Commentary
USA-Australia Women's Friendly Player Ratings
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Nov 27, 2021
Nov. 27 in Sydney
Australia 0 USA 3. Goals: Hatch 1, Lavelle 49, Horan pen. 68.
Att.: 36,109.
The USA opened its two-game tour of Australia with a 3-0 win over the Matildas before 36,109 fans at Stadium Australia in Sydney, a record crowd to watch the Matildas on home soil. The USA took advantage of Australia's teenaged center backs to score within 24 seconds -- its third-fastest goal ever -- and then again to add a second goal early in the second half to take command. In between, goalkeeper Casey Murphy kept the USA in the game with a series of excellent saves.
USA Player Ratings
(1=low; 5=middle; 10=high.)
GOALKEEPER
It's rare that a U.S. goalkeeper has as much to do Casey Murphy had in the first half, and she kept the USA in the game with a save on Sam Kerr in the 33rd minute and two better saves on Kerr and Caitlin Foord in the 45th minute. The 6-foot-1 Murphy, who finished with eight saves, controlled everything in the air, exuding confidence in her international debut, as good a performance as the USA has gotten in goal in a long time.
Player (Club) caps/goals (age)
9
Casey Murphy (NC Courage) 1/- (25)
Tierna Davidson organized the U.S. backline and did well to win balls and push the U.S. attack. Her center-back partner, Alana Cook, showed a lot of composure in the biggest game of her young international career. In the first parts of the first half when the USA was in control, Emily Fox caused problems for the Matildas down the left side. She played an excellent angled ball to Lynn Williams, whose pass Emily Sonnett failed to connect on at the far post. After being beaten by Foord on the endline in the 38th minute, Sonnett was lucky Kyah Simon missed a sitter from inside the 6-yard box. Australia's best chance in the second half by Mary Fowler came after Sonnett turned the ball over in the left side.
Player (Club) caps/goals (age)
4
Emily Sonnett (Washington Spirit) 62/0 (28)
7
Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars) 44/1 (23)
6
Alana Cook (OL Reign) 3/0 (24)
6
Emily Fox (Racing Louisville) 7/0 (23)
Lindsey Horan's turnovers gifted Australia several chances in the first half, but she came out in the second half and was the best player on the field, rewarded with a penalty she converted herself to make it 3-0 in the 68th minute. Rose Lavelle missed badly from close range after stealing the ball in the 5th minute, but she made up for it by putting away Midge Purce's pass in the 49th minute. Andi Sullivan took a beating from the Matildas but managed to hang on until the final three U.S. subs came on the 84th minute.
Player (Club) caps/goals (age)
7
Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns) 107/25 (27)
5
Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit) 21/2 (25)
6
Rose Lavelle (OL Reign) 67/18 (26)
It took all of 24 seconds for Ashley Hatch, starting in place of the injured Catarina Macario, to score in her first start for the USA, doing well to control Lynn Williams' header and score on a volley. After a very quiet first half, Midge Purce turned on her jets and brushed aside her defender, 19-year-old Courtney Nevin, to set up Lavelle for the second goal.
Player (Club) caps/goals (age)
6
Lynn Williams (NC Courage) 44/14 (28)
6
Ashley Hatch (Washington) 3/1 (26)
6
Midge Purce (Gotham FC) 8/2 (26)
SUBSTITUTES
In her first U.S. appearance in almost three and a half years, Sofia Huerta came on for Fox after the break and slotted in an right back, where she won a ball that started Purce on her run down the right wing on the second U.S. goal. One of three late subs to make their international debuts, Morgan Weaver gave the USA some needed energy late in the game.
Player (Club) caps/goals (age)
6
Sofia Huerta (OL Reign) 8/0 (28)
5
Morgan Weaver (Portland Thorns) 1/0 (24)
NR
Bethany Balcer (OL Reign) 1/0 (24)
NR
Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns) 198/0 (36)
NR
Kristie Mewis (Houston Dash) 32/4 (30)
NR
Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit) 1/0 (22)
TRIVIA: For the first time since April 9, 2013, the USA deployed a starting lineup with every player under the age of 30. Lynn Williams was the oldest starter at the age of 28.
