The start of a new World Cup cycle is a time of optimism. There are new players to observe, and perhaps some new tactics to try out. All of a team’s dreams, especially for one as talented as the United States women’s national team, are possible.
Reality has a way of crystallizing the difficulty of the challenges ahead, however, and so it went for the USWNT in a disappointing 0-0 draw with Czech Republic in the SheBelieves Cup opener for both teams in Los Angeles.
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There were certainly some reasons to think that the Thursday match wouldn’t be a cakewalk. A U.S. roster largely composed of NWSL players is still in the process of coming out of hibernation. With an average age of 25.5 years, the group that started the match was the youngest since an April 5, 2018 match against Mexico. While veteran Kelley O’Hara started the match and Becky Sauerbrunn later entered the game for her 200th international appearance, the likes of Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Christen Press and Tobin Heath were left off the roster. The emphasis on youth meant that there are relationships both on and off the field to be developed.
But there is also context within the context. Compared with previous editions, this is a watered-down version of the SheBelieves Cup. A year ago, the U.S. opened the competition against two teams, Canada and Brazil, that were in the top 10 in the FIFA world ranking. This time around, the field is filled out by No. 16 Iceland, No. 22 New Zealand and the Czechs at No. 24. Even though the Czech Republic is a team on the rise — it has twice tied reigning European champion Netherlands in the last six months — it is still a side that has never qualified for a Euros, Olympics or World Cup.
So despite the inherent challenges, there was every expectation that a youthful U.S. side would find a way to secure a victory. That it…
Source : espn
