What can we learn from the CONCACAF Women's WC qualifying? Part 1

As the US Women’s National Team cruises through the CONCACAF Women’s World Cup qualification tournament, it becomes difficult to breakdown the strengths and weaknesses of the team as it prepares for next summer’s World Cup. Despite frequent matches in which the US were not displaying their true offensive power early on, heading into the semi-finals, the US has outscored their opponents 18-0.

Despite being reduced to watching the tournament on-line with a camera angle which provides sub-par tactical viewing, I have to acknowledge that Coach Pia is clearly leading this team in the right direction. When hired as head coach, Pia challenged the offense to be more creative and comfortable in aggressive one versus one soccer. To the average soccer fan, especially our friends on the other side of the pond, this may seem like a no-brainer. However, as a former soccer coach, I can attest to the weakness of one on one skills in the women’s game.

The skills of Brazilian superstar Marta definitely open the eyes of many young soccer playing girls. Even the USA’s greatest players (Akers, Hamm, Wambach) never had moves like Marta. There is something that occurs within the development of US youth girl soccer players that sucks the desire to dribble right out of them. Before the age of ten, players are content to dribble around until they can find a way to push the ball into the goal. They love dribbling. That ball is their's and their's alone. Around the age of ten, a little demon appears within the conscience of young girls as they learn the tactical/technical aspects of the passing game. The demon disrupts the once natural urge to dribble. The demon now commands the girls to make passing their first option. Watch any high school and college game--when a young woman finds herself alone with a defender she will most often choose to pass the ball off rather than take the individual defender on.. The few girls who manage to ignore the demon are often ridiculed and labled as “ball hogs,” and “showy” when their teams are not successful.

No one really realized that the US women were deficient in this skill due to their continual domination on the international stage. Fortunately, the 2007 Women’s World Cup opened our eyes. We not only lost--we were destroyed by teams we used to easily dominate. Brazil had burst our bubble. Goalie controversies led to the exposure of a faulty foundation. We were on the brink of a disaster. Thankfully, the hiring committee (which included Mia Hamm) did something unthinkable. They hired a foreigner to lead their program.

Since that time, Pia Sundhage has slowly rebuilt the US team correctly. She has been patient. She has been successful. So far.  CLICK HERE TO GO TO PART 2