If the U.S. had eaten it against the Dutch, they wouldn't have much to argue about. They would have probably done the same if Lieke Martens had struck the penalty that Jessie Fleming took today instead of paying tribute to English penalty taking. The Canadians lost this game and they can feel a bit more difficult. They gave up one shot on the target (said penalty). It doesn't mean that it was a complete smash-and-grab for the Canadians. The U.S. did not manage to get its first shot on target until about an hour into the game and only had three very dangerous chances. The USWNT did not deserve to win the gold, given the tournament they played in, and this was the only sword that fell.AdvertisementOne of five games was won by the United States. In five games, they scored eight goals and only two in each of the remaining three. They didn't score in three of their five games, so it wasn't necessary for them to show heroic goalkeeping or Alamo-like backguard action. For a lot of matches they were toothless or insipid, which is quite a gross combination.Many of the adjectives that we used or heard during the run were out-of-sync or not us. The U.S. has a unique advantage in summer tournaments. They arrive at their peak of fitness in the middle NWSL season, when most of their competition is coming from Europe.This tournament was also packed, with the fifth game taking place in just 13 days. It was impossible for them to look normal due to the hot summer in Japan and their collective age. They didn't look like themselves in any game. It was disappointing that they didn't look like themselves at all in any of the games, except for New Zealand's batting practice.The USWNT's first half was a repeat of the previous tournament. They were unable to handle the same level of press that they are used to receiving. The U.S. lost their way after a promising start, which lasted for about 10 minutes. Vlatko andonovski's decisions to deal with the press were again curious.As Lynn Williams and Heath were more mobile and willing to swap positions, the U.S. had more options. This was just like it did against the Dutch. As Canada put more pressure on the U.S. defense, Lindsey Horan was more out of position and Rose Lavelle became further from the middle of the field. If the U.S. wanted to hit direct balls to them, Heath or Williams further up the field, this would be fine. They didn't do it more than once every so often. They tried to funnel the balls to Julie Ertz but she didn't have any teammate within 15 to 20 yards. It is difficult to understand why the U.S. didn't push Crystal Dunn or Kelley OHara higher up the field for more direct play, given Canada's diamond-shaped midfield. Dunn, a dynamic winger in the NWSL, plays as a fullback on the national team. That's a great idea!They made a huge improvement in the second half and kept Canada pinned in their half. This was partly due to Dunn and OHara moving up the field. Canada seemed content to allow them to have the ball and then send the crosses back to where they came from. The U.S. had no other ideas. They looked at Canada only once after Carli Lloyd joined Heath. There wasn't enough of it.AdvertisementAndonovski is to blame for the dismal appearance of the team throughout tournament. Although the preparation was varied and the obstacles were clear, it was his job to create cohesion from this. To be prepared for whatever was in front of them. The U.S. seemed like they had never played together before, and it was almost unbelievable that anyone would stand up for their defense.This will focus on whether it is time to turn this team around. Lloyd is 40. Rapinoe, 36, is not very successful, other than the win against Holland. Sauerbrunn, 36. Others are more than 30. Two years ago, after the World Cup, we started asking the same questions about them all. TiernaDavidson, at 22 years old, was the only youth in the team and looked most vulnerable under pressure. She even gave away the penalty against Canada. The experience was worth it.AdvertisementIt is unlikely that a huge turnover will be needed. Perhaps Rapinoe and Lloyd should be let go and the other stalwarts can move up to more of a squad position. The World Cup is just two years away.The question is, who will take over the team? Only Davidson and Lavelle had under 27 players who got significant minutes. Horan, the Mewis sisters, and Lavelle are clearly the foundation of the next team. However, it seems too far to fully move on to the next generation after these Games. This is especially true considering that none of them had any experience playing in the tournament. The 2023 World Cup will be played under the highest pressure.AdvertisementIt was not aesthetically pleasing and it was never enjoyable to watch.
