If it is just a camp, the various national teams are always inviting in players to have a look. So you might think player A is solidly on the team, and you might be correct, and that very solidness is what causes the coach to leave her off a roster to look at someone else. There is always the question of injury, which is the most common reason for youth players to be unavailable. A week-long camp is a fairly grueling experience, and an injury that might not have much consequence during a season become significant if it is going to be exposed to a week-long camp. The same is true for something like the La Manga tournament. If you play three games in 5 days an injury can mean you take player B instead of player A, even if that injury to player A wouldn't impact a season much. In a season you can rest the player during the week and even to some extent during games, which makes no sense for the national team who can easily just take a different player who would be fully available.
Interesting that Henderson is not on this roster. She is age eligible and it's her college coach and you would think it would help her find a club to play for. Is Rachel Quon eligible? I would assume they had a few players not accept the invite if Randy took jazmin Hall from ND. Not even a starter until this year and not even one of the best defenders on ND's team. As a Notre dame fan, I'm happy for her.
Isn't Henderson on the SBFC group that's going to Japan? (I don't know timing though so it might have been possible for her to go on both?)
Slower but more detailed... http://www.nationalsoccerwire.com/news/700/15950 "The U.S. was forced to make its first change of the match in the 27th minute after goalkeeper Bianca Henninger sustained an ankle injury during a collision with Swedish forward Kosovare Asllani, " I would guess Adrianna Franch started today. Tough if we lost. I have not found any reports yet.
From Coach Randy's tweets: (1) US U-23's win Four Nations Tourney w/5-0 win over Norway..goals by Farrelly (2), Brooks, Lytle, Marlborough..way to respond..Champions (2) Amber Brooks named Four Nations MVP after 5-0 win over Norway (3) Amber Brooks pulls a Sergio Ramos and drops and breaks the championship trophy seconds after accepting it from the tournament organizer! If Waldrum ever stops coaching he should become the press guy for US Soccer. Congrats to the U23s! Good week so far for US soccer.
Amber had the best of the conversation: Randy Waldrum@NDCoachWaldrum: I've never seen anyone break two trophies in one move! Great job Amber Brooks...not only the team trophy, but your MVP trophy as well. Amber Brooks@abrooks22: thanks for the shout out coach! I'll practice my trophy accepting skills so I'm prepared for next December! As a Notre Dame fan, I know what that means. Congrats again to the U23s.
Next December...meaning College Cup. A UNC star saying that to her U-23 coach who's also the Coach of Notre Dame. As a Notre Dame fan yes, I have to admit she got the best of that twitter conversation.
Coach Waldrum's blog post on the La Manga tournament: http://www.und.com/blog/w-soccer/ Next international tournament in Norway in June.
The USWNT U-23 squad will have a game against Sweden tomorrow June 15th: http://www.ussoccer.com/News/U-23-WNT/2012/06/U23-WNT-to-Travel-to-Norway.aspx Randy Waldrum's squad for this 3 Nations Tournament in Norway: U.S. U-23 WNT Roster By Position: GOALKEEPERS (2): Brittany Anghel (Syracuse; East Meadow N.Y.), Adrianna Franch (Oklahoma; Salina, Kan.) DEFENDERS (5): Natasha Anasi (Duke; Arlington, Texas), Cami Levin (Pali Blues; Newport Coast, Calif.), Toni Pressley (New England Mutiny; Melbourne, Fla.), Elli Reed (Boston Breakers; Park City, Utah), Meredith Speck (Long Island Fury; Rockville Centre, N.Y.) MIDFIELDERS (5): Amber Brooks (North Carolina; New Hope, Pa.), Amanda DaCosta (Boston Breakers; Somers, N.Y.), Christine Nairn (Penn State; Annapolis, Md.), Meleana Shim (Santa Clara; Honolulu, Hawaii), Ingrid Wells (Kopparberg/Goteborg FC; Montclair, N.J.) FORWARDS (5): Sarah Hagen (Bayern Munich; Appleton, Wis.), Melissa Henderson (Boston Breakers; Garland, Texas), Morgan Marlborough (Santa Clara; Kansas City, Mo.), Stephanie Ochs (WNY Flash; San Diego, Calif.), Gabriella Toulouse (Ragsveds IF; Arlington, Va.)
It looks like they tied at 1:1 http://www.futbol24.com/teamCompare/CONCACAF/USA-(W)-U23/vs/UEFA/Sweden-(W)-U23/ Heck of a way to get game results.
Apparently Melissa Henderson could not go on this trip and had to cancel in the last minute because her car was broken into in Boston and her passport was stolen. (Read Waldrum's June 13 blog). I talked to her a couple of weeks ago in Chicago when the Breakers were playing the Red Stars and what a nice person. Very friendly. I feel so bad for this kid. http://www.und.com/blog/2012/06/coach-waldrum-arrives-in-norway.html
From Coach Randy's tweets: "US U-23's win Three Nations Cup in Norway by defeating Norway 4-1 today...goals by Hagen, Marlborough, DaCosta, & Ochs! Congrats USA" - way to go, U23s!
http://www.ussoccer.com/News/U-23-WNT/2012/06/U23-WNT-Falls-to-Norway-42-in-Friendly-Match.aspx Now that the U-23 season is finished for the year was it a success or failure? Pro's Won 2 tournaments? Introduced many new players to International soccer. Were able to see many new/exciting places. Con's Competition was not all that great! Overall record interesting given the latitude of players and Coach! Players invited to camp(s) or not invited to camps invited to tournaments. What say you?
For one thing, it's great to see that Waldrum does not feel that they have to win every game, as evidenced by their losing in a friendly to Norway 4-2 following completion of the Four Nations Tournament. Four of the regular starters in the tournament -- Franch, Reed, DaCosta, and Nairn -- did not play in the first half (during which Norway scored all 4 of its goals). And, the ones who did not start any games in the tournament (other than #2 keeper Anghel) played the entire game.
The u23's traditionally work a shorter and later schedule than the othe ynt's, and often have players from both the full team and u20 camps or players the staff want to see that didn't make the other camps for whatever reason. The isn't really any pressure to start at a specific time, since most countries don't field u23 teams and there is no World Cup for the age group.
I'm not at all sure they have selected the team yet. They may be waiting to see which full team candidates and u20 players to place there. La Manga isn't until Feb. 26, by which time current camps will be done. If they decide, for instance, Julie Johnson isn't ready for the full team, they will almost certainly put her on the u23 squad for more playing time. It's the way they did it in the past when Bill Irwin was coach during years when they still experimented with young players.
list is out No Dunn who may have made the big team and no Ohai http://www.ussoccer.com/News/U-23-WNT/2013/02/U23-WNT-Opens-Year-in-La-Manga-Spain.aspx