Gotnext Women's Basketball Boards

rebolpuppy · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 12:08 pm Post subject: Women's National Soccer Teams

I put teams because a) there are tons of people from different countries, b) because a couple of Canadian WNT (not going to the Olympics because Ape ain't the only Ape there is) players live here and c) all soccer is split up into age groups, so the U.S. has an Under 19 team, etc, as well as the top-level teams.

Not that any of you would care about women athletes or anything, but if you think women basketball players are nice, wait until you get a load of women soccer players ... :)

aml10 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 323 Location: iowa

Quote: Not that any of you would care about women athletes or anything, but if you think women basketball players are nice, wait until you get a load of women soccer players ...

RIGHT ON!!! :D

I sent andypanda my guess to your trick question about Aly Wagner... I'm really interested to see what you guys came up with for that one. Any increase in my knowledge of the WNT is appreciated :)

sincerely --- your loyal student :wink:

rebolpuppy · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 12:59 pm Post subject: Aml10

Hi!

By the way, I *love* you name, too!

I guess you'll have seen the answer by now, because I got a copy, and feel free to email me too. :)

Wagner's an electrical engineer and a geek like me, and it kind of figures when you think about it. What you lose on D, you pick up on her ability to carve that middle wide open, which is what they needed to beat Germany. She's smart *and* instinctive on offense, and that's unique.

The problem seems to be Ape wouldn't start her. The folks - in Chicago actually - have seen what the WNT team profile looks like from BAT/SAT whatever, and we may get a shot at WUSA. I figure Aly owes us, so maybe we'll get Breakers tickets! We did it for the Canadian WNT that damn near beat the US team last month! (We have an in. A couple of the players live near me, and one had been home all winter following knee surgery; unlucky for her, lucky for us.)

Anyway, A., thanks for doing that for us.

Back to the ftp. We have tons of WNBA pix, ABL pix. Any special players you'd like to see? :)

Let me know.

Or we could just put up Abby or Heather and kind of lie back ... :o

Later,
Suze

emibaby · Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 231 Location: Thomasville, AL

Alright..I don't follow women's soccer that much, but Wagner is a name I recognize....please let me in on the club. I wanna know!!!! :?

rebolpuppy · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 1:12 pm Post subject: *sniff*

Oh, yeah! Right! *sniff*

You just want to see beautiful, powerful women with washboard abs and butts like Logan Tom!

I know your type!

:twisted:

After all that's how you get *in* the club!

Sure, what did you want to know? The Wagner question answer? I can get Andy to send it along.

aml10 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 323 Location: iowa

hey, i'm going to apply for a job with those folks in chicago ;)
i want to get involved with women's sports, sports business is my interest right now.

i should have cc'd that email i sent back to andy to you as well...ill do that in a minute!

mmm, pictures.. don't hold back! ;)
im a wambach fan...who isn't?! look at the woman for god's sake! :P
oh wait, bball, that's right :!: ... anything mercury will do for now :)
anna, d, pt ... send 'em over!

emibaby, don't worry. you can come up to my treehouse if suze won't let u in *her* club :D

emibaby · Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 231 Location: Thomasville, AL

aml10 wrote: emibaby, don't worry. you can come up to my treehouse if suze won't let u in *her* club :D

I'm gonna cower in the corner and hide because I'm completely lost in this little discussion.

rebolpuppy · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 1:44 pm Post subject: Chicago

WUSA? Or the SABR stats guys? Either would be a neat job. WUSA's *kind* of got stuff lined up for next year, I think 6 corporate sponsors like Coca Cola - MacDonald's (I think), and a few others whose names escape me. It'd be nice to go into MacDonalds and order a Big Mac and they bring you Shannon MacMillan to eat, wouldn't it? Like she's not going to be busy in August, poor chick. *That* surprised me a bit.

Okay, either we deluge your email box as your time permits or we put the pix up on a webpage and you can snaffle them at your leisure.

As for Big Wombo, as Aly calls her .... * melts under desk * :P~~~~~~~

We have nearly 120 Anna DeForge pix, so I guess we're out bigtime now, huh? Doh!

aml10 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 323 Location: iowa

Quote: We have nearly 120 Anna DeForge pix, so I guess we're out bigtime now, huh? Doh!
ROFLMAO!!!! :lol:

it's actually a job with US Soccer. I gotta get my foot in the door somewhere! After that my next move is to see what's up with the NWBL in the winter. They have a team in Chicago so I might see if I can help them out so I can get a better idea of how things are run in a program like that.

