The long-running saga of the goalkeeping spot on the U.S. women's national team took its latest turn Tuesday when Briana Scurry was only named as back-up to the Olympic roster, behind Hope Solo and Nicole Barnhart. But Scurry says she'll be going to China anyway, the only one of four alternates doing so, in order to stay in shape and be close at hand should she be needed.
"I'm definitely disappointed," Scurry told Grahame L Jones after being left off the final squad of 18. "I feel I came into this year and worked really hard and was in some of the best shape I've been in. I competed from the first day." Having won 170 caps over the course of 14 years, Scurry has played just once this year, while Solo has been selected 12 times and Barnhart five.
"We were told it would be a clean slate for everybody," she said. "I don't know if that looks like an opportunity to anybody, but it didn't feel like one to me." She did admit that the other goalkeepers were better with their feet, "but that's only one aspect of so many that involve goalkeeping. They [Solo and Barnhart] probably both kick the ball five or 10 yards farther than me, I guess. At the end of the day, in all the major world championships for men and women, it does end up being about shot stopping."
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