This summer in Canada, the United States Women’s National Soccer Team is looking to end a 15-year title drought and hopes that two Stanford alumnae can help them achieve that goal. The closest that the USWNT has gotten to the prize during those years was the heartbreak that was the 2011 World Cup Final in Germany, when they collapsed against Japan late in extra time and eventually in penalties.
Four years later, the team is looking to bounce back with new manager Jill Ellis at the helm and the addition of several young and talented players.
Among the new members are Stanford graduates Christen Press and Kelley O’Hara. Press made her presence felt early, as she scored in the opening group game against Australia. O’Hara, unlike Press, didn’t manage to score, but still provided valuable contributions to the midfield and defense.
As many Stanford soccer fans remember, both Press and O’Hara made significant contributions while playing for the Cardinal. Press and O’Hara rank No. 1 and No. 3 in the all-time Stanford standings for goals (71 and 57), respectively. Press played on the team from 2007-10 while O’Hara was a member of the Cardinal from 2006-09.
After defeating Australia, the USWNT went on to win their group, which also contained Sweden and Nigeria, rather decisively. The team kicked off the knockout stage with a meeting with Colombia, which they would win 2-0. Days later, they got past China, as they held on for a 1-0 win. Now, a semifinal match against a very persistent German side awaits the team this coming Wednesday. The players have generally played well up to this point, and although there is certainly room for improvement, doubt still surrounds head coach Jill Ellis, who has made several questionable lineup decisions.
Ellis has been criticized for putting players out of position. In fact, most of the United States’ struggles are thought to have been caused by players not feeling comfortable in their positions. That, coupled with uncertainty surrounding the fact that the team is up against their biggest test of the whole tournament so far, makes it difficult to see the USWNT doing much damage this Wednesday in Montreal.
However, Ellis has managed to guide the team all the way to this point. If the United States Team wins and advances to the final, fans have a reason to believe that whatever Ellis is doing actually works. If the team fails to get to the final, almost anyone can bet that Ellis is going to take a lot of heat and blame. The expectation this year is a championship. The question is: Can the USWNT live up to that expectation? If they do, the 15-year drought ends, the players and fans will be happy and most importantly soccer might just grow in popularity and spread across the United States. Ellis and her players know what is at stake.
Contact Aditya Krishnan at aditya.krishnan10 ‘at’ gmail.com.