USWNT News

Only one of these players is having a good hair day.

Not new news, but news to me.

The former captain of the Norway WNT, Olympic Gold Medal and World Cup winner Hege Riise has been named Assistant Coach of the USWNT.

Abby Wambach is back training with the national team. She's featured in the 2nd half of this Studio 90 piece (the 1st half is on Frankie Hedjuk of the men's team.)



And finally, from the USWNT's blog, photos of Heather O'Reilly with Nando, Kaka and Messi. Wow, soccer royalty meets soccer royalty.

Lionel Messi, Age 5

A great dribbler from the beginning:



hat tip to Who Ate All the Pies?

Messi, Messi, Messi, Messi....

Lionel Messi scored a wonder goal last week that must be seen to be believed. He's in my top three young players in the world list (Ronaldo and Kaka being the other two) but Messi is my favorite because he's so little. At Easter, a non-soccer-loving relative asked me if Americans would ever win the World Cup because our best athletes go into other sports. I resisted the snide comeback that the U.S. has already won the World Cup twice as he was clearly asking about the men's team, and told him that soccer is not about size, it's about speed and skill. Some of the greatest soccer players were not very big. The second video below compares Messi's goal to a very similar goal by one of the very best (if not the very best) to ever play the game, Diego Maradona, who I could look down on from my lofty height of 5'4". And Michael Owen (3rd clip) is not so tall either. It's all about speed and skill. Watch and enjoy.

Lionel Messi goal, 4/18/07, Barcelona v. Getafe. The announcer goes wild!

Messi but de fou !!!
Uploaded by mdjw

Lionel Messi goal, 4/18/07, Barcelona v. Getafe

Side-by-side comparison of Messi's goal with Maradona's goal v. England in the 1986 World Cup. Wow.

Comparativa gol de Messi y Maradona
Uploaded by cariacolov

Another great end-to-end goal, Michael Owen for England against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup.

But d'Owen
Uploaded by Ant0ine12