Because education is seen in the United States as the most reliable means of increasing one’s economic and social mobility, the college game is the path for almost all players to bridge the space between youth/prep soccer and the professional game.  Despite its short season, its over-reliance on “athletic” players (as is the case in the youth game), and the limited scope of most schools’ recruitment (i.e. looking solely at big-name clubs for players), women’s college soccer is still the best environment for players at the present time.  That said, the college game is myopic in its approach to using their schools’ vast academic resources and clout to advance the life chances of women who don’t come from well-off backgrounds, who didn’t have the means of paying thousands of dollars a year to play for a top-name club and thus get themselves in eyesight of college programs, who might be the first person in their family to have the opportunity to attend a four-year institution of higher learning.  Because there is literally no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for female athletes unlike players of American football or basketball, a college education is a MUST for eventual self-sufficiency and thus academies within girls’ soccer would only serve to consolidate elite talent into fewer venues, with that talent again being by and large those who do not need the game to sustain or advance their life chances.   The allure of a “scholarship” to play college soccer (never mind the relative paucity of it given NCAA maximums and the cost of attendance) is the carrot dangled in front of these players, thus that becomes the goal of players rather than a professional career, which makes an alternate path in the game a no-go in the US.

So what options are available for players not on the primrose path of well-off parents, big-dollar clubs, and suburban or private schooling?  I wrote about that in a previous entry here (Soccer, We Have a Problem).  Namely, non-profit and community organizations exposing players to the game at younger ages and then partnering with innovative clubs in their communities that work within the system but do not conform to that system.  Also, players truly do need to advocate for themselves and make themselves known to those in the college soccer world, but also need advocates in the greater soccer community doing some leg work to get them on those programs’ radars.  I think of a player that we have in the fold who embodies our mission and vision.  She comes from a lower-income family and didn’t play club soccer until she was a senior in high school, only to be made to feel unwelcome in that environment.  She was able to get scholarships to attend a local NAIA school (both soccer and academic) and has thrived as a result.  What greater opportunities might have been there if she had had the opportunity for year-round play at a younger age?  THIS is why I am doing what I do and for whom it is for.

Last week we heard the news that Australian Women’s National Team coach Tom Sermanni will be taking over as the head coach of the US Women’s National Team. The news was received with both positive and negative reactions from fans. While it’s always nice to pick a fight on Twitter, there were several points that I found reasonable… even though I didn’t agree with them. I am a big fan of Tom, and think he has done a lot with little in Australia. He has shown his long-term commitment to the women’s game and shows that he is not afraid to use young talent. Although the USWNT gave Australia a bit of a whipping in Denver earlier this fall, the Australian team was young and inexperienced. As Julie Foudy joked, he has done a lot with a team of 12-year-olds. I am looking forward to seeing the new mix of young faces we see in Tom’s camps and how he does mixing the young and not-so-young talent. I am also excited that he will be based on LA and has already discussed hiring American coaches. Additionally, he is committed to developing female coaches as well. And the best… he said it all in his fantastic Scottish accent. As one of my former graduate school professors once said… everything sounds better in a Scottish accent.

Because I would way rather spend my time reading your thoughts and opinions on the new hire than actually do work, I would love to hear what you think. Here are some of my pros and cons:

Why we love the hire:
1. Youth Development
2. Kind spirit mixed with a tough attitude
3. international experience
4. Player’s respect
5. Sweet mustache

What we don’t love:
1. Dude status
2. Scottish rather than American (but seriously that accent is brilliant!)
3. Australia hasn’t gotten past the quarterfinals in a WWC under Tom

What do you think?

 
So where do we go from here? One of the worst things about being a women’s soccer fan is the gap between the Olympic games and the World Cup. We’ve had two amazing years full of excitement, drama, and a wave of international support. But how do we keep it going? For those of us that have been around for longer than last year’s Brazil game, we know that the support for women’s soccer comes in waves. One year these ladies are celebrities, and the next they are working at a store to support their families. One of the big news stories at the end of the Olympics was the announcement that a new professional league would be starting up next spring in the US. Few details, other than the inclusion of the Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, Sky Blue FC, and a yet-to-be named Seattle team, were given. So why did they announce it when they did? According to Bill Predmore, the owner to the Seattle No-Names, the intention was to use the USWNT to gain support. But more than anything, it was about giving the national team players a reason to not sign internationally. I think the announcement was a little premature… but I think the motive was spot on. Predmore has said more announcements will come in the next few weeks and I am not-so patiently waiting to hear more.

