#uswnt analysis

[they-them-van]

I'll definitely have more complex thoughts about the wwc and the uswnt's run at some point, but right now I'm mostly stuck on the fact that vlatko did this team so dirty. And I'm absolutely heartbroken for Kristie Mewis, and Sofia Huerta in particular - who were frozen out of the NT for years, who put so much work in to finally make it to a world cup, who might not get another chance, and who barely fucking played after all that. The uswnt just has an incredible amount of talent no matter how you look at it, and the fact that the vast majority of that talent wasn't utilized at all (not to mention the increased risk of injury to the players who were constantly played!!) pisses me off to no end.

[melodious-oblivion]

2022 SBC in Texas several players wore armbands with “PROTECT TRANS KIDS” written on them. They spoke about it more here and how it was Pinoe’s inspiration/idea even though she wasn’t even there.

2023 SBC they were in Florida and wore armbands that said “PROTECT TRANS JOY” and a photo of that was even posted on the USWNT account. After that game Alex said “Looking at these games in Florida and Texas respectively, we’re going to need to continue to step it up, and have internal discussions as well with the team, because we’re not ones to shy away from hard conversation or taking a stand for what’s right. The inclusion of trans kids in sports is the inclusion of kids in sports. Everyone should have the ability to play sport.”

2024 SBC was…well…yeah. You can read a great analysis of that as it specifically relates to the SBC here.

I’m not expecting anything this year, and that fucking SUCKS. They’re opening in Texas again. They probably won’t say anything. Nobody has so far. Give me my fucking team and their moral compass back please and fucking thank you.

[leveloneandup]

LOOK OUT FOR THE DEBRIEF AFTER EVERY USWNT OLYMPIC MATCH. TACTICAL ANALYSIS & EMOTIONAL REACTION DIRECTLY FROM TOBIN HEATH LIVE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE GAME. YOU'RE WELCOME ☺️

[grantmentis]

Thank you for highlighting the transmisogyny here; it’s been kind of nervewracking watching things go from like, some genuinely cool first steps type of things in the c and then n/phf (albeit with plenty of issues and miles to go) and then seeing things seem to go backwards in the new league

It’s always wild to think about how Jessica platt playing in the cwhl would be received so differently today, and never great to feel we went backwards there. I really only started to follow the cwhl closely at the end so I can’t give the most in depth analysis of their policies, but it remains cool as hell that that she played there

Obviously phf was a mixed bag, Browne playing and coming out and feeling comfortable to do so was great, I like them dropping “women” from the leagues name, and their gender inclusion policy was better than most leagues, but at the same time it was far from perfect and things like letting digit Murphy stay in the league after her transmisogyny was horrible and some players (cough Katie burt cough) had content on their social media pages that were truly abhorrent. But a lot of the more progressive players on full gender equality were leadership players so I think that helped too

With the PWHL I think it reflects a lot of where we are at with more mainstream hockey which is how much it lags behind other sports. Hockey being predominantly white and rich makes achieving intersectional inclusion a bigger roadblock, and I think there’s still a fear of “pissing off conservatives” that exists for the USWNT in hockey and thus the league that’s less prominent in others sports, and more of a fear to rock the boat - which is pretty entangled with the whiteness of the sport and the privilege you are afforded as a white woman. But it’s good for fans to be loud show that they won’t stand for this and make it so teams being silent on hatred/bigotry isn’t an “easy” decision, and important that we as fans acknowledge that transmisogyny is at the forefront of this particular clownery and colors why a lot of her teammates including gay teammates still fuck with curl

[hyperfixationsstation]

go listen to the new re cap show they have a great analysis of the two teams in the final as well as thoughts about emma hayes being the new uswnt coach

[hardtchill]

https://deadspin.com/womens-world-cup-2023-uswnt-carli-lloyd-portugal-draw-1850696015

Yesssssss drag her ass!!

Also wasn't in heavily implied back when she said that shit about about changing culture and wrong priorities after the Olympics that she was talking about CP and Tahbin and Re-Inc?

