Kara Lang
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| Kara Lang | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| College | UCLA |
| Conference | Pac 10 |
| Sport | Soccer |
| Position | Striker |
| Class | Sophomore |
| Career | 2005 – present |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 155 lb (70 kg) |
| Nationality |  Canada |
| Born | October 22, 1986 (age 20) Calgary, Alberta |
| High School | St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Oakville, Ontario |
Kara Elise Lang (b. October 22, 1986 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is a renowned Canadian soccer player. Lang is, at 20, already Canada's fourth-leading all-time international women's goalscorer.[1]
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[edit] International Career
Lang holds the women's football world record for youngest player to score a full international goal. She scored against Wales at the Algarve Cup on 3rd March, 2002 at age 15 years, 132 days. Her senior debut, two days earlier, was a Canadian record for youngest senior women's cap.
The 2002 FIFA U-19 World Championships held in Edmonton, Canada was the coming-out party for Lang. As a 15-year-old, Lang scored three goals in six games and added a crucial penalty-kick goal under intense pressure in the semi-finals against Brazil. Although Canada would lose in the final against their rivals in the United States in a heart-breaker, Kara captured the hearts and imaginations of many fans in Canada.
At the age of 16, Lang played in all six of Canada's games at the FIFA Women's World Cup 2003. Lang scored two goals in the World Cup (a tally each against Japan in the group stage, and against Sweden in the semi-finals). Lang's memorable free-kick goal in the semi-finals came in the 64th minute to give Canada a 1-0 lead against Sweden, but they would lose the game 2-1 and eventually finish in 4th place at the event.
Lang was an integral part of the 2004 CONCACAF U-19 Qualifying tournament in Ottawa, Canada, where she played as a central defender at the request of head coach Ian Bridge. Lang proved to be a dominant force in defence paired with Emily Zurrer, and Canada captured the tournament title with a thrilling 2-1 extra-time victory over the United States. Despite high hopes, Canada lost in the quarterfinals against China in the 2004 U-19 World Championships in Thailand after being down a player for almost the entire game.
In the 2006 CONCACAF U-20 Qualifying tournament, Lang set a record for fastest goal (four seconds) when she scored from the opening kickoff against Mexico on 22nd January, 2006.[2] With many returning players from the 2004 U-19 team, Lang and her teammates will be looking to avenge their Thailand disappointment with a strong showing at the upcoming FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship to be held in Russia in August 2006.
[edit] College Career
Kara was ranked as the #1 recruit in the 2005 recruiting class, and chose to attend the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) where she is studying communications with an aim of a future career in broadcast journalism. Lang was named as a preseason All-American, which is a notably achievement for a freshman. The UCLA Bruins, under head coach Jillian Ellis, compiled an overall record of 22-2-2 in the 2005-2006 season, was ranked 4th nationally, and won the PAC-10 title on the strength of excellent team defence.
Lang started her college career with a splash, scoring a hat-trick in her second game. In the 2005 NCAA tournament, Lang was at her finest, scoring 8 goals in 6 games.[3] Lang's UCLA Bruins met the University of Portland in the NCAA final, where Lang came up against one of her international teammates, Christine Sinclair; Portland won the title with a 4-0 win. Lang finished her Freshman year at UCLA with 17 goals and 6 assists in 24 games, finishing second in team scoring behind Danesha Adams.
She took a medical redshirt in the 2006 season after tearing an ACL during the offseason, and will have three more years of athletic eligibility at UCLA.
[edit] Club Career
Kara is currently affiliated with the Vancouver Whitecaps club in the W-League, after signing with the club in 2003.[4] The Whitecaps were the 2004 W-League Champions, and 3rd place finishers in 2005. Lang has scored 9 goals in 19 career games for the Whitecaps from 2003 to 2005. With the 2006 signings of Christine Sinclair and Tiffeny Milbrett, as well as returning young standouts such as Brittany Timko and Katie Thorlakson, Lang should find an exciting supporting cast with the Whitecaps.
[edit] Playing Style
Particularly well-known for her long-distance shooting, Lang is a versatile player. She is used in all outfield positions by school, club and country. Due to her shooting power, Lang is capable of scoring from anywhere on the field. She has a devastating free-kick, is good in the air, and can often surprise opposing goalkeepers with shots from wide angles. Her size and strength along with sheer determination makes Lang a powerful force for opposing defenders to deal with.
"Kara Lang is one of the most exciting young players in the game today," says Canadian Head Coach Even Pellerud. "She's the sort of player who can make things happen, with her skill, her strength, and her powerful shooting ability. And she’s a fan favourite. She has tremendous potential and is definitely someone to keep a close eye on." .[5]
Lang is known as a modest and humble figure, and is well-respected by coaches, teammates, and fans around the world. With an astonishing amount of senior experience at a tender age, Lang was named captain of Canada's team in the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championships in Thailand. As a common trait with great athletes, she elevates her play for meaningful games and possesses the ability to perform at a high level in pressure situations. With such admirable qualities, Lang has become a fan favourite and a role model for many young girls in Canada.
[edit] Statistics
National Team Statistics
| Team | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Women's Senior Team | 53 | 23 |
| Women's U-20 Team | 33 | 12 |
Major Tournament Statistics
| Year | Tournament | Games | Goals | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup | 5 | 4 | Runners-Up |
| 2002 | FIFA Women's U-19 World Championships | 6 | 3 | Runners-Up |
| 2003 | FIFA Women's World Cup | 6 | 2 | 4th Place |
| 2004 | CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying | 5 | 0 | 3rd Place (DNQ) |
| 2004 | CONCACAF Women's U-19 Qualifying | 5 | 2 | Winners |
| 2004 | FIFA Women's U-19 World Championships | 4 | 1 | Quarter-Finalists |
| 2006 | CONCACAF Women's U-19 Qualifying | 3 | 1 | Runners-Up |
Club and College Statistics
| Season Totals | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | Min | Shots | SOG | |
| 2003 | Vancouver Whitecaps | W-League | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 265 | -- | -- | |
| 2004 | Vancouver Whitecaps | W-League | 5 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 285 | -- | -- | |
| 2005 | Vancouver Whitecaps | W-League | 10 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 783 | 39 | -- | |
| 2005-06 | UCLA Bruins | NCAA | 24 | 17 | 6 | 40 | -- | 101 | 41 | |
[edit] External links
- Official National Team profile
- Official UCLA profile
- Official Vancouver Whitecaps profile
- Official FIFA World Cup 2003 profile
- NCAA Women's Soccer
- "Kara Lang", JDG, Player Magazine, 2003
- "Inside Track", Teddy Katz, CBC Radio, 2003 (audio)
- "Kara's got kick", Terry Jones, Edmonton Sun, 2002
[edit] Notes
- ^ Women's Team Goalscoring Leaders (CSA) (2006). Retrieved on 2006-04-16.
- ^ Canada Too Much For Mexico (CSA) (2006). Retrieved on 2006-04-16.
- ^ 2005 NCAA Women's College Cup (2005). Retrieved on 2006-04-16.
- ^ Kara Lang Signs With Whitecaps (CSA) (2003). Retrieved on 2006-04-16.
- ^ FIFA Women's World Cup USA 2003 (2003). Retrieved on 2006-04-16.
