With a little bit more luck, the U.S. women's national team would have had a goal or two on Monday night. With a little bit more ruthlessness or precision, they would have had three or four. It was one of those nights, though. Better now than the Olympics, you, or even head coach Emma Hayes could say.
That's the glass-half-full approach from the USWNT's 0-0 draw with Costa Rica. Let them get this stinker out of the way. This team is too dangerous to have more than one or two nights like this. These attackers are too good to be kept quiet and scoreless.
There's also the glass-half-empty train of thought, though. Goals and finishing remain issues for this team. It was the issue last summer and the hope is that it wouldn't be the defining feature of this one.
On Monday, the USWNT just didn't click, or finish, for whatever reason. The U.S. had 80 percent possession and 26 shots, 12 of which were on target. That doesn't add up to a 0-0 draw very often, and it won't going forward.
After this, though, there is no more room for "one of those nights". This was it, the final pre-Olympic friendly. The time for adjusting to this new Emma Hayes era is over; the real test is about to begin.
The U.S. will need to be a bit more clinical in those tests, though. If not, this summer could be another frustrating one.
GOAL rates the USWNT's players from Audi Field...