USA-Brazil Again
Women, that is.
The U.S. women's national team is in town for Saturday's friendly against Canada at RFK Stadium, but it is not too early to look ahead to the summer calendar leading to the Olympics in China.
Coach Pia Sundhage told the Insider today that the Americans will play at Sweden and Norway in early July and are planning to face Brazil twice later that month -- in Denver and San Diego. The European trip is set, but the Brazilian games have yet to be finalized. Brazil is notorious for not utilizing its full roster for friendlies, so it remains to be seen who will be available for the U.S. matches.
Meantime, the U.S. players are preparing to be allocated to clubs in the new national league, which will launch next spring. Those decisions could be made in the coming weeks. The players will have a say in where they end up, though their top choices are not guaranteed.
"I haven't told them my preference yet," said star striker Abby Wambach, who played for the Freedom during her WUSA days. "It's something I have to talk about with my family. I saw [the Freedom coaches] at practice the last few days, so we have been in contact. It's just really important, especially for the people of D.C. to understand, that the Freedom obviously has my heart in terms of me having played here before, but making sure what is best for the league in general is most important. I can live anywhere. Maybe some of the other players don't feel the same way; they really want to have their choice. I am more willing to do what is best for the situation. I'm adaptable."
She said she would be happy in any of the seven markets: D.C., New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Dallas, Chicago or Boston.
Midfielder Carli Lloyd, a Jersey girl, said she would like to play for the N.Y./N.J. team, which will be based at Rutgers. Forward Heather O'Reilly, also from that area, seems likely to end up there as well. Lloyd said her second choice is Washington.
By Steve Goff |
May 8, 2008; 2:44 PM ET
Women
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Posted by: Juan-John | May 8, 2008 3:06 PM
Goff, any idea how many are expected tonight at RFK considering Blanco is playing?
Posted by: Soy United! | May 8, 2008 3:14 PM
Freedom will be based at Maryland SoccerPlex.
Probably 15,000+ at RFK tonight.
Thanks for the weather link -- I forgot to include it at the top.
Posted by: Goff | May 8, 2008 3:18 PM
I think Brazil women who are not playing in Europe have been in residency since the WWC, unlike past years, so perhaps this year the friendly roster will be different? Not sure when the European players' season ends (Marta).
Bet there will be plenty of WPS coaches in Denver and SD though . . . .
Posted by: Old WNT fan | May 8, 2008 3:28 PM
Washington Freedom is currently based at the SoccerPlex.
Are they really going to stay out there? The facilities are amazing, but it's not very accessible. Seems like a poor marketing move to me.
Posted by: LD in DC | May 8, 2008 3:29 PM
Are they really going to stay out there? The facilities are amazing, but it's not very accessible. Seems like a poor marketing move to me.
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Real Maryland is planning to stay at the SoccerPlex only a year or two before moving to a high school field (in Rockville, I think) for precisely that reason.
Posted by: tri-village | May 8, 2008 3:36 PM
Only at the Plex until the new DCU stadium is built in PG county . . . .
Posted by: Old WNT fan | May 8, 2008 3:37 PM
I doubt the Freedom will play on an artifical field (Rockville) but I could be wrong.
Posted by: OWNTF | May 8, 2008 3:38 PM
Who gets Lot 8 on Saturday: the WNT or the Gnats?
Posted by: tri-village | May 8, 2008 3:38 PM
Mr. Goff, Is Pia in Da Haus for the DCU game tonight?
Posted by: | May 8, 2008 3:41 PM
What's the expected turnout for Saturday's friendly?
Posted by: Bree | May 8, 2008 3:49 PM
Mr. Goff, Is Pia in Da Haus for the DCU game tonight?
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Even more to the point: Are you going to get a chance to interview her, at RFK tonight or elsewhere? And will she get on the BSPN2 halftime show?
Posted by: tri-village | May 8, 2008 4:22 PM
Some of the U.S. women's players, and perhaps coaches, are coming to RFK tonight.
I chatted with Pia, Abby and Carli today at the team hotel for a Saturday story.
Posted by: Goff | May 8, 2008 4:27 PM
Saturday attendance....
Who knows....
Maybe 8,000...9,000...
They drew only 5,000 in Birmingham last weekend
Posted by: Goff | May 8, 2008 4:29 PM
Goff: In a previous thread you mentioned that there will be a U.S. Soccer-sponsored Internet video stream. Who will be doing the play-by-play? Will it perhaps be a CBC feed? The CBC covers a lot of CWNT matches, but U.S.-based IP addresses are blocked (I've tried).
Posted by: tri-village | May 8, 2008 4:37 PM
Steve, do you know if they are going to sell walk-up tickets? I can't imagine they won't, and I refuse to deal with Ticketbastard. The USSF, of course, has no information about this at all on their site.
Posted by: seahawkdad | May 8, 2008 4:40 PM
seahawk -- I think they are selling walkups but I would call DCU office and ask them -- you can buy tickets through them by the way, instead of TM --
Posted by: OWNTF | May 8, 2008 4:46 PM
Yes, walk-up tix available.
TV is a USSF production (one camera? two cameras?). One of their communications dept. people will handle play by play.
Posted by: Goff | May 8, 2008 5:41 PM
From the colorado rapids' website; are there other exhibitions like this going on?
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On May 15, 2008, Dick's Sporting Goods Park will host the Force's duel with the defending W-League Champion Washington Freedom, kicking off at 4:30 p.m. The game will precede the Rocky Mountain Cup match-up between the Colorado Rapids and their arch-rivals Real Salt Lake, which will kick off at 7:30 pm MT.
Apparently Wambach will be at the game signing autographs. 430 on a Thurs. Kind of a weird time to schedule a game...
Posted by: Hacksaw | May 8, 2008 5:53 PM
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The Freedom (or whatever their eventual name is) would play at RFK, right? Or has that not yet been decided?
Totally OT, but for those interested, here's the link to the UnitedCast for tonight's game (GOFF: this link would be nice to have on the WaPo's main DCU page):
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/unitedcast/