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CHICAGO (AP) - U.S. women's football coach Pia Sundhage received a
four-year contract extension through the 2012 Olympics after leading the
Americans to the gold medal at this year's Beijing Games.
"Pia has demonstrated the qualities of a great leader, a great soccer
tactician and she is a winner," U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil
Gulati said in a statement Monday.
Sundhage replaced Greg Ryan last November after the team finished third
at the 2007 World Cup. Ryan made a contentious decision to switch
goalkeepers for the semifinal, which the Americans lost. Sundhage originally
received a one-year contract with a four-year USSF option.
Under Sundhage, the team has gone 33-1-1, including a penalty-kicks
victory over Canada in the final of Olympic qualifying in the North and
Central American and Caribbean region. The U.S. team won its third Olympic
gold medal, defeating Brazil 1-0 in the final on Carli Lloyd's goal in the
sixth minute of overtime.
"We've done so many things in a short amount of time and been successful
so far," Sundhage said. "The reason it is so exciting to continue with this
team is that I can see the potential. Last January, we started talking about
keeping possession and finding the rhythm and I think we've done a pretty
good job so far. But these next steps will be about going into the attacking
third and being even more unpredictable, playing more beautiful soccer and
scoring more goals."
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