Olympics
- Thread starter TU_BLA
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Yeah, in watching the US, we have the 3 best athletes up top and no one can match it with their backline. It creates so many problems. They need to be a bit more clinical and deadly in their finishing because that's really the only thing keeping them from drilling everyone right now. Girma in the back is an absolute sideline to sideline covering CB. I think if we needed anything, it's a dominant midfield. We're too quick to hammer long balls to the athletes, but I'm telling you if we got something of a ball control, carry the ball up the field MF it's game over as it would create even more space for the dangerous forwards. Whenever Swanson or Horan or Lavelle got the ball in the MF and able to go forward with it, the opportunities in the attach just opened up wide.
Right now it looks like we'll be playing Brazil as they are hammering Spain 3-0 right now.
I absolutely love watching a 5’4” CB dominate the back third for a country who has for too long placed far too much emphasis on a player’s height over their skill.
After posting this, reading through ESPN, they had a story about how Emma Hayes called Girma the best CB in the world and it's not close. Sad thing is she was part of the WC team last year and hardly played so you've got to wonder if that was the coach or there was just a natural deference to the experienced players. Not that our defense was bad in the WC, the US just couldn't score goals. I think right now there is a good balance of a solid attack and solid defense. The finishing needs to improve as mentioned earlier, but I really like this US team for the balance they have and it's the type of team that can win a defensive battle but also win a shootout.
In other Olympic news, I just witnessed a US diver complete a full on belly flop in the 3M Springboard. Her name is Alyson Gibson. Think she got scores of 3.0 on that one...my guess is she isn't making the finals. And I didn't see it, but apparently she also hit her feet on the board on an earlier dive. Until the US starts recruiting 13 and 14 y.o. Chinese American athletes for diving, we're not going back to the days of Greg Louganis being the GOAT in the sport.
My only complaint so far is one of the heads of the trident. Im not as highly on as others on. Sad thing is and its bad memory...It's either Smith or Swanson. One of them keeps making horrible decisions when close to the goal with the ball. Kicking the ball 3 feet wide of goal when 5 feet away from it. Taking a shot with absolutely no angle since she dribbled to far in instead of dropping it off to an open player in the middle in front of goal. Every time she gets ball deep I get worried that we will lose possession due to a bad decision. She has done some amazing things but she is also killing us with bad decision making. I think it's Swanson.
It's Smith. Supremely talented with the ball at her feet and she has a lot of pace. And I think this is where my criticism was as well because her finishing has been so so at best. She has had the best chances of any of the forwards but is not converting at the rate you'd expect a forward with that quality to finish at.
Swanson has been tucked in at the 10 for the most part. Rodman is almost always at the 11 on the right side...she is the biggest, fastest in the world. She's also shown a maturity on the ball during the Olympics I wasn't sure she was capable of as previously she seemed to be one of those "score first" players. She has shown a good amount of skill passing and hitting crosses when deep. I haven't seen a back yet capable of containing her out there. Even with the ball at her feet she is faster than defenders trying to catch her.
In looking at yesterday's lineup, I'm not sure the front 5 have actual positions defined for them except for Smith at the 9. Lavelle, Horan, Rodman, Swanson are all listed as up front. The lineup shows a 3-4-3 with Rodman at the right wing back/MF slot, but she definitely is more of a F in the run of play.
Remember Rodman and smith are both 23 and 22 respectively. They have played a lot at the highest level but I think there is still a lot to learn for each of them to get little things better
My one argument with your analysis is Horan. She has been horrible so far, slow, turnover prone, no control when receiving a pass. She is one of two or three players that I consider the old guard and it’s time for her to move along. The youngsters still have things to learn but their skill and athleticism have left Lindsey in the dust, she should retire gracefully.
Maybe. But she brings more value as a leader on this team on the field and I'm not sure anyone else currently on the roster can or wants to fill that role. Dunn doesn't strike me as a captain type and she's probably nearing the part of her career where she won't be part of the USWNT for much longer anyway. Naeher maybe? I think once Horan does leave or her role diminishes where she's a role player, it will eventually be Girma. who takes the armband.
