Americans avoid disaster, must regroup
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – Smiles all around, cheering fans, a place in next summer's Women's World Cup secured – for a few brief moments, all seemed well with the U.S. women's national team. Until coach Pia Sundhage spoke.
"That was crap," she said.
Sundhage's frank and blunt assessment was in reference to the first 20 minutes of an unconvincing 1-0 victory over Italy at Toyota Park, in what was the second and final leg of a World Cup play-in series. It was an identical scoreline to the one in Italy a week earlier. The Americans, ranked No. 1 in the world, clinched their spot in the tournament, but they raised plenty of questions along the way.
After a fraught month that saw the U.S. side upset by Mexico in CONCACAF regional qualifying, thrusting them into this do-or-die encounter with the Italians, what the U.S. team needs more than anything right now is time to regroup.
Fortunately it will get some, with the domestic WPS league having entered its offseason and the World Cup in Germany still seven months away. Even so, it appears likely that the team, which has won two World Cups and the last two Olympic gold medals, will approach the event with an aura of dominance that is greatly reduced.
Amy Rodriguez's first-half goal was the difference on Saturday, but a mixed performance was far from being enough to convince the skeptics that all is well in Sundhage's camp.
"When you have a highly ranked team that gets beaten like we did against Mexico, then it gives other teams confidence," striker Abby Wambach said. "But you can't stay undefeated forever, that never happens in sports. The pressure of maintaining that can be difficult. You don't want to be going into a tournament scared and worried about the outcome."
Both teams missed a series of scoring opportunities in frosty conditions, with the Italians spurning some glorious early chances that could have piled on even more pressure, and the Americans returning the favor in the second half.
What most concerned Sundhage was a number of uncharacteristic, basic errors that prevented the U.S. from taking a stranglehold on the game.
"This team can win the World Cup," Sundhage said. "But I hope they know they will have to play a lot better to do it. If they don't know it, I will tell them, because it was not good."
The USA has a proud tradition in the women's game, dating back to stars such as Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain and the heroes of the victorious 1999 team that won the World Cup on home soil.
Recent times have seen a drastic improvement in the depth of their opposition, though, with a cluster of European, African and South American sides making great strides – so much so that Germany and Brazil will go into next summer as favorites, with the Americans just behind.
A routine waltz into the later rounds is no longer guaranteed, as highlighted by the recent loss to No. 22 Mexico, which only a few years ago was considered a pushover.
"This will be the most competitive World Cup ever," said Sundhage. "Six or seven teams can win it. That is unique."
With every passing game, it is increasingly clear that the USA can no longer rely on its athletic ability and indomitable will to win. Sundhage believes an increase in "sophistication" is a vital next step.
Wambach still feels that the tried and trusted methods will be good enough in Germany, once the squad has had the chance to iron the aches and pains of a long season out of their joints.
"We can improve in a lot of different areas," Wambach said. "But more than anything, this team is just super fatigued right now. We have been going for 11 straight months and it is not easy.
"When we get a bit of rest we can come back to the drawing board."
