Tag: Sweden

The Netherlands outlast Sweden, and earn the right to take on the United States in the World Cup final

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It wasn’t pretty, but they eventually got the job done. The Netherlands were favorites coming into the match and had just enough to make good on that promise. But those of us who were hoping for an expansive attacking experience had our dreams dashed pretty quickly. The opening half hour was pretty open, with both sides seeming quite willing to try the audacious pass when the chance presented itself. But neither were especially sharp, and after trading a pair of excellent chances in the opening quarter hour, things settled down into a match with a lot of back and forth through the middle of the pitch but not much happening near the goals.

As the match progressed, the ominous possibility of a 0-0 draw and penalties began to loom more and more heavily over the match. And yet…there were some very close calls along the way. It didn’t necessarily feel exciting, but a couple fingertip saves on both sides were necessary to keep things level. A few inches either way and several shots could have gone in, rather than ringing off the post.

But it wasn’t to be. And so extra time arrived. Something neither team would have wanted—given that the winner would need to play against the fittest and most athletic team in the world for the championship in a few days. But neither was willing to switch game plans to open things up, either.

The frustrating part of the game is that both sides actually did a lot of things very well. This wasn’t a situation of two teams both sitting deep and hoping to play on the counter. Both actually played somewhat expansively. Sweden pressed very aggressively for large portions of the game, routinely challenging the Dutch defense all the way back to their own box. And the Netherlands kept pushing high, hoping to hit balls over the press to find their array of attackers.

The result was a match with a lot of good individual performances—almost all happening in the defensive end—but very little variation or excitement. Sweden defended very well collectively, and made it extremely difficult for the Dutch to play. And none of the high quality Dutch attackers ever managed to do much to break the lines. On the other side, the Netherlands backline looked nothing like the porous unit that had struggled so much previously in the tournament. Especially the fullbacks. Van Dongen was immense, and Van Lunteren had the best game I’ve seen from her.

And so Sweden just couldn’t manage to get anything going. But not for lack of trying. Asllani was in constant movement, and tried every trick in her book. But she needed to find the perfect pass and it never came.

And so we mostly got stalemate. A dreary game. Not because they were awful, but because they weren’t good enough to overcome the other. Apart from one moment of magic, the Dutch looked like a limited team out of attacking ideas. But that one moment should serve as a reminder of what this team can actually do.

The Netherlands, after all, absolutely obliterated some excellent teams in the Euros two years ago. We haven’t seen any real evidence that this Dutch team has the energy or form to repeat those performances. But in these tiny glimpses, the quality does show. If they can bring that sort of fire for longer stretches on Sunday, they might just have enough to beat the US.

I wouldn’t bet on it though, especially after they just spent 120 minutes running this game out. And the US will have an extra day’s rest. But that’s why they play the game. So we’ll just have to wait and see!

Netherlands vs. Sweden Preview and What to Watch For

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On paper, Sweden and the Netherlands is a less enticing matchup than the showdown between the US and England that we saw last night. There certainly isn’t as much pedigree. This is only the second appearance for the Dutch, and while Sweden do have some strong showings in their history (including a finals appearance in 2003), they were knocked out in the Round of 16 or earlier in two of the last three competitions.

At the same time, the Dutch are the reigning European champions after cruising to victory in 2017. And Sweden were finalists at the Olympics, the last major global tournament. So it isn’t that surprising to see them both come this far.

They have taken slightly different paths over the intervening years since their recent success. For Sweden, it’s been a period of transition. For the Dutch, it’s been an almost aggressive commitment to staying the course.

Sweden: No longer Pia’s team

The 2016 version of the team were defensively solid—boring if you want to put it nicely, or ‘cowards’ if you’re Hope Solo. This certainly reflected the style of their coach Pia Sundhage, who prioritized efficiency and execution, and got a lot of results in the process.

But after her departure following the 2017 Euros, they brought in a new coach, Peter Gerhardsson, who has tried to instill a more attack-minded and expansive style. The spine of the team remains the same, with veterans like Caroline Seger in midfield, Nilla Fischer in defense, and Hedvig Lindahl in goal combining for over 500 caps. But there have also been some infusions of new blood, and some re-applications of old talent.

With Kosovare Asllani now installed as the number 10, Sweden have a more flamboyant style—one that sacrifices some solidity but creates more exciting chances as a consequence. They’re still not a team that will possess the ball a huge amount against top competition, but their three-player midfield gives them a little bit more control over the center of the pitch. And with wide attackers like Sofia Jakobsson, with the pace to drop back or push forward, they aren’t reduced to merely playing a counter-attacking game.

They certainly will still look to beat their opponents by executing simple tactics well—witness their extremely old fashioned ‘hit balls over the center backs and then run past them and score’ approach against Germany. But this is a team with options, who will be able to adapt their plan for the opposition. Especially if that opponent is extremely predictable. Which, fortunately for the Swedes, describes the Dutch very well.

Netherlands: A free-flowing attack that’s virtually unstoppable…when it’s working

Unlike Sweden, the Dutch squad has worked very hard to undertake as few changes as possible over the past two years. They found a formula that worked in the Euros and are sticking to it like a kid following a paint-by-numbers set. At the tip of the attack is Vivianne Miedema—one of the world’s best strikers, and as capable as anyone of burying chances when they come her way. Out wide, their two creative forwards: Lieke Martens and Shanice van de Sanden. Their job is to spread the defense and then play the ball into space for Miedema to convert. And occasionally to cut in themselves and have a shot.

Behind them: Daniëlle van de Donk, a tireless box-to-box midfielder who deputizes a bit as a ‘#10’ but is really there to bring endless movement to the midfield. She shares the forward midfield role with Jackie Groenen, who provides stability and vision. Groenen is an excellent passer, and one of those players who seems to play three or four moves ahead of everyone else. The final piece of the midfield puzzle is Sherida Spitse—not a true holding midfielder, but someone capable of filling the job in a Dutch side that otherwise lacks a bit for options. Spitse is probably less famous than the other five names in the Dutch front lines, but is potentially their most important player. If she plays well, she’s the gyroscope that keeps everything in balance. If she struggles, it all begins to wobble. Overall, the Netherlands haven’t necessarily looked great through their first five games. But they also haven’t fallen apart. A lot of the credit there probably should go to Spitse.

