Nittany Lions’ prolific goalscorer impresses Heinrichs in the race for an Olympic roster spot

Christie Welsh has made a big impression on U.S. women’s coach April Heinrichs, even if U.S. fans are still figuring out who she is.

Fans used to screaming for Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain and the other stars of the women’s game weren’t quite sure who the 5-foot-10 player was at the recently completed Olympic residency camp in California.

“When I first got in, people called me Cindy Parlow, Christie Pearce,” Welsh said. “Sometimes they have soccer books for us to autograph. They ask, ‘Can you sign by your name?’ And it’s not me. Finally people are beginning to know my name.”

The 19-year-old forward made a name for herself at the collegiate level, after an amazing freshman year at Penn State last fall. The Nittany Lions reached the Women’s College Cup thanks in large part to her 27 goals and 13 assists, and Welsh earned Soccer America’s Freshman of the Year award. The 27 goals tied her with Seton Hall’s Kelly Smith for the NCAA Division I goalscoring title.

Welsh, who has also played for the U.S. under-18 and U.S. U-21 teams, did well under Lauren Gregg at the Australia Cup in January. Then Heinrichs took over. She was a believer after only a week.

FOTOPOULOS MADE EXPENDABLE. The potential of the younger forward made it easier for Heinrichs to drop World Cup ’99 veteran Danielle Fotopoulos, who is a similar player.

“Danielle is a great player,” Heinrichs said last March. “What I’m saying is if Christie can do in one camp what [she did in February], I’m extremely excited what she can do if she had four years on this team.”

Up until that point, Welsh had two goals in just four international appearances. She has shown more of what she can do since then.

A strong and fast player, Welsh easily sheds defenders in one-on-one battles and is a prolific goalscorer even at the international level. She tallied five goals in six games for the United States before Heinrichs picked her to return to Australia for the Pacific Cup. Welsh made her biggest impact with a hat trick in an 8-0 win over Iceland in April.

“She’s working hard and learning a lot, and she is hot,” Heinrichs said recently. “She’s scored a lot of goals in limited playing time. Seven goals, not bad.”

SPECTACULAR AGAINST UNC. Playing for the national team didn’t cross Welsh’s mind until just a few years ago. She grew up playing all kinds of sports, including basketball, and didn’t like watching soccer on television.

“Soccer was always a game I liked to play,” Welsh said. “It was fun. I didn’t think about pursuing [the national team] much until I got to the higher levels.”

Her Northport Piranha team won the U-16 Massotto Cup in 1997 and the U-18 national championship in 1999. She led Massapequa High School to the New York state title in 1997.

Coaches began to take notice. Welsh first caught the eye of Heinrichs in ’97, when Heinrichs selected her to the U.S. U-16 team. Welsh also played for Pat Farmer’s Region I ODP team.

She decided to play for Farmer in Happy Valley, turning down North Carolina in the process. In her first game against UNC last fall, Welsh scored twice in a 3-2 upset win. Anson Dorrance’s Tar Heels got revenge with a 2-0 victory in the NCAA semifinals.

“She was equally spectacular in both games we played against them,” the UNC coach said in San Jose. “Her combination of speed and strength is going to make her a significant player collegiately and nationally.”

Added UNC’s Lorrie Fair, who is now Welsh’s U.S. teammate, “She is a great player and she is going to do some serious record-breaking in the next few years.”

Welsh is not a finished product. Welsh, like all the young players not used to the international game, needs to improve her fitness. She also needs to read the game better and improve her off-the-ball runs. Welsh’s inexperience showed in the second Iceland friendly in April, when Iceland’s bunker defense left little room for her to maneuver, and she appeared frustrated in the 0-0 tie.

Heinrichs wants her to take advantage of her size, to improve her heading and hold the ball more with her back to pressure so she can pass to dangerous teammates such as Mia Hamm and Tiffeny Milbrett.

COMPETITION UP FRONT. It’s too soon to say whether Welsh has a spot on the Olympic team. The 15 remaining USA ’99 players have a good shot at the 18-player roster, meaning there may only be three spots left for everyone else.

Goalkeeper Siri Mullinix has played well under Heinrichs and is a given, either as the backup to Briana Scurry or as the starter. Defender Danielle Slaton has also impressed. Then there’s the battle between Aly Wagner and Nikki Serlenga; one of the central midfielders should go to the Olympics.

Three forwards ù USA ’99 starters Hamm, Parlow and Tiffeny Milbrett ù are locks. Is there room for another? If Heinrichs continues to play a 4-4-2 formation, then Hamm and Milbrett would start. Parlow would come off the bench. Welsh is next best, beating out Susan Bush and Alyssa Ramsey, the other forwards in residency camp. Heinrichs could also drop Welsh and use Kristine Lilly and Shannon MacMillan as backups up top.

“She is competing at the most difficult position to learn,” Heinrichs said of Welsh. “It is not easy to win a position, and win a position as a forward, on this team.”

Welsh won’t speculate on her chances but remains upbeat.

“Things are really good,” she said. “I’ve been doing really well.”

by Soccer America associate editor Dean Caparaz