Morgan strikes twice as United States beats Germany, wins Algarve Cup

I agree that Syd still needs to progress. That’s why I mentioned her needing “polish”. I think that will happen by getting more starts, or at least subbing her earlier and more often if we’re to keep her as a supersub for now.

Hey Don, I’d like your opinion on a couple of things. I know we talked of a possible AM-Press old feud/Pac-10 rivalry thing last week. That could be real or just imagined. But watching the Germany game, I kind of got that feeling that maybe AM and Christen aren’t the best of friends. This is highly just conjecture on my part, I have no idea for sure but it seems she was overly celebratory with Syd following her first goal. Almost as if she WANTS Syd to be the one who succeeds and replaces Abby up top with her. Not Press.

As we’ve both discussed, I think we are in agreement that Press is the better player and a tandem of she and Alex would be special. I have no doubt about that. But maybe, as Christy indicated last week, there may be something there (Press selfish etc.). In any case, if TS develops Press as the center attacking mid in a sort of 4-3-3 that may work too just due to Christen’s talent and smarts alone. She is a true forward though. Thoughts?

Pia uses direct forwards, and Press’ freestyle game doesn’t fit that description. I’m guessing that’s why Pia over-looked her. Actually I’m giving that as Pia’s excuse. but remember Pia also laughed off Engen and Becky Edwards. They even said Edwards wasn’t tuff enough in the MF. Anyway, Press is a player, who could be FIFA Player of the Year one day, could be before Morgan, if you pair them up at Forward, given Press’ game is a bit more diverse. Do they want that type of competition for Morgan up top? Sydney is a no brainer, since she is a RAW version of Morgan, so I don’t see her passing Morgan by any day. Press selfish? Did that come from Morgan fanboys and girls? I saw her drop two assts off to Morgan in previous games that Morgan didn’t finish on? Is that selfish? Now, I think if they put her in the position she will push to be the #1 forward, think it’s the nature of her personality and her desire to succeed. So, do you repress her in the MF, playing possession ball with MFers, or you let her develop into the 20-30 goal forward she can become?

Hi, Rick.

You’re quite right about the AM/CP rivalry being nothing more than conjecture, especially as a debilitating issue, presented as an interesting “what if” in the CP selfishness discussion. I haven’t actually seen enough of CP (with my own eyeballs) to form an opinion on selfishness one way or the other. I think I can say with certainty that AM hasn’t a selfish bone in her body, sees rivalry as good motivation for a better collective outcome, and doesn’t care who scores as long as they win.

As far as friendships go, who knows? The dynamics of this team are so diverse that I’m in awe of the closeness they all seem to share, and the close friendships that develop are sometimes so obvious and at other times completely surprising. Despite their orbits crossing numerous times over that past years, AM and CP may never have actually been in an atmosphere condusive to a good friendship.

For celebrations, Alex has actually been very effusive when Press has scored, and in the two instances where it actually got caught on camera, Press has returned the favor. In the first goal against Germany, for example, Press was the first to Alex, and they both had big smiles and arms around each other. It wasn’t shown on the US Soccer replay of the goal, but was shown in a European replay. Her celebration with Syd was totally understandable, not only since Syd provided the ball into the box, but because of their history together going back to the U20 WC. I thought it was funny the way Syd invited her to hop on her back, ala a horseback ride for the baby horse, as a replay of what Abby and Alex did in the first celebration tour game against Germany on 10/20.

Speaking of goal celebrations, how many times has Alex jumped on Cheney after scoring? They seem to have a routine going.

You both know I am not a CP fan, but to be fair to her, she has not had the luxury of time spent together, Syd and Alex have a lot of history and are great friends. Alex is in her 3rd year playing with the team and syd on her 2nd. CP is in every sense of the word the odd woman out and a rookie. she participated rarely in previous camps even when invited and made the Olympic reserve roster over other players who had been with the team though she hadn’t played with them yet. This may have upset the delicate balance a bit where she was concerned. She just doesn’t have the relationships the other players have but as a whole this team accepts anyone who’s on the pitch eventually, she’s just not been initiated yet. If she continues to progress and play team ball, it will come. But this is also her personality, I saw the same when she played for MJ, she’s got a loner mentality and it shows on the field.

