USA not looking like USA in the 2023 Women’s World Cup

No losses in group play for the United States. They failed to win group E, but they advance, unfortunately, Sweden looms in the round of 16. First match in the knockout stage, that's coming up on Sunday, although I'm not really sure what day it is because it's in Australia and I have no clue. Kurt Johnson, director of soccer for North Carolina FC and the NC Courage, who just got back from Australia. Did you even know what day it was here while you were there? Yeah, it was quite difficult. All I know is plus 14 hours to Sydney.

That's my best math I can barrage. I have no idea what time or day it is. Are you in the same boat as many of the media and bewildered why it has been such a struggle for Team USA?

Yes and no. If you look back at the key players for the team, some of them, Sophia Smith absolutely playing her best soccer, ascending if that's the right way to say it, getting better. Quite a few of them coming off of injuries, being away from the game for a variety of reasons, lots of injuries, so I don't think we can be surprised that they're not playing at their best. I think tying Portugal in the third game is definitely a surprise.

It could have easily been a loss were it not for the near post on a try in stoppage time and that would have put a ton of pressure on Team USA. Kurt Johnson, director of soccer, North Carolina FC and NC Courage is joining us just back. You watched all your players play. Four of them are still alive because you've got two on Denmark and two with Team USA, but former players like Sam Lewis not there because of injury. You alluded to injury. Becky Sauerbrunn who would have been playing center back and Julie Ertz likely who is back after a long break from playing thanks to a new baby. She's playing center back as opposed to a defensive mid. Mallory Swanson, one of America's best goal scorers, not there. Katarina Macario, a creative player, also injured, not there. Rose Lavelle, you mentioned players coming back from injury. I'm not surprised that they are struggling to this regard.

I'm surprised that people have forgotten why they don't have necessarily the best roster there. Yeah. Yeah. Agreed.

And the list goes on. So you've got a mixture of players, some playing very well. Emily Fox, we didn't mention her. She's sliding in to cut the angle on that shot.

Thank goodness for her because maybe that's the microscopic difference of it hitting the post or hitting the post and going in. But some of them, like Emily Fox, like Sophia Smith, I think certainly are playing very good soccer and have been for many, many months. But so many of them just not at their prime and therefore maybe not clicking. I guess the good news is if there's a small glimmer of good news is defensively not giving up but only one goal in three games. And they're going to have to ride that because I don't see them creating multiple goal games for the next four games.

Kurt Johnson is joining us here on the Adam Gold show. I keep hearing the gap is closed, which makes sense to me since I think the rest of the world has understood now the value in the women's game and they are investing more in it. So you see, England is and they've had to deal with their own injuries.

Australia hadn't had that mean played Sam Kerr yet. And they are through the knockout rounds. But it just seems like there is more good soccer being played in the women's game all over the world now.

Yeah, thank goodness. And finally, right. And that's with minimal investment in certain countries. You know, imagine the, you know, the results that Jamaica could get if they had even close to the funding that the top 10 teams in the world have. So there's so much more growth potential in in a lot of these countries. Colombia is a great example of a country that is invested a bit more, but still, you know, just investing minimally. And they're on to the round of 16 with one of the best players in the tournament, 18 year old Casado.

Yeah. By the way, you mentioned Jamaica. They beat Brazil. Brazil's gone and Jamaica's through, which is so it could be worse for the United States. They are they are in it, but they will play Sweden. They have a great record against Sweden.

But this I don't know how much of them that you have been able to see, but they look awfully big and awfully dangerous. Yeah. Yeah. And very disciplined, very structured, tough to break down. We've met him in a number of different tournaments over the years. They're always competitive. They've certainly beaten us on a number of occasions, and it's probably one of the more difficult matchups we could have realistically in the round of 16 because of the way they play.

It's going to be very difficult to break them down. We're going to have to be really good on set pieces, both offensively and defensively, and just honestly be a lot better than we've been in the first three months. Right. Real quick and then I'm asking a big picture thing about the Women's World Cup. Are you surprised that Casey Murphy hasn't gotten in? Well, you know, we talked about it a couple weeks ago, and it was, um, you know, are they going to ride one of the two goalkeepers?

Listen there or Casey, are they going to, um, you know, play both in the first round and then ride ride the hot hand? I'll say I'm disappointed. I think that she would have done really well, and I think that she would have helped the team both from a leadership standpoint as well as from a goalkeeping standpoint.

I feel bad for her that she hasn't had an opportunity, but as you know, you never know what's coming around the corner and when you might get that shot. All right. Final thing for Curt Johnson. I got about a minute left. Just your takeaway from being over there for a couple of weeks and experiencing the group stage and how Australia and New Zealand have staged it.

I thought it was fantastic. Um, I was in 44 different stadiums, uh, the Sydney Olympic Stadium and then the smaller stadium. Um, next to the rugby facility, and then I was in Brisbane and Auckland. All four stadiums were sold out.

They were changing in between 50,000 and 80,000. The game day environments were incredible. The best game day environment was France, Brazil.

Why game night game? And it was it was incredible. The Vietnamese fans traveled really well, and they showed very well in the U. S. Vietnam game. And so fun atmosphere both in and outside the stadiums.

Australia is a great place to visit. I highly recommend it, even though it's a it's an entire day to get there and your entire day ahead. Curt Johnson, director of soccer, North Carolina FCNC Courage. I appreciate your time. I will talk to you again very soon, and we'll talk about your two domestic clubs next time. Thanks a lot. I enjoyed it.