The United States women's national team have one final game remaining in the group stage yet all to play for. They opened the World Cup with a 3-0 victory against Vietnam and are coming off a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands on Wednesday night. Despite the level match against the Netherlands, the team are currently in first place based on goal differential and in a good position to enter the knockout rounds which are set to begin on August 5 if they can take care of business on Tuesday against Portugal.
The last time the group was playing in an international tournament was during the Tokyo Olympic games, and for head coach Vlatko Andonovski, it was the first major international tournament with the No. 1 ranked team in the world. The Olympic group stage presented lots of questions as they advanced into the knockout rounds but not as comfortably as they would have liked. Part of the criticism was related to an overreliance on an aging core of players, minute management of players carrying injuries and a lack of confidence in tactics. Still, he and the squad returned to the podium, improved on the worst-ever quarterfinal exit in the Rio 2016 games and left Tokyo with a bronze medal.
Golazo Starting XI Newsletter
Get your Soccer Fix from Around the Globe
Your ultimate guide to the Beautiful Game as our experts take you beyond the pitch and around the globe with news that matters.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
Andonovski's unique ability to remain calm under criticism might be tied to the fact that he's completely unglued to any social media. He says he doesn't read the articles, see memes on Instagram or any of the snarky tweets as he doesn't use any of the social channels. The North Macedonia native will take a question laced with critique and somehow spin it forward to positively highlight his teams' performance, and for fans, that's actually the most annoying thing about him.
Now during the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, the questions haven't stopped and are only slightly different, even if the group is in first place at the moment. There's still criticism of the tactics (or lack thereof) and even the minute management of players working into form. The latest question out of the match against the Netherlands is one that differs entirely from the Tokyo Games and it's a lack of substitutions.
This was billed as a rematch of the 2019 final and of the Tokyo Olympics quarterfinal. A head-to-head of teams who were each other's biggest rivals for first place within Group E and yet both are entirely different teams than those previous tournaments. It's not a far stretch to say Andonoski was outcoached in the first half of the match, he rolled out an identical starting lineup that was used against Vietnam in a 4-3-3 and didn't adjust much.
Group E Standings
| PLACE | CLUB | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United States | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
2 | Netherlands | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
3 | Portugal | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
4 | Vietnam | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 0 |
It's the formation that most opposing teams have film on, so why not shake things up against a fellow World Cup contender that will dare you in a three-player back? Why only use one of five available subs in a game where your team stole back the momentum? For Andonovski, it's as simple as belief in his players.
"I thought we had control of the game and we were knocking on the door of scoring a goal," Andonovski said. "Our players played well. 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.
It's not a wild perspective to have faith in the players you're utilizing during the game, especially if they're on the front foot and closing things out. But there's a contrast in belief when you say the team is clicking and the depth of your bench could disrupt things. Especially in the attack where your three starting forwards have now completed hefty match loads. Lynn Williams is the only forward to not get match minutes over the two group games, while 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson and 38-year-old Megan Rapinoe featured against Vietnam.
"We just didn't want to jeopardize anything because I thought all three of our forwards were very good today, dangerous, created opportunities and were a handful. Yes, we of course talked about substitutes and Lynn was probably one of the first that would've been on the field if we needed to change something."
First place in the group is a good thing, and yet the ultra-competitive nature of the program, which sometimes extends to its fans and pundits, will naturally find things to disagree with but perhaps the lack of subs was the most unified position to roll out in post-game reaction online.
The temperature of the USWNT through the first two group games is perhaps a little undercooked. Vietnam provided the team with a strong prep, but the Netherlands result should have the team ready to simmer because, with one game remaining in the group, it probably isn't the right time to peak in the tournament.
Andonovski's contract with the national team was always set to expire at the conclusion of the World Cup. What happens during the tournament might not have an earth-shattering impact on his status afterward. Whether they win it all or fall short in knockout rounds, it has always felt as if the Olympic window to World Cup was going to be the timeframe for him.
If U.S. Soccer wants to retain him, they will, or if he wants to go back to coaching in NWSL, he will have his pick of jobs. In fact, an NWSL club returned to his home base, Kansas City, during his time with the national team, and they have interim-head coach Caroline Sjoblom at the helm through the end of the season. Other bottom-table NWSL teams may also reach out, or even the newest expansion side Bay FC. But for now, the objective hasn't changed. Win the group. That could have been done by now, but it's not. Ninty critical minutes await.
Advancement scenarios vs. Portugal
With a win: The USWNT will advance to the knockout stage. They will win the group as long as they can maintain their goal difference advantage over the Netherlands who finish out against Vietnam. Basically, if they are able to win by a comfortable scoreline, they will likely win the group. What they can't have is a low-scoring match and then see the Dutch destroy Vietnam as that could see them fall to second and create a trickier path to the next round.
With a draw: The USWNT will advance to the knockout stage on five points with a draw. They can only win the group with a loss or draw from the Netherlands in this case.
With a loss: The United States will need help. Portugal will advance and the USWNT would need a Netherlands loss while also maintaining an advantage in goal difference. Any other outcome from the Netherlands with a USWNT loss would see the United States make an early exit from the World Cup.
