Author: RJ Allen

The World’s Best Soccer Nations? A Look At The Women’s Game in France And Croatia

Posted on by RJ Allen

After nearly a month of exciting football in Russia, we finally know who will be playing in the (Men’s) World Cup Final on Sunday. France, the hosts of next year’s Women’s World Cup, are hoping to repeat their 1998 success and join Argentina and Uruguay with two World Cup trophies. But while some people had Croatia as a dark horse in the tournament, very few saw them making it all the way to the Final. While France has won all of their matches without extra time or penalties, Croatia has gone to extra time or penalties for their last three matches. France are the favorites to win, but as Croatia has proven, anything can happen on game day. 

France and Croatia have beaten some of the best men’s sides in the world to get here. Some will call them the best soccer nations in the world. But what about their women’s teams? France offers a solid women’s side that always finds a way to the top international tournaments. But Croatia’s roster have faced more struggles. Here is a full breakdown of both sides: 

France

FIFA Ranking: 3rd

Head Coach: Corinne Diacre

Captain: Amadine Henry

Key Players: Wendie Renard (Lyon, FRA), Eugenie Le Sommer (Lyon, FRA), Amandine Henry (Lyon, FRA)

History: France has had an active national team since 1975. They qualified for their first World Cup in 2003, but didn’t really start to emerge as one of the best teams in the world until Bruno Bini took over as head coach. When Bini took over, France had a lot of young stars that would lead them to success in the coming years. In 2009, they made it to the quarterfinals of the Euros before losing to the Netherlands on penalties. In 2011, they qualified for the World Cup again and made a run to the semi-finals. They continued that success over the next four years and entered the 2015 World Cup as contenders for the championship. But they faced a daunting quarterfinal matchup against Germany. After 120 minutes played, France lost on penalties.

Where They Are Now: France is hosting the Women’s World Cup next summer, which means they have automatically qualified for the tournament. And while some think the hosts will make a run for the title, the team has a lot to work out before they can beat the best in the world. Many of their players play for Lyon, which is arguably the best team in the world. That may sound like a benefit, but the lack of competition within France means much of the French roster is being pushed to get better. In addition, the international retirement of players like Louisa Necib, Camile Abily, and Elodie Thomis has France looking for young talent. They certainly could benefit from finding their own Kylian Mbappe.

Croatia

FIFA Ranking: 53rd

Head Coach: Bozidar Miletic

Captain: Iva Landeka

Key Players: Iva Landeka (Rosengard, SWE), Sandra Zigic (Jena, GER), Maja Joscak (Osijek, CRO)

History: Croatia played their first international match in October of 1993 against Slovenia. In their 25 years, they have fluctuated between 44th and 65th in the FIFA Rankings. They became eligible for the Euro’s in 1995, but have never qualified. They did not enter the qualifiers for the 1995 or 1999 Women’s World Cups, but started playing qualifiers for the 2003 tournament. They have never qualified. Their most capped player—Sandra Zigic—has 58 caps and is still playing. In fact, of the top five most-capped players, four are still active for the national team. 

Where They Are Now: Currently, Croatia’s focus is trying to qualify for the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. They are in a group with Sweden, Denmark, Ukraine, and Hungary, but unfortunately, they have not had much luck so far. They are at the bottom of the group, with only two points in seven matches.  It seems unlikely that they will qualify for this tournament and there aren’t a lot of signs of growth from the squad. They have yet to win a match in qualifiers, earning draws only against Hungary and Ukraine. Still, Croatia’s team has remained active and has a lot of young talent that could potentially develop into something. Only time will tell. 

So, are these two teams really the best soccer nations? With France, there is a strong argument. In addition to their success on the men’s side, their women’s team is ranked No. 3 in the world. They are hosting the next Women’s World Cup, and they are contenders to win that tournament. Even though France could and should be doing more to shrink the gap between the men’s and women’s teams, both of their national programs are widely respected around the world. But with Croatia, the argument is a lot harder. Despite obvious success on the men’s side, their women’s team has failed to even qualify for a major international tournament. Their federation is comparably young. Perhaps Croatia could use some of that prize money from the men’s tournament to invest in the women’s game as well. But as long as half the population remains virtually unrepresented, I don’t think you can call Croatia the best soccer nation in the world. Their run in the Men’s World Cup has been incredible. It’s time we see that success on the women’s side as well. 

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances in Week 15

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.

Another week gone in the NWSL, and we are no to figuring out who will finish in those last three playoff spots. Week 15 was packed with goals, with an average of four goals scored in each of the five matches. It was also a good week for the home team, with only Sky Blue dropping points at home. The Orlando Pride picked up three points at home thanks to a crazy last-minute goal from Marta. Sam Kerr, who left Sky Blue in the offseason to join the Chicago Red Stars, scored her first hat-trick of the season against her former team. And Friday night’s matchup between the Utah Royals and the Portland Thorns saw three Thorns players earn a goal and an assist. Here is a full breakdown of the scores from this week:

North Carolina Courage vs. Chicago Red Stars (4-1)

Portland Thorns vs. Utah Royals (4-0)

Sky Blue vs. Chicago Red Stars (1-3)

Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit (2-1)

Seattle Reign vs. Houston Dash (3-1)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Adriana Franch— Since returning from injury last month, Franch has been on fire for the Portland Thorns. However, this was her first clean sheet since coming back and the only clean sheet in Week 15. In the Portland Thorns 4-0 victory over Utah, the Royals had some trouble getting their offense going. Franch only faced seven shots, making three saves. But those saves were critical to keeping the clean sheet and preventing the Royals from creating any sort of comeback. Her best save came in the 57th minute. Katrina Gorry found a window and launched her shot from outside the 18-yard box. Franch reached up and caught the ball, pulling it down smoothly. It was enough to earn her an NWSL Save of the Week nomination.

