USWNT Update – US/Brazil friendlies on tv
By: Melissa | May 16th, 2008While it looks like the upcoming Peace Cup games in South Korea (June 14-21) won’t be on tv, the July friendlies against Brazil will. On July 13 @7pm CT, the first game will be at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park and shown on ESPN. The second game is July 16 @7pm PT, at Torero Stadium in San Diego and shown on Fox Soccer Channel.
Steve Long of American Soccer News recently talked to Pia Sundhage about her coaching methods. Sundhage wants to continue to emphasize an aggressive defense but train the players to be smarter on offense.
She was clear that, “This team is very aggressive, which is great in defending. You should be aggressive in defending, but I don’t want to be aggressive in the attack. I don’t like that feeling. I’d rather say that in attack you have to be sly. You have to be clever, smart. Change, and change the speed.
She wants the team to maintain possession of the ball and wait to find the right moment to strike. She hopes to train the players to pass on immediate opportunities until the perfect moment arises.
It takes restraint in practice and preparatory matches to internalize the discipline to wait for a really superior chance, “Now the team is thinking to keep possession. We have to emphasize to keep possession, because that’s what we want to do in the Olympics. Dare to do that, because then it matters.”
And after watching the highlights of our 6-0 beating of Canada, I’d say we are on track to make this strategy a success.
USWNT Captain Christie Rampone had surgery Wednesday to remove her gall bladder. The surgery shouldn’t prevent her from playing in any upcoming games. In fact, she began rehabbing two hours after she left the hospital and has a month to recover before the Peace Cup games begin.
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