The United States will enter the Women’s World Cup on a nine-match unbeaten streak, however a scoreless tie with South Korea on Saturday brought up a larger number of issues than it replied about the group’s capacity to win its first world title following 1999.
The Korea amusement was an uncommon stagger for the Americans, who had won their past four matches by a joined score of 14-1 yet required a jumping recovery from Hope Solo on one of the diversion’s last touches to escape with a tie at Red Bull Arena. The Koreans have never beaten the Americans in nine gatherings and were overmatched physically in every test.
The United States demonstrated Coach Jill Ellis some great signs as the group heads to Canada for the World Cup — clear edges in wellness, quality and ownership — additionally a steady and alarming one: poor wrapping up. The United States took 15 of the amusement’s 22 shots yet battled again to look genuinely risky without striker Alex Morgan.
Morgan, who has a bone wound in her knee, has not played in seven weeks. Without her and midfielder Megan Rapinoe, who sat out with a thigh damage, the American assault was unsurprising: long balls in front of the fast Sydney Leroux and high balls to Abby Wambach. Each had chances; neither changed over.
“We’ll be fine,” said midfielder Carli Lloyd, who, as Ellis, said, inquisitively, that the group was tired following a week of news media commitments and workouts in New York. “It’s been a long couple of days for us, yet we’ll be arranged at crunchtime.”
Rather, the finale of the group’s sendoff arrangement was minimal more than a lively, baffling workout. The Americans’ rivals at the World Cup ought to offer sterner tests. Their opener is June 8, against Australia in Winnipeg.
The Americans are 6-1-1 this year against groups made a beeline for Canada, with their just annihilation a 2-0 misfortune to France in February. They are unbeaten from that point forward, then again, a 7-0-2 run.
In the case of nothing else, the amusement showcased the developing enthusiasm for the ladies’ group. The Americans’ three sendoff diversions before the last World Cup, in Germany in 2011, arrived at the midpoint of a little more than 5,000 fans. The number during the current year’s amusements was just about five times as high, just shy of 24,000, after Saturday’s declared sellout of 26,467.
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