Tag: Jill Ellis

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 US beat England because Jill Ellis got her tactics right

Posted on by Backline Soccer

The US defeated England last night, in one of the most thrilling games of the tournament. It had everything: Great goals, great passes, a goal taken away by VAR, a saved penalty, a red card. In the end, the US booked their place in a third consecutive World Cup final, a monumental achievement.

There are plenty of reasons why the US came out on top. But the critical difference-maker, somewhat shockingly, was the tactical decisions from coach Jill Ellis.

I know. I’m as surprised as anyone.

Christen Press made a big difference on the left wing

The starting XI announcement brought several interesting changes, but by far the most notable was the replacement of Megan Rapinoe with Christen Press. As details emerged, it became clear that this was a switch from necessity more than choice. A hamstring strain meant Rapinoe would never have been able to start.

Just like four years ago, outside circumstances prevented Ellis from sticking with her same XI. And just like four years ago, the resulting change worked out extremely well.

All the pre-game hype had focused on Rapinoe—partly due to the surrounding political controversies and partly because she had scored all four of the US goals so far in the knockout phase. But that goal-scoring record did not actually tell the full tale. Rapinoe had one of her worst games in memory against Sweden to end the group stage—losing the ball repeatedly and offering virtually no successful attacking moves. She was better, though only marginally against Spain, despite facing one of the weaker right backs in the tournament. The two goals she scored both came from penalties. They count the same, of course, but it was hardly a vintage Rapinoe performance.

She was better against France, though still hardly looked like the Megan Rapinoe who has been one of the best players in the NWSL over the past two seasons.  But that made her third game in eight days, and Rapinoe is no longer young. For a player in her mid-30s, who had already looked sluggish over the course of the tournament, it felt like a bridge too far to expect anything close from her top level in the semifinal.

On another team, with limited options, the case for starting her would still be powerful. Look at the Netherlands, who keep running out a clearly less-than-fit Lieke Martens. But the US has the deepest roster in the world. Specifically, they have Christen Press, who has arguably been the US forward in the best form over the course of 2019. And unlike in previous years, when Press was an ill fit out wide, she’s increasingly grown into that role—developing both in her ability to serve as creator of chances for others, and as a striker herself.

Then consider what else Press brings. She has speed to burn. And crucially, unlike Rapinoe, she’s capable of putting in a solid defensive shift. That would be critically important against England, who have the world’s best attacking right back, and some of the best right wingers, and had every intention of targeting Crystal Dunn as the weak link in the US backline. With Press on the pitch, England had far less room to run at Dunn in space. Spain actively shifted the defense away from Rapinoe’s position, urging the US to attack that space. But with Press’s superior ball retention, England could not afford to do the same. That kept Bronze back further and limited her influence further up the pitch. And Press is obviously no slouch on the attacking end, either. Despite a history of checkered performances in big games, she turned up huge last night, delivering the first goal, and playing a key role in setting up the second.

Called into the spotlight, Christen Press delivered at the highest level, and was potentially the difference-maker in the match. It wasn’t surprising that she was great. But it was surprising that she got the chance at all.

Sticking with Rose Lavelle

The other big talking point of the USA XI was the midfield. Over the tournament, the US have repeatedly faced the happy problem of having four players that all deserved to start, but only three spots for them to fill. With Julie Ertz apparently nailed in as the unchangeable number 6, that really left three players—Lindsey Horan, Sam Mewis, and Rose Lavelle—for two spots. In the octofinals and quarterfinals, Ellis had chosen to sit Horan. It was a move met with bewilderment and frustration. That’s not a knock against Mewis and Lavelle, who have been among the best players in the tournament. But Horan is on the very short list of players who might conceivably be called the best in the world. It felt like madness to leave her on the bench.

After a rotten performance from Lavelle in the quarterfinals, the obvious move seemed to be to rest her for a game and call on Mewis and Horan. The extra athleticism and mobility in the midfield would provide some needed steel, and lessen the risk of getting torn to bits whenever Ertz went on walkabout.

But Ellis didn’t take the obvious move. Instead, she stuck with Lavelle and sat Mewis. Which turned out to be extraordinarily prescient.

England set up in a hybrid 4-4-2/4-2-3-1, with Nikita Parris in the free role, drifting between the midfield and front line. England coach Phil Neville may have been looking to find a way to get four dangerous strikers on the pitch, but in practice it left the England attack disjointed. But that left England’s holding pair of Jill Scott and Keira Walsh busy trying to cope with Horan and Ertz, and Parris somewhat adrift, Lavelle repeatedly found herself with the ball and acres of space to utilize. And she certainly took advantage of the opportunity, putting herself into dangerous positions over and over.

It wasn’t entirely a one-way affair. With Lavelle on the job, the US also occasionally found itself understaffed in the midfield, which allowed Walsh and Scott to occasionally get free. But overall the trade-off was a huge victory for the US. Lavelle was the most dangerous player on the pitch for the first half, while Parris accomplished far less in a similar position.

Neville outsmarted himself, and Ellis made him pay

England’s 4-4-2 didn’t make a huge amount of sense on paper, and it made even less sense once the US lineup was released. And the players themselves hardly seemed committed. As noted, Parris never really played like a second striker, dropping back far more often into a withdrawn striker role. The result wasn’t really any different from England’s more standard 4-3-3, except that the personnel were less well-suited to their positions.

As a huge fan of Rachel Daly’s work, I was thrilled to see her starting. Her speed, physicality, and directness made her a smart choice to double up with Bronze in an effort to overwhelm Crystal Dunn. But partly because of the Press-Rapinoe swap, and partly due to a lack of effective linkages with the midfield, this never worked as well as intended.

