and most competitive ever – and they were right. Love this from Brazil’s Marta in 2019 sad to see the Samba Queens go out early. Former USWNT players Tobino Heath and Christen Press are worth the listen on their post game podcasts. Fastastic saves in the MLS/Liga MX Leagues Cup by Charlotte’s GK with 3 PK saves for the win. See all the saves in the GK section below.
US Looks Horrific in tie with Portugal – must face favored Sweden on Sun 5 am
As bad as the US looked last game they looked even worse this time. Three inches – that’s what separated the “ “ #1 team in the world from going home as Portugal’s breakaway shot hit a beaten US keeper Alyssa Naeher’s post and kicked out in the 93rd minute. Yes the US outshot Portugal – but they had 75% possession and absolutely bossed us all over the field. Full highlights The thing is Portugal like EVERY Other European team in this Tourney is not scared of the US anymore. They know they are better than the US right now – and no amount of posturing and looking all fancy by the once dominant US ladies in their Armani like Jackets as they strut around all over New Zealand is going to change that. At this point throw the tactics out the door COACH Vlatko couldn’t coach our U8 Girls team right now – not sure what he can do to fix all that is wrong with this US team. Most alarming for me is I don’t see the grit, the want to or just downright boss-ness that past US teams had. We have been on the ropes before but usually while dominating play. I am not sure we strung 4 passes together vs Portugal while they maintained for 10 and 15 pass segments.
Carli Lloyd has been criticized for calling the US out after they frolicked on the field after the Portugal loss – ah tie. I had no issues with it! Truth hurts. I hope the US ladies take all this negative press and it rally’s them to actually play like they give a shit / leave the pretty suits on the bus / put on sweats and bust out. Win Despite the coaches ineptitude- win despite his stupidity- that’s what they did last World Cup. Just not sure this entitled collection of stars (you’ll note I DIDN’T say team) has that in them. I would start by inputting some more veterans in the starting line-up. Kelly O’hare at right back, Ertz into the #6 slot in a double pivot with Horan and an adjusted 4-4-2 with Morgan and Smith up top. Start Rapinoe (who had the best passes to score for Morgan in her 25 minutes last game) and insert Sanchez for her long passing and scoring ability. We CANNOT be bossed around in the middle of the park like we have the last 2 games – Sweden will demolish us 3-1 if he sticks to the current plan. Switch things up and we could be looking at a 2-1 result – not sure who comes out on top though?
INDY 11 hosts Memphis Sat on Star Wars Night on TV23
Traveling to Kentucky for the second game of a two-game road trip, Indy Eleven played at Louisville City FC for the second and final meeting between the two teams this season. A 28th-minute goal by Elijah Wynder would prove to be the difference as Louisville City FC would go on to earn all three points at home. For the match, Indy controlled the possession battle (68%-32%) but was outshot by Louisville City 14-7 and 5-0 in shots on goal. Next up, the Boys in Blue head home to host Memphis 901 FC for a 7:00 p.m. ET kickoff Saturday, August 5 on Star Wars Night.
MLS –Leagues Cup Round of 16 Continues
The Messi magic continues as Miami knocked off rival Orlando 3-1 as Messi scored 2 and got into a spat with many of the dirty Orlando players. I think Miami is too far back in MLS league play to make the playoffs but they are 3-0 after not winning a game in 11 tries before “the Goat” arrived. Sure would be nice to see Miami make a Leagues Cup or US Open Cup run however. Miami travels to Dallas Sat 7 pm ? on Apple TV. Full Leagues Cup Schedule and bracket below.
Good luck and congrats to those who made High School Teams this week – for those who didn’t – those of you in Carmel go to the biggest high school in the state – its VERY hard to play sports at a school with 6,000+ kids – welcome to college 4 years early.
GAMES ON TV
Fri, Aug 4
8 pm FS1 Chicago Fire vs America Leagues Cup Rd 32
8 pm Apple TV Cincy vs Nashville Leagues Cup
8 pm Apple TV Columbus vs Min United Leagues Cup
9 pm ESPN + FC Tulsa vs Louisville City USL
10 pm FS1 Monterrey vs Portland Timbers
Sat, Aug 5
1 am FS1 Switzerland vs Spain – Round of 16 WC
4 am FS1 Japan vs Norway Round of 16 WC
7 pm TV23? Indy 11 vs Memphis- Star Wars Night
10 pm Fox Netherlands vs South Africa Round of 16
10 pm ESPN2 Sevilla vs Atletico Madrid
Sun, Aug 6
5 am Fox Sweden vs USA Round of 16 WC
11 am ESPN+ Man City vs Arsenal Community Shield
11 am ESPN Man United vs Athletico Bilbao friendly
TBD Apple TV Dallas vs Miami (Messi) Leagues Cup Rd of 16
Mon, Aug 7
3:30 am FS1 England vs Nigeria Round of 16 WC
5:30 am FS1?? Australia vs Denmark Round of 16 WC
11 am CBSSN Liverpool vs Darmstadt 98
7 pm? Apple TV? Charlotte vs Houston Leagues cup
8 pm Apple TV? Philly vs NY RB League Cup
Tues, Aug 8
4 am FS1 Colombia vs Japan Round of 16 WC
7 am FS1 France vs Morocco Round of 16 WC
Weds, Aug 9
7 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 host Birmingham Legion
Thurs, Aug 10
9 pm FOX QF1 WC
Fri, Aug 11
3:30 am FOX QF2 WC
3 pm USA Burnley vs Man City EPL starts
Sat, Aug 12
3:am FOX QF3 WC
6:30 am Fox QF3 WC
7:30 am USA Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest
10 am USA? Everton vs Fulham (Ream, Jedi)
12:30 pm NBC New Castle United vs Aston Villa
2:45 pm ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs RB Liepzig Super Cup
3:30 pm ESPN + Athletic Club vs Real Madrid
7 pm ESPN+ Miami FC vs Indy 11
Sun, Aug 13
9 am USA Brentford vs Tottenham
11:30 am USA? Chelsea vs Liverpool
3:30 pm ESPN+ Getafe vs Barcelona
Tues Aug 15
4 am FOX Semi Final #1 WC
Weds Aug 16
6 am FOX Semi Final #2 WC
3 pm CBSSN Man City vs Sevilla (UEFA Super Cup)
Sun, Aug 20
6 am FOX WORLD CUP FINALS
9 am USA Aston Villa vs Everton
11:30 am USA West Ham United vs Chelsea
2:45 pm Para+ Udinese vs Juventus (Mckinney)
7:30 pm Apple TV Columbus Crew vs Cincy
7:30 pm MLS Pass Inter Miami (MESSI) vs Charlotte
US Women + World Cup
USWNT is no longer the World Cup favorite, faces uphill battle against Sweden
The one glaring (but simple) fix the USWNT needs to make before knockout round
Mentality or tactics: What is the key to saving the USWNT’s World Cup campaign? Caitlin Murray ESPNFC
Reviewing the U.S.’s World Cup so far: Can it still win? What’s going wrong? ESPNFC Jeff Carlisle, Caitlin Murray
With this form, the U.S. doesn’t look like a World Cup champion ESPNFC – Jeff Carlisle
This is not the swaggering USWNT we’re used to
Where are U.S. soccer’s creative playmakers?
Why Vlatko Andonovski’s defense gamble is stifling USWNT attack
Heather O’Reilly doesn’t think coach will make ‘big changes’ USWNT needs
Lindsey Horan: USWNT rediscovering ‘joy’ at the World Cup
Lindsey Horan claps back at Carli Lloyd: ‘To question our mentality hurts’
USWNT not panicking: ‘That’s the outside world, not us’
Midge Purce slams Alexi Lalas for ‘trivializing women’s sports’
WORLD CUP
Scouting Sweden – Stars and Stripes
Portugal star whose shot hit goalpost: ‘We were far superior’ to USWNT
USA TODAY Brazil’s Marta has changed the game of football forever
How the Women’s World Cup delivered its greatest ever group stage — against all the odds
‘One of the saddest moments of my life’: Germany crashes out of Women’s World Cup as Morocco reaches knockout stage in tournament debut
The 10 best players of the Women’s World Cup group stage
Days of Women’s World Cup ‘total predictability’ over, says Ellis
‘We’re used to scraps’: How $30,000 guarantees will change World Cup players’ lives
MLS
League Cup Standings – MLS vs Liga MX
Leagues Cup tiers: Which Knockout Round teams are favorites?
Lionel Messi mania! The GOAT scores second-straight brace for Inter Miami
Messi, Busquets, Alba: How Miami accomplished a historic MLS transfer window
Stock up, stock down: MLS Secondary Transfer Window risers and fallers National Writer: Charles Boehm
Everything MLS. Half the price.
Your Thursday Kickoff: Dominant night for MLS as Miami, LAFC, Dallas & Houston cruise into Round of 16
Tickets for Lionel Messi’s first road MLS match reaching $20,000 on resale market
With each game Lionel Messi plays for Inter Miami, we’re reminded of his greatness
FC Cincinnati, Nashville SC square off in Leagues Cup at TQL Stadium
Knockout rounds
Round of 32
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
Inter Miami 3-1 Orlando City
DRV PNK Stadium – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Mazatlán FC 1-2 FC Dallas
Toyota Stadium – Frisco, TX
CF Pachuca 0-0 Houston Dynamo (Houston Dynamo advance 5-3 on penalties)
Shell Energy Stadium – Houston, TX
LAFC 7-1 FC Juárez
BMO Stadium – Los Angeles, CA
Thursday, August 3, 2023
Atlas FC 2-2 New England Revolution (New England Revolution advance 8-7 on penalty kicks)
Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, MA
Philadelphia Union 0-0 D.C. United (Philadelphia Union advance 5-4 on penalty kicks)
Subaru Park – Chester, PA
Pumas UNAM 0-1 Querétaro
Audi Field – Washington, DC
New York Red Bulls 1-0 NYCFC
Red Bull Arena – Harrison, NJ
Charlotte FC 0-0 Cruz Azul (Charlotte FC advances 4-3 on penalty kicks)
Toyota Stadium – Frisco, TX
Friday, August 4, 2023
8:00 p.m. ET: Columbus Crew vs. Minnesota United
Lower.com Field – Columbus, OH
8:00 p.m. ET: FC Cincinnati vs. Nashville SC
TQL Stadium – Cincinnati, OH
7:00 p.m. CT (8:00 p.m. ET): Chicago Fire vs. Club América
SeatGeek Stadium – Bridgeview, IL
8:00 p.m CT (9:00 p.m ET) Toluca vs. Sporting Kansas City
Children’s Mercy Park – Kansas City, KS
7:00 p.m. PT (10:00 p.m. ET): CF Monterrey vs. Portland Timbers
Providence Park – Portland, OR
7:00 p.m. MT (10:30 p.m. ET): Club León vs. Real Salt Lake
America First Field – Sandy, UT
7:30 p.m. PT (10:30 p.m. ET): Tigres vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
BC Place – Vancouver, Canada
Round of 16
Games will be played August 6-8, match-ups and the schedule will be announced after the conclusion of the group stage.
Quarterfinals
Games will be played August 11-12, match-ups and the schedule will be announced after the conclusion of the group stage.
Semifinal schedule
Tue, Sept. 15: Semifinal No. 1, teams and kickoff time TBD
Tue, Sept. 15: Semifinal No. 2, teams and kickoff time TBD
Third-place game
Sat, Aug. 19: Teams and kickoff time TBD
Final
Sat, Aug. 19: Teams and kickoff time TBD
Indy 11
Indy Eleven Lead USL W League with Four All-League Selections
Indy Eleven Wins USL W League Final in Front of Record-Setting Crowd
EPL
Man City brace for Arsenal assault in Community Shield
NFL great Tom Brady becomes minority owner of second-tier British soccer team Birmingham City
Willian could leave Fulham for Saudi Arabia… two weeks after signing new deal
European Soccer Clubs’ Summer Tours Heat Up U.S. Fans’ Interest
Reffing
Fans convinced Women’s World Cup is ‘rigged’ after …
Women’s World Cup referee causes chaos after …
US Refs at the Women’s World Cup
Chicago Fire FC fined for Mass Confrontation Policy violation
10-year-old soccer referee rules the pitch in Bolivia
Become a Licensed High School Ref
Become a Licensed Ref with Indiana Soccer – must be over 13
Goalkeeping
Charlotte’s GK with 3 PK saves for the win.
Leagues Cup GKs steal Spotlight
Distance on Goal Kicks Training
Tape or Brace after an Ankle Sprain? YourVeryOwnAthleticTrainer.com
Return to Play after an Ankle Sprain YourVeryOwnAthleticTrainer.com
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2023 Women’s World Cup knockout stage – who’s qualified and who will USWNT, England face?
By The Athletic UK Staff Jul 27, 2023 The Athletic
The Women’s World Cup group stage reached a dramatic conclusion on Thursday and the knockout line-up is complete.Germany followed Brazil and Canada in making a high-profile exit, but holders the USWNT and European champions England are through to the last 16.
Knockout qualification at a glance
Qualified: Spain, Japan, Switzerland, Norway, Australia, Nigeria, Netherlands, United States, England, Denmark, Sweden, South Africa, France, Jamaica, Colombia, Morocco
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Eliminated: Costa Rica, Zambia, Republic of Ireland, Vietnam, Panama, New Zealand, Philippines, Canada, Portugal, Vietnam, Haiti, China, Italy, Argentina, Brazil, Panama, Germany, South Korea
Last-16 fixtures
Saturday, August 5
Switzerland vs Spain — Eden Park (6am BST)
Japan vs Norway — Wellington Regional Stadium (9am BST)
Sunday, August 6
Netherlands vs South Africa — Sydney Football Stadium (3am BST)
Sweden vs USA — Melbourne Rectangular Stadium (10am BST, 5am ET)
Monday, August 7
England vs Nigeria — Brisbane Stadium (8.30am)
Australia vs Denmark — Stadium Australia (11.30am)
Tuesday, August 8
Colombia vs Japan — Melbourne Rectangular Stadium (9am BST)
France vs Morocco — Hindmarsh Stadium (12pm BST)
Group A
Norway produced their best performance to advance (Photo: SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Norway | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Philippines | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | -7 | 1 |
Norway were at risk of failing to reach the knockout stages but produced their best performance of the tournament to beat Philippines by the required margin to progress.
Sophie Roman Haug scored a hat-trick in a 6-0 win which saw them go through in second place — meaning a tough test against Japan.
Switzerland had to grind out but their 0-0 draw with New Zealand saw them advance as group winners, with Spain their next opponents.
New Zealand and Philippines went out.
Group B
Sam Kerr roars on Australia (Getty Images)
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Nigeria | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Canada | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 4 |
| Ireland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 1 |
Australia’s qualification was in the balance after a shock 3-2 loss against Nigeria, but the co-hosts avoided New Zealand’s fate as they roared back to rout Canada 4-0 and seal top spot.
A first-half Hayley Raso double and second-half goals from Mary Fowler and Steph Catley saw Australia — with Sam Kerr back on the bench — book a last-16 date with Denmark.
Defeat for Canada means it is the first time in Women’s World Cup history that the reigning Olympic champions have been eliminated at the group stage.
Nigeria failed to beat already-eliminated Ireland, but a goalless draw saw them progress as runners-up, with England next in wait.
Group C
Japan topped their group without conceding a goal (Getty Images)
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 9 |
| Spain | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| Zambia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 11 | -8 | 3 |
| Costa Rica | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | -7 | 0 |
High-scoring Spain and Japan booked their spots in the knockout round with a game to spare.
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But Japan wrapped up top spot in style after routing their closest rivals 4-0, with Hinata Miyazawa scoring twice for the former champions.
Japan, winners of the 2011 World Cup and runners-up in 2015, will face Norway in the last 16 on Saturday, while Spain will take on Switzerland earlier on the same day.
Costa Rica and Zambia knew they were heading home early ahead of their final-round meeting, but Zambia avoided bottom spot after a 3-1 win.
Barbra Banda scored the 1,000th goal in Women’s World Cup history with her penalty kick in the 31st minute.
Group D
Lauren James starred against China (Getty Images)
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 9 |
| Denmark | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| China | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 3 |
| Haiti | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 0 |
England needed just a point after beating closest challengers Denmark 1-0 — but they turned on the style to seal top spot, routing China 6-1.
The Euro 2022 winners will now face Group B runners-up Nigeria.
Denmark beat Haiti 2-0 to seal second spot and will face co-hosts Australia next.
Group E
The USWNT scraped through after being held by Portugal (Getty Images)
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 7 |
| USA | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Portugal | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Vietnam | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | -12 | 0 |
The USWNT have qualified — but had to settle for second place in Group E after a goalless draw against Portugal.
They will now face the winner of Group G — Sweden — in Melbourne on Sunday, with the Netherlands facing South Africa in the last 16.
The USWNT’s route is now potentially trickier; get through their last-16 tie and they are likely to face former champions Japan — The Athletic’s team of the tournament so far — in the quarter-finals rather than semi-finals.
The Netherlands claimed top spot in style after beating bottom-placed Vietnam 7-0.
Group F
Jamaica players celebrate advancing to the knockout stage after the scoreless draw. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 7 |
| Jamaica | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Brazil | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Panama | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 11 | -8 | 0 |
France needed only a draw against Panama to secure qualification but their 6-3 victory over the already-eliminated South American side meant that they topped Group F with seven points.
