Should Pia Sundhage be fired if the U.S. now does not make World Cup?

JILLIAN ELLIS She seriously can not be up for the senior WNT Job? She's way worse than what they have in place now.

 

I have mentioned her name as a thought. But she has had multiple oportunities to prove she is an elite coach and failed. How many, 4 College Cups and nothing to show for it?

 

This is a criticism that has never made any sense to me. What Ghana match was Ellis supposed to scout? I follow Ghanaian soccer, and I don't recall the Black Princesses playing any friendlies at all in Germany, let alone open ones, before the U20 WWC.

 

I'm guessing that in the USA, there are a decent number of women's soccer coaches that make more than the USWNT head coach. Take a look at some of the salaries (then factor in Nike/adidas/etc sponsorship money paid on top of salary) for many of the top college coaches. It is reported that Krikorian makes ~$129k but that likely doesn't include camps/sponsors McGuire at Cal reportedly makes ~$163k based on what the state reported as his salary.

In the 2007 tax returns (including a WWC) Ryan was not one of the top 5 highest paid employees which means he made less than the $120k Hackworth made. (I think that tax return includes some time Ryan wasn't under contract--but still he made less than $150k) It seems April made $245k per year in her first contract (ie for the Sydney Olys) so Ryan's contract was for less money overall. My guess is that Pia's contract is on par w/ Ryan's contract.

I know people around here love, love, love Naimo but there's no way in hell he's got the head coaching experience right now I want for the next USWNT coach (whenever that change is made). Seriously. What is his experience beyond WLeague as a head coach? He's done well w/ the WLeague but that isn't enough for me.

This is the freaking top job and some international experience is required, imo.

 

Yeah that's difficult, but not impossible. Hire someone to tape the match or snatches of one in Ghana. Oh, BTW, didn't Ghana play in the same country/city during the qualifier tournament? If Ellis couldn't watch, she should have someone who is trusted to scout for her. Good God, my daughter's premiere team manages to do this in most tournaments.

BTW, would have been too much to ask for Ellis to have prepared list of PK taker in case the match went to PKs? Oh, and would have been too much to look like you practiced your PKs, too?

Ellis's past execution tells us that she is not the one to coach the USWNT.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by the qualifier tournament and with whom you think Ghana were playing in the same city. If you mean the group phase of the U20 WWC itself and that they were based in the same city as the US, then that would have been of little little help since Ghana was our first match.

If you mean the African qualifying competition and are asking whether all of those matches were played in a single location, the answer is that they were not. The entire competition was comprised of home-and-away series, and of course it wasn't clear until the end who would qualify. In any case, all of that was finished before we even knew that Ghana would be in our group.

 

As I said in the game thread.

I am officially off the Pia Sundhage bandwagon.

Her coaching today was only marginally better than it was during the Mexico defeat. The improvement? Earlier subs. Other than that, she did not demonstrate that she'd learned a d@mn thing from the Cancun games.

 

Jose Mourhino. English is one of the languages he already speaks but Winning Everything Always is his native language

 

haha. People think Abby gets too much play/focus now. Jose loves the big, powerful forward

But if you're going go hire a guy from Europe, might as well make a play for Bernd Schröder (just teasing, Bonnie. kinda).

 

Get rid of her. Sooner the better for me.
I haven't like 90 percent of what she's done since the olympics.
Does anyone know where i can watch todays game?
It's come to me even losing interest in this team.

 

What qualifications do you think the next USWNT coach should have prior to getting the job? What coaches do you see having (most of) those qualifications? Which of coaches in that sub-group are likely to either be available or willing to leave their current job for the USWNT gig.

I jokingly suggested Schröder as he's as unlikely as Jose to be the next USWNT coach (albeit for vastly different reasons). But even looking at lists of American coaches, it isn't a particularly awe-inspiring list.

 

When's Silvia Neid's contract up?

 

lol No chance. The next coach is going to be American. The proposed foreign shake up has only produced the same results so far. U.S.Soccer head should roll, not Sundhage.

Sundhage is comfortable as a coach, but she's not the director of U.S. women's football development? Who over looks the direction of the youth players she would have to pick from? Sort that part out before looking for a new coach.

 

that's been a long standing question which I haven't seen the answer to... how much pull does she really have?

 

Run out of town on a rail.

Like in the last part of this scene from the movie "Oh Brother where Art Thou"

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3eTSbC3neA"]YouTube - Oh Brother where Art Thou - Dees Boys is Masegenated![/ame]

 

Dicicco said pre Italy he had a talk with her on the lack of youth in the squad and was not convinced with her thoughts on the matter.

