What’s Going On With the USWNT? Previewing the Showdown Against Sweden
The 2023 World Cup has to go down in history as the chaos cup. Never before have these many favorites lost games to underdogs and failed to advance out of the group stage. Brazil, Germany, Canada, and Italy are all going home. The USWNT was a bit more fortunate than the other teams mentioned. On a different day Portugal’s shot off the post would’ve sent the USWNT home. Yet, their goal to win five stars is still alive no matter how bleak it might seem.
Something has been off with this team. They aren’t quite in sync and haven’t created as much offensively as we’ve come to expect. Can they turn it around in time to beat Sweden? What’s going on with the USWNT? Let’s discuss and preview how the matchup with Sweden will go down.
Concerns
The first thing that stands out about the USWNT is their inability to finish over the first three games. As a team, they racked up 63 shots, but only 17 were on target, and four of those ended up as goals. Those numbers indicate that this team has dealt with a combination of wasteful finishing but also fewer goalkeeping mistakes against them.
When you’re the No. 1 team, you’re always going to have a target on your back, and everyone is going to take their best shot at the USWNT. Keepers have been playing great, but 17 shots on target with 63 shots is not even close to the standard this team has set in the past.
The other major concern is how Portugal was able to have more possession than the United States. The Dutch doing it is okay because of their style and the technical players they have. But for Portugal to do it against the USWNT press means that other nations might have seen some weaknesses on how to keep the ball.
On the Attack
If teams can keep the ball against the USWNT, then it’s a big problem because the USWNT haven’t shown another dimension to how to attack teams other than press and hope for a mistake. Rose Lavelle is the only player right now who can create something out of nothing. Otherwise, teams are forcing them out wide and putting crosses into the box. Teams can defend crosses all day, it’s when the USWNT stars are out in space that makes them impossible to stop.
Opportunities for the USWNT
The good news is the USWNT should get an opportunity to hold more possession against a team like Sweden, who has always used their defense and counterattack against the US. The problem is Rose Lavelle will be out for this game. A game like this is where they miss Sam Mewis the most because of her size, strength and technique. She’d be the perfect player for a game like this.
Andi Sullivan in the No. 6 isn’t Julie Ertz, and while Ertz has been great, she’s clearly not going back to her old position. Alex Morgan needs service, and she hasn’t been getting it. Lynn Williams, Trinity Rodman, and Sophia Smith haven’t been able to use their skills to their advantage either because teams keep the US in front of them.
The rest of the world has caught up, but the USWNT hasn’t played to its potential. Every single player in the USWNT lineup would be a starter for 95% of the other teams. Vlatko not using subs in the Netherlands game was an interesting choice, but he used all five against Portugal, and it didn’t seem to make much of a difference.
The Opponent: Sweden
Sweden is arguably the USWNT’s biggest rival, and they’ve always given them the toughest matches. Facing them in the Round of 16 might be better because it raises the stakes and will for this team to perform.
While Sweden has beaten the United States once before at the World Cup, it was in the Group Stage in 2011. They drew 0-0 in the Group Stage in 2015 and this is the first time they are meeting in the knockout round. Based on previous matchups and with even more on the line, this should be a defensive, rough and tough matchup with plenty of fouls, cards and free kicks.
The Swedes want to bait the USWNT into that game for their set pieces which they used to trounce Italy. The most likely situation is a 0-0 or 1-1 draw in regulation with extra time and penalties likely on the cards. It would be great to see the USWNT break out of their slump and put two to three goals past Sweden but they haven’t shown it yet and the absence of Rose Lavelle will impact the number of chances the USWNT can create.
I’m not going to pick against the USWNT and I believe they have enough to edge this out in extra time or keep their nerve in a penalty shootout.
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