Re: With regards to mac, i think you have to look at the extent of this injury. Everyone is talking about this being an ACL injury. While it is, it is also an MCL injury and maniscus tears. that my freinds is alot of damage to overcome in 4 months. that limb is rotted wood, i would get off if I were you
Nobody comes back from an ACL alone in 3 months. The graf would barely be set at that point. Perhaps your college friends had 'scopes' and not reconstructive surgery. Jerry Rice made huge headlines for trying to come back in 4 months.....record pace. And, for the record he failed to accomplish it when he reinjured his knee in the first game back. Mac is out. No reason to even debate this one.
Some of the players who are "on the bubble"... Kluegel - No way. When was the last time she made a meaningful contribution in an NT game? Wambach - I'm almost positive that she's in. It'd be pretty close if it were an 18-person roster, but with 20 spots April would be crazy not to take her. It's gonna hurt to see someone else in Mac's jersey though... O'Reilly - I think she has a decent chance especially since I could see her kind of filling in for Mac. Tarpley - I doubt it. She hasn't seen a lot of time lately. When I've seen her with the NT, she's been solid but hasn't made her presence known as much as O'Reilly has. Fair - She did get left off the roster that time and I haven't found her play that impressive lately, but I think she'll make it just because she's Lorrie Fair. Roberts - Like Fair, I think she'll make it and I think the fact that she's established her name with the NT will help. It'd be nice to find a way to prevent her from giving up so many fouls in dangerous spots. Hucles - Probably in. She's been making the final roster consistently and getting a decent amount of playing time. Slaton - How is her knee? Is that going to continue to be a problem? Pearce - I'd say she's behind Reddick on the list for sure and probably behind Slaton as well, depending on Slaton's health. I think she's ahead of Bryan, though, based on April's decisions lately. Bryan's a great athlete but I just think that Pearce is fundamentally a better soccer player. That would make her the #6 defender (assuming Fawcett, Chastain, and Sobrero are ahead of her as well) so if we take 6 defenders then she's probably in.
you can't be serious, right? not only will she make the team, i'd bet she will start at RB and yes, cat was a bit nervous in b'ham but that match is in no way a full indication of her game and i can't imagine her not starting at at LB as for kluegel, i love the way she plays but i realize that she probably wont make the roster ................mullinix ........fawcett....chastain pearce...................reddick ................foudy ..parlow....................lilly ................wagner ........milbrett.....hamm bench - scurry, sobrero, slaton, hucles, roberts, tarpley, fair, wambach, o'reilly
Sobrero will not be on the bench. No way. Pearce may get into the attack better, but Kate is too valuable on defense to sit her. She may not play a full 90, but she will be starting. The rest of that, I agree with.
Noop, noop, noop. April is unconcerned about the offense: it's set. Bring in Abby and Cindy to combat the Scandanavian teams, Millie for speed, Hamm for technical ability. The midfield is fine, too: Wagner the playmaker, Foudy the loudy, Lilly the technician. Throw in Roberts and Fair for d-mid duties. The defense is a going concern. Can Sobie step up like she did in 99? Or has the Breakers' sieve-like history hurt her? Fawcett and Pearce have the passion and experience, but do they have the speed? Same with Brandi. One of these four will sit for Danielle Slaton. A second may sit if Cat Reddick is all that and a side of pupusas.
Sun Wein said that the US team is not as good as it once were because we still have the same players as the 1999 team so, she is optimistic that China will get revenge over US, maybe she's right but, in '99 we had majority young players and now they're in their peak and even better and deeper than '99 team they probably should wait another four years for that or might never get it because I'm positive that the future US team will even be stronger and stronger.
Re: Sun Wen does some trash talking! I hope one of the USA players owns a pair of scissors. This belongs on the locker room wall. How badly do American fans now want to see Wagner thread a change-of-direction pass to The Wombat for a one-touch blast from 25 meters to send Sun's team on a slow boat to China? Thank you, Sun.
Am I the only who thinks that when they're running as fast as they can that Mia is faster than Tiffeny?
