Taken from Fair Game US Magazine

This was your fifth World Cup Championship and third World Cup. How did this one compare to the others ?

They've all been very , very different. This one was a little bit more disappointing then the rest because I had high expectations with this team being so young , but yet so put together. I'm just disappointed that we didn't ply better soccer.

You had an excellant tournament personally , but obviously didn't get the result you wanted as a team. Are you able to seperate your personal performance and appreciate it apart from the result ?

Not really. I was happy wiht how I was playing , but obviously not too happy because as a team we weren't playing well. I wasn't helping in that part of it. I must say that I'm proud of the team for finishing in third. It could have been even worse after losing to Brazil , but we overcame and we able to finish up on a positive note.

Did your expierence in 2003 give you any perspective on the Hope Solo situation ?

Obviously , I have expierenced not starting a semi-final game after playing well in the quater finals. I was told during a practice and it's stuff that you just have to deal with as an athlete. It's not guaranteed that you're going to start every game. I definitely had a sense of how Hope was feeling. You're doing everything that you can to get in that starting line-up and it doesn't happen. Of course , you're definitely disappointed and you have all these emotions going through , but at the same time it's something that you have to contain for your team-mates so that they can comtinue on and do well in the next game.

What happened to you in the Norway match ? I know you came back onto the field at half time , but came off immediately before the whistle blew .

Towards the end of the half , I got hit going up for a head ball. I'm not sure exactly if it was Bri or if it was the Norwegian girl that I was mamrking. I didn't see it coming and I lost vision in my right eye and I was kind of numb on my right side. I kept playing because I've never has a concussion before. I just thought I could I play through it. Towards the end of the half the vision was really going. At halftime , I wasn't myself and my vision was getting worse. I was seeing triple. The doc checked me out to see if I was ok. I said , " Just give me five minutes just to see if I can go " So , I went out there in the second half and I couldn't find the ball , I felt like I was underwater , in a bubble. I pulled myself out. I was like " I can't do this. This isn't right or the team "

So they took you to the hosiptal and checked you out. You did have a concussion ?

Yeah. I had a concussion and for some reason my spine was swollen. That's where the numbness was coming from.

You missed he medal ceremony ?

Yes , but at least there was a Rampone out there. They wouldn't let Rylie go up and get the medal but at least a Rampone was on the field.

In spite of the concussion , you played in the first two matches against Mexico. Did you have medical clearance to play ?

Yeah , I got medical clearance to play. I had done some hard workouts coming in to camp. No headaches , but obviously , after you start heading the ball .... I've had some symptoms coming back in my right eye and wasn't feeling myself so that's why I pulled out for the thrid time.

What did you think about Brazil ? Were they that good ?

Brazil was good. Brazil was definitely good. They're talented , organized and they have fun. They enjoyed their World Cup and you could see that. That's why they played so well.

Did you guys enjoy your World Cup ?

I think we had a great residency and all the games leading up. I think this team was ready. I think when we got there , things turned a little bit. I think some nerves played into it and being in a foreign country. We just never clicked. I think a lot of people had great performances and we did well in spurts , but we just never put a 90 minute game together. When you don't put a 90 minute game together , you are making it very , very hard to win.

What were the high points of this World Cup for you ?

The backline playing well together. We trained for so hard for two years to get on the same page. Seeing Rylie's expierence that she had in China. And then I think just the overall expierence with the young players. Even though it may not have been the memorable expierence that we wanted. I think overall , we got closer as a team. Sometimes you have to go through those rough times to get closer. It showed a lot in the three games afterwards. I think everyone now understands what it takes to win a World Cup.

Low points ?

The Brazil game. I think leading up we had spurts of brillance , but there were too many lulls of not doing well and the Brazil game tore us apart. We went down one when Boxxy went out and we lost it.

You said , that you'd like to continue through the Olympics , does that still stand? Did this make you hungary for more and ready to hang them up ?

Yes ! I feel like i had no closure wiht this World Cup. Getting the concussion , being in the hosiptal when they recieved the medals , I didn't get to share that time with them. I feel like there was no closure and it makes me hungary for more. I can't really wait to start in January because I've got a bad taste in my mouth from the finish of the w/c and this team deserves better.

What were some of the joys and challenges of having a two year old during the World Cup ?

It was fun. It was hard at first because I was away from her for the first time for the two weeks we were over there. Seeing her and seeing how happy she was and how she adjusted well was fun. I wanted to prove to her that you can be a mom and still play at the top level. I wanted to make her proud. She's wearing my number in the stands and supporting mom and I wanted to make sure that I could make her proud. It was definitely a highlight , so far , of my life coming out and seeing Rylie and Chris in the stands cheering me on whie I play a game i love.

You're kinf of in the middle of two generations of greta teams. Which do you most identify with ? The 99 -04 squad or this one ?

