Tag: Andi Sullivan

USWNT counter-presses their way to SheBelieves Cup win over Brazil

The USWNT may need to improve against a press, but their counter-press is looking sharp

Much has been made of the U.S. women’s national team’s issues against high-pressing foes of late, but they showed they can dish it out better than anyone at the SheBelieves Cup.

The USWNT defeated Brazil 2-1 Wednesday night, with counter-pressure leading to goals from Alex Morgan and Mallory Swanson and helping generate much of the U.S. attack during an even contest. Brazil pulled a very late goal back thanks to Ludmila, but ultimately came up just short as the USWNT lifted the trophy in this tournament for the fourth straight time.

Still, it has to be said that Brazil gave them a real test. As was the case in their win over Japan, the USWNT struggled with a foe implementing a high press in the early minutes. It would be unfair to say they were in as much trouble on Wednesday as they were against the Japanese — Crystal Dunn hit the post in the fourth minute, and many USWNT turnovers were totally self-inflicted — but the team still has a clear issue to work on with the World Cup looming this summer.

Even when the USWNT had started to find better angles and more precision to break that press, the Brazilian counter-attack remained a major threat. Kerolin rolled a shot just wide after an incisive break forward after Brazil broke out just as the U.S. had pushed seven players into the attack.

The USWNT finally gave Brazil a taste of their own medicine in the final seconds of the half, with a counter-press ending with Lindsey Horan jarring the ball loose. Andi Sullivan immediately seized the chance, playing a 35-yard pass to send Alex Morgan in alone.

Morgan finished with clinical ease, but an offside flag interrupted her celebrations.

Morgan may have been disappointed, but she didn’t have to wait long to get on the scoresheet. In the final seconds of the half, Brazil hesitated, expecting a foul call after Rose Lavelle was tripped up. Referee Marie-Soleil Beaudoin let the USWNT carry on with their attack, and Horan immediately played a similar ball to Sullivan’s through for Swanson.

Swanson has been in such good form that it was fair to expect her to finish against four Brazil defenders, but with her shot being blocked, Morgan was on hand to pick up the pieces. The San Diego Wave striker took a touch before bending a sublime 24-yard shot around the traffic in the box and into the far corner.

Brazil didn’t let the goal get them down, with winger Adriana lining up a shot moments into the second half that beat Alyssa Naeher but clanked off the crossbar.

Still, the USWNT had their chances as well: Morgan nearly scored one of the least orthodox goals of her career, while seconds later both Becky Sauerbrunn and Sullivan both had point-blank shots blocked in a scrum following a corner kick.

Brazil was starting to look a little unsure about how to progress the ball against the USWNT, and the counter-press factored in yet again as they padded their lead through — who else? — Swanson.

Lynn Williams, mere seconds after entering the fray, won a tackle at midfield, gifting Lavelle possession between the lines. The OL Reign star surged forward against a retreating defense, but once Rafaelle decided at last to step to the ball, Lavelle immediately fed Swanson for a pinpoint low finish.

We should pause to consider Swanson’s form, which remains unreal: seven goals in 2023, and eight in her last six USWNT appearances.

Brazil weren’t offering much in terms of a comeback, but almost out of nowhere, snagged a goal that won’t go over very well when the USWNT reviews this match. NJ/NY Gotham FC fullback Bruninha lofted a cross to the back post, and despite the presence of Naeher, Emily Fox, and Naomi Girma, Ludmila somehow managed to win the header and tuck the ball away by guiding it back across goal.

The same duo nearly combined again as Brazil suddenly showed some life, with Girma having to get her header exactly right under pressure from Ludmila, but from that moment on, the USWNT settled down and saw themselves through to yet another SheBelieves Cup victory.

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USWNT midfield ‘tremendous’ in SheBelieves Cup win over Canada

The USWNT boss was delighted with Horan, Sanchez, and Sullivan’s play against Canada

The SheBelieves Cup may be delivering more clarity to the U.S. women’s national team’s midfield picture.

