Author: RJ Allen

Breaking News: Christy Holly Steps Down as Sky Blue FC Coach

Posted on by RJ Allen

Christy Holly has announced that he will be stepping down from his position as Sky Blue FC Head Coach, effective immediately.

Sky Blue FC President and General Manager Tony Novo had this to say about Holly’s departure:

“First and foremost, we want to thank Christy Holly for everything he has done for Sky Blue FC. From the first day he came to our club as an assistant coach, Christy has always been committed to Sky Blue FC, and we wish him nothing but the greatest of successes in whatever he chooses to do going forward.”

Holly, who has been head coach for Sky Blue FC since January 2016, held an overall record of 14-7-17. In the current season, Sky Blue FC is 7-2-9 and aiming for a place in the NWSL playoffs.

There has been no news of a head coaching replacement at this time.

6 Takeaways from NWSL: Week 16

Posted on by RJ Allen

Welcome to Week 16, where the table is starting to clarify, with three teams looking solid at the top and the middle of the pack in a desperate fight for that final spot. Where Portland continues to dominate Chicago on the road and the Orlando Pride have made a real case for their inclusion in this year’s postseason. Where injuries continue to plague the players, new and old. 

Read all about it in our takeaways this week!

Sonnett Leaves Past Behind, Makes an Impact for Portland – Alyssa Zajac

I’ll be the first to admit, Emily Sonnett has had some up-and-down moments this year for the Portland Thorns after a stellar first season as the No. 1 draft pick. I personally still cringe thinking about that one Rapinoe goal. Yikes.

However, Sonnett seems to have left the rough start to the season behind, as she has helped lift the Thorns into second place in the NWSL standings with two goals in two games–including the game-winner against a formidable Red Stars defense. As a center back, goal-scoring opportunities are extremely slim, so that goal-scoring record is not something to be taken lightly. Her ability to find the net is particularly important with a team like the Thorns, who can run hot and cold on set pieces. Only time will tell, but as we head into the final weeks of the season, Sonnett is looking like a key piece for the Thorns as both a defensive and offensive threat.

Spoiler Alert: The Final Stretch Is Key for Kansas City – Alyssa Zajac

FC Kansas City has had a rough season. Losing Amy Rodriguez to a season-ending injury in the first game of the season seems to have been a blow that couldn’t be overcome. Without her the offense has struggled, and despite a generally solid defense, they’ve suffered too many breakdowns (that 12-minute Sam Kerr hat-trick for a Sky Blue comeback win, anyone?) to sustain a realistic shot at the playoffs. But that doesn’t mean the end of the season won’t matter. They still have the chance to play a big role in the final playoff push, as a spoiler. Their next seven are all against teams in the playoff hunt (Portland, Chicago, Orlando, Sky Blue, Seattle, and Houston are currently in second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively, with just six points separating fourth through seventh). As teams make the final playoff push, every point counts. We saw evidence this weekend, when they stole three points from Houston in a road win that left the Dash further away from that final spot. With a win, Houston could have pulled to just three points away (with a game in hand). But thanks to a tough performance from FCKC, they’re now stuck six points off the playoff pace. The role of spoiler may not be what FCKC hoped for at this point, but they’ll certainly want to close the season strong. If they can do so, they can wreak havoc on the NWSL playoff standings. So hold on to your jerseys, kids – it’s going to be a wild race to the finish!

So, Orlando, What’s New – Elizabeth Wawrzyniak

18 games into the season and the Orlando Pride are sitting in fourth place on the table, just above that playoff cutoff, and man, it’s gotta feel good. In just their second year in the league, and after last year’s dismal finish, Orlando has always been the kind of team that could have, should have, you know? Flush with talent–Alex Morgan and Ashlyn Harris to start, and then adding Ali Krieger and Marta this season, not to mention all the other playmakers on their roster–the Pride have never wavered from the belief that they should be one of the top teams in the league. And finally, finally, they’re starting to make good on that belief. Whether it was Marta who brought the spark to Orlando’s attack, or Krieger who firmed up the defense, or Morgan who fit the final puzzle piece into its spot, Orlando has been on run. And it’s come without their talismanic goalkeeper, Ashlyn Harris, who missed two months after an injury suffered earlier this season. Now, with six games left, they need to play better than they’ve ever played before to hold onto that playoff spot. And their journey to the postseason won’t be easy–they only have three home games left, and their road record is unimpressive. Their schedule is also tough, with games against the current top two (North Carolina and Portland) as well as one against the Seattle team who will be hoping to steal that final playoff spot from them. They do have a bit of luck, though, in their other games: two against Boston and one against Kansas City. On form, and barring any colossal mistakes, they should be able to count on at least 6 points from those games, if not all 9. They’ll certainly want to get as much as possible from their more difficult games, but those easier ones might end up being the difference between a chance at the playoffs and an early end to the season.