Hard to say. I grew as a player in 1999 and 2000 and then I was starting to feel more comfortable and get confidence in the middle years. I like my role now as leading and trying to set examples for the young ones. There's part of me in each team , but obviously now , in the present I just feel a special bond with the new team , right now.

Will this team be ready to make a run for the gold in the Olympics ?

I think we're in a good position right now. Coming off the w/c , everyone has expierence now. We can start fresh and start positive in January and just start getting ready for it. I think this team definitely has the talent to win. Now we've just got to put it all together.
There are some really talented players on this team and it's just a matter of bringing it all together; being great teammates , being as fit as you can, doing everything that it takes to win. And , you know , it's not easy. When we've won a gold medal or a World Cup , it hasn't been easy. That's just aprt of it.



How do you think a new coach plays into that ?

I think it will be fine. I think everyones going to come in fit because it's the unknown now. You have to come in and be sharp and be ready because you have a new coach tp prove yourself to. Everyone's got to come in and work together and show the coach what the team is about. You have to prove yourself in the beginning right now. There's not much time.

Is it exciting to think about starting all over again wiht someone new?

I always love , I don't want to say challenge , but I guess it is a challenge in a way. It's a new coach. They don't know me. They may know who I am from watching , but not as far as from a training enviroment. I want to be pushed to the next level. Each coach brings something positive out of a player. It will be awesome to see what he or she brings out in each one of us.

Can you invision yourself playing beyond the Olympics ?

I think so. As long as whoever the coach is still sees that I have something to give to the team. I would love to play. I feel great now.

Your playing your best soccer now ?

And I'm enjoying it. I'm really loving it , so I would love to play as long as the coach allows me and my body can keep up; as long as I'm making an impact and be there for the team.

Life as Captain

Christie Rampone never played a game for a U.S Youth National Team. She didn't play in the Olympics Development Program , and heck , she didn't even go to college on a soccer scholarship.

When invited via fax and mailed airline tickets to her first training camp in 1997 ( she had never spoken to anyone with U.S soccer prior to getting on the plane ) , she had so little concept of what it meant to play for National Team that she brought all her own training gear , and the laundry detergent to wash it. She even brought her own sheets and blankets.

Those who were there will tell you that she didn't say more than a few words the entire camp.

One of the few conversations went like this :

" Where do you go to college ?" , she was asked.

" Monmouth , in New Jersey ", she answered.

" Is that division 3 "?

" Um , no , we're division 1 ".

Today , 10 years and 179 caps later , she is the captain of the U.S Women's National Team.

" I do come from a different soccer background tham almost all of the players ," said Rampone , who was named captain at the beginning of 2008 after Kristine Lilly stepped away due to her pregnancy. " But my goals , passion and love for the game have always been there. To have been able to play for my country , after a decade , getting the privilege of captaining the National Team , I can't imagine something more special on a soccer field. I'm really appreciative of ( U.S head coach ) Pia Sundhage and my teammates for giving me this honor and for believing in the qualities I bring to the team"

" Christie has great experience on this team and has the respect of every player for what she has accomplished and how she conducts herself on and off the field . She is a mother and has a great feel for how to be a leader and a teacher. I think it is a great choice for our team ". said Sundhage after naming her captain.

Rampone's teammates agree.

" She's subtle , but she's powerful at the same time. Even though she's not the loudest player on the team. She's powerful in her effectiveness with her actions and words as a captain. She has so much experience , but her dedication , is always impressive. She is so focused on being the best physically and tactically , she seems to get better every year. That's very admirable coming from my perspective as a young player " said defender Stephaine Cox.

Rampone has played for the USA in three Women's World Cup tournaments and two Olympics. She has always gone about her business with quiet determination , always getting the job done , always one of the USA's most consistent players. Now her role has changed. Instead of being in the background , she's out front. She is the captain.

" I think being known as sort of a quiet person all these years has helped me because I've been able to sit back listen to the best , from Carla Overbeck to Julie Foudy and Kristine Lilly " , she said , tivking off the last three WNT captains. " I've been able to listen and take it all in , understand what playing for the National Team is about and hopefully now , pass on everything I've learned to the current team "

One good thing about this current team is that she knows all the players names. That was not the case at that first training camp in 1997 , which took place at the U.S Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista , California.

During the first practice session , then head coach Tony DiCicco started with a passing drill that involved calling out the name of the player you were passing to.

Uh-oh.



" I had never seen the team play " said Rampone , who was a senior at Monmouth at the time and the starting point guard on the schools basketball team. " The games at the 1996 Olympics weren't on tv and in those days , there had been only a few friendly games broadcast on ESPN. That drill was a quick listen - and -learn game for me. Not only did I have to focus on my passing , but I had to listen to all the other players to see what names that were calling out. I was embarrassed , but at the same time , I didn't want to call out a wrong name. These were the Olympic gold medalists ".

Rampone had gone to Monmouth on a basketball scholarship after scoring a remarkable 2,190 points in high school , but she also excelled on the soccer field as a forward , scoring 79 goals in her college career.

