.........what conversation would you have with each of the players on the current national team? Abby Wambach I want you to be a part of this team for the next world cup. You are still our best option on set plays and there's no one better than you at heading the ball into the back of net at incredible angles. You are aslo a great mentor to the other forwards. However, we have to be prepared for the future so I have to give the young guns more playing opportunity in the next 2 years. If everything goes as planned you will be in the game as a reserve in the most important games of the WC. I can visualize you scoring the winning goal in the WC final and getting us the title after 16 long years. Christine Rampone You are the best defender I've ever coached. You are a terrific leader for this team and I would love to have you back for the WC. However, the only way to accomplish this is for you to play within the game. I know you love going forward, but we need to shore up our defense first and not take any risky chances. Let O'Hara and Krieger do all the leg work while you cover for any incoming balls into the penalty area. Just keep it nice and simple and do whatever it takes to keep the ball out of our net. Carly Lloyd Carly, please don't take what I'm about to say the wrong way. You have a lot of heart and are a true gamechanger. I can't lose someone like you for the next world cup. However, even though you're aggressiveness has won us a lot of games in the past, I want to dial things back a bit for this team and not play such a direct game anymore. I want you on our team, but will start another attacking mid that likes to distribute the ball first before shooting. That being said, I want you in the game when the going gets tough. When we need a critical goal against a strong opponent there's no better option than you at midfield. Let's put it this way, would your rather leave the game in the 6oth minute or be there in the end to get us the winning goal? Alex Morgan Alex, please do me a favor and don't put additional pressure on yourself and have such high expectations every single night. Just go out there and have fun. The goals will come....the assists will come! I may try different formations over the next 2 years but don't ever think that your position is in jeopardy. There's a reason why I voted you the best player last year. Any more? Woops....sorry for the miss-spelling in thread title.
Obviously Rampone got caught out when she stayed up field against Sweden. The problem I have is that so many people are assuming she went off on her own and created the problem. None of us were in the meetings, how do we know that Sermanni didn't tell her to get up into attack? Maybe she picked the wrong time to follow his instructions. Perhaps he didn't plan for the way Sweden was going to attack. Watching so many games over the years, she came up field on occasion but she rarely stayed up there the way she did against Sweden. If she went off on a walkabout often from her CB position, I don't think she would have been on the team this long. She might be losing some speed, but I don't think she is losing her mind.
I think the answer is the same for most of the people u mentioned. They have to see the big prize and do what it takes not necessarily what they want to do. If they cant do that, then Sermanni has to do what's best for the team. Wambach: Im not as big a doomsayer as some here but it's plain she cant continue to hurl herself around for the next two years and still make a meaningful impact at WWC. She needs to play less and and try and pick her spots. She has to slow the deterioration of her body. Sermanni get's this. U can see it by the way he handled people at Algarve. If Wambach is stubborn and triesto go full out I dont think she's gonna make it. Rampone: She is a physical specimen but even Rampone will slow down. First Im not really sure she wants another WWC. She had one and could walk away tomorrow owing nothing. She really needs to decide. If she wants she has slow down the pace as well. If she doesnt want it, she needs to retire so that her replacement can get as much time as possible with the team. Im not completely sure she hasnt already decided and told Sermanni. A lot of what has put on the front burner could be preparations for life without Wonder Woman. Shannon Boxx: Same as above. She still contributes at a very high level but her style of play takes a lot out of her. If Canada is her goal she needs to slow down. If not, she needs to get out of the way. Carli Lloyd: Lloyd is an enigma. Im not worried about her age as long as injuries dont mount up. Everyone know the pros and cons of her game. I dont see Sermanni getting rid of her but I do see him reducing her role. If he is determined to have possession in the midfield he will have to. Alex Morgan: She is way too competitive to ever lower her self expectations. Hopefully, the offense will improve and goals will come easier for her.
