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How to fix the USWNT’s sputtering attack at the World Cup

Alex Morgan has been asked to play a slightly different role for the USWNT at the 2023 World Cup. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

After a relatively strong start against Vietnam, the U.S. women’s national team’s attack sputtered in a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in their second match of the 2023 World Cup group stage.

The U.S. is playing in a front-three system with the intention of creating havoc on the wings and dangerous situations centrally. But against the Dutch, they were containable for too many minutes, raising concerns as tougher competition lurks in the knockout rounds.

Sophia Smith, Alex Morgan and Trinity Rodman are still building chemistry, after Mallory Swanson’s knee injury in April forced head coach Vlatko Andonovski to adjust his plans for the forward line. There have been bright spots, but a lack of consistency still plagues the relationship between the wings and the central position.

So, heading into their final group-stage match against Portugal, does the U.S. need to re-think its attack? And is the solution as simple as personnel changes, or would the team also benefit from an adjustment in tactics?

The promise of using space

Morgan in 2023 is not quite the same “Baby Horse” forward fans might remember from 2011 and 2015, though her role is not drastically different than it was in 2019. Andonovski has been very clear about how he wants the longtime veteran to play in 2023, using her positioning to occupy the attention of the other team’s center-backs and create space for the wingers around her. It’s a facet of her game she’s been honing in recent years with a commendable amount of success.

“It’s not that she’s not capable of scoring goals or getting behind crosses, but we can also see her playing balls to both Trinity and Soph, but also getting closest for them as well,” he said after the team’s draw with the Netherlands.

Morgan has consequently spent much of the first two games of the World Cup trying to fill spaces left by her teammates. She’ll drop into the USWNT’s struggling midfield to try to get touches on the ball, and drift wide when Smith takes point in the middle.

The difficulty Morgan had influencing the match against the Dutch for long stretches had less to do with her own ability, and more to do with the attack as a whole. Neither Smith nor Rodman had their best performances, over-relying on dribbling sequences and failing to beat the Dutch defenders to 50/50 balls. As a result, rather than Morgan pulling defenders in so the wingers could get wider, the front three began occupying the same spaces. The narrow approach didn’t provide the dynamism the U.S. needed off the ball to force the Netherlands’ back three into making risky choices.

The lack of lateral movement became a problem when the U.S. had to chase the game after falling behind in the first half, but those lanes also opened back up after the team drew level. Morgan had a golden opportunity to take the lead with a vintage run in behind, but Rodman’s entry pass came a little too late, ruling Morgan’s goal offside. Later in the match, Smith finally had 1v1 isolation opportunities on the left wing to get to the endline and send dangerous balls in across the Dutch penalty area.

Those second-half combinations showed more of what the U.S. attack can look like when all three players are consistently looking to find one another and combine.

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Trinity Rodman, Smith and Morgan played the full 90 minutes against the Netherlands. (Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The sacrifice of the high press

The USWNT’s commitment to having Morgan drift into deeper positions to aid the midfield gives up significant ground in the USWNT’s off-the-ball defending. Morgan isn’t being asked to sit on the hip of the last line of defense anymore, keeping them honest and pressing to try to force turnovers. The approach theoretically gives her more flexibility as a passing outlet to then redistribute to the wings, but it also gave the Netherlands free rein to progress the ball up the spine of the USWNT midfield, resulting in sequences like the one that led to the Netherlands’ opening goal.

After falling behind in the first half, the U.S. press seemed to disappear, with Smith, Morgan and Rodman all sitting in prospective passing lanes rather than trying to regain possession. To the Netherlands’ credit, their dynamic movement in the midfield opened those passing lanes back up, and the U.S. couldn’t hold onto the ball for long enough to mount a comeback. Morgan was also forced into runs to overcome positional deficiencies rather than set the Netherlands on their heels.

If the U.S. is going to concede possession in the midfield, the frontline has to seize their moments off turnovers and transition play. It was only after Lindsey Horan inserted a spark of life into the USWNT that the frontline began successfully re-winning the ball. While the shift in intensity was admirable, it still felt like individual changes rather than the system working as planned.

Embracing the ability to adjust

Andonovski does have the personnel to try something different, but it would require a greater willingness to adjust the attacking approach than he has shown thus far. If combining with Morgan is Plan A, then a quick Plan B has to be to insert Lynn Williams for her pressing abilities, or Alyssa Thompson so that Smith can shift into the No. 9 role. Against the Netherlands, Andonovski partially relieved Morgan by subbing on Rose Lavelle as the primary playmaker, but no other changes were made.

