USWNT vs. Germany Recap: Looking Ahead to the 2023 World Cup

November 14, 2022
By Rohtas Wadera

If Americans have one quality in spades, it’s resilience, and the USWNT embodied that against Germany in their second friendly. It wasn’t perfect or the prettiest performance, but they got the job done. These last two matches felt like a World Cup match with a high level of talent on the field. Those are the types of situations that the USWNT will have to overcome; down a goal to a strong team, and they didn’t fold, they kept pressing and going for it, and they were rewarded.

So, let’s recap game two of the USWNT vs. Germany series and look ahead to the World Cup.

USWNT vs. Germany Recap

For the second match in a row, both teams came out in a 4-3-3 formation and went at each other. Lena Oberdorf once again fueled the Germans in the midfield. Her presence alone impacted how Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, and Andi Sullivan played together. Outside of injuries on the defensive side, the one potential weak spot for the USWNT has been the No. 6 position.

We’ve seen it be exploited in the past when Julie Ertz was injured leading up to the last World Cup. Without someone like Ertz to do all the dirty work, be a threat from set pieces, and distribute from the back, this team doesn’t have the same aura of dominance it would normally have.

Andi Sullivan is very talented and deserves to play in that spot but does she mesh well enough with Horan and Lavelle? That question needs to be answered before the World Cup because it doesn’t seem like Ertz or Sam Mewis are a part of this World Cup cycle for the USWNT.

Germany was able to bypass the USWNT midfield with a quick pass out wide on the first goal, and while Jule Brand was fortunate the ball fell right to her, she did well to dispatch the ball into the net.

GOAL. 1-0 to Germany 🇩🇪 Jule Brand in the 18th minute. Is it time for the USWNT to panic?#USAvGER | 0-1 pic.twitter.com/HVUCjbcl7t

— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) November 13, 2022

That’s when the USWNT showed their mettle and came out strong in the second half. Sophia Smith did what she does best which is taking on and embarrassing defenders. Four different German defenders couldn’t stop her in the box, and Smith took her chance splendidly. Bending the strike to the far corner like that is not easy, but Smith made it look easy.

🔥@sophsssmith 🙌

She scored the equalizer for @USWNT against Germany 🇺🇸

(via @USWNT)

pic.twitter.com/OLfuAHwuTT

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 13, 2022

Two minutes later, the USWNT would take the lead and never give it up. The USWNT’s pressure helped create this opportunity as they baited the Germans into another mistake, similar to Megan Rapinoe’s goal in the first game.

The long ball came in, and the German defender simply waited too long to clear the ball, and Mallory Pugh was ready to pounce. Pugh picked her pocket and then calmly slid the ball past the keeper along the ground, a composed finish that would be the game-winner.

.@MalPugh called game 😤 pic.twitter.com/EvQwTqOvZN

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) November 14, 2022

Looking Head to 2023 and the World Cup

The USWNT would go on to win the game, and thank goodness they did. The fury of USWNT fans would have been scary if they lost the fourth game in a row. There are still questions about the defense and backline that will need to be answered, and taking on New Zealand in the new year isn’t going to get those questions answered.

However, six to seven months out of the World Cup still gives the USWNT some time to work out these kinks with at least a tune-up game or two in the summer just before the World Cup starts.

They might not be as dominant as they’ve been in the past, but the USWNT is more than capable of winning this World Cup. Of course, they’re going to face challenges against some very tough teams, but that’s exactly what these friendlies are for. This period against Spain and Germany was a true learning experience, and they actually assessed where they went wrong and fixed it.

This was a good result for the USWNT and something to build off for World Cup preparation. Now is not the time to desert our team when they need our support the most. Know how it goes; the USWNT will give everything they have.

Featured image via Noel Danseco