By USA’s lofty standards 2016 will not live long in the memory. On paper, the year was a failure for Jill Ellis and the Stars and Stripes. For the first time in history USA failed to reach the podium at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament.
The year started brightly with wins in the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic qualifying tournament and the inaugural SheBelieves Cup, an invitational tournament consisting of strong sides England, France and Germany. But disappointment in Brazil followed as Ellis and Co crashed out of the Olympics, the year’s biggest event on the women’s football calendar, in the quarter-finals on penalties to Sweden.
Since that defeat in Brasilia, USA responded positively with six-straight wins in international friendlies: a 3-1 victory over a rapidly-improving Netherlands and a series of comfortable wins against Thailand, Romania and Switzerland.
Ellis tinkered with her squad selection in those games and has been bringing through a new generation of younger players for the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019™ qualifying campaign. But, as an experienced coach, Ellis is acutely aware that know-how across the pitch will still be important in order for the national team to be successful.
“Right now we’re in a transition phase with her being able to finally put her team together,” USA co-captain and Women’s World Cup winner Carli Lloyd said recently in an exclusive interview with FIFA.com. “In 2014, she took over from Tom and she’s not going to go in there and start cutting people and changing everything. She did a great job. In 2016, with the Olympics being that much back-to-back and close, she’s again not going to mess with people’s minds. She needs everyone confident and everyone feeling good. Now I feel like we’re at a point where she’s got the next cycle, three years until the next World Cup, to really be able to put her team together.”
Looking over Ellis’ squad selections in USA’s recent friendlies, it is clear to see she is not afraid to give a new generation of players their chance to shine: Emily Sonnett (23), Samantha Mewis (24), Andi Sullivan (20), Lynn Williams (23), Casey Short (26) and Kealia Ohai (24) have all either made their national team debuts or seen an increased amount of playing time.
She’s continuously evolving herself and the way the game is going to help our team progress.
“I’m still in the mix and I’m older and people may say, ‘Why is she still playing'?” Lloyd said. “At the end of the day, I still need to perform. I think what’s great is that she wrote us a letter that she was planning to email everyone or speak to us about after the Olympics. The letter basically stated that she does not care how many goals you’ve scored, how many World Cups you’ve been a part of, how many Olympics you’ve been a part of, who you are, how many assists you have, it’s solely based on performance.
“The best players are going to play. It was really great to hear because I think that’s what this team needs to push on. She wasn’t afraid to say it. She’s not afraid to bring in some of the best players that have not had any experience. To me that letter was a defining moment for this next cycle. It’s great to hear. She’s a great leader and she’ll be continuing to do great things.”
USA make headlines and highlights during major international tournaments, but what is The Best FIFA Women’s Coach 2016 nominee Ellis like away from the spotlight and on the training pitch day in, day out?
“Jill’s great. I’ve known her since my U-21 national team days,” Lloyd said. “She’s a great person, very knowledgeable. She’s always looking for different styles. She’s not set in a specific formation or a specific style. She’s continuously evolving herself and the way the game is going to help our team progress.
“I think that's what’s awesome about her. She’s constantly learning. She’s improved this team since she’s been a part of it. She’s very good at managing players. She does a fantastic job at that. She’s a good person to be around, funny, she likes having a laugh; she’s got great humour. It’s been great to be able to play for her.”