Category: Analysis

Europe is Orange: The Netherlands Win The European Championship At Home

Posted on by RJ Allen

For the first time in over 20 years, there is a new reigning champion in Europe.

It was an exciting tournament from the very beginning. You could tell by the end of the Group Stage that there was a changing of the guard happening in Europe–powerhouse favorites like Germany, France, and Sweden stepped aside for countries like the Netherlands, Austria, and England. You kept asking yourself how far these countries could go, and more than anything, who was going to lift that trophy on August 6th?

The Finals matchup was set after the Netherlands shutdown the tournament’s highest scoring team, beating the English Lionesses 3-0. Earlier in the day, Denmark had continued their streak by defeating Austria in penalty kicks after a tightly contested match. It would be the first time that either of these teams made it to the European Finals, and the world waited anxiously to see how it would play out.

The excitement and importance of this match could be felt before the players even stepped foot onto the pitch. An estimated 10,000 people showed up to the “Orange Parade” before the match, dancing through the streets as they chanted their support for the home side. The Netherlands sold out their semi-final match against England, and they sold out their final as well, with over 28,000 fans filing into the stadium.

The action in the match started early. Denmark drew a penalty in the sixth minute, taken and scored by Nadia Nadim of the Portland Thorns. The Netherlands quickly countered when Vivianne Miedema scored in the 10th minute. Another goal from Lieke Martens in the 27th minute put the host nation ahead, but Denmark’s Pernille Harder slotted the equalizer just six minutes later. After much back and forth, the game calmed down, and the halftime whistle blew.

It didn’t take long for the scoring to start again, with Sherida Spitse scoring in the 51st minute for the Netherlands. Denmark tried to equalize, but their attempts failed. The Dutch attack kept pushing forward. When Miedema scored her second goal of the match in the 89th minute, victory had been secured.

Just two years ago, the Netherlands were playing in their first-ever Women’s World Cup. Now, they are the champions of Europe. The Dutch attack was fun to watch, scoring 13 goals in six matches. But the Dutch defense was equally important, earning four clean sheets in those six matches.

Where the Dutch or the Danish will go from here, no one can say for sure. But it appears that this tournament will be remembered as a turning point for European Women’s Soccer. Gone are the days of German dominance–and in their place sits something much more exciting: a brand new frontier in the European WoSo landscape.

Route Two Soccer – Players Out of Position

Posted on by RJ Allen

[media-credit name=”Kelley Piper” align=”alignnone” width=”300″][/media-credit]

How many players have natural positions? How flexible are those roles? In what circumstances does it make sense to play someone ‘out of position’? These are questions that most soccer fans will find themselves asking sooner or later, particularly if they follow teams coached by habitual tinkerers.

There are few better examples than Jill Ellis, head coach of the US Women’s National Team, who has spent the past few years persistently trying to fit players into new roles. Christen Press has found it difficult to get time as a central striker, where she performs best, but earned plenty of minutes on the wings. Crystal Dunn has gone from fullback to center forward to Number 10 to winger. Allie Long was used as a center back. Kelley O’Hara deployed as a fullback. Becky Sauerbrunn as a holding midfielder. Lindsey Horan as a 6, an 8, a 9. And so forth.

Over that time, there has been a constant barrage of criticism, much of it fair. It has often seemed like her primary motivation has been to pack the lineup with your ‘best’ players, rather than a desire to construct an XI with balance and mutually-supportive strengths. And you can understand the urge. Soccer is a game of skill, and the very best players will always be the most skillful ones. To some extent, you want to get as many of those players on the pitch as possible. But soccer is also a game of strength, athleticism, aggression, and insight. Not every player can excel at everything. A good team needs players who will work together to lift each other up. And that means that sometimes a specialist is more valuable than a superstar.

So there is good reason to approach every attempt to shift a player into a new position with a healthy dose of skepticism. 

 

From center mid to center back

Consider two players that have recently transitioned from the central midfield to center back. In 2015, Yael Averbuch made the shift for FC Kansas City, a move inspired largely by roster shortages related to the World Cup. But it wasn’t purely an act of desperation. Averbuch is a smart player, tall, and physical. There was some reason to think that she’d be able to handle the demands of the position. And there was also some hope that the qualities which made her a standout midfielder wouldn’t be wasted in the role. And that’s more or less what we’ve seen. There was a learning curve, but the move has to be considered a success.

Then there’s the case of Allie Long, a stalwart in the Portland midfield over the years, who was shifted to the backline by Ellis last fall in her experiments with a back three. Superficially, the two cases are somewhat similar. Long has also had success in a holding midfield role, is good in the air, and Ellis believed that her strength in distribution would make her ideal for the ‘libero’ role. However, it quickly became apparent that Long was quite limited defensively, not just in physical ability but also in her positioning and vision, and wasn’t really able to serve as the ‘quarterback’ that Ellis had hoped she might be. Moreover, it also became clear that Ellis’s entire vision for the back three was undercooked (to put it gently), with no real sense of how this formation would solve any of the team’s actual problems. Ultimately, the Ellis back three experiment seems to have been the ne plus ultra of her efforts to jam as many ‘skill’ players onto the pitch as possible, rather than reflecting a sustained effort to organize a balanced team.

So these are two cases, with some similarities, but very different results. And that’s partly just the nature of experiments. Some work, some don’t. Look around the NWSL and you’ll see plenty more examples. Kristen Edmonds has done well after being shifted to fullback, while players like Midge Purce, Jamia Fields, and Rachel Daly have been far less successful there. Amber Brooks has been a solid center back. Christina Gibbons has looked excellent after moving into the central midfield. And so forth.

Some moves seem doomed right from the start. And some are so obvious that you wonder why the shift didn’t happen years ago. But quite often you just need to play it out and see. But even in those cases, it’s not like this is completely random. Some moves are more likely to work than others, and there are some principles that help explain the differences. 

