San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
Wave coach Stoney has U.S. making WWC final
San Diego Wave coach Casey Stoney played in three World Cups as a center defender for England and has coached several players who’ll play in the 2023 World Cup that kicks off this week in Australia and New Zealand.
Named the National Women’s Soccer League’s 2022 Coach of the Year after her first year with the Wave, the 41-year-old former national team captain, previewed the World Cup in a recent interview with the Union-tribune:
Q: What most excites you about this World Cup?
A: What most excites me is the fact that I don’t think there is a favorite in this tournament. I know everyone will put America up there as a favorite. But, I’d say they’re in a little bit of a transition phase, if I’m honest. England have had a lot of injuries. They’re not going into it in the form they had in the (2022) Euros. Spain have had a lot of transition — players out, players in.
No one seems to be talking about Germany, even though Germany got to the (2022) European Championship final. It’s going to be exciting.
It’s one of the most even tournaments I’ve seen in a while. I couldn’t tell you who’s gonna win.
Q: Can you pick out a memorable moment or two from your Cups?
A: Playing in the World Cup is probably the pinnacle of your career, as is the Olympics. My first ever game when we played Japan in China (in 2007), I remember walking up the steps to the game. For many, many years, I didn’t even dare to dream I would play in the World Cup. I remember there were 40,000, 50,000 fans in the ground. It was a real memorable moment of all the hard work and choices I made to get there. And, I was feeling really, really proud to represent my country in a major tournament. We obviously hadn’t qualified prior to that for many years.
The other one was the bronze medal match in Canada — beating Germany for the first time and winning a bronze and the celebrations at the end (in 2015). We hadn’t ever medaled in a World Cup. To lose like we did in the semifinals to an own goal in the last 20 seconds of the game against Japan and then to actually to have to lift ourselves a few days later and beat Germany, who, we’d never beaten them before, was a turnaround for us as a country and a nation and as a team.
Q: Why did you play just eight minutes that day?
A: That was probably one of my toughest tournaments, personally. I had played in the previous two Worlds, I had played every minute of every game pretty much. And then, in 2013, the manager changed. He changed captains. Unfortunately, because I was the previous manager’s captain, he pretty much dropped me.
Against Germany, he chose to play me in the dying minutes of the game, when he wanted to secure up the back line.
But, I still felt like I had a massive contribution in that tournament, because I had to do so much away from the field to make sure the group were in a good space. So, personally, it was a defining moment of winning the bronze.
It was one of the most difficult moments for me in terms of, I just felt the way I was treated by the manager wasn’t great. But, at the same time, how you choose to react to that is up to you. I chose to always be a good teammate and contribute to the team so we can have success.
Q: How has the sport changed, in tactics and talent, since the ’19 Cup?
A: I retired in 2018. You look at the game now, where it is — it’s night and day. With the crowds. With visibility. With the talent out on the field. The game is tactically very good. The players are improving every year. This could be the best World Cup yet.
Q: In the past two World Cups, the United States never lost and outscored opponents 40 to 6 across 14 matches (incuding a 13-0 win over Thailand). Will the quality of competition prove more difficult this year for the U.S club?
A: Yeah, definitely. It’s going to be interesting in terms of the groups. If you look at the rankings, yeah, USA is still world No. 1. But, if you look at the groups and you look at the games, there may be unexpected ones. Like Zambia beating Germany in the pre-tournament game (a 3-2 decision on July 7). There’s going to be maybe a team that takes people by surprise.
If look at the U.S. group, it’s not an easy group. The Netherlands have got a new coach. So how are they going to perform coming into this tournament? It’s interesting.
Q: What match would you most like to see?
A: Obviously, I’d love to see a repeat of the 2007 quarterfinal between England and USA (a 3-0 victory for the Americans in which Stoney, then 25, played all 90 minutes). I’d love to see that myself. England are in a different place now. It would be a really, really good game.
Q: What’s your scouting report on England?
A: They’ve drawn their last few games going into the tournament. Listen, they’re not the team they were in (winning the 2022 Euros). Because they’re missing Leah Williamson, who’s an unbelievable linebreaking defender. They’re missing Beth Mead, who scored a lot of goals for them. (England’s all-time leading scorer) Ellen White retired. (Midfielder) Jill Scott retired. And, (defender) Millie Bright hasn’t kicked a ball yet for them, in terms of going into the tournament.
So, it’s going to be difficult. I think they are weaker at the back, and America have got an unbelievable front line. So, if America can be on the front foot and if they played them, that could be a really interesting contest, the American front three against the English back four.
Q: Which teams do you view as more dangerous than others might say?
A: No one’s talking about Germany. Germany got to a European Championship final. Could have won it. And were missing two of their best players. They have a really good blend of experience and youth. I don’t think you can count them out.
Always the home team will have a chance. Because of the crowds and the momentum that gets behind a home nation. Australia might have a chance, albeit their group’s not easy. Republic of Ireland, they’re going to be stubborn, they’re going to be organized. We know what Canada is capable of doing.
And, let’s not get away from Spain. They’ve got a lot of their good players back. Technically in terms of using the ball, they’re probably the best team in the tournament.
Q: Can you mention a few players outside the U.S. team soccer fans here will enjoy watching?
A: Lauren Hemp for England is a fast, tricky direct winger who’s very exciting to watch. There’s (forward) Barbra Bamba who plays for Zambia who again is powerful, strong, clever. And then I’d highlight Lena Obradorf of Germany — a young center midfielder who’s been playing in international ball since she was 16. I’m really curious to see how she gets on in this tournament.
Q: Alex Morgan will be joined atop the U.S. attack by newcomers to the World Cup in Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, Alyssa Thompson and perhaps Lynn Williams. How do you think that will play out under coach Vlatko Andonovski?
A: I would love to have that headache if I was Vlatko. You’ve got absolute pace in there with Trinity, with Alyssa, Lynn.
Sophia Smith is, I think, going to come off the back of this World Cup and be the best forward in the world. The way she can score. She can score and create. (Smith, 22, has faced Stoney’s Wave in seven NWSL matches, recording three goals.)
If he plays Alex, Alex will play in the nine (center forward). And then she’ll probably be supported on each flank with either Rodman or Smith. Or Smith and Thompson. It’s a big one for Thompson. She’s 18. She just turned pro. So, maybe he uses her at the back end of games when the game’s a little more open against teams.
The United States will struggle against teams that bank up, that play a low blocks (defense), that are stubborn. And then, you’ll need the likes of (wing) Megan Rapinoe — who can be really smart, really clever, really creative — rather than just using out and out pace to try to beat those teams. Vlatko’s got an abundance of talent in his front line. You have to wait and see where he uses it and (that) will be a key to their success.
Q: What’s your forecast for the Cup final?
A: I do think America will be there. I just don’t know who they’ll play. And that’ll be, I think, the big game for them, whether they win it or not.