olympic roster named

No shockers here.

 

Cox as well.

 

No surprises here at all. This is the team that Pia has been hanging her hat on for quite a while now.
These are her favs.

...and to those of you who were in doubt, Mitts is on the team like I knew she would be.

 

Four years ago, Cox was released from camp only to be called back after Whitehill's injury in June in South Korea and made the team. The 2008 roster was anounced in late June.
BTW The average age of that team was 26.

 

Cox always seems to be on the borderline with this national team. I honestly prefer her over some of the choices. As a matter of fact it's offensive someone like Heather Mitts is always picked over her. I have never once seen anything amazing from Heather Mitts from any of the games that told me she deserved to be on this team.
Obviously coach Pia doesn't like Stephane Cox.

 

I'm very happy Mitts is on the team. On this I do agree with Pia.

 

One surprise ... Press as an alternate. She's barely gotten any camp time and is playing in Sweden right now.

 

Press surprises me as well. That being said, given that she's the only other forward called into camp, our seen fwd depth is pretty small.

Between Cox and Mitts, I don't really have an opinion. Besides, one's a LB and the other's a RB and apparently, Kling's made her case above Cox.

I can't fathom how Buehler manages to keep her spot but with her there and Sauerbrunn having a stranglehold on the backup spot, Engen can't break in. Between Sauerbrunn and Engen, I would choose Sauerbrunn. Between Buehler and Engen...? But then, was there ever a chance of Buehler not making it in?

As for Heath... well, someone said she was entering Brian Ching territory. I am inclined to agree.

As for the roster itself, my initial thought was that: Holy smokes, wings galore. One of our NT coaches loves CM/DMs but apparently the other hates them and doesn't even want to bring a backup for that position. It's been a year and not enough players has been called in or seen in a ton of these friendlies and I don't really think we've solved the problems we saw in Germany. I'm disappointed.

 

very true.

 

We all have our gripes about players chosen or not chosen. But I'm curious what people think about this 2012 roster vs. the 2008 edition. Which team has better talent, chemistry, tactics, etc.? Some will reflexively say there's no difference between them...same coach, same tactics, same core of players (11 returnees from Beijing). But there are some real differences.

2008
G: Solo (27), Barnhardt (26)
D: Mitts (30), Rampone (33), Beuhler (23), Cox (22), Markgraf (31), Chalupny (24)
M: Tarpley (24), Boxx (31), O'Reilly (23), Wagner (27), Lloyd (26), Heath (20), Hucles (30)
F:Kai (25), Rodriguez (21), Cheney (20)

2012
G: Solo (31), Barnhardt (30)
D: Mitts (34), Rampone (37), Beuhler (27), LePeilbet (30), Sauerbrunn (27), O'Hara (23)
M: Boxx (35), Lloyd (30), O'Reilly (27), Rapinoe (27), Cheney (24), Rodriguez (25), Heath (24)
F: Wambach (32), Morgan (23), Leroux (22)

The U.S. team will miss Chalupny, that much is certain.

I think the 2012 group of forwards are more dangerous. Abby Wambach was absent in 2008, and despite her age, she remains a goal scoring threat, especially on set pieces. There was no imposing aerial presence in 2008. Then there's Sydney Leroux, a more experienced Cheney, and of course Alex Morgan, whose pace and finishing ability strikes fear into the opposition. Remember in 2008 when we were relying on Angela Hucles to score goals?!

The midfield is basically identical; four years older but not wiser. Rapinoe adds some spontaneity in place of Tarpley's quiet consistency.

I'm a bit worried about this year's defense. It's unorthodox and unbalanced, with three center backs and a converted forward. And at least in 2008 all four (Mitts, Rampone, Markgraf, Chalupny) were relatively quick. In 2012 we have two plodders.

Solo and Barnie have been here before. Hope is still a big-time shot stopper, but are her reflexes as quick after shoulder surgery?

 

Agreed - better forwards, midfield is a wash (slight edge to 2008 if only because Boxx was younger and presumably had more energy then), worse defense.

 

As most of us had assumed, Heather Mitts will hang up the boots after London.
http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-blogs/soccer/heather-mitts-will-call-it-quits-after-london.html

 

Mitts is a classy girl, great athlete and was a great defender in her time - Yet, I absolutely do not think she should be on this team. At this point, players like Dunn would much better serve this team. When is the last time she played a full 90 minutes.??

Camps must be very frustraiting for younger players. Imagine out playing the older ladies not only day in and day out, but year after year and never even getting a cap. Not to mention Mitts and Pia stated before the WC that Mitt's not full recovered and could not play a full 90 minutes, yet, she got a spot.

