2004 Olympic Games
GAME BY GAME
SUMMARY
Game #1 USA
3 v Greece
We played our best line-up given
Joy Fawcett’s healthy return to our starting 11 and a match-up with Brazil Greece Greece Hamm
Greece
11 Panteleiadou
13 Kavvada 15
Kalyvas 12
Loseno
8 Katsaiti 6 Michailidou
3 Smith 4 Statakis 16
Benson 2 Lagoumtzi
1 Giatrakis
USA
20 Wambach 9
10
Wagner
13 Lilly 11
Foudy
7
Boxx
15 Markgraf 4 Reddick 14 Fawcett 3
Rampone
1
Scurry
Game #2 USA 2 v Brazil 0 August 14, 2004
Early on in this game we found
ourselves in a position every coach has been in (weathering a storm), but
rarely seen against the US women. Brazil
were brilliant in the first half, taking our players by surprise in terms of
their passion, possession and attacking flare.
At the half, we talked about being a team that could respond to moments
of domination or even being down a goal – a topic we’ve discussed since losing
to Germany in WWC ’03. Just before the
half we switched from a low to high-pressure game, the result was several
interceptions in their defensive 1/3 and several subsequent chances around
their penalty box. At the half, we
switched from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3 to jump-start our approach to being under
pressure and to put a greater emphasis on playing in Brazil’s end. The result was a turn of events that put us
in a position to dominate Brazil in the second half. It should be noted that Brazil started in
their traditional 3-4-3 and were forced to switch to a 4-3-3 when we switched
our system at the half. The game-winning
goal came from a penetrative speed dribble by Foudy
who played a perfect final pass inside the penalty box. Wambach was fouled
and Hamm finished the ensuing PK.
Additionally, Wambach put the game away off a
tremendous run with the ball, cutting inside two Brazilian defenders and then
brilliantly finishing her chance.
Certainly, this was a game of two very different halves. Brazil owned the first and we dominated the
second winning 2-0.
Brazil Line up & System: 3 - 4 – 3
10 Marta 12
Christiane 9
Pretina
7 Formiga
11 Rosanna 14
Elaine
8 Daniela
4 Tania 3 Monica
5 Juliana
18
Andreia
USA Line up &
System: 4 – 4 – 2 (Low Pressure)
4 – 3 - 3
(High Pressure)
20 Wambach 9
Hamm
10
Wagner
13 Lilly 11
Foudy
7
Boxx
15 Markgraf 4 Reddick 14 Fawcett 3
Rampone
1
Scurry
Game #3 USA 1 v Australia 1 August 17, 2004
Having already secured
advancement, yet not knowing whom our quarter-final match up would be against,
we had to play this game within the game.
In doing so, we played to win if ‘possible,’ and knew a tie would also
‘suffice.’ This strategy is one that the
US WNT doesn’t like or respect. We want
to win every game, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Regardless, the tactical thing to do is to be
smart. In order to win Gold we were
likely going to have to play more games than any other team, which translates
into the potential for more fatigue, more injury and more card accumulation. Additionally, we had the oldest team in the
tournament with an average age of 27.5 years, so winning was secondary to
advancing without cards, injuries or to too much fatigue.
We started a ‘mixed 11’ and
stayed committed to making 3 substitutions.
Everything was going well until (and unfortunately), we let the game get
out of control late in the second half and Australia tied it up. On hindsight, I believe we coaches should
have dropped the team into a low-pressure system with 15-20 minutes remaining. The reason we didn’t was because in the
previous game against Brazil, low pressure meant ‘no pressure.’ As it was, with 10 minutes left in our game
we went from playing Sweden to Nigeria to China to Mexico and once all the
games were over, our quarter-final opponent became Japan. The goal against was scored as a result of
poor marking in the box (Foudy), and the game-winning
goal came from an outstanding early service (Foudy)
to Lilly crashing the far post and finishing first time.