First: positions are real, and they require different strengths. To some extent, this is so obvious that it hardly bears saying. Defenders need to be better at defending. They don’t need to be as good on the ball. Pace is good everywhere, but it’s less critical in the central defense and more important on the wings. Skill at possession in tight quarters is good everywhere, but far more important in the central midfield and in the attack. No matter how good a player is, if you’re asking them to work a shift that requires skills they don’t have, they’re going to struggle. That’s not rocket science.

However, the second principle goes the other direction: positions are a lot more flexible than we sometimes think. Pace is critical for fullbacks, except when it isn’t. The modern attacking fullback is all about running, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you’re willing to restructure your offense, you can get away with four lumbering center backs on your backline. A target forward should be good in the air, but not every forward is a target forward. You can succeed with a lone striker who is five-foot-nothing if you emphasize possession and silky through-balls and deemphasize long balls and crosses into the box. So long as you have a specific objective in mind—and aren’t just trying to jam a square peg into a round hole—using a ‘non-traditional’ player in a role can be quite successful.

Just as one example: there are few things more obvious than the idea that left-footed players should play on the left. But just look at how successful many teams have been in recent years with inverted wingers. All it takes is a slight shift in expectations for the job, and you can extract a great deal of value.

Third, communication is crucial. Most players have a ton of soccer IQ. It’s very hard to succeed in any position at the top levels without it. And given time, they’ll probably pick up the basic skills for a new position. But it won’t be seamless. You see this all the time with players who have grown up in ‘skill’ positions, who are used to taking risks and like to look for the next pass, and then get shifted back into defensive roles. They often get caught in possession when they could have simply cleared the ball into the stands; they attempt risky tackles without cover; they make dangerous passes across the face of goal. Coaching can’t fix those problems immediately—old instincts die hard, after all—but good communication about responsibilities will certainly help manage the danger.

Fourth, and finally, soccer isn’t just about skill … but skill is really important. And the same goes for athleticism. As I noted above, the impulse to simply jam as many skillful players onto the pitch is a bad one, and when that is your overriding impulse, you’re going to get unbalanced and unworkable teams. That said, while every position does have its own unique demands and requirements, there are still some universals. Pace plays anywhere. Skill on the ball plays anywhere. Field vision plays anywhere. And the simple reality is that the best players in the game play in the skill positions. After all, virtually everyone who makes it to the professional level used to be a forward. Players tend to shift down the defensive spectrum as they advance through the ranks. When the pond gets bigger and the number of roles decline, only the very best stay in the attacking spots. Those forward positions are the ones where individual skill matters most, while defense is more of a team endeavor and therefore depends less heavily on the singular talents of one superstar.

There are, of course, plenty of exceptions to the rule. And none of this is meant to minimize the specific demands of other positions. And not every player can manage the transition. Some of the best attackers in the world would be mediocre defenders. But as a general practice, you’re likely to find more success moving a player down the defensive spectrum than the other way around.

 

Sofia Huerta: fullback?

All of which brings me to the recent news out of the USWNT camp: that Ellis has been experimenting with Sofia Huerta in a fullback role.

This announcement provoked the usual consternation and outrage (including some from yours truly). And on its face, it does feel a little absurd. Huerta has found a lot of success as an attacker for Chicago but has shown little evidence of any special defensive strengths. Is the US so short on actual right backs that they’re going to try to forcibly convert a forward?

But there really is a coherent logic to the idea. The simple fact is that the US is stacked up top. Huerta is an excellent player, and almost any nation in the world would be desperate to have her. But she might well be a dozen slots deep in the depth chart for the US. It’s certainly not impossible to imagine her playing herself onto the team in that role, but it’s probably not the most likely scenario.

Meanwhile, when it comes to right back, the US provisions are far more limited. If the World Cup started this fall, Kelley O’Hara would probably be the first choice starter. But, of course, O’Hara herself isn’t really a ‘fullback’ by nature. Taylor Smith showed nicely in the Tournament of Nations, but still has a lot to prove, while Ali Krieger still has plenty in the tank but doesn’t seem to figure prominently in Ellis’s future plans. After that, there are a few names that pop up: Erica Skroski, Arin Gilliland, etc. All of whom are good players, and certainly wouldn’t be a disaster in the role. But these are not the sort of world-beaters that the US can deploy at most other positions.

The Gilliland comparison is particularly useful here since she and Huerta share the same club team. And why would you call in a Chicago forward rather than calling in the actual Chicago right back? But this gets back to the fourth principle listed above. Chicago uses Huerta as an attacker because they need her there. But the USWNT, stocked with players like Mallory Pugh, Crystal Dunn, Alex Morgan, Christen Press, and the like, doesn’t need Huerta anywhere.

Now, it’s quite possible that Huerta won’t translate well to a defensive role. And it’s also possible that we’ll never hear anything about this particular move again. But that wouldn’t prove it was a terrible idea per se. The US doesn’t lose much by testing out the waters, and if Huerta did take to the role well, there’s some real room for gain.

With all that in mind, I actually suggested precisely this move on an episode of the 123rd Minute podcast back in June. I didn’t specifically name Huerta (I was actually thinking of Shea Groom at the time), but the concept is the same.

Square pegs don’t fit well into round holes, it’s true. But soccer players aren’t pegs. They are flexible, adaptable human beings. And we simply have too many examples of players shifting into new (occasionally unconventional) roles and flourishing to reject this sort of thing out of hand. In the end, these sorts of moves need to be assessed based on individual ability and contextual need, not prejudged based on a fixed view of the right way to build a team.

