æThe cards I’ve been dealt’
SOCCER AMERICA: You’ve got a good thing going against the U.S. team. What does your performance, and your team’s, mean heading into the World Cup? CHARMAINE HOOPER: This game was a confidence booster for our team. We weren’t out to win this game, but to see where we stand as a team. Unfortunately, we don’t spend much time together. The more we play, the better we’ll get.
SA: What did you think of the Americans?
CH: They’re a strong team regardless of who they play against. I think they’re very fortunate to have the resources that are funneled to their team. It allows them to keep improving over the years, so more power to them. They’re one of the top teams, if not the top team, and the teams below them use the American team as a standard, to try to get to that level.
SA: Can Canada hope to reach that level?
CH: In Canada, because we don’t have much money in our federation ù so they say ù it holds us back a lot. We’re not able to get together and promote continuity as a team. We get together, then we’re gone five or six months. When we do get together, we have to play catch-up. You can’t do that. We need to be together more often.
SA: How much frustration is there with the situation?
CH: I try not to think about it too much. If you spend too much time, you spend a lot of energy for nothing. With our federation, we’re dealing with so much crap, it’s not worth it to pursue it anymore, looking for equal rights.
They’re not funding us. They say the women’s game does not pull in revenues. That’s a given, but it doesn’t mean we’re not to be supported a little better.
SA: Ever wish you counted as an American?
CH: I’m not going to lie. Of course, when I was at North Carolina State, I thought about that, but then there’s that rule that once you play for one country, you can’t play for another. I just have to play the cards I’ve been dealt and try to do my best for Canada.
by Soccer America Senior Editor Scott French