Because the U.S. ladies’s nationwide group eyes World Cup qualifying this fall, 28-year-old defender Becky Sauerbrunn is displaying that she has what it takes to anchor the backline.
BY
John D. Halloran
Posted
February 11, 2014
5:46 PM
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ON JANUARY 31ST, in her fiftieth worldwide look, Becky Sauerbrunn helped america ladies’s nationwide group open up its 2014 marketing campaign in type with a 1-0 win over Canada. Not solely was Sauerbrunn wonderful defensively, serving to the U.S. to a clear sheet whereas shutting down Canada’s world-class striker Christine Sinclair, however Sauerbrunn additionally picked up the game-winning help on an excellent run out of the again.
One week later in opposition to Russia, Sauerbrunn proved that efficiency was no fluke. She was wonderful once more, serving to the U.S. to a different shutout within the group’s 7-0 blowout win.
Sauerbrunn will look to construct on these performances because the U.S. heads into World Cup qualifying in 2014 and additional embellish her credentials as a rising star inside the squad. The U.S. has one ultimate pleasant in opposition to Russia on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., broadcast on www.ussoccer.com) earlier than it heads into motion in its first official competitors of 2014—the Algarve Cup in March.
The flexibility that Sauerbrunn, 28, displayed in opposition to Canada—U.S. males’s nationwide group followers would possibly evaluate her favorably to Geoff Cameron—was a shock to precisely nobody within the group, together with U.S. head coach Tom Sermanni.
“She embodies what’s required in a modern-day defender,” Sermanni told American Soccer Now. “She has defensive qualities, she reads the game well, but also has that ability to bring the ball into midfield in possession comfortably and make good decisions. That’s a big asset she’s got over most center-backs that I’ve seen in women’s football.”
The sport in opposition to Canada—during which Sauerbrunn picked up Girl of the Match honors—was merely a continuation of her excellent 12 months in 2013. During the last 12 months, Sauerbrunn received NWSL Defender of the 12 months honors within the league’s inaugural season and earned extra worldwide caps for the U.S. than some other center-back on the roster.
However Sauerbrunn isn’t taking something without any consideration. She realizes how robust the competitors for beginning locations on the U.S. squad continues to be, saying, “I don’t think I really know where I stand because there are so many great center-backs in the U.S., especially on this team.”
Sauerbrunn has been a part of the U.S. ladies’s group for the previous seven years and was a part of the squad that took second on the 2011 World Cup and gold on the 2012 Olympics. Nonetheless, in each of these main tournaments, she was compelled to take a again seat to former coach Pia Sundhage’s most popular center-back pairing of Rachel Van Hollebeke (then Buehler) and captain Christie Rampone.
“It was hard with Pia as a coach not getting to play much,” Sauerbrunn mentioned, “but [Sundhage] was very clear with me from the beginning about where I stood.”
A year-and-a-half later, with new coach Tom Sermanni on the helm, Sauerbrunn is now on the high of her sport and difficult for a beginning spot because the group heads into 2015 World Cup qualifying. Sauerbrunn says that below Sermanni she feels “more confident” together with her place on the group—one thing her teammates see as properly.
“Seeing her develop has been a terrific expertise,” U.S. right back Ali Krieger said. “She has come into her personal. She brings one thing totally different to the desk—her attacking mentality, simply breaking stress into the midfield to open up quite a lot of house and angles for different choices.”
“I feel confident in my position because she has my back,” Krieger continued. “I feel she feels the identical method. We maintain one another—we help one another. As a fellow defender, she’s among the finest within the sport.”
Heading into 2014, the U.S. ladies’s group is in a second of transition, and everybody in and across the membership is conscious of it. The previous guard is, properly, getting older, and the following technology of stars—together with Sauerbrunn—is keen to point out what they will do. Christie Rampone, for example, is 38 years previous and has 288 worldwide caps over an 18-year profession. Although looking forward to extra taking part in time, Sauerbrunn is deferential when the subject turns to Rampone.
“When I got my first cap, I played with her first [at center-back] and it was like I had been playing with her for years,” Sauerbrunn said of Rampone. “She’s got so much experience. She’s just unbelievable, on and off the field. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a great leader and captain. She’s a living legend.”
Sauerbrunn continued: “She’s nonetheless taking part in, she’s nonetheless superb. Along with her, the best way that she will be able to play, it’s going to be her determination” about stepping down.
“She’s simply that good.”
However Sauerbrunn additionally believes the U.S.’s present depth can assist easy over any tough patches which will seem when Rampone retires from worldwide play. “With Rachel [Van Hollebeke], Whitney Engen, and myself, we’ve been playing with each other for so long now, I think we would do OK.”
Shannon Boxx is one other nationwide group stalwart who has been with the U.S. ladies’s aspect since 2003, amassing 186 caps throughout that span. However Boxx hasn’t been with the group since March, one thing the group continues to be making an attempt to handle.
“With Boxy it was just so clear that she was going to be sitting in front of us cleaning up,” Sauerbrunn says, “I can’t inform you how vital that’s as a center-back. Along with her gone and so many heart midfielders being evaluated by [Sermanni], it’s discovering the precise mixture and realizing when one must go [forward] and one wants to remain [back]. It’s an ongoing theme in quite a lot of our camps.
“Morgan Brian did a terrific job in opposition to Canada and Amber Brooks in opposition to Brazil just a few months in the past did a terrific job. There are undoubtedly gamers that may fill that position.”
Some followers have instructed that Sauerbrunn, together with her defensive talents, possession-oriented sport, and robust attacking expertise could possibly be the answer for the U.S. at holding midfielder. However Sauerbrunn thinks that is likely to be a stretch.
“There’s never been a serious discussion about me playing in the midfield,” she said. “It’s such an important position and I haven’t played center mid in many, many years. It’s something I’d have to train at exclusively. I don’t know if I could do at the international level. It’s a really tough job.”
With the 2015 World Cup qualification match solely eight months away—it will likely be held October 16-26 in Mexico—the U.S. has loads of questions that want answering. But when Sauerbrunn’s efficiency in opposition to Canada is any indication, she’s able to step up and be a a lot larger a part of the U.S.’s World Cup plans.
John D. Halloran is an American Soccer Now columnist. Observe him on Twitter.
