who coached the US Women to their World Cup victory in 1999, in the heat of the LA Coliseum defeating a strong China team. Only 68, the cause was cancer, born and died in and around Wethersfield, CT.
Jere Longman did a terrific job capturing DiCicco, that WC cycle, and the girls on that team, Hamm, Foudy, Chastain, in his
The Girls of Summer
DiCicco was such a positive force, and that team would jump through fire for him, and that day on the field in the sunken Coliseum was pretty close. Longman's book is terrific, but then again I'm a guy with a daughter who really got into youth soccer and played for ~ 13 years.
Did you watch, or remembering reportage?
My daughter was still 2-3 years away from joining youth/rec soccer and 5 years away from being a serious participant in travel and later HS programs, so I was barely, IF at all, aware of the match that afternoon. But Jere Longman's book, which I read in part for the joy and in part to help me become a better coach (for the three years I did that, which led to soccer officiating, now a main joy of my life, at age 70, yikes!), really was effective in bringing that game to life.
For you two who witnessed it live, it must have been one hell of an afternoon.
I'll see if our Cable provider has it in the HBO titles. Does it have a title that is not self evident in a search? tnks
CFSyndrome, yes, remembering this as you mention the name, many mornings, and before/after practices, she could barely drag herself to breakfast or to the field. It was alarming and puzzling at the same time, hard to know what to make of it. But DiCicco and Karen __, his ass't coach, and the trainers handled it about as well as could have been done.
Agree. Didn't know him as well as you, but I met him a number of times over the years. Was ahead of his time and a good guy. 68 ... way too young.