Man you trying to mislead me? in the couse of a game I have seen Abby tracking over to the right and left flank I have seen her attacking out of midfield now and then? mybe taking a few rare example of heading to make a point that is very funny for me to contempate? maybe you a Mia manic fun? Abby can take pk. remember the pk agaist North Korea? the captain do,nt ask her to do so. do you know when Abby was at collage she used to take lots of pk?April do'nt let her play to her full abilities like maybe Millie said of herself. Do you have the tape of the world all stars game vs Germany check it out for your self? if you do'nt have it you can get it from Dave for $15 David Wasser.1804 a ford street,Austin,Tx 78704 then tell me if that not a coach who know talent when see it? not like the foolish April! I am taking about the Sweedish coach. any way I am a Mia and Abby fun so no hard feeling, just go by the facts! by I gotta go for now.
While there is no doubt Abby is getting fitter and fitter by the match, what I can say is that in all of the WWC matches I saw in person and those on TV when I was keying in on Abby and her performance, and all the matches leading up to the WWC, there is NO QUESTION ABBY WAS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT TOO TIRED TO TRACK BACK. She was often huffing and puffing after one of her (amazing) runs. It was Mia who was doing all the running (read: tracking back), and yes, after some quite amazing runs, when Abby was huffing it (no exaggeration). This is not to say Abby is still this way; Abby is better and getting fitter by the match, but fitness-wise, as of, say May, she is NOT as fit and she does NOT track back like Mia. She may be that way now, now that April has the ladies focusing on fitness, fitness, and more fitness, but until I see otherwise I do not think in this aspect of your debate you are right (i.e. there is no comparison between Abby and Mia, as of up to this past May, in their fitness and their tracking back to help on defense). Tracking back on defense is often something you cannot see on TV. In person, of course, you see it all. But TV does not do justice to those who are working-bees. Same is true for Julie Foudy. Without debating whether she deserves a spot on the glorious pitch, what I can say is that in last years WWC, she was one of the fittest on the field. But that you do not necessarily see on TV. Abby has been no Mia in the fitness department, which also includes tracking back.
To start: It's silly to compare how someone is playing now to how they were playing in the World Cup almost nine whole months ago. Not to say it isn't a good idea to occasionally compare athletes to how they played at one point in their career, but since October Wambach has gotten much, much fitter. Hell, she's gotten fitter since residency started, and that's an accomplishment in itself. Secondly, it's silly to compare Hamm's game to Wambach's. They're two entirely different players. However, Wambach does do her best to track back and play defense. She does this quite often, actually. Several times I've seen she and Hamm all the way back in their own defensive third helping to clear out and win balls. Sometimes I wish they weren't back that far, but Hamm seems to have done quite a job indoctrinating Wambach on how to play the game, and thank God for it. Back to comparing their fitness level, though. Hamm is 5'5" and around 120 lbs, I'd guess. Wambach is 5'11" and somewhere between 150 and 160 lbs. To be so damn big, Wambach can move. You know that. However, asking her to run as fast as Hamm is a little much. Hamm runs as fast as Hamm. Wambach runs as fast as Wambach. They're both extremely fit. Both of them can run faster backward than Cindy Parlow could ever hope to run forward. Having said that, I know you weren't saying that Wambach was unfit. You were just saying that she wasn't as fit as Hamm. I'm saying that Wambach is just as fit as Hamm, but because of their different body types she's not able to get going quite as fast as Hamm. However, when she does get going she's moving just as fast as any of the smaller players. I've seen these players running sprints at a NT game this past April in Birmingham. Lilly, Hamm, and Wambach were always the first ones back to their line.