Those front six are about as locked into place as anything in this tournament. Despite significant struggles (and/or health concerns) for their wide forwards, there have been no changes yet. That stability has its advantages, but might also read as stubbornness. And in such a short and intense tournament, the lack of rotation could be a significant problem.

So rotation (or lack thereof) is one clear danger zone for the Dutch. The other is the backline, which has looked porous and ill-fitting all tournament. They’ve gotten away with it, but their match against Japan to advance from the Round of 16 showed just how fragile this defensive unit really is, especially when faced with teams that can move the ball quickly and generate new angles for attack. They’ve also struggled in possession, withering in the face of an aggressive press.

What to watch for

These strengths and weaknesses suggest the potential for a tactically intriguing match. The Dutch are susceptible to being picked apart. And Sweden has the potential to build that sort of attack. But they’re not Japan, so if they really try to play that way, the Swedes could find themselves a bit more open than they’re comfortable with. That’s particularly dangerous when facing a Dutch attack that loves to see space in wide areas for them to run into.

Conversely, the Dutch have had a lot of trouble creating chances on the ground. Their wide forwards have rained in a million crosses, but generally not very good ones. A solid backline could potentially afford to pack it in and simply knock all those crosses out of the way. Miedema is always a danger, but if she only really has one vector for attack, she’s probably more manageable.

So how will Sweden try to play? Will they push forward in possession and try to break the game open? Or will they simply drop back and defend? If the latter, will Netherlands’ head coach Sarina Wiegman have come up with a plan for her team that helps them pick that lock? So far, they’ve done precious little through the middle. But players like Martens, Groenen, and van de Donk (not to mention some options that have mostly been sitting on the bench) have the skill to take on that challenge.

It’s all delicately poised. You probably wouldn’t go wrong to bet on this to look somewhat similar to the famous USA v. Sweden game from the Olympics in 2016, with the Netherlands generally controlling the game but not finding much luck actually getting the ball to Miedema in a position to score. It’s an obvious approach for Sweden, and one with much to recommend it. But they have more tricks up their sleeves than a simple bunker.

The Dutch are pretty heavily favored to win by the bookmakers. That is probably right. They are the stronger team on paper, and even without firing on all cylinders yet, they’ve probably performed better in this tournament. But Sweden are no pushovers. If I were betting, I’d probably put money on Sweden. They’re underdogs, but maybe not quite as heavy underdogs as the odds makers think.

Women’s World Cup Daily: The Axis Falls

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Italy 0 – 2 Netherlands

This was always going to be a tough challenge for Italy, and they gave it a real go. But after the teams came back out from halftime, the writing was pretty quickly on the wall. Under a blazing hot sun, playing their fifth game in three weeks, the Italian players were truly struggling to keep up the pace. The ball virtually never left the Italian half. Or if it did, it was only a hopeful long ball which was quickly snagged by a Dutch defender and immediately returned. It felt like only a matter of time before they scored, and so it proved.

The two goals both came on set pieces. Perhaps strangely, given that Italy’s obviously tired limbs seemed more exploitable in open play. But it turned out to be the dead ball situations that got them – with first Miedema and then Van der Gragt simply leaping over the opposition to power home goals.

It wasn’t a game that either side will much want to revisit. For all their dominance during the second half, the Dutch never really looked like they were doing much until their opponents began to fall apart. There will still be many doubts about their ability to unlock a defense better equipped to resist. For the Italians, the first half felt like a genuine competition, but it never really seemed plausible that they would score after the half, so even a 1-0 lead for the Dutch seemed pretty insurmountable.

For all that, I do want to hit a couple themes from the game.

First, Italy’s intriguing formation. They set up in a 4-3-1-2, with Aurora Galli as a free floating #10 in between the frontline and midfield. It’s a peculiar setup, one that you don’t see very often because it has some significant limitations. But for this game, it actually worked pretty well. Italy generally looked to defend deep, with two banks fairly close together. Normally, it would be two banks of four, but here they sacrificed some solidity in the middle for a roving presence higher up. It worked well because the Dutch seemed completely unable or unwilling to shift the ball into the middle.

The result was something very similar to last night’s game between the US and France, with Italy taking on the role of the Americans. Effectively, they dared the Dutch: here is an opening, go ahead and try to exploit it. And the Netherlands couldn’t do it. Every attack went down the wings, mostly turning into over-hit crosses or soft, low balls that were cleared easily.

And, because Galli was moving freely outside of the defensive lines, when the Dutch tried to recycle play out, she was often in unexpected places and able to snag a few interceptions and launch counter attacks.

They couldn’t sustain this approach into the second half (see above re: heat and exhaustion). But for 45 minutes it really worked.

Second, the continuing struggles of the Dutch wingers. This was another awful game for Van de Sanden. And while Lieke Martens was able to play – after some injury concerns – she was again pretty anonymous. These are two superstar players, but they’re simply not getting it done. And it can’t have helped to run around in the heat today either. To be fair, once Lineth Beerensteyn came on (as I have been yelling about for a week now), she didn’t really do much either. But it remains a real issue, and one that could really use fixing. The Netherlands now have five wins so far, without ever really looking like they were that good. But we have absolutely seen them perform at the highest level. If they can get things to click into gear, there’s zero reason why they couldn’t win two more games and take home the cup.

Germany 1 – 2 Sweden

I tried to watch this game, but it turns out that tethering to my cell phone and then using VPN to pretend I’m in the US was a bridge too far. So I didn’t see a second. But it sounds like Sweden more or less executed the plan that has looked promising against Germany before: give them the ball but defend well, and then hit them with long balls that exploit their weakness and slowness in central defense.

And so Germany go out earlier than expected. They certainly did not have as successful a tournament as I thought they would, both in terms of the final result and in terms of performances across the games. They weren’t bad, but they also weren’t good. Which isn’t that different from the four teams that did make the semifinals, all of whom have shown some real weaknesses. But the Germans couldn’t manage to overcome them, and so here we are.

It can’t go without mentioning that part (maybe a big part) of the reason they have struggled is that they lost their best player after the first game (because the referee decided to let China play recklessly – a point that I’m not going to let go). They have enough depth that it really shouldn’t have been devastating, but it is certainly part of the equation.

Sweden, meanwhile, are into the semifinal. They underwhelmed a bit in the group stage, but are a genuinely exciting team. You might not know that from the commentary about them, which still seems to believe that this is Pia Sundhage’s team that defended their way to an Olympic final three years ago. There is still plenty of defensive solidity here, but they can play many ways. They probably won’t be favorites against the Netherlands, but there really isn’t much between them.