2. Aubrey Bledsoe— Bledsoe has been a star for a Washington Spirit roster that has otherwise struggled. While she gave up two goals in the Spirit’s loss against her former team, she also had some fantastic saves that kept the Spirit in the match. The Pride created their first real scoring opportunity in the 7th minute. Krieger slipped through the Spirit defense and passed the ball to Marta, who was unmarked. Marta sent a rocket at Bledsoe, who was able to dive and push the ball out. In the 27th minute, Marta came charging down the field. She passed the ball off to Chioma Obogagu, who tried to put the ball in just under the cross bar. Bledsoe jumped and got her fingers on it, tapping the ball over the net and keeping the Pride at bay. Overall, Bledsoe faced 31 shots from the Pride and made 10 saves.

3. Alyssa Naeher— The Chicago Red Stars had a busy week, facing the North Carolina Courage on Wednesday before flying to New Jersey to take on Sky Blue on Saturday. Naeher didn’t have the best game against the Courage— the Red Stars lost 4-1 on the road. But she and the rest of her team rebounded on Saturday against Sky Blue. Their opponents looked to score early on in the match, with Carli Lloyd sending a ball through the defense to Imani Dorsey. Dorsey was one-on-one with Naeher, but Naeher made the call to come off her line and made a sliding save just as Dorsey got her shot off. Naeher had another impressive save when Savannah McCaskill managed to get behind the Sky Blue defense and passed the ball off to Imani Dorsey. Dorsey took her shot, but Naeher blocked the shot and the ball deflected. Naeher faced nine shots from Sky Blue and made four saves on the night.

Top Three Defenders

1. Denise O’Sullivan— O’Sullivan is a versatile midfielder who can often be found on the scoring sheet for the North Carolina Courage. But this week, O’Sullivan found herself with a Save of the Week nomination. Her superb defensive moment came in the 16th minute. Danielle Colaprico sent a corner into the box that found the head of Morgan Brian. It looked like the ball was going into the top corner but O’Sullivan jumped up with a header of her own and saved the ball on the line. Her follow-up header allowed the North Carolina Courage to clear the ball and the match remained scoreless. The Courage went on to win the match 4-1.

2. Amber Brooks— Much of the talk about Brooks this week isn’t about her defensive skill, but about the goal she scored against the Seattle Reign in the 12th minute. The goal— a lower header off the corner from Sofia Huerta—  is Brooks’ first goal of the season. But her defensive skill in the match against the Seattle Reign should not be overlooked. Brooks had five tackles, nine clearances, six interceptions, and one block against Seattle.

3. Estelle Johnson— Despite disappointing results, Johnson and Church have been solid central defenders over the last few weeks. The Pride offense roared with life against the Spirit, and it took a lot of defensive effort to keep the Spirit in the match. In the 33rd minute, Leroux tried to twist around Johnson and take a shot, but Johnson blocked it and the ball went into the side-netting. She had another good block in 52nd minute, when Marta passed the ball off to Sydney Leroux just outside of the 18-yard box. Leroux got a lot of power into the shot, but Johnson stuck her foot out and stopped it. In almost the same position just two minutes later, Johnson blocked another similar shot from Marta. 

Top Three Attackers

1. Sam Kerr— Kerr returned to Yurcak Field on Saturday night to face her former team, Sky Blue. After being frustrated in Wednesday night’s match against the North Carolina Courage, Kerr found a rhythm in New Jersey. Her first goal came in the 40th minute. Alyssa Mautz sent the ball into the box a little behind Kerr, but Kerr was able to backtrack and get possession. She set up her shot on the edge of the 18-yard box and sent her shot into the bottom corner. She kept that momentum going right at the start of the second half. In the 46th minute, Kerr received a nice ball inside the box from Yuki Nagasato. Kerr brought the ball down and launched her shot into the far bottom corner. The ball went through the legs of Madison Tiernan and into the back of the net. But she wasn’t finished yet. In the 63rd minute, Nagasato sent another brilliant ball in for Kerr, who slipped behind the defense. She went one-on-one with Sheridan and won, once again playing the ball in the bottom corner. This is Kerr’s first hat trick of the season. She leads the league with eight goals this season. 

2. Tobin Heath— The Thorns had been shaky going into Week 15, and they knew they needed to pick up three points at home. Heath started things early in the match against the Utah Royals. Her goal—  the first of four for Portland that night—  came in the 2nd minute. Crnogorcevic and Heath were surrounded by Utah defenders, but Crnogorcevic set up the shot for Heath and she chipped goalkeeper Abby Smith. It took nearly 30 minutes for them to score again, and this time it was Heath and Horan who teamed up for the goal. The Thorns won a free kick and Heath sent the ball into the 18-yard box. Horan jumped up and got her head on it, sending the ball into the back of the net. The Thorns went on to win the match 4-0, with one goal and one assist from Heath, Crnogorcevic, and Horan. 

