The US Women’s National Soccer Team saw many highs and lows in 2021. The year began with winning the SheBelieves Cup and going unbeaten until the Olympics. The team immediately fell to Sweden in the first round of the Olympic group stage and Canada in the semifinal. The USWNT battled to take home the bronze medal, and while that’s a fantastic achievement, it was not what they set out to do. Attacking star Carli Lloyd announced her retirement. She leaves a huge gap to fill on and off the field. The year ended in Australia where the team saw an infusion of youth find success. With the Women’s World Cup in 2023 rapidly approaching and an eye on gold, let’s look at a 2022 wish list for the USWNT.
Change the Formation
The USWNT plays in a 4-3-3 formation with two attacking midfielders and one distinct defensive midfielder. The two wingers generally stay wide and get the ball at their feet. They then take on the defender one-on-one cutting inside or getting to the end line for a cross. The central striker is a traditional target player who also draws defenders to open up room for late midfield runs. The two outside backs are offensive-minded and are often converted attackers. Former head coach Jill Ellis implemented this formation after failing to reach the semifinals in the 2016 Olympics. This is the formation that won the 2019 Women’s World Cup. It’s a good formation for many reasons. It offers balance in attack and defense and delineates clear roles while leaving room for creativity.
The problem is that the game script has not changed for five years. Opponents are now familiar with this plan. They have seen it many times before. A formation change can be drastic or subtle, each effective in its own right. It is impossible to know what the perfect answer is, but change is needed to stay at the top. This change is the first item on the 2022 wish list.
One option becoming more popular in women’s soccer is the three-back system. This uses three central defenders, which fits the USWNT due to a surplus of center backs and a deficit of outside backs. However, there are problems with a three-back system. The spaces between defenders are different leaving unfamiliar pockets of space vulnerable for attackers. A team must be given several months to a year prior to a major tournament to commit to the style because it is confusing for defensive positioning in the run of play.
Another issue is that the wingers get pulled back to help with more defensive width. This means either wingers pull back to play less offensively or fewer central midfielders start in the middle of the park. With so much offensive creativity coming from the central midfield and wing positions, this may not be the formation for the future.
A second option is to play a 4-4-2 with four central midfielders in a diamond shape similar to the Portland Thorns. With the pipeline of central strikers currently on the dry side, this plays to their favor. This formation features a withdrawn central attacker allowing the wing players space to cut into the box. It also frees up the outside backs to become involved in the offense.
Players such as Crystal Dunn, Lindsey Horan, and Catarina Macario fit this role known as the false nine. They are creative play-makers who love to distribute and have a go on goal. This formation plays to the strengths of the player pool. It allows time for the development of traditional central strikers, such as Mia Fishel recently drafted to the Orlando Pride.
Continue the Youth Infusion
Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski introduced several young players in 2021. Sophia Smith and Macario featured off and on all year, pending fitness. Both players look to play integral roles for the side for the next decade. The next 2022 wish list item is to keep the wheels turning on the youth movement.
The most obvious candidate is Trinity Rodman. The 2021 NWSL Rookie of the Year took the league by storm. She scored this goal with her first ever touch in NWSL play.
While the speed and timing of the run are excellent and the finish is composed, it is the initial controlling touch that sets this goal apart. Rodman runs at full speed and receives a long ball with her thigh blindly over her back shoulder. She then directs the ball exactly where she wants it to go without losing stride. Barring unforeseen circumstances, she will be at the 2022 January camp.
Ashley Sanchez is another young Washington Spirit play-maker with national team aspirations. Unfortunately for Sanchez, this is possibly the most deep field player position on the USWNT roster. This should not keep Sanchez out for long. Her creative vision on the field is beyond her years. Only a select few in the NWSL match her ability to see passing lanes before they open. Sanchez never hesitates to try something new and unexpected. A player with these traits will find a way into the squad.
