USWNT Opens Olympic Qualifying With Heavy Hearts, Renewed Focus

Kobe Bryant's tragic death struck a chord in U.S. women's national team camp, with players sharing their personal connections to the NBA great as they attempt to qualify for the 2020 Olympics.

Kobe Bryant's death has been inescapable in just about every aspect of the sporting landscape. That's especially true in U.S. women's national team camp, where the two-time reigning Women's World Cup champions return to competitive action for the first time since lifting the trophy by opening 2020 Olympic qualifying vs. Haiti Tuesday night in Houston (televised on FS2, 8:30 p.m. ET).

Bryant was a longtime supporter of the women's team. He struck up friendships with a number of players both past and present. He appeared field-side for the opening match of the USWNT's victory tour at the Rose Bowl, donning a U.S. women's kit. His vocal support of all women's athletes–he was among the loudest supporters of the U.S. women and their fight against playing a World Cup on artificial turf in 2015, amplifying a notorious photo of his good friend Sydney Leroux's beat-up shins–was heard loudly. And now it's abruptly gone.

"It's been awful," said U.S. forward Carli Lloyd, who added that the USWNT found out the news on the bus and initially thought it was a joke. "Kobe's been out to many of our games. He's been a huge supporter of our team over the years. Just a huge female athlete supporter. It's just heartbreaking, it honestly is.

"He was someone I idolized. He was the epitome of a true champion both on and off the court. What he did throughout his career is amazing, but really what I admire was what he was beginning to do ... he was doing great things. 

"You could see his drive and dedication while he was playing, but you could see a different happiness in him when he decided to retire. He loved his family. He loved his wife. He obviously loved his daughters. He was at the forefront of it. He was doing so many good things to change the world for the better. That's what makes this really hard. That he's gone too soon and he was doing so many remarkable things that were inspiring and changing lives. Hopefully someone can continue to fill that gap and we can all come together and make things better."

At that August game vs. Ireland in Los Angeles, Bryant spoke glowingly of the USWNT and the model the players set for his daughters. He posed with three of his four daughters–including Gianna, who was also killed in Sunday's helicopter crash–and Megan Rapinoe. He introduced them to Allie Long after saying "we wouldn't miss this!" about the opportunity to see the team live. His connection to the team and its players was unique and deeper than most outsiders.

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"It's just so tragic," Rapinoe said. "A lot of us have known Kobe. A lot of us had met Gigi [Gianna] and spent a little time with them after games. They're huge supporters not just of soccer but our team. ... From a human perspective your heart just goes out." 

Amid that brutal backdrop–and USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski said "obviously it's something that affected us"–the women's team will attempt to turn its focus to its first chief objective of 2020: making it to Tokyo. It's been well-documented that no reigning Women's World Cup champion has ever won Olympic gold the following year. That's about the only frontier yet to be conquered by the U.S. women's program.

Getting to the Olympics shouldn't be a problem, if prior history is any indication. The U.S. women have never lost a game in Olympic qualifying, going 18-0-1 all-time. The one draw came vs. Canada in the final of the 2008 Concacaf qualifying tournament, and the Americans eventually won on PKs. The current U.S. team is unbeaten in 23 games altogether and 40 games on home soil. Group opponents Haiti (68th in FIFA's world rankings), Panama (53) and Costa Rica (37) are all immense underdogs, while the potential opponent in the semifinal round–where the two winners claims Concacaf's two berths–is likely to be a familiar foe in Canada, Mexico or Jamaica.

That's not to say anything is being taken for granted or lightly.

"You don't go through this, then you don't get to the other big moments," Rapinoe said.

Added defensive anchor Becky Sauerbrunn: "It's really important not to overlook any game. Any team right now I feel if they're on their best day can beat any other team. Really it's not looking too far ahead."

Lip service, perhaps, but the U.S. will embark on its first meaningful games under a new coach in a competitive environment with a giant target on its collective back. That's not to say massive changes should be expected. Andonovski selected 20 players, 18 of whom were on the 2019 World Cup team. 

In regards to the goalkeepers on the squad–Alyssa Naeher, Ashlyn Harris, Adrianna Franch–Andonovski said that "there's a plan for one of them to play a little bit more, but definitely rotation is in consideration." Reading between the lines, Naeher, the World Cup starter, figures to start at least one of the group games and the all-important semifinal match, provided the U.S. gets there.

The U.S. has had the fall to adjust to playing without Alex Morgan, who is pregnant and due in April. That leaves the 37-year-old Lloyd as the likely starting center forward. She excelled in Andonovski's first two matches in charge, scoring three times, and she'll be flanked by plenty of capable scorers such as Rapinoe, Christen Press, Tobin Heath and Rose Lavelle.

"We're probably expecting most teams to sit in against us," Rapinoe said, saying the big key will be remaining "patient while still kind of keeping that bite." 

Lloyd, who has been through this exercise three prior times, sees things as a matter of the U.S. just taking things into its own hands to handle its business.

"Ultimately it's about us," Lloyd said. "We obviously are starting a new chapter in a sense with Vlatko being the new coach, just trying to implement a new philosophy, new structure. But also the sense of having that freedom on the field and being able to express ourselves. 

"It's really just about getting out there and trying to put it all together and trying to grow and get better with each game."