Notes

– Coming into the tournament, four teams were regarded by the bookies as being a clear step above the rest: the US, France, Germany, and England. Until this evening, they had collectively won 18 of 19 games, with the only loss being France’s defeat to the US. Frankly, it wasn’t really a surprise that one of those teams eventually lost to someone else. It’s more weird that it took so long.

– This was my first experience seeing the Netherlands traveling fans, and it was everything I had been told, and more. Truly amazing to see the walk before the game, and to hear them all in the stadium during the match.

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– I’m off to Lyon! I’ve got an early train tomorrow and will spend the afternoon getting settled and exploring a bit. I’ve never really been to the south of France, so it will be a new experience.

– (Germany and Italy were two of the primary Axis powers, while Sweden was non-aligned and the Netherlands were, of course, occupied. With the US and England making up the rest of the quartet, it’s certainly a good day for the Allies.)

 

Women’s World Cup Daily: Previewing the Quarterfinals

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After a lovely trip to Newcastle and a conference on social and political philosophy concluded, I am back in France and ready to brave the weather to see some exciting quarterfinal ties.

As you may have noticed, it’s effectively the US against the world at this point. If you want to see my thoughts on what this European dominance means, check out my piece over at AllForXI.

Norway v. England (27 June – Le Havre)

A rematch of the Round of 16 game from the last World Cup. England won that showdown and will be favored to come out ahead here again. But not heavily favored. On paper, the England squad is superior, with better top-level talent and greater depth. But that certainly does not mean Norway is weak. And what they may lack in individual ability, they have made up for with organization and structure. Their greatest weakness is an over-reliance on a few players to orchestrate the attack. If England can successfully mark Graham Hansen, for example, they will significantly dull the edge of Norway’s attack. By contrast, England have five or six viable fulcrums of the attack, and multiple players in most of those positions who can provide different variations. Look for Lucy Bronze at right back to play a crucial role. Her ability to overlap wide right, or to tuck in and create from a more central position could go a long way to unlocking the Norwegian defense.

One other point to look out for: both England center backs are in doubt—Steph Houghton from the injury she received from a vicious tackle at the end of their match against Cameroon. Millie Bright to a flu bug that’s apparently working through the camp. However, coach Phil Neville has rotated heavily, with an eye toward ensuring that anyone could step into the team if need be. That has been widely attacked by the English press, but may yet prove to be prescient here.

France v. United States (28 June – Paris)

This is the game we all marked on our calendars last winter when the draw was announced. And now it’s finally arrived. A couple of days ago, after a very difficult match against Brazil, France was being talked down significantly. Then the next day the US needed a couple of soft penalties to defeat Spain and things were recalibrated again. To my eyes, this remains every bit the exciting clash that it was always expected to be. Neither team is flawless, but both are exceptionally good. And I have a feeling that we’ll see both bring good performances here.

The game is likely to be defined primarily by who controls the wide spaces. Both sides like to attack with width, though it’s more of an absolute religion with the US than with France. A huge amount will therefore depend on which of those wide strikers turn up on the day. For the US, Megan Rapinoe has looked well off her game. But if she can find her form—or if Ellis does the somewhat unthinkable and starts Christen Press there instead—the left wing could be an important danger zone, given that Torrent at right back is exploitable for France. By the same token, Crystal Dunn has had a lot of difficulty at left back, and she hasn’t come up against anyone nearly as good as Kadidiatou Diani or Delphine Cascarino.

But while the wings will be crucial, we shouldn’t completely ignore the middle. With players like Rose Lavelle and Sam Mewis in fine form, the US has finally started to generate dangerous attacks from the inside out at this tournament. If they can maintain that sort of passing acumen here, it could make it much harder for France to cover all their gaps. But that will be no easy thing, given the strength of the French midfield. It all may therefore come back to Amandine Henry. If she produces a game at the top of her abilities, it could be enough to shift the whole tide in France’s favor.

Italy v. Netherlands (29 June – Valenciennes)

Every team left at this stage is excellent, but these are arguably two of the least-excellent teams remaining. In theory, the Dutch are the stronger team. The 2017 European champions are stuffed full of attacking talent, and should have enough to overpower an Italian defense that hasn’t yet had to face anything on this level. But at least so far, the Netherlands hasn’t been able to produce the sort of free-floating attack that we’ve all hoped to see. Their two wide forwards, Lieke Martens and Shanice Van de Sanden have both been well out of form, and the whole team seems to be lacking in ideas. If Vivianne Miedema has a good game, it probably won’t matter since she can score a brace from one and a half chances. But if she doesn’t, it’s unclear where the goals will come from at the moment.

Italy looked knackered against China, and I worry for them having to play another game on short rest. But of all the teams at this stage, they’ll be feeling the least pressure and will have the best chance to let the adrenaline carry them. Strong defensive positioning may be enough to keep them from getting overrun, and they have the personnel to come at the Dutch defense quickly—not so much through individual speed, but through quick and intelligent ball movement.

Germany v. Sweden (29 June – Rennes)

The Germans have not been especially fancied, but have done their business with relative calm all tournament. After an extremely difficult opening hour against China, they haven’t really been troubled. I don’t see any particular reason to think Sweden will be the team to knock them out, though there also isn’t any reason they couldn’t get it done. Both of these teams have been unfairly treated as ‘boring’ in quite a few corners, but there’s actually quite a lot here to enjoy.

On both sides, an impact sub could end up making a big difference. For Germany, it doesn’t sound like Dzsenifer Maroszán will be able to play a full 90 (or 120) on her broken toe but might be able to come in for a crucial late intervention.  For Sweden, Lina Hurtig got a full match against Thailand but has otherwise been a late substitute in the other three games. She’s exceptionally talented and might just be the spark they need.

Predictions

According to the betting odds, England, the US, and the Netherlands are modest favorites, while Germany are a bit heavier favorites. I do think those are the four likely winners, but I also would be tempted to take the odds and bet on the underdog in three of the four cases (with Italy the one exception).

Women’s World Cup Daily: Previewing the Round of 16

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Tomorrow begins the knockout stage. While we all take a break today, here is a preview for each match. If you want a bit more detail on a couple of the most tantalizing games, head over and check out our own Allison Cary’s post on the Top Three Matchups in the Round of 16.

