The fact that the WUSA folded after Aly Wagner's rookie season crippled her potential. She was an international star while playing in college. She'd show up to the USWNT and play a handful of internationals per year, but on a field with a group of the all-time greats, she had time and space. Her rookie year with San Diego, she was "found out" within five games. Teams started putting their d-mid basically in her shorts with her. Atlanta's Sharolta Nonen was the prototype. Without time or space, she struggled. But that's normal rookie stuff. She was starting to adapt by the end of the season. Then there was no more high level club soccer to develop her game in. Her international career probably would've been better had she come out in 2002 or not until 2004. Amateur players shouldn't be able to instantly step into a high level international game and be ready to start. There is a transition. Unreasonable expectations and immediate dismissiveness when they aren't met are par for the course with sports fans, though.
If that's the case with the national team, that's a culture problem within the team. National teams are All-Star teams, not club teams. If you put on the national team kit, you should be working to fit in with all the other players whether it's your first call-up or your 300th game. Fitting in, is a club concept.
And I see that as a problem. We need women's soccer to have real club teams. We're getting there, but if the USWNT ever became a true meritocracy and not a group of mostly locked in by CBA "chosen ones", we'd never lose another World Cup or Olympics.
Doubt that will happen. Have been looking at FA boards (USsoccer, Swedish FA and the FA (England)) recently and while the two European nations have very similar setups the US is different. In two major points that will not at all help to make clubs take over from Nts. Swedish FA have a Board of 7, the FA 8 and US Soccer 15 and the members can be split in 4 categories: Soccer in general, all clubs, subfederations, youth , amatures etc: US: 7 (47%) England: 4 (50%) Sweden: 4 (57%) The top Leagues and Clubs (the difference how that is done between the three is interesting but not direct relevant here)*: US: 2 (13%) England: 3 (38%) Sweden: 3 (43%) Independent Board members: US: 3 (20%) England: 1 (13%) Sweden: 0 National team (called player representatives): US: 3 (20%) England: 0 Sweden: 0 So while the NT’s themselves do not have any board members in Sweden nor England and the Top Club have several in US the NT themselves have 3 and the top clubs just 2. And in US unlike the other two, the top clubs do not seem to elect there representatives since their two spots at the Board is just the commissioners for MLS and NWSL. So I think it will take a lot more than a lost WC or Olympic to change the power between Clubs and NTs in the US, probably at least a decade without any success. *NB! A drawback for WoSo in England is that their 3 reps. for the top clubs/Leagues seem to be just for the men's soccer. 1 for Premier League, 1 for The English Football League (the three tiers directly below the Premier Premier League) and one that represent both the Premier League and The English Football League.
Looks like Heath still out with the ankle. Im reading back in June's tournament for a return. Good to see Sam back.
Oh Dear Lord in Heaven above STOP what you’re doing - - - - In an event similar in magnitude to Moses parting the Red Sea……….as of Today April 16, 2021, Zurich has spoken. https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/ranking-table/women/ The 3 EURO Teams must be in separate Groups and because of the Confederation Rules we won’t get the Fightin Tancredi’s. Sooooooooo, The Greatest Team in the Universe Sweden -or- GB Aussie -or- China and how about Chile with Endler who is one of the few international players that has been issued a Badass Certificate from the Universal Institute of Badasserie. Only 137,862 minutes till the beginning of the Olympic Tournament.
Some news has hit/extended today and this thread seem as good a place as any. Olympics: The world is ready to head to Tokyo, but Tokyo isn’t ready for the world https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics-t...tokyo-isnt-ready-for-the-world-174957930.html Tokyo Olympics must be 'reconsidered' due to Japan's failure to contain pandemic - report https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/s...s-failure-contain-pandemic-report-2021-04-16/ There are several "interesting" sections in those two articles like: "Plans to hold the Olympic and Paralympic games this summer must be reconsidered as a matter of urgency," wrote lead author Kazuki Shimizu of the London School of Economics. "Holding Tokyo 2020 for domestic political and economic purposes--ignoring scientific and moral imperatives--is contradictory to Japan's commitment to global health and human security." and "Some 80% of Japanese citizens say the Games should be postponed again or canceled. "And a senior Japanese government official commemorated the 100-day mark by saying that, “of course,” canceling the Games is still an option. "When it comes to the 2020 Olympics, never before has the disconnect between Japanese public opinion and Western opinion been so stark. To American athletes, Olympic officials, media and fans, it seems clear that the Games will indeed happen."
The news changes from time to time and the pandemic just will not be contained no matter how hard humans try unless everyone participates. Personally, without judgement one way or the other, I think the Games will go on. I do know my granddaughters are complaining the Japan just is not really handling the pandemic well at all. They think Japan opened up too soon but what do 12 and 14 year old girls know?
I suppose you could try claim that, since the 2011 cup final against Japan ended in a shootout, which normally goes down as a tie regardless of outcome. but FIFA declares an exception for World Cup finals and the winner of a World Cup final shootout is declared an outright winner and gets ranking points for a win. I haven’t checked if that’s also true for Olympics. At any rate, Krieger started and played 90 minutes in that loss. The other trouble with that Line of argument is that Ali started and played 90 minutes in the 1-2 loss to Sweden in the final match of the group stage in that cup as well.
It’s a “knee” issue Tobin Heath has had an injury set-back. She's gone back to the US for rehab on her knee. Won't play again for Man Utd this season. Is "hopeful of making the Olympics".No decision made yet on whether she will sign a new contract. Also no decision on Christen Press. #MUFC— Emma Sanders (@em_sandy) April 16, 2021
It wouldn't be the USWNT if they didn't take a couple walking-wounded players who were nowhere near to being match fit to the Olympics or World Cup. If she's not on crutches, she'll be on the roster. Sigh.
apparently not so obvious to many. ... have heard/read quite a few interviews tho, over the years, in which the new pro player says that speed of play is the biggest challenge.
yes. thought this too. but ussoccer and vlatko won't repeat this historic mistake. ... at least that's what I keep telling myself.
into which new players find it very easy to fit. they usually comment on it... ...while pointing out the difficulty of playing at such a consistently high standard. (btw, the stop-start, few-days-every-couple-months nature of the uswnt could heighten or reduce the effect of the exclude-the-newbie-she's-coming-to-take-your-spot problem of most clubs. the evidence is that it reduces it.)
Right, it's all about the money tour after the Olympics or WC. An in form Bethany Balcer for instance is not going to draw soccer moms and dads through the gates with their little kids, but an out of form Carli Lloyd will. It's about the autograph.
And that won't change until after we consistently stop winning World Cups and Olympics and then reach the end of a USSF/USWNTPA CBA. Having any sort of "designation" of "federation players" only reinforces the current system. Hopefully Portland's signing of Dunn and Horan heralds a change in players signing USWNT "club" contracts, but I'll hold my breath until I see more teams and players do it. At least by the time MLS started all the USMNT players that had been under "club" contract to USSF had changed their registration to an actual soccer club. And it's a positive that the NWSL and several European leagues are reaching the point where they can be financially competitive with USSF for player loyalty. Actions speak louder than words and we all saw how Abby Wambach valued her home-town Western New York Flash in 2015 and Carli Lloyd valued the Houston Dash in 2016.