Good to hear from you as always Rick,

In regards to the yellow and red card thing, it’s been kind of typical in the women’s game that the ref’s let it ride within reason in the first half, its a good and a bad thing, most of the major fifa world cup quality ref’s know how to control a game without over policing it. I personally don’t want to see card happy ref’s because then we are in danger of becoming as theatrical as the men’s game. I like the idea that the cards are saved for real fouling and that red cards are scarce, you can see in a friendly a take down in the box should be a red but is rarely called but then there will be a similar sitch on the other side and the ref will let that ride too. It is irritating but as long as in serious competition all the rules are followed no one wants to see a friendly end on a 1-0 pk for a foul inside the box as long as no one was really hurt. As a player we want to play, let it get a little rough it’s part of the game, when we fall down 9-10 we get right back up and keep going, it’s when we say HEY WTF, that we really should get that foul. I wish the men would follow suit, it’s irritating watching the guys play and the game stopping every other minute becasue one guy tripped on his own shoe laces then cried about it.

I admit though, I start chanting “get up get up” when ever Alex goes down, an it’s my biggest fear for her, but it’s her style of play and with a player like Alex you have 2 choices take her down or hope she’s having an off day and misses the target because you aren’t going to catch her at this point in her career. She is going to be a defensive target and shes a beast and not afraid to take on 2 or 3 defenders and a goal keeper if needed to get the job done, thankfully she’s not fragile and she can handle it. Hopefully she stays strong and healthy as we pray to the soccer gods to keep her

that way lol!

Back to the press thing, I’ve noticed everyone seems to point out what they don’t like from my comments about her and not that I am making an over all analysis of her situation. I never disagreed that she has talent, and I have said she can have a place on this team. My statement was she doesn’t have chemestry with the others YET, I think it has a lot to do with her personality on the field. I don’t think there is love lost between Alex and Press, or is there any real competition other than what people want to see. Alex is proven, and Press is not. There is nothing to compare and both are fiercely competitive on the pitch and they do not have natural chemstry like Alex seems to have with virtually anyone else out there. Here again I think it’s personality and time spent together. “It’s not always love at first sight, I mean relationships sometimes have to just develop and when the time is right it’s just there or it’s not.” by anon , as the quote goes, more time on the field and consistency this team needs to give it’s new players identity or it is going to hurt the chemistry, this is why Alex struggled to score in the first few games. The newer players don’t know how to play Alex in. I’m sure as she starts to become a leader on the team she will explain it! It takes time, I am not sold on Alex (keep in mind 1 year ago this exact thing excitement, comparison and obsession swooned around Syd, I said she wasn’t a starter then, I am saying the same things I am now about her as I was then (exactly). She has improved, slightly but improved. So all I’m saying is lets see where Press is in a year. There’s always the next great thing when a player comes on the scene and wow’s then fails to did little more than that. time will tell but I stand by my thoughts on Press as a mid fielder.

I see TS trying to pull a Cheney with Press. Not all FWD’s are made to be such at this level. She’s not quick enough up top for the direction of the women’s game atm.but she has a nice pace at midfield and I think her fitness is going to come along well enough. Cheney, heath pinoe and Press, you may be looking at the future at mid field (look for mewis to be lingering in there possibly in pinoes shadow as she is the oldest of the 4 of them.
End of ramble

Christy, good ramble and a fun read. I’m with you on the men’s game. I’m a big EPL fan and usually watch a game or two over the weekend, but like you say the theatrics and drama queens out there over simple challenges have reached epic proportions. The MLS is starting to be unwatchable too for that reason. Quite frankly, it’s disgusting and a turnoff when a supposed world class athlete falls and rolls five or so times, holds their ankle, remains on the field till the stretcher comes, then decides to limp off, goes to the touch line for a second and then is running like a deer again once out on the pitch. It’s a total farce. I can so see why American male sports fans (I’m talking born, raised and played the Big American 4 of Football, Baseball, Basketball and Hockey) don’t turn on to the beautiful game. I was one of those guys and I got beyond it, because once you actually start watching soccer it is an incredible game and quite addicting.

