USWNT: 3 SheBelieves Cup lessons as they look to World Cup

The USWNT enjoyed SheBelieves Cup success for the fourth year in a row, but there were still concerns along the way regarding their form.

The USWNT are once again SheBelieves champions for the fourth year in a row and the sixth time in the tournament’s history.

They sealed their victory with a 2-1 win over Brazil on Wednesday evening in Frisco, Texas. While they ended up lifting the trophy in the end, there were a few bumps in the road along the way that could’ve led them down a different path.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as they look toward the Women’s World Cup this summer.

3. The USWNT midfield still needs some work

At this point, it feels like discussing the midfield is akin to sounding like a broken record. But with this tournament in particular, it was clear as day there are still significant issues with the midfield’s strategy and rotation.

Before this tournament began, Vlatko confirmed that Sam Mewis and Julie Ertz are not going to return to this squad for the upcoming World Cup. Mewis confirmed on social media that she had another knee surgery and will continue recovering without a timeline for return at the moment.

Vlatko did try something different this tournament, pairing Andi Sullivan or Kristie Mewis with Lindsey Horan in a more defensive position. This shift allowed a high press from the No. 10 midfielder. That position was in the hands of several players during this tournament, including Ashely Sanchez and Rose Lavelle.

This formation allowed more attacking freedom for those creative and quick players which led to several assists from the midfield. But the midfield still needs to figure out its flow, with more rotation to allow different players to earn minutes together and sort out their chemistry. Vlatko was forced to switch up his starting players when Lavelle was out for the first two games due to a minor muscle strain. Hopefully, he will continue to rotate the midfield to allow them to learn each other’s styles of play to generate more chances and fewer turnovers.

There are a few more things Vlatko could try, such as letting Sam Coffey earn some minutes in the number six, or moving Crystal Dunn out of the backline into her club team position. It’s unlikely that he will try those chances this late in the game, but there are options abound for the midfield, and just five months to go before the World Cup.

2. USWNT Defensive line needs to balance its press

Most of the chances for the opposition came in moments of transition where the USA couldn’t get back fast enough to stop a charge. This was the case for several chances created by Brazil, one that went just wide past Alyssa Naeher, and another in the second half that pinged off the crossbar.

The wingers were often pressing forward very high and leaving the center backs without additional coverage. This is typical of the United States with their style of aggressive press and intense play, but it means they have to be very careful in transition moments.

Figuring out how to handle those moments of transition will be key to preventing scoring and turnovers, both problems that the USWNT dealt with during their SheBelieves run. Younger outside backs like Fox and Huerta sometimes leave too much space and can’t recover quickly enough to prevent a chance. But there are also highlights in the defense, including NWSL Defender and Rookie of the year Naomi Girma continuing to impress with her poise on the ball.

1. The USWNT roster competition is becoming clearer and steeper

Several players returned to the roster recently and earned significant minutes in this tournament. Particularly Lynn Williams and Emily Sonnett, who both ended up playing in all three matches either as a substitute or starters after breaks with the team due to injury.

They’ve been back since New Zealand and if they managed to impress Vlatko enough in this tournament, they might edge out players like Sofia Huerta, Hailie Mace, Ashley Hatch, and Midge Purce who are on the cusp of a World Cup Roster spot. Defender Tierna Davidson also returned to the USWNT during this camp, rostering as a training player without seeing any minutes yet. But Vlatko does expect to see her back on the field in April along with Kelley O’Hara and Sophia Smith.

It’s no secret that the World Cup is approaching quickly, and with only a handful of games to be played before the roster is announced, Vlatko has to start locking down his squad. He is only allowed 23 players for the roster after FIFA denied the request to expand their squads to 26 players.

While Sam Coffey and Hailie Mace were called into January camp, they didn’t roster for SheBelieves. Vlatko mentioned this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re out of contention, but it’s telling of who he’s prioritizing minutes for as we get closer to July. There are of course several players who have already punched their ticket to the World Cup like SheBelieves MVP Mallory Swanson who scored four goals during this tournament. But other players might be starting to feel the pressure as we inch closer to summer.

Overall, there were both moments of triumph and concern for the USWNT in the SheBelieves Cup, but they managed to come away with the win. This roster could still walk away being the first country to win a world cup three times in a row, or they could just as easily crash and burn. It feels like the tipping point is getting closer as time closes in. The USWNT play their last matches before the World Cup roster drops in April against the Republic of Ireland on April 9 and 11.