Glad to hear raoine had a great game. But why does she not do the same with the Red Stars. It seems that she scores in every game with the USWNT. Has she scored even 2 goals in 2 years with the CRS? Is it the people around her? As far as Chalupny, I've said this before, she may never play again for the USWNT, IMO. I'm guessing the insurance policies are different for the USWNT vs. the Beat. It may not be all up to the doctors. I'v heard of players not passing one team's physical but going to another and passing. The USSF may be worried that if she gets another concussion, that they may be liable and they don't want to risk that. In today's world it's not always about the doctors, but the insurance companies/policies. Just guessing.
I don't know anything about the case but I can imagine things I imagine to be realistic. Imagine, for example, a player who has a history of migraines and then has a series of serious concussions. If I imagine that I can then easily imagine also an insurance company who are unwilling to take liability-- because they have no way to be sure that all of the headaches and light-sensitivity occurring currently are simply part of the migraine history and not post-concussive symptoms. Meanwhile another insurance company might think they can tell the difference, or at least think that the odds are reasonable enough. We may never know exactly what's going on with Chalupny-- its not really any of our business. But its kinda silly to assume that there must be something discreditable somewhere. If there's anything discreditable it is our until-very-recent history of taking concussions lightly; we won't get past that without a few honest differences of opinion along the way...
I think the same could be said about HAO. Personally, I think that when players put on that uniform of their country.. there is a different degree to their game.
may the 2nd goal was a hand ball? the Chinese goalkeeper show it to the referee..but we didn't know what happened. i can't see that. and.......it seems China didn't scored a goal in a offical match of fighting USA.if the Algarve 2007? what a long time!
Solid defence comes from trusting your best and sticking with them over time. Markgraf was on the way out any way, but I thought Buehler and Lepeilbet were the logical options to play together. I know Sundhage made Rampone and Chalupny captains, so maybe she still wants at least one of them to come back as a starter. At Gold Pride Buehler already plays in a system Pia wants USA to play. Lepeilbet is a class act, and seems to play well with Buehler. Why try and force Rampone back in? Buehler and Lepeilbet have built up a good understanding, Sundhage should let it continue.
How do like it if, at your workplace, after you had your child, you try to come back to your job and the boss simply throw you out and you don't even have a chance to prove yourself?
Who's talking about throwing anybody out? Markgraf was on the way out due to better players coming to prominence. Rampone is still a strong player but has not looked the same (shut em down, defender) since the last kid. I know to say anything that's deemed negative about some of the vet girls annoys some people, but to suggest Buehler and Lepeilbet may be better together than having Rampone play is not an insult. Pia can seem to live without Chalupny, so why is Rampone deemed so integral? We all know she's was great, but that's not always going to be the case. She's guaranteed a squad place for the 2011WC already. The question is should she replace Buehler who looks to have become a class act.
You are all over the place with your argument. Markgraf may or may not be on her way out. Her play with the team will decide that. What is that argument about Chalupny? Her case is certainly medical related. Not comparable to Rampone's. You are the only person who deemed Rampone integral and guaranteed a place in 2011. She has barely played for the national team lately. You threw out some guesses and then decided either they already had a place and/ or they should not have a place at all. Let them show their stuffs and see if they should make the 2011 squad, will you?
I think that Rampone is needed for this WWC. She has plenty of time to get into game shape. Her leadership is needed. As faras Markgraf, as a CRS and ND fan I would like to see her on the team once more. She is definately fit. However,... IMO, there are better, younger and faster defenders on this team that can be a better asset to the team then her. As far as the 99ers, I expect Rampone and Lilly to make the team and yes, IMO, Rampone will and should start in the middle for this squad next summer.
Rampone is Captain. If that does not guarantee a WC place nothing will. Playing a even weaker than (normally) weak china won't prove jack about the players you know will start when it gets important. Loads of players seem to get called up, but produce very little in the time they get. The score should have been more 5-1 than 2-1. Either way I couldn't give a toss about the USA team come 2011, but I like to see the progress in the women's game. I don't care about ages or form, but 4 years goes by and USA seems to be doing the same old thing. 4 year Unbeaten run followed by a scrappy WC performance. Come the big show though this could be the last time USA has its best chance to win a WWC for a long time. The players under the present squad don't look like world beaters. WPS may be thing that saves U.S. player development because the WNT has not done that for ages. Don't let the #1 rank fool you, USA as a leading nation for women's football has been slipping. As a pre tournament favourite you want to see them with the best players then dominate and win in style. I guess it's just frustration on my part, so I wont comment on them in future if I sounds so scatter brianed.
