Tag: Emily Fox

USWNT player ratings: Defensive spine shines in gut-punch penalty kick defeat

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.

USWNT player ratings: Lack of ideas as U.S. barely survives Portugal

Lots of not-great, and some quite bad!

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.

USWNT player ratings: Disappointing showing vs. Netherlands ends in draw

A good start and finish sandwiched some worrying stuff for the USWNT

The U.S. women’s national team was far from its best against the Netherlands, struggling for a long spell in the middle of the match before recovering for a 1-1 draw.

Jill Roord’s goal on the first shot conceded all tournament by the USWNT deflated the group, and until Dutch star Daniëlle van de Donk clattered into club teammate Lindsey Horan, it was starting to get hard to see a way back in for the favored Americans.

However, Horan — after a fairly heated argument with van de Donk in the seconds that followed — powered home a header, and the U.S. took the game over for the final half-hour.

The good news? Those final minutes were the “real” USWNT. The bad news? They arrived for a reason the team can’t control, and since a winner didn’t arrive (nor did any substitutions after Rose Lavelle’s entry at halftime), the flaws on the day aren’t going to be papered over by three points.

With all that in mind, let’s dig into who delivered, and who didn’t.

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.

USWNT player ratings: Smith stands out as U.S. eases past Vietnam in World Cup opener

Smith was at the center of most of the USWNT’s best in their win

It may not have been the blowout some expected, but the U.S. women’s national team started the World Cup off with a 3-0 win over Vietnam.

A first-half brace from Sophia Smith — one goal was clinical, the other needed a fairly hefty slice of luck — set the USWNT on their way. After some missed chances, including an Alex Morgan penalty kick that was saved by Vietnam’s Tran Thi Kim Thanh, Lindsey Horan added the third on an assist from Smith.

In the context of Vietnam’s recent results, including only falling to Germany 2-1, it’s a decent result. It’s also not the rout that fans may have thought was coming, though on another day the goals may have been flowing with just a touch more sharpness from the attacking players.

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.

Swanson injury overshadows USWNT win over Ireland, Ertz’s return

Swanson’s injury is the major talking point for the USWNT

The U.S. women’s national team got a win in Austin, but it might have come at a major cost.

The USWNT’s 2-0 win over Ireland was marred by what looks to be a serious injury to star forward Mallory Swanson. The Chicago Red Stars attacker was stretchered off just before halftime and taken to a local hospital for examinations.

That will leave the U.S. facing a very nervous wait with just three months left until the World Cup kicks off.

A sluggish start from the USWNT very nearly ended in an Irish goal, as an 18th minute corner picked out Louise Quinn open at the back post. Quinn’s header back across goal beat Alyssa Naeher, but was cleared off the line by Alex Morgan.

Kyra Carusa was then denied from virtually no angle, with Naeher first blocking her shot then having to claw the rebound away from an empty net before USWNT defenders provided a series of blocks to keep things scoreless.

Swanson came through a collision with Ireland goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan, and the stoppage while she received treatment for an apparent neck injury ended up being used to sort some issues out. Suddenly the tempo was lifted, and within seven minutes, Emily Fox handed the USWNT the lead.

Sophia Smith got around Heather Payne along the touchline, and though Ireland scrambled that initial thrust clear, their lack of composure in doing so let the USWNT regain possession instantly. Andi Sullivan and Crystal Dunn kept the play alive, with Fox eventually storming forward to fire a low shot into the bottom corner.

However, the game’s biggest story had nothing to do with the scoreboard. Swanson was caught late by Ireland defender Aoife Mannion after making a pass, and had to exit the match on a stretcher with a potentially serious knee injury.

Swanson’s replacement Trinity Rodman had two good looks in a minute, scooping one over the bar and heading too close to Brosnan after a cross from Rose Lavelle picked her out in the 57th minute.

Julie Ertz made her long-awaited USWNT return in the 67th minute, moments before Lavelle’s bobbling shot ended up being touched onto the post by Brosnan.

Ertz’s ball into the area found Horan in the 79th minute, and as the Lyon midfielder tried to turn, Diane Caldwell was caught holding her shirt. Ireland protested, but the penalty kick was given, and Horan converted herself to make it 2-0.

Ireland gave the U.S. one last scare, as another Quinn header on a set piece ended up floating barely wide. The two teams will meet again on Tuesday in St. Louis, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30pm Eastern.

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USWNT readies for a challenge against Bunny Shaw, Jamaica

The USWNT is looking to sharpen up vs. Bunny Shaw & Jamaica

Coming off of a 3-0 win over Haiti that was perhaps not as straightforward as fans expected, the U.S. women’s national team have focused on some areas to sharpen while also noting their respect for Jamaica, a potentially tricky foe coming up on Thursday (7:00pm Eastern, Paramount + and ViX).

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, head coach Vlatko Andonovski and defender Emily Fox both highlighted star Manchester City striker Khadija “Bunny” Shaw as a major threat.

