The last WC in 2019 suggests that team performance wasn’t a huge signifier. Players who came home early like Sinc weren’t particularly stronger than the US internationals. Everyone who returned from France seemed pretty wiped. I think it’s going to be more of a coaching issue; whoever best assesses the internationals’ conditions and find…
The last WC in 2019 suggests that team performance wasn’t a huge signifier. Players who came home early like Sinc weren’t particularly stronger than the US internationals. Everyone who returned from France seemed pretty wiped. I think it’s going to be more of a coaching issue; whoever best assesses the internationals’ conditions and finds a way to use them effectively will profit. Given what we’ve seen of Norris I’m not confident he’s that guy…
Yeah, I'm trying to keep expectations measured given how we've gotten on in the past. I'm not expecting a whole lot honestly and feel a bit pessimistic about the end of the season.
Another interesting point to keep an eye on is many teams made multiple big name/international level signings over the summer window and those players will be joining their new teams, or for many, already have joined. Relevant to us this weekend, O'Sullivan is back, and they've also had the US Youth NT captain sign. Also, Rikako Kobayashi has joined the Courage and is training and newly-acquired Japanese international Manaka Matsukubo will be there in a few days. Looks like some USWNT players have already re-joined their respective teams...recently I've seen that Emily Fox and Casey Murphy are back with NCC (unfortunately for us) and Savannah DeMelo has returned and all have been training with their teams.
It’s going to be an arms race to see who can weaponize their reformed squads soonest and most effectively. I honestly don’t know who that will be, other than Norris’ form to date is not encouraging.
A lot will rest on who returns from the antipodes in the best mental and physical form. And that, too, I have no clue as toward.
The last WC in 2019 suggests that team performance wasn’t a huge signifier. Players who came home early like Sinc weren’t particularly stronger than the US internationals. Everyone who returned from France seemed pretty wiped. I think it’s going to be more of a coaching issue; whoever best assesses the internationals’ conditions and finds a way to use them effectively will profit. Given what we’ve seen of Norris I’m not confident he’s that guy…
Yeah, I'm trying to keep expectations measured given how we've gotten on in the past. I'm not expecting a whole lot honestly and feel a bit pessimistic about the end of the season.
Another interesting point to keep an eye on is many teams made multiple big name/international level signings over the summer window and those players will be joining their new teams, or for many, already have joined. Relevant to us this weekend, O'Sullivan is back, and they've also had the US Youth NT captain sign. Also, Rikako Kobayashi has joined the Courage and is training and newly-acquired Japanese international Manaka Matsukubo will be there in a few days. Looks like some USWNT players have already re-joined their respective teams...recently I've seen that Emily Fox and Casey Murphy are back with NCC (unfortunately for us) and Savannah DeMelo has returned and all have been training with their teams.
It’s going to be an arms race to see who can weaponize their reformed squads soonest and most effectively. I honestly don’t know who that will be, other than Norris’ form to date is not encouraging.
A lot will rest on who returns from the antipodes in the best mental and physical form. And that, too, I have no clue as toward.
It could be a very strange September…