Should Briana Scurry think about calling it quits?

That is an incredible blog post!!! Excellent text! and I have to agree with every single word. It's very hard for players to recognize that they cannot perfome at the same level they used to anymore and retire. I hope Briana finishes this season well but realizes that it's time to move on! Good job Alondra!!!

i think she should have retired after the WC, but i suppose that when the opportunity for the WPS came up, she couldnt turn it down. she was a fantastic keeper in her day, but like you said, she is not up to it anymore. her distribution is poor, and her quality in catching crosses and shot stopping has dropped dramatically.

keepers have the most longevity of any position, but that doesnt mean you have to keep going when you are past it. it goes for any player though. if you arent consistently performing at a high level, then there are problems.

ps-did i say that about mcleod? haha

I have to say that this blog was very well written. I am impressed!

With regard to the subject: Most athletes are not like a fine wine, they do not better with age... Most pro-athletics are for the young, and rightly so! They keep the speed, agility and the excitement at levels that we old folks could rarely maintain. They push the game forward and if the team dynamics are there will keep attendance where it should be!

I agree that some athletes, like Scurry have a more difficult time saying goodbye... Whether it is the fear of the unknown or the limelight is too warm to walk away from - it does not matter. At some point the choice should be made for her/them. At some point the greater good is more important.

With all of that said, I can understand why some of these women have been given one more opportunity to play on a pro team. The truth is, they earned it. They paved the way, earned the respect and they should get a new jersey just one more time..... And then they should evaluate their performance and out of respect for the game, themselves and their team, should find a frame store and have their jersey pinned to a backboard and framed to show their grandchildren.

With the utmost respect, they should allow for the new generation to do what they had once done, push the game forward rather than playing in the past.

People need to get off Scurry's back. Lilly is still playing at both national and club levels, not a word abotu her. Chaistain and Milbrett came back at club levels, silence. Why is there such controversy about Scurry? Because of Hope Solo, there would be no controversy if Scurry hadn't of been chosen over Solo in that ONE game for the national team. Scurry is the only one who can decide and she is the only one who should. Get over yourselves if you think she has made a fool of her self. That sort of comment is childish and is disrespectful to Scurry, who had a HUGE part in making womans soccer what it is today. I am nnot saying she is at the top of her game, none of the original 91ers are. But leave her alone, she has done a lot for the sport and doesn't need people on her case while she is still out there living the dream.

i'm at the top of the list of those wishing erin mcleod gets her visa issues worked out. she played at penn state all through college and is only from canada--i'm so confused what the problem is. i love briana scurry and appreciate what she's done for the game, but the game's moved past her at this point. i'd hate for people to remember her career like this.

With progress in the women's game comes improvement in the ability and intelligence of the strikers, and, subsequently, keepers must adjust: they need to adapt to the skill level they're expected to play at, alter and tweak their techniques to fit the bill. It's a difficult thing to do as a goalkeeper: one's entire mentality must be altered, techniques used five or ten or fifteen tears ago have either been drastically modified or have become obsolete. It's difficult to change one's mindset after so many years of playing a certain way.

What's perhaps more difficult is letting go of something that's been such a momentous part of your life for upwards of a decade. Retiring yourself from the love of your life must be nothing short of impossible.

Scurry's no longer the standard for international goalkeepers, she's had trouble raising the level of her game to match the wave of new talent pouring in from around the world (in Lilly's defense, Emily, she has been as fit and impressive as she was in her prime, and is without a doubt a help and not a hindrance to her teams on the pitch). I am a full supporter of 1999 and 2004 Scurry, but she's now become the outdated model. Adjusting to this new level of play in the women's game is difficult for her, and, as inspirational as she was in her prime, she needs to let go and remember her career fondly before things get sour.

I agree with this blog. Scurry used to be the best, but that was 10 years ago, for Heaven's sake. She was schooled on goalkeeping by Karina LeBlanc and Caroline Jonnson, and will no doubt get her butt kicked again.
When she was picked to play ahead of Hope Solo against Brazil in the '07 WC, I think the blood drained from many Americans faces, mine included. Greg Ryan was all about her winning against them before the tournament in China, which she did, BUT it wasn't a full-strength Brazil. No Marta, Cristiane or Daniela. So truly, no threats against her in the pipes. Hope Solo stopped all three of them cold at the Olympics, so Greg Ryan was right to be fired by US Soccer. His arrogance lost the World Cup for the USA, and Pia Sundhage's ability to choose a good squad without losing sleep over hurting someone's feelings won the Gold. Pia is going to make the right decisions, she's already proved it, and because of her leadership(and it doesn't hurt that we have a huge crop of young talent spread throughout the college and Youth womens programs) the US will dominate in Germany in two years, and bring that WC trophy home where it belongs!! Step one: Calling up Tiffany Weimer and pairing her with A-Rod up top; Step two: get Abby Wambach back to complete health; Step three: get Nicole Barnhardt some playing time during friendlies(she's doing a great job with Gold Pride, so why not?) Step four: beat the other CONCACAF teams into submission this next Gold Cup; Step five: Beat Germany into submission at the World Cup in the final on their own home turf!! We owe them a whipping, just like how we owed Brazil one!!

I would hate to see Scurry end her game like this too. But we have to remember that she hasn't played in many games lately. There is a big difference between playing in practice and playing in games. I would like to see her stick it out this season and see what happens. The team hasn't played together much yet, learning to read your teammates takes time. Once the whole team starts to click and after she plays in a few more games, I hope things start to work better for her. I would be sad to see her career end this way, she has been such an amazing keeper.

"People need to get off Scurry's back. Lilly is still playing at both national and club levels, not a word about her. Chastain and Milbrett came back at club levels, silence. Why is there such controversy about Scurry?"

Because Scurry sucked in the inaugural match. If the first goal were scored correctly, it would be an own goal charged to Briana. Milbrett, on the other hand, already has a game-winning goal to her credit. It's about performance, not age. If Scurry had a clean sheet rather than the worst GAA in the league, no one would be saying a word.

Meanwhile, there have been words about Lilly, particularly with regard to the national team.