By Juan Carlos Maygua
The USWNT faced Canada in their opening game of the tournament. In an unexpected result, the team was victorious by a small margin (1-0). Although, the dominance showcased by the USWNT throughout the entire game doesn’t do justice to the final scoreboard. The game saw big names like legend Carly Lloyd, Megan Rapione, and Alex Morgan to name a few. Regardless, the team has enough depth to create two-line ups if it was needed. The goal came through Rose Lavelle in the 79th minute after a set-piece rebound. The team now looks forward to the game against Brazil on Sunday.
“Wide” game plan
As previously said, the team dominance was unquestionable, but the game in the wings was key in making that happen. In the first half, there were chances created mainly through Carly Lloyd and alternating towards Lynn Williams. Unfortunately, the game ended scoreless towards halftime, something that did not happen since the previous edition of the tournament against Spain last year. My interpretation of the first half was more of a “studying the rival” so that the team could go more aggressively after halftime. The second half saw a more attacking approach in the style of play. The highlight and key member of the squad for me is Lynn Williams. The team created more dangerous chances once the team started the offensive plays in her lane. Williams was able to connect more crosses to the box, something that was rare in the first 45 minutes. Her explosiveness was rarely taken advantage of, hopefully, they use that aspect in future games. Another aspect that affected not only her game but the team, in general, was the inconsistency in finishing. From making too many passes inside the box to lack of fitness or just unlucky, gave the team a sense of pressure to close the game in the final minutes. It was great to see hometown hero Alex Morgan play after her spell in England finished. I’m sure that her best version will appear in the upcoming games without a doubt.
The counterattack could backfire
One of the things to reconsider for the upcoming games will be the positioning in the counterattacks. Canada was very close to tie and even win the game because of positioning in two counter-attacking chances. One of the most crucial ones by Canadian forward Janine Beckie, after an unfortunate back pass from the midfield line. I’m sure they will correct these flaws, but knowing that the next rival is Brazil, the squad can’t make similar mistakes. Canada was up to the challenge and looked solid even after losing their goalkeeper early in the first half. A warning for upcoming rivals that may not have seen them as a threat.
The USWMNT is off to a good start, got the 3 points, and prepares for a key game. While “Brazil is Brazil”, the matchup between Alex Morgan and Marta will surely be one of the highlights.