USWNT: The Pool

Discussion in 'USA Women: News and Analysis' started by kernel_thai, Nov 10, 2013.

  1. taosjohn

    taosjohn Member+

    Dec 23, 2004
    taos,nm
    29 is very very rarely past prime for a team sport athlete of either gender. These aren't gymnasts...
     
  2. holden

    holden Member+

    Dundee FC, Yeovil Town LFC, Girondins de Bordeaux
    Oct 20, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Dundee FC
    I guess I'm using prime as a synonym for peak. Usually people say it's 25 for WoSo. So 26 is past prime. Even if only 1 year past. Doesn't mean the person can't play well anymore, it just means their skill set is pretty much firmly developed by that time. But a person who isn't yet 25 can still see a lot of improvement before their prime years.
     
  3. taosjohn

    taosjohn Member+

    Dec 23, 2004
    taos,nm
    I'd follow sabermetrics and say 27-32, with the absolute peak usually at 28, occasionally 27 or 29. Very large people tend to come off their peak very sharply, and that is what I think we see from Abby.

    The impact of title 9 after so many years of neglect created the illusion that it was younger for awhile IMO, because each arriving class had had better and earlier support learning their business than the last and outstripped their predecessors pretty quickly.; but I don't see that as true anymore.

    Carli Lloyd is still getting better at 31 to my eyes, HAO still almost as good as ever, etc etc.
     
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  4. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    First of all, HAO is a great player, even if she is boring. Boring, so what? She does her job.

    Second of all, "We all know how big soccer crowd feels about Oreilly [sic]," is not a good statement. (I'm being diplomatic.)
     
  5. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Well I feel fine about O'Reilly. The problem here isnt her age...she hasnt lost a step and is still a 90+ player...it's that the formation the team has been shoe horned into simply doesnt fit her skill set. The team just appear much more dangerous with Press at right forward.
     
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  6. holden

    holden Member+

    Dundee FC, Yeovil Town LFC, Girondins de Bordeaux
    Oct 20, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Dundee FC
    The point was that, at 29, HAO isn't going to drastically get better the way Ohai can between now and her peak, regardless of whatever specific age we may think it is.
     
  7. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    But, shouldn't the question be, which is going to be the better player for the team during the WWC? So, HAO may be in a steady state for the next year and Ohai may be improving. So, where does that put them a year from now?
     
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  8. holden

    holden Member+

    Dundee FC, Yeovil Town LFC, Girondins de Bordeaux
    Oct 20, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Dundee FC
    Well that's a bit of a loaded question. The question I was responded to said they were similar, which I disagreed with. So, how should I answer your question? Continuing on my hypothetical that they are exactly the same, in which case it wouldn't matter since you'd get the same thing from either one. Or based on my actual opinion that Ohai is better than HAO in the 4-3-3, and with the USWNT wanting to play the 4-3-3... well, I think you can tell what my answer would be. However, if they give up on the 4-3-3 experiment and go back to the 4-4-2 then my answer would change.
     
  9. AlexJ17

    AlexJ17 Member

    Dec 12, 2013
    Club:
    Paris Saint Germain FC
    Did anybody see the Chicago Portland game today? Christen played out-side mid for the first 65 minutes; and the CRS were awful. For the last 20ish minutes, she's moved to center forward and guess what, she scores two great goals. Press is so incredible. I really hope Ellis had two eyes and brain while watching that game.
     
  10. luvdagame

    luvdagame Member+

    Jul 6, 2000
    i do think she's lost a step, and hasn't added to her limited arsenal of moves in many a year. still would pick her in front of ohai tho. love ohai. but she has not yet distinguished herself in the nwsl.
     
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  11. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    And that's exactly why. Any time Press latches onto a ball around the box a goal is possible. No one on the NT creates her own shot better than Press.
     
  12. BlueCrimson

    BlueCrimson Member+

    North Carolina Courage
    United States
    Nov 21, 2012
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Club:
    Sydney FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Taylor was getting some looks from Pia in 2010-early 2011, and got 2 caps in that timeframe. But like so many fringe players, Pia lost interest in her and she hasn't gotten any more callups since.
     
  13. FawcettFan14

    FawcettFan14 Member+

    Mar 19, 2004
    Colorado
    Taylor's continued absence, at least from the pool, is perplexing. She's good on the ball, can distribute over short and long distance, is a threat on set pieces (taking the free kick or in the box), uses her body well to shield quicker forwards, is very consistent, and is a leader. What's not to like?
     
  14. BlueCrimson

    BlueCrimson Member+

    North Carolina Courage
    United States
    Nov 21, 2012
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Club:
    Sydney FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If I had to pick on one thing, it would be her at times suspect decision-making.
     
  15. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    A problem BVH certainly doesnt have :)
     
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  16. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    One of the things the Sermanni did disappoint me on was not rewarding more league players. Basically for field players it was just Robinson and Tymrak. Instead he brought in a lot of college players. Ellis seems to be going in the other direction.
     
  17. taosjohn

    taosjohn Member+

    Dec 23, 2004
    taos,nm
    Didn't have to pay the college players... Didn't have to pay the college players....Didn't have to pay the college players... Didn't have to pay the...
     
  18. WPS_Movement

    WPS_Movement Member+

    Apr 9, 2008
    The college players were younger and hence more eye candy on these old gray eyes.
    The college players were younger and hence more eye candy on these old gray eyes.
    The college players were younger and hence more eye candy on these old gray eyes.
    The college players were younger and...

    - Tom Sermanni :D

    "I like Kristie Mewis the best on my watch because she looks the youngest of them all.
     
  19. FawcettFan14

    FawcettFan14 Member+

    Mar 19, 2004
    Colorado
    Classy as ever, WPS_M.
     
  20. WPS_Movement

    WPS_Movement Member+

    Apr 9, 2008
    If you really think about it, it really wasn't all that classy.
    But he certainly always seemed to experiment with the younger ones.
     
  21. WPS_Movement

    WPS_Movement Member+

    Apr 9, 2008
    I think it's time to bring Heather Mitts back in the pool.
    A lot of great ones have come out of retirement before.
    You know she wants to give it one last crack at winning the WWC.
    And with a roster of 23 (instead of 21), why not give her a shot?

     
  22. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Removed: Jill Loyden...re: retired.
    Added: Lori Chalupny...re: she asked
     
  23. newsouth

    newsouth Member

    Nov 20, 2010
    Club:
    Santos FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    since the field will be loaded with bruisers, it can't hurt to have eye candy on the bench.
     
  24. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Pool in Ellis Era

    GK

    Solo
    Harris
    Naeher
    Barnhart

    CB
    Rampone
    Sauerbrunn
    Engen
    Johnston
    Van Hollebeke

    OB
    Krieger
    Dunn
    Klingenberg
    O'Hara
    Chalupny
    Cox

    Mid
    Lloyd
    Holiday
    Brian
    Long
    Mewis K
    Mewis S

    F
    Morgan
    Wambach
    Leroux
    Press
    Rodriguez
    Rapinoe
    Heath
    O'Reilly
     
  25. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders

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