The title pretty much says it all. The last home game before London will be in Salt Lake. It will be broadcast on NBC (the main broadcast network, not the cable channel). Should be a good game and a good crowd, and a good showcase for the ladies.
Golf applause for that effort from USOC/US soccer. Why not bring in Germany for a real test? Their calendar seems to be empty this summer.
You mean NBC Olympics preview/promotion for soccer, since WNT are the only U.S. game in town. It will be interesting to see what "narrative" NBC chooses for their Olympics coverage. Some mixture of Hope, Abby and the upstart Alex, I would imagine. But, yes, Canada is a decent tune-up for the women.
yeah except we face Canada like 10 friggin times a year and we manage to beat them everytime. Why can't we face somebody better like Germany, France or Sweden?
Well, they scored 4 on Japan, and the coach said that game didn't matter. I'd like to see the USA vs them. USA and France will knock heads in the Olympics, but as I've said, France isn't ready to beat them, not yet. Sweden is a wreck.
How is Sweden a wreck? Sweden beat us in the friendly before the WWC. Sweden destroyed us in the WWC, the game was 3-0, the ref miscalled that goal by Schelin as being offsides when she wasn't; at that point in the match, game would've been over. The match in Nov. (Sweden) had a makeshift backline and we(US) only threaten in the 2nd half for about 20 or so mins, w/ the same players from the WWC squad. We didn't do anything different there. Over the last 15 months or so([cycle], we have had roughly the same personal against Sweden), we(US) manage to have a convincing performance once in Algarve Cup; and even that we have to analyze with a grain of salt. All teams go thur the motions, Sweden didn't show up in the Algarve Cup. Over this cycle we have not played convincely against an inform Sweden team(convincingly--US has not dedicated a match when the game is at even 0-0. We are fast becoming the USMNT in the sense that we are counter-attacking the top-teir teams now letting them dedicate play. And were reacting instand of being proactive). How exactly is Sweden a wreck?
That's right when you lose 8:0 to Germany and the USA it doesn't count, because they aren't legit world powers. Sweden won group over the USA on a ball that deflected off the hip of a defender past Solo. Yeah, a couple of months out of the WC cup they are going about a phase, but the other teams are getting better. They were lucky in the world cup, and they will be lucky to get Pia after the olympics. Sweden is the 2nd coming of Norway at this moment.
We will be facing Sweden and Japan ina mini-tournament in Sweden as reported by OGM. I just remember it was June or July.
WOw, you are so dramatic lol Sweden did not "destroy" USA in the WC match. Maybe you should watch the game again. It seems like, to you, ONLY the USA is capable of going down spiral; well, it is true because they are #1, so they can only go down.
Where did you hear the story? It looks like she's picking up steam in Sweden, had two goals her last game. IMO, I think she needs to stay there a year like Solo did. Anyway, is Pia going try something new in the attack instead of Morgan and Sydney running down hill?
Don't get your hope up, don't you know Pia by now? Press deserved to be called up. Good news if true.
Unpopular opinion: I wanted to see Hagen instead of Press called up. (Of course, better would have been both)
Your blind, Sweden destroyed us in the game. You should rewatch the 1st half, the game was 3-0 nothing w/ the disallowed goal because the ref thought it was offsides. Seger, Schelin and Oqvist were destroying us single handly. Your preception is way off if you can't see that. 3 Sweden players were having a field day w/ our team. Our team could barely keep up w/them. And if that goal would have stood like it should, the game would have been over in the 1st half. #1 ranking doesn't mean anything in terms of the teams current form as in the last 12months. Since the rankings calculate results from the last 4 years. It'd be ranking would be more accurate if they calculate just the last calender year to date.
Both players should have been called up a long time ago, like a year ago. Not just for camps, but given actual playing time on the field and not that garbage time mintues either.
I'd prefer Hagen too, since she is more of an Abby clone, and has done some time in Germany. No need for Press to break her strides in Sweden for a couple of camps, because Pia won't put her on the pitch unless it's 5 mins of garbage time, and there is no way hell she ends up on the Olympic rosters, so what's the point disrupting her season in Sweden? They could have called her when she was unemployed.
From ussoccer.com: "The roster includes all 23 players who traveled to Japan for the Kirin Challenge Cup, where the USA drew the hosts 1-1 and defeated Brazil 3-0. Sundhage has brought back in midfielder Kristie Mewis, midfielder Keelin Winters and goalkeeper Jill Loyden and is giving a first-ever call-up to forward Christen Press, the 2011 MAC Hermann Trophy winner from Stanford. Press is currently playing in Sweden’s top division for Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC." In reality, even with Wambach, Morgan and Leroux remaining on the team there's still room for another young forward. Cheney should be moved to midfield permanently freeing up a spot. I agree with others here that Hagen is the better choice since since she can fill in perfectly for an aging Abby, especially after the Olympics. Looking beyond 2012 Abby should split here time with another young player with similar skills. It just seems to me that Pia is afraid of giving Abby a challenge for her minutes and will not sub her out even if she's tired. Also, if one of the other young forwards stops contributing then Press or Henderson should fight for the remaining position. There are a lot of mixed views on these boards, but I'm from the camp that our offense is good enough for the Olympics, and we should be focusing on improving our defense and midfield. Those are our weak points heading into the Olympics!
I agree with the poster above, the comment Sweden is a wreck was very ill-informed. Like every team they have roster issues and peaks and valleys, but like their men's hockey team they play a complete game and put down anyone on any given Sunday.
I can remember two previous matches in Salt Lake. The match against Ireland where HAO tore her ACL and the snow game against Mexico.