‘It’s Cutthroat’: U.S. Women Beat Canada, but Tougher Battle Looms

“It’s emotionally a lot, for each of these players,” she added. “If you’re playing and starting, it’s perfect. If you’re scratching and clawing to get into this roster, or get into the lineup, it’s a grind.”

Wagner and current players described the atmosphere of constant competition as a battle not of player against player, but of player against “their best self.” But yes, Wagner said, there were also hard fouls and kicks in training, and sideways glances in the locker room. Every player does it at some point, she said, and then sets it aside.

“That’s how you navigate this environment,” Wagner said. “If you start to think about you vs. someone else, that is septic. It’s not good for you as a player, and it’s not good for the group.”

Instead, players try to sharpen their focus on things they can control. Midfielder Sam Mewis said Andonovski had worked with her on improving even a single kind of pass each time. Williams has been instructed to “do right now what nobody else can do, and use your speed and be dynamic.”

“So that’s what I’m doing,” she said. “Hopefully he likes it. Hopefully it continues.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/09/sports/soccer/USWNT-canada-olympic-roster.html?emc=rss&partner=rss