Sunday 12/28 from 5-7:30 ET, 2-5:30 PT In case anyone wants to revisit the question of how that WNT squad & coach stacked up against the 2003 version.
Yeah, it's the bastardized version. Not only do we have to deal with interviews, there'll be chunks missing from the game.
this is just making me want Tony as the coach again. He is standing and walking around yelling... Ape never does that. I miss Coach Tony.
I watched the whole game to see if that team was better then the current product or if my memory has made them better then they were. My conclusion is as follows: Yes they were better then the current bunch, The main difference being the defense. I think that that group was stronger on defense. They were also much more organized bringing the ball out of their own end. There always seemed to be halfbacks moving to support fullbacks and getting open for short passes. There was not too much long ball, kick & run. THe forwards that are still with the team have lost a step. Abby W is a distraction and not the future. Her style will take us nowhere. She would not be playing for Tony. I also think Tony is sorely missed and also think he could turn this present group around. Something must be done soon.
That couldn't be more wrong. Wambach is - take your pick - Parlow with skill or Fotop with desire. She is easily the best and most dominant American woman playing the game today.
No doubt the defense was better. Carla was fantastic in that game. I disagree with those who say the forwards (Mia anyway) have lost a step. Mia is as fast, if not faster, than in 99. Can't say the same for Millie or Mac though.
I hate to shatter fantasies, but this dreamy-eyed notion that the USA dominated everyone and played better in '99 is not accurate. Based on hours of viewing, I could not disagree more on almost every point. The 2003 defensive group was basically the same, minus Overbeck who was replaced by Fawcett, quite possibly the best defender in the world. Sobrero and Chastain were on both teams. When Chastain went down, Reddick more than stepped up, and she was far less vulnerable to being beat in '03 than Chastain was in '99. The one area that did suffer was right back, but that is because Fawcett, the best there was (the Cafu of the women's game) moved to the middle. I will grant that Michelle Akers was a better defensive mid than Shannon Boxx (who in turn was one of the wonderful surprises of '03). But, then again, Akers was the best player ever. When the '99 team had the good sense to run the plays through her, or change direction with her, they played well. But watch how often in the second half they fail to play the ball through Akers. Remember, too, that the other midfielders were the same as this time around (Lilly and Foudy). Foudy was a non-factor in the '99 final and a non-factor in the key games in '03 as well. Lilly was playing perhaps even better in '03. But watch the games carefully. How often in the '99 final did the USA actually run short passes through midfield? Did Chastain ever make a short pass through midfield? Almost every service by her was a kick-and-run downfield. The one exception is during the stretch from the 49th minute through the 56th minute when Fawcett made run after run. Yes, the '03 team missed having Fawcett at right back. But, it had other strengths. One was midfield. Look at how often Hamm (who basically played midfield in '03) and Lilly had balls played to and through them, leading to turns up field. Even Parlow added decent midfield play. And, Roberts was actually able to control the ball and contribute in midfield in '03, unlike in '99. Look at how the USA totally controlled midfield versus Norway. The attack was more balanced and faster in '03. The Sweden game is a case in point. Watch the films. See it for yourself. Milbrett was a step slower in '03, so Heinrichs wisely sat her most of the tourney. If Parlow were any slower than in '99, I could outrun her. And your comment about the Wombat flabbergasts me. In what way was she distracting? By being so good the team tended to overplay the ball to her? The Wombat is the most exciting player to grace American women's soccer since Akers retired. Her skills are a complete package. She finishes well. She has game sense. She draws opponents and frees teammates. She is relentless and powerful and hard-charging. Her header game is unmatched by any American player. And, she showed she could take on, and blow by, world-class defenders again and again. See first goal against Sweden. See numerous clips from Nigeria and Norway. She can control chest and head high passes and redirct them. She can make the through lead pass (see pass to Hamm v. Germany). Other than Foudy, the other veterans played as well in '03 as in '99 (remember how many writers in '99 claimed that Mia stood for Missing In Action?). Scurry was a more complete keeper in '03. Three players cracked the lineup and gave fans optimism for the future (Wambach, Reddick and Boxx). The team played exciting up tempo soccer. The team was far more willing to shoot from 20+ meters (and it paid off in two Lilly goals). What would Tony have done differently, and who would he have brought in to make a difference? The answer is, not a lot to make a difference. It's time to look ahead to the future.
