Well I think sufficient time has passed since the end of FC2. Yeah I know..season #2 just ended but I'm bored, tired of splitting wood, and really not looking forward to going on a ride later today. Some things the Freedom should consider between now and the start of the 2003 season: 1) Several rumors have lurked beneath the surface regarding what the Chinese federation is planning on doing with their Chinese players in preparation for the 2003 WWC. Some have said that the Chinese federation will hold back all their Chinese players next year. I guess we'll just see what happens. 2) Steffi Jones is going back to Germany to play in the Ladies Bundesliga but I think she will be back in time for the start of the season and preseason training camp. Right? 3) We don't have a first round pick correct? 4) Get rid of Milburn. 5) Who are other players on the bubble (retiring, trades, etc.)? 6) Do we have a good group of forwards? Our main ones are Bai Jie, Mia and Abby with the second group being Beard (yeah right like she is ever gonna play), Jacqui, and Milburn. Should Jimmy integrate that second group into the mix more? 7) I've always said offline that something will happen to Mak in the offseason..it could be a trade or she decides to retire. Call me paranoid. Other than that, on the surface, I don't see the team really needing to make major changes. But I could be wrong. One of the things that I don't want to see is this team becoming complacent at the beginning of the season (please see the 2002 version of the Beat to get a better understanding of this). Oh....when are the official WUSA off-season training dates? I believe it was late fall (like late October or sometime in November) and sometime in the winter (January) last time around. Other stuff to come later.
concerning topics Fear brought up that I know anything about... 1. The Chinese players...I really hope they get to stay here. I'd miss them out there on the field. They're masterful on the ball, and I feel the team would miss them as well. 2. Steffi will be back. From what I understand she'll be back over here in February. So having that strong defensive presence from start to finish will me maaaahvelous. (no, I'm not skipping numbers, I'm just going with the numbers I have opinions on.) 4. Get ride of Milburn, please. I'm sure she's a nice girl, but she doesn't do anything for me...or the team, apparently. 6. I say the best forwards we have, and hopefully keep, are: Mia, Abby, Bai Jei, and Jac. I'm going to assume Mia's going to play 90 minutes as many games as possible (hopefully all) next season. So do they keep Mia in midfield or bring her up top with Abby? I say bring her up top where she's in her natural position, but that's just me.
Right. She's actually flying back to Germany tomorrow (Monday), but she's only contractually obligated to stay six months, so she'll be back for the Freedom's entire 2003 season. (I asked her about this today, and she told me all of this.) I think our first pick will be 15th (next to last, second round), so we should be able to pick up a Stephanie Rigamat-caliber player. Agreed on 4. I wouldn't mind seeing Gerardo go, either. Keep Noftsinger instead. I wonder how motivated Beard is - you'd think if she really wanted to play she'd be out there more often. Some people want to see no more of Zimny, but we don't have much depth at defense, and I think she just hasn't gotten much of a chance to get settled in. I'd like to see Beard and Jacqui get more playing time, but I don't know how considering how good our starting forwards are. My feeling is that if the Freedom lack anything, it's a really good playmaking midfielder like Riise or Sissi. Gabarra seems to be trying to use Mia in that role, which seems like a waste of a good goal-scorer. Do we wait and see if Pu Wei or Makinen can grow into that role, or do we go out and try to find somebody? Who's still out there, considering we have two international slots open?
