I never understood the Crystal Dunn thing. She’s great going forward but dreadful defending. I guess that’s why she’s a wing back/winger. And on the WNT team that works 80% of the time. Did the US play in a back 4 or did they play in a back 3 today? Sounds like if they play Sweden again the coaching staff is going to need to make a tactical switch.
Back 4, but they were unable to connect with Sam Mewis all day and Dunn never really made an effective run from the back. Normally, I like Dunn in that role. It’s certainly better than having Klingenberg or whoever the other options were the last 5-6 years. Hopefully by the next World Cup Tierna Davidson will be ready and Dunn can play forward where she naturally plays.
She was a Chelsea player so I’ll compare her to a Chelsea player. For me, she’s Marcos Alonzo. Marcos is a great wing back but not best suited for a back 4 vs strong attacking teams. He doesn’t have the pace or recovery runs needed to be in a back 4. But with 3 center backs playing behind him, he is a weapon going forward and adequate enough to defend the wide areas with 3 compact playing center backs. Dunn is similar because even though her pace is good, her 1v1 defending lacks and she can be exploited.
There is a need to tell players time is up. But they are too scared to do that. We have great players in the states, but few ever get a real look. I’ve run into the youth US scouts and they have their list, and not interested in finding some new players from lesser known clubs. The one I ran into in Florida was kind of an ass to parents who approached with team brochures. I know a lot of college coaches, everyone of the coaches I didn’t know was approachable, chatted it up, took our team info, watched all of the players, and took notes. The US scouts didn’t care and were not willing to talk to you.
Have you ever noticed that most of the USSF youth scouts and coaches are British or otherwise European? It’s a strange dynamic within US soccer on the women’s side. Probably because almost all of the best coaches in America are in either the college or club game.
The good news is there is significant talent in the pipeline so I think we will see a much younger squad for the ‘23 World Cup while still remaining elite. However, in order to do so you can’t still have Rapinoe, Morgan and Lloyd hanging around and sucking the oxygen out of the room. They need to turn the team over to Rose Lavelle and Sam Mewis as the leaders and bring in Macario, Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, etc
I agree. And the US needs to find a way to really expand pro women’s leagues. They have to find a way to make it profitable and expand even more. I will say, the amateur league is starting to expand, and a lot of former college players, college players, and HS kids are playing. I was surprised to see just how many teams there were. But this country has a shit ton of talented girls playing. They just need the opportunity to showcase it.
That's why I compared them to the 1980 Steelers, 78 and 79 where their most dominant seasons, 14-2, 12-4, then they fell off the cliff to 8-8. It happens, but we'll see. I do expect them to still win the gold.
They did not kneel during the anthem. Both teams knelt at their positions just prior to the opening whistle, but that was a statement against racism in the sport.
Sorry USN, this one has been all US so far. Only 2-0 at half, but could/should be more if not for 4(!) goals called back on offside. Good game to get back on track. The bad news of the day is that Sweden beat Australia so they are almost certain to win the group.
Yeah. This is professionals playing against amateur club players. Been watching the boxing and table tennis instead. The 10M air pistol earlier was riveting. Those guys are athletes!
Oh boy you are opening up this thread to be hijacked by SMF with your amateur players comment
At least many of the NZ players are US collegiate players. A lot play in the Australian league which is very good. Many NWSL players play there in the off-season.Wait, wait, wait, you mean our US primadonnas are able to beat amateurs, some of whom probably have real full-time jobs? Tell us more about this great New Zealand team, USN. I know JD smeared his pants watching his girls beat a bunch of rec playersOh boy you are opening up this thread to be hijacked by SMF with your amateur players comment
And you cream your pants over a mediocre men’s program that couldn’t qualify for a World Cup berth in a region with a 100 Caribbean islands full of rec league players. What’s the difference?
Veronica latsko from Peters township plays in the NWSL for Houston and spent the last two off seasons on loan in Australia. Veronica is an extremely talented player and may be the 2nd best player I’ve seen come out of this area (and Klingenberg isnt #1). Her Australia goal scoring stats are much better than her Houston Dash stats, and that’s to be expected.Oh boy you are opening up this thread to be hijacked by SMF with your amateur players comment
Their next opponent has a player that is paid close to $1 million a year (soccer salary only, not endorsements) and an roster that plays in either NWSL, England or France. That won’t stop SMF from making up some other nonsense.
