USA vs. Germany lineups

If you’ve been crying out for the United States to switch it up in the Women’s World Cup, you finally have your wish. Not only has Jill Ellis decided not to kick any of Carli Lloyd, Lauren Holiday or Morgan Brian out of her lineup, but she hasn’t dropped Tobin Heath either. She’s playing one true striker in the semifinal against Germany.

What does this mean? Well, that’s not entirely clear. The most likely scenario is that this is a 4-3-3 formation with Brian holding behind Holiday and Lloyd. It’s also possible that the USWNT is sticking with their usual 4-4-2 formation, but Holiday has been moved into a second striker role. She used to play there occasionally for the national team, and regularly fills that role for FC Kansas City.

Germany have made one substantial change, bringing in Saskia Bartusiak for Babett Peter. As expected, Dzenifer Marozsán is not fit to start, though she could be an impact sub for Germany off the bench. It’s not clear how hobbled she is, and Germany don’t really have any incentive to reveal that.