Yeah, and poor Mac. I like your Big Mac idea though. What better way to incorporate the WUSA and McDonald's :lol:

UCThreeD · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 46 Location: Brockton, MA

I was shocked to hear Mac got cut too. I was like "WTF?" But she hasn't been the same since she tore her ACL last year. And Ape is unfair with the minutes. She is a decent coach and knows the game, I just think there are better people out there. Who was the asst. on the 1999 team? Why didn't she get the job? I read the book (Girls of Summer) and she did some intense work and deserved to get the head coaching job.

Abby Wambach is AWESOME! The combo of her and Hamm - DEADLY! I went to the WWC game (the quarter finals) at Gillette Stadium in October and they were f-ing awesome! 2nd row...right between the US and Norway benches (right where the subs check in) All the players had to walk by in order to get to the bench and they seemed so cool and relaxed. I love the US Soccer Team! I hope they get a gold in Athens (it would be great to send out Hamm and whoever else is retiring on top of the world).

rebolpuppy · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 7:40 pm Post subject: Wtf?

Yeah, we *kinda* thought she was on the bubble, mostly because Lindsey Tarpley has been playing so well and scoring. It's not really a 1-1 swap Mac for Tarp, but Tarp is *so* fast she covers mid to forward anyway. Mainly, we think it was because Tarp was hot.

Is the coach you're thinking about Tempe's own Tracy Leone? We have some strong feelings about April Heinrichs, but this DeForge night tonight, a joyous occasion, so you can email Panda or me to find out what that is via email.

April just had this historical link back to the early glory days. Leone may be a good coach, but she doesn't have the cred.

When Mac came back last year, she had two really strong performances you may remember. She was really "putting some welly" on it - (kicking the ball well) and running like mad. This year, it seems, it wasn't enough.

Fwiw, I think you haven't seen the last of her.

But, as you say, Hamm, Foudy, Fawcett and Chastain are leaving and it's swan song time. April has my sympathies here, because there's at least one of those four we think should not be going. Her game has dropped off considerably.

Now that I think of it, Shannon Mac for her would have been fine by me, and I mean no disrespect for a fine athlete I won't name whose best days are behind her.

Actually, I see by this note, panda says she thinks two, not one., but panda's full of s**t, and of course thinks she should have been named to the team.

As for Big Wambo, I have nothing more to say. Just an amazing force on the field, despite getting her butt kicked by Charmaine Hooper vs Canada last year, and just being the victim of a bad plan vs Germany in the WCC.

You saw the Norway game? Dagny Mellgren is healing well, and will be ready whether the Greeks are or not.

aml10 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 323 Location: iowa

i must say that i'm bummed out about Norway's absence from the olympics. I always look to them for some defensive schooling.

what is this 'deforge night' you speak of :?: :!:

rebolpuppy · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 8:13 pm Post subject: DeForge Night

Well, I meant Anna made the All Star team, so the board's all bubbly and happy, so probably us grumping is about the last thing anybody wants.

aml10 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 323 Location: iowa

yeah, you are definitely right... let's celebrate anna instead of talking about ape :D

but i was serious about the norwegian team. i'll miss watching them this summer for sure.

and it seems hooper always has been a match for abby. a match, as in physical and rough, but a match none-the-less.

i'm really looking forward to the olympics. eager to see how the US does. Sweden will be returning with pretty much the same line up as the WC...hanna ljungberg is just coming off of knee surgery, so i'm really looking forward to seeing how she's recovered.
and i haven't heard too much about germany, so i'm not sure about them.
i think japan has done some good things this past year too.
wonder if china will show up to play as well.

rebolpuppy · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 8:35 pm Post subject: Tidbits

Early word on Hanna was that she was having trouble and pain in the early part of rehab, but lately, official word says Ljunberg is progressing nicely, which is good news for a truly great player.

Germany worries everybody a lot. Last year Meinert was leaving because she wanted to start a family; earlier this year, she changed her mind. We can't hunt down any clear answers which probably means Maren's coming, in which case mas problemos for everyone else. Prinz is ... well, she's Prinz. Steggeman may be the best defender in the word, certainly the most underrated.

Japan is coming on strong, aren't they?

China is a whole different story. The three who retired after the WWC last year just ripped the heart out of them, and none of the young players has stepped forward, which is big trouble.

