[ColoradoTree]

Personally, I would've liked some more developmental players on this team. The roster is undeniably old (especially the forward group), and with Heath's minutes to be limited early, we're asking a lot of that group on a shorter turnaround than we'd get in the World Cup. And the fourth team in our group is #22 New Zealand, which doesn't give us the same sort of break that the top teams in the other two groups will have (#37 Chile and #104 Zambia). But at the same time, you haven't seen the sort of dips in performance from Lloyd or Rapinoe that would justify leaving them off in favor of Williams or Smith. Nor have Williams or Smith had the kind of performances that demand inclusion. 

Here's the group schedule:

July 21 vs. Sweden
July 24 vs. New Zealand
July 27 vs. Australia

Then the quarterfinals are July 30 (if we finish top of group, the likely opponent is Japan), the semis August 2 (likely against Great Britain), and the Bronze/Gold matches on August 5/6 (probably against either the Netherlands or Brazil). 

Our group is plainly the hardest, and it wouldn't be a major tournament without Sweden dogging our heels. But there's not a lot of opportunity for rest, but at the same time, you have to get three points out of that New Zealand match, so you can't take your foot off the gas there, either. Ideally, you score a couple of early goals against New Zealand and you do some halftime substitutions to hold onto those three points while giving your starting forwards (which I'm assuming will be Morgan, Press, and Rapinoe) a break, unless you start Lloyd that game for more planned rest.

[ColoradoTree]

Personally, I would've liked some more developmental players on this team. The roster is undeniably old (especially the forward group), and with Heath's minutes to be limited early, we're asking a lot of that group on a shorter turnaround than we'd get in the World Cup. And the fourth team in our group is #22 New Zealand, which doesn't give us the same sort of break that the top teams in the other two groups will have (#37 Chile and #104 Zambia). But at the same time, you haven't seen the sort of dips in performance from Lloyd or Rapinoe that would justify leaving them off in favor of Williams or Smith. Nor have Williams or Smith had the kind of performances that demand inclusion. 

Here's the group schedule:

July 21 vs. Sweden
July 24 vs. New Zealand
July 27 vs. Australia

Then the quarterfinals are July 30 (if we finish top of group, the likely opponent is Japan), the semis August 2 (likely against Great Britain), and the Bronze/Gold matches on August 5/6 (probably against either the Netherlands or Brazil). 

Our group is plainly the hardest, and it wouldn't be a major tournament without Sweden dogging our heels. But there's not a lot of opportunity for rest, but at the same time, you have to get three points out of that New Zealand match, so you can't take your foot off the gas there, either. Ideally, you score a couple of early goals against New Zealand and you do some halftime substitutions to hold onto those three points while giving your starting forwards (which I'm assuming will be Morgan, Press, and Rapinoe) a break, unless you start Lloyd that game for more planned rest.