The Hindu : U.S. women are here to do a job

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 23, 2002

Sport

Sport - Hockey

U.S. women are here to do a job

By Our Sports Reporter

NEW DELHI MAY 22. The U.S. women's hockey coach, Tracey Belbin, said her team was geared up to face the Indian challenge. "We understand that we are here to do a job. The girls expected the weather here to be hotter, but we think it's manageable. Irrespective of the conditions, the Indians will have to play well to beat us,'' she said after the team arrived here early on Wednesday for the three-match World Cup qualifier against India.

The matches will be played at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium here on June 3, 4 and 6, with the winner qualifying for the 10th Women's World Cup to be held in Perth from November 25 to December 8.

The team's early arrival was mainly to help the girls get acclimatised to the conditions here. "We are here for long enough time to get used to the conditions,'' said Tracey after the U.S. team had a two-hour practice session at the venue.

As part of its preparation for the World Cup qualifiers, the U.S. team took part in two tournaments. It finished last in the six-nation tournament in Japan but won the four-match Test series against New Zealand last week.

Led by midfielder Tracy Fuchs, who has played in over 200 international matches, U.S. won two matches, lost one and one match was drawn in New Zealand.

"The New Zealand experience has helped us boost our morale and we hope to do our best here,'' said Belbin, who was part of the Australian team which won Olympic gold in the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988.

The coach said that such a late qualifier would affect the preparations of the team, which qualifies for the World Cup. "Sooner would have been better but it dragged on too much due to variety of reasons,'' she said.

India was to host the Americans in January but following an advice by the U.S. State Department, the team refused to travel to the sub-continent due to heightened security scenario.

Apart from the practice sessions, the team will play two practice matches, against Indian Women's Hockey Federation (IWHF) XI on May 25, and Haryana XI on May 27.

The IWHF had scheduled two more practice matches, against boys' teams, but the U.S. team management declined the offer.

The Indo-U.S. series will be the first competitive tournament at the National Stadium after new polygrass turf was laid in preparation for the Afro-Asian Games.

"The turf is nice and fast. We like it that way,'' was what Belbin had to say of the new turf.

Belbin, who has been with the team since 1999, has had to rebuild the team after the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The team: Kate Barber, Jill Dedman, Jenny Everett, Tracey Fuchs, Kelli Gannon, Katie Kauffman, Robyn Kenney, Tracey Larson, Carrie Lingo, Antoinette Lucas, Kristen McCann, Melanie Meerschwam, Kim Miller, Kelli Smith, Mimi Smith, Peggy Storrar, Carla Tagliente, Amy Tran. Chief coach: Tracey Belbin (Australia).

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