Captain Christie leads the way
Germany's Linda Bresonik, left, congratulated teammate Kerstin Gareferekes after Gareferekes scored the opening goal of Germany’s 2-1 victory over Canada.
At 36, Christie Rampone is in a place she’d never imagined: leading a talented U.S. national team from the top end of the generation gap.
“For me, it’s going out to team dinners and seeing the big style difference between what I’m wearing as a mom to what the young kids are wearing these days,” said Rampone, who has two little girls at home and is two years older than any other player on the Americans’ World Cup roster.
“Just getting into skinny jeans and different styles that they’re bringing on. And the music is always interesting for me, since I’m more into the Disney, having-kids music. I try to act like I know what song it is, and I’m like ‘Who sings this?’”
Germany, France win their openersSINSHEIM, Germany » The World Cup started Sunday with two stadiums overflowing with goodwill, color and the cheer of nearly 100,000 fans. There were also four goals. Germany, the two-time defending champion, survived opening-game jitters to beat Canada 2-1 in Berlin and showed it will be the team to beat. France won the opener against Nigeria 1-0 in Sinsheim to leave the continental neighbors in charge of Group A. The United States begins Group C play Tuesday against North Korea. |
More than 14 years after she made her national team debut, Rampone is the bridge between past and present for women’s soccer in the United States, the lone player left from the 1999 World Cup champs who enthralled American fans and energized the sport.
That makes her the only roster member who knows how it feels to win a World Cup title as she leads the current group into this year’s tournament in Germany. The Americans open group play Tuesday against North Korea.
“I would say I never would ever see myself in this situation,” Rampone said. “But I’m here.”
Growing up in a less specialized athletic era, Rampone was a two-sport star. She also was a starting point guard on the basketball team at Monmouth, a small school that’s not exactly a soccer powerhouse.
The defender played in only one game at the 1999 World Cup, but she was able to soak in the lessons from the core of veteran stars on that team — and the atmosphere of packed stadiums rocking through tense games.
Rampone became U.S. captain in 2008. Goalie Hope Solo recalled recently going to her room to talk and have a glass or two of wine. Over the course of the evening, eight other players came in to ask Rampone something.
Solo told her: “I don’t know how you do this.”
“Christie is the best captain I have played for. Ever,” Solo said. “She takes an interest in every player and takes into account what is best for every player. It’s not an easy position to be in. Seems like she’s always fighting for something for us. It can be incredibly exhausting, and she does it with so much grace and patience.”