DiCicco had seen her play in a college match , and needing some athletic defenders at the time , decided to see if she could make the switch to the back.

In fact , over her career Rampone has consistently been one of the best athletes on the U.S team. In high school , she had led her basketball , soccer and field hockey teams and conferences in scoring. She has long had one of the best vertical leaps and best 40-yard dash times on the U.S team. She has combined that athleticism with a competitive spirit from years of competition over hundreds of games. Those qualities have helped her become , with Lilly no longer on the roster , the USA's most capped player.

Since her debut on a trip to Australia in 1997 , Rampone has had to re-earn her spot twice , both after periods where her international career could have come to a close. The first came after an ACL injury suffered at the end of the WUSA season in 2002. Then there was her pregnancy in 2005. with her underdog mentality , it's no surprise she bounced back even stronger from both.

It's definitely amazing , when you consider where I started to where I am now. It was a long road and I had to overcome a lot. Playing for a small school , coming back from an ACL injury , from a pregnancy , and playing for four different head coaches , it's been an adventure ". Said Rampone , who is 32.

That journey brought her the captain's band as head coach Pia Sundhage handed it to her before the 2008 Four Nations in China. It's a role she's embraced , as much off the field as on.

I've been enjoying the off the field part. You get to know each player more and have more individual conversations. Being able to help everybody is the part I am loving. Being captain is partly about making sure each player is playing their best so that Pia can evaluate everyone at their best before deciding on the top 18. Obviously , I can't control everyone , nor do I want to , but I want to help everyone get to their highest potential , because that can only help the team as whole. That's one of my main goals this year " said Ramone.

Rampone has taken on the added responsibility despite traveling with her two - year - old daughter Rylie , but she believes that being a mom and being captain have some similarities.

" The main difference between these players and Rylie is that the players listen to me all the time and Ive never had to put any of them into a time out... Well , maybe Natasha Kai . But overall , being a mom has helped me in this role in several ways. Having Rylie around has helped me facilitate interactions with all the players , especially the young ones , but also it helps in understanding time management , being proactive , and handling situations right when they occur. Being a mom has helped me be a leader because sometimes I have to make some difficult decisions or have some tough conversations with players that I know will may be painful at the time , but will benefit them in the end ". said Rampone

There's no doubt her teammates see one of the fittest and most conscientious players on the team and wonder how she does it all with a baby by her side.


" Sometimes they look at me and see someone who gets less sleep than most of the players and is always watching and taking care of a child , but can still go out on the field and be focused for all the training sessions and games. They see if I can do it , they can do it ". said Rampone.

" There have been times where players have said to me , ' I just had a great nap today..ooh sorry ,' because they know I didn't get the chance to take a nap with Rylie running around".

Since January when Sundhage first asked her to be captain , Rampone has settled nicely into the role , with a little help from Lilly , a future soccer mom counseling a current one.

[b]"Everything has been feeling normal. Lil told me , don't change who you are just because you are captain. Obviously I have to do more around the team , but she told me not to change my style. I think that was good advice. I've tried to lead by example on the field and hopefully , I have everyone's respect " said Rampone.

Her teammates have also felt comfortable with the transition, not something that was automatic given the void that losing a legend like Lilly could have left in the squad.

" It's been neat to see the ascension of Christie. I watched her play on tv in the 1999 Women's World Cup and the 2000 Olympics. I've been playing with her consistently since 2003 and see the work she's put it in. She always conducts herself with grace and class , through all the ups and downs she's been through. NOw that she's captain , there's no one that deserves it more " . said Cat Whitehill . who earned her first cap alongside Rampone in 2000.

During the first team meeting at that training camp in 1997 , DiCicco took the team through a video session evaluating the 1996 gold medal match. It was the first time Rampone had seen the game. Now , having experienced 10 Olympics matches as a player , she is focused on helping lead the team to Beijing 2008.

And the only laundry she'll have to do is Rylie's.[/b]

U.S Captain Christie Rampone has surgery to remove her gall bladder

Christie Rampone had surgery May 14th to remove her gall bladder at the little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance , California. The procedure was performed by Dr.Craig Smith.

Rampone , who played the full 90 minutes against Canada on May 10 in the USA's 6-0 victory , should be able to return to training in several weeks.

The laparoscopic surgery is deemed minor , but was necessary as Rampone had been suffering from abdominal pains. The surgery is usually done if the organ is inflamed or obstructed , and the incisions during the procedure are very small.

Rampone returned home two hours after the surgery and began her rehabilitation today ( May 15 ). She should not miss any matches as the USA's next game is in a month on JUne 15 at the Peace Queen Cup in South Korea. Rampone has started all 14 matches the USA has played this year and leads the team in minutes played.

" The surgery went well and I'm feeling great ," said Rampone. " I was in good hands and my recovery is already underway. I'm going to take it slow , so I can be 100% when I get back. If I was going to have my gall bladder out , this is probably a good time "