Both OL Reign players appear close to returning from injury
Heading into Wednesday’s World Cup roster announcement, Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle were two of the biggest question marks for the U.S. women’s national team.
Lavelle has been battling a knee injury that has sidelined her since April, while Rapinoe had to leave OL Reign’s game against Kansas City on June 10 with a calf issue.
Thankfully for the USWNT, both players were included on the World Cup roster as they look to help the team secure an unprecedented third straight title.
Speaking to reporters after naming his roster, USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski offered positive updates on the OL Reign duo, saying he expects both of them to take part in the send-off match against Wales on July 9.
“The situation with Rose Lavelle right now is not something that we’re worried about,” Andonovski said. “We expect Rose to have minutes in our send-off game and then we’ll move on from there and manage the minutes accordingly.”
The coach added that if Lavelle isn’t able to play, he feels comfortable with the other two options on the roster at her position.
“We’re happy with the players that we have in that position, which is Ashley Sanchez and [Savannah] DeMelo. If needed at certain points of a game or in certain games, we feel comfortable with them stepping in.”
The coach said Rapinoe will play a different role this year than during her Golden Ball-winning 2019 World Cup, but he expects her to be healthy for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
“Megan Rapinoe is probably going to have a different role than the previous two World Cups,” Andonovski said. “She certainly is going to have different types of minutes, but her role first from a leadership standpoint is so important, but also her performance on the field. When she is on the field she is very valuable for us.
“She’s progressing well from her injury and she’s another one that is expected to have minutes in the send-off game.”
Get all the latest Nike gear ahead of the tournament
The United States women’s national team is eyeing up another World Cup title.
The four-time world champs are looking to defend their 2019 World Cup title, which was earned when the USWNT topped the Netherlands in the final in France.
It may be time for USWNT fans to get a little nervous
If you are a U.S. women’s national team fan, it may be time to start worrying about Rose Lavelle’s injury.
Lavelle was injured in the USWNT friendly against Ireland on April 8, and hasn’t played since.
At the time, USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski called the injury “a little knock” and said of his decision to hold Lavelle out of the team’s second match against Ireland: “This is not a game for us to take any chances.”
But more than six weeks later, Lavelle has yet to return to the pitch. The full extent of the issue is not known, though OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey has confirmed it is a knee injury.
Harvey said in late April that she expected Lavelle back in “a couple more weeks” but this week, she confirmed the midfield playmaker had suffered a setback.
Head coach Laura Harvey says "it changes all the time" and right now she really has no idea if we'll see Lavelle play #NWSL before the World Cup.
The CBA releases all national team players, including #USWNT, to their federations on June 26th for the World Cup FIFA window.
— Bella Valeriano Munson (@munson_bella) May 24, 2023
Lavelle has made just two appearances for OL Reign this year, in addition to four appearances with the USWNT.
Her setback comes amid two months of difficult injury news for the USWNT, as Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario will both miss the 2023 World Cup with knee injuries. Lavelle’s own knee injury, then, will be a further headache for Andonovski as he aims to guide the U.S. to a third consecutive World Cup title.
The NWSL is set to be part of the hugely popular video game for the first time
EA Sports has revealed the 10 highest rated NWSL players in FIFA 23, as the league’s teams are available in the game for the first time ever.
San Diego Wave star Alex Morgan leads the list with a rating of 90, while Debinha — who signed with the Kansas City Current in a huge free agent deal this offseason — is next up, rated 88 overall.
U.S. women’s national team starters Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars), and Rose Lavelle (OL Reign) are next on the list, all given an 87 rating.
EA Sports has announced all of the player ratings across the NWSL, which can be found along with their ratings for women’s players in the Women’s Super League, Division 1 Féminine, and prominent national teams like Spain and Germany. The full list of women’s player ratings can be found here.
Following a landmark partnership between the league, the NWSL Players’ Association, and EA Sports, FIFA 23 will include NWSL players starting on March 15 in the following modes:
Kick Off
Tournament Mode
Head to Head season
Co-op Seasons
Online Friendlies
FIFA 23 will also include four NWSL stadiums, authentic kit renderings, and celebrations.
Here are the top 10 — or really 11, due to a three-way tie for ninth place — NWSL players in FIFA 23.
Swanson and the counter-press? Great! Facing a high press? Not so much
At the moment, the U.S. women’s national team is a cliché glass of water.
If you see a team that has now won six straight games and just beat three strong sides in Canada, Japan, and Brazil en route to yet another SheBelieves Cup title, you’re looking at a half-full glass. They have a key player in extraordinary form, injured regulars are approaching full fitness, and they gave up just one goal in what is effectively a preseason tournament while facing sides whose players are in many cases closer to 100%.