The concerns are justified and a lot of us are anxious, but as I said in a discussion on Boston's thread on Lilly, isn't this what WPS is supposed to do? Show us someone new, someone who's ready to play in the World Cup? The way WUSA gave us Shannon Boxx? As far as players who can make an impact on the attack, the names just don't really come flying in your face, do they? Now some of that may be bad luck due to injuries and illness. Counting only those we're looking for attacking or central mid potential, I'd say six out of our 10 or 12 most promising young players to leave college in the last few years have been hampered by injuries: Tobin Heath, Megan Rapinoe, Michelle Enyeart, Nikki Washington, and Brittany Bock. Leaving Kelly O'Hara, A-Rod (as in the Amazing Adventures and Misadventures of...), Tina DiMartino, Casey Nogueira (another headspinning topic in and of itself), Lauren Cheney and ... oh damn New Zealand! I'm thinking about Ali Riley again! Damnation! Okay, Jordan Angeli - thanks to her season with WPS she makes 12. A lot of us are frustrated but some of us are also realistic. We've just watched two seasons of WPS and the player who grew up in the US who could probably make the most certain impact on our attacking game plays for %@#*!! (did I spell that right?) New Zealand. Bloody New Zealand!
you're right. no captain has ever been replaced. isn't that a good thing? it's up to them how they perform in camp and - if they're picked - in the game. wnt player development was just a forced solution - when there was no league. it's artificial. don't know anyone who is. those who read this board know that just about everybody consistently criticizes the coach and lambasts certain players.
This is one of the major problems the U.S. system has. Ali Riley at a young age had to choose New Zealand to get top international experience. It's no accident she looks so good compared to most U.S. rookies, because fact is she hasn't been a rookie since she played in her first WWC in 07. Ali Riley could have been just another quick athletic player, but she has multiple dimensions to her game that you only learn playing at the top level. O'hara, Cheney, Heath, Di Martino, Nogueira are a generation of fantastic attacking talent. At least two of these players should have one day gone on to be FIFA gold ball winners, yet If that was to happen it would be a surprise to many. The first China game should have been offence practice for on the cusp forwards. The U.S. could have played the Atlanta Beat back line and still beat China.
If you'd played the young players and they scored a ton vs China, does it prove jack? On the other hand, if the old pros could only get a score line of 2-1, what if the young guns had lost? Would you toss them all out?
captains are often replaced, but Rampone was just renamed captain the last time she was in camp (which was basically a post baby check up for her). That does trend that Pia is planning on keeping her around.
On the Riley front, I hope folks remember that A) she chose NZ when she was in high school. Surely folks don't think we should be capping every semi-promising high schooler and B) Riley was a forward until halfway through her Stanford career. A forward. Not a defender. It wasn't like the USWNT ignored this amazing defender so she went to New Zealand.
Yes it gives them confidence plus experience. Does it matter if they lose? China can't bother to send a full first team, so why do the U.S. need win so badly? USA play in a weak confederation, winning every fiendly they play to prove how good they are has become a bad habit. You can't hide the fact that this U.S. team will look exactly like 07, and will no doubt play like the Olympic team in China too. I don't really blame Sundhage, but for all her talk USA is still Greg Ryan's team but slightly tweaked.
Ok, what you are telling me is you can put Jane Smith and her sisters in there and they lose 10-0 and you don't care and you will send them to the World cup next year? What is your yardstick? Oh yeah, as long as they play well, it does not matter if they lose, baloney. Heck, if you did truly not care about losing, why did you worry so much about winning 2-1 instead of 5-1?
Look, your playing friendly games. You can win Algarve, Peace Queen, Nordic, Sponge Bob or any other make believe serious competitions. Because of old residency deals USA is the only nation that plays full first team players, with minimal experimentation. Has USA improved the attack and possession aspects of their game? Have top youth players transitioned to the senior level? Does Sundhage have a plan B for when it goes wrong? WPS is a pro level win at all costs environment, so far not really designed to develop promising talent. Then you have College soccer which is an amateur win at all costs environment. The youth national teams are win at all cost environments too. Sadly this win at all cost nature is still with the senior WNT, even though USA has a league for players to stay sharp now. The landscape of the women's game has changed. National teams are no longer club teams. When WWC starts and the intensity get a few notches higher, I'm sure USA will revert to looking ordinary again. All the wins in friendlies look stupid when the #1 ranked team looks well below that standard.
Markgraf tweeted this morning that "my retirement continues to b ugly and painful" (regarding some nose issues). Is she done and I just missed it? Or is that just worded poorly?