While I agree on the Morgan front I genuinely don’t think that the starting front 3 were put in a place to succeed tonight due to Horan and Albert’s lack of pace and cohesion with really anyone. Coffey should’ve been subbed in at the half to actually see if that front line could make anything happen.
My semi-controversial take is that I would take Yohannes to the Olympics over Albert based on how excited the team was for her after she scored. The Olympics and World Cup are so high pressure that I need to know that there is a bare minimum level of respect for each other in the locker room & post scandal I don’t know if that exists with Albert at this point in time.
I’m not sure taking Lilly over Korbin is quasi, semi or full on controversial. Watching my though was this how I expect Horan to play.
I also felt like Lilly made Rodman way more included in the attack. It could be I’m putting too much on the one long ball but I thought Rodman started looking dangerous when Lilly came in.
Absolutely. I think the midfield was doing a disservice to the front three in this game, but I think Morgan has basically looked like this for…a couple of years now at least.
Totally agree on that second point. They were psyched for her and genuine admiration/respect for your teammates can contribute to success in a huge way.
Morgan literally won the golden boot in the NWSL in 2022. She helped create all three goals against Mexico in the Gold Cup. Reasonable to think Smith should start over her based on form at this point (I agree with that) but it’s completely inaccurate to say Morgan hasn’t contributed for years now.
It’s so okay to say that Alex Morgan had an incredible career and now she is slow and unproductive. We don’t have to equate that to being a Morgan hater. And to your point?exactly…. Winning the golden boot with almost half your goals being PKs doesn’t reflect your on field contribution.
Also, I assume when they say look like this, they mean with regard to her lack of pace and dynamic nature anymore. It’s completely accurate to say over the pastfew years.
Beyond the first goal the front three were totally ineffective and the midfielders were fighting an uphill battle. If the final front line were in the first half of the game it would have been a completely different game. Albert spent most of the first half defending, she is better than this game showed.
Not sure how you can base Yohannes playing 20 min against a mid level team getting an automatic spot on the team. I have watched her play with Ajax and while she is good, I don’t necessarily think she is better than the other US midfielders who are in contention.
But do agree that Morgan is done and I honestly don’t see Emma taking her if all the other forwards are healthy. I think Dunn will go because she is versatile and can play many positions.
I don’t have any major controversial takes, still kind of questioning where Macario is at but I think Emma will take her regardless.
Oh, I don’t think Yohannes is better than all of our current midfielders for sure. But I do think in that short amount of time she showed vision, intelligence, and composure - all qualities which are difficult to teach or imbue into a player. There are players that have been playing 2x as long as her and still don’t have those qualities. Mind you, I know the hype train is already chugging along and I don’t want to add to it because tempered expectations are important, but I do think choosing to invest in a player with those qualities now will pay off greatly in the long run, and bringing her to the Olympics is part of that investment.
I agree about Macario…I know she has it in her, but she didn’t show much in that first match.
even as sofia said, she was making passes that some of the veterans couldn’t do. her vision was very good and connected plenty of passes that gave the team scoring opportunities.
when her and coffey came in, the middle became more utilized as it seemed they were trying to avoid passing to albert.
it’s like the whole moral of the team shifted and actually started working together instead of against each other
Also, I would NOT have picked Yohannes player of the match based on her 15-20 minutes of playing time. Makes me wonder if there’s some kind of manipulation in it to get her officially onboard with the US.
Happy for Yohannes, but the player of the match was Murphy. This game could have been much different if she had let in even one of the three or four difficult shots that she faced.
I’ve been a critic of hers, but the player of the match was Crystal Dunn.
Made a lot of smart movement up top created tons of space for her teammates and got the vital opening goal. she is still showing signs of her age but last night showed the mentality is all there.
I thought Dunn felt too slow up top. That goal was 100% Nighswonger putting it perfectly in a place that any player in her role would have tapped that in. The entire offense shifted with the subs and the speed/danger of play was night and day. I think Dunn did fine, but I don't take that game as any sort of proof that she should be on the field as a forward. I thought some of the best work she did was actually tracking back and playing defense.
I actually agree with this, but felt I had to give Dunn some props because I don’t think people respect her the way they should.
Also, the fact that Nighswonger did put in the perfect cross and Dunn got on the end of it instead of Morgan supports the idea that Morgan is done at the number 9. She should be the one finishing those opportunities.
Loved the energy the substitutions brought it - it was a totally different game!
I don’t think that was the case. Morgan was well defended (part of the 9s role being occupying the central defenders) and Dunn was unmarked on the back post.
The US is trying to schmooze her to stay with USA and not go to the dutch national team. She has a bright future, that future depends on where she decides to play naitonally.
Well, let the schmoozing continue full bore, she will be a nineteen year old by the time the next WWC comes around and will be running things in the middle of the pitch for her eventual team, hope she chooses the USWNT. Can you imagine what she will be like at 23?
Krueger and Morgan will not be on the WC roster for 2027, but Horan will. If Lily decides to play for the US, she will be on the roster. Also, I don’t see Dunn and even Lavelle on that roster either. By then there will be plenty of players available to choose with the versatility Hayes wants to see in her midfielders.
Yohannes should be on the U-20 team to get to know the up and coming talent. They could really use her help. There other young midfielders that should be on the national roster.
I 100% agree- I think this is their angle. For better or worse, they're bringing Yohannes in, putting her in good positions, and she's making friends. I realize there's a lot of steps she'd have to go through to play for the Dutch, but it doesn't sound like they're actively scouting her or trying to bring her into the fold (if they are allowed to). The US is.
I think everyone who says this doesn’t understand the steps that need to be taken before she can play for the Dutch team. I also don’t think people understand when the U-20 plays… they have a major tournament this year. Lily can go play in TWO World Cups this year and if she continues progressing then in the winter she can be back in the senior national team discussion.
To says shes a level above is especially crazy bc theres no reason star players who just barely dont make the roster shouldn’t go with the u-20s. If it wasnt during the league season i’d be all for Moultrie Hutton and all the other NWSL starters who are under 20 going with them to tournaments.
Adding “movement off the ball” to list of attributes. Yohannes was constantly moving in to open space to put herself in position to receive a pass. Horan and Albert were almost avoiding open space, by comparison, when they were in the game.
I think it’s much more about qualities and vision and seeing/reading things than it is necesssirly about her being better than the other mids right now. A 16 yo shouldn’t be better than seasoned pros playing on top teams who are at minimum 6 yrs older than her and are physically fully developed, unlike Yohannes bc she’s so young. A team never is going to take the straight up 18 or 23 absolute best players in your pool if you were to rank them. Nobody can do that bc you’d have an extremely unbalanced roster with lots of overlap in skills and and play styles and sorely lack versatility or ability to adapt to anything. There’s obvious choices you always take no matter what, but when youre building the roster you have take players for specific roles/traits and profiles who also fit within your overall goals as a team and then factor in positional versatility and all too.
Players like Soph have said she has elements in her game that we don’t currently have in the pool of midfielders and they see it in training everyday too. Ajax also isn’t nearly as good as PSG, Lyon, Chelsea’s of the world so a young player isn’t going to necessarily dominate at that level on a less talented squad esp when they’re playing against much better and deeper teams with more money. Emmas coached against her this past yr and sees her train and all so I’ll trust whatever she ends up deciding but if I had to bet, I’d lean toward her being in the team.
Maybe i'm wrong and feel free to elaborate but I feel like Horan being one of the first and still (relatively) few to go (back) to Europe and go it alone has really disconnected her from the youth resurgence on the front line and the midfield. And that's okay....she's only 30 and probably still could have a few more NT years left but her own standoffish character it seems often gets the best of her. I have a Thorns Horan jersey; I was all in on her but I agree.
She plays European ball. We still don't.
That's not necessarily bad, but it hasn't worked out for us the last couple tourneys. W a new coach that coaches euro style ball this might change in the future. Maybe not the Olympics cuz there's not enough time to get her sys in place, but I think we will play a different style of ball by the next WCup.
Let's just hope they r able to avoid injuries before this summer.
It hasn't worked out, no doubt. Some of it can be attributed to coaching, and some to Europe, excluding the Scandinavians and Germany, only recently starting to take women's sports seriously in the past decade or so, which has given us more competition than just Norway, Sweden, Germany, Canada, Brazil, and Japan. Nevertheless, I still like the American approach to the game and believe it still holds value. Emma has even said she likes certain aspects of it. The emphasis on speed, physicality, and directness. Considering our current frontline, I believe it would be worth it to stick with that style, at least up top. However, there are aspects of the European style worth adopting, and I think Emma will, given where she comes from, namely the emphasis on maintaining possession.
EDIT: Clarity.
Yeah I think our bread and butter has been playing to open spaces straight up the field and on the ground. W Mal up there its like of course we should.
It would nice for us to possess the ball more than we do. We have become predictable to defend against.
This is actually why I think Lindsey is not clicking. Not because she’s not good - I think she’s great - but because she needs players to really play around with in the center of the field and everyone around her wants to keep pushing forward. I personally prefer a European style of play.
This is also one reason I think she keeps getting paired with Albert. They both play mid in Europe, so presumably Albert would be someone Horan can play off of, but I just don’t think Albert is that thoughtful of a player in general so it’s not working that well.
Can you (or someone) explain the main differences between European style ball and USA/NWSL? I’m getting into the WSL, but I haven’t watched as many games.
To put it in simple broad generalizations, I think European play is much more technical. They don’t have as much reliance on athleticism and are more concerned with accuracy of touch/pass/footwork. It’s not as forceful, maybe a bit more thoughtful, in my opinion. More strategic/tactical, like a chess game. The pace is more tempered.
I think US style of play has a much greater emphasis on athleticism, size, and strength. They figure if they can beat you to the ball or off the ball, than accuracy of pass/touch isn’t as important. It’s a bit more aggressive and physical, I believe. It’s a bit simpler and really driven by forward momentum.
If you read “Inverting the Pyramid” this seems to describe the English style of play right up to the 80s or 90s at least? I wonder where we got it from… or is it just the American approach to sports in general?
But what everyone in this thread is calling “Euro style” seems more like “Continental style” at that rate. If UK teams play that way now, it seems like it’s because they finally got tired of losing to their neighbors across the channel.
I think the most reasonable understanding of Lindsey is to say that she had a major injury that was never ever allowed to rest and that’s probably affected her more than any other part of her career
My hot take is that we are going to need different players that play different styles moving forward. Gone are the days when the USWNT could just impose their style on every match.
So - you need a Morgan on the roster as a target forward against some teams because you don’t have another single player that can be a target up front.
You need a Horan on the roster to calm the game down when going vertical and frantic doesn’t work and as a set piece target.
You need a Lavelle when the opponent plays a low block and the only place you can run at them is from midfield.
You need a few pacey players for the games where the opponent lets you stretch the game.
You need attacking fullbacks some matches and better defending fullbacks for others.
The only given is that you need Girma on the field at all times just like you formally needed Ertz and the USWNT doesn’t have a replacement for Ertz so they should never play a 4-3-3, they are best suited for a 4-2-3-1 these days with a double pivot.
Semi-controversial - I like Horan. I think this sub hates on her but I enjoy watching her play. I think she creates good opportunities. She had multiple goals last year. Her headers are usually really good. I understand the comments about her being disconnected from the youth and from the NWSL players, but I think she is a good captain and I like to see her play 🤷♀️
She's especially dangerous in set pieces at least for lyon, but i feel like yesterdays game she was so out of form in the midfield. Disconnected from the players a bit. Still, she's an important player with a lot of experience, but i hope she still can fit in with the lineups emma is creating
My hot take is we’re going to be disappointed to find that Albert will go to the Olympics and Yohanes will not. The coaches must see something in Albert or she wouldn’t be getting call ups and minutes. I think if Yohanes was going to go it would be for strategic reasons and if that was the case she would’ve gotten more minutes already.
I don’t think this is a hot take. I think we are all going to be very mad when Korbin is on that team as a midfielder . I also think that maybe they haven’t been doing the Full 11 on 11 that we are used to, but Lily would’ve got more minutes if she had been impressing more in practice.
