SoccerWise - USWNT Post-Game Show

Episode Date: August 3, 2024

The USWNT survive in extra time against Japan. Kacey & David jump on to dig through all the action, and add some context to Emma Hayes decision's. They also talk through all the US has accomplished so far and what they still want to see.Soccerwise Live 2pm ET Every Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday on Youtube/Twitch/Twitter

We'll see you next time. yet we are still in Paris in 2024. This is the U.S. Women's National Team post-game show. We've done one for every single game. We will do one for every single game coming up, which guarantees at least two more games. The U.S. beats Japan in the quarterfinals. They are moving to the semifinals. At best, they are going to the gold medal match. At worst, they're going to the bronze medal match.

So they've already accomplished a little bit so far. David Goss and the U.S. women's veteran Casey White with me. As we have done all Olympics. Casey, I'm not going to lie. I just came in with a ton of confidence and energy, but I am drained. That was a life experience over the course of 120 minutes where the U.S. survived, I guess you could say. Outlasted, you could say as well, but somehow beat Japan 1-0. I kind of feel all over the place about it, just like you. And I think drained is the right word,

because it was kind of one of those ones, like you really just had to wait around for something to happen. But Japan is a formidable opponent. The U.S. found a way to win, which ultimately, at the end of the day that's all that matters but like everyone always does we're going to talk about it well how do they look and all of that but I'm glad they won I'm glad they're going forward it's really good for the group to win a tight 1-0 game. It is a learning experience for this group going forward for sure and finally having that moment a game like that and being able to get over it and being able to survive it and all of that they are now 4-0 at the Olympics

no ties no losses they've scored 10 goals in those four matches but this was the toughest one this was the tightest one as we expected right Japan is the best team the U.S. has faced at this competition Japan came in as a medal favorite in a lot of conversations. They took Spain toe-to-toe in their opening match in the group stage. A lot of people thought they went out too early at the World Cup last year. And that's what you figured this would be for the U.S., and it was. It was the toughest match they played. They were tested in different ways than a lot of the

games and in similar ways as well going forward we will talk about emma hayes substitutions we will talk about the performances of some of the individuals we will talk about what comes next as well as the replacements for some of the pieces that are missing in tierna davidson and sam coffee for this one as well high leverage though you come out of this match what is your first thought whether it's as a fan just someone watching or as a coach gosh i have every single one of those thoughts going on former player i'm excited we're going on um as the u.s as a fan a little sluggish at times it looked like for some individual, but there were also quite a few good performances. And then from a coach perspective, this is a huge tactical challenge.

Japan comes out in that 5-4-1. But what impressed me about the way Japan defends, we've seen a low block in Zambia. We've seen a lower block in Australia. But Japan, horizontally and vertically, their distances look perfect. They're compact they understand when there's movement which player steps and how to compact the space and make up for that it was as disciplined as it gets in a low block in my opinion so from a tactical tactical standpoint very difficult to play against I think some of the individual players not being quite as sharp made it harder for us. However, that structure, very, very difficult. And eventually we found the breakthrough goal. Let's talk about that Japan shape because we saw Australia sit in the deep block as well. Germany, not so much. Zambia tried to at times, not as effective.

When you look at this U.S. talent pool, how would you go about breaking that down? And what did you make of what they did throughout this game? Well, the speed of play needed to be quicker. There's a very hard balance between speed of play and patience. And we talked about it in some of our earlier podcasts that the speed of play could have been a little better, pick moments to go forward 1v1 rather than just keep the ball.

But this exposed it more because of how structured and disciplined Japan was. So I think first and foremost, the movement of the ball, tighter first touches in and around goal, that efficiency in the final third, those things were all highlighted because they just were off a little bit. So I think that piece definitely needs to be highlighted, that that could have been an improvement in our attacking shape. But even what was interesting about this was the way that Japan attacked. They always had a five, basically they went into a five, two, three, which sometimes looked like a three, four, three, and their three forwards were pinched central.

