Do you think that the US womens soccer team will win the Olimpics now that abby wambach has broken her leg?

Question

Do you think that the US womens soccer team will win the Olimpics now that abby wambach has broken her leg?

Answer 1

Although I believe it will be harder to win, I think that the team will pull through and earn the gold. Abby is such a towering, powerful and intimidating opponent and will certainly be missed when the US start their quest for Olympic gold this Wednesday morning, but I believe the depth of the US squad is so strong that they will be able to win without her.

The three forwards all have what it takes to score in big games. The two that are likely to start-Kai and A-Rod-are both lightning quick and so strong on the ball that I think they will bring a different-but potent-attack to each opponent.

Kai is a high-octane performer that always brings her best game and highest intensity to every match. She has shown that she can bring her team out of a slump and help lead her team to victory with the way she plays.

A-Rod's style of play looks like it's the gold medal match every game-she will take hit after hit and not get knocked off the ball, pressure non-stop to make the steal, and chase after passes that, for anyone else, would be impossible to catch.

These two are very similar in their strengths but at the same time both bring different assets to the team. If they can work well together (which they did in the last game vs. Brazil) they quite possibly could be as deadly as having Wambach in the lineup.

The midfield is astounding-the starting four consistently have been Lloyd, Tarp, Boxxy, and HAO. Boxxy is the one who brings the experience and leadership to this section of the team (this will be her 2nd Olympics). She is such a strong player and is a great example on the field. HAO and Tarp have spent extensive time on the front line for the team, but have been exclusively midfield since Pia took over. Because of this, I feel they understand the forwards' jobs much better. From this, I think can appreciate the work and have better chemistry with the forwards.  They both have amazing skills and are hard to stop.  Lloyd definitely stepped up her game since the beginning of the year-her set pieces and corner kicks are almost always exactly where they need to be and after Wambach's injury in the Brazil match, intensified her own game and helped lead her team through her play.

The defense has been almost completely solid this year-and what gets through them Solo takes care of. Having Chalups, Markgraf, Rampone and Mitts on this line is what makes it so strong.  They are very different players, but mesh so well together.  Chalups played exclusively in the midfield before Pia. After being moved to defense, I believe she has begun to shine. Because of her midfield-past, she is comfortable to make a run up the line and sees the field great. She is also amazing at containing and breaking up attacks made by the opposing team. The co-captains Rampone and Markgraf have so much experience and leadership that they are able to direct and encourage the team while at the same time having the technical abilities to stand up or stick any player they go up against. Having Mitts back is also a good thing. I feel that she is playing even better than before she broke her leg and tore her ACL. She has the speed to cover for her team and has 'field smarts'-she seems to understand the flow of the game exceptionally well.  Her speed is also a great asset because, like Chalups, she can take on the attacking defensive responsibility and make those wide runs up the line and provide an additional option to the midfield.

And of course there is Solo. What happens to get through the defense she is almost always able to block. She comes up big when the team needs it and knows exactly how to direct her defense. Her confidence and talent definitely show on the field.

Of course, I only mentioned those who have started the last few games. What I haven't really mentioned is the bench. I feel that what sets the USA team apart from any other team in the world is the pure depth of the bench.

In goal, we have Barnie (Barnhart). She has come up big in the games that she has played in (including the final save in the PK shootout vs. Canada in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying). Her and Hope have a great, competitive relationship that pushes the other to be become better.

In defense, we have Buehler and Cox. Both are very young and have played in several games (Cox started almost every game in the WWC last year, I believe), but they have shown that they have the skill to step it up if called upon.

In the midfield, we have Heath, Hucles, and Wagner. Heath is the youngest player on the squad, entering her junior year at powerhouse UNC. She brings the utmost passion to the game and is brave and confident with her skills. Hucles has proven herself over and over-especially in this past Peace Queen Cup where she received MVP award and scored the game winner against Canada. Wagner is coming back from a injury earlier this year, and is playing very well. She brings more experience to this young squad, as this is her second Olympics.

In the forward position, we have Lauren Cheney, who replaced Abby Wambach. She brings passion and a little height to the forward position (she's 5-8 compared to A-Rod's 5-4) and has everything to prove and gain from this Olympics. She has shown in the matches that she has played in that she is very strong on the ball and moves the ball well, as well as making smart choices.

Overall, this team has proven to be a 90+ minute team.  From the games I've followed, the majority of their goals come in the last 15 minutes of a game (and several in stoppage time). This shows not only the highest levels of fitness, but also the passion the exude and the persistence they show.

Pia has done an amazing job.  Since she has taken over, I feel that she has prepared the team to be able to take a blow like this.  Greg Ryan's style of play was bland and a very high-school like tactic: kick it long to the forwards-and bypass the midfield.  From this, the team relied heavily on the presence and strength Wambach has on the ball in order to score.  He focused on brute strength over anything else and this caused problems when a main player would go down.  Also, this was fairly easy for teams to combat: knowing that they didn't do too much passing or too many runs made it easier for them to anticipate what would happen.

Pia's style is completely different.  She has the respect of the team, but, in turn, respects each player and their abilities.  In several interviews, many players have stated that Pia has brought fun back to the game, and this is so important to the passion and intensity shown by them.

Also, her style much more technical.  Instead of always getting straight it to Wambach and expecting her to score, she focuses on pure finesse.  This opens up many more options to score.  By focusing on passing and runs, this involves more players and is harder for a defense to contain.  The midfields have proven over and over that they can score from outside the 18, and by incorporating them into the attack, Pia has provided yet another huge threat to opponents.  Also, by including the midfields in the attack, it opens up the other forward to receive the ball and score-yet another threat.   Also, by improving the passing abilities of the team, it enables them to control the flow of the game; slowing it down when ahead, and speeding it up when down.  Also, by including defenders Chalups and Mitts in the attack, it opens up the field even more and causes the opponents defense to get holes in it.    Under her instruction, the team has become braver (that's one of Pia's 'slogans': Be Brave), and this helps the team by giving them the confidence to take a player on 1v1, but also to look for the easy and smart pass and then moving off the ball.  In my mind, regardless of the outcome of the '08 Olympics, hiring her as the head coach was the absolute right choice.   Because of her "de-emphasis" on Wambach as the only threat, and opening up other options in the attack, she prepared the team to take a hit like this, and still be a threat.  Because of this, she just might have saved the team in these Olympics.

So...I'm sorry.  I ended up writing a heck of a lot more than I anticipated, but because of all of this, I still feel 100% that the USA can bring home the gold. I also know that any team can beat anyone else on any given day, so I know it won't be easy, but I still have the utmost confidence that the team will solidify and peak at just the right moment.  This team is ranked number 1 in the FIFA rankings for a reason, and it's because the skill of the entire team and the fact that they have experienced setbacks and still have come out on top.