England’s greatest strength in this tournament has been the stratospheric rise of Ellen White—whose ability to split central defenders and work magic with a little space has absolutely taken the world by storm. But this setup provided her vanishingly few chances to work that magic. The ball went out right, and while Bronze and Daly were certainly able to beat Dunn on a few occasions, it was a slow process, which allowed the rest of the US defense to set up and block out White.

It’s precisely the same thing that happened to France a few days earlier, which makes it all the more confusing that Neville fell into the same trap. What France was missing, desperately, was a creative midfielder who could pick out angles and punish a defense with little room to maneuver. France doesn’t currently have that player. But England has two of them—Fran Kirby and Georgia Stanway—neither of whom saw the pitch until the final half hour.

Imagine having the key to a door, but insisting on trying to pick the lock anyway for an hour, while everyone stands around watching in frustration.

Whether it was stubbornness, or an inability to diagnose the problem, Neville wrote himself into a corner and couldn’t seem to find his way out.

Winning ugly is still winning

I wrote after the quarterfinal that ‘winning ugly is still winning,’ and that proved true once again last night. For the second straight game, the US settled into a back five during the second half, looking to close down attacking chances rather than to create much themselves.

Once again, it almost came back to haunt them. After all, it was during this period of deep-defending that England scored a goal—invalidated by VAR by the narrowest of margins—and earned a penalty. An inch or two difference in a run, and a better-taken penalty, and England could have taken the lead in the course of a few minutes.

But they didn’t.

That’s two games in a row where the US decided to sit on a lead, effectively daring the other team to prove they could rise to the moment. And that’s two games in a row where the other team faltered.

One could certainly criticize Ellis for exposing the team to risk. Why not keep attacking? The US is better, and were controlling the game. Why not continue to exploit the advantage? But when you have the lead, time is your friend. Scoring goals is hard. Even with some golden opportunities, England (and France before them) couldn’t get it done.

If they had, the US could certainly have opened back up. But they didn’t, and so after weathering the storm, the US spent the final quarter hour of the match drawing fouls and suffocating the game dead, content in the knowledge that their opponents had no more tricks up their sleeve.

Ellis is still a frustrating coach. But so is everyone else

Over the course of the tournament, Phil Neville has been a good coach. Not a great one, but that’s the thing. There aren’t any great coaches in the ranks of women’s soccer right now. The jobs aren’t lucrative or prestigious enough.

So Jill Ellis is a source of endless frustration to US fans and media. But she successfully out-managed Neville last night and Corinne Diacre a few days earlier. Kenneth Heiner-Møller’s anti-football only got Canada to the octofinals. Sarina Wiegman has effectively no ideas for the Dutch. Australia were a disaster. And on and on down the ranks.

So no, Ellis isn’t great. Especially when it comes to big picture tactics and style. But she’s managed to incorporate a few minor tactical tweaks. As I wrote two years ago, she’s a terrible strategic thinker, but a pretty solid tinkerer. And when you’re blessed with the best roster, that is often enough.

There are plenty of reasons to be frustrated with Ellis as a coach. This tournament doesn’t change that. But let’s not miss the forest for the trees. Because for all her limitations, she’s now 90 minutes away from winning her second consecutive World Cup.

Beyond the Tournament: 5 Takeaways From the SheBelieves Cup

Posted on by RJ Allen

The SheBelieves Cup comes at the perfect time of year, in my opinion. It is right before the start of the NWSL season, prepping the WoSo fan base for the next eight months. It also happens to kick off Women’s History Month. What better way to celebrate the history of women than by putting the best female athletes in the world out on a pitch to battle through the wind, rain, and cold during a seven-day span? Because women can handle shit like that, plain and simple. They worked hard out there, and in turn, we got to see some great (and not-so-great) moments of football. And we also got to learn some things in the process. Here are just five:

1. All Alyssa Naeher All The Time!

Jill Ellis knows who she wants in goal. That much is certain. While other countries, like England, gave their backup goalkeepers some playing time during the tournament, the USA refrained. The only keeper needed (or wanted by Ellis) was Alyssa Naeher. Although she played well and had a couple of great saves, it does beg the question of what would happen if she were to get injured. Who would replace her? Would they be ready? And how does that change the dynamic of the team? The USA has some great options in goal, but Ellis’s motto is simple: if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

2. England is on the Rise

The Lionesses are a good team, and they are only getting better. From their amazing first match against France, to their new dominating outlook on the game, England is definitely a team to watch out for. They are playing with purpose and intent—even after flying basic economy with a non-direct flight. Nothing seems to shake this team, which is a surprise considering what their past year has entailed. But it seems as though Phil Neville is fitting into his role just fine despite the initial criticism of his hiring and the team hasn’t seemed to let the noise around it faze them whatsoever. I’m sure they didn’t mind having Neville’s mate, David Beckham, stop by the locker room to wish them luck, either.

3. Fran Kirby is a Beast

I’ve been saying this for a while now, but for a lot of women’s soccer fans in America, this was a first time seeing the creativity and precision that is Fran Kirby. The English forward is a playmaker and is amazingly fun to watch. Her passing is pristine, her shooting is lethal, and her work ethic leaves the normal player in the dust. If you didn’t get a chance to catch any of her work during the tournament, do yourself a favor and watch it on replay—you can thank me later. Yes, Fran Kirby may just be the future of football, and a potential Best FIFA Women’s Player candidate.

4. France Has Some Kinks to Work Out

The France team that we saw at the beginning of the SheBelieves Cup was considerably different than the one we saw at the end of it. They got pummeled by England, pulled it together to manage a draw against the US, and then finally became the France the crowd is used to seeing when they defeated Germany 3-0 in their final match. Needless to say, they are having some consistency issues. And match that with a coach that said some rather harsh things about the team after their first match and, well… they have a few things that need to be worked on. But, as can be seen by their match against Germany, they are still a threat going into a World Cup on their home turf.