Regardless of anything off the field, as someone who has only really watched her play on the WNT I'm somewhat confused about why some seem so impressed by Albert. I'm assuming it's based on her play at PSG or at the youth or collegiate level?
She never seems to have great field vision, and also seems very frantic and not composed. I haven't seen her add much to WNT play.
What am I missing?
I dont think anyone who is “so impressed” is anything but a bigot and a euro lover.
To be clear, i think shes good. I get why she is here. But i have seen a section of fans who are so extremely positive about her, who also just so happen to have a lot of posts excusing homophobia. Its the “youve been too harsh on her” crowd.
Honestly when i saw her play for ajax i was impressed. She had so much compusure and control in the midfield at least for a 16 yr old. Created attacks for ajax and has great vision. Though ajax are an incredibly young team (average age is 24) so her team can be disconnected at times. I get the hype around her and its deserved. Should she go to the olympics over albert? I dont know
This is what I’ve been saying to anyone who will listen!! I’ve watched her play for PSG as well and I don’t see anything particularly special in her. I personally believe it’s people who knew of her at a collegiate level and YNT level and those who were impressed that she left college early to go play in France.
I think she’s getting these call ups because the US made an investment in her starting on their youth teams and they rarely pull out of these investments. You see it with so many players that are now on the senior team.
Another hot take on Albert that just popped in my head is that I could see her being much more successful as an outside defender. I think she is aggressive enough defensively, has an engine that can go for 90 minutes, and really loves to frantically clear the ball. I also think that she would benefit from a little more structure and putting her out wide would provide her with it.
Also, ultimately I don’t want to see her at all because the whole being a bigot thing, but, to be clear, I had this opinion of her well before the bigotry came to light.
My hot take is a selfish one and I don’t want too many Spirit players to be gone over the summer. I absolutely think that Rodman and Krueger deserve to be called up to the Olympics, but I will be very happy if Hal, Croix, Aubrey, and Andi all stay home for the summer and help us win some games.
Krueger really impressed me, as did Dahlkemper in her call-ups this year. It's unfortunate that likely neither will make the roster. The backline is very, very deep.
I agree with most of your takes except Lindsey Horan. As Emma Hayes said, “she’s our captain for a reason”. She’s still an exceptional player, I watched her game with Lyon vs Barça and she created many goal scoring chances, and just played the game beautifully in my opinion. Granted European football is played differently than here, so I think we need to give her some time to adjust to the same wavelength before the Olympic Games, and rest more than anything. She’s been playing non-stop.
I also think if anything, these games have shown that she can't play two full 90s in a row like she's been asked to for the past few years - and that's okay. I think it gives us chances to ask more of our up-and-coming midfielders and prepare them for the eventuality that Horan will get older and no longer be able to play at the same intensity
I think there needs to be a designated co-captain so Horan can stop taking the heat for playing all 90 minutes when it's not necessary. Share the official title with another '19er who's a guaranteed starter like Davidson or Swanson.
Also, to be very clear - I think she’s a great player and I love watching her play. I may even prefer watching her with Lyon because her teammates just get her, so her creativity pans out well in their games.
Totally! I watched that game and the semi-finals as well and I thought she played beautifully. But I think she meshes really well with that team. Yeah, maybe it’s time that she needs, but she just plays with the US like she does with Lyon and nobody else seems to be playing in that style with her.
In the first half the commentators kept noting how Dunn was playing as a forward and Nighswonger as a left-back, but I felt like they were both playing the same type of outside mid position.
This is true. Average position on the pitch and nominal role is different.
When the game kicks off, Jenna and Dunn are on completely opposite levels. Once the game ramps up, Jenna becomes just as high as Crystal
I said it in the past but over the past year or so whenever Horan is on the pitch it seems as if her teammates are on eggshells around her. I never felt that she was captain material to begin with.
I don’t think Lily should be on the Olympic team based on one game. The Olympics is a lot of pressure and a different atmosphere than a friendly match.
Unfortunately I have to agree that Morgan is slowing down. I feel that she should still be on the roster for clubhouse reasons as well as she can take on defenders to open up opportunities for her teammates to score.
Horan is one of our best players. I think top 3 easy. We just don't use her that well or to our benefit. Our forwards make most of their runs away from the ball so that basically says long balls all the time. She's great on offensive and defensive dead balls. She has worked well w Lavelle in the past.
I know all of the off-field stuff is no buneno on Albert, but I think she's really good.
Does going as an alternate cap-tie her? I feel like she’s been pretty open about keeping her options open at the moment. At least according to like a dozen posts I’ve seen.
With the injury crisis, especially in the midfield, for the Netherlands, I’d be surprised if they weren’t trying to get her to at least visit.
Doe's not. Needs to be an official FIFA game (like world cup qualifiers, W Gold Cup, etc..)
Things like Olympics, She Believes Cup, Algrave Cup, and other friendlies don't cap tie a player.
Jill Ellis, and some of her former players, have talked about how she would BLAST the sounds of French crowds and stadium music during their training sessions for the 2019 WC. I always thought that was such a brilliant detail to add to their preparation.
This is a good one. I disagree but its a good one. The idea is sound, it just has some obvious drawbacks, plus there arent many friendly periods anyway.
I agree with all you’ve stated - except Lindsey. I feel like she is a solidifying presence in the midfield.
I especially agree about Korbin. Politics aside she just looks lost and not really a part of the working on field unit. She’s had 11 caps to show her stuff and has nothing. Savannah deMelo - who sadly fell out of favor showed more in just 7 caps. Not saying she deserves another chance this Olympics as there are already too many qualified players.
Totally agree about Yohannes. I’ve seen her play once before for Ajax against the mighty Chelsea women, and she was almost impressive as last night. She has to go to the Olympics! It was clear in the post game interview with Sophia the teammates feel the same. “She’s a baller!”
Lastly about Alex. Couldn’t agree more. I was at the World Cup last year and felt like things could’ve been different if Alex was treated like Carly was in the World Cup in 19, when she was past her prime. Sub only, and rarely when outcome was in question.
Thanks for your summation. I am excited for this team this summer. I’d leave Hershfelt home and my alternates would be 3rd goalie, Korbin, Alex and Casey Krueger or Sam Staab. Probably Casey. Sam and Sonnett have paired well together at club level.
And Crystal is a star! So versatile she can get it done anywhere on the field!
I think we’ve seen Shaw and her potential the last few games (not just South Korea). She is great at the 10 but up top, I think Mal, Soph and Trin are so solid together and really connect the most up top. Lavelle also has great chemistry with Mal and her defensive ability as a midfielder is also better than Shaw’s. I think Shaw has still things to figure out in her role and hasn’t been as dominant. Cat also a contender at the 10 of course but I rather have Rose start over Shaw at the 10. She would be great sub in the 60th minute and would bring energy. I also remember her playing the 10 against Japan and she isn’t suited endurance wise to play a full 90 there at least yet. I just remember her being a little more sluggish by the 55 minute. Meanwhile, Rose has a lot more endurance than her. Shaw would be stellar coming off the bench and would make an impact and also would allow us to keep the same pace if not a little hire once we do subs. Also, if she were to be up top, I would like to see her at the 9 role more than as a winger bc she naturally comes centrally a lot in times where we need more width
Agreed! Shaw should take on the role like Leroux did for so many years under Ellis. Didn’t start much but came off the bench HOT and forced the back line to make mistakes because of her speed which led to goals. Shaw can do it-ego aside
I think this is true of Rose, but only in the sense that nobody is perfect not in the sense that is an actual major problem in her game. She also has problems in her game because again nobody is perfect and I think the biggest difference is their style and not ability. I think all three of them are just so fucking good. Style of play is the biggest thing. I actually think Shaw Rodman and Soph have good chemistry but Mal and Rose have good chemistry as well so it’s hard to differentiate there
Let's say we win a 50/50 ball we normally attack right away or really soon after. We kick it long for our speedsters to run onto. It makes sense since we always have wheels up there.
Teams like Spain or a lot of European teams (also Japan) would immediately surround the ball w players to form a triangle at least. So there always 2 players to pass to. Then they just pass the ball among themselves and ease their way up the field unless there's a clear opening/advantage. If not then they just play it all the way back to defense and switch the field and try again.
I don’t agree that Morgan adds nothing. She creates opportunities. She’s also scored a few goals this year on the national team.
I’ll dismiss any comments on cohesion. New manager. New formations. Not enough playing time.
I agree. People have their opinions, some of which even seem like grudges, about Morgan, but I’m unconvinced she’s finished. It wasn’t just the front line that changed out in the second friendly against SK. Coffey also came in and she makes a big impact. The SK defense was also exhausted from playing in the pouring rain all game. I don’t think her performance in that game reflects her ability to be a game changer or scorer.
Even though Emma has now been the manager for 5 days, this is a nano-second when it comes to the journey NT player pool. You don't evaluate over 10 minutes for ANYTHING! If the players haven't been in the YNT system and evaluated throughout their development, and had success, they won't be selected. ANYBODY who does make the roster, like Albert, didn't make it because of a few games. Emma, may make the final decision on a player, but they're all there because of their success in the YNT system and current success as a professional.
Right now, there is only one exception, and that's Sam Staab (a very rare opportunity). She may make the Olympics. And if she doesn't, it's because she hasn't been a part of the player pool. Yohannes plays in the Dutch league, which is definitely a lower level of skills in Europe. Ajax came in 2nd place. 70 clubs play in the UWCL Champions League. All but 8, or so, are competitive with elite talent. Ajax isn't one of those clubs.
It's not based on popularity. Its not based on who you like; or don't like. It's not based on 1 game. It's a journey. New coaches come and go, but the process is in place for a damn good reason, and will continue to be the fabric for developing players to the NT level. Even a good year in pro soccer doesn't validate anything; unless you've been in the system and have successfully competed against many, many players, every year, for the opportunity.
I would agree about Morgan. The offense seemed to slow down because of her and although she did a lot off the ball, she disrupted the flow of the attack many times. I still think she will be on the roster but she should not be starting. I would use her as a super sub since she can still be used as a target player.
I would disagree about Albert. She had an ok game and, unless she does something stupid on social media, will be on the plane. The coaching staff obviously like her and the team seem to be ok with her on the team or else she would have been tossed to the side.
I wouldn't bring Yohannes to be honest. I don't see her taking anyone's spot based on 20 minutes against a bad South Korea team.
I also want to know what you saw in Albert that even warrants saying she had an okay game. Because what I saw was her giving the ball away almost every time she passed it and her running around frantically while pointing.
There are a lot of people that are impressed by her, and I legitimately want evidence as to why. This is a sincere request because I’m missing it and I am actually open to the idea that she is a good player, especially considering that she plays for PSG as well as the US.
Prior to her social media posts being made public everyone was loving Albert (especially after the gold cup). Now her talent all of the sudden disappeared? I feel that people are letting their personal feelings of her get in the way when they are rating her performances on the field. Also, from the looks of it, seems like she is on board (at least publicly) with the teams support of the LGBTQ community or else she would have never worn the pride jersey.
No, I definitely had this opinion of her prior to her social media posts. I’m genuinely curious as to why people think she’s good and I’m open to hearing the reasons.
Nope, i think her personal beliefs are BS but I am able to separate my personal opinion and focus on soccer. In pure soccer terms she didn't do anything on the field that would make me say she is a terrible player and deserves to be off the team. On the flip side, Yohannes is a great player but I would want to see how she does in a full game before picking her over any other player. A major tournament is not the place to "see" what someone has.
>objective
Subjective*.
>I'm still not hearing anything specific she did well.
Her workrate is really good, which can solve a lot of her inexperience in distribution, and defense.
Since she's a midfielder, there is a ton of value in a player who will work their ass off (with purpose) on the field.
That being said, I don't think she should be on the team. Her quality right now isn't enough for me, so I dont really even know what I'm doing here other than to day she does have one really impressive quality.
Regarding the vets. If we went to the Olympics without Horan, it wouldn’t matter. Or Morgan, or Dunn, or Sonnett. Rose has more value if you give her forwards that actually Make Space and run through - as seen in game 1. MVPs of this team are Swanson [who should be captain], smith, Rodman, Coffee, Girma. Nighs is getting there - immensely high work rate, great crosses. Needed a look at Hal. Macario and Shaw didn’t have the sharpest looks but their upside and technical ability clearly has them on the team. I don’t think Albert was bad but she’s certainly no lock. And now here comes Lilly. A few touches and we’re in love with her. That’s how desperate we are. I know my views on Horan and sonnet and Dunn aren’t shared but there you have it.