At SzhenSzhen early this year, they were still getting to know each other, and it showed on the field. I think they'll have to wait until the next Olympics to be competitive.

aml10 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 323 Location: iowa

thanks for the news on germany, i had no idea that maren might be playing! i mean, that's bad news for everyone else because she really is a wizard on the field, but i like to watch her play :?

yeah, i heard hanna was feeling pain in her achilles which i guess is normal for that kind of injury... :?: i really have no idea about that.
sweden was used to running her and svensson for 90 minutes every game, which was absolutely amazing considering their work rate, but i just can't see hanna getting up to that shape by the olympics. i think she still might be a force, but for 90 minutes, i'd just have to see it to believe it. svensson could end up with a lot of pressure in that case. i know a few other swedes have been dealing with injuries (andersson, jonsson) but they should be ready to go for the olympics.
i'm looking forward to it!

brazil might have a little extra maturity in that they had a few players playing in sweden this past year as well (ex: marta at Umea). but i've never been a big fan of their style of play [very dramatic, reminds me of the mens game sometimes].

ok enough about that for now or i'll run out of things to say :wink:

rebolpuppy · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 5:55 am Post subject: I think ...

... Andersson and Jonsson are almost ready to go full tilt again.

Achilles injuries are nasty, even minor ones, which hers wasn't. After the initial healing, you have to start moving it, being careful not to put undue pressure on it, and it's a long, tiresome balancing act and you're always afraid of that dreadful 'snap' and shooting pain ...

Last I heard which was Feb-Mar, was that Maren & hubby were still trying, but if she wasn't pregnant, she would play.

Of course knowing Maren, she could play 90+ minutes, go right out of the championship game into labor, or deliver in extra time at midfield .... :)

Since I started this thread, I've been wondering if you could field a side from WNBA players .....

Most soccer-like: Lindsey Whalen, absolutely.

Most soccer teams (football) in South America and Europe use basketball as a training tool, and vice versa. Basketball teams that train playing soccer are noticably better, but here it's pretty rare because there aren't enough players. In Europe and South America, they'll just all pitch in so you'd get the Sporks playing the Mystics for 90 minutes except , hello - soccer now. That would put Mr. Ed back in the stables in a hurry and Meek on an oxygen tank.

aml10 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 323 Location: iowa

hey, we all saw Dee kick that bball at the end of the uconn/tenn game!!!
where would you put her? goalie? maybe up top with wambach?!
wow, that would be scary!! :twisted:

rebolpuppy · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 12:37 pm Post subject: Dee in goal?

Better Dee than Luckenbill, anyway! :)

You really need speed *and* power to play Ape's game up front. I mean, if you look at the team on the field, it looks backwards. Mia's not huge, but she's wiry and strong, but when Cindy Parlow's in with Wambo, they're huge and fast, and then everybody gets smaller back to Scurry. Go figure.

I *might* want someone with a good hoof in my backline, so I'l put Dee there. Reddick can whomp it a long way. She scored from a few miles away in one game I saw. Man!

Okay, Dee, now ya gotta bring home the gold in soccer, too.

Okay, volleyball, we have six definites and the rest are up for grabs, so .... *drifts off into plotting mode*

aml10 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 323 Location: iowa

i must admit that i've never seen luckenbill play.
does the SAT give her a bad reading?

i'd almost bet Cat can kick it farther than Dee. but with a little practice, i think Dee has the body and can catch up... she's a beast.

1carol · Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 1048 Location: Phoenix AZ

************ LURKER ALERT***********LURKER ALERT***********
:roll:
I don't remember details, but I was in a conversation a ways back & it was said that Dee played soccor (futbol?) when she lived in Venezuela.
She actually preferred it to basketball. A time came when she had to devote her time to one or the other & fortunately for Merc fans the WNBA won out. It's a future where she could at least make a decent living doing something she loves.

@@@@@@ LURKER LEAVING @@@@@@

####### LURKER GONE........
8) <disguise>

aml10 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 323 Location: iowa

venezuela?
or was it argentina?

i don't actually know much about that, except her mom is argentine and her dad played soccer there, and i think her sis was born there.
i had always heard that dee lived there for a while, but i don't know when.... fill me in someone??
[oh rebbbbbol!!!!!]

rebolpuppy · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 4:00 pm Post subject: Ummm .... well ...

.... *red-faced*

I don't know quite how to tell you this, 1carol & aml10 (btw, haven't heard from you in a while, are you okay?)

