U.S. Team Gets Buehlered
Rookie Rachel Buehler has developed a reputation for on the field toughness in her short time with the full U.S. Women's National Team and Leslie Osborne has the black eye to prove it. During the February training camp, Buehler and Osborne went up for a loose ball and Osborne came down with a massive knot on her head and a black eye. She had been officially "buehlered", the team's affectionate term for a really hard tackle, compliments of Rachel Buehler.
Buehler, who according to reports couldn't be nicer off the field (she gave Osborne a box of chocolates to make up for the black eye), is a veteran of U.S. Youth National Teams. She was on the team that won the inaugural FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship in 2002 and has competed with the U-16, U-17, and U-21 teams.
Having come up through the ranks of the youth system, Buehler has had her eye on the senior team for a while. She has popped in and out of camps since 2006, but did not earn her first cap until the 2008 Algarve Cup. She played a full 90 in the opening game against China and has been a fixture in training camp and on rosters all year.
"I've been dreaming about this forever," said Buehler after the match. "After playing on all the youth teams, playing on the National Team became even more of a dream and now it was finally a reality. I played in a real game against a real international opponent, and it was awesome. I feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity and it was really, really fun."
Buehler admitted to being slightly nervous as she approached her first appearance but it only took a few hard tackles to help her settle down and enjoy the moment.
Playing for the full team isn't Buehler's only dream, so while her teammates were off enjoying crepes and all the Algarve region had to offer, Buehler spent her free time studying. She is a recent graduate of Stanford University but is taking a couple of extra courses to fulfill the requirements for pre-med and is studying for the MCAT exam. Buehler, an Academic All-American, hopes to attend medical school and become a doctor like her father, who is a heart surgeon. (Hmmm, Stanford, medical school. Does that remind anyone else of a former USWNT player?)
The big question for Buehler is when she would go to medical school. Soccer comes first and if she is successful in her campaign to make the Olympic team and beyond, it could be a while before she has time to take up the challenge.
Regarding the Olympics, Buehler would not make a prediction as to whether she will find herself in Beijing competing for a gold medal this summer. She realizes she is surrounded by amazing players and is working hard, taking the days as they come, and having a blast.
It is interesting to note in light of the ACL theme of this issue that Buehler is a two-time member of the ACL club. Her first ACL injury occurred in the championship game of the U-19 World Championship and the second to her other knee two weeks after she returned to the field from the first injury.