Wow. We did not see that coming. We thought the US would get the W over Germany, but we expected it to be much closer than it was.

In truth, it could have been. The Germans missed several good chances to score, most notably in the 4th minute with the game still scoreless, and then again in the 62nd which would have cut the USA’s lead to 3-2. Add to that the good luck we had on Smith’s second goal, which took a big deflection then bounced in off the post, and you can see how this could have been a different game.

Still, on balance the USA were the better team, even if the scoreline is a little bit flattering. The Germans were stretched defensively all night, in particular by the USA’s pace in counterattack with Rodman, Smith, and Swanson all looking dangerous, and Lavelle making some great passes to set them up. All four combined in a lovely first goal, where Lavelle played Rodman in, Swanson drew the defense with a near post run, and Smith tapped in at the back post. Loved it. 

We thought both Horan and Coffey were disappointing in midfield, as was Dunn at left back. The rest of the defense was stellar though, especially Emily Fox and Tierna Davidson (before she left injured in the 44th minute). Naomi Girma was quieter than normal, but showed up when it counted, as the interception she made to deny a clear-cut goalscoring opportunity in the 35th minute was outstanding.

It was a mixed bag for Naeher in goal. We’re sure she’ll be disappointed to be beaten from over 30 yards on the German goal. On the other hand, she made some great saves from close range when the game was still in the balance.

The attack momentum chart below clearly favors the US, though not by as much as you would think on a 4-1 scoreline.

The goal scorers and big stars typically get all the headlines, and we want to go deeper at Dos a Cero, so we’re going to start spotlighting “unsung heroes”. The heroes could be players whose contributions we feel are overlooked in the media, or it could be specific moments that were critical but forgotten in the typical media reporting.

Today – we’re spotlighting Trinity Rodman. She was a menace on the right side of our attack. She had the assist on our first goal, but she did so much more. She beat her defender at will all day, drawing help and doing a great job to find Lavelle, Smith, and others in space. She held the ball up well, made successful dribbles to break pressure when we needed it, and drew a number of fouls that helped us get out of the back. She even had a goal line clearance.

Even with all that, our favorite play of the day was this box out to retain possession near Germany’s penalty area. Shades of her dad boxing out anyone in the NBA who dared try to grab a rebound over him.