It's gratifying to see all the support for the value of technique and the possession game. But those who believe in the long ball game still run a lot of American soccer. How many youth clubs are run by expat Brits for whom calling someone a "technical player" is backhanded compliment? Lots of the most successful women's college programs still use that style too. It's a curse from which we need to rid ourselves. Our best ally in this effort is immigration!
I would also require that all players not playing in Europe (there are only so many spots) play in the W-League. But this is a big issue. The players need to PLAY, not simply TRAIN. I think you are also right about playing boys youth teams.
I can't improve on the list but I might add, I would notify ESPN that Foudy has no interview access given her past indiscretions that may have affected team chemistry.
I would run a 3-4-3; say "thank you and good-bye" to Lilly & Scurry, fer sure...and a few other players, too. Solo will be my starting GK; to heck w/ the residency program- players need to play real games to stay sharp; oh gosh, so many ideas, so little text space...
Wow, what a daunting question, and a myriad of answers.... What would I do: 1. Meet with the team, discuss team goals as set forth by the USSF, the team, and myself. You can't reach a goal if you don't know what it is. And if people aren't reaching for the SAME goal, you're doomed to fail. 2. Bring in all Region ODP staff coaches, explain the new direction of the team, and implore them to find "different" talent comprised of players who have technical skill, vision, and pace. I'd begin to move away from the "size first" mentality. When The Nordics were our primary foes, this had merit. Norway is not our primary threat any more. 3. Try to get the USSF to allocate funding to bring in non-traditional players. ODP is a reasonable system, but access is denied to far too many talented players who simply cannot afford it. 4. Hold a press conference to explain the new direction of the team, prepare the fans and public for the fact that the WNT WILL be losing games as we prep with quality opponents, and try to rebuild the future of the team. 5. Hold tryouts for the current players after deciding what formations the team will play. Anyone who doesn't meet the standard will have to move on. Then hold tryouts for the spots that remain open. We don't need to gut the team, we need to patch some glaring holes. 6. Bring back Colleen Hacker full time, give her the status with the team she richly deserves. 7. Try to play formations that work to our strengths, but allow flexibility so that if we are missing pieces (Abby get's hurt, HAO is out, etc.) we can still function at a reasonable level. 8. Restore periodization of training so that we aren't tired when we show up to major events like the WC and the Olympics. 9. Allow ample time for players to be with their families. Residency is hard on marriages and relationships. Happy players are better players. 10. Do not allow any one person to take the blame for team failures. If the team loses, it's borne by the coach, the staff, and everyone who was on the team. If the team plays poorly in a win, it comes down to preparation, and is likely the fault of the coach. 11. Set a date certain to step down, winning or losing, success or failure. I think 4 years is a good limit. Do as much as you can in that time, don't leave anything in doubt as to when you plan to leave, allow a successor to be courted early enough to ensure continuity, bring your replacement in 3 months prior to your departure to get a feel for the team. Teams do not belong to the coach. There are quality players out there in college, W-League, and other places. But it will take time to bring them up to international level. As fans, we need to be patient while that happens. I think if we hire a good coach, and that coach is honest with what he or she is trying to do, then we should give them the time they need to rebuild this program. I think we all understand it won't be easy from a technical, tactical, or human perspective. And it won't happen overnight.
Agreed SCoach is hired and no need to wait until Jan 1 2008 start today. And hurry the Oly are to close.
You guys are a riot. I have experience at youth and some at the college level. There is no way in the WORLD I'd step into a job with the nats. Way over my head. But trying to put together a good team has many of the same tenets at the youth level, the college level, or otherwise. The stakes are higher, and the personalities more difficult, but the basics are the same. Our national team system has many flaws. But they are not insurmountable. However, our future success rests on us selecting the best available talent no matter WHERE it's found, and us finding a coach who is willing to train the team to be their most effective, and can leave personal agendas out of it. Sometimes the hardest decisions a coach can make are who doesn't get to be a part of the team. Even if that includes the coaches themselves. Honestly, I'd like to see Krikorian get a shot. He has the tactical ability, he's professional in his approach, he's familiar with the players in large part, he's demonstrated his ability in the WUSA and at the college level, he's about the right age, and from my dealings with him, he seems to be a genuine good guy. Not to say there aren't other qualified candidates out there, but many of the names mentioned do little for me.