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski has taken more questions about that part of his team in recent months than any other. However, a recent change has shifted it from a cause for concern to one that is making progress towards being an area of true strength at the World Cup.

Even without Rose Lavelle (who was held out as a precaution due to a minor injury), the USWNT central trio of Lindsey Horan, Ashley Sanchez, and Andi Sullivan controlled play on both sides of the ball, giving their side the platform for a straightforward 2-0 victory over Canada on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Andonovski first praised his entire team from a mentality and effort perspective, and then had plenty to say about the particular qualities of his midfield’s performance.

“Obviously we have a plan,” said Andonovski, alluding to an ongoing process that has seen the USWNT have to move away from having veteran stars like Julie Ertz and Sam Mewis available. “The plan is in several stages, and in the stage that we’re at right now, I’m actually very happy with our midfield.”

Andonovski has most recently made a small, but nonetheless significant change to how his midfield structure looks, and the distribution of roles that comes with it. A team that spent much of 2021 and 2022 playing out of a 4-3-3 formation — with two midfielders (usually Lavelle and Horan) obliged to join the attack — has since this past November moved into a 4-2-3-1. That has sacrificed attacking numbers, but the trade brings solidity against counter-attacks and fluency in possession.

That change helped tilt the win against Germany that ended a rare three-game losing streak for the USWNT, and against Canada it seemed to really be bearing fruit against top-tier opposition.

In a match where Canada were held to 0.24 expected goals despite trailing from the game’s opening stages, Sullivan was a midfield force, tackling with authority and prompting the team’s tempo. Horan seemed to barely put a foot wrong alongside her, easily moving the ball out of pressure and playing passes into the final third. Sanchez, playing as the No. 10, nearly scored an early golazo and was able to repeatedly draw Canadian defenders before dishing the ball off to open players.

Praise for the entire midfield triangle

Andonovski was particularly effusive about the partnership between Horan and Sullivan, and how that benefits both players individually.

“I’m gonna start with Andi. I thought she was tremendous,” said Andonovski. “I thought that she was very good defensively and covered every little gap that developed, and part of the reason why Canada couldn’t break through the middle was because of Andi and her ability to close down.”

On Horan, Andonovski said with a smile that “on both sides of the ball, Lindsey was Lindsey… pressure doesn’t faze her, and she has ability to do things on the ball that not many players can do. She’s just a world-class midfielder. But one thing that I was happy about Lindsey, is that she doesn’t neglect the work off the ball. She puts [in] a proper shift, and effort off the ball. So that’s what makes her world-class.”

Andonovski said that Sanchez, who got her 20th cap but has largely been restricted to appearances off the bench, did well but would benefit from more time to gel with striker Alex Morgan and the rest of the attack. In particular, her relationship with Morgan in the defensive phases was tested, and the USWNT boss says that was a major positive to take from the game.

“Sanchez has got special qualities,” explained Andonovski. “It’s not easy to synchronize her movements right away, because she hasn’t played much with Alex [Morgan], but when they do [synchronize], I think it worked very well. I’m very happy where she’s at positionally, and happy where she’s at in the stage of her development.

“The [area] that I feel like she needs to grow and get better is the defensive part, because she puts so much work and effort [in], but her timing and angle is just a little bit off. And it’s not quite synchronized with Alex’s movement when we want to shift from mid-block into high press, for example.”

Andonovski said that Sanchez “studies the game a lot” and said that Canada’s test of how well the USWNT’s front four could restrict their build-out phase is a great learning opportunity for Sanchez when her side doesn’t have the ball.

“I have no doubt that she’s gonna get better. In fact, games like this as well, it’s going to help her get better, because if we try certain things with her against teams that [are] not going to expose us, we’re probably not going to see everything that we want to see,” said Andonovski. “Now, every little thing: if you’re not in the proper spot, if you’re one step to the left or one step to the right, you’re gonna get exposed, and that’s where you learn the most.”

