GRACIE STAR SOCCER SKILLS PUT TO THE TEST

Gracie star Carly Schroeder had to train to play soccer and be just as good as the guys.

Newcomer Carly Schroeder best known to audiences from television’s Lizzie Maguire plays Gracie, the character based on Elisabeth Shue who grew up in a family of boys and relentlessly pursued her love of the game soccer despite resistance from all boys high school teams.

Carly who won for the role for her fierce spirit had to inject some of that ferociousness into the physical requirements of learning to play soccer.

“I trained for three or four months with the former captain of the Galaxy and it was an every day process. I had to change my diet around and give up French fries which as a teenager nearly killed me! I worked with the ball and learned good ball control and speed to go with it. I did circuit training three days a week so when these guys did hit me I didn’t snap in half like a little twig. As you saw in the movie I do get hit quite a bit. Unless you play the game of soccer you really don’t understand how difficult it is to get to the point where you can play. And it’s not just playing with guys, it’s just playing period. Everybody thinks it’s so easy to kick a ball and chase it and kick it into the upper corner and it’s really not.”

Carly’s soccer skills were put to the test before she won the role in a match opposite Andrew Shue which director Davis Guggenheim said she had no problem holding her own against a guy.

“See how sweet she looks? Nuh-uh. I’m not a very sweet person. You’re a very sweet person but when you’re on the field it’s a different business. And it says a lot about girls sports, that girls can be beautiful and sweet but when they go on the field they can be just as tough as anybody. Carly: Yeah. My mom was freaking out because as soon as I got on the field and I put on my jersey and I had on my cleats and everything I started walking like a guy. My mom was like, ‘please tell me you’re not gonna walk like this forever.’”

Carly admits she hasn’t kept up with the sport as she’s busy with school but will kick a ball around now and then in her local schoolyard until someone kicks her out. Gracie opens Friday in theaters.