U.S. U-19 Women National Team thread

Krzysik Helping U-19s in Canada

Clifton's Krzysik helping U.S. U-19s dominate in Canada

Saturday, June 5, 2004

By ADAM ZAGORIA
HERALD NEWS



MONTREAL - Nikki Krzysik has won Passaic County and state sectional titles wearing a Clifton High School soccer jersey, but nothing quite compares to winning in a U.S. Soccer shirt.

Krzysik started on defense as the U.S. Under-19 women's national team beat Mexico, 6-0, on Friday in the semifinals of the 2004 CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament at Molson Stadium. With the victory, the U.S. advanced to the FIFA U-19 World Championship in Thailand from Nov. 10-27. The U.S. - which outscored its first three opponents 31-1 - will meet Canada in the championship game on Sunday afternoon in Ottawa.

"This is all a new experience for me, but when you walk around and you're representing the U.S. you have this (aura) around you, like everyone is in awe," Krzysik, a junior at Clifton, said before the Mexico game. "It's pretty amazing; the teams that you play against want your picture and your autograph."

Krzysik is one of three New Jersey players on the 18-person U.S. roster. Yael Averbuch of Montclair High and Sheree Gray of Toms River North are both also on the team. All three girls play for the same club team, World Class. Only California, with nine, has more players than New Jersey.

Averbuch does not compete for her high school team, preferring to concentrate on her club and national team obligations. The U.S. victory means that Krzysik will likely miss most or all of her final season at Clifton. A three-time Herald News All-Area and All-State selection, Krzysik will be busy training with the national team during the fall, though Clifton coach Stan Lembryk has joked that the she might be able to fly in for a county or state final. The Mustangs have won three straight Passaic championships and reached the Group 4 state title game during Krzysik's freshman year.

"I see this as my life. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world," Krzysik said. "I mean how many high school kids get to go and travel the world at our age? How many kids can say they did that?

"Yesterday we had a pool workout at 11 (a.m.)," she added with a laugh. "I'd rather be in the pool than at math."

The U-19 team has been in Canada since May 20 and Krzysik has now missed more than 50 days of school this year. Still, she maintains a 90.7 GPA and her guidance counselor predicts that will finish in the Top 10 of her class.

Hundreds of thousands of girls play soccer across America. But during the past two weeks, Krzysik has been immersed in a world that a precious few get to see. In addition to the benefits associated with traveling to another country, she has improved her soccer skills, learned about various colleges and bonded with the top players from across the nation. All while trying to do her homework and prepare for final exams next week.

Getting a big break

Krzysik's big break came on April 27, when U-19 head coach Mark Krikorian called to tell her that she had been added to the team after another player, Jen Buczkowski of Elks Grove Village, Ill., dropped out. Krzysik, previously an alternate, was added as a defender at the age of 16. Now 17, she is one of just three girls on the roster born in 1987.

Krzysik plays an attacking midfielder with Clifton, and hopes to play up front in college. But she has been groomed as a center-back with the national team.

"I think she's been outstanding," Krikorian said. "She's as consistent as can be. One of the things I really do like about her is the fact that she is an attacking player. When she has the ball she can strike a 40-yard ball on a dime and she can texture a ball, or dribble at opponents and then pass them by. I think that a lot of the qualities that she has an attacking player are qualities that we can use from her when we gain the ball."

Krzysik said she was prepared well for this level by her World Class team, which is coached by Kazbek Tambi, a former U.S. Olympian. Tambi often brings in men from college and overseas teams to compete against the girls. Still, the jump in speed and talent from the U-16 team, where Krzysik was a year ago, to the U-19s has been considerable.

"If I'm one step behind, that could be the difference between qualifying and not qualifying," she said.

Krzysik and Averbuch have learned a lot about colleges, too. The U-19 team includes players from some of the top soccer programs in the nation, including UCLA, Stanford, Portland and Virginia.

Krzysik is being courted by Rutgers, Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, Penn State and Notre Dame, while Averbuch, 17, is considering many of the same schools.

"Obviously, (our teammates) all love their schools, but it's good to hear a firsthand account of what their freshman year was like, what schools they were considering and why they picked the one they did," Averbuch said.

A balancing act

Before she can think too much about college, Krzysik has to get through high school. The players are staying in a McGill University residence hall here, and are allocated two hours a day for study hall. Krzysik submitted a chemistry exam by email, but finds it difficult to absorb her algebra lessons without a teacher.

"It's so much easier when you have someone teaching you," she said. "It's so hard to read a math lesson and then try to teach it to yourself."

