The United States women's national team lost 2-1 to Germany on Thursday night. The two teams kicked off a two-game series at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to close out the calendar year. The loss is the USWNT's third consecutive and caps its worst run of losses since 1993. There were quality opportunities for both teams during the first 45 minutes, but the breakthrough on goal did not occur till the second half. Megan Rapinoe scored the lone goal for the United States, while Klara Bühl forced an own goal and Paulina Krumbiegel recorded the game-winner for Germany.
A manageable game turned into another loss
The USWNT were under early pressure from Germany in the opening 15 minutes of the match before regaining momentum. Alana Cook and Naomi Girma were tasked as the center-back duo, their fifth time anchoring the backline together with Casey Murphy in goal. The trio was able to help the defense maintain its shape as the USWNT front six attempted to regain control of the game.
Mallory Pugh, Alex Morgan, and Sophia Smith were in charge of generating an attack, but they were unable to capitalzie on their time in the final third together. The final pass and touch were missing at times, perhaps due to a lack of matches as Pugh has played just one club game over the past month.
Rose Lavelle was also a bright spot in the first 45 minutes with a stellar end-line play that led to a shot off the post just past the half-hour mark. The attempt was one of two on target for the team before halftime.
Momentum turned into chasing a game
There were no substitutions from USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski for the second half. The team continued to generate set-piece opportunities but failed to convert or recycle the set pieces. Horan was a frequent target on corners and nearly pulled off a bicycle kick inside the box, but the shot hit the post.
Failure to retain the ball after Horan's attempt led to a quick transition for Germany the opposite way. Murphy made a stop on the initial shot, but a second attempt by Buhl beat Murphy as the ball nicked the goalpost and hit off Murphy's back into the goal.
The game was mostly even in possession during the first half, with the U.S. leading in total shot attempts. But conceded early in the second half, which changed the tempo of the game for the team as the outside backs continued to struggle against Germany's solid marking. Rapinoe, Ashley Sanchez, and Trinity Rodman brought a spark off the bench for the Americans and an eventual equalizer. A good counterpress from Sanchez and Morgan led to a turnover for the team's lone tally.
Is it time to hit the panic button?
Not quite, though there is cause for worry. Eight months are remaining for the team in the lead-up to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, and it is outright uncharacteristic for this program to have a three-game losing streak at this point in its history.
The mental game of the USWNT has long been the catalyst for game-changing moments. The late-game equalizer crafted by team veterans Morgan and Rapinoe is not earth-shattering information for the coaching staff; it's why they were called into these camps. But the lapses in judgment loom larger against competition among the top 10 ranked teams in the world where the margins for error are already so slim. It was why Germany's game-winner was particularly disappointing -- a heads-up play in a late-game scenario by 20-year-old midfielder Lena Oberdorf, who quickly played a free kick.
What's next
The USWNT will close out their two-game series against Germany on Sunday at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. The match will be the final game for the team in 2022 before they reunite in New Zealand for January camps.
