Four World Cup Takeaways From USA’s Draw With Netherlands

The United States left Wellington Regional Stadium on Wednesday with a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, which gave it four points in Group E in the Women’s World Cup.

The result felt more like a win for the Dutch despite Lindsey Horan’s second-half goal that tied up the match, which came after a verbal spat with Lyon teammate Daniëlle van de Donk. They seemed to be on good terms after the match.

The Americans were the more talented side but weren’t able to put everything together to get the three points Wednesday.

The United States’ pursuit of a three-peat wasn’t as clear cut after its second Group E match, especially as its rivals have looked more dominant after two matches.

Here are four takeaways from the United States’ draw starting at the top.

Vlatko Andonovski needs to better
The problems with the United States’ style of play always have been under scrutiny since Andonovski took over as manager in 2019. Far too often, the United States would rely on its superior talent against inferior opposition, that would be enough. But Wednesday made it clear that stronger sides would frustrate the Americans, and it needed to find ways to counter.

That did not happen in the first half, and the United States spent the majority of the first half fighting for possession and out of sync when it did have the ball. Things got better in the second half when Rose Lavelle subbed on for Savannah DeMelo, but the lack of cohesion prevented the Americans from finding the game-winner.

Midfield tinkering
The United States did not change its lineup for a World Cup match for the first time since 1999. It proved to be a costly decision for Andonovski. Julie Ertz has not played centerback since 2019, yet played the position again in favor of Andy Sullivan at defensive midfield. Sullivan offered very little in possession and on defense, which was evident in Jill Roord’s goal that put the Netherlands ahead in the first half.

Ertz showed flashes of winning the ball back and getting the United States going on possession, but she had to track back to make sure the defense was not compromised. But the United States needed more from its midfield. The Netherlands went with its three-back system and with one of its centerbacks tracking up in the midfield, it was able to clog the middle and prevent easy passes from coming through.

Dynamic wingers
Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman showed flashes of brilliance on the wings as they tried their best to get the attack going. Smith, again, showed her ability to take on defenders and attack open space. And Rodman’s speed has proven to be a vital asset. There were growing pains with a lack of decisiveness on passes, and Smith often can take one too many dribbles and find herself stuck in between defenders.

A chance for Trinity Rodman goes just wide 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/LGMZQvjnq0

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 27, 2023

The wingers nearly scored the game-winner in the second half. Smith provided a through ball to Rodman on the left wing, but the Washington Spirit forward was just wide of the frame on her shot. Smith almost scored what would have been the goal of the tournament with a left-footed strike in the 83rd minute, but Lieke Martens was in the right place at the right time to deflect it away with her head.

What could have been for the @USWNT's Sophia Smith 🇺🇸👀 pic.twitter.com/cJ89ODXVYx

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 27, 2023

Does Rose Lavelle start?
Again, while Smith and Rodman showed how dynamic they can be on the attack, they struggled to create for others — outside of Smith’s pass to Rodman. Lavelle brought that creativity in the second half. Andonovski told reporters Lavelle, who suffered a knee injury in April, was limited to 45 minutes and did not make any guarantees on when her minutes would increase, per ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle.

DeMelo is one of the most creative midfielders at club level with Racing Lousiville, so she should start and continue to earn reps while Lavelle recovers.

The move for Andonovski should be to start Ertz at defensive midfield and start Alana Cook with Naomi Girma at centerback. Also, he should be actively using his bench more. The United States arguably has one of the deepest rosters in the tournament, but it only brought out one substitute Wednesday. Andonovski told reporters he didn’t want to disrupt the team’s rhythm, but that’s a thin excuse for not testing out just as talented players.

The dynamic of the match could have changed if Lynn Williams came on for Alex Morgan or if Alyssa Thompson came on for Rodman. The depth of the squad must be used more and the tactics need to be refined if the United States wants to three-peat in the World Cup.

The United States will play its final Group E match against Portugal at Eden Park on Tuesday at 3 a.m. ET.