Ain’t No Call for That – Elizabeth Wawrzyniak

Last week I praised Tyler Lussi’s performance for the Portland Thorns. And, yes, I stand by that. But if you think that praise last week means overlooking this week’s card-worthy incident against Danielle Colaprico and the Chicago Red Stars, please step back and maybe put on your reading glasses.

Lussi was subbed in for Dagny Brynjarsdóttir in the 61’ (she took the field at 60:17, in fact). Less than 20 seconds later (60:32), she’d taken down Colaprico with a vicious hair-tug and stepped on her wrist. We saw a similar incident earlier in the season with Seattle Reign’s Merritt Mathias, who received a three-game suspension after a violent hair-pulling against Emily Sonnett of the Portland Thorns. She’d been caught on camera doing the same just the week before to Allysha Chapman of the Boston Breakers and received a yellow for it.

I’ve watched the scene from this weekend’s game time and time again, and I can think of no reason the referee didn’t call her for that misconduct. It wasn’t off on the sidelines away from the ball and it wasn’t covert; this was a flat-out yank of Colaprico’s hair that pulled her whole head and body back before she fell down. The stepping on her wrist after she’d fallen? Maybe you could write that off as unintentional, as the consequence of physics–a body in motion and all–but the two incidents together demanded an intervention from the referee. He briefly talked to Lussi, yes, but all that shows is that he saw what happened and still didn’t think it was worthy of a booking. And that’s unthinkable. I don’t care if she’d just come into the game–this isn’t the kind of contact that earns you a quick warning about keeping your play clean. This was the kind of contact that deserved a yellow, at minimum. And honestly, I’ve seen players commit less egregious fouls and be handed a straight red.

If it were up to me? Lussi’s earned herself a game or two suspension and a fine to go along with it.

It’s Time for PRO to Take a Look at NWSL Referees – Jordan Small

In Week 16 of Year 5 of the NWSL, we are somehow still having a conversation better suited for Year 1 or 2. The referees in the NWSL continue to put players at risk by not properly doing their job. Early in the season, it seemed as if penalty kicks were being handed out like candy. Now, we are seeing fouls being called all over the field, but no cards accompanying these foul calls.

While not every play calls for a card, repeated fouls by a single player or an excessive use of force absolutely should result in a card. There were two prominent examples this weekend of the referees seemed to have lost control of the game. First, Angela Salem of the Boston Breakers, who was shown a yellow card in the 94th minute for a foul on Tori Huster. But according to Spirit head coach Jim Gabarra this was too little, too late. Handing out the first booking of the game that far into the match effectively eliminates any possible deterrent effect. Then you have Tyler Lussi of the Portland Thorns, as discussed in the previous takeaway.

I understand that referees will not see everything all the time. And some calls will always be tough ones, with fans on both sides having a reasonable case. But this isn’t about individual tough decisions. It’s about a general lack of control over games. The spectacles we’ve seen in recent weeks are an embarrassment to the league and its players. The NWSL and PRO Referees need to take a serious look at how they are officiating these games before it becomes irreversibly dangerous.

Carli Lloyd Injury Could Break the Dash’s Playoff Hopes – Jordan Small

Carli Lloyd has had a huge impact on the Houston Dash since returning from Manchester City. After making her 2017 debut on June 18, Lloyd has played 89 or more minutes in 6 of her 8 appearances. And during that time, the Dash went on a tear, picking up the majority of their points on the season. In one particularly impressive run from the end of June and into July, they earned 11 points over a five game span.

