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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