The USWNT is a victim of its own success. The program has been dominant since the 1990s, largely because the US had by far the largest player pool to draw from. That meant our 11 was bigger, faster, and more skilled than any other 11.
We didn’t have to be smart. We didn’t have to strategize. Tactics were secondary, because we could and did win on pure athletic talent alone. And in soccer, a direct team will typically win when they have a significant athletic and skill advantage. It’s dumb soccer, but it can work when you’re just so much bigger, faster, and more skilled.
But the world has caught up. Our athletic advantage has slimmed and this WC is making it painfully clear that our skill advantage is loooong gone. So teams with lesser athletes but smarter tactics and more emphasis on possession-oriented skills are outplaying the once-untouchable USWNT.
It is time to adjust. We need to teach and develop players for a smarter brand of soccer. Just throwing our best athletes out there and telling them to boot the ball downfield or win one-v-one battles isn’t going to work anymore.