Lineup changes sparked the U.S., but will Ellis revert back for Germany semifinal?
The stage has gotten bigger and the next opponent exceedingly formidable. But it's not just the stiff external challenge of facing No. 1-ranked Germany in the semifinals of this 2015 Women's World Cup that must be considered. U.S. coach Jill Ellis also has some soul searching to do.
Ever since Ellis was installed as coach of the U.S. side a year ago, and since April when Ellis named the U.S. roster for this World Cup, the mantra for the No. 2-ranked Americans has been that their greatest weapon is their depth. The 23-woman roster is comprises players who, they claim, could all be starters if they were on other teams. Whether it's true or not doesn't really matter. What matters is that they believe it -- or say they believe it. The depth is an asset they've relied on as much for psychological bolstering as for any practical deployment of all that talent.
But was the team itself really being shown the value and advantage of depth and lineup flexibility? It's not that Ellis didn't tinker a bit. She used Christen Press and Sydney Leroux to try and shake things up, since 35-year-old Abby Wambach is not starter material for all seven games, should the U.S. go all the way. But there was something forced and stagnant, particularly in the midfield, where Carli Lloyd and Lauren Holiday did little more than create the Bermuda Triangle at the heart of the U.S. attack.
Then came the quarterfinals against China, and the cat was let out of the bag.
What do you get when you take veteran Lauren Holiday out of the central midfield spot and insert 23-year-old Morgan Brian in a supporting role behind Lloyd?
You get a win over China with Lloyd unleashed. Whatever issues Lloyd and Holiday were having in the middle, figuring out their individual roles, developing chemistry with each other and the rest of the team, it doesn't really matter anymore.
Would anyone want to see Lloyd slip back into the Bermuda Triangle of the U.S. midfield with Holiday back in the lineup? It's clear that Brian, who links the front and back lines with her style, provides a better partner for Lloyd's strengths and tendencies.
O'Hara was also inserted in the midfield for her first start of the World Cup, and gave the U.S. an engine that supported Lloyd, Morgan and Rodriguez on the attack by allowing those three to be the primary focal points. The energy and push the U.S. had with these players was more than apparent.
Likewise, what do you get when you take Wambach, make her a super sub, and add speed alongside Alex Morgan in the form of Rodriguez?
You get pressure up top of the U.S. attack and the ability to press an opponent's defense higher up the field. Translated, that means you resuscitate the essential aggressive nature of this American team and they respond by playing with freedom and bold purpose.
It's not that Wambach isn't an asset and a great attacking player -- with her head. She should come in as a sub against Germany, when her second-half entry will be a lift, instead of Wambach lumbering to the finish line trying to play all 90 minutes.
That's the problem here -- a good problem, but a problem. Will Ellis try and stuff the cat back in the bag when it comes to match up against Germany?
The number of field players who have now seen action jumped from 17 to 19 (only Whitney Engen has not played). Amy Rodriguez got her first start, as did Kelley O'Hara -- who had not played yet. And Heather O'Reilly saw her first minutes. These weren't mop-up minutes or defensive subs late in games. These were changes that accomplished a lot.
"I think it gave more players hope," O'Reilly said Sunday, smiling.
These changes gave the U.S. more than hope. The switched-up personnel catapulted the team out of the doldrums.
The U.S. coach was backed into those lineup changes against China because Megan Rapinoe and Holiday were out on yellow card suspensions. Now Rapinoe and Holiday are eligible to play Tuesday. Likewise, after resting Wambach by not starting her against China, the temptation may loom to re-insert Wambach in the starting lineup.
But that would be wrong for the U.S. right now. Going backwards is never a good thing, even if Germany poses the most potent threat of any team the U.S. has faced this World Cup.
Germany has scored the most goals (20) and has a tournament high in all other offensive categories, including 12 assists, 135 shots on goal, 51 shots on target and 41 corners. Meanwhile, the U.S. defense is the key reason why the U.S. have earned their way through. Goalkeeper Hope Solo and the back line of Becky Sauerbrunn, Julie Johnston, Ali Krieger and Meghan Klingenberg have all played every minute of this World Cup.
Against Germany, though, the U.S. won't likely win by scoring just one goal. That's the tightrope Ellis walks now that the team has broken through with last week's lineup changes. Only Rapinoe rates insertion back as a starting midfielder for the U.S. against Germany. Rapinoe has been the catalyst for nearly all of the U.S. offense -- up until Lloyd's winning header against China. Rapinoe has scored a pair and she has also worked the ball so effectively that she set up penalty kicks -- one of which was shanked by Wambach and another that Lloyd buried in the 2-0 win over Colombia.
Otherwise, the U.S. team seems to have responded to the green light given by Ellis. The question now is whether she keeps the light green or shifts to caution?
Perhaps the temptation to go back to Holiday paired with Lloyd in the middle will be too great. Germany is far more dangerous than China. The threat of Germany testing the U.S. back line all night may force Ellis to retreat and play things safe. But given what we saw in the last outing, being safe can be sorrier for this U.S. team. Their winning mentality must be unleashed, because for the U.S. to be in top form, it all starts with an attitude and, as O'Reilly said, hope.
