http://www.ussoccer.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=20879 What pops out for me is the two collegians Hope Solo and Pryce. Why can't April take like Melissa Moore or someone like Jen Grubb? No doubt that these two will probably have a decent career in the league if it's still around the next couple of years but I think April needs to look at WUSA'ers for this one and let the collegians play for their college team. Speaking of...did I miss Aly Wagner on this list???? Keep in mind that only 18 will be chosen for the final roster.
The article says Aly and Cat Reddick are stayin with SCU and UNC. I dont blame them. YEA CHRISTIE PEARCE!!!! Now I can congratulate her tomorrow!
Aly and Reddick are a lock for the Gold Cup in late October, and for WWC'03. I wouldn't worry about them. About Melissa Moore. I can't fault Ape for not calling her up because Team USA already has Beene, Scurry, and Mullinix. Those three, at one time or another, have been #1, and deserve to be at the camp. While Woosa is a competitive league, the international game is more tense and intense. The three have seen their share of scrapes in the international scene, and that's why they've been called up. Solo's in there because while she may never see action in '03, Ape needs to build for the future, beyond '03. Solo's called up because she needs to be immersed in the intense competitive environment that camp provides, something she won't ever see in college. Whether Solo makes the final 18 in Columbus remains to be seen. In order for Melissa to get a call-up, she needs to: 1) lead the league in save percentage, 2) improve her footwork, and 3) snag every ball that comes inside the 6 instead of punching it away. If Melissa gets all three, she gets a call-up.
My $0.02 of disagreement Solo has years ahead of her and will face a plenty competitive atmosphere in the WUSA once she gets there. Why waste a camp on a player who might be consistent NT-caliber player in the future instead of calling up one who's got the skill, savvy, and experience to be there now? I think having Solo on the roster at this point is a waste. Shouldn't we be taking looks at everyone who is a viable current option, in case something happens to one of our regular-roster players (or several of them) now and we need an immediate fill-in? Injuries can happen at any time. Bri and Siri have both been injured in recent years, and while Beene has escaped injury, she's not immortal. What if we find ourselves without 2 of them for some reason, or worse yet all 3, come WC '03? I'd much rather we get Moore in the mix, because I have confidence in her ability to play against international caliber strikers right now, and feel confident about my team being solid way down the roster come WC'03. I have yet to see Solo do anything in goal that gives me tremendous confidence in her, now or in the future. (Yay, she can kick the ball far. Big whoop. How about keeping balls out of the net at the international level? Uhhhh... ) But Solo doens't have to be able to do 1 (against international-caliber strikers) or 3 to deserve a call-up? Also what's wrong with Moore being "just" #2 in the league in save percentage with 78% on the season (up from 76% last season)? That hardly sucks, and it kicked Beene's and Scurry's butts this year. I wish that list of to-do's you made for Melissa would be enough if she could knock them down, but I suspect you'd have to add "4) Get April's laundry from the cleaner and scrub her bathrooms", and a bunch of other ridiculous stuff, to make it really accurate. Seriously, I'd like to know: who has Moore pissed off to get dissed so badly? April had Pagliarulo in her 18 for a while based on Pags' performance in the WUSA last year, but Moore's not even getting an invite to camp after her second very solid season? Either Moore has some real personality conflicts with some people that make her unwelcome, or this all just stinks badly of really wack politics. I do agree that Beene, Scurry, and Mullinix are as solid a group of GKs as any country could ever dream of having, and I have no complaints with them, even though Beene and Scurry had "off" WUSA seasons. I just wish, if April's going to have 4 GKs in camp, she looks at someone else with the potential to make an impact now if needed. My feeling on that goes for players at all our other positions as well. Why are we passing over some of our best current talent in favor of lesser, unproven players? I can't figure taking high school and college players to camp when there are superior young WUSA professionals (ages 22-26), who still have years ahead of them to improve but can make an impact today. Don't get me wrong--I don't have an argument about calling up someone like Aly Wagner, who clearly is of international caliber already. However, what's up with call-ups like "student" Nandi Pryce, when her new "teacher" Michelle French (now a UCLA assistant coach)--still plenty young at 25--is playing excellently and already has the international experience and ability to play well for us now if we need her? (Not that the "why no French?" dead horse needed to be beaten again, but it is still one of the best examples.) Yes, April's mixed in some WUSA players, but she hasn't been consistent with giving them a chance. For the record, I still don't actually like Moore, or Philly for that matter, just in case you all got the wrong impresion.