We have this whole stupid 'tell the truth' thing in my family? Neither Panda nor I are experts on Taurasi. We just don't know. Maybe Cam can help.

*looks around nervously* Orry-say, utbay eithernay unwun ofay usay ereway igbay aurasitay ansfay.

Panda and I cheer for UT or UVA, which is just asking to be stoned to death, right. No love here for most Huskies or Huskers, just two in particular ...

UVA is going to win the national basketball title someday before I die ... please, Lord.

"Win one for the Acker!"

1carol · Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 1048 Location: Phoenix AZ

My bad.......... I'll admit it. Brain fart :oops: It was gossip of the highest order. She said that she heard from her cousin's friend's brother- that the other guy found out - that........
Yes it is Argentina!
I haven't been home for a few days. Using my daughters computer without access to my cheat sheets & stuff gave me away. I have the most intellegent, caring, thoughtfull, wonderful, amazing, beautiful, adorable grandaughter who is presently attending day camp with a children's theatre group so now she'll also be an extremely talented actress. She will be narrator for the 1st act (utiliizing my specially prepared cheat sheets), then she will put all her time and effort into studying to be a tree. (gotcha!!) I hadn't heard any woofing lately. Needed to get it out of my system *DRINK* We do have fun & she keeps me busy. :D

UCThreeD · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 46 Location: Brockton, MA

Dee moved to Argentina when she was 12 (thank god for the article in the New Yorker) because her father was homesick. They stayed there for a year and then moved back to SoCal. She continued to play soccer until her freshmen year of high school when she had to decide between the two because both were in the same season in Cali. They actually had to get her sister to start playing b-ball and Dee saw how fun it was and that's how she got into b-ball. Thanks Jess!

Back to soccer...They (US WNT) needs someone else on corner kicks. Hamm is awesome but not as good as she used to be. And Lilly is ok but Mac was freakin awesome. If Ape gave her the playing time, she def. woulda made the team. She is giving Fawcett the time and she just got back from back surgery (or something along that line). But I guess since like half the team is retiring, they are building for the furture. O'Reilly is like 19 and plays beyond her years. Did anyone she her in the NCAAs? She woulda made the World Cup team but I believe she broke her leg. Same reason for Mitts. But the person that is surprising me the most is Shannon Boxx. She came outta nowhere during the World Cup and is continuing to do great.

Bring home the GOLD in Athens!

BBallFan729 · Joined: 15 Apr 2004 Posts: 461 Location: Manchester, CT

Diana seems like she would have been a good soccer player. That kick at the end of the game I believe went into the second tier of the arena...Dee has kicks, that's for sure.

Quote: "Every chance I got I had a ball in my hands. I wanted to play as much as possible whether it was soccer or basketball. I just had fun with it. I played with the kids in the neighborhood and with my sister. I always played with girls; there were never guys on my teams. With my coach, we would go play in the local gym, which was always occupied by guys playing pick-up. So, we played against the guys." -Diana on her childhood

Diana has said that soccer is her second favorite sport. Her favorite team is the Boca Juniors in Argentina.

rebolpuppy · Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 5:43 pm Post subject: Uc3d?

Hi!

I'd like to see April give the corner kicks to Aly Wagner, and position Hamm, Wambo and Lilly in the box, with Tarpley just a bit back.

I think Tarp is going to be huge this Olympics - her speed is just amazing. Aly Wagner has been considered by a lot of fans to be a disappointment, but she's the best soccer passer *I've* ever seen. Her defense, which was admittedly suspect, has improved. April's going to need a passer midfield, and Aly in the front of the diamond midfield and Shannon in the back middle is a good plan. The absence of such a strategy cost them the Germany game, imho. DO YOU HEAR THAT, APRIL?

As for Heather Mitts, *mind turns to mush*, she's okay, I guess. (Just kidding, she may be a bit undersized, but she's *really fast* and beat Canada on a pass from Wagner inside the goalmouth, for her first international, and she's much more than just a pretty face, beautiful body, great legs, wonderful personality, smart, personable, God I wish I was a straight guy chick. Doncha just wanna cry sometimes?)

UCThreeD · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 46 Location: Brockton, MA

Wagner does have some sweet passing skills. She made some nice moves in last weeks game against Canada. As for corner kicks, does she have the range? I haven't seen her make long passes. The Boston Breakers just aquired her at the end of the last WUSA season so I would have seen more of her play this year, if the WUSA was around but I haven't seen much of Wagner's playing except on the National Team.