Abby Wambach "Abby. I like your head. But you don't provide much else anymore in terms of a Tier-1 player. You're getting seasoned, and less youthful, in your maturation. But your head is amazing. There is a place for that on this team still. I will get you the record. But after you are ahead of Mia, you will be sitting more minutes. However, in big matches of big tournaments, we still need your leadership and clutch headers. We feel that your clutch ability there won't go away. But just keep yourself on one end of the pitch when you're on the field. No need for you to run up and down the field like you used to. You don't have that anymore in your game" Alex Morgan "I challenge you. Not to be the best scorer. But the most dynamic and diverse scorer, ever. Visualize the far post. Visualize the near post. Visualize all the different ways in your head that you can score goals with both your feet at all the different angles of attack, from all areas on the field when you're making your runs. See it in your sleep. Visualize all the different possible combinations of scoring with your feet, both feet, at all areas within the post, coming from all angles on the field. All 500 million different combinations. See those in your sleep, before you're done counting sheep. And then attack when it's a scoring chance during your energetic awake, in training, in practice, and during a live match. Anticipate where that ball goes. Anticipate what you're going to do with it. Goal scoring now for you is going to be even more "mental" than it has ever been before. It's now 80% mental for you, and soon to be 90% mental. Once you have mastered the "mental" aspect of all the different combinations you can score goals with each foot, then move on to your head next. But that'll be the next chapter. You'll have that mastered by 2015. No rush at this point. You're in stage one. Visualize. And formulate those millions of combinations of scoring goals. The cerebral part of your game will end up being the best part of your game, as a total goal scorer" Christen Press "Freestyle. I mean it. Freestyle damnit. No one is gonna get "garbage" (clean-up) goals like you will inside the box. You can make something happen out of nothing. You're a goal scoring machine that can clean up a mess. You can take a pass and rifle. You can create your own shot on goal. You can make your run one way and then curve back the other. You can dribble in between a rat's crack with a cherry runt candy off your foot while the rat is leaning forward on the ground. Now that's what we call skill with your foot. And you have that. Run where you want. Do what you need to do. We have full trust that you can make sh*t happen by your innate ability to make sh*t happen. That's the best part of your game, and the perfect compliment to our offensive attack. Just have fun out there. No pressure on you. If you score, you score. If you don't, you don't. Your presence will scare the living sh*t out of every defense. They can't defend your freestyle. You are who you are. And we're damn proud of it. It's great to have you on board. And one last thing. Pia totally peed on you. Now it's time for you to return that anger and pee on your defenders. And when we're playing Sweden? Yeah, you have my permission to pee on Pia. Turn that cherry runt candy into a hat trick" Megan Rapinoe "Flair. That's all I gotta say. Flair. And fun. You play much better when you're having fun" Hope Solo "Don't say dumb sh*t on Twitter or anywhere on or off the field. You're a reflection of my team now. I'm not Pia. You're not as far ahead of the other goalkeepers in camp like you used to be. They're catching up to you. Closer than you think. And that has nothing to do with your wrist. Show me why you need and will pull ahead of them again as the clear-cut starting keeper. Both on and off the field" Kristen Mewis Puberty must have hit you late, but that means you have a lot more development left in your game. That's a good thing. You haven't peaked yet. You will continue to develop and get stronger. We're gonna instill confidence in you and your progression. But right now, just concentrate on doing the little things. Concentrate on doing what you're told each day. We believe in your development. You know me. I'm a big believer in the young talent. You're one of them" Kelley O'Hara "You're a beast. Now let's go over here and work on clearing balls. Tomorrow, we're gonna go back a few feet while on the run and practice clearing balls. The next day, guess what? We're gonna work on clearing balls. You're gonna clear so many damn balls in training, that you're gonna think you're this team's personal ball clearing girl. Hey look, no look, over there. See where I'm pointing to? See that rock over there? I want you to go over there and kick that rock as hard as you can. Clear it out of the area with your foot. Do it now" Julie Johnston "Help me get this trash bag out of my SUV. You're a young one here, and I gotta get you baptized with toughness. The bag is quite heavy. It's a large hefty bag, filled with tons of sh*t. Once we build up your toughness, then we'll work on your skills. Oh, and we've got an insanity workout we want you on. You see Whitney over there? No, over there, look that way. That's Ms. Engen over there. She's as trim and fit as she's ever been. We'll get you two to share a room. We'll get you on the right workout path. You have the abilities. We'll get you leaner than ever. But first, let's get this trash bag out of my SUV. I'll direct where you need to carry it. Tomorrow, you're gonna help wash and wax this vehicle. The following day, I want you to meet some of my family. You can also help me with my lawn that day." Christie Rampone "Do you have three years left in you? Do you want to be 60 years old and say, "Damn, I wonder if I could have actually played at that 2015 WWC?" It would be nice for us to have one veteran defender back there. Someone who has been through World War I and World War II. You've been through the wars. We want to bomb everyone in 2015. Do you have it in you? We know you have missiles today. What will your missile command be like in 2015? You need to think about that. We need to know what that missile command will be like in 2015 by the end of this calendar year."