So the reason they're so effective on the counterattack is because they get players on the side of our six, on the side of Corbin Albert. Not necessarily Albert's fault, but that space is what's available, and so they were getting out quite easily in those moments. So on both sides, their structure tested us today. Yeah, in watching this game game and I think we talked about it come in the Australia game I was frustrated that the U.S. didn't take more risks

try and play whether it's overloads dump the ball try and press try and play against the green a little bit more and try and play against the play I didn't think this game called for a lot of that because you were one in danger of japan their quality and transition their ability correct and two it felt like to me for a lot of this game okay then let japan suffer if this isn't a world-class team that wants to come out and sit behind the ball which no player wants to do especially a team that's talented in possession and team that can score goals the way they do if they're going to sit back and give 80 possession then allow it and eventually a breakthrough will come and it's not a game style that anyone enjoys playing it's not a game style i think most of the u.s players want to be in but a one goal win is a

one goal win whether it's a three two victory or one zero victory like you have to believe in yourself that over the course of 120 minutes a team having to work off the ball move off the ball defend get be clean in all of their moments any mistake becomes a chance for you I think some of the frustration I saw from people and I don't disagree was it didn't feel like the U.S. was forcing that mistake in moments or doing anything to sort of cause the chaos for Japan until late on in the game but I also think that comes down to if the team defending is going to get more tired and the team defending has less room for mistakes and mentally has to stay tuned in for longer and I think it's

okay for that patience like you said for the U.S. to wait for that I just think it's a little bit scary as you watch it because any one of those Japanese transition feels like all of a sudden you're one down one zero and you have to take a risk at that point. Emily Sonnet out of the left center back spot in some of the buildup moments to allow someone who's more comfortable in possession there, whether it's Dunn coming inside or Albert dropping deeper or Horan dropping deeper. But I don't think you see that because any of the Japanese chances where they tried to go quick in transition, Sonnet and Germer are the ones who are going to cut that off 1v1. Right. And I mean, there's a lot to unpack there. But one of the things you just recently said was just about Son Sonic kind of playmaking in that space where Japan leaves open.

Early in the game, Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Horan rotated into a false outside back roll. So they were on the ball early, but they didn't do that through the remainder of the game. And we will never know necessarily why. But my conjecture is, is that when they leave the space in midfield if we do turn the ball over that's where japan's able to counter-attack because they would have numbers against corbin albert and lindsey haran if lavelle's the one building out and i thought lavelle was a bright spot today especially in the first half she was on the ball a lot she was trying to make things

happen taking a little more of those risks like what you spoke about but to be fair to our front line especially Mal Swanson and Sophia Smith you turn and just try to like push it down the throats of a five back this is a sophisticated game right that's not going to just work centrally against a team like Japan but I do think why there were some frustrating moments when there was maybe a mistouch for Rodman going in a 1v1 or anybody in that wide area where there was space. And perhaps maybe a few more crosses into the box that could have made Japan more uncomfortable. Just varying it up a little bit, I think, could have made us a bit more unpredictable.

I think the other spot you would have liked to see more connection, and I don't know where this goes because we're watching a world feed so we're zoomed in on everything is whether swanson and smith and rodman were making runs over the top to try and stretch the team and the ball wasn't coming or if those runs weren't being made and because that's the other option right is japan wants to be compact their line of confrontation wasn't super high because they allowed the center backs to be on the ball but their back line because they're trying to say what within 20 yards of each wasn't super high because they allowed the center backs to be on the ball. But their back line, because they're trying to stay, what, within 20 yards of each other, is somewhat high on the field. You would have, I think one of the hopes would have been there's space to run in between. And that's one of the things Davidson does very well is hit that ball. She also commits defenders when she steps into midfield, which wasn't something that Girma and Sonnet were going to do.

