Jenna Pel of All White Kit: An Interview With Becky Sauerbrunn

This interview is courtesy of Jenna Pel.
Jenna covers Women's soccer & WPS and runs the site http://www.allwhitekit.com/

The Washington Freedom defender will help hold down the back line of Marta’s XI in tonight’s All-Star Game. She discusses what makes Marta’s XI unique, why the Freedom concede late sometimes and why she looks forward to playing alongside Marta.

AWK: Do you know if Albertin’s playing with a 3 back system?

BS: It was picked so that teams could play in a 3-5-2 but our team somehow has more defenders than the other team.
AWK: I saw a lot of defenders making over-lapping runs and helping out in the attack.

BS: Yeah, I think some of are going to be midfielders too which would be really interesting.
AWK: What’s the main difference between Montoya’s style to [Freedom Coach] Jim Gabarra’s?

BS: It’s hard right now because this was kind of a fun, ‘get to know you’ practice but we actually did a lot of similar things. Small-sided possession, small-sided games, crossing, finishing, that kind of stuff. Technical stuff with just a little variation from what Jim does but not a huge difference at all.
AWK: So how has your team gelled so far?

BS: We definitely have more international players on our team so that’s going to make it a little more fun because everyone’s a little different and has their own style of soccer so it should be very entertaining.

AWK: Ok, so please don’t be offended by this question, but what the hell happened this past weekend against Philadelphia?

BS: As was seen in the Chicago game a week before, we get a lead in the first half and then we just can’t protect it. So there’s need be a mentality change or just some kind of shift in how we’re playing or what we’re thinking in the second half.
AWK: Is it fitness-related because I know the goals from Philadelphia came pretty late in the game?

BS: I don’t think it’s a fitness thing because our team is quite fit right now but I think we kind of wore ourselves thin in the first so we were kind of struggling in the second. But we’re definitely fit enough to play the full 90 plus some time. I just think it needs to be a mentality shift right now.
AWK: Your back four has improved dramatically from last year. You guys have been pretty rock solid up to this point. So what’s been the biggest catalyst for that change?

BS: I think we did a lot of work in the off-season watching European games and I think we studied a lot as a back line. And I think we learned a lot from what happened in the back line. We’re a little quicker to react to things that we didn’t react to last year.
AWK: And [Freedom goalkeeper] Erin McLeod has also seemed to improve a lot too.

BS: Yeah, Erin makes game saving saves all the time.
AWK: I think one of the biggest reasons for Washington’s success so far is having two holding midfielders Allie Long and Sarah Huffman. Do you think that tactical difference from last year has helped you? Especially because Huffman is practically a new player.

BS: I absolutely think so. When Allie gets stuck in she usually comes out with the ball. And then Huffy is always busy, always running, she’s got a great engine so she’s always closing down spaces. And that helps unbelievably with our back line because they’re always putting pressure on the ball so we don’t have to worry as much about them chipping balls over the backline. I think that’s been one of the major differences in not conceding as many goals as we did last year.
AWK: They really gives you six defenders, plus McLeod and I think that makes a huge difference.

BS: And even with [Homare] Sawa and Sonia [Bompastor] and Bev [Goebel] who was really come through a lot. They’re all very good at tackling and pressuring the ball so I think it’s just been a whole mentality shift that we just need to continue into the second half of games.
AWK: What do you look forward to the most from this whole experience?

BS: I’m just having fun playing with players I’ve never gotten to play with before. I’ve never gotten to play with Marta. I’m just looking forward to playing with her and not chasing after her.