We all know that most nations in the world don’t invest in women’s soccer (women’s sports in general), but the US can’t win World Cups and Olympics without taking on and beating the best of the best. The last 3 wins of the last World Cup were incredibly talented opponents in France, England and Netherlands. Sweden was incredible in the meeting earlier this week. Frankly, other than WC and Olympic qualifying, the Americans rarely schedule anyone outside the top 10 in the world. The only reason they played Nigeria this year is because they couldn’t get the top Euro nations to come over and Nigeria has mostly American-based players.
Is that Sam Kerr? She plays on a loaded Chelsea team that got destroyed 6-0 in the champions league final by a Barcelona team that didn’t exactly breeze through the league. There’s a ton of talent out there.
haha. Another Penn Stater…Taylor Schram and it’s not really close for me. If not for concussions ending her career, she’s be on this national team. Btw…she was just named the top assistant and Boston College this week. She will be a HC at a top NCAA school soon. It’s just how she’s wired.His daughter!
My daughter was on a younger beadling team than Crouse by two years. But the same coach had both teams so they trained together. Crouse had more pace than anyone I’ve ever seen, but she was one dimensional and easy to defend for players who knew her. My older daughter who was a back on her club team at the time was one of them. The other thing about Crouse was that no one thought she was in love with the game of soccer. Schram ate, drank, and breathed soccer 24/7. While more talented than anyone I’ve seen, she was hungrier and more passionate than anyone I’ve seen. A few of the long time club and WPIaL coaches whose opinions I respect the most also rate her as the best to come out of here.
You and your daughter obviously know it first hand, but that is exactly what I have always heard as well about those two. Frannie was a Top 10 NwSL pick and lasted half of a season so obviously the love of the game wasn’t there.
The difference is when the men's team lose to amateurs or USL level players, I take them to task. I realize our men's program sucks though they have hit the lottery with 6-7 guys in their early 20s.
I realize the team is talented. The best American female athletes play soccer and basketball. We know this. I just dont understand the hoopla and excitement around this team because they have very little competition. JD reminds me of someone who gets off on seeing Pitt basketball beat MEAC schools because that's what its like watching the US women play against teams badly outgunned. There's only a handful of teams out there that can compete with them.
Well PSU would have certainly made her better. My opinions ride mostly on intimate knowledge of who they were here and 300ft knowledge of them at the next level.
I could not name one NZ footballer, men's or women's team. Men/boys play rugby, cricket or sail/row Women/girls play netball, rugby or cricket (or swim/sail/row). Football is on Sunday when there is no rugby or cricket, or for the kids who don't make those teams.Oh boy you are opening up this thread to be hijacked by SMF with your amateur players comment
All I am saying is there are a greater number of elite teams worldwide than you are giving credit. Between the ‘99 and ‘15 World Cups, our women didn’t win a WC because Japan and Germany were the powers. It’s all cyclical and the US is due to fall back to the pack here over the next 5 years even though they do have some impressive talent in the pipeline. That’s how special the likes of Carli Lloyd, Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, etc have been during this generation.
This game didn't make the sports page here today (online version). The stories are BI Lions vs RSA rugby, provincial rugby, schools rugby, local club rugby, international cricket, regional cricket, netball, rowing, swimming and south island figure skating champs.
But here in the US everyone is overjoyed our girls whooped up on girls from a country where girls don't play soccer. My guess is that the NZ national team couldn't beat Pitt.
" My guess is that the NZ national team couldn't beat Pitt."
Then why are we celebrating the USWNT's team victory over a team not as good a mid-level college team? What's the point of even watching?
I wouldn't care. If they played in my back yard, I wouldn't watch. If the USNWT played in my back yard, I would practice air rifle.
First, who’s celebrating? And 2nd, New Zealand would win easily. I watched the Century U23 team, which my kid was on and they were awful. Mostly because they don’t play together often. But they are essentially a combined Beadling/Century all star team. But national teams don’t play together often either. Btw, lots of Pitt players were on the Century WPSL team this summer.
