Please RATIONALLY explain to me why Boxx is not on the USWNT

She didn't go to Carolina.

 

Nope, that is not it. There are plenty of non-Carolina players at the national level.

However Boxx does something that April will only accept from players that have been around long enough where they cannot be ignored. She exhibits creativity.

April wants every player to play her unimaginative style of "disciplined" soccer. In this context translate "disciplined" into boring or safe.

The style that April wants and insists on is the main reason the rest of the world has caught up so fast. Once she took over we ceased to progress and even regressed a bit.

Boxx, Serlinga, the Wombat, and many others have suffered greatly under this system and the last thing April needs is a player that cannot be broken to her style and Boxx seems to be a player that is too creative to be broken.

The US women would be well served by a true open system like the men's team seem to be where club performance is a primary factor in team selection. April pays lip service to this idea but she rarely allows a player that does not meet her expectations in practice to play at the National level.

I have heard, from fairly reliable sources, that Pope and Stewart are poor practice players. I wonder where the US would have been without those two at the last WC. Three and out or, most probably they would not have qualified.

It is possible that Boxx is not the best in practice but raises her level in games. April lacks the vision to ever give that kind of player a real chance, even in friendlies.

 

Can't disagree with that.

I still think April has a bias towards players from UNC, Santa Clara & Portland.

Granted those are the top programs year after year but still.

I think Fotop. was out of favor early on because she wasn't from one of those schools.

 

I had the opportunity to watch Boxx play here in SD for two years. She was fabulous! Shannon plays from 18 to 18, has good skills for player her size (Not the stereotypical big player) and has a ton of heart. Her problem in SD was Julie Foudy. Basically, she and Julie are both holding mids. I wish we would have traded Foudy for the #1 pick and kept Margaret Teijen and Boxx.

April has a lot of choices up front but in the midfield I would like to see Boxx and Nikki Serlenga playing in front of a flat back four. Then she could play with three forwards with Wagner slightly withdrawn. We're athletic enough to attack with our two outside backs and still hold the middle of the field with Boxx and Serlenga. Both those players are tougher and more complete than Fair and Foudy, and I mean that as no disrespect to Julie who I still rate as the greatest, most dominant high school soccer player I ever had the misfortune to see as an opposing coach.

Don't get me started on April and her biases. I believe that she is the worst thing that ever happened to the US Women's program. Either Clive Charles or Lauren Gregg should have been given that job. April was hired because she is former Women's National Teamer, and not on the strength of her coaching credentials. Hell, why don't we replace Bruce Arena right now with Rick Davis.

.........................I'm sorry ........ I lost my mind.

 

Well, I've been at every home game and watched every game I could on tv this season and I've seen her, and the team, steadily improve. I was really happy when that deal went through that we got her and Tietjen in particular. Watching the team come together has been really exciting.

I do have to say that this past Saturday's game was probably the best game of the season for Shannon. She was a force to be dealt with both coming and going. Everything you want a midfielder to be - strong on defense and offense as well. How many times did she just miss a goal by hitting the post or crossbar?? sheesh. and they were rockets!

I sure hope Ape gives her a shot. She really deserves it.

 

cant argue with you here, however, with clives recent history with cancer he would have been forced to give up the national team because two teams would have been too much. lauren gregg wasnt chosen because she was an assistant of tonys, whom the federation did not particularly like at the time of choosing a new coach. so theres nothing we can do but complain like we do now.

however, if we do not see a good performance due to bad decisions we may see april kicked out, however, i believe that our players have too much competitiveness to lose at the hands of bad coaching.

i would love to see boxx on the roster for the world cup (impossible) or next years olympics. boxx is not on the national because of aprils favoritism and lack of exposure to the national program in the past. but because she is not from portland, unc, or santa clara may be a bit far fetched as she is from notre dame along with former teammate kate sobrero.

another reason she hasnt gotten the call-up is because of carolina winning founders cup last year and tr stuck out more than boxxy. same with the u-19s many of them have gotten call-ups as well...perhaps if ny gets to the playoffs, or even wins fc3 boxx may get more looks from the national team..but i could be wrong

 

I agree 100% - Shannon is also a pretty good central defender - a place where I feel the USWNT could use a little depth.

 

Count my vote for Boxx too... but Ape doesn't listen to me either.

 

I think part of the problem is that Boxx has only recently begun to shine in the WUSA. She has found a great place in New York and is starting to feel more comfortable with her place on the team. San Diego wasn't a great team for her skills so therefore we are just starting to see how wonderful she truly is. I think April mostly already had in her mind the players she wanted for the World Cup midway through the WUSA season, which is when Boxx started to show her talent. She wasn't already on April's radar screen and with all the veterans it sure is hard to break in there right before their last World Cup. I guess I could just sum it up by saying that April is set in her ways. But that is a shame because Boxx deserves it and could bring so much to the team. She would be on my World Cup roster, that's for sure. I've become a fan of hers this year and she's a HUGE reason for the Power's turn around. Credit to the Power staff for picking her up in the trade. Come on April.

 

The question I have is "why hasn't she been on April's radar before now?" For two seasons in SD she played more minutes than anybody. Boxxy was the heart and soul of the Spirit, not Mac or Foudy. Its too bad she had to leave to get the credit she has deserved since Day 1.

 

My guesses, in order of most to least likely.

1. April puts a very high priority on playing attractive soccer. Sure she wants to win, but it has to be win-pretty. She's basically created (or tried to create) a team full of nice playmaking middies. Some mids play Defense and some play Forward and some even play Midfield. This explains her insane posture regarding Wamback as a 'bubble player'. She isn't looking for gritty players like Wamback or Boxx. Nor is she looking for specialists like Fotop.

2. April may feel she has the team (starters and bench) to win WWC03 right now. If so, 2003 is the wrong time to introduce new variables.

3. Judging by the US style of play, April appears to be a 'control freak'. If so, she may not feel in control with Boxx. At 26 years old, Shannon is neither part of the 'old ladies club', nor is she a youngster who April can easily mold.

4. Politics.

 

1. Don't like the way that Abby plays. Far too many fouls and complains way too much when she gets fouled. Fotop is too much of a poacher. April has Parlow for height upfront. And Cindy is a great dribbler as well.

2. This is probably true and I wouldn't count them out. Why change it if you think they can do it?

3. Problem is that the USWNT needs young players. Strikers between the ages of Heather and Tiffeny. Boxx is a very good auxillary as well. She can plug holes and makes long runs.

 

Is this you or April talking? Your opinion or April's?

Abby plays rough and Fotop poaches. Yeah, but will they win games for you? That's the bottom line. Oh yeah. Dribble shmibble

 

Boxx gets called into US training camp! Its about time.

 

Ya know...I was thinking...

I remember reading an article on Shannon awhile ago and she said she was focused on bringing home the Founders Cup Trophy, and wasnt worrying too much about being called into NT Camp.

Now that the Power are done and this is the first camp since the season ended, Shannon was called in. Do you think she told April she didnt want to train with the team until the Power season was over?