Normally a call-up to a national team camp is a great thing, and the chance to impress new coach Pia Sundhage before the Olympics is an amazing thing. But for some players, there has to be a twinge of disappointment.
Certain players called into Sundhage's mini-camp probably expected to be in the NCAA College Cup right now. Tobin Heath, Yael Averbuch and Casey Nogueira of UNC, for example, won't be defending the title they won last year.
Angie Woznuk of Portland certainly did everything she could to keep Portland from going out versus UCLA in overtime, but to no avail.
All the World Cup goalkeepers are on the roster. Heather Mitts is back from her ACL injury. A number of veterans - such as Wambach, Boxx, Rampone and Markgraf return as well. Conspicuous by her absence is Kristine Lilly. I'm not sure if she's decided to retire, though. It could be Pia doesn't have to see her because she's such a known entitity.
Or she could have an excuse to miss the camp like Stephanie Lopez, who is getting married this month.
11 comments:
It'll be interesting to see if Casey Nogueira can attract her new coach's attention to be that playmaker of the future. I remember when she was just a young talented player in Wisconsin. Her dad, Victor, played with the Chicago Sting before NASL folded and has been a standout keeper in the indoor league for many years.
Have they announced any match schedule for 2008 yet?
Life is good again that Mitts is back.
Hopefully Pia caught up with Lilly at some airport and told her adios.
Just saw on Bigsoccer.com that the Algarve groups have been set:
A)USA, Norway, France, China
B)Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany
C)Ireland, Portugal, Iceland, Poland
HOPE SPEAKS!!
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h7Yy7SMYhjPfwBd-t-BP7fF3QXaAD8TC8ND80
All the best to Lilly. Me thinks she is retiring.
Let the fun begin!
C.
"(Benching her) was the wrong decision, and I think anybody who knows anything about the game knows that."
A quote attributed to Pia Sundhage commenting on calling Hope Solo to the Mini Camp and the need for the team to move on. Eerily, almost the exact same words as Hope's first sentence in the post Brazil interview.
Ghostwriter, nah, that's Hope's quote, somebody has screwed up with that one, making it look like a Pia quote.
For shock effect maybe?
C.
This is the article from Soccer365.com that this apparent Pia quote comes from:
http://www.soccer365.com/us_news/story_61207183916.php
If the link doesn't work, it's short, so here it is:
Sundage Backs Solo's Return
After calling keeper Hope Solo to her first camp in charge, US Women's National Team coach Pia Sundhage says it's time to move past World Cup controversy.
The Washington native was benched by former boss Greg Ryan for the semifinal match against Brazil - a game lost 4-0 - despite carrying a long shutout streak.
"Hope is a good goalkeeper," said Sundhage. "We have to move on."
"(Benching her) was the wrong decision, and I think anybody who knows anything about the game knows that."
This article may have been cut? Might be more to it then shown? If this isn't the case, not sure why they would make this look like a Pia quote other then to stir the pot even more!
C.
Also, nice to see Hope had a chat with AP. Wish Ryan would!
I can't wait to see the incredible energy & enthusiam that we will see from Hope starting this weekend.
Unfortunately, she's going to get hammered again by some for repeating that she didn't intend for her comments to be a criticism directed at Bri. So be it. She has repeated it because it's the part that came out at that moment not in the way she intended. I believe her.
Hope is still really hurting from it all. She obviously needs more time but I really believe she does have the mental fortitude to put it behind her. To move on & be an even better Keeper then she already was! She's one tough young lady.
Just watch. The glass continues to be half full!
C.
Lilly deserves to be tanked for her adolescent behavior as captain during the Solo controversy. Frankly, so does Wambach but she's still too valuable an offensive weapon.
Sundhage wants to give everybody a fresh start, and that's good.
FYI, soccer365 has corrected the above article and removed the Hope quote from September that was made to look like it was a Pia quote.
C.
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