After Lloyd was removed against Kansas City this week, the Dash looked lost. Not only is she a huge part of the midfield for Houston, she is their captain and has led this team since Kealia Ohai’s season-ending ACL injury. If Lloyd is unable to play for the next couple of weeks, Houston will have to try and replace a large piece of their midfield. With Morgan Brian out for an indefinite amount of time, Lloyd’s injury could really break the Houston Dash’s season.

 

The Unknown International: Alanna Kennedy

Posted on by RJ Allen

[media-credit name=”Kelley Piper” align=”alignnone” width=”300″][/media-credit]

The NWSL may be an American soccer league, but many of its best players come from outside of the United States. This series takes a look at those players and analyzes their style of play, the role they take on in their national team, and the role they play in their club. This week, we’ll take a look at Australian international Alanna Kennedy of the Orlando Pride.

Who Is She?

Alanna Kennedy is a 22-year-old defender/defensive midfielder. Towering at nearly 6-feet-tall, Kennedy started as a midfielder, then moved to the role of central defender, and now alternates between the two positions depending on which team she is playing for and under what circumstances. She has been in the Australian system for nearly a decade but made her formal debut with the senior team in 2012 against New Zealand. She has played at the senior level since she was fifteen-years-old when she joined Sydney FC. In her career, she has won the Australian W-League Premiership and the NWSL Championship. In 2015-2016, she was named Sydney FC’s Player of the Year.

The Matildas

Kennedy has played with the Matildas since 2012 when she made her debut against regional rival New Zealand. Kennedy spent her early career playing under Tom Sermanni, who is now her head coach with the Orlando Pride. Earlier this season, Sermanni spoke about how Kennedy joined the Matildas as a midfielder, but at 17-years-old, he thought she was too “gangly” and couldn’t keep up with the pace of the midfield. He moved her to the role of central defender, where she still plays with her national team today. Kennedy has been with the team throughout their rise, starting with the Women’s World Cup in 2015. Since then, she has also played in the 2016 Rio Olympics (where the Matildas reached the Quarterfinals) and won the inaugural Tournament of Nations against the United States, Brazil, and Japan.

Orlando Pride

Kennedy joined the Orlando Pride this offseason, after winning the NWSL Championship with the Western New York Flash (now the North Carolina Courage). Early in the season, Kennedy became a consistent starter, playing in the role of central defender. As the season went on, Toni Pressley earned herself a consistent starting role and Sermanni decided to move Ali Krieger from outside defender to central defender, pushing Kennedy to her current role in the defensive midfield. Since that move, Kennedy has scored three goals and earned one assist. She has appeared in all 17 matches for the Pride this season, earning 16 starts. Her goal with this team is the same as it was in New York: to win a championship.

Breaking News: USWNT to Host Korea Republic in October Friendlies

Posted on by RJ Allen

U.S. Soccer has announced that the United States Women’s National Team will be hosting the 16th ranked Korea Republic in two friendlies in October.

The first friendly will be held on Oct. 19 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA, and the second will be held on Oct. 22 at Shalen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC. The games will be aired on FS1 and ESPN, respectively.

The last time the USWNT and the Korea Republic faced each other was May 30, 2015 – the last match before the USWNT’s famous Women’s World Cup run.

The two friendlies round out the remaining USWNT schedule for 2017, which includes New Zealand in September and Canada in November.

Under the Radar: 5 Reasons Rachel Daly Is Underrated

Posted on by RJ Allen

[media-credit name=”Leanne Keator” align=”alignnone” width=”300″][/media-credit]

Rachel Daly isn’t the best player in the league. She isn’t even the best player on the Houston Dash. But she is everything that you would want a soccer player to be. She plays extremely hard, makes an impact, and is willing to play any hand she is dealt. Sure, she might not be the name that pours out of fans’ mouths when they talk about the Dash. She takes the back burner to the likes of Carli Lloyd, Morgan Brian, and Poliana. But she should be noticed more for the work she puts in.