I do not disagree with your assessment as to whoever or other made/ did not make camp. I wish Moore got called up. But unless Moore or Luckenbill meet the criteria, they won't get the call-up from Ape. GKs are a different breed. Int'l GKs and GK play is much more intense and more competitive than league play. One may have an off-season in league play, but when int'l tournaments come along, the ones who have already been there get the call. Cases in point - Oliver Kahn, David Seaman. Solo is Ape's project. I don't think Solo will ever get a chance to play in '03 unless Beene, Scurry, or Mullinix are unable to play. In international GKing, coaches will favor the ones with international experience, regardless of their league performance. Coaches may bring innovative and unorthodox changes to field tactics and formations, but when it comes to GKing, they will revert to making the conservative choice(s). Solo will be one of the 3 GKs that Ape will bring to China. It's a foregone conclusion at this point. As long as the top 2 GKs among Beene, Scurry, & Mullinix get to mind the net, I have no problem with Ape bringing Solo. Frankly, bringing projects in are nothing new to international futbol. Politics were raised when Brazil brought 17-year-old Edson Arantes do Nascimento to Sweden. So it was when a young Peter Shilton wore the Three Lions. Politics were still raised when a 40-year-old Shilton still was English #1. A little-discussed point in international futbol is that when you're only third-best in your position, chances are good that you'll get bumped off in favor of a U-21, even if his/her skills are not as high as yours. That's the nature of the beast in international coaching. Always has been. Always will be. So in camp rosters and international tournaments, unless you're the best or 2nd-best in your position, you're on the outside looking in. Having said all that, expect Ape to carry a young GK (Solo), forward, and/or midfielder/defender to China in '03.
Keep the college kids in college... April - get a life.....Grubb should be on that list before Pearce or Mitts
Chiefs I'd stick with Mitts on there. Pearce was a mainstay for the Nats in the Olympics and did an awesome job stepping in for the injured Overbeck(even though being moved to the right side). However she had an unfortunate injury that stuck her out, and I think shes finally stepped back up to National Team play(we will see if she has if she makes the final roster). Mitts also is a flank player, but I am not 100% behind her call-up. I dont think Grubb was called in because she is a central defender and is utilized the best there. She also has Chastain, Slaton, Bryan, Sobrero, and Pryce who can all play in there just as well. Also dont forget, I'm sure the roster will be somewhat different from the one for the upcoming Nike Cup.
More random USWNT ramblings Slaton's best talents are wasted in central D and so are Brandi's. Let them play flank where they can run around and contribute offensively as well. Grubb is a better pure central defender than either of them, and Slaton and Chastain are superior flank defenders to Mitts. Pearce is still not back 100% from her ACL injury, but was solid in the past and ought to get more looks as she gets back to full speed again. Now is perhaps not the time, however. The selection of Pryce is still mind-boggling to me, but I already went into that. I know this, but I don't have to like it, now or ever. Even though it is that way, it doesn't have to be, and that's what supremely irritates me.
Re: More random USWNT ramblings I like Brandi in central defense, where she was last game. She was solid and noone got by, and the job still got done on the flanks. I feel Pearce is back 100% but hasnt gotten into the swing of things with good confidence from a doomed Power season. If she stays on the 18 player roster for the US and plays in the Scotland game, I'm positive her confidence and playing abilities will show they were just where they were in the Olympics. Her speed is as good as it used to be, and other qualities are up there also, but you and I and everyone else havent gotten the chance to see because the Power d was hopeless in many ways, regardless of how good shes gotten since the ACL tear. About Grubb...im sure her being beat by Prinz yesterday and then shoving Mullinix, didnt help her at all in appearance of attitude by Ape's viewing. (i hope i worded that correctly)
Re: Re: More random USWNT ramblings I'm not saying Brandi's bad in central D, I'm saying it's a better use of her offensive talent to let her roam a bit on the flanks. Why bottle up that gifted scoring ability and never let her go forward? No one is back 100% from an ACL tear in a year. It's just not medically true. It takes 2-3 years for the body to clean up all the scar tissue and to get full speed back. The pain, swelling, etc. are certainly gone for Pierce at this time, and she may have rebuilt the muscle, but the knee itself will not function correctly for another year at least, and in that time she will find her play hampered. Again, I'm not saying she's bad now, but it may be early to work her back in to the Nats. As I recall, she had several other minor knee injuries this season as well. Let's let Pearce get healthy and then call her back up. No arguments here. It didn't increase my esteem of her attitude, either. It did, however, make me incredibly grateful that Kelly Lindsey plays central D for my team, because when things get ugly, she doesn't (at least not to her own teammates).