6 Takeaways from NWSL: Week 15

Posted on by RJ Allen

After all the excitement that was the inaugural Tournament of Nations, the NWSL returned on Friday night. While many internationals did not play, there was plenty of goals, saves, and comebacks to welcome us back. Now, let’s dive into our takeaways for Week 15 of the NWSL.

The Injury that Could Be the Breaking Point for Sky Blue – Jordan Small

In the second half of the Washington Spirit vs. Sky Blue match, Sky Blue goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan went down with an apparent lower leg injury after limping minutes before. The rookie has played every minute for Sky Blue this season and is a big reason for their success this year. While Sky Blue has been injury-ridden all season, this injury could be the breaking point for Sky Blue. The team is just one point out of a playoff spot, but an injury to their star rookie could cost them points down the road. If Caroline Casey is forced to step in against Orlando, it could put even more pressure on an already unstable backline.

The Youth Movement Has Arrived in the Nation’s Capitol – Jordan Small

The past five goals that have been scored for the Washington Spirit have been from players who have played in two or fewer NWSL seasons. Havana Solaun has lead the youth movement in Washington with two goals in the past two games and four overall this year. Against Sky Blue on Friday, Arielle Ship and Meggie Dougherty Howard, both rookies, each scored their first professional goals. Second-year player Cheyna Williams also netted a goal against Sky Blue to give them a 4-1 win. And then there’s Mallory Pugh, the phenom with three goals in her seven games. While there is little left of the season for Washington, it appears as if the younger players have come to life, all fighting to move Washington up the ranks. 

Minimal Impact from International Absences – Luis Hernandez

There was some serious doubt the two tournaments would cause more of a disruption than what was really felt this last weekend. One notable exception, Line Sigvardsen Jensen of the Washington Spirit tearing her ACL while playing for Denmark will have a long-term impact on her club team.  But most players from the Tournament of Nations were able to play with their clubs in Week 15. Sky Blue, though, certainly missed Sam Kerr and Kelley O’Hara. Perhaps Megan Rapinoe could have changed the fortune of the Seattle Reign. The Orlando Pride, the team most impacted from the Tournament of Nations with seven absences, benefited the most from the arrival of Ali Krieger, Alex Morgan, Marta, and Alanna Kennedy while the Chicago Red Stars were missing Casey Short, Christen Press, and Julie Ertz. Those key losses allowed Orlando to take a point for the first time against the Red Stars. The league is starting to come down to crunch time for those fighting for the last playoff spot, and happily, there won’t be any more interruptions for the rest of the season.  

There’s Only One Playoff Spot in Question – Luis Hernandez

Speaking about the last playoff spot, call it premature, but if you ask me, I think there’s realistically only one spot left to be determined. In my book, I’m penciling in North Carolina, Chicago, and Portland for the postseason with the only question being which team falls where. The fight for the fourth spot has Sky Blue and Seattle in tight competition with Orlando and Houston, who are all within four points of the place currently held by the Reign. Who actually ends up in the playoffs will come down, in part, to which team has the more favorable schedule and which team gets hot at the end like the Western New York Flash did last season. I’m not going to say who will wrap up the last spot, but it will be fun to see those team battle it out.

Lucky Lussi – Elizabeth Wawrzyniak

Tyler Lussi could be the Portland Thorns’ saving grace this season. The former Princeton player was signed by the Thorns a month ago to help fill in the gaps that the Euros, the Tournament of Nations, and injuries have left on their roster. Lussi has played in a few games so far and scored her first NWSL goal on Saturday against the Houston Dash. The absences on the team have forced Coach Mark Parsons to adjust the look of his team, and in the win on Saturday, he put Lussi up top, where she was a persistent thorn in the side of the Dash defenders. (See what I did there.)  Christine Sinclair played a little more of a supporting role, threading passes through to Lussi, who, more often than not, was making a run in toward goal. Putting Sinclair in a more creating and distributing role than scoring one allowed the speedy new forward Lussi the freedom to roam and seek out openings in the Houston backline. It’s brought a dynamic quality to their attack that the team has been lacking so far this season. And in her few early games with Portland, Lussi has made an impact. Much was made of Emily Sonnett’s first NWSL goal on Saturday, the one that put the team up early in the match, but if you look carefully, Lussi is the reason anyone in red in the box even has a chance on that ball, set up at the far post and heading Klingenberg’s cross in toward her teammates. Then, in the 39′, Lussi notched her own first goal, waiting in the box as Klingenberg brought a pass from Sinclair down the field. She had the presence of mind to collect a deflection off a Dash player, turn towards goal, display a little footwork to throw off the defense, and curl a shot past Jane Campbell and into the net. As their internationals come back, and Lussi settles into the team, the Portland Thorns could be finding their groove this season.

The Times, They Are A-Changin’ – Elizabeth Wawrzyniak

The UEFA Women’s European tournament hasn’t had a new champion since 1995. In the nine times this tournament has been held since 1991 (not counting the other forms it took in the 1980s), Germany has hoisted the trophy every single time but once–in 1995, when Norway faced the Italian hosts in the final and Germany settled for fourth. This year, the German team didn’t make it past the knockout round, and neither did other top-ranked FIFA teams who various Carnac the Magnificents predicted would be contenders for the championship game. No, Germany, France, England, and Norway were all sent home early as #12 Netherlands and #15 Denmark fought their way to the top, with the Dutch hosts eventually winning in regulation after a fast and furious 4-2 victory. 

And then there’s the Tournament of Nations, where four of the top teams in the world–#1 USA, #6 Japan, #7 Australia, and #8 Brazil competed in a friendly tournament, the first of what the US has stated will be a recurring tourney in non-Majors years. And while the US was not heavily favorited to win–especially after their dismal showing at their own She Believes Cup back in the Spring, Australia’s domination of the games came as a complete surprise. The Matildas didn’t drop a single point over their three matches, and by comparison, their opponents really looked like amateurs against the Sam Kerr-led offense. 

