Author: RJ Allen

Forecast for the Orlando Pride: Gray Skies Ahead

Posted on by RJ Allen

The Orlando Pride started its three-match homestand with a frustrating draw with the Seattle Reign. Both teams were missing key players this match due to national team duty: Alex Morgan and Ashlyn Harris for Orlando, and Megan Rapinoe and Allie Long for Seattle. The hosts may rue this performance which saw 17 fouls called against them versus four on the visitors while being out-shot, out-possessed, and out-passed. Now Coach Tom Sermanni will need to prepare his squad for Orlando’s next match on August 5 against Sky Blue FC.

After all the league results, the Pride sit in fourth surrounded by teams with a game in hand. Realistically, Orlando has a favorable schedule with three of the last five at home and squaring off twice with winless Sky Blue. Statistical prediction website, FiveThirtyEight puts the Pride’s chances of making the playoffs at 63% favored in both matches against Sky Blue, as well as the Chicago match. Orlando tallied 40 points in the 2017 season, and if the Pride want to match that the team will have to find a way to earn 11 more points. Additionally, if Orlando wants to host a playoff game, Sermanni’s side will need to hope teams like Utah, Houston, and Chicago play spoiler to keep the Reign within reach. This series of fortunate events doesn’t appear likely as I predict Seattle will finish the regular season with 41 by capturing 11 points from six matches.

Tied in points with the Pride at 29 are the Portland Thorns, who hold the tiebreaker due to goal differential. While Portland face several challenging matches, visiting North Carolina and Orlando, the Thorns also host Sky Blue and Chicago and can earn a result against the Washington Spirit and Seattle. Based on the schedule, the standings will continue the trend of teams being tightly packed. I expect the Thorns to come away with 11 points by the end of the season and end with 40 points.

One point behind Orlando sit the Chicago Red Stars with 28 points. The Red Stars have the hardest road to the playoffs. Chicago will host Sky Blue, but afterward face the Courage, Reign, Thorns, and Pride while closing the season against the Royals. Fans of Chicago will say the team playing teams currently ahead of them in the standings can be six-point swing matches because the Red Stars will be able to close the gap to make the playoffs. I don’t hold the same faith as Chicago supporters. I predict the Chicago Red Stars finish with 33 points after only adding five points the rest of the way.

The gridlock in the standings will remain that way. On the outside looking in will be the first year side, Utah Royals finishing with 34 points, and the Houston Dash, who were the bane of the Orlando Pride under first-year coach Vera Pauw, with 33 points. Both teams may be disappointed not to make the playoffs, but in actuality should be commended as each team had its share of injuries to key players they couldn’t completely overcome. Laura Harvey’s side will look back at the numerous times it drew an opponent, while Houston’s slow start this year was what ultimately doomed the squad’s playoff hopes. 

An area of concern for the Pride has to be the offense which has been missing in 2018; the flow of the offense has been choppy and inconsistent. If the team can match the 12 goals from last season in the last stretch, it would only manage 39 goals.  As Coach Sermanni stated after the home match versus Seattle, “What we haven’t done well enough this year is actually finish the chances and finish them when we’ve been on top of the game. So, I think that probably is as much to blame as anything.”

Ultimately, the Orlando Pride will not equal last season’s point total falling short with 37 points, but still good enough for a fourth place finish. However, it’s worth noting the Pride have missed opportunities at home where the only way to match last year’s win total of six at Orlando City Stadium is by winning out against Sky Blue, Portland, and Chicago. In 2017, the Pride scored 12 goals in its last five games finishing up with 45 goals and a +14 goal differential. Orlando is a flawed team trying to make playoffs again, and the home stretch is going to be nerve wrecking for the Pride. The best outcome I can see at the end of the season is a trip to North Carolina for the first round playoffs. Brace yourselves.  

Did US Soccer Call Up Jaelene Hinkle to Avoid Litigation?

Posted on by RJ Allen

Jaelene Hinkle was called back into a US Women’s National Team camp last week. Given that Hinkle refused to play last year because she couldn’t accept wearing a rainbow pride jersey, many have seen the decision to bring her back as a betrayal of the US team’s supposed commitment to inclusion and equality. That this all happened so soon after the most recent month of pride only drove the point home further.

The ongoing conversations about this process are very important, and I encourage everyone to read some of the excellent articles on the subject, which I endorse wholeheartedly. However, in this piece, I want to focus attention on a narrower question: what is the potential legal liability here? And if any exists, does that explain the bizarre chain of events in the past week, in which Hinkle was called up, only to be left out of the group that will actually continue to the Tournament of Nations?

Let’s start by looking at what we actually know:

Last June, Hinkle was called up—after a fairly long hiatus away from the team—for a set of friendlies in Scandinavia. But once the pride uniforms were announced, she withdrew. Then, earlier this summer, she gave an interview to the 700 Club confirming what was already assumed: she had done so because she believed that wearing the pride uniform would violate her religious principles.

The critical questions: was US Soccer obligated to make accommodations for her religious beliefs? And were they legally permitted to blacklist her from future camps, if that is in fact what happened?

Title VII creates an obligation to accommodate sincerely held religious belief

The controlling rule here is Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. That law famously prohibits discrimination on the basis of race in employment, but also covers a number of protected categories. Specifically, it prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion.

Broadly, that means that an employee can’t be fired for their religious beliefs, but it also creates a wide range of narrower obligations on employers to provide reasonable accommodations for their religious employees. As with many such laws, the devil is in the details, and what counts as ‘reasonable’ is open to dispute. But over the decades since the law was passed, we’ve received a great deal of clarification by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and by federal courts.

