(02-06-08)
CHICAGO -- University of New Haven assistant soccer coach and graduate student Manya Makoski is one of 37 players currently training with the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
The camp is part of the United States' preparations for the CONCACAF Olympic Women’s Qualifying Tournament, being held April 2-13 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
Makoski, a native of Trumbull, Conn., has served as the Chargers' women's soccer assistant coach for two seasons and is finishing her master's degree in management of sports industries at UNH.
She was a four-year standout and All-PAC-10 performer at Arizona State University from 2002 to 2005. As a player for Trumbull High School, Manya was the 2002 Gatorade Player of the Year, NSCAA/adidas Player of the Year and a Parade All-American.
Manya has continued to play extensively for the U.S. Under-21 National Team in international competitions, including last summer in Germany. She was a member of the U-19 World Cup Team that won the FIFA World Championships in 2002. She also competed in the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame game alongside legends Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy.
After a week of training and evaluation at the Mega-Camp, U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage will release some players and focus on the remainder of the group to pick a 20-player roster for the 2008 Algarve Cup, which will be held from March 5-12 in Portugal.
For the first week, Sundhage will split the 37 players into two groups, a larger one consisting of younger players and the other made up of veterans, who will focus primarily on fitness and strength training with new fitness coach Helena Andersson. On Feb. 9, the remaining players from the first group will come together with the veterans for a week of training before Sundhage chooses the Algarve Cup roster.
Sundhage has already looked at 35 players so far in 2008 and will see an additional 10 for the first time in a camp environment during the first week of training.
For the majority of new call-ups, almost all of whom have extensive experience with the U.S. Youth National Teams, it will be their first camp with the full Women’s National Team.