5. Young America is a Great Thing To See

America is in a transitional phase. Certain fan favorites from the last World Cup are getting older and playing fewer minutes. Other staple players have been out with injuries. And while the depth chart for the USA team seems to go on for miles, there have been points where youthfulness wasn’t its strength. But at the SheBelieves Cup, the young blood was on display. The likes of Mallory Pugh, Tierna Davidson, Andi Sullivan, and surprise sensation Savannah McCaskill, showed what the future of the USWNT could very well look like moving forward. And I must say—it’s not a bad look at all. Sure, the US side still definitely needs polishing, but with the young potential that was shown throughout the tournament, that polishing could produce something completely unseen down the line.

Bonus Takeaway:

German forward Alexandra Popp is a qualified zookeeper. Does that make her the coolest soccer player in the world? It just might…

Regardless of who we cheered for during the SheBelieves Cup, we all got some takeaways from it—some good, some bad. But we also got some great entertainment from some amazingly talented women out on the pitch. And I think we can all agree that we will be tuning in next year to see what the SheBelieves Cup holds for us. 

The Ali Krieger Conundrum

Posted on by RJ Allen

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

Jill Ellis does not do pomp and circumstance.

She is the type of coach that would likely never do another pregame ceremony celebrating a player reaching a cap milestone if given a choice on the matter. That might be due, in part, to her preference to rotate players out of the pool before they hit a hundred caps begin with.

We’ve consistently seen that Ellis’ focus is pointed elsewhere while the fans, media, players, and US Soccer itself revels in the celebration of certain milestones. Hope Solo getting 100 shutouts, HAO’s last game, Lori Chalupny finally getting her 100th cap after 14 years … these are all moments Ellis has seemed to shrug off as meaningless.

And yet, milestones have significance to people, to communities. Knowing that at predetermined points we will take a pause from the usual coming and going of players to call attention to the achievements of one celebrated member gives meaning to the game, to the fans, to the player. So few individuals reach, say, a hundred caps with their national team that when it happens, it’s appropriate to take a moment and acknowledge that he or she has done something extraordinary. The very reason the US and the fans make such a big deal out of joining the Century Club, as it’s called, is because only the best can manage it.  They’ve earned the celebration before the game, the captain’s armband, the special kit and the plaque, the photos with their friends and family before the gathered crowd.

This achievement, and this ceremony, it has significance. A significance far beyond the simple three-digit number on the stat sheet. 

As you might imagine when you mix a coach that does not care about pageantry with a celebration that uses pageantry to mark the significance of a tradition nearly as old as the national team itself, things go wrong.

And in the case of Ali Krieger’s journey to 100 caps, things have gone dreadfully wrong.

It’s no secret that Ellis doesn’t value Krieger as a defender. She’s made it clear that she has no use for a defender who will not play the hyper-attacking style that she wants all of her outside backs to play. (And in truth, what Ellis really wants is 10 field players to adopt that style of hyper-attack.) Krieger’s focus on defense has always meant that she has a harder time abandoning her defensive responsibilities and playing in a way that forces the centerbacks to absorb missed defensive opportunities as she plays up for the attack. Because of this, Ellis has repeatedly overlooked Krieger, either leaving her on the bench or not calling her up at all in favor of players like Kelley O’Hara, Casey Short, or Taylor Smith. All three are players who have shown a willingness to play the style that Ellis demands, and with the kind of aggressiveness she prefers. She even seems to be toying with converting Sofia Hurerta to an outside back role, though this sort of maneuver isn’t unique to Ellis. Tom Sermanni tried the same with Kristie Mewis in 2013. 

Time and time again Ellis has either kept Krieger off the roster or she has kept her on the bench. Since the 2015 victory tour, the coach has made it clear that Krieger no longer fits into her long-term plans. With most other players, everyone would have taken the hint and while we all would have been disappointed, we would have moved on.

But Ali Krieger is not most other players.

The problem with ditching a player who had a year like Ali Krieger had only two years ago in 2015, who is a fan favorite, who was denied the 2012 Olympics because of a sloppy tackle from a player on a team that the US went on to beat by a margin of two touchdowns, to borrow a term from American football, is that it does not make sense on the surface to those who care about cap totals.

For those who take nothing more than Krieger’s history on the NT and her form as a player into account, the last 18 months do not make sense. Things made even less sense when Ellis went from relying on her to cover up for other players’ mistakes to rotating her out of the lineup to sitting her on the bench for multiple games in a row to not calling her up even at the same time that her club performance has mostly been very good.

The only way the Krieger situation makes sense is in the context of Ellis replacing a player who she feels is being insubordinate. Krieger will not abandon her defensive responsibilities to attack as often and as aggressively as Jill Ellis demands because she understands that defense matters and her spending 50% of her minutes on the pitch within 20 yards of the opposite goal is not a sound defensive strategy.

Unfortunately, when the coach is telling you to play a certain way and they find you not sufficiently willing to play that way, then the coach is likely going to reduce your minutes, or in the case of Krieger stop calling you up altogether. No matter how foolhardy the game plan is, at the end of the day the show is Ellis’ to run as she sees fit. You can disagree with her game plan but as long as US Soccer is keeping her on she is well within her rights to call up players she sees fitting the game plan she has and leaving off players she feels can not or will not play to that game plan. As much as any sane person may look at Krieger’s game and understand that what she’s doing will save the US from giving up goals and will make the players around her better, she is not following the game plan faithfully enough for Ellis. So Ellis’ solution going forward is to continue passing over Ali Krieger, no matter what. 