Specifically, they’ve said that employers are obliged to accommodate religious beliefs “unless the accommodation would cause an undue hardship for the employer.”

In the athletic context, a general argument for uniform kits would likely constitute an insufficient defense against a claim for reasonable accommodation. For example, a devout Muslim player who wished to wear a hijab would likely have a strong case, absent decisive evidence that doing so would interfere with her ability to perform. Based on the same logic, Hinkle could argue that the pride uniform violated her religious beliefs and expect an alternative accommodation.

And while there are obvious differences between a hijab and a rainbow kit, the EEOC and the courts have both made clear that they don’t see policing the legitimacy of specific beliefs to be within their purview. So long as the belief is sincere, it receives this protection. In Hinkle’s case, while her belief may be misguided or even bigoted, there is no denying that it is sincerely held and religious in nature. Moreover, the courts have also been unwilling to litigate whether a given belief is an accurate reflection of their religious dogma. So the fact that other Christians on the team had no problem wearing the rainbow does not limit Hinkle’s rights of conscientious objection.

That said, there is extensive evidence supporting the right of employers to enforce uniform requirements over religious objections. For example, in Cooper v. Eugene School District, the Oregon Supreme Court found that the state could reasonably prevent a teacher from wearing religious dress while working, because the law served the purpose of promoting religious neutrality. In Goldman v. Weinberger, the US Supreme Court upheld the right of the military to impose uniform policies by prohibiting a Jewish Air Force officer from wearing a yarmulke. These cases dealt with exceptional circumstances—with public institutions striving to produce public goods—but courts have also found in favor of private employers simply looking to successfully promote their industry (see Cloutier v. Costco, Bhatia v. Chevron U.S.A., Inc., etc.).

All of these cases suggest that Hinkle would face an uphill battle asking for a religious accommodation, but this does not mean there is no chance. Nor does it mean that US Soccer ought to feel safe from potential litigation. While Hinkle might not win a hypothetical case, it wouldn’t be a slam dunk either way, and US Soccer might well find themselves on the hook for some kind of reasonable accommodation to the pride uniform.

US Soccer isn’t a normal employer, but that may not matter

Things get even messier when you consider the nature of the employment here, with US Soccer differing from normal employers in several potentially significant ways.

First, as a subsidiary member of FIFA—the international body governing global soccer rules—the US team is constrained by a system of rules that limit its options. And FIFA’s equipment regulations state that “The Colours used for numbering and naming purposes shall be the same for all outfield players of the same team” (IV.5.4). Given this, US Soccer cannot simply accommodate Hinkle by permitting her to wear a non-pride variant. While it is possible that they could be persuaded to waive this requirement, FIFA is hardly known for its responsiveness, and it seems likely they would simply instruct the US to abandon the pride uniforms entirely rather than create an exception.

Given these facts, it is difficult to determine what would count as a ‘reasonable accommodation.’ It’s hard to credit the idea that they should abandon the pride uniforms entirely, since these constitute an important revenue stream, not to mention a form of political speech. If a company’s message is subject to veto by a single religious objection, speech is not free. It’s conceivable that the US would at least need to demonstrate a good-faith effort to consult with the appropriate FIFA body for a religious exemption, though even here the reputational costs would not be insignificant.

Second, US Soccer is also an idiosyncratic entity in the manner of its employment. For the limited set of allocated players, the US national team is their employer. But for floaters like Hinkle, their employer remains their club team, while the national team effectively sub-contracts their services for specific engagements. For this reason, once Hinkle declined the invitation to camp last summer, one could argue that she ceased to be an employee of US Soccer. This would not end the legal question, however. Employers are bound by Title VII even for temporary or contracted workers, and if the triggering move for Hinkle’s initial departure was an illegal imposition on her religious beliefs, this would poison the entire process.

Even if Hinkle can’t force an exception, she may be able to win a claim of blacklisting

Given the facts described so far, Hinkle likely has no legal argument for eliminating pride kits, nor would she likely be able to force an exception to uniform policy when those pride kits are used. However, she may well have a cause of action if her conscientious refusal was treated as a reason to blacklist her entirely. Such action could credibly be interpreted as ‘retaliation’ for the expression of a religious belief.

Proving a blacklisting case would be difficult, but not impossible. A big part of the argument would rely on establishing that Hinkle’s omission is because of her religious objections, rather than simply being due to performance. Here, one might note that she was hardly a mainstay in the squad before all these events. Indeed, her callup last June which precipitated these events was her first in over a year. One could argue that the subsequent lack of call-ups was simply a return to normal–a question of form, not anything more complicated. This is, in fact, what Jill Ellis said last month:

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But with all due respect to coach Ellis, this claim is hard to swallow. Hinkle is probably the best left back in the US pool at the moment, a point made clear by two consecutive excellent seasons in the NWSL. One could argue about how well club play translates to the national team environment, and it’s certainly plausible that she wouldn’t simply waltz into the starting XI. But considering the lack of depth at fullback and Hinkle’s excellent performances there for the last 18 months, it’s hard to believe that her exclusion has been driven by performance on the field.

One could argue that Hinkle turning down a call-up provides evidence of unreliability, which could discourage a coach from relying on her in the future. But if the basis for her refusal is a religious objection, the principles outlined above likely prohibit the national team from treating that as evidence of unreliability. Just as US Soccer is required to treat pregnancy as a legitimate reason for absence, and is obliged to give new consideration to any player post-pregnancy, they likely are required to treat Hinkle’s unwillingness to play in a rainbow kit as a justified sabbatical and evaluate her qualities independent of that knowledge.

