Young players will challenge for spots on Olympic team both on defense and in the midfield

There are plenty of hungry young players hoping for a spot on April Heinrichs’ 18-player Olympic team.

They’ll have a tough road ahead once the veterans return from their contract dispute with U.S. Soccer. But the current crop of youngsters was impressive at the Australia Cup, especially in tying a strong team like Sweden.

The U.S. forwards created numerous scoring chances, but, except in an 8-1 win over the Czech Republic, they struggled to finish.

“Maybe it was just the lack of experience playing with each other, that we didn’t connect,” North Carolina forward Susan Bush said.

Bush’s recovery from the injuries ù sprained MCL, tendinitis in her knee, a pulled muscle ù that plagued her last fall was notable.

“She’s putting her exceptional attacking talent on display more and more,” said Lauren Gregg, who co-coached the U.S. team in Australia.

The most impressive performances came from the defense and midfield. Coincidentally, that’s where the national team has the most needs. The U.S. defense in particular could use an overhaul. Mistakes in the World Cup were mitigated by a wonderful goalkeeping performance by Briana Scurry and timely scoring.

The midfielders did better than the defenders in the World Cup, but they aren’t getting any younger. By the time the Olympics roll around in September, Akers will be 34 and Julie Foudy and Kristine Lilly, both 13-year veterans, will be 29.

At 17, Aleisha Cramer was the youngest of the U.S. players at the Australia Cup. She and Aly Wagner sparkled in central midfield. In the back, former Portland All-American Michelle French and Danielle Slaton, Wagner’s Santa Clara teammate, stood out.

Here’s a look at these prospects:


Forced to wait at age 4

ALY WAGNER. Wagner is a creative playmaking midfielder, the likes of which the national team has never seen. The 19-year-old is a deft passer and crafty dribbler.

Making the national team as a young player is the logical next step for Wagner. Wagner started playing soccer to emulate her older sister, Samantha, who eventually played college ball at California. Aly wanted to join Sam when she was 4 years old but had to wait another year before she was allowed to play.

College coaches considered her the next great U.S. player before she even graduated from Presentation High School in San Jose. She won youth titles with her Central Valley Mercury club and got close to a college championship in her first season at Santa Clara.

ALEISHA CRAMER. In Australia, Cramer played mainly as the holding midfielder. She grew up as an attacking player but is quickly learning the defensive side of the game, much like Akers had to when she moved from forward to the holding midfield position a few years ago. Also like Akers, Cramer is 5-foot-10.

Of the high school players in the U.S. pool, Cramer, who is rumored to be going to BYU next year, is the best. She is a hard worker who covers more ground than Akers and is a good complement to Wagner.

“Aleisha is gangly, sweet and is an innocent kind of kid,” U.S. head coach April Heinrichs said. “Once she got going, you could see she was a real competitor. She’s different than Aly Wagner. Aly is cut it back against grain, flip it over her shoulder. Aleisha is a workhorse, take it up the field, take it against defenders, do anything to try to win.”


Speed runs in the family

DANIELLE SLATON. Slaton, 19, is the future at left back, a position that Santa Clara assistant coach Brandi Chastain currently holds. Like Chastain, Slaton is a product of the national team’s failure at World Cup ’95, after which the U.S. decided to bring in more technical and faster outside backs who attack. Both are physical man-markers and both cross the ball well. Chastain is a better goalscorer. But Slaton is faster.

Speed runs in Slaton’s family. Her father, Frank, ran track for San Jose State University during that school’s heyday in the late 1960s. Slaton herself was a middle distance runner and grew up admiring Jackie Joyner-Kersee. She eventually gave up track when it left her too tired to play soccer.

Slaton can play anywhere.

“I like to defend,” Slaton said. “If I had the opportunity to play an attacking role in midfield, I’d like that. I just like to play.”

MICHELLE FRENCH. In her senior season at Portland in 1998, the left-footed French moved to left back because Coach Clive Charles needed her there. The 23-year-old, who graduated from Portland in December, has since moved to central defense for the United States and flourished there.

“It’s definitely a challenge I’ve embraced,” French said. “There are so many people here who can play the left back position.”

With Overbeck and Foudy absent, French was named captain of the Australia Cup team.

“She’s so steady, a lot like Carla,” Gregg said. “She gives her team confidence, doesn’t make many mistakes and is a wonderful leader.”

French doesn’t have blazing speed. She may be faster than Overbeck, but she’s no gazelle.

In Australia, speed wasn’t a problem.

“She did everything she needed to do,” Slaton said. “She got forward and got back fast enough, and tracked the players she was supposed to track.”

by Soccer America associate editor Dean Caparaz