http://www.ussoccer.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=52026&itype=113&iCategoryID=0 GOALKEEPERS (2): Briana Scurry, Siri Mullinix; DEFENDERS (7): Kylie Bivens, Joy Fawcett, Kate Markgraf (*nee Sobrero), Heather Mitts, Amy LePeilbet, Christie Rampone (*nee Pearce), Cat Reddick; MIDFIELDERS (9): Shannon Boxx, Lori Chalupny, Julie Foudy, Angela Hucles, Kristine Lilly, Leslie Osborne, Tiffany Roberts, Stacey Tullock, Aly Wagner; FORWARDS (4): Shannon MacMillan, Heather O’Reilly, Lindsay Tarpley, Abby Wambach. "The Four Nations marks the return of forward Heather O’Reilly to the full National Team. The 19-year-old was on pace to make the 2003 Women’s World Cup Team before breaking her left leg against Ireland on June 14 of last year and could not recover in time to earn a roster spot. O’Reilly, who has 18 caps and three goals, played her freshman season at North Carolina last fall, coming on strong at the end of the year and was named Offensive MVP of the NCAA Final Four. Including O’Reilly, Heinrichs named four players from the USA’s 2002 Under-19 Women’s World Championship team in forward Lindsay Tarpley (20 years old), a 23-goal scorer for the Tar Heels as a sophomore, and midfielders Leslie Osborne (20) and Lori Chalupny (19). Osborne, a junior at Santa Clara who was the WCC Player of the Year in 2003, will be one of three players looking for their first caps at the senior level. Former Philadelphia Charge midfielder Stacey Tullock and Arizona State and U.S. U-21 defender Amy LePeilbet will make their first-ever trips with the full National Team. Defender Heather Mitts, who has five caps, will also make her first trip abroad with the full National Team. The tournament should pose a wonderful opportunity for a group of young forwards in O’Reilly, Tarpley and Abby Wambach, who have combined for just 47 caps. Wambach, the 2003 Chevrolet U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year, was one of the breakout stars of the 2003 Women’s World Cup, and has scored 14 goals in her 22 games. Shannon MacMillan, whose courageous comeback from ACL surgery to make the Women’s World Cup Team was well chronicled, is the most experienced of the strikers with 159 caps and 59 goals and will be looking for her first extended taste of game action since the injury last May. Not counting the three veterans of the 1991 Women’s World Cup team on the roster (Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly and Joy Fawcett), the USA will bring a team with an average age of 24.2 years. In a side note, Foudy, the U.S. co-captain along with Fawcett, will celebrate her 33rd birthday tomorrow by getting on a plane for her seventh trip to China"
Four Nations ROSTER... GK: Scurry, Mullinix Forwards: Abby, Tarpley, O'Reilly and MacMillan Middies: Boxx, Chalupny, Foudy, Hucles, Lilly, Osborne, Roberts, Aly and Stacey Tullock. Defenders: Bivens, Fawcett, Sobrero-Markgraf, LePeilbet, Pearce-Rampone, Reddick... and Mitts No Mia. http://www.ussoccer.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=52026&itype=113&iCategoryID=0 Paul
No big surprises here; I knew all the college kids would go to China--good move. I read Parlow is still feeling the concussion a bit, Hamm is training in Arizona with Nomar, Brandi is resting her foot--but all should be back for Olympic qualifying. Jeez, when do poor Fawcett and Lilly ever get to rest? I'm guessing only two of those forwards (Hamm and Parlow will be back) will make the Olympic team. Will it be Mac and Abby or the UNC players? I wish these games were televised--grrrr.
Lilly Cap Mark? She's needs 37 to hit 300. In 2000 it would have been entirely possible. What are the odds she'll make it (call it 6 with 4NT and Oly Qualifying, plus 4-5 with Algarve is 10/11)? Retire at the end of the season, or go for a great all-time record next year?
When will people stop placing so much importance on the number of caps in the womens game. It is an over inflated number, due to the fact that there was no league commitments for most all women. It's the same for the US men, pre MLS; many men did not play professionally, and were in continuing residency camp, of sorts. When the WUSA began play, people started to see, even with the little number of games in their season, that the women needed rest. We heard about how long the WUSA season was, and this was without an open league cup, some form of of international club tournament, such as Champions Leage, Copa Libatadores, EUFA Cup. If the WUSA get going in some form, or women go to play in Europe, we will not see any women with this high number of games played. That is one of the main reasons it is so rare to see men with 100 caps.
So how many folks think there will be a lot of 442 at this tourny? With just 4 forwards on the team and nine middies, I wonder. That midfield has got to produce.