The women’s soccer world has been run by a few select teams over the past twenty years, teams whose early investment into development has obviously paid off. But the rest of the world is catching up. And there’s a shake-up ahead–I can’t wait to watch as it all happens. 

 

Strong Showing Against Old Rivals: USA Shuts Out Japan, 3-0

Posted on by RJ Allen

The USWNT came out on Thursday night looking more determined that I’ve seen them in a long while. I was away from home for the game, and stuck watching on the ESPN app on my tablet, but even on that tiny screen, I could see a different kind of fire had been lit under the Starting XI’s cleats for this final tournament match.

Maybe it was the familiar opponent. 

Maybe it was the feeling that they needed–NEEDED–to finish this home tournament better than they’d done in the 2nd-annual She Believes Cup way back in March. 

But whatever it was, the US team was ready for–and capable of–a win. 

And win they did. 

The Starting XI was perhaps the first clue that the US were determined to win.  Featuring Kelley O’Hara at right back, Julie Ertz in the midfield, and starting Press, Rapinoe, and Pugh in the 4-3-3 formation, Jill Ellis put out her strongest starting lineup of the tournament. Game three, fighting for the second-place spot, was no time to experiment and it seems the coach realized that. 

The game opened at breakneck speed, with Christen Press taking the ball into the Japanese box in the first 30 seconds. The drive didn’t result in a goal, but it set the tempo and gave the fans there in the stands a preview of what to expect from the game. The game was end-to-end, as Japan pressured high and chased US defenders around their own end, looking for an opening to intercept a pass and make a play at Alyssa Naeher in the net, but it was Megan Rapinoe who broke open the scoring in the 15′, with a brilliant run into the box to receive a perfect pass from Press, a slight juke to throw off both the defender and the goalkeeper, and sent the ball into the Japanese goal. The goal was beautiful, but don’t forget, that was the third time Rapinoe had thrown herself forward with the ball–she was on a mission to score, and try, try, try again, she succeeded. In perfect Rapinoe fashion.

The high-tempo of the game couldn’t be sustained, however. And eventually, the game settled into a more sedate pace. That change came, however, after Kelley O’Hara’s exit in the 30′ minute. Sustaining (or re-aggravating) a groin injury, O’Hara went to her knees untouched by the Japanese opponents, prompting the trainers to come out immediately. Earning her 99th cap, O’Hara’s speed on the right was what allowed Press (and the other forwards) to drive so dangerously into Japanese territory. In the minutes before she went down, she made several impressive runs halfway across the length of the field to shut down an attempt by Japan to even the scoreline. Once she was out, and Taylor Smith subbed in for her third cap, the entire game slowed down, as Smith, while doing a great job to protect the US’s right-flank, lacks O’Hara’s combination of speed, experience, and creativity in the position. Don’t get me wrong, though, Smith got some great experience across the tournament as a whole, and has certainly earned another call-up for the next set of games.

Once O’Hara was off the field, the rest of the game was a little more sedate. The Japanese almost equalized after the restart, but Julie Ertz made a fabulous goal-line save, picking up a knock as she slid into the goalpost, but denying the Japanese the chance to score. Honestly, that was probably the best look the Japanese team had at goal the entire game, with Naeher off her line and stranded in the box with nothing but space and the goal behind her. But Naeher was on her game the whole night, making several impressive saves to keep the US in front. 

Mallory Pugh doubled the lead in the 60′ off a beautiful cross from Taylor Smith, who later played a similar role in the game-deciding goal. Allie Long had come in for Ertz just a few minutes before in the 54′, and Long took her place in the midfield, the second of the US’ six substitutions. Four more US substitutions followed soon after the second goal, with Horan in for Lloyd in the 65′, and the entire forward corps subbed out in the 73′, with Morgan in for Press, Leroux for Rapinoe, and Williams for Pugh. The fresh legs seemed to spark the US attack again, and just five minutes later, Taylor Smith again assisted with a cross collected and sent into goal by Alex Morgan. The goal came off a slight deflection from a Japanese defender, and sealed the victory for the US. Sydney Leroux tried to notch one late in the match, just before stoppage time, but her direct shot was denied by the goalkeeper. But the way Leroux looks on the ball, now back from her maternity leave, I fully expect her to notch a few goals the next time she’s called up. 

The USWNT needed this win, both to demonstrate to their opponents across the globe that they are #1 for a reason, and plan to stay there at the top. But also to remind themselves of the kind of team they have been and can be. There’s been a lot of experimentation, for better or for worse, and there seems to be some locker room anxiety about the future of the team. But this game showed the players, and the rest of us, that the US–when set free to play–isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Euro’s Final Set

Posted on by RJ Allen

On Thursday, the 2017 Women’s Euro played their two quarterfinal matches. It was Denmark vs. Austria in the first match and the Netherlands vs. England was the second match. Here is how your Euro’s 2017 Finalists were decided.

Denmark vs. Austria 

As was typical of the 2016 Men’s Euro’s, this match ended in a penalty kicks. Both sides had good opportunities, including a close shot for Austria in the first half that fired just over the goal and a good second half chance for Denmark’s Sanne Troelsgaard. In the end, they would play scoreless through extra time and it would come down to a penalty shootout. Austria claimed victory over Spain in a penalty shootout, but this went disasteriously wrong for them. Denmark advanced to the Euro’s final 3-0 after Austria missed their first three penalty kicks. It will be their first ever Euro’s final appearance, and will feature the only remaining NWSL player in the tournament, Nadia Nadim of the Portland Thorns.

