Originally Posted by
dawg80
Yep! won me over.
The USWNT has some age to it, there will be a changing of the guard preparing for WC 2023. Surely Lavelle will figure prominently in those plans.
As for 2019...the ink is still wet on this WORLD TITLE!...kudos to the whole team, 21 of the 23 players saw the field in France, only the two back-up keepers missed out. Want to single a few...
Dunn was magnificent! I had my concerns since she is not a natural defender, more of a midfielder, but she more than stepped up huge this tourney. Tip of the hat to "the steady one" Becky Sauerbrunn defending the middle. She didn't enjoy the "perfect" tourney she had in Canada 2015, but time and time again she was where she needed to be on defense.
Ellis switched into a 4-4-2 today, having Rapinoe play as that outside mid, instead of a pure left wing. It represented the 4th straight organizational (shape) change Ellis used in the tourney. It didn't present any particular problems for the defense-minded Dutch, but did allow us to control the midfield better against Dutch counter-attacks. Rapinoe was not as active, as PRO-active, as she has been and that probably has something to do with a sore hamstring she is nursing. Also probably why Ellis made the switch, to help protect the sore hamstring.
The change to the 4-4-2 did release Heath though, which that formation is designed to do, and she was very threatening all day. She has a vicious shot which is why I am surprised she passed on two great chances to launch one.
Perfect run through the tourney, 7-0-0, outscoring the opposition by a combined 26-3, and setting records along the way. Beat three VERY good sides in a row, France, England, and The Netherlands, earning it the hard way. Throw in we all bested the stout Swedish team, and this USWNT passed through a gauntlet.