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After a combined score of 12-0 in a two game friendly series with Mexico, the United States Women’s National Team seems to be sitting in prime position heading into CONCACAF qualifying. There is little question on the American’s ability to perform at the tournament, sitting as heavy favorites to take first, the question centers around which players head coach Jill Ellis will choose to fill her 20 women roster.
The USWNT’s latest friendlies against their southern rivals answered several question (at the same time creating a handful more) that will make Ellis’s decision on that much more difficult as the team prepares for October.&nbsp;
Klingenberg and Rodriguez have made their case
Klingenberg spent most of 2014 her time in Sweden in the Damallsvenskan, but made it back in time to help the Houston Dash in four NWSL games.
The 26-year-old defender has not been a regular call up into camps but seems to have caught the eye of Ellis as she garners more playing time for the Americans. She played a full 90 in the first friendly followed by 61 minutes in the second.
Mexico’s offense didn’t provide much of a test for the outside back, but was more impressive was how easily Klingenberg was able to move up the pitch. She was critical in driving the ball down the right flank and into the attacking third to services crosses into her teammates.
It is hard to tell where Klingenberg sits on the depth chart. She is in a mix of outside defenders that include, Ali Krieger, Kelley O’Hara, Stephanie Cox and the young Crystal Dunn.
Amy Rodriguez will have an even harder time cracking Ellis’s lineup as she goes up against Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach, Christen Press and Sydney Leroux for what could be three to four spots on the top line.
Rodriguez was another questionable figure when camp call ups where being made throughout 2014. She saw 10 minutes coming off the bench against France in June, but hadn’t seen a start since the Algarve Cup in March.
Ellis gave the 27-year-old striker her chance in the second friendly where she was able to open the scoring in the nine-minute off a Mexico turnover. Rodriguez quietly finished her 28th international goal with a chip over the goalkeeper from 18 yards out.
Rodriguez has been scoring goals like that all year with 2014 NWSL Champions, FC Kansas City. She had 13 goals in the regular season and three in the playoffs – including a brace in the NWSL Final.
“I think that A-Rod gained a lot of confidence in the NWSL,” Wambach said. “The confidence factor is huge for any striker. For her to be in top form right now, playing really well – I don’t know what decisions Jill is going to make for out qualifying roster, but I know that Amy has done everything possible to put herself up for it.”
Morgan and Wambach are better together
2014 was riddled with injuries for America’s top striking duo. Morgan suffered from a prolonged ankle injury, which sidelined the striker for almost a year while veteran Abby Wambach faced an eye injury followed by knee issues.
But two friendlies against Mexico showed just how dangerous these two strikers can still be, especially together. They displayed flashes of 2012, when the duo matched a 21-year-old record set in 1991 with a combination of 55 goals between the two of them.
In the first friendly against Mexico, Morgan assisted on both of Wambach’s goals. Though the U.S. played a 4-3-3 formation throughout the two games, the forward duo made to the attack seem like a 4-4-2,using their typical 1-2 combination of speed and strength.
It’s a safe bet to assume that both Morgan and Wambach will make it on Elli’s qualifying roster but who will be the third forward that plays with this chemistry charged pair?
Ellis is sticking with the status quo
Former U.S. head coach Tom Sermanni was criticized for inconsistencies in his lineups, leading a loss of chemistry on the field. Ellis doesn’t appear to be making the same mistake.
Ellis made four changes between the two Mexican friendlies, giving players a chance to showcase their abilities to work though the attack in the 4-3-3 formation while maintaining a possession oriented style of play.
“Jill has done a great job of coming in, obviously on short notice, and rallying everybody and getting everybody on the same page,” said midfielder Megan&nbsp;Rapinoe in an interview with <a href="http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/ellis-has-tough-decisions-to-make-in-picking-uswnt-world-cup-squad-091914">FOX Sports</a>.” Getting everybody fired up and ready to go and consolidating going into qualifiers.”
Even while one of her player’s face serious repercussions from legal action in the coming weeks, Ellis stood by a consistent and familiar starting XI, which included keeper Hope Solo. Even allowing the No. 1 keeper to sport the captain’s armband in the later game.
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2014/09/08/2014-concacaf-womens-world-cup-qualifying-matches/">CONCACAF qualifiers</a> open for the Americans against Trinidad &amp; Tobago in Kansas City on October 15.

