World Cup Final - USA v. Japan: The Rematch

Tony DiCicco – Fox Soccer Analyst for the World Cup

Review of the Semi-Final -- USA vs. Germany

One of the best games of the FIFA Women's World Cup was the semi-final between the two most successful national teams ever in women's football. Germany won two World Cups between 2000 and 2010 and the USA won two World Cups in the 1990s. Germany was ranked #1 and the USA ranked #2.

The USA had the tougher group games to play, but Germany had a round of 16 game vs Sweden and then a quarterfinal (ask FIFA) against France and now a semi-final vs the USA.... a pretty tough run. Maybe their legs were a bit heavy or maybe, they, as all of us, didn't realize the USA would play their best game in the semi-final.

Germany came out strong with high pressure defense and put the USA under pressure all over the field. I actually remember Germany doing that to the USA when I was coaching back in 1998. I don't think we got the ball over half field for the first 10 minutes of the game but then we started to solve them and, believe it or not, won the game 6-0. Three days later, we played them again and, this time, they played a different defense, sitting in and counter-attacking and we won that game 2-0 but they also had some excellent chances.

Anyway, back to the present... Even though Germany came out strong, the USA didn't panic, they looked calm and confident -- almost arrogant, and solved the heavy pressure individually and collectively with passes and slowly took over the game. By the end of the half, the USA had all the best chances but Nadine Angerer, the German keeper, made some great saves to keep the score line even.

Being 0-0 at halftime reminded us all of the France vs. Germany match in which France dominated the first half but didn't score and Germany raised their game and after the game finished 1-1 (Germany tied with a penalty scored by Celia Sasic), Germany won in penalties...scoring all 5. It is very difficult to beat Germans in penalties (men or women).
As expected, Germany came out strong and with a better possession game. Then, they served a high ball in behind the USA defense and Julie Johnston got caught in two minds...do I head it back to Hope Solo or do I clear it? I always taught my defenders that on bouncing balls from over the top serves, head it back if it's clear but if there are any questions, clear it long and wide -- hopefully for a throw-in.

Here is where the game changed. The referee could have easily given Julie Johnston a red card for being the last defender but only issued a yellow. While this was going on, Hope Solo had walked almost to the corner flag and then slowly returned. The referee probably should have given her a yellow card for delay of game, but her tact was to "freeze" Celia Sasic a bit and have her think about taking the penalty and maybe let doubt creep in. Whether it worked or not, Solo dove towards one post and Sasic missed the goal trying to shoot to her left post (right of the keeper).

This was a big break for the USA and it gave them confidence. Not long after, Alex Morgan made a dynamic run towards goal and was fouled by Annike Krahn just outside the penalty area but the referee pointed to the penalty stripe! What a change of fortune. Carli Lloyd patiently waited while the referee sorted out the positioning at the top of the 18 and then slotted it to Angerer's left as the keeper dove right.

Kelley O'Hara then came into the game for Tobin Heath and, before long, she made it 2-0 off an excellent assist from Carli Lloyd. Lloyd is a big-time player in the biggest games (2 winning goals in the last two Olympic Gold Medal games)!

This was the USA's best effort thus far. They changed their system to a 1-4-3-3 with Alex Morgan as the lone center forward, the wingers were Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath and the new midfield configuration had Lauren Holiday holding alongside Morgan Brian and Carli Lloyd as the attacking midfielder. Well done Coach Jill Ellis! On to the FINAL.

Preview of the FINAL -- USA vs. Japan
The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup FINAL is Sunday, July 5th at 6pm EST broadcast by FOX Network (you can go to Fox Sports FIFA World Cup to get a complete World Cup broadcast schedule). It will be played in BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, BC, Canada and features Olympic Gold Medalist USA vs. defending World Cup Champion Japan. This match will be the third final they have played against each other since the 2011 World Cup (the other was the 2012 Olympics).

Japan is very technical and a fantastic passing team. They are also very organized, very fit and have a great competitive resolve. The USA is more athletic, bigger in stature, also fit and organized and coming off a great win against contender Germany. In addition, the USA has one additional day of rest... which shouldn't be a factor but one never knows as this is the seventh international game for both teams in less than a month. I am calling this the RUBBER MATCH!

What does Japan bring to the field? They have an outstanding midfield led by Aya Miyama. Aya played in America in the WPS and is smart, talented, a free kick expert and the captain and leader of Japan. Their left back, Aya Sameshima, played for me and the Boston Breakers in 2011. Their other stars are Mizuho Sakaguchi, Shinobu Ohno, Nahomi Kawasumi, and a strong supporting cast of players. They will not be intimidated by the USA and Japan is the only team to have won all 6 games thus far in the World Cup. Japan will play a 1-4-4-2.