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USWNT coach Andonovski says team ‘still haven’t shown our cards’

Andonovski discussed the team’s composition and midfield ahead of their SheBelieves Cup opener

The U.S. women’s national team plays its first top-tier opponent of 2023 Thursday, but they’ll be doing so without numerous big names.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday ahead of their SheBelieves Cup opener against Canada, USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski acknowledged as much, but he feels that the team’s proverbial glass is still half-full.

“This is not something that we wanted to see, where several players that are in fight for this final roster that are not in this SheBelieves [Cup] camp, which we were hoping to see a lot of them back,” said Andonovski. “But that’s part of the game, unfortunately. Injuries happen, and we’re just going to have to deal with it.”

The USWNT is without Catarina Macario until at least April, and 2022 NWSL MVP Sophia Smith remains out with a foot injury. Megan Rapinoe just returned to the squad after missing January’s trip to New Zealand, and Tierna Davidson is back in camp (albeit in a training-only role for the time being as she completes her recovery from a torn ACL suffered last year).

The list goes on and on: Christen Press, Tobin Heath, Kelley O’Hara, and Casey Krueger were all name-checked by Andonovski during his media availability, and the coach ended his remarks with a note that Rose Lavelle would miss the Canada match with an unspecified knock suffered in training.

While Andonovski says the USWNT expects her to be available for the other two SheBelieves Cup matches against Japan and Brazil, it just underlines a long-standing problem: he hasn’t really had many chances to field his very best lineup.

Andonovski said that while he has such a long list of players vying for a World Cup roster spot that he’d rather not try to name them all and accidentally forgot one, there are benefits to the situation.

“To some degree, maybe it is better,” explained Andonovski. “We still haven’t shown our cards. Because you’re looking at, in every game you watch, you look at the starting 11, you feel like ‘oh, I wish so-and-so was here too.’ Maybe by the World Cup, we are going to have everyone that we feel like is gonna give us the best chance to win, to be [in the squad], and then show our cards.”

Midfield details emerge

The USWNT’s midfield remains an ongoing point of discussion. A recent move towards looking at the team out of a 4-2-3-1 formation seems an acknowledgement of how to get the best out the central midfielders available.

That adjustment began in November’s 2-1 win over Germany, and carried on into the USWNT’s two wins over New Zealand last month. The shift is straightforward: the team’s deepest-lying midfielder — largely Andi Sullivan over the past couple of years — isn’t left isolated in transition, and their No. 10 (Lavelle or, most likely against Canada, Ashley Sanchez) has more freedom to push higher and become a second goal threat.

Another change in that zone has gotten USWNT fans talking, with San Diego Wave midfielder Taylor Kornieck telling reporters last week that during this window, she’s being looked at as another option for the No. 6 role.

Kornieck has largely spent her professional career in a box-to-box role or functioning as an unorthodox sort of No. 10, but the USWNT’s depth when it comes to midfield anchors has been limited. Sam Coffey received call-ups in the back half of 2022, and Jaelin Howell has been in the mix during Andonovski’s tenure, but neither are in camp.

The USWNT manager detailed some of the specifics of how he’d like to deploy Kornieck in a role that she hasn’t had much experience in.

“We watched the [San Diego] games when Taylor played as a [No. 6], and we watched her play, the only game she played as a [lone] six, I think it was in [2022] Challenge Cup, against Portland, away,” said Andonovski, who added that he agreed with Wave head coach Casey Stoney that deploying the towering midfielder at the base of a midfield triangle isn’t the best use of her skills.

“I do agree that her best role as a six is if she has [freedom] to be an [No. 8],” explained Andonovski. “In order for us to do that, so if we see Taylor on the on the field as a six, that most likely will be with another, [a] double-six.”

In other words, Andonovski sees Kornieck as a player that still needs to have some freedom to leave her post, either to join the attack or to rove around in a ball-winning role. The team’s old 4-3-3 formation simply didn’t allow for that sort of improvisation at the position, but with the right type of player alongside Kornieck, Andnovski says he can see it working in the 4-2-3-1 that seems to be taking hold.