Here are the five reasons why:

She Is All Over The Pitch

When Rachel Daly doesn’t have the ball in the attacking half it’s hard to not find her pressing some poor defender to try and win it back. She is everywhere, she is fast, and even though she is the kind of forward that likes to play high, she has no issue with dropping back in order to steal the ball in the midfield. And this makes her dangerous for opponents – they don’t see her coming. She is also the kind of player that didn’t bat an eye when placed at right back when injuries left Houston’s back line in need of some filling. And that is what anyone wants out of a soccer player – someone who is willing to put in the extra effort, no matter where that may be on the pitch, in order to create positive opportunities for the team.

 

She Comes In Like A Wrecking Ball

When the Houston Dash played Portland two weeks ago, the focal point of aggression was definitely coming from Carli Lloyd (which isn’t surprising). But day in and day out, Daly makes some really intense tackles that no one really seems to care about. She can be rough out there, and she doesn’t mind taking another player to ground if it can win her team the ball back. She just tends to be a little smarter about it than other players.

 

She Can Stretch A Back Line

Technically this reason is a team effort. But Rachel Daly plays a very intricate part in breaking down the opposing team’s defense. Because the Houston Dash have a rather impressive attacking side between Carlie Lloyd, Poliana, Kealia Ohai, and Rachel Daly, it can often be difficult for a defense to cover them all with ease. Choices have to be made, and with Poliana pushing up the wing, this often leaves Daly with room to move, collect, and drop a slip ball back into the box for Lloyd. And if that option isn’t available she can always shoot the ball, or look across the field to Ohai. So she has a lot of guns in the Dash arsenal to use in her attack, and she isn’t too selfish to only use her own. She also has the skillset and intelligence to make and execute this choice with ease. She can see the advantages of having Lloyd back on the pitch with her, and now that the Dash are beginning to turn a corner from the rough start they had at the beginning of the season, her role in this offense will only expand and become more dynamic.

 

She Owns Her Shortcomings

When Jane Campbell had her first NWSL start against the Seattle Reign on April 22 it didn’t really go her way. It was a 5-1 beating against Houston. And it would have been easy to point the finger at the rookie and just move on to the next match. But Rachel Daly acted like a true professional after the game. She acknowledged that she and the team could have played better, she acknowledged that it was a tough loss, and then she acknowledged that it was time to move on to the next game. That’s class, ladies and gentlemen. And that is something we all like out of our athletes.

 

She’ll Play Until She Literally Passes Out

Rachel Daly is tough, and she is passionate about the game that she plays. And she will work as hard as possible for all 90+ minutes of a match. And as many fans saw in May, she will literally play until she passes out from heat exhaustion, has to be taken out on a stretcher, and hospitalized. Then she would play in the immediate next match. Dedication is an understatement. She literally sacrificed her body to play at her top level on a day that was unsafe to play, and in a match that the league should have postponed. But if you ask Rachel Daly to do something, she will do it to the best of her abilities.

So, the next time you watch a Houston Dash game make sure to watch for Rachel Daly. Acknowledge her. Cheer for her. You’ll find it’s pretty easy. Because she is the type of player that will do everything you ask of her. She is what we all want in a soccer player. And she may not ask for the spotlight, but there are often times that she definitely deserves it.

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 16

Posted on by RJ Allen

[media-credit name=”Leanne Keator” align=”alignnone” width=”300″][/media-credit]

Backline Soccer Recap:

Quick Fire Week 16 Game Previews:

As the NWSL season gets closer to the playoffs, we are seeing some distance between the top 3 and bottom 3, but movement in the middle. Let’s take a look at the upcoming games for the weekend. 

Game 1: Washington Spirit vs. Boston Breakers 

Washington Spirit record: 4-9-3
Position: 9th
Total Points: 15

Boston Breakers record: 3-7-6
Position: 8th
Total Points: 15

The Spirit are finally back at home after playing two games on the road and are looking to salvage the rest of their season. After a tough offseason, this is about where they were expected to end up, but they certainly won’t be satisfied and will want to tighten things up to close out the year. Their defense was in shambles against Orlando earlier this week so that will be the biggest thing to figure out with this quick turnaround. I don’t see a reason why their captain, Shelina Zadorsky, has been stuck on the bench. If she really has been worse in training than Kallman and Church, then the Spirit have bigger problems than we even knew.

Boston will be looking to pull out a win on the road and start another uptick in their season. They showed some good signs last week with a draw against FCKC but will need to get production from a broader range of players–last week it was pretty much Rosie White or bust–if they want to get more out of this match. If they can improve the attack, they should be able to get behind the Spirit backline, and hopefully, find some chances to finish. 

