Mia Hamm is missing!

‘From the Age of Art Soccer to that of Power Soccer’

FIFA announced the 16 players of the All-Star team which includes the 11 best players and five best substitutes of the 2003 U.S. Women’s World cup selected by the FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) on October 9.

The most striking fact was the omission of Mia Hamm (U.S.) from the list of the 11 best and relegated to a substitute. Shun Wen (Chinese), also widely regarded as one of the best women soccer players along with Hamm failed to even have her name on the candidate list.

On the contrary, Wirguit Printz, a German striker rising as a future soccer star and an expected winner of the Golden Ball award with 7 goals, Silke Rodenwerg, a German goalkeeper showing impregnable defensive skills by allowing only 0.06 goal per game, and Victoria Schwenson, a Swedish player leading the Swedish team to the finals had their names on the list of the 11 best, signaling a change of the generation in women’s soccer.

Germany and Sweden succeed to register five and three players on the list of 11 best, respectively, and Wang Ri-ping, a Chinese defender, was the only Asian player.

The list of the 11 best of the 2003 U.S. Women World Cup suggests that artistic techniques are not in demand any more. Hamm and Shun Wen led women’s soccer for more than 10 years are both less than 1m 63cm and are more finesse-like in their play.

On the contrary, Germany and Sweden passed through to the finals by aggressive soccer with power and speed. The leader is Printz. She has a good physical build of 1m 79cm, 77kg, and doesn’t mind fighting tough. She attracts the public attention and is expected as a leader of new trend women soccer.

It is analyzed that the sinking of Brazil playing technique soccer, China, North Korea and Japan based on delicate passing is an inevitable consequence in this World Cup where the teams with power and speed successfully won. Jeff Blater, the president of FIFA, said, “Women soccer has developed tremendously. Especially, the physical condition of players has improved incomparable to the past.”

Following is the list of All-stars.

Best 11

Goalkeeper=Silke Rodenwerg (Germany), Defender=Wang Ri-ping (China), Joy Fossit (U.S.), Scharman Huper (Canada), Sandra Minert (German)

Mid-fielder=Vetina Wigman (Germany), Marlin Mustrom (Sweden), Shannon Box (U.S.), Marren Meinert (Germany)

Forward=Wirgit Printz (Germany), Victoria Schwenson (Sweden)

Substitute (5)

Goalkeeper=Carolin Yenson (Sweden)

Defender=Solweig Gulbrandschen (Norway), Marta (Brazil)

Forward=Mia Ham (U.S.), Dagni Megren (Norway)

Sang-Ho Kim hyangsan@donga.com