Leszek (Shek) Borkowski

Tomorrow, the expectation is that France are likely to enjoy a large share of possession, so USA must attempt to catch them on the counter and, if they are to do that, there are two areas in which USA can excel and punish France.
First of all USA must stop the supply line to Luisa Necib if, as expected, she plays loosely around Delie. The Lyon star is expected to show her class but stop her from receiving and running at defenders and USA can frustrate France.
Necib is intelligent, good technique and movement. Quality in everything a coach would want in a playmaker: passing, link-up play, decisions.
Delie, Necib’s partner up front, is a very disciplined and patient striker with a very good attitude to her role of a target player.
As such, she plays across the width of the 18-yard box, stays central and rarely makes runs into the wide channels.
She is very good at occupying the central defenders, and her strong characteristic is that two-yard burst to lose her marker and take the goal-scoring shot. She disciplined to stay forward and is not tempted to come back and get too involved in midfield. She lets Necib do that and Necib likes to roam.
Another key to stopping France, I believe, will be stopping the attack-minded Laure LePailleur, a midfielder serving as a rampaging right-back, who loves to go upfield and join in quickly on the counter and against England she has proved herself a real threat going forward. But her defending can be suspect. Three times she challenged attackers and conceded free-kicks.
USA need to penetrate better down that flank and create a pressure point. Abby Wambach must make the runs drifting out from center to the left. That way she can exploit the space LePailleur vacates. Similarly LePeibelt must support quickly to give us width on the outside of our wide player on LePailleur’s side of the field.
Speed on the counter will the key – with quick passing, with and without the ball, from the middle third.