I don't know if you got an eye on that. I couldn't tell. Obviously, the goal comes from a moment somewhat like that with Rodman sort of over the top and Horan making a run out of midfield. I don't know if that was on the front line, the back line, or maybe it was just something that Japan wasn't going to allow. I think it depends where on the field we're talking about. So when we were in the middle third attacking, Japan was a bit higher where some of that could have happened so basically like for the goal when Crystal Dunn played that

ball all the way across it was more from the middle third and so you're able to expose a little bit of that space but there was so much of the game that was played in the defending final third for Japan and really unless we get our tens on the ball facing forward in front of the back line those little slip balls aren't going to work. But I think you're right. In the middle third, maybe just some of that variance would have allowed that extra yard of space earlier in the game. But, you know, I think that's what's so hard about playing against a system

that's especially a five back, but also that's vertically compact too. Because I think a lot of people look at the horizontal and how they shift, but how close, I think it was of people look at the horizontal and how they shift. But how close? I think it was even closer to about 12 to 15 yards from the back line to the midfield line at times. The closer they got to their own goal. Yeah, it was impressive from Japan. And I would like to say it is impressive from the U.S. to have an opponent of this level decide that their best chance of going through to the next round is to sit in, not play completely against their game model because they, throughout this Olympics, have had less possession throughout their games.

But we're talking 45, 46%. They had 22% possession in the conversation of like the U.S. can't break down a low block is the quality of opponents that choose to play that way because they are scared of what the U.S. is capable of doing and they don't see another way of winning. And now I understand all different styles can win. And it's fair to say, like, well, we believe this is what we do at our best. That's not the case with this game. Japan sort of left some of their principles on the table and not because they thought the U.S. would beat themselves just to stay in this game. Japan sort of left some of their principles on the table and not because they thought the U.S. would beat themselves just to stay in this game. And I think we have to acknowledge that when we have this conversation of what the U.S. struggles in. This was not the

U.S. against Portugal being lucky to get out with a result last year at the World Cup. This was Japan hoping for an opportunity to get to PKs or get a chance off a counterattack. And it never came because the U.S. is a really, really good team. And I was incredibly surprised by that, to be honest with you, because I always think like, I just have so much respect for Japan and what they can do. They have always had such a great culture of soccer from their under 15s all the way to the seniors. They've won a World Cup. You know, this is a legitimate contender. And so to see them go in that kind of role and structure was a huge nod to the United States. But I think we also need

to highlight, I think our back line played quite well today. It is hard to have, I think you said 78% possession in the first half. It's hard to have that much possession and still be locked in. Okay, yes, these are professional athletes. Yes, these are the best in the country. It's still a difficult challenge. And so I really thought our back four did extremely well in dealing with those moments. You're going to give Japan opportunities. Like, it's going to happen.

They are too good not to generate that. But you have to make sure that they're not you know legitimate opportunities so to come out with a shutout yes they sat back but a shutout versus a team that's shown their efficiency on last game three goals on four shots in the first half i mean that is extremely hard to do uh it ended 71 to 29 possession is what fat mob is saying in the entire game over 120 minutes that includes the final 10 minutes game states a bit where Japan tried to go out and find the equalizer although they didn't really create a chance in those moments and I thought the U.S. was pretty good at killing off the game at that point so again this is a metal favorite coming into this

this was a team we talked about that could win the whole thing choosing to play that way and i i was frustrated throughout the game i think from the commentary from from john and julie as well as what i see online of like it sounds like we're losing the u.s is losing in all these moments of like what can they do how can they change things it's like well can we also reshift that conversation and say like japan is one choosing to play this way and two if you win three two or you win one zero as I'm going to say 150 times you're winning the game maybe I fell too far into Emma Hayes's conversation over the last few weeks of like relax calm down like we talked about coming out of the Costa Rica game where she's like U.S. fans get so frustrated when a team plays in a low