Just a question. Where are all these super fast, small, technical girls that everyone is talking about hiding out at? People are suggesting that you pull from a pool that dosen't exist. Girls from everywhere are getting looks at the U-15, U-16, U-17, U-20 and U-21 teams. I'm just wondering where all these undiscovered gems are hiding at because if you are that good it's harder to not be seen than to be seen. Maybe they are all late bloomers and are dominating their post college rec leagues
They don't have to be small. Take Tobin Heath for example. She's the closest thing I've seen yet to Christiane of Brazil. Technically gifted, reasonable size, can create and play-make. Though people will laugh, when I watched Parlow at age 17, she was also quite a handful. Technical on the ball, excellent size, decent with her head. But they tried to craft her into an Akers clone. Didn't work. Confer in college was also excellent on the ball. They tried to make her a target. So it's not always about finding a magic pool of players, it's about getting in technical players, and not trying to make them something they aren't. How many strikers have we converted to defenders? Hope is a converted striker as well, but it's nice to have a keeper with 2 feet and the ability to handle a sharp backpass. I've seen kids at ODP trials that were gifted kids, but quite raw. They had speed and vision, but little tactical knowledge. ODP doesn't meet regularly enough to develop those kinds of kids, so they need to be developed at the club level. I see this as a failure because many of those kids can't afford to play premier select soccer where they can get the level of coaching they need. Fixing this is going to take years, dollars, and a concerted effort spearheaded by a national team coach dedicated to changing the style we play. It's been done before. Look back to our 91/95 team. We had a lot of girls 5'5 and smaller, and Akers. Over time, we've changed our ODP system to put big girls into the pipeline to deal with the height and power of the Nordic teams and Germany. I think the balance has swung too far. Players like Milbrett, and even Hamm, don't make it past regionals any more. They are too small. National coaches want the 5"10" girl who can knock it 80 yards. The girls are out there, believe me. They just see ODP as a block, rather than an enabler because the ODP coaches are not selecting those types of girls.
If I was hired by Sunil to lead the USWNT, my esteem for Prof. Gulati would sink even lower than it is now. I would correct his mistake by promptly firing the new coach as a hotheaded maverick who cannot get along with weird veterans of a woman's cult.
Yes, Hope had been a forward, but the NT did not convert her. She wasn't converted out of necessity. She hasn't played forward since her early college days (as far as I know). Tina, on the other hand, is a striker converted to defender. She was converted out of necessity.
I didn't mean to imply that Hope had been converted at the NT level. Yes, Ellertson was. As was Brandi. I seem to remember one or two others were converts as well.
I Supported Your Thoughts Until I Saw Your Number 5....cmon Already Tryouts...please What Is This A Club Team. Na Na Na...you Pick Gals That Are Performing On Their Teams, You Bring Them In And Let Them Play. If They Dont Cut It Then See Ya Later And Go Find Some More Players...the West Coast Alone Could Fill Two Squads.
Mr Striker Dad........they Are Out There. My Local Jc Has One, Ucla Has Two More, And Last Time I Checked Portland Had A Bad Ass Midfielder...name Escapes Me Brunette Gal. Same With U2o Team, They Have At Least Two Other Gals With Some Actual Skills. Sorry I Dont Have The Names At Hand. The Current Team Is A Cookie Cutter Team, Walk The Same, Almost All Look The Same, Act The Same.
Outside of the players on the nat team here are some that deserve a change: In the back I want to see Jordan Angeli, Mary Castelanelli, Jen Buczkowski, Kendall Fletcher, and Megan Holmes on the u-21 team that deserve a look. In the midfield I want to see Davis, Poach, and Long get a better shot from the U21 team not to mention Averbuch and Woznuck. Up front bring on Adams, Cheney, O'hara and Rodriquez.
Not sure why people are even bringing Brandi up. She has no plans on even trying to play for the team. She has moved on in her life with many other things. We need to let this one go.
try to get the wusa II up and running as quickly as possible. (i know they're planning to wait until 2009). failing that, keep the residency program (it's the only way to keep international level players game fit without the wusa II since the w-league is too substandard for consistent international performance), but keep the player pool a bit more fluid (not too fluid since some of your good players are going to have to get a regular job and ruin the base level of your pool's fitness and playing ability). if possible, get more games against germany and brazil. (i know this is not entirely up to the ussf. it's not easy to schedule and sign contracts with the good teams).
I believe I saw her recently on TV talking about how she would still like to get 200 caps. If she didn't then she would have officially retired like several others over the last couple years.
Angeli and Poach are both out with injuries. Not sure they would be ready to battle for a spot for the Olympics.