For Jill Ellis, Krieger is no longer an option.

Remember the pomp and circumstance thing we talked about at the beginning of this and how ceremony matters?

The problem in all of this is Ellis decided she was done with Krieger while Krieger is sitting on 98 caps, just two away from the ceremony that would give closure to the player and her fans. Closure on a career that was hard-fought, and well-performed. Closure to the extraordinary performance that helped the United States win the World Cup for the first time in 16 years.

By not allowing Krieger these final two caps,  a player that most people will argue should still be the regular starter on the right or at least in the conversation, Ellis is prolonging the misery felt by those who follow this team and who care about the celebration of the players who helped the team achieve the level they are at now.

We’ve seen this before, Ellis deciding a player is done. Form be damned, history be damned, the usual manner of things be damned. Whitney Engen, Heather O’Reilly, and Lori Chalupny all suffered from having Jill Ellis break with the usual manner of players leaving the team. And now, Engen has traded soccer for law school, O’Reilly has gone overseas to play, and Chalupny has gone on to pursue coaching. None of them might have been in the mind of fans the way Krieger is, but their exits do give us a preview of how the situation is likely to play out.

The question becomes what should happen? What possible outcome would make all parties happy? Is there even an outcome that could happen that would make all sides happy?

We can firmly discount the idea that Krieger will ever become a full-time national team starter with minutes per year approaching levels that she’s had in the past. As much as it would probably delight Becky Sauerbrunn to have another pure defender on the team again, it’s just not going to happen. For better or worse Ellis is simply not interested in having her on the roster in that capacity. Unless there is a coaching change, which US Soccer seems unwilling to do, Krieger’s long-term national team future is clear. In that it’s over.

Trying to pretend this is not a factor, while the lingering resentment some fans have toward the team and the coaching staff only grows, doesn’t seem like a way forward either. Krieger is playing in Orlando, and playing well, so the media will have to ask about it every time she doesn’t make a roster. And Ellis will be asked about it as forwards are converted to fill the spot. Pretending it isn’t happening doesn’t mean that it’s not happening. The longer the song and dance goes on, the more long-time fans of the player and the team will grow to resent and resist the changes the coach is making. 

The solution that might make both sides able to move on is simply to give Krieger the two caps before the end of the year so Ellis can start 2018 and the World Cup-qualifying off without it hanging over her head. If Ellis allows Krieger get to 100 caps with all the pomp and circumstance that she deserves, it might mitigate some of the outright anger a particular segment of the fanbase might feel going into another cycle without one of the best right-backs in the women’s game.

It’s a win for both sides; Krieger gets recognition for a career well done on the national team at a level that is surpassed only by Joy Fawcett while Ellis looks like she has some compassion for a player who has bailed her out on more than one occasion by going against the coach’s instincts for game planning of attacking first and defending maybe. Krieger’s fans, and her family, and even Krieger herself get the type of closure that a player who has sacrificed as much as she has for this game deserves.

At the end of the day, Jill Ellis has told us that she is done with Ali Krieger. No amount of outrage from fans or think-pieces from media will change her mind. The only question that remains is if Ellis will let Krieger walk away as part of a group that just added its 36th member (out of 222 players capped over the team’s history) or if Ellis is going to let her stand there on the one side of the line and never let her across again.

In the end, Krieger needs her final two caps. 

And she deserves to get them. 

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.

USWNT struggle again, Australia take full advantage

Posted on by RJ Allen

You know that saying “it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish?” Well that certainly was the case for the United States against Australia on Thursday night in Seattle in front of a cool 15,748 people. The first 15 minutes were solid from the Americans, showing wave after wave of pressure on the Matildas, with veteran midfielder Megan Rapinoe leading the effort.

The next 60 minutes, however, were a different story.

I will admit, I thought Australia put out a better lineup and they had the right personnel on the field. And though the Americans are ranked #1 in the world, their performance was far from it. Every position was make-shift; starting with the defense consisting of Becky Sauerbrunn, Abby Dahlkemper, Casey Short, and newcomer Taylor Smith. While they were solid for most of the night, the eventual game winner to Tameka Butt for the Aussies was from two poor attempts at clearing the ball. Mishaps we don’t often see from a United States backline.

I noticed we were passing it back to keeper Alyssa Naeher quite a bit. Several passing combinations between the keeper and the backline had fans gasping for a breath with the uncertainty if it was going to cost us a goal or not. Luckily it did not, but it could’ve easily produced a goal or two with how close the always-dangerous Aussie Sam Kerr was getting.

The midfield was an area that really struggled to find cohesion and rhythm all night. The lone bright spot was Rapinoe, who was racing up and down the flanks, creating opportunities for herself and the team alike and pressuring when she thought necessary. It was a relief in my eyes to see her bring her NWSL form to the National team after a spell away. Her fellow mids sprayed a few passes here and there but for long periods of time I forgot who was on the field in the midfield. Sam Mewis, Allie Long, and Mallory had a few quality moments throughout but for the majority it was disappointing.

Up top for the USWNT were Christen Press and Lindsey Horan, two players who are playing quite well for their respective NWSL clubs, Chicago and Portland. But they couldn’t find the right chemistry and when they did, Australian keeper Lydia Williams was up for the task.

Watching this American team on Thursday night, it was no secret there was some disconnect but Jill Ellis is still in her experimenting stage so in the future it could be something that works. I don’t want to take one game and use that as the sample size because that would not be fair. But at some point, when do we figure it out? I thought that point would be the SheBelieves Cup back in March, but here we are at the end of July and once again, we’re on the bottom of the table.

