Sundhage Names 24 Players to US WNT Roster For Two Summer Matches Against Sweden

First callups for Loyden, Huffman, and Long?

 

I'm pretty sure Loyden got a call up previously. Maybe this year's Algarve?

Also, I'm concerned about Markgraf, Rampone, and Mitts getting a call up. I am also suprised to see Lloyd listed there; isn't she still out with the ankle injury? I guess that should be nearly healed maybe. Even fully healthy I worry about her.

 

To avoid saying things far too explicit, I'm just going to say b******t. Can't wait to see what the WC squad is going to look like next year.

 

I don't care if she calls up people to fit her "style" or "scheme". I just care and hope that her "style" or "scheme" is a winning one on the world's stage.

Markgraf and Rampone are starting to get in that "range", but I do trust their selections if each of them is willing to give it their absolute all to bring something home. I'll give it to Chrisite she's hung it there. I'm slightly worried about Kate because her body wasn't quite cutting it three years ago.

Lloyd, really? She doesn't even know when she's coming back. This is a try-out of sorts I guess so try her out, but I will say that she's never really lived up to the hype to me. Sadly there is apparently no one who can step up to this spot, winner by default I guess.

I'm just going to pretend like Lori Chalupny is a soap opera character who dissappears for a few years after being killed off then suddenly comes back.

Huffman, loved how they just threw your name in the pool. Maybe next week they'll fill in your info and such. Best of luck to you.

You're right this isn't the WPS All-Star team because a lot of the league's best players are foreign.

 

I'll preface this by saying I haven't seen Rampone play yet so maybe she's in better shape than I realize and all that but she's a concern due to age/fitness/etc. I know she brings crazy intangibles/leadership but for a friendly I'd like to see someone like Dalmy rotate in. I'm not so sure that Mitts should be considered an automatic (and I have seen her play). It's Pia's team and her style of play and I'd certainly not pretend to know more than Pia but I'd hoped to see a little more fresh blood getting a serious look. That defense just seems old and slow to me (which may not be entirely fair).

 

Looks like everyone got their wish. Less Tar Heels.

 

I think Lloyd is on there just so Pia can check in on her, like she did with Rampone for the Germany match. See how she's training and whatnot. I doubt Lloyd will dress for the match.

Markgraf is still pretty fast but that's the only thing i can think of she has going for her.
Mitts i see being replaced pretty soon, but I think that since Markgraf and Rampone are centerbacks they want someone with experience to talk to the younger kids.

I wonder if Pia is thinking of Long and Huffman as possible Boxx backups.

 

wambach may be choosing, who knows

 

I agree that the continued absence of Chalu is greatly puzzling. I don't understand it at all unless Chalu herself asked not to be called up for some reason. She's playing the WPS games. Will someone (paging Beau Dure) get on the horn and do some real reporting and find out WTF is going on?

Not sure what to think about the rest of the defense. Taylor has had a good season so far, imo. No one on that backline has recovery speed at this point. I'd take one of Rampone/Markgraf not both.

The forward line is about what I expected. Until Kai can go 90 (and her knee was wrapped on Sun, is that another injury?) I don't see her getting back into a WNT camp.

Interesting that Averbuch didn't get called up while Huffman & Long did. We really need someone to fill the Boxx role on the field and I suppose this is their chance. I have seen Huffman do a decent job at holding mid and it seems like other candidates (eg Dew) aren't getting pt anymore after a nice start to the season. Is Long fighting for a spot on the wing or the middle?

 

This roster looks like both an experimental one and a "check up on recently recovered players" one (minus Kai, sadly). While the exclusion of Chalu is really bothering me, I think with players like Averbuch, Whitehill, and to some extent Taylor, Pia has seen them enough recently to know what she will get. I really like Taylor, and I hope she gets called in again soon.

