Tobin Heath and Carli Lloyd recorded goals to help spearhead a promising final tune-up before CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, as the U.S. women’s national team recorded a 4-0 victory over Chile on Tuesday at San Jose’s Avaya Stadium.
Once again, the U.S. earned a penalty as Mallory Pugh was taken down in the penalty area midway through the first half. Alex Morgan stepped up to take it, though Chile goalkeeper Christiane Endler managed to make the save. The ball ended up in front of goal and after a bit of a mess, it was Pugh who finished from close range in the 34th minute.
Heath scored the second U.S. goal just four minutes later. Julie Ertz’s long-distance free kick ended up in the penalty area, and after a Tierna Davidson header fell to Heath’s feet, Heath ran a few yards and easily finished from close range.
The first of Lloyd’s two goals came just two minutes into the second half, with Lloyd scoring her 101st international goal. Heath was involved again, as she took the free kick that led to Lloyd’s powerful header from near the penalty spot.
Her second, and the game’s final goal, came in stoppage time on an impressive individual effort. Pressuring a Chilean player, Lloyd won the ball yards from the penalty area and made a run around a few players to score from an angle. It was an impressive substitute appearance for the co-captain, and perhaps her best in her relatively new role off the bench.
For the Chileans, it was still an improved effort despite the scoreline, as they again stayed true to their pressing style and managed some impressive individual performances, particularly from Endler. However, they were once again outclassed by the USWNT’s physicality, though were lucky that the hosts were not as sharp finishing chances as they could have been.
The Americans did not walk away unscathed, as McCall Zerboni and Casey Short picked up injuries on Tuesday. Zerboni came off after less than five minutes on the field, picking up an elbow injury. Short, who started for the first time this year, came off with an undisclosed injury in the 80th minute, leaving the U.S. with 10 players.
While the final score was better and some really well-played goals were scored, I didn’t think that the U. S. looked as good as they did in the first match. Up until the first goal was scored, the team looked sloppy with their passes and couldn’t seem to hang on to the ball. Certain people just couldn’t do anything right.
Casey Short started at left wing and simply couldn’t connect with anyone. They moved her
back to right back and the first thing she does is to send a weak pass back to the GK, right on to the foot of a Chilean forward. Had that been France, Germany or England, it would have been 0-1. But the Chile forward didn’t have the speed or quickness to convert it. Short showed me nothing all night before she left with an injury.
Alex Morgan had a dreadful night also, as she could seem to make a decent cross with the ball, and would be offside too many times. But the capper was somebody sending her up to take a PK. After missing a critical PK in the Olympics and another one shortly thereafter with the USWNT, it became obvious that she doesn’t not know how to take a correct PK and simply puts the ball right into the GKs “comfort zone” which is a spot about 5-6 feet to the left or right of the GK about 3 feet off the ground. Thus, the GK can simply fall over right on to the ball. However, to give the GK a head-start, she telegraphs where she is going to kick the
ball. Accordingly, the GK is half way to the block point before Alex has ever touched the ball.
At the bar last night everyone was predicting she would put another one in the “comfort zone”
and sure enough it was in the same area she puts every PK, with a predicable result. I would think by now that if the USWNT was considering having her take any PKs, they would attempt to teach her the correct way to take them. (See related comments later.)
Morgan Brian was another who continues to be unimpressive. She can make some good passes when in open field, but she still is not strong enough to compete shoulder to shoulder for the ball with an opponent. When I think of someone who is competitive competing for the ball, I think of someone like Meghan Klingenberg, or Emily Sonnet. Morgan could be a liability on the field playing against a team like France or Germany in the W/C.
On the positive side, a lot of people played well. Tobin Heath and Carli Lloyd generated most of the offensive load, with Lloyd showing why she is so valuable, as she has the ability to be in the right place at the right time when she is in proximity of the goal. Even if she wouldn’t have the gas to go the entire 90 minutes, she could come on like last night as a substitute and generate some instant success with her astute positioning.
On the subject of PKs, I feel obliged to comment on this aspect of the sport seeing as the USWNT has lost both an Olympics and W/C because of an inability to take PKs correctly.
Anyone who has watched a lot of high-level soccer matches on the men’s side would have probably noticed 3 approaches to taking PKs which almost always works.
1) The high-hard one up into the corner of the goal which a GK will never get. If you are too nervous about missing high or outside, then try,
2) SLAMMING a grounder to the left or right of the GK. By the time the GK gets down to the ground, the ball will be under him. In a World level match I saw go into PKs, 7 PKs were taken like this and all were successful!!!!
3) Slam a kick, as hard as you can, either left or right, into the inside side-netting. This will
be just out of the reach of the GK and in all probability past him/her before they would get there anyway. Lindsey Horan and FINALLY Christen Press have now adopted this approach.
But whatever you do, you can’t put the ball into the GK’s comfort zone, and hope to out guess him/her. At best, that is only a 50% proposition, on an opportunity which should be no worse than an 80% probability of success. OK – I’ve vented.
I’ve commented elsewhere, but Morgan is one of the last people I’d have take a PK. Press was up there too, but it sounds like she’s adjusted. When available, all USWNT PKs should be taken by Lloyd or Rapinoe.
Highlights needed!