Krieger remains on standby

In the native language of the German city where Ali Krieger now resides, her name takes on an iconic meaning: Warrior.

It's an appropriate characterization befitting a collegiate All-American and European World Cup champion.

Even in her youth, when she was a star at Forest Park High School and a founding member of the nationally ranked Prince William Sparkers travel squad, Krieger was known for a relentless style of play.

She's always pursued soccer with two rules in mind—dream big and have fun.

And when things didn't always turn out the way she initially planned, it only made her try harder to achieve her ultimate goal—to start for the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team.

"I feel like I have a pretty big future with the U.S. team but I have to keep training to earn that spot," Krieger said as she was preparing to board a flight to Germany, where she is beginning her second professional season as a starting defender for reigning European World Cup champion FCC Frankfurt.

"I'm not on the full [U.S.] team yet and my goal is to get there so I have to continue to play at the highest level," she said.

Krieger is actually closer than she's ever been to earning a spot on the U.S. roster. After representing the country at the 2008 Four Nations Tournament and as a member of the U-21 squad, she is now serving as an alternate for the Olympic team, which begins play against Norway tonight.

"The best experience I can get is to play with the German club team," she said. "If I hadn't played for Frankfurt I don't think I would have ever been considered for the U.S. team."

While the Americans are at the Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Qinhuangdao, Krieger is working out in Germany in anticipation of a possible summons to China and the start of the European soccer season on Sept. 7.

"I have a great training atmosphere," said Krieger, who played 90 minutes in the deciding game of the European World Cup—a 3-2 victory over the powerful Swedish Umea squad.

"I'm playing at the highest level. I'll be prepared either way. It's such a privilege to be on the field with these girls. Little did I know there would be eleven world champions on the team," she said. "I'm playing for and starting for the best club team in the world. I'm so happy right now. I feel so honored to play with the players that I'm playing with. Everyday I'm challenged and forced to play my best."

Krieger has always excelled on the soccer field. She briefly played volleyball in high school, gave basketball a try in middle school and once joined a cheerleading squad. But nothing has ever inspired her the way soccer does.

During her collegiate career at Penn State, she twice earned All-America honors and, despite suffering life threatening blood clots following a broken leg as a junior, Krieger was determined to make a comeback—an unexpected journey that revealed the warrior inside.

"I never knew I'd be in this position," Krieger said. "But now that I am, I'm determined to keep getting better. I want to make the World Cup team and hopefully play in the next Olympics.

"I'm so happy I even had a chance. I'm kind of on the radar and I think I will be for a while. I've never been happier with my career."