Category: World Soccer

Ranking the top players of 2019

Posted on by Backline Soccer

Earlier this week I wrote a piece complaining about the end-of-year awards voting. In particular, I was frustrated to see Megan Rapinoe sweeping all the big awards, despite producing a fairly middling (by her own high standards) 2019. With Rich Laverty’s wonderful Top 100 project for The Offside Rule and The Guardian wrapping up today, we finally got a more informed take on the world’s top players from a broad set of voters who are far more engaged in the game.

And this time around, Rapinoe finished all the way down at…third.

Hmmm.

Well, in the interest of trying to be productive, rather than merely sitting on the sidelines criticizing everyone else, I decided to give it a go at producing my own list of the top 40 players. It was tough, and I don’t feel remotely satisfied with the final list. It’s extremely hard to judge players, especially when it’s so difficult to see league play across the world, when most international matches outside of the World Cup tend to rely on dodgy streams for distribution, and when statistical records are limited or nonexistent.

Given those constraints, there’s simply no way to prevent bias playing a big role. For strikers in the top leagues, we at least have pretty good information about goals and assists. But who is good at holding up the ball? Who contributes most to link-up play? Who makes excellent runs that expose defenses? Much harder to say. And for everyone else, there’s often literally almost nothing to go by. Who were the best center backs in the Frauen-Bundesliga this year? Having seen only a handful of games, I’m stupendously unqualified to make that assessment.

So it’s understandable why names often matter more in the voting than performance. People know names, but the performances are mostly hidden. I’m certainly not free from that kind of bias myself. But lists like these are still helpful because in encountering multiple different perspectives, we all come to a better understanding about those parts of the game that we’re less in tune with.

With all those caveats stipulated, here is my list of the best players of 2019:

  1. Sam Kerr (Australia – Chicago Red Stars)
  2. Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands – Arsenal)
  3. Amandine Henry (France – Lyon)
  4. Julie Ertz (US – Chicago Red Stars)
  5. Crystal Dunn (US – North Carolina Courage)
  6. Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway – Barcelona)
  7. Pernille Harder (Denmark – Wolfsburg)
  8. Ada Hegerberg (Norway – Lyon)
  9. Griedge Mbock Bathy (France – Lyon)
  10. Lucy Bronze (England – Lyon)
  11. Christen Press (US – Utah Royals)
  12. Ewa Pajor (Poland – Wolfsburg)
  13. Dzsenifer Maroszán (Germany – Lyon)
  14. Kosovare Asllani (Sweden – Linköpings/CD Tacón)
  15. Nikita Parris (England – Manchester City/Lyon)
  16. Sam Mewis (US – North Carolina Courage)
  17. Danielle Van de Donk (Netherlands – Arsenal)
  18. Becky Sauerbrunn (US – Utah Royals)
  19. Sara Däbritz (Germany – Bayern Munich/Paris Saint-Germain)
  20. Debinha (Brazil – North Carolina Courage)
  21. Abby Dahlkemper (US – North Carolina Courage)
  22. Nilla Fischer (Sweden – Linköpings)
  23. Kim Little (Scotland – Arsenal)
  24. Wendie Renard (France – Lyon)
  25. Christiane Endler (Chile – Paris Saint-Germain)
  26. Kadidiatou Diani (France – Paris Saint-Germain)
  27. Beth Mead (England – Arsenal)
  28. Eugenie Le Sommer (France – Lyon)
  29. Jenni Hermoso (Spain – Barcelona)
  30. Jill Scott (England – Manchester City)
  31. Casey Short (US – Chicago Red Stars)
  32. Marie-Antoinette Katoto (France – Paris Saint-Germain)
  33. Amel Majri (France – Lyon)
  34. Carli Lloyd (US – Sky Blue FC)
  35. Ellen White (England – Birmingham City/Manchester City)
  36. Lina Magull (Germany – Bayern Munich)
  37. Magdalena Eriksson (Sweden – Chelsea)
  38. Mapi León (Spain – Barcelona)
  39. Barbara Bonansea (Italy – Juventus)
  40. Kailen Sheridan (Canada – Sky Blue FC)

A few comments on some of these players. Starting at the top, it’s incredibly hard to pick a single player as ‘the best’ over the year. I can see a plausible case for everyone in the top 10. They’re all fantastic. In the end, it was Kerr for me, by a hair. Her performances in the NWSL were absurd, and by themselves would have earned her a prominent place at the top of this list. She was also virtually the only Australian to not completely fall apart. And she won the Golden Boot down in the W League. But boy is it hard to argue against Vivianne Miedema, who somehow just continues to get better.