Team chemistry does matter, but it’s not clear how much

However, this doesn’t settle the matter. Because soccer is a team game, and Hinkle’s presence might well affect team dynamics. After all, the national team squad contains several queer players (not to mention a queer coach), and plenty of others who have expressed strong sentiments in favor of equality. Introducing Hinkle into that environment could potentially be disruptive.

And this sort of ‘chemistry’ problem creates further legal wrinkles.  Consider Wilson v. US West Communications, in which Christine Wilson “made a religious vow or promise to God that she would wear a particular anti-abortion button” featuring a picture of an aborted fetus. The court accepted her right to describe this vow as religious in nature, and acknowledged that her employer was not permitted to forbid the action entirely. However, because the pin was creating significant distress for her coworkers, the court found that her employer could demand that she cover it up while at work. In this instance, the case for a hospitable work environment for all employees was balanced against Wilson’s right of religious expression.

How would this apply in the case of the US Women’s National Team? It’s hard to know for sure. However, it seems highly unlikely that US Soccer could credibly argue that Hinkle’s presence would constitute a severe disruption without making any further investigation. On questions of chemistry, the coaching staff may be able to offer expert speculation, but mere speculation probably does not provide a sufficient shield.

Does fear of litigation explain why Hinkle was called back, and then left out again? Quite possibly

I went into this topic assuming that the legal case for Hinkle’s return to the fold was unlikely. It seemed to me that coaching decisions are generally inscrutable, and that even vague gestures toward the value of team chemistry would be sufficient to protect US Soccer. After digging into the issue, I no longer find that as persuasive.

I do not think Hinkle would win a lawsuit, necessarily, but given the facts, it seems quite plausible that she could at least initiate proceedings. Whether any such conversations took place, I can’t possibly say. But it would not be surprising, given the facts, if the administrative arm of US Soccer insisted on her return, at least into the mix if not into the full squad. This could have been worked out directly with Hinkle, but may well have simply been a preemptive act to buttress their legal shield should litigation ever be enjoined.

If one wonders why the US called Hinkle back into camp, only to leave her behind once the tournament began, fear of litigation certainly would go some way toward providing an explanation.

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances in Week 17

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week.

With the U.S. Women’s National Team players at training camp for the upcoming Tournament of Nations, Week 17 of NWSL action tested the depth of many rosters. It was a week of strong defensive action, with only six goals scored across four matches and only one team scoring more than one goal. The Utah Royals earned more points against the North Carolina Courage this week, playing to a scoreless draw in Rio Tinto Stadium. The Orlando Pride had an opportunity to take over the second place slot with a win against Seattle, but Jodie Taylor destroyed their hopes with a 70th minute equalizer that gave the Reign a point on the road. The playoff race remains tight, with only eight points separating No. 8 (Utah Royals) from No. 2 (Seattle Reign).

Here is a full breakdown of this week’s matches:

Utah Royals vs. North Carolina Courage (0-0)

Orlando Pride vs. Seattle Reign (1-1)

Sky Blue vs. Portland Thorns (1-2)

Washington Spirit vs. Houston Dash (0-1)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Jane Campbell— Campbell earned her second shutout of the season in Sunday’s match against the Washington Spirit. Rachel Daly gave the Dash the early lead, but it was Campbell’s job to defend those points. She faced 23 shots from the Spirit offense and made nine saves. Her best save came towards the end of the match, when Ashley Hatch launched a shot from just outside the 18-yard box. Hatch was aiming for the top corner, but Campbell was able to punch the ball out of bounds. Campbell’s performance earned her the title of NWSL Player of the Week. 

2. Haley Kopmeyer— Kopmeyer earned her second start of the season due to Ashlyn Harris being with the U.S Women’s National Team ahead of the Tournament of Nations. Kopmeyer also faced her former team, the Seattle Reign, for the second time this season— although this team it was on the Pride’s pitch. Kopmeyer faced 18 shots and made six saves. In the 17th minute, the Reign took a free kick and Seattle headed the ball towards goal, but Kopmeyer forced the ball into the air before catching it. Jodie Taylor also had a good shot in the 37th minute that Kopmeyer deflected off the tips of her fingers. This earned her an NWSL Save of the Week nomination.

3. Britt Eckerstrom— Eckerstrom found herself between the posts again this weekend after Adriana Franch received a call-up to the U.S Women’s National Team. Eckerstrom came up big for the Thorns when they traveled to face Sky Blue. Despite a final score that favored the Thorns, Sky Blue had more than twice as many shots. Eckerstrom made four saves, including one in stoppage time that stopped Imani Dorsey from picking up a late equalizer. The shot came off a beautiful cross from Savannah McCaskill, who got ahead of the Portland defense. Dorsey was right in front of the net, but Eckerstrom had an impressive kick save that sent the ball back into the box. A follow-up shot was blocked by Ellie Carpenter. This save earned the two players an NWSL Save of the Week nomination.

Top Three Defenders

1. Rachel Corsie—Corsie had another stellar week in the Royals scoreless draw against the North Carolina Courage. She finished the match with four clearances, two interceptions, and one block. That block came in the 88th minute, when Heather O’Reilley played a long ball to Lynn Williams to start a North Carolina counterattack. Williams made her way into the box, but Corsie sprinted down the field and came in to clear Williams’ shot. She won the Week 17 Save of the Week honors, giving her the title for the second week in a row.

2. Becca Moros— Moros also had a great game for the Utah Royals. She had a game-high of 97 touches, won nine out of her ten duels, and made two interceptions. In the 31st minute, Lynn Williams tried to launch a North Carolina counterattack. But Moros followed the striker down the field and picked the perfect moment to strip her of the ball.

