After a week of intense training with 35 players at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Pia Sundhage has released 11 players, re-assigned one to the U-23 Women’s National Team, and called up three additional players. http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_5341185.html So here's our first cut! Still looking at four goalies, which is a good sign I think. We'll see if either Barney or Luckenbill outplay Scurry. No real big shockers, I was kinda wishing Joanna Lohman was sticking around but no such luck. Sauerbrunn got sent to the U-23, don't know whether that means she might get called back up sometime before qualifying. Maybe Pia just wanted her to get some more game time experience. What's everyone else thinking?
Pia is keeping everyone on their toes. Training is getting fairly interesting. Let's look at who was cut: Cori Alexander; defenders Amy LePeilbet, Brittany Taylor, Lindsay Huie and Manya Makoski; midfielders Jen Buczkowski, Tina DiMartino, Sarah Huffman, Noelle Keselica and Joanna Lohman; and forwards Tiffany Weimer and Christie Welsh. I'm most dissapointed by DiMartino being cut. She has incredible talent on the ball, speed and has vision. Is she better than Waznuk? I think so. But her size is a liability. However, the person I feel the worst about being cut is Welsh - I guess she'll never get her chance. Nice to see Linsay Huie getting back in there - she was pretty great in her day - too bad she took so much time off. Where was Danisha Adams for this camp. I think she is still getting better.... Who was kept: well, the list is long... What do people know abou Kacey White? How good was she at UNC? and Rachel Buehler? Is she a stud? Odd she was brought up from the u23 and Sauerbrunn was downgraded. She played great at 4 Nations. The big question is: Kai, Cheney, or A-rod...... All three are still getting better. A-rod is very fast and a good finisher, but i'm not fully convinced she is good with the ball or a great passer. Cheney is all around Solid, but does Pia value speed over other things? Should we value speed? I'd like to see Kai make the final team - she's very dynamic.
For BrooklynSoccer: White spent the last couple of years playing in Sweden and was called into a camp or two during the last WWC cycle. She was a winger type at UNC but I believe was listed as a forward on the earlier camp lists. She's listed as a midfielder on this list (not that these things are in any way binding...) She's a little small in stature although that didn't seem to impact her college game but I don't know about after that... I do wonder if Mitts and Markgraf are game healthy but I guess we'll find out when the Algrave roster is announced.
Current Camp Roster: GOALKEEPERS (4): Nicole Barnhart, Kristen Luckenbill, Briana Scurry, Hope Solo DEFENDERS (9): Rachel Buehler, Stephanie Cox, Keeley Dowling, Tobin Heath, Kate Markgraf, Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone, India Trotter, Cat Whitehill MIDFIELDERS (8): Shannon Boxx, Lori Chalupny, Angela Hucles, Carli Lloyd, Leslie Osborne, Lindsay Tarpley, Kacey White, Angie Woznuk FORWARDS (5): Lauren Cheney, Natasha Kai, Heather O’Reilly, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach. 26 players, 20 spots. 6 will have to go. Let's see: ++++++++++++CAMP+++++++++++++++ROSTER GK.....................4..................................2..... Defenders...........9..................................6..... Midfielders...........8.................................7..... Forwards.............5.................................5.... I think she is going to cut 2 GK. Barnhart and Scurry 3 defenders: not sure in this one.. but probably Markgraf or Mitts if they are not completely recovered. 1 Midfielder: Kacey White And i guess all the fowards are in. Any one wants to guess?
I noticed that a number of players were cut today from WNT camp. Where do they go? No I'm not trying to inject a little WNT humor here. I mean in any other situation the answer is obvious. They go back to their clubs. But unless there still in college there are no clubs to go to. Oh yes a few will go to the semi pro W league, but that's just a few games against modest opposition. All the more reason we need to wish the new league success in 2009 if we are going to continue to progress as a women's soccer nation. Perry
Dianamo- superstriker Wrote "I think she is going to cut 2 GK. Barnhart and Scurry" No way will Pia cut Scurry, I just don't see it happening. Not that I don't think Scurry should be cut but Scurry like every veteran player on this team before her will be on the team until SHE decides otherwise. Why do you think Pia divided the training camp into two groups? one made up solely of veterans and the other solely of the younger players or players who were coming off injuries. Because the vets are a lock to make the team. There will be two GK going to Algarve and Mexico in April as well as to the Olympics in August and both will be Scurry and Solo. I'd bet my Nike's on it.