If you’re thinking that Canada was a shadow of itself due to off-field issues with its federation, or that Japan worried the USWNT throughout their match, or are picturing Brazil’s near-misses from Kerolin or Adriana, you’re Team Half-Empty. You saw the USWNT struggle with two very different pressing set-ups, and are expecting things to go awry in the first game where the U.S. doesn’t bury their first great look at goal.
Well friends, guess what? You’re both making great points. Let’s get into the positives and negatives of the USWNT’s showing at the SheBelieves Cup.
Swanson’s show
Mallory Swanson is unstoppable at the moment, scoring in all three SheBelieves Cup matches for the USWNT and in seven straight games overall. The list of attacking players anywhere sharing this sort of stratospheric form consists of maybe Sam Kerr, and that’s it.
Under Vlatko Andonovski, there was a Christen Press phase before the pandemic like this, and Catarina Macario and Sophia Smith have spent time as the seemingly inevitable source of goals and assists on this team. Swanson is indisputably having her time under the spotlight right now.
One remarkable thing about this run is that it’s not happening with a particularly stable attacking group around her. The following is a list of what other attacking players were on the field when Swanson scored on this run:
Morgan, Smith, Lavelle
Morgan, Rodman, Lavelle
Hatch, Rodman, Sanchez
Morgan, Williams, Sanchez
Morgan, Rodman, Sanchez
Morgan, Williams, Lavelle
With Smith absent for both camps this year due to a foot injury, and Rose Lavelle missing two SheBelieves Cup games for precautionary reasons, Vlatko Andonovski has toggled between plenty of groups on offense, and Swanson seems to work just as well alongside any of them. We also saw Swanson look very comfortable playing off of Macario in 2021 and the early part of 2022, leaving little worry if the USWNT ends up going back to more of a false No. 9 look come the World Cup.
What’s been very impressive from Swanson is that she’s using her off-ball movement to create the kinds of chances she thrives in: running a channel, receiving the ball just as she breaks in behind the defense. Teams know the USWNT is looking for it. Right-sided defensive players know that’s where she’s going to end up, and still — whether in counter-pressing moments, long balls from the back, passes from midfield, or combination play — they can’t stop her from getting there anyway.
In the months ahead, any team that’s serious about winning the World Cup or that finds itself in Group E is going to be intently studying how to either prevent Swanson from finding these openings, or to cut off her supply from the rest of the group.
It’s vital for the USWNT that they keep opponents guessing, because at the moment, this doesn’t seem like a team that is going to imperiously march through seven games to a trophy. Much like these last two games in particular, the USWNT is on course for some very tight knockout round games in which one player being decisive is the difference.
The good news? The roster is deep with that kind of player, and Swanson in particular is arguably the decisive player in women’s soccer right now. If the team can maintain that — and especially if they add to it — their chances of a third straight World Cup victory are stronger than people seem to think right now.
Pressing problems
That said, there is a reason your social media timeline of choice seems full of doubt. It boils down to some clear issues the USWNT has had facing a high press. To be fair, any organized high press attempted by fast players is by its nature difficult to play through. To their credit, the USWNT has used friendlies to actually work on this rather than simply playing it safe in hopes of an exhibition victory.
However, it’s fair to say this is very much a work in progress, and come the World Cup, we may see them have to adopt some safety-first tactics to get through the opening stages of games. Generally speaking, that’s how high-pressing teams operate: you press for 15-20 minutes trying to get a lead or at least throw your opponent into disarray, then spend some time defending out of a more defined block so you don’t have a team full of exhausted players.
The USWNT, after simply overwhelming a Canada side that had been through so much coming into game one, found themselves on the other side of the coin against both Japan and Brazil. These games weren’t equal — Japan’s press was more organized and dangerous, whereas a tired-looking U.S. gave Brazil an assist by offering up some uncharacteristically sloppy play — but the outcome was close enough to the same that it should be a concern.
(AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
We’ve seen some other top teams unsettle the USWNT like this over the past few years. Sweden did it at the Olympics, and both Germany and Spain showed that they were paying attention to the trend late in 2022.
As was already covered here, to some extent any press that is executed at a reasonable level is going to make the team in possession look uncomfortable. There seems to be an expectation among fans that can’t be reconciled: many teams are improving worldwide and deserve more respect, but also, the USWNT should be able to beat anyone anywhere with ease, so that discomfort must be an indicator that the team is falling off a cliff.
The sky is not falling for the USWNT, who as a reminder just beat three higher-end teams despite fielding a squad that is (Lindsey Horan aside) in preseason. But it is time for the fanbase to come to grips with a reality that, as high-pressing tactics have become more and more a regular thing in the women’s game, USWNT games might look a little rough around the edges.
