Shadow Scholar Syndicate: FWM/CA 2019--Day Fourteen Recap

Your “Syndicate Hangover” is proudly presented by “Perrier”

Your friendly bookie remains more of a San Pellegrino man, but we’ll accord the hosts some respect for their second-rate club soda. Along with La Croix, it’s an acceptable option when the only other alternative happens to be Seltzer Water.

Day 14: Recap

Bookie’s Stats—

Spread: 21-24

Straight up: 30-10-5

Ahem… “Did the bookie effing well tell you or what”? Not competitive. Yawn. Still a pleasing match that was easy on the eyes. Today still definitely belongs to Ajara Nchout and the Lady Indomitables!

What a fucking finish! Welcome to the Knockouts!

S.S.S. Tactical Breakdown

Might as well make it an “All-American-Day”, as much as your friendly bookie wishes to discuss Cameroon. Here’s how it looked in the bookkeeper’s notes:

Lineup—USA—Match Three (4-3-3) (6/20/2019)

Megan Rapinoe Alex Morgan Tobin Heath

Rose Lavelle

Lindsey Horan Sam Mewis

Crystal Dunn Kelley O’Hara

Becky Sauerbrunn Abby Dahlkemper

Alyssa Naeher

As we noted back in the preview section, Jill Ellis’s principal problem heading into this tournament was how to find a place for a streaking Sam Mewis in her preferred XI. The 29-year-old UCLA product has been on a tear since the start of the New Year, tallying four times the USWNT, including a splendid brace in the friendly against South Africa on Mother’s Day.

Despite this, there simply wasn’t any room for her in the midfield constellation. The essential Julie Ertz had the number-6 slot locked down, flanked out very wide on the right by a similarly red-hot Rose Lavelle and the team’s international superstar Lindsey Horan. Sorry, girl. All booked.

Even now I’m not entirely convinced Becky Sauerbrunn’s “quad” injury, reportedly sustained in the final minutes before the opening match against Thailand was all that serious, as they had been looking for any excuse to start the surging Mewis. Ellis moved Ertz back to the centerback position where she initially began her career and slotted Mewis into central midfield. Right. Whatever you say. She pocketed a brace.

Today we received late word that Julie Ertz had sustained a late injury and would be withheld from the lineup as a precautionary measure. Sure. No sense in risking first-string players against a lowly Swedish side. Mewis again got the start. This time Lavelle handled most of the central distribution, flawlessly transitioning into her new role with ease and class. Even if Alex Morgan happens to be seriously injured, which I doubt she is, this team appears so deep that nothing can really derail its prospects yet. Luxury problems are the only ones Ellis has.

Let there be no doubt that the USWNT again turned in a dominant performance that did nothing to call into question their invincible status. A lower score-line, some missed chances, and a quiet night for a few players means little given how commanding they were in possession. Ellis slowed matters down a bit by playing a somewhat narrower shape and testing some tactical shifts later on.

The team looked pretty cutting even at half speed. One has to work hard to find defects. We shall nevertheless try. Here are the grades. Press and Lloyd factored in as subs. Pugh came on with plenty of time left, but no one really seemed to be trying much by that point.

Grades—USA (Match Three)

Rose Lavelle	A+
Kelley O’Hara	A+
Christen Press	A+
Sam Mewis	A+
Becky Sauerbrunn	A
Tobin Heath	A
Abby Dahlkemper	A
Alyssa Naeher	A
Lindsey Horan	A
Megan Rapinoe	B
Carli Lloyd	B-
Alex Morgan	B-
Crystal Dunn	C+

Kelley O’Hara earns top marks in spite of the booking and that errant backpass. She was a beast on the right and made some truly superb tackles. Carli Lloyd didn't have much to contribute—and she was clearly offside on the Heath goal—but I think a great deal of it had to do with those experimental tactical shifts. At one juncture she was pocketed deep in some sort of weird 4-2-2-2 that I sincerely hope I was imagining. Tons of “run down the clock” ploys on display today.

Morgan got a bit rattled by something early and it might be something on her left side. She lurched unnaturally right on a few of the attacks. A somewhat quiet night for Rapinoe who raced to collect through balls but often found herself stranded with no lateral play to make. The Swedes were employing a five-player defensive front, after all. Unsurprising. Nothing to be concerned about.

The only player who had something of an off-day was Crystal Dunn. A few bad giveaways and lapses. Even then she was still her strong and athletic self, only losing focus on a couple of occasions.

With the Swedes, as I predicted, rather easily dispatched, the U.S. Women now roll onto the knockouts to face the opponent projected earlier in the week: Spain. They shall likely be easily dispatched too.

Onwards to the Round of 16. Proud to be an “merican”

“Riffs of the Day”—Day Fourteen

Reader: Watching Kelley O’Hara slip like that must feel, for you, like seeing an Angel cry.

Vicey: I’ve moved on. Lavelle and Mewis are the bookie’s new crushes. O’Hara dumped me…like she dumped that back-pass. (zing, bookie)

Reader: Three tournaments, Vicey? Are you trying to prove that you can work as hard as the footballers?

Vicey: (sobbing uncontrollably)

Reader: Tobin Heath. A goal for the “woman of faith”!

Vicey: Never said she was perfect, 56-M ; (

Reader: Lloyd is so offside.

Vicey: She’s been offside this whole tournament, behaving most unbecomingly. It’s almost as if women from Jersey have some sort of attitude problem.

Reader: Line on USA vs. Trinidad and Tobago?

Vicey: Bah ha. Good one, 23-M. My prediction? Pain.

Reader: The Women’s World Cup anthem, presented by the Syndicate, Vicey, and the Bookmakers, with special guests “Shakira’s midriff” and “Chastain’s bra-boss toning” on stage.

Vicey: I do believe Syndicate Member 128-M just made me laugh harder than the time he suggested we could re-locate the Africa Cup of Nations by “sticking it in Djbouti”.

DAY FIFTEEN—PREVIEW

Ecuador vs. Chile