I think it's too late for fans to concern them selves on her youth omissions, college girls have no chance for Germany 2011, NO CHANCE. Sundhage is still scared to play younger players in her squad now, even obvious talent like Morgan only gets to play pure desperation or truly meaningless minutes.

I think what you see is what you get with Sundhage, radical change has never been her thing with the USWNT.

 

...so, as one of big soccer's average "laymen"...she had/has the capability to call up anybody but we're in too deep now and it is what it is? then the answer to this thread is a big resounding: YES!!!

 

The changes needed in the US system (on both the men's and women's side) will not happen just because we hire a new coach. The change that needs to happen is at the federation level. This old boys network won't relinquish their dynastic control over soccer in this country and until they do not much is going to happen.

What is needed, in my opinion, is to hire an American coach who is given the authority to hire all the youth national coaches and all the ODP regional coaches/staff and tell them to start selecting skillful, tactical, technical and quick-thinking/playing players. That's the only way to get the youth coaches to change - to change how players are selected into ODP, which in turn effects college recruiting.

What coaches could do this? I'm not a huge fan of DiCiccio but he has the guts to pull this off. As for college coaches, I look for coaches that make good in-game decisions and whose players get better after being in their program. I see four; Waldrum, Smith (SCU), Dorrance and Smith (Portland). I don't think Ellis or Ratcliffe have a high enough soccer IQ to handle the international game (they are great recruiters) and I like Steve Swanson at Virginia but I haven't seen enough of him to put him in with the top four.

Outside of college I know of a perfect coach... Abner Rogers. He would be an excellent coach. He has a great understanding of the youth system, he knows how to develop players, he can coach pros (Boxx never looked better under any other coach) and he would take the job - unlike most of the top college coaches.

 

Goods points here, It's a situation that's beyond a single coach change.

America is a vast country, but I have always wondered why women's college soccer has to have any level of commitment to producing national team talent in the modern era. In days gone by the USWNT was more or less a evolved college side, and that worked fine. Now however no one single college philosophy will be or should be dominating the playing style of the USWNT.

College soccer coaching philosophy of UNC seems to be about winning in a style very reminiscent in current U.S. play. This was also evident in the number of UNC players the senior team also had at any one time. Things have moved on though at the international level, and I am not sure overly college coached playing styles should be so dominant now.

If college soccer was left to deal with the athletic nature of winning, USWNT coaching should deal with the tactical/technical elements of the game. After the 08 Olympics Sundahge obviously still feels that she can eek out another win with a style that looks very outdated. Should USA qualify for the WC people will really be able to judge is winning ugly still OK, or should USA be better than that.

 

I don't think Theune is coaching anywhere right now and she's won a WWC, too.

 

Agreed that college is the worst place to develop players (coaches are paid to win, not develop talent), but college recruiting is heavily influenced by the OPD selection process. In my mind, I could be delusional here, if the ODP system is significantly altered the college game will follow. Maybe I'm too much of an optimist.

 

But if ODP were to change wouldn't that mean big changes with U.S. youth club soccer? That will never happen, never. The money involved in that level talks louder than the future success of the WNT, maybe even louder than U.S.Soccer officials.

Sundhage won't get a contract extension past London Olympics, so she will be long gone by the time anything positive takes place lower down the pyramid.

 

Pia should and would get fired if they do not make it to the finals. I forgot what rank the US is, but I believe it's one of the top 3. The other 2 teams aren't even in the same confederation as the US. There is no excuse for not making the finals. But the US should qualify so this probably won't happen.

 

I'll add a wrinkle to the discussion... Pia should be fired/retire not matter what happens at the world cup. Three + years is more than enough for one coach at the international level. This is not a comment on Pia's coaching, rather a need for any national program after an Olympics and WC run to change coaches and stay competitive. I wish the men had hired a new coach as well and I like Bob Bradley, I just think the US keeps it's head coaches too long. Turnover in this area is good because it keeps the players sharp and working hard to keep their "positions" in the program.

 

I see your point. On the other side of things, the German women's team has only had three coaches in almost thirty years: Gero Bisanz (1982-1996), Tina Theune-Meyer (1995-2005), and now Silvia Neid. Before taking over, each of the head coaches spent years on staff with the team as assistant coaches. Something to be said for continuity. 10-15 year tenures are quite the anomaly in both the men's and women's game, and probably wouldn't be good for the U.S., but I do like how each coach has had years of preparation and exposure to team tactics and players prior to taking the helm.

Between their coaching structure, their stable domestic league, and the consistent, well run youth system, the Germans are on to something.

By contrast, the U.S. program is just more haphazard. Coaches come in with little familiarity of the team, there is uncertainty about the future of WPS, the college system does not translate into optimal player development, and our youth teams all play with different formations and philosophies.

I suppose its hard to advocate for change, though, when your team has a near 100% winning record every year.