After three matches, the two-time defending champion USWNT has looked a shell of itself, so what changes need to happen in the Round of 16?
Once Mallory Swanson went down against the Republic of Ireland, the questions began to be asked of this team in the frontline. Three games into the World Cup, and they continue to come. Despite going through into the Round of 16, the four-time world champion USWNT have looked far from the dominant force that has reined over the women's football world in the past.
Through the group stage, the Red, White, and Blue has a pass completion percentage of just 68.8 percent, a number that is worse than teams like Costa Rica, Argentina, and the Republic of Ireland. The midfield looks unimpressive, and with Rose Lavelle missing out of the knockout stage, the coaching staff is going to have to come up with solutions elsewhere.
Sure, the goal is advancing to the knockouts like Kelley O'Hara made known post-game, but the task at hand is now going to get much more difficult. The positive thing, this has been done before. Japan, in 2011 finished runners-up in Group B while the United States concluded in the same position behind Sweden in Group C. Both nations reached the final with the Japanese defeating the stars and stripes on spot kicks. That relentless winning drive does not seem to be present within both the staff and players on the team. Changes need to be made. Here are a few that could elevate the USWNT's quality of play.
USWNT Change No. 3: Move Julie Ertz into the midfield while slotting Alana Cook into the backline
It was not a big surprise to see Julie Ertz roaming as a right center-back in the opening World Cup matches due to her versatility. Despite that, OL Reign star center back, Alana Cook, who came into the tournament as nearly a lock in the backline has failed to make it on the pitch for single minute. Though the problems have not been in the defensive half of the pitch, Cook's calming presence alongside Naomi Girma could be a difference-maker.
Ertz is predominantly a defensive midfielder, and with Rose Lavelle now missing, it would make sense to move Lindsey Horan higher up the pitch with the Angel City star behind her as the No. 6.
Part of slotting Ertz into the defense means that you may be wasting some of her best traits that come out as a midfielder. She does not have the opportunity to make that much of an impact on the match playing as one of the two center-backs in the back-four.
Her passing and physicality would add a new dimension to the USWNT's threat in the midfield alongside Horan and potentially a new attacking midfielder in the knockout stage.
USWNT Change No. 2: Play Lynn Williams 90 minutes and deploy her at the No. 9
The pleas for starting Lynn Williams from the USWNT fans worked as the team's No. 6 was deployed as the right winger within the front-three against Portugal.
Outside of possibly Girma, the NJ/NY Gotham FC attacker was most likely the best player on the pitch for the Red, White, and Blue in concluding Group E action. She put four of her six shots on net and completed two or her three take-on attempts. Getting the ball out into the feet of Sophia Smith and Williams more frequently could open up the floodgates for the USWNT attack.
The Gotham FC star is not just the "best 15-minute player in the world" as Andonovski once said, she is the second-best attacking threat on this United States team behind only Smith.
For a player that provides this much danger in the frontline, it is still preposterous why she was missing from the starting XI in the first 180 minutes of this tournament. When she has the ball at her feet, good things happen. NWSL, and Gotham FC fans can attest to that. She has nine goals in just 14 starts in the NWSL across all competitions.
Whether she moves into the No. 9 role, a spot she has played in more with her club team this year or not, she very well could be the answer to if this nation makes it past the knockout round.
Change #3: Mentality has been far too causal, alter the attitude shown in public
If someone in the United States had just flipped on the television right when the final whistle blew, they most likely would have thought the Stars and Stripes won convincingly. That was far from the reality. Players were smiling, some were even dancing.
On FOX Sports' post-game show, former player Carli Lloyd took exception to this, calling for action. That came from a veteran defender in a team huddle after the match.
This team needs more O'Hara's both on and off the pitch, honest leaders that are not afraid to share their opinion even though they may not be the most popular ones. Criticism is going to come in football, and it is quite evident that it is not going to come from head coach Vlatko Andonovski. Look at Hervé Renard on the French sideline. He is a vocal leader. That is what this group of players needs.
It is great to be confident and optimistic, but at some point, that sort of ruthlessness has to be shown. Publicly, especially in post-game press conferences, Andonovski seems to be avoiding the honest truth.
To say that his midfield was not disjointed throughout the entirety of the 90 minutes in the post-game is a straight-up lie. We can only go off what we have seen with our own eyes, and from what has been visible, this team does not have that "edge" or a head coach with that type of personality. Winning is no longer going to be as straightforward as it has been in the past. The manager leading this team must change his ways, or elimination could be on the horizon.
The United States' next match will be broadcast on FOX Sports on Sunday, August 6 at 5:00 a.m. EST in Melbourne, Australia.