The USA had a slow start in the World Cup, winning with a great defense despite an anemic offense but things are starting to change. The USA started the first 5 games playing a 1-4-4-2 but, in this last match versus Germany, coach Jill Ellis switched to a 1-4-3-3 and looked much better as a possession and attacking team. The USA will have Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd as their main threats but there will be a lot of fire power potential on the bench including (most likely) Abby Wambach.

So what are the keys? Japan has to possess the ball and make the USA chase it. Japan can't give up set pieces and corner kicks because the USA will have a decided height advantage and will be very dangerous. The USA needs to keep the space in front of the back four very tight because the Japanese are masters at combination play in that space and into the penalty area. The USA, I believe, needs to put Japan under pressure higher up the field to make them play faster than they want. For sure, they will solve pressure at times so the USA has to keep their shape behind the pressing players but I also believe that the USA will force some giveaways that can lead to shots and goals.

Let's compare the two teams
Speed - USA
Possession - Japan
Set pieces - USA
Attack - Even
Defense - USA
Goalkeeping - USA
Fitness - Even
Coaching - Japan
Bench - USA
Fan Support - USA (although, because the game is in Vancouver, Japan will have good fan support also)

My prediction: 2-0 USA!!!!!

Tony DiCicco

Soccer Champions Coaches' Clinic Co-Founder

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The 2016 Soccer Champions Coaches' Clinic at Mohegan Sun will take place March 3 - 5 at the spectacular Mohegan Sun Convention Center. For more details, visit www.SoccerChampionsClinic.com

Preview - USA World Cup Quarterfinal Match-up with China

Tony DiCicco – Fox Soccer Analyst for the World Cup

China wasn’t in the World Cup in 2011 or the 2012 Olympics…they never qualified. Now in 2015, they are the youngest team to have qualified out of group play. They have drawn the powerhouse USA in the Quarterfinal which will be played in Ottawa on Friday, June 26^th at 7:30pm ET. This match will be another home game played away for the USA. 

It will be televised on the Fox Network -- you can go to Fox Sports FIFA World Cup to get a complete World Cup broadcast schedule.

Let’s take a look at both teams...

China:

China was a dominant team in the ‘90s, winning the Silver Medal in both the 1996 Olympic Games and 1999 World Cup. However, the 2000s haven’t been kind to China…until now. This young team has grown since their opening game 1-0 loss (PK in added time) to Canada. China is a good defensive team led by right back and Captain Wu Haiyan and goalkeeper Wang Fei (plays in Germany). This team is tough to put away…they just don’t give up many goals.

They, however, have improved with better midfield play by Tan Ruyin and Wang Lisi and now they are starting to score goals. Converted defender Wang Shanshan has 2 goals and is tied with Lisi as China's top scorer. In their round of 16 match, they beat a good Cameroon team and were impressive in possession, defending and their tactical game plan. With each game, they have shown more attacking initiative and, for sure, more confidence.

The last time they played the USA was in Brazil in December and they tied 1-1.

USA:

The USA won the Group of Death and have only given up 1 goal thus far while scoring 6 so…no problem, right? Actually, there are some concerns. The USA defensively (Hope Solo; Ali Krieger, Julie Johnston, Becky Sauerbrunn, Meghan Klingenberg) has been excellent but the once feared USA attack has not really shown up yet. In their first group game, they scored 3 vs Australia, 2 in the second half after being outplayed in the 1^st half. In the following 3 games, they have only scored 3 goals (0-0 vs. Sweden; 1-0 vs. Nigeria; 2-0 vs. a 10-player Colombia team). Nigeria’s conceded their goal on a corner and Morgan’s goal vs. Colombia was on a play after a corner was partially cleared and then Carli Lloyd scored on a penalty kick. The USA is having trouble breaking down defenses through the run of play.

Summary:

Does China have a chance? Well, China is learning quickly and becoming a more complete team as the World Cup progresses. They are confident and they feel they can defeat the USA. China, also, has two more days rest after they won their Round of 16 match. The USA is the better team with better players but the attack has to show up. Also, both Lauren Holiday and, the most creative USA player, Megan Rapinoe, are both out of the quarterfinals on yellow card accumulation.

Some feel (missing these players) may actually help the USA because players will have to contribute more and, collectively, this will more than make up for the loss of two starters. We will have to see if this sentiment is actually true!

There is some good news for the USA. In the last game, Alex Morgan played all 90 minutes. She drew a penalty (Wambach missed) and scored the winning goal. This is really good news for the USA. Also, Carli Lloyd scored from the penalty stripe to seal the victory. Anyone who knows Lloyd knows she is a streak player. When she is confident and “on,” she scores. Will the penalty goal set her free?

The likely USA replacement players for both Rapinoe and Holiday will be Christen Press and Morgan Brian but other changes may also be in the cards. I would like to see Press play instead of Wambach alongside Alex Morgan and then start forgotten star Heather O’Reilly on the flank. O’Reilly is a take-on artist on the flank and this important quality has been missing in the USA attack during the Cup.

