USWNT has a deep bench. Coach Vlatko Andonovski needs to use it if he wants to win.
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AUCKLAND, New Zealand ā The U.S. women have a wealth of talent on their bench.
Use it.
The pre-World Cup criticism of coach Vlatko Andonovskiās lineups and substitutions was renewed after Thursdayās disappointing draw with the Netherlands. And not wrongly. Andonovski made one substitution ā one! ā in the game, and he left Lynn Williams on the bench when her offensive opportunism and defensive tenacity could have been the difference-maker as the USWNT chased a goal over the last 30 minutes.
Now the two-time defending champions are facing a must-win game ā OK, a tie works, too, but a win would be better ā against Portugal in Tuesdayās group-stage finale.
āI thought we had control of the game, and I thought that we were knocking on the door of scoring a goal,ā Andonovski said. āWe were around the goal the whole time and I just didnāt want to disrupt the rhythm at that point. Because sometimes a substitute comes in and it might take a minute or two to get into a rhythm and we just didnāt want to jeopardize that.ā
This isnāt a travel team tournament. Itās the World Cup, and the Americans have some of the best players in the world. If theyāre not prepared to come in and make an immediate impact, then why are they even here in the first place?
Plus, you think seeing a Williams or a Megan Rapinoe or an Alyssa Thompson wouldnāt have flustered the Dutch?
Netherlands coach Andries Jonker might have been getting a little ahead of himself when he questioned the Americansā fitness in an interview with ESPN ahead of the game and asked, āWhat is left of their superiority? Letās see about that.ā But when Andonovski has talked about the gap closing on the USWNT, heās said that happened long ago. That the USWNT won the 2015 and 2019 World Cups and 2012 Olympic title because Jill Ellis and Pia Sundhage were able to find ways to separate the Americans just the tiniest bit from everyone else.
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āThey found a way to push this team and get the standards a little higher and push them that 1 extra percent to get them on top or keep them on top,ā Andonovski said last month. āIt is our responsibility to do the same now in this tournament, push this team for the extra 1 percent to be the best or to stay the best.ā
And?
It was one thing for the USWNT to look stodgy in the leadup to this World Cup. The Americans are in the midst of a generational shift, and Andonovski needed to experiment with lineups and different players to see what would work and what wouldnāt.
The USWNT also had to scramble to fill holes left by injuries to leading scorer Mallory Swanson (knee) and center back stalwart Becky Sauerbrunn (foot).
But untimely injuries happen. The Americans sure arenāt going to get much sympathy from England, which is without three of its best players. Or Australia, which saw star Sam Kerr ruled out for at least two games at the beginning of the tournament. Or France, which lost Amandine Henry after it was already down Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Delphine Cascarino. Or ā¦ you get the picture.
It is Andonovskiās job to find the best puzzle pieces and the right way to configure them, and if itās not working, to make changes.
Like other USWNT coaches have.
Ellis might be one of only two coaches to win two World Cup titles, but fans howled about her tactical choices at the 2015 tournament until yellow-card accumulations forced her to adjust for the quarterfinals. The USWNT found its groove and, three games later, was lifting its first World Cup trophy since 1999.
Andonovski has shown heās capable of adapting. He returned Julie Ertz to center back after Sauerbrunnās injury, even though Ertz hadnāt played the position on a consistent basis since 2017 and had been out for more than a year and a half after the Tokyo Olympics. He made Williams a starter for two games in Tokyo after sheād been an alternate on the original roster.
He is all but certain to return Rose Lavelle to the starting lineup as soon as the medical staff lifts her minutes restrictions.
But when Andonovski needed to make bold moves against the Netherlands, he played it safe. Thatās not the way to win a World Cup.
Itās a way to get beat.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on Twitter @nrarmour.