U.S. Women's National Team Departs For China and Four Nations Tournament 1/23/04 What exactly is the "beep test"?
the beep test is a tape that plays with intervals of beeps. basically, players have to run a distance before the next beep (not sure what the distance is ...). it starts off easy with longer gaps b/t beeps and gradually the time in b/t the beeps gets smaller and picks up. players go as much as they can until the beep beats them ... and thus drops out. keep going until one person is left ... which in this case, was lil elaine
Now, to see who plays. My vote on who should: O'Reilly, MacMillan Lilly, Tullock, Roberts, Wagner/Osborne Bivens, Reddick, Mitts, Pearce Scurry 1. I like fast, mobile forwards who can use their feet to win space, can break people down with the dribble, and create shots on their own. 2. I'd give Wagner about a half to show something of her play from two years ago. Otherwise, Osborne gets a long look. We need a holding center mid who can do more than score on set pieces against tiny opponents. Someone who can win, then hold, then distribute the ball to the right person at the right time. Also, stop opposing mids and forwards before they get to full speed. Tullock has size, attitude and skill. We need a defensive mid who is fast, tenacious, fearless, relentless and who can make a dangerous attack if ignored. TR. 3. Pearce more than deserves a chance to win Sobrero's spot. Reddick earned hers, Bivens really didn't do anything to lose hers, and Mitts should get time to show if she's for real or not - though I would have preferred seeing Augustyniak or Tietjen get a chance. The co-captains should sit this one out, IMO, and plan on making their case in Algarve. I hope a lot of people play. This tourney should be about testing players, but it looks like Canada is not going to be at their best; who knows what China will be - new coach and no doubt new players;Sweden seems to be going loaded for bear. It appears they are taking basically the same squad that played in the WWC. The US should get a check point right off the bat. Feb. 1, let the fun begin. p.s. Somehow, I suspect MH will be on the squad in Athens.
Shannon Boxx will continue to play defensive midfield, if April has learned something. She should have been brought in some time ago. The coach should not have waited until two matches before the WWC to bring her into the team. She needs more time to find her place in the team. Shannon Box reads the game better than the other players put in that postition, since Michelle Akers. What stands out for me, is her ablity to play long driven passes with the inside, and outside of the foot, her heading ability, and ability to read the game, both on attack, and when defending.
EDIT: Apparently my girl Hanna suffered a knee injury during training and had to be scratched from the Sweden roster. Looks like she is out for six months. Here are the rosters for Sweden and Canada (China's was unavailable): http://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=562134259
Quote: _____ A TOUCH OF CHINA IN LONG BEACH: In an unplanned preparation for the USA's trip to China, several U.S. players were amused to see that the lobbies at the hotel in Long Beach, Calif., where the USA spent the 10 days of training camp, were decorated with a China theme. The lobbies featured traditional Chinese clothes in huge cases on the wall, various Chinese statues, art, tapestries, numerous caricatures of the Terra Cotta warriors, a bunch of large and elegantly pained vases and more than a few Buddha figures. The USA can only hope that their hotel in China will be decorated as nicely. _____ I know I can be a bit soccer-myopic, but did they truly not realize that the decorations are for Chinese New Year?! BondOne, postless in so long I've forgotten how to quote properly
Unfortunately, I would suspect that 90% of the American population outside of the Asian communities didn't know it was the New Year.
Foto ID The foto in the article only identifies Tarpley. The other two (L and C) appear to be Amy LePeilbet and Leslie Osborne. Any confirmations on the two other players?
Re: Foto ID I was pretty sure the one in center was Osborne, having seen her several times against UNC and in College Cup matches. LePeilbet I have never seen, so didn't have a clue about her. From the roster photos on the SCU and ASU sites, I think you're right on both counts. In an aside, while at the ASU site, I discovered that Stacey Tullock is the Sun Devils' career leader in goals and points.
I am so embarassed by the quote posted by Bond One ( can't remember how to quote here either). These people are representing USA!!!!!!!
Here's an El Lay Times article on Heather O'Reilly: The O'Reilly Factor By Grahame L. Jones Use "bigsoccer" as both the member name and password to get access to the article. My girl Lilly has a new journal on her site from China: http://www.kristinelilly13.com/kristine/journal04/journal_012604.htm I flew overseas last month and was stuck on a damn plane for nearly 24 hours. I need to try using a sleeping pill like what Lilly did.
From the article: "Heather Mitts - who came in second behind Kristine Lilly in the infamous 'beep' fitness test held a day before the team left for China - gets a chance to come out of the announcing booth and show her stuff on the field once again." does anyone know what this "infamous beep test" is? thanks.