If not for the sensational year of Rodman, Emily Fox would be the best rookie in the NWSL. More importantly, Fox can play a position of dire need for the USWNT, left back. For the last international cycle, Dunn played the role. Because she is exceptionally versatile, Dunn performed the role well. However, it is clearly not her natural position. Fox can play outside back or defensive midfielder. As an outside back, her attacking style fits the USWNT. With Dunn and defender Casey Krueger absent due to pregnancy, the door opened for Fox to shine in Australia. The Matildas strength is the forward line, and Fox handled her duties with ease. She is likely the next USWNT left back through at least the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
While Mallory Pugh and Tierna Davidson are no strangers to the USWNT, they are still part of the youth infusion. Both players are only 23 years old with over 100 international caps between the pair. Davidson joined the side prior to the 2019 World Cup and began to secure more starting duties in the 2021 Olympics. Her defensive composure and delivery with the ball are beyond her years. The center back seems to be the next heir in the Christie Rampone and Becky Sauerbrunn lineage.
Pugh joined the side earlier at the 2016 Olympics. Since then, recurrent injuries stunted her development and over time caused her to fall out of favor. This season in the NWSL, Pugh reached new heights. Every time she touched the ball she caused a dangerous opportunity for the Red Stars. Fans can expect both Pugh and Davidson to be key contributors for years to come.
But Don’t Count Out the Veterans Yet
Just because new players come in does not mean the current players must leave. Many of the experienced veterans on the USWNT still have a lot to give at a high level. The way to incorporate new faces is to widen the pool. The coaching staff knows the players well. They do not need to see the same athletes in every camp. Rest is important, so it is on the 2022 wish list.
A camp off every now and then will be controversial at first but will have long term benefits. This will reduce workload and travel demand on players, improving their quality of life. Less unnecessary stress on their bodies means that players can extend their careers. A longer career means earning a professional salary with endorsements for a longer period of time. Christen Press recently declined several call-ups at the end of 2021 to prioritize mental and spiritual wellness. This does not mean that Press is out of the picture. She is still one of the best strikers in the country.
The USWNT needs to get younger, but getting younger does not mean saying goodbye to all the experience. A balance is necessary for teams to be successful on the international level. Players will retire when they are ready. If a players are not ready to retire but are no longer amongst the 23 best players, then they may not make the roster for a major international tournament. From what we know about these players, they will work twice as hard to make the next one.
Get the Physical Bite Back
The USWNT are a strong team from a technical perspective and have been for some time. However this technical ability is not what caused other nations to fear them. The physical ability of the USWNT is what inspired fear in opponents. In the last two World Cup victories, the USWNT was faster and stronger than everyone else. In the dying minutes of games, the USWNT had the endurance to make late runs and the strength to win aerial duels. This trait of physical dominance over opponents seems to no longer exist.
It’s hard to know whether the US lost a step or the the rest of the field caught up, but it is probably a combination of both. Long time strength and conditioning coach Dawn Scott left the side after the 2019 World Cup. From that moment forward, the team never performed with the same physical prowess.
Andonovski’s offensive style focuses on technical ability and fluid movements. He wants players to create beautiful possession to unlock defenses. A perfect example is this goal that was called offside against Mexico pre-Olympics.
Improving individual technical skill is a good thing. However, the USWNT also needs to remember who they are, which is an athletic powerhouse. For the 2022 wish list, let’s see both.
Bring Back Some Familiar Faces
One of the feel good stories of late 2020 and 2021 saw Kristie Mewis return to the national team. Recently in Australia, Sofia Huerta also returned to the side for the first time since 2018. Both showed promise with the minutes they were given. With one of the deepest talent pools in the world, many talented players slip through the cracks and are never given the chance to play for the USWNT. Others such as Mewis and Huerta used to play but fell out of favor. Andonovski appears to value club play more than his predecessors. On the 2022 wish list we want to see veterans with improved club form get another run.