Interestingly though, Andonovski said he doesn’t think it’s very likely that that other player will be Sullivan.

“I feel confident in the abilities of both players, but I just, as of right now, I don’t know if we can see both of them on the field [at the] same time,” said Andonovski. “We will see different combinations of midfielders on the field, different types in different times of [this] tournament.”

The fourth-year USWNT boss stopped short of ruling the idea out entirely, adding that if “it would help us be successful if we have Kornieck and Andi in the same time on the field, then we may try that as well,” but it sounds like a look that isn’t in the cards for the matches against Canada, Japan, or Brazil.

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Jaelin Howell replaces Taylor Kornieck on USWNT roster

It’s a big chance for Howell to boost her stock

Jaelin Howell is back in the fold for the U.S. women’s national team.

Two days after missing out on the initial roster, the Racing Louisville midfielder has been called in by USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski after an ankle injury ruled Taylor Kornieck out for games against England (Friday October 7, 3:00pm ET, Fox) and Spain (Tuesday October 11, 2:30pm ET, ESPN2). Kornieck suffered the ankle injury in the final moments of San Diego Wave’s playoff-clinching 2-2 draw against the Orlando Pride last Sunday.

Howell’s last appearance with the USWNT came back in April against Uzbekistan, and though she was called up for the team’s pre-tournament camp, she did not make the final CONCACAF W Championship roster. Still, Howell has been called up more often than not since finishing her collegiate career, and is clearly still in the mix for Andonovski as the USWNT prepares for next year’s World Cup.

Midfield picture muddled

Howell’s return to the USWNT comes with the midfield arguably in more flux than the rest of the team. Sam Mewis, a presence there for years, has barely been able to play in 2022 due to a persistent knee injury. Stalwart defensive midfielder Julie Ertz hasn’t played a game in 14 months, having become a mother after the Olympics last August, and is currently without a club. Meanwhile, Andonovski has seemed impressed by Portland Thorns rookie Sam Coffey, who has been competing of late with Andi Sullivan for the starting job as the team’s No. 6.

Howell is also a defensive midfielder, but her roving, ball-winning style of play is different from Sullivan and Coffey, who tend to hold space and set a tempo. That opens the door to Howell playing further forward in a role not unlike the one Lindsey Horan plays. Deploying Howell next to an anchor midfielder would free her up to leave space and force turnovers, a situation she thrives in.

The competition in that No. 8 spot is intense. Horan looked more mobile than she has in the last 18 months during the last USWNT window, and Kristie Mewis remains a trusted option as well. Kornieck’s form cooled somewhat after the beginning of the 2022 NWSL season, but it was not surprising to see her name on the initial camp roster.

Adding to the difficulty for Howell, Andonovski has looked at deploying two true attacking midfielders at once, pairing Rose Lavelle with Ashley Sanchez multiple times in 2022. Howell’s club teammate Savannah DeMelo is also very much in the mix as a playmaker after an outstanding rookie season.

Still, for Howell, proving that she can play at the USWNT level as both a defensive midfielder and in more of a box-to-box role would boost her chances of more caps in the near future. With the World Cup less than 10 months away, these are opportunities players have to seize if they’re going to be on the USWNT’s tournament roster.

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Sullivan looks forward to ‘historic’ on-field CBA signing after USWNT-Nigeria

“There have been so many people over the years who have led us to this moment”

Andi Sullivan knows all of the work that led to Tuesday night, which means the U.S. national team midfielder will savor the moment just a little bit more.

After the USWNT plays Nigeria in a friendly at Audi Field, the team will sign its historic collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that was agreed with U.S. Soccer back in May.

Several luminaries will be present for the on-field ceremony, including USWNT players past and present, U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone and several members of the United States Congress, among others.

“I can’t wait for that to happen,” Sullivan told reporters on Monday. “There has been so much work to get this done for generations of players.

