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New gig for Tony D. Former U.S. women's coach DiCicco works both sides
MELBOURNE -- Tony DiCicco walks a fine line. On the one hand, the former U.S. women's soccer coach still supports his former players, still hopes they'll win championships, still knows that winning the gold medal here would infinitely help the fortunes of WUSA, the pro league that starts next April and which, incidentally, he rules as acting commissioner. On the other hand, DiCicco's credibility as a TV analyst-and a good one, at that-rides on his willingness to criticize when necessary, and to do it without sounding like a grumpy ex-coach. (It's true that he has no love for the U.S. Soccer Federation, whose lack of support helped lead to his resignation last November.) DiCicco, then, is more than just a Harry Reems lookalike. He's the George Stephanopoulos of soccer, straddling both sides of the fence, dishing out the insider's take whenever he can. Thankfully he has plenty of opinions. To wit:
Hamm, the all-time goal-scoring leader in the history of soccer, has never had more than two goals in any of her four major tournaments (World Cups '91, '95 and '99 and the '96 Olympics). "This will be her breakout," DiCicco says of the star forward, who had two goals in her last Olympic tune-up against Brazil last week. "Mia's having a better year than she had last year. She's worked through things just to get comfortable with what she's doing and stop being so hard on herself. You can see her confidence lately in her body language on the field. I like what she's doing."
The Americans have looked exhausted at times recently, the result of playing 33 games so far in 2000. Before DiCicco resigned, he had worked out a much less taxing schedule, in which the United States' "A" team wouldn't have gone to Australia in June, a "B" team would have played in the Gold Cup, and a huge roster of up to 28 players would have made the trip to Germany and Norway in July. In the end, though, the "A" team made all those trips -- and has shown the ill effects in recent draws against Russia and Canada. "You can get burned out," DiCicco says. "There's no question Brazil's men burned out in '98 [at the World Cup]. Nike had them go on a world tour, and they went everywhere -- Miami, Japan, the Middle East. Then in France they were up and down the whole tournament. They'd play a great game, then a mediocre game, another great game, another mediocre game. That's a concern for this team, too."
DiCicco says he and new coach April Heinrichs have never communicated face-to-face about coaching decisions, but when defender Carla Overbeck went down with Grave's Disease and a knee injury, Heinrichs e-mailed him a question: Who do you like as central defenders? DiCicco recommended Kate Sobrero and Joy Fawcett, and the two have been rocks in the defense all year long. Fawcett's move to the center meant that the U.S. needed a new wingback, and Pearce has fit the bill. "Christie has become what I was always hoping she would become," DiCicco says. "All credit to April. Christie has a 29-inch vertical leap, and she's as fast as anyone on the team, but we were always trying to bring the tiger out of her, and now that's finally happening. She has come the farthest of anyone on this team."
By experimenting with several new players against its most bitter rivals, DiCicco believes, and losing twice on its home soil, the U.S. sacrificed its mental advantage over the Norwegians -- a mistake that could have grave effects when the two teams meet here on Thursday. "They're one team that you don't test a new core of players against," DiCicco argues. "You've gotta keep beating them, because you don't want them to think they can beat you, and now they think they can." He's right: After finishing a disappointing fourth in the 1999 Women's World Cup, Norway has gone 3-2-1 against the U.S. this year. That said, DiCicco thinks Heinrichs has done a fine job in her first year with a team that has awfully high expectations -- from the inside and from the outside. "This team has proven it's the best team in the world," DiCicco says. "They've won 10 straight tournaments since the World Cup. But to win at the Olympics they'll need some breaks, and they'll need to stay healthy. I'm excited about their chances." We'll see on Thursday, Tony. This much is true: With the U.S. playing Norway and China in a four-day span, it's going to be an awfully interesting week here in Melbourne. Sports Illustrated staff writer Grant Wahl covers soccer and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. To send all
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