Despite being pegged behind two minutes into the game by a wonderous long-range free-kick from Panama’s Martha Cox, France walked out comfortable winners, thanks largely to a 24-minute hat-trick from forward Kadidiatou Diani.
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Jamaica needed a draw from their final group game to qualify from the group and managed to do exactly that.
A 0-0 draw against Brazil meant that the Caribbean side finished second in Group F and qualified for the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time in their history.
Another shock exit, as Brazil become the second top-ten ranked team to be eliminated from the competition after Canada’s elimination on Monday.
Group G
Sweden topped the group with a perfect record (Getty Images)
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 9 |
| South Africa | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| Italy | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 3 |
| Argentina | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 1 |
Sweden needed just a point to win the group, but a much-changed side maintained their perfect record with a 2-0 win over Argentina.
They will next face holders United States in a blockbuster clash in Melbourne — a rematch of the Olympic quarter-finals in 2021 when the Europeans won 3-0 en route to the final.
Italy seemed set for the runners-up spot but South Africa instead reached the knockout round of a Women’s World Cup for the first time after a dramatic finale in that game.
Thembi Kgatlana scored a stoppage-time winner to seal a 3-2 victory and prompt wild South Africa celebrations.
Group H
Two-time winners Germany are out (Getty Images)
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Morocco | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | -4 | 6 |
| Germany | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| South Korea | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 1 |
Twice former winners Germany crashed out in the opening phase of the Women’s World Cup for the first time after a 1-1 draw with South Korea in their final Group H match on Thursday.The Germans, champions in 2003 and 2007 and ranked second in the world, had needed a win to be sure of progressing.But Morocco’s 1-0 win over Colombia in the other group match in Perth sent both teams through to the last 16.
USWNT problems run bone deep as they hope to find next level in World Cup knockouts
By Meg Linehan Aug 1, 2023 The Athletic
Since the tournament’s inception in 1991, the USWNT has never finished lower than third place in a World Cup, despite previous dips in the program. The goal in Australia and New Zealand was to achieve an unprecedented three-peat after winning the competition in 2015 and 2019. But right now, the U.S. looks utterly toothless in front of goal and lost in the woods tactically.ADVERTISEMENT
Even though the U.S. barely avoided the unthinkable — exiting the World Cup at the conclusion of the group stage — it would have been deserved, honestly. Instead, the team survived and advanced into the round of 16 via a 0-0 draw with Portugal, finishing second in Group E behind the Netherlands with a win and two draws. For those who stayed up late to watch back home, it will do little to inspire hopes of another deep World Cup run.Just about everything that could have gone wrong did. As the Netherlands cruised to a 7-0 victory over Vietnam in Dunedin, scoring beautiful goal after beautiful goal, every touch for the U.S. was a struggle. They looked hesitant and uninspired. Avert your eyes from their passing network. Captain Lindsey Horan’s every move was designed to avoid a second yellow card that would result in a suspension for the round of 16, but despite the painful caution, it was Rose Lavelle who picked up her second yellow of the tournament in the 39th minute.Lavelle still looked dismayed in the mixed zone after the match. “’I’m just disappointed in myself that I picked up that yellow,” she said. “Disappointed I can’t help the team out on the field next game. I think there’s still a lot of ways that I can help the team off the field, so I guess that’s where my energy will be.”
By that point in the game, every single writer up in the media tribune at the stadium was already hedging their bets as they sent out their updates: it would be a problem for the USWNT if they reached the knockout stages. If. Over the past decade, that word hasn’t seen a lot of use in the group stage. The “if” at least turned to “when,” but only by the grace of the post that prevented a late winner from Portugal’s Ana Capeta in the second minute of extra time.
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It’s not to say that there haven’t been moments like this in the USWNT’s history, but every single time before, the team managed to pull off some last-gasp heroics. Still, you’d have to go back to 2011, and how they were forced into a playoff home-and-away series against Italy to qualify for that World Cup. The U.S. won each of those matches 1-0, though. It wasn’t pretty, but they advanced.
That same World Cup, they also finished second in their group, behind Sweden. There are still a handful of current players who remember that. Alex Morgan is one of them.
“We’re not happy with the performance we put out there,” she said in the postgame press conference. “But at the same time, we’re moving on. This isn’t the first time in my career we’ve moved on second in the group. So now, it’s coming back together (as a team), knowing that we have all the pieces to make it all the way, but putting that all together.”
Only moments before in the mixed zone, Morgan had gotten a question positing that Sweden would be favorites in the round of 16 (while still not yet finalized, an almost certain conclusion considering how these two teams’ tournaments histories have been interwoven). Morgan paused for the briefest of moments, before simply replying, “No,” and moving on to the next interview down the line.
The team has that level of confidence in themselves, and they must. They also must balance immediately putting this match behind them emotionally, while learning from it at the same time.
Can that level of confidence in themselves improve though, as they reset for the knockout stages?
“I just have blind confidence in everything around us, and in myself and in the group,” Megan Rapinoe said. “So it has to. It just has to.”
It feels like we’re counting the days down until it all ends, and the work of trying to understand full sense of everything that’s gone wrong for the team at this tournament begins.
There’s a lot, to be fair. It goes beyond a head coach, beyond a dismal performance on a Tuesday night, beyond the lack of substitutes in the Netherlands match or the lack of finishing against Vietnam in the opener. Or Andonovski’s reluctance to see if the 4-2-3-1 might work better, and to shift away from the 4-3-3, when it hasn’t just been shut down, but exploited fairly easily by opponents. Or the number of injuries the team carried into this tournament. (One could argue that the quality of refereeing had at least some impact on all three matches, too, if one were so inclined.)
These are all symptoms, not the illness. The problem’s much deeper, reaching through the youth national teams and into the core of the program itself. We saw some of the warning signs in the last Olympics, where they lost to Canada in the semifinals, but with the strange nature of that tournament and the bounce back for bronze, followed by the project of the roster transition beginning in earnest, it was easier to overlook. There was a window for improvement, and the team looked like it was shaping up through qualification last summer. The USWNT’s lackluster group stage feels like that problem finally bubbling up to the highest levels.
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Consider the track record of the two U.S. women’s youth national teams who also participate in World Cups, the U-20s and the U-17s. Every single player on the field for the U.S. comes up through this system, and it’s been a long, long time since either one of these teams has been successful.
The last time the U-20s won their World Cup was in 2012. Over the next three tournaments, their final placement got worse with each successive tournament: fourth place in Papua New Guinea in 2016 (losing to Japan), ninth in France 2018, 11th in Costa Rica 2022. The last two times, the U.S. failed to advance from their group.
It’s even rougher for the U-17s. Their best performance in the World Cup was in the inaugural one for the age group, in 2008 — held in New Zealand. The U-17s finished second there, but failed to advance from their group in 2016 and 2018 (finishing 10th and 13th place, respectively), and in the most recent U-17 World Cup, they lost to Nigeria in the quarterfinal for a sixth place finish.
It’s only going to get harder, at every level moving forward — not just in whatever match-up they face on August 6 in Melbourne. Andonovski reminded everyone on Monday that rankings mean absolutely nothing at the World Cup, but it’s more than that, and it’s more than the rest of the world catching up to the USWNT, or their lack of fear playing against the U.S. It was a lot more than stray passes or a lack of chemistry or unsophisticated tactics.
There are bone-deep problems in the program that will need long-term solutions — not just whatever may come down the line if the USWNT goes out any earlier than the final, whether that means the departure of Andonovksi or USWNT general manager Kate Markgraf, or both. None of that is happening at this moment, though.
There was no magical solution on Tuesday night. Rapinoe was a few inches away from playing her final minutes in a World Cup, but she could not make the difference after she entered the game around the hour mark. There was no joy from Morgan’s left foot either, despite multiple opportunities. The USWNT had their chances, as always (six shots on target to Portugal’s zero), but as is more than normal over the past year-plus, they had nothing to show for them.
Every World Cup match is a test and on Tuesday, the USWNT was lucky that it’s graded as pass/fail: Pass, you move on, fail, you go home. But was tonight the gut punch that might finally jolt the team into reaching its full potential?
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“It’s definitely a reminder that every game needs to be our best game, even in the group stage,” defender Naomi Girma said, unwilling to go that far. “Now, going into knockouts, it’s win or go home. We’re still in it. We are capable of raising our level so much and playing a lot better, creating more chances, putting our chances away, being clear in the back. I think there is a higher level for this team, and going into the next round, we’re gonna need to tap into that.”
Meg Linehan is a senior writer for The Athletic who covers the U.S. women’s national team, the National Women’s Soccer League and more. She also hosts the weekly podcast “Full Time with Meg Linehan.” Follow Meg on Twitter @itsmeglinehan
The USWNT look aimless – they don’t really know what they are
Michael Cox Aug. 4, 2023
Close followers of the USWNT were generally pessimistic about their chances at this Women’s World Cup, but the scale of their underperformance in the group stage was quite striking. The 3-0 win over Vietnam wasn’t as easy as anticipated, while the games against the Netherlands and Portugal have brought two draws, 1-1 and 0-0. Slip-ups happen, even for the serious contenders to win this competition. Germany lost to Colombia, France couldn’t beat Jamaica. Australia and England needed a penalty to defeat Ireland and Haiti respectively. But the U.S. performances have been more troubling than the results. It’s partly about individuals. But it’s also about identity.
The first issue is the U.S. no longer have a dominant collection of individuals, unlike when they won the previous two tournaments. Coming into this World Cup, it felt probable that western Europe had caught up in that respect, but on the strength of the group stage, it seems nations from across the globe have too.The U.S. are (probably) between two generations of great players. This can happen. The 2015/2019 generation was genuinely special. Of that group, some dependable players have retired. Some are injured. Some weren’t selected. Some are still around, but are evidently past their best. There is no questioning the talent of Naomi Girma, Alyssa Thompson, Sophia Smith or Trinity Rodman, all 23 or under and the start of the next U.S. generation. But these players are all competing at their first World Cup, have little experience playing outside their home country and simply aren’t at the age where footballers usually peak. At the moment, you can reasonably put together a World Best XI without a single USWNT player, for probably the first time since the Women’s World Cup was created in 1991. That doesn’t mean the U.S. can’t win the tournament, but it does mean they have to play more collectively. That brings us to the second issue: the absence of tactical intelligence from Vlatko Andonovski’s side. There is simply no cohesion in what the U.S. are attempting, with or without possession. Leaving aside the win over Vietnam, where anything other than a comfortable victory would have been an astonishing shock, they have been ill-equipped to cope with the opposition’s system. In fairness, the Netherlands opened the scoring against the run of play, but thereafter they kept the ball expertly, moving it patiently around the defence while the U.S. looked utterly confused about how they might go about pressing the opposition back three.Portugal, meanwhile, used a diamond midfield, which allowed them to cut through the U.S. lines smoothly. One particular move, which put in Jessica Silva for a good goalscoring opportunity, was particularly rare at this World Cup as an example of a team progressing the ball directly through the centre.
It’s not that other teams don’t want to do that, of course, more that their opponents have defended in a compact block, forcing attacks down the flanks. Not the U.S.; there are simply too many gaps between the lines.Their attacking game has been largely based around getting the ball out wide to Smith and Rodman or Thompson, and expecting them to thrive in one-against-one situations. It worked against Vietnam but, to be frank, it hasn’t worked against defenders who are actually professional footballers.There is a lack of genuine creativity and incision in this side. The best moments of interplay have come when Alex Morgan has dropped deep and flicked the ball around the corner to the wingers. But against Portugal, Morgan — probably troubled by her lack of goals in this competition — was too individualistic and shot in situations when she could have passed, like this difficult attempt when Rose Lavelle was screaming for the ball on the edge of the box.
Morgan has no goals from 13 attempts at World Cup 2023. Damningly, just one has been on target. Even more damningly, that was a penalty, which was saved.The third issue is something deeper: it’s about philosophy. In truth, despite their previous successes, this has never been an area of strength for the USWNT; there’s always been a question mark about precisely what type of football they offer. The strengths of previous U.S. sides have been mental resilience, fitness levels and belief. These are all general concepts which could apply to any sport.But what is the footballing identity of a U.S. side? Are they about long, patient spells of possession? No. Are they astute counter-pressers who set up traps and then pounce quickly? To a certain extent, because of fitness levels, but this has generally been about energy rather than intelligence. Do they rotate positions to drag opponents apart? Not noticeably. Do they switch formation to exploit opposition weaknesses? Probably to a lesser extent than other contenders to win World Cups.The man who coached the U.S. to their first Women’s World Cup triumph, Anson Dorrance in 1991, once explained the footballing style of the side. “What we had an opportunity to do, which was unique, was developing our game within the sort of cultural and athletic mores of the United States,” he said, quoted in Kieran Theivam and Jeff Kassouf’s book, The Making of the Women’s World Cup. “I was coaching entirely within the parameters of our own culture. Because we had no (footballing) culture, we couldn’t pride ourselves on our sophistication or our creativity. But we had this relentless, irrepressible American spirit with a confidence that belied our capability.”That approach persists today. In footballing terms, that approach comes down to a couple of concepts: one-against-one dribbling out wide, and hard running from midfield. This works when you are superior individually and in terms of fitness, but without those two advantages, there’s nothing to fall back on. Subsequent managers have focused on winning, and have largely been very successful, but haven’t implemented much of a philosophy.
“The intensity in European football really has grown the last couple of years, as well as the fitness,” said Netherlands manager Andries Jonker, speaking before the 1-1 draw between the sides in the group phase. “In the past, the American women were a lot fitter than the rest of the world, but I really think those days are over. If you look at the Champions League nowadays, you see the same level of intensity. So the big question is now, what is left of their superiority?”
Their most impressive performer here has been Lavelle, a willing runner from midfield but not the most incisive footballer you’ll ever see. She is suspended for the round-of-16 game against Sweden. Even with Lavelle, this side lacks footballing guile and players who can play clever passes. The introduction of Megan Rapinoe for the final half-hour against Portugal was interesting, because while she initially looked dangerous by attempting to thread passes in behind, a welcome development, she was ultimately too ambitious in possession and conceded the ball cheaply.Rapinoe found a team-mate with just seven of her 22 passes, a 32 per cent completion rate, and at one point bafflingly booted the ball up in the air towards no one in particular, allowing Portugal to break. Passing numbers in isolation can be misleading, but it’s worth noting Morgan’s completion rate was only slightly better: 33 per cent. Lynn Williams’ was 47 per cent and Smith’s 54 per cent. All four of those figures are below each of the 10 Portugal outfielders who started the game.The U.S. weren’t really playing football and they weren’t able to control the game. The most curious aspect of their performance against Portugal was in the final 15 minutes, when they made the game a back-and-forth counter-attack contest at a time when the prospect of a 0-0 was underwhelming but, in terms of progression to the next round, fine. That played into the hands of Portugal, who were two inches away from finding a winner and eliminating their opponents.
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Despite all this, it’s far from impossible that the USWNT still win this tournament. In fact, bookmakers still consider them the favourites.The strongest section of the side has been Girma and Julie Ertz’s centre-back partnership, and for all the struggles going forward, this team has conceded only once. If you keep clean sheets, you can progress through tournaments. For all the surprise about Canada being eliminated from this competition early, considering they’re the reigning Olympic champions, they were completely uninspiring in Tokyo two years ago too. They won only one of their three group games, and their three knockout scorelines were 0-0, 1-0 and 1-1, with both the goals they scored coming from the penalty spot. They had no attacking identity. But they didn’t concede many, so they won the tournament.Maybe the U.S. will do something similar. Maybe the dribbling skill of their wingers and bursts from their midfielders will prove more decisive against opponents who attack and leave space in behind.But there’s an emptiness, an aimlessness and a lack of intelligence about this U.S. side. Despite high-profile individuals, they’ve been less convincing as a unit than the likes of Portugal and Haiti, sides who have been eliminated. You can blame Andonovski, who is almost certainly out of his depth, but in wider footballing terms, the U.S. don’t really know what they are.
The USWNT’s ‘Prayer Circle Formation’ is tough to watch, but winning isn’t impossible
Kimberly McCauley Aug. 3, 2023
The United States women’s national team will head into its World Cup round of 16 game against Sweden with a majority of its fan base doubting the team for perhaps the first time in their history. During the U.S.’s last group-stage match, a 0-0 draw against Portugal, they turned in the ugliest and sloppiest performance of the Vlatko Andonovski era, prompting questions about whether the team has what it takes to win a World Cup knockout stage game.
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Criticism of Andonovski and his team are warranted after they failed to beat first-time qualifiers Portugal, but it’s worth pointing out that this game was very close to going a lot differently.If Alex Morgan heads in the cross that Rose Lavelle delivered a couple inches away from perfect, only 18 seconds into the match, or if the U.S. scores any of their 17 relatively high-quality shots — good for 2.13 expected goals — we are probably not having an exhaustive conversation about everything wrong with their coach and tactics. A game with this shot profile is one the USWNT wins more often than not.
