Carli Lloyd explains 'art of finishing,' where USWNT can improve
It's no secret the U.S. women's national team squandered a slew of golden scoring opportunities in a 3-0 victory over Vietnam in its World Cup opener.
Those are the sort of chances the U.S. can't afford to waste against the Netherlands Wednesday (coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET, with kickoff at 9 p.m. on FOX and the FOX Sports app) in what USWNT legend Carli Lloyd calls "a final within the group stage."
How can the Americans be more ruthless in front of the net? Few know better than Lloyd, whose 134 goals for her country rank fourth, men's or women's, in international soccer history.
Carli Lloyd's hat trick in 2015 World Cup final
[Carli Lloyd's World Cup dominance: By the numbers]
Now serving as a studio analyst for FOX Sports during Australia/New Zealand 2023, the two-time World Cup champion shared some of her observations from the Vietnam match — and her thoughts on what the U.S. must improve — before her former team meets the powerful Dutch in a high-profile rematch of the 2019 finale.
(Lightly edited for length and clarity)
The U.S. isn't the only title contender that struggled to finish at times during its first game at this World Cup. England needed a penalty kick to defeat Haiti. France was held scoreless by Jamaica. Why have teams found it difficult to score?
Lloyd: "A couple reasons. It's becoming harder to break teams down. Some sit low with players blocking the goal, so it's really about being able to manipulate opponents, occupy defenders and create the space to find those openings. Out of all the games so far, we've seen Spain do that the most by using finesse and creativity and fluidity and teamwork. That's the biggest thing.
"The other big thing is not waiting for the ball to come to you. I think in some of those moments, players are just kind of standing in the box and not really attacking the ball.
"And then obviously, there is the art and repetition of finishing. Throughout my career, I made sure I got tons of reps in training: shooting outside the box, inside the box, playing dummies, finding ways to attack the ball and put it in the net."
[What's with so many PKs, and so many misses, in this Women's World Cup?]
After the Vietnam game, U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski and his players acknowledged they need to finish better. Do you expect that to be the focus in training before Wednesday's match?
"You don't all of a sudden become a better finisher by working on it for a few days. The preparation comes prior to this. It's the understanding of one another and the quality of the passing.
"I don't think you saw that fluidity with the U.S. in the first game. Why would you? That lineup had never played together. The first goal Sophia Smith scored was really the only moment where you saw three players — Lindsey Horan, Alex Morgan and Soph — have that movement off one another where it was synchronized. Everything else was just these Hail Mary balls that were being lumped into the box. Those aren't effective often.
"To be perfectly blunt, this has been a general theme with Vlatko ever since he became the coach in 2019. Two years ago at the Olympics, we had chances that we weren't putting away. That's worrying. Because when you go deeper in a tournament, those opportunities are going to be few and far between. You might get 20 or 30 chances against Vietnam. You won't against the top teams. So it's really important to capitalize on the ones you get."
[USWNT rues missed chances, but still starts World Cup quest on winning note]
What was your approach to scoring when you were playing?
"It was a mindset, a visualization thing. These players all know how to finish. If you work on crossing with no defenders, they're all going to score. But when an opponent is maybe pushing you a little bit off balance, you have to really hone in on keeping your eye on the ball and attacking it.
"I'm thinking of the shot Megan Rapinoe had against Vietnam. There was no movement toward the ball. I've done that in my career, where I'm just not switched on, just kind of standing there. It's not effective."
Andonovski said that along with the finishing, the service could've been sharper, too. Is that what you saw?
"A little bit. Things like the weight of the pass matter. If you look at Sophia Smith's assist, it was purposeful. She's attacking the ball in a great spot, takes a perfect touch and she executes. And it allows Lindsey to put it away. It should be that easy.
"The best teams and the best players capitalize on those half chances. A half chance is still a chance."
Lindsey Horan's goal from every angle
Six of the 11 U.S. starters last Friday were making their World Cup debuts. How much to you think nerves came into some of those misses?
"I was nervous every time I stepped onto the field. It's not a bad thing. It changes over time with more experience, but, of course, you're going to be nervous in your first World Cup game.
"Even when it's your third or fourth World Cup, it's still the biggest stage. Nerves are absolutely normal. It's about embracing them and finding a way to settle in once that whistle blows. You have to learn how to harness those nerves, and ultimately find a way to execute."
In the first game of the 2019 World Cup, your team had no problems executing in that record-setting 13-0 win over Thailand. Why?
"In 2019, there was just an understanding of each other. There was no second-guessing. When you saw ‘Pinoe bolting down the left side, you knew what she's going to do.
"That makes everybody else's decision-making easier in terms of where to make your run into the box, knowing how she's going to serve that ball. It's about having that understanding. I think that's the biggest question mark with this group."
Carli Lloyd scores USWNT's 13th goal vs. Thailand in 2019
You mentioned Sophia Smith's assist; she also scored twice in the opener. What did you think of her performance?
"She looked different than everyone else. You could just see that level of focus and concentration. She was attacking, she was defending, she was trying to make things happen.
"That starts in training. She always plays like that. She's not turning the switch on and off. Some players don't train like it's a World Cup final every day, and they have a hard time turning it on when they get into a big game. With her, everything is always 100 percent.
"Toward the end of my career, she would always join me in the ice baths after games. I was kind of shocked. Not many people do that consistently. In tournaments, sure, but not so much the rest of the year. Soph was in all the time, and she's said that it's made a difference. There's no question that her professionalism and focus is now translating on the world stage.
"Her biggest challenge now is to be able to do that game after game. That's the true test. Because everybody's going to expect that. It's not a matter of her quality. It's about her mentality now that she set that bar. But she has the capability to do it."
United States vs. Vietnam recap
What are you expecting from the U.S. against the Netherlands?
"It's huge, a final within the group stage. Basically, they have to win. Their chances of winning the World Cup become a bit more difficult if they don't.
"You've got a Dutch side that still remembers 2019, even if there are some different players and a different coaching staff. They'll be organized defensively. They've got some attacking threats, and while they only beat Portugal 1-0, they still won.
"This game is definitely going to determine who wins the group. If it were me, I'd be approaching it like a final."
[United States vs. Netherlands: Everything to know, how to watch USWNT match 2]
Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