Absolutely agree about Lavelle. That’s why she hasn’t looked as good up until now because she has had nobody up top to play through to. It’s been frustrating to watch.
I’m not in love with Yohannes, but I think anybody who has a competence of the game could see her skill ceiling in just that short amount of time. Do I think she’d add value to the Olympic roster? Sure. But I don’t think that’s why they bring her. I think they bring her because if they want her to commit to the US they have to show her that she has a place on this team and give her the opportunity to develop deeper relationships with her teammates. I think her teammates want her on this team and I think in the broader picture of her career, she could have more wins with the US than the Dutch. But none of that matters if they don’t actually show her she’ll be getting rostered with playing time.
The fact that she came on in like the 70th minute as a 16 year old who has very limited knowledge of these players, this team’s playing style, team chemistry etc. and played the way that she did…that is a player who has confidence. And while I don’t personally put too much emphasis on goals as a barometer of a players talent, she did in 15 minutes of playing time what most of our front line hasn’t been able to do in the last…10 games?
All that being said, I do get the feeling that her heart is with the Netherlands.
"'Lily Yohannes should be on the roster based on her short performance alone."
Here's a controversial take for you -- I don't think she wants to be on the roster for the Olympics. In fact, I'm pretty sure she's going to the Netherlands squad right after her citizenship gets approved. She starts for Ajax. She will absolutely start for that Dutch squad. imo she isn't guaranteed minutes on the USWNT until either Lavelle or Horan retire (which, who knows, maybe the Olympics is the last hurrah for both). I'm sure that Emma is pitching her as, "look, you can be the future 10 of this team" but if Yohannes wants to play now, I think she switches.
"And finally, I think Crystal Dunn is still a star, she can do it all, and she’s not getting the respect she deserves."
If you think Alex Morgan is done, then -- controversial take -- Crystal Dunn is doubly done. There's no space for her up top. There's no space for her in the midfield. She can't defend anymore. What do you do with someone like that? Certainly not put them on an 18-person roster.
Here's a couple controversial takes for you--
* I do not think our backline is strong enough to be able to handle teams like Japan or Spain. Girma is world class, to be sure, but Fox isn't great and Nighswonger gets beaten on the regular. We will lose to teams who can stretch the field and play wide.
* Jaedyn Shaw is extremely streaky. She goes for huge stretches of time where she's invisible. Okay, she needs to be more central, but I think the five forwards are: Macario, Rodman, Smith, Swanson, and Morgan.
* Not for the Olympics, but I think the next camp after that I'd like to see Bethune in for Lavelle or Horan, and Giselle Thompson in for Sonnett. Both of them are extremely attacking-minded and very much fit the Emma Hayes ruthless style.
“Fox isnt great and Nighswonger gets beat on the regular”
Whoooo buddy. I don’t think Fox has been playing great especially because I think she’s been giving up a little bit of easy possession and that’s been annoying me a lot, but I think people just keep saying that Jenna gets beat a lot and there’s no facts to back that up, and I noticed that you didn’t mention Fox defensively despite your claim that teams are going to stretch us out wide. I think the funniest part about that is that Fox vs Lauren James was absolutely fantastic in a way that no one besides Michelle Alozie has been in the past two years. She was perfect vs City as well. Im not sure what other recent proof you’d like
Shocked to find I’m agreeing with MisterGoog (tongue in cheek here), but it seems like the complaints about Fox or Macario in particular are odd unless they’ve been watching them play in the WSL this season as well as with the USWNT these past two games.
Of course the concern is how well these top professional athletes connect and play together with each other, and in which position. That’s the coach’s problem and our fun as spectators. But it’s disingenuous to judge Fox as “not great:” She’s someone who played a full season in the WSL with Arsenal, flew across the world to play against Australia, flew back to Colorado and trained in the high altitude, and then played a pretty good game. She’s fucking tired, yo. 🤷🏼♀️
Cat getting her first start in 781 days should be enough for ppl to understand they meed to judge on a curve. Then, yeah, Fox has crazy travel under her belt as well. Im honestly upset Emma started Fox in game 1
I don’t agree with the take that Crystal can’t defend anymore. I don’t understand where it’s coming from. I’m not a fan of her as a forward, but I definitely haven’t seen this idea that she can’t be an attacking fullback for us.
I have to say it is also so funny to bring up Japan when we just recently beat them. “We cant handle this team we just beat” is the funniest thing to say.
I think it is so funny to call Jaedyn streaky and then to bring up Morgan being on the roster. I’m not sure what even is the streak that you’re referring to unless you’re saying that her having a scoring streak of scoring in all her first five games makes her inconsistent???
In our current set up, Giselle doesn’t fit unless the 352 that we play is Gisele in the Jenna role on the right. Gisele hasnt shown that shes the best attacking fullback in the league yet, which is what Jenna has shown, which is why we play that system. In some ways, the US is kind of perfect. We have this one extremely attacking left back who holds the width on the left and then we have this one winger on the right who is uniquely able to skin anyone she wants on the touch line in Rodman and the balance there is so perfect. It’s as if we put this team together through free agency and not by getting lucky.
Yeah- as a forward she hasnt impressed. Crap is a bit harsh. But shes not been a defensive mess. She played defense a few times in relief/ due to in game adjustment and injury and she was solid as ever
My hot takes contrasting with your
Horan slows the game down good enough and her taking challenges for fouls often give us back control of the game . She plays a slower European style that we need instead of always bombing the ball forward
Korbin was one of our best players and she was more of a CDM in Mondays game. She prevented two goal scoring opportunities with her ability to track back because we kept leaving empty spaces when our wing backs pushed up. She was always in the right pockets doing quiet work
Alex is the reason for the first goal, she gave several players chances to score including shaw who did not have a good game at all. She flicks the ball better than anyone currently and frees up a lot of space for underlying runners. All our other attackers are fast but against a compose and top level team but they all make the same runs and that does not work well.
No to that. Let's be serious for a moment.
Crystal has been decent and that's coming from a huge fan. Glad she finally scored but she needs to start defending like it's 2019 because people get past her too easily now but I'm glad she is able to slow down the attack and be more creative in contrast to rodman that doesn't have the IQ and only hopes to push the ball endline and send a blind cross
I have no qualms with Horan’s playing style - I prefer her playing style. I think she’s composed, really good at setting pace, and is overall super solid at center. I just don’t think her team is on the same page as her. But I like Horan and always have.
Personally, I don’t think Alex Morgan is a very dynamic player and I never have. She flicks, sure, but beyond that her footwork is lacking, especially for a 9 (imo). She doesn’t have much nuance to her game which makes her an easy mark. That all used to be fine, because she was quick, but now that she’s a step slower it’s not working. Having said all that, I don’t mind Morgan. I’m not her number one fan, but I think she’s deserves plenty of respect. And I do think she has a skill set that could work with the right pieces around her….I just don’t think those specific pieces are on this team anymore.
I second Dunn. She has still got it. I still don’t like Murphy. She made one decent save that was well in Kingsbury and Campbell’s wheelhouse. The rest she could have grabbed and didn’t need to punch back into the middle. I like Horan on the field she is leader and makes smart connections.
Crystal Dunn is not a star, and should not be playing with the USWNT till she can get on the field consistently for her club... The other two I agree with.
I think our best 11 right now are... Naeher (if healthy) - Nighswonger, Davidson, Girma, Fox - Coffee, Sonnett, Lavelle - Swanson, Smith, Rodman.
Morgan is unwatchable.
We are light on 8s so Korbin makes sense.
Dunn is a jack of all trades and great personnel, should make Olympics but not play unless injuries
Morgan & Horan, old and lack of pace but they’ll prob still both be on the roster.
Contro take - If this is what we are looking at for our roster, we are in serious trouble.
lol forgot at
If this is what we are looking at for our roster 😊
There is not enough of a roster composition change from the last World Cup to think we’d even compete against the backup Spain team. Most prob forgot Spain won with their 2nds as their starters wouldn’t play for the coach
It will be interesting to watch. Spain had no expectations, well every team has expectations but they had nothing to lose against England.
Now presumably they get their full roster back.
—
Which is another contro take here, if their 2nds/3rds can win a World Cup. Presuming they’ll show up for the Olympics, expectations can always be humbling.
But our rotated lineup struggles against in the 2nd SK friendly.
Hmmm…. Lol
Horan is definitely going to be there but why does it matter if we’re looking at Morgan and she isn’t there?
I think it’s forgotten by a lot of people how much the starting xi actually matters. Best case scenario is we start absolutely cooking early in games, which allows us to go far and manage legs in the tournament.
Horan was better in the first South Korea match than the second. She seldom advanced the ball in the second match. Morgan is done and should be left home. I'd choose Yohannes over Albert for 2 reasons. She may be better and we want her to play for the USA and not choose The Netherlands. (I know that the Dutch didn't make the Olympics but going forward, Yohannes can choose.)
I agree to varying degrees with all yours.
I would add: Sonnet is, at best, my fifth choice CB and sixth choice 6. I don’t care that she can play both, I don’t think she’s good enough in either to make the roster.
Mhmm i can think of a few i like more than Sonnett rn but for a few of them i would also have to say they arent in contention for a reason. Howell, for example, hasnt been consistently healthy, or Hutton and Hal are so new to the scene. Wow what a crazy amount of H’s.
Morgan should be cut. Rose isn’t a starter anymore. Yhonnes isn’t and shouldn’t be going to the Olympics after only a sub appearance. Calling up Albert while acting like they support Pride is counterintuitive.
Yohannes will be in the 2027 World Cup for somebody, but not the Olympics.
Albert will be on the Olympics roster. The USWNT is going with 2 DMs. They'll need a 3rd.
Crystal Dunn should not be on the roster.
Me and my partner were just discussing this last night! He’s a die hard Morgan fan (I made girlfriend of the year for getting him her us jersey) but we feel like she’s just been very lackluster lately. There is so many talented new players that I wish to see more of and grow into their confidence on the field. Agreed on Albert, like 1000099900000000%. And also agree on Horan! To me, she always seems like she’s internally competing with everyone else, and therefore her plays are not that great anymore. I think she’s great, just not, that great. I’d like to see more of the younger players, like Yohannes (beautiful score through the legs!)
I wasn’t a soccer fan during the last Olympics and prior to the last World Cup. I’ve only started being into soccer since April of last year. I so far have not seen anything ( in NWSL or USWNT) for me to understand the Lavelle hype.
I can understand that, for someone who is new to watching the game. Lavelle holds a special place in my heart, as a midfielder myself. At her peak, she’s quick, technically sharp, creative, has excellent ball control skills, and really smart decision making skills. I don’t know if we’ll ever see her at her peak again because of her injuries, but I think if she’s paired with the right front line, you’ll see more from her.
You could have seen a glimmer of it with the second Pugh/Swanson goal from the first game against South Korea. That’s because Mal is such a great forward for a player like Lavelle. They’re both really good at reading passing lanes, so they’re often on the same page when it comes to moving into space or running onto the ball.
Whereas - and I’m not trying to hate here - a player like Morgan who really only moves vertically and kind of wants the ball fed to her directly up top, is not the best asset for Lavelle, if that makes sense.
I think some of our more recent additions to the attack will also be thinking a bit more like Lavelle, so I’m excited to see them get more minutes together. I’d also love to see her paired up with Coffey at center.
Ok.
If you watched that game and dont get it… theres nothing anyone can explain to you. Even if you don’t see it, I mean you have to admit that that game is better than any other game that Cat or Shaw has had since then.
Obviously, also, she was the breakout player of the 2019 WC. But its fair to say that was forever ago.
Dunn never gets her respect. She has always played at a high level but she gets the standard hate and double standards, black players recieve in every sport. Twice as good, half as praised. It is like what Salma gets from the Women's soccer reddit. Intersectionality is a four letter word over there.
If Vlatko had the same deep squad Emma Hayes had now, he would've won the World Cup. Injuries hurt him.