I think that with the ball at the feet that Hamm can keep control while running at a faster speed than Millbret can.
why do i get the feeling some of us don't know who christie pearce is? if you're worrying about her speed... don't - not only is she faster than she was before the ACL, she is still the fastest player on the power (or so the coach and her teammates say) - sure she may not start every WC game, but i think she is vastly underrated and overlooked by the average USWNT fan - it's easy to get lost on this team of superstars
Failing long-term memories - sit out a year and you sink into oblivion . I'd bet large sums of money on Pearce's making the roster. I think whether she or Sobrero start at R back will depend on how they're each doing at the end of WUSA season. Right now I'd guess Kate gets the nod, but Christie could play her way up the depth chart. As for Fawcett, zero question. She can turn on the jets when needed, but she plays so smart she doesn't need 'em that often.
I would say that both Joy and Brandi have lost a step. But Joys positioning is so very good, that it really isn't an issue. Brandi on the other hand is another story. But only because she tries to get to cleaver with the ball sometimes and she gets striped. As long as she doesn't try to get to fancy in that central defensive position she is fine. When she played the flank it wasn't that big a deal if she gave up the ball to the oposition, because another defender could slide over and back her up. But in the central defensive position you do not have that luxury. You get striped there, and chances are on that kind of quick counter by the opposition, there isn't anyone behind you. Kind of like jen Grubb in founders cup 2, it is too quick for the back line to adjust in time.
We all know that she is (a) the only 1999 WNT player from a small college and (b) the only 1999 WNT player who played field hockey in high school. She got outrun by Abby Wambach. Enough said. That ain't saying much I still cannot see her making the final 18. 23, maybe.
You make it sound like such a terrible thing. Abby's really picked up her conditioning this season. She's downright speedy.
I like the combination of Joy and Brandi in the middle of the defense. I have problems with the way they're used, but that's in another thread. In the past Brandi on the outside was spectacular at times, but a nightmare at other times. She had a tendancy to be lazy. She would let opponents jog up next to her instead of keeping them in front of her. When they turned on the jets, she had to play "catch up." Sometimes she would win. Sometimes she would lose. And sometimes she would resort to fouling to keep them from passing her (cards). But in the middle, she is under the microscope, which keeps her from being too lazy. Joy, as one post stated it so eloquently, is intelligent enough that she doesn't need to be a speedster. She "knows" where to be and backs up well. The outside backers? From where I sit, there are four in the mix: Christie, Cat, Danielle and Kate. Hopefully, two will emerge as the strongest during this runup to the WWC.
Can someone please explain to me why Christie Welsh doesn't get a look. She big, strong and extremely fast. She could definitely outplay Tarpley.
Well, Welsh is a target forward. She's got to compete with CP and Abby for that spot, and it's not going to happen. Tarpley has been listed as a midfielder the last two times she's been called into camp. Even if Welsh did get a call into camp I don't think she would have a prayer of beating Abby out of the spot. The reason I say she would have to beat Abby out of the spot is that it looks like Parlow is making a move to right midfield. That's my two cents.
YEAH! and besides running with abby is not simply about foot on the ground speed: there is a certain physical element to deal with - did she get outrun or outmuscled? i admit i'm not sure which play you're referring to TOTC, a recent WUSA match? - i just watched both of them practice not 15 feet in front of me for three days - christi sure looked fast to me and more importantly, SHE feels fast - barring injury (god forbid), pearce will make roster, book it
It was during the first Washington vs. NY match this season at the end of the game. Abby did outrun her. Not outmuscle. She beat her down the sideline after the ball. It was very well done. I'm not saying Pearce is slow, but when you get outrun by a girl who could pick up and throw most of the women on your team...
Parlow I never understand why people like Cindy Parlow. She's lazy footed and scores because she stands around waiting for a pass in front of the goal. I'd rather see Abby in there any day. Leave Cindy of the national team roster!
Re: Parlow Gee, I've never heard this before. Granted, she's not a Millie or a Mia but do you think all of her success with the NT (and with the Beat for that matter) has been a fluke?