Youngster enjoys competition with Brandi Chastain, the Bronco assistant, on the left side

Nineteen-year-old defender Danielle Slaton is living up to her billing as one of the best young players in the United States.

After shining at the club level, with the U.S. under-21 team and now Santa Clara University, Slaton has played well for the senior national team. She’s sparkled in the Pacific Cup. Her only mishap in Australia was her takedown of China’s Sun Wen in the U.S. penalty area, which resulted in a yellow card and a Chinese penalty kick. Sun Wen converted it, and China won, 1-0.

U.S. coach April Heinrichs praised Slaton’s play against China, despite the penalty. Slaton, a halftime substitute for Brandi Chastain at left back, brought a spark to the U.S. attack.

“She played marvelously,” Heinrichs said. “She served two of the best balls against China.”

Unfortunately for the Americans, neither resulted in a goal. In the 61st minute, Slaton forged down the left flank and crossed to Cindy Parlow, whose header went right to goalkeeper Han Wenxia. A minute later, another Slaton cross from the left side found Lorrie Fair in China’s box, but Fair’s volley hit the side netting.

Slaton did her part to shut down the Chinese forwards and did what she could against the best player in the world in Sun Wen, who was the World Cup ’99 MVP.

“I don’t think [the penalty] hurt Danielle,” Heinrichs said. “We saw it on videotape. I think it’s very safe to say Danielle did what we would want her to do. She shielded the ball, which was up around her chest, and did what I would teach her to do. It’s the kind of call late in the game you can’t recover from.”

Slaton came on for Chastain at halftime of the next game, a 9-1 thrashing of Canada, and then started alongside Chastain in a 5-0 rout of New Zealand.

Chastain, of course, is used to teaching Slaton as an assistant coach at Santa Clara. The dynamic is different on the national team. Now they are competing against each other as left-sided defenders with the Olympics on the horizon.

“I think that’s interesting,” Heinrichs said. “They are wonderful with each other, and they are working to be teammates.”

“It’s not strange to me at all,” Slaton said. “I don’t really see Brandi as a disciplinary figure. She was never the one [at Santa Clara] who said, ‘You messed up. You have to run.’

“I see her as a mentor not as a coach. Having us kind of compete for the same spot, it’s not odd at all. I want to be there for her. We’re both working hard. Because of our relationship at Santa Clara, I’m comfortable talking to her, getting pointers from her.”

The New Zealand game was a rare opportunity for Slaton and Chastain to play together. Slaton played left back, and Chastain played in central defense in the absence of injured U.S. captain Carla Overbeck.

Slaton has impressed Heinrichs by pushing forward and serving accurate balls into the box. She’s done well to improve her fitness at the international level, though she still needs improvement.

SANTA CLARA CONNECTION. The Santa Clara presence on the national team is beginning to rival that of North Carolina. Slaton sees familiar faces everywhere. Besides Chastain, Santa Clara midfielders Aly Wagner and Nikki Serlenga are also in the hunt for Olympic roster spots. Even incoming Bronco recruit Veronica Zepeda was invited to the residency camp in California, before a back injury ruled her out.

“It’s awesome,” Slaton said. “It makes it easier for us, because it’s more comfortable to have people around that you know and have played with.”

Slaton and the Broncos blitzed their way to the Women’s College Cup semifinals last fall before losing to Notre Dame. Slaton had a remarkable sophomore season, earning first-team All-American honors and scoring four goals and 14 assists.

Slaton was often the catalyst for Santa Clara’s high-scoring attack. Her runs down the left flank and her pinpoint crosses set up a variety of goalscorers, including Wagner and MAC and Hermann Trophy winner Mandy Clemens.

A much-heralded youth player, Slaton proved her worth right away by earning third-team All-American honors as a freshman. She had her most success as a left back after starting out as a central defender for Coach Jerry Smith.

Smith won a fierce recruiting battle for the local star, who is a native of San Jose. Slaton, along with Wagner and Bronco teammate Anna Kraus, won three club national championships with the Central Valley Mercury and had coaches from all over the country calling her. Slaton told Smith she would attend Santa Clara immediately after the Broncos beat San Diego in their final regular-season game of 1997.

“I was floored,” Smith said. “Obviously, I was very excited. It’s hard to come by soccer players who are as good as Danielle on the left side.”

CRACKING THE DEFENSE. Heinrichs knew a little about Slaton back then, having coached her on the U.S. under-16 team.

“I only played for her a few times, in two events, a camp and a tournament,” Slaton said. “Being with the national team programs, you can’t help but run into her a little bit.”

Slaton saw early on that Heinrichs was driven to succeed.

“She wants to win,” Slaton said. “She’s one of the most competitive people I’ve ever met.”

Slaton has that same drive. She has a good chance of making the U.S. Olympic team. She had a breakout performance at the Algarve Cup in March and has played plenty of minutes since then. Slaton has done everything she can to earn a return trip to Australia.

“One of the most competitive positions is defender,” Heinrichs said. “We have eight defenders in camp. She’s a young one. She’s done well and really thrived. She continues to impress every time she steps out on the field.”

by Soccer America associate editor Dean Caparaz