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THE GOOD CHILD: a program enters murky waters for first time

After three-plus weeks of watching the US WNT compete in the Women’s World Cup, losing sleep, spending predawn mornings watching soccer from halfway around the globe, riffing on Hope and Solo witticisms – ok so my list is not going to stack up against Steve Goff’s, so let’s just stop here. Half-naked in silky French national team shorts is not territory I want this website to cover.

But whether you were in China, as Steve was, or sitting on a couch in the darkness of morning with the TV turned low so as to not wake up your roommates, it’s been a long strange trip through the WWC.

Maybe it was all just a dream…
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“To nobody’s surprise, Brazil proved to be in a different class against the U.S.”

That’s the ESPN headline still up at soccernet regarding the recent friendly between our men’s national team and Brazil’s. I never in a million years thought the same could be said for our women.

But here we are. Yet totally surprised.
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As if I could be any more jealous of the Washington Post’s Steve Goff over in China covering the Women’s World Cup. There’s a mammoth typhoon heading toward Shanghai, and for reasons I can’t fully explain, I really love storms and have a morbid wish to experience first hand natural disasters. Let’s just say when Mother Nature throws down the hammer, I want a front row seat.

The same wanting goes for the US WNT, who despite the storm - the center or eye of the typhoon is targetting Shanghai for the first time in ten years - managed a 1-0 victory over Nigeria to win their group. Lori Chalupny scored in the first minute, with the rest of the game being a wash. literally.

Follow Goff’s updates on everything WWC at his Insider Blog.

Check out the full game report at ussoccer.com

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WOMEN MOVE INTO SOCCER SPOTLIGHT AS WORLD CUP APPROACHES

The Women’s World Cup is only weeks away, and the US WNT will enter the competition as the favorites – something the male teams wouldn’t know anything about.

The Washington Post’s Steve Goff is heading to China, which is great news for those of us unable to travel to Beijing (which apparently includes just about every news outlet except USA Today, Sports Illustrated (but not Grant Wahl), and a scant few others… New York Times, not sending a reporter, disappoints again, though I guess they might have a China bureau who could write some reports. I really want to take their soccer coverage over with Jack Bell. We’d kill everybody.)

It’s even better news that a paper like the Post is investing in women’s soccer coverage. It no doubt helps they have a solid local team that’s not waiting for the WUSA to return in order to keep the faith in the ladies’ game.

After the jump are three (of the many) things to watch for when the World Cup kicks off on September 10…
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While Mia was home preparing for her next generation, US Soccer was placing their off-spring on display – the biggest in some time, though the empty stands wouldn’t tell you so – with the CONCACAF Gold Cup. They beat Canada 2-1 to take the title thanks to an unlucky penalty resulting in a USA PK in the injury time of the overtime. Not how you want to lose, or win, but the ladies keep marching on. This may be the best team since Mia, but Soccernet’s Graham Hays has a nice recap with a dose of warning, after the jump…
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left to right: Tarpley, Kai, Whitehill

A few things I didn’t want to slip past…

While most of us were pulling our tired bodies out of bed this morning, the US WNT was continuing their tour of South Korea, defeating the Netherlands 2-0 with goals from Lindsay Tarpley and Cat Whitehill, putting the ladies through to Saturday’s Peace Queen Cup Final. If the last string of World Cup tune-up matches is any indication, the better half of our National team picture is looking like a favorite for 2007.

And if anybody missed the Champion’s League clash between Arsenal and CSKA Moscow yesterday, WOW. No mystery I love Henry and the boys - some apparently don’t - but I can’t remember a game, in any sport, i enjoyed as much as that.

I mentioned earlier how I needed to watch some European ball after the boredom of last week’s MLS playoffs, and it seemed my wish was granted. FInal score: 0-0. Talk to me next week, but right now I don’t even care how many chances the north Londoner’s missed, or how the draw places them in jeopardy of not making it through to the knock-out stage of the tournament; the midfield play and one-touch passing at break neck speeds was the stuff dreams are made of… not to mention the goal tending and sweeping that held the high-octane Arsenal scoreless. Champion’s League indeed.

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Hawaiian Natasha Kai is part of a new youth explosion

Maybe the American public should start paying more attention to soccer… women’s soccer. The US WNT beat Chinese Taipei 10-0 this weekend; how’s that for scoring. Good god, ten goals, and a shut out. While Mia Hamm may be just a memory, players like Abby Womach – 3 goals and 3 assists this weekend – are beginning to fill that gap. Now, will fans fill the seats as they did in 1998-9 in 2006-7?

It was a full weekend for the US women’s soccer. Silal et al. took a break from their manager search to check in on the development of the women’s game by inviting 30 teams to the inaugural female edition of the Nike Friendlies in California. The US WNT capped off the weekend with their ‘friendly’ shellacking. At 10-0, can we still use the term ‘friendly’?

A view (maybe two) from the frontlines of the competition will drop later in the week from our correspondents who attended the West Coast festivities, but before we tune in for that, I thought it would be a good time to check in with US Soccer to learn why they’ve waited three years since the introduction of the men’s tournament to introduce the women into the mix. I caught up with Jim Moorehouse, US Soccer’s Director of Communications, last Thursday to get up to speed on youth development. And of course I had to squeeze in a question about The Search. Our discussion follows after the jump.
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Fathers, lock up your daughters, unless of course a great education is something that interests you. Because you know, there isn’t a women’s professional soccer league anymore, and the likelihood of your daughter making a national team is not so good. Seriously, just make them quit playing soccer before someone like Becky Burleigh gets her hands on them, because once she does, your little daughter will quickly become a woman, a strong woman, and maybe a national champion.
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We’ve all heard it. If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Or rather, if the US WNT plays in Rochester and is televised nationally on ESPN2, does that make some noise? What about buzz? Is there buzz? Because that is what our newest contributor, James Weise, news director at Kick This!, is looking for? Read his first (of hopefully many) contributions after the jump.
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