Mexico friendly offers serious look where USA's new-look attack stands
LOS ANGELES
Here's a news flash: Mexico is not the Republic of Ireland.
This Sunday in its next Send-Off Series match, the U.S. women's national team faces an opponent in Mexico (live, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports Go, 9 p.m. ET) that's also heading the 2015 Women's World Cup. That should make the match at StubHub Center more competitive — and a better barometer for where this talented U.S. roster is as a team.
Specifically, the match against Mexico provides a serious opportunity for the U.S. attack to show how much more effective it can be.
It was great that veteran Abby Wambach scored two goals against the Republic of Ireland and led the U.S. to a 3-0 win. For a player that many have tried to consign to substitute duty during the World Cup, Wambach has willed herself into top playing shape and looks more than ready to assume a starting role on the U.S. offense.
However, at this point, everyone would feel a lot better if the entire U.S. attack started to unleash its dormant firepower from all quarters. In fact, two former U.S. national team coaches offered reasons why the U.S. was hamstrung last week and what they need to do against Mexico in order to build the right kind of offensive momentum heading into their opener in Winnipeg on June 8 against Australia.
"You can't ignore the fact that (Ireland) sat back in a 4-5-1. They were really jamming up play in less than half the field which is quite easy to do for 45 minutes,'' said April Heinrichs, Executive Director for U.S. Soccer and a former U.S. women's national team coach.
"In the second half, we completely and radically changed the way we played. I heard someone say it took us until the 70th minute for the game to be won. Well, that's when when games are won. That's where we can wear them down over time. There were radical changes and a much more urgent style of play in the second half. Maybe we were too casual in the first half.''
The Republic of Ireland match played out somewhat along the same lines as the Algarve Cup match the U.S. played against Iceland. Against inferior opponents that stuff their defensive end, the U.S. must resort to longball approach since playing balls through the midfield and up into a tangle of legs is just too frustrating. But for the U.S. to win in Canada, where they're favored along with Germany and France, Mexico's women's national team ought to provide a clearer idea of where things stand.
In their last match in a World Cup qualifying tournament last year, the U.S. beat Mexico 3-0 in the semifinals. The U.S. has dominated the rivalry by building a 30-1-1 record. But Mexico will not be willing to bunker down in the box the way Republic of Ireland did a week ago, especially as longstanding head coach Leonardo Cuellar has had much experience taking his squad up against Mexico's northern neighbor.
"Offensively, (the U.S. has) so much depth and goal-scoring power there but they haven't been showing it,'' said Tony DiCicco, the FOX Sports soccer analyst who was at the helm of the U.S. national team when the women won the 1996 Olympic gold and the 1999 World Cup. "That Abby got two goals on Sunday is good for us. That's a weak team and I don't want to take goals away from anyone, but it's a bit of a concern that the forwards haven't unleashed their great potential.''
Last week, Wambach was paired up front to start with Amy Rodriguez since Alex Morgan is out with a bruised bone in her left knee. Rodriguez proved a little too quiet in the first half and was replaced by Sydney Leroux at the start of the second half.
The switch did lead to a more feisty attempt by the U.S. to knock down some goals, but in the end, the U.S. found their best offense from a defender as Julie Johnston scored her third goal in three consecutive games. At this point in the year, the U.S. defense has scored more goals than the offense. It's nice to know the team has that kind of depth, but it's also a situation that everyone — or at least the frustrated forwards — wants to change.
"Alex Morgan has had a tough 18 months and hasn't played in a lot of games and is now out. She's pretty important, but they're in a good place because you don't want to peak before the World Cup. Against these weaker tune-up opponents, though, the forwards need to unleash goals. It needs to happen,'' DiCicco said.
With news that her injury will also keep Morgan out of action in the third Send-Off Series match against Korea on May 30 in New Jersey, the U.S. will have to rely on the remaining forwards to combine for goals up top. It is not ideal, given the speed and space Morgan opens up on the field when she's in action. And while U.S. Soccer keeps downplaying the injury and calls Morgan's time off precautionary, her absence is beginning to have an impact on how coach Jill Ellis prepares the U.S. attack.
Mexican women's national soccer team coach Cuellar said his team is anxious to show how it stacks up against the best teams in the world. The team has been training in the U.S. and believes his players are benefitting from this experience. Mexico plays Canada and the U.S. in its tune-up schedule.
"It's a very important part of our preparation for the World Cup in Canada, is a great opportunity to face two of the great powers of women's soccer, not only CONCACAF, but worldwide," Cuellar told reporters this week.
In the World Cup, Mexico is grouped with another World Cup favorite in France, which they play on June 17. It also faces Colombia (June 9) and England (June 13). Friendlies against Canada and the U.S. will give his team "a very clear and firm assessment of the work so far. ... and this tour will leave us with a better sense of what we're doing right and what needs to be corrected immediately.''
Cuellar added: "The players at this time are already very eager to play these games, and want to check their preparation and reiterate: My main challenge is that the team has tactical order and discipline."
