I felt that the only reason Pia left Wambach in the Brazil game was so that she could add to her 134 career goal total and be that much closer to Hamm. Pia figured it's better to keep Abby in the game to avoid a later confrontation with the starting forward. Wambach wants to score goals and does not want to leave a game until she has one in the bag. I think that with Pia the squeakier wheel will always get the greese. The only way Cheney was able to make the starting line-up was by confronting Pia and telling her that she should start. Heck, even the mild mannered Morgan was finally and deservedly given a starting job when she expressed her displeasure in having Leroux sub in front of her. I'm not saying that anyone can play that card, but if you are a current starter and show displeasure in Pia not starting you, then she may just do it to avoid confrontation.
Leroux had something like 2 caps in 2 yrs when Jill sat on the bench next to Pia. That's the only way she got to play. She was pretty much playing heater with Mitts. Morgan's aggressive super sub cap plan guaranteed her a starting spot at some point. What did she have to worry if Sydney got one sub over her? Spoiled brat or something since dad promised her a Lexus? Lets see when the new coach replaces Pia will the sub 25s get caps?
did you see Coxx play against Brazil? i don't trust coxx. coxx and mitts are good at service and defense, but what do they lack? speed. forget the slowpokes, put in the speeders and youngsters. and yes, wambach needs to go out too.
QUOTE Daniela - Everyone talks about Cristaine, but she was the REAL lose. I totally agree with this comment. I will never forgive Abby for that senseless, blind-sided, career-ending tackle.
Wonder why Wambach and Boxx played two full games within a few days...they don't have that many games left in them. And as for Boxx's health issues, it reinforces for me our desperate need for youth in the center mid position.
Cox is not a strong player. She's one dimensional (pass the ball back where it came from), not fast, not clever. Heck, she was cut from the team before Abby got hurt 4 years ago. That was the right decision. And Mitts is just old. This team is so very, very tired. Wouldn't it be awesome to have a friendly where we didn't play any of the old guard- let the youngsters romp. I'd pay big time to see that.
I'm pretty sure it was Rapinoe that sparked the U.S. in the France game, not Morgan. She started the play that led to France giving up a corner kick which resulted in Abby's goal and she assisted on Morgan's goal. But yes, Morgan did change the complexion of the game.
I would agree that this was a Major and tragic loss for Brazil. To go the extra mile and say that Wambach should "never be forgiven" seems to me unduly harsh. She did almost as much to herself, in the run-up to a major international. Stuff happens on the pitch... Wambach's (self-inflicted) injury and Daniela's are (IMO) two examples of terrible accidents; both essentially pointless; examples (IMO) of athleticism and impulsivity run amok. One hopes for better decision making, but in fairness, soccer is a contact sport... Perhaps this is why I have never seen Wambach as bringing a lot of 'rocket science' to her game? However she does bring a lot of Heart, and if she is not always the most deliberate player, neither is she intentionally chippy (IMO). I think she makes every effort to play a fair game; given that it is Always big and powerful, and sometimes (IMO) not so well considered? Before I would judge her, I would have to wear her shoes and be making those decisions in the instant. The view is always better from the bleachers... No one ever likes to see a great player's career ended by a (pointless) injury. But this stuff happens, and while its heartbreaking-- that does not make anyone a villain. I'm sure if Wambach could erase those two moments from her exceptional career, she would be the first to hit the rewind button...
I know you spew non-sense all the time and I largely ignore you but when you say something as stupid as this, I just have to call you out. Why do you keep trying to show how much lower you can get? You are already at the bottom of the barrel.
lloyd was also taken out, cheney moved into the mid, rapinoe came in as a left winger. total change in the game. not saying that morgan had no impact, but there were others that contributed to the reversal of the game too. The France match is my favorite re-runs ;D
The thing I like most about Morgan is that she always finishes a tournament on a high note, and tends to excel when everything is on the line. At the under 20 championship she scored an amazing winning goal to give the U.S. the title. In the World Cup qualifiers she scored the most important goal for the U.S. team against Italy to help clinch a spot in the 2011 WC. In the 2011 Algarve Cup she scored 3 times in the last 2 games and wound up winning the golden boot. Even though she was quiet in her first few games in the WC, she still managed to score a late goal against France clinching a trip to the final, and then scored and assisted against Japan in the Final. In the Olympic Qualifiers she had a rough game against The DR, was benched against Mexico, but came back storming against Costa Rica and Canada (where she scored twice and assisted on 2 more). Finally, in the 2012 Algarve Cup, she went scoreless against Norway and Japan, but took out her frustrations on Sweden in the final game by scoring 3 times. I just feel that the bigger the stage the hungrier Morgan becomes for a U.S victory. She always peaks at the end!
