Back to the post which started this all... on the question of RM position, while I love Kacey White as much as any red-blooded Tar Heel fan, I do have to wonder if she's too slight to really play well at the international level. Certainly she's got tremendous dribbling skills and plays with great poise, but I dunno, I think she might just get flattened out there. I'd certainly love to see her given the chance though.
Today's 3-1 loss to Denmark can be taken a few ways. Some would argue it didn't really mean anything and some might say the game clearly showed the USWNT needs an overhaul. Denmark looked very good to me. Speed, individual skills, playmaking, attacking ability were all there. Defense was solid, no glaring weaknesses anywhere. They definitely showed the long ball attack is alive and well - the myth of its demise at the international level s/b put to rest but somehow I doubt that. There will always be those who interpret a poorly executed long ball attack as evidence that it can't work. So be it. As for the future of the USWNT, I saw nothing that would change my belief that Parlow (could she be any slower?), Chastain and Lilly should be retired ASAP. None of them was a force on the field, in fact I would say just the opposite was true. I can't see the point in investing in any of them at the expense of developing younger players. Funny thing is that Hamm (who is definitely going to retire) looked like she belonged - maybe not the dominating force she once was but still very solid. I'm still ambivalent about Scurry and Markgraf. They don't need replacing so maybe that's the answer. Mitts looked good, sure she made some mistakes but again she looked like she belonged out there. Wagner was Wagner, some good stuff but not really convincing. Will she ever take her game to the next level or is that it? I think Woznuk is a better prospect. Boxx and Wambach are for real as they showed again today. Reddick is a keeper. Same for Rampone but this wasn't her best game. Does anyone doubt that Tarpley and O'Reilly would have been an asset out there today? Wambach was the only real scoring threat the US had on the field. Yah I know Mia scored the tying goal last game and she can still score goals but she's not a constant threat to do so. It will be interesting to see how the team looks against Mexico. I think Denmark was a tougher challenge but watch out for Dominguez.
Just got home and watched my tape of the game. I'd definitely agree that Chastain and Lilly looked pathetic. I didn't see Mia do much of note. I stick by my guns that UNC this year is close to as good as USA. That shouldn't be and points to years of stagnation for the NATS. It's sad to see such poor play as Chastain's assist. I thought Wagner looked mostly pitiful, too. Wow, the old days sure are gone. It's not that other countries are that great. We just haven't gotten any better while the level of play at my local rec league keeps improving. Looking for the bright side and trying to be optimistic is hard. Without the WUSA and with our current coach we can expect to fade into obscurity i.e. 2nd or 3rd place....
I doubt that US soccer has been stagnant for the last 10 years, in fact the opposite is much more likely. Young players are better than previous generations and the next generation will be better yet. It's the way of all sports. Not saying all promising youngsters are going to pan out at the international level (Wagner might be a case in point) but it's time to find the young 'diamonds-in-the-rough' and start polishing them for 2007. I'd be looking to the U19 and U21 teams. Maybe that's just me, but on the other hand, Tarpley and O'Reilly were stars on the 2002 U19 World Championship team.
Keep in mind that these are basically exhibition games. The team is exhausted and they are not practicing. They basically show up and play. Will agree that this was not their best effort. Thought the back line looked unorganized at times and obviously the attack was not what it needed to be.
I think they all played as well as they could under the circumstances. No lack of determination or effort out there. Still, some players had the physical ability to rise to the occasion and others didn't.
I heard that our U-21 is a very good team, has been defeated senior teams ( China, Mexico, Canada etc ) , so why don't we just take this team to another level and throw in Wambach, O'Reilly, Tarpley, Kelly Willson and Boxx ...
