Analyzing the Play of the USWNT Forwards After Group Play
With the group stage of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in the rearview mirror, the United States women's national team is focusing on its round-of-16 clash with Colombia on Monday in Edmonton.
Entering the clash against the dynamic side from Group F, USWNT boss Jill Ellis has a tough decision staring her in the face at the forward position.
For the first three matches of the World Cup, Ellis used three different forward pairings in an attempt to get the best result from the game.
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Before we look at the ideal pairing for Monday's game against Colombia, let's review how the forwards performed against Australia, Sweden and Nigeria.
Abby Wambach and Sydney Leroux vs. Australia
This was always going to be the duo up top for the first match due to the fitness of Alex Morgan. The play of Abby Wambach and Sydney Leroux in the buildup to the World Cup also helped Ellis make her final decision.
The Yanks were able to come out on top against the Matildas, but winger Megan Rapinoe was the standout star of the match. Wambach and Leroux were silent for the majority of the first half, but they were able to open up the game a bit during the final 45 minutes.
"I don’t think we played particularly well in the first half. But I was pleased that we grew in the game," Ellis said, per FIFA.com's match report. "Our players settled in in the second half, which was much better. That’s something we can build upon."
The key play made by a USWNT forward came in the 61st minute, when Leroux drifted out wide and fed Christen Press on the left side of the box. Press, who started on the right wing, proceeded to finish off the second United States goal of the match.
Thanks to her efforts in front of the net, and the lack of stellar finishing from Wambach, Press earned herself a start in the next match against Sweden.
Sydney Leroux and Christen Press vs. Sweden
Benching Wambach wasn't exactly an odd choice by Ellis. Due to Sweden's failure to contain Nigeria's speed in their first match, Ellis handed the pacy Leroux and Press starts in the Yanks' 4-4-2 formation.
Despite the strong idea brought forth in the USWNT's game plan, Leroux and Press didn't play well together for the 58 minutes they were paired next to each other. What followed was a revolving door of players on the right wing and at forward and few clear-cut chances in front of the Sweden goal.
Amy Rodriguez, Wambach and Morgan were all brought off the bench in an attempt to solve the scoring problem, but none of them could help the Yanks earn three points at Winnipeg Stadium.
"It was like two heavyweights going at it. I thought both teams left it all on the field. I think Sweden had a good game plan. They were tough to break down," Ellis said, per the FIFA.com match report. "In the second half we were better, we had better possession and we took good things away from this. We’re still in the driver’s seat. We still have an opportunity to finish top."
With little creativity up top over 90 minutes against Sweden, Ellis turned to a reliable lineup from the past in order to kickstart the USWNT attack.
Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan vs. Nigeria
Starting Wambach and Morgan at forward against Nigeria was the right choice by Ellis. Wambach needed to find a way to break her scoreless streak, while Morgan had to get a solid amount of minutes under her legs ahead of the knockout phase.
Morgan's activity in the final third was something all USWNT fans kept a keen eye on throughout her 65-minute shift on the turf at BC Place in Vancouver.
Although she didn't strike the back of the net like Wambach did right before the half-time whistle, Morgan showed plenty of confidence in her legs by not backing down from physical play in and around the box.
“We had wanted to build my minutes into this tournament,” Morgan said, per Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated. "I feel really good getting the start and getting 65 minutes. I think that was the perfect amount of time for me.”
Morgan was replaced by Leroux in the 66th minute of the match in which the Yanks put seven of their 14 shots on target, per FIFA.com.
As for Wambach, she looked confident in the box on her 45th-minute goal. Instead of using her head on a cross, Wambach decided to use her feet to beat Nigeria goalkeeper Precious Dede.
Outside of the goal, the all-time leading scorer in United States history didn't impress a ton, but she did get the job done when called upon.
Best Options Moving Forward
Based off what we witnessed throughout the group stage, and in the past, Wambach and Morgan should start next to each other on Monday in the Yanks' first knockout-round showdown.
Wambach's height should give Colombia's defense plenty of problems, and Morgan should benefit from the USWNT's long-ball strategy if it continues. Morgan's physical nature and speed will give Colombia fits and should produce at least one goal. One other positive heading into the match for the Yanks is Colombia's lack of communication at the back with starting goalkeeper Sandra Sepulveda suspended for the game.
If for some reason the pairing of Wambach and Morgan fail to create a slew of chances, Leroux and Press should be at the ready to finish off Las Cafeteras. Press might be a better option due to her technical ability, but Leroux's speed could also wreak havoc against a tired Colombia side.
Looking further ahead into the knockout round, the Yanks should be able to defeat either China or Cameroon in the quarterfinals. China have looked organized throughout group play, but if Wambach and Morgan work off each other like they should, the Yanks can break down their defense. Cameroon enter the knockout phase with little experience on the big stage, which could lead to them being overwhelmed against a world-class opponent.
If Wambach, Morgan and the rest of the USWNT forwards play like they are expected to during the first two rounds of the knockout phase, they will earn a well-deserved match against either Germany or France in the semifinals.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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