Germany – Nigeria (22 June, Grenoble)

Germany will be heavy favorites, but it would be a huge mistake to write off Nigeria. They were after all one bizarre penalty retake away from earning a draw against France. And their strike force has the speed and intelligent movement to wreck the fragile Germany defense. The big question will be whether Nigeria can do enough to harass the German midfield. If this turns into a training ground exercise sort of match, with Nigeria endlessly chasing, I have faith in Germany’s ability to pick off the defense and score the goals they’ll need.

Norway – Australia (22 June, Nice)

One of the most exciting matches of this round. If you subtract Sam Kerr, Norway has arguably the stronger team in all three lines right now. Of course, add Kerr back and the equations start to change pretty rapidly. Not only is she arguably the best striker in the world, her mere presence warps games and forces the other team to re-organize to accommodate. It will be fascinating to see how this plays out. In theory, this should be a high-scoring thriller, with Norway using their ability to attack directly to pose all sorts of troubles for Australia’s cobbled-together backline, and Australia firing back with Kerr and Foord up top. But it could go very much in the other direction. If Norway decide to focus on controlling the midfield and starving Kerr of chances, this might end up a tedious 0-0 decided on penalties.

England – Cameroon (23 June, Valenciennes)

England went three-for-three in the group stage without quite kicking into full gear. This could be more of the same, against a Cameroon team who has proven to be quite difficult to play without posing nearly as much attacking threat as anticipated. As with every England game, one big question will be who Phil Neville chooses to play. It’s a squad with a huge amount of depth, and with five or six spots where you can make compelling arguments in multiple directions about who to play. Will he go with experience or youth? Pace or precision? Volatility or dependability? I’m particularly curious to see whether Georgia Stanway might have done enough to play herself into taking over the role of creative midfielder from Fran Kirby.

France – Brazil (23 June, Le Havre)

This is the glamor tie of the round, with two of the great names in world soccer. But these are very much two teams moving in different directions. France is a co-favorite for the tournament, while Brazil is an aging team trying to eke out one more result before their key players shuffle off the stage. Still, for all their struggles coming into the tournament (nine losses in a row!), Brazil managed six points in the group stage, including a solid performance against Italy in their last game. But for all that Italy has been great, they’re no France. Brazil will need much better from Marta (who hasn’t really contributed much, to be honest) and will need flawless games from the likes of Thaisa and Andressinha. That’s certainly possible, but if they expose any cracks, that midfield is going to get absolutely run over by France, and that will probably be the game.

USA – Spain (24 June, Reims)

If this game feels familiar, it should. The US played Spain just five months ago. It was a 1-0 game for the US that day, but Spain earned plaudits for their excellent possession and ability to control the game for long stretches. Expect some of the same this time, but probably to a lesser extent. The US were in their off-season last time, with Spain right in the middle of their season. That’s not true now, and it’s hard to see this version of the US conceding any space for Spain to play. The main question for the game is whether Spain is able to exert enough control in the middle of the pitch to dictate play, or if the US can overload the wings and bring overwhelming force to bear against the center backs before anyone can get back to help them. I’m betting on the latter, and would be surprised at any result other than a comfortable win for the US.

Sweden – Canada (24 June, Paris)

This has been widely billed as a boring tie between two teams that play hyper-defensively. Which is a good test of whether folks have actually been watching Sweden. Because this version of Sweden is hardly the stolid defending team that rode a series of drab games to the Olympic final three years ago. They may not be scoring much, but it’s not for lack of trying. They’re not going to say damn the torpedoes and go full leather into the attack, but this shouldn’t be a completely cagey match, and has at least some potential to be genuinely interesting. Both coaches have the ability and willingness to adapt, which could make for some fascinating chess as the game progresses.

Italy – China (25 June, Montpellier)

Italy were the surprise winners of Group C and as a reward got a game that certainly looks easier on paper than their groupmates. But in practice, this looks like precisely the sort of team that Italy will hate to play. China showed against Germany that they have the ability to play an aggressive physical game which depends very little on doing anything constructive. But Italy’s success so far has largely come from two things. First, picking at the weak spots in their opponent’s setup and then ruthlessly exploiting them. Second, using their physicality to disrupt the opposition, riding their luck a little bit to avoid getting tossed into the sin bin. Will they have the same results against the chaotic bundle of energy that is China? On the opposite side, will China look to play at full tilt like they did against Germany, or will they sit a bit deeper and ride their luck like they did against Spain. The former was far more successful than the latter, so I’d be surprised to see anything else here. Let’s all say a brief prayer for the lower-body health of Italy’s forwards.

Netherlands – Japan (25 June, Rennes)

On paper, this looks like the most exciting match of the round. Two teams with a lot of attacking potential, but in very different styles. The Dutch will look to spread the defense, to create spaces for Miedema to work in, and to give their wide attackers targets to ping with crosses, and create room for slashing runs. This relies on a great deal of technical ability but is fundamentally about vertical movement. Japan, by contrast, are all about triangles. They’ll hope to move the ball quickly through the middle. So far, Japan has been more potential than reality, and my gut tells me that will continue here as well. The Netherlands are absolutely exploitable, but I’m not sure Japan has enough firepower to match the goals they’re likely to concede. At the risk of invoking the pundit’s curse and ensuring this ends up 0-0, I’d expect goals—quite a lot of goals—here.  

Women’s World Cup Daily – June 20

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June 20: Matchday 14

The group stage is over. It took 14 days and 32 games to eliminate a grand total of eight teams. It’s actually kind of a silly process, but so many of these games have been so great that I find it hard to really complain. 

Cameroon 2 – 1 New Zealand

Netherlands 2 – 1 Canada

In the day’s early games, the Netherland confirmed their status at the top of the group with a win, albeit not a particularly easy one. The real excitement was in Cameroon v. New Zealand, where we looked set for yet another ‘draw that helps neither team’ until literally the final seconds of the game, when Cameroon found their winner. It was an absolutely magical moment for them, and a well-deserved result for a team that has played tough in all three games. That result did eliminate Argentina and Thailand, and really put the pressure on Chile for the late game–forcing them to win by a clear three goals to advance.

The Canada-Netherlands game mostly confirmed things we already knew about these teams. Canada did an excellent job killing off the game for about an hour – showing why many of us have tipped them as team that could go further than might seem plausible. They’re not going to beat many of the other top teams, in the sense of outplaying them. But they can neutralize just about anyone. 

