Once a handful of clubs skirted around FFP and it was found out to be the joke everyone thought, the floodgates opened and UEFA did nothing to stop it. So things were bad as it was, but now this Saudi League is going to likely make it worse.
If we had Sauerbraun, which would allow a midfield of Lavelle, Ertz and Horan that I would probably agree with you. But Ertz still doesn't look comfortable in the center back spot and the midfield gets exposed too often. I'm not confident that we can even make it to the semi finals to be honest.
This might be a rash take based on what we've seen so far. The first half last night was terrible, but the match changed when Lavelle came on for the second half. It didn't help that the referee was absolutely terrible, but the most alarming thing has been the lack of finishing. The chances have been there and they should have more than the 4 goals they've scored so far.
Nah. He's a 31 year old Argentinian midfielder. You might see Don have to answer some questions down the road, and I think that's the route that this is going to go. When the twenty something players start leaving for this Saudi league in their primes, that's when people are going to start really worrying.
We’ve been in trouble as a team since Swanson went down. We’ve been in major trouble as a team since Sauerbraun went down. The most likely outcome for this team is getting rolled by Sweden next match.
Agreed on the first two sentences. Don't forget Macario, Press and Mewis.
I've been trying to figure out if this is the strategy being passed on to the team or if SS is just a selfish player. The first game she had s many opportunities to give the ball up to Rodman and Morgan and she buried her head on the ball and tried to drive it home on her own. It was that way the first half against Netherland as well. Second was totally different and it has been the best half they have played all tournament.
Agreed on the last sentence. If you watch games from 19’ the quality of play is so above what we’re seeing now. I certainly feel that the current players is capable of play at least close to what we saw four years ago. I’m not sold on vlatko as the guy going forward.
I disagree. There are changes he could have made that would have put this team in a better position.
Two things can be true at the same time. They are missing players due to injury but tactically they are lacking options that could be helping them in the interim.
Absolutely to all of this. He had two years to try and figure out a 6 with Ertz out for pregnancy but he failed to do so. Then he had to beg her to come back just months before the World Cup began. The player development the last four years has been sorely lacking in my opinion.
Playing out of position in addition to coming back early from maternity.
There is a good amount of truth to this based on my relative experience and how youth clubs are being run in the Chicago area.
Italicized is the most annoying part of this tournament for me. Like, yes, our player development needs work. And we have been hit with injuries. And the team is unbalanced. But we would still probably be playing better if we let our players play how they like to play, how they are used to playing, and how they played to maximize their strengths for back to back world cup winners. What's funny too is that the system we used would probably be even more effective now that there are 5 subs allowed, so we could keep more players fresh longer and bring in even more speed later in games.
They played well. I thought they had it then the PK gods intervened. Goalie had a good round in that PK and was millimeters from having a potential historic save after scoring on a PK herself.