It also must be said that the USWNT showed its preseason status in these two games. Some fundamental elements — first touch, body shape when receiving the ball, how often they checked their shoulders, and how early they made their move to be an option for the next pass — were lacking. By contrast, Japan and Brazil both seemed to be closer to top gear. That shouldn’t be the case at the World Cup.
However, here’s where the worried USWNT fan might want to start looking when they consider issues with the team: in this tournament, both Japan and Brazil pressed the way you’d expect them to. Japan’s 3-4-2-1 is not an unknown quantity, and Pia Sundhage’s 4-4-2 with Brazil is something everyone should be very familiar with by now.
Why, then, did these pressing structures seem to come as such a surprise? It’s one thing to enter a game knowing that it’ll be a bit scruffy because both teams are pressing. It’s another to see the USWNT seemingly not prepared to find the angles needed to play around those differing shapes. Every press gives up openings to gain certain things, but the U.S. had to find those spaces rather than knowing where they would be from the jump.
Japan and Brazil both seemed to catch the USWNT off guard, and while the players and coaching staff both did solid work sorting things out on the fly, it’s a bit alarming that they were having to find their way mid-game, and that’s not a completely new issue. Last year’s three-game losing streak saw a similar dynamic play out.
The pressure right now on the coaching staff should be on making sure more games resemble the Canada match rather than a worrisome scramble to get through the first 20 minutes without conceding. Higher-end teams are no longer going to hold off on taking the big tactical risk pressing is against the USWNT, and as we saw last year, there are teams out there good enough to turn a worrying phase for the USWNT into actual goals.
Pressing solutions
The flip side to the USWNT’s issues when facing a press is that they remain an absolute nightmare of a counter-pressing team. That’s down to both the work of the coaching staff — Andonovski’s teams, going back to FC Kansas City and the former Seattle Reign, have largely been counter-pressing experts — and the individual players.
Swanson’s goal came from counter-pressure that ended with Lynn Williams forcing a turnover and getting the ball to Lavelle in space. The USWNT counter-pressed Brazil into a giveaway on Alex Morgan’s goal that wasn’t (a shame, since Andi Sullivan’s first-time through ball was the best pass either team played on Wednesday), and seized on another chaotic situation when Morgan scored a goal that actually counted a few moments later.
Williams is comfortably the best counter-pressing forward on the planet, and last month we were talking about how strong her claim is for a World Cup roster spot despite losing 2022 to injury. This is ultimately why the talk about her not being the most clinical finisher has always missed the point: the USWNT will score more goals with her in games, because they’ll get more chances, because no team and no individual is better at counter-pressing.
It’s not just Williams, though. Anyone who has watched Trinity Rodman in NWSL has seen her — even in mid-block systems, which the Washington Spirit have largely played during her first two seasons — force turnovers by combining a clear understanding of when to jump on an opposing player with her obvious athletic gifts. Rodman’s ability on that front already seems top-tier, and we’ve only really seen the tip of the iceberg. In Mark Parsons’ system this year — expect more high pressure and more counter-pressing — she’s going to improve rapidly.
Swanson and Smith may not force as many turnovers, but they’re both vital cogs in this machine due to how quickly they choose and make the correct run after the turnover comes. Going back to Swanson always managing to get stereotypical Swanson chances even though every opponent wants to prevent them, this is often where they come from. She (and Smith) see the turnover coming, and make the most dangerous run early. The USWNT player picking up the loose ball doesn’t have to cycle through options or take an extra touch to wait for the opening. The ball pops loose, and the pass in behind to a world-class attacker is already on.
Probably not a game that will be known for its attacking brilliance, but w/ USA only getting off 5 shots to Japan's 15, the chances that USA had *on average* were far better than the opponent.
The Japan game was a perfect example. Japan’s expected goals were higher, as even a casual viewer would have guessed. However, since they also out-shot the USWNT by nine, their xG per shot was quite low. The USWNT didn’t create a lot, but the chances they carved out were good ones, and with their forwards, the higher xG chances tend to become actual goals.
All of this is to say that counter-pressing, and the avenue towards higher-leverage openings, is how the USWNT has been winning games that seem more even on a surface level. They put teams into terrible positions just when they believe they’ve dealt with the threat and start to open up their shape, and they have a range of forwards and midfielders (it must be mentioned that Lavelle is more or less an ideal No. 10 to receive the ball in a counter-pressing situation) built to thrive in exactly these moments.
More than any other thing, this is the path towards a USWNT World Cup win this summer.
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.
Alex Morgan put the ball in the back of the net but she was called offside.