The U.S. had six shots inside the box and seven of 0.1 xG or better. The things that happened in between those shots were ugly and difficult to watch, but the USWNT did, ultimately, get enough high-quality shots to win the game. It’s probably good for the team’s long-term prospects that none of those shots resulted in a goal, though. Instead of having a 2-0 win to paper over all of the cracks in the U.S.’s tactical setup, all of those cracks were clear for everyone to see in a 0-0 draw, in which the Americans were an inch from elimination.m
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USWNT’s attack is supposed to look like
I’ve spent three years not liking the way the U.S. is playing, giving Andonovski the benefit of the doubt because he is a qualified coach who has won NWSL championships, and giving games a second look to see if I missed anything. This game had fewer positives to find on second look than any other one I can remember, but you could at least see what his team was trying to accomplish on this third-minute move, probably the best of the game. Julie Ertz starts the attack with an excellent outlet ball to Crystal Dunn, who runs into wide space that’s available due to Portugal’s narrow 4-4-2 diamond formation.
Sophia Smith gets into a good position to receive a pass ahead of Dunn, who finds her with an early ball, getting Smith isolated in a one-on-one in a lot of space against Portugal left back Ana Borges. This is the kind of situation the U.S. would like to find Smith in frequently, and she makes a good decision to cut inside, then try a diagonal ball toward the top of the box.
Smith’s ball isn’t great, but the U.S. attackers are in good positions to keep Portugal under pressure, compete for the second ball after Smith’s diagonal pass is intercepted, and continue the attack with a numerical advantage on the right side. They’re able to work it to Lynn Williams, who beats her defender and squares to the top of the six-yard box for Alex Morgan.
Portugal defender Diana Gomes does a solid job of reacting and putting Morgan off balance just enough to alter the shot and prevent a goal. But this was a good move resulting in a high-quality chance, and if the U.S. were able to do this repeatedly, they’d have won the game.
What’s actually happening 95% of the time they have the ball
Unfortunately for the U.S., Portugal settled into their shape and started defending much better around the 10-minute mark. From then on, the U.S. looked sloppy, and struggled with their passing. Midfield shape and movement is the most glaring issue with the U.S. at the moment. The team is regularly taking up a stance I’ll call the “Prayer Circle Formation,” in which everyone’s occupying a space on the perimeter of the pitch and no one’s in the middle. Intelligent and technically adept players who regularly show the ability to combine in tight spaces at the club level are being made to appear inept, as they look up for passing options and find no one Also, this is exactly what happened when the USWNT lost to Canada in the Olympics in 2021. The Prayer Circle has to be considered a feature, not a bug, of Andonovsi’s tactics at this point. He wants to create overloads in wide areas and get numbers into the box so badly that he is willing to sacrifice having a midfield to do so. Personally, I think this sucks and leads to very bad soccer. There are — and I swear to god I am not exaggerating one bit — at least 15 instances of the Prayer Circle popping up in the Portugal match, but we’re going to stick to three examples. During the English-language broadcast of the game, Fox analyst Alexi Lalas lobbed a harsh criticism at Crystal Dunn, stating that she looked like she’d never played soccer before. I would like to know where Dunn is supposed to pass the ball in this instance.
Dunn chose a lofted pass over the top of the defense toward Lindsey Horan, who was making a vertical run in the channel between the right center back and right fullback. Here’s another move where the U.S. tries to build down its left flank through Dunn, who is then tasked with advancing the ball to… who, exactly?
Horan is lagging back on this play while Lavelle stays in the right half space, neither winger cuts inside, and Morgan tries to stretch the back line. Dunn is left with only one passing option: Smith on the left side. Because Portugal knows that Dunn only has one passing option, they can cheat to their right and set up to trap her against the sideline. Holding midfielder Andi Sullivan has also caught a lot of criticism for her lack of contribution to build-up play and inability to play passes quickly. I am not going to argue that Sullivan has played well during this World Cup, but I would like to know what quick and/or progressive pass she is supposed to play here.
Horan is not offering herself as an option and Lavelle is literally out of frame. This is another instance of the two more advanced central midfielders trying to make a run into the box during early build-up. This isn’t a bad thing; it’s great to have midfielders who are a threat to make runs into the box and score goals. But Horan and Lavelle regularly made this run at the exact same time, meaning neither of them was making themselves a passing option in midfield.
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This was the most recognizable repeated pattern of play for the U.S. in this game: Dunn, Sullivan or Emily Fox gets on the ball roughly 60 yards from goal. Horan and/or Lavelle (usually “and”) make a vertical run toward the box. The player on the ball thinks Portugal has the run covered, so they don’t try to play in their midfielder, and look for their second option. There is no second option. The central midfielders have run forward, and no one from the front line is moving into midfield to replace them. The ball carrier’s only options are to play long or backwards. The USWNT has faced constant criticism for not playing fast enough, and I’m not sure how they’re meant to do that without hoofing it long up the pitch. The players are having to stop to think because there aren’t available teammates to pass to. Teams that play fast with short passes on the ground are able to do so because their teammates make themselves available for passes. This problem does not originate with the player on the ball, but with the players off the ball.
I hate the left side bias
The USWNT’s build-up leans extremely heavily to its left side. Dunn had a team-leading 72 touches in the match, while Fox, her counterpart on the right side, had just 42. The desire to build through Dunn makes sense — she’s a technically adept central midfielder being tasked with playing left back, and she has a lot of existing chemistry with Horan, the left-sided central midfielder. Using the skills of those players to beat the first line of pressure and advance the ball into midfield makes sense.
But then they don’t go anywhere. They just keep advancing the ball down the left by passing to Smith, or a run by Morgan or Horan toward that side of the pitch.
The USWNT’s inability or unwillingness to work the ball into midfield or play a switch to the right side after early build-up makes them predictable and easy to defend against. It also means fewer touches and less time on the ball for Lavelle, the team’s most impactful creative playmaker. I would try to engineer a system that gets Lavelle on the ball as often as possible instead.
Directness is fine but this is a little extreme
I like watching teams that play forward early. There’s such a thing as pointless circular passing, and Japan’s demolition of Spain is an excellent example of why possession and high passing percentages don’t necessarily mean you’re the better team. But you need the ability to keep the ball situationally, and the USWNT extremely does not have that at the moment. As Carr points out down the thread a bit, 2.6 passes per sequence is average for an NWSL match, and the USWNT has not hit that number once in its three group games. They’re just going for the home run ball over the top constantly. Andonovski alluded to this being a genuine tactic in the post-match press conference. When he was asked about his team’s low pass completion percentage, he said, “If we have a lower pass completion (percentage), it could be because of the technique of the pass, or the area where the pass was attempted.” In other words: We were trying low-percentage, high-risk passes on purpose.Horan and Lavelle finished the game with 63% and 57% passing accuracy respectively, which looks pretty bad on the surface, but I don’t think it’s the problem. Asking your best passers to play lots of high-risk passes in the hopes that they hit one and unlock the defense is a legit tactic, and in this particular instance, one that came off… OK? Horan created two chances with 0.24 expected assists, and Lavelle had three with 0.64 xA.Where the problems arise is that the way Horan and Lavelle have been asked to play, where they’re either passing or running at the box all the time and rarely supporting others, makes life pretty much impossible for everyone else on the pitch when they have the ball. You can really see the problem in the forwards’ passing stats: Smith and Morgan completed just two passes each in the final third, and Williams completed zero.
What’s the solution?
I don’t think this team can learn how to play nice combinations in midfield and attack in a balanced fashion right now. If they haven’t fixed those problems in the two years since the Olympics, I’m not sure how they’re meant to fix them in five days. I don’t think that a formation change or swapping out personnel fixes these problems. Andonovski’s USWNT does not have the foundational building blocks in place to dominate midfield and play good passing soccer.The solution, sadly, is “what they’re doing, but better.” Defend and play fast, direct counter-attacks. Get Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Lynn Williams on the pitch at the same time and run them onto the ball over and over and over again while most of the team sits deep in shape. With apologies to Alex Morgan, who could be an excellent deep-lying forward in a team that worked combinations through the center, this is not her team. I am not a “get back to what made the USWNT great” ideologue. I hope that the program aspires to develop a more modern passing approach in the future, but those aspirations will not help them win a game against Sweden, right now. I believe the players are capable of executing a more technical and stylish style of soccer, but I do not believe they’re capable of it this month, under this coach.Despite all the negativity, the players’ individual talents are still good enough to carry the USWNT to a win over anyone. In their worst attacking performance in recent memory, they put up 17 shots and 2.13 xG, because the players are good enough to create chances even when they’re confused and the tactics don’t make any sense. This team is not well coached, and they stink to watch, but they can still win the World Cup.Sign up for the Full Time newsletter to get the biggest World Cup storylines delivered directly to your inbox daily.(Photo: Jose Breton / Pics Action / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Carli Lloyd was wrong in her criticism of the USWNT – this is why
Steph Yang Aug 3, 2023 The Athletic
There is a refrain that I have been using in this tournament: teams are icebergs. We get maybe 10%, if that, from observing them. The other 90% is a mystery; not known to us, nor meant for us. And so it’s frustrating that yet again, a thread of criticism has started to unravel around the U.S. women’s national team, essentially, being too happy.After the U.S. held on to a scoreless draw to squeak past Portugal and into the round of 16 as the second-place team in the group — a position they hadn’t been in since 2011 — FOX Sports cameras cut to players dancing, smiling and taking pictures with fans. In the postgame coverage, Carli Lloyd, a two-time World Cup winner herself, was quick to criticize the players.“I’m just seeing these images for the first time right now, at the desk,” Lloyd said. “I have never witnessed something like that. There’s a difference between being respectful of the fans and saying hello to your family, but to be dancing? To be smiling?… You’re lucky to not be going home right now.”
The public and social-media debate was instant and vociferous. On Thursday in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland, USWNT captain Lindsey Horan addressed what she called “noise.”
“For me, I always want to defend my team and say like, ‘You have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes, you have no idea every single training, what we’re doing individually, collectively, et cetera’,” Horan said. “So for anyone to question our mentality hurts a little bit, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. I don’t really care. It’s (about) what’s going on inside of here.”There are two primary assumptions going on with the outside commentary. First, that the players actually are happy. One would certainly hope they are: they’re at a World Cup, the pinnacle of any soccer player’s career. And second, that there’s something wrong with being happy even if everything isn’t exactly going to plan.This is not a new phenomenon; finding something to dislike about the way players are handling a tournament is an old refrain for this team. We’ve gone from worrying that they’re celebrating too much during their 13-0 win over Thailand in 2019 to asking why the players are smiling and dancing and implying they’re being too soft with each other’s feelings, that there isn’t enough grim Trunchbullian motivation in that camp. Don’t the players know how close they came to elimination?
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Every single U.S. player who went through the mixed zone after their 0-0 draw against Portugal was clearly aware of the situation.“We know that we can be better,” said Crystal Dunn. “It’s not like everyone’s sitting there like, ‘Wow, that was the most amazing performance put together’.”“We need to play better and we know that,” said Megan Rapinoe.Alex Morgan, team co-captain, missed multiple shots late in the game and was quick to say she needed to do better.“We expect so much of ourselves,” Morgan said. “We hold the high standard and we wanted to go through first in the group, but this World Cup is crazy. Every World Cup is crazy, but this one especially.”Defender Kelley O’Hara, who came on in the last minute of second-half stoppage time, perhaps summed up her feelings on the issue best with a long, aggravated sigh when asked what she thought the team needed to do to spark a better performance in knockouts.
“Just have to do a couple of Kumbayas and we’ll be good,” she said sarcastically, possibly referencing a remark from Fox Soccer’s commentary team about the U.S. singing “Kumbaya” while being a team that is struggling and not going into the round of 16 with confidence.The players might talk about being in a bubble, walled off from things like pundits and social media, but they know. They’re not unaware that they are at the most high-profile event of their profession or that they didn’t score on Portugal or that it’s now the number one talking point about the team.
“It is kind of frustrating for me to hear, especially knowing this team and how much we put into every single game,” Horan said. “How much preparation we put into every single game. Seeing our training, seeing how hard we work. In this game, you can’t question that we didn’t want to win the game. You can’t question we weren’t working as hard as we possibly could. We know we could have done better.”
Photo by Ulrik Pedersen, Getty Images.
No player at the World Cup is walking around unaware of the group standings. And no player or coach is going to fully give away what is going on within camp. Reporters might get to go to open practice, but after the first 15 minutes, everyone gets kicked out so the team can prepare in earnest. Why, then, would anyone assume that what we see is representative of the total picture?
Not only are practices a momentary glimpse, no one is privy to team meetings with and without coaching staff, strategy sessions, recovery, private conversations between players, calls to family members, sessions with team psychs or the hours of downtime. We don’t know if they’re actually having a chill time in camp or if players are sobbing in their rooms, nor are we entitled to know any of that.Not even the people who used to be on the team know. They have their own valid experiences, true. But personnel change, dynamics change, and players know better than anyone that the people commenting from the outside can only guess at the feelings inside.Criticizing players for appearing to be having a good time also implies the corollary: would it make you feel better to see them look miserable? Do you want them to look like they’ve just had to take the beaches of Normandy? If so, why?When U.S. midfielder Rose Lavelle spoke to the media the day before the Netherlands game, she said, “I think watching the World Cup is always really fun.” Head coach Vlatko Andonovski said that team mealtimes are usually scheduled such that at least one other game is on. It was a reminder that players don’t usually go into soccer because they want to live out years of misery and dour, grim grind for its own sake. They do it because they love it, and to begrudge the players the parts of this job that make them love it is churlish at best and cruel at worst.“We want this so badly that sometimes I think we lose track of why we started to play and why we’re here,” forward Lynn Williams said. “It’s because we love the game and we love absolutely playing and we love these moments on the world stage.“That’s why we’ve put our bodies through so much and sacrificed so much. And I think that it’s a lot of people’s first tournament, mine included, so you just want to go out there and perform so badly that sometimes you forget about all the joy and the reason why you started.”Motivation isn’t the problem either.“If you have to get up for quarter-final match work or a knockout round match in a World Cup, you know, I don’t think anybody needs that kind of motivation,” Rapinoe said after the Portugal game, also addressing questions about how to get everyone looking sharper.“I think there (were) things that we could do better from the last couple of games,” she said. “But like, I’m not gonna dwell on it. It is what it is.”
That ability to turn the page and look forward instead of back has always been a crucial component of tournament mentality. So if the criticism is the players aren’t upset enough, then consider that there are many ways to motivate, and negative emotion isn’t always the answer.In an interview with SB Nation, two players who have also been there, Christen Press and Tobin Heath, laughed that they were even bothering to do commentary on games because they both knew from experience that external opinions were ultimately so much noise.“Nobody cares,” Heath told SBN. “It’s so funny because we’re all here giving our opinions and think we matter… Honestly, it’s the biggest BS that anybody notices because all these players are fully focused on getting the job done.”After that Portugal game, first-time World Cup player Trinity Rodman lingered on the field. She signed autographs and took selfies long after the rest of the stadium had emptied out.If the lasting image of that game against Portugal is instead Rodman trying to make it a special moment for every single fan who had come so far to support the team, and maybe feel some positivity herself, then perhaps that’s a lesson everyone watching can internalize that playing a game and joy should go hand in hand.
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Steph Yang is a staff writer for The Athletic covering women’s soccer in the United States. Before joining The Athletic, she was a managing editor at All for XI and Stars & Stripes FC and a staff writer for The Bent Musket, as well as doing freelance work for other soccer sites. She has covered women’s soccer for over seven years and is based out of Boston, Mass.
USWNT’s coaching blunders make 2023 World Cup path murkier
Claire Watkins August 1, 2023 Just Women’s Sports
In his first World Cup as USWNT coach, Vlatko Andonovski has overseen the lowest group-stage points total in team history. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)
The U.S. women’s national team advanced to the Round of 16 in auspicious fashion on Tuesday, finishing second in Group E following a 0-0 draw with tournament debutantes Portugal. The USWNT made it through the group stage undefeated, but scored only four goals in three games and compiled their lowest World Cup points total in team history after two consecutive draws.
The message after the match from head coach Vlatko Andonvoski and his players was about the importance of surviving and advancing, but the reigning World Champions now have a more difficult path to the World Cup final. They’ll likely face longtime rivals Sweden in their first knockout-round match, with more than a few adjustments needing to be made.
The good news for the U.S. is that they have yet to lose a match while underperforming, but they’re running out of time to fix glaring issues. Here are a few main takeaways from a sloppy, scoreless draw that nonetheless set the stage for the rest of the tournament.
Formational regression hangs players out to dry
No individual players for the USWNT looked sharp against Portugal, but they also were not aided by formational issues that have plagued the U.S. since the start of 2022. Since the Tokyo Olympics, Vlatko Andonovski has been trying to figure out the best combination of formation and personnel to round out the team’s midfield, especially during Julie Ertz’s prolonged absence.
In the middle stages of that key development year, the U.S. tried to slot Andi Sullivan into Ertz’s role in a 4-3-3 formation that prioritized pushing two midfielders forward to aid the attack. Against Concacaf competition in World Cup qualifying, there was logic behind this approach, as the U.S. was tasked with breaking down low-block defenses. Ultimately, the approach worked, even if the USWNT didn’t look like their best selves for much of that tournament.
But the lesson the USWNT should have learned from their tough slate of friendlies against England, Spain and Germany in the latter half of 2022 is that Sullivan needs a defensive partner against similarly balanced midfields. The U.S. adjusted into a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Lindsey Horan and sometimes Rose Lavelle helping occupy defensive space and distribute the ball through the spine of the midfield.
