USWNT counting on experience in Olympic test against Australia
By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer
Looking back at the United States women’s national team’s first two matches at the Tokyo Olympics, the difference couldn’t be starker.
Following their tournament-opening 3-0 loss to Sweden — the most embarrassing defeat for the U.S. since a 4-0 drubbing by Brazil at the 2007 World Cup — the Americans responded by setting Olympic records for goals and margin of victory in their second game, a 6-1 rout of New Zealand.
Now, heading into their group stage finale on Tuesday against world No. 9 Australia (4 a.m. ET/1 a.m. PT, USA Network), the question is this: Which version of the USWNT will show up?
"Although the loss obviously sucks, it’s like a bit of a blessing in disguise to get that kind of lesson really early on in the tournament," midfielder Rose Lavelle, who opened the scoring against the Kiwis, said Sunday night from Japan. "We know we have no room for error. So it’s kind of just bringing that same energy that we had [against] New Zealand and elevating it even more."
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The lack of intensity against the Swedes was jarring, both inside the dressing room and for those watching back home. For all of the Americans’ all-world skill, the planet’s top-ranked team is known just as much for its never-say-die fight.
That tenacity came back with a vengeance versus New Zealand, but the Australians represent a steep step up in competition. They’re physically dominant, much like the Swedes. Samantha Kerr, who leads the forward line for the Matildas, is perhaps the most feared scorer in the women’s game.
Adding to the intrigue, the Americans and Aussies know each other inside out. Several Australians have played in the U.S-based National Women’s Soccer League, including Kerr, who is expected to go head-to-head with former Chicago Red Stars teammate and U.S. defensive lynchpin Julie Ertz on Tuesday.
That matchup could be key. Ertz just returned from a lingering knee injury to make her first start since May; the U.S. missed her dominant midfield presence terribly in the first half against Sweden.
"She organizes and prepares them for defense while we’re still attacking," U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski said of Ertz. "And when we have to defend, it always seems like she’s in the right spot. So just a great player to have back, very important for us."
Yet the familiarity between the teams cuts both ways. Andonovski believes that Australia actually could have the edge in that department. He has a point. After all, aside from himself and former U.S. manager Jill Ellis, nobody knows his team and his players better than Matildas boss Tony Gustavsson.
As the assistant to Ellis and Pia Sundhage, Ellis’ predecessor, Gustavsson helped the U.S. win the Olympic gold medal in 2012, plus back-to-back World Cups in 2015 and ’19. And while the U.S. has only lost once to Australia in 30 all-time meetings, the Americans have gone just 1-1-1 against Australia in their three most recent outings.
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To take all three points from this one and guarantee at least a runner-up finish in Group G, the Americans will have to be sharper than they were last time out. The USWNT’s marking, defensive positioning and pressure on the ball all have room to improve, according to Andonovski.
"In these games," 2019 World Cup standout Lavelle said, "it comes down to the littlest things."
With just two days between matches during the first round, there’s little time to make adjustments. The U.S. team has watched video and talked internally about the tweaks that are needed, but they hadn’t had a chance to work on them in training until Monday.
Still, the tactics won’t mean much if the intensity is lacking again. There’s only so much a coach can do on that front. For the most part, Andonovski has left it up to veterans like Ertz, Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Kelley O’Hara, Megan Rapinoe and captain Becky Sauerbrunn to lead the reset and drag their less experienced teammates into the fray.
"The players have done an incredible job reevaluating the mentality, and they’ve done an incredible job getting back to our roots," Andonovski said. "I do just a little bit of that, to remind them all what it can look like if we’re not prepared."
They shouldn’t need much reminding after the opener.
"They're experienced, they’ve played under pressure, they have succeeded in tough situations," the coach added. "Australia is a very organized, very disciplined team. They have an incredible roster, some great individual players and we’re well aware of it and understand that this is going to be a really tough game for us. But again, we’ve got to stick to who we are. We gotta be aggressive. We gotta be intense."
If that version of the USWNT takes the field Tuesday in Kashima, you’ve got to think they’ll be just fine.
One of the most prominent soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams in more than a dozen countries, including multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining FOX Sports, the New York City native was a staff writer for Yahoo Sports and ESPN. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
