Although I hate to see her not play with the national team, I am glad to know in her own words that she's not exhausted anymore, that she's ready to play again, and that it's philosophical reasons she's tired of playing w/Ape. At least she's standing her ground!!! I hope she does decide to play WPSL, W-league or overseas so that we get to continue to watch her play the game she loves.
1) I agree that Heinrichs needs to go. 2) But the fact remains that Millbrett is no longer "international calibre." The wheels literally came off of her game last year. The speed she built her career on all but disappeared in New York last summer. While it is not unheard of, it is very rare to find players that get back steps that they've lost in their 30s. She's had a great career, but it's definitely in the twilight.
From the Oregonian... Kicker for Milbrett: loss of joy After butting heads with the coach, the Portland resident chooses peace of mind over another shot at the Olympics ABBY HAIGHT
It's common knowedge I don't much care for April a whole lot. But I do agree with her in that fitness, mental strength, and work rate are key. I know I sound like a broken record a lot when I mention Abby. But as much as April traumatized me last year with not bringing Abby onto the team, I think she helped her. Jerry Smith did the same. They both told her she wasn't fit enough, and she busted her ass and got that way. As a result she worked her way back onto the team and made a difference. She scores goals in abundance now. She creates chances for others. All that came from being fit, being very mentally stable, and working her ass off. Millie reminds me of someone who thinks their talent should be enough. That all they should need to do is go out there and do what they want. By doing that they'll magically get fit. Life's not that simple. Sport isn't that simple. You have to work like you're the worst player in the world, and you have to know that you can be the greatest. But you have to work hard to be the best. You have to keep striving for excellence. You can't expect other people to give it to you. Mia Hamm personifies that attitude. Abby's following suit, thank God. And that's my soapbox. Feel free to disagree.
I don't think she lost steps because of anything physical so much as she lost steps because of the mental. Maybe it sounds loopy to some people, but all great track athletes talk about how mental running is...and you wouldn't think it because, hey, they just run around in a circle, right? Speed is mental. Being able to play good soccer on top of being speedy is even more mental. Tiff's head's been somewhere else. I'm not ready to write her off as "no longer 'international calibre'".
You're talking about Abby like Tiff wasn't Abby once. Tiff's been like Abby for 12 years now. They've had different things they've had to work on to say "in", but they've both worked on them. It's just not worth it to Tiff anymore. As she says in the article (bold is my emphasis): Also, seems a weird comparison since Abby's been b!tching about Ape to the press for a while. Do you really think she's suddenly HAPPY with Ape now, or is she just doing her best to fit in to keep playing? Like Tiff said, it seems worth it when you're young and it's all new... As for saying that Tiff didn't strive for excellence, and that she expected someone to give it to her, all I can say is that's complete B.S. Her career record OBVIOUSLY speaks otherwise!! EDITed to add: Tiff speaks of work ethic in the Oregonian article (bold is my emphasis again): Tiff's no slacker.
Okay, I have to leave for a basketball game in literally minutes, but I have to say...you are way off base about Tiff's work ethic. I will expand on this later, when I get home, because Tiff is literally one of the most dedicated, hard working athletes I have ever worked with. She ranks up there with Lil, and that is not a compliment I easily throw around.
I understand what you're saying. I also understand that it's not worth it anymore. She herself said she's been living under a system she didn't like for the past 12 years, and that's a shame. The point I was trying to make is that Millie isn't young and it's not new anymore. She's tired of it and it showed in her play. I didn't mean to imply that she didn't strive for excellence. Scoring 99 goals at the international level isn't something you do magically. They don't appear out of nowhere. They come from hard work and dedication. The thing is, that dedication wasn't showing itself anymore. We can blame it on Ape. We can blame it on the system. We can blame it on the fact that people don't get younger. All I really meant to say was that she wasn't playing like the player I remember her being. That, to me, was the reason she wasn't playing. That's why she wasn't scoring goals in crazy numbers anymore. She played in a system she didn't like for 12 years and got 99 goals out of it. Then one day she wasn't scoring goals anymore. I'm sorry she can't be like she used to be for the NT. How she used to play will be greatly missed. How she played last year won't.
sorry but I find it just a bit ironic in light of Millie's comments upon April's arrival: "Heinrichs told the players to be creative and take risks. "We're elite, professional athletes," Milbrett said earlier. "I think Tony forgot that. He wanted a real regimented style. 'Pass here, pass here, pass here.' April came in and said, 'Listen, we're tired of you asking us what to do out there. You're professionals. Go out and do what got you here.' " http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/sports/oregonian/00/09/sp_41wsocc13.frame However, the longer April coached the more anal she became. Obviously, things did not turn out quite like Millie had hoped- and somewhere, dicicco is feeling a bit vindicated.
