competitiveness that Ogwumike knows the Sp | Forum
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Jan 24 '19
There are many ways of measuring success - Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou does so by looking to the future, even as he reflects on the past. http:///...by-navy-blue-jersey/ .Tuesday nights World Cup qualifier against Thailand falls three years, nearly to the day, since the former Brisbane and Melbourne Victory A-League coach took charge of Australia for the first time.For those who watched the Socceroos 1-0 win over Costa Rica in Sydney on November 19, 2013, Postecoglous vision was unambiguous from the outset.His unapologetic demand for possession-based, attacking football was the key to Australias competitive 2014 World Cup display and delivered the historic 2015 Asian Cup when the nations playing stocks were purportedly near an all-time low.Without the so-called golden generation the Socceroos progressed to the final phase of Russia 2018 qualifying via seven wins in eight matches.Now, on the brink of making a fourth consecutive World Cup, Postecoglou is satisfied and also driven to continue his evolution.It was hard for me to envisage anything at the time of taking over, knowing the immediacy of the World Cup and Asian Cup within the first 12 months of my tenure, he said.You try and project and hope to be in a certain space by the time we have the opportunity to qualify for the next World Cup.That meant weeding out the ageing old guard, and Postecoglou showed he wasnt afraid to do what his predecessor Holger Osieck didnt by controversially calling time on the international careers of many of those aged 30 and over from Germany 2006.In their place came less-experienced youth carrying long-term promise - all part of a grand plan to add much-needed depth.Were now in that bracket I wanted the bulk of the squad to be in terms of age and relevant caps at international level, Postecoglou said.Because you know if you qualify for a World Cup those kinds of things certainly help to have more of an impact.And in terms of the way were playing ... I think were just about there.The best is certainly yet to come, because a lot of these guys will be key players in the next World Cup cycle as well.Many of those faces are the fruits of a global talent sweep early in Postecoglous incumbency.No future star was missed, including those with dual nationality who could choose which country to play for.In the squad to face Thailand are five who played youth international football for other countries in Brad Smith (England), Apo Giannou (Greece), Milos Degenek (Serbia), Jamie Maclaren (Scotland) and Jackson Irvine (Scotland), while Jimmy Jeggo is also still eligible to play for Austria.Its not about convincing them, Postecoglou said.I think all of them wanted to but sometimes, particularly for guys who leave Australia at a young age and go halfway around the world, if we dont show them a little bit of care and attention they could get lost. http:///...rt-navy-blue-jersey/ . Thats about all he can do right now, so hes trying not to think about when he might be able to play again for the Los Angeles Lakers. http:///...rg-navy-blue-jersey/ . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury. http:///...ll-navy-blue-jersey/ . -- About a third of the way through the regular season, the Washington Wizards are at . There was a moment earlier this season when there was a bit of a strange sound in Nneka Ogwumikes voice when she was asked about the difficulty of facing defending champion Minnesota.Was that a little edge we heard from Ogwumike? She of the perpetually cheerful disposition and easy, bubbling laugh? Yeah, it sounded that way.She wasnt growling or anything like that. But she basically said she was pretty sure the Lynx were focusing on the Lynx, not the Sparks. Thus, the Sparks needed to do the same thing: focus on themselves.Maybe you could call it part of the competitive evolution of Ogwumike, who accomplished a career milestone by being named the WNBAs MVP on Tuesday. She has always been a selfless player, going back to her great career at Stanford, the kind of player who was just concerned with what was best for her team.She has maintained that attitude through her five years as a professional, including some challenging times with the Sparks. Los Angeles has made the playoffs every year since drafting Ogwumike at No. 1 in 2012. But the Sparks have won just one postseason series, 2-0 over San Antonio in her rookie year.Ogwumike has played for three WNBA coaches, if you count executive vice president/general manager Penny Tolers 12-game stint as coach after Carol Ross was fired in July 2014.Ogwumike has had to play out of position at times, especially last year, filling in the gaps depending on the Sparks personnel. She has learned to guard players at different positions, using speed, quickness, leaping ability and those Stanford smarts to try to stop guards, forwards and centers.At 6-foot-2, Ogwumike is what some coaches admiringly call bouncy. Ive compared her to Tigger before, and it seems apt. But there is also an explosiveness to her that seems more refined and effective this year than ever before. Which is saying something, because she has been a very good player from the first time she stepped on a WNBA coourt. http:///...is-navy-blue-jersey/. And then, of course, theres the making a ton of shots thing. That reached a new level for Ogwumike this season.Her field goal percentage in her first four seasons: 53.5, 56.6, 52.0, and 52.5. All very respectable, as her scoring average climbed from 14.0 PPG her rookie season to 16.5 last year.This season, shes shooting a ridiculous 66.5 percent from the field (244-of-367). Her efficiency as a scorer leads the WNBA. Its at a historical level, and it was a key factor in her winning the MVP award. She also averaged career highs in scoring (19.7), rebounding (9.1), assists (3.1) and blocked shots (1.2).Statistically, Ogwumikes numbers made a very compelling case for MVP. But you can also point to things like the praise-filled note Los Angeles coach Brian Agler sent out to media members urging them to strongly consider Ogwumike because of everything she does, even when its hard to measure statistically.Sometimes on teams, the glue player is someone whos never going to be an MVP or win any other league honor. But shes the best at keeping everyone light when thats needed, making sure there are no gaps in communication between the players or coaches, and generally taking responsibility even for things that arent her fault.Ogwumike has always done that, and then add to it just that little bit of edge that seemed noticeable -- barely, but there -- this season. It has nothing to do with arrogance or irritation; its about honing a kind of fierce competitiveness that Ogwumike knows the Sparks will need to make a title run.Ogwumike is someone that all the Sparks know they can count on. Her impressive stats were the hard data needed to earn the MVP honor. But the winning personality she brings to the Sparks just adds a layer of evidence that this was an honor she definitely earned. Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Hockey Jerseys China Nike Baseball Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys China Cheap Football Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys Canada Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys Canada Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic Canada Stitched Soccer Jerseys Canada Cheap Jerseys Canada NFL ' ' '
