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Women's soccer team faces injuries

by Sarah Segal on September 2, 2009

In the waning hours before the Taipei Deaflympics begin, the U.S. Women’s Soccer team already has encountered a stumbling block. The final practice for the U.S. Women’s Soccer team, originally scheduled for 8 a.m. today at National Chung Cheng University in Chia-Yi, was canceled due to crucial injuries among a majority of players on the team. The injuries vary from mere bruises to sore ankles and back spasms. The loss of training time as well as the physical well-being of many of the players could have repercussions for the team’s performance during the Games. Head coach Ken McDonald said he has concerns about the team missing practice days due to injuries. “They’re a small squad of players — one gets badly injured, and the rest of the team can fall apart,” he said. “But two days could do [them] good.” Player Megan Johnston, also a 2005 Deaflympian, also is optimistic about the status of the women’s team. The team is 70 percent ready for the Games, she said. “We have the technical ability, and we have the physical ability,” she said. “It’s just a matter of meshing everyone together as a unit.” Johnston said she was relieved that her teammates got some time to recover from their injuries. She said she is optimistic about the status of the team, but has some anxiety about the upcoming games. The games won’t be “a walk in the park,” she said. She also said to “expect close games this time around and not blowouts like in 2005.” In place of practice, the women attended the men’s scrimmage against a local team this afternoon.
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