“They have a great No. 9, Bunny (Shaw),” said Fox, who connected Shaw’s skillset to how Haiti was able to pick out their wingers on the break against the USWNT. “Her being able to hold up the ball and then distribute it to the wide players is something that I think Haiti also did a good job of.”

Andonovski praised Haitian trio Melchie Dumornay, Nérilia Mondésir, and Roselord Borgella, calling them “world-class” before pointing out that Jamaica has players of equivalent stature. “We will be facing world-class players in this tournament,” said Andonovski. “We go against Bunny Shaw, we go against (Jody) Brown, I mean, they’re amazing players.”

Still, the USWNT sees Jamaica as posing a different sort of threat, as so much of their attack goes through Shaw, a target forward whose ability to playmake with her back to goal has troubled top teams for years.

“There are some similarities with Jamaica and Haiti, but I think that Bunny Shaw is just a little bit more powerful when she holds the ball, and obviously she’s got incredible abilities to distribute the ball,” said Andonovski, who added that he expected the same 4-2-3-1 formation Jamaica used in upsetting Mexico 1-0 on Monday. “We do expect them to create challenges.”

“Another thing which I think they’re very dangerous, is the set plays. They showed that they can score a goal and win a game on set plays, so that’s something that we’ve talked about,” said Andonovski, who saw Haiti barely miss scoring on a free kick that had similarities to the one Jamaica used to get past Mexico.

For Fox, there was a clear list of priorities to take care of to keep Shaw and the Jamaican attack bottled up. “I think for us, being physical, communicating, working as a team defensively and also just winning the first ball and making sure that we can eliminate their threats early,” said the Racing Louisville left back.

The USWNT also seems to have found some clarity in its lineup going forward. Andonovski said all 23 players are available to play Thursday night, and tipped his hand on at least two starters—Alyssa Naeher and Lindsey Horan—for this upcoming match against the Reggae Girlz.

Naeher has largely been first choice for the USWNT going back to the last two years of Jill Ellis’ tenure, to such an extent that this was Murphy’s first cap in a consequential USWNT game. However, Andonovski left the door open to a possible competition for the job, rather than simply giving Murphy one game and then moving back to Naeher for the long haul.

“We have three very good goalkeepers, two of whom we’re going to see in this tournament,” said Andonovski, who gave Casey Murphy the start against Haiti. “We felt like it’s important for Casey to get a game in, and part of the reason why is also because, just looking back in our Olympic games. Alyssa got injured and we had to play a goalkeeper in two of our most important games who did not play one second before.”

Andonovski added that “we’ll decide how we’re going to move forward” after watching Naeher’s performance against Jamaica.

Horan, meanwhile, appeared to wince after contact multiple times against Haiti, and has been playing for some time now with supportive tape around her knee. Andonovski pronounced her “medically, 100 percent,” and said that the choice to substitute her in the 68th minute comes down to building her back up after her club season in Europe ended on June 1.

“We were trying to manage her properly and not overload her, but build her up to her (normal) minutes,” explained Andonovski. “She’s going to start this game as well. And we’re going to continue building her so she’s properly ready for the upcoming games.”

Still, Naeher’s return will not be the only change to the USWNT lineup on Thursday. “There were some predetermined rotations before the tournament, and it’s not because we want to change certain players based on performance,” said Andonovski, who said that despite U.S. attempts to prepare for the hot Mexican summer, the weather has still been “a little bit of a shock” for the team.

“We actually did some extra running when it was not necessary. Going into second game, that’s something that has been on our mind, in terms of not just winning the game, but also managing the physical output and the load of the players in the game,” added Andonovski.

Nonetheless, that rotation is probably going to be just a one-off for Jamaica. Mexico, at home and with a possible World Cup spot on the line, figures to require a best available eleven, while the knockout rounds are qualifying for the 2024 Olympics.

“The starting lineup against Haiti for the last game, that’s probably the lineup that is going to play majority of the minutes in this tournament,” declared Andonovski.

In terms of improvement, Andonovski gave strong backing to his defenders, saying “I truly believe that we have the capability to stop any attack, any player in the world.” However, with Haiti creating multiple serious threats—particularly a flurry late in the first half where Murphy produced a top save on Dumornay and then saw a Borgella penalty smack off the post— Andonovski admitted “there were moments in the game that we could have done a better job.”

“We did make our job a little bit harder, and the moments that were critical for us was actually some of the simple passes that we did not connect,” said Andonovski, who underlined the fact that these mistakes can be dangerous both in terms of giving up a threat to the USWNT goal, and from a longer-term fatigue perspective.

“Those were the ones usually that put you in trouble, because that automatically triggers long recovery runs and big transition in some way,” said Andonovski. “Haiti was set up for those transitional moments, where we were a little more comfortable thinking that those are easy passes that we should connect, and no transition will be necessary.”

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