So for all those diehards out there, what do we think we need to do for this new league to be successful? We’ve seen the rise and fall of the WUSA. We’ve seen the introduction of the WPS, the drama that followed, and the fall of yet another league. So how will this league be different? Predmore states that the league is about creating sustainable teams. He knows owners will lose money. He knows these teams will have to fight for fans. While that’s a good start, there has to be better management and a healthy balance of short and long term goals. They have to be reasonable in the venues they play in, while providing players with a comfortable salary. They have to be realistic in their budgeting, and need to reach out to sponsors… including those that have nothing to do with the sports realm. And more than anything, they have to build a partnership with players that are willing to be their best advertisements. I think the Breakers and the Seattle Sounders Women did a great job of that this year. Build a strong support system while advertising their big name players. If this league is to be successful, they have to find the kind of support that will stick with the team through thick and thin.

You’ve heard my rant… now I want to hear yours. What do you think that the new league needs to do to exist years from now? I’m hopeful… after all, third times a charm… right?

Follow us on Twitter! @TwoTouchPass & @Becca4Kicks

For more info on the new league, check out these great sources:

http://www.bostonbreakerssoccer.com/home/652058.html

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/avantgo/2018926212.html

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/story/2012-08-09/United-States-womens-soccer-gold-medal-Hiestand/56923052/1

by Saby

South Africa
Banyana Banyana  

FIFA Ranking: 61
Coach : Joseph Mkhonza
Number of Olympics Appearances: 1st appearance
Group: F (Canada, Japan, Sweden)
First match: Against Sweden on July 25th

South Africa Team roster:
Goalkeeper
Roxanne Barker        Pepperdine University (USA)
Thokozile Mndaweni      University of Johannesburg

Defenders
Refiloe Jane           Sundowns Ladies FC
Nothando Vilakazi          Palace Super Falcons
Amanda Sister               Liverpool Ladies FC
Janine van Wyk           Palace Super Falcons
Zamandosi Cele             Durban Ladies FC

Midfielders
Leandra Smeda         Cape Town Roses FC
Kylie-Ann Louw             Stephen F Austin (USA)
Amanda Dlamini                  University of Johannesburg
Mary Ntsweng                     TUT Ladies FC
Noko Matlou                           University of Johannesburg
Portia Modise                               Palace Super Falcons
Gabisile Hlumbane Kovsies        Ladies FC

Forward
Sanah Mollo Bloemfontein                 Celtics
Robyn Moodaly                    High Performance Centre
Nompumelelo Nyandeni                    FC Rossiyanka (Russia)
Andisiwe Mgcoyi                                Sundowns Ladies FC

Alternates
Lebogang Mabatle Halleluyah                     Zebra Force
Jermaine Seoposenwe                                Santos Ladies FC
Andile Dlamini                                Sundowns Ladies FC
Nocawe Skiti                                      Cape Town Roses FC

Preparation
South Africa WNT played the Cyprus Cup and the team ended up in 10th place. During the tournament, they defeated North Ireland (53) and tied against Nigeria (27) and New Zealand (23). South Africa were one of two finalists in the 2012 CAF Women’s Pre-Olympics Tournament, thus qualifying for the 2012 Olympics.
The team spent several weeks camp in Brazil to prepare for the Olympics and ended their preparation in Germany with 2 friendlies.

Prediction
South African players are known to be physical players. There is no professional soccer league in South Africa so players come from various places such as the United States. The team will have to face three of the best women national soccer team in the world. South Africa WNT probably has the most difficult run into the Olympics, facing top ten teams in their group. Nevertheless, Coach Joseph Mkhonza says his team has no fear facing those teams and they will proudly wear the jersey for their 1st Olympics appearance.

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (Korea DPR)/ North Korea

FIFA Ranking: 8

Head Coach: Gum Ui Sin

Number of Olympic Appearances: This will be North Korea’s second time participating in women’s soccer at an Olympics.

Group: G (United States, France, Colombia)

First Match: July 25 against Colombia

Road to qualifying:  Eighteen teams, including North Korea, participated in the Asian Football Confederation’s Pre-Olympics Tournament. Japan and Korea DPR’s WNTs placed first and second respectively, qualifying for the 2012 Summer Olympics.  As a result, the third place winner Australia WNT will not take part in the competition this summer. Many believe North Korea should not be allowed to qualify for the 2012 Olympics. North Korea is now banned by FIFA from competing in the 2015 World Cup due to many North Korean players testing positive for steroids in the 2011 Women’s World Cup.  The Australian Football Federation and the Australian Olympics Committee appealed to FIFA, the International Olympic Committee, and the World Anti-Doping Authority, arguing that North Korea also should be banned from the Olympics. As it stands now, FIFA stands by its decision to allow North Korea to compete in the Olympics and not in the 2015 World Cup. FIFA’s ruling only applies to the competition in which the doping incident occurred.

