MORE LIKE SNAPDRACONIAN PITCH CONDITIONS
What the heck was that field they were playing on, especially the Wave’s defensive third in the first half?! I know homefield shithousing sometimes involves teams dampening pitches to slow teams down, but our banda is not a “play for a draw, pray for a win” type team.
NOT TO MENTION HOW DANGEROUS IT LOOKED
Alex Morgan attempts to hit a penalty shot out of a tee box
The first half was hard to watch, but it wasn’t just the bad pitch. Wavé struggled once again to progress and connect passes from the backline to the front. We can still chalk it up to early season rust and a new formation, and although the issue of not having a CM who can facilitate distribution around the pitch still exists, the team did create more space and passing lanes in the middle this match, just missing better execution.
[sidebar: as elite as Naomi Girma is on defense, I do wonder what she would be like in the middle of the pitch as a focal point in transition. She’s so calm on the ball and has an instinctive feel for the game you can’t teach. Like she hardly takes a bad touch, ever. ANYWAY…]
AIR KORNIECK
Despite a sloppy first half where the team looked disjointed on the ball, the press up front did a lot better than last week. Casey Stoney sent out a 4-2-2-2 again (according to the broadcast only. ESPN app and FB Reference have it as a 4-4-2). The lone change was Taylor Kornieck over Meggie Dougherty Howard. Kornieck’s presence was felt in the last match when she came on in the second half, and so it was this match, assisting on Jaedyn Shaw’s second goal with a perfect flick on from a Kailen Sheridan long ball. Kornieck had 3 of those patented flick ons that I can remember against NCC. She did struggle a bit when she was on the ball though, losing possession off tackles twice and completing just 12 of 32 passes (11 of 18 short passes, 1 of 10 medium passes). I do wonder if headed touches count against passing stats because she’s winning plenty of those, just not always recovered by teammates.
Another impact in the midfield was Danielle Colaprico. It felt like she struggled to get involved against Chicago but she definitely turned up this game: 11 short passes completed (100%), 10 medium passes completed (90%), 4 long passes completed (66.7%). And of course 2 interceptions, one that led directly to Alex Morgan’s goal that made it 2-0. She was so happy after too 🥹
SUPER SAIYAJAEDYN
The flair at her feet, a striker's finishing instinct, long shots in her bag and an iconic celly, we might have a superstar in the making. I had heard predictions of a breakout season from Jaedyn Shaw but wondered if Stoney would play her enough to allow her a full season to flourish. Two games, two starts, 2 goals, I think we have the answer. For me, it isn’t even about the goal she scored. It’s about the one she didn’t.
THAT CUT HAD A DEFENDER SPINNING GET HER A MAP!
(Shaw was also 4-for-4 in tackles won ahhhhhh)
GOALS PER SHOT MERCHANTS
Yes, they’ve scored 3 goals in each game, and trail only Portland by 2 for most goals in the league. They’re also tied for last in total shots with 17. Not counting Portland’s insane league-leading 44 total shots, the second place team (LOU) has 28.
But not all shots are created equal. While they’re last in shots, 8 of 17 shots have been on target. That 47% rate is good for second best in the league and their Goals per Shot rate is 0.24, best in the league.
So while not taking many shots, they’re making the ones they do take count (in a ridiculously small sample size). That doesn’t seem sustainable but here’s a little context: last season they were midtable in all the categories listed above except Goals per Shot where they ranked 4th.
NEXT MATCH - April 15, OL Reign away (5th, 1-0-1, 3 pts)
The gang is off for international duty with the usual call ups:
AUS: Emily Van Egmond (UPDATE: did not play. Wasn't listed on the team sheet against England on 4/11 and returned to San Diego with a back injury. Ruled OUT against SEA.)
CAN: Sheridan (played all 90 in a 2-1 loss to FrAAAHHnce)
SWE: Sofia Jakobsson (played 75 mins vs Norway in a 3-3 banger on 4/11)
USA: Girma (90 min vs Ireland in 2-0 win on 4/12) , Kornieck (did not play. Not on the team sheet 4/11), Morgan (played in both matches vs Ireland, 66 mins on 4/8, 45 mins on 4/11).
[Some teams schedule friendlies during these windows to get minutes in, like Houston Dash and Chicago Red Stars scheduling matches against Mexico. Maybe Stoney doesn’t find it necessary.]
UPDATE: They DID play a couple friendlies against Club Tijuana Femenil! Everyone had fun, everlasting friendships were forged, and both teams seemed to have come out healthy.
Wavé have faced OL Reign four times (2 Challenge Cup, 2 league) and have yet to get 3 points. One of the reasons is (hate to hammer this point but) their inability to compete against a top-tier midfield. The likes of Emily Sonnett, Jess Fishlock, Olivia Van der Jagt and that evil, sicko menace of a midfielder Rose Lavelle (we love her) are a handful for any team, but they’ve run rampant against San Diego in previous matches. It will be their biggest test of this young season and I hope Stoney has a different look lineup wise for Reign this time around.
[Personally for the sake of trying something, I would like to see them play deep and let Reign have possession, play long balls to Shaw and Ali up top, with Kelsey Turnbow as a 10, and give Morgan a rest coming off international duty.]
INJURY UPDATES:
So if Lavelle is OUT, even down EvE, I expect at least a point from this match. OL Reign’s midfield is still strong but not unmanageable. Maybe Colaprico moves into van Egmond’s spot and Turnbow gets a look at CM. Would be fun imho.
