National team begins new era

By Heather Mitts
Special to ESPN.com

The next Women's World Cup won't take place until 2007 and the next Summer Olympics aren't until 2008, but judging by the roster for the upcoming Algarve Cup in Portugal, the United States Soccer Federation already is thinking about the future.

Ten of the 20 players on the Algarve Cup roster weren't on the 2004 Olympic team, seven are still in college and four have no caps at all on their résumés. Although there are holdovers, USA Soccer clearly is trying to build a core group of players it can stick with down the road and views this tournament as an ideal time to do it.

The Algarve Cup schedule of four games in seven days should give everyone on the team ample playing time. It also should take pressure off some of the younger players -- even if they have a bad game, they'll be given opportunities to correct their mistakes and gain confidence. This experience at the international level will be a boon for them later.

With the team being so young, I'm now considered one of the veterans on the roster at 26 years old. Despite this veteran status, the competition for spots remains intense. It's still a tremendous honor to be invited to represent the national team, and I still consider every game a tryout with something to prove. That's especially true now with so many good, young players coming through the ranks and Greg Ryan taking over for April Heinrichs as the interim head coach.

As for the Algarve tournament itself, many of the powerhouses of women's soccer, such as Germany, Denmark, China and Sweden, will be there. Against that level of competition, Algarve will be a very tough tourney, even more so when you factor in the quick turnaround between games.

The United States will take on Denmark, France and Finland in group play, with Denmark being the strongest of the three. The Danes are particularly dangerous, combining a physical style with technical soundness. They beat us 3-1 during last year's Victory Tour, and we barely squeaked by them in our match before that. France will be dangerous because of Marinette Pichon, hands down one of the best players in the world and one who can change a match all by herself.

These will be good tests and an opportune time for the veterans on the team to gel with all the young players coming in. Heather O'Reilly and Lindsay Tarpley were on the Olympic team, but are still very young and only just beginning to explore their potential. Christie Welsh is another player who will contribute. She's a big, strong forward who has been working on her technical skills in Sweden since missing the Olympic cut. Another youngster to watch is Lori Chalupny, who has been in residency with the U.S. team and no doubt gained a lot of confidence from that experience. Goalie Hope Solo was also a reserve with the Olympic team and is definitely excited to get back in action.

I'm not extremely familiar with all of the new players invited to this camp, but everyone who has been invited should add a different element. With such a young squad, the veteran leadership of Kristine Lilly and Kate Markgraf will be even more important during this rebuilding phase.

The entire team will fly to Portugal on March 1 to begin training and acclimatization. We enter the tournament as defending champions. The goal is obviously to win, but even more important than that will be the experience we gain as a group and the time we have to build a rapport with those new teammates.

Maribel Dominguez

Mexico also will be taking part in the Algarve Cup, but Mexican star Maribel Dominguez is making enough noise away from the national team to put women's soccer on the map in her country.

Dominguez signed a two-year contract with Mexican men's club Celaya back in December but was denied permission by FIFA to compete in the men's league. The snub led to Dominguez signing overseas with Spanish SuperLiga club FC Barcelona.

FIFA's ruling and Dominguez's departure to Spain sparked a debate in her homeland and gave her some notoriety. In some ways, it led to an increased interest in the women's game in Mexico and helped precipitate the announcement that a women's league will be formed in Mexico in time for the 2006 season. That announcement is huge, not only for Mexico but for all of women's soccer, because there are simply not enough opportunities for women to play professionally. Dominguez also is bringing some credibility to the SuperLiga, which is not particularly challenging but is getting a boost from the attention Dominguez has brought.

In Spain, she's being hailed by Barcelona as the best player in the world, and the kudos continued after she scored a hat trick in her debut. Whether she's actually the best is debatable, but she's definitely among the top 10. Although it's unlikely Dominguez's game will develop in Spain (the level of play there is weaker in general), the attention she is bringing to the women's game can only be a good thing.

Would Dominguez have been able to compete with the men? She has plenty of technical ability, but she probably would have found it hard to match up on a physical level. At only 5-feet-4, she lacks the size and strength to compete with men, which made it surprising that she would attempt to join a men's league.

Having said that, she was phenomenal in the WUSA and had a big impact there. When I faced her, I was impressed by her tremendous speed, signature moves and ability to put the ball in the net. She plays with an edge, and -- in the context of the women's game -- has a very physical style. It's a pity Maribel was denied the chance to measure herself against men.

However, I do think there are women out there who potentially could compete with men. I find playing against men a great way to train. At times, I train with the men at Weston Fury, a boys' and girls' club down the street from my house. While I might get pushed around a bit, it forces me to think more quickly and be more decisive with the ball. Men play a faster game, so I can't depend on my speed the way I do against women. Any woman who attempts to make the jump to the men's level would need to be very fast and extremely quick on the ball.

Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie might have broken the gender barrier in golf, but soccer is a different story. Since soccer is a more physical game, it would take a unique player to make the leap from women's soccer to men's. Hopefully the next time someone tries to cross the divide, she won't be denied the opportunity.

Heather Mitts covers women's soccer for ESPN Soccernet.com and is also a member of the U.S. women's national team and former WUSA All-Star.