World Cup Corner

The U.S. national team is blessed with an impressive roster of players, and not to mention, its winning forwards. The five promising forwards of the U.S. team is a mixture of sorts. In sum, the team boasts of a role model, a dominant scorer, a versatile forward, a promising reserve, and an aggressive bet.

National team mainstay for the past several years, Kristine Lilly is nowhere near slowing down. Holding an impressive position as the most capped player in the history of both men’s and women’s international football, her long history in the game has led her to a revered position that most players could only hope for. In total, she has made almost 330 appearances for the U.S. national team. She has played starting roles, and as a midfielder, before she finally became a forward after Mia Hamm’s retirement and after Greg Ryan became head coach. The decision to name her as a forward was infallible. She proved to be made for the role. Her track record now boasts of thirteen goals in twenty in 2006, which won her the title as second FIFA Player of the Year. Despite her 36 years of age, Lilly is still in top shape, and is performing better than ever. Ironically, Lilly’s football career in the U.S. national team started in 1987, a year after her young World Cup teammate Stephanie Lopez was born. In July of this year, Lilly has so far scored seven out of ten goals. Her expertise includes direct scoring, free kicks, and penalty kicks. For valid reasons, Lilly has been the captain of every game she has played during the past three years.

Closely following Lilly’s footsteps is dominant scorer Abby Wambach, a physically imposing but surprisingly nimble player with an unrelenting energy and a fearless stride even in the midst of opposing defenders. Most people would agree that she is now the most dominant player in the World Cup lineup. Even her team is aware of this. When a score is needed, they rely on Wambach’s magic. Given her size, smaller opponents can only hope to slow her down. Following her recent goal during the game against Japan, she ascended to the ranks equal to that of Cindy Parlow. She is now the fifth all-time American player with 75 goals in if she will be given the chance to exhibit her expertise at the World Cup tournament in China.

The third forward is Lindsay Tarpley, former star of the University of North Carolina. She is also a finalist for the Hermann trophy. Even if she is not immediately elevated into star status among the national team players, Tarpley is exhibiting an impressive display of energy and skill at the game that she is now considered as an important role player for the team. Her wide range of abilities and expertise allows her to wonderfully complement the bigger stars such as Lilly and Wambach. She is a versatile forward who is known for creating chances for her teammates during the run of the play. At such a young age of 23, Tarpley’s achievement in the world of football is indeed notable. She has proven herself to be reliable in pressured situations, which can be seen in her impressive scoring during the U-19 World Championship game against Brazil in 2002 and the 2004 Olympics. In China, head coach Greg Ryan is expected to use his versatile player to strengthen their chances.

Natasha Kai is yet another gem in the U.S. national team. Despite the intrigues surrounding her entrance into the national team for the World Cup, Kai indeed has the potential needed to add a little spark to the national team. Although she is also critiqued for her occasional defensive lapses, her aggressive moves have indeed scored her six impressive goals within 702 minutes in 2006. Many people are claiming this to be the reason for head coach Ryan’s decision to include her in the team that will advance to the World Cup. It may just be the training and exposure that the young, spirited, and aggressive forward needs.

The last but not the least in the ranks, forward Heather O’Reilly is the youngest player on the World Cup squad who has a double-digit career goal. O’Reilly, with a record that can be likened to Wambach and Lilly’s earlier records, is now gathering experience and exhibiting a striking potential as a player. Although she passed up the chance to play with the national team as it prepared for the Gold Cup, she did successfully lead a relatively young team through a tournament, which gave her the experience she needed to boost her track record. As she now returns to the national team, she is expected to occupy a significant role in the World Cup. As a promising reserve, she holds much potential and, if given the right chances, may just lead the team to victory.

With an impressive roster of forwards, the U.S. national team is undoubtedly ready for a challenging tournament.