Becky Sauerbrunn is the quiet force behind the U.S. national team
You don't want Becky Sauerbrunn to do anything different from what she has been doing all year at center back for the United States women's national team.
Sauerbrunn is a quietly thrilling blend of cerebral and skill. She has a deliberate and decisive manner of fielding the ball with her foot or head, surveying the entire field in a kind of seamless playmaking flow that only a defender with that perfect blend can do.
You don't want Sauerbrunn to change a thing, except, maybe, accept that she is one of the biggest reasons why the U.S. women are heading into the 2015 Women's World Cup with the form that could carry them to their first title since 1999.
"Every single detail and nuance, we've gone over it and over and gone over clips and we've been coached and having all the goalkeepers behind us talking to us, and to have all the games (before the 5-1 win over Mexico) be shutouts, we just want to carry that with us into the World Cup," she said.
But what makes Sauerbrunn brilliant may, in fact, be the same endearing character trait that keeps her genuinely humble and reticent to accept that she is, as her teammates call her, "bad ass." No wonder she has worn the captain's armband three times for the U.S. national team.
A University of Virginia English major with an undying love for science fiction and fantasy literature, the phrase "bad ass" seems to make the 29-year-old St. Louis native smile sheepishly.
"I've always been very hard on myself and I never want to get to a point where I'm like 'Alright, I'm kicking butt,' but I know I need to be confident because I think that will take my game to the next level. I need to know I'm doing OK out there, I'm doing some good stuff," Sauerbrunn said.
Sauerbrunn may be a hidden gem, but she isn't underrated. Out of the entire U.S. team, Sauerbrunn is the only player to start all games and play every minute this year. That's nine starts, nine finishes and 789 total minutes.
"She's the silent assassin," said U.S. coach Jill Ellis, adding that it's impossible to overstate Sauerbrunn's value to the team. "She's solid. She's steady. She's a great blend of smart defender with tactical acumen and all that has made her a mainstay for us ... I think at this point she is one of the best center backs in the world."
Hope Solo agrees. "One on one, no one beats her," Solo said. "She will be not be beaten."
So how come Sauerbrunn isn't at the center of the media spotlight?
"The defenders never get the love from the media but she really is such a valuable piece to this team. This year, for example, she's played beside three different players .. but she just takes it in stride," Ellis said.
For all her shyness, success is nothing new to 5-foot-7 Sauerbrunn. She is a two-time Parade All-American and a 3-time All-America player at the University of Virginia. She made her first U.S. national team appearance in 2008 and logged 1,757 minutes in 20 starts and was a big part of the U.S. World Cup qualifying effort.
"On the ball, she's one of the most confident defenders I've ever played with. She's smart, she's tactical and she's technical. She goes in hard for tackles; she's just fun to play behind," Solo said.
Sauerbrunn has twice won the National Women's Soccer League defender of the year honors (2013 and 2104) for her work with FC Kansas City, which won the league title in 2014.
For the U.S. national team, Sauerbrunn has been the key reason why the U.S. defense has so seamlessly transitioned from being led by veteran defender Christie Rampone, who has been largely out of action all year with injuries. By the time the U.S. won their record 10th Algarve Cup title in March, Sauerbrunn was the anchor in a back line featuring Ali Kreiger and Meghan Klingenberg on the wings and Julie Johnston blooming into form in the middle.
Despite the rave reviews, Ellis has one request. She wants her to become more vocal.
"I'd love her to be louder, even. I think she makes such good decisions that I want to give her the authority and confidence to really control that line. I'm always encouraging her to use her voice and I think she has grown into that role," Ellis said.
Indeed, for a player who has the utmost trust and respect of her coach and goalkeeper and teammates, Sauerbrunn is trying to give herself permission to be a leader.
"That's something that Jill's asked me to develop and I feel like I've made strides, but I think like there's still limitless possibilities as far as communication goes in terms of organization and leadership," Sauerbrunn said.
Sauerbrunn is a very interesting player for the U.S. -- a perfect complement to all the bigger egos and bigger stars on the squad.
"I guess I've always been -- when it comes to this team -- I've always been trying to get playing time, trying to establish myself, so then to know that you've settled a little bit, and to bring that next level to the game, which is like the vocal-ness, the talking about organization, that's just me now trying to step out of my comfort zone and be like 'I'm here and I need to make the most of this in organizing the people around me,'" Sauerbrunn said.
Sauerbrunn's potential with the U.S. team was apparent from her first big start back in 2011, during the Women's World Cup in Germany, when the U.S. was in a pressure-cooker bid to win. In between the surreal quarterfinals comeback win over Brazil and losing the final against Japan, Sauerbrunn started and played 90 stupendous minutes in the U.S. win over France.
"Rachel Buehler (Van Hollebeke) got a red card in the quarterfinals against Brazil and I honestly didn't think I was going to play. I kind of thought they were going to finagle the back line so that maybe an outside back would become center back or something, but (former U.S. coach) Pia (Sundhage) gave me a heads up before the game and said 'Hey, you're starting in the semifinal of the World Cup,'" Sauerbrunn said.
"I hadn't played leading up to the World Cup so it had been like a month since I'd been in a game, let alone a semifinal of a World Cup. Luckily the girls were so supportive and I got a bunch of letters before the game wishing me good luck and saying that I was bad ass to pump my confidence up and everything went well and we made it to the final," Sauerbrunn said.
Four years later, Sauerbrunn is the center of the U.S. defense -- and her goalkeeper and coach want her to take the lead. Solo said it has been a process to learn how Sauerbrunn executes at center back but sees her as a key player for the team.
"Luckily, Hope's voice carries a very long way so she can really organize a lot. But it really is upon us as the center backs to organize everything in front of us. Luckily, Hope is great and all the goalkeepers are great but we really need to take some of that organizing upon ourselves, too, especially in such loud stadiums. We've got to start taking over," Sauerbrunn said.
For fans of the U.S. team, a lot of eyes settle on Carli Lloyd for her end-to-end runs, or Megan Rapinoe for her creativity and all-out playmaking, or what Wambach is doing up front or whether Johnston will knock down another goal on a set piece.
But for anyone who wants to see where so much of what the U.S. game is controlled and who is at the heart of all that .. her name is Becky Sauerbrunn. She's the English major with a love of science fiction and fantasy fiction -- a nerdy proclivity that may help explain why all that's going on inside her head may not translate into animal defender tactics.
Indeed, Sauerbrunn can read, whether it's a book or a defense. It's time for everyone to make a study of this amazing U.S. center back.