As for the asst. coach I was thinking about during the 1999 World Cup...remembered who it was...Lauren Gregg.

rebolpuppy · Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2004 3:13 pm Post subject: Ah, yes

Yes, I'd forgotten about Gregg. Good mind for the game.

As for Wagner, she's really good on corner kicks and has a lot more range than you might think.

The goal I talked about above where Mitts got her first international goal was just poetry, wasn't it? Wagner has such and economy of movement when she passes in close. That's stuff I haven't ever seen from any other player. She gets the bulk of her assists in the middle, but she's set a lot of goals up on corners.

April's strategy on corners always seems to be to put Mia in there but Mia's not any better than Wagner on corners, but she is better than Wagner at finishing, so why not put her in the front with Wambo or Parlow, I say.

UCThreeD · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 46 Location: Brockton, MA

Wagner reminds me of Dee when she passes. They both have great awareness on the court/field and are able to get the ball into tight spots. And some of the passes they make leave you saying to yourself after, "how'd they do that?"

It would be nice to start seeing some of the younger players step into the roles of the veterans more. Ape needs to have the younger players start taking corners and doing other things because after this Olympics the team is over. It was like this year with Dee at UConn, she was preparing the underclass to be better because she knew she wasn't going to be there. Allowing them to take the shots instead of her. Everyone said her numbers were down but she was preparing her team for life after diana. Do you get what I am saying?

I realize the US is training for the Olympics so now might not be the best time for this but after the Olympics some vets are retiring. And with no league to play in (keeping my fingers crossed that the WUSA makes a comeback) this is their only oppurtunity to practice together.

rebolpuppy · Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2004 4:13 pm Post subject: Sure

Yes, I agree.

Wagner has some leadership qualities which are part of what I think April's *most* afraid of losing. I just don't think that she lacks young players with those qualities to replace them.

Basically, they lose Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain, Joy Fawcett and Mia Hamm. That *is*, admittedly a lot to lose.

This is where people go nuts, so I'll try to be tactful. Given that Heinrichs had Kylie Bivens in the backline as well as Heather Mitts, who's playing really well, April opted to drop Bivens. I'm not sure what went into that decision, but if there are lessons to be learned from last year's world cup loss, one is that sheer power doesn't beat the great teams, ergo Wagner needs to be in there 90 minutes if her knees will let her; two is that Shannon Boxx needs to play 90 minutes, and three is that Julie Foudy hasn't played well in quite a few important matches lately. (That's hard for me to even say.) I'd have kept Kylie, moved Heather to right midfield, and left Julie at home. I might have left Brandi at home, too.

Leadership? How about Christy Rampone, Cindy Parlow, Kate Markgraf & Kristine Lilly? I can't remember when the last time was that Kate came out of a game.

What worries me has been her (April's) obsession with size and her resulting undermining of the confidence of smaller players like Wagner, Bivens and the like. They got their minutes chopped up in the WCC and the team never had a rhythm. My annoyance with Heinrichs is legitimate, I think. You don't experiment during the World Cup. There's a word for that: "unprepared".

So, yep, by all means, let the young guns start to lead this Olympics. Naming Wagner starting midfield helps, as does making Boxx a starter. With Reddick and Tarpley, thats the nucleus of the team of the future, I believe and hope. Oh, and Wambo, can't forget Big Wambo.

andypanda · Joined: 12 Jun 2003 Posts: 354 Location: Santa Fe, NM

Things I would pay money to see:

Mr. Ed, grazing peacefully, oatbag around her neck, looking up to see Big Wambo, at full speed, bearing down on her.

Pretty much kiss that career on the runway goodbye there, Ed.

aml10 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 323 Location: iowa

:shock:

um, anyway... :wink:
ape shouldn't be knockin small lineups... looks at sweden for heaven's sake! do they surpass 5' 9" (goalies aside)?! i think ljungberg and svensson are 8 feet of sheer power combined [maybe] :D

ok that's all, continue your discussion... :wink:

andypanda · Joined: 12 Jun 2003 Posts: 354 Location: Santa Fe, NM

AML10?

If those rolling eyes are for me, I guess you're Mr. Ed fan? :(

aml10 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 323 Location: iowa

no, no no... just laughing, that's all :D

aml10 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 323 Location: iowa

US just got a friendly win over the Matildas, 3-1 final score.
The Aussies got one early in the game and held their 1-0 lead until the second half.
[keep in mind mia, abby, foudy and boxx didn't come on til the second half!]
goals by boxx, hamm, and wambach.

