US faces Portugal with Women’s World Cup future still up in the air
It was the first time that the United States had made just one or fewer substitutions in a World Cup game since 2007
The United States heads into its final group match at the Women’s World Cup with questions swirling about the team’s tactics.
US coach Vlatko Andonovski started the same lineup against Netherlands on Thursday that he rolled out for the opening match against Vietnam.
While it was enough for the United States to beat the Vietnamese 3-0, it was less successful against the stronger Dutch, and the Americans settled for a 1-1 draw.
That lineup had never played together before the World Cup.
The tie meant that the United States will likely need a more decisive outcome on Tuesday against Portugal to finish atop Group E and secure a favorable path in the knockout round. Going into the game, advancing out of the group wasn’t a given for the two-time defending World Cup champions.
In addition to the same starters, Andonovski made just one substitution in the game against the Dutch, bringing on midfielder Rose Lavelle to start the second half.
But no fresh legs were subbed in even after players showed fatigue. Forwards Lynn Williams and Megan Rapinoe remained on the sidelines.
He was asked about the strategy afterward.
“I just didn’t want to disrupt the rhythm at that point because sometimes a substitute comes in and it might take a minute or two to get into a rhythm,” he said.
“We just didn’t want to jeopardize anything because I thought all three of our forwards were very good, dangerous, created opportunities and were a handful.”
It was the first time that the United States had made just one or fewer substitutions in a World Cup game since 2007.
Known in 2019 for jumping on World Cup opponents early, the Americans did not score against the Dutch until the second half when they were already down 1-0.
Lavelle is one of the team’s top midfielders and made an immediate impact in the game boosting the energy and feeding the attack and the United States looked
like that 2019 championship team again. She served up a corner kick to Lindsey Horan, angry about getting knocked down by a Dutch player moments before, for the game-tying goal in the 62nd minute.
Lavelle had a knee injury going into the World Cup and hadn’t played since April.
She’s been on a minutes restriction and Andonovski has been starting Savannah DeMelo, one of the teams’ 14 players making their first-ever appearance in the World Cup.
DeMelo hadn’t played in a match with the
national team until the send-off game against Wales in San Jose, the day the team departed for the World Cup.