Strangely, in the World Cup group stage, the USWNT lined up in the former setup rather than the latter, despite in-game data showing that two of their opponents were unlikely to sit and wait for the U.S. to attack. The approach might have made some sense against Vietnam, but the Netherlands were clearly coming into the second match with a packed midfield as part of their three-back system. Portugal, likewise, had defensive players step forward to neutralize the U.S. midfield with relative ease.
Scouting abnormalities can be forgiven; it’s the other team’s job to surprise and create problems that the USWNT isn’t anticipating. But Andonovski’s reluctance to adjust to losing the numbers and possession battle in the midfield has placed more strain on individual players than necessary. Against the Netherlands, the U.S. found a second gear to make the system work for them. But against Portugal, the mental fatigue of holding an uneasy shape began to show as players tired.
The shape does not suit Sullivan, who has continued to start in the defensive midfield despite the team’s struggle to move the ball. On Tuesday, the USWNT was relegated to moving the ball in a horseshoe motion from the backline out to the wings, where defensive overloads quickly shifted possession back in Portugal’s favor. Players were so locked into the system that they couldn’t find their open teammates.
Andonovski might be saving a surprise shift to a 4-2-3-1 for the knockout rounds, but more deft adjustments in the group stage might have given the USWNT a better chance at finishing on top. He might also slot Ertz back into the defensive midfield, but with Alana Cook failing to see the field in the team’s first three games, the team’s cohesion is at risk.
Lynn Williams started in place of Trinity Rodman against Portugal, but the USWNT still lacked finishing ability. (Robin Alam/USSF/Getty Images)
Continued lack of trust in the bench
After calling for only one substitute against the Netherlands, Andonovski made two changes to his starting XI against Portugal, starting Lynn Williams in the frontline and Lavelle in the midfield. Williams made an immediate impact, but her relative freshness compared to Sophia Smith and Alex Morgan’s fatigue actually added to the lack of cohesion on the frontline, rather than alleviating it.
Lavelle similarly provided a spark but also paid for trying to bring an edge to the midfield, picking up her second yellow card of the tournament that will require her to sit out the USWNT’s Round of 16 match. The rest of the squad appeared to suffer for lack of rest, with both physical and mental fatigue playing a role in the team’s tepid approach to ball progression and chance creation.
When Andonovski compiled this World Cup roster, he had a clear idea of his starters, his depth players and his specialists. After three games, it seems clear his trust mostly lies with his set starters, as those on the bench continue to fight for minutes. Megan Rapinoe made a substitution appearance against Portugal, but her defensive limitations at this stage in her career makes it difficult to start her and relieve some of the pressure on Smith. Sofia Huerta has not gotten much time on the field either, despite being called in to unlock tight, low-scoring games with her service — something the U.S. has struggled with in all three matches.
Instead, Andonovski brought on Emily Sonnett in a 5-4-1 formational shift that saw the U.S. concede more chances in second-half stoppage time than in the rest of the match. He has now locked the USWNT into a process of their own making, with starters who are tiring and substitutes who have not gotten enough World Cup minutes to step in and feel comfortable. It’s the same dilemma that led to Savannah DeMelo getting two quick World Cup starts after just her first cap with the team.
The approach may have been forgiven if the team had gotten all three points against the Netherlands, allowing for heavy rotation in their third match. But in a tournament decided by the finest of margins, the U.S. has now perhaps pushed too hard for results that never came, making the climb ahead of them even steeper.
Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.
Mentality or tactics: What can save USWNT’s World Cup quest?
- Caitlin Murray, ESPNAug 3, 2023, 08:03 AM ET
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — If it has looked to you as if the players on the United States women’s national team aren’t having as much fun as they could be during this Women’s World Cup, they’d be the first to agree.Asked what’s been missing from this World Cup campaign so far, captain Lindsey Horan on Thursday highlighted a lack of joy on the field.”It’s that confidence, that belief in ourselves to do what we are most special at — each of us individually, but also as a team — and also finding the joy in it,” Horan said, then promised: “Once we get a little bit more of that joy back and that feeling, things are going to move a bit better.”
– Women’s World Cup: Landing page | Schedule | Rosters | News
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
But a lack of the swagger and fun that has defined the USWNT over the years — including its rollicking campaign to win the previous World Cup in 2019 — is hardly the only problem you could identify within this U.S. team.The USWNT is struggling with the fundamentals: Players aren’t stringing together passes, putting shots on target or maintaining possession. That has played out with the USWNT’s worst World Cup group stage ever: the American women won just a single game for the first time since the Women’s World Cup began in 1991.This No. 1-ranked USWNT side hardly resembles the reigning Women’s World Cup champions, and although some pundits and former players have raised questions about the players’ mentality, others have called out a failure of tactics and structure, which are the purview of coach Vlatko Andonovski.
EDITOR’S PICKS
- Reviewing the U.S.’s World Cup so far: Can it still win? What’s going wrong?1dJeff Carlisle, Caitlin Murray
- With this form, the U.S. doesn’t look like a World Cup champion3dJeff Carlisle
- World Cup last 16: Why every remaining team (including the U.S.) will, won’t win it all12hBill Connelly
It’s a chicken-or-egg question: Is the USWNT not executing tactics well because the players lack the right mentality? Or are the players not showing the right mentality because the tactics are holding them back?
After a listless 0-0 draw with No. 21-ranked Portugal to close out the group stage, and facing a win-or-go-home game Sunday against Sweden in the round of 16, it becomes all the more imperative to figure out the answer.
‘How can we expect growth in seven days?’
Midfielders Tobin Heath and Christen Press, who played for the USWNT under Andonovski at the Olympics in 2021 but are not on the 2023 World Cup squad, placed their criticism squarely on their former coach, albeit without saying his name.”In every soccer match, you need to make tactical adjustments to exploit spaces, get numerical advantages, yada yada,” Press said on “The RE-CAP Show,” the podcast she hosts with Heath. “And we haven’t seen, in a game, any of those tactical adjustments.”But it points to the larger point: Have we seen any tactical adjustments in the last year? Have we seen any different formations tried? Have we seen any adjustments to the way that we’re pressing?” Press added: “We’ve seen the team come out for the last year in the same general shape, in the same general pressing structure. The question I have is: now we’re in this tournament and we’re saying, ‘OK, we’re not super happy with the first three games, but we’re going to grow’ — but if we haven’t seen growth in the last year, how can we expect growth in seven days?” That’s the problem: If the USWNT’s tactics are all wrong and they’ve been going down the wrong path ever since they qualified for the World Cup last year, it will be difficult to try to change course now. That’s especially true if Andonovski hasn’t shown the ability to adjust and fix vulnerabilities in the USWNT’s tactics over that time — he won’t suddenly become a better coach anytime soon, either.In that sense, perhaps the focus must shift to player mentality because that’s reasonably the only thing that can change before a must-win game against Sweden. Certainly, that’s where Carli Lloyd, another player from that 2021 Olympics team, has stirred the pot, accusing her former teammates of not caring enough about winning.Whatever the reason, the individual performances from USWNT players at this World Cup have been below par. In the span of a few minutes against Portugal, for instance, three U.S. players passed the ball out of bounds without any pressure, and it’s jarring to see some of the best players in the world looking this disjointed.In some ways, it’s reminiscent of how the USWNT looked in Tokyo two years ago. Winger Megan Rapinoe‘s assessment after the USWNT’s Olympic opener, a 3-0 loss to Sweden, was blunt: “There’s a lot of stuff we can clean up — trap the ball, pass the ball to your own team is probably the first one.” After the USWNT got knocked out by Canada in the semifinal, Rapinoe’s reaction was similar: “We don’t have juice because the ball’s banging off our shins and we’re not finding open passes and doing the simple things.”Rapinoe could have been talking about this World Cup. As former USWNT player Julie Foudy said on her podcast, “Laughter Permitted,” the USWNT looked all out of sorts against Portugal: “They can’t even connect four or five passes. They were connecting nothing.” Fellow USWNT legend Kristine Lilly agreed: “They couldn’t keep the ball.”How could a team that played such ruthless, clinical and spellbinding soccer at the 2019 Women’s World Cup turn into the same team that has struggled with the basics at the 2021 Olympics or this ongoing 2023 World Cup? Perhaps the answer is in the chicken-or-egg question of tactics vs. mentality.”If you want to look at the feeling the players have, the errant passes on the field — I felt the exact same way at the Olympics,” Heath said. “[Fox pundit, and former USMNT defender] Alexi Lalas made a comment that was really harsh about Crystal Dunn looking like she never played soccer. This is one of the best players in the world. To even think there could be a comment about a player like that, for me, it’s: ‘What is happening?’
“That’s the feeling I had in the Olympics. You [Press] were one of the best players going into the Olympics. Sam Mewis was one of the best players in the world going into the Olympics. How do you take a player that is going into a world championship with the tag of a Ballon d’Or winner [Rapinoe] that’s going to use that platform to win something — how do they become nothing? That’s what I’m seeing.”
‘There are going to be times we need to problem-solve on the field’
Per ESPN Stats & Information, the USWNT has struggled to string together passes at this World Cup. In 2015, the team averaged 4.57 sequences of 10-plus passes per 90 minutes. In 2019, its average was 9.14. At this World Cup? It’s 2.00 so far.Meanwhile, the number of 1-on-1s — when players take on defenders alone, with the ball at their feet — has skyrocketed. In 2015, the USWNT attempted 15.6 1-on-1s per 90 minutes. In 2019, it was 20.1. At this World Cup? It’s 31.7 through three games.
Williams: The USWNT will be a scary thought when team clicks
Lynn Williams says the USWNT is embracing the pressure it faces at the World Cup.
It shows that the USWNT has resorted to a very direct style of play, sending more balls forward and pumping in more crosses per 90 minutes than in the previous two World Cups, too. That has led to more chances and more shots than the two prior tournaments, but the rate of shots on target has plummeted, going from 44% in the two recent World Cups to just 27% so far here in New Zealand.
The players need to play better, and the coaching staff is there to help them do that.
ESPN asked forward Lynn Williams and Horan on Thursday whether they are getting the necessary feedback from their coaches to solve problems on the field.
“I think we are,” Williams said as she sat next to Horan, who didn’t chime in. “We have this high standard and we want to do X, Y and Z, but these teams are good. They’re good, technical teams. So, there are going to be times we need to problem-solve on the field and take that responsibility on ourselves.”But I think that, even though there are times we didn’t get it right, we were able to rectify that and fix it on the field ourselves. So yeah, I do think we’re getting the necessary feedback and ways to fix it moving forward.”
Krieger’s keys to USWNT improvement before Sweden clash
Former USWNT World Cup winner Ali Krieger explains the areas the side needs to address before its knockout clash with Sweden.It’s easy to understand why Williams might have a different take from those of the likes of Heath and Press. The latter two might not necessarily have an ax to grind, but Andonovski is the one who cut both of them from his team — even before Press tore her ACL last year, Andonovski said publicly that he hadn’t been planning to call her into USWNT camp anyway. Williams, meanwhile, is in camp with Andonovski right now.But Lloyd, who has ripped into her former teammates and decried what she sees as a lack of passion within the team, has also been willing to criticize her former coach, notably over his reluctance to use his bench to bring on game-changing substitutes.Ultimately, it might be impossible to pinpoint what’s going wrong — the Olympics happened two years ago, and clearly all the lessons weren’t learned from that tournament — but before a tough knockout match against Sweden, the USWNT must get better. Whether the players improve their mentality or the coach improves his tactics — or both — something’s got to give, or the USWNT might find itself making history with its earliest exit ever in a major tournament.
Lindsey Horan, Lynn Williams and the USWNT try to fix what’s wrong before it’s too late
“We want to win as much as possible, and we want to play better,” Horan said ahead of the U.S. team’s round of 16 game vs. Sweden. “You guys know that; our team knows that.”
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AUCKLAND, New Zealand — You don’t have to be a former player, a current player, a coach, a diehard fan, a journalist, a tactics savant or an eye-test devotee to know something is wrong with the U.S. women’s soccer team.It’s obvious, and captain Lindsey Horan is not trying to hide it.“Obviously we want to play better; we want to perform better — we want to entertain our U.S. fans more, and for ourselves as well,” she said as the team prepares for its round of 16 clash with Sweden on Sunday in Melbourne, Australia (5 a.m. ET, Fox29, Telemundo 62, Peacock).“But the expectations are always going to be there for this national team, and they’re always going to be great, and we’re always going to be in the pressure-cooker, and we love that,” Horan continued. “So we just need to raise our standards, which we always do. And we move forward, and we go out and we do everything in our power to prepare ourselves for this next game.”
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The cacophony of complaints has been justified, even if it overlooks two things that shouldn’t be totally ignored. The U.S. hasn’t lost a game yet, even if it feels it has; and it conceded just one goal in its three group stage contests.Along with the tangible end product missing, some intangibles have been missing too. The joy that the U.S. has so often played with isn’t there, and it is palpable. Horan said the team has spent the days since the group stage-ending scoreless tie with Portugal trying to rebuild that side of its mentality.“We love this game so much; we’re so passionate about this game; we want to win as much as possible, and we want to play better,” she said. “We all know that. You guys know that; our team knows that. We want to play better and find those little pieces of joy in the game as well.”If that can happen, Horan said, “once we get a little bit more of that joy back and that feeling, things are going to move a little bit better on the field. We’re going to have more rhythm; we’re going to have more confidence, and things will come — more and more chances will come.”
» READ MORE: The USWNT’s failure over its last two World Cup games could make its next one its last
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Veteran forward Lynn Williams, who had some of the U.S.’ best scoring chances in the group stage-ending scoreless tie with Portugal, also took a turn in the psychologist’s chair.
“We want this so badly that sometimes I think we lose track of why we started to play and why we’re here,” she said. “It’s because we love the game, and we love absolutely playing, and we love these moments on the world stage — that’s why we’ve put our bodies through so much and sacrificed so much … You just want to go out there and perform so badly that sometimes you forget about all the joy and the reason why you started.”Though the rest of the world has caught up to the Americans on the field, the World Cup’s bright lights can still trap the world’s greats. Star-studded Brazil and Germany, among the pre-tournament favorites to win it all, shockingly failed to get out of the group stage. Spain was routed by Japan. Canada collapsed in its group finale vs. Australia — which itself was under heaving pressure from the huge crowds and media spotlight surrounding the cohosts.
» READ MORE: The USWNT is no longer a World Cup favorite after a disappointing group stage performance
But as Horan has embraced the captain’s armband, she has also embraced one of the U.S. team’s eternal mantras. As former manager Jill Ellis famously put it at the last World Cup: “Some teams will visit pressure, but I think we live there.”Right now, Horan has the deed to the house.“We’re playing for these big matches; we’re playing for these big moments, these pressure-cookers, and that’s what we want to be a part of,” she said. “And us being the U.S. national team, we’re always going to have that. You guys always want to talk about us, and we’re going to take that.”The test in front of the Americans now is daunting, but familiar. The clash with Sweden in Melbourne, Australia will mark the fifth straight major tournament (World Cups and Olympics) in which the longtime rivals have met, and the 10th in major tournaments overall. And the U.S. will be without one of its most important weapons, playmaker Rose Lavelle, because of yellow card accumulation.
» READ MORE: Covering a World Cup is a privilege, but it’s also a month-long grind
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Sweden, meanwhile, just finished off a sweep of its group with a 2-0 win over Argentina, after a 2-1 win over South Africa and a 5-0 rout of Italy.It bears saying, even if you don’t want to hear it, that the U.S. has beaten Sweden just once in a major tournament in the last 16 years — the 2019 World Cup group stage finale. The U.S. also failed to beat Sweden in its last two meetings, a 3-0 Swedish rout at the 2021 Olympics and a 1-1 tie in Stockholm three months earlier.The last American win in the matchup was a 2019 friendly in Columbus, Ohio, that coincidentally was Vlatko Andonovski’s first game as U.S. manager.If the U.S. loses this one, Sweden will have been both the first opponent of his tenure, as well as the last.
The USWNT is no longer a World Cup favorite after a disappointing group stage performance
A difficult round of 16 game vs. Sweden awaits Sunday.
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The U.S. women’s national team is in the World Cup’s knockout stage … just barely … after drawing with Portugal to finish second in Group E.
The Americans, two-time defending World Cup champions, were a few inches away from a premature flight home from New Zealand after Portugal hit the post in stoppage time.
» READ MORE: The USWNT’s failure over its last two World Cup games could make its next one its last
Their play has been far from great. And their celebratory response to getting through to the knockout stage was enough for USWNT legend and South Jersey native Carli Lloyd, working as a broadcaster, to question the level of passion on the team.
While there should be a collective exhale for USWNT fans, there’s reason for concern. Finishing second in the group means the path to a third consecutive World Cup victory is now a lot more difficult.The U.S., which entered as a favorite to win the competition, is barely favored to get out of the round of 16, where a showdown Sunday morning with Sweden awaits.Here’s a look at where the U.S. stands in World Cup futures markets as the group stage nears its ending.
World Cup odds: USWNT is no longer the favorite
The U.S. entered the Australia-New Zealand World Cup as a +225 (2.25/1) favorite to win the trophy.
On Wednesday morning, the U.S. was tied for second on the BetMGM odds board with Spain at +400. The new favorite? England at +333. Over at FanDuel, England was +340, the U.S. was +430, and Spain was at +470.
Six teams had odds of 10/1 or shorter at BetMGM: England (+333), United States (+400), Spain (+400), Japan (+800), Germany (+900), and Australia (+1000).
