Article Index 2001
March 12, 2001
More U.S. National Team notes from Portugal
Courtesy of Aaron Heifetz
The U.S. players have settled into a rhythm of training, playing, resting, eating and studying. Almost all the players have found the time to tear themselves away from their textbooks and explore the small town of Albufeira, which has a main "strip" that leads from the hotel down to the beach, an approximately 15-minute walk on the shop and restaurant-lined cobblestone street. It is a charming town filled with whitewashed buildings topped by red clay shingles. The town has many trees, from pine to palm, and an ocean breeze is almost always blowing. The USA is training just minutes from its team hotel on what are usually high quality fields but which have suffered from the rain. The sun came out in force for the first time on Sunday for the USA's clash with Canada, and while short bursts of light rain have hit since, the USA is enjoying Southern California-style weather in Southern Portugal. U.S. Head Coach Heinrichs held a short, light-hearted training session the morning after the Canada loss, running the players through relay races, which provided non-stop comedy. The USA did some skill work and finished with functional training; clearing for the defenders and finishing for the forwards and midfielders. During the relay races, the team was hit with a 10-minute deluge of rain that left the players soaking wet and muddy, but the practice was spirited and high energy, with all the USA players looking with anticipation to the match with Portugal tomorrow.
Monroe takes
a dip
U.S. midfielder Mary-Frances Monroe and forward Christie Welsh took a
walk down to the beach last weekend and decided to explore. They were
told by a local of a spot where they could collect some "interesting rocks"
so they strolled down the beach. To get to the "prized rock spot" they
had to walk around a big boulder and sneak in between the crashing waves.
As they moved past the boulder, they saw a huge wave coming towards them,
and scrambled up the boulder to avoid the "perfect storm" type wall of
water that was coming fast. They found some rocks to their liking, but
as the tide was rising the waves were coming harder and harder. The two
brave explorers decided they would make a run for it on the way back.
Monroe didn't quite make it. On the count of three, they went for it,
bursting between the big boulder and the oncoming wave. Monroe, one of
the quickest U.S. players, was home-free until her NIKE sandal got caught
in the water between two rocks. She fell face down into the turf, much
to the delight of Welsh, who fished her out of the ocean and helped the
water-logged midfielder back to the beach. Her sandal was not as fortunate.
Rigamat versus
the pole
It was an accident-prone day for the U.S. players. While Monroe was flopping
around in the surf, forward Stephanie Rigamat walked face-first into a
pole while out shopping with U.S. players. Rigamat, who took much worse
when she butted heads with an Italian player on March 7, was dazed by
unscathed.
Injury report
Defender Keisha Bell, finally over a sore left hip flexor, wrenched her
back against Canada and sat out training on Monday. Mary-Frances Monroe
has a slight left groin strain, and also rested during training, but is
listed as probable for the match vs. Portugal. Forward Laura Schott has
a sore right shoulder after falling on it against Canada but trained on
Monday without problems. All other U.S. players are healthy and ready
to go.
Cat'S gridiron corner
The BCS and a potential college football playoff system.
"Here's the thingŠI like the Bowl Championship Series and like watching all the bowl games. But when it comes down to it, a shared national championship just ain't right. Since Miami beat Florida, and if Florida State had beaten Oklahoma, there would have been a huge controversy. And what about Washington? Those guys had a right to claim #1. This is just nuts. I would be in favor a system in which maybe the top four teams had a playoff, or perhaps if at the end of all the bowls, if the polls split the national championship, then the top two teams could play a "College Super Bowl." How fun would that be? So fun. And speaking of bowls, when are my Tar Heels going to make it to one? My friends back in Alabama make fun of me. C'mon boys, we need you to have a breakout season. I need some bragging rights in Crimson Tide country, although the Tide didn't have much to cheer about this year. 3-8? Ouch."
Amy Steadman
Amy Steadman, the 16-year old defender hails from Brevard, N.C., a small town nestled in the Appalachian Mountains. Every weekend during the club season, Steadman drives 3+ hours one way to play for the U-18 Greensboro Twisters as there is no competitive soccer for girls in her area. Steadman does not play high school soccer, but trains with a local boys club. Her dad has done most of the driving, but since Steadman recently got her driver's license, she has been making the trek by herself, with plenty of country, rap and pop CDs to keep her company.
She made her full national team debut against Canada, but missed surpassing Aleisha Cramer as the third youngest woman ever to play for the national team by 44 days. Mia Hamm is still the youngest at 15 years, 140 days, followed by Kristine Lilly at 16 years, 12 days and then Cramer at 16 years, 141 days. Steadman now sits at fourth at 16 years, 185 days.
The cream of ODP
Of the 20 players on the U.S. roster for the Algarve Cup, 19 played in the Olympic Development Program for their respective state associations and for their regional teams. Only forward Stephanie Rigamat, a late bloomer from Southern California, never played ODP. 15 different state associations are represented and Region IV leads the way with seven of the 19 players. Following is a break down of the state associations and regions represented on the Algarve Cup roster:
Regions:
Region I -- EAST: 4
Region II - NORTH: 4
Region II - SOUTH: 4
Region IV - WEST: 7
States:
Northern California 2
North Carolina 2
Eastern New York 2
Washington 2
Alabama 1
Southern California 1
Colorado 1
Maryland 1
Minnesota 1
Missouri 1
Ohio North 1
Ohio South 1
Oregon 1
Eastern Pennsylvania 1
South Texas 1
Little known fact
As a senior in high school, defender Ally Marquand finished 16th at the
high school cross-country national championships. She was a three-time
CIF champion in the two-mile, winning the race as a senior after playing
in a state championship soccer game in the morning, a game in which she
suffered a concussion.
U.S. defender Ally Marquand has a lot in common with U.S. midfielder Julie
Foudy
1) Both are from
Orange County, Calif.
2) Both played for the Mission Viejo Soccer Club.
3) Marquand plays for Stanford, Foudy's alma mater.
4) Marquand, like Foudy, is a pre-med major.
5) Marquand, like Foudy, would rather play soccer into her 30s than go
to medical school.
6) Marquand will wear #11 next year, Foudy's number.
7) Next year, she will likely play center midfield, Foudy's position.
Asked whether, like Foudy, she loves donuts, is a world-class karaoke singer or drives a new convertible BMW, Marquand said, "Yes on donuts, no on karaoke, definitely no on the Beemer."
And finally Marquand,
who is on her first trip with the full national team, has never met or
spoken to Julie Foudy.
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