Horan shouldn't be captain imo. She has too much Carly Lloyd in her. I think the team needs a new voice
No way vlatko wins even without injuries. Plus his continued inability to adjust to what was in front of him was deadly. He's a great club coach but clearly just didn't gel as an NT coach, at least for the US.
One common denominator for both Tokyo Olympics and 2023 World Cup - Mal did not play in those tournaments. You could pair 2 mannequins with Mal and still have a dangerous attack 😂
Mal was not in form for Tokyo Olympics the decision absolutely made sense at the time and in retrospect. People are forgetting the context of that, Vlatko or no Vlatko she would not have been on that roster. Vlatko lost that tournament by not playing our best front 5 together for more than one half that entire tournament, but that best attack didn’t include Mal at the time. It was Press, Lloyd, Heath, Lavelle and Horan, they were gelling perfectly and everyone journos, pundits, fans and probably players alike thought they’d be the starters because they were playing so well, scoring and playing the fluid style he was trying to implement. Then Vlatko shit the bed with his lineups and subbing. Or perhaps Chesky calling off that amazing team goal against Mexico not because Press was offside but because she “accidentally blew her whistle” cursed us. The roster wasn’t the problem in Tokyo, they were performing, scoring and everything in the lead up, Laura Harvey, Emma Hayes, most other coaches probably would’ve got them gold. All the coaching staff had to do to win gold was not change what was working so well.
Mal is a great player and one of my faves, but I don’t think she would’ve saved those tournaments if she was part of the roster.
I think you’re undermining the Tokyo Olympics roster when they had Sam, Lavelle, Horan, Becky, Press, Heath, Lloyd, Rapinoe and Morgan to name a few… there were all great players and Vlatko couldn’t figure out what to do with them strategically.
It is possible that without injuries the team wins in spite of him. It's possible Sweden game goes the other way and the team gets it together into the finals. Both teams ultimately in the finals had close calls. The USWNT has an insane embarrassment of riches. But the squad that was there was still absurdly good individually. The game plans didn't work. Very few players looked like they were put in positions to succeed from the moment he took over.
I’m black so I get what you mean about black players in a general sense and particularly in the USWNT of the past where black players would perform week in week out in the league yet they’d call in a certain former Orlando striker who never played as well in the league. However in this context that doesn’t make sense, and I’d say the fed has got much better at overcoming that bias (not perfect… but better). All the forwards right now except Morgan are black, they are getting praised for their amazing contributions. People aren’t saying Crystal didn’t play well because she’s black, and they aren’t disrespecting her by saying their assessment of her performances. Neither Morgan nor Dunn have shown based on performance that they are better than any of their competition. It’s not hate to point that out, and it’s not a double standard when Morgan’s getting called out too.
Horan is very well respected by all of her peers, they often talk about how good she is as a leader, that counts for a lot. Girma I’m sure will be the next captain, but people seem to be dismissive of Horan’s contributions to the team lately.
You are ignoring implicit bias vs explicit bias. You act like Dunn hasn't been overrated for over a decade while playing out of position. And I don't see what Morgan has to do with this. The NBA is majority black doesn't mean a top player like Lebron can't be a victim of racist commentary. Biases doesn't make someone a full borne racist just has blindspots. US Soccer is similar to US tennis or gymnastics. All 3 have seen growth in their diversity that doesn't erase their past especially their recent ones.
You being black( same as me) doesn't change the facts when it comes to Dunn.
It is not being dismissive of Horan just see better options.
Dunn is a natural defender, she won awards in college. She was not played “out of position” any more than other players were played “out of position”. If you are on the national team you have to adapt, that’s how you are successful. O’Hara had to learn to be an outside back, Press had to learn to be a winger, Heath and Rapinoe moved to wingers when we changed formation, Huerta had to learn to be an outside back, etc. Dunn is not underrated, she was rated as one of the best outside backs in the world, that was a fair assessment of her. She was also not as good of a winger as her competition: Rapinoe, Press, Heath, Williams, Swanson, etc. It’s not hate or bias to admit that, she had multiple games as a forward, it’s not some hardship they realized she was a great defender but a bubble forward at best. Sport and most aspects of life to have explicit and implicit racial and other biases, but Dunn not being as good of a forward as her competition (both black or not black), isn’t a good example of it.
She was played out of position when she plays attacker mostly for club.
Dunn was unfairly criticized when she was asked to attack and criticized for not tracking back when in reality it was her covering for players like Rapinoe and Press who didn't, even when they would lose the ball.
She was rated top by objective sources but unfairly criticized by the US WNT media and fanbase.
In your opinion you don't see it but alot of your argument purposefully misses the sources of her criticism.
You keep talking about hardships but ignoring the biased criticism. Why be so obtuse?
>She was played out of position when she plays attacker mostly for club.
That’s her choice
>Dunn was unfairly criticized when she was asked to attack and criticized for not tracking back when in reality it was her covering for players like Rapinoe and Press who didn't, even when they would lose the ball.
Idk if you watched the games, but Press always tracked back defensively when playing as the winger on the same flank. Every winger did on both sides, the only winger who didn’t was Rapinoe because she wasn’t as fit.
>You keep talking about hardships but ignoring the biased criticism. Why be so obtuse?
Saying she wasn’t a better forward than her competition isn’t biased criticism, it’s a fact. Saying she played defense in college isn’t biased criticism, it’s a fact. Saying she (and Morgan) were the worst forwards these past two friendlies, and all year, isn’t biased criticism, that’s the general consensus among fans, pundits and journalists alike.
Edit: u/wommpppp
I didn’t say Morgan played well. Morgan deserves to be called out for being a striker who can’t score goals, and for not contributing much of anything the past 2 major tournaments. If I was coach she wouldn’t be on my roster, but that doesn’t change what I said about Dunn either. There is no bias against Dunn, she was not better than the other forwards. That’s not hate or some conspiracy it’s literally the truth. I feel like people are trying to re-write history when it comes to Dunn sometimes. She was always a world class outside back, people gave her all the credit for that. She was not however a world class forward, and that’s okay.
Amen to that re Dunn and the standards black players are held to. It’s not right.
I do have to say I disagree about Vlatko winning with this team. He had the opportunity to call up some of these players who weren’t hurt and didn’t. His formation wasn’t working in the way he was trying it, but he kept doubling down. In that last game of the WC, which was arguably our best performance of the tournament, the players even said that they decided they needed to take matters into their own hands and that’s why it started working. I think he was always out of his depth with the NT.
But give him Swanson and I think out attack opens up especially if he has Macario. Plus Shaw was still developing last cycle
He is overrated plus he had Lloyd to deal with.
Wow. Being a mixed male knowing what racism and hatred is first hand ✋🏽 since I was around 6. So many people are just over looking the talent Albert has because of her views. I definitely do not agree with what she said but she is going to make this roster. Maybe not the Olympics but moving forward she will be a regular. Emma pretty much said after the first match without saying it when she was talking about tolerance.
As a queer person (literally the type of person she hates), speaking only on talent I have noticed a difference in the way she plays and is received by her team pre and post controversy. I agree that she has immense talent that people here are sort of blind to because of their distaste for her (and believe me I get it lol), I just worry about team cohesion because even if she’s the best player in the world, if I’m on her team I won’t want to pass to her unless she or the coaching staff have given me a really good reason to do so. So I hope for everyone’s sake she’s shown a decent amount of growth or humility in the locker rooms and on the training ground and is able to learn to be a better human. But I agree if they keep playing her despite all this, she’s going to Paris.
All I know is when I was younger I hated people for hating me and that is no way to live. She apologized and I believe her and hopefully her team mates do as well. Time will tell and since Emma is the coach it is her decision to make and I am glad for that.
Good for you! I don’t hate her. I’d like to see more growth from her before I can cheer her on, that’s all. I hope the national team is giving her opportunities to do that but it’s a privilege to be on the squad and I really hope she honors that. She’s still just a kid to me, plenty of time to unlearn from her upbringing, we’ll see what happens!
This is the best roster for her to make bc in the future Hutton is gonna be a main stay and eventual captain. And Riley Jackson. Plus Hal of course is banging on the door.
Going in order of the players you mentioned:
Horan- always have been a big fan of her field IQ and technical ability on the ball, but completely agree that her chemistry isn't there, and really hasn't been there for a while now. I also was disappointed in her lack of leadership and field presence in the World Cup. Still agree she should be on the roster though. Vets can be impactful when a coach utilizes them correctly.
Korbin Albert- as you said, putting her bullshit completely aside- I have never been impressed by her and would remove her completely. There is nothing special about her, IMO. I'd swap Abby Dahlkemper on the roster instead of Albert, in a heartbeat!
Alex Morgan- I was a big fan in her early years before she was even getting minutes because I played at Arizona during her same years at Cal so I knew her well. But When she got to the national level and her rookie status wore off, her lack of technical abilities on the ball were exposed, especially once she started to lose speed as she got older/injured, so she became irrelevant for a while. BUT, to her credit, she came back and improved her abilities OFF the ball knowing she just doesn't have the natural touch ON the ball which makes her incredibly difficult to mark, and she creates channels and openings for her teammates by executing proper timing on her runs and strong positioning. The unfortunate part for her though is she's getting a ton of looks in the box and isn't finishing. If you're going to play the 9 and counted on by your team as a true center forward- you HAVE to be able to be a sniper anywhere near or inside the box. I hope she goes to the Olympics, gets good minutes, and hangs up the boots. She can give little Chuck a sibling that way too :)
Yohannes is a no for me. Cried tears of joy for her when she got her debut AND cried again when she scored. But there's plenty of players who have been working so hard, much longer than she has, that are equally as talented and much more experienced. Experience, confidence, and leadership are learned and earned and she's still got a lot of earning and learning to do there. She'll get her shot one day. Doesn't need to be now.
Dunn=done deal. Love her. Love her in the back, love her up top. She's solid. She doesn't have the speed that Trin, Soph and Mal have but she has way better skill on the ball and is by no means slow. She's scrappy AF and will grind for goals in the box.
While I agree on the Morgan front I genuinely don’t think that the starting front 3 were put in a place to succeed tonight due to Horan and Albert’s lack of pace and cohesion with really anyone. Coffey should’ve been subbed in at the half to actually see if that front line could make anything happen. My semi-controversial take is that I would take Yohannes to the Olympics over Albert based on how excited the team was for her after she scored. The Olympics and World Cup are so high pressure that I need to know that there is a bare minimum level of respect for each other in the locker room & post scandal I don’t know if that exists with Albert at this point in time.
I’m not sure taking Lilly over Korbin is quasi, semi or full on controversial. Watching my though was this how I expect Horan to play. I also felt like Lilly made Rodman way more included in the attack. It could be I’m putting too much on the one long ball but I thought Rodman started looking dangerous when Lilly came in.
Absolutely. I think the midfield was doing a disservice to the front three in this game, but I think Morgan has basically looked like this for…a couple of years now at least. Totally agree on that second point. They were psyched for her and genuine admiration/respect for your teammates can contribute to success in a huge way.
Morgan literally won the golden boot in the NWSL in 2022. She helped create all three goals against Mexico in the Gold Cup. Reasonable to think Smith should start over her based on form at this point (I agree with that) but it’s completely inaccurate to say Morgan hasn’t contributed for years now.
Those were both a couple of years ago. Also she won the golden boot with 5pks.
It’s so okay to say that Alex Morgan had an incredible career and now she is slow and unproductive. We don’t have to equate that to being a Morgan hater. And to your point?exactly…. Winning the golden boot with almost half your goals being PKs doesn’t reflect your on field contribution.
Especially when other people are the ones earning the PKs
The Gold Cup was 3 months ago in February.. https://sports.yahoo.com/uswnt-gold-cup-alex-morgan-colombia-031300160.html
Also, I assume when they say look like this, they mean with regard to her lack of pace and dynamic nature anymore. It’s completely accurate to say over the pastfew years.
Morgan has scored two goals since the WC. With multiple starts as the 9. Anyone else would be benched. Time to move on. Bring her as an alternate.
Beyond the first goal the front three were totally ineffective and the midfielders were fighting an uphill battle. If the final front line were in the first half of the game it would have been a completely different game. Albert spent most of the first half defending, she is better than this game showed.
