Vlatko's no-subs call for USWNT in a World Cup is concerning - ESPN

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — As the clock ticked on for the U.S. women's national team in its biggest fixture of the Women's World Cup group stage, the game seemed to be crying out for an American substitute or two.

With the USWNT level with Netherlands 1-1, wingers Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith started to look tired. They were pushing hard for a winning goal — in fact, three of Rodman's four missed shots of the match came in the final 15 minutes. But the players' passing accuracy started to drop, and their tendency to lose the ball went up, particularly after Lindsey Horan's 60th-minute equalizer. In the period from the opening minute of the second half to the 75th, Rodman completed zero of the nine passes she attempted, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

But USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski stood pat, opting not to bring in a player with fresh legs as a second-half substitute. It was a controversial decision, and after the U.S. settled for a draw, it's one that will continue to be scrutinized if the Americans fail to win Group E and are forced to take a much tougher path through the knockout stage of this tournament.

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Former USWNT defender Ali Krieger, who played major roles in the USWNT's 2015 and 2019 World Cup wins, said she thought substitutes could've put the game away for the Americans.

«They started to get tired — the Dutch really showed that — and that was the moment I was thinking Vlatko would sub one or two extra players in,» Krieger said on «Futbol Americas» on ESPN+. «That decision was a bit surprising to me. In a moment like that, experience could've been key.»

Former USWNT midfielder Tobin Heath, also a