The bottom line is the USA doesn’t have to be at their best to beat China, but they have to be better than what we saw vs. Colombia. This game is more difficult than anyone would have thought earlier…

Tune in Friday! Go USA!

Best,

Tony DiCicco

Soccer Champions Coaches' Clinic Co-Founder

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The 2016 Soccer Champions Coaches' Clinic at Mohegan Sun will take place March 3 - 5 at the spectacular Mohegan Sun Convention Center. For more details, visit www.SoccerChampionsClinic.com

Women's World Cup Update #2 - Thursday, June 18th, 2015

Tony DiCicco – Fox Soccer Analyst for the World Cup

The first round of the Women's World Cup is done and there are some interesting match-ups; let's take a look.

USA Bracket

China – Cameroon - The China coach was tossed in the last game for interfering with a quick throw-in by New Zealand. The game ended up 2-2 and that result sent the Ferns (NZL) home and put China second in group A. China has been a bit of a pleasant surprise and has shown that this young team has a solid defense (they are hard to put away), led by their captain Wu Hiyan and also some good attacking players which has not been the case for China since 1999, when they were an excellent team.

Cameroon has been fun to watch. They have exciting attacking players with Christine Manie and Gabrielle Onguene. The question is, can they stay organized enough, especially on set pieces, to prevent a goal?

My pick…is Cameroon. The USA will see the winner of this match in the quarterfinals…IF, they get past their round of 16 match-up with Colombia.

By the way, in the USA Bracket, we have #1 Germany; #2 USA and #3 France... What was FIFA thinking? Yes, you want Canada to go far but does this pass the “straight face test?”

USA – Colombia - The USA isn't the USA we have seen in the past. They aren’t scoring a lot of goals. They have been shut out 5 times in their last 14 games. It took 170+ games to shut them out 5 times before that, but they are playing very good defense with their back five of Hope Solo; Becky Sauerbrunn, Julie Johnston, Meghan Klingenberg and Ali Kreiger. With Alex Morgan back starting , will the scoring come back to the team? If it does, this team will be hard to stop!

Colombia recorded the greatest upset in Women’s World Cup history when they beat France in group play. However, their depth is questionable and they will be without their talented goalkeeper Sandra Sepulveda after she received her second yellow card in their third group game. They do have some dangerous players in Yoreli Rincon, Lady Andrade and Daniela Montoya but this shouldn’t be too much of a test for a USA Team that is rounding into form. USA moves on.

Germany – Sweden - Germany cruised through an easy group drawing with Norway, and then overwhelming Ivory Coast and Thailand. However, with Sweden only earning 3 draws in group play, this match-up of the top ranked and fifth ranked teams is a surprise. Sweden hasn’t played well and they thought they were out but they snuck in as the lowest third place team and live on. That makes them dangerous, however, as their star forward Lotta Schlein hasn’t shown up yet. Germany is strong with their strike force of Anja Mittag, Celia Sasic and Lena Petermann. Sweden is dangerous but Germany will win and move on!

France – South Korea - France came in as one of the favorites and then became very French with team discord and a loss to Colombia (biggest upset in WWC history). They did, however, regroup in their last group game by benching star Louisa Nacib and making two other starter changes and then cruised to a 5-0 win over Mexico. The French have star power with Eugenie Le Sommer; Marie Laure Delie and Amandine Henri and should get past South Korea IF they come to the match as one team! South Korea came from behind in a winner take all third group match up with Spain. Two good teams that let wins slip into draws earlier in group play could have eliminated them both if they tied, but a late South Korea goal sent them to this match-up which should be their last contest of the World Cup. France advances.

Canada Bracket

Brazil – Australia - Brazil won all its group games and finished with 9 points but were unimpressive. Marta (all time leading World Cup scorer) scored one goal and did not look like the 5-time FIFA Player of the Year. Australia came in second to the USA in group D and looks like a very dangerous opponent with attacking players like Lisa da Vanna; Sam Kerr and Kyah Simon… This is a tasty match-up and I think Brazil will go through but only by the skin of their teeth. By the way, most Fox TV analysts are picking Australia!

Japan – Netherlands - Like Brazil, Japan won all three of their group games in probably the easiest group and they, like Brazil, also did not look that impressive. They are defending World Cup Champions and are still a very dangerous team but can they repeat? Players like Homare Sawa (6th World Cup) and Aya Miyama are still prominent but do they have enough scoring punch? Netherlands, opened up group play and looked quite good with Maron Melis, Vivianne Miedema and Lieke Martens up front in their 3 front…but since that game, they have looked just okay and suspect defensively. Japan will get through to the quarter-finals!