Julie Ertz and Crystal Dunn, meanwhile, were easily the best American players in 2019. Ertz dominated the defensive lines, whether as a #6 or as a center back, and was probably the single most important player on the World Cup winning team, and came very close to being as important as Kerr for the Red Stars. I had Dunn in 4th place for the NWSL MVP for half a season’s worth of games. She was that good. Then consider that she was deputized as a fullback for the World Cup winners. And while I didn’t think she played especially well during the World Cup, she did enough. That kind of versatility is invaluable.

I have Press at #11, which might be too high. But I still don’t think people understand just how outrageous her performances have been this year, for both club and country. She was the difference between Utah being a playoff contender and an also-ran. And she recorded a ridiculous 12 assists for the US, finally truly owning the wing role that she had struggled with for so long.

Dzsenifer Maroszán is ‘only’ at 13 thanks to the injury that effectively killed her World Cup in the opening 20 minutes. I’m still incredibly angry about that game.

I’ve got a few forwards pretty high on the list based partially on their incredibly impressive statistics. From what I’ve actually seen with my eyes, I probably wouldn’t put Beth Mead quite this high. But there’s no denying her record. She’s an assist-machine. Nikita Parris also gets some extra credit for a dominant WSL season last year (in which she actually led Miedema in xG).

I used the last few slots to pick players that I personally really enjoy watching. The margins at this point are pretty thin, and I certainly don’t feel confident that they were strictly better than the 10-20 great players who fall just beyond that mark. But León is a fascinating player, who plays a huge role in setting the style for both club and country. Bonansea is a bit hard to judge, given the relative weakness of the Italian league, but her performances in the World Cup certainly suggest we should take her numbers there seriously. And Sheridan just completed an absolutely bonkers NWSL season. You could certainly make a case for Van Veenendaal, Naeher, Nayler, Bouhaddi, Lindahl, Alexander, etc. as the next-best keeper behind Endler. But for my money, it’s Sheridan. And it might not be long before she’s clearly the best.

The four players I was most frustrated at leaving off the list were Saki Kumagai, Sherida Spitse, Sara Gama, and Mana Iwabuchi. It’s quite possible that each of them belong much higher. But I just wasn’t able to see enough of them, so couldn’t be confident. I’m also pretty sure there are some Scandinavians who deserve to be a bit higher. But again, I just haven’t seen them enough to be sure.

Conclusion: ranking players is extremely hard, and I commend everyone who put serious thought and effort into it. There may be objectively correct answers, but I don’t know if any of us (apart from maybe Sophie) are capable of finding them. I’m quite confident that players like Rapinoe, Morgan, Lavelle, and Heath are getting massively overrated in most of these lists. They’re all great, certainly, but they didn’t produce enough in 2019 to deserve a spot. However, it’s quite likely that I’m just as guilty of overrating some players from other leagues based on reputation too. So it goes.

Ultimately, all we can ask is that people try, and hopefully we can continue to learn from each other in the process.

Arsenal Blocks U.S. From Speaking with Montemurro

Posted on by Backline Soccer

The United States Women’s National Team is undergoing the unenviable task of replacing two-time World Cup winner Jill Ellis and are being blocked from speaking to one of their top candidates, Arsenal Women’s head coach Joe Montemurro, according to ESPN.

The 50-year-old Australian coach has elevated the North London club to the league title in the 2018-19 campaign and has expressed interest in taking over the top ranked national team in the world. However, the club are not willing to part with the coach as they look to solidify their dominance in the FA Women’s Super League.

Ellis, the U.S. national team’s current coach, is finishing up her tenure with a Victory Tour which has seen the club playing a series of friendlies around the country to capitalize on the success of the World Cup. US Soccer would love to have the vacant role filled before she departs and Montemurro is high on the list of possibilities. 

