The style of play in soccer is a-changin’

By STEPHEN WADE, AP Sports Writer 3 hours, 59 minutes ago

BEIJING (AP)—The U.S. women had become accustomed to straightforward soccer meetings—coach-speak and strategy talk. And then in walked Pia Sundhage for the first get-together with her new team.
The Swede wasn’t sure what to say. So she started singing.
Not just any song, but Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin’.”
“They looked at me like I was coming from another planet,” Sundhage said Friday, recalling that meeting of nine months ago.
“I didn’t know what to say,” Sundhage said hours after Carli Lloyd’s goal in the sixth minute of extra time Thursday night gave the U.S. a 1-0 victory over Brazil and its third Olympic gold medal in women’s soccer. “But I had change in my head. I knew we needed some kind of a change from 2007.”

Kate Markgraf, who played for Sundhage with the Boston Breakers of the short-lived Women’s United Soccer Association—and in Sweden—suspected what was coming.
“That song came out, and everyone’s mouth dropped to the floor,” Markgraf recalled. “Slowly people got used to her. She’s got no fear.”
Winning is nothing new for the American women—who have two World Cup titles and appearances in all four Olympic finals. But Sundhage has dared to tinker with the world’s most successful women’s soccer program.
The American women have been winning for decades with long balls, and kick-and-chase soccer.
But Sundhage, the Mia Hamm of Swedish soccer, had other ideas about the game’s aesthetics. When she replaced Texan Greg Ryan, she began preaching short balls, possession, triangulated passes and rhythm; foreign ideas to some American players.
“It’s been a challenge and a big change for some of us,” Markgraf said. “For me it’s not my nature. I kind of don’t want the ball anywhere near me just because of the risk of losing it.”
The United States is no Brazil; nobody has the ball skills or the game-smarts of the South Americans.
Brazil and striker Marta had most of the possession in

The U.S. managed to direct more play through the midfield with Shannon Boxx and Lloyd. They missed striker Abby Wambach, who broke her leg a month ago, but Angela Hucles filled in, often finding Amy Rodriguez on darting runs for the goal.
“Pia is the most confident person I have ever met in my life,” Solo said. “I think a lot of people try to cover up their insecurities, but you can read right through that a lot of the time. But Pia is always the first person to admit her mistakes.”
Solo was the heroine Thursday night at Beijing Workers’ Stadium.
Almost a year ago—also in China—she was ostracized from the team when she criticized then-coach Ryan openly for benching her in the World Cup semifinal against Brazil, a humiliating 4-0 loss with veteran Briana Scurry in goal. The controversial change probably cost Ryan his job, ended a 51-match unbeaten string, and left Solo off the U.S. team.
“It was hell. I went through hell,” Solo said. “A lot of people did.”
Added captain Christie Rampone: “It seemed like a bad nightmare. I felt like I got run over by a bus and didn’t know how to get up.”
Sundhage came in and never mentioned Solo, the benching or the chaotic loss to Brazil.
“Everything about Pia is contagious—her smile, her laugh, her singing, her guitar playing,” Lloyd said. “She just believes in every single one of us and I never wanted to win so bad for a coach in my entire life. She’s is going to take this team and really change U.S. women’s soccer.”
She already has.