After crashing out of the Olympics in 2016 and then suffering a miserable start to the 2017 season, things looked grim for the United States. But they have more than turned things around since then. Other than a recent 3-1 defeat to France, the US hasn’t lost in 18 months. By some accounts, the key turning point came in the 2017 Tournament of Nations, when coach Jill Ellis began using Julie Ertz as a holding midfielder.
This tactical shift is actually a repeat of a previous key innovation. During the 2015 World Cup, Ellis was forced by injuries and suspensions to deploy Morgan Brian as a holding mid, a move that completely rejuvenated the team and sent them rocketing toward their famous victory in the final.