Pre-Match Notes: The first match against Colombia ended in a scoreless draw for the US Women’s National Team, after Alex Morgan failed to convert a penalty, and after the team couldn’t breakthrough Colombia’s defense.

Game one was a far cry from what we saw in the matches against South Africa last month, where the US was in control and showing a lot of growth and potential. I was expecting the US to come out more strongly against Colombia. I was expecting to see a strong attacking press from the US with plenty of services and crosses, along with good connection in the attack.

It got somewhat better in the second half, but I got a sense that the US was being too cautious. The US knew Colombia would launch a counterattack if they lost possession while pressing. The US wanted to avoid that, so as a result, they played it safe. But the problem with trying to play it safe all the time is you may not get anything from it, which was the case here. The US was unable to score and couldn’t come away with a win.

When the substitutes DeMelo, Shaw, Krueger, Smith, and Hatch came on late into the second half, there was a change-up in how the team was playing. DeMelo and the other subs, along with the current players on the field, were pressing and attacking. As a result, Colombia was counterattacking, but the US midfield and backline were able to cut it off and get the ball back to the attack. This change-up came with more risks, but if the US wants to be successful in game two and their future games, they have to be willing to take those risks.

When it comes to this second game against Colombia, I would like to see the US play with more confidence and urgency. I want to see better control in the midfield and better connection between the midfield, attack, and attacking players. At the same time, we need to see better connection in the box and better finishing. Most importantly, I want to see the US take more risks in this game, especially when it comes to the attack and creating chances.

However, this does not imply that Colombia won’t attempt to catch the US off guard and launch counterattacks. They’ll definitely try, and they could be successful since that is a strong area for this Colombia team. However, the US midfield and backline should be able to handle and shut down Colombia’s counterattacks. If not, the response to counterattacks and transitions could be something the US needs to work on. At the end of the day, this US team, the players, and the coaching staff need to take more risks and try something new. As the saying goes, high risk, high reward.

Line Up Notes

Starting Eleven: We have Casey Murphy in the goal. For defenders, Alana Cook, Naomi Girma, Crystal Dunn, and Emily Fox. For midfielders, Lindsey Horan, Emily Sonnett, and Savannah DeMelo. And for forwards, Alex Morgan, Sophia Smith, and Trinity Rodman.

Substitutes: Alyssa Naeher, Ashley Sanchez, Sofia Huerta, Becky Sauerbrunn, Lynn Williams, Alyssa Thompson, Andi Sullivan, Casey Krueger, Olivia Moultrie, Jaedyn Shaw, Sam Coffey, Mia Fishel.

Not Dressing: Ashley Hatch, Aubrey Kingsbury, Midge Purce, M.A. Vignola.

I think I still would’ve gone with Casey Krueger in that right-back position instead of Fox. They’re both very different in the sense that Krueger likes to press and is very good coming up the wing, much like Dunn. Fox, on the other hand, can also come up the wing, but in the last match, I noticed Fox was great at chasing down Colombia’s attacking players. I think I would risk it and start Krueger over Fox in order for Krueger to get involved in the US attack and create those chances for the attacking players.

There are three changes to the lineup from the previous one. Casey Murphy is starting in goal instead of Alyssa Naeher. Savannah DeMelo is starting in place of Andi Sullivan, and Sophia Smith is starting in place of Lynn Williams. These are good changes. DeMelo had a good impact late into the second half of game one, and Smith and Rodman usually play well together. In the past, both Rodman and Smith have expressed wanting to develop their attacking chemistry with one another.

As for the rest of the lineup, I still think the US is being too cautious. Unless there has been an overhaul in regards to mentality, we might see the same style of play and performance that we saw in the first game.

First Half Notes

USWNT 0-0.

It’s a decent first half performance from the US. There’s definitely more control and possession from the US in the midfield, along with more urgency and drive in the attack. There have been some good attacking sequences, and good services and crosses into the box, but the problem is, there’s no connection in the box. Either players are arriving late, or there’s no one there at all. The US needs to connect in the box, if they want to score goals. Overall, it wasn’t a bad first half for the US, but going into the second half, the US needs to maintain their attack, keep creating chances, and connect where it counts.

When it comes to the backline, they’re doing alright for what’s being thrown at them so far. They haven’t been challenged all that much in the first half, however, that could change going into the second half depending on how Colombia decides to play.

Second Half/Closing Notes

USWNT Wins 3-0.

The second half was a lot better than the first, especially with the arrival of the substitutes. I was really impressed with the substitutes that came on in the second half. There were great goals from Fishel, Horan, and Shaw. There also appears to be a great attacking partnership between Fishel and Shaw, and that could be something the new national team head coach could work on moving forward. I did like the connection between Fishel, Shaw, and Horan as well. An attacking trio of Fishel, Shaw, and Thompson has the potential to be a serious threat and challenge to rival teams.

When it came to the match as a whole, DeMelo was doing really well in the midfield. A midfield combination of Horan, Sonnett, and DeMelo, or Horan, Sullivan, and DeMelo could definitely benefit this team when it comes to control and building the attack.

Overall, this was a good performance from this US team. This second half showed there is great potential with the younger players. If the US really wants to get better and bring this team into the future, they must focus on the growth and development of their younger players. The talent and potential is definitely there, but the challenge will be figuring out how to keep getting the best out of these players, and how to get them, and the team as a whole, to connect and play together.