OT: Olympics: U.S. Women’s Soccer

[huskyd]

While age is certainly one issue with US women’s soccer, I think it’s also a bit of a cop out to claim age as the primary reason the US lost to Canada and struggled against both Sweden & Australia. Women’s soccer around the world, just like WBB, has made great strides, while the US has stayed about the same.

European countries have improved significantly. The last time the US played Canada, the Americans barely managed to eke out a 1-0 victory. Certainly the US needs to get better. But that doesn’t necessarily mean throwing out a bunch of youngsters on the pitch. National team player development needs to improve at all levels from youth development, through HS & college, all the way to the professional level.

doesn’t necessarily mean throwing out a bunch of youngsters on the pitch.

If not throwing a bunch of youngsters on the pitch, how about pitching a number of old(er) players from the pitch?
In sum, an embarrassing showing from a US team thought to be the best. Sometimes everyone (seems) to get old all at once, and the fraying undoes the whole. Vlad will have a long plane ride to check the help-wanted pages.

 

[oldude]

If not throwing a bunch of youngsters on the pitch, how about pitching a number of old(er) players from the pitch?
In sum, an embarrassing showing from a US team thought to be the best. Sometimes everyone (seems) to get old all at once, and the fraying undoes the whole. Vlad will have a long plane ride to check the help-wanted pages.

The US is #1 ranked. Canada is the #8 ranked team in the world. Canada played the US tough every time they’ve met over the past few years. The loss was certainly unexpected, but hardly embarrassing.

 

[huskyd]

The US is #1 ranked. Canada is the #8 ranked team in the world. Canada played the US tough every time they’ve met over the past few years. The loss was certainly unexpected, but hardly embarrassing.

I was referring to the sum of the team's efforts not to a single game. Based on the expectations, the team's recent run of good games, the quality and depth of the squad, I'd say they fell far below a decent competitive standard. Choose whatever adjective you prefer to describe it. I suspect the players agree with my characterization: they were embarrassed.

 

[Waquoit]

The team fielded the best players. If they were to go with a younger team, that wouldn’t have been the best roster.

So this was their best roster? They were suboptimal the entire tournament. USA used to be so good that they could carry the old timers. Those days are gone.

 

[D J B]

So this was their best roster? They were suboptimal the entire tournament. USA used to be so good that they could carry the old timers. Those days are gone.

Well then, give some names, some lineups and who you think should be on the roster going forward. Names, positions, and justification for why they should be on the field.

I'm sure that if this discussion was about the UConn women's BB team you would have all that information. Right?

 

[stamfordhusky]

So this was their best roster? They were suboptimal the entire tournament. USA used to be so good that they could carry the old timers. Those days are gone.

It was certainly their best 16. You can debate the last few, but that is always the case. Let me point out that the U.S. failed to win three World Cups in a row - 2003, 2007, 2011 - and only made the finals once in those three years. So it isn't the first time that the U.S. hasn't been ultra-dominant. This team did win the last World Cup fwiw.

 

[D J B]

It was certainly their best 16. You can debate the last few, but that is always the case. Let me point out that the U.S. failed to win three World Cups in a row - 2003, 2007, 2011 - and only made the finals once in those three years. So it isn't the first time that the U.S. hasn't been ultra-dominant. This team did win the last World Cup fwiw.

The last TWO world cups, fwiw. And lost another Olympics in between.

 

[LoboDays]

The people who don’t follow the sport that closely except every 4 years ( like me and women’s trampoline) have the wrong opinion about U.S. Women’s Soccer. The top countries have been at par with each other for a long time. There is no dominant team. Until fairly recently, women’s soccer in many countries had no support or funding. Many do now and are starting to field competitive teams. Parity will expand.

The winners of the World Cup and Olympics are the teams who are playing the best soccer at that event. It could be anyone. There are very few routs now.

It’s unfortunate that the games that the U.S. team plays in preparation for the top events are against teams who don’t qualify for them. They aren’t competitive and give us the wrong idea about what we are expecting the U.S. to do in these events.

 

[SimpleDawg]

Come on tho.

Everybody knows there are 10 really good teams in any World Cup or Olympics female soccer competition. This tournament alone should've proven Australia, Canada, Brazil, U.K., Sweden, and Netherlands. And then you have France, Norway, and Germany. That's 10 formidable opponents we should expect.