You are very right, Alana. It is silly to compare these two amazing players. I was ONLY comparing Wambach and Mia to shoot down someone else (phillips@webtv) who was indeed drawing a comparison between them, which I didn't think was very fair (hence the counter), and I used this person's own analysis to counter his/her very arguement. On top of that, I used the WWC and the period leading up to it and a few months after it (May) as an example to prove my point. I thought it was accurate because, after all (and getting back on topic), we were discussing, in the timeframe set out by the ESPYs, who deserved our vote for best female soccer player. Abby is awesome. I am a huge fan. But up until last May, which may have changed in the meantime, she is not able to track back as much as Hamm. I will state again, TV does not do this aspect of the game justice. To see these matches live is the only way to fully appreciate someone's fitness and tracking back to help out on defense or to even counter balls in the attacking mid that are a part of a counter the other way. As of up to May, Mia does this much more often than Abby. Again, I say "up to May" because quite frankly I have not analized the infrequent matches of late for this nor have been to any recent matches. I know Abby is fitter and running much, much better. But she is not yet at the level of a Hamm (in my own opinion of course). You make a great argument when you say that Abby is much bigger a girl than Mia, thus she cannot move as quickly. This in itself is true. And I respect that. Parlow falls in the same category. But when a player is on the field and huffing it and unable to track back, even if to defend a counter in the attacking mid area, as Abby clear was at times, especially after halftime, up until this past May (and maybe longer), quite frankly, she becomes less a part of the game and more a part of a forward and just a forward. There were many games in the past where Abby, because of her fitness, was a forward and just a forward (and a mighty dangerous one at that!), but there have been few, if no, games when Mia, because of her fitness, was reduced to that role.
I agree on all counts. Along those lines, this award is based on last year, and last year's performances should be used as the deciding factor. Plus, it's a "best soccer player" award, not best forward. It's argueable as to who was the better forward last year. You could use the Norway game as an evaluation of Abby's ability to play the entire field, but that's just one game. Mia plays the entire field every time she steps on the field. Regardless, I think one of the German players is going to win it because they won the World Cup. I'd put my money on Meinert. Isn't it nice to have a logical discussion?
Refreshing, actually Abby is one of my favorite players. I love when she is in the game and the ball goes near her, or a ball is floated across the box (especially from Mia) and I know Abby is making her run or her presence felt... Abby gives you that feeling that she can score at any time. I love the analogy someone once made on these very boards (in a WWC thread if I remember correctly) when they told the story that he was watching one of the US matches with an British fellow who'd never before seen a women's match. Abby's phyisical play stopped the chap in his tracks as he marvelled, "Van Nistelrooy!" Great story!
great article. let the Abby blathers eat their words. because as you pointed out in your post. this analogy came from a British chap how know what soccer is all about.not from one who have been in soccer only the last tweenty or so years since the U.S.W.N.T made the world stage. bravo Abby fan! soccer is in the blood of the Brits from the beginning, they invented it did'nt their. what does americans realy know about soccer to make expert judgement about the game? I am excauseing you Abby fan. good judgement of your about Abby.
Forgive me, philips webtv. If I sound haughty, catty, tacky or disrespectful...I assure you it is not my intent. What ARE you talking about? My vote: Mia. She's the complete package...she can do it all. Plus...she's American. I adore Abby, but she'll be showered with many an accolade in the very near future. If she keeps on the current path and continues to improve, she will surely be the face of post-91ers US Women's Soccer. But the woman of the ESPY hour should be the Hammer.
Thanks a lot. for the nice words you said about Abby. I am not giving Mia a bad rep.I know Mia is the greatish at the present time. but as the award is about performents for the period 2003 t0 2004.I am saying it very close between Mia and Abby. and by the way how got us in the olympic? was it not Abby's performent of 5 gooals and 3 assists in Costa Rico? what about she and Cat contribution that lead to our great rival Norway doom? had not that play been made between Cat and Abby. we would have to face Norway in the olympic. what about her tie with Mia for the most points last season in the w.u.s.a, what about the founder cup victory? who lead in goals for the Nats last year,who lead in goals scored in the world cup for the Nats? and who is leading at the present time? those statistics more imressed than Mia's for that period of tme the award cover. so you want to vote on past glory rether on present performent fine. this is not an award basis on a life time achievement. this is for the last year and the present one.