The other aspect is the current state of the FA Women’s Super League in England. Currently the league is the only fully professional women’s football league in Europe and has attempted to capitalize on the World Cup success in a similar fashion to the United States. With the promotion of Manchester United, most of the major men’s clubs are not represented on the women’s side and ready to make waves at the club level. Holding on to Montemurro is perhaps key to that success.

Arsenal won their first three games over Manchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United. They have also defeated Fiorentina in Champions League Round of 32 and are the favorite in nearly every competition they face this season.

The USWNT Are The Girls Next Door Grown Up

Posted on by Backline Soccer

I read during this World Cup that the USWNT aren’t the girls next door anymore. They have shed their images in the wake of comments made by Megan Rapinoe, Ali Krieger, Alex Morgan and others.

When I read that I can’t help but think of my grandmother.

My grandmother was a baseball person. She watched the Yankees nearly every game for 50 plus years, she was the commissioner of the young leagues or on their board for 30 plus years, she kept score for the baseball team when she was in high school. She loved baseball and it’s in no small part to her why I love it too.

Watching the World Cup this year and the personalities that make up the USWNT, I can’t help but think how much she would have loved this team.

My grandmother was a business woman and a sports fan, politically active and as take no nonsense as they come. She grew up in a time when if a woman worked it was on the family farm or maybe taking in wash or sewing. They did not open a farm equipment business and spend 30 years going all around the world for Case Tractors with their husbands.

In her day women just didn’t speak out against the town plowing the churches parking lots for free or write letters to the editors of the local paper in support of LGBT rights or freedom of expression before it was more normalized.

The more Megan Rapinoe speaks and the more she stands up, or kneels, for what she thinks is right, the more I can’t help but think just how much my grandmother would have loved this team and maybe Megan Rapinoe most of all.

I think she would have looked at Rapinoe with her pink/purple hair, her outspoken nature and her ability to ball the fuck out and I think she would have smiled. She would have seen Alex Morgan sipping tea and she would have cheered her. Because women being badass and saying “fuck it, I’m going to do the damn thing” crosses generations.

One of my great frustrations with how the USWNT has been marketed is that they push the family friendly, girl next door, no controversy here narrative. They do not push how outspoken, how radical, how progressive these players are.

It really feels like after a lot of years of letting the bland, vanilla narrative crafted for them to live, the team has collectively said “fuck it, we’re going to be as powerful and smart and queer and radical and whatever else we want to be and if you don’t like it that’s not on us that’s on you”. And it’s wonderful.

My grandmother will have been gone for 12 years this September. But watching this team, seeing them do what they have done and speak out like they have, it makes me think of her and smile.

Premier League Moving to Take Over Women’s Super League

Posted on by Backline Soccer

Women’s football in Europe may see a cataclysmic shift as the clubs of the English Premier League have agreed to take over the Women’s Super League. The move paves the way for a process that could see major money flooding into the women’s game in England like never before.

Undoubtedly, English football is the wealthiest league in the world and their resources could change women’s football around the world. Already we’ve seen the progression of the English national team due to work done by Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and now Manchester United. This would add even more money from clubs that have yet to fully throw their weight behind the cause.

The next step for the clubs will be a feasibility study that could take some time to finish. No major changes are expected this season, but team’s could start supplying resources in an unofficial capacity at any point. 

Currently the Football Association runs the Women’s Super League, which would mean they need to hand off the day-to-day operations to the once outlaw Premier League. Last year they increased investment in the game by 50 million pounds over the next six years and have a significant interest in the game’s growing success.

(Note: The English Premier League works with the FA but is not a part of them after breaking away due to revenue disagreements in the early 1990s.)

Recent promotions of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have boosted the league’s notoriety as well as a 10 million pound sponsorship from Barclays. With that said, the league did suffer a bit of a setback in 2018-19 with attendance dropping below 1,000. However, teams did see the massive ratings associated with the English Women’s team advancing to the World Cup semi-final and are ready to broaden the scope with better broadcasting deals, sponsorships and even games being played in EPL stadiums.