Part of what made Andonovski’s unwillingness to bring Williams in against the Netherlands so baffling is that her skill set seemed tailor-made for the game. She has the ability to run in behind defenses and, with fresh legs, force a center-back into making a key mistake. She wouldn’t be asked to execute the center forward position in the same way as Morgan, but the defending champions should consider that a strength and not a weakness.

The frontline of Smith, Morgan and Rodman seems to favor a positive or neutral game-state, where all three players feel they have the freedom to try different movements in search of a goal. Williams is the player you bring on if you need to chase a result. And if Smith is ultimately more comfortable in a narrow attacking system, the team will need a more experienced player who can get wide and overlap with the young star so as not to sacrifice width in key moments during a match.

Andonovski let an opportunity to explore his attacking depth pass him by against the Netherlands, in a gambit that never relinquished the winning goal. Tuesday’s match against Portugal might be the next-best opportunity.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Chelsea Completes Domestic Treble with 2025 FA Cup Win Over Man United

Catarina Macario celebrates her goal during Chelsea's 2025 FA Cup win.
USWNT star Catarina Macario scored Chelsea FC’s second goal to secure the 2025 FA Cup and the treble. (JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Adding to their already historic season, 2024/25 WSL champions and 2025 League Cup winners Chelsea FC handed Manchester United a 3-0 defeat in Sunday's 2025 FA Cup final, completing the club's second-ever domestic treble.

Though the Blues first claimed an elusive treble in the 2020/21 season, this year's roster did so without dropping a single match in any of the three domestic competitions.

"I could not have expected this," said first-year Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor about her debut success leading the Blues. "It is almost ideal in terms of domestic dominance."

To clinch that dominance, Chelsea upended the defending FA Cup champs Manchester United at London's iconic Wembley Stadium behind a brace from French fullback Sandy Baltimore and a header from USWNT attacker Catarina Macario.

Baltimore gave Chelsea the lead by slipping a late first-half penalty past 2024/25 WSL Golden Glove winner and USWNT goalkeeper prospect Phallon Tullis-Joyce, and the Blues never relented, with second-half sub Macario doubling their scoreline in the 84th minute before Baltimore tacked on a final goal in stoppage time.

"It's a very emotional day," an emotional Macario told the broadcast after finishing her first season following a long ACL recovery. "It's a trophy we always wanted to win."

"All the credit to my players," said Bompastor. "We showed our mentality and our values in this game so we ended the season in an almost perfect scenario – we won, we were playing at Wembley, the stadium was nearly sold out, and we had a strong performance and result against a strong opponent."

"It is an almost ideal way to finish the season."

A screen shows the 74,412 attendance at Wembley Stadium during the 2025 FA Cup final.
Sunday's FA Cup final was the third straight with a crowd over 74,000 fans. (Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)

FA Cup crowds prove sustained demand for women's soccer

Chelsea FC's undefeated treble-winning season wasn't the only notable victory on Sunday, as the FA Cup final drew a crowd of over 74,000 fans for the third straight year.

Sunday's 74,412 attendance mark was just shy of both last year's crowd of 76,082 and the 77,390 fans who watched Chelsea defeat the Red Devils in 2023 — all well beyond the tournament final's previous record of 49,094 attendees achieved in 2022.

Fueled by the football fervor following England's 2022 Euro victory — the country's first international trophy, men's or women's, since the 1966 men's World Cup — the 2023 FA Cup final still stands as the largest crowd at a domestic women's soccer match across all nations.

With Sunday's match joining the over-74,000 attendance club, it's clear the post-Euros enthusiasm wasn't a blip, but a boost to the continued growth and sustained success of the women's game.

WNBA Injury Report Mounts After Opening-Weekend Slate

LA's Rae Burrell shoots a free throw during a 2025 WNBA preseason game.
LA Sparks guard Rae Burrell is expected to miss six to eight weeks of WNBA play due to a knee injury. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

While most WNBA stars hit the court running this weekend, a few saw their 2025 campaigns already shortened as teams released season-opening injury reports.

Phoenix forward Kahleah Copper will miss four to six weeks of play, the Mercury reported on Saturday, after the 2024 Olympic gold medalist underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on her left knee last week.

Another knee injury has LA's Rae Burrell sidelined for the next six to eight weeks, after the fourth-year guard took a knock to the right leg just 41 seconds into the Sparks' 2025 debut win over Golden State.

On Friday, the Mystics released updates on both second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards and rookie guard Georgia Amoore. While another assessment of the Unrivaled 1v1 runner-up's back injury will occur in two more weeks, Washington confirmed that the Australian standout will miss the entire 2025 WNBA season after undergoing a successful surgery to repair her right ACL.