OMFG THIS IS AMAZING

Aside from dragging Lloyd this is the perfect analysis of their problem up front.

The attack couldn’t be more static. All three forwards, whoever they are, are simply playing off the shoulder of defenders and hoping to get in behind. Which doesn’t work when the midfield can’t complete three consecutive passes, and the whole attacking plan seems to be “shovel it up the sideline through Crystal Dunn and Sophia Smith and just hope three defenders fall down.

The US’s biggest problem is that there no longer is a technical skill gap from the rest of the world, and if there is they are now at the ass end of it. The athleticism gap has closed too, which leaves the US with no advantage. These are football problems, and they aren’t solved by some mythical thought police that Lloyd uses to glorify herself.

[beforethecircusppltookme]

USA vs. BRAZIL GOLD MEDAL MATCH - LIVE INSTANT REACTIONS w/ BECKY SAUERB...

[i-am-mr-k]

I wasn't expecting to develop into an Anti-Carli Lloyd blog, but she decided to become a Pro-Carli Lloyd Fox Sports commenter.

So here we are.

I don't remember Carli on the 2019 squad.

When Ashlyn Harris famously said, "I get to work with my 23 best friends! Woooooooo!!!!!" Who was the 23rd? (We all agreed it was Dawn Scott, right?) Because it wasn't Carli. Was she even in New York? At the parade? Was she in that locker room after the final? Was she on the field?

I do know she was on the squad. I know she played minutes, I think she might have even scored some goals. But she never seemed to be with the squad. An army of one. CL10. She couldn't even buddy up for a merch line.

Nothing I or anyone can say will take away her skill, determination and accomplishments. There is probably no one who has prepared for and played the game with such single minded determination. The "I, Carli" of her whole persona felt at odds with the esprit de corps of the other 22. And she never seemed to have any fun.

And that's kind of sad. Her analysis of the current performance seems to be that the team hasn't put in enough Rocky IV-type conditioning and discipline. Contrast that with HAO's Peter Pan cosplay, exhorting us to clap if we believe in USWNT victories!

(And let's pause for one second and reflect on the fact that the World No. 2, Germany, and reigning Olympic Gold Medalists, Canada, didn't even make it out of Group.)

Now there are potentially lots of players I will forget played on this '24 roster, if only because they observed the tournament from the bench, but no one expects this squad to be anything like the '19ers. And I don't remember Carli being on the '19 squad. I remember the second back up keeper, being there, being with the team, part of the team. AD and Ashlyn were on the field for warm ups and celebrations, only. But I remember them. I remember their joy, their embrace, their love for their team.

But I don't remember Carli. And I won't psychoanalyze her or her mentality beyond saying that perhaps she would be better suited to an individual sport like tennis or golf or Mixed Martial Arts. The team always felt like an obstacle for her, a pit of quicksand holding her back from doing what she needed to do on the field. And look, I'm not a soccer expert, I'm not even that big of a fan. I can't quote individual player statistics (though I do know Christen Press was minute-for-minute the most productive forward on the team), so take what I say with the firm knowledge that I may well have no idea what I'm talking about. Just know I don't remember Carli on the '19 squad. And I can't forget that she's there, here, now in 2024, saying what she says with a big microphone, but from the sidelines.

I'll remember this Carli Lloyd.

[rookieforlife]

Exactly, I feel like people are still going to disagree with Jill (and rightly so in some places) but it helped to have a better understanding of where she came from. Also, they had perfect analysis of the issue with the attack and it happened yesterday just as they said basically

Mhmm, and I hated Jill's decisions but now when you see the past and the present of the USWNT, you can tell she was way better than Vlatko.

[they-them-van]

Now that the tournament is wrapped up I'll first say that even with all the bullshit that came along with it, I still feel so privileged to be able to watch the growth of women's sports in real time like this. There was so much Black joy, so much colonized joy, so much queer joy, and I hope nobody loses sight of how radical the wwc and woso are at the roots. The players are succeeding with quite literally every odd stacked against them in some cases, and i desperately hope that with a spotlight shined on some of the inequalities we've seen, it might get better.