One such player is forward Sydney Leroux of the Orlando Pride. Leroux contributed eight goals and two assists for the Pride this season. Her best role is as a central target forward, which is a position that the USWNT does not have a lot of depth. Leroux saw the most success this season when she filled the central forward role for Alex Morgan who was away at that Olympics. The return of Morgan forced Leroux to finish the season in a wide role. While she still excelled in wider spaces, it is not her best fit. Her effort to make long tracking runs defensively set the tone for the emerging younger players in Orlando. The USWNT could benefit from that presence to usher in the next generation.
Another recent NWSL standout is midfielder Morgan Gautrat (formerly Morgan Brian) of the Chicago Red Stars. Gautrat burst onto the USWNT during the 2015 World Cup. Due to suspensions and injuries in that tournament, the team looked to its youngest player to right the ship. Gautrat stabilized the midfield, and the US took gold. Aside for a brief return during the 2019 World Cup, Gautrat fell out of favor for other midfielders due to injury and a deep positional pool.
With injuries piling up for the Red Stars all season, nobody expected them to make a run at the final. Gautrat played a huge role in their success this season. Her ability to play as a holding and attacking midfielder allowed the Red Stars to maintain organized defensive structure and creative offensive movement. The Chicago midfield became near impossible to play through, forcing attackers to go wide or over the top. Lately, opponents seem to easily maneuver through the midfield. A presence like Gautrat could bring needed structure without sacrificing offensive playmaking.
True Goalkeeper Battle
The history of American women’s goalkeeping speaks of two dynastic players and then everyone else. Briana Scurry and Hope Solo ruled between the sticks for over 20 years. Other players received minutes, but never as a permanent starter. The USWNT is known for lack of goalkeeper rotation. The benefit is consistency to develop chemistry. The downside is that in times of injury, replacements are inexperienced at the international level.
When Alyssa Naeher went down with an injury in the 2021 Olympic semifinal, Adrianna Franch found herself unexpectedly called upon. Franch faced a late penalty kick and conceded. While a well-struck shot, Franch did not look comfortable in the moments leading up to the kick. That clear nervous energy gave the kicker the confidence to score. If Franch received more international minutes in the previous months, she would have be comfortable in that moment. The next item on the 2022 wish list is a true goalkeeper battle.
With Naeher still out with a long term injury, the likelihood of a goalkeeper battle is high. Enter Casey Murphy. The young shot stopper for the North Carolina Courage started both matches in Australia to end 2021. She delivered the performances of a lifetime. While she made numerous incredible saves, this save against a volley with no visibility is world class.
Aside from Murphy, Naeher, and Franch, the USWNT goalkeeping pool is loaded with talent. Ashlyn Harris no longer seems to be in the team’s plans, but she is still an exceptionally gifted player and leader. Jane Campbell traveled to the Olympics as the third goalkeeper. Aubrey Bledsoe is the reigning back-to-back NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year. Bella Bixby received her first senior call-up and traveled with the team to Australia. Youngsters Mandy McGlynn, Jordyn Bloomer, and Claudia Dickey are knocking on the door. This roster claims to be the most competitive in the world, so let’s see some competition.
Sign a CBA
Fans are familiar with the battle in the courtroom for equal pay. Fans want to see these incredible women get what they deserve. The fight for the past will continue, but the fight for the future is also underway. The most crucial step to ensuring equal pay in the future is the creation of a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the final and most important item on the USWNT 2022 wish list. The previous CBA expired December 31st, 2021, but USWNT Player’s Association agreed to extend the current CBA through March 2022 while ongoing negotiations continue.
The CBA battle took an interesting turn with the recent announcement that US Soccer will no longer be allocating players to the NWSL. In this old system, US Soccer paid the contracts of its players to play at NWSL clubs. This is because NWSL clubs were unable to afford their salaries, which are much lower than their male counterparts. Now that US Soccer is no longer paying daily salaries, there is no excuse to pay lower roster and game bonuses to the women than they do for the men.
The USWNT January Camp roster should be released soon. Visit Beyond Women’s Sports or follow on Twitter to keep up with the action as the team takes on the new year.
Follow Tim on Twitter too, @AtozTim.