“It’s an historic moment, and we’re going to enjoy it on the field together. I think it’ll be a really, really special moment.”

The new CBA was agreed to jointly with the U.S. men’s national team, achieving the long sought-after goal of equal pay.

In addition to equal bonuses, working conditions and commercial revenue sharing, the USWNT and USMNT agreed to equally split World Cup prize money from FIFA.

That goal was particularly notable because it was the first time any men’s and women’s national team agreed to equalize World Cup prize money, which FIFA heavily tilts in favor of the men.

Sullivan knows that the CBA could not have happened without the struggles of countless USWNT players of the past, many of whom will be present in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.

“There have been so many people over the years who have led us to this moment, and we can’t forget their impact and their legacy,” Sullivan added.

“So it’s really cool that some people are able to come — obviously, not everybody — but some people are able to come and we recognize that it’s more than just the 11 players on the field or the 23 players in the camp at the time. It’s everybody and we all have had a huge role in it.”

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Washington Spirit players dispute Kris Ward’s account of his dismissal

“We know his interview to be (a) completely inaccurate recollection”

The players of the Washington Spirit pushed back on former head coach Kris Ward’s description of the events leading up to his dismissal earlier this week.

Speaking after Saturday night’s 2-2 draw with the Houston Dash, team co-captains Andi Sullivan and Aubrey Kingsbury began the press conference with a statement they said was on behalf of the entire roster, calling Ward’s account of a training ground incident the week before “completely inaccurate.”

Ward spoke to The Athletic in an interview published on Friday, and characterized the incident as one where he yelled at an unnamed player to leave the field to receive further instruction on a tactical scenario. In the interview, Ward said “It was probably the first time all year that I’ve ever raised my voice to any of the players.”

The Spirit’s players offered a robust disagreement with Ward’s portrayal of the incident.

“We would like to start off with a statement on behalf of the players. Firstly, we’re frustrated that this is necessary, given our history,” began the statement, alluding to the tumultuous events of 2021 that included head coach Richie Burke and former team President of Sporting Operations both being suspended by NWSL after two Washington Post reports of abusive conduct within the team and the front office.

“Secondly, we are angered by Kris Ward’s answers in the piece from The Athletic,” continued the players’ statement. “We know the idiom that there are two sides to every story, but that is simply not the case in this scenario. We know his interview to be (a) completely inaccurate recollection of a serious situation. And furthermore, the apology offered to us last Friday demonstrates a misalignment in his words and his actions towards his team.

“The players fully support the decision of the club to relieve him of his duties as head coach, and we have every intention of cooperating in a proper course of action as it relates to circumstances like this one. We will no longer take any questions regarding his dismissal, or make any further comments on it at this time. We are focused on our current performances, and the rest of our season, and moving forward as a group.”

An NWSL spokesperson confirmed to Equalizer Soccer that there will be an investigation into the incident. Team president Mark Krikorian told media on Thursday that the team had reported the incident to the NWSL and NWSLPA, but declined to say whether any other incidents with Ward had occurred.

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Young USWNT readies for Costa Rica challenge at CONCACAF W Championship

Vlatko Andonovski and Andi Sullivan say the USWNT is ready for Costa Rica

The U.S. women’s national team, having won their CONCACAF W Championship group without conceding a goal, is completing their preparations to face Costa Rica on Thursday (7:00pm Eastern, CBS Sports Network and Paramount +) in a match that has major Olympic qualifying implications.

With the W Championship’s structure, winning your semifinal means a shot at an automatic berth in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, while the defeated team will play in Monday’s third-place game needing to win just to maintain hope of qualifying via a playoff over a year from now.

The USWNT has not conceded a goal in the tournament, and has historically bossed matches against Costa Rica, but speaking to media today in a pre-match press conference, head coach Vlatko Andonovski and midfielder Andi Sullivan had nothing but respect for Amelia Valverde’s side.

On the top of their list? A focus on reducing the impact of Portland Thorns midfielder Raquel Rodríguez.

