U23 Camp

I was fortunate to attend a couple of scrimages at the end of camp. Jess looked right at home and was playing the overlaping style that has become her trademark style. She looked totally at ease and poised. She will make this team. Kelsey looked good also. She seems to have shaken the foot injury that affected her kicking game last season. After the great competition that was the college season it was kind of strange watching O'Hara, Heath, Noguiera, Moore, Logterman and Tsao all playing on the same side.

They gave a beating to a W-league team from San Diego. The Sonatas I think someone said. Aptly name cuz it was lights out. Back to reality, they lost to a Nomads u-14 boys team 2-0.

i was there too, auto pilot. the first game was a combination of the san diego sea lions from the wpsl, and a few other players. it was tied 1-1 for a bit, then the US team dropped 5 on them to finish 6-1. that team hadn't played in a while and i was joking with some friends: could you imagine getting that call to play? "oh hey, what's up? happy new year. you want to play in a game this weekend?" "yeah, sure. sounds fun. who we playing?" "oh, the u23 national team." "Um, yeah, i think i'm getting my wisdom teeth out that day, or i'll probably have appendicitis or something."

The nomads game, they were drawn 0-0 at half. the 23s played very strong, but i thought they got nothing from their forwards in the first half. they defended their butts off in the midfield and backline--very organized and composed. i left the game at halftime...my friend and i thought it was the u15s nomads, auto pilot, but i'll take you're word for it since you're familiar with the teams in the area and i'm not...

Hey KFTC did you also notice who was there on the sidelines. Bob Bradley US Men's National Coach and some other unidentified coaches/scouts and Jillian Ellis who sat on the side with the team and players. I only talked to one fan about who the women's team was on Saturday and he gave me some erroneous information about it being a W team named Sonata trying to be an expansion team to the WPS. Wishful thinking I suppose. Based on your description I believe you are correct in stating it was a hodgepodge of players as I recognized one of the defenders as a Leanne from the Surf club a few years ago. Talking to a few players from the WNT after Saturdays game they said the other side was really gassed in the second half which would account for the five goals.

The Nomads could easily have been fifteens as I got a different story from each person I talked to one said U-14 and the other said U-15 could have been a combination of bothdepending on who felt like playing that day. They clubs are still on winter break. One thing was clear they were Nomads and they were boys/men and a little bit embarassed about playing against a women's team. One of the boys said they wanted to make sure they won for pride without hurting any of the ladies which they accomplished on both accounts. Though the won the game their stlye was not all that great mostly just powered the ball up the middle and tried to get goals off counters and break aways where there speed advantage would show up the most.

Kelsey started on Sunday and had a couple nice saves with no goals against. Val played the second part of the first half and got caught out of the goal on a breakaway. She looked a bit rusty. The third keeper who got most of the playing time was athletic but I don't expect her to make the team. She had bobbly hands and was not a good decision maker. I actually saw her box a ball straight out into the field ten yards out during warmup. That showed a certain naievity.

The player i was most impressed with was the forward from Purdue they called P. She looked awesome against the girls team on Saturday but looked really sore maybe even injured on Sunday.

Watching Tobin Heath and Casey N play I can see why their team was National Champs last year. Both one touch it with superior quickness and in with an eye to making a connection or to play to a player in space to run on. Tobin is so fast on the give an go I can see why she is so hard to defend. Casey not quite as fast maybe but she does not give away a pass with her eyes like so many players do. Reminds me of the no look passes in basketball. She tried a couple shots almost exactly like the ones she scored on in the Notre Dame game but the tall boys keeper handled them easily.

Anyway Tobin is getting called to a full national camp again this month from January 20 to February 5 at the Home Depot Center. I wonder how these kids stay in school. So you might be seeing her in March at the Algarve Cup and back overseas again in July for the Nordic cup.

Yes, I saw the coaches and staffs from LA and Chicago were there sitting on the opposite touchline from the teams. I did not see Ellis sitting with the players--I can't believe I missed that one, then again I was sitting above the field watching from the bleachers that are on the field up above. Same with Bradley...though, I'm not completely sure he was there, as I read on US Soccer that the men's national team was training in LA yesterday morning at the Home Depot Center, and the men's national coaching staff was supposed to be sticking around the HDC to watch the two Interliga finals games in the afternoon and evening.

Tobin Heath was ridiculous yesterday. I could see the boys hesitant on a few tackles until she crushed one of them at about midfield. Then they got a little less shy and started going at the women a bit. Heath should be getting in with the full team, she is just that dang good.