3. Toni Pressley— Pressley made the news this week for her attacking skill, but she had a solid defensive game for the Pride as well. Her goal came in the 21st minute. Chioma Ubogagu sent a ball into the box, and it bounced to the feet of Pressley. Pressley was able to keep the ball away from the defenders and use her strength launch a shot that Williams had no chance to stop. But Pressley also had an important block at the start of the second half, when Jodie Taylor was looking to equalize for the Reign. Kopmeyer came off her line to try to block Taylor, but Pressley backed her up. The ball bounced off Pressley’s back and then she cleared it out of bounds.

Top Three Attackers

1. Haley Raso— Raso opened up scoring early for the Portland Thorns in their match against Sky Blue. Christine Sinclair sent the ball forward and Raso was quicker than the Sky Blue backline. She only had to beat Dominique Richardson, which she did with a nice side-step. She put the ball past Caroline Stanley in the 4th minute to put the Thorns on the board. Raso also played a role in the second goal, just three minutes later. She pressured the defense, forcing Stanley to make a bad pass that was intercepted by Ana Crnogorcevic and sent into the back of the net. Raso finished the night with two shots and four clearances.

2. Jodie Taylor—Taylor was critical in earning her team a point on the road when they visited Orlando this weekend. She scored the Reign’s lone goal of the night in the 70th minute, finishing a cross from Nahomi Kawasumi and beating her former teammate, Haley Kopmeyer. Taylor created most of the chances for the Reign, getting six shots and four shots on goal. Her equalizer is her sixth goal of the year.

3. Imani Dorsey— Dorsey has two goals for Sky Blue in their last three matches, and is only one goal behind Carli Lloyd and Savannah McCaskill for the team leader. Dorsey’s goal against Portland came in the 27th minute, when Savannah McCaskill sent a ball through the defense and Dorsey was able to take the shot, beating Britt Eckerstrom. That same duo nearly scored the equalizer in the final moments of the match, but were denied by a brilliant stop from Eckerstrom. Dorsey finished the game with two shots and four crosses.

Interviews with Emma: Angela Salem

Posted on by RJ Allen

Emma Bayer is an 11-year-old who does a recurring interview series for Backline Soccer. You can find more out about how Emma got into soccer here.

I first met Angie when she played for the Atlanta Beat in 2011. Prior to that she was with Sky Blue FC and a season in Finland. Since then: the WNY Flash, Australia league, Washington Spirit, Boston Breakers and now the Portland Thorns!

Birthdate:  

7/24/1988

Nickname from teammates:  

Ang

Hometown:

Akron, OH

Age started playing:  

Four

College/major:

Francis Marion University/Psychology

Career aspirations after soccer:  

Clinical Mental Health Counselor

Why did you pick your particular uniform #:

I have always been number 6 or 26 but both those numbers were unavailable for the first time ever for Portland so I chose 36 to keep the 6 in it

Pregame meal:

Avocado Toast with Eggs

Workout music :

Anything Hip Hop

Favorite cartoon character :

Scooby Doo

Fave movie:

Blow

Fave actress:

Sandra Bullock

Mentor (in soccer or life):

Marty Beall, my college coach

Fave charity/cause:

MZ Emmers

Life motto:  

Never Give Up

Superstitions:

Only on game days; I have to wear a head band.

Pets:

None but I eventually want a pitbull

If you were going on Amazing Race, which teammate would you want as a partner, and why?

Katherine Reynolds because she’s the ultimate competitor and closest friend.

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances in Week 16

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week.

The playoffs are inching closer and closer, but Week 16 did little to clarify who will make it and who will fall short. North Carolina officially clinched a playoff spot after their 4-0 win over Sky Blue FC on Saturday night. The Houston Dash and the Utah Royals are starting to fall behind after losing their weekend matches, but they are still only eight and seven points, respectively, away from the No. 4 spot. And the Seattle Reign dropped points on the road, eliminating any buffer they had created in the No. 2 spot. Here is a full breakdown of the scores from this week:

North Carolina Courage vs. Washington Spirit (2-0)

Houston Dash vs. Orlando Pride (3-1)

Seattle Reign vs. Utah Royals (1-0)

Sky Blue vs. North Carolina Courage (0-4)

Utah Royals vs. Orlando Pride (1-2)

Chicago Red Stars vs. Seattle Reign (1-0)

Portland Thorns vs. Houston Dash (3-1)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Nicole Barnhart— Barnhart proved on Saturday night why she is exactly the type of player you want as a back-up goalkeeper. In the 67th minute, Abby Smith took a rough fall and couldn’t continue the match. Barnhart warmed up on the sidelines and came in at the 72nd minute. Immediately, she was tested by Sydney Leroux. In the 73rd minute, Leroux had Barnhart at the post and Leroux tried to sneak the ball past her, but Barnhart blocked the shot with her knee. While Utah lost the game 2-1, no goals were scored after Barnhart came on. In the final 20 minutes of the match, she made two saves.

2. Katelyn Rowland— Rowland earned two shutouts this week in North Carolina’s matches against the Washington Spirit and Sky Blue. In her match against the Washington Spirit, she faced six shots and made four saves. Her best save of the night came in the 83rd minute, when Ashley Hatch snuck past the North Carolina defense and took a shot, but Rowland got in front of the ball and pushed it out of bounds, forcing an unsuccessful corner kick. In her match against Sky Blue, she faced twelve shots and made five saves, including a great save in the 25th minute after Savannah McCaskill got behind the defense. Rowland ran right up to McCaskill and blocked her shot. Rowland now has four shutouts and 35 saves on the season.