block the goal will come it took longer than you'd like in this game but like the goal will come because you have so much quality this front three now 10 goals across the three games they have scored all the goals trinity rodman is the youngest american to score in a u.s olympic knockout match with a world-class goal in this moment and i think the belief falls to these three players that at some point and you don't want it to just be like pick up soccer but at some point they will find their openings well and I'm gonna I'm gonna go back on what you said like I'm gonna say it on the flip side it's frustrating that there's not respect sometimes for like the level of team we're playing against

like it's okay to have that expectation on you know know, the U.S. women's national team. They're the best in the world, you know, and they are very, very good players. But sometimes a 1-0 win is equally or more impressive than a 3-2 win or a 3-0 win if you really look at the nuances of the game. But I get it. We're all fans. I was watching, and I was kind of like a little bored, you know. I was like, come on, let's go out. Like, come out at us so we can come at you. That was the fan talking, right right and so I get that um but this was a high level sophisticated game

and there's that side of it too that I think we all have to understand as well um but going back towards Trinity Rodman I mean she in my opinion she didn't have a great game if you look at the 90 plus minutes like there were a lot of missed touches. There were some interesting decisions to come inside versus outside where the space was. But she showed up in a big moment. So no one cares. And we shouldn't care because that's what she needed to do in that moment. But to get a 1-0 win and to have that confidence that you can get the shutout,

unless you go to penalties, you're not losing. You could lose to penalties. Like, you're not losing, you know? Like, you could lose in penalties, but if you don't let people score on you, you are giving yourself a great chance to win a gold medal. There is a comfort, I think, for this team in knowing that you have Girma as an eraser, and Sonnet, I think, out of possession, was very good in this game closing off these openings. Fox is super consistent in what she does. You kind of can like

guarantee what you're going to get from her which I think again ends that level of comfort in the attack of like well we're not going to give up easy or soft chances and I thought Nair was really good in the moment she chose to come off her line and play higher up in that rest defense because you started to step the back line and you had to and all of that and so you are right in like the belief and the understanding that you're going to hold a shutout, I think allows this team to have the patience to take their time and create their chances. And credit to Emma Hayes, because one, I was calling for Trinity Rodman to come off as one of the subs to finally be made. I thought Lynn Williams in that spot because I thought Rodman struggled the most of the front three. So I'm saying what, you know, everyone had trouble getting in the game.

I think when you watch the game, you can feel the moments where Smith's going to make something happen. Probably the most of all three of them. It felt like throughout this game, Swanson was struggling as we've seen her. She comes off the left wing. She floats. She plays as the center forward. She overloads. She tries to find these moments.

And there wasn't a ton of space for her to play in and she wasn't super clean and super sharp neither was really anyone in the attack and so you're thinking if you're going to make a change Lynn Williams going to be the one to come on who's really the attacking piece we still don't know what the deal with Jaden Shaw is and how much she was capable of playing in this game it would be for Rodman it wasn't it was for Swanson and Emma Hayes got it right in that moment. So I think we have to give her credit for that. Let's talk about the sub patterns, though, in general. Didn't make a sub in all of regulation.

Then makes the one change there with Williams for Swanson to go into extra time. What do you make of that from the outside? Well, it's extremely rare, extremely rare to see that for an entire 90-minute game. You have to think about how much possession that we did have as a group. So you aren't chasing the game a lot. So not all 90 minutes are created equal. And I think that's something we have to consider. That could have been going through their head.

And from a bench perspective, they've got to be thinking about not only just units, but how ready is everyone? You've got Davidson out. It looks like Jaden Shaw didn't even warm up when players were going to warm up. They showed her on the bench sitting next to Mount Swanson. And then you've got Coffey out on the yellow. So, you know, there's that little bit less options of certain units that have played together in this Olympics, right? So I think there's a lot of that going on. I'm still surprised we didn't see Lynn Williams earlier. I thought by at least like the 70th minute we were going to see her. And I agree with you. I thought Rodman was definitely the choice to come out. And right when that happened,

when overtime started, I literally said to myself, watch her score now, because I thought she was not, was the one that would be coming out. And then she has the beauty of a goal. So that's why we're sitting here and Emma Hayes is there. She's making those good decisions, but I do think it's extremely strange not to see those subs. And you have to wonder, was fatigue at all a factor? We won we still did well um will that factor into Tuesday because again it's only two days off until that next game or sorry three days off until that next game so just something to kind of watch for as we go through the next 72 hours yeah the I think the process of like what the team looks like in the semifinals is a little worrying in those minutes.