3 Things We Learned From the Latest USWNT Friendlies

3 Things We Learned From the Latest USWNT Friendlies - World Soccer Talk

The summer games in London are right around the corner, but for the U.S. women’s national team the tournament is about more than a gold medal. &nbsp;It is a chance to put behind them the disappointing loss in last year’s Women’s World Cup and try to reclaim the mantle of the best team in the world. &nbsp;Despite the loss to Japan last year, this is not a&nbsp;Herculean&nbsp;feat; the amount of young talent maturing on this team mixed with proven veteran leadership like Abby Wambach should make the U.S. the favorites in this tournament. &nbsp;However, a familiar hindrance is raising its head days before the game, and one of the U.S.’s best weapons could again be flashing her dark side.
Hope Solo is quickly becoming the face of this team. &nbsp;She’s attractive, friendly to fans, confident, outspoken, and a damned good soccer player. &nbsp;Her appearance on Dancing With the Stars&nbsp;put her in front of a number of non-soccer fans and gained her even more celebrity. &nbsp;Without a doubt she is the best women’s keeper in the world and arguably could start for some MLS teams today. &nbsp;Having her between the pipes is one of the big reasons the U.S. is a favorite in this tournament, and her loss on the field could be near&nbsp;catastrophic. &nbsp;But as always it is her off-the-field antics that are causing problems for the team, and it is reaching the point where U.S. Soccer and her coach have to seriously consider whether she is worth the headache.
It is important to recap her history to put the latest incidents in context. &nbsp;Back in 2007, in an incident many U.S. fans have conveniently forgotten, then up-and-coming keeper Solo was famously involved in a major keeper controversy. Head coach Greg Ryan had pulled Solo out of the starting lineup before the big semifinal versus Brazil and replaced her with veteran Briana Scurry, one of the heroes of the 1999 World Cup. &nbsp;The move backfired massively and the U.S. entered a period of soccer parity with a number of other countries. &nbsp;After the match, <a href="http:\/\/articles.latimes.com/2007/sep/30/sports/sp-wccupdog30" target="_blank">Solo made this famous comment to reporters</a>:
<blockquote>“It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that,” Solo said. “There’s no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves.
“And the fact of the matter is it’s not 2004 anymore. . . . It’s 2007, and I think you have to live in the present.
“And you can’t live by big names. You can’t live in the past. It doesn’t matter what somebody did in an Olympic gold-medal game in the Olympics three years ago. Now is what matters, and that’s what I think.”</blockquote>
The comments were chalked up to youth, Greg Ryan was let go and new coach Pia Sundhage saw Solo’s talent outweighing her mouth. &nbsp;Since that incident, the keeper has been on pretty good behavior and built her brand to the point where she is now on equal footing with teammate Wambach as being the face of the women’s soccer team. &nbsp;But Solo cannot seem to keep quiet and two published pieces threaten to destroy team unity right before the Olympics.
The first was an article printed in ESPN The Magazine’s “Body Issue” about <a href="http:\/\/espn.go.com/olympics/story/_/id/8133052/the-games-olympic-village-not-televised-espn-magazine" target="_blank">sex in the Olympic village</a>. &nbsp;She is quoted extensively in the article, relaying observations about the exploits of fellow Olympians and the lifestyle in the village; she even throws in an anecdote from the last Olympics about her exploits with an unnamed celebrity. &nbsp;But what is most damning is her stories about her teammates. &nbsp;After recounting her own closing night activities, she shares this behind-the-scenes information:
<blockquote>“When we were done partying, we got out of our nice dresses, got back into our stadium coats and, at 7 a.m. with no sleep, went on the Today show drunk. Needless to say, we looked like hell.“</blockquote>
Athletes having sex (and lots of it) is not shocking. &nbsp;Athletes doing interviews in, um, altered states or on little sleep is not shocking. &nbsp;But going on record and naming a specific incident is shocking, and an absolute violation of a locker room code that says what happens with teammates should stay with teammates. &nbsp;This story and this quote does nothing to really help the team’s brand but it does help the Solo brand. &nbsp;If I was a teammate, I would be none too pleased that my starting keeper is sharing how drunk I was on a major interview on a major network.
But this can be forgiven – interviews tend to sometimes reveal things that are unsavory and teams can forgive more outspoken superstars, especially if they are contributors on the field. &nbsp;What is harder to forgive is a tell-all biography.&nbsp;<a href="http:\/\/bleacherreport.com/articles/1265046-hope-solos-loose-talk-how-will-us-olympic-womens-soccer-team-react" target="_blank">Beau Dure has a good summary</a> of the pre-release reviews of the tell-all autobiography, which mainly focuses on her rough family life and sad relationship with her father. &nbsp;It’s her memories of the 2007 World Cup that will raise eyebrows as seemingly she will give her own, unedited perspective behind those famous quotes. &nbsp;If what <a href="http:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/07/15/u-s-olympic-soccer-goalie-hope-solo-speaks.html" target="_blank">she told Andrew Romano</a> is any indication of what the book will contain, it will be a doosy:
<blockquote>“With guys, there might have been a couple of shoves into the locker. It would have been like, ‘Man, f–k you.’ But I don’t think there would have been personal attacks. And there definitely wouldn’t have been this follow-the-leader thing, where everyone just goes along with the popular players. We’re professional athletes. The goal should be to win.”</blockquote>
That goes beyond sharing a little gossip – that is directly trashing teammates and former teammates still involved with the team. &nbsp;While the book will come out after the Olympics, these quotes have to be known by the team and Solo is again making training sessions quite uncomfortable. &nbsp;Sundhage is now in the same place as Ryan, having to make the decision on what to do with an immensely talented but lightening rod player. &nbsp;She can hope it doesn’t ruin locker room chemistry and that winning solves all problems, with Solo being the team’s best chance to win by far. &nbsp;But what if this team doesn’t find gold, and what if just like 2007 it underachieves?
<blockquote>Now is what matters, and that’s what I think.</blockquote>
Questions will have to be answered, and the number one question will be: is Hope Solo worth it?

Hope(less): Does Hope Solo Hurt the U.S. National Team? - World Soccer Talk

Hope(less): Does Hope Solo Hurt the U.S. National Team?

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3 Things We Learned From the Latest USWNT Friendlies

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Hope(less): Does Hope Solo Hurt the U.S. National Team?