3. Alyssa Naeher— Naeher earned her sixth shutout of the season in a must-win match for the Chicago Red Stars against the Seattle Reign. She faced thirteen shots and made three saves on the night. Most of her saves came early on in the match, shutting down the attacking skills of Megan Rapinoe and Jodie Taylor. But her best save came in the 78th minute, when Jasmyne Spencer outran the Chicago defense and took a shot. Naeher followed the ball and punched it out of bounds.  

Top Three Defenders

1. Rachel Corsie— Corsie was one of the few Utah defenders left for Saturday’s match, after a spate of injuries and yellow card accumulations decimated the ranks. And Corsie made her presence known against the Orlando Pride, earning an assist on the only Royals goal of the match and creating some pretty impressive defensive moments. Orlando tried to get things started early in the game, and one clear example of Corsie’s skill came in the 4th minute, when Chioma Ubogagu sent a ball into the box with Alex Morgan and Rachel Hill in the area. Corsie was able to stick to her spot and clear the ball, keeping the Orlando offense at bay. But her best moment of the game came in the 65th minute. Abby Smith was at the edge of the 18-yard box and kicked the ball away to the feet of Sydney Leroux. Leroux sent the ball over Smith’s head, but Corsie had already run behind her goalkeeper and managed to get the slightest touch on the ball with her head, sending it wide of the net. The moment was enough to earn her a Save of the Week nomination.

2.  Lauren Barnes— Barnes played the full 90 minutes for Seattle in both of their matches this week, which saw the Reign earn three points against the Utah Royals at home but drop points against Chicago on the road. In the match against Chicago, she had a couple of particularly impressive moments against Sam Kerr. In the 77th minute, Sarah Gorden sent a ball in for Kerr, but Barnes was able to disrupt the play and the ball landed easily into the arms of Michelle Betos. And just a few minutes later, Kerr came charging down the field past Megan Oyster, but Barnes was able to make a clean sliding tackle and dispose Kerr. The Seattle Reign currently sit in the No. 2 spot on the table, with Barnes having started in 11 out of their 17 matches.

3. Abby Erceg— Erceg is one of the best defenders in the league, having been named to the NWSL Team of the Month in both May and June. This week, she made her way onto the scoresheet, in addition to helping her team earn two shutouts. She scored the first goal for North Carolina against Sky Blue— a scorching header off a cross from Kristen Hamilton. But even with that offensive effort, it was her work in the back that was most important. In the 40th minute of the match against the Spirit, Estefania Banini sent a pass forward to Ashley Hatch inside the 18-yard box, but Erceg was able to get ahead of Hatch and kick the ball out for a throw-in. About 10 minutes later, the Spirit tried to set up something, but when the ball came into the box, Erceg was able to clear it and it landed at the feet of her teammate. Erceg has started in all 18 matches for the Courage this season.

Top Three Attackers

1. Lynn Williams— Williams became the second player this season to score a hat trick after she found the back of the net three times against Sky Blue on Saturday night. The goals all came in the second half, starting with her first goal in the 56th minute. Debinha sent the ball forward for Williams and Kristen Hamilton. The ball fell to Hamilton’s feet, forcing Sheridan off her line. Instead of shooting, Hamilton passed the ball off to Williams, who was able to tap it into the back of the net. In the 72nd minute, Debinha sent the ball down the field to Williams, who went one-on-one with Sheridan and was able to put the ball past her into the bottom corner of the net. She wrapped things up in the 89th minute, capitalizing off a mistake by Sheridan. Williams now has 8 goals on the season and is in third place for the Golden Boot behind Lindsey Horan and Sam Kerr.

2. Sam Kerr— Kerr came up with another important goal this week when the Chicago Red Stars hosted the Seattle Reign on Saturday night. The game was scoreless despite the teams having a combined total of 32 shots and nine shots on goal throughout the game, including seven shots and four shots on goal for Kerr. Kerr changed that scoresheet in the 87th minute. Nagasato was able to capitalize off a poor goalkick by Michelle Betos, heading the ball right to the feet of Kerr who was unmarked. Kerr sent the ball to the far corner and it slid right past Betos. The goal was enough to earn the Red Stars three points at home and marked Kerr’s 9th goal of the season, putting her equal with Lindsey Horan for most goals this year.

3.  Lindsey Horan— After a couple of rough matches, the Portland Thorns are starting to find their rhythm again and that means more goals from Lindsey Horan. Horan scored two of the Thorns three goals this weekend in their home match against the Houston Dash, starting in the 16th minute when Emily Sonnett sent a ball into the 18-yard box. The ball drew Jane Campbell off her line and Horan was able to head the ball past her. Her second goal came in the 31st minute when Heath sent a free-kick into the 18-yard box. Crnogorcevic got her head on it first, but the ball bounced off the crossbar and to the foot of Horan who just taps it in. Horan had six shots and four shots on goal that night.

Why Is USWNT So Far Ahead of Their Male Counterparts?

Posted on by RJ Allen

The United States Women’s National Team are the crème de la crème of women’s soccer, placing no lower than third in all seven World Cups and winning the tournament three times. They are gunning for their eighth straight World Cup appearance next year, and with it, the chance to defend the championship they won in 2015 in Canada. The team currently sits top of the FIFA Women’s World Rankings as well, where they have been ranked at either first or second since 2003.

In contrast, the USWNT’s counterparts, the United States Men’s National Team, are conspicuously absent at this year’s World Cup in Russia. The USMNT failed to qualify for the quadrennial showcase after a sorry loss to Trinidad and Tobago in their final Hexagonal World Cup qualifier. As a result, the US missed their 11th World Cup overall and first since 1986.

