I need one. Some of you may recognize me as someone who used to post regularly years ago. On a good day I can name the 1999 and 2003 rosters of the US team in numerical order. I even wrote a book in tribute to the 1999 champions (the title is my post name). But, I have not followed the game closely since the 2004 Olympics (other than a bit during 2007). So, who can educate me quickly on who are the key players for Team USA (including the newer ones)? I am quite familiar with the Wombat and her legendary abilities.
I'll take a shot: Goalkeepers: Hope Solo: +: Simply brilliant, setting the standard for modern goalkeeping, particularly her legwork and distribution. And when she's fully focused, nothing's going in the net. -: Neurotic and self-centered, average at best when she's not into the game, but that's been more of a problem in WPS than with the WNT Nicole Barnhart, Jillian Loyden: Doesn't matter, they're not going to get a minute so long as Solo's healthy. Defenders: General concerns over the defense being slow, so take that as read. Rachel Buehler - Physical middle defender Stephanie Cox - Don't really have a comment Ali Krieger - Will compete for playing time at right flank defender with Heather Mitts - who has either proven herself with her recovery from injury or received a sentimental pick. Discuss (as has been done extensively here). Amy LePeilbet - Best defender in WPS the last two years but mostly central. Concerns over using her on the outside. Christie (Pearce) Rampone - Should need no introduction, but how fast is she any more? Becky Sauerbrunn - Very intelligent and hardworking defender but, like all the others, not very fast. Can play anywhere in the back but best in the center. Midfielders: Shannon Boxx - Once among the best in the world but doesn't have the quickness and endurance she once did. Tobin Heath - Very young, has a lot to prove at this level. Missed her entire rookie season in WPS due to injury so hard to evaluate. Rep is that she has a lot of technical ability but needs to know how to use it. Lori Lindsey - Brilliant distributor of the ball but very very slow. Carli Lloyd - Most controversial name on the WNT roster. Scored winning goal in 2008 Olympics but has reputation of undercontributing, not working with Boxx in the midfield as she should, and not contributing defensively. But whenever you write her off she fires in a strike from 30 yards out when the US desperately needs a goal. Kelley O'Hara - Another very young player (like Heath, two years out of college), named to roster late after Lindsay Tarpley injured. Solid performer at the WPS level. Heather O'Reilly - Definitely a player to watch, fast workhorse on the flanks, never slows down, never gives up. Megan Rapinoe - Been a WNT regular (when healthy) since 2006 but hasn't particularly stood out. Forwards: Lauren Cheney - Also two years out of college. At 5'10", the heir apparent to Abby Wambach as a tall target player but still has to prove herself. Amy Rodriguez - Extremely quick striker but needs to work on her accuracy and teamwork. Abby Wambach - Slowing down a bit but still a big, strong target player with the best heading ability women's soccer has ever seen. Alex Morgan - Youngest player on the team but has proven herself already, scoring vital late goals in key matches. Very fast. Look for her to come in as a supersub when the US needs a goal against a tired back line. That's probably too much information, but what I'll be looking for when the US plays is: - How well are they controlling the midfield? With Boxx aging and Lloyd focused on scoring, this has been a problem. - How is the back line holding up? The US has no speedsters back there, so this is an issue. Particularly concerned after seeing Germany today regularly smoke the Canadian back line down the flanks. The US isn't likely to look much better. - Are the forwards working well together? If defenses are focusing on shutting down Wambach, are the other forwards (most likely Amy Rodriguez) taking advantage of that? Others might have different views, but that's my take. Hope it's helpful.