Sullivan said she’s “looking forward to that matchup,” one that will be pretty common throughout given Rodríguez’s status as Costa Rica’s creative hub and Sullivan being the USWNT’s starting defensive midfielder in 2022. “I play against Rocky in the league a lot, and she’s a fantastic player.”

Andonovski also highlighted Rodríguez, but had a long list of players he’s concerned about. Bordeaux winger Melissa Herrera, veteran midfielder Shirley Cruz, and young striker María Paula Salas were all emphasized.

“They do have some weapons that they can hurt teams, and this is something that we’re very well aware of, and we’re very familiar with,” said Andonovski. “Now, it’s up to us to make sure that that doesn’t happen.”

While he was willing to discuss the difficulties of playing one of CONCACAF’s top teams, Andonovski was less ready to tip his hand as far as the USWNT’s goalkeeping situation. Alyssa Naeher, the longtime No. 1, only played in the 5-0 win over Jamaica, while Casey Murphy started the USWNT’s first match of the tournament. After saying the coaching staff would discuss the situation going into the Mexico game, Murphy somewhat surprisingly got the nod.

Still, Andonovski indicated that the position is not a settled issue.

“It is a little bit up in the air,” said Andonovski. “As a staff, we’ve talked a lot about it and who’s going to be in the goal in the next game, and also how we want to approach hopefully the following game. But I’m not at liberty to discuss that right now.”

Youth movement

His choice in goal may remain a secret for another day, but Andonovski was up for talking about how this much younger version of the USWNT is handling the responsibility that comes with being on a team where the standard is to win every game.

Coming off of an Olympic tournament that saw the team lean heavily towards one more go for the generation that won the 2019 World Cup only to come home with a bronze medal, there has been a pronounced shift. Murphy is the youngest goalkeeper in camp, while the team’s two best performers in the group stage were arguably 21-year-old forward Sophia Smith and NWSL rookie Naomi Girma.

There’s a generational shift elsewhere, with Sullivan and Mallory Pugh more firmly ensconced in the squad than ever, and Emily Fox (whose status after being placed in Covid-19 protocols remains unclear) the only natural left back on the roster.

“We trust these young players a lot, and we’re very happy with where they’re at in the development stage of their career,” said Andonovski. “It was good for them to also learn some things on their own. I mean, the game against Mexico was tremendous… It was a little bit stressful. It was a little hostile. The team that we faced was a good team, very well-coached. And they were motivated. They were intense, all together. It was a great opportunity.”

The change in tournament phases has come with a roster adjustment, and the USWNT continued their youth movement. Ashley Hatch’s injury against Jamaica required a replacement being added to the team, but rather than bring another striker in, or call up a veteran, Andonovski went with yet another younger player in uncapped defensive midfielder Sam Coffey.

“We did go a little bit unbalanced in this tournament in terms of how many forwards and how many midfielders we had, but we did that with a plan in mind,” said Andonovski. “When Ashley got injured, we felt like it was a good moment to balance the team back again, and bring Sam in,” before adding that he didn’t want to go outside of the group called in for pre-tournament preparation matches in order to preserve the environment and camaraderie built over the last three weeks.

Sullivan said that on a team where the hunger to win every game is heightened no matter the competition, there’s no real adjustment to make going from the group stage’s World Cup qualification aspect over to the knockout rounds and the built-in pressure of Olympic places being up for grabs.

“We take every game so seriously,” explained Sullivan. “I don’t think it’s that much of (an) adjustment to focus now more specifically on winning the tournament and qualifying for the Olympics.”

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Andi Sullivan, Aubrey Kingsbury ‘in it together on both fronts’ on Spirit-laden USWNT

United Spirit, Washington National Team

The U.S. women’s national team begins its most important task of 2022 early next month at the CONCACAF W Championship, and will do so with a heavy Washington Spirit influence.