[so you want to vote on past glory rether on present performent fine. this is not an award basis on a life time achievement. this is for the last year and the present one.[/QUOTE] Never said a word about voting based on past glory rAther than on present performANCE. Nor did I say I was voting based on lifetime achievement. I completely understand the voting criteria, but thanks for explaining, or attempting to, anyway. While Mia is my fave, I take my ESPY voting very seriously. I CAN BE and AM objective about each person on the team, including Mia. I can be critical. That aside... My vote: Still Mia. She WAS the complete package last year and IS the complete package this year. She is the BEST SOCCER PLAYER among the other highly gifted and worthy women who were nominated. P.S. Spell check is a good thing.
How about Scurry? But keepers aren't going to get the glory. She's at least the come-back player of the year. It's good to see she made the ballot.
Yeah, but does Scurry really take the honor of BEST female soccer player of the year? I don't know. Personally I don't think so. She hasn't shown much. Then again, she hasn't had the opportunity to show much, which is a testament to the team in front of her. Scurry no doubt is worthy of comeback accolades or one of those stray awards that's awarded to the player who overcame much adversity, but I don't think she should be grab the best female soccer player award or, for that matter, even be considered for it. This is by no means a knock on her. It merely is a statement to say that she hasn't had the chances to win (or lose) nearly as many important matches as had Abby, Meinert, Mia, Prinz, etc. As they say, goalkeeper is an unappreciated job, but in Bri's case I don't think she's had as many opportunities to put her there.
As good as Bri is, IMO I don't think she's been tested enough to be considered for best soccer player. It's good to see they've included a goal keeper, and Bri may well be the best in the world, but how many opponents has the US seen where she's had to come up with big saves? Even in the World Cup. Against Germany, and maybe N. Korea. But other than that, not a whole lotta action for Bri. If there's gonna be a goal keeper on the list, I would vote for Silke Rottenburg. She was amazing in the WWC, unfortunately for the US.. Other candidates could be Jonsson (SWE), Sulemana (GHA), and of course, Brianna.
Birgit Prinz won!!!!!!! Go to ESPN.com for the results of last night's awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Just kidding. Mia won. http://espn.go.com/espy2004/s/04nomineesindex.html
Talk about credibility problem.... May as well rename these categories as "The Only Male or Female Soccer Players We Have Ever Heard Of" awards. David Beckham won the male category, and he's not even the 4th best player on his own team.
It's a popularity contest. If you score goals, have scored goals, have a resemblance of talent, on a winning team, have been on a winning team, are attractive, have a nice body, or contain a host of other qualities society says is right on, then you too will win. It's the same reason ESPN constantly talks about Anna K. Glad Mia won it.
It IS a popularity contest...fans voted. We soccer enthusiasts know all of the soccer nominees. People who aren't soccer bumheads probably HAVE heard of Mia Hamm. And those are the people who were "led" through each category, looked at each name listed and in all likelihood clicked for the person/team they'd heard the most about. That's what I did on some of the other categories where I knew the names, but went with the one I'm personally more familiar. Example: Lance Armstrong got my vote b/c 1) he's American and 2) I've heard of him. Same theory with why many people voted for Mia, IMO. Personally, I'm glad she got it...I think she deserved it. What a workhorse for Women's Soccer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- I agree. in my opinion it does not matter how she got it. the question is did she deserve it?...the answer is an emphatic yes.
Who cares about Meinert or Katia? They are awesome players, but not American. What American would EVER pick a Brazilian or German over MIA?? SHe definitely deserves it, she worked so hard, and she is simply just the BEST. Besides, she is retiring this summer after the Olympics, so the award should obviously go to MIA HAMM. Go MIA!!!
It's interesting that a lot of you Mia die hards are saying that the reason she should get the award is because she's retiring or because of what she's done in the past for soccer. The award was for this past year's performance and nothing else. If she deserved the award based soley on this past year, then fine. She deserves the award then. But stop adding all this crap about what she's done in the past or the fact that she's retiring or what a workhorse she's been over the years. If she's getting this particular award based on that, then it's just another award she's picking up but not necessarily deserving of in the way the award was meant to be dealt. The award should obviously go to her because she's retiring? That's nonsense and an insult to those nominated alongside her.