At the same time, the Dutch did find two goals, one more than Canada had conceded over the entire rest of 2019. So even though the Netherlands still didn’t quite look right, there were a few solid glimpses of the team that won the Euros. It was enough to net them the two goals they needed. 

If they expect to go significantly further in the tournament, they’re going to need to get better performances from their defenders, who once again looked pretty shaky. They also may want to consider whether the likes of Jill Roord and Lineth Beerensteyn might deserve a start. They’ve been getting very little from Lieke Martens and Shanice van de Sanden. It’s hard to argue against going with proven talent, and the substitutions have been working well. But they’ve also had to ride a decent bit of luck to win their three games.

Sweden 0 – 2 United States

Thailand 0 – 2 Chile

Heartbreak for Chile, who came achingly close to qualifying for the knockout stage by only managing two of the three goals they needed. I was in Le Havre watching the US so I didn’t get a chance to see it, but it sounds like this was the truly exciting match of the late time slot, one which was unfortunately probably seen by a tiny fraction of the people who watched the other game.

But since I was one of those who watched the other game, that’s where I’ll have to restrict my comments.

After two matches that were effectively uncontested, the US finally got to face some serious opposition. It didn’t actually look that serious in the opening twenty or thirty minutes, as the US moved at breakneck speed and looked like a constant threat to score. Sweden struggled badly in this period to do anything with the ball, occasionally finding a little space out wide but almost nothing else. And they also seemed at a loss to cope with the US ball movement and speed of play. They didn’t really press, but also didn’t drop back to limit space. They mostly just backpedaled and then got turned by either a dribble or pass. It looked like it might turn into another bloodbath.

But eventually Sweden got their bearings, and the US dropped off a bit. The second half was much closer, with Sweden finding a lot more time on the ball, getting a lot of dangerous play from Kosovare Asllani in the middle and from Sofia Jackobsson out wide. Fridolina Rolfo also looked dangerous after she came on as a substitute.

Still, in spite of those threats, the US never really looked to be in danger. After a wonder goal from Tobin Heath (officially listed as an own goal), they rested fairly easily on their 2-0 margin.

In the end, that pretty much just means they held serve. This was a second-string Sweden team, with quite a few changes from their primary XI, and the US would have been expected to win pretty easily. Which they did. And that’s fine. When you’re the best team in the tournament, as long as you hold serve you’ll probably win. 

But this certainly was’t a dominant performance, and it showed that all the weaknesses we’ve discussed at length are still there. 

It also exposed one newish weakness: Megan Rapinoe. I don’t think this is actually that new of a phenomenon, since I actually struggle to think of examples from this year when she’s really been Megan Rapinoe. But this was a particuarly rough game for her. She was virtually nonexistent in the attack, and actively blew up several promising moves. It’s possible that this is her lingering injury. Maybe it’s rust from lack of training and limited games. Maybe she’s just finally reverted to the aging curve we all expected her to follow a couple years ago. Or maybe it’s just a bad patch and she’ll be back in top shape soon. I certainly don’t feel comfortable saying for sure. But given how dynamic Christen Press has been in that exact role, it’s certainly time to at least consider whether Press should be the first choice there for the upcoming knockout games.

Notes

– If you didn’t see it already, check out my post on last night’s truly mad experience: Scotland, Argentina, and the Human Condition.

– The second US goal was allowed to stand. And according to the rules as they appear to be written (and interpreted), that is apparently the correct call. But by any reasonable interpretation, it should clearly have been disallowed. Carli Lloyd very obviously interfered with play from an offside position. This is the rule, apparently. But it is an absolute nonsense rule and we should absolutely not tolerate it.

Tomorrow’s action

There are no games tomorrow. I don’t really know what we’re supposed to do with ourselves, to be completely honest.

 

Women’s World Cup Daily – June 16

Posted on by RJ Allen

June 16: Matchday 10

Sweden 5 – 1 Thailand

Sweden get the three points, as expected, and pretty easily in the process. This group is very strange, with both of the big teams having faced incredibly weak opposition in their first two games. Everyone else is a week or more into a serious tournament, while the US and Sweden are still out there on the training ground. I don’t know if that will end up mattering, but it’s certainly peculiar.

Sweden will be happy to see some of their important attackers open their accounts, and in convincing fashion as well. They ‘only’ got five (and the fifth was a literal last-second VAR handball penalty). But there were a couple very nice goals in the mix.

Again, it’s Thailand, so don’t read too much into into, but for a Swedish side that often looks ponderous despite having a lot of theoretical firepower, a few nice goals are a good segue into their big match against the US. They’ll be much happier with their first half performance, but even the second half saw a few very nice moves – especially the 4th goal which was just about the perfect example of how to create space out wide and then execute a thumping header.

For Thailand, this was another frustrating game, but one with some genuine positives to take away. They put up far more opposition this time around – actually making some threatening attacks, and doing a bit more to disrupt play, especially in the second half. And they were rewarded with a genuinely deserved goal at the end. 

The first half was better than last time, but still exhibited many of the fundamental problems that had plagued them against the US: physical deficiencies and a lack of technique, combined with a frankly bizarre approach to the game. Repeatedly, they lingered on the ball and were dispossessed, or tried a low percentage pass which obviously went awry, rather than a safer play that would have allowed them to regroup a bit. It genuinely seemed to me like they were a team that had never faced opposition that were better than them, and how no idea how to adapt. They were continuing to play like you would against inferior opponents, and then getting stomped by Sweden when it didn’t come off.

It may have been the halftime talk, nerves finally settling a bit, or something else, but when they came out for the second half they finally looked like the team we had expected going into the tournament. Still the worse team in many ways, but with a far more coherent approach to the game. The defensive shape was more solid, covering players started backing up the first line of defense, and they even started winning some tackles. And when they got the ball, there was a bit more clarity, with players starting to pick their heads up and assess, rather than dribbling into a sea of Swedish defenders or sending an aimless pass away to no one.

Dropping Miranda Nild into the midfield made a big difference here. She wasn’t a particularly good defender one-on-one, but she did a lot to occupy space. And she got much more time on the ball – where she was a critical calming presence. The same can be said of Silawan Intamee, who put in a real shift today, and did a huge amount to buy her team some breathing room. And of course the goal-scorer Kanjana Sung-Ngoen, who kept making those runs all game, and was finally rewarded at the end.

