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Soccer, more often than not, helps to unite the world. What this Muslim ban is doing is dividing it: separating 'Us' and 'Them' to another degree, adding more division to a country that already struggles with race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
Defenders must be careful yet decisive when taking action.
Becky Sauerbrunn
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Defenders don't really get any sort of notoriety or anything like that.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
Anytime that you're getting games in, you're going to get better.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
I've never been the tallest or the strongest or the fastest. But I'd like to think that I can read the game well enough, that I can position myself well enough, that I can level the playing field when it comes to physical differences. When it comes to height, whoever wants the ball more is going to win it.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
A lot of sport is being comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
Defending is mostly about focus.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
Winning the World Cup is definitely the highlight of my career. I thought the gold medal at the Olympics would peak it, but winning the World Cup, the reception... it's what we all dreamed of when we were little.
Becky Sauerbrunn
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As a defender, how much ground I cover isn't up to me. I'm defending against a forward, so her movement determines my movement.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
Although offensive play is important, it's defending that gets you titles.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
St. Louis has a super-rich history of soccer, so I was very fortunate growing up to have coaches that played.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
The past doesn't matter. Take today.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
I always wanted to write a book. Not a romance novel. Maybe a crime thriller. Something with action. Maybe that will happen some day.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
When I started with the national team, it was made very clear I was going to be the backup to Christie Rampone and Rachel Buehler. So for the first few years, it was just me training my heart out and pushing those centerbacks to be the best they could be.
Becky Sauerbrunn
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The way I play, it's very much more a mental game than a physical game. I'm looking for space and where are players leaving space. Defensively, where are we at numerical disadvantages? Do I shift more to the left because they have more players on their right side? It's about reading the game before the game happens.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
I kind of had to convince myself when I was playing for the Washington Freedom that this was the highest level that I'm going to reach. 'I'm going to be a professional player, and I'm going to try and be the best one I can be, but it's maybe just not in my cards to be an international player. I won't play in a World Cup.' That was hard for me.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
You think about the legacy that you leave behind, and I've been very fortunate to be part of a very successful team, but I think the fight for equal pay and respect is something that goes beyond the field. I think it is very important, something that I'm very willing to take on to help the generations that come behind me.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
I wasn't shuffling from one sport to the next that much. I had downtime to just be a high school student.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
I know that I'm not the fastest or the strongest or the best in the air, so from a very early age, I had to be positionally sound, or I was going to get beat. So you just kind of learn as you grow.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
Anything you train can be improved upon. If you do it over and over again, your body is going to remember these moves and not be surprised in the game.
Becky Sauerbrunn
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I'm impassioned about injury prevention as an athlete.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
It's lucky I haven't been in a bad tackle. I could be prepared, but if my body gets wrenched in the wrong way, I can't help that.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
I always have oatmeal before training or a match. It's easy on the stomach, offers so many vitamins and minerals, and is slow-burning, so it won't leave me hungry at half-time.
Becky Sauerbrunn -
I'm a pessimist.
Becky Sauerbrunn