But for these reasons I migrated to the women’s game and began watching. And what I found was beauty, athleticism, a slower but I feel a more purer brand of soccer…and absolute toughness. I am totally convinced the girls are much tougher than the men out there, and any sexism aside, I’m embarrassed to say it because it is very true. Soccer in the US hasn’t exploded because the American sports fan (you know who I mean) can’t relate to someone like Landon Donavan. I mean “his current time away from the game to find himself” is comical at age 30. It is silly that in a country of 315 million we can’t find 11 superior athletes to put on the pitch for the USMNT. Klinnsy is now going the American-German parents route to field his roster too and that’s an epic fail. The only time, despite the current NW soccer boom in this country, it will change is when the next CR7 comes from Des Moines, Iowa or somewhere like that. I’m hoping he’s currently a 12-year old kid living there, and all he wants to do is play soccer. Great American young athletes have too much choice to migrate to many sports, the real money ones, and drift away when not sent to a super Euro club’s academy. Can you imagine the US team if athletes like Dwayne Wade, Wes Welker, Bryce Harper, Chris Paul etc. decided to just play soccer and nothing else? I don’t think you would see a current men’s FIFA ranking of 33rd (which is a joke) and teams like Spain would shite in their draws. Imagine a back line of Clay Matthews Jr., and Adrian Peterson as our forward. That’s why the Euro snobs so annoy me when the mock the USMNT. We are not putting our best athletes on the pitch. There are a lot of factors why, but it’s fact.

As for the women in the US. Title IX and the strong US college system (actually the drafting and minor leagues for international women’s soccer) is in place. To get into the US women player pool of 30 is a massive achievement for any girl. That’s why the US women will dominate forever. The other countries catching up thing is a myth. And it’s the reason that AM doesn’t get her full due when compared to stars like Marta or Sinclair. She’s better folks. Deal with it.

That was my rant. :–)

That was a good rant lol! And you are absolutely right, the reason so many other countries excel in soccer over the US is exposure, the majority come from poor , even 2nd and 3rd world places. Others its the biggest sport in their country and has been for centuries, unfortunately linage doesn’t count for much and it’s like you said if there was no NFL, boys would be playing soccer and it would be the money maker in this country and we would dominate the men’s and women’s game hands down.

Here coaches troll soccer fields looking for the next Payton Manning or Andrain Peterson, recruiting is draining the pool of American soccer and the guys are so enthralled with it that even though only 1% of college football players even make a practice squad let alone a full team in the NFL there are thousands of others that are above average athletes in American football who could potentially be the next Messi, but we will never know because they were convinced to follow a pipe dream path towards the NFL, and who could blame them. Alex Morgan made 70K in just National team money last year, that doesn’t include bonuses I don’t believe, then add endorsements on top of that and she made an easy 6 figures, my guess some where in the half a million prior to the Olympics in just endorsement deals which seem to have .i say it modestly doubled or tripled. I’d bet anything her contract with Nike is 7 figures. Now lets talk about her back seat bf, don’t quote me on this because I can’t find the proper figures but a reserve MLS player makes some where in the vicinity of the 50-60k range per year. ( i sure hope he’s secure with his manhood that’s all I’m sayin!)

Women’s soccer is (today ) the most popular team sport in the country for women. Some ppl may argue the WNBA is proof that basket ball is, but let’s review, the WNBA is backed by the NBA, the second most powerful sports league in the country by far, they fund their league and believe the success of a women’s league is important. (btw the MLS isn’t interested in helping womens soccer) now ask why? Because since 1999, women’s soccer has grown men’s soccer in the US, not the other way around and it became overwhelmingly apparent this year that the great majority of fans who are not devote soccer enthusiasts but casual fans (which btw fair weather fans fund the NBA and NFL 2-1 over actual hard core fans) are in love with the women’s game, not the men’s. They can follow the game, they care about the players, their kids care about it boys and girls, wives will watch and husbands will tune it in and happily attend a game as a “family event”. Soccer has been so overcome with testosterone that even here the concept of women being more popular than men at any sport is ridicules. They still don’t try to appeal to women watching team sports because the demographic isn’t important to them, a mistake the NFL made for years until the latest pole showed men to women ratio of viewership was nearly even. Now there is as much women’s gear available as mens. They get it, finally!

Women’s soccer isn’t just popular here, the USWNT has transcended world wide. Millions of people here in the states tune in and fans from all countries want to tune in to watch the greatest women’s soccer product on the planet! And may (this is subjective but ratings on TV don’t lie as far as big event TV) be collectively one of the most popular teams male or female world wide! The USWNT is to the world of women’s soccer what the Miami heat is to the country. You love them , you hate them, you have no choice but to want to watch them. I know avid soccer fans in the UK who have admitted to enjoying the women’s game because it is slower and gritty and the details and skills of the game are all still there! And who do they watch? not the EWNT, they don’t bother to show that, but you can catch a USWNT game over there at the same rate you can here, if not on TV, it streams and people tune in.