Wow. Abby Wambach as Cindy Parlow with skill? Abby can't carry Parlow's kit bag as far as real soccer skill is concerned. First, let's learn how to dribble more than two strides at a time. Second, learn how to get around players without resorting 95% of the time to running over them. Running in a straight line, then falling down and begging fouls does not constitute skill. That was harsh and I apologize for that, but Parlow with skill? Please. If Parlow had Hamm looking for her as much as she looks for Abby, she'd be closing in on a hundred goals. I'll leave the Fotop with desire comment alone. The best and most dominant American player in the game today? Yeah, and I bet the Italians were really upset and crying when they found out it was Hamm taking the match off and not Abby. Against Germany, Wambach found herself surrounded by people who matched her size and strength for a change and was basically not a factor. Maybe if she watched LOTS of film of Birgit Prinz and Kerstin Garefrekes? Against Italy neither Hamm nor Parlow played, and despite the run that lead to the own goal, without someone to deliver her picture perfect passes she was hardly dominating, resorting to bullying tactics that ultimately lead to a severe tongue-lashing from the referee. A dominant player is one whose skill is so great that they can take over a game on their own, despite the competition or situation. You know, Michael Jordan, Bret Fahre, Joe Montana, Michelle Akers. When left to her own devices, Abby is not effective, which is not a trademark of either skill or dominance. Finally, if she has any dreams of truly being the most dominant American playing, she had better get it done before the arrival of Heather O'Reilly and Lindsay Tarpley.
the only thing wrong with the '03 team was a refree who refused to call a penalty when millie was fouled at a crucial point in the game. millie was also missing her drive, speed and ability to beat defenders and put the ball in the net.
I really like Joy Fawcett and always have, but I had to laugh when I saw her described as the best defender in the world. Ariana Hingst and Sandra Minnert of Germany and Jane Tornqvist of Sweden all outshone her in the Cup, in my opinion and despite the own goal Manuela Tesse of Italy outplayed Joy in that match as she was marking Wambach all match and except for the one play did a credible job while our back line under Fawcett's leadership was pitiful. Joy was at one point the best outside back in the world but 2003 is not that point. At center back she never exhibited the leadership or organizational skill necessary for the position, and she no longer has the speed to play outside. I honestly think there is a good chance Sobrero, Fawcett and Chastain may all not be on the Olympics. If Slaton is healthy, she and Reddick are probably locks and with a 40+ training camp bringing in hopefully people like Jen Grubb, Lindsay Stoecker, Leslie Gaston, Nancy Augustyniak, Jenny Benson, Lorrie Fair, Heather Mitts, Kim Pickup, Jena Kluegel and Jen Tietjen in addition to Pearce and Bivens, those three are going to have to bring a lot to the table and I'm not sure they are up to it. The two positions I believe the team has never really replaced are Overbeck at center back and more importantly, captain, and Akers in the midfield. Since Carla retired we have tried Sobrero, Chastain and Fawcett at center and none has done the job. Center mid now is equally weak and I have no idea who is ever going to fill that spot. Despite the armband, the team doesn't really have a captain. In many ways that's probably because Carla did it so well for so long but every team needs that personality who drives the team on the field, who will kick their teammates' butts and keep everybody focused. In soccer, that is often by nature the center back or center mid. For all that April has caught heat about Germany, there was also no one running the team on the field. In '99, neither Akers or Overbeck was at the peak of their games, yet it was their will, tenacity and leadership that drove that team. I have always contended that the most important pk in that match was not Chastain's but Overbeck's. My rationale - had Akers not been hurt, the first kick would have been hers. Instead, it was Carla - who didn't reach 10 goals in her entire WNT career - who took the first kick. China had scored their first so Carla had to make or the US was immediately behind the eight ball. She stepped up and made it like, "no problem." That was pressure. Had Brandi missed the worst that would have happened is that the pk's went on.
Two comments: 1) I don't like Wombat because I don't like players that ram around the field, trying to make things happen by expending tons of energy. I can't imagine trying to play with her since she chases the ball and you never know where she'll be or what to expect from her next. Other players tend to sit back and watch the show when playing with that type of player and that's why I call her a distraction. 2) Tony would have found a way to win and found a way to get Wombat under control. She'll never be better then a "bundle of energy" under the present system.
sorry to disturb your sensibilities revsrule, but even in the women's game strength, force, height, body mass, and energy used properly makes a difference. that's what wombat did for this team. they may not have even reached the second round without her.