The Netherlands vs. England 

This was a difficult match for both teams going in. England had scored the most goals of any team so far in the tournament, dominating their opponents in the first stages of the competition. But the Netherlands had the advantage of a home crowd behind them. The Netherlands opened scoring in the 22nd minute when Miedema scored off a header, and the halftime score was 1-0. No one had been able to hold England scoreless in this tournament, but the Netherlands tacked on two more goals in the second half to earn a solid 3-0 victory and a ticket to the finals. It will also be their first Euro’s finals appearance. And Europe will have a new champion for the first time in over twenty years.

The Euro’s final will take place on Sunday, August 6th. Kickoff is set for 11:00am ET.

Backline Soccer: One Year Later

Posted on by RJ Allen

A year ago today, Backline Soccer stepped on to the women’s soccer reporting landscape.

I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t think Backline Soccer would ever make it to one year. The move I made to an independent website, along with some current and some past staff, was made quickly and right before the 2016 Olympics. It was always something we talked about doing but it was never really something we covered the details on.

Until one day it just happened. The site was born as if it burst forward like Athena from Zeus’ head, formed quickly based on the idea, “if not now, when.” Articles were moved over, the podcast was renamed, and the editing and writing staff who knew they could work toward a common goal was reformed under a new name.

I’ve written in detail about how we were formed here, so I won’t rehash the story a second time. Needless to say, when we started, we were a little on the green side.

Over the last year, we have changed staff and changed game plans; changed how we handle breaking news and social media and editing. But at our core, we’re still the same site that emerged a year ago. To quote Chelsey Bush in Introducing Backline Soccer, “Backline Soccer is the perfect place for us to continue to provide insight, analysis, and conversations you can’t find anywhere else.”

It’s not easy starting a site. It’s not easy keeping a site running. We’ve had writers come and go, pieces go out that shouldn’t have, deep internal debates over big questions in the sport, and servers crash. But somehow, even through all of that, we have managed to keep the doors open and the lights on. 

Now it’s time to thank those who have helped me, the site, and often both. 

A giant thank you has to go out to Dan Lauletta. He was one of the first women’s soccer media people I was lucky enough to be able to speak with and over the last year he and I have had many conversations about many things. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we don’t, but I can always bank on learning something new every time we have a conversation. 

To my WoSo Fairy Godmother, Jen Cooper, thank you for all you’ve done for me. From a very long chat in Houston before the final to having me on your podcast to giving a standard for all of us to try for, you have been one of the best people I’ve met along the way. Thank you for everything.

To Susie Rantz, Jason Anderson, Stephanie Yang, all the staff at Sounder At Heart all the rest of the women’s soccer reporters I’ve learned from, debated with, and laughed about the FURT of it all with, thank you for always being up for a chat about the wonders of WoSo. Also thank you to teen wonder kid Caitlin Buckley, for always making me feel old.

To Chelsey Bush and Monica Esenwein, for helping to establish the site and for all of the amazing things we did together. Thank you. Without either of you, the site would never have gotten to see the light of day or been named the way it was. 

To the readers and commenters and TSR viewers, thank you for supporting us and pushing us and sending in questions. Without you, none of this would have lasted a month let alone a year. We hope you stay with us for the future. 

Now to those who make the site what it is. To all the writers, editors, photographers, and social media staff: Thank you. I could not run Backline Soccer without the truly amazing staff I have.

Thank you to Elizabeth Wawrzyniak. Without you this site would not run or look the way it does or be a thing on the internet at all. Thank you so much for all the work you do to keep me sane and make sure everything is prepared before it goes out.

Thank you to Sandra Herrera and  Jacob Cristobal. Without the two of you, there might be only 15 or 20 things posted. It’s your support and ideas and the debates and conversations we have that help me and the site become better all around. 

Thank you to Alanna Fairbairn and Charles Olney for all you do in writing and editing. You both always go the extra mile to make sure things get looked over and edited. And your writing never fails to make me proud.

Thank you to Allison Cary, Berea Jurgensen, Chantelle DeRose, Leigh Nieves, Luis G. Hernandez, Jacqui Porter, Jenn Hayes, Jordan Small ,and Lindsay Schwarz for all the reporting and writing you do. The site needs all of you and I thank you so much for all your ideas, your input, and your words.

Thank you to Adriana Hooper for all of the hard work you put in to make sure things run the way they should. You work hard and it shows. 

Thank you to Alyssa Zajac, Becca Kimble, and Caitlin de Souza for making our social media as fantastic as it is. You all do so much every day and I am so thankful for it.

Thank you to Kelley V Piper, Leanne Keator, and Kat Farris for your wonderful photos that make our site so much better.

The road to one year has not always been smooth. There have been lots of nights where I wasn’t sure the site would still be running by dawn. But somehow we’ve made it to a year. We’ve made it to our first of many years, I hope, and we are only getting stronger. 

USWNT v Japan: One Last Chance to Save Face

Posted on by RJ Allen

The USWNT’s final Tournament of Nations match will pit them against a familiar rival on August 3rd: Japan, the #7-ranked team in the world. The match will take place at 10pm ET on August 3 at the StubHub Center in Carson City, CA, where the US last faced Romania in November 2016 and netted an exciting 5-0 win. Fans can catch the game on ESPN2.

The Lineups

Jill Ellis has called up an interesting mix of veteran and new players for the Tournament. While she’s said that GK Alyssa Naeher will start all three matches, it might be nice to get Jane Campbell some minutes in a high-pressure game like this, especially as it seems like she’s being groomed for the #2 spot.

  • Goalkeepers: Alyssa Naeher, Jane Campbell, Abby Smith
  • Defenders: Becky Sauerbrunn, Ali Krieger, Kelley O’Hara, Julie Ertz, Abby Dahlkemper, Casey Short, Taylor Smith.
  • Midfielders: Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, Morgan Brian, Allie Long, Samantha Mewis, Margaret Purce.
  • Forwards: Alex Morgan, Crystal Dunn, Christen Press, Sydney Leroux, Mallory Pugh, Lindsey Horan, Lynn Williams.

