The USWNT Better Fix Its Midfield Against China, Because Tougher Sledding Awaits
Check out FiveThirtyEight’s Women’s World Cup predictions. "We improved a bit and found the net," Carli Lloyd, a midfielder on the U.S. women’s national team, said after Monday’s Round of 16 game against Colombia. "We’re creating some chances, and I am confident more will come.” Confident or not, chances have not come easily for the U.S. women’s national team (USWNT) at this World Cup. They’ve looked stagnant and uncreative, especially in the attacking third. And to make matters worse, they head into tonight’s quarterfinal match against China without the two players who have created the most chances: Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Holiday. Despite the loss of these players, the team continues to tout its depth and versatility, but there’s no denying that Rapinoe’s spark and Holiday’s vision have been some of the most promising aspects of an altogether lifeless team. So what’s wrong with the USWNT, and can they fix it before they face a team like Germany or France? As Lloyd suggested, much of the USWNT’s problems stem from an inability to create chances -- passes that lead to shots -- in the midfield, in particular. Lloyd, along with Holiday and Rapinoe, was one of the most prominent playmakers for the USWNT at the 2011 World Cup. Combined, the three players created an average of 5.6 chances per game, compared with 4.8 chances…