The USMNT’s shock setback comes hot on the heels of a strong showing in the 2014 World Cup, where The Stars and Stripes, then managed by Germany’s Jürgen Klinsmann, managed to get into the round of 16, only to fall to Belgium, 2–1. Interestingly, Belgium have built considerable momentum off of their impressive performances in Brazil, looking mighty impressive in Russia. The first European side to qualify for the World Cup per Ladbrokes’s in-depth preview, Belgium went blemish-free in the qualifiers, scoring an astonishing 43 goals in the process. In contrast, USMNT have regressed since that strong showing four years ago, with things coming to a head against Trinidad and Tobago.

Given the struggles of the men’s team, it’s only natural to wonder: Why is the USWNT so far ahead of their male counterparts?

Talent, clearly, is the main difference. The women’s team have some of the game’s best players, including Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Christen Press, Julie Ertz, and Becky Sauerbrunn, who can legitimately be considered among the finest on the planet. In years past, the team had Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Hope Solo, and Brandi Chastain. In short, the USWNT talent train is chugging along, routinely churning out elite soccer players. The NWSL, one of the most competitive women’s league in the world, is actually so full of world-class talent that some believe if North Carolina played in the next World Cup they would be one of the favorites to win.

The USMNT, on the other hand, have a dearth of world-class talent, especially now. Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey are towards the end of 30 and pretty much past their prime, while Christian Pulisic, the one player on the men’s team with legit A-level talent is still scratching the surface of his immense potential.

This talent disparity has caused another problem for the USMNT: they are caught between generations. Howard and Dempsey are 39 and 35, respectively, while squad regulars DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Orozco, Geoff Cameron, and Tim Ream are in their early 30s. The aforementioned Pulisic, meanwhile, is only 19 and is already burdened with being the best player the USMNT has by a mile. This means that the team is rolling with a mix of past-their-prime veterans and unproven youngsters with relatively no international experience. The USWNT, on the other hand, have no such problems, as they continuously parade talent-rich lineups fortified by veterans, in-their-prime superstars, and up-and-comers ready to make their mark on the sport. This means that every women’s team that the USWNT rolls out in international tournaments is well balanced, and neither too young to be overwhelmed by the bright lights of international play nor too old to get left behind.

The USWNT have also benefited from a stable, not to mention very capable, coaching staff. The fact that Jill Ellis and her assistants have steered clear from controversy certainly helps, too, as the players have been able to focus solely on football. Jürgen Klinsmann’s tenure with the USMNT, in contrast, was marred by controversial decisions that in many ways led to the German losing the confidence of the locker room. His replacement, Bruce Arena, was no better, with Yahoo! Sports sportswriter Nick Mendola ruing Arena’s clear preference for his favorite MLS players.

It helps, too, that the team has consistently won over a long period, which has allowed the USWNT to build a winning culture among a talented pool of players. A high standard has been set and this positive mentality has been passed down from team to team and is very prominent in the current USWNT.

Now, the women’s World Cup is still a year away, and with the men’s team not playing in the current tournament, the pressure is on for the USWNT to prevent a World Cup double whammy for the red, white, and blue. But given the sustained excellence of the USWNT, a trip to France in 2019 seems very likely, as does the chances of bringing the World Cup trophy home for the fourth time.

Backline Chat: The Sky Blue Story and Media Responsibility

Posted on by RJ Allen

Charles Olney (@olneyce): Hi everyone, and welcome to this week’s slackchat. We can get into the stuff on the pitch in a second, but first we should address the topic of conditions for players – particularly those who play for the franchises with a little bit less to offer. Obviously, this isn’t a new issue, but it’s back at the front of our minds thanks to Sam Kerr’s comments last weekend about coming back to face Sky Blue.

What do people think about those comments, and about the larger question of amenities for players?

RJ Allen (@TheSoccerCritic): Personally I think we as media – and I’m including myself in this as much as anyone here at Backline or in American Soccer Media – have in many ways dropped the ball here.

I don’t know about others but I think for me and maybe others there was a sense we didn’t want to “pile on” to a team by bringing up some issues, maybe we couldn’t get a few people on the record or what have you. But it is an open secret that some clubs do not have an acceptable standard and we have largely only acted when something even worse than that happened. Instead of going after the standard because it is what it is when the players had to work and live with every day.

Luis Hernandez (@radioactivclown): If it wasn’t for Sam Kerr we wouldn’t even be having this conversation so points for her for being a spotlight on this. I think fans outside of the area don’t have any idea how bad things are or have been. Then it’s a matter of the state of Sky Blue. To me, it’s a bit of a frustration because the owners of the team actually have more money than most people would expect. Why are the owners not putting more resources into Sky Blue and doing things on the cheap? Is it one of those things where the money lost on the club is actually some type of tax loss write-off.

RJ Allen: I don’t think this is just a Sky Blue issue though. I think they might be the worst in some areas but it really isn’t just them.

Becky Schoenecker (@Beckster20): I think it obviously effects the league as a whole, these players already make so many sacrifices and then to ask them to choose between a Utah or Sky Blue the answer is pretty obvious from a quality of life standpoint. I feel like it’s going to turn into a playing for them as a last resort which shouldn’t be the case.

Charles Olney: To me, this big question for Sky Blue is whether there is any interest in turning this into a team that can actually seek to compete with the rest of the league. I don’t mean in terms of player acquisition. Despite their terrible record this year, Sky Blue has a decent roster that could reasonably hang with the other playoff hopefuls. I just mean in terms of producing an acceptable quality of life in a league where standards are going up.