Re: Re: Re: More random USWNT ramblings Would'nt you just like to see Brandi up top with Millie??? Haha I'd LOVE to see that. I talked to Pearce a bunch of times during the season, about her knee inparticular(more in the beginning when she was just back), and just after the power played the charge at this school in preseasn, she said that her speed and straight forward running was at 100%. She said she felt very very good and said herself she was 100%, which is why i believe shes fine for this USWNT game. She had one knee injury during the season after her ACL injury, and that was a little tendonitis in her knee, after she saved a ball off the goal line and ramming her knee in the ground. After that injury, she told me that she only needed one day of rest, and didnt need to miss 2 games because she felt very good, but the trainer gave her no option. I do admit though, I was caught off guard of her call-up. I expected her to be back maybe Nike Cup, hopefully sometime before the WWC. But if Ape thinks shes good to go now, or is just testing her out, GREAT! Who knows, maybe she will suprise both of us with her play...I however cannot wait to find out! I wish I knew what that crap was all about. Why would someone do that to your keeper, a CAPTAIN none the less! Thats ridiculous and with that happening I wouldnt doubt not seeing her with the Nats for quite a bit. She does have the qualities but with that attitude, I dont wanna cheer for her on our National Team! Lindsey has had a call-up before, right?? I wonder how she would be in central D in a USWNT game...
Re: Re: More random USWNT ramblings With regards to Jen Grubb..... Yes two marks against her but not bad enough to have her blacklisted by US Soccer or the Freedom. She will continue being a stalwart on the Freedom backline and that is what will define her pro soccer career.
Re: Re: Re: More random USWNT ramblings I dont doubt shes gona miss time out on the Freedom. But I do think the shoving incident will do her some wrong with being picked. Even Ape is smart enough to pick a player with a good attitude, not just good playing abilities.
Re: Re: Re: Re: More random USWNT ramblings I think she would be kickass! But no one cares what I think! I think Lindsey doesn't get serious looks at least in part because of her history of knee problems. She is still a work in progress, and perhaps the powers-that-be have decided the risk is not worth the investment. I'd personally take the gamble if I was the WNT coach. I think Boof has a great mind for defense and defensive organization, a huge heart, and great leadership ability. I have every reason to believe that given the opportunity, she can do at a WUSA or NT level what she did at Notte Dame her senior year and absolutely take over a team. OK, I could really rave on and on about Boof, but I won't unless someone really wants to hear it! I don't know that Grubb's shove will necessarily hurt her call up chances, but I do agree with your statement that it didn't help. While I recognize that everyone gets frustrated at times, you gotta hold it together a bit better than that. The good news is Siri was able to just brush that off, rather than having her own explosion back at Grubb.
Generally speaking, it takes about 2 years for an athlete to fully recover to anywhere near 100% following ACL surgery (although they may be able to compete at a high level before that time). Several factors play into it, which I won't go into (unless anyone is really that curious). At this point, Pearce's knee is functioning fine, and, unless she has had complications, the scar tissue should be more or less restructured. And from BrandiC63: <<I talked to Pearce a bunch of times during the season, about her knee inparticular(more in the beginning when she was just back), and just after the power played the charge at this school in preseasn, she said that her speed and straight forward running was at 100%.>> 100% straight ahead is great if it is a sprinter coming back from an ACL; however, soccer requires cuts, quick changes of direction, sliding, jumping, being hit by other players, etc. BIG difference.
Lindsey in, Slaton out. Kelly Lindsey added to National Team call-up. http://www.sjcyberrays.com/news/rel_20020828b.html
YES!!!! Now April just needs to let her actually play in a real game and see what she can do! (OK, maybe I'm pushing my luck now, but I'm so encouraged that Boof got called up!) I know April's still not listening to me, though, or French would be on the team as well.
18 person roster for scotland game? when will the 18 gameday roster be released for the match this sunday in columbus? anyone know from prior experience with april?
Since the camp started on Tuesday, I suspect she'll release it on Friday. I was almost hoping for it today, but given that it'd be less than 3 full days of camp, I'm not surprised that we have yet to see it. I'd say between 1 and 4 pm tomorrow that it will be released. Maybe not hit the web til 5 at the latest.