One more, an epic one:

Tobin Heath: "I'm like, how do you get a player who should be up for best player in the world, how do you get this caliber of individuals that are so good and make them look so bad?"

🤯 Tobinha strikes! 😳

@wwc

#WWC2023 #MastodonFC #FIFAWWC #USAvPOR #PORvUSA

"What a 4-3-2-1 would allow USA to do is rather than have Horan and Rose high early, which I don't think helps with their buildout ... and [the 4-3-3] is not allowing the fullbacks to get high, they're a little hesitant to do that, because there's so much space in the middle with Andi [Sullivan] on her own.

"That little tiny tweak - it's just, Lindsey, let's not start high, let's start low and go high later."

Heath nods and nods.

#WWC2023 #MastodonFC #FIFAWWC #USAvPOR #PORvUSA

Tobin Heath: "If you're the coach, where do you start in this next game?"

Jess Fishlock: "The very first thing that I would be doing is going into a 4-3-2-1, and that's the very first change that I would make without a single second of hesitation."

Heath: "That's to create stability?"

Fishlock: "Create stability, but create space, and help with the balance issues that we have."

(Note: Fish using "we" for the #USWNT!! +1 Tziarra King. 🤣)

#WWC2023 #MastodonFC #FIFAWWC #USAvPOR #PORvUSA

"When that happened, I was like, they figured it out."

Heath: "This is it, yeah!"

Fishlock: "Oh, OK, yeah, we've got it, it takes time to figure that stuff out! So when that happened, I was like, they've got it, we know what to do: In to one of the sixes, switch in play, out wide, 1v1. ... I was like, we got it, girls—and then it happened just that once."

#WWC2023 #MastodonFC #FIFAWWC #USAvPOR #PORvUSA

Now Heath is interviewing Jess Fishlock and asking her what "her main issues" are with the #USWNT.

Fishlock: "My biggest concern is that their balance in every single unit is off. ... Balance is what allows creativity, [and] it allows being fluid, it allows you a fluidity of formation too."

(Tactical analysis from Fish coming up in the next post.)

#WWC2023 #MastodonFC #USAvPOR #PORvUSA

OMG OMG OMG OMG Christen Press just called the H*LL out of Vlatko and his coaching staff. "Have we seen any tactical adjustments in the last year? Have we seen any formations tried? Have we seen any adjustments to the way that we're pressing?"

HOLY HELLS, CHRISTEN PRESS, GO OFFFFFF. (Also note that this is much more actual analysis than Carli Lloyd has done, and that came in literally 5 seconds of time.)

@wwc #WWC2023 #USAvPOR #PORvUSA #MastodonFC

Finally watched this mornings US vs. Portugal game.. The good news is - a win is a win, the bad news is, I really don’t see the US making it past the next round.
#FIFAWWC #USAvPOR

*No spoilers please if you know the result!*

Watching the replay of #USAvPOR and 30 minutes in, #Portugal looks like the better team (but not by much). More organized, less sloppy, doubling up #SophiaSmith every time she’s near the ball, and looking more dangerous.

I dunno what Vlatko’s plan is, I can’t believe that losing Sauerbrunn and pushing Ertz to CB changed everything but the midfield is weak.

Why are we always trying to be direct with long balls that have a less than 50-50 chance of retaining possession? While service to our front line is non-existent. Why can’t DeMelo & Lavelle be on the field at the same time?

Also: the yellow card on #RoseLavelle was BS 🤬. I swear the refs are letting our opponents get away with much more in every game so far.

#USWNT #WWC #WWC2023

That was ... ouf. #USAvPOR #WWC2023 2015 vibes. @wwc

Could Portugal send the Americans home?

#FIFAWWC #USAvPOR @wwc

Checking for Portugal supporters...

Alguém a apoiar Portugal a assistir?

#USAPOR #USAvPOR #FIFAWWC
#WWC #WWC2023 #USWNT
#FIFAWWC2023 #MastodonFC
@wwc

Checking for a couple of my connections...Are you watching the game?
@ColesStreetPothole @Ashley

#USAPOR #USAvPOR #FIFAWWC
#WWC #WWC2023 #USWNT
#FIFAWWC2023 #MastodonFC
@wwc

I got bad news cats and kittens: we're live-tooting the #USAvPOR match!

#fifawwc #wwc #uswnt

LFG USA! #USAvPOR #WWC2023 #MastodonWWC

I've come to accept that early in the game, Gold will always want them to go for posts. It's understandable but unexciting. Just hope it works. #USAvPOR

Not a good yellow, but not a surprise. Augspurger regularly rides the line on tipping the tackle-ee dangerously. #USAvPOR

Just caught up on #USAvPOR what a finish!!! Classic cup rugby. Sad for the Eagles of course but a big shot in the arm for Portuguese rugby.

#RWC2023

Portugal scored a last-second penalty to win a place at #RWC23 ahead of USA!

#USAvPOR