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Message: [QUOTE="Forza Azzurri, post: 4724289, member: 1452"] So, going back and finding the last post that actually had something to do with the game, the US was certainly the better team and deserved to win. But that is soccer. Probably more than in any other sport, the better team doesn't always win the game. I will give limited credit to Andonovski. Yes, he switched to a dual pivot but I am not sure he would have changed anything if Lavelle had not been suspended. The dual pivot was clearly the right move. We looked like a totally different team defensively with that solidity in the middle. Assuming this was tactical but the dual pivot also seemed to give Fox much more freedom to go forward and support Rodman\Williams and I thought she was terrific. I also thought Smith was much better this game. Much better at not dribbling into trouble and keeping the ball moving. Horan was terrific in the link-up role and I'm still not sure how the Swedish keeper saved that shot. That save was the best of a lot of really good saves that she made. Sonnett had a heckuva game for an outside back forced into a holding mid role. Thought she did a great job playing within herself. The biggest reason that Andonovski cannot be back is that he has no idea how to use his bench. You cannot play a month long tournament without using your bench. The Rodman sub was a good one as she had made two really poor backpasses in the space of a couple of minutes and was clearly tiring. But we had Sweden on the ropes at the end of the game and in OT and some fresh legs could have ended it without having to go to PKs. Sweden had made 9 changes for their last game so they were fresher than we were and it showed in OT and we lost the initiative. He also should have realized after the Netherlands (Edit: meant Netherlands; wrote Sweden) game that what he was doing wasn't working and made changes for Portugal. The Netherlands (same edit) game clearly showed that there were changes to be made that could have made the US a much better team but he made none of them. And you would think that Coaches would learn that bringing in players in the final minute of OT and then asking them to take a PK is not a good idea. Obviously the earliest exit ever is disappointing but at least they exited with a solid performance where they deserved to win. Onto the Olympics in '24. [/QUOTE]

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