When Jill Ellis started bringing on the substitutes, I thought maybe our tactics would change, (you know, building an attack from the back, putting more players in the box) but I was wrong. Now in the last 10 minutes, sure, we showed some serious quality in our movement but that was due to being down and having that dreaded sense of urgency on home soil. Carli Lloyd, Kelley O’Hara, Morgan Brian, Crystal Dunn, and Alex Morgan all arrived later in the second half. Lloyd almost found an equalizer but once again Williams stood tall in goal against her Houston Dash teammate. Morgan and Dunn made their presence felt, pressuring the backline and pushing the ball forward with great pace but nothing to show for either.

Overall it was a lackluster performance from a team that continues to struggle at home, now having lost a total of three matches this year compared to three matches from 2001-2016. While we may be experimenting in nearly every position, it’s not pretty to watch. With this caliber of players, the talent we have in this country, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where we continue to lose in tournaments and something doesn’t give before the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

Tournament of Nations? More like Tournament of What-Ifs for the United States.

Kickbacks: Five Things about the Roster for Russia

Posted on by RJ Allen

Earlier this morning, US Soccer released a 24-player roster in anticipation of the Women’s Team’s upcoming friendlies against Russia.

The two-leg set will open in Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX on April 6, and be followed-up with a match on April 9 at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, TX, a homecoming game of sorts for Houston Dash players Morgan Brian, Kealia Ohai, Carli Lloyd, and 2017 draftee Jane Campbell.

Included in the roster are:

24-player roster of call-ups for April 2017 matches against Russia

As we look at the roster, some things are immediately apparent.

Keepers: No Hope Solo

Solo’s suspension from the USWNT concluded in February, and she is eligible again to be called into camp by Ellis. However, having undergone shoulder surgery in late 2016, the long-time US #1 is only partially through the rehabilitation process. Her absence on the roster could indicate that Jill Ellis and US Soccer really have moved on from Solo or that she is not yet cleared and ready to return. Ellis, on her part, has been mum about her intentions toward the goalkeeper even with Solo’s declaration that she wants and expects to return.

Alyssa Naeher (Chicago), Ashlyn Harris (Orlando), and Jane Campbell (Houston) have all been called back into camp for the friendlies. With Solo out of the picture right now, Harris and Naeher are neck-and-neck for the top spot at the moment, with Naeher probably having just the slightest edge over Harris after being named to the Rio roster while the Orlando Pride GK was relegated to the Alternates list. Campbell, on the other hand, seems to be in for a great period of mentorship under the two during the drive towards France in 2019, and it wouldn’t surprise us to see her slowly earning caps over the next two years. Will we see her take the field against Russia? Probably not as a starter, but I think it’s probably a good bet we see her take the pitch in the 46′ if the US has–as they should–built up a good lead.

The Backline: Allie Long, Midfielder, and Megan Oyster’s First Call-Up

Despite being played in the centerback position of Ellis’ experimental three-back backline, Allie Long (Portland) continues to be listed in the midfield on the released rosters. This could be because, say it with us now, Allie Long is a midfielder. She’s not comfortable in the backline–much less as being the pivot or anchor that stabilizes and directs the shape of the backline. Continuing to list her as a midfielder seems like a concession to those of us who don’t see a future for her in the three-back system.

In a related note, Megan Oyster (Boston) has been called into camp for the first time. Oyster is a consistent centerback who played that role for Washington until the recent off-season when she was traded to Boston. Oyster’s performance for Washington was fairly solid but she was benched when the Spirit suffered a bit of a lag in the 2016 season and then continued to sit when Ali Krieger and Shelina Zadorsky returned from national team duties in Rio. Oyster was a part of the starting XI in the Spirit’s failed bid for the NWSL championship last October, where she played centerback in a three-back that featured Krieger and Alyssa Kleiner (and sub Caprice Dydasco) on the wings.

What does Oyster’s call-up mean for the team? Could be a couple of different things. First, of course, it could represent a return to the four-player backline that held the US up throughout the 2015 road to their third Women’s World Cup. With Julie Johnston (soon to be Julie Ertz) out of the roster for her wedding and honeymoon, Oyster and Sauerbrunn could find themselves the center of a classic four-back formation.

Or, it could mean that Ellis’ experiment with Allie Long is finally over, and she’s exploring other options to anchor her three-back. Oyster did very well in that formation for the Spirit in 2016’s final match, with Ali Krieger on her right running up the wings to move the ball and even make some attacking moves. A three-back with, say, Krieger on the right, O’Hara on the left, and Oyster in the center? Now that’s something I’d really love to see.

Midfield: The Return of Rapinoe

When Megan Rapinoe (Seattle) was left off the roster for the 2017 She Believes Cup, there were people (including us) wondering if her career with the national team was over. Certainly it was in jeopardy after last year’s performance, where she failed to make an impact in her two games off-the-bench in Rio, as well as the few later friendlies in which she was rostered. And, of course, there was also the stir she made by supporting Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling protest during the National Anthem, taking a knee on the sidelines at a friendly against the Netherlands in September. With the official position of US Soccer made public earlier this month in a billboard announcement during a She Believes Cup match, it seemed as if Rapinoe’s absence had a bit of a sharp edge to it.

https://twitter.com/stuholden/status/838109929802063872

But, maybe we all assumed too much? Because Rapinoe is back, and just before the NWSL season where she’ll take the field for the Seattle Reign again too.

Forwards: Rodriguez Back, Still No Leroux

Amy Rodriguez (Kansas City) has been called back to the third consecutive camp of 2017 after taking time off in 2016 to give birth to her second son. Rodriguez was left off the final roster for the She Believes Cup in March, but this latest call-up would suggest that Jill Ellis isn’t counting her out at all as the team moves forward toward the next WWC cycle. Sydney Leroux (Kansas City), also out in 2016 for the birth of her first child, has been training hard with FCKC as well but hasn’t yet received a call-up to return to camp with the national team at this point. This is in no way to suggest that her international career is over either, of course. We fully expect to see her back in the USWNT lineup when she’s ready. Both, it needs to be noted, tallied a goal in FC Kansas City’s recent preseason match against Missouri Women’s Soccer, so there’s no doubt that both players are eager to lace up their boots and drive up their numbers.

