I wonder if Horan is a little disappointed to be on the U-20 roster. I could see her thinking she might get invited to the big camp but like Campbell, end up with the U-20s.
Just way too many quality players to please everyone. We all have our favorites who we want to see get an USWT invite and many who were not invited have a good reason why they should have been invited.. It will be interesting how subsequent camps are handled. Will new players be invited in which case does that mean some players who were previously invited have to sit out a camp or two otherwise you can have a camp with 40 players. Not sure that works. Very tough decisions.
I think in general its small steps. For some reason 29 seems the magic number. While we can quibble about the names I like that he spread it around...couple college kids, three of the euros. I have to believe he'll continue to look. Personally, the three that confuse me r Campbell, Mewis and Bywaters. Nothing against any of them but they wouldnt be on my list. Campbell, no matter how good she is, isnt gonna be on the team to sit and watch Hope Solo. She'll end up on the U-20 where TS can watch her any time. She'll do wonderful things at Stanford. But that was just a wasted spot. Mewis and Bywaters will be on display in the league. They may have a shot but it didnt have to be this shot. Those three spot could have been used for more euros or another college kid. As to Bywaters specifically, it may just be that enough people like someone u become curious why. Getting picked number one has drawn attention to her.
Perhaps the Campbell move is to send her a message: "Some day, you may be the USWNT #1 GK." That kind of message, to some athletes, can be really important.
Yup that's what I expect. I also expect it's the same with Bywaters. No way is she ready, but introduce her to the setting and give her some confidence.
Ur both probably right but the whole goalie situation is odd. He has five coming in, which is a lot, but Franch isnt among them. If this is about messages then what kind of message did it send to her?
Super important for GKs, I think, given that GKs are special snowflakes with a decade long transition / training period and that you really do need a succession plan for them with the 4-5 GKs interspersing a 2 decade age spread. Franch isn't competing with Campbell because Campbell is just talent, potential, and youth right now (and she's coming in to get a look at what she needs to do to be able to be an international-caliber GK in the future but she's not close to actually getting a slot on merit yet). Franch is competing with Harris and Loyden and right now, Franch hasn't made a case yet. I expect she will by the end of the NWSL season.
Special snowflake...I like that analogy. Im not reading much into it to be honest. I think he brought her in out of curiosity more than a big picture. If there was a plan the other four wouldnt be 31, 31, 28, 27. Maybe u only get that special snowfall every four years. Franch and Campbell r also four years apart.
Well, we're coming off an Olympics. It's GK in her prime and really good backup. Other two were competing for the 3rd slot. I expect there'll be a transition over the next couple years. GK #1, 1 of the remaining 3 will prob. secure GK #2 slot, and the upcoming GKs in the 23-25 range will compete for GK #3 slot. I don't think they'll keep 3 out of the 4 listed above. I'm guessing 1 and at most, 2.
It sounds really hard for a goal keeper to get a number one spot. I wonder how they ever stay motivated. Imagine thinking your whole career might be spent on the bench. ON the national team anyway, I guess you might have a greater chance at a number one slot if you were in a league.
That's exactly what Id like to see. With the league all the back-ups will get lots of work so u wont have the situation we had last year.
I know she chose PSG instead of College beacuse she thought (probably correct) that it would shorten the time to get into the full WNT. but she can't seriously have expected it to shorten the time with over three years.
RE: Horan chat It's her first season of pro and it's the first training camp with the new coach, who will undoubtedly mostly wants (and chose) to see the old guard and USWNT pool first. I don't think it's a big deal to not be on the list yet. I do think Horan should see if she can get a loan deal going to head to the NWSL during the French league's offseason though. That might help with visibility (assuming she performs well).
http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Womens-National-Team/2013/01/Bywaters-Added-to-Roster.aspx Bywaters replaces Arod, who is pregnant.. *yes, I replaced Arod birth control with placebos.
I disagree. She doesn't need the extra visibility or the money. She's 18, no need to overuse her. Right now I think it is more important for Horan to get the proper off season regeneration/deal w/ homesickness/etc for her main job. Learning how to handle the first off season is important for a first year pro. And likely there will be some U20 camps in the summer for her. If Sermanni can't figure out how to watch PSG games or figure out how to ask PSG for video, then he shouldn't be a national team manager. As for this camp and Hagen or other young players in Euro leagues cough...Naeher...cough, the majority of camp is not during the FIFA window. Clubs are under no obligation to release them for a longer period. Hard to assess or integrate a new player like Hagen in a 48 hr window. And they/she is also probably better off with her team right now. If she isn't called up during a longer league break/summer, then I'd be more concerned.
Horan said her signing with PSG was motivated by her desire to reach her goal of playing for the USWNT. I only mention her possible disappoint because she is used to being ahead of the curve. She was a starter on the previous U-20 team and may be thinking been there, done that. Of course unless she says something it's all just my speculation.
Hopefully she has some patience. She wouln't be the first good player to do 2 cycles with the U20s. Dunn played in the U20 WC in 201o before entering college and again in 2012.
Leroux played for the US in the U20s twice, too. Nairn & Heaberlin & Pathman & Hayes.... I don't think Horan would have a problem w/ it. She wasn't on the actual finals team, either, so were she to make the 2014 U20 WWC, it would be her first.
But that's point...doesnt her turning pro instead of going to college show a lack of patience? If Horan defects to Ib-bib-bibistan it's 100% on USSoccers shoulders
No, it doesn't show "lack of patience," imo. Horan is just taking a different path--like Kobe or Garnett or Michael Bradley or Lauren Jackson (though in other countries it isn't that different). She decided college right out of high school wasn't for her, especially when she had a job offer that paid well and offered money for later college on top of the salary. Think of it as a gap year if that makes your feel better.