Seattle's Katie Lou Samuelson is also out for the full 2025 campaign, with the 27-year-old Storm forward recovering from last week's successful surgery after tearing her right ACL in practice on May 1st.

Las Vegas's Elizabeth Kitley shoots a basket during a 2025 WNBA preseason game.
2024 Las Vegas draftee Elizabeth Kitley returned from injury to make her WNBA debut on Saturday. (Louis Grasse/Getty Images)

Kitley makes long-awaited WNBA debut as Brink eyes return

In more uplifting news, LA's Cameron Brink is on track to return to the Sparks sometime next month, one year after her standout rookie season came to a halt in a left ACL tear.

Already celebrating, however, is 2024 second-round draftee Elizabeth Kitley, who battled back from injury to make her WNBA debut and score her first league points in Las Vegas's Saturday loss to New York.

The Aces took a draft chance on Kitley, despite the center suffering an ACL tear in her final NCAA postseason. In response, the former Virginia Tech star successfully translated her year-long delayed shot at a pro career by surviving Las Vegas's brutal 2025 roster cuts.

Notably, Kitley's close friend and collegiate on-court counterpart with the Hokies is the aforementioned Amoore, who will aim for a rookie-season redo of her own next year.

Kansas City Eyes the NWSL Shield as Gotham Skid Continues

Temwa Chawinga celebrates her game-winning goal against Orlando with Kansas City teammates Bia Zaneratto and Debinha.
First-place Kansas City has a four-point lead in the 2025 NWSL Shield race after this weekend's win. (Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images)

The No. 1 Kansas City Current strengthened their grip on the 2025 NWSL Shield race on Friday, taking down now-No. 3 Orlando 1-0 on the road to earn a four-point lead atop of the NWSL table.

Reigning league MVP Temwa Chawinga scored the top-table game's lone goal. With five goals in nine matches, Chawinga now sits in a four-way tie for second place in the 2025 Golden Boot race.

"If you don't come with heart, you have no chance," Current head coach Vlatko Andonovski said after the match. "And today I think we showed heart."

Kansas City now stands 7-2-0 on the season, putting the NWSL Shield firmly within their grasp.

Kansas City's rise aside, the weekend's biggest drama hovered near the playoff line.

Gotham FC fell to No. 2 San Diego 1-0 on Friday, sending the Bats skidding to No. 8 on a three-game winless streak while boxing No. 9 North Carolina out of playoff contention — despite the rising Courage securing their third win in four games with Saturday's 2-0 victory over last-place Chicago.

"Obviously, we were hot for a little bit, and teams have slumps all the time, so now it's just finding a way," Gotham midfielder Jaelin Howell said of the team's recent struggles.

While some rebuilds soar, last year's postseason contenders are still finding their way as the league moves into the second third of the 2025 season.

WNBA Launches Investigation into Fan Misconduct After Clark-Reese Spat

Indiana's Caitlin Clark commits a hard foul on Chicago's Angel Reese during their 2025 WNBA season opener.
The WNBA is investigating Indiana fan conduct after Caitlin Clark’s Flagrant 1 foul on Angel Reese. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Indiana's 35-point blowout win over Chicago wasn't Saturday's only newsmaker, as a controversial foul on Sky forward Angel Reese by Fever guard Caitlin Clark sparked intense off-court conversations and a WNBA investigation into subsequent fan misconduct.

Clark's third-quarter foul against Reese incited a brief dust-up between the second-year stars, with Clark's offense upgraded to a Flagrant 1 while Reese and Fever center Aliyah Boston picked up a pair of offsetting technicals for their reactions.

"Basketball play. Refs got it right. Move on," Reese said after the game, while Clark told reporters, "It was just a good play on the basketball. I'm not sure what the ref saw to upgrade it, and that's up to their discretion."

Immediately following the flagrant ruling, however, Indiana fans allegedly directed racially charged remarks toward Reese, prompting the league to open an investigation on Sunday.

Officials acknowledged allegations of racist abuse inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, saying the WNBA "strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms," and that they're "looking into the matter."

"We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players," said Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Mel Raines, who oversees the Fever, in a statement.

"We will do everything in our power to protect Chicago Sky players, and we encourage the league to continue taking meaningful steps to create a safe environment for all WNBA players," echoed Sky CEO and president Adam Fox.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time Fever-related fan misconduct has taken center stage, as last season's storylines start to spill over into the 2025 WNBA campaign.

In anticipation of the issue, the league launched "No Space for Hate" on Thursday, describing the campaign as "a multi-dimensional platform designed to combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces — from online discourse to in-arena behavior."

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