Strength in numbers

U.S. team's bench could be starting for most

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Posted: Tuesday June 29, 1999 11:34 AM

U.S. coach Tony DiCicco knows his team has a lot of depth, but with only three substitutions per game, he can't go through the bench. AP

FOXBORO, Massachusetts (AP) -- Shannon MacMillan and Tisha Venturini were stars for the gold medal-winning U.S. team at the 1996 Olympics. Now they ride the bench.

Sara Whalen, Lorrie Fair and Tiffany Roberts might be good enough to start for any other team in the Women's World Cup. They ride the bench for the United States.

If depth is a contributing factor to which team wins the tournament, the Americans have as a good a chance as anyone. Probably better.

"We're so deep that you will not see a huge drop-off when the veterans need a rest and we come in," said Whalen, in her third season with the national team, which meets Germany in the quarterfinals on Thursday at Landover, Md. "Tony has so much faith in all of us; we have faith in ourselves and in each other.

"We've gone through so much in the last six months together, we have no choice but to trust each other. There's no way we could go through this without trust in our teammates and the trust of the coach. We all have the same goal."

They all want to play in achieving that goal, but realize that's impossible. Limited to three substitutions per game, DiCicco can't go through his entire bench.

Many of the players who sit are youngsters. Of the non-starters, only MacMillan, Venturini, Roberts and goalkeeper Saskia Webber had any notable time on the national team before the 1995 World Cup. And Roberts is only 22.

College record-setter Danielle Fotopoulos has yet to appear in a World Cup game. Christie Pearce, who just turned 24, has seen just 17 minutes of action.

They will comprise the core of the U.S. team for the next World Cup. Meanwhile, they sit and learn.

"You accept whatever role is given to you," said defender Fair, at 20 the youngest player on the squad. "Whether you are a starter or a cheerleader, you want to do the best you can. Everyone, from the players to the coaching staff to the trainers and team doctors, they work their best ...

"If you don't do your job, somebody will let you know. And you don't want to let anyone down, so you do your job."

MacMillan and Venturini did a wonderful job in the 3-0 win over North Korea that clinched Group A for the Americans. While it was usual starters Tiffeny Milbrett and Julie Foudy who came in after halftime and sparked the three-goal spurt, MacMillan (a goal and two assists) and Venturini (two goals) finished off the scoring plays.

MacMillan played in all three first-round games. Venturini made her '99 World Cup debut against the Koreans and didn't do much in the first half. But in the second, the eight-year veteran of the national team was sensational.

"This is the best coaching job in the world," DiCicco said with a smile. "We have a lot of weapons on the U.S. team.

"The way I look at it, we have an opportunity to do something that has never been done before, and that's what is driving this team."

He meant following an Olympics title with a world crown. Even if he has to go deep into his bench to do it.

 

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