Unlike the men's team, the U.S. Women's National Team seems to have a bright future with some good young players who will ply their skills on the pitch at the next Women's World Cup.
Yes, the loss to Japan in the 2011 World Cup Final was disappointing and, in truth, should not have happened. No doubt, the USA women snatched defeat from the mouth of victory. Did they choke? Geez, that is such a rough word, but, what other word could describe the performance in the last minutes of regulation, the last minutes of overtime, and the first three kicks taken in the game-deciding Penalty Kick phase. If you have another word, let me know.
That being said, here is one man's opinion of the performances of the women, who are rated on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being perfect and 5 being average.
GK Hope Solo: 8. Solidified her place as the USA's best female Goalkeeper.
D Amy LePeilbet: 3. Was terrible in the Group Stage and only managed to get her grade up with an average performance vs. France.
D Ali Krieger: 5. Scored the decisive PK vs. Brazil but was getting beat on the flank too often and did not contribute enough on the attack.
CB Christie Rampone: 6. Was solid -- and at times spectacular -- on defense but was well below average on her distribution to the attack.
CB Rachel Buehler 5. Rough and tough but her clearing attempt led to Japan's first goal and this was a terrible decision on her part.
MF Shannon Boxx: 6. Very good in the final. Kept midfield organized.
MF Carli Lloyd: 5. Inconsistent throughout. Good at times. Awful at times. Very good at times. Likes to shoot. Would have been good if her shots at least were on frame!
MF Megan Rapinoe: 7. Prior to the Final, she was the USA's Super Sub, coming on the in second half and sparking the attack. Got a deserved start vs. Japan but was subbed out in the second half.
MF Heather O'Reilly: 5. Full disclosure -- she's a favorite of mine but she struggled in the Group Stage. Expected more from her throughout.
MF Lauren Chaney: 7.5. USA's do-it-all. A spectacular player with a bright, bright future.
F Abby Wambach: 9. She is the heart and soul of the team, the emotional leader. The cliche sticks -- she willed this team to its victories. And she is a class act!
F Amy Rodrigues: 3. Wow, talk about underachieving. Started every game up to the final and then never got in the most important game of all.
F Alex Morgan: 8.5. Should have started throughout. She is the face of US Women's soccer from this point forward.
MF Tobin Heath: 5. Not fair to criticize her for her terrible PK on Sunday since she played so little during the tourney and was a second half sub vs. Japan. But, she never should have been one of the 5 to take kicks. Bad decision by Coach Pia Sundhage.
D Stephanie Cox: 5. Played one game and was her usual self. Nothing bad. Nothing spectacular. Should have been the starting Left Back instead of LePeilbet. Another bad decision by Sundhage.
D Becky Sauerbraun: 5. Got one start when Buehler had to sit due to red card. Should have seen more action.
Kelly O'Hara & Lori Lindsey: INC. Didn't play enough to get a fair grade.
GK Nicole Barnhardt, Jill Loyden & Heather Mitts: DNP. No grades.
Coach Pia Sundhage: 6. Her substitution patterns make you scratch your head at times but she has brought back some of the swagger. She's a good person and seems to have the team believing in her. Still, like many soccer coaches, she is way too set in her ways. Why Shannon Boxx and Tobin Heath in the Penalty Kick phase vs. Japan? Where was Alex Morgan in the PK phase? Why didn't Wambach take the first kick to set the tone? Why start Rapinoe when she was so effective as a sub? Why not start Morgan at forward and leave Cheney in the MF? Lots of questions, none of which would have been asked had the US beaten Japan. Unlike her male counterpart Bob Bradley, Sundhage deserves to remain as coach.
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