The World Cup-winning manager is reshaping USA’s player pool ahead of France 2019, and in the process, may be reshaping the culture around the team
When the US women’s national team hosts the Tournament of Nations starting this week against some of the world’s top teams, manager Jill Ellis could stick with what she knows has worked before. Veteran superstars like Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd could be the focus of the American attack and, if she wanted, Ellis could start all the same defenders that went 513 minutes without conceding a goal in the Women’s World Cup two years ago, a tournament the USA won.
But don’t bet on that happening. In a team that was once leery of too much change and slow to fold in new talent in favor of veteran experience, a radical transformation is taking place. Ellis is reshaping the player pool in preparation of the 2019 Women’s World Cup, and in the process, she may be reshaping the culture around the team, too.
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