Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach and Christen Press have been the three members of the U.S. Women’s National Team that we’ve seen in the most from a marketing and branding standpoint. Sydney Leroux would probably be fourth. In other words, Morgan, Wambach and Press are the “three best players” on the team (with Leroux fourth) according to the massive corporations that hold sway with the Women’s World Cup and the USWNT.
Therefore, most Americans following the World Cup likely believe that these are the four best players on the team, even though that’s not actually true. And when you look at who really has been the best players for the U.S. through the first two games, it’s actually a totally different list.
Megan Rapinoe has probably played the best thus far. Obviously, she was the player of the game versus Australia.
Defender Julie Johnston was the breakout star and MVP of the second game versus Sweden. She is following the same career arc as Alex Morgan did in the 2011 World Cup. Very young, not expected to be the focal point, surpasses everyone’s expectations, positions herself to be the face of U.S. soccer moving forward.
Johnston, like Morgan, is very marketable. Yes, “marketable” is an all encompassing word that carries with it all sorts of additional meaning, but we’ll save the gender double standard discussion for another place and time. You know I’m not afraid to mix it up with anyone on the sociopolitical front, but this is more of an “on-the-pitch” discussion right now.
We’ll tackle “Off-the-pitch” issues at a later time. Christen Press is obviously “marketable,” and has been marketed, so she needs to step up and be that player who completes the troika. Press needs to be as good as she has been sold to the American public as being. No one is saying Press hasn’t played well thus far. She’s had her moments; including the game winning goal versus Australia.
The goal, set up brilliantly by Leroux, was also Sydney’s finest moment of the tournament thus far. Leroux, like Press, now has to assume a greater role be even better than anyone expected; for reasons outside their control.
Alexi Lalas said at halftime of the U.S.-Sweden game that Sydney Leroux and Christen Press lacked coordination up top:
“Up top with Leroux and Press, there’s no coordination, no chance of creation up there, and no understanding of how they want to function in this system.”
Well, Morgan and Wambach are supposed to be the American 1-2 scoring punch; not Leroux and Press.
Obviously, Alex Morgan is farther away from being 100% healthy than we’ve been told. The party line entering the Sweden game was that she would could play an entire half or more Friday night. Obviously, we didn’t see her until very late. Wambach, who played the full 90 minutes in the first game, didn’t come on until late in the second half as well.
You know that Wambach and Morgan have a great chemistry together, so it’s time to see it.
Eric Wynalda says it’s time for the U.S. to start Alex Morgan:
“It’s time to put Alex [Morgan] as a starter with Abby [Wambach]. If you’re going to go far in this competition and you want Alex Morgan to be Alex Morgan, you have to let her start and at least get to the half and then evaluate it from there.”
Wynalda continued:
“This is a scary Nigerian team because they have nothing to lose. They’re going to come at us. The game is going to get open; they’re going to get confidence. Get Abby [Wambach] and Alex [Morgan] on the field now. Get Alex Morgan minutes. Let her at least play to the half.”
If the third game is like the second, where Wambach and Morgan play limited roles, then it’s going to be up to Christen Press to get it done.
-USWNT Profile Series:
You can follow Christen Press on Twitter here:
The wait is over. Let the games begin! #USWNT #USA #FIFAWWC #NoMaybes pic.twitter.com/jooWcMdmEk
— Christen Press (@ChristenPress) June 7, 2015
Abby Wambach
-World Cup On-Air talent profiles
Alexi Lalas
Heather Mitts
Jenny Taft
Julie Stewart-Binks
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous sports talk radio stations all across the country.
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