140 replies to this topic

[BSLChrisStoner]

CBS Sports: USWNT vs. Sweden: 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup prediction, pick, TV channel, live stream, watch online
https://www.cbssport...m-watch-online/

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Hard to argue with the authors prediction. 2-1 USA sounds about right. Although if Becky Sauerbrunn is back we may run a clean sheet. She and Abby Dahlkamper are a stout paring in the back. 

[BSLChrisStoner]

US and Sweden coming up next on FOX. 

[BSLChrisStoner]

US strikes 2:40 into the game...

[DuffMan]

Missed the goal myself, but caught rest of the 1st half. US dominated possession and chances. Only concern was a couple of lapses in the defensive end lead to a few chances for Sweden.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Morgan replaced to start the half by Lloyd. She took a knock the first half and hope its minor.

 

Dominated the first half but Swede had a couple of decent attacks. Mostly because Dunn was too far upfield and too far inside when she's back. They'll fix that at halftime.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Tobin Heath with a fabulous goal in the 50th minute. 2-0!!!!!

[BSLChrisStoner]

NBC Sports / PST: Women’s World Cup knockout round is set

https://soccer.nbcsp...t-round-is-set/

 

Round of 16 games

Norway vs. Australia (June 22, Nice)
England vs. Cameroon (June 23, Valenciennes)

 

France vs. Brazil (June 23, Le Havre)
Spain vs. United States (June 24, Reims)

 

Italy vs. China (June 25, Montpellier)
Netherlands vs. Japan (June 25, Rennes)

 

Germany vs. Nigeria (June 22, Grenoble)
Sweden vs. Canada (June 24, Paris)

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Hard to argue with the authors prediction. 2-1 USA sounds about right. Although if Becky Sauerbrunn is back we may run a clean sheet. She and Abby Dahlkamper are a stout paring in the back. 

   

[JeremyStrain]

Morgan replaced to start the half by Lloyd. She took a knock the first half and hope its minor.

 

Dominated the first half but Swede had a couple of decent attacks. Mostly because Dunn was too far upfield and too far inside when she's back. They'll fix that at halftime.

 

Morgan replaced to start the half by Lloyd. She took a knock the first half and hope its minor.

 

Dominated the first half but Swede had a couple of decent attacks. Mostly because Dunn was too far upfield and too far inside when she's back. They'll fix that at halftime.

I was wondering if they were going to split time between them anyway. One skipped the first, one skipped the 2nd. Makes sense to split the 3rd and keep them both loose for the 16 when they'll play them both. On the other hand, maybe they should have gotten them used to playing together out there, but those forwards are so legit I don't know that they lost much. I'm a big Pugh fan, Horan has been all over the place the last 2 games, they are scary on offense.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Jeremy in my preview I said one of the keys for the US was going to be the play of Horan and Mewis in the midfield. Those two ladies are just dominating players. Our attack was so scary yesterday, especially in the first half, because of that midfield play.

 

Up top you can have the ATM machine (Alex, Tobin, Megan) or Lloyd, Pugh, and Press. Or any mix and match. All six of those would start for most every women's team in this tournament. That is deep!

[BSLChrisStoner]

The Ringer: The Most Entertaining Round of 16 Matches at the World Cup

[BSLChrisStoner]

SI: Women's World Cup Power Rankings: Assessing the Last 16
https://www.si.com/s...-knockout-stage

[JeremyStrain]

Jeremy in my preview I said one of the keys for the US was going to be the play of Horan and Mewis in the midfield. Those two ladies are just dominating players. Our attack was so scary yesterday, especially in the first half, because of that midfield play.

 

Up top you can have the ATM machine (Alex, Tobin, Megan) or Lloyd, Pugh, and Press. Or any mix and match. All six of those would start for most every women's team in this tournament. That is deep!

 

I think you nailed that one. I've been paying attention to the mids and defenders mostly because my middle kid just made her first travel soccer team, they play 7v7 til next year, but she's a prototypical Defensive Mid, so we've been watching older girls play so she can see how that should play since not a lot of coaches play a 2-2-2 at her age. (Although she's had 2 that have changed to that because she's so tailor made for it and it gives other teams fits when the mids shift and they are constantly playing 3 on 4 in either end).

 

She likes to root for Pugh and Lavalle cause they play for the Spirit, and my inlaws live like 5 min from the stadium so we can go see them whenever we want. But the other game I feel like I heard Horan's name 300 times, she was just everywhere the ball was. We knew the big guns (Alex, Lloyd) would be all up in things, but seeing all those other attacking like you mentioned you just had a moment where you go, man does anyone else have a CHANCE in this tourney?

 

The D I think they are the weakest, but getting Sauerbrunn back is big, they are talented back there, just not as deep it seems. But when you control the ball in the other end for 80 of 90 minutes it doesn't matter a bunch.

[BSLChrisStoner]

SI: Women's World Cup Power Rankings: Assessing the Last 16
https://www.si.com/s...-knockout-stage

NBC Sports / PST: Women’s World Cup Power Rankings: Pre-Knockout Rounds

https://soccer.nbcsp...nockout-rounds/

[BSLSteveBirrer]

https://the18.com/so...e0Mn_tShYd-OpHE

 

Totally agree. Rapinoe should sit against Spain. She has not done well at all. Press' youth and speed are what's needed against Spain,

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Day on of the Round of 16 is done.

 

Norway and Australia went the full 90+30 tied 1-1. Norway wins on penalties 4-1.

 

Germany cruised over Nigeria 3-0. 

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Important match for the US coming up. Assuming we beat Spain tomorrow we would play the winner of this next match - France vs Brazil.

 

The way the brackets got set up were not very friendly to the US. France has had four days rest coming into this match. Then they get four days rest before their next match. The US gets three days rest going into tomorrow's match. Then three days rest before their next match.

 

This is where depth becomes so important. It is just incredibly challenging physically to play this many matches at this level in so few of days. Its not just about talent at this point but how much gas you have in the tank.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

US - Spain coming up in 20 minutes. Here's the key's for the ladies to move on.

 

1. Patience, Patience, And more Patience.  Don't get caught up in chasing Spain when they play their possession game. Let Spain run around and make there little short triangle passes. Keep them wide and don't chase them in the middle. Sooner or later they will make a bad touch then go fast and hard. 

 

2. When we have the ball run at them hard. There will be space on the wings so use it with Rapinoe and Heath.  Throw balls into the box and put the heat on them. 

 

3. When the ball is in Spain's defensive third play a hard high press. Try and get the ball right back.

 

4. Spain is not  good at scoring. They only scored three goals in their three matches. All three of those in the first game and two of those were on penalties. This goes back to #1 above. Spain will try and use their little passes to get inside the area then do little fancy footwork and try and draw penalties. Don't fall for that nonsense. Just keep your structure and head on.

 

5. Key players today will be Mewis and Ertz. Moran is not starting as she's on a yellow. But Julie and Sam can put tons of heat on the Spanish midfield.  Get the ball and get it wide.

 

Prediction: The ATM is too much for Spain and we move on. Looking at something in the realm of 2-0 or 3-1.

[You Play to Win the Game]

It could easily be 3 or 4 nil right now in favor of the US. Instead it's knotted up due to a complete gift goal for Spain. Great match so far though. Not at all boring. I've really enjoyed these US games.