Quote from Hendricks: "We've got a couple of months to prepare for it and we're going to have to look around. One of the things we were considering was putting Cindy Parlow in the midfield and starting Shannon MacMillan up top. With Cindy Parlow in the midfield, we get all these qualities and now we have Shannon up top and Tiffeny Milbrett coming off the bench, that's a great situation. I'm not sure how we're going to replace her. We're going to tinker with it the next couple of games." from article: http://www.wusa.com/press_room/367520.html So, does anyone know why Milbrett is coming off the bench? Is she injured? It would seem logical to me to just put Hamm and Milbrett up top to solve this problem.
Don't even get me started on this. April thinks Millie is "struggling" lately. I disagree, maybe she's seen better days but benching her isn't gonna help. Milbrett has ALWAYS showed up for the big games/tourneys, benching her could be costly for the Nats. Millie coming in off the bench would give the Nats great speed and fresh legs but I think Millie sometimes takes a little longer to get started and if she's coming in during the second half, their may not be enough time for her to get started. What about Millie playing mid? I know most people's first thought is "HELL NO" but several times for the Power it's Millie going back into the midfield to get something started and she has a knack for making so great final passes/crosses. Anyways I think Millie coming off the bench is WRONG!!!! that's my 2 cents.
because she is not Milbrett she once was (at least for this moment), i saw her playing last week, her ball touch was horrible and lost the ball too many times, i think she has too much pressure as a marking player for her club that distroyed her way of play but, i think she'll be back again.....someday, I hope.
Milbrett needs the time to PLAY through this, and she will be through this but benching her isn't gonna help her get through it sooner, if anything it could effect her confidence... though I use the word could losely cuz Millie is a very confident player and it would take ALOT for her to lost that confidence... but still I wouldn't wanna take any chances with the WWC in a few monthes.
benching a player is not always for bad reason, a player can even be more effective comin' out the bench, Mac Millan for example was known as a super sub.
I'm not sure that Milbrett coming off the bench is still being considered. According to the article that was being considered because of an extremely in form Shannon MacMillan. However, MacMillan is now out. It sounded like Milbrett would go to the bench to allow MacMillan and Parlow to start, now MacMillan is not an option. I would think Milbrett again becomes the first choice up top.
The article was written AFTER the Mac injury and I know that if Mac were healthy, Millie would be riding pine. But I feel there is still a chance that Millie could be seeing time as a sub... I don't put anything past April.
Personally, if I'm April, I'm less concerned about Mac's desire to make the Cup roster than about what's best for the team. After all, they'll need her healthy for the Olympics next year. Yeah it would be nice to have her, but not if she's not really ready and Millie's raring to go.
Milbrett is still the second leading goal-scorer for the Power and tied as top point-scorer. So I don't think it's fair to say that she's lost her touch. But Heinrichs can make some sort of a case for using her as a sub, even tough I don't necessarily agree with it. And if that does happen, I think Milbrett is enough of a professional to get through it...yeah it sucks for her confidence but she doesn't need to be coddled. She's such a gamer that when she steps on the field and it counts, she'll turn it on. But with Mac out I really doubt Heinrichs will bench Milbrett. She's liking Parlow in the midfield and I just don't see her starting Wambach or O'Reilly.
We are talking about the same coach that used the 2000 team's leading soccer, Cindy Parlow, as a sub during the Olympics. Oh yes, she will find some reasoning to limit Millie's time.
Okay I agree with you guys that I wouldn't put it completely past Heinrichs...but the question is how? So Parlow is going to be in the midfield. That leaves Mia and...Abby? She barely made the cut and Heinrichs seems to have problems with her. O'Reilly? That would take some nerve...I doubt that would happen.
Y'all are missing a strong point here... Millie has been battling with exhaustion since last year and Ape is wisely limiting her play so she'll be primed for her World Cup duties. I think someone hit the nail on the head when they said her role on the N.Y. Power has put tremendous pressure on her, which has been both physically and emotionally draining. I don't think we will need to worry about which forwards will start for the World Cup but for now, resting Millie is a wise decision.
I think April is going to use Millie up front with someone like Shannon Mac (at least, if she becomes match fit) against quick teams. Mia and Millie for technical brilliance, Parlow and The Wombat for height. We have a very flexible team, and the right buttons will have to be pushed. Problem: absent Shannon and O'Reilly, who is our fastest attacking player? Mariel Margaret Hamm? CP belongs up top. She may be groomed to take over for Foudy or Lilly, but she attacks.