The Semi-Final Surprise: A Breakdown of the Swedish National Team

Posted on by Backline Soccer

The USA vs. France may have been deemed #LeGrandMatch on social media, but it was the Swedish national team that shocked the world in the quarterfinals when they defeated Germany 2-1 and secured their ticket to the semi-finals in Lyon. 

Sweden seems to have gone under-the-radar in the analyses of this tournament. They started off in Group F, alongside the United States, Chile, and Thailand. They earned a 2-0 victory over Chile in their opener, a 5-1 victory over Thailand in their second match, and suffered a 2-0 defeat to the United States in their third match, securing second place in the group behind the United States. In the Round of 16, they handed Canada a 1-0 defeat thanks to a goal from Stina Blackstenius in the 55th minute and a late penalty save by goalkeeper Hedvig Lindhal.

Most people probably didn’t even have Sweden beating Canada, let alone Germany. 

The match started out well for the Germans, who scored their goal in the 16th minute off the foot of Lina Magull. But Sweden quickly responded with a goal of their own in the 22nd minute from Sofia Jakobsson. From that point on, Sweden seemed firmly in control of the game. They played a defensive game, denying the Germans any opportunity to create many good chances. But Blackstenius and Jakobsson managed to create many moments of beauty on the counterattack. In the 48th minute, Blackstenius knocked a rebounded ball into the back of the net, the goal that would earn the Swedes a trip to Lyon. 

Sweden has been consistently underestimated in this tournament. They are a country with a rich history in women’s soccer, including an appearance in the World Cup final in 2003. They won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, famously knocking out the United States in the quarterfinals. This will be their fourth semi-final appearance in their Women’s World Cup history and yet the world seems to have already written them off as serious contenders for the title.

 While their attack has certainly improved, the Swedes are comfortable playing a defensive game. Their defense is led by goalkeeper Hedvig Lindhal (Chelsea) between the posts and Nilla Fischer (Wolfsburg) and Linda Sembrant (Montpellier) in the central defense. In the midfield, there is team captain Caroline Seger (Rosengård) and Kosovare Asllani (Linköpings). Asllani has been one of the critical components in the Swedish attack, either scoring goals herself (she has two so far in this tournament) or creating goal-scoring opportunities for her teammates.

The most notable players up top for Sweden are Stina Blackstenius (Linköpings) and Sofia Jakobsson (Montpellier). Blackstenius has only scored two goals this tournament, but they have both been game-winning goals in knockout games. Jakobsson scored her first goal of the tournament against Germany, but she seemed to be finding a rhythm throughout the game. The two of them will be dangerous players on the counterattack and difficult to defend.

Some people have noted that the United States already defeated Sweden in the Group Stage. But it is also worth mentioning that Sweden benched many of their starters for that match, prioritizing their players’ health and fitness above beating the United States. The situation on the field would likely look very different if these two teams meet in the final.

It is also worth noting that Sweden has not had an easy road to get to this semi-final. They have taken down Germany and Canada in their knockout matches. And while the road ahead of them isn’t an easy one, it also isn’t one this team is going to shy away from. 

The Swedes have done the work on the field. They have also remained calm and focused in critical moments, getting wins even when they went down a goal to Germany or when Canada got a late penalty. They have the mentality to win. And they should be considered serious contenders to lift the World Cup trophy. 

 

The Orange Wave: A Breakdown of the Netherlands National Team

Posted on by Backline Soccer

If someone told you before the start of the 2015 Women’s World Cup that debutante Netherlands would get knocked out in the round of sixteen, but would rise through the ranks of global women’s soccer to a 2019 Women’s World Cup semi-final against Sweden would you have believed them?

Would you believe that along the way the Dutch, led by manager Sarina Wiegman, claimed the 2017 UEFA Women’s Euro? Or, due to how UEFA handles Olympic qualifications, the Netherlands also qualified for the 2020 Olympic soccer tournament?

Well, believe it or not, that’s exactly what the Netherlands has done.