Goalkeepers:

Yung Mi Jo

Ran O Chang

Defenders:

Nam Hui Kim

Myong Gum Kim

Chol Ok Ro

Song Mi Yung

Son Hwa Pong

Nam Sil Ri

Midfielders:

Un Ju Choe

Ye GyongRi

Myong Hwa Jon

Chung Sim Kim

Un Hyang Kim

Hui Sun O

 Forwards

 Mi Gyong Choe

Hyong Hi Yung

Song Hui Kim

Song Hwa Kwon

Reserves:

Chol Ok Kim (G)

Yong Sim Choe (D)

Jong Im Yu (M)

Su Gyong Kim (M)

Key players:  Everything about this team and the new coach is a mystery to their opponents and women’s soccer fans alike.  Only one midfielder, three forwards, and one of their reserves from 2011 squad are named to the 2012 Olympics roster.  Keep an eye out for Choe Mi-Gyong, a forward. Choe has scored for the team twice in the Olympics qualifying tournament.

Prediction: There is a reason why US WNT and other WNTs feel cautious when it comes to playing against North Korea, a highly disciplined and well-drilled team.  Although North Korea did not score a single goal in the 2011 World Cup, the team managed to hold almost all of opponents in their group (United States and Sweden) scoreless until the second half. The match between North Korea and Colombia ended in a draw. In this Olympics, I can see North Korea defeating Colombia in its first game. However, they will struggle to get past France and United States in Group G.

United States

FIFA Ranking: 1 (as of July, 2012)
Coach: Pia Sundhage
Number of Olympics Appearances: The US has participated in every Olympics where women’s soccer has been a sport (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012), with three gold medals (1996, 2004, 2008) and one silver medal (2000).
Group: G (Colombia, France, North Korea)
First match: Against France on 7/25

The United States Women’s National Team heads to London seeking a third straight Olympic gold medal and fourth overall.  Behind the attacking prowess of Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach, the US has outscored its 2012 opponents to date by a score of 68-8 in compiling a 14-1-1 record.  Hope Solo has put up 7 shutouts in her 15 starts with a goals-against average of 0.48.  Opening the Games against the toughest opponent in their group, 2011 Women’s World Cup semifinalist France, the US should get a hearty test ahead of later group matches against Colombia and North Korea.

Expected first XI:  Hope Solo; Amy LePelibet, Rachel Buehler, Christine Rampone, Kelley O’Hara; Megan Rapinoe, Shannon Boxx, Lauren Cheney, Tobin Heath; Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach.

Prediction of finish:  Anything less than a gold medal would be a massive disappointment for the US.  There is no reason to believe the US will not be in the gold medal match and have an opportunity to make up for their penalty kick loss in the 2011 Women’s World Cup final to Japan.

Brazil

FIFA Ranking: 5 (as of July, 2012)
Coach: Jorge Barcellos
Number of Olympics Appearances: The US has participated in every Olympics where women’s soccer has been a sport (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012), with two silver medals (2004, 2008) and two fourth place finishes (1996, 2000).
Group: E (Cameroon, New Zealand, Great Britain)
First match: Against Cameroon on 7/25

Despite being a world powerhouse in women’s soccer for years, Brazil has never won an Olympic Gold Medal or the Women’s World Cup. They’ve won the Silver Medal at the last two games and are most likely thirsty for gold. It would be difficult for any American soccer fan to have missed the excitement of last year’s USWNT game against Brazil in the Women’s World Cup, when Megan Rapinoe dished a beautiful cross to Abby Wambach’s magical head in the final seconds of the game for what would be the latest goal ever scored in a Women’s World Cup match. The USWNT ended up winning the game on penalty kicks, knocking Brazil out of the tournament. If this doesn’t motivate the Brazilian team, I don’t know what will.

Brazil, however, hasn’t looked their best throughout 2012. They have suffered a few big losses during friendly matches, but this may be because of the absence of star players. With the folding of the WPS, several Brazilian players, including Marta, have been playing in Europe and were unable to leave their respective teams when called up to National Team Duty. Brazil dropped from the 4^th to 5^th spot in FIFA rankings this summer, so it will be interesting to see what a full strength Brazilian team looks like.