Quite right. In the semis against Germany, it became obvious that she had preached to the team to pass here, here, here, here. How many times did the national take the ball down the flank and then cross it in the middle only to have it intercepted? Every single time they attacked prior to the 70th minute! Watching that game made me think the national team was a really stupid animal who kept smashing into the tree head on for no reason at all. This happened because of the way April coaches.
But the fact remains that replacing April will not fix all that's wrong with the USWNT. We're going to have to really face up to the fact that most of the "Founders" are no longer international quality. Any given game? Yes. Most games? No. It's tough to face up to the fact that one's favorite player isn't among the elite anymore. My favorite baseball player is Frank White, but that doesn't mean I want him playing second base for the Kansas City Royals. Most of the Founders should be able to play (if a league exists) high level club ball for years to come, but there's a difference at the national team level. While our national team tactics leave large room for improvement, different tactics aren't going to prevent what Kara Lang was doing to our backline in third place game. We need more youth and more speed. We need to bring younger players in and find out who can step up and who can't. We need to start bleeding the next generation so that when China 2007 and China 2008 roll around we're ready. What's going to happen in Athens is going to happen. It's too late to make wholesale changes. Maybe five or six different players on the roster, but we're talking about players we know - not the unknowns. April had 3 years to call in and experiment with the players that showed their class in the WUSA, and for the most part she abdicated. Is Jenny Benson international calibre? How about Nancy Augustyniak? I could go on. We all have our own feelings and opinions, but without actually putting players on the field, nobody will ever know. Boxx, Bivens, and Mitts (until her injury) were the lucky ones. They got their chances and have taken them. But the league was full of players who showed that week in and week out that they measured up to the various national teamers and internationals. I don't know if the blame rests entirely with April or with the Federation itself. How much control did/does April have over who she calls in and how much is dictated by the marketing needs of the Federation and its sponsors. Imagine the horror if April had called in a non-Founder team in order to look at players. Don't discount the possibility that April is more puppet than puppet master.
Kinda sounds like the same situation w/ Steve Sampson, doesn't it? When he first came in, he pretty much let the guys figure things out for themselves...The longer time went by, he became much more of a micromanager, much to the detriment of the team... Looks like history is repeating itself...
After April If we win Olympic gold, April could be in charge another three, four years. As long as Dr. Bob is in charge, April's his girl. If we don't win Olympic gold -- and I think Sweden, should Ljungberg come back strong from her ACL, is at the very least a co-gold favorite with the Americans (Germany will be tough, too, but they must replace Meinert and Wiegmann) -- Heinrichs has to be gone. There's no way the Federation would keep her in charge if we don't win gold, would they? I think the real key move this week was Tracey Leone moving from U-19 coach to WNT asst. She's being groomed to take over for April. She, too, is a UNC product. Can we expect the team's tactics to change under Leone? I think it would be interesting if Mark Krikorian, who took over the U-19s, got a chance to coach the WNT. Or Pia Sundhage, who would be my first choice, but I don't know if the Federation would consider hiring a foreigner.
Ironic that Millie's speaking up now. Although I haven't been an April fan in the past (not a rabid April hater either), I like the changes she's made recently. I think she's got a better team now than in the WWC.
Millie is certainly still fit to make an impact on the USWNT while others on the field no longer contribute let alone make an impact. Look at Foudy for example. She is slow and the only time she contributes is against lowly opponents. April just cannot seem to replace her with a more qualified player and that will be April's demise. You cannot tell me that Foudy is more of an impact player than Millie. This team needs attacking players from the back flank forward, players who will run the entire field, not give up and play hard nose defense. Those players exist but April still is sticking with some of her former teammates and she will be let go for that reason. If April put Millie on the bench without explaining her reasons, well that is not only bad coaching, it is stupid. Millie deserves more than that. At least tell your players why they are not playing and explain their role. April it appears simply is too weak to face the music. Well the music is going to stop for her unless she changes some of her coaching style.
This is the same blinders approach that helped cost us the WWC. Millie is done. She's toast. I agree, so is Foudy. Millie just doesn't have it anymore. I'm sorry if I'm stepping on some toes, but the majority of the Founders should be permanently retired from the national team. Professional sports is a cold cruel "law of the jungle" environment. Sentimentality is for losers. Millie has been crap on the field since 2001. Utter crap. It really doesn't matter whether it's phyical fatigue, mental fatigue, or whatever. 30+ year old players don't get a "free pass". If she wants to be on the post-Heinrichs national team, then she needs to find a club and prove it. Yeah, she was one of the top two or three players in the world in 2000 and 2001, but that doesn't mean squat in 2004. Honor what Millie and the others have done in the past, but prepare to win tomorrow. General Disclaimer for my posts in this thread: I generally try to avoid discussing individual players in the womens forums. I long ago found that many "fans" of the womens game wrap up their own self-worth in the perception of their favorite player, so that any aspersion against the current ability of a player is perceived as a personal attack. I am disagreeing with the arguments put forth. If anyone takes what I'm saying as a personal attack, please check with your psychiatrist as soon as possible.
