Possible USWNT Lineups for the 2015 Algarve Cup

Center Forwards

Jun 19, 2014; East Hartford, CT, USA; USA forward Alex Morgan (13) is congratulated by forward Amy Rodriguez (8) and midfielder Tobin Heath (17) after scoring against France in the second half in the Women’s Friendly at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Morgan (Rodriguez, Wambach in situations)

Alex Morgan is a clear spearhead for a potent US attack. I wouldn’t be surprised if LeRoux was the only other attacker on this team who can keep pace with her when she’s healthy and in-form, and so it would be almost reasonable for Morgan to play most (if not all) of the minutes in this tournament.

But ARod is a proven central striker, and freeing her on a semi-regular basis with more than ten minutes to find the back of the net can really only help. The US has stated repeatedly that they want to improve on their shot conversion rate, but an obvious change they’ve refused to entertain is to start Rodriguez and to encourage the development of her connection with the rest of the forwards. As this is Abby Wambach’s preferred position, I can see instances (primarily late in games) where subbing in a 5’11 body could be pretty useful.

In the event that Ellis is abandoning her plan to switch the USWNT to the 4-3-3 formation, and is permanently returning to the 4-4-2, I can see switching between LeRoux and Press to pair with Morgan up top. Brian could push Holiday a bit more central and slide into a starting role on the right, with O’Reilly as her backup. Heath could come on for Rapinoe, but Holiday and Lloyd would end up playing almost every minute of every game.

Next: ...But Will Any of This Happen?