2019 was a really good World Cup, but let's not forget Great Britain missed a penalty kick against us otherwise it looked like Ellen White herself could've beaten us. So that could've been our exit, but we only just got by them. Vs Spain, we scored on 2 penalties.... the first one questionable and the 2nd one I'm not sure if Rose didn't try to land on her feet. So there's another example. In 2015, Julie Ertz fiercely pulled down a German player as she was about to easily score, but Germany followed with a missed penalty. Otherwise that game wasn't pretty either and we could've taken our exit then too.

In 2003, we got hammered by Germany. In 2007, it was a lopsided score vs Brazil even tho there were questionable coaching/lineup decisions. It's never easy.

Also, while it's true this might've just been one bad tournament - since no World Cup winner was able to follow that win with a subsequent Olympics gold medal - I think it's pretty much fact that we can't roll out this same roster for the 2023 World Cup. We certainly won't win with all of our front line 35 or older. Who do we have behind them tho? That will be the question.

 

[Waquoit]

Well then, give some names, some lineups and who you think should be on the roster going forward. Names, positions, and justification for why they should be on the field.

I'm sure that if this discussion was about the UConn women's BB team you would have all that information. Right?

The proof was in the pudding. This team sucked. They were old and slow and lucky to go as far as they did. Don't get all in my face because I'm on the right side on this "Emperor's New Clothes" moment. Where was Mallory Pugh? At least she can still run.

 

[D J B]

The proof was in the pudding. This team sucked. They were old and slow and lucky to go as far as they did. Don't get all in my face because I'm on the right side on this "Emperor's New Clothes" moment. Where was Mallory Pugh? At least she can still run.

Pugh has suffered nagging injuries and is trying to get herself back in form. Up until recently, she actually wasn't able to run.

Mallory Pugh looking at 2021 as a fresh start

Why Mallory Pugh Wasn't In the Olympics Discussion

 

[clbabson]

Come on tho.

Everybody knows there are 10 really good teams in any World Cup or Olympics female soccer competition. This tournament alone should've proven Australia, Canada, Brazil, U.K., Sweden, and Netherlands. And then you have France, Norway, and Germany. That's 10 formidable opponents we should expect.

2019 was a really good World Cup, but let's not forget Great Britain missed a penalty kick against us otherwise it looked like Ellen White herself could've beaten us. So that could've been our exit, but we only just got by them. Vs Spain, we scored on 2 penalties.... the first one questionable and the 2nd one I'm not sure if Rose didn't try to land on her feet. So there's another example. In 2015, Julie Ertz fiercely pulled down a German player as she was about to easily score, but Germany followed with a missed penalty. Otherwise that game wasn't pretty either and we could've taken our exit then too.

In 2003, we got hammered by Germany. In 2007, it was a lopsided score vs Brazil even tho there were questionable coaching/lineup decisions. It's never easy.

Also, while it's true this might've just been one bad tournament - since no World Cup winner was able to follow that win with a subsequent Olympics gold medal - I think it's pretty much fact that we can't roll out this same roster for the 2023 World Cup. We certainly won't win with all of our front line 35 or older. Who do we have behind them tho? That will be the question.

This was such a great analysis, thank you.

 

[clbabson]

Please don't open that can of worms.

Thank you for calling out my idiocy. Not sure WTF I was thinking.

 

[Waquoit]

Pugh has suffered nagging injuries and is trying to get herself back in form. Up until recently, she actually wasn't able to run.

Mallory Pugh looking at 2021 as a fresh start

Why Mallory Pugh Wasn't In the Olympics Discussion

She's running now.

 

[D J B]

She's running now.

Good. Hopefully we'll see her again for the USWNT.

 

[D J B]

Thank you for calling out my idiocy. Not sure I was thinking.

Just covering your six.

 

[stamfordhusky]

So this was their best roster? They were suboptimal the entire tournament. USA used to be so good that they could carry the old timers. Those days are gone.

It's impossible to say what is a "best" roster, but the top 16 or 17 clearly deserved to be there. When did the U.S. "carry" old timers who didn't deserve to be on the team?

 

[Waquoit]

It's impossible to say what is a "best" roster, but the top 16 or 17 clearly deserved to be there. When did the U.S. "carry" old timers who didn't deserve to be on the team?

Did they? Admittedly, I'm a casual fan but a team that lost to Canada is the best we got? All those players in their 30's? No question Abby Wambach was washed up in 2015 and yet she was team spokesman and starter until she botched that PK. The team was instantly better when she sat.