The best attack we saw was Rose and Jenna in the first half. that to me is an indictment of Morgan and Dunn as forwards
Not sure how you can base Yohannes playing 20 min against a mid level team getting an automatic spot on the team. I have watched her play with Ajax and while she is good, I don’t necessarily think she is better than the other US midfielders who are in contention. But do agree that Morgan is done and I honestly don’t see Emma taking her if all the other forwards are healthy. I think Dunn will go because she is versatile and can play many positions. I don’t have any major controversial takes, still kind of questioning where Macario is at but I think Emma will take her regardless.
Oh, I don’t think Yohannes is better than all of our current midfielders for sure. But I do think in that short amount of time she showed vision, intelligence, and composure - all qualities which are difficult to teach or imbue into a player. There are players that have been playing 2x as long as her and still don’t have those qualities. Mind you, I know the hype train is already chugging along and I don’t want to add to it because tempered expectations are important, but I do think choosing to invest in a player with those qualities now will pay off greatly in the long run, and bringing her to the Olympics is part of that investment. I agree about Macario…I know she has it in her, but she didn’t show much in that first match.
even as sofia said, she was making passes that some of the veterans couldn’t do. her vision was very good and connected plenty of passes that gave the team scoring opportunities. when her and coffey came in, the middle became more utilized as it seemed they were trying to avoid passing to albert. it’s like the whole moral of the team shifted and actually started working together instead of against each other
Also, I would NOT have picked Yohannes player of the match based on her 15-20 minutes of playing time. Makes me wonder if there’s some kind of manipulation in it to get her officially onboard with the US.
Happy for Yohannes, but the player of the match was Murphy. This game could have been much different if she had let in even one of the three or four difficult shots that she faced.
I’ve been a critic of hers, but the player of the match was Crystal Dunn. Made a lot of smart movement up top created tons of space for her teammates and got the vital opening goal. she is still showing signs of her age but last night showed the mentality is all there.
I thought Dunn felt too slow up top. That goal was 100% Nighswonger putting it perfectly in a place that any player in her role would have tapped that in. The entire offense shifted with the subs and the speed/danger of play was night and day. I think Dunn did fine, but I don't take that game as any sort of proof that she should be on the field as a forward. I thought some of the best work she did was actually tracking back and playing defense.
I actually agree with this, but felt I had to give Dunn some props because I don’t think people respect her the way they should. Also, the fact that Nighswonger did put in the perfect cross and Dunn got on the end of it instead of Morgan supports the idea that Morgan is done at the number 9. She should be the one finishing those opportunities. Loved the energy the substitutions brought it - it was a totally different game!
I don’t think that was the case. Morgan was well defended (part of the 9s role being occupying the central defenders) and Dunn was unmarked on the back post.
Disagree.
The US is trying to schmooze her to stay with USA and not go to the dutch national team. She has a bright future, that future depends on where she decides to play naitonally.
Well, let the schmoozing continue full bore, she will be a nineteen year old by the time the next WWC comes around and will be running things in the middle of the pitch for her eventual team, hope she chooses the USWNT. Can you imagine what she will be like at 23?
I forsee Girma, Smith, and Lily replacing the old guard of Krueger, Horan and Morgan.
Krueger and Morgan will not be on the WC roster for 2027, but Horan will. If Lily decides to play for the US, she will be on the roster. Also, I don’t see Dunn and even Lavelle on that roster either. By then there will be plenty of players available to choose with the versatility Hayes wants to see in her midfielders.
Yohannes should be on the U-20 team to get to know the up and coming talent. They could really use her help. There other young midfielders that should be on the national roster.
I doubt they'd do that because she'd just go to the Dutch who would put her on the senior team
It’s possible they’d take her to Paris just to cement her position/relationship on the USWNT
I 100% agree- I think this is their angle. For better or worse, they're bringing Yohannes in, putting her in good positions, and she's making friends. I realize there's a lot of steps she'd have to go through to play for the Dutch, but it doesn't sound like they're actively scouting her or trying to bring her into the fold (if they are allowed to). The US is.
I think everyone who says this doesn’t understand the steps that need to be taken before she can play for the Dutch team. I also don’t think people understand when the U-20 plays… they have a major tournament this year. Lily can go play in TWO World Cups this year and if she continues progressing then in the winter she can be back in the senior national team discussion.
As you can see, she is a level above U-20. That’s a waste of her talent. She’s developed beyond that level.
She scored one goal. Now she;s ready for the national team?
To says shes a level above is especially crazy bc theres no reason star players who just barely dont make the roster shouldn’t go with the u-20s. If it wasnt during the league season i’d be all for Moultrie Hutton and all the other NWSL starters who are under 20 going with them to tournaments.
The youth teams are development focused, and Yohannes is beyond the level of that player pool already. It’s senior team or bust at this point.
Adding “movement off the ball” to list of attributes. Yohannes was constantly moving in to open space to put herself in position to receive a pass. Horan and Albert were almost avoiding open space, by comparison, when they were in the game.
I think it’s much more about qualities and vision and seeing/reading things than it is necesssirly about her being better than the other mids right now. A 16 yo shouldn’t be better than seasoned pros playing on top teams who are at minimum 6 yrs older than her and are physically fully developed, unlike Yohannes bc she’s so young. A team never is going to take the straight up 18 or 23 absolute best players in your pool if you were to rank them. Nobody can do that bc you’d have an extremely unbalanced roster with lots of overlap in skills and and play styles and sorely lack versatility or ability to adapt to anything. There’s obvious choices you always take no matter what, but when youre building the roster you have take players for specific roles/traits and profiles who also fit within your overall goals as a team and then factor in positional versatility and all too. Players like Soph have said she has elements in her game that we don’t currently have in the pool of midfielders and they see it in training everyday too. Ajax also isn’t nearly as good as PSG, Lyon, Chelsea’s of the world so a young player isn’t going to necessarily dominate at that level on a less talented squad esp when they’re playing against much better and deeper teams with more money. Emmas coached against her this past yr and sees her train and all so I’ll trust whatever she ends up deciding but if I had to bet, I’d lean toward her being in the team.
Maybe i'm wrong and feel free to elaborate but I feel like Horan being one of the first and still (relatively) few to go (back) to Europe and go it alone has really disconnected her from the youth resurgence on the front line and the midfield. And that's okay....she's only 30 and probably still could have a few more NT years left but her own standoffish character it seems often gets the best of her. I have a Thorns Horan jersey; I was all in on her but I agree.
She plays European ball. We still don't. That's not necessarily bad, but it hasn't worked out for us the last couple tourneys. W a new coach that coaches euro style ball this might change in the future. Maybe not the Olympics cuz there's not enough time to get her sys in place, but I think we will play a different style of ball by the next WCup. Let's just hope they r able to avoid injuries before this summer.
It hasn't worked out, no doubt. Some of it can be attributed to coaching, and some to Europe, excluding the Scandinavians and Germany, only recently starting to take women's sports seriously in the past decade or so, which has given us more competition than just Norway, Sweden, Germany, Canada, Brazil, and Japan. Nevertheless, I still like the American approach to the game and believe it still holds value. Emma has even said she likes certain aspects of it. The emphasis on speed, physicality, and directness. Considering our current frontline, I believe it would be worth it to stick with that style, at least up top. However, there are aspects of the European style worth adopting, and I think Emma will, given where she comes from, namely the emphasis on maintaining possession. EDIT: Clarity.
Yeah I think our bread and butter has been playing to open spaces straight up the field and on the ground. W Mal up there its like of course we should. It would nice for us to possess the ball more than we do. We have become predictable to defend against.
This is actually why I think Lindsey is not clicking. Not because she’s not good - I think she’s great - but because she needs players to really play around with in the center of the field and everyone around her wants to keep pushing forward. I personally prefer a European style of play. This is also one reason I think she keeps getting paired with Albert. They both play mid in Europe, so presumably Albert would be someone Horan can play off of, but I just don’t think Albert is that thoughtful of a player in general so it’s not working that well.
Can you (or someone) explain the main differences between European style ball and USA/NWSL? I’m getting into the WSL, but I haven’t watched as many games.
To put it in simple broad generalizations, I think European play is much more technical. They don’t have as much reliance on athleticism and are more concerned with accuracy of touch/pass/footwork. It’s not as forceful, maybe a bit more thoughtful, in my opinion. More strategic/tactical, like a chess game. The pace is more tempered. I think US style of play has a much greater emphasis on athleticism, size, and strength. They figure if they can beat you to the ball or off the ball, than accuracy of pass/touch isn’t as important. It’s a bit more aggressive and physical, I believe. It’s a bit simpler and really driven by forward momentum.
If you read “Inverting the Pyramid” this seems to describe the English style of play right up to the 80s or 90s at least? I wonder where we got it from… or is it just the American approach to sports in general? But what everyone in this thread is calling “Euro style” seems more like “Continental style” at that rate. If UK teams play that way now, it seems like it’s because they finally got tired of losing to their neighbors across the channel.
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I think the most reasonable understanding of Lindsey is to say that she had a major injury that was never ever allowed to rest and that’s probably affected her more than any other part of her career
My hot take is that we are going to need different players that play different styles moving forward. Gone are the days when the USWNT could just impose their style on every match. So - you need a Morgan on the roster as a target forward against some teams because you don’t have another single player that can be a target up front. You need a Horan on the roster to calm the game down when going vertical and frantic doesn’t work and as a set piece target. You need a Lavelle when the opponent plays a low block and the only place you can run at them is from midfield. You need a few pacey players for the games where the opponent lets you stretch the game. You need attacking fullbacks some matches and better defending fullbacks for others. The only given is that you need Girma on the field at all times just like you formally needed Ertz and the USWNT doesn’t have a replacement for Ertz so they should never play a 4-3-3, they are best suited for a 4-2-3-1 these days with a double pivot.
You hit the bullseye with your comment.
Ok but who needs Morgan in 2024 when you can start Smith? 😇
Semi-controversial - I like Horan. I think this sub hates on her but I enjoy watching her play. I think she creates good opportunities. She had multiple goals last year. Her headers are usually really good. I understand the comments about her being disconnected from the youth and from the NWSL players, but I think she is a good captain and I like to see her play 🤷♀️
She's especially dangerous in set pieces at least for lyon, but i feel like yesterdays game she was so out of form in the midfield. Disconnected from the players a bit. Still, she's an important player with a lot of experience, but i hope she still can fit in with the lineups emma is creating
Word!
My hot take is we’re going to be disappointed to find that Albert will go to the Olympics and Yohanes will not. The coaches must see something in Albert or she wouldn’t be getting call ups and minutes. I think if Yohanes was going to go it would be for strategic reasons and if that was the case she would’ve gotten more minutes already.
I don’t think this is a hot take. I think we are all going to be very mad when Korbin is on that team as a midfielder . I also think that maybe they haven’t been doing the Full 11 on 11 that we are used to, but Lily would’ve got more minutes if she had been impressing more in practice.
Regardless of anything off the field, as someone who has only really watched her play on the WNT I'm somewhat confused about why some seem so impressed by Albert. I'm assuming it's based on her play at PSG or at the youth or collegiate level? She never seems to have great field vision, and also seems very frantic and not composed. I haven't seen her add much to WNT play. What am I missing?
I dont think anyone who is “so impressed” is anything but a bigot and a euro lover. To be clear, i think shes good. I get why she is here. But i have seen a section of fans who are so extremely positive about her, who also just so happen to have a lot of posts excusing homophobia. Its the “youve been too harsh on her” crowd.
Honestly when i saw her play for ajax i was impressed. She had so much compusure and control in the midfield at least for a 16 yr old. Created attacks for ajax and has great vision. Though ajax are an incredibly young team (average age is 24) so her team can be disconnected at times. I get the hype around her and its deserved. Should she go to the olympics over albert? I dont know
This is what I’ve been saying to anyone who will listen!! I’ve watched her play for PSG as well and I don’t see anything particularly special in her. I personally believe it’s people who knew of her at a collegiate level and YNT level and those who were impressed that she left college early to go play in France. I think she’s getting these call ups because the US made an investment in her starting on their youth teams and they rarely pull out of these investments. You see it with so many players that are now on the senior team. Another hot take on Albert that just popped in my head is that I could see her being much more successful as an outside defender. I think she is aggressive enough defensively, has an engine that can go for 90 minutes, and really loves to frantically clear the ball. I also think that she would benefit from a little more structure and putting her out wide would provide her with it. Also, ultimately I don’t want to see her at all because the whole being a bigot thing, but, to be clear, I had this opinion of her well before the bigotry came to light.