3. Marta—  With Alex Morgan out due to injury, Marta took over at the center-forward position for the Orlando Pride in their match against the Washington Spirit. From the beginning, you could tell that Marta was going to find the back of the net. She recorded a total of eleven shots that night, five shots on goal, and created a total of eight chances. But her best moment came in the 86th minute. The game was tied 1-1 thanks to goals from Ashley Hatch and Sydney Leroux, but the Pride wanted the three points at home. They were being frustrated by the Washington Spirit, and had a goal from Dani Weatherholt called back due to a foul. As leaders do, Marta saw an opportunity and stepped up to the plate. She received the pass from Leroux and ran down the field, with the Spirit defense trying to keep up. When Marta got into the box, she had Whitney Church in front of her and Estelle Johnson a little farther back. Marta stepped from side-to-side, finally getting around her defenders and took the shot. It went over the fingertips of Aubrey Bledsoe and bounced off the cross-bar, into the back of the net. The goal was enough to get the Pride those three points and keep the Pride in the hunt for the playoffs. 

 

It’s Time for Sky Blue to Start Making Concrete Promises

Posted on by RJ Allen

The last two offseasons have seen considerable movement among NWSL franchises, with Western New York relocating to North Carolina, FC Kansas City being replaced by the Utah Royals, and the Boston Breakers folding suddenly in early 2018.

All this movement has generated some persistent chatter about the status of other franchises, with Sky Blue FC being regularly mentioned as a spot of concern. Compared to many of the other NWSL teams, Sky Blue offers a far less impressive support infrastructure for its players and a less impressive gameday experience for its fans. With discussions swirling about raised standards, there have long been low-level conversations about whether (and how) they might work to raise their standards.

Things finally came to a head this weekend, however, with the the instigating event being a postgame interview with Sam Kerr. Asked about her feelings coming back to play her former club, Kerr provided a heartfelt and plaintive comment, as reported by Dan Lauletta:

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These are not new issues, but one of the world’s best players raising the topic—and doing so in this way, more in sadness than in anger—has turned on the spotlight. Additional fuel was then added to the fire when the Cloud 9 supporters group released their own statement building off Kerr’s comments:

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Neither Kerr’s comments, nor the statement from Cloud 9, name any specific goals. The list of potential improvements is long, however, and speaks to the continuing disparity between franchises in a league where the average player barely makes a minimum wage salary. In that context, additional support—housing, modern training and matchday facilities, job opportunities, transportation, etc.—make an enormous difference in quality of life. Compare the experience at Portland, Utah, or Chicago to those at Sky Blue, for example, and it’s not difficult to understand why Kerr wanted to leave.

Obviously, every team is different, and faces different conditions. Not every team can offer what Portland provides. But there absolutely must be minimal standards, and they need to be significantly higher than what is currently offered by some teams—with Sky Blue certainly being on the list.

What’s more, even if conditions differ, we shouldn’t drift into fatalism. Portland is able to offer so much more largely because they have committed to building an organization and infrastructure capable of doing so. They have built a fanbase capable of sustaining those operations, and have redoubled their investments to continue making improvements. This process isn’t easy, but we also shouldn’t accept the idea that Portland is simply an outlier. Every NWSL team should strive to treat their players like the professionals they are. And if they can’t, serious external pressure will be needed to enforce those standards.

The pressure generated by Kerr and Cloud 9 does seem to have lit a fire, with Sky Blue releasing a statement yesterday morning promising improvements.

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This is an important step, but it’s notable just how little actual substance there is to this statement. Kerr and Cloud 9 spoke vaguely, and for good reason, but the club itself needs to start getting specific.

Sky Blue says that they are committed to “doing better.” Unless that involves making concrete and specific promises, sooner rather than later, that commitment is going to ring hollow. If they are serious about being held accountable, that means setting benchmarks against which their actions can be measured.

Change doesn’t come easily, particularly when it comes to issues as grounded as stadium infrastructure, but without something more definite, it will be hard to take this statement as anything other than an attempt to escape from a PR disaster, rather than a genuine invitation to collaboration.

This is a club with a rich history. It’s been an integral part of women’s professional soccer in this country, and no one is hoping to see them disappear. But as league standards continue to improve, Sky Blue’s position in the league is growing more and more untenable. It’s time for them to professionalize and modernize. If the investments necessary to make that happen aren’t forthcoming, it will be time to start asking whether it might be time to explore relocation.

The players deserve better. So do the fans. For all their sake, it’s time for Sky Blue to show that they’re listening, and that they’re willing to do more than just keep scraping by.

Kim DeCesare making good on a long-held goal with Elon Women’s Soccer

Posted on by RJ Allen

Kim DeCesare wrote her retirement letter while awaiting a plane to North Carolina and her first college coaching job. Since landing, she’s made peace with her past and now embraces the future.

“I thought, I want to write something that people can use to help them reflect on their own experiences and kind of reassure myself at the same time,” she told Backline Soccer during a phone interview last week. “Even though my professional career wasn’t the best and wasn’t the most successful that it still was an important part of my life. I also feel like I‘ve learned so much … I learned a lot about myself, soccer, and the world really​.”

For 20 years, Kim DeCesare has identified as a soccer player. The beautiful game of football has taken her from Long Island to North Carolina, around the world, and back again. On June 14, DeCesare was named assistant coach of the  Elon University Women’s Soccer program, just 40 miles west of Duke University where she played college soccer.