I’m now thoroughly invested in the Thailand Redemption Arc, so I hope their final match against Chile is at least competitive. If they can play like they did in the second half, it should be.

USA 3 – 0 Chile

This was another dominant performance from the United States. They scored 10 fewer goals, but a huge part of that is the difference between an almost impossibly bad goalkeeping performance in the Thailand game and an almost impossibly good performance from Christiane Endler today. Chile also put up sterner opposition, of course, but with a different keeper this could easily have been 7-0 or even worse.

The US made a whole host of changes, and with the substitutions, they’ve now given minutes to every single field player, which is a major change from past iterations of the team. Several of the new additions did very well. I’m not sure anyone did enough to play themselves into the starting XI, especially given how much Ellis tends to lock herself into place on that front.

But this game certainly demonstrated that the US can handle some necessary rotation in the frontline. Christen Press was phenomenal out wide, which actually isn’t anything new – she’s really grown into the wide role a lot in the past couple years. But this was maybe the best she’s played there, and a clear demonstration that she can be a fantastic creative force out wide, as well as a serious goal-scoring threat. If not for Endler standing on her head, Press would have had a brace, maybe more.  In the middle, Carli Lloyd got two goals and was once again dangerous. It didn’t seem like she was really up for 90 minutes at full throttle, but it remains abundantly clear that Lloyd is not here as a token gesture. She remains a deadly player in the attack who will absolutely contribute going forward. And then there’s Jess McDonald, who earned her first World Cup minutes, and nearly got a goal in the process. McDonald’s story is truly wonderful, and I hope to discuss it more in a piece coming later.

Further back, Morgan Brian looked good, and even more important: she seemed to grow into the game. Her first half was fine, but her second half was truly impressive. With Ertz lifted, Brian occupied a deeper holding role, and did so with distinction, controlling play, spraying passes, and generally making it impossible for Chile to do much of anything on the rare occasions when they got the ball. It’s been a long, hard road back for Brian, but she’s here, and showed today that it’s not just a legacy thing. She played very well. And you could tell a similar story about Ali Krieger, who seemed far far away from the national team just a few months ago. But tonight she played 90 minutes and more than held her own in the process.

So what is there to ultimately make of all this? Well, to be completely honest, probably not that much. All we really learned is that the B team is also excellent, and they all appear to be primed to contribute whenever they’re called on. That’s hugely important, but it’s not really news. Beyond that, the US thoroughly outplayed Chile, surprising no one. But the unfortunate reality is that these were more training senses than true matches. The next five games are the real World Cup, and until we see how the US fares in higher stakes matches, we can’t really say anything for sure.

Notes

Before the tournament I tweeted:

I was thinking about that today, and celebrating just how much I’ve learned over the course of this tournament. How many names that were entirely unfamiliar but who are now on the tip of my tongue. How many teams I now understand far better. How many stories I have now heard.

And then multiply by by a thousand, by ten thousand, by a million. How many people before today knew about Endler? And how many more will now remember this performance forever? Think about how many games Kanjana Sung-Ngoen has played in her career, how many goals she’s scored, that went almost entirely unnoticed. And then think about how many people around the world celebrated with her today.

And then think about just how much more there still is for all of us to learn. 

It’s truly wonderful to be a part of it. I hope you’re all enjoying it as much as me.

Tomorrow’s action

  • China – Spain. This will be a really tricky one. Both are on three points and are just about through, no matter the result. But a 2-0 or 3-0 could still leave them potentially vulnerable to being overtaken for that last 3rd place slot. The additional complicating factor is that it’s almost certainly preferable to finish 3rd in this group rather than second. The runner-up will probably play the US, while the 3rd place team will play someone much worse. Spain are currently ‘winning’ the tiebreaker, so a draw would leave them second. Top-level teams are never going to throw a game, but it can certainly influence tactical setup. Basically, expect China to play for an aggressive 0-0 draw.
  • South Africa – Germany. South Africa are all but eliminated, and Germany are virtually certain to finish top of the group. Germany need at least a point here to ensure they don’t get stuck playing the US, so they’re not going to take it easy, but I don’t expect a full-scale assault. This feels like a comfortable 2-0 to Germany.
  • Nigeria – France. A point would guarantee Nigeria a spot in the knockout stage, while a narrow loss would leave them in decent shape, but needing results elsewhere to go their way. On sheer quality, France should win this comfortably. But they don’t need much from this game and several of their key players are banged up, so will probably rest. That could give Nigeria some space.
  • South Korea – Norway. South Korea are all but eliminated and would to win by 2 or 3 goals to even have a chance. That’s unlikely, though certainly not impossible. But more realistically, they’re playing for pride here. On the other side, Norway could lose this game and still probably finish second, though they obviously prefer to win and lock that down.

I’ll be in Le Havre to see China v. Spain. I hope it’s fascinating, though I fear it will be a tedious 0-0 where no one does much of anything. Either way, it will likely determine who the US plays in the round of 16 so from an American perspective it will certainly be worth watching.

Women’s World Cup Daily – June 11

Posted on by RJ Allen

June 11: Matchday 5

New Zealand 0 – 1 Netherlands

I was only able to watch about 20 minutes of this game (see below in the Notes), but I followed along electronically the best I could. From what I can tell, this was not one of those games which requires us to ask whether New Zealand deserves credit for shutting down the Dutch, or the Dutch deserve blame for failing to create anything. Rather, it’s one of those games where the Dutch created a million chances and eventually one of them went in.

Compare, for example, these two performances:

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xG isn’t the end-all and be-all, but it certainly tells part of the story. And the story here was: the Netherlands were unlucky in their finishing. And considering the lethal strikers they have at their disposal, there’s no particular reason to think that will continue. Again, not having watched most of the game, I’d caution against assuming that the Dutch are in trouble.

For New Zealand, this was an agonizing result. To hold out for 90 minutes only to concede at the death will be frustrating beyond belief. But they didn’t really need anything from this game. They kept their goal difference down against the high-scoring Dutch, which likely ensures that a single victory will be enough to make them one of the advancing 3rd-place teams. Anything beyond that is gravy.

Chile 0 – 2 Sweden

Unlike the day’s first game, this was an example of a heavy favorite being unable to break the deadlock because they genuinely just couldn’t create enough chances. But unlike yesterday’s masterful team defensive performance from Argentina, Chile was merely solid. They set up their defensive block, and waited for Sweden to come at them. And it mostly worked.