High moral and unity is so important to this group of women - I wonder how the rejected players who deserved at least a few camps and chance to shine in the USA jersey actually feel about this team and their future on it. A few players made their case early and publically and jumped ship.

 

I don't think Dunn is who you're looking for as an outside back at the full nat'l team level just yet. There are a couple of other plays (imo) in line a bit ahead of her. She's a great player and will (knock wood) do well for the USWNT but in the future not now.

Also, you don't know for a fact that players not on the roster/in the camps are out playing all the "old ladies." I get that certain players do seem to either be stale or stagnant and/or do the same thing all the time that we all wish they wouldn't do.

My memory seems to be failing. Which players do you mean (and links would be appreciated)?

 

That makes 3 that have announced they're done after the Olys. Unless I missed someone.

 

I disagree with your dunn comment.. have you seen her play in the u20 qualies or in college? She's played in 2 youth WC's already(3rd in two months), in NCAA finals..she's 20 years old, not 15. She's an adult.. Agree with you though, there are numerous other players who are also good fullbacks.

I'm talking about the numerous players who've left to go play for countries they have duel citizenship/passport...there's a whole thread about it. Noyola recently - stating her possession style doesn't fit with us mentality...(that's what she publically stated)

sorry, don't know what this means:
Also, you don't know for a fact that players not on the roster/in the camps are out playing all the "old ladies." I get that certain players do seem to either be stale or stagnant and/or do the same thing all the time that we all wish they wouldn't do.

 

I've seen Dunn play. A lot. I'm very familiar with her game. I'm a big fan and I think she will do great things (knock wood, etc). I still disagree w/ your stating she's ready now for the Olympics. Not saying I love the defenders Pia selected and will play.

You said

(my bolding)
Noyola is one player and doesn't actually fit the parameters you gave. A player, I might add, that simply wasn't going to make the USWNT WWC squad because she wasn't good enough at the time. Even if Lloyd, Boxx, Lindsey retired prior to the WWC, Noyola still wasn't going to make the USWNT WWC squad. She was more interested in immediate PT in the WWC with Mexico. I wish her well and she's talented, but let's not re-write history.

You speculated that the young players were beating the "old ladies" in practice "day after day" and "year after year" in USWNT camps and how that must frustrate the younger players. I pointed out that those statements of yours were speculation sans evidence. Sure, Lloyd played craptastically in WPS and others played much better in the league. But that's not camp and not what you said.

 

I m

You're missing my point. When a coach publically states it doesn't matter if the starters are outplayed for a week or even an entire camp - that the starters have earned their starting positions no matter what - there must be a physogological response to everyone else on the team and everyone else on the u20 team trying to pave their way to the nat team.

Then when a coach takes three center backs and turns them into outside backs with out giving any natural outside back a chance, there is another concern. How does that effect the girls coming up..

Please read my initial statement again. My question is I wonder how Pia's stubborn coaching and favoritism will effect this team goign forward, in terms of development and team unity. How many people are not even getting an opportunity...

It's fine you don't THINK Dunn is ready for the olympics - but again my point is we shouldn't have to speculate for every single person because pia wont give anyone else playing time. I'm not here to discuss who you think is a good fullback or central mid at the nat level when we've never seen that person play at the nat level. It's fine you don't think Noyola was ready. It's a mute point. We don't know, because she never got the opportunity. ..but we do know she left for the reasons she publically stated. USsoccer she was too small and didn't fit into their system.

 

Maybe I missed this quote but when did Pia say that? I just can't remember it but then again I may have read it and forgot about it.

Agreed though that it is probably tough for players to make their way onto the national team but then again most of these starters went through the same thing. Remember in 2003 April dropped Abby from the roster because she wasn't fit enough. She eventually made her way onto the team as a starter but most players have to do their time in camps before they get a call up.

My major concern with this roster is the lack of defensive midfield on the bench. Simply put Boxx needs to be able to rest. It was a huge help that she sat out the Sweden game in the WC so she could rest and between her age and lupus we need an option off the bench. I would have liked to see a back up on the roster. I have to figure that if she needs to rest maybe her plan is to drop Carli into the holding spot and bring Cheney into the middle but I don't love Carli there.

 

She said it in an USsoccer article that was about her tactics, it was in the last year. I"ll find when i have some time.

 

BrooklynSoccer may be thinking of another interview but there was this side article in a Jeff Carlisle / ESPN piece on Alex Morgan, writing about Becky Sauerbrunn's difficult breaking through to the starting team.

(Bold mine.)

Some pointed out here on Big Soccer before that many coaches do that specifically for their center-back pairing. But still it's about as clear an admission as a coach is going to make that their starters are not necessarily the best players in training camp.

 

And yet when I watch the games it appears to me that the defense is much more calm with Becky Sauerbrunn is playing or subbed in.