U.S. women’s national team struggles in transition to new generation with scoreless draw against Czech Republic

CARSON, Calif. — It doesn’t get easier from here on out for the now-much-younger U.S. women’s national team and coach Vlatko Andonovski, who now have ground to make up in the She Believes Cup tournament after a scoreless draw with the Czech Republic.

In the early match of the tournament doubleheader, Iceland defeated New Zealand with an early goal, 1-0. Iceland now leads the tournament standings.

It’s never a quick and simple transition to a new generation of players, even on the top ranked squad in the world, but the USWNT will be chagrined to not be able to score against what was widely considered the weakest opponent of a relatively easy competition.

“I’m happy with where they’re at,” Andonovski said after the game. “But we all know that how we look and where we’re at is nowhere near enough to win big games.”

The Czech Republic, currently 24th in the FIFA women’s national team rankings, gave the Americans all they could handle in the first half, although not by attacking ruthlessly into the USA box. The Czechs only managed one shot the entire half, by midfielder Katerina Svitková, and it wasn’t even on target.

The Czechs did, however, defend stoutly, closing down quickly any U.S. attacker with the ball and cutting off the passing lanes effectively. They also exhibited, at times, better team play than the Americans, passing the ball well from the defensive line through the midfield to relieve the pressure from the U.S. attack.

It wasn’t as if the USA players didn’t have their moments, especially midfielder Rose Lavelle, 26, and forward Sophia Smith, 21. Deft short passes and agile dribbling moves beat their defenders time and again, but too often, the final pass was lacking or the shot taken was too far outside, even when a teammate was running into the box for what should have been an easy tap in.

Out of the 10 shots the Americans took in the first half, only 3 were on target. Even those didn’t force any spectacular saves from Czech goalkeeper Barbora Votikova, who was solid and steady throughout the match.

Another bright spot in the first half was the play of forward Catarina Macario, 22, but even though she had a couple of shots at the goal, she fired over the top on a free kick and had another shot blocked.

In general, there were energetic sparks from the American players all over the field, but none lasted long enough for any attack to catch fire and effectively finish the opportunities created.

The second half saw the biggest cheer for the introduction of forward Trinity Rodman, 19, from nearby Newport Beach, making her international debut for the USWNT senior team. She has been a sensation in the National Women’s Soccer League this past season, but seemed more tentative in this international match.

Veteran defender Becky Sauerbrunn, 36, who came on in the second half for her 200th cap, might have felt a bit out of place with so many new faces on the squad she has served for so long. Familiar names like Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Christian Press weren’t called in as Andonovski sought to give new players an opportunity.

In perhaps her most critical action of the night, USA goalkeeper Casey Murphy, 25, kept the clean sheet in the 85th minute with a punch over the bar from another Svitkova shot.

Though the U.S. again had a flurry of half-chances as the game drew to a close, none came to fruition.

“It’s not easy to just throw them on the field and expect it to click immediately,” Andonovski said.

Indeed. At both halftime and at the end of the match, the stadium big screen showed a Carli Lloyd Volkswagen commercial. As they filed out of the stadium, at least some of the fans present might have wished the legendary midfielder hadn’t retired.