I think in this game, but then it comes down to, and as Emma Hayes has said a lot of times, her focus is on the game she's in, and that's sort of what we saw in the group stage. Still think it was a little odd to not see more rotation in the Australia game to save some of these minutes. And like, Rose Lavelle played the 90 against Germany and a blowout. That kind of was all very odd going forward. In this one, it's just, you're, you're hoping for fresh legs, but none of the changes are obvious in terms of winning this match. There was not a lot of players on the bench where you're saying like,

this is what's going wrong on the field. And this is a player who fills that hole. Now I thought we would see Jenna Niswonger a little bit earlier similar to what we saw in the Costa Rica game because she is a more accurate crosser she she stays a little bit higher than Crystal Dunn just naturally but she doesn't come inside and play as much and I I wonder a few things one if having less options in midfield you wanted Crystal Dunn on the field as a potential fill-in, where it felt like if Corbin Albert did go down, as she sort of did for a moment,

the move was going to be to slide Dunn into midfield because you weren't going to really bring Samson to make her debut for Sonnet and slide her up. So I think part of that was in the equation of like, you're not going to take it on off. And then I think the other part is just, I think Emma Hayes has just pure belief in a lot of these players and this setup right now. I think it's a tough moment in, if you're the subs to come out of this game and look at yourself and say, well, does that mean she doesn't believe in us? And I think that part, it's not the coach's number one thought process in that,

but it has to be out there of like you didn't turn to any of us and believe that we can make the difference yeah and i think that's natural to go through a player's head um certainly not something like you said that's at the forefront of a coaching staff's mind in that moment post game it might be how do we handle that how do we play or manage um how do we explain our decisions um how do we make sure they're still inspired? You know, things like that. But at the end of the day, these players are professionals.

But I agree with you. I thought you bring up some good scenarios there. We did see Kruger almost look like she was going to come in to push Dunn inside when Albert was down, like you said. The one sub that I thought could have maybe made an impact would have been Jaden Shaw. I thought it's not because Corbin Albert wasn't playing well, but she wasn't getting on the ball in the first half and earlier on in the game as much as maybe like a Horan would. And I know she's not a natural six, but Horan's so comfortable

on the ball and they trust her that I thought Jaden Shaw might come in to a 10 roll. Obviously didn't even really warm up, so maybe not a true option today. But I did like the sub of bringing Niswonger in into midfield because they flattened out into a midfield three once they had the lead. And I think that was really only the real tactical change that probably needed to be made in this game because we were in so much control. And it's a weird game to come into if you don't have a feel for it. Because these players that have been on for 90 minutes understand like what's working what's not working and it's kind of a feel

type of game not just a super sub moment to put someone in and i thought the u.s and as we've seen and we'll talk about because if it's germany in the next game we know they're going to try and attack down germany's right hand side the u.ss left-hand side but Japan's the most success they had was in Japan's right channel the U.S.'s left channel and by putting Naiswanger directly in there you saw her pretty much make every tackle and every clearance in those final 10 minutes in that spot you said and then Lynn Williams was able to sort of chase and make life hard up top and stay a little bit higher as that two where what we'd seen in the past was Rose Lavelle little bit higher as that two where what we'd seen in the past was Rose Lavelle would push up as that second forward in defensive setups but Lynn Williams

gives you more in transition and more in those moments so there was you know there's a lot to consider the Jaden Shaw stuff I would love to hear an answer on if the U.S. is required to put her back on the roster like if she was not healthy, why would you not leave Kroy Bethune on the game day roster if she was never an option? So that's something I'm sure we will learn a lot more about going forward. All of this is new. The ability to sort of move players into the alternate roles and then bring them back out and swap back and forth,