I agree on Horan's speed being an issue. I think she's decent in hold up play but her physicality really comes through in the area and she's probably the one player I see winning headers in the box. And you're right, her passing accuracy and decision making this tournament have been poor and she's had some terrible turnovers in bad positions that have put the US on their heels...like square passes at MF without enough pace and Horan not seeing an opposing defender just lurking. Seriously, those are mistakes 12 and 13 year olds make and once they make them once and the other team goes the other way and scores, they don't ever do it again. Yet Horan has done it numerous times in the Olympics and she's lucky the US defense has been really stout this tournament. Not sure if the US has someone on the current roster who can give you the presence and physicality she has on the ball. I think LaVelle can give you the presence but she may weigh 120 lbs dripping wet so the physicality is not there. Are the Mewis sisters in the mix any longer or has Hayes moved on from them? I know they've each battled injuries but I think they can both fill that 8 or 10 role admirably.
There’s no doubt Horan hasn’t been good. However I’m not sure we currently have anyone who can provide the leadership and maturity she brings to the pitch. She also provides a needed physicality in the box on set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if this is her last big national competition. Doubt we see her in the World Cup.
So I've been watching the track and field events when they're on. The actual track races have been absolutely thrilling to watch and I've been standing up and cheering for the US athletes. The races are close to the very end and like in the instance of the 1500 and the 400, you've got these US guys coming from absolutely nowhere on anyone's radar to the gold medal upsetting guys who are huge favorites. Hell, in the 1500 despite having 3 guys in the final they were still huge underdogs to even get 1 medal and they finished 1, 3 and 5. A US runner came from nowhere to medal in the 10k. And the US is back to dominating the sprint events. Probably the 100/200 double for Lyle coming, the 400, the 200 women's plus a silver in the 100M. And I think a US runner took silver in the 3000M steeple chase and he sort of came from nowhere to do that (if you watched this race, an Ethiopian runner caught his toe on one of the hurdle beams and did a face plant into the track and knocked himself out...runners had to jump the beam and avoid him...he was stretchered off and taken to a hospital where he is recovering). The US runner got caught in the last 100M by the defending gold medal winner from Morocco. The US has also been doing surprisingly well in the field events too.
On top of that, the US won a synchronized (now called artistic) swimming team medal yesterday (silver). Now they do 3 routines...1 is a compulsory. Every one does the same routine and scored for artistry and execution. 2nd is a free routine and the 3rd (and I had no idea they even did this) is the acrobatic routine. This is sort of like a cheerleading routine in the water and it is amazing what they can do.
And finally, the US figure skating team was awarded their gold medals for the team event in the Beijing Olympics after a Russian skater, competing under the Olympic flag, was DQ'd for doping. It took 2 freaking years even though everyone knew the Russian girl failed a drug test PRE-OLYMPICS yet they still allowed her to compete. Between Putin's war crimes and the ROC's orchestrated doping program (this wasn't an isolated incident and has been going on for years), Russia needs a 14 year ban from all Olympics competition.
On top of that, the US won a synchronized (now called artistic) swimming team medal yesterday (silver). Now they do 3 routines...1 is a compulsory. Every one does the same routine and scored for artistry and execution. 2nd is a free routine and the 3rd (and I had no idea they even did this) is the acrobatic routine. This is sort of like a cheerleading routine in the water and it is amazing what they can do.
And finally, the US figure skating team was awarded their gold medals for the team event in the Beijing Olympics after a Russian skater, competing under the Olympic flag, was DQ'd for doping. It took 2 freaking years even though everyone knew the Russian girl failed a drug test PRE-OLYMPICS yet they still allowed her to compete. Between Putin's war crimes and the ROC's orchestrated doping program (this wasn't an isolated incident and has been going on for years), Russia needs a 14 year ban from all Olympics competition.
Today’s match against Brazil is the first time the ladies haven’t had a clear speed advantage. A couple of great saves by the keeper has kept it level but I’m not real optimistic about the second half.
Mallory Swanson buries one in the second half and Alyssa Naeher was fantastic in goal giving the US the gold medal. It’s so good to see Swanson playing so well after that devastating knee injury in 2023.