Nov. 27 in Sydney
Australia 0 USA 3. Goals: Hatch 1, Lavelle 49, Horan pen. 68.
Australia -- Micah; Carpenter, Nash (Grant 46), Nevin, Catley (Beard 81); van Egmond; Simon (Raso 46), Yallop, Fowler (Wheeler 81), Foord (Siemsen 81); Kerr (Cooney-Cross 63).
USA -- Murphy; Sonnett, Cook, Davidson, Fox (Huerta 46); Sullivan (Sauerbrunn 84), Lavelle (K.Mewis 84), Horan; Purce (Balcer 78), Hatch (Weaver 74), Lynn Williams (Sanchez 84).
Yellow Cards: Australia -- none; USA -- Hatch 74. Red Cards: none.
Referee: Hyeon Jeong Oh (South Korea)
Att.: 36,109.
Australia/USA
Shots: 11/14
Shots on target: 8/6
Saves: 3/8
Corner Kicks: 7/2
Fouls: 11/10
Offside: 0/3
Possession: 61%/39%
This game wasn't boring, fun to watch ,in a way. Watching the US team without Ertz in the middle with the ball where everything goes through her makes it more interesting for it give Horan and Lavelle more ball time, more action ,perhaps faster movement of play. But the only drawback is Horan who is more productive getting the ball in the opponents half. But now she running around, back and forth which does not suit her style of play, for it is effecting her passing accuracy going into the opponent's defensive third.
A player like Horan, has to be used for expertise, her playmaking ability, controlling the ball, drawing out opponents thereby creating space for her teammates, IN THE OPPONENT'S HALF. But now she is often found in her own half fighting for the ball, making tackles, which is not what she's good at and it effects hers accuracy of her forward passes. When in ball possession in her own half, she's still playing like she's in the opponents half, which makes her look inefficient, for here she needs to move the ball quickly , one-touching passess and not try to shield it...
Horan should be playing ahead of Lavelle, who is more of a workhorse than Horan. In the second half Horan was on her butt more times than I've seen her all year combined....She should be in the opponent's half for her to be productive. All her skills and ability is wasted playing in her own half. She's too good and a player of lesser quality could actually more effective in our own half. I would like to see Lavell play the wing or center mid to see how she influences the dynamics of the team...
I'm not impressed with the wing play of the US, actually the whole front line....
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Murphy, she reads and positions well. The shots she stopped looked nice but they were right at were. Technically speaking both teams, especially the women don't cross well and also lack a good on the ball giving short range passes in the opponents which third whereby the ball is just passed too hard and going out of bounds....and I see this in our men's game as well.
Placing two young teenage Australians as centerbacks wasn't not good. At least have one veteran in there to direct and coach. Notice all the square passes in the backfield when building out from the back by the Australians(as well by the Americans) and you see this so often and then it goes back to the goalie. The effect of this is that it allows all your opponents to come in and cut down the spacing in your own half...Also, passes in the backfield when the receiver has so much space and time should be given 5meters ahead of the receiver. Thereby creating an up tempo ,winning space, giving also the receiver adequate field view...I don't get it, you see this so often, that I really wonder if these coaches actually understand this....
Furthermore centerbacks with so much time and space given should move up with the ball thereby forcing the opponent to commit, but instead what happens they pass the ball to a teammate whose opponent is closer to the teammate than the centerback, which is a waste of a good pass....
Australia has some good players comparatively. I like their #10, she is what I would like to see as our center mid. She can pass ,short ,long, has great 1v1 skills, has great confidence and can take an opponent on from a stationary position..Fowler #11 was also good...
Learned a new word or soccer phrase from the color commentators. When asked about one of our player's ability, she states, "She understands the moments of the game".WOW !!!. That says a lot without saying anything and still look knowledgeable....I'm beginning to record these statements..lets see, uh, Zone 14, high block, etc...