Players who were not called up due to injury or other reasons include: Tobin Heath (back), Meghan Klingenberg (other), Rose Lavelle (hamstring), Ashlyn Harris (quadriceps).

Japan is a little bit of an unknown entity right now, which could work in the US’s favor as easily as it could work against them. They had a rough 2016, losing several long-term players and failing to qualify for the Olympics. But Coach Asako Takakura (hired in 2016) is confident in her team, especially in the four players who could potentially earn their first cap in this tournament: GK Saitoh, DF Sakamoto, MF Haji, and FW Tomari. “This time,” she said, “I want the matches to have two different main things: broaden the team’s capacity and improving the team’s strengths.” If Japan manages to succeed, they’ll be a formidable opponent, for sure.

  • Goalkeepers: Ayaka Saitoh, Sakiko Ikeda, Ayaka Yamashita
  • Defenders: Aya Sameshima, Miho Manya, Riho Sakamoto, Hikari Takagi, Ayumi Oya, Hikaru Kitagawa, Nana Ichise
  • Midfielders: Mizuho Sakaguchi, Madoka Haji, Rumi Utsugi, Emi Nakajima, Hikaru Naomoto, Yu Nakasato, Rin Sumida, Yui Hasegawa
  • Forwards: Shiho Tomari, Yuika Sugasawa, Kumi Yokoyama, Mina Tanaka, Yuka Momiki

Notable players out due to injury: Kaede Nakamura

The History

In the past five years, Japan has played a major role in the US’s drive for excellence, facing them in three major tournament finals: 2011’s WWC in Germany, 2012’s Summer Olympics in London, and the unforgettable 2015 WWC final in Canada, where Carli Lloyd dashed Japanese hopes of back-to-back World Cup victories in just sixteen short minutes. Overall, the US is 26-1-7 against Nadeshiko Japan and has scored 97 goals to Japan’s 25 against them. 

The last time the US played the Japanese women was in June 2016, as they geared up for Rio. The Japanese did not qualify for the tournament but traveled to the United States for two summer friendlies in the last month before the US team headed down to Brazil. It was the first time they’d played each other since the WWC final in 2015, and Japan was eager to show that their absence from the Olympics was a fluke, and not due to a talent vacuum in the wake of several retirements. The teams drew 3-3 in the first of two friendlies, but just three days later in Cleveland, OH, the USWNT defeated Japan with a 2-0 victory.

The Match

The United States need to win this match–and win with a high goal differential–in order to have a chance at coming in on top in their home tournament. And even then, they’ll need Australia to lose to Brazil. Luckily for them, they’ll be coming in on a high note after a fabulous nine-minute and three-goal drive at the end of their match against Brazil. Unfortunately for them, however, coach Jill Ellis has continued to experiment with formations, and neither Japan nor the fans will have any idea what to expect when the Starting XI is announced on Thursday. (Becky Sauerbrunn at Defensive Mid? Really?) In order for the US to find any sort of rhythm in this game, they’re going to need to play fluidly and intelligently. And they’re going to need to get on the scoreboard as early as possible while keeping a tight defensive line. Both of these things have proven complicated for the team in their first two games of this tournament, so we’ll see how well they can adapt and regroup for their final match-up.

Japan will be coming in frustrated, held to a 1-1 draw against Brazil and a 2-4 loss to Australia. They set their defensive pressure too high against a volatile Australian offensive–i.e., Sam Kerr–and they paid for it. Kerr destroyed their backline, breaking through time and time again, and capitalizing three times. While the US’s offense hasn’t been as dynamic as Australia’s in this tournament, if Japan leave that much space between their pressure and their keeper, eventually the US will find a way to get behind and make a play for the net. This Japanese team is experiencing the same kind of transition to a new era as the US, and that can be painful. But experimentation can have unexpected (if sometimes irreproducible) results. In the end, all either team will need is a lucky break to build their confidence, and they’ll be off to the races.

US supporters will want to watch for Christen Press. Press has been on a roll for her club, the Chicago Red Stars, and once she came onto the field against Brazil the entire tone of the game changed. She found the net in the 80′ minute, just seconds after Brazil’s final goal of the match, and sparked a nine-minute scoring spree for the US that gave them the unexpected but not unwelcome win. Ideally, I’d like to see Press in the Starting XI, but even if she’s a second-half substitute, the dynamic will shift in the US’s favor the moment her boot hits the pitch. 

Fans of the Seattle Reign will recognize midfielder Rumi Utsugi, of course, who signed with Laura Harvey’s team in 2016. But one player to watch will be veteran Aya Sameshima, who was a member of that 2011 Women’s World Cup winning team and scored a goal in the 2015 WWC in a match against Cameroon. Sameshima’s talent on the backline could spell disaster for a US attack that has struggled to find the net against upper-level opponents in recent memory. Combine that with the scoring potential of Japan’s Kumi Yokoyama, who’s scored 11 goals in 20 appearances for her national team, and the US’s final match could be their most difficult. 

Underdogs Stun In Euro Quarterfinals

Posted on by RJ Allen

It was an exciting weekend in the Netherlands, with all four quarterfinal matches of Euro tournament kicking off over the two days. When the action came to an end on Sunday night, some new names had staked a place in the semifinals, and some of the biggest names in world soccer had seen their tournament brought to an end. Here is a breakdown of all the action from the Women’s Euro Quarterfinals.

