The U.S. women’s national team has treated the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup as an opportunity for some high-stakes experimentation and were not necessarily wrong to do so. The quick transition from Women’s World Cup disappointment under Vlatko Andonovski to bringing a competitive squad to the Olympic Games under Emma Hayes requires a new examination of the player pool, especially with promising talents in the ranks.
There was one noticeable problem with interim head coach Twila Kilgore’s lineup for Monday’s group stage finale against Mexico, though — it didn’t feel like it was covering new ground.
All but one starter — midfielder Sam Coffey — had at least one World Cup under their belts. There was youth on the pitch through Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman, but they were just two of four players in the lineup that were 25 or younger. The same number of players were 30 or older and were members of the defensive unit including goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
It may have been a winning strategy in the past, notably when the USWNT’s veterans were in their prime years, but Monday’s 2-0 loss to Mexico was perhaps a stark reminder that the old method may no longer be the way to go. It makes Sunday’s quarterfinal…