Sweden, Sunday’s round of 16 opponent for the USWNT that dominated Group G, is down the board at +1800.
USWNT vs. Sweden odds
Soccer odds offer multiple ways to wager, and the simplest one, “to qualify,” allows you to pick which team gets through to the next round. The U.S. was -185 Wednesday morning to get past Sweden (+130).
That’s a pretty short round of 16 favorite for a team that was expected to win the competition.
As for the three-way money line for Sunday (90-minute result):
- USWNT: +110
- Sweden: +240
- Draw: +225
It’s a pretty tight matchup between two of the better women’s soccer teams in the world. The goal total was at 2.5 goals (+120 to the over, -165 to the under), so oddsmakers are expecting a low-scoring game.
Sunday vs. Sweden is likely a much earlier major test than U.S. soccer fans predicted and would have hoped for. But it beats the alternative.
Published Aug. 2, 2023
World Cup last 16: Why every team left will, won’t win it all
- Bill Connelly, ESPN Staff WriterAug 3, 2023, 10:46 AM ET
The first 32-team edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup has had a little bit of everything: exciting underdogs, star turns and some heavyweights looking utterly spectacular. As is always the case, however, the group stage is just a table-setter. The tournament really begins when the knockout rounds start.
Said tournament won’t feature some of the heavyweights. Germany, the three-time World Cup finalists and two-time champs, had their spot in the round-of-16 yoinked away by Morocco‘s win over Colombia on the final day of the group stage. (Germany had beaten Morocco 6-0 in the first group game, too. Ouch.) Brazil, the 2007 runners-up and four-time World Cup semifinalists, were knocked out in favor of Jamaica. For all of the hand-wringing about the current form of the U.S. women, they did advance! That’s no longer a given, no matter who you are. You can’t just win on talent alone anymore; you’ve got to have good ideas, and you’ve got to execute them.
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With the dance card filled in and the matchups set, it’s time to take a breath and preview what’s coming. Let’s talk about each qualifying team’s biggest strengths and weaknesses: basically, the reasons they advanced, the reasons they could make a run and the fatal flaws that will probably trip them up at some point. Only one team can win the title, after all.
Editor’s note: As teams officially qualify for the round of 16, we will add them to the file in alphabetical order. Betting odds below are from Caesars Sportsbook. If you add up all the equivalent odds, they will have a total above 100% because, well, that’s why the casino always wins in the long run.
Australia (First place, Group B)
Title odds, per Caesars: +1200 (equivalent to 8%)
How they got here: Defeated Ireland 1-0, lost to Nigeria 3-2, defeated Canada 4-0
Round-of-16 opponent: Runner-up, Group D (Denmark), Monday
Why they will win it all: They’ve been winning without their star. With Sam Kerr playing zero minutes as she worked her way back from injury, Australia was forced to grind and manufacture points. It worked. They aren’t the most intense pressing team in the field, but they picked their spots perfectly, scoring all seven of their goals from high turnovers, most in the tournament. And at the other end, they allowed just a 53% completion rate into the attacking third and a tiny 17% completion rate on crosses.
They also took their chances, unlike many in this tournament. Their seven goals came from shots worth just 6.4 expected goals (xG) — including two each from Arsenal‘s Steph Catley on the left and Manchester City‘s Hayley Raso on the right — and with everything on the line against Canada in the group stage finale, they were brilliant, seizing an early lead and cruising.
Recapping Australia’s incredible night vs. Canada
Marissa Lordanic looks back on a huge night for Australia as they beat Canada 4-0 to advance to the knockout stages of the World Cup.
Why they won’t: That Nigeria match was alarming, wasn’t it? For all of their sturdy play and major-club talent, Nigeria tore up their otherwise solid transition defense, attempting four shots worth 0.15 xG or more and putting three of them in the net to take a shocking 3-1 lead. The Matildas obviously responded, scoring late to cut Nigeria’s lead to one then destroying Canada. But for a team that has never really broken through at a major tournament — they’ve been to three World Cup quarterfinals but no semis, and their one semifinal trip at the Olympics still resulted in no medal — Nigeria felt like a warning sign. So does the fact that they haven’t generated any scoring without high turnovers. Kerr’s (assumed) return will help immensely. But Australia still has plenty to prove.
Colombia (First place, Group H)
Title odds, per Caesars: +3000 (equivalent to 3%)
How they got here: Defeated South Korea 2-0, defeated Germany 2-1, lost to Morocco 1-0
Round-of-16 opponent: Runner-up, Group F (Jamaica), Tuesday
Why they will win it all: They never stop taking the fight to you. Colombia never stops attacking either you or the ball. They rank second in the tournament in total defensive interventions (463) and first in ball recoveries (247). Only 34% of their passes have traveled under 10 meters (second-lowest).
They’re also fifth in average carry distance and fourth in 1v1s per carry, and those numbers have come about in a fascinating way. While your centre-backs typically lead the team in carries (because of how buildup play usually works), it’s the exact opposite for Colombia. Centre-backs Jorelyn Carabali and Daniela Arias have only 125 carries between them, while attackers Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid) and Mayra Ramirez (Levante) have 101 each and are averaging a robust 6.8 meters per carry between them. Caicedo has made 29 ball recoveries, too, third-most in the tournament for an attacker.
Caicedo never stops charging. And sometimes, she does this:
Why they won’t: They rely on moments of magic. Caicedo’s match winner against Germany was unreal. It defined Group H, too — without it, Germany finishes first in the group and Colombia finishes second. But it was a shot worth 0.05 xG. Aside from a penalty against South Korea, all three goals were low-probability strikes, as were all of their attempts in the loss to Morocco.
We’ll remember Caicedo’s goal for a long while, but it’s hard to win four knockout matches via magical goals.
Denmark (Second place, Group D)
Title odds, per Caesars: +8000 (equivalent to 1%)
How they got here: Defeated China 1-0, lost to England 1-0, defeated Haiti 2-0
Round-of-16 opponent: Winner, Group B (Australia), Monday
Why they will win it all: They’re relentless on defense. The Danes have advanced to the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time since 1995, and they’ve done so primarily with length and disruption. Led by Everton defensive midfielder Karen Holmgaard and Hammarby centre-back Simone Boye, they’ve won 67% of their aerial duels in the defensive half (third-best). They’ve blocked the third-most crosses, made the fifth-most ball recoveries and allowed the fifth-fewest possessions of 9+ passes.
EDITOR’S PICKS
- Women’s World Cup Daily: Jamaica send Brazil crashing out; South Africa stun Italy1dESPN
- Reviewing the U.S.’s World Cup so far: Can it still win? What’s going wrong?1dJeff Carlisle, Caitlin Murray
- Jamaica’s struggle for equality and respect at World Cup2dTom Hamilton
They fight you for every inch with a defense featuring not only Holmgaard and Boye but also Everton fullbacks Katrine Veje and Rikke Sevecke. Combine that with a willing and deep midfield led by Holmgaard and Arsenal‘s Kathrine Moller Kuhl and you’ve got a very frustrating team to play against. Only England were able to score against them during the group stage, but they still managed only 13 shots worth 1.2 xG.
Why they won’t: They’re passive in attack. They don’t attempt 1v1s (only 2.7% of carries feature one), and they don’t win the ones they attempt (29% in the attacking third, fourth-worst in the tournament). They’ve completed just 73% of their passes (17th) and scored three goals (12th) from 28 shots (16th) worth 3.5 xG (15th). Against England, they attempted just six shots and finished only 24% of their possessions in the attacking third. They’ve got storied veteran Pernille Harder up front, but she has found space for only six shots and one goal.
They make life difficult for opponents’ attack, but life is equally difficult for them.
Lordanic: We’re running out of words for James’ brilliance
Marissa Lordanic and Mark Ogden react to England’s emphatic win over China in their final group stage game.
England (First place, Group D)
Title odds, per Caesars: +300 (equivalent to 25%)
How they got here: Defeated Haiti 1-0, defeated Denmark 1-0, defeated China 6-1
Round-of-16 opponent: Runner-up, Group B (Nigeria), Monday
Why they will win it all: They’re the most well-rounded team left. They outshot Haiti 21-7 in what would have been a blowout if not for brilliance from Haitian goalkeeper Kerly Theus. Their attack didn’t really click against hard-working Denmark, so they leaned on a suffocating defense that allowed just a 54% completion rate in the defensive third and 53% in the attacking third. And against China — the No. 14 team in the world, per the FIFA rankings! — they made a statement with a nearly perfect 6-1 walloping.
Basically, England is playing like a team that has lost one match in 27 months.
They’ve scored the third-most goals (eight) and allowed only one. They build slowly from the back (second in average possession time and length), they create a steady stream of shots (sixth-most), and they put them on target (43%, second-best). They press the length of the pitch, forcing turnovers 19% of the time (best) and forcing 53 high turnovers per match (fourth-best). They’re getting nearly flawless performances from veteran defenders Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Millie Bright (Chelsea) and Lucy Bronze (Barcelona).
Throw in a star turn from Chelsea’s 21-year old Lauren James (three goals and three assists in just 200 minutes) and you’ve got an absolute wrecking ball on your hands.
Explaining why VAR denied James another stunning goal vs. China
Dale Johnson explains why Lauren James was denied an excellent goal vs. China after Lucy Bronze was controversially deemed to be offside.
Why they won’t: Injuries are still a concern. Keira Walsh might be the best midfielder in the world, but she also might be out for the rest of the tournament with a knee injury. Leah Williamson is world-class at centre-back or defensive midfield. She’s out. Beth Mead and Fran Kirby are among the most relentless wingers around. They’re out too.
At some point, you might actually need your best XI on the pitch, and that won’t be an option for England.
France (First place, Group F)
Title odds, per Caesars: +750 (equivalent to 12%)
How they got here: Drew Jamaica 0-0, defeated Brazil 2-1, defeated Panama 6-3
Round-of-16 opponent: Runner-up, Group H (Morocco), Tuesday
Why they will win it all: They have the talent to exploit whatever weakness you’ve got. In all three group-stage matches, France tilted the pitch and swallowed up counter-attacking opportunities. Jamaica didn’t have the midfield to advance the ball in a threatening manner, so France never let them. Panama didn’t have the defense to stop an onslaught of attacks, so France attempted 26 shots and scored six times.
This squad also features 11 players from French heavyweights Lyon and PSG, plus two for Manchester United, two for Real Madrid, one for Chelsea and one for Juventus. Manager Herve Renard has enjoyed a successful career by crafting simple plans around whatever superiorities exist on a national team roster, and he has plenty of superiorities to work with here, from PSG’s Kadidiatou Diani (3 goals, 1 assist) up front to PSG’s Grace Geyoro (26 ball recoveries, 86% pass completion) in midfield to Lyon’s ever-present Wendie Renard at the back. And despite a past predilection for drama, they advanced to the knockout rounds with almost none.
‘Confident’ France score 6 against Panama to win group
Julien Laurens recaps an evenftul night in Sydney as France score six goals as well as concede three vs. Panama to top group F.
Why they won’t: The only shots they allow are great ones. Brazil attempted only 11 shots, but three were worth at least 0.2 xG (all taken within 10 meters), and one, scored by Debinha, was worth 0.5. Panama attempted only six shots, but one was a penalty and one was a tap-in worth 0.6 xG. (In fairness, Renard sat this match out.)
France’s defense has suffered very few defensive breakdowns, but almost all of them were catastrophes. That volatility will make winning four straight matches awfully difficult.
Jamaica (Second place, Group F)
Title odds, per Caesars: +15000 (equivalent to 1%)
How they got here: Drew France 0-0, defeated Panama 1-0, drew Brazil 0-0
Round-of-16 opponent: Winner, Group H (Colombia), Tuesday
Why they will win it all: Rebecca Spencer is standing on her head. In eight World Cup qualification matches, the 32-year-old Tottenham Hotspur keeper faced 33 shots on goal, worth 11.8 xGOT (post-shot xG for shots on target) and allowed only nine goals. In three World Cup matches, she has faced 17 shots on goal worth 2.4 xGOT … and allowed none.
‘Determined’ Jamaica reach WC knockout stage for first time ever
Joey Lynch recaps a “momentous” goalless draw between Jamaica and Brazil that sends the Caribbean nation to its first-ever World Cup knockout match.
Despite having Manchester City‘s world-class Khadija “Bunny” Shaw up front, Jamaica haven’t been able to create many threats; they’ve attempted just 29 shots in three matches, none within 7 meters of goal and none worth more than 0.14 xG. But with a defense driven by players such as centre-back Allyson Swaby (PSG) and right back Tiernny Wiltshire (Houston Dash), they also have allowed only a couple of particularly high-quality chances. And Spencer has cleaned up everything that has come her way.
It’s hard to lose if your opponent never scores.
Why they won’t: You do probably have to score at some point. Saying Jamaica have attempted 29 shots oversells it a bit, as 20 of those shots came in a 1-0 win over Panama. Against France and Brazil, they managed just nine shots worth 0.4 xG. Shaw has tried her best — and considering she had 20 goals and seven assists in the Women’s Super League last year, her best is awesome — but of her five shot attempts, only one came within 19 meters of goal.
Her supporting cast has not been able to help her enough and probably won’t in the knockout rounds either.
Japan (First place, Group C)
How ‘achingly clinical’ Japan dismantled Spain in Wellington
Sophie Lawson reacts to Japan’s stunning 4-0 win over Spain at the Women’s World Cup.
Title odds, per Caesars: +800 (equivalent to 11%)
How they got here: Defeated Zambia 5-0, defeated Costa Rica 2-0, defeated Spain 4-0
Round-of-16 opponent: Runner-up, Group A (Norway), Saturday
Why they will win it all: They are spectacular front-runners. Over the last two years, in all matches logged by Stats Perform, Japan has scored 23 goals and allowed one when they were ahead. If you give this team a lead, it’s probably lights out. Just ask Spain.
Now granted, it took them 43 minutes to score their first goal against Zambia in their World Cup opener, but they scored four more from there. They took the lead on Spain, then played some of the most unbelievable transition ball you’ll ever see, scoring three more times.
They’ve also played almost perfect defense whether tied or ahead: They allowed 16 total shots worth a combined 0.9 xG in three group stage matches, and have proven almost flawless in buildup play. While more than 54% of their passes have come in their own half of the pitch, opponents have started only eight combined possessions in the attacking third.
The ball primarily goes through Roma defender Moeka Minami and Manchester City midfielder Yui Hasegawa (who came off the bench vs. Spain), two of their most talented players, and they’ve been brilliant.
Why they won’t: What happens when they’re behind? Japan’s roster has plenty of major-club talent — four of their 23 players play in England‘s Women’s Super League, captain Saki Kumagai plays for German champ Bayern Munich, Minami plays for Italian champ Roma, and two more play in the NWSL. But they’re all midfielders and defenders. Almost all of their shot attempts come from players who are still plying their trade in Japan’s domestic league.
There’s nothing automatically wrong with that! And “we don’t know how they’ll play when behind because they haven’t been behind yet” is a luxury problem. But if they fall behind and have to force the issue, it’s hard to see where attacking prowess might come from.
Should USWNT and other World Cup favourites fear Japan?
Sophie Lawson believes Japan should be considered one of the top contenders to win the World Cup after a “relaxed” 2-0 win over Costa Rica.
Morocco (Second place, Group H)
Title odds, per Caesars: +35000 (equivalent to <1%)
How they got here: Lost to Germany 6-0, defeated South Korea 1-0, defeated Colombia 1-0
Round-of-16 opponent: Winner, Group F (France), Tuesday
Why they will win it all: They shoot like Steph Curry. Morocco attempted just 24 shots in the group stage (seventh-fewest) but put 50% of them on target, tied for first with Japan. In a tournament in which so many teams are struggling in this department — Germany and Canada both bowed out in part because only 29.5% of their shots were on target (tied for 20th), and the U.S. put itself in serious danger by managing only 27.0% (25th) — Morocco advanced with accuracy. Their two goal scorers, Ibtissam Jraidi (Al Ahli) and Anissa Lahmari (Guingamp), attempted just six shots but put five of them on goal and two of them in the goal.
And they’ve made history because of it. They were already the first Arab nation to qualify for the World Cup; now they’re the first Arab nation to advance and one of three African nations to do so. They’re 72nd in the FIFA rankings, with no players on a club that played in last year’s UEFA Women’s Champions League. What a damn story.
Why they won’t: They’re the worst team remaining. It’s mean, but it’s true. They’re 72nd in the FIFA rankings! They’ve played five top-20 teams over the past two years, and they’ve been outscored 13-0. Granted, that includes a pair of 0-0 draws against Italy and Switzerland in the run-up to this tournament — this defense can undoubtedly be very stingy — but they also got blown out by Germany to start the World Cup.It will take quite an infinite load of magic for Morocco to advance past France, much less anyone else.How Morocco secured a historic spot in the World Cup knockoutsSophie Lawson reacts to Morocco’s progression to the round of 16 on their Women’s World Cup debut.
Netherlands (First place, Group E)
Title odds, per Caesars: +1200 (equivalent to 8%)
How they got here: Defeated Portugal 1-0, drew USA 0-0, defeated Vietnam 7-0
Round-of-16 opponent: Runner-up, Group G (South Africa), Sunday
Why they will win it all: They are organized and confident. The defending World Cup runners-up endured a frustrating spell of late, bowing out in the quarterfinals in the 2021 Olympics and the 2022 Euros. But the defense has been solid for a while, and it’s been nearly impenetrable in New Zealand.