Netherlands vs. Sweden

After a strong showing at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Sweden was hoping to lock down their status as one of the top teams in Europe. But going through the Netherlands would prove to be a more difficult task than anyone had anticipated. The two teams are relatively close in FIFA Women’s World Rankings—with Sweden at No. 9 just a few spots ahead of the Netherlands in 12th. But in the end, the host nation was too much for the Swedes to handle. The Dutch earned their third clean sheet of the tournament, with goals from Martens and Miedema that sent them on to the next round. With the home crowd urging them on, they’ve looked very tough so far. And things won’t get any easier for their opponents going forward. They have already sold-out their semi-final game and will be ready to take another step closer to taking the trophy on home turf.

Denmark vs. Germany

This should have been the second match on Saturday, but ended up being postponed due to heavy rain in Rotterdam. When the match did kick off the next morning, it didn’t start well for Denmark. Isabel Kerschowski found the first goal of the match in the 3rd minute, a good start for the defending champions looking for their seventh consecutive title. But it all fell apart for Germany in the second half, when Nadia Nadim of the Portland Thorns headed the equalizer in the 49th minute and Theresa Nielsen gave her team the game-winning goal in the 83rd minute. Many in Denmark called the win the biggest in their career. In a tournament with more than a few upsets, this is certainly one of the most exciting results so far.

Austria vs. Spain

Few would have expected this quarterfinal pairing going into the tournament. Austria are debutants in this competition, but after topping their group received a matchup against Spain–who were thoroughly inconsistent in their group matches. The Spanish hadn’t scored since their opening match against Portugal, and that stayed true in this match, where they dominated possession but failed to find the net. Austria’s defense was relentless, and Spain simply couldn’t find a way through. Eventually, it ended in a penalty shootout after neither team scored in 120 minutes. It ended when Sarah Puntigam made her shot. Silvia Meseguer’s miss provided the necessary margin to seal Austria’s ticket to the semi-final. They will go on to face Denmark on Thursday. August 3rd.

England vs. France

On Sunday night, England did the impossible. For the first time in 43 years, the Lionesses defeated France, riding a narrow 1-0 margin into the semifinals. Les Bleues hadn’t had the best tournament, but it still wasn’t an easy task for England. The game was defensive, with the lone goal coming from none other than Jodie Taylor. It was her fifth goal of the tournament, putting her in good position to win the Golden Boot, and maybe even to break the scoring record for the tournament. After beating France, and thanks to Germany’s exit earlier that day, England are now the highest ranked team remaining in the tournament. That makes them the closest thing there is to a favorite, but this hasn’t been a good tournament for the traditional favorites, and England certainly won’t be sanguine about their difficult semi-finals match against the host nation in front of a sold-out crowd.

The semi-final matches will take place on Thursday, August 3rd. Denmark vs. Austria will kickoff at 12:00 EDT, while the Netherlands vs. England will kickoff at 2:45.

The Unknown International: Andressinha

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL may be the American women’s soccer league, but some of their strongest players come from all around the world. This series will look at some of those internationals that you may not know a lot about. Each article will highlight their style of play, the role they play on their national team, and the role they play in their club.

This week we will be looking at Brazilian international Andressinha of the Houston Dash.

What Does She Do?

Andressinha is a 22-year-old attacking midfielder. She is one of the numerous Brazilian players in the NWSL. Among these include names like Marta, Camila, and Monica of the Orlando Pride; Debinha of the North Carolina Courage; and Poliana, Andressinha’s teammate on the Houston Dash. Andressinha is one of many young Brazilian players making a name for themselves in the NWSL.

Brazilian National Team

Andressinha has been with the Brazilian national team since 2012. She has nine goals in 23 caps with the team, and competed in both the 2015 Women’s World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics. She is currently competing in the Tournament of Nations, where she played a full 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Japan and scored two goals in Brazil’s 4-3 loss to the United States. The Brazilian national team, and Andressinha along with them, have been steadily improving since 2015. Their critical matches in recent tournaments have come against Australia. Australia knocked them out of the 2015 Women’s World Cup, and they subsequently knocked them out of the 2016 Rio Olympics. Both teams are strong and on the rise, full of young talent and getting better with each match.

Houston Dash

Andressinha has made 25 starts in 27 appearances for the team over the past two years. This season she has already scored two goals and three assists. She is improving more and more as the season goes on and as she gets more playing time. Andressinha has played a crucial role in the Dash’s six-game undefeated streak, earning Player of the Week in Week 13 after scoring the game-winning goal against the Washington Spirit. She was credited with creating two goal-scoring opportunities in that game and had an 87% passing accuracy.

Andressinha is a player that is constantly improving with both her club and her country. At just 22-years-old, she has much more time to grow her game, especially as she continues to get more minutes with both Brazil and the Houston Dash.

EURO’s Roar Hear All Around The World: A Group Stage Recap

Posted on by RJ Allen

The first round of the UEFA Women’s Euros is officially over. With the quarterfinals set, we’re taking a look back at the group stage, and breaking down the winners and losers.

Group A

 Standings:

  1. Netherlands
  2. Denmark
  3. Belgium
  4. Norway

Breakdown:

  1. The Netherlands

The host nation have come out with a surprisingly strong start to their competition. They finished their group with 9 points in three games, defeating Norway 1-0, Denmark 1-0, and Belgium 2-1. Each match featured different goal-scorers–showing the diversity of their attack–and the defense only allowed a single goal across the three matches. Ranked 12th in the world, the Netherlands are certainly giving people a reason to talk as they head into their quarterfinal match against Sweden.

  1. Denmark

Featuring Portland Thorns striker Nadia Nadim, Denmark made a strong showing in the group stage. Their only loss came at the hands of the Netherlands, which was also the only goal they allowed. That defensive showing was strong, but with only two goals scored in three matches, they’ll need to find more attacking power if they expect to win against Germany.

