1) Figure out how to get the most out of the midfield

By the time 2017 ended, it seemed as if the US could do little wrong in midfield. Anchored by the partnership of Julie Ertz and Samantha Mewis, plus a rotating cast of talented attack-minded midfielders, Jill Ellis’s team found it easy to dominate matches and out-press their opponents. However, the team was unable to pick up from where they left off in the new year, and still have not found that form. Injuries to both Ertz and Mewis, as well as several others, have forced Ellis to try new things, but hardly anything has matched last year’s success. The midfield has looked stiff at times and has had difficulty fully connecting with the forwards ahead of them, regardless of personnel and opponent. Such was the case in the team’s 1-1 draw with Australia last week, where the trio of Ertz, Morgan Brian, and Lindsey Horan struggled to create chances and in keeping a dynamic Australian attack at bay, particularly in the first half.

2) Settle on fullbacks

The most notable struggle Ellis has had building her roster since the 2016 Olympics has been picking out left backs and right backs. While Kelley O’Hara continues to be the first-choice left back, almost every other position is up for grabs, including who plays while she is injured. Crystal Dunn, who has primarily been a forward for her club teams over the last three years, is currently O’Hara’s backup, and while she has experience in the role, it may not be the best fit for her or the team. Ellis has had difficulty building depth in those positions, having played Dunn almost exclusively at left back in O’Hara’s absence while being incredibly picky at right back. She has gone through a number of options, currently having Emily Sonnett, Casey Short, Sofia Huerta, and Merritt Mathias in camp. At times, she has elected to convert attacking players, like Huerta, into fullbacks, but has not fully committed to playing with wing backs even with her preference for attack-minded defenders. Ultimately, this messy arrangement of the pieces limits the abilities of the team going forward, an area of the pitch where the US has always boasted world-class options.

3) Keep the Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe pairing

Even when the players behind them are performing inconsistently, Morgan and Rapinoe have been able to bail the US out recently. The two have enjoyed some of the best form of their individual careers over the last 12 months, with Morgan scoring 16 goals in that time and Rapinoe recording 13 assists, combining six times in that span, including in the team’s 4-1 victory over Brazil on Thursday. The two have been able to do it regardless of the midfielders behind them, and in a formation that might be altered as players return from injury. Should Ellis change formation to show off the depth the US has in attack, there will be no need to drop Morgan and Rapinoe, who are also versatile.

4) Discover what Carli Lloyd’s best role is

For the team’s co-captain and the Golden Ball winner in Canada, this four-year cycle has differed greatly from the last. Once an undroppable starter, Lloyd has been resigned to a spot on the bench for almost the last year. Ellis seems to prefer playing her when the team needs a goal, but exactly how to achieve that has not been easy to work out. In the team’s 1-1 draw with Canada in November, Ellis elected to play her as the furthest forward midfielder in a trio that also played without a defensive midfielder. Recently, though, Ellis has been playing Lloyd as a center forward, as she did against Australia, pushing Morgan to the wing in the process. So far, the results have not revealed much; Lloyd has scored only three times in the last year, including the equalizer against Canada. With roster spots at a premium, particularly further up the pitch, and just two months until World Cup qualifying, that answer will have to come quickly.

5) Solidify versatility depending on opponent

In order to qualify, and win, a World Cup, the US will come up against a few different types of opponents. In the early stages of qualifying, they will likely play teams that set up incredibly defensively, much like China did in a pair of friendlies against the US in June. Though the team recorded wins in both matches, the players struggled to break through China’s defensive block, and were also susceptible on the counter. The second was also the case against Australia, as the US played a very high line with defenders seemingly unprepared to recover quickly enough. Further in both the Concacaf Women’s Championship and the World Cup, the US may face teams that attempt to attack, much like the opponents in the SheBelieves Cup and the Tournament of Nations. For Ellis’s side, the key seems to be to prioritize their own attacking style while pressing the opposing team, as they did successfully against Germany in March and in a second friendly against Canada in November. The adaptability is already there, and a little refinement over the next year could go a long way in the team’s title defense.