New formation keys Algarve win

By Heather Mitts
Special to ESPN.com

It's not often that the U.S. women's national team enters a tournament with as little fanfare and hype as the squad that entered the Algarve Cup tourney last month in Portugal. Going into the tournament many experts had tempered expectations for the team due to the transition phase the team seemingly faced with the retirement of some of its previous stalwarts. Added to this was the fact that the squad hadn't played together in some time and was still adjusting to an interim coach in Greg Ryan.

On paper, the prospects may have seemed bleaker than usual, but internally our confidence level was high and we still expected nothing but the best from each other. From on the onset, the atmosphere was very laid back. Since we needed to acclimatize to each other on the field, Ryan shifted the focus from intense fitness training to tactical awareness. He chose to play us a unit in drills as opposed to breaking the team into the standard offensive and defensive groups.

Arriving early, playing right away and tapering off the intensity of training as games approached worked wonders. It enabled the team to gel and ensured that everyone was physically ready for four games in seven days.

During the tournament we tried to focus on the opponent and not worry too much about upcoming matchups. In the opener we played France and won 1-0. The French are underrated and have a world-class star in Marinette Pichon, but we employed a new 4-3-3 formation rather than our usual 4-4-2 and they never seemed to adjust.

For the second game against Finland which we won 3-0, the key was overcoming tight spacing and winning the midfield battle. The game was played on a small field and matters weren't helped by the defensive 4-5-1 formation the Finns employed, which crowded the midfield.

Going into the third game against Denmark, we knew it'd be a physical game - the last time we had played Denmark they'd beaten us 3-1 in the final game of the victory tour. Again, the 4-3-3 formation seemed to throw them off and they had a hard time coping with our three forward front line. To win that game was definitely sweet revenge.

The final was against Germany, one of the best teams in the world and considered by some to be the favorites in this tourney. The last time the U.S. had played Germany, they'd given us all we could handle in the Olympic semifinals. I myself didn't get a chance to play in that game and hence was a little nervous going into this matchup. It didn't help matters that prior to the final Germany had systematically spanked everyone on their side of the bracket.

The Germans anticipated we would be playing a 4-3-3 but still seemed to have trouble adjusting to the way we were dropping off the ball when it was played in. That frustrated their star and reigning FIFA Player of the Year Birgit Prinz, who was not able to use her speed to make runs behind the defense. Lying deep off the ball also allowed us to take away the chances Prinz creates for teammates who play off those runs.

Considering the new faces on the roster, shutting out all four opponents on our way to winning the tournament was a great accomplishment. Of note, Lori Chalupny played on the back line for the first time. She had a great tournament and was a continual threat getting the ball up the field.

A lot of credit also goes to goaltender Hope Solo. Entering the tournament Hope hadn't anticipated much playing time. However after coming in against Finland in the second game of the week and playing well, she started from there on out. Hope made some critical saves throughout the tourney and to be honest it was a surprise that she didn't win the Best Goalkeeper award.

The old adage that defense wins championships certainly rang true during the Algarve Cup. The entire team from the forwards to the defensive line played good defense and tackled back and that made a huge difference for us.

The other key was some of the subtle changes that coach Ryan implemented. Ryan - who has since been named full-time coach of the national team - maintained an aggressive approach all week and the players liked it. He tweaked the formation somewhat, and in particular moved Kristine Lilly from a wide midfield position up top to forward in the 4-3-3.

Some players, including myself, struggled at times during the tournament but Ryan stuck with us and that helped build a lot of confidence for the team as a whole. He also gave opportunities to young players like Christie Welsh, who didn't play in the Olympics but led the Algarve Cup with five goals. That experience and the showing we had against the Algarve field says a lot about his coaching ability and the future of the women's national team.

Landon Donovan

Landon Donovan returned to Major League Soccer with the Los Angeles last month after transferring from Bayer Leverkusen of the German Bundesliga. It's something that should be regarded as a big positive for soccer in this country. American players head overseas because the level of play there is accepted to be more challenging, but Donovan's decision to build his legacy in the U.S. and help MLS thrive is good news for the league. MLS needs one or two franchise players in each city to keep people in the seats and maintain interest.

The fact that the World Cup is only a year away was probably another factor in his decision. He's playing it safe by staying close to home and getting more playing time than he would have with Leverkusen, and he gets a chance to make the players around him better and round his game into top shape.

MLS would prosper even without Donovan, but anytime you can put a top American player back into the mix, it's good for everyone involved.

Heather Mitts covers women's soccer for ESPN Soccernet.com and is also a member of the U.S. women's national team and former WUSA All-Star.