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.
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.”
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 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.
Taylor Kornieck up first on today's #USWNT presser, & tells @thegoalkeeper that she is in fact working in this camp as a 6. Adds that Vlatko & Andi Sullivan have both been helping her on some specifics.
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.
The USWNT midfielder brought the house down, with a little help from Celine Dion
Is there anything Rose Lavelle can’t do?
We already know the U.S. national team midfielder has an eye for a pass and a wand of a left foot, but what the world perhaps didn’t know until Monday night is that she can absolutely bring the house down during karaoke.
Lavelle showed her ability to command a stage at the Players’ Ball in New York, an event thrown by the USWNT Players Association to celebrate the team’s recently signed collective bargaining agreement that enshrined equal pay.
Her song of choice was helpful too: Celine Dion’s massive 1996 hit “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” a song that starts out slow and builds to a crescendo that makes a real impact on an audience.
Just look at Ashlyn Harris, who appears to be having a religious experience.
And Christen Press can’t contain herself.
Maybe Lavelle would never do this again, but then it will always seem right.
I’m so sorry, I will literally never be speaking about anything other than this clip of Rose Lavelle singing “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” and Christen Press cheering her on posted by Crystal Dunn. Those are my girls!!!! I am on another plane of existence. pic.twitter.com/scTNbfSZfw
fully thought tobin was done with the party by this point but nope, she’s right in front of the stage trying to start the wave 😂 pic.twitter.com/RfJbZNkvhz
It’s been over 29 years since the USWNT lost three straight
The U.S. women’s national team got an improved performance, but the results remain the same.
The USWNT, after losing 2-1 to Germany in Ft. Lauderdale Thursday night, is now on a three-game losing streak for the first time since April 1993. It’s the first loss at home for the team since July 27, 2017, and though the USWNT dominated a large chunk of the game, some flat second-half play and individual mistakes extended a worrisome run of form.
Germany’s relentless high pressure left the USWNT with some tricky work in the early stages, but after about 20 minutes they began to solve it. Sophia Smith and Mallory Pugh both spurned excellent chances to set up runners inside the box, while a dubious offside call spoiled another U.S. attack.
Lindsey Horan went closer, firing a shot over Merle Frohms that hit the bar and bounced down onto the goal line — but crucially, not over it — after good work from Rose Lavelle. Shortly thereafter, Alex Morgan’s pass from deep sent Pugh in alone behind the defense. This time, Pugh was decisive, but Frohms produced a huge save to tip her effort wide in the 36th minute.
The one-way traffic continued until halftime, with Horan having a strong penalty shout turned down by referee Odette Hamilton. It may have been frustrating for the USWNT, but the overall performance had far more composure and clarity than either loss to Spain in the last window.
Horan’s almost impossibly bad luck continued, with a spectacular overhead kick early in the second half slapping off the foot of the German post.
If that was cruel, things were about to get so much worse. Germany countered immediately, and while Naomi Girma initially slowed a four-on-two break, Klara Bühl worked the ball over to the right for substitute Paulina Krumbiegel. Krumbiegel’s shot was well-saved by Casey Murphy, but Bühl found the rebound and launched a curler towards goal.
Like Horan, she was denied by the post, but the USWNT couldn’t catch a break. The rebound hit Murphy’s back before bobbling over the line, giving Germany a shock 52nd minute lead.
If the USWNT’s performance up until that point had been very good, the response to the goal was alarmingly flat. Germany substitute Chantal Hagel arrived late on two occasions only to fire excellent chances over the bar, while a triple sub for the U.S. saw a loss of fluency in the midfield.
However, just as it seemed like the USWNT didn’t have an answer, a familiar face arrived to equalize. Megan Rapinoe smashed home an equalizer after the USWNT finally got their counter-press back online, with Morgan blocking Sara Doorsoun’s clearance and teeing up the veteran for a typically clinical finish.
It felt like a typical, old-school U.S. goal: overpowering, opportunistic, and authoritative. Unfortunately, it was followed by some of the hesitancy that has crept into the team lately, with Germany re-taking the lead on the counter just four minutes later.
Lena Oberdorf alertly took a free kick at midfield quickly, lofting the ball out to another substitute, Jule Brand. In isolation against Alana Cook, Brand simply dropped her shoulder and charged past Cook, shrugging off the OL Reign defender’s challenge before squaring for Krumbiegel, who did well to squeeze a shot over Murphy and into the roof of the net from close range.
The late goal left the USWNT with little time to reply, and full time brought some unwanted history, increasing the pressure on head coach Vlatko Andonovski, who has more losses in this unwanted streak than he had in the 49 games that preceeded it.
