Defender’s play in Overbeck’s absence makes Heinrichs’ Olympic decisions more difficult

Christie Pearce became an overnight sensation in last year’s Women’s World Cup.

After Kate Sobrero twisted her ankle in practice, Tony DiCicco mentioned at a press conference that Pearce was a possible replacement against Nigeria the following day. Reporters in attendance quickly converged on Pearce.

Microphones and questions that previously had been directed at Mia Hamm and Michelle Akers were turned toward the unassuming Pearce. Reporters asked how Pearce switched from playing forward in college to playing in the back for the United States. They asked how someone from Monmouth – of all places! – could make the national team. And they asked how a basketball player could be such a good soccer player.

“That was the first big-time press conference I experienced,” Pearce said. “It was kind of scary at first because I was never around that before. At the time it made me feel good, because I knew the press was into it. With Kate going down, I was ready. It was kind of exciting to have all that media attention.”

Then Sobrero recovered enough to play against Nigeria. Pearce, who turned 24 on the day of the game, stayed on the bench. Her World Cup experience added up to just 17 minutes on the field, in a 3-0 win over North Korea.

That is Pearce’s career in a nutshell. When everyone is around, she doesn’t play. When someone gets hurt or pregnant, Pearce starts. When Carla Overbeck sat out the Pacific Cup and Gold Cup to recover from knee surgery, and right back Joy Fawcett filled Overbeck’s position in central defense, Pearce took over for Fawcett on the right side.

Pearce, as usual, made the most of her chance. She played all but 45 minutes in Australia and missed only the Canada semifinal at the Gold Cup. The former college forward excelled at attacking out of the back but showed she needs to improve her marking.

On July 7, Pearce was the most experienced player on the field when U.S. coach April Heinrichs fielded a young team, plus Pearce and Sara Whalen, for a 4-1 victory over Italy in a friendly. Heinrichs praised Pearce for shutting down dangerous Italian striker Patrizia Panico, nicknamed “The Scorpion,” in the first half.

“Christie has exceeded expectations and been so impressive in every window of opportunity she has been given,” Heinrichs said. “Her learning curve is still very, very big for a player who’s been on the team for four years. She’s becoming more and more comfortable in playing on the right side of the defense.”


BASKETBALL AND LAUNDRY DETERGENT. Pearce has gone far considering that Monmouth (N.J.) is not known as a soccer powerhouse and that basketball, by a slight edge, was her No. 1 sport in college.

As she started to excel in soccer, Pearce grew less interested in basketball, which earned her a Monmouth scholarship.

“Soccer was new to me,” she said. “I was starting to get trained. My college coach, Ken Van Schaack, is a really good coach. He really brought the spark out. It wasn’t on such a serious level, too. Because I went to school for basketball – and that was a real focus at times – soccer took me away from it.”

Pearce continued to play basketball – she was the starting point guard and a co-captain her senior season. But she was a star in soccer. Pearce was twice named the NEC Player of the Year and finished as Monmouth’s all-time leading scorer (79 goals, 54 assists, 212 points).

Van Schaack put in a call to then-U.S. coach Tony DiCicco, who watched her play for Monmouth and liked what he saw. He picked Pearce for a January 1997 training camp in San Diego.

The national team novice, who hadn’t played for any U.S. youth teams, didn’t know what to expect or what she was expected to wear in training. So she brought two suitcases filled with Monmouth soccer gear and some laundry detergent, just in case. Then she arrived and was outfitted from head to toe in Nike national team gear.

“It was a big shock,” laughed Pearce, who has since signed an endorsement deal with Kappa.


BACK TO THE BENCH? Pearce flourished with the national team since she was able to focus solely on soccer for the first time. Becoming a defender was difficult at first, “not only changing into a back, but going against the top forwards in the world,” she said. “It was fun because I love challenges.”

Her athleticism helped her make the adjustment. She’s one of the fastest players on the team, which helps her recover when she gets beat. A 30-inch vertical leap gives the 5-foot-6 Pearce an edge in the air.

Pearce received a big break when Fawcett and Overbeck missed most of ’97 while out on maternity leave. Pearce started 16 of 18 games and was third on the team in minutes played, with 1,406. When Fawcett and Overbeck returned, they reclaimed their starting spots.

Pearce is a much better player today than in ’97, and her performances have prompted questions. Will she start at right back in the Olympics? Will Heinrichs sit Overbeck, the longtime U.S. captain, in favor of a former basketball player?

Siri Mullinix has earned the right to start in goal at the Olympics by playing well in the absence of the injured Briana Scurry. Pearce and Lorrie Fair haven’t done quite as well in place of Overbeck and Michelle Akers, respectively. But Pearce has been part of a steady backline with Fawcett, Sobrero and Brandi Chastain. The only goal the United States allowed in the Gold Cup came in the semifinal against Canada, with Pearce on the bench.

Overbeck, who rejoined the national team for its European trip, has precious little time in which to reclaim a starting spot. Heinrichs expects to pick her 18-player team in early to mid-August.

“With Christie and Lorrie Fair and Siri Mullinix, the thing to stress is they’re making the most out of every opportunity they receive,” Heinrichs said. “Their performance is phenomenal and at a high level. They’re doing well not just against secondary and tertiary teams in the world, but against the top teams in the world.”

Will Pearce start in Sydney?

“We’re going to see very soon,” Heinrichs said.

Van Schaack likes Pearce’s chances.

“This is probably the first time someone returning is really going to have to fight to knock her out of the lineup,” he said. “She’s playing better now, playing with confidence. It’s going to be tough.”

by Soccer America associate editor Dean Caparaz