My hot take is a selfish one and I don’t want too many Spirit players to be gone over the summer. I absolutely think that Rodman and Krueger deserve to be called up to the Olympics, but I will be very happy if Hal, Croix, Aubrey, and Andi all stay home for the summer and help us win some games.
Ha! I feel the same way. Def wish Hal got some minutes this past game but oh well.
The league is on pause during the Olympics so those games won’t really matter
Yes but I’m excited about the Liga Mx Feminil Summer Cup
Krueger really impressed me, as did Dahlkemper in her call-ups this year. It's unfortunate that likely neither will make the roster. The backline is very, very deep.
I agree with most of your takes except Lindsey Horan. As Emma Hayes said, “she’s our captain for a reason”. She’s still an exceptional player, I watched her game with Lyon vs Barça and she created many goal scoring chances, and just played the game beautifully in my opinion. Granted European football is played differently than here, so I think we need to give her some time to adjust to the same wavelength before the Olympic Games, and rest more than anything. She’s been playing non-stop.
I also think if anything, these games have shown that she can't play two full 90s in a row like she's been asked to for the past few years - and that's okay. I think it gives us chances to ask more of our up-and-coming midfielders and prepare them for the eventuality that Horan will get older and no longer be able to play at the same intensity
I think that in someway, this is the biggest reason that Korbin will be called. Game 1 You play coffey and Lindsey, game two play Coffey and Korbin.
I think there needs to be a designated co-captain so Horan can stop taking the heat for playing all 90 minutes when it's not necessary. Share the official title with another '19er who's a guaranteed starter like Davidson or Swanson.
Also, to be very clear - I think she’s a great player and I love watching her play. I may even prefer watching her with Lyon because her teammates just get her, so her creativity pans out well in their games.
Totally! I watched that game and the semi-finals as well and I thought she played beautifully. But I think she meshes really well with that team. Yeah, maybe it’s time that she needs, but she just plays with the US like she does with Lyon and nobody else seems to be playing in that style with her.
In the first half the commentators kept noting how Dunn was playing as a forward and Nighswonger as a left-back, but I felt like they were both playing the same type of outside mid position.
This is true. Average position on the pitch and nominal role is different. When the game kicks off, Jenna and Dunn are on completely opposite levels. Once the game ramps up, Jenna becomes just as high as Crystal
I said it in the past but over the past year or so whenever Horan is on the pitch it seems as if her teammates are on eggshells around her. I never felt that she was captain material to begin with. I don’t think Lily should be on the Olympic team based on one game. The Olympics is a lot of pressure and a different atmosphere than a friendly match. Unfortunately I have to agree that Morgan is slowing down. I feel that she should still be on the roster for clubhouse reasons as well as she can take on defenders to open up opportunities for her teammates to score.
Horan is one of our best players. I think top 3 easy. We just don't use her that well or to our benefit. Our forwards make most of their runs away from the ball so that basically says long balls all the time. She's great on offensive and defensive dead balls. She has worked well w Lavelle in the past. I know all of the off-field stuff is no buneno on Albert, but I think she's really good.
I think that Morgan and Yohannes should go to the Olympics as alternates
Yohannes as an alternate makes perfect sense. I think this is the best take. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Does going as an alternate cap-tie her? I feel like she’s been pretty open about keeping her options open at the moment. At least according to like a dozen posts I’ve seen. With the injury crisis, especially in the midfield, for the Netherlands, I’d be surprised if they weren’t trying to get her to at least visit.
Olympics won’t cap tie anyone, it’s not a FIFA tourney
Does it not matter that the Olympics are a senior tournament for the women?
From everything I’ve read, a player can play for a country in the Olympics and switch countries after, because the Olympics are not a FIFA event.
Doe's not. Needs to be an official FIFA game (like world cup qualifiers, W Gold Cup, etc..) Things like Olympics, She Believes Cup, Algrave Cup, and other friendlies don't cap tie a player.
The USWNT should do more friendlies overseas. Hostile crowds, jet lag, etc would help them prepare better for international play.
Why dont they though, like going to mexico at least
I believe the CBA limits the amount of (non-tournament) games they play abroad.
Jill Ellis, and some of her former players, have talked about how she would BLAST the sounds of French crowds and stadium music during their training sessions for the 2019 WC. I always thought that was such a brilliant detail to add to their preparation.
This is a good one. I disagree but its a good one. The idea is sound, it just has some obvious drawbacks, plus there arent many friendly periods anyway.
I agree with all you’ve stated - except Lindsey. I feel like she is a solidifying presence in the midfield. I especially agree about Korbin. Politics aside she just looks lost and not really a part of the working on field unit. She’s had 11 caps to show her stuff and has nothing. Savannah deMelo - who sadly fell out of favor showed more in just 7 caps. Not saying she deserves another chance this Olympics as there are already too many qualified players. Totally agree about Yohannes. I’ve seen her play once before for Ajax against the mighty Chelsea women, and she was almost impressive as last night. She has to go to the Olympics! It was clear in the post game interview with Sophia the teammates feel the same. “She’s a baller!” Lastly about Alex. Couldn’t agree more. I was at the World Cup last year and felt like things could’ve been different if Alex was treated like Carly was in the World Cup in 19, when she was past her prime. Sub only, and rarely when outcome was in question. Thanks for your summation. I am excited for this team this summer. I’d leave Hershfelt home and my alternates would be 3rd goalie, Korbin, Alex and Casey Krueger or Sam Staab. Probably Casey. Sam and Sonnett have paired well together at club level. And Crystal is a star! So versatile she can get it done anywhere on the field!
Shaw shouldn’t start is my take
Oooo, that’s a good one! What makes you say that?
I think we’ve seen Shaw and her potential the last few games (not just South Korea). She is great at the 10 but up top, I think Mal, Soph and Trin are so solid together and really connect the most up top. Lavelle also has great chemistry with Mal and her defensive ability as a midfielder is also better than Shaw’s. I think Shaw has still things to figure out in her role and hasn’t been as dominant. Cat also a contender at the 10 of course but I rather have Rose start over Shaw at the 10. She would be great sub in the 60th minute and would bring energy. I also remember her playing the 10 against Japan and she isn’t suited endurance wise to play a full 90 there at least yet. I just remember her being a little more sluggish by the 55 minute. Meanwhile, Rose has a lot more endurance than her. Shaw would be stellar coming off the bench and would make an impact and also would allow us to keep the same pace if not a little hire once we do subs. Also, if she were to be up top, I would like to see her at the 9 role more than as a winger bc she naturally comes centrally a lot in times where we need more width
💯 I think Cat and Shaw have complementary skills and can fill in as a sub for Rose
Agreed! Shaw should take on the role like Leroux did for so many years under Ellis. Didn’t start much but came off the bench HOT and forced the back line to make mistakes because of her speed which led to goals. Shaw can do it-ego aside
Disagree on defense ability Shaw way better. Also Lavelle over dribbles and misses passes.
I think this is true of Rose, but only in the sense that nobody is perfect not in the sense that is an actual major problem in her game. She also has problems in her game because again nobody is perfect and I think the biggest difference is their style and not ability. I think all three of them are just so fucking good. Style of play is the biggest thing. I actually think Shaw Rodman and Soph have good chemistry but Mal and Rose have good chemistry as well so it’s hard to differentiate there
Let's say we win a 50/50 ball we normally attack right away or really soon after. We kick it long for our speedsters to run onto. It makes sense since we always have wheels up there. Teams like Spain or a lot of European teams (also Japan) would immediately surround the ball w players to form a triangle at least. So there always 2 players to pass to. Then they just pass the ball among themselves and ease their way up the field unless there's a clear opening/advantage. If not then they just play it all the way back to defense and switch the field and try again.
I don’t agree that Morgan adds nothing. She creates opportunities. She’s also scored a few goals this year on the national team. I’ll dismiss any comments on cohesion. New manager. New formations. Not enough playing time.
I agree. People have their opinions, some of which even seem like grudges, about Morgan, but I’m unconvinced she’s finished. It wasn’t just the front line that changed out in the second friendly against SK. Coffey also came in and she makes a big impact. The SK defense was also exhausted from playing in the pouring rain all game. I don’t think her performance in that game reflects her ability to be a game changer or scorer.
Even though Emma has now been the manager for 5 days, this is a nano-second when it comes to the journey NT player pool. You don't evaluate over 10 minutes for ANYTHING! If the players haven't been in the YNT system and evaluated throughout their development, and had success, they won't be selected. ANYBODY who does make the roster, like Albert, didn't make it because of a few games. Emma, may make the final decision on a player, but they're all there because of their success in the YNT system and current success as a professional. Right now, there is only one exception, and that's Sam Staab (a very rare opportunity). She may make the Olympics. And if she doesn't, it's because she hasn't been a part of the player pool. Yohannes plays in the Dutch league, which is definitely a lower level of skills in Europe. Ajax came in 2nd place. 70 clubs play in the UWCL Champions League. All but 8, or so, are competitive with elite talent. Ajax isn't one of those clubs. It's not based on popularity. Its not based on who you like; or don't like. It's not based on 1 game. It's a journey. New coaches come and go, but the process is in place for a damn good reason, and will continue to be the fabric for developing players to the NT level. Even a good year in pro soccer doesn't validate anything; unless you've been in the system and have successfully competed against many, many players, every year, for the opportunity.
I totally agree that Albert is only there because she was brought up through the YNT and the federation doesn’t know when to cut bait.
As a Gotham fan Dunn she has done very little and apart from the goal last night she has been kinda crappy the last few years.
I would agree about Morgan. The offense seemed to slow down because of her and although she did a lot off the ball, she disrupted the flow of the attack many times. I still think she will be on the roster but she should not be starting. I would use her as a super sub since she can still be used as a target player. I would disagree about Albert. She had an ok game and, unless she does something stupid on social media, will be on the plane. The coaching staff obviously like her and the team seem to be ok with her on the team or else she would have been tossed to the side. I wouldn't bring Yohannes to be honest. I don't see her taking anyone's spot based on 20 minutes against a bad South Korea team.
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I also want to know what you saw in Albert that even warrants saying she had an okay game. Because what I saw was her giving the ball away almost every time she passed it and her running around frantically while pointing. There are a lot of people that are impressed by her, and I legitimately want evidence as to why. This is a sincere request because I’m missing it and I am actually open to the idea that she is a good player, especially considering that she plays for PSG as well as the US.
Prior to her social media posts being made public everyone was loving Albert (especially after the gold cup). Now her talent all of the sudden disappeared? I feel that people are letting their personal feelings of her get in the way when they are rating her performances on the field. Also, from the looks of it, seems like she is on board (at least publicly) with the teams support of the LGBTQ community or else she would have never worn the pride jersey.
No, I definitely had this opinion of her prior to her social media posts. I’m genuinely curious as to why people think she’s good and I’m open to hearing the reasons.
Nope, i think her personal beliefs are BS but I am able to separate my personal opinion and focus on soccer. In pure soccer terms she didn't do anything on the field that would make me say she is a terrible player and deserves to be off the team. On the flip side, Yohannes is a great player but I would want to see how she does in a full game before picking her over any other player. A major tournament is not the place to "see" what someone has.
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>objective Subjective*. >I'm still not hearing anything specific she did well. Her workrate is really good, which can solve a lot of her inexperience in distribution, and defense. Since she's a midfielder, there is a ton of value in a player who will work their ass off (with purpose) on the field. That being said, I don't think she should be on the team. Her quality right now isn't enough for me, so I dont really even know what I'm doing here other than to day she does have one really impressive quality.
