USA heads to inaugural U-17 Women’s World Cup with high bar to reach

October 24, 2008

Having already won two Women’s World Cup titles, three Olympic gold medals and a FIFA youth championship, expectations on any U.S. women’s team are always high.

It’s just part of the territory for coach Kazbek Tambi as he takes his girls into the inaugural U-17 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand.

“We haven’t focused on how others view us,” said Tambi, who played two years for the old New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League and now is the women’s coach at Seton Hall University. “Every day we want to play better soccer. If we play well enough, we believe on any given day, we can beat anybody in world.

” The United States heads to New Zealand for the 28 October-16 November championship, joining CONCACAF neighbors Canada and Costa Rica.

While difficult to handicap, with the pedigree of their more senior sides, the U.S. girls are again among what many consider to be the favorites, which also includes European champion Germany and Asian winner Korea DPR.

Besides the history of older sides, the USA’s U17 team has achieved its own success, winning 16 of 18 matches this year, including beating Germany in the dress rehearsal Future Stars Tournament in New Zealand in January-February.

It won all eight matches against international opponents and suffered its only loss in July against the Jersey Sky Blue, a club team in the USA’s semipro W-League. It advanced from the CONCACAF qualifying, reaching the semifinals by winning three games by a combined score of 24:1, edging out Mexico 1:0 on an injury time goal and then finishing with a 4:1 victory over Costa Rica.

It includes seven girls who are 5-foot-8 (1.73 meters) or taller on its 21-player roster, including 5-11 Samantha Mewis, who will be making the trip with her younger sister and fellow midfielder Kristie.

“When we selected the team, it really was coincidental that we had tall players,” Tambi said. “We were looking for pretty well-round soccer players with sound skill, tactical knowledge. I think the team is physically sound, as all American teams are. But we hope when we leave the tournament, that we won’t be best remember for that fact, but that we played excellent soccer.”

Kristie Mewis leads the team 11 goals this year, one more than Courtney Verloo. The team is a relative veteran one with 15 players who are 17 years old, another five who are 16 and one, Morgan Brian, who is only 15.

The United States will start in Group C with Japan, France and Paraguay, opening the tournament on 29 October against the Japanese. Canada is in Group A with host New Zealand, Colombia and Denmark; while Costa Rica will be in Group B with Germany, Korea DPR and Ghana.

“Being part of the U.S. program, you always feel the expectations of people on the outside,” Tambi said. “I don’t think it helps or is a hindrance. The kids are pumped up to play hard no matter what the preconceived notions of others are.”

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