Studio 90 Extra Time: Lauren Cheney and Alex Morgan, Pt. 1

Hello everyone and welcome to Studio 90 Extra Time. We are here with two U.S. Women's National Team players today. Forward Alex Morgan and midfielder Lauren Chaney. Guys, thanks for being on Studio 90 Extra Time. Thanks for having us. You were less than 24 hours from the game against Costa Rica. Alex, how is the mood of the team ahead of this big match? Pretty similar to how it always is. It's very calm and composed. I think there is some anxiousness. A lot of girls are just saying, one more game. That's a good feeling to know we have one more game and then we're into the Olympics. We were actually talking about this beforehand. Lauren, you want to just tell people that even if it's a big game, players still prepare in the same way, right? Yeah, I think you guys deserve honesty from us. We do prepare very similarly every game. There's a lot of downtime, a lot of resting and relaxation. Maybe some visualizations in there from other players, not myself. We go on walks. We spend time with each other. There's a lot of laying in bed and a lot of meals. And sometimes it's boring. Sometimes it's boring, but a lot of fun at game time. Players have been quick to point out that we've been playing well so far in this tournament. We've won our three games, but this is the same position we were in two years ago. One game to get to the Olympics. Alex, you played in that game in 2010 against Mexico. What do you remember from that experience? How is the team approaching 2012 differently? I remember it being devastating and some girls crying after the game. It was not a great day, I'd say. I think the environment is different. The field is different. It's a turf field. It's a lot larger than the field we played on in Mexico. I think that we know there's no second chances this time. No one's taking anything for granted. We all want to prepare as much as possible for this game. Lauren, that preparation happened as soon as the final whistle from the game against Mexico ended. There were talks on the field. There were talks in the locker room. A lot of the players focusing the team on this game against Costa Rica for Friday night. I think Costa Rica is our only focus. We have to win this game, obviously, to get to the Olympics. We don't want a repeat of what happened in the 2010 qualifiers. I think our energy level, everything about us, our mentality, everything is much better than it was in 2010 qualifying. I think we were a little exhausted. I think we took it for granted a little bit and overlooked them. I don't think this year we've done that at all. We were talking about the game on Friday against Costa Rica. Going to look back at the Guatemala game, specifically your finish for that goal. What an awesome chip. Take us through that play and how you decided that was the best course of action. I think it was Pino. She got in line, crossed the ball in. The ball bounced around. It came back out to me. I looked up quickly to see where the keeper was. I saw she was a little bit off her line, so I decided to chip her. Alex, is that the type of finish that forward can see and appreciate? That was awesome. I think we appreciate a lot of finishing. That's something that Chain is really good at. She can put the right amount of spin or pace on a ball. That's her style. You guys have been on the score sheet a lot in this tournament, but you've also done a lot of your work as providers. Lauren, you have six assists. Alex, you have four. Alex, a lot of the success in this tournament for you guys has been from finding teammates in great positions. It's a little different of a role for me. I think the way Chaney plays and the role that she has for the team, it is her job to get those assists and find those final passes. For me, I think I mostly just try to get end line. The marking in the box hasn't been great on the other teams I have, so I think that we've been able to get end line a little bit more than we're used to and have some options, maybe more than just one option in the box. Is it hard as a goal scorer to pass up an opportunity? Even if you're dribbling in on the keeper and your teammate's in a great position, is it hard to pass it up and lay it off for them? It's always a decision you need to make in a split second right before. I usually do go with the shot because I'm very confident in my shooting, but if it's going to be a 100% goal if I pass it, then that's always the right decision. One of the big topics, Lauren, has been your position change. Last year you were playing as a forward. You've been moved around a lot out wide, and this tournament you're playing centrally behind the one forward. Catch us up on that a bit. How is it going for you? As long as I don't move to left back, I'll be okay. I'm okay with it, or keeper. I think that I've just tried to fill the needs that we've had on the team. Obviously in the World Cup they wanted me on the field, and left mid was the position they chose. Now we have a new formation, and I feel very comfortable in that 10 position underneath Abby. I think that would be my natural position. As a forward, I always check back anyway into the midfield. I like combination play. I like to play the final pass. I think that this formation suits me well, and it's been a lot of fun to learn the new positions. One of the qualities that our team has in abundance, Alex, is speed. You're one of the fastest players on the team. We've got players like Heather, like Megan, who can beat people down the line, however it is one-on-one. How important are those skills for the team in a game like tomorrow's, and also just moving forward the rest of the year? Speed is one contributor to beating a back line, but there's also a lot of different ways to beat the opponent's defense. We do have a lot of speed, both starting and on the bench, the players starting and on the bench. I think that it helps that it's in different positions, and we have an opportunity to play people in different positions and get them in with their speed or with their technicality. Last questions here as we look forward to tomorrow night. Let's talk about the keys to the game. First, Lauren. I think you forgot about me being the fastest player on the team. We'll not talk about that right now. I think the keys are just to stay disciplined to our formation and to the way that we play. Costa Rica is going to come out hard, and we know that. We just have to weather the storm and stay confident in our ability to knock the ball around, and I think we'll be okay. Alex? I agree with what Shane said, and I think it always helps to try and get a goal in those first ten minutes. You know Costa Rica is going to come out confident. They scored that last goal on Canada late in the game, so they have a little bit of confidence in them. They're playing for their lives, so if we come out strong in the beginning and maybe get a goal in, then I think it could kill their confidence a little bit. Well, the USA takes on Costa Rica for a spot in the Olympics on Friday, January 27th. You can watch that game at 5 p.m. Pacific time with live coverage on Universal Sports Network, Lauren Chaney, Alex Morgan, thanks for being on Studio 90 Extra Time. Thank you.