Post-Olympics Player Pool Discussion

This plan was ill conceived from the start. U dont win the Olympics by building a team for 2019 u do i by building a team for the Olympics.

 

Not a bad list. I havent watched KC much but Im not sure Taylor is still NT caliber

 

For me the first step is deciding who u offer contracts to next year. If ur truly interested in winning in 2019 and not all the home friendlies between now and then I cut ties with the older players. Id keep Sauerbrunn because she is low mileage (thanks, Pia) and Harris but I get rid of the rest of the 30 somethings. Im less interested in if they can still play as much as their constantly playing blocks the development of younger players behind them.

 

Noted.

 

This article is more on changes in tactics, but also talks about personnel. Its a great piece on "Now what?": http://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/featu...medium=t&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

If you keep some of these same players moving forward, then I do think the question becomes how do you get some of these players who are obviously very talented to work together in the same system? If Leroux makes it back, how does she fit? As another #9 or out wide? Will Mewis pass by Long? Who will be out (retired or left off roster) by 2019? Solo? Rapinoe? Lloyd--can she really make it another cycle, and even so, will she have the legs to be as valuable as now?

 

It was ill conceived if you're not willing to take some significant risks with the Olympics. History may be suggesting that to win the WCC, you need to go with a very mature team and, if you want to win the next WCC, you're going to need to make changes immediately post WCC that will make winning the Olympics much more difficult. There's a reason why no team ever has won the WCC and then the Olympics.

In fact, history suggests a whole bunch of us may have had very unrealistic expectations/hopes.

 

In all fairness, I do not watch NWSL but I cannot believe our best players have contracts. If there is no change to USWENT setup what weak spots do we move out? Solo, Lloyd top my list.

 

It's hard no doubt!!!! But the US came mighty close with the loss in the WC finals in 2011, and they didn't change too much by the 2012 OG's.

 

When I mentioned this nonsensical approach back in October a lot of posters were swayed by the excitement of new young faces. The problem was the faces and players attached were hand picked replacements instead of players who had earned a chance at the big club. Now the real proof of this plan still lays in the future and some of these players may be important in 2019...in fact Id be stunned if several arent starting then...BUT...it didnt need to happen this year. The players already on this team should not have had their Olympic hopes imperiled by some screwball plan cooked up by Ellis, Heinrichs and whoever.

 

I believe the closest we came to winning both WWC and Olympics was 2011/2012. On retrospect, we came within a hairline of winning WWC11' and seemed to field a good group for London 2012 since we got the Gold Medal.

 

with all the dues they collect, don't know why the USSF can't have an B team, England has just started one, and France got one too. Whie the A does the SBC, they could of competed for instance at the Cyprus or Algarve Cups

heck, we could even have a C team(and still could probably crack the top 10) with the likes of McDonald, Doniek, Edmonds, Hoy, Huerta, Killian, Lohman added to it

 

We have the FIFA-ish U-17, U-20, and U-23 teams instead of B.
Starting this year, we have the CONCACAF-ish U-15 not televised, not streamed

These are tourney-only teams, without any year-long continuity. There's probably no money to pay for a semi-permanent B team. (Heck, there's apparently not enough money for the A team.) Dues probably aren't spent to support the NTs; they're plowed back into the programs. USSoccer isn't secretly rich, like Harvard's endowment.

 

I don't think the players are necessarily the issue, rather the positions individuals are playing and the tactics, or lack thereof, employed.

We've seen for many years now the apparent desire by us soccer to rank the top whatever (19?) players available and take them regardless of positions. You half expected Ellis to name HOA as backup keeper.

The concept might work if we were a more intelligent soccer nation committed to development. We aren't even close.

If Lloyd wants nothing but to score goals, then let her compete for a spot at forward. If Heath can't win a job at central midfield, then she doesn't play.

