Jenna Watson-USA TODAY Sports
As Thursday’s pivotal Group E World Cup match between the United States and the Netherlands wore on, there was one burning question pointed at the sideline: Where are the U.S. subs?
A team lauded for its depth made only one change in a match in which it was the second-best side for at least the first half. Rose Lavelle came on for Savannah DeMelo at halftime in the No. 10 role as Lavelle continues to build up her minutes following an extended absence due to a knee injury.
The other 11 subs on the U.S. bench never made the field. After the match, U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski said he did not want to disrupt the momentum the team had built.
“I thought that we had control of the game and I thought that we were knocking on the door of scoring a goal,” Andonovski said. “The players played well, we were around the goal the whole time, and I just didn’t want to disrupt the rhythm at that point. Sometimes, a substitute comes in, it might take a minute or two to get into a rhythm and we just…