UCThreeD · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 46 Location: Brockton, MA

I'm so mad. I watched the whole first half. Then at half time my mother, my aunt, and I went out for ice cream and I missed like the whole half. Missed all the freakin' goals. :evil: Why did I have to go out for ice cream?

Glad Mia scored her 150th goal. She's been stuck on that for awhile now. So both her and the Mercury were able to get over that "jinx."

Did you read that article in USA Today they were talking about? Very good. Funny too.

aml10 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 323 Location: iowa

i believe the US controlled the second half. their goals were pretty nice too...mia just sort of chipped one into the side netting right past her defender and the goalie. boxxy sort of shouldered a difficult ball in off a corner kick... and abby was set up by o'reilly coming down the flank... good control by abby.

too bad you missed them :?

mia was quick to run after that ball that she scored her 150th goal on too! it looked like the Aussie player wasn't gonna give it to her for a minute!
she said at the end that she would have all her teammates sign it as a keepsake.

US will be playing China, I believe on Aug.1st

rebolpuppy

Quote: HAMM'S milestone goal is also a winner in 3-1 victory over ...
SoccerTimes - Chevy Chase,MD,USA
.... The American comeback began in the 55th minute after midfielder Aly
Wagner's long pass found Hamm on the left perimeter of the penalty area.
....

http://www.soccertimes.com/usteams/2004/games/jul21.htm

Quote: US Moves to 14-1-2 in 2004 With Win Over Olympic Group G Opponent;
Sports Features Communications (press release) - Tampa,FL,USA
.... position. O'Reilly came on for Aly Wagner in the 71st minute, as Lilly
dropped into the midfield, and made an immediate impact. ...

http://www.sportsfeatures.com/PressPoint/show.php?id=11155

I apologize if this seems a bit of a "Yay me!" post, but April's getting it, although Aly still seems to have trouble going 90 minutes with those bad wheels. Nonetheless, she can find Hamm and Wambach and take a lot of heat off the forwards. Smart player. She's especially good at getting the pass over the defenders to an open player *without* getting an offside call.

It works better with Hamm than Wambach - and I *know* there's a Wambo fan out there somewhere - but Mia anticipates extremely well, waits for the ball and runs to it with good burst of speed, whereas Wambo just kind of hurtles in there fast - as only she can - to a position where she turns and waits for the pass, which must drive Wagner nuts. Word is they're working on the problem. :)

April's conditioned this team to *not* pass so that forwards aren't used to looking for the pass, they're carrying the ball up. What she's ended up with is sort of like the basketball problem of moving without the ball. Hamm & Parlow are the best of the forwards at that particular thing, imo. Nonetheless, the lack of extensive passing in the midfield during training last year probably cost them the WWC.

I'm *guessing* she had Lilly up front this game? (!!) I'm not questioning her ability there, but why, with all that firepower up front, when they can use all the help they can get in midfield?

Here's what I wanted: (This board doesn't accept 'pre' tags; I hope you can get the idea with alll the periods.)

..................Hamm.........................Big Wambo
.................................Wagner
Lilly........................................................................Mitts
...................................Boxx
Markgraf.....Rampone................Reddick..............Bivens
..................................Scurry

That gives you speed and power up front, your best passer between normal midfield & forward, power and defensive help from the ever-surprising Shannon Boxx. Also, blazing speed on the right with Mitts & Bivens.

Yeah, I know Fawcett's missing, and Foudy, and Chastain.

Does anyone know if April's even tried Mitts at midfield?

I *almost* went with youth all over, which they'll have to do anyway at some point, in which case sub Tarpley in for Lilly. (Realistically, you need Tarp and O'Reilly to sub out Aly when her legs go, and Lilly - who's also getting up there - Parlow would continue to sub out Hamm whenever Mia goes "Gasp!", which ain't often, or Wambach, but I can't fathom why Abby *ever* gets yanked.)

aml10 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 323 Location: iowa

Sweden got kicked by Norway in a friendly the other day 0-4 :shock:

i heard 2 or 3 of those norway goals came off of set pieces (corner kicks esp.).
swedish goalie, jonsson, looked a little rough according to a swedish friend of mine.
kicki bengstonn broke her nose early in the game... OUCH. same thing happened to me several years ago :?
i heard anna sjoestrom almost had the same thing happen to her.

doesnt sound too promising for sweden and has me a little worried.. but here's to hoping they were just working on some things :?