1) I hope that the Chinese players will be able to play next season. Bai Jie is a strong player. She is fast and she can score. Pu Wei looked better at the end of the season than at the beginning. I think that is an indication of what is to come. 2) Having Steffi Jones there for the whole season should be a big advantage to the Freedom. She is tall and skillful. Plus I think she really wants to score. 3) I believe we got rid of our first round pick when we got rid of Roseli. Is that correct? 4) I definitely agree that we should get rid of Tracey Milburn. 5) Monica Gerardo would probably be my second choice for players to go. She has had some game winning goals but not too much else. Give SK Noftsinger a spot. Give Meredith Beard more playing time. Give Casey Zimny one more season to prove herself. 6) We have strong threatening forwards. Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach and Bai Jie all get regular playing time. Plus we have strong subs in Jacqui Little and Meredith Beard. I think they should see more playing time. I think that Abby Wambach would do better if she was not expected to play the whole game - That is one possible way to get the subs in. 7) Anne Makinen has gone downhill a little since her injury. I really hope that she does not retire or get traded in the off season. I think she is talented and has a lot of skills. I agree with StarCityFan when he said that we need a playmaking midfielder. I am not sure that player is not already on the team. We just need to find them. I think the Freedom will be a strong team in 2003. They need to come into the season playing the way they did for the final ten games of the season. I look forward to seeing healthy players that are ready to play.
Find a new right back. Skylar Little is pathetic. Always has been always will be. Honestly, I still say fire Gabarra. I don't think he has a clue tactically.
Since we're looking ahead to 2003, does anyone know where the pre-season stuff is going to take place? (i.e. Richmond last year)
Amazing how she stuffed every attack Philly brought down her side then, isn't it? Elsewhere I have seriously suggested that we should use one of our international slots for a flank defender (which would probably make Skylar a backup), but I don't think we would have had the second-best defense in the league if one of our four backs was "pathetic." Considering he went 10-2-2 once he had his entire team together, that suggestion is kind of hard to take seriously as well. I do think he has a lot to learn, but he's getting there.
One game does not make her a good defender. And yes I do believe it's possible for team to improve greatly on defense and still have one player that is pathetic. The better defense came by moving grubb and Carrie Moore into the center. Grubb, especially, provides great organizing ability which is a key factor into the improved defense. Grubb and Moore cleaned up for Little too many times during the season. She's not a very good marker, a decent ball-winner and has limited heading ability because of her size. Also she isn't very tactically astute, something needed on a team that needs it's backs to push forward into the attack. I think Amanda Cromwell would have been better and much more consistent in that position even though she isn't as fast as Skylar. As for Gabarra you may not take the suggestion seriously but that was the point of the thread. It just a suggestion and while not realisitic I still say he doesn't have what it takes. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut. What if Stoeker hadn't been hurt, where would he have played grubb and jones? Why did it take him a full season (the first)to figure out that Grubb was a great central defender even though she played that position in college at ND and for the national team? Why with the Freedom down a goal in the last 15 minutes of the game was Hamm, the best finisher on the field who already scored one brilliant goal, still playing in the midfield? His lack of tactical knowledge cost the Freedom wins and possibly the championship. It will be interesting to see what happens next season with a healthy Hamm and Jones here for the full season but I don't trust Gabarra and think his team won in spite of him not because of him.
I don't know what team you have been watching, but Skylar has been great for the Freedom this season. I'll admit that in the inaugural season she was average at best, but she was much improved this season. She not only did well with her defensive duties, but she and Emmy both did a tremendous job starting the offense out of the back.
I like Gerardo. I think she should stay. Also, I think Mia would put up even more incredable numbers (if that's even possible) if she was put up top all the time with Abby. She probably is the best one on the team to fill the playmaker role, but she is by nature a goal scorer. They need to find someone else to take that pressure and keep Mia up top with Abby. They are a great duo and compliment eachother nicely.
And that person is *suppose* to be Anne Makinen. But her WUSA season has not panned out the way it should've. She got a late start in 2001 and has had an injury plagued/don't-know-what-Jimmy-is-thinking 2002. I guess we'll see what Jimmy has planned for the future. I guess he could always make a trade or find someone from overseas.
Gerardo is a great finisher and has had a couple of the prettiest Freedom goals this season, but I'm not that impressed by her as a midfielder. If she gets the ball and isn't taking a shot on goal, you can almost count on her handing it over to the other team. I'd like to see her traded to a team that could use a forward.
