Replacement*
Checked out
Disappointing that Sessleman cost us our shot at this tournament. We were better than England but gifted them great opportunities to score and we paid the price.
This was happening throughout the tournament as we were gifting great chances nearly every game, but playing teams that typically have trouble finishing except Swiss who had trouble finishing on that day.
Soon as some proficient strikers came along this team was going to be dead and I said so.
Also specifically pointed out that any team scoring 2 goals against us was going to be the Death sentence as this club hasn't managed more than one goal in ages.
Also to say that the Sesselman play itself cost us could be revisionist. England got the 2-0 lead and chose to hang back. Who knows what the score line is or how many goals they get if they weren't front running.
Fact of the matter is this team wasn't good enough and has a lot of pretenders in the lineup. Around 10 nations have passed us in womens soccer. The England win here wasn't in isolation as England beats us the vast majority of the time. Canada were arguably underdogs in this one. Especially a Canadian club that couldn't score. Sure Sinclair heroically got the one back but I kept thinking now England is going to surround her with 3 players and who else on this club is even capable of scoring? Exactly, nobody.
England got two chances early and buried them. That quality finish is the difference. They have multiple players that can score.
Its rather sad that we've entirely squandered the generational talent of Sinclair with the mostly scrubs that play with her. You would think that some young women would get motivated to elevate their game in the midst of greatness. In 15 yrs I didn't see much of that. Too bad Kara Lang got injured repeatedly and had to retire. She was one of the few that could play up with Sinclair and not look out of place.
Tancredi? OMFG