World Cup Re-Cap with Christie Rampone

This was your fifth World 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 play better soccer.

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

Not really. I was happy with 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 were able to finish up on a positive note.

Did your experience in 2003 give you any perspective on the Hope [Solo] situation?

Obviously, I have experienced not starting a semi-final game after playing well in the quarterfinals. 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 lineup 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 teammates so that they can continue 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 marking. 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 had a concussion before. I just thought I could 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 for the team.”

So they took you to the hospital 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 the 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 third game.

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 experience that she had in China. And then I think just the overall experience with the young players. Even though it may not have been the memorable experience 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 brilliance, 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’ve said, that you’d like to continue through the Olympics, does that still stand? Did this make you hungry for more or ready to hang them up?

Yes! I feel like I had no closure with this World Cup. Getting the concussion, being in the hospital when they received the medals, I didn’t get to share that time with them. I feel like there was no closure and it makes me hungry 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 World Cup and this team deserves to do 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 first 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 while I play a game I love.

You’re kind of in the middle of two generations of great 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 World Cup, everyone has experience 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 brining 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 part of it.

How do you think a new coach plays into that?

I think it will be fine. I think everyone’s 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 to 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 with someone new?

I always love, I don’t want to say a 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 environment. 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 envision 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.

You’re 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. I don’t want to just be there to be there. I want to make an impact and be there for the team.

Are you doing anything exciting during your time off?

I’m going to Lindsay Tarpley’s bachelorette party this weekend. It will be fun to be around the girls, not in a soccer environment, which will be a first for this team. I’m going to visit Tash (Natasha Kai) in Hawaii at the end of the month. We had a good time with her family in China, so a few of us are going; Boxxy and her sister, Chris, Rylie and I. I’m looking forward to going out there to relax and enjoy a little vacation. We’ll be home for Christmas and then start all over again in January. Next year will be crazy, but good.