Having said that, I hate that Spain won. It's nothing against the players and everything against Vilda; I ache for the players who watched the final knowing that with a win, with the federation backing Vilda, their careers might be over. I'm still kind of in disbelief that after this incredible tournament, this is somehow where we ended up. And I hope that if you're feeling similar to me, that feeling will serve as a reminder that we are not done yet. Growth isn't good enough if it comes at the cost of players' well-being.

[incorrectnwsl]

I’ve been thinking this secretly but he just doesn’t know how to manage Alex. Which is so fascinating to me because if there’s one player who can adapt to any style I would think it would’ve been her. But I also think she’s too “uswnt” for his coaching philosophy/style of play. He’s came from the era of NWSL where everyone was so anti-national team and the league coaches had such a disdain for the national team. It feels like he’s consciously or unconsciously trying to move away from that mentality. Like for better or worse I really don’t see that trademark uswnt-DNA in his team and it feels like there’s a gap in what the expectations are and the way he functions.

That's a very astute analysis. The only thing I'll quibble about is that there is USWNT DNA, but it only comes from the players who were here before Vlatko.

Also, please elaborate, WHAT IS VLATKO'S PHILOSOPHY/STYLE because it's never made sense to me and if it does to you, you might be a genius.

And a final thing, the USWNT DNA is a necessity for this team. And I don't see it thriving the way it needs to, which is just sad.

[leveloneandup]

Christen Press set to return to Angel City FC training for first time since 2022 ACL tear

The USWNT forward and two-time Women's World Cup winner looks to finally return to the pitch after a long recovery

Christen Press is starting a comeback.

After an arduous injury recovery, the Angel City FC forward will return to training, the team announced in a news release Monday. Press, a two-time World Cup winner with the U.S. women's national team, has not played since sustaining a season-ending ACL injury in June 2022.

Now, after two years — almost to the day — and significant rehabilitation, Press will join Angel City for practice on Tuesday.

Press' recovery has had many setbacks; in July 2023, Press revealed that she required a fourth surgery to repair her ACL. However, she is now ready to begin a slow return to the pitch.

Press will start slow this week, but told The Athletic on Monday that she will participate in group warm-ups and passing drills while reincorporating with the team.

"It will still be the first time I’ve done a legitimate passing pattern with a bunch of bodies on the field and checking angles, because it’s just been one-on-one training for two years," Press told The Athletic.

Initially, Press said that she wanted to keep her return low-key, but later switched course.

"I reversed, I changed my mind, because I was like, 'Shoot, who knows how many milestones I have left to celebrate? Who knows what’s going to happen after this first team training?'" Press said. "So if this is something we can all celebrate, let’s just go for it, because this journey has been really, really long."

Press joined Angel City in 2022, becoming the first player to sign with the expansion team for a three-season contract reportedly worth $700,000, making her one of the highest-paid NWSL players at the time. However, she only had eight appearances with the team before her injury.

The 35-year-old forward has been a consistent, strong offensive presence throughout her career, including on the USWNT. Press has racked up 155 international appearances and 64 goals with the U.S., but has not played for the USWNT since 2021, due to a combination of her injury and coaching decisions under former USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski.

In addition to her return to practice, Press also announced the return of "The RE—CAP Show," her soccer analysis and interview podcast with Tobin Heath. Heath and Press, who are former USWNT teammates, have been dating for several years. In the show, the two veterans weigh in and analyze the NWSL and international soccer.

[malvpswanson]

My ADHD ass actually wrote a twenty page analysis of every current and potential USWNT player for the World Cup with bios for each players, strengths and adv/disadv, and developed not one, but TWO mock rosters, my personal dream roster and the realistic one that I think Vlatko would go with.

The problem is that this was created before the Ireland friendlies which means I’m missing Julie Ertz (because c’mon, who saw that coming??) but I can’t bring myself to edit the roster because that means I’ll have to take Mal off and I’d rather drown in a puddle.