Game 2: Orlando Pride vs. Sky Blue FC

Orlando Pride record: 6-6-5
Position: 5th
Total Points: 23

Sky Blue FC record: 7-8-2
Position: 6th
Total Points: 23

The Pride are in must-win mode as they try to recover from a slow start and grab that fourth spot in the playoffs. They are coming off a dominating win against the Spirit and need to carry that momentum into this game. There weren’t major defensive problems against the Spirit midweek, but the floating right back position has caused distress, and with Sam Kerr back, they’ll need to get everything they’ve got to shut her down. Kristen Edmonds has been a liability for the Pride most of the season and if she can’t get her turnover ratio under control, Sky Blue will exploit it. The Pride attack, however, has seemed to find their groove, with Alex Morgan coming back into form and Marta staying on the top of her game. They’ll be facing a defense that has conceded the most goals in the league, and with their attack options ready, they should find the back of the net. 

Last week, Sky Blue was missing Sam Kerr (and Kelley O’Hara) and we saw a lot of cracks in their game. They’ve rescued plenty of results this year, thanks to some late match magic from Sam Kerr, but what is there to this team if she’s not around? She will be back this time, but they need to figure out the rest of the team and how they play because depending on Kerr can only get you so far. The defense is in trouble, and I’d like to see some changes. They’ve got injury problems, but what they’re doing now isn’t working and needs some tweaks. The big question marks this week will be the injury statuses of Kailen Sheridan, who was clearly in pain toward the end of the last game, and Kelley O’Hara, whose status has not been updated since the Tournament of Nations. If Kerr can get loose against the Pride and the defense can hold the strong Pride attack, we should be in for one exciting game. 

Game 3: Chicago Red Stars vs. Portland Thorns

Chicago Red Stars record: 8-3-5
Position: 2nd
Total Points: 29

Portland Thorns record: 8-4-4
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 28

The top three are quite compacted right now and so this is a must-win game for Chicago to hold on to that 2nd place spot. They should have all of their usual starters back after resting some of them last week against Orlando. With Sofia Huerta reminding people that she can score goals, expect to see even more link up between her and Christen Press this week against Portland. Chicago has a lot of luck at home and with probably the strongest defense in the league, they’ll like their chances of shutting Portland down. As long as Press or Huerta can get in behind, they should see success.

Portland is starting to come into their game, after quite a few struggles over the season. For a while, it seemed like they were just waiting for Tobin Heath to return. But as that looks increasingly less likely, they’ve finally started to make adjustments and pulled themselves back up toward relative playoff safety. Christine Sinclair has come into herself a bit more in the last few games, and that will need to continue if Portland wants to keep this run going. Nadia Nadim should also be back from the Euros, which will give the attack an extra boost. Overall, it will be hard to beat Chicago at home, but if they can shut down Press or Huerta, they may have a fighting chance. 

Game 4: Houston Dash vs. FC Kansas City

Houston Dash record: 6-8-2
Position: 7th
Total Points: 20

FC Kansas City record: 3-8-5
Position: 10th
Total Points: 14

The Dash are back at home and ready to face FCKC after a disappointing result against Portland. The Dash struggled with their formation and had trouble making anything of the few chances they did create. Their sub choices also left a bit to be desired. FCKC is struggling, so this is a prime opportunity for the Dash. But in this league, anything can happen on a given week. Sometimes the Dash are their own biggest enemies, so if they can put some shots on frame, they will give themselves a good chance to pick up some points. 

I feel at this point I am spinning a broken record with FCKC but they just do not seem to be able to figure it out. Sydney Leroux is not the pure scorer/striker they need, and they don’t seem to have any other solutions available.  My colleague Jacob Cristobal has a piece on the coaching situation this week. It’s been a tough year, but KC just need to try to finish out the season on a positive note. Despite their struggles, they do have most of the pieces. If they can just figure out how to fill some of the void of Amy Rodriguez, there’s room to build. 