The run to the semis began in group E for the Netherlands where the Dutch swept the three other teams: Canada, Cameroon, and New Zealand by a combined goal total of six to two. It won’t come as a surprise to anyone that the Dutch line up in a 4-3-3. The captain of the squad is Sari van Veenendaal, the 29 year-old former Arsenal goalkeeper, who continues to impress in major tournaments coming up big when it matters. In front of her, the first choice center back Dominique Bloodworth teams with either Stefanie van der Gragt or veteran defender, Anouk Dekker. It’s worth noting that the Netherlands have found some offensive production from this group as each center back has scored once in this tournament. 

Playing out wide as fullbacks are Desiree van Lunteren and Merel van Dongen who will attempt to join the attack with overlapping runs. While in the midfield the Orange will have Daniëlle van de Donk centrally, Sherida Spitse on the left, and Jackie Groenen on the right. In the recent run of matches, Spitse has contributed to the attack generating four assists so far; three of which have happened in the knockout stage. Other midfielders, such as Jill Roord, have come off the bench to contribute with the game winning goal in the group stage versus New Zealand. The true bite in the attack comes from the front line for the Netherlands.

There’s little doubt the starting front three will be Lieke Martens, Vivianne Miedema, and Shanice van de Sanden. The group has scored a combined total of five goals so far this tournament without a contribution from van de Sanden, so the attack still has some room to improve against Sweden. The tendency of this Netherlands team is to score goals late; in the five World Cup matches the Dutch have scored in the 80th minute or later in four of them. The team will not quit pressing the attack and seems to wear down their opposition.

The stage is set for the final four in the World Cup, and it’s almost unbelievable to consider that the Netherlands were referred to as a dark horse for possible tournament winner. The champions of Europe have managed to fly under the radar while England and France have taken the spotlight. Perhaps the results of the Algarve Cup put doubt in pundits’ minds; however, this run demonstrated that the Euro results were not a fluke. Every opponent facing the Orange Wave have been washed away. Could their path so far have been more challenging? Perhaps, but no one can claim the Netherlands don’t belong here. The remaining teams better watch out. 

Celebrating USA’s Independence from England, Again. Hopefully.

Posted on by Backline Soccer

It’s just like every action movie; no matter how many bad guys keep coming and no matter how good they are, the good guy will always win. They’ll pull off some ridiculously glorious fight and come off victorious, not caring that you spent two-thirds of the fight with your hands clasped together with anxiety sweat.

That’s the current state of the USWNT.

They came into this tournament as not only the front runner, but as close as you come to an obvious winner. They breezed their way through the group stage, winning pretty decisively. Until they matched up with Spain in the round of 16, they had yet to face any real competition. Their first knock out game was almost their last, with Spain pulling them apart from stem to stern and exposing real defensive problems. But like the champions they are, they managed to stave off all mortal danger and though beaten and bruised, come out the winner.

Facing France in the quarter-final was marketed as the final, with both teams evenly matched and poised to make history in more ways than one; France sending the Americans home fairly early in the World Cup; USA finally defeating the French and on their home soil for a clear shot to the final. With a handling of Les Bleues (to my dismay and tears), everything seems to be going according to plan for the Stars and Stripes to advance to the final and play for their fourth star and become back to back champs. Their last obstacle?

Her Majesty, the Lionesses of England.

England has come into this tournament with both hands swinging, taking on every opponent and showing them the current squad has what it takes to make their fans sing-scream “It’s Coming Home!”. The USA will no doubt be their toughest opponent. With yellow cards starting over, Lindsey Horan will likely be taking her place back in the starting line-up, it’s safe to say that a midfield boasting of Rose Lavelle, Sam Mewis and Lindsey Horan is definitely something to be feared. Julie Ertz and Carli Lloyd are both excellent super-subs to come off the bench to finish the job and I know a lot of fans break out into a cold sweat when Lloyd walks up to the fourth official. The offense is still lacking in my opinion, with Alex Morgan being relegated to being a punching bag instead of a traditional striker; however Megan Rapinoe is filling that role nicely, tying Morgan and England’s Ellen White with five goals of her own. The only real concern still to be had is the defense. Crystal Dunn is still being wasted as a left back, her speed being her only redemption when she inevitably lands herself in a sticky situation. England’s right side has been shredding teams left and right, so Kelley O’Hara and Abby Dalhkemper will BOTH need to be on their A game. O’Hara has been getting away with a lot since the group stage and how she hasn’t been red carded out of the tournament is an answer only the refs and the soccer gods can give.

