Will the “Vlatko Era” Continue the USWNT Success? Michael A. Saunders March 26, 2021 The USWNT has been graced with a large pool of talented players throughout its history. It facilitated the teams’ finishing no worse than third place in all eight WC’s, reaching five finals and winning four. Their Olympic record is equally impressive attaining the medal rounds in five of six Olympics; again, gold medaling in four.
So, it is not surprising that with the Tokyo games being a few months away, that there is a renewed enthusiasm surrounding the USWNT. Prompted by the Olympic limited roster of 18 players, not a week goes by without one reading articles as to the rationale for selecting a player over another. While the debate raises the team’s visibility & expectations from the fans, there is more occurring in the background than Vlatko’s finalizing a roster. The fact is that this quadrennial tournament marks the start of a new era for the USWNT.
Regardless of gender, successful cycles for most national teams last about 10 years. The reason is simple: a core group of top players provides a foundation for a national team where there are few squad mutations occurring that deter its success. Skilled role players are added or subtracted from the team in that cycle; and are bolstered by the strength of that core. Yes, winning breeds success; unfortunately, it is never permanent. Players’ age and retire while other nations are building their squads to unseat the champion. What is noteworthy is that the USA have been able to sustain its competitiveness over thirty years. Only Brazil, Germany, & Italy on the men’s side can arguably be compared to what the USWNT has achieved. There are other WoSo national teams that have challenged US dominance. Norway’s great team of the ‘90s, Germany’s juggernaut during the first decade of the 21st century, and the magnificent “Nadeshiko” Japanese National Team who faced the USA in three successive quadrennial finals at WC 2011, the Olympics 2012 & WC 2015. Other NTs have had their “special” runs as well such as Sweden, Brazil, France & England; but, faltered in that quest. What differentiated them from the others comes down to chemistry, underscored by the coaching. Yet none left their imprint on WoSo as have the United States over thirty years,
“Title IX Era” 1991-1999: The US established its dominance thanks in large part to the college feeder system providing a cadre of top tier players. Yet it was the two coaches, Anson Dorrance & Tony DiCicco who made critical tactical decisions that secured the wins at two World Cups in ’91 & ’99 and the first Olympics in’96 featuring women’s soccer. For example, I recall my disbelief at the Meadowlands at the first match of WC 1999 realizing that Michelle Akers was playing as a defensive midfielder. Those concerns were vanquished downstream watching Akers nullifying China’s indomitable Sun-Wen for ninety minutes in the final before being subbed in extra time due to injury. “Dark Years Era” 2000-2007: The “99ers” raised our expectations but the team managed just one win out of four major tournaments at the Olympics of 2004. Yet the two coaches, April Heinrichs & Greg Ryan, were criticized far more for how the team performed than the losses themselves. From the US 100+ international goal scorer, Tiffeny Milbrett, quitting immediately following WC 2003 calling Heinrichs tactical acumen “limiting”, “unimaginative” and “stifling”, to Greg’s mind-boggling decision to start Scurry over Solo in the Brazil semi-final at WC 2007 where the US suffered its worst loss in its history losing 0-4. Despite its overall record in this era, the team had fallen the nadir of its history. “Resurgence, Establishing a Dynasty” 2008-2019: Club soccer has had numerous team “dynasties” with Olympique Lyonnais being the obvious example in the women’s game. It is far more difficult to be anointed with that moniker as a National Team. Still, the USA won two World Cups and two Olympic gold medals in this era deservedly achieving that recognition. Moreover, the USA joined Germany & Brazil on the men’s side as the only teams to appear in three WC finals in a row. Their achievement resulted from the infusion of top tier players, their versatility, as well as the tactical decisions made by the two coaches of this era, Pia Sundhage & Jill Ellis. Here are the critical ones:
Sundhage’s quickly changed the team’s direct play focus by emphasizing passing & technique employing a 4-2-3-1 formation that won the gold medal in 2008. She also demonstrated tactical flexibility by switching to a 4-4-2 in both WC 2011 & the 2012 Olympics to support Wambach with a partner forward (who better than Morgan?).
While Ellis shepherded the team to its WC 2015 victory, it was the 2016 Olympics loss to Sweden that became Ellis’ “moment of truth”, and where she over the next
three years displayed her mettle, determination & tactical acumen. She instilled onto the players the capability to execute multiple tactical formations to address different game situations seamlessly during a match; a factor that did not go unnoticed by her competitive counterparts and analysts alike as the team celebrated its victory in 2019. It was a journey that was aided by the team’s depth, versatility, and a group mentality that every team member expects to win every game. The USWNT elevation to be call a dynasty was secured.
Whether or not the USWNT will be able to continue dominating the international scene will be difficult. As is the norm, many coaches retire after a WC; particularly upon winning. So, Ellis’ decision to quit was not a shock. Enter Kate Markgraf. Hired as the USSF General Manager for Women’s Soccer, her first task was to find the replacement for Ellis. Recognizing that the NT would be in transition, she engaged Vlatko Adnovoski with the priority of raising the technical level of the team while maintaining its competitive stature.
The challenges he faces to achieve this goal are daunting: (i) inheriting an aging team; the USA was the “oldest” squad at WC 2019 (ii) US Soccer divesting itself of control of NWSL national team players reduces the number of times the team are able to practice together and compete in matches as it did with previous model (iii) UEFA teams attracting US players to Europe via lucrative contracts
Any evaluation of Vlatko’s job to date has been limited by the few matches that have been played. The good news is that the team has remained undefeated. Besides providing young players the opportunity to experience NT camps and games, he also did the same for veterans he believed earned the opportunity to break into the ranks of the NT. More importantly, a careful review of the last two SBC tournaments provides insight into the philosophy Andonovski is seeking to implement:
The center-backs are tasked with building out from the back, with the defensive midfielder acting as the pivot. While the center-backs pass horizontally, the presence of the defensive midfielder is to act as a focal point either as a distraction or receiver of a pass. When possession does reach Ertz from her defenders or the keeper, she would then look for one of the midfielders or wide players to pass to. A subtle addition to her responsibilities but one that facilitates meaningful forward possession.
The other change appears to be more impactful: Vlatko has appended the high press used by Ellis making it exceedingly difficult for teams to build out of the back. It was used in both 'She Believes Cup' campaigns, as well as against the Netherlands in the late 2019 friendly. Those that are familiar with ice hockey will recognize its similarity to the 1-2-2 forechecking system.
The new method includes an additional forward or midfielder from the weak side, hence the name 'blindside press'. When used effectively, it stymies the options teams that “build from the back” by squeezing out any space they may seek to use. In essence, by condensing the high press to one side of the field, it forces the opponent to lose possession by an errant pass, a straight tackle, or the opponent kicking the ball downfield or out of bounds. The following brief YouTube video from the US SheBelieves matches in 2020 produced by soccer analyst, Matt Ford, explains the methodology. It utilizes stop action & screen captions. Watch it full screen … It is a worthwhile 4 minutes ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBA3EINpkaU
These changes alone cannot guarantee success. Vlatko will require a replenishment of quality players as more of the existing roster ages or retires. Will Macario or Smith become the future offensive threats of the NT? Who replaces the indispensable Julie Ertz as a defensive mid should she get injured? Will Davidson take on the mantle of defensive security when Sauerbrunn “calls it a day”? I could go on; but it is only conjecture at this stage. That said, the “99ers”; encouraged a new generation of stars that continued its championship run. Watching the young girls cheering in awe at their heroes at the NYC parade in the summer of 2019, coupled with the initiatives already undertaken to change the team’s strategic thrust, the outlook is positive.
Contributed by Michael Saunders