I'm most curious about the midfield. Lilly is aging and Rapinoe, imo, has not looked her best so far this season. Do Huffman or Long ever play on the wings? Will Pia play O'hara in a wide position? (I think she is great anywhere) Is Lindsey the only option for amid besides Lloyd? Will Pia try something besides the 4-4-2? (I hope she will for at least one or part of the games)

It will be interesting to see what she comes up with come World Cup qualifiers.

 

Huffie usually plays on the right, while Long is generally in the middle. Usual Freedom midfield lineup is:

Bompastor - Sawa - Long - Huffman.

 

lori: not cleared by USA national team doctors is what i have heard

 

but 2 different WPS docs cleared her? Come on. If she's not been cleared by USWNT docs then she shouldn't be playing at all. If she's playing w/o being cleared, then someone (many someones) should be locking her in a room with Cindy Parlow.

 

Tobin Heath was playing a-mid before she got hurt, y'all. just pointing that out. when she gets back healthy i think she'll still have a chance to jump right in there, depending on her recovery.

chalupa being left off bothers me too. a lot.

 

Not my wish.
I think Whitney Engen should have been called in.

 

rampone just defended against the best player in the world on fsc this last sunday, and did an excellent job.

for defenders experience counts about a much as speed and skill - sometimes more.

if we wanted fresh blood, i'd take ellertson above all the other defenders in wps right now. speed, quickness, jumping ability, improved reading of the game....

but pia already has her fresh blood. she has lepeilbet and buehler in place of rampone and markgraf. all other defenders are racing for 5th place in the cd lottery.

i've been looking at wilson as a replacement for mitts, but she failed to stand out again this last weekend. she was just ok. she looked much better than this before her injury. i think mitts position is secure for now, with ali krieger as her backup.

for the first time ever, boxx looked ordinary in a game to me this last weekend. i think pia saw the same thing. it's time to start a wholesale look for someone with size, speed, and skill to replace her just in case this is the beginning of the slide we all expect. long and huffman are trial balloons. but we may have to move someone like engen or even ellertson up to that spot.

i don't know how much longer the lilly experiment can last. rapinoe needs to pick up her game, and the wps and uswnt doctors need to get together and settle the chalupa nonsense. failing that, pia will probably again use cheney up top and use arod (player of the week in wps, and is the league leader in goals scored with 6 - tony are you listening?) on the left wing like she did in winning the algarve.

 

i agree..but that is what has been the reason...guess the USA doctors are a bit more cautious.

 

Ellertson wouldn't be new blood. She was a staple on the WNT back in the Frimpong days, no?

 

She never really had a chance to make a name for herself, they've pretty much killed her off since she got pregnant with her second child Maya. I would like to see her called up. I think she would be of great help if a seasoned defender (she's spent a tad bit more time as a foward) would take her under their wing.

 

new relative to the tenure, aage and ability of rampone and markgraf.

i have absolutely no interest in "new" simply because they have never played for the uswnt. a player is not qualified simply because they have never played for the uswnt.

in fact, that kind of "new" is more likely an indicator that you're not good enough.

 

But one must remember that each member of the current USWNT was "new" at some point.

 

I have trouble with the Long call-up. To be fair, I think her passing and skill on the ball is pretty good, but she is SLOOOOOOW.

 

No, not really. She got her first cap in 2005 under April and Ryan moved her to defense. She did make the '07 WWC team but was still raw in her defending skills. She got preggers and hasn't had a look since. I agree that I think she has played well enough in WPS to warrant a look. Her defending has improved by leaps and bounds since '07 and she's got wheels that none of our other defenders have. I don't understand why she hasn't gotten a look over the last year when the other folks who had babies have.

While she isn't a speed demon, I think Long is one of those players that looks like they are running slower than they really are b/c of her loping gait. She's faster than she looks. I'm not saying I'd have called her up as I see her as one of those players that is a good, solid pro w/ a career of some length but just a step below international level. Maybe sitting on what use to be called The Ralston Line in the MNT forum. She's had a decent enough goal out put (2 last season and 2 so far this season) for her position & team. shrugs