In the piece for Women’s Soccer Zone, DeCesare beautifully discussed  understanding to appreciate a career plagued by injury and perhaps void of the traditional success and accolades of a professional athlete.

“I am not here looking for sympathy or pity.  This is an opportunity for whoever is reading to know that careers, which are not entirely packed with countless minutes, prestigious awards and multiple championships, should still be recognized as successful.  It is all about how you define achievement and what you decide to learn from it.  I consider myself lucky to have the ability to move on from things quickly and see the bigger picture.  Let’s be honest, you don’t learn as many lessons from the easy, happy and positive experiences, as you do from the shitty ones.”

Back to something familiar

It is not unusual for players to shift to coaching once they hang up the boots. However, it’s not as common to coach, train, and referee as a pre-teen. DeCesare enrolled in a referee course at age 11. “It was a six-week referee course. It was three hours a night for a couple of nights a week.”

She served as a referee for two years before becoming a personal trainer.  “Around 13 of 14 years old, I started coaching little kids. I remember I would ride my bike to my neighbor’s house, pick her up on my bike, ride to the park and trainer her for an hour and earn $5-$10.”

By her first two college seasons at Duke University, DeCesare knew she wanted to coach at the college level, “By my freshman or sophomore year of college, I was like, ‘I want to be a college coach. I want to be a coach at Duke.'” As she begins her first year with Elon, DeCesare has much to learn. Yet, starting a second soccer career one county over from Duke must feel pretty good.

He latest international stop was in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven. She moved in hopes of reviving an injury-plagued career but again was sidelined with a broken leg. It was during the time DeCesare circled back to some WoSo news she had heard in passing. “I heard that Elon was getting a new women’s soccer coaching staff,  but I remember not even thinking about it [much]. Then [around the time] I broke my leg … I thought maybe I should see what the update is with that.” By then, Elon had already announced their new head coach Neil Payne and assistant coach Paul Babba. 

“I made a phone call to my college coach and asked, ‘Do you know the coach they just hired at Elon … are they already done with their staff?” As fate would have it, Duke head coach Robbie Church was set to meet with coach Payne for lunch the week DeCesare reached out. Introductions and conversations moved from there.
Straight from the Netherlands, DeCesare traveled to Alamance County, North Carolina. However, most of her time thus far has been spent recruiting, most recently in California. 

Female coaches in women’s soccer

While out west, she was shocked to be in the company of other female coaches. DeCesare is aware of the stereotypes and biases that come with being a woman in this profession. “I think it’s a tricky situation, being a female coach,” she told Backline. “I don’t think [female coaches] are as well received as men.”  DeCesare added she hopes not fall into the stereotypes of women in coaching. Stereotypes are just one potential burden female coaches face.
In a piece for SB Nation, Stephanie Yang outlines the current gender gap in soccer. While the participation of girls and women continues to rise, female coaches have declined since Title IX. ” Soccer is growing, but not for everyone, and that’s a problem,” writes Yang.  “The ugly truth of the beautiful game is that bias, cultural expectation, and lack of opportunity keep it out of the hands of women who want to help it flourish.” All the more reason DeCesare was eager to take the opportunity at Elon. “I knew I had to go for it,” she remarked.
Six years in professional soccer may mean shaking off the rust when it comes to office tasks. “I’ve been joking with my friends that like I have to learn excel (laughs). That kind of stuff is a little bit of a learning curve for me.” On the pitch, neither DeCesare nor her colleagues lack confidence or familiarity with the game. Collectively, the  Elon staff has over 31 years of soccer knowledge—not counting Kim, or the collective playing experience of Payne and Babba.   

Laying the foundation

Fresh off writing her own realizations about her soccer career, DeCesare is in position to inspire the next generation of players in soccer and beyond. As for her, mastering the interplay between the social, tactical, and physical well enough to coach is the next challenge. Her role at Elon is to facilitate the learning of the players and act as somewhat of a liaison between lessons taught on the pitch and the practical use of soccer skills elsewhere in life. “I think that’s important as well. That it not just be about soccer, or school, or a social life. I want to inspire them to believe they can become a better soccer player every day.”
DeCesare also emphasized— a good-natured but deliberate manner— she wants to win.
The Phoenix posted a 9-6-4 record in 2017, but struggled in CAA Conference play (2-4-3). The team opens the season August 7 versus former SoCon rival Furman. DeCesare returns to Durham to face her alma mater on August 26.

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances in Week 14

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.

Week 14 was packed with action, with three midweek matches and four matches over the weekend. After winning their match against the Washington Spirit in Week 13, the Pride dropped to 3rd place after losing both of their Week 14 matches. The Chicago Red Stars extended their unbeaten streak, defeating the Washington Spirit 2-0 on Sunday and pulling themselves into the 4th place slot. And many new faces made an impact this week, with Christen Press scoring her first goal in a Utah Royals kit on Saturday night against Sky Blue, and Morgan Brian making her 2018 NWSL debut as a substitute for Chicago. Here is a full breakdown of the scores from this week:

Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash (1-2)

Utah Royals vs. Seattle Reign (0-0)

Portland Thorns vs. Sky Blue (1-1)

Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage (0-3)

Utah Royals vs. Sky Blue (3-1)

Seattle Reign vs. Portland Thorns (1-0)

Chicago Red Stars vs. Washington Spirit (2-0)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Adriana Franch— Franch started in both of the matches for the Portland Thorns this week, allowing just two goals in two games . Against Sky Blue, she had three saves and faced fourteen shots. She had a great save in the 38th minute off a shot from Imani Dorsey. She made another important stop in the 87th minute, when Sky Blue thought they could steal three points at the last minute. Shea Groom got around her defender and tried to slot one past Franch, but the Portland goalkeeper blocked the shot with her knee. Portland’s second match this week was on the road against the Seattle Reign. Megan Rapinoe launched a couple of rockets during that game, but Franch managed to keep them out. One such save in the 87th minute earned Franch an NWSL Save of the Week nomination. In total, she made eight saves and faced eighteen shots against Seattle. 

