The USWNT finally played like themselves, but soccer can be cruel
Soccer has always been a cruel sport, and today it came calling for the U.S. women’s national team.
After three underwhelming performances in the group stage, the USWNT finally looked like themselves against Sweden, bossing one of the best teams in this World Cup.
Unfortunately, they found goalkeeper Zećira Mušović having one of the games of her life, and when she wasn’t making a big save, the errant finishing that has plagued this team appeared again, and the result was a penalty kick elimination after a scoreless 120 minutes.
It was a heartbreaker for the U.S., who missed a shot in the shootout that would have seen them advance, and then had to watch Sweden’s winning kick require a VAR check to reveal that the ball had crossed the line by a nearly imperceptible margin.
Still, when it comes to ratings, this was by some margin the best performance from the USWNT at this World Cup as a team, and for many players as individuals.
As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:
Our scale:
1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
6: Adequate. This is our base score.
10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 final.
Here are all the USWNT stats at the World Cup following the group stage:
The United States women’s national team is looking to reboot in the knockout rounds of the 2023 Women’s World Cup. After going 1-2-0 in the group stage and finishing behind the Netherlands in Group E, the USWNT still has time to change its fortunes.
In the round of 16, a meeting with Sweden awaits the U.S. The Swedes rolled through Group G during the group stage. Sweden has a 3-0-0 record heading into Sunday’s matchup, with a plus-eight goal difference after only allowing one goal in those three outings.
With the group stage now wrapped up, here’s how all the statistics for the United States finished:
Evaluating the hopes of the 16 teams left at this World Cup
A World Cup group stage full of surprises has resulted in a truly intriguing set of 16 teams going through to the knockout rounds.
Some favorites have looked the part, but the list of big teams that have underachieved is significantly longer (it’s not just the U.S. women’s national team, folks). A couple of second-tier teams have stepped their game up, while some unheralded sides have shown that while no one was watching, they were making major strides.
The result is a round of 16 where it feels like nearly anything could happen. Could the USWNT join the likes of Germany, Brazil, and Canada in being out? What about the possibility of teams like Jamaica, Morocco, and South Africa getting to the quarterfinals?
It’s been completely unpredictable, so all of these things are distinctly possible. Still, Pro Soccer Wire tried to sort out the likelihood of any one team making a run to the final. Somewhere between their results in this tournament, past track record, and overall talent level, we’ve settled on a power rankings list that everyone everywhere will surely have no problems with.
Some achievable changes that can give the USWNT a real shot at turning this World Cup around
It’s safe to say the U.S. women’s national team has not impressed anyone at this World Cup.
To be fair, things could be worse. Germany and Brazil have already packed their bags, as have the the defending Olympic champions Canada. Australia and Norway had to get their respective acts together to vault themselves into advancement at the last gasp, and a global power like Spain has suffered a 4-0 loss. It’s been wild.
None of that excuses the performances of the U.S. though, which have been extraordinarily frustrating. Setting Canada aside, all of the teams listed above also have had at least one good game at this tournament, a showing that most would agree deserved a grade better than a C-plus. The USWNT can’t say that.
Much of the discussion has centered on lineup choices and substitutions. Should Lynn Williams be in there? What about moving Julie Ertz back into the midfield? People want to see Sophia Smith playing centrally, they want a team that brought three different No. 10s to somehow find playing time for all of them, and on and on.
Pro Soccer Wire has good news, and bad news. We’ll start with the bad: none of these popular talking points would impact much of anything, save possibly disrupting the one bold choice (Ertz partnering Naomi Girma) that has paid off. Putting your fave into the next game isn’t going to save the day.
Why? Putting it bluntly, the USWNT’s tactical approach has mitigated so much of what these players are all good at doing. Swapping starters isn’t going to solve that, because the new player coming in will run into the exact same problem. On The Re-Cap Show, USWNT great Christen Press said it better than anyone: “Every single player, in every single line, is not being set up to succeed.”
When a coaching staff is doing that, shuffling the personnel is rearranging the deck chairs on a sinking ship. The problems with this USWNT, other than one aspect that we’ll get to at the end, are on a whiteboard, a PowerPoint presentation, and so on. They’re taking the field with a plan that leads them in the wrong direction.
With a round-of-16 match against Sweden (possibly the single team most familiar with how to slow them down on the planet), showing up with the same plan is asking to be sent home ASAP.
Here are some achievable changes that can give the USWNT a real shot at turning this World Cup around.
Marta may have played her final World Cup match, but she doesn’t see that as any reason to stop supporting Brazil or women’s soccer.
A stunning scoreless draw between As Canarinhas and Jamaica, the latest shock result in a tournament full of upsets, has ended the legendary Brazilian attacker’s tournament early.
Brazil entered this tournament as a threat to win the whole thing, which would have been the perfect storybook ending for Marta’s international career.
