USWNT overcome problematic midfield to beat joyous Germany

The United States women’s national team managed to stop their skid on the world stage with two quick-fire second-half goals to beat Germany on Sunday night in a friendly at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.

On the back foot from the off, the USA struggled to deal with Germany’s high-intensity play and gave up a goal 18 minutes in, when Jule Brand threaded a low effort into the back of the net. Although they had a few chances in the first period, the visitors couldn’t add to their score.

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A snap shot from Sophia Smith 10 minutes into the second half marked a change in the wind for the hosts in their last game of the year. The USA quickly took control of Harrison, unable to match their previous score. Mal Pugh chased down a ball over the top, beating Nicole Anyomi to it as it came down, before stroking the shot home from just inside the area.

Despite a chaotic finish to the game, the hosts managed to seal the year with a win.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Postmatch quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid reaction

1. German fluidity brings joy

It has become the norm to look at a German starting XI and have to take a moment to work out just who is in the defense, the team with a long-standing over-reliance on midfielders and attackers to build out the back. The team has discovered a way to play with flow with every game since the summer. Although it’s not the same total football we associate with Johan Cruyff or Rinus Michels, it uses the same ideas of players moving to cover space and attackers happy to assist in defense, and defenders eager to attack.

Germany coach Martina Voss–Tecklenburg made seven adjustments between the previous game against the U.S., and this one. The team’s performance improved despite the loss of experience. This was due to the increased understanding of the fluid system by those who came in. Even when the vastly talented 20-year-old Lena Oberdorf had to come off with a shoulder injury in the first half, the team didn’t flinch, despite losing a key player.

When attacking midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan was injured early in their 2019 World Cup campaign — early in Voss-Tecklenburg’s tenure — the team looked lost for the rest of the tournament; flat in attack and uncharacteristically spineless. But watching this match, there was the sense that it didn’t matter who was actually on the pitch for Germany, they wouldn’t waiver from the task at hand.

2. The problematic American midfield

There’s no getting away from how fond U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski is of playing three in the middle, indeed it’s something that despite heavy criticism from all angles he has persisted with. The system may well work with a fully fit Sam Mewis and/or Julie Ertz available, but the problem for the coach is that neither are, and Ertz may never be again. So the U.S. persist with Rose Lavelle, Andi Sullivan and Lindsey Horan, even though it leaves the world champions without much structure in the middle of the park. When the U.S. moves forward, the main focus is on the front three making it work and taking the weak midfield out of traditional terms. Fans will recall Ertz as a player who did the work of three or four players, patrolling and constantly mopping up in front the defense — the American backline has become much more vulnerable and likely to be attacked without him. It would be easy to find another Ertz to fill in the void. However, there is currently no one who can do the same job, making Sullivan seem so unsuited for the job. Many have repeatedly pleaded for a change in shape and the application a double pivot to create the structure that the U.S. lacks.

The hosts turned the match around in New Jersey thanks to moments of individual magic rather than a change of approach, which raises yet more questions, not least, what Andonovski thinks will happen when the team get their World Cup campaign underway.

3. Girma continues to shine

For all the laboring the U.S. has done in recent matches, for as lost as the players have looked, Naomi Girma is the one who has brought consistency and a defensive understanding that entirely belies her years. Earning just her 10th cap against Germany on Sunday, the center back plays as if she’s in her 10th year in the role, bringing a clear and calm head to the exposed American defense. After their match against Germany, I was curious about how the USA team was shaping up. Or, rather, who was likely to start at the World Cup next summer. Smith, who has previously impressed for her national team, plays the center back as if she’s in her th year in the role. Maybe there are still 10 starting spots up for grabs for the USA, but there can be no question: Girma’s needs to be the first name on the team sheet for the world champions.

Partnered with Alana Cook last game and veteran Becky Sauerbrunn for this outing, the shortcomings of the two defenders she was paired with were only further highlighted by Girma’s complete performances at the back.

Player ratings

United States: Alyssa Naeher 7, Becky Sauerbrunn 5, Naomi Girma 7, Emily Fox 5, Sofia Heurta 6, Lindsey Horan 6, Andi Sullivan 5, Rose Lavelle 6, Alex Morgan 6, Mal Pugh 7, Sophia Smith 7
Subs: Kristie Mewis 5, Taylor Kornieck 6, Hailie Mace 5

Germany: Ann-Katrin Berger 6, Sjoeke Nusken 5, Kathrin Hendrich 5, Sophia Kleinherne 7, Nicole Anyomi 7, Lena Oberdorf 6, Jule Brand 6, Linda Dallmann 5, Alexandra Popp 6, Lena Lattwein 7, Svenja Huth 5
Subs: Chantal Hagel 4, Almuth Schult 5, Lina Magull 5, Carolin Simon 5, Sara Doorsoun-Khajeh 5, Paulina Krumbiegel 6

Best and worst performers

BEST: Naomi Girma, USA. Calm at the back on a chaotic night, Girma once again excelled.

WORST: Chantal Hagel, Germany. Having had a smart cameo in the last game, Hagel looked at odds with herself this time out, her touch and positional play lacking.

After the match: What the players and managers said

Andonovski on the USWNT’s winning adjustments: “… And then we just made another adjustment second half that it felt crucial when we lowered [Horan] just a little bit more to allow [Sullivan] to be more aggressive to step in and win some of those balls. We took the game over and felt comfortable with it. “

Voss-Tecklenburg: “We had a good start to the game, the 30-plus minutes were really good. They were present on the pitch and made great decisions. Then we had a cut when Lena injured her leg, which was very frustrating for the team. “

Key stats (via ESPN Stats & Info)

– Morgan became just the 13th player to reach 200 appearances for the U.S. women’s national team.

– After their win over Germany, the USWNT are now 2W-5L-1D in their past eight games played against teams in the top 10 of FIFA’s women’s rankings.

Up next

United States: The USWNT have a pair of January friendlies in New Zealand to prepare for next summer’s World Cup, taking on the co-hosts Jan. 17 and Jan. 20.

Germany: Germany have no matches scheduled until their World Cup begins on July 24, when they take on Morocco in their tournament opener.