Game 5: Seattle Reign vs. NC Courage

Seattle Reign record: 6-4-6
Position: 4th
Total Points: 24

NC Courage record: 11-5-0
Position: 1st
Total Points: 33

This is a back-to-back matchup. Last time, the Reign fell 1-0 away. This time, they’ll like their chances better–at home and with both Megan Rapinoe and Jess Fishlock (seriously, can I get her healing regimen? Because my goodness …) for the first time in a couple months. Their difficulties on the road may well cost them a playoff spot, so they’ll need to be even better than usual at home to compensate. This week, with Rapinoe working back into the fold, they will need to find a way to get past the Courage defense. If Rapinoe is shut down, they will need to find another option to get into the attack. Seattle are pushing for that playoff spot but will need consistency across the weeks to make that happen. 

The Courage will be looking to continue their reign at the top of the table. That may be tough since they’ll be coming off of short rest after the makeup game Thursday night, but if any team has the fitness to handle that run, it’s NC. Plus, unlike last weekend, this time they’ll have an in-form Rapinoe to deal with. The Courage attack has gotten the job done this year but needs a bit of a kickstart. Lynn Williams has been relatively quiet this season (at least compared to her performance in 2016) but was the difference maker last match. If they can ramp their attack and keep Rapinoe at bay, we should see another hard-fought game.

The Scouting Report:

We went live on Monday night with our weekly TSR and Sunday night with our USA vs. Japan recap. A reminder that you can catch TSR live every Monday night at 8pm EST on our YouTube channel. Make sure to follow the podcast on Twitter @ScoutingPodcast.

In case you missed the two episodes, catch up here:

The Unused Sub: August In Kansas Is A Hot Seat?

Posted on by RJ Allen
Kelley Piper

Hi.

UNPOPULAR… BUT SURELY A PROVOCATIVE OPINION
Most of the time I look past whenever people are playing the occasional hashtag game on Twitter. However taking part in #ConfessYourUnpopularOpinion, our very own fearless leader RJ Allen tweeted something that sure was provocative.

https://twitter.com/CaptainWOSO/status/894381935807561732

Full disclosure, what I am about to say here is based on limited knowledge about the team as in I don’t have day-to-day access/insights to them, what their fans are saying, etc. And while their biggest victories came at the expense of the team I am a fan of, I am very much a fan of Vlatko Andonovski. That said …

I disagree with the idea Andonovski should be dismissed after this season, but I sure see why RJ thinks he should be. And likely others are thinking the same thing but don’t want to admit to it. It has been a problem for them to find a solid goal scorer not named Amy Rodriguez. Unfortunately, the cruel bastards that are the Soccer Gods deprived us (and them) of her, and now FCKC can’t score for the life of them. You might be saying: well, it’s on the coach to adjust his plan to handle the situation dealt, but it’s really easier said than done.

Look at the Seattle Reign FC last year. Simply put, teams figured out how to play against Seattle. And it took Laura Harvey and the squad pretty much the entire season to come up with something new. In fact, they’re still in the midst of that process. The 2017 NWSL has no room for error and will not hesitate to punish a team that’s still looking to make adjustment. For Kansas City, the strike force going into the year looked good. But once Rodriguez went down, it’s been rough going. Sydney Leroux’s successful comeback from 2016 was reliant on Amy Rodriguez doing her thing. Can’t count on Shea Groom, when she is being chief instigator more than the chief creator. And Brittany Ratcliffe and Maegan Kelly are fine players, but they’re still wet behind the ears as far as getting comfortable with the pace of the NWSL. Kelly played two seasons overseas after being drafted by KC in 2014 and Ratcliffe is only in her second season as a pro.

I remember when FCKC were up here in Seattle a couple months ago. It was the game where Reign defender Lauren Barnes was issued the straight red four minutes in. Kansas City should have won that match, being up a player the whole game. But they couldn’t get it done. After the game, Andonovski said that it was just too risky to go all in on Seattle, even with the player advantage, knowing how tough they are at Memorial Stadium. No one is going to dispute that, given Andonovski’s prestige in the league.

But even without a full assault, they had plenty of chances. They just couldn’t do anything with them. Largely because, of all things, they kept sending crosses into the box hoping, apparently, that Leroux had suddenly become a target forward who could get a head on the ball. But if Leroux was ever that player, she sure isn’t now. And there was no way Shea Groom was going to bail her out when she basically had her right arm in a 90-degree angle all match. A friend post-match was wondering the same thing: “Why are they sending crosses into the box like Syd can get to them? They blew this game.”