First time here in a while, so I'll make my point and be on my way . Do you know what happen's when you try to make long term positive changes to a program that's part of a well defined sporting culture, deeply ingrained on the psyche that power, size, and speed, can create the best of everything; even in soccer? A quick look at the recent growing pain's of the USMNT program says it all . Seriously, who here would understand or tolerate the men's current need for regression and the resulting risk of failure for the women, if it just meant 5-10 years from now the USWNT could field 10 players all comfortable in the more aesthetically pleasing aspects (often most difficult aspects too) of the game? Sundhage leaving only provides another short term spell of superficial change. The next coach simply talks the talk, gets the results, all the time using the same player pool as every other coach that went before them. You can't magically design and find new breed players, when the global trends of progression are not being taught at all levels of your own domestic game. You play the football your brought up understanding, not the popular style other nations are excelling in, at any given moment of time. The USWNT will remain very relevant thanks to wide spread professional environments, but this won't guarantee football being played at higher standards, and it won't guarantee top 3 finishes in the long run either. Effective football will always get teams to a certain point, but future attempts at going beyond that point will then take increasingly greater fits of inspiration and luck. The most effective route to U.S. success has now become Morgan, and this will continuously trump the thoughts of a slower more calculated technical approach that some here seem to feel is just a coaching change away. By combining a world class athlete, with the best techniques to make the most of an increasingly opportunistic attacking style of play, Sundhage has over seen the evolution of the USWNT's game in front of our very eyes. Ideas on possession don't factor into Morgan's game, like it never did for Wambach's either, because there aren't enough, or possibly no players, to successfully do it. It's simply become nothing more than myth or urban legend that the once global leader should have girls capable of doing better than what we see now. As long as requests for change always focus on more speed or size as a key characteristic to providing better players for the USWNT, fans will continue to miss the most obvious of truths. Right now it's a global game, and when measuring ability by the worlds criteria of excellence, maybe there is not currently as much talent in the U.S. player pool as some hope, or like to imagine. You need to start building from the very bottom to seriously move forward in the long run, so I don't see where this revolution will televised come the end of Sundhage's reign.
I believe we do have a few of those technical players on the team right now. Pia just doesn't play them.
Agreed. We do have those players, they just aren't playing. We've always had technical players. This idea blossomed when Pia came in and started telling the world we don't have technical players and we're worlds behind and SHE alone will bring them back to glory...yet continued to play the same players who have showed very low soccer iq and sometime grand technical flaws. I believe the premise of bat's argument is off so the conclusion in my observations doesn't make sense. Are other countries becoming better soccer players, Yes. Are american girls and women as well? Yes. Did you watch the u20 WC qualifiers? it was some great football and supports my argument. And there is a direct link between u20 WC and senior WC as well - from the numerous German, French, British, Columbian and USA girls who's played in both in the last 4 years or so and exceeded/flourished in both.
Your judging Coxx off of one game? What the hell is that? Coxx is legit so is Mitts. And no they are not dead slow, both have speed and both are better options than LP. When one is a defender top speed like Morgan or HAO isn't a necessity.
Coxx is not one dimensional player who passes backwards. She can get foward fine, she's more of a stay at home fullback. You said she's not clever, hell HAO isn't clever she's an engine(high work rate) and basic ABC player yet she's on the team and starting. Mitts is old? Mitts is a better fullback than anyone the current team hands down. Old Rampone 36, Boxx 34, Lori 32, Wambach 31. What the hell does being have to do w/ productivity nothing? One either has class or doesn't, Mitts has Class. Mitts hasn't been given a signifiant amount of games nor real game time to play against real competition, since she came back from injuries.
fullbacks are positions that rampone and buehler hold, in the traditional sense. in this case, do you want to play them as a flat four who will hold back attackers and can be comfortable just around midfield because we have an efficient midfield-forward connection?---we don't have that...no, we can't play like that. mitts in her glory days was good. she had great attacking support presence, and was FAST. it's these qualities that make players like ali riley and alex scott valuable. these days, she gets burned by a lot of opponents in the final third (though i'm really proud she doesn't grab shirts or arms like some of our current defenders do)...but i agree that she can bring all those years experience as a defender on the table, by good positioning, distribution, and sound defending. that's where the difference is with her, coxx, and lepielbet coz i think that speed-wise, they're all on the same level. i remember coxx had more minutes in the past because she got in offense a lot, she used to be a staple on corner kicks. lately she has been a little slow and disjointed...just expressing what i see....
Rampone and Buehler are Center-halfs(CB) not fullbacks. Fullbacks are the outside defenders, they do get foward in the attack once in awhile when the openings are there. KO who is playing that fullback position isn't playing like a fullback at all. She is not only going forward often she's going foward all the time, that's a wingback. They are more attackminded, they live in the final third. Wingbacks lack defensive positioning, and put the Centerhalfs and DM/Holding mid often under more pressure than they need to be when their facing a counter-attack Ali Riley is a fullback, she will go foward when there's an opening. She doesn't live in the attacking 3rd like a wingback. List of fullbacks Ashley Cole Ramos Coentrao Lahm Micon Arbeloa Ivanovic Evra List of wingbacks Sanga Macelo Daniel Alves Gibbs Santos Walker Assou-Ekotto Mitts is not past prime. Mitts has not and I repeat has not been given a signifiant amount of playing time w/ the NT in real games. Mitts is given grab time if any like Morgan received for a long time. Mitts plays perfectly fine w/ her club team the Beat. You point to Mitts getting beat in the final 3rd, all defenders will get beat over the course of a game. Mitts isn't the only defender to be beat over the course of game; Rampone gets beat, LP, KO, Krieger, Buehler. Coxx seems disjointed because like Mitts isn't getting signifiant playing time. Coxx is good, she's a true fullback, she will go foward when it's open, she's not going to live foward and play like a wingback. Which is what you asking of your outside defenders. We always hear Foudy or the soccer community talk about the problems w/ the backline. One weakness we have is that Pia insists that the fullbacks to be wingbacks, not fullbacks. Thus, exploiting our backline to quick counter attacks. Coxx is a stay at home defender(fullback) that will get foward.
