As the 2004 UCLA women’s soccer season approached, Stacy
Lindstrom and Stephanie Kron were faced with a tough call.
Leaving to play for the Under-19 U.S. National team in Thailand
for the FIFA World Championships would mean the players would have
to redshirt and leave behind their beloved UCLA teammates for an
entire season.
“I was really good friends with a lot of the girls that
were going to be playing in their last year and this was going to
be the last opportunity that I had to play with them,”
Lindstrom said.
“In the end, I had four years to play college, but I had
only one to play at the World Championships.”
“When you’ve stayed with a group of girls for so
long, they become a part of your family and it’s extremely
difficult to leave them,” Kron said. “But when
you’re a little kid playing soccer and your dream is to one
day play for your country, it’s a hard opportunity to pass
up.”
So Kron, a sophomore midfielder/forward, and Lindstrom, a junior
midfielder/defender, both decided to fulfill their dream of
competing for the national team on one of the biggest possible
stages. Coach Jill Ellis gave them her blessing and wished them
luck.
It is a decision that the players have come to appreciate as
they return to compete for UCLA this season.
“For me personally, I grew up on this trip, both as a
soccer player and as a person,” Kron said. “Now, I can
bring that knowledge back with me and use it to help my
teammates.”
Being selected for the U-19 World Championship team is not an
easy feat, to say the least.
Kron and Lindstrom are among a pool of close to 60 players from
which the national team chooses to play different tournaments and
games. Selections are made based on performances by players in
camps and competitions, and by which skill sets best suit the
team’s needs.
The World Championships, which debuted in Canada in 2002 and
take place once every two years, have become one of the biggest
competitions in which the U-19 team participates.
Kron and Lindstrom were among 18 players on the U.S. roster for
the World Championships, which took place last November.
“It’s a long process,” Kron said. “They
could have selected anyone to be on the team. It’s a big
competition between anyone in the United States.”
Once Lindstrom and Kron got to Thailand, it didn’t take
long for them to find out what competing for the highest stakes at
the international level was truly all about.
Playing in a new, enthusiastic soccer environment against the
different styles that other countries bring presented the two
Bruins with challenges they had not faced before playing
soccer.
“You step out onto the field and know you’re in an
intense atmosphere,” Kron said. “The fans are crazy and
you get such a rush when you step on the field.
“When you get on the field and say to yourself, “˜I
play for the United States of America,’ it’s just a
different kind of sensation.”
The U.S. team was one of the 12 international teams
participating in the tournament, which organized the teams into
three groups of four teams.
The U.S. players went 3-0 in their group and advanced to the
quarterfinals. They went on to beat Australia 3-0 in the
quarterfinals, but lost 3-1 to Germany in the semifinals.
The team finished in third place by defeating Brazil 3-0 in a
consolation game.
Even though the players had a hectic schedule, they did have a
bit of downtime to enjoy their new surroundings.
The players were staying by the beach during their group play in
Phuket, Thailand and spent a lot of there time hanging out there
after practice.
They also enjoyed shopping at the busy and numerous vendor
markets and enjoyed a memorable speed boat trip to surrounding
islands.
“It was the closest that I’ve ever gotten to
experience another country, and to be able to experience a place
like that was unbelievable,” Kron said.
Lindstrom was particularly impressed with the Thai people and
their ongoing enthusiasm.
“The people were very nice and humble and willing to do
anything to help us,” Lindstrom said. “They loved being
able to host something as big as the World
Championships.”
While Lindstrom and Kron were competing hard for the United
States, their Bruins were also hard at work trying to win a
national title without them.
Lindstrom and Kron returned to the States in time to travel with
the team and watch the Bruins fall just short of a national title
in a heartbreaking loss to Notre Dame.
Watching that game gave the two Bruins extra motivation to make
a strong return this year and help the team win a national
title.
“To see the look in Notre Dame’s eyes when they won
it, it would just mean so much if we won (a title),” Kron
said. “That’s what you strive for when you’re in
college. It means everything.”
The Bruins sorely missed the services of both players last year
and their addition to the 2005 lineup has been welcomed with open
arms.
“It’s been great to have their competitiveness in
practice and their leadership back,” coach Ellis said.
“They’ve played some big games and they can use their
experience to help some of our younger players.”
And while Lindstrom and Kron treasure last year’s
experience, they are in the same boat as many other UCLA students:
unsure of what the future holds for them in soccer or otherwise,
and focused on the present.
“You never know what’s gonna happen,”
Lindstrom said. “I’m just focusing on UCLA soccer right
now and I really don’t know where I’ll be in two
years.”
Kron agrees.
“You have to live one day at a time,” she said.
“If the national team ever comes up again, then it does, but
right now, we’re focused on being the best we can be at
UCLA.”