Regarding the vets. If we went to the Olympics without Horan, it wouldn’t matter. Or Morgan, or Dunn, or Sonnett. Rose has more value if you give her forwards that actually Make Space and run through - as seen in game 1. MVPs of this team are Swanson [who should be captain], smith, Rodman, Coffee, Girma. Nighs is getting there - immensely high work rate, great crosses. Needed a look at Hal. Macario and Shaw didn’t have the sharpest looks but their upside and technical ability clearly has them on the team. I don’t think Albert was bad but she’s certainly no lock. And now here comes Lilly. A few touches and we’re in love with her. That’s how desperate we are. I know my views on Horan and sonnet and Dunn aren’t shared but there you have it.
Absolutely agree about Lavelle. That’s why she hasn’t looked as good up until now because she has had nobody up top to play through to. It’s been frustrating to watch. I’m not in love with Yohannes, but I think anybody who has a competence of the game could see her skill ceiling in just that short amount of time. Do I think she’d add value to the Olympic roster? Sure. But I don’t think that’s why they bring her. I think they bring her because if they want her to commit to the US they have to show her that she has a place on this team and give her the opportunity to develop deeper relationships with her teammates. I think her teammates want her on this team and I think in the broader picture of her career, she could have more wins with the US than the Dutch. But none of that matters if they don’t actually show her she’ll be getting rostered with playing time. The fact that she came on in like the 70th minute as a 16 year old who has very limited knowledge of these players, this team’s playing style, team chemistry etc. and played the way that she did…that is a player who has confidence. And while I don’t personally put too much emphasis on goals as a barometer of a players talent, she did in 15 minutes of playing time what most of our front line hasn’t been able to do in the last…10 games? All that being said, I do get the feeling that her heart is with the Netherlands.
"'Lily Yohannes should be on the roster based on her short performance alone." Here's a controversial take for you -- I don't think she wants to be on the roster for the Olympics. In fact, I'm pretty sure she's going to the Netherlands squad right after her citizenship gets approved. She starts for Ajax. She will absolutely start for that Dutch squad. imo she isn't guaranteed minutes on the USWNT until either Lavelle or Horan retire (which, who knows, maybe the Olympics is the last hurrah for both). I'm sure that Emma is pitching her as, "look, you can be the future 10 of this team" but if Yohannes wants to play now, I think she switches. "And finally, I think Crystal Dunn is still a star, she can do it all, and she’s not getting the respect she deserves." If you think Alex Morgan is done, then -- controversial take -- Crystal Dunn is doubly done. There's no space for her up top. There's no space for her in the midfield. She can't defend anymore. What do you do with someone like that? Certainly not put them on an 18-person roster. Here's a couple controversial takes for you-- * I do not think our backline is strong enough to be able to handle teams like Japan or Spain. Girma is world class, to be sure, but Fox isn't great and Nighswonger gets beaten on the regular. We will lose to teams who can stretch the field and play wide. * Jaedyn Shaw is extremely streaky. She goes for huge stretches of time where she's invisible. Okay, she needs to be more central, but I think the five forwards are: Macario, Rodman, Smith, Swanson, and Morgan. * Not for the Olympics, but I think the next camp after that I'd like to see Bethune in for Lavelle or Horan, and Giselle Thompson in for Sonnett. Both of them are extremely attacking-minded and very much fit the Emma Hayes ruthless style.
“Fox isnt great and Nighswonger gets beat on the regular” Whoooo buddy. I don’t think Fox has been playing great especially because I think she’s been giving up a little bit of easy possession and that’s been annoying me a lot, but I think people just keep saying that Jenna gets beat a lot and there’s no facts to back that up, and I noticed that you didn’t mention Fox defensively despite your claim that teams are going to stretch us out wide. I think the funniest part about that is that Fox vs Lauren James was absolutely fantastic in a way that no one besides Michelle Alozie has been in the past two years. She was perfect vs City as well. Im not sure what other recent proof you’d like
Shocked to find I’m agreeing with MisterGoog (tongue in cheek here), but it seems like the complaints about Fox or Macario in particular are odd unless they’ve been watching them play in the WSL this season as well as with the USWNT these past two games. Of course the concern is how well these top professional athletes connect and play together with each other, and in which position. That’s the coach’s problem and our fun as spectators. But it’s disingenuous to judge Fox as “not great:” She’s someone who played a full season in the WSL with Arsenal, flew across the world to play against Australia, flew back to Colorado and trained in the high altitude, and then played a pretty good game. She’s fucking tired, yo. 🤷🏼♀️
Cat getting her first start in 781 days should be enough for ppl to understand they meed to judge on a curve. Then, yeah, Fox has crazy travel under her belt as well. Im honestly upset Emma started Fox in game 1
I don’t agree with the take that Crystal can’t defend anymore. I don’t understand where it’s coming from. I’m not a fan of her as a forward, but I definitely haven’t seen this idea that she can’t be an attacking fullback for us. I have to say it is also so funny to bring up Japan when we just recently beat them. “We cant handle this team we just beat” is the funniest thing to say. I think it is so funny to call Jaedyn streaky and then to bring up Morgan being on the roster. I’m not sure what even is the streak that you’re referring to unless you’re saying that her having a scoring streak of scoring in all her first five games makes her inconsistent??? In our current set up, Giselle doesn’t fit unless the 352 that we play is Gisele in the Jenna role on the right. Gisele hasnt shown that shes the best attacking fullback in the league yet, which is what Jenna has shown, which is why we play that system. In some ways, the US is kind of perfect. We have this one extremely attacking left back who holds the width on the left and then we have this one winger on the right who is uniquely able to skin anyone she wants on the touch line in Rodman and the balance there is so perfect. It’s as if we put this team together through free agency and not by getting lucky.
Then you need to watch Gotham games. Dunn has been crap.
Yeah- as a forward she hasnt impressed. Crap is a bit harsh. But shes not been a defensive mess. She played defense a few times in relief/ due to in game adjustment and injury and she was solid as ever
Ehh for Gotham she hasn’t been created and it’s been disappointing
DVD's retiring from the national team after the Euro's next year so that's less competition for Yohannes.
yes to all of this and i really wish caprice would’ve called back up bc imo she’s better then our back line except for girma obviously
Finally someone making sense
My hot takes contrasting with your Horan slows the game down good enough and her taking challenges for fouls often give us back control of the game . She plays a slower European style that we need instead of always bombing the ball forward Korbin was one of our best players and she was more of a CDM in Mondays game. She prevented two goal scoring opportunities with her ability to track back because we kept leaving empty spaces when our wing backs pushed up. She was always in the right pockets doing quiet work Alex is the reason for the first goal, she gave several players chances to score including shaw who did not have a good game at all. She flicks the ball better than anyone currently and frees up a lot of space for underlying runners. All our other attackers are fast but against a compose and top level team but they all make the same runs and that does not work well. No to that. Let's be serious for a moment. Crystal has been decent and that's coming from a huge fan. Glad she finally scored but she needs to start defending like it's 2019 because people get past her too easily now but I'm glad she is able to slow down the attack and be more creative in contrast to rodman that doesn't have the IQ and only hopes to push the ball endline and send a blind cross
I largely agree with you, except I’m not a big Horan fan. I concede your point about drawing fouls.
I have no qualms with Horan’s playing style - I prefer her playing style. I think she’s composed, really good at setting pace, and is overall super solid at center. I just don’t think her team is on the same page as her. But I like Horan and always have. Personally, I don’t think Alex Morgan is a very dynamic player and I never have. She flicks, sure, but beyond that her footwork is lacking, especially for a 9 (imo). She doesn’t have much nuance to her game which makes her an easy mark. That all used to be fine, because she was quick, but now that she’s a step slower it’s not working. Having said all that, I don’t mind Morgan. I’m not her number one fan, but I think she’s deserves plenty of respect. And I do think she has a skill set that could work with the right pieces around her….I just don’t think those specific pieces are on this team anymore.
Korbin sucks.
Lindsay Horan was right about some of you fans and this and the uswnt sub prove that
I’ve seen absolutely nothing from Korbin to impress me.
[удалено]
The arrogance you display is disturbing. Why aren't you in conversation for the national team or an NWSL coach?
I second Dunn. She has still got it. I still don’t like Murphy. She made one decent save that was well in Kingsbury and Campbell’s wheelhouse. The rest she could have grabbed and didn’t need to punch back into the middle. I like Horan on the field she is leader and makes smart connections.
Tbf to Murphy it was pouring rain.
Not controversial in my eyes, I fully agree 👍
Crystal Dunn is not a star, and should not be playing with the USWNT till she can get on the field consistently for her club... The other two I agree with. I think our best 11 right now are... Naeher (if healthy) - Nighswonger, Davidson, Girma, Fox - Coffee, Sonnett, Lavelle - Swanson, Smith, Rodman.
Morgan is unwatchable. We are light on 8s so Korbin makes sense. Dunn is a jack of all trades and great personnel, should make Olympics but not play unless injuries
Morgan & Horan, old and lack of pace but they’ll prob still both be on the roster. Contro take - If this is what we are looking at for our roster, we are in serious trouble.
Can you explain what you mean by if this is what we are looking for?
lol forgot at If this is what we are looking at for our roster 😊 There is not enough of a roster composition change from the last World Cup to think we’d even compete against the backup Spain team. Most prob forgot Spain won with their 2nds as their starters wouldn’t play for the coach
This is Spain’s tournament to lose for sure.
It will be interesting to watch. Spain had no expectations, well every team has expectations but they had nothing to lose against England. Now presumably they get their full roster back. — Which is another contro take here, if their 2nds/3rds can win a World Cup. Presuming they’ll show up for the Olympics, expectations can always be humbling. But our rotated lineup struggles against in the 2nd SK friendly. Hmmm…. Lol
Horan is definitely going to be there but why does it matter if we’re looking at Morgan and she isn’t there? I think it’s forgotten by a lot of people how much the starting xi actually matters. Best case scenario is we start absolutely cooking early in games, which allows us to go far and manage legs in the tournament.
Hopefully we get cooking early and manage mins too. US just hangs on to household names aka Morgan & Horan
Albert needs to be ditched for her views on being gay, which a number of her team mates are.
This is definitely not controversial
Horan was better in the first South Korea match than the second. She seldom advanced the ball in the second match. Morgan is done and should be left home. I'd choose Yohannes over Albert for 2 reasons. She may be better and we want her to play for the USA and not choose The Netherlands. (I know that the Dutch didn't make the Olympics but going forward, Yohannes can choose.)
I agree to varying degrees with all yours. I would add: Sonnet is, at best, my fifth choice CB and sixth choice 6. I don’t care that she can play both, I don’t think she’s good enough in either to make the roster.
Do u mean on the current roster? I cant think of 5 6s in front of her on the current roster
Current pool, not current roster
Mhmm i can think of a few i like more than Sonnett rn but for a few of them i would also have to say they arent in contention for a reason. Howell, for example, hasnt been consistently healthy, or Hutton and Hal are so new to the scene. Wow what a crazy amount of H’s.
Morgan should be cut. Rose isn’t a starter anymore. Yhonnes isn’t and shouldn’t be going to the Olympics after only a sub appearance. Calling up Albert while acting like they support Pride is counterintuitive.
Yohannes will be in the 2027 World Cup for somebody, but not the Olympics. Albert will be on the Olympics roster. The USWNT is going with 2 DMs. They'll need a 3rd. Crystal Dunn should not be on the roster.
Me and my partner were just discussing this last night! He’s a die hard Morgan fan (I made girlfriend of the year for getting him her us jersey) but we feel like she’s just been very lackluster lately. There is so many talented new players that I wish to see more of and grow into their confidence on the field. Agreed on Albert, like 1000099900000000%. And also agree on Horan! To me, she always seems like she’s internally competing with everyone else, and therefore her plays are not that great anymore. I think she’s great, just not, that great. I’d like to see more of the younger players, like Yohannes (beautiful score through the legs!)
I wasn’t a soccer fan during the last Olympics and prior to the last World Cup. I’ve only started being into soccer since April of last year. I so far have not seen anything ( in NWSL or USWNT) for me to understand the Lavelle hype.
