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Walsh thriving in US

11 August 2009 | 13:11 - SBS: Matthew Hall

Better player...Matildas star Sarah Walsh says playing in the United States has vastly improved her game. (Action Images)

Faster, fitter, bigger, stronger and after a season in the United States, Matilda midfielder Sarah Walsh is sounding a little like her Socceroos counterparts.


Just like an A-League player who leaves Australia for Europe’s elite leagues, Walsh told The World Game that her inaugural season with Women’s Professional Soccer in the US has made her a better player.

“This league is so intense and until you play in it, you don’t realise it,” Walsh said. “When you play the US national team, they are so athletic and the best in the world rankings. They play at such a high intensity and that filters down into this league.

“Your training sessions are 100 percent, 100 percent of the time. I am fitter for it and, along with the other Aussie girls who are here, it is only going to make us all better.

“I am coming up against the defenders who play for their country, like Christie Rampone who plays for the US, and training with her every single day. When you beat her, you know you deserve it.”

Walsh, 26, plays for St Louis Athletica, one of seven teams that currently take part in the fully professional WPS.

The league boasts a three-year TV deal with 24-hour football network Fox Soccer Channel and has on occasion out-rated Major League Soccer for viewing figures.

Walsh kicked off the season with New Jersey-based Sky Blue FC but a hamstring injury frustrated her progress before a mid-season transfer changed her fortunes.

St Louis Athletica finished the regular season in second place and are now well-placed for the play-offs to make a serious challenge for the title.

“For me, it has been a real roller coaster with the injury and the trade,” Walsh said. “But what I love about this team is that there are no Martas, no Cristianes, there are no big names.

"We have a good level of good players that has got us where we are. We were not expected to get this far and we keep surprising even ourselves. We can definitely win it.”

Walsh is one of five Australians playing in WPS, with fellow Matildas Lisa De Vanna (Washington Freedom), Heather Garriock (Chicago Red Stars), Collette McCallum (Sky Blue) and Lydia Williams (Chicago Red Stars).

It is, Walsh says, a step up from Australia’s W-League to being full-time professional but Australian women’s football still has talent.

“This is my first year playing professionally and you can tell the difference,” Walsh said. “I don’t have to drive to work after training, I don’t get home at 10 at night, my body recovers, I get to rest, I can focus solely on football and my football benefits.

“If we could get a culture like that in Australia, we would all benefit. We are on the way. We know what we need to do but it is so much bigger here in the US, with the calibre of players that we’re playing with and against.

“But in saying that, there are a few teams in the W-League that could compete in this league. Queensland, Sydney, even Canberra, could compete in a league like this.”

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