A two-day final exam in American History awaits her next week. But it is hard to concentrate on that when there is so much else to do, like go to the nearby mall, watch "Miracle" and "Shrek 2" with her teammates and plan for her upcoming driver's license test. Krzysik has already admitted having trouble trying to break and steer at the same time, prompting her teammates to give her impromptu lessons at the dinner table using glasses and a dessert menu.

The future of American soccer

After this summer's Athens Olympics, Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly and Brandi Chastain will all retire from the full U.S. national team, opening the way for the next generation of American stars. Some of them, like Abby Wambach and Aly Wagner, have already emerged.

Others are still on their way up. Krikorian talks regularly with April Heinrichs, the head coach of the full national team, apprising her on the progress of the U-19s. In his mind, players like Krzysik, Averbuch and Gray have what it takes to one day wear the jersey of the full national team.

"I think that they have certainly the potential to develop into players that can play at the full national team level," he said. "But it's awful hard to predict, a lot of factors will determine that."

The full national team has long been a dream for Krzysik, but right now she's just happy to going to Thailand.

"In reality, everything's one day at a time," she said. "I never ever thought that I'd be sitting her right now with the 19s ... and then you get one big break and everything just turns around."

Krikorian's seleccion looks like a good mix of youth [duh!] and experience in international competition. Krzysik, Orand, and Davis will gain valuable experience in Thailand because they will be the only eligible players left to anchor the '06 squad. I was pretty sure Davis was a HS junior, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I guess I'll have to wait two more years before Orand and Davis arrive at The Farm. [/QUOTE]

 

Any one going to Thailand?

Just wondering if anyone here was actually going to Thailand to watch the tournament?

 

Re: Any one going to Thailand?

According to a fan who attended the WPSL New Jersey Wildcats' game last night, former Charge GK (and dark horse 2002 WUSA MVP candidate) Melissa Moore is now the U-19 goalie coach.

https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2800946&postcount=82

Paul

 

The U-19s are training in Jersey, at PDA's fields to be exact, until next weekend. In addition, the U-21s will join them next weekend, although I'm not sure how much of a workout the U-21s will see before leaving for Iceland. So to anyone back East who misses out on the action at the HDC, this is your chance to see the junior squads in the flesh.

 

Slight correction: The Wildcats are in the W-League, not the WPSL.

 

Melissa Moore was at the WIldcats Game with Coach K and the entire U-19 team. She stated they were leaving before the Weekend, after a scrimmage with the WIldcats

 

According to USSoccer [link]

 

Re: Any one going to Thailand?

I guess that the answer is 'no'?

 

Re: Any one going to Thailand?

I would if the tournament wasn't in November (aka I have classes) ... have family in Thailand ... but alas, I can't miss school.

 

Here are directions to the PDA field in Zarapheth, NJ.
http://www.pdasoccer.com/directions.htm

Does anyone know what time the scrimmage will be?

 

So, did anyone make it to the scrimmage? Report please!

 

the Wildcats match was canceled due to the rain but the U-19s did play the Lady Riders. The match was good but I am sure the "A" Team was not playing (They had the 2 matches set and I guess the A team was to play the Wildcats)

 

Thanks. Actually the scrimmage (or game?) I was most interested in was the one with the U-21s. Eventually the USSF gave a brief description, just that the U21s won 1-0 on a penalty kick. This game was played Saturday night. I guess no one went.

http://www.ussoccer.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=82971

 

Any word on who went on the US U-19 trip to China? I heard that Meghan Schnur was on the trip this time around, and so I am wondering how many new faces the U-19's are taking after their CONCACAF loss to Canada. Anybody know anything about this? I haven't been able to find anything online about the U-19 trip....

 

And since Spain won the title with 2-1 against Germany, it looks this way:

FIFA U-19 WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Groupings

GROUP A
Thailand
Canada
Australia
Germany

GROUP B
China
Brazil
Nigeria or South Africa
Russia

GROUP C
United States
South Korea
Spain
Italy

 

Saw the game on TV last night (I'm in Europe) and I wasn't impressed with either team (Spain/Germany). I think the Spain win was a bit of a fluke since Germany has killed everybody else.

 

U.S. U-19 Women's Squad Readies For 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship


If Kiki Bosio impresses, she might just make it.

 

Does anyone know what the team is doing now in preparation for the Cup and where they are?

 

They are currently in Boca. Come home by the end of the week. Short break and then another camp at Home Depot.

 

Thanks.