  1. Belgium

Belgium has been an up-and-down team leading up to the tournament, and the same remained true in the group stage. They beat Norway 2-0 and were competitive against the Netherlands, losing 1-2 after a 74th minute goal from Martens. This was a team that stayed tight in a pre-tournament friendly with France, but lost to Spain 0-7. The good performances are evidence of real quality, and there are definitely positives to take away from their tournament experience, but they’ll need to find more consistency moving forward.

  1. Norway

Widely considered to be title contenders, this was a disappointing showing for Norway. They lost all three matches, failing to score a single goal in the process. Considering their squad features Ada Hegerberg, the best scorer in Europe if not the world, Norway cannot help but be upset on their trip home. It could be a career defining moment for Martin Sjögren, who took over the team in December 2016.

Group B

 Standings:

  1. Germany
  2. Sweden
  3. Russia
  4. Italy

Breakdown:

  1. Germany

The defending champions won their group fairly comfortably, with two wins over Russia and Italy, and a scoreless draw against Sweden. But they’ll need to show something more if they hope to come home with their seventh-straight title. Of their four goals scored in the group stage, three came off of penalties. That’s concerning for a team historically known for great goal-scoring. Germany haven’t lost a knockout game in this competition since 1993. Could this be the year that changes?

  1. Sweden

Sweden will be going to the quarterfinals, but are probably disappointed to have finished in second. They started the tournament off strong, earning a tight draw with Germany, the team they lost to in the Olympic Final. Overall, they scored four goals in three matches, which will be pleasing for a team that have often struggled to find the net. But allowing Italy to score three goals in that final group stage match is bound to sting—they’ll have to keep their usual sharp defense against a Dutch team that has scored in each of their matches.

  1. Russia

Russia and Italy will both pleased to have kept up with two of the top teams in the world. In the end, they finished just one point behind Sweden. Russia’s win came in their match against Italy. In their other two games, they failed to score while allowing four goals. There weren’t a lot of bright spots in those games, but they should still be happy to have stayed competitive with the best in the world.

  1. Italy

After their first match against Russia, it looked like Italy might be one of the worst teams in the tournament. But it’s unfortunate that they started off their tournament on the wrong foot because after that defeat they looked a very different team–staying competitive with Germany and ultimately beating Sweden 3-2 in their final match. Had it not been for a red card against Germany and a weak match against Russia, we could be telling a different story. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Italy’s day.

Group C

 Standings:

  1. Austria
  2. France
  3. Switzerland
  4. Iceland

Breakdown:

  1. Austria

This is Austria’s first Euro tournament and I don’t think anyone expected them to finish at the top of their group. But they have put on an impressive performance, and the momentum that they have gained from winning this group is likely to give them a boost in the next stage of the competition. They finished with seven points, earning wins over Switzerland and Iceland and drawing against France. They are the first Austrian team, male or female, to win a game at the Euros. Now it’s just a question of how far they can go.

  1. France

France lives to see another day thanks to a late equalizer against Switzerland from Camile Abily. But they put themselves in significant danger and were a mere twenty minutes from missing out on the next stage. For a team who entered the tournament as a favorite, that will be massively disappointing.  In the end, thanks to that goal, they finished with five points, consisting of a victory over Iceland and draws against Switzerland and Austria. They scored only three goals and looked sloppy defensively, two things that could spell serious danger with England waiting on their horizon.  If they can right the ship, they still have a chance to take home the title, but it won’t be an easy road ahead.

  1. Switzerland

I think many—including the Swiss team—expected them to move out of the group stage. Ultimately, they finished just one point behind France thanks to a loss in their opening game against Austria. Ramona Bachmann was named Player of the Match in their game against France, but it wasn’t quite enough. After some solid performances, Switzerland will be sad to leave this tournament early.

  1. Iceland

Iceland looked like a bit of a dark horse going into the tournament–a team on the upswing, who may have been hoping to mirror their male counterparts. Unfortunately for them, it wasn’t to be. They failed to win or draw a single game in their group and only scored one goal in three matches. Their squad features many well-known players, including Dagny Brynjarsdottir of the Portland Thorns, who will be returning to the NWSL sooner than she had hoped.

Group D

Standings:

  1. England
  2. Spain
  3. Scotland
  4. Portugal

Breakdown:

  1. England

England are probably the team with the most momentum in the tournament right now. They’ve been on the upswing ever since their trip to the semi-finals in the 2015 Women’s World Cup.  They finished with three wins in three matches, winning Group D without much difficulty. Jodie Taylor currently leads the tournament in scoring with four goals—including a hat trick in the team’s opener against Scotland. But the whole team has contributed to their success, and to their lead in tournament scoring, with six other goals across the three games to give them an impressive goal differential within their group. Now, they go on to face France in the quarterfinals.

  1. Spain

Spain is one of the more inconsistent teams in the tournament, and the last day of matches proved that. The team just narrowly made it to the next round, tying Portugal and Scotland on points, and only advancing on tiebreakers. That’s a surprising result after their strong start to the tournament–with a win over Portugal and a tough loss against England.  Now, they will go on to face Austria in the Quarterfinals—a team that has a ton of motivation and momentum after out-playing France to win Group C.

  1. Scotland

Considering they opened their tournament with a 0-6 loss to England, Scotland had a pretty good group stage. They lost their second match against Portugal 2-1, but won their final match against Spain 1-0 and were only one goal away from qualifying for the next stage. And all that without their star player, Kim Little, who is out with a ruptured ligament. They will be sad to go home, but happy that they kept the competition tight.

  1. Portugal

Similar to Scotland, the situation didn’t look too good for Portugal after their 0-2 loss to Spain. They were completely dominated in that initial match, but came back to win their second game against Scotland and probably posed the largest threat to England in their group. Unfortunately for them, England held strong and denied Portugal the goal that would have lifted them to that second place slot. Like Scotland, they will be upset to go home, but they should be proud of their performance and the growth that their federation has shown.