Seven of the 23-player USWNT roster Vlatko Andonovski assembled earlier this week for that tournament and friendlies against Colombia play for the 2021 NWSL champions. No other club contributed more than four players to this squad, and four NWSL teams were shut out entirely.

In an interview conducted over email with Pro Soccer Wire, Spirit co-captains Aubrey Kingsbury and Andi Sullivan both said that there are clear benefits to the kind of familiarity that fosters that can be applied with the USWNT and in NWSL.

“We all have high aspirations, not just for the Spirit, but representing our country in the upcoming World Cup and Olympics,” said Kingsbury. “We’re kind of in it together on both fronts, the national team and the Spirit.”

“I do think it’s beneficial any time you get players that know each other and are familiar with each other, which is very common with the national team,” added Sullivan, who noted that at the USWNT level, there tends to be some familiarity from youth national team play, college soccer, or the frequency of seeing one another in NWSL play.

While much has been made of the Spirit’s emergence over the past three seasons, Kingsbury and Sullivan both joined the team in 2018, a disastrous season in which the club set the NWSL record for minutes without a goal twice, and won just two times in 24 games.

It’s been a long, difficult road from those tough times to becoming the team supplying over 30% of the USWNT squad for a competitive tournament.

“It’s incredible,” said Kingsbury, who after three seasons on the fringes of the national team appears to have carved out a more secure niche. “Having seven players on the national team, it’s an intense, competitive training environment (with the Spirit). Now when I go to the national team it’s like ‘Oh, this is the Washington Spirit here!'”

“Teams that are making playoffs, making finals, winning finals, you look good,” said Sullivan. “I think that speaks to the culture of the Spirit and what we’ve been able to do the last year especially given a lot of difficulties.”

Looking ahead to the W Championship, Sullivan says she’s been paying attention to the growth of Liga MX Femenil, which has been drawing big crowds and improving the Mexican women’s national team. In typical USWNT fashion, though, she sees the challenge of a hostile environment as one to look forward to.

“I’m looking forward to playing against a rowdy crowd. I think we’re used to rowdy crowds in the U.S. but obviously they’re for us,” explained Sullivan. “I’m looking forward to feeling that heat both from the climate and from the Mexican fans.”

Despite the similarity in club background, Kingsbury and Sullivan enter this camp in different positions. Kingsbury has only recently emerged as a possible back-up to Alyssa Naeher, getting her first cap in April after numerous call-ups and camp invites.

For Kingsbury, the competition to stay in the frame is demanding.

“It’s definitely a very competitive environment,” said Kingsbury of being in USWNT camps. “The standards are high. We get there early, (goalkeepers) start training before the rest of the team does… It’s a fun, challenging environment to be in because we all demand perfection.”

Sullivan’s situation is a bit different. She has emerged as the USWNT’s first-choice defensive midfielder, starting 10 of the team’s last 11 games and receiving hearty backing from Andonovski on Friday. However, she isn’t taking her place for granted.

“I’m obviously more excited to be getting more playing time and more starts with the national team. It’s great to have opportunities but it doesn’t guarantee anything,” said Sullivan. “My role with the national team is to do whatever the team needs and I feel like that’s the same with the Spirit. ‘Whatever best way I can serve the team that will help the team win’ is always the approach I’m gonna take.”

In terms of what they expect out of the USWNT over the next few weeks, the answer is simple: win.

“Just given the expectations this team has for itself, first place is the only acceptable outcome,” said Sullivan. “Hopefully, we can focus on the little things that will make that happen and have everything else take care of itself.”

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USWNT ‘has a plan’ in midfield heading into CONCACAF W Championship

Andonovski endorsed Sullivan, & adds that the USWNT has multiple approaches to defensive midfield

The U.S. women’s national team has begun its most important camp of 2022, with friendlies Saturday and Tuesday against Colombia as their only prep before the CONCACAF W Championship.

For the USWNT, that tournament will have major reverberations, as it serves as the qualifying process for both the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The standard with the USWNT has always been “beat everybody,” but the W Championship format is unforgiving. One slip-up could cost them a place at a major international tournament.