I believe it's done via an application to FIFA and the IOC. I would be surprised if FIFA and the IOC are going to the game day, going to the camps and being like, okay, now we're going to test everyone to see who could play and like foreshaw back on the roster. So if you're making the decision to put her on there, that means you believe she's available. And in a game like this, you would have thought at some point she would have been that option as you said a more attacking player even

if it wasn't for um albert if it's for another one of the attackers she gives you a different look wants to drop a little deeper but is also still a really effective finisher whether it's on the far post or set pieces some of the things that rodman and smith and swanson still do so you would have thought you would have seen her at some point in that game. I will say from watching the first half and then the entire game, I don't really think Horan and Sonnet are an option at that six in this setup because I don't think either of them have been clean enough on the ball. I thought Horan was a little sloppy in the first half,

and Sonnet, I think, struggles when she's surrounded by players in all directions, even passing forward. So Albert wasn't going to win you this game in what she did but she wasn't going to lose you the game either and I think that's my guess would be that's what Emma Hayes went and told a 20 year old player making her first start in the Olympics of saying like just do your job and we will be fine without you and I think that's kind of what happened. I agree with you on Sonnet. I disagree with you on Horan. I do think she's not as technical as she could have been recently. What I mean by putting her in a role where she got on it a little deeper is the confidence it would give Girma and Sonnet to play those breaking lines balls

into the center of midfield from a tactical perspective to pull a Japan player out because they sat with two so those front three needed to be bypassed centrally and they weren't we were always going around the outside um and then we would go centrally in the final third so I'm thinking captain they they trust her maybe they'll try to put that in there to her and that's not a knock on Albert by any means um because Albert was clean on the ball, good movement. She just wasn't getting it as much. And I'm talking mostly the first like 60 minutes of the game

when you're really trying to break down their back line. But when you talk about Jaden Shaw, I would assume she's medically fine. It's just she hasn't played in the Olympics yet. So do you put her in there in that moment? Maybe it more is along those lines. I mean, we may never know, but I think this game could have been calling for her if everything would have been going in a way that she was really confident to go in. So a big moment for this team. They get through, they get the victory. They are now heading to a

semi-final. It is either going to be Germany or Canada. I saw a lot of commentary like, Germany or Canada won't be scared of this team. It's like, well, Germany just lost four to one to this exact team. So I think Germany is going to be pretty scared about this matchup. Canada obviously has a ton of familiarity in this matchup. Let's talk about Canada for a moment. What do you make of what they've accomplished and sort of against all of the odds what they've been able to do? Well, I think they're a team you don't want to come up against right now. Personally, I think they are all for each other. They're playing well.

If I'm guessing as players, they've already overcome something so big. So they're like, what's one other game? We have done this before. We've been successful in the Olympics. We've won. So what's one other game right now? We did the hardest thing, which was to come back from that point deficit

that was given in group stage. So I think they'll be, just from an emotional perspective, extremely hard to play against for Germany today. And then if they were to advance to play in the semifinals versus us. But I think it's an interesting matchup between those two teams for sure.

On the flip side, if Germany were to win the game, you have to play them again. That is not easy to do in a tournament, to play a team. Because you don't know. I mean, you would think Germany is going to change the way they approach that game versus us. Because it didn't work. And we were able to expose them. So do you see something similar to today?

