#if you're American I wouldn't be surprised bc geography isn't taught in this damn country and it's a loss

[that-soccer-guru]

How do you feel about the matches against columbia? Do you think the team is in a good spot to beat them?

From now on, you go in my inbox and spell Colombia with a U? You have to venmo me 5 bucks for reparation. I must have spelled the name of my country at least 50 times in this place, and all the promotional materials have it spelled properly. So you're either letting autocorrect take it for you, or you're being deliberately ignorant but either way it's pissing me off. IT'S COLOMBIA, NOT COLUMBIA. JFC WE'RE A COUNTRY NOT A DISTRICT CAPITAL OR A UNIVERSITY.

Now. I'm gonna answer your actual question. Colombia is bringing a squad made up of mainly rookies with 5 or 6 returns, including a recent call up for Orianica Velasquez after Sophia García had to leave camp (she was signed to a team in Spain and will need to start training with her new team). Key players had to be left out of the roster because the games are not fifa dates and most players are in clubs that will need them for their games. So, this is already a ridiculously weakened team, even if the rookies are promising.

Now, on the USWNT angle, I'd be disappointed if they can't pull convincing wins. I don't care much to comment on the forwards because 3 have been out on extended injury leave and 1 is inconsistent at best in finding the net. The strength of this team is in its INSANELY deep midfield. Jill Ellis spent years building a midfield that could be shuffled around and lose out on a player or two and not be affected (Rose Lavelle is injury prone and there are still replacements for her, Lindsey Horan missed the last camp with the Netherlands and the midfield still held very well). The defense has a strong core, with very great replacement players and promising up and coming stars (including the stupid ass decision to keep Midge back there but as always I digress), and I don't even have to say anything about the goalkeeping because, c'mon, they all have incredible strengths and Alyssa Naeher is an actual wall.

The part where the uswnt might fall by the wayside is in the dynamic formation and how quickly the players get tired. Colombia's midfield, when on their A game, is good at closing holes and making a team exhaust themselves. If the uswnt thinks they'll breach through with speed alone, they're going to get tired really fast and that's a strength for the Colombia wnt. The defense is not particularly remarkable individually but they play very well in shadowing and strength in numbers plays. Don't be surprised if the forwards find they're being boxed out by 2 or even 3 defenders at once. The US team needs to be careful about how to play through the sides. They also need to play through the middle if they want to make it to the Colombia goal. Obviously I'm aware that this is the #1 team in the world for a reason, but their consistent play through the bounds is not hard to predict, as is their inability to make plays through the middle. Thankfully Colombia is not particularly gifted in the airgame department, most of the uswnt is taller than the average Colombian player, which is why they'll try harder to prevent the uswnt from making set plays and crosses to the box.

I think these games are VERY winnable for the uswnt. Colombia's team is mostly made up of players from a league team that absolutely sucked it this season, its biggest stars are either in Europe with their teams or banned from the NT, and they'll have the added problem of travel fatigue and not having had a single camp since the 2019 panamericans.

However, I hope that both teams take the opportunity to test out new formations and new players instead. I'm excited to see my girls of course, and I'm really excited to see the uswnt rookies, particularly the newly minted uswnt powerhouse, Catarina Macario.

Thanks for the question! (And learn to spell my country's name or i swear to God I will find you and tell you what for)