 

I would like to see a front four next she believes consisting of press, Morgan, Pugh and Heath. Dunn and Carli if she is around as subs

 

Looking down the road, here's how I see it:

Going soon: Solo (although the fact that she might write a tell-all book might scare the powers that be into keeping her around), Harris, Krieger, O'Reilly

Naeher becomes nominal number one goalie for a while until you find a long term goalie. The most prominent candidate is Franch.

Around another year or so: Long, Engen

Have to prove they're still relevant for WC 2019: Lloyd, Rapinoe, Sauerbrunn, Naeher.

I suspect Press will retire before long. She has never really seemed to me to establish herself as a fully-accepted member of the WNT. I won't be surprised to see Alex Morgan take a year or two off -- and maybe retire. Leroux 50/50 she returns.

So, whoever the coach is, has to plan on replacing 2 or 3 gks, at least 4 field players, and with the 2019 status of 6 players uncertain.

So, plan on replacing 6-13 players by 2019. Plus injuries, unexpected retirements. So, you start now looking around for a dozen new players.

You have in the waiting room: Hinkle, Sonnett, Mewis, Lavelle, and Sanchez. Maybe Colaprico. So, call up about half a dozen new prospects in later 2016 or 2017 and give them a try.

 

Definite Retirement: Christie Rampone
Possible Retirement: Whitney Engen, Christen Press and Heather O'Reilly since Jill Ellis doesn't like them.
Around for another year or two: Ali Krieger, Ashlyn Harris
Uncertainty: Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd Megan Rapinoe, Sydney Leroux, Amy Rodriguez, Kelley O'Hara

I will agree though that this will be the first time in over 10 years we start having a discussion on replacing Hope Solo.

Carli Lloyd might still be in the mix for WWC19' since she's a perfectionist similar to Abby Wambach in that she will still be hungry and isn't satisfied with this result. Does not mean she's going to make it since she'll be older and we have no idea if she wants children or when she's getting married. One thing we can't deny about Lloyd is she has a workrate and serious about her fitness. We'll see in the next few years how far that takes her.

Baby Making Time
: This is usually the best time to reproduce so expect to see some pregnancies in the next couple of months....

 

I really don't think press or Morgan will retire. Both have said they want another cycle. they are still the best forwards in the nwsl. Not sure about who is coming through college.

They are also mediagenic and two of the most popular with sponsors

 

I have a question. Why does everyone put Franch as a possible up and coming Goalkeeper candidate for the USWNT ahead of Betos? Betos, IMO is the best goalkeeper in the NWSL as far as performance. Franch is her back up for the Thorns.

I would like Clive and CP to weigh in on this, if you don't mind, please. It irritates me that this talented goalkeeper gets no love, from anyone outside the the Thorns faithful.

 

My guess is they are going to groom a college or very young keeper. Jane Campbell was the name being brought up forever

 

When they went searching for players last October, most of them came out of the U system. All eyes will be on Papau New Guinea for the U20 WC to see if anyone besides Pugh looks ready to move up. Then they'll shake the U23 tree again and see who falls out.

 

Neither Betos nor Kopmeyer get the credit they deserve IMO. This season has seen some GK thrown into action unexpectedly. A lot of them had trouble. This made those that did well shine even more.

 

Both Betos and Kopmeyer r outsiders to the US development system. If we dont see personnel changes in the US development cabal that will be held against them.

 

I thought Jill had said that how well players play in the NWSL will also be a judging point of whether a player gets called into USWNT camp. Betos has played her _ss off in the NWSL.

 

I completely agree with the term "cabal" being used to describe the US youth development system. The competition in top college conferences, much less the NWSL is far tougher than that within the CONCACAF and frankly most of the rest of the world save 5-8 teams. If players excel in these venues, they should be given a shot with national programming- regardless of their history with YNT development programs. Kids being selected (preselected?) at 14 years old for greatness and more importantly, the exclusion of all others who were not put on the fast track as middle schoolers, is not a process to assure the best players are put forward to build the strongest possible national team. I do hope there are significant changes in leadership and that future leadership allows, if not actively searches for, "late bloomer" or "under the radar" type players that may pop into view at multiple points in time before they give up soccer fields for boardrooms.