USWNT attack still work in progress but shows improvement in pre-Olympics win over Mexico

HARRISON, N.J. — The U.S. women’s national team’s identity has almost always been latched to an attacking philosophy and in the year since they disappointed in that respect at the Women’s World Cup, the offensive effort remains a work in progress.

Their 1-0 win over Mexico on Saturday offered signs of optimism but was imperfect as the team put just six of their 17 shots on target, scoring just once thanks to Sophia Smith’s 64th minute strike. The team was happy to collect another win as they build toward the Olympics, which for them begins July 25 against Zambia. But even as they showed glimpses of their potential at Red Bull Arena, the group admitted that the finishing touches of their attacking game plan need to be added.

“I think we lost a little patience in the final third,” Smith said after the game. “I think we get excited when we get in there, but maybe one touch too many, one pass too many and me personally, I should have finished a few more chances to put it away to begin with, but that stuff, it’s just fine-tuning it. We have another game against Costa Rica and I have no doubt that that stuff will come, but I’m really happy with how we played.”

New coach Emma Hayes, who took charge of just her third USWNT game on Saturday, is focusing her efforts on ensuring her team’s attack is multifaceted.

“We really started the game really well so it was a good intensity, great chances,” Hayes said. “I think we rushed that play a little and [the] intention is good. I can’t fault, criticize the players for that, but it’s teaching them the right moments — when to progress, when not to progress — and then in and around the penalty box, how to access the right spaces in the right moments, at the right time. It’s going to take a little bit of time, but we made an adjustment at halftime. I thought the team reacted really well to that, really quickly considering we’ve only just embedded structural principles.”

Hayes has promised to tactically evolve a team full of promising young talent in an effort to leave the Women’s World Cup disappointment behind. She has regularly admitted that her approach will be layered and that it will require time, likely more than the short run-up to the Olympics provides. Still, the group has already picked up plenty in their short time with Hayes.

“I think a big thing for a group is to be to more patient on both ends of the ball,” midfielder Rose Lavelle said. “I think we definitely saw that defensively today, which is great, because it obviously saves our legs a little bit, not having to sprint the whole time and press the whole time and it’s more picking and choosing our moments. I think we’re still a very, very good pressing team but now being able to pick and choose those moments, I think, makes us more dangerous because we’re not just going every time and I think we’re going to keep building on that to get it better.”

Smith also added that the tactical flexibility allows the trio of her, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman to change things up on the field.

“I think the cool thing about our attacking players is we can all play all over the place, move around, be dynamic and if something feels right for someone in a different space, we can go into that space and the other will feel. It’s a work in progress,” Smith said. “I think we’re trying it more and more each game and we’re creating a lot of chances from this so it’s good so far.”

That was the case for her goal, assisted by Swanson.

“I just shifted to the side and saw an opening. I was frustrated with myself, I missed the other chances so I was adamant that this one was going in and Mal [Swanson] played me a really great pass and I just saw an opening and finished it as best as I could.”

In a sense, Hayes is crafting the team in her image as a tactical pragmatist whose favorite part of the job involves solving different challenges.

“My job is to put us in the best possible positions and being versatile within the game,” Hayes said, “because we’re playing against a team who’s very well coached, who shut off spaces and you have to constantly find where they are and how they change and that’s the part coach you’d like to enjoy the most, adapting.”