Matchfit Interviews: Allie Long
USA and Seattle Reign FC midfielder Allie Long gives us an insight inter her daily training habits below.
Allie plays in the USA National Womens Soccer League and made her international debut for the USA in May 2014. She has also played in Europe for PSG in the French 1st Division and represented the USA at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
How many times per week do you train by yourself without the team and what do you focus on?
Doing extra in season is one of the most difficult things to master. With travel in the US being so far and having such a high impact on my body the times I choose to do extra are always based on the week of games, travel and how I feel overall.
How my schedule is currently if I have a typical game week (meaning 1 per week) on Saturday. Sunday is recovery, Monday is off, Tuesday is training, Wednesday is a double day with training in the am, lift in the pm, Thursday off, Friday pregame.
Most of the time Tuesday’s after training I’ll spend 15-20 mins doing free kicks.
Wednesday’s are the days I choose to do extra as well. If Tuesday I feel like I am still recovering from the game then Wednesday’s are the days I do extra both on field and in the gym.
As always, everything I do is to feel my absolute best come game day. In season, that is my number one priority. When we have international break I am with team USA where we are monitored very closely. Sometimes we get some time after training but the coaches main concern is preparing for the game and make sure we feel our best.
Out of season is a completely different story. At the end of my season I take a two week break and during that time I analyze my game. Where am I weak? Strong? Need to get better at? What do I want to look like when I play? Etc.
According to my specific goals I break up each day with a specific focus to my goals. I make sure to listen to my body and give myself a off day but at the same time on the days I train, I push my self. I want to be the best in the world and I try to develop my game in accordance to what the best in the world at my position looks like.
What extra training do you think has given you the biggest improvement in performance?
The extra training that has given me the best outcome is playing in different futsal leagues with guys only. Most are from a Hispanic dissent and they are so good. I want to think 3 steps ahead of my opponent and to do that I need to be forced to make decisions quicker and technically be able to pull it off.
Playing in these leagues have given me this unique repetition in being uncomfortable and forcing me to think faster. No other female in the NWSL or US women’s national team plays in the leagues I do.
Describe a typical day in your life (in-season)
In season a typical day is all about preparing for training and then recovering for the next training. All for the purpose of being my best come game day.
For a typical Tuesday, Training starts at 10:15. I wake up at 8-830. I eat breakfast grab a coffee and the paper. I like to do the crossword in the USA Today. I like to think it wakes my brain up, gets me thinking and focusing. I get to training around 9:15.
First thing I do is foam roll, activate and stretch. I do a routine which differentiates based on how my body feels, what muscles are sore, not firing etc.
We have a team meeting at 10:15. Our meeting is a video session closing out the previous game and preparing for the next opponent. After the meeting as a team we do a pre-activation for 10 minutes and then train from 11-1.
After training I do a bit of extra, I get a shake, do an ice bath and eat lunch.
When I get home I like to relax. I will answer emails, read and maybe play a game of Call of duty haha. If it’s nice out I like to sit outside on the rooftop of my building.
Usually later in the afternoon I will watch the game and specifically my clips from the game. I analyze them, writes things down I liked or didn’t. I'm just starting to watch videos on upcoming opponents. I never really got into it because I always believed soccer is so unpredictable and every game is different. I still believe that but I think players have tendencies. So I am trying to figure out a way to study film effectively. This isn’t something I always do on Tuesday I usually save it for Thursday but sometimes I start it on a Tuesday.
I try to get into the Normatec recovery legs while I watch anything on Tv. I own a pair and if I am just sitting there I might as well try to recover haha. After that I make sure I eat a good dinner. I just recently cut dairy out and meat. I love animals but I am doing it for the performance benefits and recovery purposes. I want to see if it helps me.
At night I like to watch a show I am into. I wish I went to sleep at 10-11 but my body just won’t. So I get into bed around then but don’t fall asleep until 12-12/30. Which is something I am working on! Haha I don’t advise going to bed late my body just says nope.
What is your favourite pre-match meal?
What do you usually eat or drink at half time?
What’s your favourite post match meal?
Do you take any nutritional supplements and how do they benefit you? (whey protein, glutamine etc.)
What methods do you use to help your body recover more quickly? (Massage, ice bath etc.)
If you could offer one piece of advice to a young footballer who wants to become a pro, what would it be?
What is the best piece of advice a coach/role model has ever given you?
When stepping up to first team level, what did you feel was the biggest difference between youth and senior football?

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