Why does some posters keep saying Woznuk is a liability because of her slight statue? are'nt Marta not that much bigger than her and yet she does great. all Woznuk need to do is to be a little more physical like Marta does... btw Marta is very aggressive.... she Woznuk have good skills, I sense by the tone of some posters who write here.. there is a little resentful.. I am not going to go in why I believe so and start a war... I leave it to your imagination and speculating...
Originall posted by DCUPopeAndLillyFan "Brandie Chastain" Brandie Chastain was fired from the team because Greg Ryan had a personal axe to grind with her, it was Chastain who was VERY vocal in getting April replaced as head coach, Greg Ryan was one of April's assistants and one of the first things he did as head coach was to tell Chastain not to even bother showing up, Not because she wasn't good enough anymore but because he was being vindictive. Scurry on the other hand is a veteran who is holding onto her job simply because she is a veteran. So to me you can't even really compare the two. I stand by what I said. It's Scurry and Solo all the way through the Olympics, unless of course Solo gets hurt in which case it's Scurry and someone else.
As much as I like Chastain, Ryan did her a favor. Don't act like she was at the top of her game when that happened. And that's total shit about the vets staying until they decide otherwise. Why would someone like Pia, with no past ties to the fed, allow it? Especially when she's got such a short period of time to prep her team for the OLY? It makes no sense.
I posted my opinion, that's all it is, it's my opinion. You are without any question free to disagree with me and state your opinion as well but even though you are a moderator on this board and no doubt have the power to ban me from this site. I would ask that you NOT swear at me since I have not once done so to you.
i think scurry will be cut. I just cannot fathom having her as a backup in the olympics. I do not care how much of a veteren she is, at the end of the day Pia has a job to do and god forbid something happens to hope, is scurry the best we have? i think not.
especially since if we tank in the olympics pia is gone. She may have pressure to hold on to a veteren, but she has more pressure to hold on to a job and if hope wasnt able to start and scurry had the play, there is no chance in hell we would make it to the finals.
.....anyway since Pia has 26 players in camp and only 20 will be going to the Algarve Cup these are the players who are still in camp that I think will be cut. Nicole Barnhart Rachel Buehler Keeley Dowling Kristen Luckenbill India Trotter Kacey White.
wambachfan: that looks like a possible list. I'd prefer Scurry out and our defence needs more speed. ....The Cat and the Cox are slow. Brazil will run circle around those two. I'd like to see a more athletic defender on the roster, maybe Trotter.
I love my tailgate buddies!! I wasn't swearing at you; just calling out your view of things. Now, had I said nsa was a ******************** or DCUPope was a shithead, that'd be different. That would be an attack on them personally. (Even if it's true. ) And no, I don't have the power to 'ban' you just because you disagree with me. You're not breaking any rules -- and neither am I. So, I suggest you grow a thicker skin around here.
Anyone know how Mitts is doing, I have gone through knee surgery before, and it takes a long time to fully heel. If she isn't healthy enough I doubt she makes the cut, too much younger and maybe better talent i.e. Trotter, Dowling or Buehler.
If she doesn't get healthy again pretty soon, I seriously doubt she'll be back. It seems like she's been out with a knee injury forever now.
White was just amazing in her freshman year at UNC. She came in with ball skills and a playing style much like Tobin Heath's. She is fast, has great talent on the ball, and loves to take on, one-on-one. She had a knee injury that set her back a bit, and the UNC system never made full use of her ball skills, but she showed herself able and willing to adapt to the UNC style of play. Dorrance said she was the most improved player on the team (by which I think he meant she had the abilty to stop playing like Kacey and start playing like Anson ). Her player stats are still up at: http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/white_kacey00.html Kacey got a look at WNT under Ryan and did well at Algarve. I think she was too "Tiff Milbert like" to appeal to Ryan, but she came immediately to mind when Sundhage started calling up players like Arod and Heath. White is another of those very sharp, creative players who plays with her head up and likes to make things happen. As she has been playing in Europe, she should be game-fit, and I'd say she has a great chance at making the squad. On a different subject, Tarpley can easily play up top, and there is still time to take a look at some other talent. I would not assume the five gals up top are by any means a lock.