Fifth in a series of previews,
leading to the Olympics.
PIA SUNDHAGE promised it, and it has come true: Times, they have a-changed.
It used to be so simple.
Mia Hamm, the cutie pie with thunderous thighs, supplied the face of the U.S. national soccer team. She scored with frequency and ease, supported by ironwoman Kristine Lilly, bubbly Julie Foudy, Brandi "The Bra" Chastain and Joy Fawcett. They were pals and buddies and, it seemed, footballers of the ya-ya sisterhood.
Those were the days.
Hamm, Foudy, Fawcett and Chastain quit shortly after the 2004 Olympic Games. Last month Lilly, the world's most prolific participant, turned 37 and had a baby.
Once a team of toothy darlings, this now is a team of . . . well, of relative anonymity.
"I think people outside view it as a struggle, but we look at it as a great opportunity," said defender Kate Markgraf, a team member since 1998. "There have been some voices that haven't been heard on our team."
Mostly, the voice heard belonged to Abby Wambach, a ringleader in the team's most notorious moment.
"I think the big thing this summer is we will have another opportunity of earning [their own fame]," Wambach said. "So, hopefully, we can take advantage of it."
Lately, they have failed.
Since they won their second Olympic gold in three tries, despite continued excellence, the most publicity the women's national team has gotten centered on a goalkeeper controversy in a disappointing 2007 World Cup tournament in China.
The explosive incident:
The day before the semifinal against Brazil last year coach Greg Ryan chose veteran Briana Scurry, historically successful against Brazil, to start over Hope Solo, who was hot at the time, having logged more than 300 consecutive scoreless minutes.
Brazil won, 4-0, in the Americans' only loss since 2004. Scurry looked rusty. Team USA scored an own goal. Brazil scored goals No. 3 and 4 after a questionable call meant the ejection of a Team USA player, forcing Team USA to play 10-on-11. Team USA looked sluggish, and lost, and Solo was upset.
Solo publicly ripped Ryan's decision and, in a breach of solidarity, specifically contended she would have been better than Scurry. After a team vote (yes, a team vote, like some petulant, high school varsity team), Solo was suspended for the team's subsequent third-place match. More significant, she was ostracized by her teammates.
