Don’t two go through?Uggh
they need to destroy Portugal to win the group
Dutch will get a few against Vietnam
YeaDon’t two go through?
Winner gets a much easier path to the semis.Don’t two go through?
The ref let them play a pretty cheap, rough game with a lot of professional fouls that were obvious cards in any other game..No cards for the Dutch may be the most impressive thing about that match
Can they review that elbow? Because to me that was an obvious yellow with intent to injure.. she wasn’t going for the ball at all.van de Donk was on a yellow from their first game. It's the only logical explanation why she didn't pick up another here.
Yup a ton a fouls to stop counters and then you’d think accumulation would eventually catch up to at least a few players. Plus Horan almost getting ACL’dThe ref let them play a pretty cheap, rough game with a lot of professional fouls that were obvious cards in any other game..
I guess the answer is that it did really feel like a goal was coming the last 20 minutes and you don’t want to mess with it? They should have scored. They just can’t finish. Unless offside.Absolute malpractice to only use one sub. Our glittering bench of attacking options is only useful if you fucking use it.
Agree. Smith can slide into the middle or stay wide - there’s so many combinations possible.Absolute malpractice to only use one sub. Our glittering bench of attacking options is only useful if you fucking use it.
It also felt like the Netherlands were getting tired.. no reason not to bring in fresh, fast offensive players to run at them..I really don’t understand Vlatkos management here. Morgan didn’t have it. Smith plays much better at the 9 and Rodman and Williams on the wings was a dynamic and effective attack in the last friendly
Ertz to CB and Sullivan in at 6 and the resulting downstream effects on Horans play and the attack have really impacted this teams play.
We should have had several ourselves.No cards for the Dutch may be the most impressive thing about that match
One through eleven the Dutch were bigger and more physical. We were getting shoulder barged off every ball. But that wears out even the team dealing out the punishment, right? So yeah, get some pace and width out there and start making them chase. I nodded off a few minutes into the second half so I didn’t see our good spell- in what I saw I don’t remember seeing the Dutch CBs turning their backs and and chasing us much- they had it all in front of them.It also felt like the Netherlands were getting tired.. no reason not to bring in fresh, fast offensive players to run at them..
Don’t sleep on Portugal. That’s a tough, physical team that will sit deep, make the US work, and then try to counter fast. And a win gets them through. Portugal is coming to play. And if we get another ref loses her cards, it will be a slugfest.A draw vs Portugal gets the US through. But the US has a +2 goal differential lead over the Dutch so a 2-0 win over Portugal likely is enough to win the group maybe? Will the Dutch beat Vietnam by 5?
The Dutch absolutely can beat Vietnam by 5, it remains to be seen if they will.A draw vs Portugal gets the US through. But the US has a +2 goal differential lead over the Dutch so a 2-0 win over Portugal likely is enough to win the group maybe? Will the Dutch beat Vietnam by 5?
They've been trusting Cook-Girma as the CB pairing for several rounds of games now, including the SheBelieves. I don't know why that suddenly wasn't good enough.Ertz to CB and Sullivan in at 6 and the resulting downstream effects on Horans play and the attack have really impacted this teams play.
Exactly. Ertz at the 6, to my eye anyway, completely changes the midfield with Horan playing back with Sullivan. Fortunately Lavelle brought some midfield push but the attack needs help.They've been trusting Cook-Girma as the CB pairing for several rounds of games now, including the SheBelieves. I don't know why that suddenly wasn't good enough.
It’s one thing to do shoulder barges …that’s fine. But the reason you didn’t see the US running past the Dutch (which did happen a lot more in the second) was because they were not given a card for any of the times they either took out the legs or grabbed players so they didn’t get beat.One through eleven the Dutch were bigger and more physical. We were getting shoulder barged off every ball. But that wears out even the team dealing out the punishment, right? So yeah, get some pace and width out there and start making them chase. I nodded off a few minutes into the second half so I didn’t see our good spell- in what I saw I don’t remember seeing the Dutch CBs turning their backs and and chasing us much- they had it all in front of them.
No argument here.It’s one thing to do shoulder barges …that’s fine. But the reason you didn’t see the US running past the Dutch (which did happen a lot more in the second) was because they were not given a card for any of the times they either took out the legs or grabbed players so they didn’t get beat.
The US were actually the only team to get a card.. I thought most of their fouls were in retaliation.
The ref should have carded at least one of the fouls early so that things were more under control.. but she didn’t.
I can sort of understand the idea that it's tough to win a World Cup with two younger CBs. But Sullivan just ain't it at this level, at least not yet. Ertz-Horan-Lavelle just makes so much sense in terms of interlocking skill sets in the MF.They've been trusting Cook-Girma as the CB pairing for several rounds of games now, including the SheBelieves. I don't know why that suddenly wasn't good enough.
The set-piece thing, not so much against the Dutch. As anyone who's been to Holland will tell you, they're all really fucking tall. We were the smaller team, by enough to affect set pieces in both boxes. As expected, a quick look at the rosters shows the Germans have a height advantage.The way this team makes a deep run and potentially wins despite the completely non-tactical nature of the overall setup and the attacking play specifically is I think as follows.
I saw enough in this match to believe that is possible, but the version of the tournament where it's "oh, once teams actually try to play against us we'll have some more space and be able to play pretty stuff with it" seems off the table.
- Team is defensively stingy (so far, so good)
- Team has enough 1 - 3 person stardust moments of sheer talent to overcome the organization issues
- Team is super dangerous on set pieces
I didn’t see height coming into play. The delivery was dreadful. I know it was windy, but it wasn’t much better against Vietnam. And then, when they connect, it seems like half of them are turtling and using the backs of their heads.The set-piece thing, not so much against the Dutch. As anyone who's been to Holland will tell you, they're all really fucking tall. We were the smaller team, by enough to affect set pieces in both boxes. As expected, a quick look at the rosters shows the Germans have a height advantage.
I agree that we are capable of winning against anyone but I also would not be surprised by an early exit.
Lavelle is the best taker, so hopefully she is good to go 90 in good form for Portugal.Vlatk
I didn’t see height coming into play. The delivery was dreadful. I know it was windy, but it wasn’t much better against Vietnam. And then, when they connect, it seems like half of them are turtling and using the backs of their heads.