-
Jeff Carlisle, US football reporter
City of Auckland, New Zealand — USA national women’s soccer team striker Alex Morgan said she and her international teammates need “a little more patience” up front to reach their full potential in 2023 Women’s World Cup.
The United States declared a 3-0 victory over an organization and discipline Vietnam inside the opening match of the tournament for both teams. But there was a feeling that the Americans should have won by a larger margin because they had a 28-0 advantage on shots, even though only seven of them hit the target.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)
“I think we’ve seen a lot of potential for us, but I feel like we haven’t always emphasized this area,” Morgan said at a press conference on Tuesday.
“I feel like some of the plays that we played were a bit forced or rushed. So I think we need to be a little bit more patient, a little more transitional, our movements a little more in sync. And so I think we’re looking to apply that to this next game and move forward.”
The United States has had an easier journey so far than some of its other supposed heavyweights. England fortunately passed Haitian 1-0, while Sweden was pushed to the limit against South Africa, 2-1. Another high ranked team, Francewas held to a 0-0 draw with Jamaica.
“There aren’t many games where teams can beat their opponents easily,” Morgan said.
“So we knew it was going to happen with Vietnam, but we tried to be patient. I feel that sometimes we can have a little more control of the ball and play a little more decisively. So I think that’s something we can apply to the next game.”
The next game will be against Netherlands, will almost certainly attack more actively than Vietnam before. It is a team that also has a bit of animosity with the US, having been eliminated by the US in the last two major tournaments, including the 2019 Women’s World Cup Finals. This is also a contest capable of deciding who is the winner in the group.
“We watched the Netherlands the night before and they have a lot of players just like we played with them at the World Cup four years ago,” Morgan said.
“A little bit [of a] different lineups but still the same personnel and that’s important to the team chemistry. So just know that we know we have to give our best and we are doing everything we can at the training ground, in the meetings, watching the videos, doing everything we can. But it’s going to be a very big game.”