more on millie http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1076764067318780.xml
Foudy Where Foudy is so valuable to the team is off the field. Brandi, too. Of the Founders, they are wonderful glue. I don't think Foudy's as awful as many others think -- she's a decent linking player and on-field leader -- but the problem is there's no position for her. If you play with four midfielders, she's not a winger, you'd take Boxx as holding before you would Foudy, and she's not a playmaker, nowhere near Wagner or Tarpley. Or Parlow. Or Hamm, if you play her there. If you play with a five-woman midfield, which we see so seldom, I'd prefer Osborne or Roberts next to Boxx in the back. The era of the Founders is coming to an end. But it won't conclude before the Olympics are over, and that's reality.
I wish Millie the best. She deserves it. I also have not liked April's coaching style for a while. However, the 99 goal thing just kills me. Talk about being so close to triple digits. Poor Mil. Just one more game might have done it.
RE: ------------------------------------------------- only one point I would like to make with regard to your post. the first is that while Abby may not have been a 90 min. player in 2000, 2001, or 2002......neither was CP. but; CP did not have to deal with the same bias. Now in my opinion only, as a coach you must be fair. what is expected of one player must therefore be expected from all players when you are talking about fitness, workrate, and so on. I would also like to mention that Millie is not the first player to walk away nor the first one to voice her disatisfaction with this coach....Remember sarah whalan?...so now we have had 3 different players complaining of lack of communication, and potential favoritism. Millie called to attention somethings that i have been saying for a while now. april is ultra conservative, and she has striped this team of it's creativity and pigeonholed it's most intuitive, instinctual, and creative players into in many cases one dimensional roles. the green light days of allowing mia Hamm for isntance to make her runs as she felt it, are gone. Doubt me on this?....Watch the germany match again. our attack was so predictible that me 25 years removed from playing could have defended against it. Why because the Germans knew exactly what we were going to do. Mia...right flank....end line....cross. Every damn time. and the only time that was not the case was when we got a set peice, or a free kick or Mia did what her coach did not want her to do and took the ball inside. but; if you watch the second half mia did not venture into the middle but; maybe once. There is a prime example of pigeonholeing. Here is this wonderfully creative and talented player, and where did April stick her?...she was used as strictly an assist artist. but; in so doing our attack was nullified. Mia wasn't given the freedom to choose what runs to make and when or where to slot them. And you could see it. Millie mentioned April telling players how many touches they can have before giving up the ball. You can not do that. the game is always moving, not every situation will allow for it.
Re: AndyMead: Quote While our national team tactics leave large room for improvement, different tactics aren't going to prevent what Kara Lang was doing to our backline in third place game. We need more youth and more speed. We need to bring younger players in and find out who can step up and who can't. We need to start bleeding the next generation so that when China 2007 and China 2008 roll around we're ready. ------------------------------------------------ but; let us concider why Kara Lang was getting in. That was not neccessarily the fault of the back line. In fact it was our Defensive Mid Boxx that got striped quite a few times deep in our own mid that got Canada chances. And that is not an endictment of boxx. You are talking about a player who had very little experience at this level. it showed against Germany and it showed again against canada. She was not comfortable with the speed of play. Sweden was not what one would concider a fast team on attack. and N. Korea though fast lacked combinational play, and accuracy. Nigeria is Nigeria. speed, agression, and on the violent side...but; not enough quality players for any of that to matter. We did not really face a challenge until Germany. the speed of play doubled, and Boxx and bivens both struggled. and so did the coach. I thought they adapted as well as could be expected in the second half, but;April spent most of her time chewing her nails and little else. Then when she did make a move it was a blunder. We were getting in, starting to anyway. and with 20 min. still left to go in that match she pulled a defender and moved a player up. We were only down by 1 goal. she did it too soon. Pearce should have been in the lineup from the start of that match. she knows how to run the flanks and she makes those runs beautifully. there was our attacking defender. One who likewise had experience, and the talent. and she saw not one minute of action in such a crucial game. I have said this before but; at the risk of repeating myself. april has a tendency too look at her players like cattle and often any meat will do.
That plus she's fit, which I think goes a long way in April's playbook. I'm pretty certain that April has left Foudy in at times because of that very fact when she probably should've yanked her to add spark to an otherwise lackluster (team) performance.