All that being said, this is an American side that is the epitome of “Goonies never say die” and they will need every ounce of that to defeat this England side and bring home that fourth star.

Every movie ends with the good guy waltzing off into the sunset, cool as the other side of the pillow. The Americans have a real shot of keeping their happy ending on track, with only themselves to blame if this ends with the bad guys cackling in Paris.

Football is Coming Home? A Breakdown of the England National Team

Posted on by Backline Soccer

England enter the semifinals in good form, fresh off their best performance of the tournament—a 3-0 defeat of Norway. That match demonstrated both their strengths and weaknesses. It therefore provides a good template for understanding how they could win the tournament, or how they could lose it.

A strong and multifaceted attack

England’s primary strength is a dynamic and diverse attack. At the tip of the spear is Ellen White, who has probably done more than any other player to raise her stock over the course of this tournament. She has five goals, and has been integral to their attack. And this from a player who was by no means a certain starter coming in. This is because England’s strike force is extremely deep—almost certainly the second most powerful behind the US in the tournament.

Supporting White on the wings will likely be Nikita Parris and Toni Duggan (though the excellent Beth Mead could also make an appearance here). Both are top-quality strikers themselves, but have found themselves redeployed in support roles, to generally positive effect. Parris, in particular, has been devastatingly effective out wide, quite impressive for someone who is primarily a goal-poacher in her club role. But with England, Parris has been supremely unselfish, generally looking to create rather than score, and dragging defenses out to create space for the central strikers and onrushing midfields to work.

The England attack also relies on generating space for their progressive midfielders to work. Generally, the #10 has been Fran Kirby, one of the most talented passers in the world, who has the ability to unlock even the most solid defenses. But Kirby also has a tendency to go missing for long stretches—failing to generate space to receive the ball, or drifting forward and occupying space that is well-marked, and where her diminutive stature will make it hard to win balls coming in high. So coach Phil Neville may decide to opt for the young but extremely dynamic Georgia Stanway instead. In either case, that attacking midfield role will be critical to their chances. They can certainly survive a poor performance in that role—given their ability to create from wide positions—but without that extra spark in the middle, it will become quite predictable

Whoever plays the number 10 will likely be flanked by two more defensively oriented midfielders. Jill Scott will almost certainly be one of the two. The veteran brings experience and calmness to the team, and she’s playing about as well at the moment as we have ever seen. In the quarterfinals, Scott was joined by Keira Walsh. The pair largely controlled the game in the first half, as Norway generously gave them space to work. But once pressure was applied, Walsh began to falter a bit. That’s certainly what their remaining opponents will want to do. Both Walsh and Scott are excellent all-around players, but neither is a devastating ball-winner, nor are they at the top levels for retention. They therefore rely on support and positioning to supply them with options. An opponent that overloaded that space might find some real success.

Lucy Bronze

The other key strength for England is Lucy Bronze. The right back is one of a handful of players in serious competition for the Golden Ball, particularly amazing for someone playing fullback. But Bronze is far more involved in all levels of play than the usual fullback. Her defensive work is good, but it’s in the attack that she rises by leaps and bounds above the competition. She has a vicious shot, as Norway was forced to recall in the last round, and can also make superb overlapping runs down the right flank. But the true heart of her ability is revealed when she cuts inside, effectively becoming an additional creative central midfielder. By adding a fourth player to the midfield, she can overload the opposition, ensuring there is always a free body. And since she arrives from unexpected angles, it’s extremely hard to pick her up before she arrives. All that attacking does mean England’s right flank can sometimes be dangerously exposed. This is where the deeper-lying midfielders will be critical. If they can read Bronze’s movement and avoid chasing play forward, they will be in position to protect that space. If not, they will be exploitable on the counter.

A solid but exploitable defense

England are most troubled by quick attacks. The central defensive pairing of Steph Houghton and Millie Bright have generally been solid, but neither deals especially well with balls over the top, and they can both also be exposed by quick passing on the ground near the top of the box, which forces decisions on whether to step or stay. If they are given the chance to set, the backline is robust. It’s when they’re trying to defend in space that things get far more dicey. So far, their hesitations and mistakes have generally gone unpunished. But against more lethal opposition, England could certainly have given away three or four goals in their previous knockout matches. Against the remaining opposition they might not be so lucky.

