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Advnt05
09-27-2007, 02:45 PM
So the US Women's team got blitzed today. What does everyone think of the coach swapping keepers for this game? I had a bad feeling about it going in and not it's only confirmed. It does not make sense. You are essentially telling your starting keeper that you don't think she's that good.
Does he keep his job next year?

RedSoxFan
09-27-2007, 03:24 PM
I don't follow soccer but I did just see this on Sports Center a few minutes ago. Looks to me like the coach made a HUGE mistake by switching goalies. The goalie that sat out was very outspoken. Not so sure that was a good move on her part.

Davyjones
09-27-2007, 07:27 PM
I know that Coach Ryan is playing the percentages when he made Briana Scurry the starter; she had never lost to Brazil (12-0, I think) and he says that she has the quicker reflexes (not sure if that is true). But I myself cannot justify why you would yank your #1 keeper in such an important match. Hope Solo looked shaky in their first match against North Korea, but how did she respond? She has not been scored on in something like 300 minutes after that. All matches following the N. Korea match had been shutouts for the U.S. would she have stopped all the shots? No. Would the U.S. have won the match if Hope was in? Who can say. The phantom 2nd yellow card against Shannon Boxx definitely didn't help. But you can't switch out keepers based on percentages, in my opinion. Scurry had not played a competitive match since July. I just don't see it the same as Greg Ryan does.

Did anyone see Hope venbt her frustrations on ESPN afterwards? It wasn't pretty. Solo and Ryan, and the team itself, need to sort this out before Sunday. We've still got a game against Norway for third place, and Norway is not a pushover.

So, the question is now: Who should start in goal for the U.S.? I say Solo. Either way, I am still cheering for my team! Go U.S.A. !!!!!!!

Advnt05
09-28-2007, 11:06 AM
Solo should have kept her mouth shut until after the tournament. It's the coach's call and he made it.
If you start Solo on Sunday, are you saying that you made a mistake in Scurry? Are you giving in to Solo's rant?
If you start Scurry, are you doing so to punish Solo? Are you telling her she's done with the National team?

Either way, coach Ryan has created a mess. Can they both stay on the National Team?

Beach Club Babe
09-28-2007, 11:32 AM
Personally, I like Scurry much better than Solo, but it was still a mistake on the coach's part.

According to Julie Fouty, Ryan had been thinking of making this switch since June, the last time the US beat Brazil in a friendly. If so, why wouldn't he give her more games in preparation? She's only played 7 games since 2004! It showed disrespect for all players not just the goalies.

That being said, I don't think it had that much impact on the actual game. 1st goal was an own goal msitake by Leslie Osborne, she should have left it for Scurry who would have easily scooped it up. If not, she should have at least played it with her foot, not head. 2nd goal may have been stopped, but it's hard to tell since it took a slight deflection. Still with no own goal, they would have only had a 1 goal advantage, easily able to overcome. However, with Boxx being red-carded, they were through. Brazil is too fast to play them with only 10. Add to that, the coach's poor choice of substitutions, and they were toast!

He has no one to blame, but himself, and maybe the ref for the very poor call!

Davyjones
09-28-2007, 12:42 PM
Unfortunately, this will define Greg Ryan's tenure as the coach. I do applaud him for the 51 game unbeaten streak, but the team never looked to have a flow to it during this tournament. And pulling your #1 keeper at such a critical time does not help the flow and team chemistry. The world has caught up to the Women's National Team; it's now up to the USSF to figure out how to keep up. I don't think Greg Ryan is the one to lead this team into the future. Hopefully, if he is let go, the USSF truly thinks about who that person is before hiring someone.

As for who should be in goal for Norway, I think it should be Hope. Not taking anything away from Briana, but I believe, that at this time, Hope is the better keeper. But, it all depends on who they think gives them the best chance to win the match. There's always Nicole Barnhart, too. But I'd still go with Hope. I do believe that Hope gives us the best chance to win.

Whoever they choose, I will still be cheering for them at 4:55 AM on Sunday! Go U.S.A.!!!!!!!!
:soccer:

Davyjones
09-30-2007, 10:41 PM
Hey Gang,

I was scanning through some football/soccer forums and saw this. Check this out:

http://www.usateamhandball.org/11723_22487.htm

It's an article about Briana Scurry and how she threw one of her past teammates, Siri Mullinix, under the bus to the media. I found this rather amusing.

Again, I respect all Scurry has done and she herself has not said anything that I have read about what Hope said. I guess she doesn't have room to talk. I am glad we won against Norway today. I wish they would have shown that same type of fire during the entire tournament. Oh well.

Any thoughts?

Advnt05
10-01-2007, 10:53 AM
I think the US looked so good against Norway for two reasons. First, they didn't want to lose a medal for the first time. Second, I don't think Norway cared about the game. It's easy to look good against a team that doesn't want to be there.
I've heard a few folks say that Solo should be off the team for good now. They claim there are others waiting that are just as good. It should be interesting to see how it plays out.
As for me, I think Ryan should go too.