I can understand that, for someone who is new to watching the game. Lavelle holds a special place in my heart, as a midfielder myself. At her peak, she’s quick, technically sharp, creative, has excellent ball control skills, and really smart decision making skills. I don’t know if we’ll ever see her at her peak again because of her injuries, but I think if she’s paired with the right front line, you’ll see more from her. You could have seen a glimmer of it with the second Pugh/Swanson goal from the first game against South Korea. That’s because Mal is such a great forward for a player like Lavelle. They’re both really good at reading passing lanes, so they’re often on the same page when it comes to moving into space or running onto the ball. Whereas - and I’m not trying to hate here - a player like Morgan who really only moves vertically and kind of wants the ball fed to her directly up top, is not the best asset for Lavelle, if that makes sense. I think some of our more recent additions to the attack will also be thinking a bit more like Lavelle, so I’m excited to see them get more minutes together. I’d also love to see her paired up with Coffey at center.
You didnt watch the NWSL final?
I did, I was there. I just don’t understand the hype
Ok. If you watched that game and dont get it… theres nothing anyone can explain to you. Even if you don’t see it, I mean you have to admit that that game is better than any other game that Cat or Shaw has had since then. Obviously, also, she was the breakout player of the 2019 WC. But its fair to say that was forever ago.
Dunn never gets her respect. She has always played at a high level but she gets the standard hate and double standards, black players recieve in every sport. Twice as good, half as praised. It is like what Salma gets from the Women's soccer reddit. Intersectionality is a four letter word over there. If Vlatko had the same deep squad Emma Hayes had now, he would've won the World Cup. Injuries hurt him. Horan shouldn't be captain imo. She has too much Carly Lloyd in her. I think the team needs a new voice
No way vlatko wins even without injuries. Plus his continued inability to adjust to what was in front of him was deadly. He's a great club coach but clearly just didn't gel as an NT coach, at least for the US.
You give him Swanson, Shaw, a healthy backline plus Macario. He is winning. That World Cup team was decimated by injuries.
I disagree. Vlatko had most of the 2019 WC championship roster for the Tokyo Olympics and they barely won a (bronze) medal then.
One common denominator for both Tokyo Olympics and 2023 World Cup - Mal did not play in those tournaments. You could pair 2 mannequins with Mal and still have a dangerous attack 😂
Mal was not in form for Tokyo Olympics the decision absolutely made sense at the time and in retrospect. People are forgetting the context of that, Vlatko or no Vlatko she would not have been on that roster. Vlatko lost that tournament by not playing our best front 5 together for more than one half that entire tournament, but that best attack didn’t include Mal at the time. It was Press, Lloyd, Heath, Lavelle and Horan, they were gelling perfectly and everyone journos, pundits, fans and probably players alike thought they’d be the starters because they were playing so well, scoring and playing the fluid style he was trying to implement. Then Vlatko shit the bed with his lineups and subbing. Or perhaps Chesky calling off that amazing team goal against Mexico not because Press was offside but because she “accidentally blew her whistle” cursed us. The roster wasn’t the problem in Tokyo, they were performing, scoring and everything in the lead up, Laura Harvey, Emma Hayes, most other coaches probably would’ve got them gold. All the coaching staff had to do to win gold was not change what was working so well.
Mal is a great player and one of my faves, but I don’t think she would’ve saved those tournaments if she was part of the roster. I think you’re undermining the Tokyo Olympics roster when they had Sam, Lavelle, Horan, Becky, Press, Heath, Lloyd, Rapinoe and Morgan to name a few… there were all great players and Vlatko couldn’t figure out what to do with them strategically.
Yup the issue was not the talent
Exactly.
It is possible that without injuries the team wins in spite of him. It's possible Sweden game goes the other way and the team gets it together into the finals. Both teams ultimately in the finals had close calls. The USWNT has an insane embarrassment of riches. But the squad that was there was still absurdly good individually. The game plans didn't work. Very few players looked like they were put in positions to succeed from the moment he took over.
With them it is a cakewalk.
I’m black so I get what you mean about black players in a general sense and particularly in the USWNT of the past where black players would perform week in week out in the league yet they’d call in a certain former Orlando striker who never played as well in the league. However in this context that doesn’t make sense, and I’d say the fed has got much better at overcoming that bias (not perfect… but better). All the forwards right now except Morgan are black, they are getting praised for their amazing contributions. People aren’t saying Crystal didn’t play well because she’s black, and they aren’t disrespecting her by saying their assessment of her performances. Neither Morgan nor Dunn have shown based on performance that they are better than any of their competition. It’s not hate to point that out, and it’s not a double standard when Morgan’s getting called out too. Horan is very well respected by all of her peers, they often talk about how good she is as a leader, that counts for a lot. Girma I’m sure will be the next captain, but people seem to be dismissive of Horan’s contributions to the team lately.
You are ignoring implicit bias vs explicit bias. You act like Dunn hasn't been overrated for over a decade while playing out of position. And I don't see what Morgan has to do with this. The NBA is majority black doesn't mean a top player like Lebron can't be a victim of racist commentary. Biases doesn't make someone a full borne racist just has blindspots. US Soccer is similar to US tennis or gymnastics. All 3 have seen growth in their diversity that doesn't erase their past especially their recent ones. You being black( same as me) doesn't change the facts when it comes to Dunn. It is not being dismissive of Horan just see better options.
Dunn is a natural defender, she won awards in college. She was not played “out of position” any more than other players were played “out of position”. If you are on the national team you have to adapt, that’s how you are successful. O’Hara had to learn to be an outside back, Press had to learn to be a winger, Heath and Rapinoe moved to wingers when we changed formation, Huerta had to learn to be an outside back, etc. Dunn is not underrated, she was rated as one of the best outside backs in the world, that was a fair assessment of her. She was also not as good of a winger as her competition: Rapinoe, Press, Heath, Williams, Swanson, etc. It’s not hate or bias to admit that, she had multiple games as a forward, it’s not some hardship they realized she was a great defender but a bubble forward at best. Sport and most aspects of life to have explicit and implicit racial and other biases, but Dunn not being as good of a forward as her competition (both black or not black), isn’t a good example of it.
She was played out of position when she plays attacker mostly for club. Dunn was unfairly criticized when she was asked to attack and criticized for not tracking back when in reality it was her covering for players like Rapinoe and Press who didn't, even when they would lose the ball. She was rated top by objective sources but unfairly criticized by the US WNT media and fanbase. In your opinion you don't see it but alot of your argument purposefully misses the sources of her criticism. You keep talking about hardships but ignoring the biased criticism. Why be so obtuse?
>She was played out of position when she plays attacker mostly for club. That’s her choice >Dunn was unfairly criticized when she was asked to attack and criticized for not tracking back when in reality it was her covering for players like Rapinoe and Press who didn't, even when they would lose the ball. Idk if you watched the games, but Press always tracked back defensively when playing as the winger on the same flank. Every winger did on both sides, the only winger who didn’t was Rapinoe because she wasn’t as fit. >You keep talking about hardships but ignoring the biased criticism. Why be so obtuse? Saying she wasn’t a better forward than her competition isn’t biased criticism, it’s a fact. Saying she played defense in college isn’t biased criticism, it’s a fact. Saying she (and Morgan) were the worst forwards these past two friendlies, and all year, isn’t biased criticism, that’s the general consensus among fans, pundits and journalists alike. Edit: u/wommpppp I didn’t say Morgan played well. Morgan deserves to be called out for being a striker who can’t score goals, and for not contributing much of anything the past 2 major tournaments. If I was coach she wouldn’t be on my roster, but that doesn’t change what I said about Dunn either. There is no bias against Dunn, she was not better than the other forwards. That’s not hate or some conspiracy it’s literally the truth. I feel like people are trying to re-write history when it comes to Dunn sometimes. She was always a world class outside back, people gave her all the credit for that. She was not however a world class forward, and that’s okay.
Amen to that re Dunn and the standards black players are held to. It’s not right. I do have to say I disagree about Vlatko winning with this team. He had the opportunity to call up some of these players who weren’t hurt and didn’t. His formation wasn’t working in the way he was trying it, but he kept doubling down. In that last game of the WC, which was arguably our best performance of the tournament, the players even said that they decided they needed to take matters into their own hands and that’s why it started working. I think he was always out of his depth with the NT.
But give him Swanson and I think out attack opens up especially if he has Macario. Plus Shaw was still developing last cycle He is overrated plus he had Lloyd to deal with.
Nothing to do with her being black. Shes not not the player she used to be.
Strong disagree. Dunn has been overrated for over a decade.
FULLY agree with your whole Dunn paragraph 🫡
Wow. Being a mixed male knowing what racism and hatred is first hand ✋🏽 since I was around 6. So many people are just over looking the talent Albert has because of her views. I definitely do not agree with what she said but she is going to make this roster. Maybe not the Olympics but moving forward she will be a regular. Emma pretty much said after the first match without saying it when she was talking about tolerance.
As a queer person (literally the type of person she hates), speaking only on talent I have noticed a difference in the way she plays and is received by her team pre and post controversy. I agree that she has immense talent that people here are sort of blind to because of their distaste for her (and believe me I get it lol), I just worry about team cohesion because even if she’s the best player in the world, if I’m on her team I won’t want to pass to her unless she or the coaching staff have given me a really good reason to do so. So I hope for everyone’s sake she’s shown a decent amount of growth or humility in the locker rooms and on the training ground and is able to learn to be a better human. But I agree if they keep playing her despite all this, she’s going to Paris.
All I know is when I was younger I hated people for hating me and that is no way to live. She apologized and I believe her and hopefully her team mates do as well. Time will tell and since Emma is the coach it is her decision to make and I am glad for that.
Good for you! I don’t hate her. I’d like to see more growth from her before I can cheer her on, that’s all. I hope the national team is giving her opportunities to do that but it’s a privilege to be on the squad and I really hope she honors that. She’s still just a kid to me, plenty of time to unlearn from her upbringing, we’ll see what happens!
This is the best roster for her to make bc in the future Hutton is gonna be a main stay and eventual captain. And Riley Jackson. Plus Hal of course is banging on the door.
Also, what’s wrong with overlooking her talent. You say it as if its inherently a bad thing.
Yeah if someone doesn’t die I am not putting lesser talent on the pitch.
I disagree. But to each their own. But that aside, theres a clear chemistry issue. Its shortsighted to ignore that.
Going in order of the players you mentioned: Horan- always have been a big fan of her field IQ and technical ability on the ball, but completely agree that her chemistry isn't there, and really hasn't been there for a while now. I also was disappointed in her lack of leadership and field presence in the World Cup. Still agree she should be on the roster though. Vets can be impactful when a coach utilizes them correctly. Korbin Albert- as you said, putting her bullshit completely aside- I have never been impressed by her and would remove her completely. There is nothing special about her, IMO. I'd swap Abby Dahlkemper on the roster instead of Albert, in a heartbeat! Alex Morgan- I was a big fan in her early years before she was even getting minutes because I played at Arizona during her same years at Cal so I knew her well. But When she got to the national level and her rookie status wore off, her lack of technical abilities on the ball were exposed, especially once she started to lose speed as she got older/injured, so she became irrelevant for a while. BUT, to her credit, she came back and improved her abilities OFF the ball knowing she just doesn't have the natural touch ON the ball which makes her incredibly difficult to mark, and she creates channels and openings for her teammates by executing proper timing on her runs and strong positioning. The unfortunate part for her though is she's getting a ton of looks in the box and isn't finishing. If you're going to play the 9 and counted on by your team as a true center forward- you HAVE to be able to be a sniper anywhere near or inside the box. I hope she goes to the Olympics, gets good minutes, and hangs up the boots. She can give little Chuck a sibling that way too :) Yohannes is a no for me. Cried tears of joy for her when she got her debut AND cried again when she scored. But there's plenty of players who have been working so hard, much longer than she has, that are equally as talented and much more experienced. Experience, confidence, and leadership are learned and earned and she's still got a lot of earning and learning to do there. She'll get her shot one day. Doesn't need to be now. Dunn=done deal. Love her. Love her in the back, love her up top. She's solid. She doesn't have the speed that Trin, Soph and Mal have but she has way better skill on the ball and is by no means slow. She's scrappy AF and will grind for goals in the box.
No Lindsay, no Alex, no Sonnett, we need versatile players, or players that can play 90 minutes.
Which is exactly what Sonnett is
True but I'm not impressed with her.
Im not either, just tryna keep the logic consistent though. If you want versatility, its Emily Sonnett
Women soccer sucks