One other complicating factor is that Bright was clearly struggling with fatigue and sickness (she apparently caught a bug) in the last game, and was at fault three or four times in the final half hour against Norway. But England have a lot of depth in the role, and should be able to mix and match without huge concern.

At left back, Demi Stokes seems to have asserted her hold over the job with a competent and assured defensive performance against Norway—particularly useful since Bronze is so often far more advanced on the other side. But Alex Greenwood could potential start here. If so, opponents will be even more inclined to attack wide.

Finally the keeper, Karen Bardsley, is extremely dependable, though unspectacular. If they’re relying on her to save the team from a barrage of shots, they may be in trouble. But her presence will go a long way to stabilizing the defense and preventing that situation from arising.

Phil Neville

England also have two other small but meaningful advantages, which are linked together. The first is their coach. Phil Neville was not a popular choice for the job in many circles, but he’s taken a team with potential and developed them into one that now consistently performs at the top level. He is adaptive, and helps organize his team to face the specific challenges of a game, setting them up to succeed. And he also seems to have kept the dressing room together. That someone like Neville could so easily step into the job and be a strength for his team is more a comment on the overall quality of coaching in the women’s game (frustratingly very low) than a resounding endorsement. But it is a strength.

The second advantage for England is a group of players who should be comparatively well-rested. Neville was criticized repeatedly in English media for rotating so much coming into the tournament and in the group stage. But England are now in the late stages with players who have expended less energy, and with a supporting cast that all have meaningful match experience. Given the heat in France, having a tiny bit more left in the tank could be the final decisive factor.

So just how good are England? It still remains to be seen. They have clearly established themselves as belonging in the top tier. Even if they lose to the US on Tuesday that will still be true, based on what they’ve accomplished so far. But there is still room for them to get even better. The next few days will tell us whether they can make the leap.

Alex Morgan, Ada Hegerberg, and the Conundrum of Awards Voting

Posted on by RJ Allen

Ada Hegerberg doesn’t play for Norway. But this isn’t a piece about if she should or shouldn’t play for them.

Alex Morgan plays for the Orlando Pride and US women’s national team. But this is no more a piece on Morgan’s club choice than it is about Hegerberg’s choice to not play for her country.

This is a piece about how we see players and how we vote for awards.

The awards voting is larger than Hegerberg vs Morgan. But they do stand on different sides of a large gulf. On one you have Hegerberg who is in maybe the best club form in the world. On the other you have Morgan who has been excellent for country while having lingering questions about her club form. So for now we stand in the middle and look right and then left.

Awards are complicated when they span time and leagues and bring in factors that can be as complicated as league strength and the roles players play on different teams.

It is made all the more complex because of the way the calendar in soccer works. It is the four year cycle that reigns here and not a calendar that any non-soccer person would understand. It doesn’t matter if you count it as World Cup, Olympics then two off years or if you count it two off years, the World Cup and finally the Olympics. Either way you count you have two on years and two off. And in those years where there is a major international event that crosses from CONCACAF to UEFA to Oceania to the rest of the world we are often heavy handed with support for who scores the most goals in a month or few weeks long event. Because the World Cup and the Olympics are big deals. And they should be big deals.

When I look at Hegerberg’s body of work and the only thing that I am given is her work for Lyon it presents a mental hurdle for me. And that isn’t on her. Club is all she has elected to play and she is under no obligation to change that to make voters more comfortable. While one may quibble if she should or should not play for Norway, frankly that has nothing to do with her performance for Lyon. In the context of voting when judging someone, you can only judge them on what they have given you. On a report card for Hegerberg it would simply be listed as N/A under country.

For Morgan it becomes a little more complicated. She has elected to play club. Partly because the US women’s national team players all play in the NWSL. And in the choice to both play club and country, Morgan has opened herself up to having a larger body of work to judge and all that comes with the league she plays for. The NWSL is, at least in my estimation, more competitive than just about any league in the world. And that changes how we see some players and it changes what those players are able to accomplish on the field. Morgan for club and Morgan for country are often about as related as first cousins. They share a passing resemblance, sometimes strikingly so, but often you can tell they are two different people.