Australia Line up & System: 4 – 5 – 1
7
Walsh
8 Garriock 17
Small 10 Peters 13 Slayter
6
Shipard
3 Wainwright 5 Salisbury 4 Alagich 2 Davies
1
Kell
USA Line Up &
System: 4 – 4 – 2 (High Pressure)
12 Parlow 9
Hamm
10
Wagner
13 Lilly 11
Foudy
7
Boxx
15 Markgraf 4 Reddick 14 Fawcett 2
Mitts
1 Scurry
Quarter-Finals USA 2 v Japan 1 August
20, 2004
Going into the tournament, I knew
the quarter-final match would be critical because we would face an opponent
from the other two groups. I also knew
we had the potential to match up against a team entering the game with a
tremendous amount of rest. In our final
group game against Australia, we rested Pearce 90 minutes, Wambach
sat out because she had to serve a 1 game suspension for card accumulation, and
we substituted out Hamm and Foudy with 20minutes
remaining…all in an effort to minimize fatigue in the quarter-finals. We also made two changes in our starting line
up to optimize our chemistry on the field starting games and to maximize our
player’s strengths in the middle of this increasingly athletic tournament. We started Brandi Chastain in place of
Catherine Reddick to bring a composure and chemistry
to the team entering games. And, we knew
Catherine would respond positively on and off the field, as she always has (and
did in the two over-times games to come).
Additionally, we started Lindsay Tarpley to
give us a more athletic and dangerous attacking center midfielder against the
Japanese midfield.
As it turned out, we entered the
game with 2 days rest to Japan’s 5 days, yet rallied to advance to the
semi-finals. Japan is one of the most
improved teams in the world. They are
technically efficient all over the field and this technical prowess allows them
to tactically pick apart teams. I’ve watched
them closely over the last 10 years, and I can tell you they have all the
ingredients to be successful at the world level. The game was played largely in the midfield
as both teams played the same system, and perhaps a bit cautious and respectful
of one another. We pressured Japan in a
3 front (4-3-3) in an effort to disrupt their composure and confidence on the
ball in one of the biggest games of their young careers. This paid off, as we put together our best
performance in the tournament so far. We
made zero substitutions during the game because of the 4 changes made to our
line-up before the game and a tight game.
The game-winning goal came off an aggressive trap on their defensive set
piece. Boxx
was disciplined in her timing and run to receive the ball on sides, while Wambach followed closely and put away the 4 v 1 goal.
Japan Line Up & System: 4 – 4 –2
11 Otani 9 Arakawa
10
Sawa
6 Sakai 7 Yamamoto
8
Miyamoto
2 Kyoko 3 Isozaki 13 Shimokozuru 5 Kawakami
1 Yamago
USA Line Up & System: 4 – 3 – 3 (High Pressure)
13 Lilly 20 Wambach 9 Hamm
5 Tarpley 11
Foudy
7 Boxx
6 Chastain 15 Markgraf 14 Fawcett 3 Rampone
1 Scurry
Semi-Finals USA 2 v Germany 1 (OT) August 23, 2004
The US team dominated the 2003
Women’s World Cup champions in the 2004 Olympic semi-final game. A key concern entering the contest was the
need to prevent Germany from penetrating behind the US back line with their star
forward, Birgit Prinz, and their renowned ability to
make the high percentage ‘final’ pass.
We decided to play in a 4-4-2 with a low restraining line of
confrontation, thus reducing the space behind the US defense, and allowing
Germany to only possess the ball in their half of the field. This tactic stymied the German attack
throughout the match. The Germans were
held to just 2 shots on goal in 120+ minutes of play and Prinz
was limited to zero shots on goal.
In the attack, the US created
numerical superiority by playing in a tight diamond formation in midfield, and
a wide and high shape at the back, encouraging our backs to contribute to the
attack, against Germany’s classic ‘flat’ shape in the midfield and at the
back. These subtle differences in shape
helped us possess the ball better throughout the game and create numerous
dangerous scoring opportunities. The
German defense cracked under the pressure when Kristine Lilly finished a
one-time shot inside the box on a combination from Abby Wambach,
just before the half.
Adjusting to the one goal deficit
late in regulation, Germany pressed four and occasionally five players onto the
US back line throughout the second half.
Maintaining our shape, discipline, and ability to read their service
options, helped limit Germany to very few chances while we were often playing
numbers even at the back. Germany’s necessity to push players forward for an
equalizer opened space for us to create multiple goal-scoring chances that
could have put us up 2-0. However, in
the 93rd minute, Germany equalized on a shot that took a deflection.