It's been interesting reading the posts on this message board. I don't think we can judge anyone of these players by the way the past few games have gone. These are pick up games where the pressure and energy of a tournament are missing. I saw the game in Cincinatti vs. New Zealand. Yes, there was a competition, but the attitude was definately relaxed and playful. There was no "game-face". I see the future of this team as a mixture of old talent and young blood, a mix that every succesful team has to have. The defense is going to be solid with Markgraf, Rampone, and Reddick. I think that even though Chastain's best physical years of play may be behind her, she brings an intensity and passion that is hard to pass up. With Joy gone they need someone to organize things back there and I don't think the other three, while good, solid players, have the personality required to be that decision maker. Maybe Cat will down the road, but during the run up to the Olympics they looked pretty shaky when Joy wasn't in there. I think Mitts is a total waste of space, but I liked the looks of LePeilbet and I think they should give Bivins another look. She had some good moments during the WWC. I haven't seen Slaton that much except on the bench. If she can stay healthy maybe give her another look, but that's a big if. Midfield has a lot of possibilities. Boxx is a lock for a long time to come. Another reason to relive a professional league of some sort. She never would have got a second glance from April if it hadn't been for the WUSA. Tarpley had a good Olympics, hope she heals from her injury and can come back strong. She's a keeper. I don't think Lilly is done yet, how can people say she's done when she played every minute (including two overtimes) of the Olympics and had three goals? She's an iron woman. Wagner can have her moments, but I don't think she's ever going to live up to her potential. She's good when she has time, delivers a beautiful ball, but she's slow and she loses an awful lot of balls because she just misjudges the speed of her defender. Foudy was ready to go. Her onfield presence will be missed but she physically was ready to go. She is a character that they will miss just because of her ability to emotionally connect with everyone. Every team needs a vocal leader, and she was perhaps the best ever at that. She always knew the right thing to say at the right time, what each individual person needed to hear. Yes, she'll be missed. I don't know very much about the U-21 or 19 teams so I can't make a statement about specific people. I just want to see them bring up players that have great ball handling skills. The biggest lack that this team has is people with creative ball skills. The Brazilians showed that weakness, almost to our loss. Up top, Abby and O'Reilly are the obvious front runners, no pun intended. If April goes I think you seriously have to make an attempt to get Millie to come back, if her knee is healed up and her heart is still in it. I know that she's older than some of the young guns, but I don't see how you can turn your back on such creativity and speed. Her 99 goals didn't just happen. I've never been able to figure Parlow out. She's so slow, but she always seems to be in the right place at the right time. I don't see how she can do all those things with the ball, when her feet don't seem to be attached to the rest of her body. She's got a knack for finding the back of the net, though. I'm afraid that if we go with Abby and just speedsters, the other teams will start double and triple teaming the Wombat more than they already do. She needs someone with some size, like Parlow, to help out with the more physical teams. I think that Bri is going. I thought I read or heard that she said she was going. Don't look for Siri any time soon though, if April is still around. Luckinbill didn't make too much of an impression on me, but she didn't really get any playing time either. I'm not questioning any of the top candidates abilities in the net physically. It takes a special attitude to be a top goalie and until someone steps up and proves it in a big game situation, like Siri and Bri have I think the goalie job is wide open. The personality is the what is most important in goal. Coach wise, I think that Heinrechs has to go. She is not a teacher, she is a drill sergeant. While this is sometimes needed, I don't think this type of coach is what is needed here. I question her ability to judge players, both Boxx and Wambach wouldn't be around if not for the WUSA. Her two most touted players, Mitts and Hucles have been busts. One because Mitts just doesn't have soccer instinct and the other because Hucles has been too injured to make much of an impact. April has limited inter-personal skills. I don't think that a coach needs to be everyone's best friend, but I think there needs to be some sort of mutual respect. I don't know if Leone would be a replacement or not, the same for Jerry Smith. Soccer is a game of flow, of ebbs and tide, of give and take. I just don't agree with April's philosophy of the game. The coach is not the one who can feel that, no matter how good of a player they were at one time. The players are the ones who are in the best postion to feel the game and when they have touch limits placed on them there's a problem. IMHO. Overall, I think the team in a very strong position. Don't run around like Chicken Little because some of these exhibition games aren't going according to script. They've been playing a lot of games in a short period of time. I think we've got a lot of good soccer ahead of us.
Don't forget Jena Kluegel. In the year or so before the world cup, I don't think any young player got as much playing time as Jena, and we all saw how well that worked out.
It takes a special attitude to be a top goalie and until someone steps up and proves it in a big game situation, like Siri and Bri have I think the goalie job is wide open. Bri, yes. Siri, No. Had her chance, can't hold on to the ball among other things. I've seen Lucks play. She's solid. Her two most touted players, Mitts and Hucles have been busts. One because Mitts just doesn't have soccer instinct and the other because Hucles has been too injured to make much of an impact. Wrong. Mitts does have good soccer instincts. She's been a winner all her career as well as All American and deserving Olympian. Period.
