USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness.

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

Interesting about the fitness since the WNT has prided itself as being very fit. Wonder what's changed lately. Thanks for the info! I am definitely going to look into tickets for Oct. 29 in Germany.

 

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

So this would be way after the WPS season is over. Also you would figure that they would be in better shape since they are training everyday with their WPS clubs.

 

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

smulan,

thanks for the info.

now lets play....whose fit and whose flat ( i was going to say fat, but no one is really fat).

OK ill start

Fit ----tarp
Flat ----mitts

 

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

What? If you're saying Mitts is out of shape, you're crazy. Mitts has always been the most fit player on the team and every coach she's played for has said so. And htide, I see many of these players almost on a weekly basis at Red Stars games. Tarpley although, not in bad shape, gets subbed often because she runs out of gas sometimes, so does Rapinoe, IMO. Carli Loyd, now that's a player that's out of shape. Danesha Adams came into the season and still looks like she can't push herself away from the sweets table.
But don't ever tell me Mitts is out of shape. She never has and I'm certain never will be out of shape as long as she's playing pro. That's one of the things they like about her is her discipline to stay fit.

 

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

I agree MRAD that mitts has generally been one of the fittest. Its this reason I bring her up. She has just seemed slower to me. Remember being fit doesn't necessarily equate to looking in shape.

I agree about Lloyd. I would be curious to hear from others who regularly saw the national team play and now watch them at WPS matches. Has anyone else seen a difference at the games.

Box seems fit, so does solo and barney. I also think woznuk looks in shape. Given the fact that she has had to run from one end of the field to the other, abby looks good given her injury. Has anyone else stuck out to any of you?

 

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

You and I have had our disagreements on how Solo handled the WWC benching but I'm here to say that she not only looks very fit, she is on top of her game and getting better (if that's possible). She is fit and has swagger, which I love in a keeper. I'm sure my friends that support Athletica will agree. I'm back on the Hope Solo love wagon even though Jonsson is up there also.
We play Boston this sunday so while we are on this subject, I'm going to keep any eye on the fitness of the Nats players. Chicago is starting to get hot and humid. I'm curious as to how the players handle this change in weather as the season rolls along. Remember, many of them have never played a long grueling season, even in college.

 

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

First I agree about solo (surprise...surprise ). She seems to be really stepping it up. Barney also looks a bit leaner and faster to me. Although maybe that isn't too surprising. Keepers have to spend a lot of time self-motivating to do traditional cardio because they just do not have the same workrate requirements in a game or during scrimmages, etc.

I think it will be great to hear your observations about boston since you saw them play earlier in the season. Let us know if you note any changes since the last time you saw them.


I am assuming since Pia hasn't held camp she is making observations about fitness from just watching the WPS matches. I know I will be looking a little more carefully this week to note if anyone stands out as someone she may have been referencing.

 

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

I do think the different fitness regimes of each WPS team have had an impact on the fitness level of WNT players. Just from watching games, I cans see that teams have different standards with regard to fitness. Players also must learn (or relearn) how to stay at the highest level of fitness while taking care of their bodies and managing the wear & tear (nicks&pulls) normally encountered in a full club season.

I agree that there is a difference btwn fat, in shape, club fit, and WNT fit. I think being subbed in or out of games might not ness. be indicative, either. If we're looking to see which players Pia may have been talking about, I think a good bet would be to look at the roster for the Canada game. That was the most recent in depth contact Pia had w/ players.

On that list, my #1 guess for "not fit enough" would be Lloyd. I think most WPS observers (and fans) can agree that Lloyd had just not shown up for league play. Does lack of fitness come in to play there? No idea.

Abby is coming off the broken leg and at the beginning of WPS play, even Gabarra said she had not gained back all the muscle mass she had prior to the break. As a young WUSA & WNT player, she had to learn how to be properly fit. Where is she w/ fitness now?

Rampone was carrying a hamstring injury but seemed to recover. Sometimes muscle pulls can be due to playing too much when not fit. The appearance of her face & legs prior to league play make me think that she is definitely fit. But I haven't seen a close up lately.

Something is negatively impacting Mitts's club performance. It could be age (she's 31) taking away her speed game and then (possibly) leaving her unable to compensate w/ positional understanding. It could be injury. It could be fitness. It could be the moon. She, too, is beginning to pick up muscle pulls and her face never looked as tight/fit to me as Rampone's.

 

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

As I read it, it's a little more coersive than just talking over the net.

Apparently, these wrist monitors will download data to the net so fitness trainers can verify that players are actually doing their training.

Pretty cool idea

 

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

leads me to conclude that wnt camps are better for fitness than playing regularly on a wps team.

not what i would have thought before this news.

hopefully, this is just because the league is in its infancy. because playing regularly in a league should be the best thing fitnesswise and skillwise for a player.

there's a disconnect somewhere here.

 

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

After the last game I saw her play in against the Sol (during which even the announcers made repeated notice of how out of breath and struggling she was towards end of the game) and today's game where she apparently got subbed before half, I believe Abby is on that list of less fit players. Now obviously, she's got a better reason for it coming off an injury, but I think she's still struggling a bit. Reports from today's game don't indicate an obvious injury situation for the sub but it was super hot in Stl.

 

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

The Washington Post says she was subbed due to a strained hamstring.

 

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

Personally I'm kind of confused by Pia's assertion. Other than Loyd, I don't see how any of the WNT players who are starters or play regularly on their WPS yeams are not in game shape. The WPS is not chopped liver and the coaches are not some sub-par coaches. Also IMO, the players in the WPS play week in and week out against the best competition as opposed to our WNT that trounces New Zealand or Mexico 5-0.
As Mike Ditka would say "Who are you crappin", Pia.

 

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

I thought the same thing when I read this as well. For the most part, those chicks are always in shape, which is the primary reason they win so consistently. This is probably an excuse to put a friend on the payroll...

 

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

Huh?

Anyways. They did win the last Olympics. Not to rehash the drama from the last WWC, I don't think the reasons for the loss in 2007 were due to the lack of fitness...but whatever.

 

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

I think your memory is a little backwards on that. the world cup was over in the first 20 minutes. Fitness had little to do with it.

the Olympics was different. At the end of regulation it was the Brasilians who were treated for cramping and were dead prone on the pitch .

And at the end of the game they were prone again as the Americans stepped over their bodies during the victory lap.

Look here:

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...&sa=N&start=36&um=1&ei=wQ0_SvbLLJXstgP13MGLCw

 

Re: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

I think you're all reading too much in to this. If a player dribbled the length of the field through all 11 opponents and blasted a shot that ripped through the net and gave a spectator a concussion, the coach is still going to point out that if she was fitter she would have drilled the ball so hard it would have exploded and not gone through the net. Coaches are never satisfied with a players fitness or any other aspect of their game. You can become the best player or team on earth. Your coach will just set a higher goal to reach. That's what coaches do.

 

Re: USWNT to head for three week training camp in Germany: Sundhage dissatisfied with player fitness

Yeah, I clarified my post.

It the world cup the game was over when Boxx got her red card and went down by three shortly later. it was being outplayed that lost them the game, not fitness.

and if you perceive that the cause was the USA was gassed at the end , playing a man down for most of the game could, I submit, have been the cause.

If you look at the LAST finals they played against each other in 2008, the USA fitness was better - and that picture in the link I posted proves it.