Auriemma can relate to criticism thrown at US soccer team
STORRS — On paper, it shaped up as a monumental mismatch: A record threetime World Cup champion, ranked No. 1 in the world, against a second-time qualifier.
That’s ultimately how it played out, with the United States throttling Thailand 13-0. The victory was the most lopsided in the history of the World Cup — men’s or women’s — eliciting criticism that the Americans had run up the score. Some questioned their sportsmanship, claiming their celebrations were a bit over the top.
Watching it all unfold from afar last Tuesday, Geno Auriemma felt as though he could relate.
“Getting criticized for being too good, I’ve heard that before,” the UConn women’s basketball coach quipped Monday from his office at the Werth Center. “They’re too good, they win too much.”
Auriemma, an 11-time national champion, has heard it all during his 34 seasons in Storrs. It’s the territory that comes with being at the pinnacle of your profession year after year.
As UConn rolled to its fourth straight title in 2016, some questioned whether the program’s dominance was bad for the sport. The Huskies were too good for their own good, they argued.
Of course, Auriemma has a rebuttal for that theory.
“Use somebody like Tiger (Woods) back in the 2000 era. He’s bad for golf because he wins all the time. Well, not if you ask the other players, who became multi-millionaires because the purse went from $600,000 to $2 million,” Auriemma said. “Let me see where all your salaries were for women’s basketball coaches before Pat (Summitt) was getting paid, what I’m getting paid. Let me see where all your salaries were back then.
“There has to be someone who sets a precedent.”
Auriemma took heat for a 140-52 beatdown of No. 16 seed St. Francis in the NCAA Tournament in 2018. The Huskies set records for most points in a quarter (55), half (94) and game, prompting the Hall of Fame coach to be labeled a “bully.”
After the U.S.’s rout of Thailand, Auriemma’s name was jokingly thrown around on Twitter: “I was not told that Geno Auriemma had taken over as coach of the US women’s World Cup team,” Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe wrote.
Seven different players scored for the U.S., led by five goals for Alex Morgan. Carli Lloyd registered her goal in the 92nd minute,
heightening the debate about the team’s unwillingness to ease off the throttle late.
Auriemma said he understood the uproar, but didn’t have a problem with the team’s aggressiveness.
“I’ve always said, what’s more disrespectful in terms of the goals part? Holding the ball and not playing, like we’re not going to play, we’re just going to play catch back and forth?,” Auriemma asked rhetorically. “You’re not going to get to touch the ball. All right, so the final is going to be 8-0, 7-0. Or do we keep playing, and you get a chance to play defense and go get the ball and go down
the other end?
“People are always saying there’s too many teams in the NCAA Tournament. You get those blowouts in the first round. Maybe there’s too many teams in the World Cup.”
What about too many celebrations? Not as far as Auriemma is concerned.
“If you just scored your first goal ever, you’re a 22year-old and you’re playing your first World Cup, (darn), that’s pretty exciting. I don’t care if the score is 20-0. It might be the only goal of your career in the World Cup. Get over it,” he said. “I think if the kids from Thailand would’ve come out and said that was disrespectful, they embarrassed us, they did this and they did that, I don’t think one person said a thing — not their coach, not their players, no one.
“So, move on. Next day.”
Marking the calendar: The American Athletic Conference on Tuesday released its breakdown of opponents for the 2019-20 season.
UConn will play UCF, Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis and USF both home and away. The Huskies will also host Tulane, Tulsa and Wichita State, and will visit ECU, SMU and Temple.
The Huskies are 120-0 all-time in AAC play and have won six straight championships. This year’s conference tournament will again be held at Mohegan Sun, from March 6-9.