They started the World Cup off looking the part, capping off a 4-0 win over Panama with a gorgeous team goal that will not likely be matched as the tournament’s best. Next, they fell 2-1 to France in an electric atmosphere. Brazil played well in defeat, but that result meant they would have to beat Jamaica to get out of Group F.
The Reggae Girlz were considered longshots, but a third straight brilliant defensive effort got them the draw needed to advance for the first time ever. Just like that, an icon left the world stage for the last time.
(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Speaking in a post-game interview, Marta addressed the very mixed situation before her: a heartbreaking early exit, but also a tournament getting more attention than ever before, and a Brazil side that has started to show the benefits of more public support and investment.
“It’s hard to talk about this moment. Not even in my worst nightmares was it the World Cup I dreamed of. But, it’s just the beginning. The Brazilian people are asking for a renewal,” said Marta before gesturing towards her teammates. “There, is a renewal.”
At 37 and on a team packed with attacking talent good enough for any team in this World Cup, Marta had only played 20 minutes in Brazil’s first two games before starting against Jamaica. Up until very recently, that would have been unthinkable, but Marta would be the first to say that it’s because Brazil is getting better.
“I think I’m the only old lady [on this team]. Maybe [Tamires] is next to me,” joked Marta even as tears appeared in her eyes. “Most of them are girls who have a lot of talent who have a huge path ahead of them. It’s just the beginning for them. I’m done here, but they’re still here. And you asked for a renewal, there is a renewal.
“I want people in Brazil to continue to have the same enthusiasm they had when the World Cup started, to continue to support. Because things don’t happen overnight. We’re seeing here teams that came to the World Cup and took seven, eight, 10 [years], and they’re playing just like the big teams. This shows that women’s soccer has been growing. This shows that women’s soccer is a product that gives profit, that gives enjoyment to watch.”
“Keep supporting,” urged the most prolific goalscorer in World Cup history (women’s or men’s). “There is no more World Cup for Marta. I’m very grateful for the opportunity I had to play another World Cup. And I’m very happy with all that has been happening in women’s soccer in Brazil and the world. Keep supporting. Because for them, it’s just the beginning. For me, it’s the end of the line now. Thank you.”
Watch Marta’s emotional speech
"Keep supporting. Because for them it's just the beginning. For me, it's the end of the line now. Thank you."
The U.S. women’s national team, by a margin of about three inches, survived a feisty Portugal side to get through to the knockout round of the World Cup.
That’s about all the good news there is to discuss. The USWNT were totally unable to solve the Portuguese midfield diamond throughout a troubling 0-0 draw, struggling for possession and also lacking chances to break out in transition.
The stats may show the USWNT holding a 17-6 shot advantage, and this is another game in which a U.S. opponent were held without a shot on goal. However, anyone that watched the match would be able to tell you that the Portuguese troubled the U.S. from start to finish, seeing the game’s best chance end with Ana Capeta hitting the post deep in stoppage time.
It was a dispiriting and disappointing showing in which no player really looked like they’d been given a platform to be their best. If the USWNT is to go on and make history as the first team to win three consecutive World Cups, this has to be by far their worst performance of the tournament.
Here’s a breakdown from a game in which no one looked particularly good.
As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:
Our scale:
1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
6: Adequate. This is our base score.
10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 final.
Not many changes, but both likely popular ones for the USWNT
The U.S. women’s national team has made two changes for a decisive World Cup group stage match against Portugal.
Rose Lavelle and Lynn Williams represent all of the changes Vlatko Andonovski has made to the USWNT starting 11 that drew 1-1 with the Netherlands last week (a selection that was unchanged from the team’s opening 3-0 win over Vietnam). Lavelle will replace Savannah DeMelo in the U.S. midfield, while Williams replaces Trinity Rodman on the front line.
Lavelle has performed well in two substitute appearances, but has not started a game for club or country since doing so for OL Reign on April 1 in NWSL regular season play. It is unclear how long she can play after getting 27 minutes off the bench against Vietnam, and then entering at halftime against the Dutch.
Sophia Smith has, after spending most of the last two years on the right wing, been playing on the left with Rodman more comfortable on the opposite side. It wasn’t clear until kickoff, but Andonovski has simply replaced Rodman with Williams, keeping Smith on the left for a third straight game.
For the USWNT, this match against Portugal has huge importance. A win may or may not be enough to secure the top spot in Group E: the Netherlands could overtake them if they can beat Vietnam by three more goals than the U.S. margin of victory at Eden Park.
A shock loss would — barring an even more monumental upset win for Vietnam in the other game — end the USWNT’s World Cup far earlier than expected.
All 23 players in the U.S. squad are, per U.S. Soccer’s game notes, listed as available and in uniform.
No ACL damage, but Walsh will miss at least one game
England got some good news on Keira Walsh’s status, but it might not be enough to help their World Cup chances.
The Barcelona midfielder fell awkwardly in what became a 1-0 win over Denmark, and there was some fear that she had picked up a severe knee injury.