2. Jane Campbell— The Houston Dash played just once this week, earning a 2-1 victory over the Orlando Pride. In that match, Campbell faced 21 shots and made five saves. Early in the match, she made an impressive kick save off a shot from Kristen Edmonds. In the 63rd minute, Edmonds sent the ball into the box and Dani Weatherholt got a shot off her heel. But Campbell knew where the ball was and leapt up to save it. Finally, after the Houston Dash had taken the lead, Chioma Ubogagu tried to send in a cross into the box, but Campbell punched the ball away, ensuring that her team earned three points on the road. 

3. Michelle Betos— The Seattle Reign have alternated between Lydia Williams and Michelle Betos throughout the season. Betos got the start in their midweek draw against the Utah Royals, while Williams got the start in their 1-0 victory over Portland over the weekend. Betos faced sixteen shots from the Utah Royals and made six saves. The Royals got a lot of shots off early, but Betos was able to shut down their opportunities. Christen Press tested her luck in the 16th minute, taking a shot from outside the 18-yard box, but Betos made a diving save. She made almost the exact same save against five minutes later, off another shot from Christen Press. In the 64th minute, Press dribbled the ball into the box and tried to send the ball in front of the net while she had Betos distracted, but Betos got her hand on it and ultimately the ball was cleared by the defense. The Royals had more than twice as many shots that night as the Reign did, so it is a testament to Betos and the Seattle defense that they were able to get the point and the clean sheet. 

Top Three Defenders

1. Becky Sauerbrunn— Sauerbrunn is one of the best defenders in the league, and usually finds herself somewhere on this list every week. In Week 14, the Utah Royals played two matches and earned four points, with Sauerbrunn playing the full 90 minutes in both games. Their first match was a scoreless draw against the Seattle Reign. While the Reign have one of the strongest offenses in the league, the Utah defense was able to limit them to just seven shots on the night. In that match, Sauerbrunn had five clearances, two tackles, and one interception. On Saturday, she appeared with Sam Johnson for the first time since the blockbuster trade between Houston, Chicago, and Utah. Sauerbrunn had three clearances, four interceptions, and one block, and the Royals went on to win the match 3-1. 

2. Megan Oyster— The Seattle Reign also walked away with four points in two matches this week. Oyster played the full 90 minutes in both matches, and her impact was particular noticeable in the match against the Utah Royals. The Royals had eighteen shots on the night, and with the likes of Christen Press and Amy Rodriguez leading the Utah attack, it’s impressive that the Seattle defense was able to keep the game scoreless. Oyster had six interceptions on the night. 

3. Caprice Dydasco— The Washington Spirit only had one match this week, playing the Chicago Red Stars on Sunday night on the road. It seems that the Spirit always seem to attract storms, and while the game thankfully wasn’t cancelled or delayed, the Spirit and the Red Stars dealt with less-than-ideal field conditions. While the Spirit would ultimately lose that match 2-0 thanks to goals from Casey Short and Yuki Nagasato, Dydasco was a bright spot on the Washington defense. In the 51st minute, she had a good interception when Sam Kerr sent a ball across the box to Alyssa Mautz. Dydasco read the play and was able to slide in front of Mautz, keeping the ball out of the danger zone. In the 67th minute, Dydasco made another important interception. This time Michele Vasconcelos had an opportunity to score on the counter attack, with Kerr and Nagasato to her right and only Dydasco there to stop them. But again, Dydasco read the play and was able to intercept the pass to Kerr. 

Top Three Attackers

1. Katie Stengel— While all the talk has been focused on another Utah Royals striker this week, Katie Stengel made her presence known in the Royals Saturday night match against Sky Blue. Stengel scored two goals in this match, making her the only player across the NWSL to get a brace in Week 14. Stengel found her first goal in the 24th minute, thanks to a nice service from Christen Press. Press was able to place the ball right where it needed to be, and Stengel out-ran the Sky Blue defense. She went one-on-one with the goalkeeper, Kailen Sheridan, and was able to find the back of the net. Her second goal came in the 28th minute, off a free kick from well outside the 18-yard box. Katrina Gorry sent the ball into the box and Stengel was able to get her head on it, sending the ball into the top-left corner. After her second goal, she ran to the throne on the Utah Royals sidelines and celebrated like royalty.