It should also be mentioned that Jorge Barcellos is taking over the coaching range this year, bringing in a younger and faster team.  These players have seen some action in the absence of star players, but having the Olympic games as their first major tournament could cause some issues. But, despite their youth, veterans Marta (F), Christiane (F), and Formiga (MF) will run the show. The team seems tired of just missing the top spot in major tournaments, and should be a team to watch.

Roster
Andreia – Andreia Suntaque (GK)
Bárbara – Bárbara Micheline do Monte Barbosa (GK)
Aline – Aline Pellegrino (D)
Daiane – Bagé – Daiane Menezes Rodrigues (D)
Érika  – Érika Cristiano dos Santos (D)
Bruna – Bruna Beatriz Benites Soares (D)
Maurine – Maurine Dornelles Gonçalves (D)
Fabiana – Fabiana da Silva Simões (D)
Ester – Ester Aparecida dos Santos (MF)
Francielle – Francielle Manoel Alberto (MF)
Elaine – Elaine Estrella Moura (MF)
Renata Costa – Renata Aparecida da Costa (MF)
Rosana – Rosana dos Santos Augusto (MF)
Formiga – Miraildes Maciel Mota (MF)
Cristiane – Cristiane Rozeira de Souza Silva (F)
Marta – Marta Vieira da Silva (F)
Thaís G. - Thaís Guedes – Thaisinha – Thaís Duarte Guedes (F)
Grazielle – Grazi – Grazielle Pinheiro Nasciment (F)

Sources

http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-blogs/soccer/brazil-names-womens-olympic-soccer-roster.html

sportschatplace.com/olympics/kamal/2012/july/25/cameroon-brazil/

Canada Women’s National Team

FIFA Ranking: 7

Head Coach: John Herdsman

Number of Olympic Appearances: This will be Canada WNT’s second time participating in women’s soccer at an Olympics.

Group: F (Japan, Sweden, South Africa)

First Match: July 25 against Japan

Road to qualifying: Under the guidance of new coach John Herdsman, the team had a terrific start at the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Olympics Qualifying Tournament in Vancouver. They placed first in Group A and advanced to the Semi-finals. The team faced the United States WNT and vied for the title of the tournament champion. Although the team is disappointed with the loss, the team will mark its second Olympics appearance by playing its first game against Japan WNT, the current World Cup champion, on July 25^th.  

Roster:

GK Karina Le Blanc

GK Erin McLeod

DF Carmelina Moscato

DF Emily Zurrer

DF Robyn Gayle

DF Lauren Sesselmann

DF Rhian Wilkinson

DF Candance Chapman

DF Chelsea Stewart

MF Kaylyn Kyle

MF Diana Matheson

MF Desiree Scott

MF Sophie Schmidt

MF Kelly Parker

FW Jonelle Filigno

FW Christine Sinclair

FW Melissa Tancredi

FW Brittany Timko

Key players:  One of key players to look out for is Christine Sinclair, a forward and a leading scorer for the Canada WNT.  Other notable Canadian players to consider is Melissa Tancredi (forward), Diana Matheson (midfielder), Sophie Schmidt (midfielder), and Lauren Sesselman (defender). When Sinclair and Tancredi are on the pitch at the same time, they put defenders on opposing teams on notice and they will score when given an opportunity to do so.

Prediction: Canada WNT will look to redeem itself from their early exit from the 2011 Women’s World Cup. With ambitions of being a serious contender in women’s soccer competitions, Canada WNT has worked hard to impose more physical presence and slow down their opponents on the pitch.  I think Canada WNT will have moderate difficulty in securing one of the top two spots in their group.  The team does have a good chance of defeating South Africa. However, they must not make a mistake of underestimating their opponents. After all, Nigeria defeated them in the World Cup last year. Still, I do not think we should count out Canada WNT this time. They may end up as a surprise 2nd place in this group. Although Sweden is a physical and experienced team, they have struggled with top ten teams except Canada WNT since the 2011 Women’s World Cup. In order for Canada WNT to have a fighting chance, the team will have to play a better possession game, attack, and score against Sweden often and early.