However, England posted a brief statement to social media on Saturday that scans had shown no ACL damage, allaying the worst fears for the Lionesses.
“Following a scan late on Saturday afternoon, we can confirm Keira Walsh has not suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury,” read England’s statement. “Walsh has been ruled out of Tuesday’s final Group D match and will remain at our Terrigal base to continue her recovery.”
Following a scan late on Saturday afternoon, we can confirm Keira Walsh has not suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Walsh has been ruled out of Tuesday’s final Group D match and will remain at our Terrigal base to continue her recovery.
Walsh went down awkwardly in the first half against Denmark, signaling to the bench immediately that she had a knee injury and needed to be substituted. Walsh’s emotions were clear while receiving treatment, and she was eventually carried off on a stretcher. She later returned to the England bench on crutches.
Her replacement, Laura Coombs, wasn’t like-for-like. Instead, manager Sarina Wiegman asked Georgia Stanway to drop deeper into Walsh’s spot, and while England worked their way through the rest of the match confidently enough, it did invite some tactical changes from Denmark.
“We didn’t have the focus on the defensive midfielder,” Denmark boss Lars Søndergaard told a press conference after the match. “We decided at halftime we could play with two strikers that could have different roles and go on pressing on Georgia Stanway.”
Walsh is the latest huge name to find herself potentially missing major time at the worst moment. In Group A, Ada Hegerberg has been ruled out of Norway’s crucial group finale against the Philippines.
After missing two games with a calf injury, Sam Kerr declared herself available for Australia, but her actual ability to step on the field against Canada remains in question. The Matildas initially presented her as having no issues whatsoever until announcing her injury just before lineups were announced for a 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland.
England’s options without Walsh
Walsh, a year after a world-record transfer from Manchester City to the star-studded Barcelona squad, was arguably England’s best player heading into the tournament.
Losing a player of her caliber would impact any team’s hopes, and England came into the World Cup without several other big names, including Fran Kirby and Leah Williamson (both of whom have at times played as England’s No. 6).
England does have some significant midfield depth. Manchester United captain Katie Zelem is the natural fit, but has just eight caps at the senior level. Arsenal’s Jordan Nobbs is another strong candidate, but like Coombs is more of a No. 8 who could step in with Stanway dropping back.
It is also possible for Wiegman to shift into a 4-2-3-1 formation, moving Ella Toone further forward. That would make some degree of sense given the attack-first mentality of fullbacks Lucy Bronze and Rachel Daly, though it may be a more cautious look than England will need to get by against China in their third match in Group D.
From there, though, Walsh’s fitness and Wiegman’s reaction to her status may go a long way towards keeping the Lionesses in the mix as a World Cup favorite.
Norway just cannot catch a break at this World Cup.
The Group A favorites, after stumbling to a dispiriting loss to New Zealand and only managing a scoreless draw versus Switzerland, will play a must-win game against the Philippines without injured star Ada Hegerberg.
The 28-year-old has not recovered in time to play any part against the Malditas, who have surprised observers by picking up a win and staying in the mix to go through with the right result on Sunday.
“There was too little time to make it to the match against the Philippines,” said Hegerberg in a statement published by Reuters. “I have faith in the team and will continue to work to be ready for a possible round of 16 game.”
“[Hegerberg] is not ready for this game, it came too early after her injury,” Norway manager Hege Riise told reporters at a pre-match press conference. “The medical staff have worked to see if [her return] was possible. It turned out today that it was not.”
Riise added that Norway’s medical team will keep working with Hegerberg with the aim of getting her ready in time for a knockout round match, acknowledging that her side must also clinch a place in the round of 16 to hold up its end of the bargain.
Problems mounting for Norway
With a roster stacked with midfielders and forwards playing at some of Europe’s best clubs, Norway was a very popular pick to win a weaker Group A, and to potentially advance beyond the round of 16 as well.
However, a shocking performance in the tournament’s opening game saw them outplayed and beaten by New Zealand in what was the Football Ferns’ first-ever World Cup win.
Despite a better result against Switzerland, things only got worse: Hegerberg picked up her injury doing one last short sprint — the kind of run players do before any professional game — moments from kickoff.
After that 0-0 draw, Riise drew public criticism from Caroline Graham Hansen after the star winger — along with Barcelona teammate Ingrid Engen — was surprisingly dropped to the bench for what the Norway boss said were tactical reasons.
Graham Hansen issued a public apology in the days that followed, though that statement was less about the content of her disagreements and more about making them public at the wrong time.
All of this comes as Norway faces a very difficult path out of Group A. They must beat the Philippines. They’ll also need the right result between New Zealand and Switzerland, which will be played simultaneously.
If the Football Ferns get a second win, Norway would need the scorelines of their victory and the Swiss loss to allow them to make up a goal difference deficit of three to squeak into second place. If Switzerland can beat the hosts, Norway’s path is more clear: they would finish second on four points, with New Zealand in third on three.