After all of that said I was so frustrated today listening to sports radio because I was so very bored and they mentioned the Heat 23 game run “incessantly” and wanted to compare the team to the biggest thing in sports ever. A couple of the guys mentioned this team and the 1999 WWC team in the conversation which was shot down by the other guys, “no one cares about them but every 4 years.” and this my friend is the problem with this country, the small minded male sports fan. Props to the fact that they remembered 99, and that 2012 Olympic run and the 2011 WWC got the honorable mention. No one cares, but you remember it, Better than nothing..
Wow i am long winded lately lol!

Attendances at ladies’ matches in Europe is generally poor. The teams with consistently high attendance are Potsdam (a well to do suburb of Berlin) and Frankfurt, who so far this year average about 2000. Last year Bayern Munich had 534 per match; so far this season it is 271. Malmö and Gbg are in the CL QF. Last year they averaged 840 and 382 per match. When Arsenal played Potsdam in London <500 turned up.

There are two obvious observations. Firstly, ladies teams get good figures where there is no men's team (or it is useless). Then the desire to watch soccer in the flesh pulls.

Secondly, a whole segment is missing from women's matches: the 20-35 years old. That 20-35 year old men do not show up at a ladies match is not so odd but the women are not there. Financially, it would be better to pull in the men than the women, because men have more spending power than women.

Portugal has a fine men's soccer tradition and big stadia are filled to the brim with expensive ticket prices. No-one bothers with their ladies matches. The Algarve is not remote and it is a huge tourist destination for northern Europeans. Unfortunately, the stadia are not easy to reach from the main tourist places.

The Nordic countries had winter training camps in Cyprus for a few years. They tried Portugal once, were not satisfied with it and went back to Cyprus. The Swedish FA then approached the Portuguese FA and got them interested. The Algarve was born and USA was one of the team that joined in from the start. China was another early team. Germany came on board later and the last big team to join was Japan.

The Algarve remains an odd joint venture between Sweden, Norway and Denmark (Finland and Iceland sometimes play in the Cyprus cup) together with Portugal. It is what it is: high quality winter training that people may watch. People obviously do not.

As for USWNT icon moments, it is worth being mindful that Chastain's moment of fame was in 1999, before "W" was president. USA did not reach the finals of either the 2003 and 2007 WC. In 2011 Japan lifted the trophy in the most glorious ladies world cup so far. Worse for the US, the Nadeshiko did it after USA collapsed.

The Algarve tournament is played in the Algarve because it is warm there. Usually the weather is excellent. Matches in Germany and France have been cancelled during the past few weeks owing to snow. Wolfsburg ladies will play their CL QF tonight in the men’s main stadium instead of their own ground because their men’s pitch has underground heating and so is playable.

In Europe, like Japan, the emphasis is on the club game. With the domestic leagues and cups, and the CL, there is a lot of activity for clubs.

It is worth remembering that in 2002 USA’s men’s team reached the World Cup QF where they lost 0-1 to Germany. USA were denied an obvious penalty by the referee for no clear reason. In 2009, USA’s men came second in the Confederation cup, losing to Brazil in the final. It could be argued that the USWNT lost ground in that period.

Verily. Alex Morgan may do what Magdalena Forsberg did for biathlon — singlehandedly put a sport on the collective mind-map.

A great development in this vein is Grings and Fuss coming to Chicago. It would be great to find a few other old war horses to come over and put in a couple of seasons. I want Sawa in Kansas City.

Yours is a capital idea. A couple of questions.
– How many teams were you considering? Something like Canada, USA, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina?
– What time frame? Early March is taken. Autumn maybe?
– Where? Southern Cal or Texas or Florida?
– Who pays?

The West Coast, as you point out, fits with the current football map in USA. It also has the advantage that you can manage either Japan and South-Korea or Europe (though not both). I would say, concentrate on the Pacific rim.

The biggest brand in soccer remains Brazil, in spite of them last appearing in a men’s final in 2002 and their ladies never winning any time. Nevertheless, Brazil’s matches at the OG were well attended. Argentina is another footballing nation that needs to be brought on, as are Uruguay.

Sponsors want bums on seats.

WOW 40k, holy crap that sucks! haha the days are numbered on that relationship….

