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The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is nearing the end of the group stage and the knockout stage awaits this weekend. The United States women's national team have advanced to the round of 16, just barely, after a scoreless draw against Portugal on Tuesday. They now await the first-place winner of Group G, likely Sweden, to begin the knockout round phase with that match set for Sunday morning at 5 a.m. ET. But exiting the group stage wasn't as simple as some expected, with a manageable win against Vietnam and two draws -- a first-time underachievement by the team -- to close out group play. This was just the second time in history that the national team failed to win their group. 

Naturally, in a program where success is the standard, players and head coach each echoed the importance of putting Group E behind them and looking ahead to the knockouts. Survive and advance might be a true sentiment, but it's a different feeling for a team failing to show consistency in attack. So what went wrong on the pitch against Portugal? It certainly wasn't because of too much smiling or dancing off the pitch. 

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Let's take a look at three things that need to change ahead of the knockouts:

1. Win back the midfield

In case you have not caught on by now, the USWNT have struggled for some time now under Vlatko Andonovski. Both the Netherlands and Portugal outworked the team in the middle third. It's become evident that there is enough footage for opposing teams to exploit them in weaker areas, and both European sides committed numbers in the midfield to gain possession. When presented with the challenge of adjusting to create more chances, there was a disconnect between players and frustration settled in.

The team has mainly functioned in a 4-3-3 setup out of the 2019 World Cup in games with Andonovski. Even as the group lost Julie Ertz and Sam Mewis to extended injuries (and maternity leave for Ertz), this World Cup has seen Ertz return to play as a possible option as the definitive No. 6, only to get slotted back in as a center back. The group entered the tournament undefeated in 2023 and even showed their ability to progress the ball in a 4-2-3-1 ahead of the World Cup. They then found themselves playing for a draw in a shakey defensive 5-4-1.

They haven't been able to adapt on the fly and that's a little more concerning than just a formation shift because they have had three games where they actually did have good performances in large stretches of minutes. With the group stage now over, there's no certainty that Andonoski will dramatically change his starting lineup or formation for the knockout rounds. 

2. Get the forced adjustments right

Andonovski started the same exact lineup in two consecutive games. For the final game against Portugal, Lynn Williams earned her first minutes with a start over Trinity Rodman, and Rose Lavelle got her first start of the tournament by slotting in over Savannah DeMelo. The two adjustments were initially bright spots but also showed some of the extended minutes on the legs of what are now the typical starters. 

The laggy start to the game in the middle third meant Lavelle revved up the energy in order to try and win balls and generate momentum. She ended up picking up a yellow card instead, her second of the group stage, and will now miss the round of 16 on Sunday. It will force Andonovski to take a hard look at how they will line up against their next opponent. Should Ertz be pushed up into the midfield and Alana Cook finally get a World Cup start after being the starting center back for the USWNT for two years?

I say yes, but that might lead to even more disconnect on the pitch for a team still trying to form cohesion, and we're back to the beginning where a lack of adjustments led the team to where they are now. Sometimes a team needs to shake things up to get rolling, as we saw with the Argentina men's national team in December, and it's unfortunate that the coaching staff failed the squad in providing that for the players during the group stage.

3. Rebuild confidence

There is nothing that screams "domestic club coach" more than a manager that is reluctant to make adjustments due to a lack of confidence in the depth of their squad. This is the roster that the coaching staff chose and there has been a failure to utilize the riches of depth. Now they will be without Lavelle and it should be viewed as an opportunity to capitalize on instead of a dreaded dagger to their tournament.

In between the questionable tactics and lackluster play, there's a perception by pundits to question the heart of players versus the challenges on the pitch for some reason. 

"To question the mentality of this team, to question the willingness to win, to compete ... I think it's insane," Andonovski said after the game in response to critiques of team mentality and culture.

I get it, it makes for better TV to tear down a tournament favorite instead of acknowledging that the tactics have failed and the women's game has actually taken that next step in laying the foundation of what is its modern era of competitiveness. But I think better questions are whether coaches are prepared and whether can they manage players to results on the pitch if elite ones are struggling to perform. If the answer is no then it's not an unfair claim that lack of confidence probably starts from the coaching staff and trickles down.