After StarCityFan's excellent breakdown of each of the players. Here is the team's likely formation: [LINEUP-4-4-2]Abby Wambach, Amy Rodriguez, Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd, Shannon Boxx, Heather O'Reilly, Amy LePeilbet, Rachel Beuhler, Christie Rampone, Ali Krieger, Hope Solo [/LINEUP-4-4-2] (Although reports today are talking about Lauren Cheney, a forward, replacing the left mid Megan Rapinoe)
Becoming more of a playmaker and decoy as teams look to take her out of scoring opportunies... Better footwork, less diving lately. IMHO - the team plays better without her as all play goes through abby when she is on the pitch
What injury happened to Tarpley? My recollection of her is that she played well in the 2004 Olympics (didn't she score the opening goal for the USA in the final?) but was underutilized in 2007 before getting more time in 2008. I've long thought she was an impressive player. Other than Michelle Akers herself (for those of you who started following this team after 2000, Akers is the greatest women's soccer player ever) and Kristine Lilly, Tarpley was the best passing midfielder I can remember playing for the USA.
Thanks, StarCityFan. But, I suspect you don't remember Michelle Akers very well. She had the best heading ability women's soccer has ever seen. She could outjump the Wombat, could direct passes with her head better than Abby and had a better snap of the neck to drill a ball. Look at the opening goal of the 1991 WWC final and the pass to spring Hamm to get the penalty kick against Brazil in the 1999 WWC semifinal.
While I agree that Akers was the best ever women's player and was strong in the air, I have some sympathy and possible agreement w/ SCF's point on heading ability alone (I'd throw Aarønes in for consideration, too, but it has been a long time and I've tried to block out some memories of her goals ). Akers's game as a forward was never based on aerial domination and service to her head. Yes, she headed very well and was big/strong and a major threat in the air. But the best part of her game lay elsewhere. You're right that Abby doesn't do as much passing w/ her head. But until the last year +, her heading at goal really has been world class and possibly leading the pack in best ever at that skill. And I'm not one that uses the term world class often. And SCF has been around for a long time. I think he remembers Akers. Maybe even when she was Akers-Stahl
I didn't start watching women's soccer until the 1999 WWC, so I don't remember Akers in her prime. And I can't find clips of the examples you suggest, so I can neither concede nor disagree with authority.
Akers in 1999 past her prime was still the best player in the world. There is a guy who has collected classic sports tapes, and he has some Akers-Stahl games. http://www.davebrett.com Watch her in her prime. You can then accede to my authority.
I'm late to this thread, but here's an anecdote that tells you something about Michelle Akers: Many years ago I attended a USA-China "friendly" at Washington's RFK stadium. Late in the match MA collected the ball and started for the Chinese goal. First one, then another defender attempted to strip the ball or impede Michelle's run, but she just brushed them aside and built up steam. A third defender thought about getting into Akers' path, but after seeing what happened to her two teammates she opted out, and Akers stormed into the penalty area and unleashed a ferocious shot that froze the keeper and practically tore out the net. After the match, as she was being interviewed, Michelle was asked what would have happened had that third defender made a play on the ball? "She would have gone into the net along with the ball," was Michelle Akers' reply.
Another Akers anecdote. '90 or '91 Akers held a clinic in conjunction with the NH Soccer Association. She reduced a collegiate 'keeper to tears by scoring repeatedly on a lacrosse net. One girl in the audience said she had pain when running too much and asked what Michelle did in that case. Akers responded something to the effect that she kept running because she knew she would pass out before she died.
Michelle Akers = bad ass One of my favorite memories was post-1999 final: Akers, having come off before overtime due to a blow in the head and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, pulls out her IVs to join the team on field for the trophy presentation. She was one of a kind.
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnlp204NSb1qafrh6.gif Akers was before my time but that's why she's up top on my list. I've read quite a bit on her and seen some old footage. I always admired how she had the heart of a lion. She really wanted to play no matter what and did it pretty damn well. If her leg fell off she would have picked it up, and striked the ball with it to get it in the net. All these great tidbits reaffirms that. Thanks for posting!
Team USA has never been the same since she retired. She epitomized what made the women's game alluring.
Wow, thanks for the link, now the wife and daughter are tearing up . . . . Akers is a beauty, in body and soul, who played like a beast.
I don't know if you heard, but at one point she was preparing to sell all of her WNT memorabilia in order to raise money for her horses. I never actually heard the outcome of that, though. (Yes, I know, I'm sure I've set off the family again. )