Sundhage Named New US Coach

Swedish Star and Chinese Assistant Replaces Greg Ryan

November 13, 2007

By Nick Williams

Former Swedish star and Boston Breakers coach Pia Sundhage was named the new head coach of the United States Women’s National Team Tuesday.

Sundhage, who coached the Breakers and US captain Kristin Lilly in 2003, served as an assistant for China in this year’s World Cup.

The former Swedish National Team standout replaces Greg Ryan, whose three-year tenure as coach ended in controversy when his contract wasn’t renewed after the Americans’ third-place finish in the World Cup.

Ryan led the U.S. women to a 45-1-9 record in his two-plus years at the helm, but his decision to switch goalkeepers before the Americans’ disastrous 4-0 World Cup loss to Brazil may have sealed his fate.

Sundhage comes to the U.S. on a one-year deal that will keep her as coach through the 2008 Olympics in China. What happens after that most likely depends on the United States’ performance in Beijing.

“I like the challenge,” Sundhage said on a conference call Tuesday. “I’m very, very happy and very excited. It is a unique moment for many of us. This is about this team and together I think we can create the environment that brings out the best performance of each other.”

A legendary player and longtime captain in Sweden, Sundhage scored a then-record 71 goals in 146 international games. She played for her country in the 1991 and 1995 World Cups and the 1996 Olympics.

“A few weeks ago, I outlined a process in which we would be selecting our next coach,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. “She fits the two important criteria that I outlined: She had experience in the highest possible level, in this case as a player and a coach, and she has a knowledge of the American game."

Sundhage becomes the sixth head coach in the U.S. team’s history and the second woman after April Heinrichs (‘00-‘05). She is the fourth foreign-born coach in U.S. Women's National Team history, but first non-U.S. resident to take over the program.

“We wanted someone who did have international experience,” Gulati said. “Obviously it’s the first time we’ve had that in the women’s program.”

Sundhage, who according to Gulati will arrive in the United States in roughly 10 days, will take over the team immediately and has already begun working on her staff. Sundhage’s first games as head coach will come in January at the Four Nations Tournament in China. She has already scheduled an impromptu minicamp in December to familiarize herself with the team.

“The first practice, the first game, you start to adjust the game a little bit,” she said. “We’ll work to improve our game, especially our attacking style. The game itself has developed tremendously. If you look at the defending the past few years, it has developed. What that means is more teams, more countries are looking for a gold medal. I think every year it will be harder to win the gold medal. It’s tight.”

Sundhage served as a scout for Sweden during the 1999 and 2003 World Cups and the 2000 Olympics. She coached in the WUSA during all three years of its existence, serving as the top assistant for the Philadelphia Charge during the 2001 and 2002 seasons before taking over as head coach of the Breakers in 2003.

It was in Boston where she was named the WUSA coach of the year, leading a team that had not made the playoffs in its first two seasons to the regular season championship and its first playoff berth.

Sundhage hopes that winning spirit carries over to the highest level of U.S. women’s soccer.

“In order to be successful you need passion, inspiration and a like to be challenged,” Sundhage said. “I know I have a passion for the game, I will inspire the players and the coaching staff and I love the challenge. That’s why I’m here.”

Return from Sundhage Named New US Coach to US National Teams

ADD TO YOUR SOCIAL BOOKMARKS: