Author: RJ Allen

The Unused Sub: No, I Don’t Know Where Mallory Pugh Is Going

Posted on by RJ Allen

… but a gambling syndicate in southeast Asia probably has a good line on it.

Hey, guess what? I’m back for another installment of The Unused Sub.

So no questions for me to tackle? I’m serious about @-ing me on Twitter (@jacobcristobal) for a question. Hell, it doesn’t have to be about soccer. The more random, the better. The brain’s gotta make room for other things now and then, and sometimes those other things are a needed distraction from things that suck.

Speaking of …

THE SOCCER GODS ARE HORRIBLE, AWFUL MONSTERS HELL BENT TO TAKE AWAY THINGS WE LIKE

Yes, you evil bastards that have to go and jack up opening weekend for us and destroy the ACLs of Joanna Lohman (Washington Spirit) and Amy Rodriguez (FC Kansas City). Seriously, that is some diabolical hater shit and blah blah blah blah injuries can happen at anytime, but c’mon. Opening weekend?!  After we had been waiting 84 years for the NWSL to come back?

Some seriously cold shit you soccer gods are doing. What’s next, you’re gonna tell me that nonsense of you can’t put pineapple on pizza?

Seriously though, to Joanna Lohman & Amy Rodriguez – stay strong and may you two have speedy and full recoveries. The game is better with you two on the field and as ambassadors for it off the field.

 

WHAT’S WITH ALL THE SCREAMING ABOUT STREAMING

Yes, opening weekend there were some hiccups with the go90 platform on opening weekend. Should they be taken as deal breakers and everyone flips tables and goes, “NOPE I’M THRU WITH YOU NWSL & GO90?”

G. O. D. N. O.

Yes, it wasn’t fun seeing a placeholder graphic for a commercial break interrupting a live stream – but perhaps it was something originating from the broadcast location and not necessarily the app itself. It’s easy to be thousands of miles away from the source and armchair manage and think the sky is falling. Yes, it was annoying that the full game replays weren’t archived properly until yesterday – but was waiting that extra day really the crime of the century? All the screaming from the hills about doubting this streaming platform the NWSL went with really was a bit much. Honestly a lot of it sounded like screaming just for the sake of screaming because it’s easier to rile people up. Yes, come this weekend’s game I will have higher expectation that whatever issues go90 encountered on opening weekend will have been fixed and everything will work as advertised, but let’s try not to hold it like a personal grudge that folks from either the NWSL or go90 broke into your house and ate your cupcake.

Or as my man Tetsuya Naito would say…Relax, take it easy!

 

THIS IS THE GOOD STUFF

Sitting in the press conference room after Seattle Reign FC & Sky Blue FC played to a 1-1 draw, Sky Blue FC head coach Christy Holly was first to do his post-match presser. I gotta say, he is one sharp dressed man, and his sweater game that Saturday night was on point. Watch your lunch money Mark Parsons, because you just might have some competition as who is the best-dressed gentleman in the NWSL.

Here’s Reign FC forward Nahomi Kawasumi throwing the ceremonial first pitch at Wednesday’s Seattle Mariners game. The pitch looked like a changeup and a good one at that.

Houston Dash’s Rachel Daly won Goal of the Week and rightfully so. Look at this- it’s evil, cold-blooded, rude as hell and I love it and have watched it many times. I understand fair elections and all but there was really no point in putting it up to a poll this week.

Haley Kopmeyer won NWSL Player of the Week for putting the team on her back and keeping it possible for them to get a point against Sky Blue. Her winning the honor extends Reign FC’s lead on having won more Player of the Week awards than any other NWSL club to date. Don’t believe me? Here’s the chart I made logging every single NWSL Player of the Week in the league’s five-year history.

https://twitter.com/jacobcristobal/status/854516726272114688

MY WEEK 2 PREDICTIONS LIKE I KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT

  • Chicago Red Stars OVER FC Kansas City
  • Orlando Pride OVER Washington Spirit
  • North Carolina Courage & Portland Thorns DRAW
  • Seattle Reign FC OVER Houston Dash
  • Boston Breakers OVER Sky Blue FC

Yep, you read that right. I’m picking Boston Breaker’s, last season’s basement team, to win over Sky Blue this week. Send all accolades or hate mail to @jacobcristobal on Twitter and we can hash it out.

So that’s it for this week’s installment. Tune in next week to see me reflect on how wrong I was in my picks. No matter what, though, I’m glad the season is underway. Lots of changes, most of them for the better in the bigger picture things. Still, the more things change, the more things stay the same – looking at you NWSL “Save” of the Week, LOL.

A Comedy of Errors, an Open Letter to the NWSL

Posted on by RJ Allen

Congratulations on a fifth season.  I’d say “historic” fifth season but at this point, every new season is historic, so what’s the point? Still, it’s a big deal, and I’m thrilled to be watching as the ten teams in the league compete to lead the table this year.

And when I say thrilled to be watching, I mean it. I’m the kind of fan who watches every game, every week. (As I’m also the kind of fan with a busy schedule, being able to catch up on them over the span of the week via Youtube was priceless—in the same way amy League Pass to the WNBA each season is worth far more than the $17 I pay for it.) So, the news that the NWSL would be partnering with Lifetime to broadcast a game a week was a big deal. Not just to me, but to everyone. And though there were concerns about the appropriateness of the channel, the availability of those games internationally, I have to say, I have been in your corner.

But it’s the other 98 matches that have a large number of fans going “What the furt” this year.

The very first problem was the way information was released, the lack of transparency and organization. Obviously pulling together a streaming platform isn’t easy. But who expected it to be? And while I wasn’t exactly on the same warpath as some regarding the lack of updates as the months until opening day turned into weeks, and then the weeks turned into days, and then hours, the fact that the Monday before opening weekend nobody had a clue how to watch four out of the weekend’s five games was a bit of a big deal.

But this season, the announcement of an official partnership with a media provider for the non-televised games, raised expectations exponentially. Everything–from the pay to the fields to the streaming–was supposed to be better this season.

The league’s work in the off-season has been almost entirely focused on growing the game, on exceeding the last year’s successes, on bringing in new fans and audiences while also retaining the steady and loyal core groups. Except, you can’t bring in anyone new and you can’t retain anyone old if they can’t watch the games. With only ten teams spread across limited geographic zones, most fans are only able to keep abreast of their teams and players via streamed (or now, televised) broadcasts. Those who can’t watch rely heavily on updates via social media, and every game day the Twitter world is awash with NWSL hashtags and commentary.  Streaming access is the backbone of NWSL fan support.

So, opening weekend over, how do you think you did?

Let me be the first among many to tell you that the Lifetime broadcast was an absolute success. Granted, that’s not to say there’s not room for improvement, but in Week 1, the channel and broadcast team did a great job. The production was high quality, the commentary was informed and entertaining, while not overwhelming what was happening on the field.

But the other four games this weekend, and their distribution to fans, were problematic. To say the very least.

For those fans trying to watch along with the non-televised game, Week 1 involved:

  • spotty streams
  • unavailable content
  • commercials mid-game (as often as every three minutes)
  • lack of archive for on-demand viewing

And these were only some of the problems mentioned and experienced by fans.

By large, the issues can be boiled down into two branches categories: quality and accessibility.

 

Quality

As far as quality goes, up until this season, it was by and large determined by each team’s infrastructure. Certain venues could always be counted on to have quality and reliable streams, others were always more troublesome, whether that meant shoddy audio, frequent lag, or just bad camerawork due to the limitations of the field. The Thorns and the Dash, playing in MLS-affiliated stadiums, had the camera resources to provide close looks at action on the field. Some of the other teams, though, always looked like your dad recorded the game on his old video camera. Fans may have complained–fans will always complain–but aside from the limited broadcasts of postseason games, it was all we had. And so we dealt.

Before 2017, commentary could be hit-or-miss sometimes, to the point that it felt like sometimes broadcast interns were in charge of doing the play-by-play. But there were some excellent commentators for the league, people we looked forward to hearing every week because they provided insightful analysis.  And even when the commentary wasn’t the greatest before this season, at least they were there, on the sidelines, able to see all the action. Broadcast teams for the go90 streams were all located in Florida, a fact I personally didn’t know until I heard it from Equalizer Soccer’s breakdown of go90 this morning. But even not knowing that, of the only game I was actually able to watch in its entirety on the go90 app–FCKC’s 2-0 win over the Boston Breakers–the commentators mis-identified players, spoke over the action, and provided very little play-by-play. Broadcast teams are supposed to guide a viewer through a game, not distract them away from it.

But the biggest problem with go90’s quality was the constant interruption of streams for advertisements. For two forty-five minute halves, soccer is a blissful, ad-free, safe space. That’s one of the things that makes soccer soccer. There aren’t timeouts in soccer, there aren’t commercial breaks, there isn’t a 60-second race to quickly pee and refill your drink before the action starts up again.

Soccer goes non-stop. Or, at least, it did until this weekend, when every go90 stream I’ve heard about broke in to tell frustrated fans about other content available on the app. (Did you know it’s not easy to be 5’11 and a QB in the SEC? Did you? DID YOU?)

And fans are not the only ones upset by this intrusion into our sacred space. Players and coaches weren’t pleased either.

Yes, please fix this.

 

Access

A second issue for the NWSL’s streaming this year is ease of accessibility. Sure, everything the NWSL told fans to expect sounded great. In the league’s February announcement of the partnership with A+E Networks, highlighting Game of the Week broadcasts on Lifetime, it also added that

NWSL Media will oversee the live streaming of all matches and produce the games in high definition with a consistent, state-of-the-art approach that will include exclusive new and original digital content for pre-game, halftime and post-game segments. The joint venture is currently negotiating with potential partners to stream the games not broadcast on Lifetime.

And for months, that was all anyone knew. Until last week Thursday, when the partnership with go90 was made public. Fans were assured that, as:

A fully ad-supported, mobile streaming service, go90 will feature 98 NWSL games accessible via live and on-demand streaming for the 2017 season. To access, visit go90.com or simply download the go90 app via the App Store or Google Play. Users with go90 version 3.0 and later can cast live games from the go90 app to Airplay and Chromecast. No registration or authentication is required.

Then, on Friday, one day before the season began, the NWSL released their app (iOS only), which, at least for US fans, is just a mobile version of the website, offering nothing more than you can find anywhere else.

It seems like an overabundance of options, no?

Except, it’s not. Ironically, all these various options for watching the streaming NWSL matches actually left fans almost unable to watch at all. Watching on the go90 website itself was impossible, both live games and the “on-demand” matches were unavailable. Watching via the go90 app was partially successful. If you consider having to restart the match and by the grace of God alone find where you’d left off anytime something–a phone call from mom, a need to check social media, your phone just deciding to exit all applications on a whim, or, and far more likely, the stream freezing and requiring a restart of the app–interrupted your feed, a success.

So for domestic fans, the go90 partnership compromised their ability to watch the games this important opening weekend. To the point that advice was passed around about how to bypass the location blocks that provided international fans access to high-quality streams on the NWSL website.

As for watching games “on-demand,” after they’d aired, Jonathan Tannenwald at The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News landed a scoop from insiders familiar to the NWSL’s deal with A+E and go90, and provided insight into the peculiarities of each’s on-demand access. In both cases, the games will be archived for 48 hours and then made available on the NWSL website and app.

But so far, they haven’t been, despite content disappearing from go90 already. And a quick search of “NWSL go90” on Twitter will tell you how people feel about the matter:

Granted, it’s a holiday weekend, but the NWSL weren’t deprived of a calendar when planning out their season. If you schedule your opening weekend for Easter, you damn well better make sure your staff is on-hand to get it off without a hitch.

Youtube was a preferred platform for fans because it offered a single way to watch (rather than the multitude of complicated, confusing, and unreliable options this season) that domestic and international fans could access equally. Content was immediately available after the live stream for viewing, viewing could be done on a mobile device but most often occurred on a computer, freeing up a mobile device to engage in conversation via social media about the game, thereby increasing any match’s digital footprint across multiple social media platforms. Of course there were issues, of course it wasn’t perfect. But by comparison, the streaming of non-televised games this first weekend has many wishing we could have Youtube back.

So, yes, there are problems. The league needs to answer the concerns of their fans, and sooner, rather than later.

But that’s not to say all is lost for this historic fifth season of the NWSL. The Game of the Week on Lifetime went off, as far as anyone could tell, without a hitch. It was absolutely a success and hopefully, even with the time (3 pm) and holiday weekend, the ratings will demonstrate that our fans show up. We show up.

When we can.

And that’s really the reason the streaming elements need to be worked out as soon as possible. For all its progress, the NWSL is still nowhere near stable. It’s done well, it has succeeded in ways every previous iteration failed, and now the front office of the league is thinking and planning in terms of years rather than one season to the next. They’ve built a fanbase, they’ve built an audience–they built it and we came, to paraphrase one of the greatest sports movies of all-time–but we have to be able to continue to show up, in person whenever possible and virtually whenever not, to help this league continue to grow.

So, as a fan, as a member of the media, I’m asking the powers that be: please, fix this.

Because, for a league trying to make its case for being the premiere professional women’s soccer league in the world, the NWSL came out looking like amateurs this weekend. And we deserve better–all of us. From the front office to the locker-room to the fans in the stands.

We deserve–and we can do–better.

 

Route Two Soccer: The Counterattack and Houston’s 4-3-3

Posted on by RJ Allen

Welcome to Route Two Soccer, a new (semi) weekly column, where I’ll be discussing tactics in the women’s game.

There are plenty of great resources out there already on soccer tactics in general, and a whole lot more applying those concepts, but there’s not nearly as much available about tactical developments on the women’s side of things. I’m hoping to help fill in a little bit of that gap.

To kick things off this week, I want to talk about the Houston Dash, a team picked by many (including yours truly) to finish near the bottom of the table, who played this weekend without their two biggest stars (Carli Lloyd is in England until June and Morgan Brian carrying an injury), and nevertheless managed to secure a 2-0 victory over a strong Chicago side.

Despite the scoreline, it was a relatively even affair with Chicago arguably having the better of the game for the first 70 minutes. However, the manner in which Houston achieved the win deserves attention, since it has big implications for how the team will need to set up over the rest of the season if they hope to replicate this result.

Houston set up in a 4-3-3, led by an attacking triumvirate of Ohai, Daly, and Beckie—a group with the talent to be one of the best frontlines in the league. Ohai and Beckie were nominally positioned on the left and right respectively, but swapped sides easily over the course of the match. Daly mostly held the center, playing off the others, and trying to set the conditions for successful linkup play.

Houston’s 4-3-3: strengths and weaknesses

When it works, this sort of fluid attacking line creates enormous difficulties for the defense. All three are adept at picking off isolated defenders, dragging defenses out of position, and then slicing through the resulting spaces. Working together, they can trigger a cascading effect. As one creates a gap, the next moves through it to receive the ball, further dragging defenders off their mark and creating space for the third to gain a solid look on goal.

However, this approach has limitations as well. For one thing, it misses out on the advantages of a traditional center forward. While Daly can deputize as a #9, she lacks the physical presence to dominate in the air or allow for a game built around hold-up play. Moreover, this trio is chock full of great goals, but is far less adept at the sort of goal poaching that’s so often is necessary to grind out a tough win.

But most importantly, with all three forwards at their best facing goal and/or moving laterally, it can be difficult for Houston to orchestrate much buildup through the midfield. When it’s not working, this 4-3-3 leaves the attacking trio isolated, and the midfield overrun.

This effect is compounded by Houston’s relative dearth of good possession-oriented central midfielders. Andressa certainly fits that bill—with as much skill on the ball as almost anyone in the league—but Denise O’Sullivan and Amber Brooks do not. They both have excellent work rates, and can be trusted to put in a shift, but these are hardly the players to build a tiki-taka game around. Houston’s 4-3-3, therefore, can easily set up their opponent to dominate possession and choke off attacks before they begin, something that happened all too often last year (including an almost unbelievable scoreless run of 567 minutes).

In theory, this setup should be relatively flexible, shifting quickly back and forth between the 4-3-3 in attack to a 4-2-3-1 in defense (with Ohai and Beckie dropping back to the midfield, and O’Sullivan dropping back to form a bank of two defensive midfielders). However, neither of the wide attackers is particularly adept defensively, minimizing the value of this switch. And, even more importantly, the 4-2-3-1 is best suited for facilitating transitions through the center of the pitch, using the extra bodies in the midfield to support the attack. But this isn’t really Houston’s objective, and it remains to be seen whether they try to move more in that sort of direction.

Houston’s 4-3-3 in action – Week 1

On Saturday, we saw clear evidence of both the strengths and weaknesses of the 4-3-3.

On the negative side, Chicago’s excellent central diamond used their extra body and greater skill in possession to great effect, running circles around the beleaguered Houston midfield. Despite their best efforts, O’Sullivan and Brooks spent most of the first hour chasing shadows, giving dangerous players like DiBernardo, Colaprico, and Press far too much time and space on the ball. Meanwhile, Andressa spent a lot of time getting kicked, but didn’t find much joy threading needles through quickly collapsing spaces.

However, on the positive side, as Houston dropped deeper in defense Chicago was forced to come forward, leaving acres of space behind their defensive line. And this sort of expanse is precisely the terrain that Houston’s frontline is best suited to exploit.

You can see the effect quite clearly in Houston’s first goal. It all began with Chicago slicing open the Houston defense and then rattling the post with a shot. But in the space of just a few seconds, Brooks went from standing over the ball in her own defensive third (with five Chicago players behind her) to launching a ball over the top right to the feet of an onrushing Ohai, with only the keeper to beat. It was a ridiculously fast transition: from nearly conceding to putting the ball in the net in the space of 15 seconds.

And this is the issue for Houston in 2017. Their chief resources are blistering pace and skillful attackers who do best attacking head-on, taking defenders on directly, or rushing into space to meet a throughball. In that sense, they seem ideally suited to a counterattacking setup. However, Houston’s primary weakness is its backline, where none of their defenders are without significant questions. A strategy of resolute defending and lightning counterattacks might serve them well, but it could be exceptionally dangerous to sit back and wait for opponents to attack their weakest link.

The return of Lloyd and Brian

These questions will only grow as Lloyd and Brian return. Both are excellent players, of course, but it remains to be seen whether and how they can be fitted into a more successfully tactical setup.

Lloyd, in particular, is a real enigma. Her presence in 2016 coincided with (by far) the team’s best run of form. Consider: in Lloyd’s six full games, Houston scored 17 goals and earned 12 out of 18 points. In their other 14 games, Houston scored just 12 goals and earned only 10 out of 42 points. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether Lloyd actually fits into the system that Houston needs to play. She’s certainly not well suited for a lethal counterattacking unit built on pace and quick one-touch passing to slice through a defense in transition.

And if she does return to the Dash starting XI, whom would she replace? Sacrificing any of the midfielders would only exacerbate the defensive frailty. Losing one of the front three, however, would radically change the offensive structure—with Lloyd likely slotting in as more of an attacking midfielder at the top of a 4-4-2. We have seen Lloyd excel in that role before—when she is on her game, she truly fits the bill of the trequartista. But those games are rare in the best of times, and Lloyd is now solidly in her mid 30s. Can the Dash afford to build their entire offense around the gamble of getting Lloyd at her best?

What to do with Morgan Brian is an easier topic, though not without its own subtle concerns. Thanks to national team duties and a series of injuries, Brian has never quite achieved what the Dash hoped from her when they selected her with the #1 pick in 2015. But a healthy Morgan Brian is one of the most skillful and gifted (both physically and mentally) players in the world–the sort of player that any team can use.

So, looking forward, the question for the Dash is just how soon they’ll be able to get that version of Brian, and where they should use her once she becomes available. I’ve argued before over at Stars and Stripes FC that Brian’s best role going forward might be as a holding midfielder, in something of the Sergio Busquets role. That position maximizes the value of her skill on the ball, her field vision, and her control in tight spaces. However, if Houston plan to play a counterattacking game, they simply won’t have much use from a short-passing playmaker in the deep holding slot. It might make more sense, then, to continue slotting in Brooks at the #6—where she is more than serviceable—and swap out O’Sullivan instead.

For Houston, Brian’s value will probably be maximized if she plays as a box-to-box midfielder, dropping deep and effectively playing as the second piece of a double pivot when in defense—enhancing the midfield shield that will help to protect the frail backline—but with the freedom to range forward to link up with Andressa, Poliana and the attacking three when in possession. O’Sullivan did well enough in that role on Saturday, but there’s no denying that a fully fit Brian would make it easier for the Dash to shift fluidly between the 4-3-3 in attack and the 4-2-3-1 in defense.

If they’re able to integrate Brian into the system in that slot and if she and Andressa can form a solid relationship in those roles, it would significantly enhance Houston’s tactical versatility, and could be the difference between a successful campaign and another mediocre season.

Going forward

Houston performed well on Saturday, managing to play fairly even with a strong Chicago team, and start their season with three points. But the flaws of this roster were very much on display, and the real problem is: it’s not really clear that there are many solutions available.

The 4-3-3 is the best way to maximize the attacking abilities of their front six, but it’s a fairly rigid framework. When it works, it produces moments of magic. When it doesn’t, it produces a lot of frustration. And unlike other teams in the league, with enormous flexibility to rebalance their team on a given day, Houston doesn’t have a lot of other options.

As noted above, when Lloyd returns they may choose to shift to a 4-4-2 (pushing Ohai to the wings and using Lloyd as the #10), and they did have some success in this formation last year. But it relies heavily on getting top-quality performances from Lloyd (a risky gamble), and also risks seriously unbalancing the midfield.

Ultimately, it’s hard to look at the roster and not think that a trade might be their best option. At the end of the day, Houston’s season will be made or broken on the backline, and while they can and should work on drilling a bit more positional solidity into that backline, there’s a limit to how much water you can squeeze from a rock.

But Lloyd remains an incredibly dangerous player. Might not some other team in the league be willing to offer up some defensive support in order to get her? If it’s possible to bring in some additional strength from outside, they would be well advised to consider it.

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 1

Posted on by RJ Allen

Welcome to our first installment of “Off the Bench,” the latest Backline Soccer weekly series.

Backline Soccer Recap:

This last week on Backline Soccer, we posted all ten of our 2017 NWSL team previews. If you haven’t yet read them, please visit our site to check them out and let us know what you think!

NWSL Week One Game Recaps:

What a great first weekend back for the NWSL we had! Let’s dive straight into a recap of the five matches we had this past weekend.

 

Game 1: Houston Dash 2 vs Chicago Red Stars 0

Houston Dash record: 1-0-0
Chicago Red Stars record: 0-1-0
Attendance : 4,484

First up, to kick off the 2017 NWSL season, the Houston Dash took on the Chicago Red Stars at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston. Kealia Ohai opened up the scoring giving the 2017 season its first goal in the 15th minute. Alyssa Naeher stuck to her line a little too long and Ohai made her pay. Then, in the 80′ minute, Rachel Daly sent a rocket past Naeher, for goal number two, and was featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter for it!

 

Game 2: Portland Thorns 2 vs Orlando Pride 0

Portland Thorns record: 1-0-0
Orlando Pride record: 0-1-0
Attendance : 16,145

The first Lifetime Game of the Week started shortly after the Houston game, with the Portland Thorns taking on the Orlando Pride. It was a pretty even game for most of the match. The 24th minute saw a killer diving header from Ashlyn Harris to keep the Thorns from scoring but an unfortunate handball on Alanna Kennedy in the 32nd minute led to a converted PK by Nadia Nadim. Christine Sinclair netted home the final goal to seal the Thorns’ win in the 67th minute.

 

Game 3: Washington Spirit 0 vs North Carolina Courage 1

Washington Spirit record: 0-1-0
North Carolina Courage record: 1-0-0
Attendance : 2,400

Next up were the Washington Spirit and North Carolina Courage, in their inaugural match. McCall Zerboni scored the game’s lone goal–and the first in NC Courage history–in the 19th minute but it was Spirit goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé who put on a spectacular performance that kept the Courage from scoring any more after that. With one spectacular save after another, Labbé demonstrated to everyone just what an asset she will be for the Spirit this season. Unfortunately for the Spirit, Joanna Lohman went down in the first half with what was confirmed on Monday as a torn ACL in her left knee.

 

Game 4: Seattle Reign 1 vs Sky Blue FC 1

Seattle Reign record: 0-0-1
Sky Blue FC record: 0-0-1
Attendance : 3,521

The final match of the day was between the Seattle Reign and Sky Blue FC, which ended up being the game of PKs. A foul committed by a Sky Blue player saw Megan Rapinoe convert a PK in the 56nd minute. Then in the 62nd minute, a foul by a Reign player saw Sarah Killion bury a PK to level the game. Seattle Reign goalkeeper, Haley Kopmeyer, who had a player of the week worthy game as well on Saturday, almost stopped the PK taken by Killion.

 

Game 5: FC Kansas City 2 v. Boston Breakers 0

FC Kansas City record: 1-0-0
Boston Breakers record: 0-1-0
Attendance : 3,340

The final game of the first weekend back for the NWSL between FC Kansas City and the Boston Breakers saw the return of Amy Rodriguez and Sydney Leroux to the pitch after maternity leave. Leroux kicked off the party early with her first goal in over a year in the 7th minute. Amy Rodriguez decided she wanted to be part of the goal scoring party too and netted herself one in the 48th minute. Then in the 58th minute, we all held our breath as Rodriguez went down with a non-contact injury and was stretchered off shortly after. Official confirmation has not been given but it was reported to be the left leg which was then immobilized with a brace.

The weekend ended with the Dash, Thorns, Courage, and FCKC all taking home 3 points, while Sky Blue and the Reign each left with a point. Held winless and pointless in the first weekend were the Red Stars, Pride, Spirit, and Breakers.

The Scouting Report:

The Scouting Report went live last night with the first official NWSL weekly TSR recap of all NWSL games from the weekend. Make sure to tune in every Monday at 8pm EST to catch our weekly series!

You can find last night’s TSR here:

Come back next week for the next edition of Off the Bench!

The Unused Sub: And So It Begins

Posted on by RJ Allen

The Unused Sub is a weekly musings piece by Jacob Cristobal because he has fooled the world into thinking he has valuable opinions about soccer. So yeah.

You may remember me from being a contributor to Sounder At Heart’s Ride of the Valkyries. When I was asked to be a part of Backline Soccer, I thought it was a confirmation of the power of the bribe. If it’s worked for FIFA all these years, then why not for a women’s soccer blog? The next thought was, “Oh cool, I get to drop more silly thoughts about soccer because that’s what this world needs right? Another dude with opinions about soccer.” Alas here we are and once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more. I share the same amount of excitement that everyone else has. Who knows what this season will bring us, but surely there will be highlights and low lights or shall we say the preferred nomenclature, FURTlights.

WE ARE IN YEAR FIVE AND WE SHOULD ALL BE FEELING FINE
My experience in covering women’s soccer only goes as long as the NWSL has existed. I know plenty of others were here for the WUSA and WPS days and viewed last season as uncharted waters being the previous two leagues didn’t have a fourth season. However it was an exciting uncharted waters, because we knew there was a fourth season. Now we are entering a fifth season and with plenty of excitement now that the league has a full and proper TV deal. This partnership with A+E Networks with a NWSL Game of the Week being on Lifetime every Saturday is exactly what the NWSL needed. I’m of the belief that “if it’s on TV, people will watch.” And it’s not just a one and done. A+E invested in the league for multiple years and one can assume, considerable money on the table. For a league very much in its infancy, this is exactly what it needed. The idea of the NWSL celebrating a 10th year I think is no longer a pipe dream and its foundation is being made.

ABOUT THAT FOUNDATION – NO ONE SAID IT WAS GOING TO BE EASY WORK
Yes the road to today’s announcement of the streaming platform was dumb and ugly but it shouldn’t be viewed as a deal breaker like some insinuations would have you think with the tone of their screaming from the hills. I have no idea how those meetings went when it came to finding a vendor, nor working out the logistics of the rollout and quality assurance. I can only safely assume that it wasn’t easy. Things take time. Could the league have been more transparent with that and say something to the effect? Possibly, but it could easily open up follow-up questions from the incredibly impatient. It’s easy to say should have, could have, would have, etc but I’d like to think the radio silence wasn’t intentional. Let’s not go Tin Foil Hat County (too much salt in the food, let’s be real) and weave a thread that the league is messing up on purpose because they want to make life harder for themselves and all parties interested in the growth of women’s soccer. The NWSL is entering it’s fifth year, still a lil’ one. Yes we live in a 24/7 world, but it’s not like it’s eradicated growing pains. We will see how the go90 streaming platform goes this weekend. Knock on wood it all goes smooth whether you’re a Sky Blue fan watching from New Jersey or a Houston Dash fan tuning in from England. And if there are problems, let’s have faith in the people behind the scenes on making the necessary fixes so week 2 of the 2017 NWSL season goes without a hitch as far as streaming a match.

BOSTON WILL BE BETTER AND NO I AM NOT HIGH
For the past two seasons, the Boston Breakers finished last in the league standings. This season I think they break that dubious streak. A full offseason and better college draft later and I think Matt Beard has identified his core players and how everything in the NWSL works. While I don’t think Boston is a playoff contender this year, I think they will do enough that they can influence the playoff picture. I think one NWSL team’s playoff hopes will be thwarted because of the Boston Breakers this season. Matt Beard’s squad will show growth on the field, likely led by NWSL Rookie of the Year contende Rose LaVelle and make considerable noise that come the 2018, this could be a dark horse pick of a playoff contender. Again, I am not under the influence of any narcotic at the time of writing this.

PAUL RILEY WILL GET TOSSED BECAUSE LIFE IS RICH LIKE THAT
The only question is, will it be because he twerked into the fourth official like last year in Orlando? WELL HOLY CRAP, THE NWSL IS A VENGEFUL GOD AND TOLD RILEY TO SIT DOWN FOR THE FIRST TWO GAMES of the season because of his tomfoolery in the playoffs last year. That said, I don’t think this will be the only time Paul gets a time out. I will never get tired of a twerking Paul Riley.

A NEW AMERICAN HEROINE WILL RISE & JILL ELLIS WILL NOTICE, ACTUALLY PLAY HER
If you were to tell me that say Beverly Yanez, Haley Kopmeyer, Sofia Huerta, or a Katie Naughton could have a banner 2017 for their respective NWSL club that US national team head coach Jill Ellis gives them a call-up, I would not be surprised. Any of these could do something special in 2017. Now would Ellis actually give them minutes in an international match is another topic of discussion for another time.

FURT WILL LIVE FOREVER & ALWAYS…
However I think with a new season there should be some new inside joke terminology to describe some schadenfreude. Not necessarily a word made up because of some hilarious coloring of half a word for a snazzy banner image, but maybe we bring back a word into popularity. I’m borrowing a word from a friend across the pond (hi Kieran Theivam) and going with gazump.

PREDICTIONS, SCHMEDICTIONS
The NWSL Media Association asked all members to fill out a poll as to where the teams will finish this season. At the risk of exposing myself to ridicule, I’ll share with you how I filled out the poll. Keep in mind this is where I think teams will be at the end of the regular season. Ask me about predicting the NWSL Playoffs when the field is set and then ridicule me for getting those wrong too.

  1. Chicago Red Stars
  2. Portland Thorns FC
  3. Sky Blue FC
  4. Seattle Reign FC
  5. Orlando Pride
  6. North Carolina Courage
  7. FC Kansas City
  8. Boston Breakers
  9. Houston Dash
  10. Washington Spirit

And with that, cheers to the new season ahead, try not to be Mad Online too much about your team, and remember salt kills snails & slugs. So unless you got some major beef with them, don’t be a monster and just pour salt on them for kicks.

Got a question, a reaction, something to say? Yes, I’m serious, @ me on Twitter: @jacobcristobal. Me answering a question or two only helps the word count in future posts and it’d be fun to answer them.

6 Takeaways From NWSL Week One

Posted on by RJ Allen

The first week of NWSL Season 5 is now complete, and life is good because of it. Hopefully your team managed to win in week one, but it is still early if your team fell in defeat (or a draw, shoutout to Sky Blue and Seattle fans). A lot of good came out of the first week with only a smattering of bad, so here are a few of our takeaways as we head into the second week.

The Thorns Mostly Sharp in Rose City – Luis Hernandez

The historic first nationally broadcast regular season NWSL game on Lifetime, saw the Portland Thorns cruise to victory in front of the Portland faithful over the Orlando Pride keeping its record of opening day wins perfect (5-0-0). Nadia Nadim converted from the spot after an uncharacteristic handball in the box from Pride defender Alanna Kennedy in 32nd minute and Christine Sinclair finished an Allie Long pass in the 67th minute to finish the scoring for the day.

The only worry Portland needs to settle down is the erratic play of Adrianna Franch who would have been made to pay by a better organized attack instead of the second year Pride. Franch stats would make her a lock in goal to replace the departing Michelle Betos; however, she displayed poor decision-making, and unspectacular distribution. Franch even fouled Chioma Ubogagu just outside the box in the 42nd minute. The Thorns managed to keep a clean sheet but if the team wants to bring the NWSL championship back to the Rose City. Franch can’t play as poorly as the first match. Britt Eckerstrom might see time sooner rather than later.

The League Pulls Off Television Broadcast and Match Streaming Mostly – Luis Hernandez

Within the first few moments of the go90 app streaming the first match of the season with the Houston Dash hosting the Chicago Red Stars, the production value dwarfed whatever was on YouTube from season’s past. Matches were available for replay fairly quickly on go90. Despite the commercial issues during Sunday’s game, all seemed pretty well. Unless you were an international fan using the NWSL website, in which case, we are sorry.

We all figured it wasn’t all going to go off without a hitch, but after all the Saturday matches were done, the league should be given credit the accomplishment of making most NWSL fans happy by producing on the statements made. The Lifetime broadcast was even more impressive. The broadcast teams provided an air of legitimacy. The inclusion of Julie Foudy with Dalen Cuff worked. Additionally, Jenn Hildreth working with Aly Wagner provided an entertaining and professional experience. Granted, I’m still waiting for the Lifetime replay, and there will always be a vocal group of negative experience, but the broadcast didn’t suck and the streams were clear. Nice job.

Labbé Saves the Day in Washington, Well Almost. – Jordan Small

Saturday’s 1-0 loss to the North Carolina Courage was not the ideal start for the Washington Spirit. In the first half alone, the Spirit conceded a goal to the courage and also lost two starters to injury. The one positive light in the game was the play of Canadian international Stephanie Labbé in net.

Labbé’s play in the back not only saved the Spirit from a disastrous opening weekend, but also proved that she was already in top form. North Carolina had 21 shots, 9 of which ended up on frame, but only one goal to show for it. It seemed as if every save that Labbé racked up was one for the highlight reel. There are many things that the Spirit must address heading into week 2 when they face Orlando, but the goalkeeping situation is not one of those.

Two Key Additions Make NC Courage Even Better – Jordan Small

With very little change in the lineup that won the 2016 NWSL Championship game as the Western New York Flash, it was not a surprise to see the North Carolina Courage come out firing on all cylinders. Two key offseason additions solidified a lineup that looks to bring the relocated franchise to the playoffs for the second consecutive years.

Brazilian midfielder Debinha came in to an already solid Courage midfield and made it even better. Her ability to create scoring chances and her strong presence on the ball made her a force to be reckoned with in the opening weekend match. The Courage also brought in Japanese centerback Yuri Kawamura to fill in for the departed Alanna Kennedy. With Kawamura adding a stable presence in the middle of the backline, leftback Jaelene Hinkle was more free to get up and down the outside flank. Both of these additions sured up a very good Courage lineup.

Haley Kopmeyer Is Good at Goalkeeping – Leigh Nieves

In a game where Seattle most likely should not have gained a point, the Reign’s keeper kept their squad above water in a match against a threatening Sky Blue FC. Seattle’s defensive line was no match for the attack of Sam Kerr & Co. and Kopmeyer ended up with 8 impressive saves by the end of the game.

Though it could be blamed on lack of playing time with the team from a few starters in the off season, it is troubling that the Reign is back to opening their season without a win at Memorial Stadium. On the other hand, it’s very encouraging to see such a strong showing from a Sky Blue team that has struggled in the past with having a relative mediocre season. It seems like moving Kelley O’Hara up in your formation to help lead on the attack actually can help your squad.

Leroux Makes a Comeback – Leigh Nieves

FCKC met the Boston Breakers for the final game of Week 1 on Sunday and walked away with a 2-0 win with goals from Sydney Leroux and Amy Rodriguez. Despite Amy Rodriguez’s injury casting a rather dark shadow on the game, it was wonderful to see Sydney Leroux back in full form. Leroux not only scored a beautiful goal with a clinical finish early in the first half, but also could have bagged two more had it not been for the crossbar.

With the return of Syd the Kid and a solid showing from rookie Christina Gibbons, FC Kansas City seems to be on track to make a decent impression within the league this season. Even some outstanding footwork from Boston’s Rose Lavelle couldn’t stop the Blues from getting 3 points and a shutout. Now we can only hope that A-Rod makes a speedy recovery and can help with their run.

These are the things that stood out to us from week one in the NWSL. What stood out to you? Was there something we missed? Leave a comment below for your takeaways.

To Playoffs & Beyond? 2017 Houston Dash Preview

Posted on by RJ Allen

2016 Record: 6-10-4, 8th Place.

Coach: Randy Waldrum

Since joining the league in 2014, the Houston Dash have always had potential. For an expansion team, the first couple of seasons are more or less expected to be rough, but by 2016 (my first full-year as an NWSL and Dash fan) it seemed like the pieces were finally falling into place. They had filled holes in the defense and a stagnant attack, drafting or acquiring a host of dynamic forwards in Rachel Daly, Chioma Ubogagu, and Janine Beckie. They had Becca Moros and Ellie Brush anchoring a backline that also included the dangerous Poliana and Allysha Chapman on the wings. The midfield was to be anchored by Morgan Brian and Carli Lloyd, who was finally training with the team ….

It was a dream off-season and Dash fans had every reason to be optimistic.

The Dash even started the season strong solidifying a 4-4-2 system that fit the personnel and gathered a good core of young players that seemed to have a chemistry together that previous rosters lacked. For a brief, shining moment the team was even on the top of the table (in Week One), and Dash fans looked at each other, and wondered, “is this real life?”

It wasn’t.

Injuries to Lloyd and Brian, international duty for seven of their players during the Olympics, and a let down of some of the players (like Ubogagu, Moros, and Brush) who failed to deliver on their promised potential left the Dash in a hole by the middle of the season that was impossible to climb back out of, even when Kealia Ohai went on her scoring tear in the last 10 games.

Now, looking ahead to the 2017 season the Dash have once again lost some key players–though not nearly as many as the last off-season–and signed some really exciting new pieces that they hope will provide a spark to propel them into a truly competitive position, and even a shot at the playoffs. Will 2017 be the year of the Dash? I have a couple of reasons to be optimistic that it will be.

 

Continuity Helps

One of the first pieces of news to come out of the off-season was that a huge chunk of core roster pieces were re-signed for the 2017 season. According to the press release, the Dash exercised second-year contract options on a large number of players, including: forwards Rachel Daly, Melissa Henderson, and Kealia Ohai; midfielders Amber Brooks, Caity Heap, and Denise O’Sullivan; defenders Poliana, Cami Privett, and Cari Roccaro; as well as goalkeeper Lydia Williams. Houston also offered new contracts to Andressa (M), and Stephanie Ochs (D). The Dash also have several players allocated by the Canadian and US Soccer federations returning to the pitch this year, as Morgan Brian, Janine Beckie, and Carli Lloyd (sort of–more on that later) will each don the team’s bright orange kits once again.

The biggest takeaway from that long list of names is that with such a significant number of players returning, the team can continue to build on the flow and communication they had finally established by the end of the 2016 season. Considering the team’s post-Rio performance was basically the polar opposite of the first half of the season, the potential for them to come out strong and persist throughout the season is definitely real.

Additionally, the Dash may be one of the teams that will benefit most from having no major international tournaments in the middle of the season. The Olympics were particularly rough, with over half the starting lineup out for the month leading up to Olympics (Williams for Australia, Beckie and Chapman for Canada, Poliana and Andressa for Brazil, and Morgan Brian and Carli Lloyd for the US). By contrast, the Euros will have no impact on the lineup. Instead, they will have a chance to build on the chemistry that was established last season. I am especially excited to see many of the young players brought in last year grow together and start to gel.

 

New Signings & Draft Picks

The Dash also added a number of big names in the off-season, with both international players and draft picks. While the draft class for the Dash was small, with only three picks overall, Randy Waldrum and the team used those three picks to their advantage, acquiring the rights to Jane Campbell (GK), and Erin Smith (D).

Campbell has been in the US National Team conversation since she was 17–an impressive feat during the years of Hope Solo’s dominance when very few goalkeepers were even in consideration, much less called up for a look. She has been considered the future of National Team goalkeeping and has been consistently called up to train with Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride) and Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars) in the camps after the Olympics when more spots opened up in the GK conversation for the US. In her career at Stanford, she was outstanding, with NCAA reported that by the end of her career, Campbell came in “first in goalkeeping minutes with 7,233, fourth in saves with 208, tied for second in shutouts with 34 and fifth in goals against average with a .66 per game.” She is more than capable as a backup to Australian international Lydia Williams.

There is some speculation that Campbell’s current position on the National Team will put pressure on Waldrum to start her over Williams. I honestly do not think that Waldrum would do that to Williams. Williams is one of the top international goalkeepers, and she has plenty of league experience – both in the NWSL and the W-League. While Campbell was a top-rated college player and has trained with the USWNT (getting her first cap and 15 minutes of play against Russia), she is still a rookie in the league. She doesn’t have the international experience. There is no reason, from a club perspective, to start her over Williams. She will still develop by training with one of the best keepers in the world. 

As far as new international players go, the Dash have acquired Janine van Wyk (D, South Africa) and Bruna Benites (D, Brazil), as well as American defender Claire Falknor who played for Germany’s Bayern Munich in 2016 after graduating from the University of Florida in 2015.  Van Wyk is perhaps the biggest name on this list last year July’s friendly pitted her South African side against the USWNT for the first time. In that match, Banyana Banyana held the powerful US team to only one goal, a feat that was led by van Wyk in her role as center defender and captain. She used that opportunity to display her skills to her advantage, revealing when she signed with the Dash that the process to bring her to Houston had started almost as soon as she stepped off the field from that display of defensive dominance.

It seems safe to assume that Houston is trying to fix some major holes that appeared in the defense, particularly in the late minutes of matches. Last year, despite moving past their scoring drought in definitive form, they couldn’t hold leads in the late minutes. This was a combination of their center backs slowing down late in the game, a lack of communication and chemistry with substitutes, and a tendency to watch the ball. This year, with the exception of Prince, all of their draft picks and signings have been focused on adding depth to the defense and hopefully building a backline that will be able to stay solid for a full 90 minutes. There is better communication between the backline, largely because of van Wyk’s experience, and the overall fitness of the line is improved, but their depth is still worrisome. If anyone gets injured, it may be another scramble requiring midfielders to be converted in a week’s time (as with Cami Privett last season).

 

Can Ohai Continue to Dominate?

One overwhelmingly bright spot of the second half of 2016 was Kealia Ohai’s scoring spree. She scored 11 goals in ten games and racked up four assists on the season, coming in second to Lynn Williams (WNY Flash) in the Golden Boot competition, who won with 11 goals, five assists.

Ohai also grew into her role as captain last season. After starting the year off as co-captain with Lloyd, she assumed sole possession of the armband after the National Team player’s early-season injury and extended international duty. She led the Dash out of the scoring drought and established herself as an offensive threat. Her late-season display earned her a call-up to the USWNT in October, which resulted in her first cap against Switzerland and a stunningly fast goal, 48 seconds after she stepped on the pitch.

However, Ohai has always struggled with consistency. She was one of the players who contributed (or rather, didn’t) to the scoring drought, and her numbers over the 2014-2015 seasons were not spectacular. It seemed she had turned over a new leaf at the end of 2016 that turned her into one of the top names in the league, but her preseason has been quiet and frustrating. The question Houston needs her to answer is whether she can continue her club dominance and effectively lead the team to bigger and better things in 2017.  I believe that she can. Over the past couple of years, she has shown that she can withstand tough times and come out stronger on the other side. While she was part of the scoring drought, it was also her leadership that helped lead them back into attacking dominance in the second half.

 

Life Without Lloyd

Finally, the question every Dash fan always seems to be asking: What about Carli Lloyd? Traded to the Dash in the 2014 offseason, Lloyd’s a player from whom great things are expected, no matter where she’s playing, and having her in Dash orange seems like it should spell great things for the club. The problem is that she is often just a name on the roster–not on the field–leaving fans to wonder if she will ever fully dedicate herself to the club.

Her play for the Dash in 2015 was hampered not only by the World Cup in Canada, but by the sheer amount of media she was expected to do in her role as World Cup Final Hero. In 2016, it was an injury and then the lead up to the Olympics (and an extended vacation after the end of the US Olympic run for recovery) that hampered her appearances on the pitch for Houston. For those who wondered if she would finally start to take her commitment to her NWSL team seriously in 2017, Lloyd once again seemed to defer, announcing that she had signed with Manchester City Women in the FAWSL as they compete in the UEFA Women’s Champion’s League tournament, on a contract that lasts until July 1st of this year.

This leaves two questions for Houston:

  1. What will they do without her for the first half of the season?
  2. Will she actually come back?

As to the former, I think that Houston will be just fine – and perhaps even better – without Lloyd on the field. Yes, Lloyd is dominant. Yes, she is an accomplished goal scorer, a top attacking midfielder, and the reigning two-time FIFA Player of the Year. However, Lloyd plays best in a system that is built entirely around her and her playing style. This is true with the National Team and it is true with her club teams. At the very least, she needs to know and be comfortable with the players on the field with her. Her extended absences have made any kind of on-field chemistry nearly impossible to establish with Houston. And it is difficult for a coach to train a team to be successful in two very systems, one for when Lloyd is there, and one for when she’s not.

The answer to the second question is little more than speculation. Based on her previous attitude towards the team–from her obvious disappointment at being traded to the Dash, to her choice to stay in New Jersey with her trainer while rehabbing in 2016 instead of remaining in Houston and with the Dash community–I really don’t think Lloyd wants to be on the Dash. Granted, players do not “technically” have control over the teams they play for. But NWSL fans know that if a big name National Team player wants to be somewhere, chances are they will end up there eventually (see: Alex Morgan’s move to the Orlando Pride, and Sydney LeRoux’s trade to FCKC). It’s entirely possible that she will lean on the front offices and USSF and make her move sooner, rather than later. Tellingly, the Dash have stopped including her in any marketing for the upcoming season, or even mentioning her in press releases about NT call-ups. Whether that’s because her rights are technically owned by Manchester City until July or not, it seems that Lloyd, in trying to find any way to not be in Houston, may have finally fallen out of Houston’s good graces.

 

Can Morgan Brian Stay Healthy?

Morgan Brian is another piece of the puzzle with a question mark currently. She’s been training with the team but has not played in preseason matches because of a knee injury. This week, the USWNT announced that she had been ruled out of the upcoming camp and friendlies because of that injury.

Brian has the potential to be a key piece in the midfield in both the attacking and defending roles. She has better chemistry on and off the field with her teammates and seems committed to making it work with Houston. When she’s there and healthy, she makes a distinct difference in the flow of the game and offensive presence, showing why she was a top draft pick in 2015. However, she has struggled with injuries off and on since the 2015 World Cup. This knee is only the most recent. Can Brian stay healthy, or will the Dash have to rely on Brooks and O’Sullivan in those roles?

 

Predictions

Going from their preseason play (some of which I’ve had the privilege of seeing in person), the Dash are raring to go the year. Their intensity is up across the field, their communication is vastly improved both within and between their lines. They are keeping their shape much better, and finding plenty of opportunities behind the lines with the combined speed of Daly, Beckie, and especially Ohai up top.

However, there are a few questions that will take regular season play to totally answer:

  1. How fast can their new defense gel? With a mostly new cast of characters, the Dash will live or die based on how well they handle the inevitable moments of miscommunication and move past them. Will they be able to finally defend for 90 minutes?
  2. Can their offense turn it on? Last season, the problem was with the offense for much of the first half. Their preseason games have shown no great offensive force, but they have shown a team who knows how to get the job done. Fans can hope this continues through the season.

As a fan, I am eager to see the Dash in 2017 as they develop their young talent and bring in veteran leadership from a larger international pool to solidify their defensive line. I really think that they have the potential to slot all the pieces together and turn into a true competitor for the top spots on the table.

It is going to be a great year to #DashOn!

2017 Houston Dash Roster

Goalkeepers (2): Jane Campbell, Lydia Williams

Defenders (6): Bruna Benites(INTL-BRA), Claire Falknor, Cami Privett, Poliana(INTL-BRA), Cari Roccaro, Janine Van Wyk (INTL-RSA),

Midfielders (6): Andressa (INTL-BRA), Morgan Brian (FED-USA), Amber Brooks, Caity Heap, Carli Lloyd (FED-USA, OOM), Denise O’Sullivan (INTL-IRE),

Forwards (7): Janine Beckie (FED-CAN), Rachel Daly (INTL-ENG), Sarah Hagen, Melissa Henderson, Kealia Ohai, Nichelle Prince (FED-CAN), Stephanie Ochs

Predicting the Pride: Year Two Edition

Posted on by RJ Allen

The inaugural season for the Orlando Pride didn’t go according to plan. Attempting to piggyback on the club’s MLS team slogan of Defy Expectations, the Pride had a stated objective of reaching the playoffs in its first year in existence. Getting a big name talent was only one piece of the plan; Orlando City diligently strives to treat the Pride as equals to its first team.  The team started out respectable enough, with big name signings, but with the departure of national team players for the Olympics in Rio, the lack of depth on the roster was exposed. The expansion team failed to win another match after mid-July, and finished in ninth place on the table, just above Boston. It was apparent at the end of the expansion team’s inaugural season that there was much to be done going into 2017 to improve the squad. Head coach Tom Sermanni and the Orlando front office have diligently worked on deals this off-season, even though the team has very few assets to barter with in the drag left by the export of resources in order to secure the famous Alex Morgan trade. Betting heavily on these off-season transactions, the Pride traded away Sam Witteman to North Carolina Courage and currently dealt away the remaining 2018 draft picks. Subsequently, Orlando is “all in” for the historic fifth NWSL season, and their second.

The team began the off-season by trading for Ali Krieger to shore up the defense, sending the Washington Spirit what amounted to a pack of gum. Seriously, before the trade, most fans would not have known about NWSL’s distribution rank order or the fact that Orlando was second on the list and the Spirit moved up to take that spot. On the day the trade took place Washington had nothing to show for getting rid of its team captain. But the biggest movement, and perhaps the most challenging, was Alex Morgan’s decision to head to France for the first part of the NWSL season; she isn’t expected to be back until June. Orlando tried to make the most of the transactions it managed to complete, but is it going to be enough to rise up the standings, and push into the playoffs in year two? How will the team line up during the season?

Let’s break down the Pride in its sophomore season. But, keep in mind, as of this writing, the final roster hasn’t been announced.

GOALKEEPERS

Going into the 2017 season, goalkeeping looks to be stable. Ashlyn Harris will once again command the defense in front of her. She’ll be looking to improve her 1.33 goals against per game with the Pride’s revamped defensive line. Backup keeper, Aubrey Bledsoe looks like she’s made a full recovery from breaking a leg which prematurely ended her season last year. If the back line can relieve some of the pressure that allowed 112 shots on goal last year, it will be a better year for the Harris who is motivated to prove for club and country that she is the best keeper. Keeping herself fit and injury-free should be a priority as last year the rough style of coaching from Marcos Machado (who coached women for the first time last season) was rough on both keepers. The Pride decided to make a change both keepers seem to have benefited from with new Pride Goalkeeper coach, Lloyd Yaxley, who used to coach Harris when she was a member of the Washington Spirit.

 

DEFENDERS

The focus of the off-season was a major upgrade to the defensive line which had been ravaged by a combination of international duty absences, injuries, and overall lack of cohesiveness. Added to the Pride were U.S. women’s national team player, Ali Krieger, and Brazilian international Camila. Australian international Alanna Kennedy also joined the team, reuniting with fellow Matildas Steph Catley and Laura Alleway. 

These additions join returning players like Cami Levin, Toni Pressley, and Monica. Sermanni appears hopeful the back line will become a strength with so many talented players available since the lack of international tournaments outside of the Euro minimize player absences. He’s also spoken of the benefit of having players with ties together translating on the pitch. The Pride appear to have found the solution to its porous defense. 

Last season, Coach Sermanni tinkered with the three-back formation but determined he didn’t have the players to execute it properly. This preseason the Pride have spent an extensive amount of time with a three back system. The key to a successful three back formation requires tall, strong players who are great in 1v1 situations and can stay compact. With so many skilled defenders, Sermanni will need to shift some players into the midfield to have as much talent out on the pitch while supplementing the lack of depth in the midfield roster. Look for Krieger to anchor the line as Kennedy and Alleway flank her left and right sides respectively. The versatility of Catley and Camila will allow them to play out wide, while still able to track back and defend if need be. 

 

MIDFIELDERS

On paper, the midfield appears to be an area of concern, with less than a handful of players officially on the roster. Fan-favorite Kaylyn Kyle was released once the Canadian Federation chose not to maintain her allocated status. Breakout-player Kristen Edmonds returns having been able to translate last season’s strong performance into a couple of national team camp call-ups. Maddy Evans spent the off-season playing in the W-league with the Brisbane Roar, and it seems the time on the pitch there has developed her game. Her overall physical conditioning, passing, and defensive play in the preseason have illustrated what spending extra hours on the pitch can do. Dani Weatherholt’s development in the off-season, including her time with the U-23 team, has impressed the coaches during preseason. Weatherholt continues to prove that she is the fittest player on the roster, winning the beep test this year reaching level 53 which, combined with her improved focus on her hold up play, should get her more minutes than the 786 from last season. 

Orlando looked to reinforced the midfield by drafting Nickolette Driesse in the fourth round of the draft. While Evans and Weatherholt are more defensive-minded, Driesse will look to go forward more to create scoring opportunities with the team’s forwards. But the lack of depth in the midfield could quickly be cause for alarm if the team fails to stay healthy. The team may continue to look to add depth as the season goes by.

The competition for playing time in the midfield is going to be a challenge as Sermanni adds defenders into that portion of the pitch. Someone on the roster will need to step up as the play-maker who can get the ball forward to the strikers. Driesse displayed the type of passing skill Sermanni is hoping will translate to the pro game, but as an unproven rookie that’s still a question mark going into the season.

 

FORWARDS

The issues with the Pride last season were two-fold: they couldn’t keep goals out of their net, and they couldn’t get goals into the opponent’s.  Alex Morgan who isn’t going to be with the team until the summer, took 44 shots last season, 20 on goal, and converted four for goals. Proving how anemic the Orlando attack was in 2016, the team’s leading scorer last season was midfielder Kristen Edmonds with six goals. Sermanni played Edmonds in multiple positions on the pitch, finally settling for the midfield where her strength from free kicks allowed her to find the back of the net even when the Pride struggled to provide service to the forwards. The Pride are bringing back Jasmyne Spencer, Christina Burkenroad, and Jamia Fields. Spencer returns after a loan to Canberra United in the off-season. She is at full health after suffering a lower leg injury during the W-league season. Look for her to contribute this season with at least four goals like she did last season. I expect the Pride will be searching for the combination of strikers who can provide goals, with Spencer I believe her role would be better suited off the bench and run at tired defenders late in the match. Burkenroad has looked a step faster than her rookie season, and if she can maintain her fitness her role will expand from the seven appearances she made last year. The expectation for Fields is to contribute more.

Additionally, the Pride acted on their search for more goal scorers by drafting Danica Evans (Colorado Buffalos) in the third round. Evans scored 11 goals in her senior season and notched six assists. The team also acquired the rights to Rachel Hill from Portland after the draft; however, the UConn Huskies star will not join the team until after she finishes with school this summer. The most under the radar move of the Pride off-season has been the trade of Chioma Ubogagu from the Houston Dash for a 2018 third round pick. Her addition to the roster went through with very little fanfare; however, Ubogagu has put some time in the gym which added more muscle to her frame and has scored in each of the preseason matches so far. Her addition to the squad should help make up for the absence of Morgan, and she could become a mainstay on Sermanni’s starting XI come gameday. I’m going to go out on a limb and predict Ubogagu scores double digit goals.

 

THE MARTA FACTOR

On April 7th, the Orlando Pride made the biggest signing in NWSL history bringing to the City Beautiful five-time Women’s World Player of the Year, Marta. How will her signing affect the Pride in 2017? I’ve always felt the Pride would be a better team who could fight into the playoff picture this year. Marta has yet to even practice with her new teammates, so right away there are questions on team chemistry and where she’ll be slotted into the formation, coming onto the team listed as a forward. But as Coach Sermanni stated in a team video from Twitter, “It’s really a question about just making the best use of her as we possibly can, and using her skills the best way we can.”

Last year, one of the challenges for the Pride was creating service opportunities for Alex Morgan and the other forwards on top. Because of this, I feel Marta would be better suited in the midfield as the central attack behind two forwards. She would be the creative playmaker that runs the offense, and Marta is able to create her own shot. The defensive players would have to play closer to her, so there could be more room for the forwards to work, as well as the outside wingers.  But if they can manage this? Orlando has some serious post-season potential this year.

 

FORMATION

With the U.S. women’s national team prominently playing with a three-back formation, some have wondered if any coaches in the league would attempt to use it this year. In each of the four preseason matches Orlando has played so far, the team began with a three-back line either in a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 formation. A three back system has to stay compact to be successful. However, there were times when the Pride would shift to a more conventional four-back system and either utilize a lone striker or have a pair of forwards on top. Expect the Pride to play compact in the back while working the ball out wide before putting pressure around the 18. The test will be when an opponent high presses the Pride, and we can see how the revamped defense handles when there’s a turnover in the defensive third. The backline will need to stay compact and have the wingers come back to help on defense when called upon giving Orlando a five-person line at times then when the danger is taken care of shift forward to keep numbers in the midfield. So far in preseason, the team has been able to pull it off against college teams. Ball distribution from the back from Harris or Kennedy will allow the fast pace style of play Sermanni wants the team to execute.

 

PREDICTION

Look for the Pride to improve from its ninth-place finish last year. The team has chosen to once again gamble the future and focus on the now by trading all its picks for the 2018 draft. The front office doesn’t shy away from making deals, and for Coach Sermanni there is added pressure to get results. However, that being said, I still don’t feel like Coach Sermanni will be in the hot seat even with the front office approach. I expect that to change for year three based on this year’s results. The relationships he’s been able to create with players make Orlando an attractive option. Players want to play for him again, just look at the willingness of the Australians to come to Florida to be reunited with the former Matildas gaffer. The ownership ties to Brazil also opens the door to those national team players. More players from the inaugural roster will be let go to make room for upgrades and a better quality squad. Out of respect to the players, I’m not going to speculate on any possible cuts. With a bit of luck, this team can avoid the injury bug since there are still depth issues. More obviously in the midfield, but an injury in the back line could cause a formation change if the three back line can’t be maintained. The home crowd in the new stadium should create an advantage in Orlando, and with lessons learned from last season – such as an extra travel day to west coast matches and better management of vegan players dietary needs affecting performance – should improve results.  Personally, I’m going to be optimistic and predict a fourth place finish and sneaking into the playoffs in year two. Here’s my crack at the opening day starting XI.

