Page 21 - aruba-today-20190302

A21
SPORTS Saturday 2 March 2019
Tightening up defense key for U.S. women after opening tie

Japan's Emi Nakajima, left, and United States' Abby Dahlkemper, right, reach for the ball during the second half of SheBelieves Cup soccer match, Wednesday, Feb.
27, 2019, in Chester, Pa. The match ended in a 2-2 tie.
Associated Press

By TERESA M. WALKER Thursday after arriving in noe said. "It comes down to take part in training Fri- ration.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nashville for a game Satur- to one or two moments in day but that the defender "The most important piece
Looking at how the Ameri- day against England at Nis- the game that are really was "highly unlikely" to play is we're playing against
cans gave up two late san Stadium, home of the critical." Saturday. Brazil and Japan world-class teams before
goals, including one in NFL's Tennessee Titans. Japan, which lost the 2015 play the first game of Satur- we get ready for the sum-
stoppage time, has given Rapinoe said her com- World Cup final to the U.S., day's doubleheader. mer.
them a timely reminder of ments after the game on scored two goals with a Defender Abby Dahlkem- This tournament, which
what they need to work needing better defense third shot hitting a post. per said they know they closes Tuesday with the
on before defending their didn't change once she Ellis called those goals need to tighten up. The United States playing Brazil
Women's World Cup title in watched the tape. "tough lessons" easier to Americans also talked in Tampa, Florida, features
June. "Defensively, we've made learn now. about game manage- four of the world's top 10
Tighten up defensively. some mistakes on the goals "Game management is a ment, valuing the ball and teams. England, which fin-
"Honestly, the two goals is that were very clear. So ob- massive part of going into organization. ished third in the 2015 World
probably the best thing we viously went over that and a big tournament, and so "Just kind of tightening up Cup in Canada, is ranked
can take away and mak- cleared that up and try not there were moments there, and being on the same fourth.
ing sure that we're focused to make those again," Rap- decisions we made as page and definitely learn- "To get three world-class
and locked in defensively inoe said. coaches and players within ing from those mistakes," teams coming to the U.S.
the whole time," forward The biggest issue simply that you wish you had a Dahlkemper said. and getting those games
Megan Rapinoe said Fri- may be focus, especially in do-over, but at least you Having the chance to play under our belt is super im-
day. soccer where a team can have the experience," Ellis against top teams before portant for the big year
Japan managed a 2-2 tie do nothing until late in the said. "So I think that was a the World Cup and see ahead," Dahlkemper said.
Wednesday night in the game. massive takeaway for us, as what areas need tweak- "Really taking advantage
Americans' opener of the "Understanding that as a it should be." ing or improvement is the of every single minute we
SheBelieves Cup in Phila- team, we need to really The Americans played biggest benefit of a tourna- can on the field together
delphia, a round-robin lock in and focus every Japan without defender ment like the SheBelieves and you know tweak-
tournament serving as a single minute of the game, Becky Sauerbrunn and mid- Cup, which debuted in ing the things we need to
World Cup tuneup. Coach especially thinking toward fielder Lindsey Horan be- 2016. Ellis said this tourna- tweak and getting better
Jill Ellis and the Americans the World Cup and those cause of injury. Ellis said the ment, with points standings and learning and really hit-
watched tape of that tie biggest moments," Rapi- plan was for Sauerbrunn and travel, is a key prepa- ting our peak in June."q