Through three matches, the Dutch have allowed opponents to average just 0.06 xG per shot; only Germany, Brazil and Japan have allowed a better average, and none of those teams had to play the U.S., which averaged just 0.05 xG per shot and scored only on a set piece.
They do not allow long possessions or carries, and the midfield — 19-year old Esmee Brugts (PSV Eindhoven), Jackie Groenen (PSG), Victoria Pelova (Arsenal), plus elite attacking midfielders Jill Roord (Wolfsburg) and Danielle van de Donk (Lyon) — might be the best in the tournament. They control the center of the pitch and steer you away from anything dangerous.
Why they won’t: They’re … too calm? Granted, they unleashed hell in their final group stage match against Vietnam, attempting 42 shots and scoring seven goals. But against more talented opponents, they are languid in possession. They attempted 12 shots with an average possession length of just 13.7 meters against Portugal, then attempted just five shots, with only 12% of possessions ending in the attacking third, against the U.S. in their meeting.
Poise is good, and the Dutch have it in droves, but you need urgency sometimes. Can the Netherlands dial that up against great opponents?
Nigeria (Second place, Group B)
Title odds, per Caesars: +10000 (equivalent to 1%)
How they got here: Drew Canada 0-0, defeated Australia 3-2, drew Ireland 0-0
Round-of-16 opponent: Winner, Group D (England), Monday
Why they will win it all: They force the issue for 90 minutes. They’ve both won and lost the second-most ground duels to date. Their attackers have made 71 ball recoveries (second most). Their defenders have made 401 interventions (third most). Their possessions have been the fourth longest (19.6 average meters) and sixth widest (35.7) in the tournament. They stretch the field as far as it will go, and they pressure you in one way or another in every inch of it. They are exhausting.
They’re also good. They’ve gotten stellar work from some of their bigger club stars — particularly defender Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash), defender Christy Ucheibe (Benfica) and forwards Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid) and Uchenna Kanu (Racing Louisville) — and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC) has been outstanding. And while Barcelona‘s Asisat Oshoala hasn’t touched the ball much, she is one of the most proven attackers on the planet. Advancing in a group with Australia and Canada required serious depth, with such an intense style, and tested Nigeria. They passed.
Why they won’t: Intensity doesn’t produce enough shots. Pulling four points from matches against Canada and Australia was a mammoth accomplishment, but they did so while getting outshot 44-22. They scored all three of their group stage goals in an inspired half-hour against Australia but otherwise came up blank, struggling to get Oshoala involved They’ve put a lot of pressure on Nnadozie to come up big, and while she has done so, she’ll have to play even better to win a likely matchup with England in the next round.
Norway (Second place, Group A)
Carlisle: Philippines will exit World Cup with good feelings
Jeff Carlisle reacts to Norway’s 6-0 thrashing of Philippines which saw them join Switzerland in the knockout stage of the Women’s World Cup.
Title odds, per Caesars: +6500 (equivalent to 2%)
How they got here: Lost to New Zealand 1-0, drew against Switzerland 0-0, defeated Philippines 6-0
Round-of-16 opponent: Winner, Group C (Japan), Saturday
Why they will win it all: They’re Norway. Few teams boast more high-level club talent, both of the “aging veteran” variety (Lyon‘s Ada Hegerberg, Barcelona‘s Caroline Graham Hansen, Chelsea‘s Guro Reiten and Maren Mjelde) and the “coming into their prime” variety (Arsenal‘s Frida Maanum, Barcelona’s Ingrid Syrstad Engen, Bayern’s Tuva Hansen). The 1995 World Cup champions remain dangerous, and when things come together, they’re terrifying.
Just ask the Philippines, which trailed Norway 2-0 after 17 minutes and lost 6-0 — without Hederberg even playing (she’s battling back from injury) — via a hat trick from Roma‘s Sophie Roman Haug.
Why they won’t: The slightest bump ruins everything. After a perfect, vertical, length-of-the-pitch attack led to a Hannah Wilkinson goal and a 1-0 New Zealand lead in the World Cup opener, Norway short-circuited. They played impossibly direct ball with no success, they pressed forward and opened themselves so badly in defense that they were lucky not to lose by more. Against Switzerland, they controlled the game, generating shots worth 1.4 xG to the Swiss’ 0.5 over the first 75 minutes. But when the breakthrough never came, they seemed to panic again, and Switzerland nearly stole the match with a fantastic scoring chance in stoppage time.
This team never seems to get along with its manager and never seems to be greater than the sum of its parts when things matter. The Philippines blowout was a reminder of their potential, but their results against Switzerland and New Zealand was an even stronger reminder of their floor.
How South Africa made history vs. Italy at the World Cup
Sam Marsden recaps South Africa’s first-ever win at a Women’s World Cup after their 3-2 victory against Italy sent them into the last 16.
South Africa (Second place, Group G)
Title odds, per Caesars: +25000 (equivalent to <1%)
How they got here: Lost to Sweden 2-1, drew Argentina 2-2, defeated Italy 3-2
Round-of-16 opponent: Winner, Group E (Netherlands), Sunday
Why they will win it all: They have a plan. Against Sweden, the Banyana Banyana snared an early lead, then played the “park the bus and stay super-organized” game well enough to nearly secure a draw. Against Argentina, they ripped up a disorganized opponent for a number of high-quality chances and took a 2-0 lead into the final 20 minutes before giving up a pair of well-struck, low-probability goals.
Against Italy, they had to come from behind and play a far more open game. They gave up a number of big scoring chances, but created plenty of their own and did this to advance to the knockouts.
With a high-chemistry squad built around domestic league talent (including six players from African heavyweight Mamelodi Sundowns) and an attack built around Racing Louisville’s Thembi Kgatlana (2 goals and 2 assists), Sejong Sportstoto’s Hildah Magaia (2 goals, 1 assist) and Monterrey‘s Jermaine Seoposenwe (1 assist from six chances created), South Africa does whatever is required at a given moment.
Why they won’t: The defense isn’t good enough. They were unlucky to give up two goals to Argentina, but both Sweden and Italy overwhelmed the South African back line, combining for four goals on 33 shots worth 5.7 xG. The Banyana attack is an absolute delight, but they’ll probably need to score at least two goals in any match to have a chance moving forward. That seems like a lot to ask.
Spain (Second place, Group C)
Marsden: Big worrying signs for Spain after Japan demolition
Sam Marsden reacts to Spain’s disastrous performance in their 4-0 loss to Japan at the World Cup.
Title odds, per Caesars: +450 (equivalent to 18%)
How they got here: Defeated Costa Rica 3-0, defeated Zambia 5-0, lost to Japan 4-0
Round-of-16 opponent: Winner, Group A (Switzerland), Saturday
Why they will win it all: They have the strongest identity. Against Costa Rica, Spain enjoyed 80% possession and 6.2 passes per possession. Against Zambia: 74% possession, 5.8 passes per possession. While behind against Japan, they hit 77%. They have forced 257 high turnovers in three matches. They deploy the most fully-formed version of the modern possession game, they complete 87% of their (mostly short) passes, and when they lose the ball they counter-press with abandon.
This isn’t the most talented Spain team possible, but the players who came to New Zealand have dominated. Barcelona legend Jenni Hermoso, 33, has two goals and an assist. Real Madrid midfielder Teresa Abelleira has combined 28 ball recoveries with 14 chances created.
Simply put, you cannot take the ball off of this team. They force you into a counter-attacking game, and while plenty of other favorites are good at that (particularly the U.S.) — Japan was spectacular at it, scoring all four goals in transition — you will have no Plan B.
Why they won’t: Will the important shots be on target? In the 2022 Women’s Euros, they lost matches to Germany in the group stage and England in the knockout rounds, scoring one total goal from shots worth 3.2 xG. In three World Cup group stage matches, they’ve scored eight goals from shots worth 10.5. When you don’t make the most of your chances, it’s really difficult to survive four single-elimination matches without a costly hiccup.
Sweden (First place, Group G)
How far can Sweden go at the World Cup?
Sam Marsden reacts to Sweden advancing to the last 16 after beating Italy 5-0 at Wellington.
Title odds, per Caesars: +1800 (equivalent to 5%)
How they got here: Defeated South Africa 2-1, defeated Italy 4-0
Round-of-16 opponent: Runner-up, Group E (USA), Sunday
Why they will win it all: They’re unflappable. After a beautiful Thembi Kgatlana shot set up a Hildah Magala rebound goal to put Sweden 1-0 down in their opener against South Africa, a brief sense of foreboding set in. For all of Sweden’s accomplishments, they brought an aging team to New Zealand, one with a number of stars battling back from injury. South Africa was making them look slow. But Barcelona’s Fridolina Rolfo tied the game with an into-the-mixer goal in the 65th minute, and a set piece goal put them ahead in the 90th.
On Saturday, Italy played them dead even for 38 minutes before a ferocious series of knockout punches — four goals in 12 minutes — turned a nip-and-tuck battle into a laugher.
An “aging team” can also be one loaded with unflappable experience. Rolfo, PSG’s Amanda Ilestedt, Wolfsburg’s Rebecka Blomqvist and the San Diego Wave’s Sofia Jakobsson have combined for nine goals in three matches, and a midfield of Manchester City’s Filippa Angeldahl, Hacken’s Elin Rubensson and Milan’s Kosovare Asllani has been excellent.
Why they won’t: It’s hard to trust the defense. Sweden has had to be unflappable because at times, they leave things unsettled. In last summer’s Euros, they needed a 79th minute goal to beat Switzerland, then a late stoppage-time goal to beat Belgium in the quarterfinals. And against better teams, their defense has been glitchy — they allowed four goals to England in the Euro semis and four to Australia and three to Norway in friendlies.
At this World Cup, they’ve only allowed one goal, but it’s come from 28 shots worth a combined 2.3 xG. And with the U.S. awaiting in the round of 16, the tests are just beginning.
Switzerland (First place, Group A)
Title odds, per Caesars: +10,000 (equivalent to 1%)
How they got here: Defeated Philippines 2-0, drew Norway 0-0, drew New Zealand 0-0
Round-of-16 opponent: Runner-up, Group C (Spain), Saturday
Why they will win it all: They’re in control. If you’re looking for exciting, pedal-to-the-metal action, look elsewhere. There hasn’t been a goal in a Switzerland match for 206 minutes and counting. But they still won Group A, beating the Philippines and nailing down back-to-back scoreless draws with Norway and New Zealand. Their secret weapon: They’re always calm. They averaged more passes per possession than each opponent to date, including Norway, and only ball hogs Spain, England and Germany have averaged more passes per possession in the tournament. They avoid high turnovers well, and they avoid damage from high turnovers brilliantly.
The centre-back pairing of Arsenal‘s Noelle Maritz and Zurich’s Julia Stierli has been almost mistake-free in both buildup play (Maritz has completed 88% of her passes) and fire-extinguishing (Stierli has won 82% of her duels, 67% in the air). And while Real Betis keeper Gaelle Thalmann has had to make only eight saves in three matches, she made them all. This team is almost impossible to break down.
Why they won’t: As with Jamaica, you do probably have to score at some point. Granted, it’s technically possible to win the World Cup with scoreless draws and penalty shootout victories, but that seems like a pretty tall ask. You’ll need to put the ball in the net.
Switzerland is not without talent in this regard. Their attack is led by Barcelona’s Ana Maria Crnogorcevic and PSG’s Ramona Bachmann, after all. But the duo has combined for just one goal from 11 shots worth 2.4 xG thus far. They won’t get many chances against the talented opponents on the knockout-round docket, so they have to be far more efficient with the chances they get.
What should be USWNT’s game plan for Sweden?
Sebastian Salazar and Ali Krieger look ahead to the USWNT’s next matchup vs. Sweden and react to Carli Lloyd’s criticism of the team.
United States (Second place, Group E)
Title odds, per Caesars: +400 (equivalent to 20%)
How they got here: Defeated Vietnam 3-0, drew Netherlands 1-1, drew Portugal 0-0
Round-of-16 opponent: Winner Group G (Sweden), Sunday
Why they will win it all: Opponents are creating almost nothing. When you’ve won the past two World Cups (and reached the final in the one before that), the best team to compare you to is yourself. And from a defensive standpoint, the Americans have looked as good as ever.
Through the group stage in 2011, 2015 and 2019, the U.S. allowed an average of 1.0 goals from 23.3 shots worth 3.8 xG. In 2023, despite a tough group featuring the Netherlands and Portugal, they’ve allowed one goal from just 11 shots worth 0.7 xG. The Netherlands managed just five shots worth 0.4 xG, Portugal just six worth 0.3.
Obviously, Portugal nearly stole victory — and a spot in the knockout rounds — with a dramatic late shot off the post, but that was still a low-probability shot (0.07 xG), as was Jill Roord‘s goal for Netherlands through traffic (0.05). This defense, led by centre backs Naomi Girma and Julie Ertz and fullbacks Emily Fox and Crystal Dunn, has given opponents almost nothing. And in a tournament in which almost no one is finishing well, defense will give the U.S. a chance to make it three straight titles.
Why they won’t: Absolutely horrific finishing. Shockingly bad. Again, comparing the U.S. to themselves, here’s the output from their four most recent group stages.
- 2011: 3 matches, 6 goals from 68 shots worth 6.9 xG (0.10 per shot)
- 2015: 3 matches, 4 goals from 39 shots worth 3.3 xG (0.08 per shot)
- 2019: 3 matches, 18 goals from 82 shots worth 13.0 xG (0.16 per shot)
- 2023: 3 matches, 4 goals from 63 shots worth 8.1 xG (0.13 per shot)
If you’re looking for encouragement, the U.S. won the 2015 World Cup with a group stage attack even less effective than what we just saw. They were lucky to score even four goals that year, but they eased into the knockout rounds, scoring twice against Colombia and Germany before erupting for five goals in the final.
Krieger’s keys to USWNT improvement before Sweden clash
Former USWNT World Cup winner Ali Krieger explains the areas the side needs to address before its knockout clash with Sweden.
Again, the U.S. squad is defending even better than it did in 2015, allowing half as many shots through three matches, so maybe it’s possible to win four straight 1-0 matches. But even the “1” in “1-0” seems optimistic because American attackers couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn at the moment.
The U.S. scored three goals from shots worth 4.8 xG against Vietnam in the opening match, then managed only one goal from shots worth 3.3 xG against Netherlands and Portugal. Vlatko Andonovski switched things up, starting Lynn Williams for Trinity Rodman against Portugal, and she was on the receiving end of a number of great opportunities (six shots worth 1.3 xG) but couldn’t put one in the net. Alex Morgan has attempted 14 shots worth 2.9 xG and has scored on none of them.
If you want a positive spin, you could easily note that progression to the mean could be on the horizon. They’re not going to continue shooting this poorly. But finishing was an issue heading into the tournament, and the path ahead for the U.S. — potential matches against Sweden (in which key midfielder Rose Lavelle will be suspended), Japan, and either Spain or the Netherlands just to reach the final — offers absolutely no margin for error.Either the U.S. can progress to the mean immediately or they’ll be going home this weekend.
Lionel Messi scores 2 for Miami again as he inspires team to victory over OrlandoBy Paul Tenorio and The Athletic Staff ug 2, 2023
Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi notched the second brace of his MLS career with two goals against Orlando City SC, leading his team to a 3-1 victory in the 2023 Leagues Cup game on Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Messi got a yellow card in the first half and was then involved in an altercation with an Orlando player at half-time in the tunnel.
- The seven-time Ballon d’Or now has five goals in three games for Inter Miami.
- His first MLS brace occurred against Atlanta United on July 25.
- Inter Miami is through to the last 16 of the Leagues Cup and will face Dallas on the road.
Everything you need to know about Messi and Miami’s next match
Messi’s continued brilliance
At this point can it even really be considered a surprise that Messi scored? Three games into his Inter Miami tenure and five goals. The early finish against Orlando City might have been his easiest yet.
Robert Taylor — who has become a star playing alongside Messi — chipped a beautiful pass into the box to an unmarked Messi, who took it off his chest and volleyed home from six yards out. Taylor, who scored three goals with three assists in 33 games last season and added another two goals and four assists in 19 appearances this season before Messi arrived, now has three goals and two assists in two-plus games playing alongside Messi.
Perhaps as notable as the goal, however, was that Messi picked up a yellow card in the 21st minute for a harsh foul on Orlando City’s Wilder Cartagena, who had been man-marking him closely in the lead up to the foul. The frustration clearly built up enough for Messi to take a hack at Cartagena’s legs near midfield that drew the caution. — Tenorio
Messi got kicked, kicked back, got angry and then delivered again
By Paul Tenorio6h ago The Athletic
When the halftime whistle sounded on Wednesday night in Fort Lauderdale, Inter Miami star Lionel Messi walked toward the tunnel next to Orlando City defender Cesar Araujo, his hand over his mouth as the two exchanged words.Through his first two games with Miami, Messi influenced the contests without much resistance from opponents. Last week against Atlanta United, he wasn’t fouled at all. That certainly wasn’t the case against Orlando City, which clearly entered with a plan to frustrate Messi and Sergio Busquets in this Florida derby.Just a couple minutes before the referee signaled for the half, Messi had checked to receive a pass, shoving his arm into Araujo’s back to send the defender flying. Araujo and Orlando City defender Kyle Smith immediately returned the favor seconds later, fouling Messi as he received the ball and turned upfield. Messi jumped to his feet and gestured at the referee to produce a yellow card. The official obliged, booking Smith. Inter Miami players flew in to defend Messi, pushing and shoving ensued.