2. Debinha— The North Carolina Courage had another impressive performance this week against the Orlando Pride, thanks in part to an assist and a goal by Debinha. She opened up scoring in the 37th minute. Crystal Dunn sent a ball into the box and there was a swarm of Courage players ready to pounce on it. Ultimately, Debinha got her foot on it and sent a powerful shot towards Ashlyn Harris. Harris got her hand on it, but there was too much momentum on the ball, and it slid past Harris’s fingers and into the goal. Only two minutes later, Debinha assisted on Merritt Mathias’s goal. Denise O’Sullivan originally intercepted the ball from the Pride defense. She passed the ball on to Debinha in the middle, who set up the shot for Mathias on the right. Mathias was able to step up and launch her shot, which bounced through the Pride defense and past Harris, giving the Courage their second goal in as many minutes. They would go on to win the match 3-0, scoring their third goal a minute later. 

3. Yuki Nagasato— Nagasato is proving to be one of the more important players on the Chicago Red Stars roster. This week, she earned her third goal of the season in the 60th minute of the Red Stars home match against the Washington Spirit. Sam Kerr got the ball and ran down the left side of the pitch. She sent the ball into the box and Nagasato stepped up with a diving header, sending the ball past Aubrey Bledsoe. Nagasato now has three goals and two assists on the season for Chicago. 

Backline Chat: How Good is North Carolina, and NWSL Discipline

Posted on by RJ Allen

Charles Olney (@olneyce): Welcome everyone to this week’s Backline chat. We’re talking on Thursday, after yet another huge North Carolina victory last night. So why don’t we start there. The Courage are pretty much a lock to win the Shield, so the only real question is: what percentage chance do you give them to win the championship? Would you rather bet on them, or on the field?

RJ Allen (@TheSoccerCritic): Honestly right now I am not sure how you don’t pick them to win even with the “curse.” They are beating the teams in the top 6 – outside of Utah – like a drum.

Allison Cary (@findingallison): Yeah, I agree. The one time they lost was a really great goal in the dying minutes of the game. Obviously stuff can change between now and the championship, but I’d absolutely bet on them.

Luis Hernandez (@radioactivclown): I’m going with the field. With the playoff setup, a one-off game. Crazy things can happen. The better team doesn’t always win.

Charles Olney: I know a lot has been made over the years about the ‘curse,’ which is sort of an annoying meme. So I’d certainly like to see them win if only for that. But even with their ridiculous dominance so far, I still would have trouble betting on them at over 50% odds. It’s just really hard to beat good teams in the playoffs. That said…given what they’ve done over the last couple weeks…

RJ Allen: I think adding HAO pushes NC over the top though. She is still a really good player and adding her in just makes them that harder to beat.

Charles Olney: It is ridiculous that they were able to add her without giving up any 2018 value. Not that it was a bad trade. I’m pretty high on Doniak and I think Utah may get a lot of value there. But right now, NC went from incredibly good to even-more incredibly good.

Allison Cary: I agree with the idea that anything can happen in the playoffs. But if I had to guess now… like RJ said, they’re consistently dominating teams they will likely meet in the playoffs. Anyone can have a good day, but  if I had to pick one to win the day, I’m definitely picking NCC.

Luis Hernandez: I’m biased and you can’t go against results but versus the Pride when the Courage put the game away in a four minute lapse from Orlando. Any playoff team can find a game plan to counter North Carolina. It’s just a matter of execution.

RJ Allen: NC is like HAO though. You already know what they are going to do. But you still can’t beat them.

Charles Olney: Okay, so related question: who do you think has the best chance of beating them? And what do you think is the right way to play them?

RJ Allen: Utah. I think Riley and Harvey play enough alike it gives NC the hardest match up. And adding Press counters the Dunn/Williams effect.

Luis Hernandez: And right now nobody executes better than the Courage. What I think about them is that they never let up.

Charles Olney: I’ll start by saying that I think Chicago’s game plan this week was pretty solid, and absolutely could have succeeded on another night. If Kerr had finished a couple of her chances, Chicago could have packed it in an protected their lead, and the storylines would be a lot different. It didn’t work out, but the ideas were good. I’d give the Red Stars at least some chance of making it stick next time.

Utah obviously has been the only team to have any real success so far, and I’ll be VERY curious to see how their third game goes.

RJ Allen: I think on a perfect night for them that Seattle could beat them. But everything has to be perfect and the last time they met it was far from it.

Charles Olney: I think that’s a good point, RJ. With every other team in the league, you can squint and see how they beat North Carolina, but they need it all to go right. If Seattle is missing Rapinoe, it gets really hard for them. If Kerr isn’t finishing, Chicago can’t do it. If Orlando doesn’t get peak Marta, they probably can’t manage it. But North Carolina could probably survive several hiccups. Mewis is out? No problem. No Hinkle? Fine. Dunn is out for a month? They’ll manage.

RJ Allen: Yup. They are like sharks teeth. Always something behind to cover.

Allison Cary: Completely agree.

Luis Hernandez: I think each of the playoff teams in the league can beat NC if they play their game and don’t fall into the Courage’s trap. The Red Stars could be more dangerous if Kerr doesn’t miss those chances. Same with Orlando, the offense didn’t click plus Sermanni hasn’t gotten the midfield right against them.

RJ Allen: I think Orlando’s defense has too many holes overall to stand up to a fully attacking NC though.

Allison Cary: I’m inclined to say Utah, but that’s mainly based off of past games. I think any team CAN do it, but like Luis said it’s about execution. Obviously catching NC on an “off” day would be helpful. If they even have those.

Luis Hernandez: I’m also leaning towards Utah since they were about to be successful against them but once again the Royals are as flawed as the rest of the pack. The team that faces North Carolina is going to have to take an “any given Sunday” approach.