We know Kansas City has a solid defense, with Becky Sauerbrunn there and Nicole Barnhart in goal. They just can’t score, and it’s upsetting the whole balance of the team. Still, I don’t think it warrants Andonovski getting his walking papers at the end of the season. Maybe it’s a silly thing, but I think winning your league’s championship puts some credit in the bank, and it takes more than one lost season to squander it.  Yes, a playoff format means that the NWSL functions a bit like a Random Champion Generator, but still … winning two in a row is some feat.

In 2017 FCKC won’t be making the playoffs. Once the season is put to rest, we’ll all look back and wonder “what could have been?”  If Rodriguez didn’t tear her ACL and if the team could have built around her. Would Leroux have looked better in her more natural role? Would Groom have been able to play off the other two more easily?

Andonovski certainly won’t try to shift the blame. He’ll tell you that the bad results are his responsibility. But I think his resume is solid enough that he deserves some benefit of the doubt. Maybe there were some mistakes, and maybe they shouldn’t have relied so heavily on Rodriguez. Maybe they missed out on an international signing or a trade that could have turned the ship around earlier. But that’s all speculation. What we know from the record is the Vlatko put in an earnest effort, and sometimes things go wrong. A big injury to a key player can ruin a season. But he deserves a chance to show what he can do in the offseason.

So, while I don’t think Vlatko Andonovski should lose his job at the end of this season, the seat will definitely be hot come 2018. Not like the dead man walking situation of former Houston Dash head coach Randy Waldrum this season, but plenty of eyes will be on Andonovski to show that those championships were for real. For me, I think the key is to get a forward with a proven resume of goals at the club and international level to compliment Rodriguez. Get that done, and FC Kansas City is back in the mix come 2018. Imagine if Kansas City pulled a coup and got someone like Jodie Taylor fresh off her Golden Boot-winning campaign from the Euros.

Is it guaranteed that Andonovski will turn it around? Nope. And will he definitely get the chance? Maybe not. Perhaps the KC ownership will make a change. That would be a little unfair, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world. He certainly wouldn’t be unemployed for long. And if it did happen, at least there would be some chaos in the game, which is only more fun for us media folks–from the fully established folks all the way to yokel bloggers like me.

What RJ tweeted probably is incredibly unpopular, and I disagreed with it, but I also understand why she thinks it. And disagreeing about contentious things is ultimately what this thing is all about, right?

WEEK 16 PREDICTIONS

The race for the playoffs is on.

Washington Spirit and Boston Breakers play to a DRAW.

  • Washington clowned Sky Blue last weekend. Orlando clowned Washington on Tuesday. Boston is rested but they’re still Boston. I still think Boston can jack up one of the teams hoping to get into the playoffs, but this weekend it’s going to be a meh match between these two.

Sky Blue FC and Orlando Pride play to a DRAW.

  • I think should there be a winner and a loser in this, yet I struggle to think which team could get the full 3 points. Orlando has momentum after taking care of Washington. At the same time, Sky Blue got humiliated by Washington last weekend and wants get that out of their system. If anyone does lose, their campaign is close to over, so there might be a lot of fear about getting that L and falling out of contention. So I’m going to be lame and say it will be a draw, with both teams taking the point and struggling on to the next battle.

Chicago Red Stars OVER Portland Thorns.

  • One Chicago player who wore the number 23 made mincemeat pie out of a Portland team so many years ago.  I think the current Chicago player wearing the number 23 will do much the same this time.

Houston Dash and FC Kansas City play to a DRAW.

  • This is a game that the Dash should win because KC is bad and can’t score to save themselves, yet they’ll somehow hang with Houston and the Dash will rue not getting the full points.

Seattle Reign FC OVER North Carolina Courage.

  • It won’t be a fireworks spectacle like the last Reign FC home match, but they’ll get the points to keep their playoff hopes alive. Memorial is still a fortress. It’s the road games that will make or break Seattle’s season.

Here’s this week’s music video break.

Song: “Adventure” | Artist: Cheat Codes