When the U.S. women gave up their one-goal lead over France early in the second half of Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal, the comparisons between this week and last summer’s World Cup in South Africa seemed apt.
But whereas depth has hobbled the U.S. men time and again, most recently in the Gold Cup, women’s coach Pia Sundhage‘s ability to maximize her roster has helped the U.S. not only come back but separate itself from the pack to look like the clear favorite in its first World Cup final in 12 years.
When Abby Wambach, Hope Solo, Ali Krieger and the U.S. clawed back against Brazil on Sunday and claimed a spot among the final four in Germany, they galvanized the nation the same way the U.S. men did with Landon Donovan‘s last-minute winner against Algeria to reach the knockout round a year ago.
And just like the men, fatigue and short rest threatened the U.S. women in the semifinals as much as the French themselves. But whereas mistakes against Ghana had men’s coach Bob Bradley scrambling for answers, Sundhage calmly called on two starter-level subs to rescue a group that had absorbed relentless pressure from a France side that was more skillful but lacked killer instinct. Bradley has never had that luxury.
Megan Rapinoe, who helped turn the tide against Brazil, and Alex Morgan, who had been long overdue for her first World Cup goal, transformed the United States into a team that not only defended but had the legs to counter. But the seamless transition at starting center back from suspended Rachel Buehler to Becky Sauerbrunn ensured that Sundhage’s in-game changes weren’t radical but subtle.
France did the opposite, pulling off defender Sandrine Soubeyrand for speedster Elodie Thomis in the 78th minute. But the offensive injection never got a chance — Abby Wambach‘s game-winning header came less than a minute later, and there was no answer for Morgan three minutes after that.
Sundhage hasn’t been perfect; explaining why Amy Rodriguez continues to start won’t be easy over the next three days. But with one match to go, she’s pulling off a difficult balancing act: fostering a spirit of belief and togetherness among the players, making correct in-game adjustments to get the most out of them and not becoming the story herself.