RJ Allen: The Royals are flawed but to beat NC you have to fight fire with fire. And Harvey is all fire.

Charles Olney: To my eyes, the only real true weakness with North Carolina is against teams who can work through the initial press and get enough space in the middle to pick out a long pass. Chicago was doing that very well, but ANY of the playoff contenders could conceivably do it. But that’s not how a lot of them want to play, so it’s tough.

RJ Allen: Can, yes. Will, so far not really.

Charles Olney: So, speaking of NC’s competitors…how is everyone feeling about the playoff race? Things are still very tight, and it looks like it should be a lot of fun right through to the end.

RJ Allen: I think it’s going to come down, 2 or maybe all 3 of the spots left, to the last week or so. And that is great for the league I think.

Allison Cary: I agree. Seattle, Orlando, Chicago, Utah, and Portland are all so tight. And Houston isn’t too far back. I think it’s going to be an exciting finish.

Luis Hernandez: After the NC loss, Sermanni seemed different. He said “back to the drawing board” and I believe him. He said it isn’t going to be about just starting your best 11 players but the best 11 players who can win a particular match. I questioned him about the lack of trading while the other teams make improvements but he seems set on this group.

Charles Olney: That will certainly be an interesting storyline to follow. And not just with Orlando. Which teams look to make real changes vs. which ones stick to the plan and just work on executing.

Luis Hernandez: I’ll buy more into Houston when the Pride play them at BBVA coming up.

RJ Allen: There is going to be at least one if not two teams out of the playoffs this year that I think could win it most other years.

Allison Cary: Yeah, even though North Carolina is dominating, once you get past them there has been some really good competition in the league.

RJ Allen: I am kind of hoping for NC vs Utah in Portland for the final just for the amusement of it.

Allison Cary: That would be fun.

Charles Olney: Which raises the important question: which would be the ideal playoff matchups to maximize the fun factor?

RJ Allen: Not Portland vs NC. Please not again.

Charles Olney: Yeah, if we could entirely avoid Portland vs. NC, I’d be a happy camper. One other obvious one: Portland vs. Seattle would be a fun semifinal matchup

RJ Allen: Utah vs Seattle and NC vs Chicago I think would be really fun.

Luis Hernandez: I don’t think Portland even makes the playoffs

Charles Olney: I think that would probably be fine for most neutral fans. Portland is a lot of fun to have in the league, but not always the most fun to actually watch, particularly when they don’t think of themselves as a flair team…which still seems to be the case.

RJ Allen: Not if their starters keep being suspended for things that should be in game red cards.

Allison Cary: I don’t really have specific match-ups I’m looking forward to. I’m just excited to see how these teams step up their game in the playoffs. And I think the matches for the week/two weeks leading up to the playoffs will be REALLY fun.

Charles Olney: Okay, since RJ brought up the Klingenberg suspension, we should talk about that for a little bit here.

RJ Allen: DISCO lives!

Charles Olney: Are people surprised that the Disciplinary Committee actually did something? Are they surprised at the length of the suspension? Do we think this is a sign that they might get involved in things more going forward? Or is it just a one-off event?

RJ Allen: Do we know who makes up the committee?

Charles Olney: We definitely do not. Folks have asked quite a few times and all anyone has ever got was ‘no comment.’ I don’t think we even know how many people there are, or what their roles are. If I remember correctly, Dan Lauletta got SOME information last year after the Tyler Lussi event, but even that was pretty sketchy.

RJ Allen: I understand not giving out all of the names but saying something like “four former players, three officials” or something would be nice. It makes it very hard to judge without it.

Charles Olney: Agreed.

Connected to the broader question of league discipline, let me just throw out my usual hobbyhorse about in-match officiating: there have been zero red cards issued this year. We are almost two-thirds of the way through the season.

To me that is just malpractice, and makes me wonder whether ANYONE in the whole hierarchy actually cares about the quality of officiating. Because it seems pretty hard to believe that they haven’t done something more serious about this than give Klingenberg a one-match ban.

RJ Allen: I would be happy with more yellows overall than worrying about reds TBH.

Charles Olney: I’m certainly on board for more yellows, too. I checked those numbers last night and it’s still the case that there are slightly more than 2 bookings a game in the NWSL. Compared to 3.5 per game in MLS, all the way up to 5 per game in some of the big European men’s leagues.

RJ Allen: What are the Euro women’s leagues?

Charles Olney: I couldn’t find those numbers easily when I wrote my column on it last year. But I should put those together and write an update.

Allison Cary: I don’t have the stats, but I feel like there weren’t a lot of cards given in the matches I went to. I don’t think I ever saw a red. Maybe a few yellows, but not a ton. That was in England and a few Champions League matches.

RJ Allen: I wish they would get the little things right as much as the cards. It feels like every game there is a huge error somewhere in the match about offside or something.

Charles Olney: I agree with that, though I can sympathize a bit more with those sort of mistakes. Officiating is hard, and sometimes even good refs get things wrong. Which isn’t to say that we shouldn’t expect more, but you can try your hardest and still fail. But the disciplinary stuff isn’t ‘hard’ in that sense. They have just decided to call things extremely loose, and don’t seem to care that it degrades the quality of the game (and puts players at risk).

As fans, I think it’s fair to focus on the mistakes that affect results more than the daily churn of loose discipline. I just don’t want that part to completely fall out of the equation.