One name that has made a return to the roster is Kealia Ohai (Houston). Ohai made her senior team debut just last fall, in a friendly against Switzerland at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN. Ohai took the field in the 82′ and scored her first international goal just 48 seconds later, breaking a record set by Lynn Williams (North Carolina) set just days before (Williams’ goal was 49 seconds after she took the field for the first time in the 46′). Ohai’s breakout season with the Dash last year–scoring nine goals in seven games–earned her a look from Ellis and the senior team, and we anticipate that she will continue to find the back of the goal at both levels of play.

 

Around the World of WoSo: The Book of Ellis, Lloyd Makes City Debut

Posted on by RJ Allen

Panico to make history:

Patrizia Panico is set to make history in the realm of Italian soccer. The 42-year-old former striker for the Italian Women’s National Team is the assistant coach to the U-16 level and will coach two games this week. Head coach Daniele Zoratto will be out due to commitment to the U-19 squad.

This will be the first time a woman is on the sidelines in the existence of Italy’s soccer program. It’s exciting, and a great opportunity for women in sports. Having just Panico in charge for a pair of games could open the door for not only her but other women wishing to coach at any level in Italy.

 

Simon says … surgery:

Matildas and Boston Breakers star Kyah Simon has announced she will have double shoulder surgery in an effort to rid her of pain in her shoulders that she has been suffering for quite some time. Simon also stated in an Instagram post that she has been dealing with dislocations for over nine years.

The 25-year-old has been a consistent playmaker for not only the Australian national team and Sydney FC but also the Boston Breakers of the National Women’s Soccer League here in the States. Simon has been a Breaker since 2015, appearing in 23 games and scoring three goals. She has informed the Breakers and fans that she will not be returning to the team for the 2017 season. Instead she will remain home in Australia to get the surgery and train individually when able.

This is a small bit of bad news for the Breakers considering what Simon brings to the club (goals and energy), but Boston have made some exciting additions in the off-season. Two of those include draftees Rose Lavelle and Morgan Andrews.

 

City win in Lloyd’s debut:

Manchester City Women played Reading in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday, winning 1-0 on a Lucy Bronze goal in the 84th minute. But perhaps another story worth buzzing about was that U.S. midfielder, Carli Lloyd, made her much-anticipated debut for The Blues.

Lloyd didn’t get on the scoresheet, but she did make her presence felt around the goal, almost finding the back of the net on two occasions. Her best chance for serious contribution was in the 12th minute, when Lloyd found Georgia Stanway, but Reading goalkeeper Mary Earps was more than up for the challenge. Lloyd got stronger as the game went on—perhaps a good sign for times to come?

Lloyd signed a short contract to play for Manchester for three months and is expected back sometime in June for NWSL play with the Houston Dash.

 

Morgan heating up:

Alex Morgan found success once again with Olympique Lyonnais over the weekend. The 27-year-old striker appeared in her fifth game for Lyon, coming on for Caroline Seger in the second half against Albi. Morgan found her goal-scoring form last weekend when she netted a hat-trick to lead Lyon to another lopsided victory at Rodez.

This time, Morgan only needed two minutes to bag two goals for the French powerhouse. She finished off the scoring for the day after her teammates put away three goals in the first half by way of Saki Kumagai, Ada Hegerberg, and Camille Abily.

Morgan and Lyon next play in the first leg of the Champions League in Wolfsburg March 23rd.

 

Kranich goes to Princeton:

Former Boston Breaker Jami Kranich has announced she will be an assistant coach on the Princeton Women’s Soccer staff for the 2017 season. Kranich played two seasons with Boston from 2014-2015 before being let go near the start of the 2016 season. Although competing with Alyssa Naeher for the number one spot would be tough to ask of a rookie, Kranich held her own. While in Boston, she appeared in 17 games, grabbing eight starts and earning a record of two wins, four losses, and two draws.

Kranich has respectable experience working as a coach since graduating from the University of Villanova in 2014. She has been an assistant coach at Stars of Massachusetts Football Club and Keeper Institute Goalkeeper Summit. Kranich will be a fine addition to a team that has been successful in recent years, going 31-14-7 in the Ivy League and looking to become even more competitive in 2017.

 

The Book of Ellis:

Over the last 6 months the USWNT has been using a three-back system for friendlies, an experiment implemented by head coach Jill Ellis. With the United States finishing in last place in the #SheBelievesCup in March, the criticism of the losses has been centered on the new formation. Some of it has been fair (questions of using players full potential in this system) while some of it maybe is a bit premature (asking for Ellis to be let go). Either way, the “Thesis of a Three-Back” seems to have crept into the NWSL mailboxes as required reading material this off-season.

Over the weekend, two teams in particular were using similar formations to that of Ellis and the National team—the Orlando Pride and the Washington Spirit. The Pride went with Laura Alleway, Ali Krieger and Dani Weatherholt as the chosen three, while the Spirit opted for Shelina Zadorsky, Whitney Church and Estelle Johnson.

Washington played Penn State University and earned a 3-0 victory. Orlando hosted Stetson and showed no mercy, producing a nine-goal shutout. Neither PSU nor Stetson were a serious test of the defenses, but could this formation become a trend in the NWSL? While I don’t have a clear answer, I do think if more teams toy with it and it somehow works, it could be intriguing to watch.