The opening fifteen minutes were nervy, and Sweden looked like they were inching closer and closer to the goal. But instead of heightening, the pressure began to ease. By the 60th minute, it increasingly felt like we were in for another 0-0.

But then came the weather delay. After a lengthy wait for the lightning to depart, the teams came back out, and Sweden finally seemed to have developed a bit of urgency, and an understanding that going wide and sending in crosses is not a complete strategy. And so the goal finally did come, and then another to seal the deal.

It wasn’t a great performance from Sweden, but they got the job done. Meanwhile, Chile did more than enough to do themselves proud, without quite ending up with anything to show for it.

USA 13 – 0 Thailand

I talked about my thoughts here.

I have literally nothing to say about the specific content of the game. We learned no lessons, and there is nothing important here to analyze. The US got the three points they were always going to get. Time to move on.

Notes

– This afternoon, I took the train from Paris to Reims to catch the US game. It was extremely fast. I love the trains of Europe so very much.

– My plan was to get to Gare de l’Est an hour early and catch the first half of New Zealand-Netherlands in a bar or café. But I couldn’t find a single place showing it! To be somewhat fair, that was partly because TVs are less ubiquitous in Parisian establishments than in US ones. And I managed in my broken French to ask in several places with TVs if they would put it on (French friends: does “est possible de regarder la Coupe de Monde Feminin?” mean what I think it means?), but they didn’t have the channel.

– One underrated storyline: the US just played its first game of the World Cup. One day later, France will play its second. If that quarterfinal does end up happening, that means the US will have played five games in 18 days, while France will have played the same number of games spread out over 22 days. That extra little bit of rest could make a real difference.

– My official position on the Hope Solo/Jill Ellis ‘controversy’ is that I don’t care about it at all and you shouldn’t either.

– For those keeping track, these are the Official Players of the Backline Soccer Women’s World Cup daily column: Barbara Bonansea (Italy), Sydney Schneider (Jamaica), Lorena Benítez (Argentina), Miranda Nild (Thailand).

Tomorrow’s action

  • Nigeria – South Korea. The two teams from Group A that lost their first game. South Korea were blitzed by France, while Nigeria played Norway a bit more evenly. But it all resets here. In this format, though, even three points is usually enough to make the next round, so neither are anything close to out.
  • Germany – Spain. The two winners from Group B, neither of which really performed up to expectations. Both faced teams that mostly sought to frustrate rather than create, so this will be a very different test. Germany will be missing Maroszán, after the referee in the previous game allowed China to kick her to pieces, which is a big loss. But if there’s any country in the world that can survive her absence, it’s probably Germany.
  • France – Norway. This should be a much sterner test for France than their opening match. If they can brush Norway aside as easily as they did South Korea, they will truly lock down their status as World Cup favorites. For Norway, with three points in the bag, they can treat this as a bit of a freebie, which might give them the freedom to find a result.

Euro Roundup: WSL, Sweden, UWCL and the International Break

Posted on by RJ Allen

WSL Title Race

The NWSL may have just started but other leagues are nearing the end of their current seasons. One, in particular, is WSL1, which saw a big shock this weekend when Reading beat first-place Manchester City 2-0. Reading have been a tough team to beat this season and are starting to really show just how good they can be. An improvised bicycle kick finish by Remi Allen put the Royals in front and Kirsty Pearce secured the win for them despite going down to 10 players. City had plenty of chances but just couldn’t get past Mary Earps in the Reading goal.

Had City won, they would have capitalised on Chelsea dropping points to their London rivals Arsenal. The Chelsea-Arsenal matchup is always close and full of drama, and this one lived up to it. Sari van Veenendaal made an error in clearing the ball, which Ramona Bachmann latched onto before sending it into Fran Kirby. Kirby took a touch and poked it past Veenendaal to get her 20th goal in all competitions this season. Beth Mead leveled it up for Arsenal right before halftime with a great solo goal. She made a good run, beat a couple of the defenders, and finished well. She was easily one of the best players in that game and fully deserved the goal.

Birmingham City quietly moved up to third in the table with a good 2-0 win against Sunderland and Liverpool kept themselves near enough in the top five with a 4-0 win against Yeovil Town. Arsenal are just ahead in fourth of Liverpool on goal difference.

With matches still to be rearranged after weather delays, and some teams having games in hand, this title race could go right down to the wire. There is no room for error for any of the top five.

Sweden

As most of you will have heard by now, Christen Press has joined her former team Kopparbergs/Göteborg on a short team deal after the interesting saga with the Houston Dash. Press was last with this team after WPS folded, a spell with the club saw the team win the Svenska Cupen.

It’s been a few years, so let’s look at where the club is now and where the league is currently. Press has come into the league at the start with the Damallsvenskan kicking off April 14. Kopparbergs will kick off their season away against Rosengard on the 16th. Rosengard were runners-up last season, while Kopparbergs finished eighth last season out of 12 teams and will be looking to improve on that.

UEFA Women’s Champions League

This is another club competition nearing its finale for the season. UWCL is highly regarded as it really shows who is the best in Europe. History has already been made, with both WSL1 teams in the tournament—Chelsea and Manchester City—making it to the semifinals for the first time. It’s also the furthest that Chelsea have ever made it. They faced Montpellier in the quarterfinals, and while the French side did make it tough, Chelsea progressed through 5-1 on aggregate.

Manchester City made it interesting for themselves in the second leg against Linkoping. City took a 2-0 lead into the away leg and what ensued was a goalfest, with both teams going for it. The second leg ended 5-3 to Manchester City. The other two in the semifinals are usual suspects at this stage, with Lyon and Wolfsburg both making it through. Wolfsburg secured their place with a 5-0 win over Slavia Praha in the first leg, but drew 1-1 in the second. Lyon faced quite a tough test against a great Barcelona side but won both legs to put them through.

Both semifinals are on the same day with the first leg on April 22 and the second one on April 29. Both English teams will start off at home. Manchester City face Lyon, who they faced at this stage last year. Lyon won the first leg last time, but City managed to win the second one—although it wasn’t enough to put them through. City will be looking to go one step further this year.

