Tag: Silvia Neid

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

Posted on by RJ Allen

As part of a new series at Backline Soccer, I will be discussing and offering my opinion on a weekly basis, gathering news and topics from all over the world in women’s soccer. That includes (but is not limited to) the U.S. Women’s National Team, National Women’s Soccer League (U.S.), NCAA, and international matters as well.

Let’s start with the good news:

The NWSL is back:

After a two-week Olympic break, the NWSL is back in action. Last week marked the return of USWNT member Ali Krieger to Washington as the Spirit beat Houston 2-1 to claim top spot in the standings. In front of a solid crowd of 5,012, this makeup game (rescheduled from May) proved to be worth the wait. With two beautifully constructed goals from Christine Nairn, the Spirit were on their way to another shutout (seven on the year), but the Dash’s leading scorer, Kealia Ohai, had something to say about that. She managed a goal in the 90th minute to bring her total to five on the season.  In the next week or so, U.S. and foreign international players should be returning to their respective teams. The next game is scheduled for August 26th, as Washington travels to Orlando to take on the Pride. With five weeks left, teams will be looking to make a final push in hopes of earning a playoff spot.

College Soccer is underway:

The 2016 women’s campaign has started, with ACC and SEC powerhouses already colliding, as first-ranked Florida State opened the season by defeating eighth-ranked Texas A&M 1-0 in a tough battle at Ellis Field. Another top 10 encounter saw West Virginia and reigning champions Penn State take a 1-1 draw in a grueling double overtime contest. Santa Clara and USC played a thrilling match that was finally decided in overtime, a 3-2 decision in favor of the Broncos.  Plenty of talent on display every week as young players are eager to make their mark while veterans look to lead their teams to the promised land. That’s what is so great about college soccer—a star could be found anywhere. Sure, big name schools usually have great recruiting classes, but smaller schools in Division I are full of surprises that will unfold throughout the season.

The planned retirement of Silvia Neid:

Ok, so this isn’t exactly the best news, but I feel we should take this opportunity to celebrate what she has done for women’s soccer in Germany over the last few decades. While she is stepping away as head coach, she will now take part in setting up a scouting department for women’s soccer at the GFB (German Football Association). In charge since 2005, Neid has certainly set the standard for women’s soccer in her home country. Under her direction the German Women’s National Team won the 2007 World Cup, two EURO titles in 2009 and 2013, Olympic Bronze in 2008, and now an Olympic Gold, to add to her long list of accomplishments. Neid first captured my attention in that 2007 tournament when she took down Marta and Brazil to claim the championship. What was most impressive about that run was the fact that they didn’t give up a single goal and scored an impressive 21 goals in 6 games. Neid has always shown a desire for winning, and she has done it on every stage.

It wouldn’t be a conversation about Neid if I didn’t mention her choices over the years when it comes to her game-day outfits. She has set the bar extremely high when it comes to fashion on the sidelines. Seriously. Neid has shown an impeccable style and a quiet intensity to match. What I will miss most about Neid on the sidelines is the way she carried herself and the way she wanted the team to carry itself. The expectations were to be champions every year, whether that be the World Cup, Olympics, or Euros—she has done it all. Twice named FIFA World Coach of the Year (2010 & 2013) and hailed by many as the greatest female to ever coach, I forever applaud what she has done for the game as a whole and hope the work she has completed be remembered for a long time.

Moving on to the bad news:

Brazil failing to medal in Rio:

This team always has high expectations as long as Marta is on the field. With fellow veteran Formiga once again in the mix and leading the way, this team could’ve and probably should’ve medaled. As the host country of the Olympic Games, the pressure was probably the highest it’s ever been; even for a women’s team that has not quite been embraced like the men’s side has in its rich history. When they finally reached the bronze medal match, it was not secret they looked tired after playing in back-to-back 120 minutes + penalty kicks in a win vs. Australia in the quarterfinals and a loss to Sweden in the semifinals. Add on the travel Brazil had to do and (not to diminish Canada’s effort) Marta and Brazil just didn’t have enough left to earn that Bronze medal. Not medaling in these games was extremely disappointing, I do find it comforting that in the last game for Brazil was in front of 70,000 excited fans. Which is something that rarely is achieved for the women’s side. And to be embraced for these last few weeks—I know it meant the world to the players who have worked so hard to grow the game in their beloved country.

Brazil Federation still not supportive:

Even with arguably the best player in the game since she was 18, no matter what Marta does to lead her team, Brazil’s soccer federation still doesn’t want to put in the time, money, and resources to support their women’s national team. With plenty of clubs and schools dedicated to males all across the country, they refuse to invest in their female counterparts. With such a proud and successful history, as a whole, within the soccer world, why not support the women who wish to play; who could be the next Marta? During these Games, Brazilians went to games, cheered for the women’s team; created such a memorable atmosphere for them to play in. Isn’t that enough evidence to start seriously investing?  Moving forward and thinking about the next big tournament (the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France), can the women’s team survive another cycle? I sincerely hope this is not the last time we see Marta and her incredibly talented teammates on the field at the biggest stage. It would be cruel and wrong of Brazil’s federation to continue to treat the women’s team like this, with such little respect and recognition. They have more than earned a place in the sport.

Injury for USC Senior:

Not to be drastic or to undermine the talent of the 11th-ranked Trojans this season, but a knee injury to starting center back Dominique Randle (Red Shirt) in the preseason has certainly caught my attention. No stranger to injury (she was forced to redshirt freshman year and saw no playing time in 2013 due to injury), resilience and patience are things she has plenty of. Randle started all 23 games in 2015 and only allowed 11 goals through 20 games (a conference best). She earned PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Week (August 17-23) and went on to lead her team to the third round (Sweet 16) of the NCAA College Cup before losing to top-seeded Virginia 2-0. With the loss of Randle, I do expect the younger players to step up and fill that role nicely. Even with a tough schedule early on, with returning defensive players Sammy Jo Prudhomme (GK) and Kayla Mills (PAC-12 DPOY), I still predict USC doing well and once again making an appearance in the College Cup.