Nevertheless, after the embarrassment that was the #SheBelievesCup, I’m not yet sold on the idea of the National Team committing to it.

Around the World of WoSo: USC Victorious; U-20’s Finish Fourth

Posted on by RJ Allen

Japan Grabs Third Place Over U.S.:

The Under-20 Women’s World Cup third place match was one that saw the Americans really struggle against a dominant Japanese group. In the previous three games between these two countries, Japan outscored the U.S. 11-2. So, to some, this was not a surprise and was predicted. To others, this game was a summary of how the American U-20 team has performed this whole tournament: underwhelming and disappointing.

For the first half, the Americans managed to stay afloat, largely in part to goalkeeper Casey Murphy, who made three acrobatic saves to deny the Japanese in her best game of the tournament. The Yanks were in defensive mode and just could not gain quality possession. Yet, Japan ran circles around them and had no problem finding holes in the defense. Japan was not lacking in patience. They continued to pressure and attack the U.S. backline. The U.S. looked uninspired and lethargic, while Japan played with confidence and eagerness.

The American midfield had trouble getting into the attack, which meant limited chances for their two big attacking threats, Mallory Pugh and Ashley Sanchez. As the game went on, Pugh and Sanchez were defending so much that, if they somehow did get the ball, they could not advance into the final third. In fact, when either one of them had the ball, the rest of the team struggled to move up and create an attack. There was no cohesion. It was essentially two versus 10. But maybe that was Michelle French’s only game plan all along.

In the second half, the U.S. finally put together a string of threats, but Japan was organized at virtually every angle. That momentum was short-lived, as the Japanese attack was finally rewarded in the 87th minute. Starting with a turnover from the United States, Japan was off to the races, compiling a few touches to bypass the U.S. midfield. In the blink of an eye, Mami Ueno found herself wide open just inside the eighteen, and with a brilliant chip, she gave Japan the victory. It was Ueno’s fifth goal of the tournament. This is Japan’s best finish at the U-20 level.

Overall, it was a lovely performance by Japan. The U.S., on the other hand,  were left with plenty of questions and “what ifs”. This was the second time the Americans finished fourth at this level.

FIFA Announces COY and POY Shortlists:

Coach of the Year nominees are USA’s Jill Ellis, Germany’s Silvia Neid, and Sweden’s Pia Sundhage. While I understand Neid’s and Sundhage’s inclusion, I don’t like Ellis in this group. Sure, the United States won double-digit games, but they failed at the Olympics and in no way played like the number one team in the world. I do hope Neid wins the award this year, as she has been a tremendous coach and is deserving of the recognition.

As for Player of the Year, Carli Lloyd of USA, Marta of Brazil, and Melanie Behringer of Germany are the nominees. Again, I don’t agree with an American being on the list. I think Behringer should win it. For me, she was the biggest reason Germany was so successful at the Olympics, winning their first gold at the Games in program history.

The winners will be announced January 9, 2017.

Melbourne City Wins Again:

The W-League is off to a wild start, with City leading the way once again. Through four games, City remains undefeated, with 12 points, and are on top of the table. This time, they defeated the Brisbane Roar, which sits in the middle of the table on seven points.

In a 2-1 victory, Jess Fishlock scored for the second consecutive game, helping her team to its fourth-straight win. Erika Tymrak scored the other goal, her first of the season for Melbourne. As if things can’t get any better for City, Bev Yanez is now with the team on loan from Seattle. City’s next game is against Canberra United on December 10th.

Sydney FC Close Behind:

Another team that is dominating competition in the W-League this season is Sydney FC, which has 12 points as well. They have played five matches, but with this latest win over Newcastle, they have now won four in a row. Key players, Kyah Simon, Alanna Kennedy, and Teresa Polias, have all stepped up and played well to so far. The captain, Polias, has the third-most appearances in W-League history with 90, so she has plenty of experience to lead this team.

Sydney takes on Perth Glory December 10th as they look to stay on pace with Melbourne City for the top spot.

Johnson’s Brace Leads USC Past West Virginia for Title:

The USC Trojans and West Virginia Mountaineers played one incredible game on Sunday night. WVU was ranked number one and was expected to be there. USC was ranked seventh and surprised many by making it to the final.

It started off with a bang. Morgan Andrews guided a header past WVU keeper Rylee Foster in the second minute to give USC the lead. It was Morgan’s second goal of the tournament and ninth on the year. It was a shock because this was only the second time WVU trailed a team all year, the first being their match agaist TCU in the Big 12 Championship back in November.

The dream start for the Trojans seems to ignite WVU. For the rest of the game, the Mountaineers were absolutely relentless. Wave after wave, they pressured the opposing defense. Senior leaders, Ashley Lawrence and Kadeisha Buchanan, had USC on their heels. They not only controlled the tempo after the opening goal; they had momentum leading into the second half after attacking USC’S half for an extended amount of time.

Finally, a breakthrough in the 66th minute came for West Virginia. Lawrence fired a shot just outside of the eighteen and caught USC keeper, Sammy Jo Prudhomme, near-post for the equalizer. It was a beautiful goal that merited all of the energy spent on offense up until that time. But USC were not rattled at all, in fact, just 11 minutes later, they put another past Foster. This time, it was Leah Pruitt doing all the hustle to get past the lone WVU defender down the sideline. She found Johnson all alone at the top of the box. Johnson placed it neatly in the right corner, and once again the Trojans had the lead.

USC were not done just yet. With four minutes left, a turnover in the midfield created another opportunity for Johnson, who took the long distance shot for her brace. It was a tremendous effort, which tied her with Morgan for team lead, each having scored 10. Final score was 3-1, but that doesn’t quite do WVU justice for the performance they put in. The Mountaineers outshot the Trojans 20-6, but USC was just more opportunistic in front of goal. For me, it was the best championship game in recent years—it was that good. This was USC’s second title in as many trips—first for third year coach Keidane McAlpine.

