Abel Works With USA Soccer Staff

July 13, 2009

NORMAN, Okla. -- OU assistant soccer coach Graeme Abel was invited to work as a goalkeepers' coach for the most recent camp for the Under-20 U.S. Women's National Team.

He is entering his second season with the Sooners in 2009 and came to Norman after coaching the previous three years on the University of Nevada's staff. The Liverpool, England native, also has experience in other levels of the sport, including professional playing experience in England.

He was the head goalkeeper coach for the Nevada Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program and served as an Olympic Development Program Coach with Kentucky Youth Soccer and currently assists with the Region IV ODP and NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches' Association of America) Goalkeeper staffs.

A 2004 graduate of Brescia University, Abel has an Advanced National Diploma and a Level II goalkeeping license, both from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA.) He also holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) National "B" coaching license.

"It's a privilege, both personally and professionally, to represent the United States and be a part of the U-20 coaching staff. It's also an honor to represent the University of Oklahoma at this level."

The U-20 U.S. team recently completed their first international event with in this U-20 cycle, facing the U-20 teams of Norway, France and Germany in La Manga, Spain. Players born on or after January 1, 1990, are age-eligible for the next FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. The stint will hopefully culminate with the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, scheduled for the summer of 2010 in Germany.

Abel will be working with a program that has historically had a significant impact on the future Women's National Team players. Numerous players who have made a major impact on the full national team have represented the USA at past FIFA U-19 and U-20 tournaments, including Lindsay Tarpley, Heather O'Reilly, Leslie Osborne, Lori Chalupny, Amy Rodriguez, Rachel Buehler, Stephanie Cox, Lauren Cheney and Tobin Heath, to name a few.

Jillian Ellis is the current head coach of the U-20 team. At UCLA, she has led the Bruins to seven NCAA Final Fours. She served as the U-20 coach during the previous cycle, leading the team during 2007 before moving to the full Women's National Team staff in January of 2008.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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