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 26th 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.
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 1st 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
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