 

That’s how I see the Pride heading into the second season. Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

2017 Orlando Pride Roster

GOALKEEPERS (2): Aubrey Bledsoe, Ashlyn Harris (FED-USA)

DEFENDERS (8): Laura Alleway (INTL-AUS), Mackenzie Berryhill (SEI), Steph Catley (INTL-AUS), Monica Hickmann Alves (INTL-BRA), Alanna Kennedy (INTL-AUS), Ali Krieger (FED-USA), Cami Levin, Toni Pressley

MIDFIELDERS (5): Nickolette Driesse, Kristen Edmonds, Maddy Evans, Camila Martins Pereira (INTL-BRA), Dani Weatherholt,

FORWARDS (7): Christina Burkenroad, Danica Evans, Jamia Fields, Alex Morgan (FED-USA, OOM), Jasmyne Spencer, Chioma Ubogagu, Marta Vieira da Silva (INTL-BRA, OOM)

NWSL Announces Streaming Partnership with go90

Posted on by RJ Allen

After what seems like forever, and with mere days until the opening match, the NWSL has announced that go90 will stream all non-televised games this year.

According to the Seattle Reign’s post regarding the news:

A fully ad-supported, mobile streaming service, go90 will feature 98 NWSL games accessible via live and on-demand streaming for the 2017 season. To access, visit go90.com or simply download the go90 app via the App Store or Google Play. Users with go90 version 3.0 and later can cast live games from the go90 app to Airplay and Chromecast. No registration or authentication is required.

The release today assured eager fans that the broadcasts would be high quality, with long-time Olympic broadcaster Michael Cohen serving as the digital broadcast executive producer.

According to yesterday’s conference call with NWSL leadership, and confirmed in today’s press release, games will be available to international audiences on the NWSL website or iOS app.
To summarize, fans will have all sorts of options for catching games this season.

US Audiences: 

  • Saturday Pre-Game show and Game of the Week:  Lifetime channel, mylifetime.com, Lifetime Apps
  • Non-Televised games: go90

International Audiences:

  • Saturday Game of the Week: NWSL website, NWSL app 
  • Non-Televised games:  NWSL website, NWSL app

They’re Gonna be Good, Just Trust Me: A Look at Sky Blue FC in 2017

Posted on by RJ Allen

Sky Blue FC was a study in contradictions in 2016. They came out with a big win over the Seattle Reign at Memorial Stadium before a series of draws and losses that left them 2-3-2 by the end of May. Finishing in 7th place with a record of 7-8-5was obviously not what the team had in mind on opening day in 2016. But the team was able to grow during their first year under Head Coach Christy Holly in a way that flies partly under the radar given their 7th place finish. Add in some strong draft picks in the 2017 draft and the fifth season is pretty positive for the New Jersey team.

The Attack

The Sky Blue attack underwent some key upgrades during the off-season. First, Sky Blue welcomes midfielder Daphne Corboz back to their team after a stint in England where she played for Manchester City Women. The Georgetown Hoya was a top attacking player in college and actually drafted by SBFC in the 2015 NWSL College Draft. After gaining considerable experience in England, Corboz could be in for a big season as she makes her NWSL debut.

In a move some fans have been dying to see, US National Team defender Kelley O’Hara is finally being listed at forward on the Sky Blue roster. A top-scorer at Stanford, O’Hara will be able to step in and fill gaps in the defense when called upon, but having her attention more focused on the attack in 2017 is a big win for the team. While O’Hara is an accomplished defender, having won an Olympic gold as a starting left back for the USWNT, her talents have always lent themselves more toward the attack. With two first round draft picks added to the defense O’Hara is finally able to be moved higher up the pitch.

Then there’s Raquel Rodriguez, the sophomore star fresh off her 2016 NWSL Rookie of the Year award, who has the benefit of a full season under her belt. The young midfielder and Costa Rican international’s experience, both in the league and in international play, can only benefit the New Jersey team that came in closer to the bottom than anyone should be comfortable with. During the last international break before the NWSL season kicks off, Rodriguez will be with her national team in Japan. If the Japan WNT isn’t a great warm up for the NWSL season, I’m not sure what is. Her ability to keep on her feet and not be pushed off the ball is something from 2016 I am hoping to see improved in 2017. Some of that is adapting from a college game to the pros. If she can improve upon her 2016 play she could be a staple in the midfield for seasons to come. 

Perhaps the biggest element in Sky Blue’s 2017 attacking side is a healthy Sam Kerr. After the season Kerr had in the W-League during the NWSL’s off-season, it isn’t hard to see why she is regarded as one of the best forwards in the world with the ability to score from nearly anywhere and a fearless approach to taking shots. Her time in the W-League showed that she is finally fully fit and healthy after some foot issues over the last year or so, something that should strike fear into the hearts of defenders all over the NWSL. If she can stay healthy for the season, Kerr will likely be in the running for the NWSL Golden Boot with the way she managed five goals in only nine games while battling back from injury in 2016.

And still, these are just four of the attacking players Holly will have to pick from when putting together his XI. Sarah Killion, Taylor Lytle, Nikki Stanton, Kim DeCesare, Leah Galton, Maya Hayes, and Tasha Kai–when she returns–could all see significant playing time, among others.

The Defense

One of the issues that plagued Sky Blue the most in 2016 was the way they continued to give up easy goals. And their lack of defensive cohesion meant that their attacking play could never quite count on having the breathing room necessary at times to make plays and find the net. 

But this year, Sky Blue’s back five will have a drastically different look. To start, Kristen Grubka is no longer with the team and Kelley O’Hara will be playing as a forward. The two holes will likely be filled with draft picks Mandy Freeman and Kayla Mills. With a backline composed of Mills, Rampone, Freeman, and Skroski, Sky Blue has a much better chance of staying in the game and giving the attack help when needed. 

Both Freeman and Mills won a NCAA title in 2016 with USC before being drafted to Sky Blue. Freeman has the ability to step into the midfield if needed to give Holly some flexibility in terms of depth while Mills is a top defender who is able to get forward when needed and help on the attack. Skroski had a very nice 2016, playing in 20 games and scoring once. I’ve written extensively on Rampone’s ability in the past and expect her to challenge, if not flat out win, NWSL Defender of the Year for 2017. Domi Richardson and Erin Simon will be the likely subs on defense leaving the team a bit thin there, which makes it likely that Holly will need O’Hara to step in if injuries happen. But on paper, the backline seems primed for success this year. The only question there seems to be how thin they are if the injury bug hits. 

The goalkeeping situation looks better in 2017 than it did in 2016. Kailen Sheridan, a Canadian international, was drafted by the team and made a Federation player, while Caroline Casey is back with the team for her sophomore season. Additionally, Caroline Stanley is no longer with the team.

In my estimation, Sheridan will win the goalkeeper battle. Sheridan has some limited international experience with Canada and has demonstrated good technique and solid skill both at the international level and the collegiate level, where she played for Clemson. Honestly, she gives Sky Blue what might be their best option since Brittany Cameron left after 2015. Casey, while serving as the backup so far this preseason, looks to have improved over her 2016 form. I don’t expect the goalkeeping fight to be a long one but for the first few games, there might be a little back and forth between the two keepers.

The Intangibles

Though admittedly biased, someone who follows the team as closely as Jen Muller – one of the leaders of Sky Blue’s Cloud 9 supporter group – has noticed a change from 2016 to 2017:

“I’m much more optimistic at this point as opposed to this time last year. With a full year under his belt, Holly has been able to continue the culture shift in and around the club. It’s obviously still a young team and there are some question marks, but the veteran leadership of Christie and Kelley combined with the talent that’s returning (plus off-season pickup Corboz) and a strong draft class, I think they have a legitimate shot at making a run for a playoff spot.”

Sky Blue is a team trying to build a brand new culture into their franchise. And while there is no statistic that can measure heart, no metric that can quantify how willing a player is to play for the person next to them, Coach Christy Holly is using his own measures to find a team that looks to leave nothing on the pitch and rallies around a sense of pride in each other’s accomplishments.

It’s hard to predict where SBFC will land come the end of the season this year. Harder than most because while they had turn over, they didn’t add or lose a ton of players. Additionally, the players they kept have suffered from cold streaks in the past. They could click and take off, landing themselves in the playoffs and shocking those who have decidedly lackluster expectations. Or they could persist as they have for the last few seasons, good but not great, able to hang with better-placed teams to a point but giving up a goal or two due to unforced errors and mental lapses.

For all the question marks with the team, for all the doubts as you might have and the team’s history of consistent effort that just quite misses the final mark, I only have one thing left to say.

They’re gonna be good, just trust me.

2017 Sky Blue FC

GOALKEEPERS (2): Caroline Casey, Kailen Sheridan (FED-CAN)

DEFENDERS (6): Mandy Freeman, Kayla Mills, Christie Rampone, Domi Richardson, Erin Simon, Erica Skroski

MIDFIELDERS (6): Daphne Corboz, Sarah Killion, Taylor Lytle, Raquel Rodriguez (INTL-CRC), Nikki Stanton, Madison Tiernan

FORWARDS (7): Kim DeCesare, Leah Galton (INTL-ENG), Maya Hayes, Tasha Kai (OOM, D45), Sam Kerr (INTL-AUS), McKenzie Meehan, Kelley O’Hara (FED-USA)