USWNT delivers resounding message with win against Germany
MONTREAL, QUEBEC — Deep into this World Cup, it wasn’t clear that the U.S. were capable of upholding a key component in their mission of winning the whole thing: Making it past Germany and getting to the final. The difference was that, for the USA — even as a lot of people had one foot off the bandwagon — they were all on board.
Lesson No. 1 about the U.S. women after they knocked off top-ranked Germany 2-0 in Tuesday’s semifinal: They told us so.
If it was unexpected that the U.S. could show up in a new configuration and execute at such a high pace, it’s because their coach, Jill Ellis, has been looking for ways to make adjustments in order to get the team to peak.
“Inside our environment, we knew we had this in us," Ellis said Tuesday night at Olympic Stadium. "This team has a lot of confidence. We’ve done a really good job of blocking out you guys and a lot of distractions. We had every belief we could do that and that’s part of the spirit of the American player.’’
What Ellis had been saying throughout the U.S. group stage struggles and after their plodding dispatch of Colombia sounded so much like coach speak that it was easy to not only tune it out, but to stop believing there was another level to this U.S. side. Then again, what do most of us know about coaching a team through a seven-game tournament and the kind of adjustments at her disposal?
A few days ago, with the U.S. team still looking for the tweak that would push them into World Cup peak mode, Ellis took midfielder Carli Lloyd into a meeting where, alone, they watched a lot of tape and talked. The U.S. had defeated China on a brilliant Lloyd header, but something was missing. After moving into the semifinals behind a stellar back line but lacking the development of a contender-quality attack, it was more than clear that Lloyd — chafing to find freedom in an attacking role — was the key.
“Jill was just wrapping her brain around some things after the China game and knew that Germany was a really tough team and we would have to be very tight defensively," Lloyd said. "We have a very open, respectable relationship. She met with me again, showed me some film and said to me I think this is where I’m at.”
Where Ellis was at was the surprise formation shift that took the U.S. from struggling wannabe contenders to, well, startling return to the kind of American mentality that underpins their ability to produce their best soccer. Lloyd tuned out all the commotion inside the stadium Tuesday night and deftly buried a penalty kick to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead. She was the pivot woman with an assist on Kelley O’Hara’s clinching goal in the 84th minute, too.
This World Cup may have been billed as the “Abby Wambach One Last Try World Cup,” but something has happened on the way to Sunday’s final at BC Place in Vancouver. With the 35-year-old Wambach best used in a substitute role for late-game set pieces, and with Alex Morgan having spent months sidelined with a bone bruise, Ellis had to find a way to put Lloyd in the driver’s seat. That’s exactly what happened, as Ellis has held several key meetings with Lloyd en route to this current breakthrough mode.
“I think after the group games, but prior to the Nigeria game, we sat down and she (Ellis) said ‘Don’t stress it. We’re going to find a way to get you going,’" Lloyd said. "I knew, as a player, you want to have an impact. I knew my time was going to come. I’m prepared for it. I’m fit. I’m mentally tough. It was great that Jill allowed a little extra freedom for me to do what I need to do.’’
Lloyd’s breakout performances are nothing new to the 30-year-old New Jersey native. She has illustriously scored the winning goals in the past two Olympics for the gold medal-winning Americans. But this is a notable turning point in this World Cup run, as Wambach ages out of her stellar international career and as the rest of the U.S. forwards need more time to develop a new attacking rhythm.
It’s especially satisfying for Lloyd, who took some criticism from former U.S. coach Pia Sundhage who had offered a tough analysis of Lloyd’s competitive psyche, calling Lloyd a difficult player. Although Sundhage attempted to clarify her comments, it stung Lloyd — at least until she let her goal-scoring serve as a rebuttal.
“I’m not sure what she’d say now after all these games but may be a good question to ask her,’’ Lloyd said.
Maybe this was a little bit of settling scores — for Lloyd and for the U.S. women. They kept saying that they had another level, that they were going to peak at just the right time. When others started to doubt what they were saying as cliche or wishful thinking, they were in their bubble. It sounded like an excuse, but after Ellis met with Lloyd and told her to get ready to take over, it was reality.
Now, they’re not the only ones who think they’ll find a way to get this done.