Luis Hernandez: My first thought after I heard about Kling being only suspended one game was that the NWSL PA really needs to unionize because there’s no appealing the decision. Once the league and the players get to the point where there’s some collective bargaining. Oh boy!

RJ Allen: I don’t really think this is something that should be appealed though.

Luis Hernandez: But other than that, I think it should have been more than just one match.

Allison Cary: Yeah, I think it probably should have been a three game suspension.

Luis Hernandez: The NWSL seems to get the refs that are trying to end up officiating in MLS. I don’t like that the only refs with stats on the PRO webpage are MLS refs. Why not the ones in USL or NWSL?

Charles Olney: That’s a great point, Luis. I think they assume that MLS fans are the only ones likely to be engaged enough to care. And if I wanted to be even less charitable, I’d say that they don’t regard USL and the NWSL as being important enough to have someone spend time uploading that information.

As with most things, though, there’s a supply and demand issue here. The expectation that fans don’t want or need something means that no one can develop the habits of expecting those things. So what appears to be lack of interest is really just the system being designed from the beginning to discourage people from caring.

 

Charles Olney: Alright, enough negative stuff. Let’s turn to our final topic: what are people excited about in this weekend’s games? I’ll start by saying that I’m personally excited to finally be seeing a match live after a several month drought. I’m in Seattle visiting family and will be going to see the Reign and Dash.

RJ Allen: That is the perfect match for you.

Allison Cary: That’s fun! I’m hoping that Orlando can bounce back against the Spirit after a few bad results. I think Portland-Utah will be a good game, but it kicks off at 4:00am my time so I probably won’t be watching.

Charles Olney: I also think that Portland-Utah game should be good. I briefly considered making the trip down to Portland on Friday night to see it, but it was just too much travel time in a short trip. I would love to get back to Providence Park, though.

RJ Allen: I am excited to see if Portland and Utah will survive the match up at all or if this is how the world ends.

Luis Hernandez: I wish the Orlando City match didn’t have its start time moved because the club was having a World Cup/Orlando City watch party at the stadium (includes a ticket to the Pride match) then see Orlando beat Washington.

RJ Allen: Washington makes me sad this year.

Charles Olney: I would really like to see Washington go on a run for a few games. There’s a lot of talent there, and even with the struggles it still seems like they ought to be able to put something together.

Allison Cary: Yeah. At the beginning of the year, it seemed like defense was more of a problem. Now their defense is starting to improve, but they can’t score. They just can’t put it all together.

Charles Olney: It sure seems like the unifying trend has been problems in the midfield. And…as someone who loves central midfielders this pains me to say, but…maybe signing five very similar central mids isn’t the BEST move?

RJ Allen: Hey I have a final like yes or no question for y’all. North Carolina needs 16 points in 8 games to break Seattle’s record for most points in a season – 54 points is the current record.

They play:

  • Washington
  • Sky Blue
  • Utah
  • Portland
  • Chicago
  • Orlando
  • Seattle
  • Houston

Do they do it?

Luis Hernandez: Yes

Allison Cary: Yeah

Charles Olney: Yes, but I think it’ll be close.

RJ Allen: I think draws leave them at 54 points, and a tie for the record.

Interviews with Emma: Brittany Ratcliffe

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.

Brittany was a second round pick of the Boston Breakers in 2016. She is now a member of the Utah Royals.

Birthdate: February 7, 1994

Nickname from teammates: Britt, B-Rat

Hometown: Franklin Township, New Jersey

Age started playing: 4 years old

College/major: University of Virginia and I majored in Media Studies

Career aspirations after soccer: I am still unsure about what I want to do after soccer but I really enjoy talking to people and sports/fitness so maybe something in the business world that involves both.

Why did you pick your particular uniform #:  Growing up my favorite number was #13 and when I got to college someone already had it so I changed to #11.  When I got to the NWSL neither of those numbers were available, but I like double digit numbers and #25 was available and it just seemed right!

Pregame meal: Depending on what time the game is depends on what I eat.  If we have an afternoon game, I’ll eat oatmeal w/ banana and peanut butter for breakfast and if it’s a later game, I will usually have a turkey sandwich for lunch.  And drink LOTS of water!

Workout music:  My taste in music depends on the day.  Some days I like fun upbeat pop music, country music, or oldies from the 70s & 80s.

Favorite cartoon character:  Ariel from The Little Mermaid

Fave movie: Disney’s Hercules.  Ive watched it so many times I could probably quote the whole movie!  But I also like Miracle and Invincible.

Fave actress:  Blake Lively

Hidden talent:  I dont think I have any hidden talents but one time I ate 10 doughnuts in 10 minutes

Mentor (in soccer or life): My mom and dad, they’re the best role models I could ever ask for

Fave charity/cause:  I love animals, so anything that helps domestic animals, wild/sea animals, or endangered animals.  I also enjoy volunteering for charities like the Special Olympics that help with mental/physical disabilities.

Life motto: It’s not how many times you get knocked down that matters, it’s how many times you get back up.

Superstitions:  I dont have any superstitions, but every game I wear an orange ribbon in my hair.

Pets:  I have a bunch of different animals!  Cat, Rooster, Chickens, Ducks, Bird

If you were going on Amazing Race, which teammate would you want as a partner, and why?  Hmm thats a tough question! I dont know if I could pick just one teammate but I think if I could bring my whole team it would be very funny to watch.