Messi lies on the turf as the referee flashes a yellow card (Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
“It was just like a derby game should be,” said Inter Miami winger Robert Taylor.
As the cameras followed Messi and Araujo walking off the field at halftime, it was clear the Argentine star was peeved. Inter Miami players eventually separated Messi from his foil, but the Argentine legend looked over his shoulder as he entered the tunnel and waited for Araujo to catch up. He had a few more words.Just before cameras cut away, Messi was seen shoving his arm out at the Orlando players next to him.Orlando City’s plan to pester Messi may not have worked in limiting his influence — he scored twice to lead Inter Miami to a 3-1 win — but, if nothing else, Orlando City elicited the first real fight out of Messi in a Miami jersey.And Messi looked more than up for it.
The Argentine picked up a yellow card, was chirping at opponents throughout the game and arguably could have had a second yellow for the shove on Araujo. Oh, and he also scored his fourth and fifth goals in just three games with Miami.None of it surprised Inter Miami manager Tata Martino. Not the goals — and certainly not the intensity.“He said he was coming to compete, he said he was coming to win things and he showed it today,” Martino said. “It was a clasico, it got heated in some moments of the game and, well, he’s doing what he said he would do.”
Messi is booked in the first half (Photo: Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
It was clear from the very start that Orlando City was not going to make things easy on the night, and their players were definitely not going to shy away from Miami’s stars. That was very much to be expected. Orlando is known as a more physical team, and despite Miami being in just its fourth season, there have been some good moments between the intra-state rivals.Even in the lead up to the game, an Inter Miami fan mural was splattered with purple paint.The early foul on Busquets set a tone. Messi immediately seemed up for the intensity of the game. Three minutes after the foul on Busquets, Messi gave Miami the 1-0 lead with a volley from six yards out. He was left unmarked and alone in the box, more space around him than probably at any other point in the game. Fifteen minutes after the goal, he picked up a yellow for kicking out at Orlando City’s Wilder Cartagena. He nearly doubled the lead 10 minutes after that, with a left-footed shot caroming off the post.Then, the confrontation just before halftime.Orlando City felt the sequence that started it all should have been a second yellow for Messi and an ejection for his push on Araujo.“It doesn’t matter who it is — if it’s a second yellow it needs to be treated the same,” Orlando City manager Oscar Pareja said.
Messi battles for possession with Cesar Araujo and Kyle Smith (Photo: Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
The yellow went to one of the players in purple instead. And when the whistle sounded, Messi found Araujo as they walked toward the locker rooms. Araujo, for his part, played down the halftime incident when asked about it after the game.“Absolutely nothing,” Araujo said in the mixed zone. “Normal things in a game, but no, nothing happened.”But if your eyes were trained on Messi during the game — and most were — it felt like a true rivalry game. The second half provided a dose of controversy to go with it all.A penalty was called just three minutes in when Josef Martinez looked to have been shoved down as he ran onto a pass. Replays showed Martinez went down easily. The referee did not go to video review. Messi told Martinez to take the penalty, and the 2018 MLS MVP buried it to the lower left corner.For Pareja, that call changed the tone and outcome of the entire game.
“Today was a circus,” Pareja said. “The PK is unbelievable. Unbelievable. I don’t know if the VAR came today.”The intensity in the game didn’t drop. Messi drew another yellow card on an Orlando player in the 57th minute when Mauricio Pereyra clattered into him. He stayed on the ground for two minutes holding his face before popping up to keep playing. In the 72nd minute, Messi essentially ended the game. This time, it was a clever flick from Martinez to Messi for an easy right-footed finish that made it 3-1.Ten minutes later, Messi was seen again on camera verbally sparring with an Orlando City player — this time Felipe Martins. In the end, there were 27 fouls in the game and seven yellow cards.
Inter Miami celebrates Messi’s first half goal (Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
For Martino, it’s all a part of what will likely come with the territory this season for Miami. Playing against Inter’s trio of former Barcelona stars is probably going to bring out the best — and most intense — performances from other MLS teams.“It is just like in Spain playing Barcelona and Real Madrid — the opponents up their level,” Martino said. “In Argentina, if you are playing Boca vs River, the same thing happens. Talking about the individuals, ‘I’m going to play against Messi. I’m going to play against Busquets. I am going to play against Jordi.’ Of course this is additional motivation. Yes, I expect much more of these matches. No doubt this is going to be the case. But I know how they compete — they’ve been competing at the highest level for years.“So there is no reason to believe that even if the match is harsh and physical, that they won’t be able to play.”Wednesday night definitely demonstrated as much. Messi has entertained plenty in his first three games. He has provided the goals, as he has through his whole career. On this night, however, it was his intensity that stood out.He didn’t shy away from the fight. And it most certainly set up an intriguing storyline for when Messi and Miami head to Orlando on Septemeber 24.“I think it’s clear that the rivalry is going to be wilder and better,” Pareja said. “And we are ready to do it.”
Leagues Cup tiers: Which Knockout Round teams are favorites?
Matthew Doyle Tuesday, Aug 1, 2023, 11:35 AM
The Leagues Cup group stage is now, officially, in the books. That process brought us about two weeks of games fueled by a solid dose of unpleasantries almost every time out as the wheat was thoroughly separated from the chaff (and, somehow, Santos Laguna). Now, with a day to catch our breath and the knockout rounds just 24 hours away, it feels like a good time to take a look at the remaining 32 teams and, yes, break them into tiers.As always these teams are roughly in order of how good I think they are, but what really matters is the tier designation.And remember: Everyone’s chasing that shiny trophy, one of three 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup spots, some hefty prize money and bragging rights.
Tier 1: The Heavyweights
- CF Monterrey (Liga MX)
- Tigres UANL (Liga MX)
- Club América (Liga MX)
When MLS folks – fans, front-office types, players, league officials – talk about needing to compete with the best in the region, they’re talking about these three giants. MLS sides actually have a winning record and positive goal differential against Liga MX sides in CCL play since 2016 if you remove the series against this triumvirate. Add those series back into the mix, however, and it gets grim.
And that’s because this trio basically owns the region. They’ve won eight of 13 CCL titles since 2010, and are the favorites to win every competition they enter. Having the biggest checkbook helps: In the past five years these teams have paid $10 million or more for 13 different players. MLS, as a whole over the entirety of the league’s history, has paid that much for just seven (four of those by Atlanta United).
Right now, based on form and past international precedent, it feels like Monterrey are probably the favorite here. They did their typical thing in game one and counterattacked Real Salt Lake to death, then had to play on the front foot after spotting the Seattle Sounders an early 2-0 lead but still cruised to a 4-2 win.
Los Rayados, led by Argentinian forward Germán Berterame, were just ruthless.
Tigres – who are the oldest team in the tournament in terms of age-weighted minutes – were less impressive in the group stage and seemed to be putting out just enough effort to win. They beat Portland and then San Jose by a goal each, never really getting out of third gear. That also describes the slow start to their Apertura season, which most (including me) are chalking up to a championship hangover after their Clausura win.
Then there’s Las Aguilas. After their 4-0 win over St. Louis in game 1, it looked like they were the best team in the tournament. Then they got clobbered 4-1 in the second game vs. the Crew, and that scoreline was not a mistake: Columbus utterly dominated the final 70 minutes.
Without taking anything away from Wilfried Nancy & Co. (you’ll see the Crew near the top of the next tier), I’m going to chalk much of América’s performance on Monday night up to complacency given the ease of their first group game. And I won’t be at all shocked if the blowout loss serves as a wake-up call.
Bear in mind América’s front three of Julián Quiñones, Henry Martín and Leo Suárez is maybe the best in the region, and is certainly the most well-balanced. Columbus only had to deal with all three of them for about 10 minutes in the middle of the second half. The Fire will have to handle that trio from the start (#PrayForChicago).
Anyway, give me the choice of these three vs. the field and it’s pretty easy: I’m taking these three.
Tier 2: Legit Contenders
Just because the triumvirate are favorites doesn’t mean it’s a fait accompli (ask Toronto, who beat both Tigres and América in the 2018 CCL before losing in the final to a much worse Chivas side). They can be beaten, though even in Liga MX they are dominant, winning 11 of 24 titles since the 2010 Apertura.
Here’s the group of teams that could win this thing without sending me into a state of shock-induced catatonia:
- Club León (Liga MX)
- Philadelphia Union (MLS)
- FC Cincinnati (MLS)
- Columbus Crew (MLS)
- LAFC (MLS)
- New England Revolution (MLS)
- Deportivo Toluca (Liga MX)
- Atlas FC (Liga MX)
- Nashville SC (MLS)
This is the mix of smaller but dangerous Liga MX sides (including the current CCL champs in León) and the best in MLS.
A lot of folks seem to think of León as an older side, but other than their ageless wingers (Ángel Mena is 35 and still great), they’re mostly composed of guys smack in the primes of their careers. They will not be overawed by anything they come up against in this tournament.
Philly and Cincy are probably the two best MLS teams at the moment, and I don’t think anyone would be shocked if either of them got on a run that ended with a trophy. Philly are a little more dynamic in their ability to change shapes this year, which gives them a built-in tactical advantage Jim Curtin hasn’t been afraid to use, and that we saw in group stage wins over Querétaro and Tijuana. Cincy, meanwhile, picked up probably the best win of the group stage for any MLS club when they smashed a very good Chivas side (coached by former Fire manager Veljko Paunovic) 3-1 behind a Brandon Vazquez hattie.
As I said above: Club América were probably victims of a bit of complacency and overconfidence. But no matter the circumstances you have to be really, really good to hang four on the biggest team in the region. Nobody in any competition had done it since 2020, a span of 136 games.
So yeah, the Crew just sold their No. 10 in Lucas Zelarayán, and their defense is kind of questionable, and young Patrick Schulte is prone to the occasional gaffe. And it feels a year too soon for them to lift a trophy.They belong in this tier anyway. They know who they are, they know how they want to play (it’s the prettiest soccer in MLS) and they showed they can impose that style on giants.
LAFC are not remotely the same LAFC side that won the Supporters’ Shield/MLS Cup double last year, and they don’t look like the same side that made it all the way to the CCL final this spring. They have been poor since then, but they’ve made some additions this window that could (should?) lead to better balance. And in terms of overall talent, they check the boxes.
Same goes for the Revs, though I worry their propensity to throw both fullbacks forward at the same time leaves them wildly vulnerable to being countered to death. Still, they can hang three on anybody in this tournament, and that’s a pretty good foundation to build from even if it’s high-risk, high-reward.
The same goes for Toluca with their super-dynamic wingbacks, as we saw in their 4-3 win over Nashville. They were able to make the field huge and put fractures in that Coyotes’ diamond, then pull it apart. They followed that up with a comfortable 4-1 win over Colorado.Atlas have had to rebuild after their back-to-back league titles 18 months ago, and I’m not quite sure they belong at this level, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.I would maybe have Nashville higher on this list if I didn’t have the sneaking suspicion Gary Smith was slightly more interested in squad rotation and rest than he was in a deep run.
Tier 3: They Can’t Possibly Pull it Off, Can They?
- Inter Miami CF (MLS)
They’ll have the best player on the field by a mile in every single game they play. I also think they’ll have the second-best player, and they’ve managed to create instant balance all over the field under Tata Martino. Of course, a 4-3-3 with Lionel Messi inverted on the right, two running 8s in front of Sergio Busquets and a field-stretching left winger would look perfect from the jump. Of course!
But 1) this team was a disaster as recently as two weeks ago, and 2) Atlanta and Cruz Azul are not good right now. Both are disorganized through midfield, which gave Messi and Busquets time and space – more than any of the remaining teams would give them – to have an outsized impact even by their own lofty standards.till, though… it’s Messi. He’s the greatest athlete I’ve ever seen, and the pieces around him fit. For the past two decades that’s been a trophy-winning blueprint.
Tier 4: An Uphill Climb
These are teams that, frankly, I do not think can win this thing:
- Orlando City SC (MLS)
- New York City FC (MLS)
- Cruz Azul (Liga MX)
- Querétaro FC (Liga MX)
- Real Salt Lake (MLS)
- CF Pachuca (Liga MX)
- Pumas UNAM (Liga MX)
- FC Dallas (MLS)
- Minnesota United FC (MLS)
- New York Red Bulls (MLS)
- Houston Dynamo FC (MLS)
- Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
- Mazatlán FC (Liga MX)
- FC Juárez (Liga MX)
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC (MLS)
- Portland Timbers (MLS)
- Chicago Fire FC (MLS)
- Charlotte FC (MLS)
- D.C. United (MLS)
Orlando City gave Tigres hell in the CCL Round of 16 this spring and have only gotten better since then. I am maybe underrating their chances here, especially since Duncan McGuire is in match-winning form as a No. 9.
NYCFC have been desperately in need of one of those since Taty Castellanos left this time last year, and hope they’ve found one in new signing Mounsef Bakrar. The Algerian got his first Pigeons goal in his first start, though take it with a grain of salt since it came against a Toronto side that’s going to go down as the most disappointing team in recent MLS history.
Cruz Azul and Querétaro looked helpless against good teams. I don’t think they have it. RSL looked helpless against Monterrey specifically – again, I think that’s the best team in the region right now, so I might be over-indexing that loss. But it was emphatic and the West region is a blender.
Pachuca are actually the most successful Liga MX side of the past 25 years: seven league titles, five Champions League/Cup titles, and a Copa Sudamericana title, which makes them the only Concacaf team to have won a Conmebol tournament. And it’s not like they’ve disappeared since then – they got a bye directly into the knockout rounds here by topping the Liga MX aggregate table in 2022.
But unlike the three giants in Tier 1, Los Tuzos develop and sell (they have the best academy in Mexico), which means there are more ups and downs in their year-to-year performances. They’re in a down period now after raking in nearly $35 million in sales over the past three windows and reinvesting less than a third of it into the roster. Writing Pachuca off makes me itch, but this just isn’t the same group they were a year ago.
Pumas have had a good start to the Apertura and have a good No. 9 and a good CB pairing, but I think the best teams will run right through their midfield. Dallas are still a goalscorer short, as are Minnesota, RBNY and Houston (one of those teams should maybe make Pumas an offer they can’t refuse for Juan Dinenno).
Sporting were excellent against Cincinnati before Alan Pulido got his red, and looked so comfortable pulling Chivas apart and controlling the tempo in their 1-0 win on Monday night. I don’t think they have enough to do that five more times, but we’ll see.
Mazatlán and Juárez are fun stories, but no threat. Vancouver have had lots of good moments this year, including their late comeback to knock the Galaxy out, but just traded their most influential player and aren’t the kind of lock-down defensive team that can 1-0 their way through a bracket. The same goes for Portland, Chicago, Charlotte and D.C., each of whom did well just to get out of the group.
Matthew Doyle –
USWNT’s Megan Rapinoe: My Game in My Words
Meg Linehan Jul 19, 2023 tps://e6984ef691a86101eea9feaf128d16fb.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html
The Athletic has live coverage of USWNT vs. Vietnam at the Women’s World Cup
In this My Game In My Words series, The Athletic builds towards the Women’s World Cup by talking to leading players around the world to find out how they think about football, why they play the way they do and to reflect — through looking back at their key career moments — on their achievements so far.
Megan Rapinoe emerges from the locker room at OL Reign’s training facility and sits at one of the tables dotting the upper level of the building, overlooking an indoor field. There’s a banner featuring an action shot of Rapinoe directly behind her from the early days, when the team was still Seattle Reign FC. It’s a subtle reminder that she’s been here since the beginning, a decade ago.
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Her teammates trickle out in ones and twos, head coach Laura Harvey is floating around too. Some, when they realize Rapinoe’s watching back old clips of herself, wander over to figure out which one she’s looking at, offer up their own commentary or knock her on the shoulder.
It’s May 26 in Seattle, and Rapinoe’s retirement announcement is still almost two months away. Though in many ways, the announcement is expected. Rapinoe’s one of few Reign players left from day one of the team, along with Jess Fishlock and Lu Barnes — it’s not unheard of in the NWSL, which is just over a decade old, but you can count those players on a single hand. It can only last for so long.
Rapinoe’s ready to watch and talk soccer. But not just the typical highlights. The stuff players don’t usually talk about, too. The little things that can win matches and grate on opponents.
Rapinoe watching moments from throughout her career. (Photo: Meg Linehan, photographed on Google Pixel)
‘Just epic s—housery’
We start with the end: the art of protecting a slim lead and killing off a match by any means necessary — something Rapinoe deems “a brutal reality” before shrugging a little.
“I would love to play the beautiful game and do all the things and pass and score goals and all of it, but the whole point is winning. That is fun. That’s the most fun part,” she says.
If you can win and do it with great play? Amazing. But it’s not the point.
“Teams are throwing every single thing they possibly can,” Rapinoe says. “They’re going to be overly aggressive. I know how to use my body really well to put myself in between (a defender and the ball), to draw fouls or bait people into fouls. That’s your responsibility not to foul. It’s not my responsibility to have you not foul me, and I’m not going to do you any favors by using any of my might to stay up.”
This is especially true in a World Cup, which, for Rapinoe and the U.S. women’s national team, starts Friday at 9 p.m. ET against Vietnam.
