AUCKLAND, New Zealand − The U.S. women have a wealth of talent on their bench.
Use it.
The pre-World Cup criticism of coach Vlatko Andonovski’s lineups and substitutions was renewed after Thursday’s disappointing draw with the Netherlands. And not wrongly. Andonovski made one substitution − one! − in the game, and he left Lynn Williams on the bench when her offensive opportunism and defensive tenacity could have been the difference-maker as the USWNT chased a goal over the last 30 minutes.
Now the two-time defending champions are facing a must-win game − OK, a tie works, too, but a win would be better − against Portugal in Tuesday’s group-stage finale.
“I thought we had control of the game, and I thought that we were knocking on the door of scoring a goal,” Andonovski said. “We were around the goal the whole time and 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 and we just didn’t want to jeopardize that.”
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This isn’t a travel team tournament. It’s the World Cup, and the Americans have some of the best players in the world. If they’re not prepared to come in and make an immediate impact, then why are they even here in the first place?
Plus, you think seeing a Williams or a Megan Rapinoe or an Alyssa Thompson wouldn’t have flustered the Dutch?
Netherlands coach Andries Jonker might have been getting a little ahead of himself when he questioned the Americans’ fitness in an interview with ESPN ahead of the game and asked, “What is left of their superiority? Let’s see about that.” But when Andonovski has talked about the gap closing on the USWNT, he’s said that happened long ago. That the USWNT won the 2015 and 2019 World Cups and 2012 Olympic title because Jill Ellis and Pia Sundhage were able to find ways to separate the Americans just the tiniest bit from everyone else.
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“They found a way to push this team and get the standards a little higher and push them that 1 extra percent to get them on top or keep them on top,” Andonovski said last month. “It is our responsibility to do the same now in this tournament, push this team for the extra 1 percent to be the best or to stay the best.”
And?
It was one thing for the USWNT to look stodgy in the leadup to this World Cup. The Americans are in the midst of a generational shift, and Andonovski needed to experiment with lineups and different players to see what would work and what wouldn’t.
The USWNT also had to scramble to fill holes left by injuries to leading scorer Mallory Swanson (knee) and center back stalwart Becky Sauerbrunn (foot).
But untimely injuries happen. The Americans sure aren’t going to get much sympathy from England, which is without three of its best players. Or Australia, which saw star Sam Kerr ruled out for at least two games at the beginning of the tournament. Or France, which lost Amandine Henry after it was already down Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Delphine Cascarino. Or … you get the picture.
It is Andonovski’s job to find the best puzzle pieces and the right way to configure them, and if it’s not working, to make changes.
Like other USWNT coaches have.
Ellis might be one of only two coaches to win two World Cup titles, but fans howled about her tactical choices at the 2015 tournament until yellow-card accumulations forced her to adjust for the quarterfinals. The USWNT found its groove and, three games later, was lifting its first World Cup trophy since 1999.
Andonovski has shown he’s capable of adapting. He returned Julie Ertz to center back after Sauerbrunn’s injury, even though Ertz hadn’t played the position on a consistent basis since 2017 and had been out for more than a year and a half after the Tokyo Olympics. He made Williams a starter for two games in Tokyo after she’d been an alternate on the original roster.
He is all but certain to return Rose Lavelle to the starting lineup as soon as the medical staff lifts her minutes restrictions.
But when Andonovski needed to make bold moves against the Netherlands, he played it safe. That’s not the way to win a World Cup.
It’s a way to get beat.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on Twitter @nrarmour.