[uswnt5]

Longer excerpt from horan interview

Individual players can bear the brunt of that magnifying glass just as much as the team can. There’s a clear, though understandable, vein of frustration from Horan over how her own performances are understood, even from the USWNT’s own fanbase. To illustrate her point, Horan brings up that many viewers will take a television commentator’s analysis at face value.

“American soccer fans, most of them aren’t smart,” she says. “They don’t know the game. They don’t understand. (But) it’s getting better and better.”

She takes a brief pause, sensing that those words, too, will cause a stir.

“I’m gonna piss off some people,” she continues, “but the game is growing in the U.S. People are more and more knowledgeable, but so much of the time people take what the commentators say, right? My mom does it!” She breaks into laughter. “My mom says, ‘Julie Foudy said you had such a good game!’ And I’m here, just going, ‘I was f—ing s— today.’”

When playing with Lyon in France, Horan says, things are different.

“From what I’ve heard, people understand my game a little bit more, a sense of my football and the way I play,” she says. “It is the French culture. Everyone watches football. People know football.”

hmm

[helloanxietyattack]

ooh ooooooh i see that you’re into women’s soccer/football (or i’m just a dumbass and never really paid any attention but we’re not about that now). what are you most excited about for this upcoming world cup? who are you cheering for (and against 🫣)?

"Into" might be a bit of an understatement 😅 I played in college (and competitively for a few years after), but nowadays I mostly get it out of my system by spectating loudly.

who are you cheering for: oosa oosa oosa ah, baby

But also England and Spain and Canada (shh, don't tell anyone) and Australia and New Zealand and Morocco and Nigeria and Brazil and Jamaica and a bunch of individual players and...I just love good football, okay? I'll end up watching almost every match by the time the tournament is over.

(and against 🫣)?: no one. I hope every single one of these teams play the greatest collective football of their lives (and still lose to the USWNT 😉).

what are you most excited about for this upcoming world cup?: Broadly, great goalkeeping and easy access to top tier matches with high quality broadcasting and some professionals doing actual post-match analysis (Not you, Alexi. You can sit in the corner in silence). For the US specifically, cannot wait for the world to see that Girma is the future of the WNT on and off the pitch. Also the Chaos Crew (Rodman, Smith, Thompson) saying a very polite fuck you to Vlatko's system and making life a living hell for backlines everywhere.

[womenathletesinmedia]

Keep The Ball Rolling Part 2

If a women's game did happen to play on TV, the likelihood of post-game interviews and in depth analysis segments were slim to none, yet common in men's sports. The study states, “scholars have found that media tend to highlight women athletes’ heterosexuality through traditional feminine traits. First, emotions are given more importance when reporters cover women’s sports compared to men’s sports. Second, television news journalists often portray female athletes through their role as girlfriends, wives or mothers. Finally, media highlight the sex of female players by discussing their clothing or sense of fashion. These portrayals thus suggest ‘the compatibility of the athlete and traditional masculine roles while emphasizing the incompatibility of the athlete and traditional female roles’, reinforcing the idea that the sport world is a ‘male preserve’. Similar results have been found in studies of women’s sports online coverage, a relatively new field.”  The study goes into depth on the number of tweets as well as the content, showing the official Twitter account only posted an average of 6 posts per day before & after the 2011 World Cup, but during its active playing status the account tweeted an average of 31 tweets per day. On the main US Soccer page, which is meant to represent both men and the women's team, still posted more on average about the men's team, despite the women being in the year of a major tournament. The study concluded, “the men’s team benefits from the general username ‘ussoccer’ while the women’s team, which has had much better results in international competitions, since its creation in the late 1980s, than its male counterpart, is treated as a niche product, confined to a few thousand individuals who have to make an extra effort to find the USWNT’s exclusive account.” This conclusion beautifully summarizes how the USWNT is constantly being constrained and limited by the media, despite their winning record . This decade proved how much the world was still struggling to accept womens sports as equal counterparts to male athletes. The new world of online social media provided a new space for the first time that would allow the free flow of media coverage, even if it isn’t attached to a formal institution like USSF. Fans of women's soccer from around the world could connect on their love for the game and continue to use free marketing tactics to help the team keep a steady fanbase and attract more attention.