U.S. presence to be large at Women's U-20 Championship.
By Brian Trusdell (CONCACAF.COM).
There will be a lot of "Americans" playing in the CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship.
While the reigning world champion United States will be deep in locally hewn talent looking to earn a second confederation title when play begins on Wednesday, nearly every other country will arrive in Guatemala City with some players that have been developing their game in the USA.
"I think it's something we all give a lot credit as to what's happening in the U.S.," said Leonardo Cuellar, the long-time coach of Mexico's senior women's team who will be an assistant with El Tri in Guatemala. "The structure of the competition, from club to school level, is the best in the world."
Cuellar used 12 U.S.-born players when Mexico competed in the 1999 Women's World Cup, and while Mexico has shifted its reliance on U.S. players to a more supplemental role, other nations have followed his lead in scouting the American school and club system, particularly U.S. colleges, for potential players.
Every country in the CONCACAF championship except Cuba listed on its preliminary 30-woman roster at least some who play in the United States.
"American women are like the Brazilian men. They're in demand," said Tony DiCicco, who coached the U.S. women's senior team to Olympic and World Cup championships as well as the U.S. women's under-20 team to the 2008 World Cup crown. He is now manager of the Boston Breakers in the Women's Professional Soccer league.
"Clearly international coaches are looking for American collegiate players, and younger (ones) in some cases, looking to pick up one, two or more players."
The players can fall into one of several categories. There are those who were born in their native country, moved to the United States at an early age and came through the American youth soccer and school system. Additionally, there are players who were recruited or went to U.S. colleges. And there are others, who were born in the United States, with foreign ancestry.
With both two-time and defending champion Canada and the United States stocked with talent from the American and/or Canadian colleges, the two head their respective first-round groups and are expected again to meet in the final. Three teams will qualify for the U-20 World Cup World Cup in Germany July 13-August 1.
Other than the United States and Canada, Mexico is the only other country to claim a World Cup berth from CONCACAF, and this time challenges generally are believed to come from Costa Rica and Jamaica. With Trinidad and Tobago hiring former Norwegian and Canadian women's coach Even Pellerud to head their women's program, Cuellar also believes the Soca Princesses are a threat.
But the whole region has improved, DiCicco said, and some of that has to do with U.S. women's college soccer - which Cuellar attributes to a U.S. federal law regarding funding of sports known in the United States as Title IX.
Cuellar, who played for the San Diego Sockers and San Jose Earthquakes in the old North American Soccer League and was a women's coach in the U.S. college system at California State-Los Angeles, notes the use of U.S. college players has its drawbacks, too.
While Mexico's team will have six U.S.-based players, including key defender Alina Garciamendez and her Stanford University teammate Teresa Noyola, it will be without five others because of the U.S. academic calendar which will require those players to remain in school.
"Either they didn't do well the previous semester, or they're in their senior year, and they need to complete a class, or they've already used dates and they can't miss any more…," Cuellar said explaining some of the reasons why some players are not always available.
Trinidad also will be without key players because of their classes.
The use of American players by other countries can be a touchy subject, both in the United States and at home. Some believe that countries should use only native-born players and some Americans feel their players are being "poached."
Cuellar says Mexico only uses a player that has taken the initiative to get citizenship. DiCicco and other U.S. officials say their challenge is to educate American players that if they play for another country, the road back into the U.S. system is much narrower.
"The feeling is, we may not have lost a (Giuseppe) Rossi, we haven't lost that level of a player yet, but it's going to happen," DiCicco said, referring to the striker who was born and raised in the New York suburbs but chose instead to play for Italy, the country of his parents. "We should be flattered so many players are asked to come into foreign programs, but we have to be careful of not losing so many top players."
