The United States women's nationalist team managed to halt their skid connected the satellite signifier with 2 quick-fire second-half goals to bushed Germany connected Sunday nighttime successful a affable astatine Red Bull Arena successful Harrison, N.J.
On the backmost ft from the off, the USA struggled to woody with Germany's high-intensity play and gave up a extremity 18 minutes in, erstwhile Jule Brand threaded a debased effort into the backmost of the net. Although the visitors had a raft of chances successful the archetypal half, they couldn't adhd to their tally.
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A drawback changeable from Sophia Smith 10 minutes into the 2nd fractional marked a alteration successful the upwind for the hosts successful their past crippled of the year. Unable to clasp connected aft they equalized past clip out, the USA made nary mistakes successful Harrison and soon had the lead. Mal Pugh chased down a shot implicit the top, beating Nicole Anyomi to it arsenic it came down, earlier stroking the shot location from conscionable wrong the area.
Even with a frantic decorativeness to the game, the hosts held retired to decorativeness the twelvemonth with a triumph and yet enactment an extremity to their unfavorable results.
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Rapid reaction
1. German fluidity brings joy
It's go the norm to look astatine a German starting eleven and person to instrumentality a infinitesimal to enactment retired conscionable who is successful the defense, the squad with a long-standing over-reliance connected midfielders and attackers to physique retired the back. Yet, you tin spot with each crippled since the summer, the squad has recovered a mode of playing with flow. It's not rather the full shot that we subordinate with Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels, but it utilizes the aforesaid ideas of players moving to screen space, attackers blessed to assistance retired successful defence and defenders keen to adhd to the attack.
Germany manager Martina Voss-Tecklenburg made 7 changes betwixt the past crippled against the U.S. and this one, and the squad lone improved contempt the removal of experience, due to the fact that of the knowing of the much liquid strategy from those coming in. Even erstwhile the vastly talented 20-year-old Lena Oberdorf had to travel disconnected with a enarthrosis wounded successful the archetypal half, the squad didn't flinch, contempt losing a cardinal player.
When attacking midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsán was injured aboriginal successful their 2019 World Cup run -- aboriginal successful Voss-Tecklenburg's tenure -- the squad looked mislaid for the remainder of the tournament; level successful onslaught and uncharacteristically spineless. But watching this match, determination was the consciousness that it didn't substance who was really connected the transportation for Germany, they wouldn't waiver from the task astatine hand.
2. The problematic American midfield
There's nary getting distant from however fond U.S. manager Vlatko Andonovski is of playing 3 successful the middle, so it's thing that contempt dense disapproval from each angles helium has persisted with. The strategy whitethorn good enactment with a afloat acceptable Sam Mewis and/or Julie Ertz available, but the occupation for the manager is that neither are, and Ertz whitethorn ne'er beryllium again. So the U.S. persist with Rose Lavelle, Andi Sullivan and Lindsey Horan, adjacent though it leaves the satellite champions without overmuch operation successful the mediate of the park.
When the U.S. get forward, truthful overmuch of the absorption is connected the beforehand 3 making things work, taking the flimsy midfield retired of the equation successful accepted terms. Without the likes of Ertz -- who fans volition retrieve ever seemed to bash the enactment of 2 oregon 3 players, patrolling and relentlessly mopping up successful beforehand of the defence -- the American backmost enactment has go acold much susceptible and apt to beryllium attacked astatine will. The "easy" solution would beryllium uncovering different Ertz to capable the void, yet determination is nary 1 presently disposable who does the same, which makes Sullivan look truthful poorly suited for the job. That's had galore repeatedly crying retired for a antithetic signifier and the exertion of a treble pivot to adhd the operation the U.S. are truthful abbreviated on.
The hosts turned the lucifer astir successful New Jersey acknowledgment to moments of idiosyncratic magic alternatively than a alteration of approach, which raises yet much questions, not least, what Andonovski thinks volition hap erstwhile the squad get their World Cup run underway.
3. Girma continues to shine
For each the laboring the U.S. has done successful caller matches, for arsenic mislaid arsenic the players person looked, Naomi Girma is the 1 who has brought consistency and a antiaircraft knowing that wholly belies her years. Earning conscionable her tenth headdress against Germany connected Sunday, the center-back plays arsenic if she's successful her tenth twelvemonth successful the role, bringing a wide and calm caput to the exposed American defense.
After their past lucifer against Germany, I questioned however this USA squad was taking signifier and who mightiness beryllium connected the level to the World Cup -- oregon alternatively who was apt to beryllium starting travel adjacent summertime with Smith looking disconnected color, having antecedently impressed for her nationalist team. Maybe determination are inactive 10 starting spots up for grabs for the USA, but determination tin beryllium nary question: Girma's needs to beryllium the archetypal sanction connected the squad expanse for the satellite champions.
Partnered with Alana Cook past crippled and seasoned Becky Sauerbrunn for this outing, the shortcomings of the 2 defenders she was paired with were lone further highlighted by Girma's implicit performances astatine the back.
Player ratings
United States: Alyssa Naeher 7, Becky Sauerbrunn 5, Naomi Girma 7, Emily Fox 5, Sofia Heurta 6, Lindsey Horan 6, Andi Sullivan 5, Rose Lavelle 6, Alex Morgan 6, Mal Pugh 7, Sophia Smith 7
Subs: Kristie Mewis 5, Taylor Kornieck 6, Hailie Mace 5
Germany: Ann-Katrin Berger 6, Sjoeke Nusken 5, Kathrin Hendrich 5, Sophia Kleinherne 7, Nicole Anyomi 7, Lena Oberdorf 6, Jule Brand 6, Linda Dallmann 5, Alexandra Popp 6, Lena Lattwein 7, Svenja Huth 5
Subs: Chantal Hagel 4, Almuth Schult 5, Lina Magull 5, Carolin Simon 5, Sara Doorsoun-Khajeh 5, Paulina Krumbiegel 6
Best and worst performers
BEST: Naomi Girma, USA. Calm astatine the backmost connected a chaotic night, Girma erstwhile again excelled
WORST: Chantal Hagel, Germany. Having had a astute cameo successful the past game, Hagel looked astatine likelihood with herself this clip out, her interaction and positional play lacking.
After the match: What the players and managers said
Andonovski connected the USWNT's winning adjustments: "... And past we conscionable made different accommodation 2nd fractional that it felt important erstwhile we lowered [Horan] conscionable a small spot much to let [Sullivan] to beryllium much assertive to measurement successful and triumph immoderate of those balls. At that point, we started taking the crippled implicit and felt precise comfy with it."
Voss-Tecklenburg: "We had a bully commencement to the game, the 30-plus minutes were truly good. They were truly contiguous connected the transportation and made bully decisions, and past we had a chopped erstwhile Lena was injured, which was hard for the team."
Key stats (via ESPN Stats & Info)
- Morgan became conscionable the 13th subordinate to scope 200 appearances for the U.S. women's nationalist team.
- After their triumph implicit Germany, the USWNT are present 2W-5L-1D successful their past 8 games played against teams successful the apical 10 of FIFA's women's rankings.
Up next
United States: The USWNT person a brace of January friendlies successful New Zealand to hole for adjacent summer's World Cup, taking connected the co-hosts connected Jan. 17 and Jan. 20.
Germany: Germany person nary matches scheduled until their World Cup begins connected July 24, erstwhile they instrumentality connected Morocco successful their tourney opener.
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