And I think several of you are right to note that this isn’t exclusively a Sky Blue thing. It’s a matter of what standards we think are appropriate leaguewide. And Sky Blue isn’t the only offender on that front.

Luis Hernandez: I’m glad to see that the NWSL is in the process of hiring a director to oversee that clubs are meeting the higher standards.

Allison Cary (@findingallison): I agree. And as Becky said, it does affect where people choose to play. Obviously players will want to go somewhere that will give them a reasonable quality of life and help them perform well on the pitch. And there seems to be quite a gap there throughout the current teams.

RJ Allen: I think the league has been too worried about getting its footing that it hasn’t cut ties with teams when it should.

To be frank there are teams in this league that should have been gone years ago but haven’t been “kicked out of the pool” because the league has had very little direction and they “just don’t do that in woso” often.

Luis Hernandez: I mentioned this earlier on Twitter. Is this a case of a rising tide lifts all boats or a rising tide lifts some and has other run aground?

Charles Olney: Luis’s question is a good one (and one not limited to the US). In England, Manchester United is finally joining the party and was given a free step right up to the top level, while other teams have struggled for a long time. But you can understand why. Man U will instantly have resources far in excess of the franchises that have been around a long time. If the primary goal is quality of life, it’s imperative to get them up and rolling.

Allison Cary: I agree with what you said RJ. The league wants stability, especially from a marketing standpoint. If the press isn’t calling out player conditions, then the league can get away with cutting corners on player amenities and keep those teams afloat.

RJ Allen: I think women’s soccer in American has done a very bad job over the three leagues in checking owners out before they come in to the league, as well.

Charles Olney: In the NWSL, we’ve lost Boston, FCKC, and Western New York just in the last two years. But there’s no denying that those changes have resulted in a significant gain for player conditions. The issue is balance. Can you keep the league stable enough to build emotional investment from the fans, while also steadily making progress on these fronts?

RJ Allen: I don’t think losing teams is really all that bad for the league as long as they are being replaced in other locations with better ownership. I feel for the fans but some places just don’t have ownership interests if the owners currently there aren’t stepping up or can’t.

Luis Hernandez: Ultimately, you’re going to have to take a couple of step back as the league is trying to take steps forward. There is always focus on wages for players and the league addresses these issues at a snail’s pace but at least it knows some of the faults and tries to address it without tipping over the apple cart

Becky Schoenecker: I honestly think you can. It’s a shame on the end of the fans who have city teams that move on to ‘better’ markets, but for the league as a whole I think it’s a positive. My issue with it is that I think New Jersey and Washington for instance have great areas, fans, and could be great but there’s a lack of investment and ownership. If hypothetically Atlanta picked up New Jersey and conditions improved substantially I’d be thrilled for the team and league.

RJ Allen: The idea of USL taking over management of the league is something that could change a lot of this.

Or at least it’s nice to think it may.

Luis Hernandez: there’s elements of risk if USL merges with NWSL but the overall reward may be worth it. it still doesn’t address federated player differences.

RJ Allen: We don’t know what would happen with federated players though. That might be a thing of the past.

Charles Olney: I am extremely skeptical of this USL story, but it’s worth at least following along to see whether anything does come of it. I doubt that would be a good model for long-term growth. There’s no denying that the current system has serious issues, but tethering to a lower-tier men’s league doesn’t seem likely to fix the big problems, and might produce a whole lot more issues.

Allison Cary: Yeah, I’m not sure it solves a lot of problems without creating new ones.

Charles Olney: As Luis says, the real issue right now is that US Soccer has control over the purse strings, and doesn’t particularly value the league. But if the solution is simply to give up on a lot of that money, it feels like the cure might be worse than the disease.

Luis Hernandez: One thing that could happen if USL adds NWSL that could happen is that clubs from USL may decide to add a women’s side so there could be more women’s teams overall in the US.

RJ Allen: North Carolina has shown what is possible for an NWSL/USL partnership. And though not all of them would be that dominant, it gives me hope.

Luis Hernandez: I have mentioned that if that is the case, it could potentially lead to a stronger women’s pyramid. USL has what 30+ teams across the US and still adding more markets?

Charles Olney: [insert mandatory pro-rel reference to juice our pageviews]

RJ Allen: Pro teams should not play semi pro and amateur teams and pro/rel is snake oil. Sorry, that just slipped out.

Allison Cary: Do we think most USL teams have the budget to add a women’s side? Genuine question.

RJ Allen: It was a $4 million fee in 2016 for Nashville FC to come in to the USL. That is about what it costs a year (maybe) to run an NWSL side. So I think some clubs would have more than enough to enter a team.

Charles Olney: I find it difficult to believe the US could support that many women’s teams right now. I’d love to be wrong about that, but I think the model of developing the top tier first does make sense. I think the demand needs to be created first.

Luis Hernandez: I don’t know the finances of a typical USL team but I think they could find the money to have a women’s side. It would be nice if it was a requirement like it is in Mexico, look at how quick the success of the women’s league there.

Charles Olney: Okay, this conversation has been great. But I want to return us to RJ’s original point, about the failures of media here. Does anyone have a sense of how media coverage of these issues could be improved? Should we try to describe what we think are the minimum set of standards, and trying to hold teams accountable? Talking to players to give them more chance to make their needs clear? Something else?

RJ Allen: I think we as media need to – as much as it can be hard – need to put down our feelings more. We don’t write about issues sometime because we 1) want to people the people that are doing things that are maybe not great are trying and doing their best or 2) we don’t want to keep hammering a club on something (IE where Seattle plays or where Sky Blue plays) or 3) we don’t want to make people we like or respect look bad.

