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The USWNT continues to notch wins beneath Vlatko Andonovski. Final evening it was a 2-0 win over England in Orlando to open its SheBelieves Cup marketing campaign. ASN’s John Halloran is right here along with his ideas.
BY
John Halloran
Posted
March 05, 2020
4:20 PM
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THE UNITED STATES opened up the 2020 SheBelieves Cup on Thursday evening, downing England 2-0 in entrance of 16,531 followers in Orlando.
After a cagey first half, the People picked up two targets in fast succession early on within the second stanza with Christen Press opening the scoring and Carli Lloyd following shut behind.
Listed here are three ideas on the match.
NO QUESTION – CHRISTEN PRESS SHOULD BE STARTING
Following her glorious Olympic qualifying marketing campaign, through which she completed the match with 5 tallies, Press earned one other begin on Thursday and made essentially the most of it once more.
Early within the first half, she seemed the probably to make an impression, feeding Lloyd and Dunn on promising assaults. Nevertheless, nobody on the U.S. squad was in a position to break the impasse by the preliminary 45 minutes.
However solely 10 minutes into the second half, Press scored a worldie.
Christen Press. pic.twitter.com/DB1xwdKlKg
— Our Sport Journal (@OurGameMagazine) March 6, 2020
Working a small little bit of area simply above the highest of the field, she turned and fired a world-class, bending shot previous English keeper Carly Telford to open the scoring.
The knock on Press has at all times been that she doesn’t get it finished in opposition to huge groups, a story that has lastly begun to vary over the previous yr. In January 2019, she took the ball inside her personal half in opposition to Spain and drove the size of the sector to attain the game-winner. In July, she scored within the World Cup semifinal win over England with a headed effort and in November’s Victory Tour one other glorious particular person effort led to a aim in opposition to Sweden.
With Thursday evening’s aim, and particularly the standard of it, it’s honest to say that Press has shaken no matter monkey there may need been on her again relating to her potential in opposition to high groups.
Now, Vlatko Andonovski faces the troublesome a part of Press’ glorious kind and must resolve who will get benched, Tobin Heath or Megan Rapinoe?
THE DEFENSE WASN’T GREAT
Though the English weren’t in a position to notch a aim on Thursday, that doesn’t imply they weren’t profitable breaking the American backline down.
Early within the first half, Kelley O’Hara let back-to-back providers into the U.S. space whereas defending in 1 v. 1 positions on the flank. Then Becky Sauerbrunn mishit a headed clearance and needed to foul Nikita Parris when she acquired in behind. Solely 5 minutes after that, Sauerbrunn gave the ball away in possession which led to Ellen White getting off a shot from distance. And in between these two errors, Alyssa Naeher needed to bail the People out when Jill Scott was left fully unmarked on a nook kick.
A miscommunication over who ought to step left Crystal Dunn in no man’s land early on within the second half and let Parris in on aim once more. Then, 5 minutes later, Parris snuck in behind Sauerbrunn for one more probability that Naeher managed to smother. For good measure, Beth England discovered sufficient area in between Abby Dahlkemper and Kelley O’Hara within the 81st minute to not solely obtain a lofted service into the field, but in addition take it down and hearth off a shot.
General, the U.S. did do nicely protecting for one another once they made errors—and the staff is actually not in high kind being out of their membership seasons—however their potential to earn the shutout on Thursday was simply as a lot as a result of England’s incapability to capitalize in entrance of internet because it was the People’ last-ditch defending.
CARLI LLOYD DID ENOUGH
Lloyd put in a comparatively quiet efficiency in opposition to England, however made essentially the most of her probabilities once they got here, ending the evening with a aim and an help. Admittedly, Lloyd’s help was about as pedestrian as they arrive, however her aim got here off a pleasant, calm strike on a bouncing ball.
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) March 6, 2020
Whereas many appear keen to place Lloyd into an earlier-than-scheduled retirement, the 37-year-old striker retains arising with moments that show she’s nonetheless within the result in be beginning because the U.S.’ No. 9 come the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
The People subsequent play Spain on Sunday at Pink Bull Area (5 p.m. ET, ESPN).
John D. Halloran is an American Soccer Now columnist. Observe him on Twitter.
Author : usa-foot
Publish date : 2025-01-16 08:18:54
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