U.S. defense proving stout, but tests will get tougher
After 3 shutouts in group play, team not short on confidence
REIMS, France — Much of the attention on the United States rightly goes to its prolific offense, especially after that 13-goal game to open the Women’s World Cup, but the team’s defense has been predictably reliable so far in France.
The defense has posted shutouts in the team’s first three games, marking the first time the U.S. hasn’t conceded a goal in the group stage at the tournament. The defending champs open the knockout round Monday against Spain.
Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher saw little action during the team’s rout of Thailand in the opener, but matches against Chile and Sweden provided tougher tests.
“To come away from group play with three shutouts, as a team defensively, I’m very proud of that,” she said. “It’s a goal that we have going into every game, especially as a back line, to keep clean sheets. We put a lot of time into team defending, all 11 players on the field are defending, and that cohesiveness is what helps bring that.”
The team’s backline in France has shifted due to lineup changes and injuries. Veteran center back Becky Sauerbrunn was held out of the first game because of a minor injury, but came back against Chile when coach Jill Ellis rested players.
Against Sweden, Ellis used the backline that is expected to start in the knockout phase, with Abby Dahlkemper alongside Sauerbrunn, Kelley O’Hara on the right and Crystal Dunn on the left. Dunn was especially effective against Sweden and in thwarting forward Sofia Jakobsson.
The U.S. has seven clean sheets in its last eight Cup matches — the exception being the two goals allowed in the team’s 5-2 victory over Japan in the 2015 final. The U.S. went 540 minutes in Canada without conceding a goal, the longest streak in the tournament since Germany’s 679 scoreless minutes from 2003-11.
Former goalkeeper Hope Solo allowed just three total goals in 2015. The backline included Sauerbrunn, Meghan Klingenberg, Julie Johnston and Ali Krieger.
Johnston, now Julie Ertz, has moved up into a role as a defensive midfielder in France. She sat out against Sweden because of a hip contusion but U.S. Soccer characterized the injury as minor. Krieger won a spot on the roster for this tournament because of her big-game experience.
Naeher has replaced Solo, considered one of the game’s best goalkeepers ever. Solo was dismissed from the team following the 2016 Olympics.
Brushing off the inevitable comparisons, Naeher has been steady in goal.
“I’ve played with Alyssa since I was like 16. It’s awesome to see her step into this role because I’ve always known that she has the capacity and the talent to be the starting goalkeeper. She’s shown that,” O’Hara said. “She, for me, provides a very calm consistency back there. She’s also someone with steely nerves. I think she does a really good job of just putting on a game face.”