Chelsea, meanwhile, will be facing their nemesis Wolfsburg. The German team has put Chelsea out twice before in earlier rounds, but the third time could be the charm for the Blues. Chelsea have already come through a tough journey, beating Bayern Munich, currently second in the Frauen Bundesliga, on away goals. They then went on to beat Rosengard 4-0 over two legs before facing Montpellier. This is not the same team as in previous seasons, with manager Emma Hayes bringing in players to really strengthen Chelsea’s ability to compete on various levels. Chelsea are currently unbeaten in the league, and could finally beat Wolfsburg over two legs. These two semifinals are really unpredictable and we could see yet more history made.

International Break

This month sees four federations kick off or resume their World Cup Qualifications. AFC will see the Asian Cup take place in Jordan, with five teams qualifying for the World Cup. CAF will see teams in the first qualifying round for the African Women’s Cup of Nations, and the Copa America will directly qualify two CONMEBOL nations and send a third to a playoff against the fourth-place CONCACAF team.

The fourth federation is, of course, UEFA, and the European qualifiers look to be at the business end. Eight teams will qualify out of seven groups. Group 1 sees the top two teams, Wales and England, go head to head for the first time in this campaign. Wales currently top the table with 10 points, but England are behind by just one point with a game in hand. England have won all three of their matches so far, and will be full of confidence after performing well in the SheBelieves Cup.

England are now second in the world, but Wales won’t be too much of a pushover, with players like Jess Fishlock and Natasha Harding in their ranks. 15,000 tickets have already been sold for the encounter, which takes place at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton on April 6 and it should be a great atmosphere. Expect England to win and thrash their next opponents Bosnia with Wales ending their campaign later on in a playoff spot.

Group 2 is a bit more wide open, with Switzerland on top, with 12 points, and Poland second with six points and a game in hand. Group 3 is quite close, with the Netherlands and Republic of Ireland level at seven points, while Norway have six points. The Netherlands and Republic of Ireland face off on April 10. Group 4 has Denmark and Sweden first and second based on goal differential, with Denmark to face third-place Ukraine. Germany will look to regain their form against the Czech Republic, who are second. Rounding out the groups, the top two in Group 6 (Italy and Belgium) face each other April 10, while Spain and Finland in Group 7 play April 6.

We could see teams going a step closer to their place at the World Cup and maybe a few shocks as well.

Euro Roundup: Snow Joke, Silverware and Spectators

Posted on by RJ Allen

Snow Joke

Recently, the UK has been going through some testing times with the weather. At the start of March, a snow storm wreaked havoc everywhere—something we’re not used to. This extreme weather meant many fixtures were postponed. This weekend wasn’t quite as bad, but there was more snow. League games across the country were hit, as well as the FA Cup quarterfinals which were due to take place on Sunday 18th March. Only one game survived, with Sunderland vs Manchester City, Durham vs Everton, and Arsenal vs Charlton all called off. These games look to be rearranged for Sunday, March 25, but this is going to cause scheduling headaches with WSL games to be moved. Liverpool managed to keep their Cup game on against Chelsea, but they might have wished it had been postponed, as Chelsea ensured their place in the semifinals with a 3-0 win.

These postponements—both this season and in previous seasons—do raise some questions. It’s not just snow that’s caused havoc, but heavy rain too. Some teams invest in their playing staff, training and various other things but is it time to start really investing in playing conditions and pitches?

There are some complexities here. Some teams share grounds and might not have much much power to change things. Chelsea, for instance, own the leasehold at Kingsmeadow, but AFC Wimbledon—the previous owners—still share the stadium with them, for the time being. Manchester City own their own stadium, which is the ideal solution. The women play at the Academy Stadium, which is just down the road from the Etihad, where the men’s side plays. Owning it means they can do what they want there and improve the playing surface if needed.

What do you think? Should investments into playing facilities be high on the priority list for women’s clubs?

Silverware

Most leagues operate a winter season beginning in August and September, then ending in May or June. Leagues are now entering championship rounds, relegation rounds, and the business end of the regular season, and this comes along with chances for silverware. Some cups are close to wrapping up.

Arsenal claimed the first silverware of the season when they beat Manchester City 1-0 to win the Continetal Tyres Cup. They have now won the Conti Cup five times—a record—with City having won the other two.

The FA Cup, which pits WSL sides against all comers from county and regional leagues on up, is heading into its final rounds. Charlton are the lowest ranked team left in the competition, as they currently ply their trade in the WPL South. They are up against Arsenal, who have won it the most times (14). Durham are the sole WSL2 representative left, with WSL1 teams making up the rest of the teams. The semifinals will be televised on the BBC for the first time on April 15. The first one will be on at 12:30pm GMT on the Red Button and the second one will be on at 3:30pm on BBC2. The final will be taking place at Wembley on May 5, and it will kick off at 5:30pm GMT. This will also be televised by the BBC on BBC1. This is available to watch for UK viewers with access to this but there are no details yet as to how people outside the UK can watch.

In Sweden, the teams for the Svenska Cupen final have been confirmed. Linköpings narrowly beat Eskilstuna United 2-1 to book their place, with Rosengård beating Djurgårdens to confirm their place as well. This is a repeat of the past few finals, with Linköpings winning in 2015, but Rosengård winning twice in 2016 and 2017.

The main silverware in Europe, however, is the UEFA Champions League, which decides who really is Europe’s best team. The quarterfinals take place on the March 21 28. Manchester City, who were knocked out by Lyon last year in the semifinals, take on Linköpings. Montpellier take on Chelsea, Wolfsburg take on Slavia Praha and Lyon face Barcelona. That final match will be the one to watch—Barcelona made it to the semifinals last year before being knocked out by PSG.

Spectators

Attendance is quite a talked about point in women’s football, with an ever-present debate about how to attract more spectators, and whether women’s sides should be playing at the same grounds as their male counterparts. That’s what Atletico Madrid did this weekend when they took on Madrid CFF in the Madrid derby.

For some background, Real Madrid do not have a women’s team yet. Madrid CFF, or Madrid Club de Fútbol Femenino were founded by current president Alfredo Ulloa in 2010. Alfredo is a Madridista, and didn’t want to see his daughter Paola, a goalkeeper, go and play for archrival Atletico, so he started Madrid CFF. Those two teams faced each other at the Wanda Metropolitano and drew 2-2 before a crowd of 22,202. Luckily for Atletico, Barcelona also drew so they stay ahead in the title race.

Thank you for reading yet another Euro Roundup. Are there any leagues you would like to know more about? Let me know on Twitter @englionesses or in the comments below!