Andonovsky’s squad must get sharper with upcoming Olympics

Few were surprised that the USWNT won their fourth SheBelieves Cup in six years on Wednesday, but the Stars and Stripes certainly made the title march harder than expected.

– Rapinoe scores twice as USWNT wins SheBelieves Cup
– Andonovski: USWNT performed well as a unit against Argentina

Their opponents – Canada (seven key players are missing), Brazil and Argentina (a late replacement for Japan due to COVID-19 concerns) – were not of the quality of squads from previous SheBelieves Cups, so I thought the tournament would be a sided with the United States, but it wasn’t. Canada looked pretty good against the United States under the guidance of their new head coach, Bev Priestman, Brazil was more organized under former USWNT head coach, Pia Sundhage, and Argentina ? Well Argentina was what we predicted … disappointing.

With the Olympics still scheduled in less than five months, let’s reflect on what we’ve learned from this SheBelieves Cup:

A healthy reminder

For the United States, not playing their best and winning the title is always a good thing. Here’s why: These players will return to their clubs knowing that their world domination is not yet complete. In Orlando they were sometimes exposed at the back, mistakes better teams would punish.

The United States were also not clean in front of goal – that could make the difference in a close game against a better opponent. These players know all this, and it will haunt them gently. They’ll be watching the games and working to get it right, realizing that the SheBelieves Cup was a subtle but important reminder for them to keep this fire burning.

List Roulette

Speaking of keeping that fire burning, when USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovsky is asked how many spots on his 18-player Olympic roster remain open, he says 18. Obviously he does. Locked up a lot, but I think due to the limited games and access to players and training camps, this Olympic roster will naturally take longer to decipher.

List Roulette is a fascinating game to play, so let’s give it a try. Based on the last six games (three in SheBelieves Cup, plus Colombia twice and the Netherlands), and assuming Andonovski and his team take on two goalkeepers, six defenders, five midfielders and five forwards , here are some scenarios (and player options). for this last place in italics):

GK: Alyssa Naeher, Ashlyn Harris / Jane Campbell
DF: Crystal Dunn, Becky Sauerbrunn, Abby Dahlkemper, Kelly O’Hara, Emily Sonnett, Casey Krueger / Tierna Davidson / Midge Purce / Ali Krieger
MF: Julie Ertz, Sam Mewis, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Catarina Macario / Kristie Mewis
FW: Christen Press, Tobin Heath, Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd / Lynn Williams / Sophia Smith

Questions still awaiting answers

Where is Carli Lloyd when he returns after missing most of 2020 with injury?

Lloyd netted a goal and an assist against Argentina and looked sharper than in her previous SheBelieves Cup game, but she missed a few great chances against Canada. Rapinoe’s return, having also missed most of 2020, seems clearer. She finished the SheBelieves Cup as a top scorer and also leads the team with five goals in five games in 2021. Rapinoe has shown that she can still make an impact on games quickly and consistently. I think Lloyd will have to show that in the coming months as well.

How did Alex Morgan recover from his absence in 2020 due to pregnancy, a knee injury and a diagnosis of COVID-19 which has spread until 2021?

I thought his performance against Brazil was a plus. His keys were crisp, his movement was good. She also scored a great goal against Argentina.

Did Lynn Williams help or hurt her case for breaking into the last 18 Olympic roster due to her play in this SheBelieves Cup?

It’s a tough question for me to answer because I love what Lynn Williams does with her speed so much. She takes good positions and turns into defenders, which makes her a constant threat to the opposition. She also does a ton of work on the defensive side of the ball. All the great attributes, yes, but her final pass and finish are way too inconsistent which hurts her chances of becoming a regular starter.

If Williams had completed some of those chances against Canada and Brazil, the games would have been less difficult.

How many young players can Andonovsky afford to break in? Will they be ready for the Olympics?

Catarina Macario struggled in midfield against Canada, but excelled as a forward in both games against Colombia. Unfortunately, Macario couldn’t see much time in this SheBelieves Cup as she returned to her club in Lyon early.

Sophia Smith entered the game in the 65th minute against Brazil and although she didn’t have much of an impact, she played a nice ball for the assist on Alex Morgan’s goal against Argentina. I think this young player might be outside watching, but she’s going to be fun to watch. She runs on players better than most.

Then there is Kristie Mewis. Not a young player – she’s 30 – but she’s new to the mix (or, more accurately, newly back to the mix) and has always looked strong, with a goal and an assist against Argentina.

Also to think about:

– Would Andonovsky consider taking five defenders, instead of six, since Julie Ertz can also play central defender?

If he did that and took Dunn, Sauerbrunn, Dahlkemper, O’Hara and Sonnett, the United States would have 3 natural outside-full options in Dunn, O’Hara and Sonnett. It seems slim for this position given the tight Olympic schedule and the frequency with which O’Hara has been injured. That’s why I think he takes six defenders and Ertz in midfield.

Since he has the Ertz option at center-back, I think the sixth defender will need to be a player who can play away.

– And the midfield mix?

If Vlatko was very keen on both Macario and Kristie Mewis, Macario might be a striker, but that means other forwards (like Lloyd, Williams and Smith) might not be on the list. I can’t see this happening. I think Lloyd is leaving. His work on both sides of the ball is still some of the best on the team. Add to that her strong mentality and ability to finish in big moments, and even at 39 in the Olympics, she can help the team.

Their superpower

The Olympic pace being tighter than the World Cup schedule (two days off at the Olympic Games, against three at a World Cup) and the Olympic roster being five players less than a World Cup list. world, you can’t afford to bring players who can help the team or are not 100% fit. With only 16 players on the pitch and limited rest, EVERY SINGLE PLAYER has to contribute, which is why the United States are clearly the favorites to win the gold medal: Their team is much deeper than any other team.

It is their superpower. The United States can field two quite different sides, but both strong, and we’ve seen Andonovski do this throughout his tenure with the national team. Who else in this Olympic group could do this without losing much in this second group? Maybe Great Britain. For the United States, it will be less about who starts and more about managing the pace of the minutes played per game so that whatever combination on the pitch they aggressively dictate the tempo.

Overall I think the USA will get a big advantage from this SheBelieves Cup as they remain unbeaten under Andonovsky, and let’s not forget: they haven’t conceded a goal in this tournament, the first team to go. that in the history of the tournament. (This just shows you the standard by which we judge the performance of this team, which I still think was far from the best.)

Andonovski’s last chance to assess players against other international opponents comes in FIFA’s April window (at June window the squad will be set). It’s just the environment to make those final judgments and then start putting the 18-strong Olympic team together.

Hoping that the Olympics will indeed be played in July. Sending my best YES-the-Olympics-will-be-played karma in the world right now. Do the same, please!