U.S. Soccer Announces Nominees for WNT POY and Youth POY:

Five are nominated in each category, with Tobin Heath, Crystal Dunn, Becky Sauerbrunn, Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd for the National Team. At the Youth level, Ashley Sanchez, Andi Sullivan, Emily Ogle, Kaleigh Riehl, and Karina Rodriguez made the list.

My picks would be Heath and Sanchez. Heath had an exceptional year, playing in 22 games and totaling six goals with eight assists. But what doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is her playmaking abilities and how she impacts the game with her skill. She is a player who we have seen mature and one who has continued to polish her game since the second she came on the scene back in 2008. Heath has been instrumental to the team and especially to the midfield.

Sanchez has competed in the U-17 and U-20 World Cups this year while emerging as one of the best youth players in the system. She has tallied seven goals and two assists in 11 games, between the two teams. Her vision is key to her performance, as well as her ability to provide service. Even though she was the youngest on the roster at age 17, she was one of the brightest and most exciting at the U-20 World Cup.

The NT winner will be announced on December 11th, on ESPNFC. The Youth winner will be announced December 12th, also on ESPNFC.

Around the World of WoSo: ACC Title Shared, Manchester City’s Dream Season Ends, Stanford Still Rolling and Another USWNT Roster Announced

Posted on by RJ Allen

Clemson and Notre Dame Share ACC Title:

Clemson defeated Duke over the weekend to take a share of the ACC Title. Sophomore Sam Staab scored the lone goal in the fifth minute of play to finish out the regular season. This is the first conference title for the Tigers since 2000, and second in program history.

Notre Dame ended the regular season by beating Miami 2-0 with goals from senior duo Kaleigh Olmsted and Sandra Yu. The fighting Irish were dominating at home this season, only giving up one goal in 11 games.

Four Teams Remain in ACC Tournament:

The ACC tournament is underway, and it’s already onto the semifinals, with Notre Dame, North Carolina, Clemson and Florida State the remaining competitors. FSU beat Duke 3-2 on penalties while Clemson beat Miami 5-4 on penalties to advance. UNC shocked Virginia 3-0 and Notre Dame beat NC State on an 88th minute goal by junior Kaitlin Klawunder. The Semifinals are on Friday at in Charleston, S.C. as UNC and Notre Dame go at 5:30pm while FSU and Clemson are set for kickoff at 8pm.

Ribeiro leads UConn to AAC Title:

Senior Stephanie Ribeiro netted her 18th and 19th goals on the year as she led Connecticut to a 2-1 victory over East Carolina over the weekend. She also leads the nation in points (49), goals (19) and game winners with 11. This was Ribeiro’s fifth consecutive game with a goal and fifth multi-goal game of the season.

With the win, the #19 ranked Huskies finish the season at 16-2-1. With an impressive 10 wins at home, they have serious home field advantage. They earned their fourth consecutive AAC tournament berth and have the right to host.

Sullivan and Stanford Continue to Impress:

The second ranked Cardinals are on a six game win streak, with California being its latest victim. In those Stanford have tallied 13 goals and conceded three in the process. Junior Andi Sullivan has been a key reason for the Cardinal success, scoring nine goals and grabbing six assists in just 15 games. Sullivan has been showcasing her on penalty abilities, converting four out of four en route to beating Arizona, and Arizona State. Stanford now has 16 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw and currently are first in the PAC-12 standings with nine wins in conference play.

Manchester City’s Fairytale Season Comes to End:

The Ladies of Manchester City have had one memorable season, going unbeaten and earning two trophies along the way. They have the FAWSL leading scorer in Jane Ross, who has been outstanding and consistent all season long. She ends the year with 13 goals and helped the Blues clinch its first title in program history.

This remarkable season came to an end Sunday as City played to a 1-1 draw with Birmingham City LFC to officially be crowned champions. They end with an incredible 16 wins, three draws and no losses. Manchester had no problems sharing the ball, as nine different players getting on the score sheet this season.

USWNT Name Roster for November Friendlies:

Coach Jill Ellis has once again named a 24 player roster for November camp for two games against Romania. The first will be held in San Jose on the 10th, while the second will be in Carson on the 13th. Romania are currently ranked 36th in the world and this will be the first ever meeting between these countries.

Just like the two October games, Ellis has brought in a steady group of veterans and leaving a handful off the roster as well. Among those back after a deserving break include defensive vets Meghan Klingenberg and Ali Krieger. As for the midfield, Megan Rapinoe and Morgan Brian are called in and Alex Morgan has returned after time off. More familiar faces include goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, defenders Kelley O’Hara and Captain Becky Sauerbrunn. The midfield has the Portland Thorn trio of Tobin Heath, Allie Long and Lindsey Horan.

Orlando Pride midfielder Kristen Edmonds gets her first call-up and Western New York Flash defender Jaelene Hinkle is back after a lengthy absence. Portland Thorn goalkeeper as also been called in, replacing Stanford star Jane Campbell. Speaking of Stanford, Andi Sullivan has earned her second call up, making her the only collegiate player on the roster. Chicago Red Star Casey Short has also been called up to camp.

It will be interesting to see if Ellis continues to experiment with a 3-5-2 or if she will put Long (who is used as a midfielder for Portland) at center back once again. Plenty of options for the personnel Ellis have brought in who have shown they can play diverse. Dunn, O’Hara and Christen Press all have the ability to be moved around.

Players will report to camp in the next week and these will be the final two matches in the calendar year for the USWNT.