I think that we are often very quick to criticize the backline when the issue is actually the lack of support and ball possession from the midfielders. A wingback, for instance, can only do her stuff when supported by a midfielder who is willing to get back and provide cover. The US backline has issues, but those issues get further exposed when the midfield isn't doing their job properly. Most players have weaknesses so the challenge becomes how to have formations and player selections that minimize those. I like Cox's game. To my mind, she is the most technically proficient of the defenders the US has in regular rotation (followed by Sauerbrunn). But she does not fit well within the formations/player selections that Sundhage employs. She is not a physical, one-on-one defender like LePeilbet or Beuhler. Instead, she defends through her positionality. She is also not overly fast, which could be compensated for by having either a fullback next to her or a midfielder above her who is. One of the best games I saw her play was with Boston when O'Hara was in left midfield--the two of them dominated that side with real verve. I'm not sure I think Cox is so critical that I tinker with a lineup to get her in, but my point is more that she is a player with a particular skillset that is not valued by the current US staff. Rampone and Sauerbrunn I would argue as the most well-rounded of this set of defenders. I wish we could see more Engen. Think of a fullback pairing in the near future of Sauerbrunn and Engen! I also think that having only one of LePeilbet and Buehler (both of whom rely on physicality) on the field at a time is enough.
That relationship could develop into a Markgraf-Rampone type of pairing. Both of them are very technical and Engen has plenty of speed. Besides, I think people forget how tall Engen is (2 inches taller than Rampone, 3 inches on Buehler). She's extremely good at winning balls in the air which we don't really have on our defensive back four besides Buehler sometimes. One day...
Huhhhh, but better at what? I was in your camp not so long ago, but looking at things honestly, I feel ideas on possible Sundhage era wasted talent is just not true. Yes U.S. players do exist outside of the current WNT with fantastic technical ability, but when have you ever seen said abilities shine at any serious international level of the game? Even though the U.S. system has brought through Nogueira, and Heath, the only serious creative mid to shine on the global stage in the last 5 years, performing at the same level or better than her international peers, was Kristie Mewis. Even with a turbulent 4 years of WPS, when have the rest of these mythical creative/technical domestic players ever proved themselves to be on a level of ability with that of the present USWNT squad? Let alone the best from around the globe. U.S. soccer finding decent forwards, defenders, and keepers, is now as easy as fishing in a barrel. Placed in a environment where a balanced midfield can be truly assessed though, most of the college games creative stars are no show's or one trick ponies; all eventually resigned to having to play out of position to find field time if any future senior call up comes along. A Morgan/Leroux inspired U-20 side won the WC playing a 4-3-3, showcasing all the same qualities the current senior team consistently get ripped for right now. 2012's CONCACAF qualifiers a great vintage though.....? Come the world finals we'll know for sure, but the hype which surrounds domestic players rarely holds up next to the international elite. So what's Sundhage to do?
Sauerbrunn and Engen both should be center-halfs(CB). Both are ridiculously good technically. Having 2 Center-halfs like that both on the field is incredible. Coxx wouldn't have to be forced into the line up. I agree that the current coaching staff doesn't see her as their player. Anyone who plays LB is basically on their own, their not getting the support from the LM unless A-Rod or HAO plays there. All the other LM are great going forward but would work as hard getting back on defense nor are they that good at defending Cheney, Heath, Rapinoe. We don't need LP and Beuhler on the team for thier physicality, that's overrated they lack the technical skills. I'd love to see Brittany Taylor get playing time, she's the female verison of Micah Richards. Big strong frame, technical, has speed and is versatile, she can play LB/RB/CB.
We have technical players that can play the game along sides as Japan, France, Sweden or an Arsenal, Barca, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid Like you said they aren't given the same opprtunities that the current NT starter get in playing time nor playing in their preferred positions, or playing on a team designed to play the technical style. Just cuz a team plays a 4-3-3 formation doesn't mean their going to play possession style soccer. Napoli play the 3-4-3 and they don't play a possesion game like Arsenal or Barca. Bayern Munich plays a possession football but it's different than Arsenal and Barca. Bayern Munich formation is 4-5-1.
i thought players are supposed to be consistent? Even the great Rampone and Hope were a bit off too. they're getting a bit shaky.