 

[stamfordhusky]

Did they? Admittedly, I'm a casual fan but a team that lost to Canada is the best we got? All those players in their 30's? No question Abby Wambach was washed up in 2015 and yet she was team spokesman and starter until she botched that PK. The team was instantly better when she sat.

Yes, you're obviously a casual fan. It was a bad loss to Canada, but the U.S. did dominate throughout. Just need some players who can get the ball into the net.

As for Wambach, she was clearly one of the top 23 American players in 2015. Was a good goal-scorer in her final year in NWSL. She couldn't go 90 minutes at that stage, but she still gave the team a legitimate scoring threat - a big physical presence and a weapon in the air. She was used in all seven game - sometimes as a starter, sometimes as a reserve - and she deserved to be there. In one of the group games, she scored the only goal in a 1-0 win. As for the PK, she foolishly decided to take it left-footed, but she certainly didn't miss it because of her age. And she was used in every game after that one - because she was still a threat on the field.

 

[Waquoit]

As for Wambach, she was clearly one of the top 23 American players in 2015. ... And she was used in every game after that one - because she was still a threat on the field.

She was so slow, she held the team back. They were a much, much better team once she sat. And they used her more for face-saving in garbage time than because of her "threat". I think these old players with name recognition feel they deserve a spot until they decide it's over, not the coaches.

 

[Bald Husky]

Yes, you're obviously a casual fan. It was a bad loss to Canada, but the U.S. did dominate throughout. Just need some players who can get the ball into the net.

As for Wambach, she was clearly one of the top 23 American players in 2015. Was a good goal-scorer in her final year in NWSL. She couldn't go 90 minutes at that stage, but she still gave the team a legitimate scoring threat - a big physical presence and a weapon in the air. She was used in all seven game - sometimes as a starter, sometimes as a reserve - and she deserved to be there. In one of the group games, she scored the only goal in a 1-0 win. As for the PK, she foolishly decided to take it left-footed, but she certainly didn't miss it because of her age. And she was used in every game after that one - because she was still a threat on the field.

I'm sure it was mentioned earlier, but I really don't have the time to read all 9 pages. I just really found out that Canada's goal keeper, Stephanie Labbe, is a graduate of UConn back in the day. So congratulations to her and good luck in the finals. By the way, Canada won the Bronze medal in 2016, so they are a very good team. Labbe was the Keeper in that olympics also.

 

[meyers7]

She was so slow, she held the team back. They were a much, much better team once she sat. And they used her more for face-saving in garbage time than because of her "threat". I think these old players with name recognition feel they deserve a spot until they decide it's over, not the coaches.

It's been said that some of the old players with name recognition (in the past) have gotten a coach fired, when they didn't get their way. Pretty much since the 99ers, the WNT has been an "old gals club". Don't cross the veterans.

 

[Bigboote]

Anyone know when/where the bronze medal game will be broadcast? TIA

 

[stamfordhusky]

She was so slow, she held the team back. They were a much, much better team once she sat. And they used her more for face-saving in garbage time than because of her "threat". I think these old players with name recognition feel they deserve a spot until they decide it's over, not the coaches.

You again demonstrate you are a very casual fan at best. She wasn't as fast as many players but she still brought a great skill set to the table - physicality and great goal-scoring ability. They unquestionably would have been weaker had they not used her. And that is true even with the U.S. having five very good strikers on that team (Lloyd, Morgan, Wambach, Press, and Rodriguez).

" And they used her more for face-saving in garbage time than because of her "threat""

I'm almost speechless after reading the above. Had you watched the games, you would know that the only "garbage time" in the entire tournament was the Final vs Japan. All three group stage games were close, and Wambach played the full 90 minutes in two of them. In the crucial final group stage game - which the U.S. needed to win to finish 1st in the Group and get an easier draw - she scored the only goal to give the U.S. the victory.

In the knockout stage, she didn't start. But she was on the field for the closing part of all four games, three of which were close games where they certainly weren't going to use anyone who didn't belong on the field.

Btw, in the U.S. team's three pre-World Cup friendlies, played between May 10th and May 30th, Wambach scored four goals - easily leading the team in scoring.


Wambach's World Cup goal to beat Nigeria:

 

[stamfordhusky]

Anyone know when/where the bronze medal game will be broadcast? TIA

USA Network and Telemundo.