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“You’re trying to get to the next game, period. The only thing that matters is winning. It doesn’t really matter how you do it,” Rapinoe says, gesturing to the tail end of the 2019 match against Spain that’s playing silently on the laptop before her. This game, she says, is a good example. A better one? The quarterfinal against France. “The last 30 minutes of that game was just epic s—housery.”
She finds this skill easier in the NWSL, not that she wants to insult other players in the league, but Rapinoe says play in the league can be more aggressive. “At the end of the game, they’re just kind of stabbing at (the ball),” she says.
“I understand which players are doing that and when you just have to step in front and fall down. I am getting fouled, but it’s just like, could I stay on my feet? Yeah, probably, but why would I do that? I’m going to use what I know you’re trying to do against you.”
But sometimes, she really is doing things just to do them.
Take the infamous eavesdropping incident in a 2018 Tournament of Nations match against Brazil. Marta and two other players are huddled around a free kick, hands on their hips. Rapinoe stands, silently, not even smiling, just off Marta’s shoulder.
Rapinoe watches the clip. “What’s going on?” she says, doing a little innocent voice, as Marta on-screen finally looks up and does a double take for Rapinoe’s enormous, sh—eating grin in response.
“I also just really enjoy it, it’s fun and part of the game to have a personality within the game. Sometimes it’s with referees. Sometimes it’s with players, sometimes it’s with fans. I always just want to be talking and yakking and seeing what’s going on — not even to get an advantage, sometimes it’s just funny to do it.”
She has a hint of that same smile on her face as she watches it back.
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“I can’t resist any joke whatsoever, no matter how inappropriate the timing is,” she says. “So anytime I can find a way to get a laugh, even just for myself, or get a joke in, I will.”
As amusing as it can be, for Rapinoe there is a serious element to this part of the game — a skill level, an art. She still doesn’t understand why more teams and players don’t embrace it, even as officials are now taking a different approach to stoppage time in matches. FIFA has already said to expect lengthier added time in both halves to fully account for stoppages in play, just like what happened in the men’s World Cup.
Rapinoe’s in favor of the change, but she also thinks it just means everyone has to be more clever. It’s more than just dribbling to the corner, it’s knowing when to draw fouls, when to stay on your feet.
“I tell Rose (Lavelle) all the time, ‘They did hit your ankle, and you’re in their half. You could just fall. You’re actually doing us a disservice because they’re doing everything they can, they’ll hit you five times without you falling, and then you do too much and now we’ve lost the ball.’”
And Rapinoe certainly thinks that it suits the USWNT to earn dead balls, especially late in a game.
“We can be very disciplined and very organized and very cutthroat about what we’re doing. There’s no need to do anything stupid,” she says. “You can boot the ball further, leave the ball on the ground, walk over, stand over it, talk, that’s gonna kill the game.”
There is a balance though. You have to be smart, she says, and not annoy the referee too much by lollygagging, only to end up with more time on the clock.
“If you can kill the game, win the game and move on, who cares what anybody says about how you did it?”
Rapinoe announced that she will retire after the 2023 NWSL season (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
‘I literally do like five things over and over and over again’
In this final year of her career, it’s no secret that Rapinoe’s role has changed on the national team. It’s one of the bigger narratives heading into the tournament. The personnel has changed from the U.S.’s 2019 World Cup win and the younger generation is taking more and more minutes, with that’s the introduction of Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman, the resurgence of Mal Swanson (then her loss via injury) and the retirement of Carli Lloyd.
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With chemistry to build on this summer, Rapinoe jokes first about players entering the USWNT environment needing to learn her tendencies.
“So wild because I’ve been here for 1,000 years, I literally do like five things over and over and over again,” she says in her usual deadpan delivery, before she answers the question for real: it’s on her. Since she’s the one who’s been around, she feels she can adjust better and more quickly.
The lessons for her are by example. “This is actually how you get on the field,” she says, laughing, “and build peoples’ trust. Showing this is how you open up space, that’s how you get people open. The defense can’t cover everything at one time, so you have to make it difficult, make their choices difficult. Whatever you want to give us? We’ll kill you with that.”
It has been difficult at times. She knows how to play with Crystal Dunn and Lindsey Horan, playing with Alex Morgan is “super easy and second nature.” As new people have entered, it’s gotten “clunky” at times, she admits, but the solution is consistency and communication around her runs, her movement and her expectation of other players.
Rapinoe’s ability to read space has paid off for the USWNT plenty over the years, but take, for instance, her goal against Germany last fall. Watching the clip, Rapinoe murmurs to herself, “Just hanging out over there,” as Morgan’s first attempt at a central pass is intercepted by Felicitas Rauch, before Ashley Sanchez applies pressure and forces a turnover back to Morgan.
This time, Morgan’s cross from the endline finds a wide-open Rapinoe, who threads the needle past a diving defender and the goalkeeper.
“I try not to do any unnecessary running whatsoever,” Rapinoe says, much to nearby OL Reign head coach Harvey’s amusement.
“Being in the right place at the right time is the most important thing,” Rapinoe continues. “The best players are always in the right spot, and that’s why they’re the best. That’s why they have assists and goals and are impactful, so the positioning of yourself in the right place is the movement. Sometimes you need to move and run and make the sacrificial run, but sometimes you just need to stand there.”
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It’s an ongoing discussion she’s been having with 21-year-old Rodman. Rapinoe thinks Rodman’s instincts are good, but she also thinks sometimes Rodman does too much work on her defensive recoveries.
“She can recover everywhere,” Rapinoe says, “but I’m like, ‘You don’t have to.’”
The entire approach can be simplified down to one defining concept: “I’m constantly trying to position myself in a dangerous place.”
Next, a clip from a Reign game against the Orlando Pride in October 2022, during the team’s run to the NWSL Shield. (The official NWSL highlight clip somehow misses out on her crucial first and second touch, but it’s in the replay, beginning at the :37 mark.)
“That honestly might be one of the best things I’ve ever done in my career, individual skill-wise. Yeah, that second touch was,” she doesn’t bother finishing the sentence. We just know. She says she didn’t realize in the moment how good that second touch was until she watched it back after the game.
“Just getting it out of my feet like that and getting away from any kind of pressure and being able to set me up to do that,” she says, referring to her assist to forward Bethany Balcer. But did she see the run from Balcer that quickly?
“I’m just putting it into a dangerous spot and you need to be there,” she says. That knowledge is something Balcer has, thanks to years of playing alongside Rapinoe now. It’s something Rapinoe says everyone who plays with her knows. “Sometimes if we have to have a look about it, it’s already a little bit too late. But Boats (Balcer) is so good running across the near post like that.”
For this clip, Rapinoe has a secret. “I probably didn’t mean the (nut)meg, if I have to say it. I want to be a liar here.”
Rapinoe nutmegs the defender, putting the ball right through her legs.
The key, according to Rapinoe, is the ability to take little touches like this in order to deceive. Her defender is in charge of reading her, and making it harder to do that is a difference-maker. Ensuring that the teammate on the other end of that pass knows what she’s about to do is also key, but Rapinoe says there’s a little extra give on a play like this.
“For players who are smart like me and play like that — Kristie (Mewis) is one of them, Lindsey (Horan) is one of them, Crystal (Dunn)’s one of them — who use that deception a lot, it’s really easy for them to understand where I’m going. Then it doesn’t have to be perfect because there’s so much deception,” she says. “That’s the other part of it, sometimes even with the balls like the one to Bethany, if you’re putting it in a dangerous position early like that and it’s unexpected, it doesn’t have to be perfect, it doesn’t have to be pinpoint. You have a bit more leeway, but you’ve given yourself that leeway by doing it in a way that people weren’t expecting.”
That clip reveals Rapinoe’s favorite: passing. She swoons a little when she starts to talk about it, she loves passing. She loves the assist that sets up the assist. The pass that can cut a team open like Meredith Grey with a scalpel — but it’s also something she struggles to explain precisely.
“I just feel where space is, and feel where I am in the space,” she says. “Passing is the best, I love it, maybe even more than scoring goals. So much fun when you know you’ve unlocked somebody.”
Rapinoe points to a clip she’d already watched, a tidy sequence of wing interplay between herself, Horan and Emily Sonnett, which starts practically at their corner flag and results in Rapinoe right-footing it through two Brazilian players ahead to Lynn Williams.
Rapinoe receives a pass with some space to operate.
“The little pass to Lindsey, that just opens everything up. Now we can play…”
“The really simple, against-the-grain or diagonal balls are so deadly. You really can’t do anything about it. Your team is set up to keep you on one side and when you can slip it out the other side? The best,” she says, a giant grin on her face.
Rapinoe laces a long pass ahead to Williams, past all of Brazil’s defenders.
“I’m like, ‘Got ‘em!’”
‘I feel like I’m in therapy right now’
The bronze medal match against Australia during the 2021 Olympics came after a long, strange, uncharacteristic tournament for the USWNT. The day before the match, she told head coach Vlatko Andonovski, “Maybe I’ll just shoot it!”It wasn’t the first time she had scored an Olimpico (a goal scored straight from a corner kick) in the Olympics either, which is a rare goal to begin with, but pulling off two in two different Games is Rapinoe-levels of absurd and elite. In fact, Rapinoe’s first, which came at London 2012, was the first ever Olimpico in the Olympics.“Sometimes it’s like, I’m not totally shooting it but I’m not not shooting it, but I’m thinking about it, and I’m trying to put it in the most dangerous place. But I did know that it was going to be a little bit more open, so I tried to just—” she gestures in the direction of the laptop.Maybe less important than the technique on this one is that she very much has evidence that it was intentional. “I was claiming that one, because I said it the day before.”We watch again, this time focusing less on her and more on what’s happening in front of goal.“Not exactly prowess at the back post, lovey, Pressy,” she says with fondness for Christen Press. “I just felt it was a little exposed, and I don’t trust most goalkeepers — except ours. Lys (Alyssa Naeher) would never let something like this happen, way too cautious.”If there’s something that Rapinoe can truly hang her hat on, though, it’s the penalty kick.And for Rapinoe, routine is queen.“I don’t think I could overstate that enough because you cannot control what it’s going to feel like in this moment, in a bigger moment, in the biggest moment.” The routine gives her a process, a script — comfort despite the uncertainty of every different time she’s taken one.She relies on that routine, detouring from the selected clips and telling the story of a penalty she had recently taken in Louisville (notably during the NWSL’s 1,000th game) — and one that she found herself nervous to take.“I haven’t taken one in a while, my season is just getting going, I feel like I haven’t quite really found the form that I want to get into still,” she says. But the routine allowed her to distance herself from that emotion and find it interesting rather than disruptive. The emotion didn’t take over. Still, she found herself touching her shirt more. Her shorts, too.“Because I have such a routine, I notice when something’s different,” she says.“I feel like I’m in therapy right now. But I am,” she laughs, “so it’s helping.”
There’s a story she’s told before, such as on an episode of the “Snacks” podcast with Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams.
“I always encourage people to say out loud the thing that they’re scared of,” Rapinoe says. “Literally, you could lose the World Cup, and what are you going to do?”Rapinoe detours a little further with the storytelling, recounting how Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning said he wasn’t embarrassed after a lopsided Super Bowl defeat — they didn’t purposefully lose, they had gone out and done their best. That’s stuck with her.“I would bet on myself taking it, I would bet on my teammates taking it. I always want to take one and do my best. This is literally all you can do, right?”There’s one thing about penalties people always ask her about, and she doesn’t know how to answer: When does she decide where she’s placing the ball?
“I don’t really know. It’s somewhere in the lead-up,” she finally says with a shrug and a laugh.
“I don’t really watch the goalkeepers, either. I feel what they’re doing, but ultimately, if you can smack it hard and in a good enough place, I don’t think they can save it.”
There’s one final clip for her to watch, one that might sum up the different elements of her game that we’ve been discussing for the better part of an hour. Harvey’s still floating around behind us, and she walks over for this one because it’s another Reign clip — Rapinoe’s late, stoppage time winner against the Pride in August 2022.
Rapinoe watches it through once and starts laughing when she hits her celebration, whipping off her shirt.
“I just love the end of a game,” she sighs.
Rapinoe watches it again, talking to her past self on the screen. “Get in the box, get in the box,” she says.
“Sometimes I do have a tendency to hang out too far back, and I was like, ‘You gotta get in there.’ It’s good, (Sofia Huerta) balls are ridiculous, she’s so special at that.”
Harvey interjects: “We were weather-delayed, as well.” The stands are nearly empty, to say a thousand people were there to see her score this goal would be generous.
“Rose doing something crazy at the top of the box, but it worked out,” Rapinoe says slowly, before everyone breaks into laughter.
“Oh, this is such a good ball. Outside of my foot, I just booted it. These games, literally anything can happen. There’s so much faking it until I make it, all the time. But you just have to do that, I’ve learned that from my years on the national team. It could happen, there’s two minutes left, you could score two goals. You have to believe that because otherwise, if you never try you’re never gonna do it.”
“I always feel like I have a really good spatial awareness of where I am, and where other players are,” Rapinoe says.
Maybe that’s the secret. It’s been a theme the whole conversation: that Spidey sense, of sorts. Rapinoe can’t always capture it in words, but it’s always there. It works for passing, scoring goals, movement, every facet of her game. She just knows when people are moving, even if she doesn’t know exactly where they are on the field.
Watching one penalty kick clip, she says, “I couldn’t have told you that she was going to dive right, I just have that feel a little bit. That’s probably my biggest talent, to be honest.”
Rapinoe confirms it to herself.
“That’s why I’m so good and why I’ve been able to be good, that’s my talent. I’m not an exceptional dribbler, I’m not faster. That’s how I’ve been able to unlock the game for myself, being able to find pockets, be in those pockets and find space and work off my teammates.”
It’s about time to go. This is the longest the two of us have ever talked about the actual soccer on the field, but there’s a game the next day. Rapinoe will go on to provide three assists in a 4-1 win for the Reign against Angel City FC, making her only the fifth player in the NWSL to do so. She loves passing.
Before she goes though, just one final question: any closing thoughts on your games in your words?
Rapinoe laughs.
“I mean, you just never know what’s going to happen, because I don’t. That’s what I always say.”
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(Photo illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; photos: Bob Drebin / ISI Photos, Brad Smith / USSF, Ira L. Black / Corbis)
Recap – LOU 2:0 IND
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, July 29) – Traveling to Kentucky for the second game of a two-game road trip, Indy Eleven played at Louisville City FC for the second and final meeting between the two teams this season. A 28th-minute goal by Elijah Wynder would prove to be the difference as Louisville City FC would go on to earn all three points at home.
In the 28th minute, a pass from Oscar Jimenez found an open Elijah Wynder who dribbled it just under the glove of Yannik Oettl, giving Louisville a 1-0 lead.
Indy had the chance to equalize in the 37th minute, when a shot by Sebastian Velasquez just inside the box steered left of the net in what was Indy’s first shot of the half.
Despite Indy dominating the possession battle (71%-29%), Louisville outshot the Boys in Blue 7-1 in the first half.
In the 65th minute, a Jimenez corner kick found Cameron Lancaster in the box, who delivered a header that found the back of the net, giving Louisville a 2-0 lead.
Yannik Oettl made an impressive save on a Sean Totsch header in the 71st minute to keep the deficit to two.
For the match, Indy controlled the possession battle (68%-32%) but was outshot by Louisville City 14-7 and 5-0 in shots on goal.
Next up, the Boys in Blue head home to host Memphis 901 FC for a 7:00 p.m. ET kickoff Saturday, August 5. Single-game tickets for all home games at IUPUI Carroll Stadium and specially-priced group tickets and an increased portfolio of hospitality options are available for purchase now via indyeleven.com/tickets or by calling 317-685-1100 during regular business hours (Mon.-Fri., 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.).
USL Championship Regular Season
Louisville City FC 2:0 Indy Eleven
Saturday, July 29
Lynn Family Stadium – Louisville, Ky.
Louisville City FC: 9W-7L-5D, 32 pts.
Indy Eleven: 6W-8L-7D, 25 pts.
Scoring Summary
LOU – Elijah Wynder (Oscar Jimenez) 28’
LOU – Cameron Lancaster (Oscar Jimenez) 65’
Discipline Summary
IND – Robby Dambrot (caution) 61’
IND – Aodhan Quinn (caution) 67’
IND – Adrian Diz Pe (caution) 86’
IND – Younes Boudadi (caution) 90+4’
Louisville City FC line-up (3-4-3): Oliver Semmle, Sean Totsch, Rasmus Thellufsen (Niall McCabe 90’), Wes Charpie, Brian Ownby (Ray Serrano 90’), Tyler Gibson, Amadou Dia, Cameron Lancaster (Wilson Harris 85’), Oscar Jimenez (Manny Perez 85’), Elijah Wynder, Kyle Adams
Louisville Subs: Carlos Moguel Jr., Danny Faundez, Maarten Pouwels
Indy Eleven line-up (3-4-3): Yannik Oettl, Macaulay King, Callum Chapman-Page (Mechack Jerome 59’), Adrian Diz Pe, Robby Dambrot (Harrison Robledo 70’), Aodhan Quinn, Jack Blake (Roberto Molina 85’), Sebastian Velasquez (Solomon Asante 70’), Douglas Martinez, Sebastian Guenzatti (captain), Stefano Pinho (Younes Boudadi 59’)
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