I am not surprised to learn the PPV was in high demand and I loved that Fox soccer played the games on a day delay for us poor ppl. I could only get 1 ppv game justfiably and I chose to watch the sweden game live. I “knew” Alex was going to break the 2013 seal. I mean its 2013 – its the year of the Morgan!

Algarve has always had a really poor attendance but they had 3x’s the people there this year than previous years. I think that Eurosport televising the games as well as fox soccer and PPV will increase the attendance next year, I am interested to see if I’m right. Europe is starting to catch on and countries are starting to put money into their women’s program. Anyone who thought the world was going to grab a hold of it like we did here in the states was crazy.

If “men” have more spending power than women in Europe, that’s barbaric women need to grow a pair and come into the new age. Women in other countries are what hold women back, more than men.

I agree the adult woman demo needs to get involved. I am actually in that demographic and i can attest to the fact that there needs to be more of us though When I saw the sold out game in the Chicago fire stadium the ppl were well mixed Old to young. At the game in Boca Fl the people on my left and right were all mid 20′s females and there were men of all ages as well. In Jacksonville it was the same, the ppl around me were all in this demographic. It is growing here in this area and we should see a trend as long as we can keep the momentum. I have friends in the UK who only attended the US soccer games during the Olympics.
When the US made womens soccer popular other countries started building teams. When the US won in 99 and sold out the Rose bowl (historical attendance and tv ratings for not just a women’s sporting event)
I am glad to see Fox soccer picking up the pace, I said since the won the bid for the 2015 WWC, that they had better start televising women’s football on the regular or they are going to destroy our television viewership since not everyone has the channel. Hell I picked up the channel just so I could watch WPS and Barca lol!
AM will grow this sport “provided she stays healthy” to a whole new level. She is the first truly promotable soccer athlete. She’s smart and camera friendly, she is what the American public wants to see as trivial and sexist as it is, that’s life, how many of the Male athletes that are splashed all over TV ads are unattractive? ho about none. So there is no dbl standard here, people say they only like AM because she’s attractive but I’ve said it before, all sports have a majority of fair weather fans, and those fans keep pro teams alive, so get her pretty face and mad skills out there and make this pro league successful.
Oh and Yes Mia was promoted, but she wasn’t a spot lite player, ppl love her for her skills and accomplishments and for how humble she remained regardless of exposure but she was not made for the public eye, Alex seems to be a natural. She’s young essentially single and able to take advantage of all these things coming her way, she’s having fun and growing the sport at the same time.

I saw your figures on what Alex Morgan has earned and probably earns with bonus money etc. To put it into context, this year the biathlete (skishooter) Tora Berger has earned $770k in winnings and bonuses.

That is more than any other winter-sports person (except NHL players, of course). It is clearly more than the great Magdalena Forsberg (one of whose records Tora equalled this season) earned 10-15 years ago, so the money has improved. It is also a lot more than Petter Northug has earned this year but the men’s cross-country ski is much more even this year — and Northug gives all his bonuses to charity (always has done).

I do not know what Kikkan Randall and Jessica Diggins or Michaela Schiffrin earn but one can expect that Schiffrin can become a top earner if she continues as she has started.

Why women who play team games and are considered the best in the world earn so little is an interesting question. The best paid women soccer players in Europe earn about 200k€ ($250k).

I do not follow your analysis. For the first goal Ms Leroux chases a ball to the goal-line and at speed puts in a lobbed cross that Alex handles with aplomb and scores from because she can use both feet.

The second goal is a gross goal-keeping and defender error. The long ball overhead was always meant for Morgan but the Germans blundering made it easy for Morgan to score. It is not obvious what Syd could have contributed.

Syd did, however, unnecessarily foul one of the German players for which she ought to have been given a yellow card.

USA won the match easily. Given that USA drew against Sweden and that Germany drew with Denmark, and that Germany had tougher other group matches than USA, one had expected a more even match. Germany’s and Sweden’s primary goals are to do well in Euro-13.

Sweden play Dnk, and Fin and Italy (who played in Cyprus) in their group while Ger take on Nor (whom they beat in Algarve), NL (Cyprus) and Iceland (whom USA and Sweden both defeated). The 3rd group of Fra, Eng (won Cyprus), Rus & Spain looks like a group of death but, as in the OG there will be two best losers, so all is not lost by coming 3rd as Canada showed.

On current form, Ger and Eng ought to be favorites, though Swe has home advantage and both Den and Nor have shown that they are no slouches either.