By Juan Carlos Maygua
After a successful game against Canada, the USWNT now looks forward to the game against Brazil on Sunday. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski, forward Christen Press, and midfielder Rose Lavelle spoke about what they expect from their rivals, the rising growth of the sport in the country, and life abroad.
Facing Brazil
The fixtures that feature Brazil as a rival always live up to expectations. The tournament is viewed as an exhibition, but two soccer powerhouses will once again face each other. Head Coach Andonovski spoke about what to expect from their rivals, as well as their key players. “The world has seen what an incredible player Debinha is. Her creativity & ability to play between the lines in the midfield, she’s also able to make runs behind the line, a key player and one of the best in the world”. The importance of facing Brazil before the Olympic games are key to making the necessary improvements since “they could expose some of our weak points, but we have time to fix them”. While not many details of the game plan were touched on, Vlatko highlighted the danger Marta and Debinha add to the midfield, making Brazil “unpredictable”. The concern over the lack of finishing from the game against Canada was downplayed, creating chances is more valuable in terms of team chemistry. It will be interesting to see if they keep the same system used in the previous game.
The players perspective
World Champion Christen Press assessed Brazil’s playing style and their constant matches over the years. “They (Brazil) play an existing brand of football, so it’s fun to play against them. “It’s a tough battle because both teams want to be on the attack” Playing against her former Head Coach adds more “familiarity” to the game as it leaves no room for mistakes. The growth in viewership for the SheBelieves cup, as well as the sport, is key for Press. “What the team represents will always be much bigger than what we play for, the chance to create real change will always be more important”, as she praised the admiration the tournament is generating both abroad and in the country. The opportunity to praise Marta was not passed, she highlighted her leadership as well as her playing spirit. The game will see the two former teammates face off once again on Sunday.
Rose Lavelle was the hero of the game against Canada. Her playing style is admired by teammate Christen Press, who in part has high expectations for Lavelle after her goalscoring performance. The main concern and assessment of herself are injuries and improvements for the next game. “It wasn’t the best game I ever played, I misplaced some passes, so those are some points I need to improve on”. It’s unclear if Lavelle will get more minutes in future games but she emphasized that “you have to be fully committed and be ready to do what the coach says”. Her move to Manchester improved her game style while making her adjust to a different soccer culture. “I enjoy the environment and the team is amazing, hoping to learn as much as I can.”
The game against Brazil will showcase legends Alex Morgan and Marta, two of the most influential soccer figures in Women’s soccer. Will the USWNT show improvement? Or the learning period continues?