Football Ferns

FIFA Ranking: 23 (as of July 2012)

Head Coach: Tony Readings

Number of Olympic Appearances: This will be New Zealand’s second time participating in women’s soccer at an Olympics

Group: E (Great Britain, Cameroon, Brazil)

First Match: July 25 against Great Britain

The Football Ferns will play in the opening women’s soccer match of the 2012 London Olympics against the host team, Great Britain at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

2012 Olympic Roster:

Jenny Bindon

Rebecca Rolls

Abby Erceg

Anna Green

Kristy Hill

Ria Percival

Ali Riley

Rebecca Smith

Rebekah Stott

Betsy Hassett

Katie Hoyle

Annalie Longo

Hayley Moorwood

Kirsty Yallop

Sarah Gregorius

Amber Hearn

Rosie White

Hannah Wilkinson

2012 Olympic Alternates:

Katie Bowen

Sarah McLaughlin

Erin Nayler

Holly Patterson

Key Players:

Jenny Bindon

Abby Erceg

Ali Riley

Hayley Moorwood

Amber Hearn

Hannah Wilkinson

Captain Hayley Moorwood leads the Football Ferns in number of caps, while left back Ali Riley has been known to stop some of the world’s greatest players from getting shots on goal. Amber Hearn leads the team in goals and will be a vital part of New Zealand’s attack. Recently, Riley was injured in a match against the Canadian Women’s National Team and is now wearing a boot on her foot. However, Riley has stated that she should be ready to go by the time the Olympics begin.

Prediction: While the team has certainly improved over the years, the Football Ferns don’t have an impressive run in major tournaments. In the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the team has been knocked out in the group stage. It seems unlikely that the Football Ferns will be able to pull out a victory against Brazil. Likewise, the New Zealand team will face difficulty against the host nation. New Zealand’s best hope for a win in the group stage will be against Cameroon. If the Football Ferns can pull out a win against Cameroon (and subsequently pull off a third place ranking in Group E), they’ll have a shot to make the quarterfinals. If the Football Ferns do happen to make it out of the group stage, they’ll play against the first place team from Group G, which will likely be either France or the United States. Back in February, the Football Ferns came very close to defeating the American team, so New Zealand could be a dark horse during this year’s London Games.

Sweden
The Blågult (Blue and Yellow)
FIFA Ranking: 4
Coach : Thomas Dennerby
Number of Olympics Appearances: 4th Olympics appearances (best result 4th in 2004)
Group: F (Canada, Japan, South Africa)
First match: Against South Africa on 7/25

Sweden Women’s National Team Roster

Hedvig Lindahl (Kristianstad DFF)
Sofia Lundgren (Linköpings FC )
Berglund Emma (Umeå IK FF)*
Malin Leve City (LdB FC Malmö)*
Annica Svensson (Tyresö FF)
Sara Thunebro (The first SAK Frankfurt)
Lina Nilsson (LdB FC Malmö)*
Linda Sembrant (Tyresö FF)
Lisa Dahlkvist (Tyresö FF)
Nilla Fischer (Linköpings FC)
Antonia Göransson (The first FFC Turbine Potsdam)
Sofia Jakobsson – FC Rossijanka
Caroline Seger (Tyresö FF)
Johanna Almgren (Kopparbergs / Göteborg FC
Kosovare Asllani (Kristianstad DFF)*
Marie Hammarström – KIF Orebro DFF
Lotta Schelin (Olympique Lyonnais)
Madelaine Edlund (Tyresö FF)

Alternates :
Kristin Hammarstrom – Kopparbergs / Göteborg FC
Stina Segerstrom – Kopparbergs / Göteborg FC
Susan Moberg – Kristianstad DFF
Jessica Landström – Djurgårdens IF DFF

Preparation
The Swedish team qualified for the Olympics after reaching the 3rd place at the Women’s World Cup. The team also finished 4th at the Algarve Cup 2012 and played 9 games so far. This year, Sweden seems to struggle against top ten team ranked above them. They lost twice against USA (1), once against Germany (2) and Japan (3). Their only victory against a top ten was against Canada (7) early this year, which is one of their opponents in the group stage for the Olympics.

Group F
Sweden has probably the best draw of the group, facing in this order – South Africa, Japan and Canada. If they are confident and score many goals in their first game, they might have a chance to bother the current world champion Japan as their games are always close. The Blågult (Blue and Yellow) will finish group stage against Canada, which is the team they tend to have good result. This game on July 31th may be the key for a quarter final spot.

Players
Lotta Schelin as usual should be the player to watch for Sweden. She is one of the best top scorer in women soccer and she recently won the Women European Championship with l’Olympique Lyonnais.

Prediction
Semi final if the team finish 2sd of group F