In somewhat related news.... In a new Siri Mullinix article at PTP, it mentions that the 2005 schedule might be light...4 or 5 games. I think someone around here mentioned that same thing as well a while ago. No indication if that meant total (domestic + foreign) or just US soil games or what. Foreign tourneys I can think of are Algarve and Four Nations. I'm assuming there are others like the Pacific Cup or whatever the heck that thing was called (I got it on tape somewhere), but I don't think they have played in it the past couple of years. In non-WWC/Oly years...how many training camps did the US average and what were their durations?
PTP = Ponytail Posse!!! The article is in the member section of the site, so it's not really linkable:
Word on the street is saying that April has signed a new contract with the USWNT. Trying to get confirmation. Also flying around is the fact that the USWNT will not be going to China or Portugal for those tournaments. The players who have hopes of being called into camp might as well go get a job in the real world. If they can get one that will let them out once April decides to reconvine they will be the lucky ones. I feel for all of these players because under the present situation, they are in complete limbo.
I have also heard that the WNT is skipping the Four Nations and Algarve. The Heinrichs extension too (although a shorter term contract than last time), but that one is less solid. I hope it's misinformation, but I'm not optimistic.
I don't understand how Heinrich could go along with not playing in Algarve and Four Nations. I mean, why not resign on principle and take a job with another federation? It's too bad the men are the ones with a coach who has intelligent things to say about building soccer.
What would be the logic in skipping the tournaments and scaling back the schedule? The team has generated interest by winning the gold medal and has new fans. We should be capitalizing on that. It would be foolish to disappear for a year or two until build up for the world cup begins.
If you can't play good soccer and win, it's better not playing at all .... it's all about reputaiton, good reputation that is .....Golden reputation !!!
April is staying? No Algarve Cup or Four Nations tournaments? Disaster coming. Next you'll be telling me one of the greatest women's soccer coaches of all time is going to coach China.... oh wait.
I think the reason is money. The USSF lost so much on the Fan Appreciation Tour the cupboard is bare. Let's face it, the Algarve Cup is played in front of hardly any fans, but it must cost somewhere between 1 and 2 million dollars to send the USWNT there. It does not make economic sense to pay each player $6,000 per game, plus all the other costs, when hardly anyone will buy a tciket and there is no TV revenue. Money does not grow on trees. I don't think fan interest is increasing. It is the same as before or even declining
Almost impossible, actually. The USSF doesn't have the resources, nor the expertise to run or support a professional league.
I have also heard that Heinrichs is coming back. Hadn't heard about the Algarve Cup, nor 4NT. Oddly, with Heinrichs returning, we'll finally see the replacement of most of the 91/95 players that should've happened four years ago. I have less faith, however, in coaching and tactics. I disagree with Tom that the USWNT is losing money on the Fan Celebration Tour, but I agree with him that if the team skips the Algarve Cup it would likely be for financial reasons. In fact, I think the Fed will steadily deemphasize the WNT for financial reasons. The USWNT doesn't bring in the sponsorship, nor ticket sales, that it used to - and almost all the marketable players are going away. The next couple of years could be a bit of a dark age for the WNT. Unless Nike, Gatorade, etc... latch onto a new "face" of the WNT, the USWNT will likely morph into any other Olympic Sport. It comes out of the woodwork every 4 years for its moment in the sun, then quickly vanishes again. The next 10 years are going to be much harder than the last 10. Popular acceptance and support of the womens game is almost starting from scratch again.
well, last i heard wambach signed a deal with nike, thus those ugly gold boots. no word on the terms of the contract. my question is whether there's any way to get the financial reports on the USSF. there's so much speculation as to which team (men/women) brings in/loses money. i'd like to see the figures, plain and simple. USSF i suppose isn't a public corporation so they don't have to make public their filings (EDGAR filings with the SEC), but i still wonder why they keep the public in the dark. it leaves us fans here to speculate. i mean, if we lost money from the fan tour, then there's a good reason to bow out of 4nations, algarve, etc. but if not, then there's obviously some other reason. the list goes on for things we can speculate about. but i'll spare us all more trouble