So the judging of Alex Morgan for awards becomes harder because the math is more complex.

It is not Alex Morgan > or < Ada Hegerberg > or < Sam Kerr > or < whoever else you want.

It becomes the much more complex and much less elegant (Alex Morgan for country + Alex Morgan for club / what you think should matter more or if one should matter at all) > or < (Ada Hegerberg for club) > or < (Sam Kerr for country + Sam Kerr for club / what you think should matter more or if one should matter at all) > or < so on and so on.

What I keep coming back to is how are we supposed to judge when all the factors become this complex? And is it fair to judge them based on what they’ve chosen to give us versus what we think they should have given us?

At the end of the day I believe that it is fair to judge more heavily if a player plays for their country in a year when country does take center stage. And in those years where there is no major international tournament that spans the globe I do believe giving more preference to club play is fair.

But I will add this, if you don’t value the fight or the choice Hegerberg has made then it really doesn’t matter if it’s a World Cup year or not, you wouldn’t vote for her. And if you think Morgan should be better at club before winning awards based on her performance for her country then a Golden Ball and/or Boot won’t change your mind.

Voting for awards ultimately comes down to what you value in a player and what you don’t. It is a reflecting glass aimed back at those who cast a ballot. 

The Tragedy of 13-0

Posted on by RJ Allen

The USWNT scored 13 times against Thailand.

Morgan 12′, 53′, 74′, 81′, 87′
Lavelle 20′, 56′
Horan 32′
Mewis 50′, 54′
Rapinoe 79′
Pugh 85′
Lloyd 90+2′

And after each goal the US celebrated. Sometimes with the bench and sometimes just the players on the field. For Lavelle, Horan, Mewis, and Pugh it was their first World Cup game. Scoring then is an incredible accomplishment. For Morgan, she now shares a record with Michelle Akers for most goals scored in a Women’s World Cup game. For Rapinoe and Lloyd, it was a good day at the office.

And it felt bad. I felt bad. Watching it left me with a bitter taste in my mouth and a slightly uneasy feeling as I heard the chants of USA from the stands.
It took me a while to get my feelings in order. I went from “The US players should be pumped” to “maybe they should have taken their foot off the gas” to “score all the goals always” and around and around.

I finally settled on my feelings and how I see this game. And in those thoughts a few things are true. None of them are the fault of the players.


1) The US players have every right to celebrate after scoring goals.

2) Thailand earned their trip to the World Cup but are overall a pretty poor squad

3) The bulk of the feeling of grossness steams from FIFA.

I don’t blame Sam Mewis for being ecstatic over scoring a brace in her first game playing in a World Cup. I don’t think Morgan was over the line even counting the goals she scored after her fourth. And honestly, I will always be down for Rapinoe twirling and then sliding after she scores.

But at some point the joy of seeing all that turned bitter. Not really because of the US players but because of the context.

Thailand is a team without a great deal of institutionalized support behind them. And while their players have been on both ends of 13-0 wins, (Thailand beat Indonesia 13-0 in a friendly in 2018) I can’t help but wish more money, more training, and more resources were going to this team as they headed toward these games.

But really, at the end of the day, this lays at FIFA’s doorstep.
FIFA has roughly more money than Gringotts Wizarding Bank has Goblins. By not giving support to the federations for the women’s teams and not demanding that federations use that money, or for the larger federations their own, they are enabling results like this.

FIFA could have prevented this but they are too worried about running studies and having their partners run ads for the next generation of players.

The worst part of this game was many of us, myself included, had the first reaction of blaming players for being happy that they did an incredibly hard thing well and scored a goal or goals in a World Cup game. That is the biggest loss in this match. That FIFA has to pit these, one against the other, while we often spare them our wrath.

FIFA has about $2,700,000,000 in their reserves. They could give every country on earth, all 195 of them, $10,000,000 and send a team to make sure the money went to the women’s teams and not into pockets of the perpetrators of the current oppression and they would still have a half billion dollars left in their reserves.

FIFA could change 13-0 games. They could. They chose not to. Remember that.