Disappointed in having given up a late
goal, but not daunted, the US players took the field in over-time, confident
and determined not to let the late goal shift our momentum - as we were getting
better as the game wore on. As coaches,
we made no adjustments in over-time. We
simply reiterated the belief that if we can continue to play the same way
(system and style), we know we will create more chances and we will finish one
of them. Our faith in the team was
rewarded with a classic flank play goal from Mia Hamm to Heather O’Reilly that
sent the US into the Olympic championship game.
Germany Line Up & System: 4 – 4 – 2
9 Prinz 16
Pohlers
7 Wunderlich 6
Oderbrecht 10
Lingor 3 Garefrekes
13 Minnert 4 Jones 17 Hingst 2 Stegemann
1
Rottenberg
USA Line Up &
System: 4 – 4 – 2 (Low Pressure)
20 Wambach 9
Hamm
5
Tarpley
13 Lilly 11
Foudy
7
Boxx
6 Chastain 15 Markgraf 14 Fawcett 3
Rampone
1
Scurry
Olympic Finals USA
2 v Brazil 1 (OT) August 26,
2004
USA won the “Gold” defeating
Brazil 2-1 in OT using a classic recipe for success: organized defending in
both halves of the field and exceptional finishing. The Greek Men’s National Team won the 2004
European Championship against all odds using this simple formula. The old saying that “Defense Wins
Championships” proved to be true once again.
The critical difference between the Greek men and the USA women is that
we employ this tactic when necessary; the Greek men relied upon it as a
staple.
We decided to play in a 4-3-3 for
several reasons. From a defending
perspective, the 4-3-3 allowed us to pressure Brazil further up the field,
which helped disrupt their possession style of play, allowing us to win more balls
in their defensive half and forced them to initiate attacks further from our
goal. Additionally, with us playing 3 up
top, Brazil had to remove one forward off their front line.
From an attacking standpoint,
three forwards allowed us to keep more attackers forward, create width up top,
and apply more offensive pressure against Brazil in the biggest game of their
lives. Playing in a 4-3-3 forced Brazil
to alter their system. Their high pressure 3-4-3 had stymied most of their
opponents including a very talented Sweden team in the semi-final game. Brazil’s adjustment to our three forwards
reduced their ability to play high pressure with only three midfielders, while
providing our players more time and space in which to play. This paid off when Lindsay Tarpley ran at the Brazilian defense and hammered a shot
from outside the box to put us in the lead 1 – 0 in the first half.
After Brazil scored the tying
goal late in the second half, we switched to a 4-4-2 in order to stabilize
defensively. The adjustment helped us
stay organized, compact and defend with more numbers, absorbing Brazil’s
chances without exposing ourselves to another goal. Entering the second overtime, we decided to
return to a 4-3-3, so that our players could put all of their mental and
physical energy into a final effort to create chances in Brazil’s defensive
half – a “go for it” mentality. We were
rewarded when our pressing led to a corner kick. Kristine Lilly’s perfect far post service, a
surprise to no one on the USA side, led to Abby Wambach’s
heading home the game winner against Brazil, and put the US Women back where
they belong – on top of the women’s game.
Playing in two systems was
critical to our success in the Olympic finals.
In a 4-3-3, we were able to press, win balls and play in the Brazilian
half of the field. Playing in a 4-4-2,
allowed us to defensively “hold the fort” when the momentum shifted. Switching back into a 4-3-3 in overtime enabled
us to pressure and win a corner kick that led to our team to be crowned, 2004
Olympic Gold Medalist.
*It should be noted, that a system is only as good as the players
playing it, and, that no system ever won a game – players win games! We share these thoughts on our tactical
adjustments during the Olympic finals for coaches to evaluate and consider.
Brazil Line Up & System:
4– 3 – 3
10 Marta 12
Christiane 9
Pretina
7 Formiga
11 Rosanna 14
Elaine
8 Daniela
4 Tania 3 Monica
5 Juliana
18
Andreia
USA Line Up &
System: 4 – 3 – 3 (High Pressure)
4 – 4 – 2 (Low Pressure)
4 – 5 – 1 (last 10 minutes)
13 Lilly 20 Wambach 9
Hamm
5 Tarpley 11
Foudy
7
Boxx
6 Chastain 15
Markgraf 14
Fawcett 3
Rampone
1
Scurry