Kayla Morrison, Melbourne Victory’s US-born captain, writes for KEEPUP ahead of her national side’s double-header in Australia against the Matildas.
As a little girl, I grew up watching and admiring the USA Women’s National Team.
Posters of Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Abby Wambach hung on my bedroom walls. I knew that if I wanted to be as cool as those women, I would have to put my cleats on and make soccer my life.
Throughout my youth career, I knew that if I wanted to be in the USA’s national development program, I would need to be faster, stronger and more athletic than every other girl on the field. However, if you have ever watched me play, that just isn’t my game.
So after I graduated from the University of Kansas, I decided to head to Australia to see if my style was better suited for another country’s game.
When I arrived, I realized that cleats (aka boots), shagging balls (aka picking up the balls), and practice (aka training) weren’t the only differences between Australia and America. The style of soccer was different too.
America prides itself on making the best athletes in the world. The fastest, strongest girls with an extremely competitive mentality. They will run until they can’t run anymore. Trainings in America always had fitness elements streamlining through every drill.
Australia, on the other hand, takes a more technical and tactical approach. They make footballers who want to create and be playmakers. They want to work the ball through the thirds, not over the top. The trainings involve a lot of tactical drills, with smaller/shorter sprint efforts. There are no concrete facts showing which style is better, or which style will prove superior on any given day.
However, the performances at the 2020 Olympics leave the “which football style is better” topic open for debate. USA wasn’t the usual female football powerhouse we are so used to seeing. While Australia was a dark horse, showing us that the gap is closing quickly.
With footballers like Steph Catley and Ellie Carpenter, who are very technically and tactically sound, while also being very fit, Australia showed that they are bringing more to the table than just technique.
They are catching up, arguably have already caught up to the level of athletes produced in America. This leaves people to wonder whether it’s easier to make technical footballers into better athletes and harder to make extreme athletes into more technical footballers.
Nonetheless, there is a new generation coming for US Women’s football, with more than half of USA’s roster being women who did not take part in the Olympics. This might be the start of the shift for USA, changing from top athletes to top footballers.
With the opening match set to be played on November 27 between the Matildas and USA, you can bet I will be sitting there, eyes glued to the TV, excited to watch two top teams battle it out.
As an American playing and living in Australia for the last four years, my heart will be torn on who to cheer for. But one thing I do know, is that it will inspire all A-League women as we head into our opening round next weekend.
Because being able to represent your country, while playing the game you love, has to be the best feeling in the world and seeing the attention these games will attract will drive anyone with ambitions of playing for the Matildas.
So as I do that one extra sprint, put in that extra time at the gym, and work my ass off to be better than I was yesterday, I can only hope that I will get my chance to experience that feeling.