Where they play a little bit more conservative than they did in that first game versus us. I don't know. And so I think both of these teams would be very interesting and tough challenges for the United States. I will throw in there because the lineups just came out because this game went to extra time and everything. So Colombia still beating Spain 1-0 in the 52nd minute. Germany and Canada's lineups are out. Pop is playing up top for the first time since that game for Germany. And I think that's one of the big changes you'd expect to see against the U.S., which is like don't mess around, put her in midfield, and try and control the game. Have her be that threat up top. It would be interesting, the decision for Emma Hayes,

in that Crystal Dunn is not a natural defender. And that was where Germany tried to create most of their chances and ended up getting a goal from the right back, although pinching it in a different moment. If Casey Kruger is an option in a game like this, Nyswonger, while she plays left back more often, is also not really a natural defender in that way. That's not really what she does best.

So there might be some decisions there for Emma Hayes. Sam Coffey coffee you'd expect to come back in this team um for the next game is there anything else you think is out there well from a personnel perspective i do think you have to consider all that for for every change though you you might give something up you might gain something but you might give something up right and so when you talk about those changes you're also in the way you build. Kruger is not going to get as high up the field and they're building out of a three, you know, that three, six, one at times or however you want to call it. But so you wouldn't have as much off that left side.

So there could be a different buildup rotation you do instead. So I just would have a hard time thinking that Emma Hayes is going to change anything about the attack because that they've really been able to possess a lot and go forward so I'd be a little surprised Nijswanger gives you a little bit more of that attacking right so maybe she's the one that okay like give Crystal Dunn you know a little bit of a break and you still get the attacking side but I think we have to point out that the side of our holding mid is really where everyone is exposing us when they are, and especially off our left side, the opposition's right side.

So the side of either Coffey or Albert, because that's where we're naturally leaving the space available. So if you put a Kruger in or a Niswonger and tell them to stay further back or even tell Crystal Dunn, hey, we want you to be a little more conservative with this role. That's still the space that's going to be really where players are trying to get into and then find those slip balls in. That's where Japan had success today as well, not just Germany in the group stage. It is.

I think it is one of the many reasons this team is missing Tierna Davidson. She was stepping in and being aggressive in that space. Correct. And then when she wins it back, she is more comfortable either carrying the ball into the opposition shape from there or that first play, that first pass, whatever it is. It is a big miss for this team. There is not a clear solution. Sonnet did the job today.

I think the next game might actually be easier for Sonnet because I think Japan was elite in what they did off the ball and the way they wanted to counterattack. And Sam's, as we've said, would be making her debut in an Olympic knockout game. That is really, really tough. Semi-finals coming up. That one will be on Tuesday, so we'll be back with you live after that one as well. We'll figure out the soccer-wise schedule and what we'll do with the MLS show and all of that on Tuesday going forward. So if you don't, subscribe to the Patreon. You can jump into the Discord.

We'll do it there. We'll also put it out on social media, SoccerWise HQ, on any of our platforms. Big picture for this group, you and Jordan both yelled at me a few weeks ago when I was like, the U.S. could not win and it would be fine. There are ways that it could be okay for the U.S. to go through this Olympics, not come out with the gold medal or a medal, and I could still feel good about it. You both being winners and true actual winners and former pro athletes didn't feel the same, which I think is the right way to have that mindset. Where we sit right now, what else do you have to see from this team,

or what do you want to see or what has been accomplished? Like if, if it ended today, what would be your thoughts on this, this experience and this team and where they sit? I love that they've had tactical fluidity in the way they attack and they've won with that. It's not just a pretty brand of soccer that they've had all this movement and flexibility and creativity that didn't amount to anything. Like it was a pretty brand that executed and that's what they've done these first four games.

So that excites me if the tournament was over today. But as you said, and I, I agree with Jordan, um, we're the United States. We want to win and we don't want to accept anything less than that. Um, I don't think it's that straightforward, but we go back to our player days and it's like, nope, that's the only option, right? And so you have to win in a variety of ways. I think this was the first game, in my opinion, that they really had to win in a different way. And I think that bodes well for going into the next few games. The things that I would be on the lookout for is our defending long services into the box. I think the more team, if you play a Canada or a Germany, they're going to try to make our center backs uncomfortable, find the back pose, test a listen there with some of those balls. We're going to have to be really good with marking

in the box and winning services in the air. I think that's the piece we haven't overly been tested on yet in this tournament. Yeah. And you could see Japan, those few moments when they floated the ball to the far post rather than the hard-driven ball across the six, which for the most part, the U.S., credit to Emily Fox, Crystal Dunn. Credit also, by the way, to Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, and Mal Swanson because they, especially Rodman and Smith, they came back and recognized danger, and they defended really well in this game when they were struggling in the attack, which is if you're not to be here offensively you got to at least be committed in a part of the group and they were they were that throughout the game um but those floated crosses you see a little bit of questioning the one that emily fox dives and heads out where it's just i don't know where the space is behind me and i don't know where nair is exactly yeah i i think there's some danger there and you start to talk about the aerial threats,

whether it's Lyon or Pop, whatever it is, in that next game going forward. Lacey Santos just put a goal in. Colombia just went up 2-0 against Spain. Did they? That will be my closing statement in that Japan is really good. The U.S. has already accomplished a lot. This is not easy. Spain are the reigning World Cup champions.

They are the by far heavy favorite in this competition. They are trailing 2-0 against Colombia. If Spain loses, the U.S. are the favorites going forward. No matter what, they're going to be the favorites in their semifinal. They've already beaten Germany. They beat Canada, of course, in CONCACAF play as well. That doesn't make it easy, but that puts the U.S. in the driver's seat to make it to a gold medal game. And we will have at least two more shows after this one because no matter what, the U.S. can go to the bronze medal game or to the gold medal game. And they've got two more games coming up. It was a big day for this team, a big moment for Trinity Rodman.

I think when you go back and look from last World Cup to now, like what's changed? Trinity Rodman is a better soccer player. She has figured out what she can do on the field she is more aggressive herself her timing is better smith is a better soccer player she has grown into the role of being a go-to attacker having mal swanson healthy helps a ton as well but big time it is it is a huge add to this front three into this group but like this is part of having a young team and a turnover of generation is like germa and and rodman and smith and you know a lot of these younger players coffee now figuring it out like they had to learn what it takes at this level to be who they are

from nwsl into this uh and a lot of them have done that and i think that to me is the most exciting thing going forward is like for the next 10 years everyone who gets the u.s on the schedule is circling some of those players whoever's available whoever's healthy as we have to find ways to shut them down or affect their game like you talk about england at wembley coming up this fall that is going to be a game that the u.s is going to go into and be you know have a chance to win because of the players they have and the way they fit and the cohesion and that's going to be the case now going forward. We thought it would be, but we didn't know. And now we know. And I think that to me is really exciting. And that's what I was hoping to get out of this Olympics for this group. Emma Hayes

continues to keep everyone calm, sort of. It was a hectic moment. It was a hectic day for a lot of people, but the U.S. gets the win. Any final thoughts before I let you go? Girma's unbelievable. I just have to say that. Like, you brought her up, so I just have so much respect for her game, and she's really just playing extremely well right now. But besides that, no extra thoughts. I'm just excited for us. I'm glad we got the win. Glad we're on to the semifinals. It's going to be a good day on Tuesday. Best defensive center back, I think, in the world right now, especially when you watch these Olympics. Absolutely. Struggled a little at times, not struggled, but been put under pressure. Girma, it always looks like she's in third gear. It is never hard for her to take the ball off an opposing player. She rides the tackles. She does so much. It has been so much

fun to watch, and the U.S. is moving on. And we will have all your coverage here at SoccerWise. Thank you, Casey, for being here. Thank you to everyone for listening. Thank you to everyone for watching live as well. I'm in a hotel with bad internet, so I couldn't check the comments as much on this one, but we will be back live on

Tuesday for the semi-final game. Join us there. Leave a chat. Talk with us. Hang out. We'll Saturday. Final game. Join us there. In the chat. Talk with us. Hang out. We'll see you next week. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Enjoy the rest of your week.