Veteran defender handles central spot and the captaincy
That Joy Fawcett captained the United States’ 8-0 rout of Costa Rica in the Women’s Gold Cup was a big deal to the 32-year-old defender.
It wasn’t the biggest honor in the life of a woman who’s won two World Cups and an Olympic gold medal. But it was the first time she wore the armband from the beginning of a game in her 13-year career.
“I’ve never been able to do it,” Fawcett said. “It’s a little nerve-wracking. I find myself talking more and trying to organize more.”
She wore the armband because usual captain Carla Overbeck has been out with a knee injury since May. Normally the starting right back, Fawcett ably filled Overbeck’s organizational role in central defense when the United States played four in the back in the Gold Cup and the Pacific Cup.
“Joy’s phenomenal in the back in any role, whether on the flank or centrally,” U.S. coach April Heinrichs said. “She still is quite simply one of the best if not the best defender in the world.”
Despite lop-sided wins over Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago, Fawcett says, every Gold Cup game serves a purpose.
“You go into each game with goals you want to accomplish,” she said. “I wanted to focus on long balls and looking to serve the ball forward.”
Fawcett is also working on her leadership skills. Throughout her career, she has been a quiet player, who led by example. That’s changed, according to Fawcett.
“Despite what April says, I do talk on the field,” she said.
“She claims that she’s been vocal, just out on the field,” Heinrichs said. “She has a joke that players hear her, but the coaches don’t. I think I hear her more.”
LIKE A FINE WINE. Fawcett hopes she is just keeping the position warm.
“Carla better get back soon,” Fawcett laughed. “It’s different. You have to worry about stuff that’s behind you, and I’m not used to that. On the right I can see everything in front of me. But I’m getting more comfortable there.”
Brandi Chastain, normally a left back, has also played in central defense next to Fawcett or Kate Sobrero.
Heinrichs, who played alongside Fawcett in the 1991 Women’s World Cup, says the UC Berkeley alumna hasn’t lost a step despite reaching her 30s.
“I saw her do an agility exercise with Shannon MacMillan, who is also very fast,” Heinrichs said. “With Joy’s ability to change directions in the middle of a sprint, Mac couldn’t catch her. Her physical qualities are still the best in the world. … She’s like a fine wine: She’s getting better with time.”
SOCCER MOM. Fawcett has taken her children, Katey, 6, and Carli, 3, with her to most of the U.S. games this year. Fawcett’s husband, Walter, will take the kids to Australia to watch their mom play in her second Olympics.
Fawcett was glad to stay in the Golden State for this year’s U.S. residency camp so as not to uproot Katey, who started kindergarten in Southern California last fall. The United States had trained in Florida for camps in 1996 and 1999. If U.S. Soccer had placed the U.S. women in Florida again, Fawcett wasn’t sure what she would have done. Retirement may have been an option. Fortunately for the national team, they trained at the ARCO Training Center just outside San Diego.
While some of her teammates are expected to retire after the Olympics next September, Fawcett may push retirement back indefinitely. The arrival of a women’s professional league should mean that the national team would schedule fewer games, making the national team more attractive to a busy soccer mom.
“I’ll just take it day by day,” Fawcett said. “I won’t officially retire. As long as I can still play, I’ll be around. If April will have me.”
by Soccer America associate editor Dean Caparaz