Roster by Position - Detailed Roster GOALKEEPERS (3): Nicole Barnhart, Ashlyn Harris, Hope Solo DEFENDERS (9): Rachel Buehler, Stephanie Cox, Whitney Engen, Meghan Klingenberg, Amy LePeilbet, Heather Mitts, Kelley O’Hara, Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn MIDFIELDERS (7): Shannon Boxx, Tobin Heath, Lori Lindsey, Carli Lloyd, Heather O’Reilly, Megan Rapinoe, Amy Rodriguez FORWARDS (4): Lauren Cheney, Sydney Leroux, Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach
and the roster cuts for the 18 player olympics are (drumroll): -Harris -Engen -Klingenberg -Mitts -Lindsey F$#k pia, and the horse she rode in...
Predictable selections. Something tells me Engen and Klingenberg will see ten minutes of action, tops. Also, its sheer madness not to invite more central midfielders (especially the holding, possession-oriented variety) into camp; CM is the biggest weakness on this team, and yet Pia refuses to even invite backups into camp. That's how committed she is to Boxx and Lloyd...staggering. Ultimately though, as I said in another thread, there's not much use bitching about it now. The roster is set. The sooner we accept it (that doesn't equal being happy about it), the less frustration and angst we will have. I must say I'm impressed these matches are being televised. It certainly helps that they are playing the two biggest 'rivalry teams' at the moment. Going back to 2004, every meeting between the U.S. and Brazil in major tournaments has been dramatic, and of course Japan is in the ascendency and has the U.S.' number lately. But even so, they hardly ever send television crews abroad to cover USWNT friendlies. So kudos to whoever made this happen.
Watch Sydney and Morgan run downhill, or run after a ball that's flicked forward off of Abby's head. Oh, that's still running downhill. On a side note, Jorge will probably test Thais and Debra against USA's backline. You might even see Paula, Maya and Beatriz on the pitch. I don't see Marta leaving Sweden for this one, especially with France and a couple of friendlies, just before the Olympics. As usual, Pia will show her hand and go with her full squad. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqWxz_nJQLM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqWxz_nJQLM[/ame] My Olympics favorites introduced by Craig David and starring Delie.
If you believe this report from Our Game magazine, the big names, including Marta, will be playing in the upcoming friendly series. It doesn't have Debra listed. I'm excited to see Beatriz play (is she the one listed as "Bia" in the link?) - she was named to the World Cup roster as a 17-year old, which is the age Marta first emerged on the international scene. http://www.ourgamemagazine.com/?p=5965
Ok, that's most of his core. He has pretty much been using mixed lineups. I thought this tournament would be good test for Thais and Debra, given they have played solid and competitive together, and no one has see those two with Marta on the pitch at the same time. Maybe Cristaine and Rose need to run off the flab since getting fit don't come easy.
Yep, hence I posted the roster without comment. Criminally negligent first comes to mind but I'm told I shouldn't take it so seriously.
Personally I thought Cristiane was their most consistent player in the World Cup and I remember her actually helping out a lot more on defense than she used to.
I remember Christiane with the Red Stars. She came in out of shape both seasons. At the beginning of the second season I didn't know who had a bigger ass her or Emma Hayes.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmJ9flOi4Nw"]7/12/09 - Cristiane's hat trick leads Red Stars past FC Gold Pride 3-1 - YouTube[/ame] She wasn't in the best shape then, but had her moments. Remember this hat trick against FC Gold Pride? The third goal at 3:30 was spectacular (and not a moment Brandi Chastain will want to remember). Couple of other things from that video: hell of a save by Nicole Barnhardt at 1:45, and Rapinoe was a beast (great dribbling and assist at 2:00). That weird illness she had in 2010 definitely set her back a while, but she seems to be recovered and back to her creative self lately.
0:35 "Trying to go right by Buehler" her and everybody else Not that there is anything wrong with that...
I'm with you, Fawcett and Pac, rather annoyed, but have been for years now in Pia's player selection and development. but what bothers me most is she's going to leave after this year and leave the team probably worse than when she arrived. There is no question that management at US Soccer is very aware of this, which is why they developed April's position out of nothing, so younger players constantly overlooked by Pia wouldn't get lost or stop developing... so i'm prepared (yet still annoyed) for more of the same, especially from players in the middle of the field for the next few months.
http://www.ussoccer.com/media-library/Videos/US-Women/2012/03/120329-Inside-the-Lines.aspx Practice in Japan
If USWNT have zero errors in the box, then USWNT > Japan. Then again, Japan's coach will say it doesn't matter, just like the 4:3 game to Germany. Win the semi but the final doesn't matter.