Fear, and anyone else...tell me what you think about this situation. We all know Mia's going to be 90 minutes fit next season, so I seriously doubt she's going to be playing the last 45 of every match. Saying that, and assuming Mia and Abby are going to be up top...what happens to Bai Jei? Could they use Bai as a playmaking midfielder? Who do you see as the starting team next season, assuming no one gets hurt and Makinen is healthy?
My unimaginative first cut looks like this: Mullinix (sub: Fahey) S. Little - Moore - Grubb - Barr (sub: Zimny) Stoecker - Jones Makinen - Pu Wei (subs: Cook, Noftsinger) Wambach - Hamm (subs: J. Little, Beard) The $64,000 question is what to do with Bai Jie. Midfielder? Supersub forward? I keep suggesting they should try her as a flank defender - isn't that her position on the Chinese national team? Imagine you're the other team with your hands full with Abby and Mia, and all of a sudden Bai comes roaring up the sideline. Might as well go home!
I agree with your thought. The question is who would you rather playing the flank defender, Skylar or Bai? Jim has never played Bai in the back. Is he concerned about communication issues? Alternatively, you could have Bai instead of Stoecker. But I'd rather see a diamond instead of a square. i.e., Jones Bai Wei Mak. I think this would help in a few ways. More creativity in the mid-field. Reduce Mak's defensive responsibilities. The question is will the Wei defensive lapse create more havoc on our d. We have a foreign slot available. Obviously, we don't need a fwd. Midfield isn't too bad (depending on where Bai plays). Defense? The key is Bai.
Two, actually (Makinen has her green card and can no longer be counted as a foreign player). I'd vote for getting a playmaking midfielder to challenge Mak or Wei for a starting spot and a flank defender.
I agree with that, but it's just so hard to decide what to do with Bai. She's a great forward, but she's no Mia. I think once we get Mia and Abby up top for 90 every game we'll be dominating...we were nearly that with Mia in for only 45.
wow, you act like Sky is the worst defender in the world or something. What do you have against her? She's pretty dang good!
It's nothing against Sky, but Bai Jie is a class above at all positions. Still, if Sky can hold her own at right back, I'd rather see Bai Jie's talents utilized up front somewhere.
I agree. The whole Sky thing didn't start at that post though, they were also bashing her on the firsts page of the thread.
Last year she was the weakest link in a bad defense. Although she has improved, going from terrible to just bad doesn't do much. She isn't a very good tackler, has almost no heading ability, can't mark very well, constantly lets her mark get an inside track towards goal and makes Grubb and Moore come out the center to often to clean up for her mistakes. Tactically I don't think she's very developed and she is constantly giving the ball away to the other team. Her good points are her speed, good crossing ability and she gets forward fairly well (unfortunately often at the wrong time that leaves DC vulnerable to a counter down her flank). Has she improved, yes, but she is not a very good defender in this league and I don't think can become one. As I stated before we let a better defender in Amanda Cromwell go, who could have done a much better job. What's odd is that this doesn't make her a bad player, just a bad defender. I think she could play as an outside midfielder. Put Bai Jie behind her and that wouldn't be too bad a right side. Bai Jie has better speed and is tactically and technically much more advanced than Skylar. Bai Jie could be DC's version of Chastain, a tough defender with the skill, speed and smarts to get forward and support the attack in an intelligent manner. The only thing she really lacks is the long passing ability that Chastain has.
Mia up front! Mia up front! Mia up front! Always! Always! Pu and Mak have to step up so Mia can play striker. Good lord can you imagine the damage we could do to the rest of the league if we had a 100% healthy Mia up front 100% of the time?
I am completely against the idea of removing Skylar Little from the Freedom. Maybe using her as a midfielder would not be a bad idea. She has a ton of speed. With practice she could be very effective - Making crosses and scoring. I think she is pretty good at defense so she would be good for going back and going forward. I do not think she is a complete waste of a player or anything. She improved greatly between the first and second season. She is a hard worker so she will probably continue to improve. Of course my opinion is biased - That is because Skylar is my favorite player.