An area of focus since Vlatko Andonovski announced his roster for the camp is the midfield, where Washington Spirit captain Andi Sullivan is the only full-time defensive midfielder in the final group of 23 the USWNT will take to Mexico for the W Championship. Andonovski has called Jaelin Howell (Racing Louisville) and Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), both of whom play the No. 6 role with their clubs, but they are at this point only available for the Colombia friendlies.

While Sullivan was indispensable as the Spirit won the NWSL championship last season, her campaign this year has been interrupted by injury. While her form has not been a problem—the Spirit are demonstrably better with her in games than on the sidelines—Sullivan has played around one-third of the available minutes in 2022 due to a calf injury.

Heading into the break, Sullivan played 60 minutes against Louisville, with Washington making a planned substitution to make sure she could continue progressing in her comeback from that knock. She has not played a full 90 minutes since a 2-2 Challenge Cup draw against the North Carolina Courage on March 30.

Speaking from Colorado ahead of Saturday’s friendly at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Andonovski said the USWNT has “a plan going forward” for the base of their midfield.

“We do have a player at (defensive midfield) that we’re very comfortable with, and we feel like is gonna be very good for us, now and in the future,” Andonovski said in endorsing Sullivan, who has been by and large his first-choice midfield anchor over the past eight months. “Andi has been tremendous in camp, performing very well and we’re excited about her.”

Still, between an exhausting NWSL schedule and a W Championship that will require finalists to play five games in 14 days at elevation, it stands to reason that Sullivan will not play 450 straight minutes as the USWNT looks to qualify.

The demands for any defensive midfielder playing solo in the USWNT’s system are very high. Andonovski’s USWNT has high-pressed teams with regularity, which for a holding midfielder means calculating risks while keeping the group connected as they pursue the ball.

That approach was emphasized in Andonovski’s remarks on Friday. “One thing that we say when we’re without the ball is, we want to minimize the opponent’s time on on the ball,” said the third-year USWNT boss when asked about the requirements his playing philosophy comes with. “We have this one saying or term that we use: we attack without the ball. So, we don’t defend for our lives. We don’t defend our goal, we attack and that’s the mentality that we have.”

A pressing style, from a physical perspective, is the most demanding and draining way to play, and with the W Championship taking place in Monterrey (average July high temperature: 94.6 degrees), multiple solutions will be needed no matter how the USWNT wants to slice it.

Andonovski was coy about exactly what his other steps would be, but did make it clear that his team has multiple ideas to deal with the situation.

“We also have players that have had chances to play that position in their club environment in the past,” said Andonovski. Of the players in this camp that are on the final 23-player squad list for the W Championship, players with professional appearances in a defensive midfield role include Lindsey Horan, Emily Sonnett, and uncapped newcomer Taylor Kornieck.

Simply plugging one of those players, all of whom are regular starters elsewhere on the field for their clubs, into the lone No. 6 spot in his customary 4-3-3 formation is not the only solution on Andonovski’s mind.

“It may not be a single six, like in the case when Andi’s playing there,” explained Andonovski. “We might have to play (with a) double six, or something of a hybrid between six and eight, where two players will take the responsibilities.”

That likely points to a 4-2-3-1 formation, which would open up the door to some more natural fits. Horan plays in that set-up with Lyon, while Gotham FC midfielder Kristie Mewis has also had plenty of success as the No. 8 in that formation in the recent past. Sullivan has seen plenty of time in a 4-2-3-1 with the Spirit, while Kornieck is also familiar with the roles involved as the more attack-oriented player in a double-pivot.

Andonovski has shifted his team into a 4-2-3-1 in friendlies this year against Uzbekistan and the Czech Republic, so the groundwork has been laid if that’s the direction he wants to take. While a full-on formation change isn’t expected, there are circumstances—the group stage finale against Mexico on July 11, for example—where an extra player in the engine room may help protect a lead and keep games manageable.

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