Expect changes to the USWNT lineup vs. Chile – but don't expect any attempt to avoid France

sports.yahoo.com ^ | June 15, 2019 | Doug McIntyre

[Berlin_Freeper]

PARIS — It’s been a major talking point ever since the Women’s World Cup draw back in December. If the United States wins its first-round group here in France, and the host nation tops their own foursome, the consensus best two teams in the competition could meet in a do-or-die quarterfinal later this month in the City of Light.

The possibility of such an encounter well before the final has prompted many to wonder if the French and American teams might strategically opt to not go all-out in the group stage, perhaps setting up an easier path to the July 7 final in Lyon.

We already know the former’s approach. After beating South Korea and Norway, Les Bleues would have to implode spectacularly against Nigeria not to win Group A. What will the U.S. do? A day before the Americans’ second match against Chile (12 p.m. ET, FOX), coach Jill Ellis left no doubt about where the favorites stand.

“I struggle to tell my team not to tackle in training the day before,” Ellis said during Saturday’s pre-match media conference. “I think at this point it’s making sure your focus is on yourself and your performance and you put yourself in the best position to advance in this tournament. For us, it’s making sure that we play as well as we possibly can and win the game.”

[HonkyTonkMan]

Lloyd is good player, but she is inconsistent - Always good for sailing a few over the top or in this case not even on frame. I wish she would have made the PK for a hat trick. Only herself to blame.

[KC_Lion]

Thank You for that Tweet link Berlin.

Had not seen that from Carli Lloyd.

[KC_Lion]

(Link) New lineup, similar result as USWNT dominates Chile, makes knockout round.

PARIS -- The United States can't officially clinch a place as the best team in its World Cup group until later this week, but it used Sunday's game against Chile to show that even its second team is among the best in the world.

Despite wholesale changes to the starting lineup that routed Thailand, the U.S. beat Chile 3-0 to remain on top of Group F and advance to the knockout round. Both the U.S. and Sweden enter the final round of group play with six points from two wins, but the Americans possess a vastly superior goal differential.

On a day when the American presence in Paris made the red, white and blue of Parc des Princes, normally home to Paris Saint-Germain, an appropriate home away from home with a crowd of 45,594, the U.S. looked at ease from the outset.

In her first start this World Cup, Carli Lloyd needed just over 10 minutes to set a record by scoring in her sixth consecutive World Cup game. She then set another record when, at age 36, she became the oldest player to score two goals in a World Cup game.

Only a missed penalty, awarded after VAR intervention, slowed Lloyd.

[KC_Lion]

(Link) USA THROUGH TO WORLD CUP KNOCKOUT ROUNDS AFTER 3-0 VICTORY AGAINST CHILE IN GROUP F.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Lloyd is no spring chicken anymore. I wish Coach Ellis would stick to the plan of using her as a second half substitute. All it takes is to be a little bit winded to miss the penalty as close as Lloyd did in the second half. So not only herself to blame but coach Ellis also imo.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Soccer-Entire U.S. squad hungry and ready, says coach Ellis

The United States' squad is more motivated than ever, coach Jill Ellis said on Sunday after making seven changes in the 3-0 win against Chile in the women's World Cup to give her fringe players an opportunity to get rid of any tournament nerves.

The defending champions thrashed Thailand 13-0 in their opening Group F match, but with the demanding schedule in mind, Ellis opted to drop key players like Alex Morgan, who had fired five goals in that game, to boost the team's overall morale.

[sphinx]

I think today's lineup was a long term bench management call. Ellis has now played everyone, other than the backup goalkeepers. Eight different players have scored. Christen Press and Jessica McDonald haven't scored, but they've at least had some good shots and a couple of balls off the post. Team psychology can be tricky. All these women are professionals and they all want to win, but it would still be a bummer to make a World Cup team and sit on the bench for a month without ever getting into a game. You also don't want to have to bring someone into a tough game against a peer level team, maybe in a backs to the wall situation, who hasn't played. Ellis got a lot of the potential yinyangs out of the way today.

The U.S. team has depth, but today's starting lineup also was a reminder of why Tobin Heath and Megan Rapinoe are special players. Neither played today, and it showed. Having them both out there together is awesome. Ali Krieger helped her cause. Sam Mewes has earned more playing time as well; her absence today was noticeable. The team that played today was not nearly as sharp as the team that played Thailand, even adjusting for the strength of the opponent.

[KC_Lion]

Carli Llyod Stats: - http://www.nwslsoccer.com/players/carli-lloyd

[KC_Lion]

Excellent post sphinx. :)

[KC_Lion]

NY Post: (Link) USWNT takeaways: Celebration controversy re-upped, Lloyd’s history

"The New Jersey native and Rutgers product almost had a hat-trick, just pulling her 81st-minute penalty kick wide left. She still became the first person to score in six straight World Cup games and the oldest, at 36, to score a brace, even dropping back into her old midfield role."

[KC_Lion]

[Berlin_Freeper]

LOL! Reminds me to go miniature golfing this summer.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Carli Lloyd is one of those players that will be missed for years after she retires.

The Cheap Haters slam the whole team for being unAmerican (because you know that is the intelligent American thing to do.) because of one or two players they don’t like. But I follow Lloyd and Trump on Twitter and I can see Lloyd follows Trump.

[Berlin_Freeper]

German Bild has a story that even the American B Team has a victory because there were many changes to the line-up.

Btw I was surprised Germany coach is married to a man.

Sometimes you really can’t go by looks.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Chile goalkeeper Christiane Endler earned Player of the Match despite her team’s 3-0 loss against the United States.

Chile goalkeeper Christiane Endler was named Player of the Match for a standout performance in which she acrobatically batted away chance after USA chance and set a new standard for the expression cat-like reflexes.

Endler, who plays club soccer less than six miles away for Paris Saint-Germain and attended the University of South Florida in Tampa from 2012-14, finished the game with six saves.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Four games today with pairs played at the same time.

Monday, June 17

South Africa vs. Germany, 12 p.m. (Fox)

China vs. Spain, 12 p.m. (FS1)

Nigeria vs. France, 3 p.m. (Fox)

South Korea vs. Norway, 3 p.m. (FS1)

[Berlin_Freeper]

Group tables

[Berlin_Freeper]

Chile goalkeeper has German father, looks German.
Plays in France. Schooled in USA.

Endler's hero and idol as a child was German footballer and former Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.

She can speak Spanish, English and German.

Btw today is Oliver Kahn's 50th Birthday. She will know this.

[KC_Lion]

Player Profile: Christiane Endler

6ft tall!

[KC_Lion]

Thank You for the list of games today.

Will be keeping track of them and watching clips were I can.