... I would read BigSoccer every morning before breakfast, and hand out reps for all of last week's suggestions I tried out that actually succeeded. ... I'd get somebody shy and quiet like Mewis to do one of those dashcam driving commercials with me as the passenger. I would caress the imaginary instructor's brake pedal like a cat massaging a pillow. Then I'd drive and she'd air-stomp like a dog held over water. ... I'd treat my fellow WC coaches to Chinese, hack all the fortune cookies to read "Trade places with you?", and watch with a straight face as they sneak suspicious glances at each other. ... I'd stay 10 years, win everything in sight, then call up Rylie and start her next to her mom.
If I woke up one morning, discovered I was the coach, and wanted to help the team succeed the first thing I would do is resign immediately.
Sydney Leroux "It's the eve of the World Cup Final, are you in my starting eleven? Being introspective, what is keeping you from being as indispensable as Alex? At this given moment are you a better option than Abby, Christen? I don't believe creativity or nuance can be taught explicitly, but look at other players from around the world and try to gain inspiration form their own creativity and process (not saying that you're a painter or anything like that). You are without a doubt the most physically gifted attacker we have,that's including Alex, but what good are those gifts if there is no consistent end product?" Tobin Heath "This is my own opinion, but I think your "chillness" is just the facade your unconscious mind is projecting outwards. Others may not see it, but I see your passion, your fire, the insatiable competitor you really are behind that mellowness. That's the Tobin I want to see from here on out, the one who wants to take control over how this team attacks. Looking to dictate tempo, always active, versatile enough to fit any place across the attacking line. Think beyond position, think about effectiveness..." Megan Rapinoe "Recklessness or aggression? Simple or complicated? Focused or aloof? Engaged or distant? Sumptuous or practical? Be the latter, because we can't reach our true potential as a team when your the former.." Kelley O'Hara "Forget modesty, you're the future captain of this team. Others may scoff at that idea now, but I can see it already. But in saying that, are you the example that you want other players to follow? When the rest of the back line looks into your eyes, are they confident or scared? Your competitiveness, toughness, charisma, and industry is a joy to watch for everyone on the staff including me. But the most exciting thing is, you're just at the surface. Be great, be a leader." Crystal Dunn "You are always a student, never a master. You have to keep moving forward-Conrad Hall." Julie Johnston "Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.-Benjamin Franklin. Basically, I'm going to get you on the field...don't worry." Carli Lloyd "You will kill someone on that field for glory, Blanchflower's ghost admires you and the opposition fears your studs. But beyond the esoteric, I need you to find a calmness and precision that can't really be expressed. Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't know if you'll ever find the nuance needed to become a true 'great'. But you proved Pia wrong, prove me wrong too.." Hope Solo "Say more, talk less." Christen Press "I envision two 20+ goal scorers on this team for the next 4 years, I know you'll be one of them. Your patience just to get a shot on this team is a sign of great character and resolve" Lauren Cheney "It's unfair that you have to learn a new language (midfield) from your native language (forward), but your skills are indispensable for how we want to play in the future. What is dispensable however is your (at times) aloofness toward the action on the field. If your confused about what I want from you, ask. If your scared about the future, we all are. But if your just bored, well....." Becky Sauerbrunn "You're a thinker, we need more players like you. Just stay calm though, and trust your teammates to have your back, and vice versa."
Actually I said that just in case Abby ends up reading it (which is doubtful). But just in case she sees it at some point, Abby should use it as FUEL.
Becky Edwards "Becky, it's me, Mr. Sermanni. Please give me a call back at 777-555-1111. I hope you get this message. If you get back to me by tomorrow, you can come in to our next camp. And I want you to be ready to shave a dog's ass and make it bark backwards. Not just walk backwards, it needs to bark backwards. You might not know what that is, just yet, but be prepared for it. I've got the utensils. You're literally gonna do the first part, which is shave a dog's ass. And always remember this. You can lead a dog to water, but you can't make him howl forward at the moon when he's got a full one himself after a clean shaving. Alright, well Becky, hopefully you return this call. You're a warrior. Look forward to that shaving. We'll get you groomed as well. Scruffy is looking forward to meeting you. And if you understand metaphors, you will know that you need to be prepared for some intense training that will shave any hair off the ass. Can you handle it? Chow"