Sightseeing

Mustonen is New York's Latest Attraction

The New York Power took Minna Mustonen as their first pick in Monday's WUSA Draft.FPC

By Dan Lauletta

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. -- The New York Power dipped into the international market for their first selection in Monday's WUSA draft. The prize was Minna Mustonen, a Finnish international who has plied her trade in the New England area, at Franklin Pierce College (Division II) and with the Boston Renegades (W-League).

"I think Minna is going to be a nice addition," head coach Pat Farmer said. "She's nice and big."

Depending on who you ask, Mustonen stands either 5-foot-10 or 5-foot-11, tall by WUSA standards. Farmer sees her as a striker, and one that can make an immediate impact in the league.

"I expect her to be a front-runner," he said. "She is someone whose intent is to score some goals."

Ironically, Farmer went to the Florida combine without a thought about selecting Mustonen, whom he had seen play only once prior. And Mustonen went into the camp not knowing whether she'd even get picked up.

"This is kind of a surprise for me," she said. "Before I came here, I didn't have high expectations."

Mustonen has been playing soccer since her father signed her up for a camp at the age of seven.

"I was a very energetic child," she said. "My dad was thinking about what to do with me because I was always running around."

Seventeen years later, Mustonen will be given the opportunity to run around with the likes of Tiffeny Milbrett and Gao Hong.

"I'm very excited to play with those good players," she said. "I am very excited, very happy to be here, and I am not taking this for granted."

Despite her imposing height, Mustonen prefers to play the ball with her feet, and Farmer does not see much common comparison with Ann Kristin Aarones, the Power's tall but oft-injured striker from a year ago.

"She's a lot different than Anka (Aarones)," Farmer said of the 24-year old Mustonen. "Anka was very sophisticated but not so dynamic with her feet. Minna is a very good runner off the ball. She's not as sophisticated a goal-scorer as Anka, but she'll score some goals."

Aarones' injuries - she was limited to three goals, all in an 11-day span - were just a part of the Power's shortcomings up front last year.

"We needed to get somebody that one of their goals in life is to score," he said. "I'm not sure we had that last season (after Milbrett). We need to get a different compliment up front. Doing it by committee didn't work so well last year."

Another positive aspect of Mustonen is her level of fitness. Farmer called her one of the fittest players at the combine. And even though she will not be joining the Power for the start of training camp, it will be for a good cause. Mustonen is set to represent Finland at the Algarve Cup in Portugal the first week in March.

The Fins will not be expected to contend for the Algarve Cup, but Mustonen is a player slowly getting accustomed to winning. At Franklin Pierce, her side won the 1999 Division II National Championship. Later, Mustonen celebrated a W-League Championship with the Renegades.

As of the time she was selected, Minna Mustonen had never met Pat Farmer, saying only that she "knows what he looks like." But she has gotten to know New York a little bit.

"I was there once," she said. "I did all the sight-seeing. It was a couple of years ago. I was there over Thanksgiving."

This summer, Mustonen may be one of the sights to see, playing soccer in the world's best league, in the shadow of the world's biggest city.

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