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The next big thing Roberts seeks national team recall via WUSA's Courage
By Dean Caparaz, Soccer America Former teenage phenom Tiffany Roberts was a defensive stalwart with the U.S. national team, but the 23-year-old will have an expanded role with the Carolina Courage. Tiffany Roberts was the next big thing. In the early 1990s, as a member of the Tri-Valley Stars and other clubs in the Northern California city of San Ramon, the teen-age Roberts was an athletic player with blazing speed and a bright future. She soon caught the eye of then-U.S. coach Anson Dorrance. In 1994, Dorrance, who would later recruit her to play for him at North Carolina, made the 16-year-old prodigy the starting right-sided midfielder for the United States. Dorrance and later Tony DiCicco made the versatile Roberts, who was primarily a forward as a youth, a tough man-marker who could shut down dangerous players in midfield or in the back. Fast forward to the present. A World Cup victory and an Olympic gold medal later, Roberts is no longer a regular for the national team. After a career that spanned five years and included 80 caps and six goals, she did not get the call to play in the Sydney Olympics. She hopes that a good showing in the WUSA, playing for the Carolina Courage, will revive her international career. "How could anyone not want to play for their country?" Roberts said. "I'll definitely work as hard as I can to be on that team." Unlike many of her long-time U.S. teammates, who are on the downsides of their careers, Roberts has plenty of playing time ahead of her. While she is one of the most experienced players on the Courage roster, Roberts doesn't turn 24 until May 5. OLD STOMPING GROUNDS. She loves playing in the Tar Heel State, though she misses her boyfriend, the Miami Fusion's Tim Sahaydak. The Carolina franchise was originally supposed to play in Orlando but relocated to the Triangle area, where she played her college ball. "I wanted to be in Orlando for personal reasons," she said. "But I still have a lot of support in North Carolina." Carolina coach Marcia McDermott says Fetzer Field fans will see an improved Roberts. "She has a true desire to get better and better," McDermott said. "She takes it personally the quality of the game she plays each time. Through our seven exhibition games, we had ups and downs as a team. But she's had a consistent approach to the game and been productive in them all." Roberts will spend most of her time in midfield, either on the left side or in the middle, next to playmaker Hege Riise. That would be an ironic pairing. Back in the semifinal round of the 1996 Olympics, DiCicco started Roberts with the sole purpose of shutting down the Norwegian star. Roberts did, and the United States advanced to the gold-medal game. Carolina hopes Roberts can help bring that type of success to the Courage. "She's had all this world-class experience," McDermott said. "We're counting on her to be an important part of this franchise for a long time." Dean Caparaz is an associate editor at Soccer America magazine.
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