Women’s soccer is maybe 75% covered by fan media, ourselves included, and that presents challenges covering the deep seeded issues.

Luis Hernandez: Media responsibility is a thing here. You can put some of that on local media for not calling it out but the story has to also have to get traction. Media called out Orlando on attendance and lack of marketing and that became a thing that caused the club front office to act, but it’s still not great. But attendance is easy to have visibility while something behind the scenes are harder to call out and create the attention.

RJ Allen: But it becomes a thing for a week. Three or four people write about it and then we move on. We have to have a longer attention span as media.

Charles Olney: I personally have been surprised at how little we’ve heard from players about this stuff. I don’t know if that’s to do with a sense that the teams are trying, a sense that making waves could be extremely dangerous for players in precarious situations, or simply because media folks haven’t been asking around those stories.

Luis Hernandez: Media can describe poor practice fields or other standards but that’s not getting the push from outraged fans like say playing a match on a base field because we can point to something we all see.

RJ Allen: Players can be cut and left without anything. Sam Kerr has protection as one of the best in the word. Can the same be said for the players this hurts most?

Allison Cary: Yeah, I think the players that would benefit the most from drawing attention to this stuff are the people who can’t without risk of losing their job or some other punishment. That’s why I think its great that Sam Kerr brought attention to it. She has the protection to do so, as RJ said.

Charles Olney: It can be dangerous for players to speak on the record. But I think we in the media have a responsibility to start reporting stories that can’t be tied back to named individuals. A few exposes could go a long way.

RJ Allen: I think it has to come from the non NT – of any country – players.

Charles Olney: I think we all hope that the Players Association is able to step into this space, and start advocating in more aggressive ways.

But I think RJ is right that the PA is very limited in its power because of the disparity between NT players and everyone else.

RJ Allen: I think the PA is a great idea in theory but I have been disappointed with how little they have spoken about anything. Good or bad.

Luis Hernandez: We don’t know what happens behind the scenes

RJ Allen: It’s our job to find out. It is our job and we are a media are failing at it.

Luis Hernandez: I’ve seen players and coaches promote those bracelets to raise money for the PA. I don’t think anyone has asked one of the player reps anything to what the PA is doing

RJ Allen: I’d also like to point out, for the record, Sky Blue is between NYC and Philly with about 100,000 paid sports reporters. And Washington is outside DC with another 50,000. Where are they on any of this? Even the ones that say they care about women’s sports or soccer?

Charles Olney: Alright, after an important, serious conversation, let’s turn to the (slightly) less pressing issue of the games themselves. At the moment, North Carolina is leading the league by 367,425 points, and Seattle has built a small buffer between them and the rest of the playoff contenders. But those 2-4 spots are still very much open. And the 2-7 teams are all playing each other this weekend! What are people excited about?

RJ Allen: North Carolina clinching so we can stop talking about them for 15 minutes.

Luis Hernandez: The first red card being issued in the seaso….oh wait.

Charles Olney: It’s a pretty big weekend. If Seattle, Utah, and Houston were to win, we’d have five teams within two points – all competing for two spots. On the other hand, if Houston and Utah lose, they could find themselves five or six points adrift. For the sake of excitement, I’d love to see the former. (edited)

Luis Hernandez: Marta being named UN goodwill ambass… DOH!

RJ Allen: The Chicago vs Seattle game could be a really big one.

Allison Cary: I think the Orlando-Utah match is a big one. Neither team has been playing great. I think this could be a massive three points for either side.

RJ Allen: Does Utah have 4 rostered defenders that are healthy and not suspended right now?

Luis Hernandez: Every game has real implications on the playoff picture and that’s great. Orlando and Utah have played to two draws in their previous meetings.

Allison Cary: Yeah, and a draw provides the least amount of excitement on the table so that’s probably what will happen. Also RJ: that’s a good question.

RJ Allen: They do not, BTW.

Allison Cary: Yikes.

Luis Hernandez: Has anyone noticed now that NWSL is on ESPN(news) that it seems like there’s a Sports Center Top 10 play featuring the NWSL?

RJ Allen: Very on brand for ESPN.

Charles Olney: Okay, final question: with the Men’s World Cup final coming up, any thoughts connecting it back to women’s soccer?

RJ Allen: If France wins, does that break the French curse and make it possible for the French WNT to win in 2019?

Allison Cary: I’m gonna say no. But that’s mainly because I don’t want to get my hopes up.

RJ Allen: Germany is the only team that has won on the MNT and WNT sides, right? Or does Norway have a WNT and MNT World Cup?

Charles Olney: Germany is the only one. And they never held both simultaneously. It would certainly be cool if France could manage that feat. Especially when the Cup is in France.

RJ Allen: I will be eating lots of French bread during the summer of 2019 in honor of the World Cup. And for no other reason.

Allison Cary: If the MNT wins the Cup tomorrow, and the WNT wins the Cup next year IN FRANCE I’ll probably move there and attempt to become a permanent resident. That seems completely rational.

Luis Hernandez: I think a better story is the French men’s team fails to win the World Cup and the next year the women on home soil win the World Cup to the glory of France. Causing women’s soccer to be the most popular sport in the country

RJ Allen: I don’t want Croatia to get it with their poor support for the WNT though. At least France supports their WNT. Sometimes.

Allison Cary: Yeah, France isn’t perfect but the situation in Croatia is pretty bleak.

Charles Olney: Alright, that’s a wrap. Thanks for participating, and thanks to everyone for reading. And if you’ve got topics you’d like to see us discuss in a future episode, you know where to find us on Twitter.