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TOKYO – Welcome to the brand new U.S. girls’s soccer workforce, the place the objective is … taking part in for a 0-0 tie?
For those who listened to educate Vlatko Andonovski after Tuesday’s scoreless draw with Australia within the Group G finale, this was all a part of the plan. Actually, he just about admitted that taking part in it secure to guard themselves within the standings was the plan – a concession to the perilous place the People put themselves in when they had been routed by Sweden 3-0 within the Olympic opener.
“We got here in with the mindset that the primary objective was to win the sport and the second objective was to place skilled efficiency and never get scored on,” Andonovski stated. “We achieved the second which was crucial as a result of it put us in the identical place.”
That place is second place in group and into the quarterfinals in opposition to Netherlands. However forgive us for coming into the knockout spherical with greater than somewhat trepidation about what lies forward for the U.S. girls. As a result of with every passing day of this event, this crown jewel of American sports activities seems to be extra susceptible.
Going right into a defensive shell for 90 minutes? Taking part in to not get scored on? That’s what this workforce has been decreased to?
“It was a tactical resolution by Vlatko for us to shift defensively somewhat extra conservatively and actually permit them to get impatient, play it lengthy and provides it again to us,” stated Alex Morgan. “Finally I really feel like each groups sort of sat in and it grew to become a sport of taking part in the skilled sport and shifting on so we glance ahead now to the quarterfinal.”
OK, certain, if the USWNT’s objective was simply to guard second place in its group and never danger Australia dropping them into third place, so be it. However this isn’t the id the USWNT has labored for years to construct.
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This workforce’s type of play has been all about going proper on the opponent. They present as much as tournaments aggressive from the soar, even maybe a bit cocky. That’s not simply what makes them good, it’s what has made them intimidating. It is likely to be what American followers have cherished most about this workforce.
Now it’s honest to marvel in the event that they’ve misplaced their edge. It’s one factor to say you don’t need to let a participant like Australia’s Sam Kerr beat you. It’s one other to fully promote out to cease her on the detriment of your personal potential to create scoring probabilities and momentum. It’s simply not how the People have performed.
“I might say it was really alternative for me to see whether or not the workforce is able to tackle the knowledge they’re given and execute it which I used to be very glad each participant had a particular position they usually executed excellent,” Andonovski stated.
However at what value?
The U.S. is within the quarterfinals, and maybe that’s all that issues. It’s a brand new alternative, a contemporary begin and the prospect to take again the gold medal continues to be in entrance of them. However to this point, their strategy to this event has been unrecognizable. It appears the outcomes could also be trending that approach as properly.
This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: In taking part in for a tie to advance at Tokyo Video games, USWNT dropping its edge
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