Norway – England - Norway didn’t lose a game in group play, drawing with Germany but finishing second on goal difference. They have some good players who have grown in this tournament; Ada Hegerberg; Maren Mjelde and Isabell Herlovsen. England played very conservatively against France losing 1-0 and then beat Mexico 2-1 and finished with a 2-1 win vs Colombia to take second place in Group F. Their most exciting players have been veteran Karen Carney and world cup rookie Fran Kirby, but will they have enough to get by a World Cup veteran coach in Even Pellerud? I think not…Norway ends England’s World Cup in penalties… of course!

Canada – Switzerland - Switzerland has looked impressive with a real eye to score goals, 10 in one game vs Ecuador. Watch Ramona Bachmann… she is fast and dangerous but squanders lot of chances. Lara Dickenmann is also dangerous. Canada scored only 2 goals in group play (1 from the penalty spot) and that was good enough to get them through as group winners but the host team has to do more if they want to be in Vancouver on July 5th.

Christine Sinclair, 3rd all time scorer behind Abby Wambach and Mia Hamm, has not looked world class and there just isn’t a good enough supporting cast if she isn't scoring. They do have a young world class defender in 19 year-old Kadeisha Buchanan and a solid goalkeeper in Erin Mcleod and because they will have 50,000+ fans cheering them on, I give Canada the nod to get past Switzerland.

Wrap Up

So that is the Round of 16 match-ups… Every game is on Fox, Fox Sports 1 or Fox Sports 2 so tune in. You can go to FoxSports FIFAWorld Cup and get a complete World Cup television broadcast schedule

Best,

Tony DiCicco

Soccer Champions Coaches' Clinic Co-Founder

Women's World Cup Update #1 - Thursday, June 11th, 2015

Tony DiCicco – Fox Soccer Analyst for the World Cup

Great television audiences from around the world have shown real interest in the women's game. The USA had 3.3 million watch their opener vs Australia and Germany, Japan, Canada, China and other countries displayed impressive numbers as well. Some very good games - with impressive worldwide television audiences - served to get the Women's World Cup off to a great start.

Group A - Canada, under coach John Herdman, is playing with a purpose. Coach Herdman has done an excellent job of getting the Canada team to believe and their late penalty winner to open the tournament vs China was not just a stroke of good luck... it was part of their enhanced collective mentality and preparation.

China looks well organized but with little punch. New Zealand and the Netherlands played a competitive match but a first half driven-bending strike by Lieke Martens was the difference.

Group B - Germany destroyed the Ivory Coast and Norway pounded Thailand for each to earn 3 points. Their next match against each other will be very interesting to see who will win the group. Germany is now ahead in goal-difference.

Group C - Japan had to battle in its game against Switzerland, winning 1-0 after a penalty was awarded and Cameroon surprised by winning 6-0 vs Ecuador.

Group D - This group is a lot of fun because all four teams attack. Sweden was surprised after going up 2-0 at halftime and had to survive the last few minutes to earn a 3-3 tie with Nigeria and the USA, although outplayed for most of the 1st half, outlasted Australia. Megan Rapinoe scored twice, one in each half and Christen Press got the winner. The USA knows they have to be better against a Sweden team that beat them in group play in 2011 and will want a better game two performance.

Group E - Brazil won 2-0 vs South Korea and Marta scored her 15th World Cup goal to put herself above any other player in history. She was tied with retired Germany Birgit Prinz and stands 2 ahead of Abby Wambach.

Spain scored first but Costa Rica scored 74 seconds later and that game ended 1-1 which means the upcoming group games are critical for both teams.

Group F - France beat a lackluster defensive England 1-0 from a first half rocket-strike from Eugenie Le Sommer. I loved how one English journalist called the game "Heart vs Art"... meaning England played with heart but the artistic play of France was a pleasure to watch.

Mexico lost its chance to win its first ever World Cup game, conceding late a goal late and then being on the wrong end of a questionable referee decision that called the winning goal back.

SUMMARY - Here's what will be interesting, remember there are 24 teams in the competition and 16 will move to the knock out stage, so it appears that if anyone wins a group game and earns 3 points they will get out of their group. That makes the third games to end the group even more important than they normally are and that should be fun to watch.

You can go to FoxSports FIFA World Cup and get a complete World Cup television broadcast schedule. Fox is showing all 52 games and 16 will be on Big Fox (network), including this Friday's match - USA vs Sweden. 

I am here in the broadcast booth with former Soccer Champions Coaches' Clinic presenter and USA National Team player Cat Whitehill. Also, Hope Solo - a former SoccerPlus Goalkeeper School camper - had a great first game vs Australia for the USA and that was the margin of victory.

Stayed tuned -- the best is yet to come at the 2015 Women's World Cup! 

Best,

Tony DiCicco

Soccer Champions Coaches' Clinic Co-Founder