Monday, October 8, 2007

Never

Remember, kids,

"Never criticize your teammates - even if you were really disagreeing with the coach, for that gives us the opportunity to treat you as if you were never our teammate at all, because that's what really shows what a strong and close team we are."

Also, never make the mistake of being emotional and talking about your feelings, because we find it really hard to forgive that.

15 comments:

JT Soccer said...

How to turn a really great event for youngsters into another opportunity to slam Solo! Wonder why the reporter didn't ask about her loyalty to Solo? I thought that Wambach had her head screwed on correctly after listening to her talk in 2004. Oh well.

Guess USSF finally succeeded & snuck the pod next to her as she slept.

Unknown said...

Abby's a big girl. But true leadership of a team that is supposed to represent its country requires a bigger person. It doesn't seem like she's up to the task.

Anonymous said...

Wambach is a joke. Kool Aid drinker all the way.

Anonymous said...

I honestly think we long ago passed the point where this was about Hope Solo.

Yes, we know that as a reporter that you are privy to sordid details of past US players, and are for some reason bitter that they have (or had) a good reputation PR-wise.

Yes, we know you think this is some sort of attack on free speech, particularly a woman's free speech (though oddly enough, many people involved here are women), and we know that you think the everyone that thinks she was directly slamming her teammate is clearly 'spinning' the truth (even though I'm still curious what the '2004' reference was about if it wasn't a direct slam on Scurry).

Is it possible that this isn't about Hope Solo and the women's team?

Anonymous said...

"You stick up for a teammate no matter what." So how do they explain their treatment of Hope Solo? What a hypocrit.

ghostwriter said...

My question is how is it that Wambaugh (and Lilly, too for that matter) is able to wander around spouting the company line while the USSF and WNT have everybody else effectively silenced by refusing to allow interviews, such as that reportedly requested of Phil Wheddon, the goalkeeper coach, and (one presumes) a bunch of others as well? What is this, the Red Army Team? Next stop for Hope: the gulag?

A.C. said...

I'm bitter?
You've read my previous national team articles and have come to that conclusion? That's amazing. I also think it's interesting you mention "free speech". Check my blog posts, because I've never brought that up at all.
What I have questioned is how Hope Solo sharing her opinion (one I happen to agree with) became the unpardonable sin. As a reporter, what bothers me here is the acceptance of a lie as strategy, from: "Don't tell the truth about Abby's broken toe." and "Don't tell the truth about the goalkeeper switch being any problem." and "Keep everything in-house, because we never really want people to know what's going on or how we really feel as individuals, because the appearance of a united front is all that matters."
It's funny how many people seem to want those deceptions perpetuated - saying that reporters shouldn't ask questions, or if they do, they shouldn't be told the truth - players should smile and walk away or just spout off some pre-approved p.r. line.

Anonymous said...

"Would I take Hope back? I've been quoted (by Sports Illustrated) as saying, 'I like to think I'd like to forgive her.' But it's still so raw and new to me that I haven't gotten over it yet. I'm a pretty forgiving person, but those are things — you can't forget about stuff like that, especially since I think it's going to make our team stronger."

That's right, Wambach quoted herself from a different interview to answer a question in this one. Then she uses a quote from Scurry: "I'm a pretty forgiving person."
Abby - you're the one who needs to ask for forgiveness.

Kelly said...

I think the reference to 2004 was more of a statement that she has been the number one keeper for the past 51 games, including the 2007 WC games up to that point. Let's stick with the here and now, rather than looking to who saved the day in 2004.

Anonymous said...

If it is true Wambach had a broken toe going into the tournament then:

Abby runs the team selection not feckless Ryan. No wonder he didn't sub her out against NK. Does she have some incriminating pictures of something?

It puts a whole new slant on selfish. The whole team is set up to be Abby's coming out party and Lilly's goodbye party. Too bad Marta had to trash it all.

Solo lost her head for about five seconds. Apparently Abby has been on a ego trip for a lot longer than that.

This is great for young girls who previously had Mia to look up to. Now they get Anna Nicole, Spears, Lohan, Hilton and Abby. It makes you want to take you daughters up into the hills and deny them access to all forms of media coverage. I here I thought fall guy Ryan was the evil one.

JT Soccer said...

anonymous, I don't think that Wambach runs the team selection, at least as far as her own inclusion was concerned. That was probably Ryan's call, especially since he built his whole strategy upon the Route One attack with Wambach as the target.

He didn't have a Parlow, Foto or Akers to be the strong woman up top so he was stuck with keeping an injured Wambach in the lineup or ... having to switch tactics!

After saying so much how the possession game would be fruitless, he wasn't about to back off his long ball game, even if that big toe fell off.

Why is US Soccer waiting to move Ryan out of the job?

Unknown said...

Abby speaks. Again. She's so full of wisdom. Or crap. Haven't decided which, yet.

Anonymous said...

I have been following this whole mess and have come to a somewhat startling conclusion. Hope Solo wasn't suspended, she was cut completely from the team!

If that's true, than all that has followed: the fact that she couldn't attend the medal ceremony nor join the team for the trip home; that "team members" like Ms. Wambach can now freely talk about her in any fashion without feeling hypocritical or having any sense of being disloyal to a team mate; is consistent.

I guess we will see when the USWNT roster for the Mexico friendies is released.

But I don't expect Ms. Solo to be listed.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe what I'm reading. Abby Wambaugh makes me sick.

Anonymous said...

From Wambach's pep talk: "You have to be close with your teammates to win championships."

Yeah, like Shaq and Kobe? The 70's era Oakland A's, just about any Yankees championship team, Jordan and Rodman, Dominik Hasek and his Red Wing mates.

Sounds like code for you better like me and do things my way or I'll stab you in the back even if you have a 50 game unbeaten streak.