NWSL commissioner Jeff Plush is stepping down from his position. Plush replaced the inaugural commissioner Cheryl Bailey in 2015. As of this moment, it is unclear who will succeed him, or where Plush’s next adventure will take him.
The NWSL released the following press release upon breaking the news:
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) announced today that Commissioner Jeff Plush has stepped down to pursue new opportunities. The NWSL will begin a national search for his replacement immediately.
“It has been a privilege to play a role in the growth and promise of the NWSL, and especially so when I think of the talented and committed individuals I’ve worked with who will continue to dedicate themselves to the women’s game and this truly amazing league,” said Plush. “I thank Dan Flynn, Sunil Gulati, team owners and the players for their trust and belief in me as a steward of their league and our game. I now look forward to my next adventure with the comfort in knowing NWSL is in a great place today, with even better days ahead.”
Plush was named the commissioner of the NWSL on Jan. 6, 2015. During his tenure, Plush oversaw the continued overall growth of the league including the sale of the Western New York Flash to Steve Malik and North Carolina FC as well as the Orlando Pride joining as an expansion side in 2016. He was also instrumental in negotiating the partnership with A+E Networks, the three-year broadcast deal with Lifetime and the creation of NWSL Media. Where several previous attempts to operate a professional women’s league in the U.S. have fallen short, the NWSL will launch their fifth season of play in 10 cities on the weekend of April 15-16.
“As commissioner over the past two seasons, Jeff Plush has been integral in the stability and rise of NWSL, and his body of work will provide his successor an excellent blue print to follow in the years ahead,” U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said. “We will immediately explore candidates to succeed Jeff, who will leave as a friend and with great respect from all of us at U.S. Soccer and the NWSL.”
Soccer is a global game. A game about sportsmanship, about building bridges.
It’s the type of game where three girls from New Jersey can help make life better for those in Granada, Nicaragua, by raising money for a girls’ soccer team and educational program there.
These three girls, Bridget, Charlotte and Lucy, have started a Soccer Without Boarders fundraising event to try to help those giving in Granada. At 10 (“almost 11”), 9 and 8, these sisters have already dipped their toes into the world of sports. Bridget plays goalkeeper for World Class FC X-Treme, and says Kelley O’Hara is her favorite player. Charlotte plays softball on a travel team and loves watching Crystal Dunn. And Lucy, who is hoping to play soccer on a travel team now that she’s old enough, is a big Alex Morgan fan.
When I asked the sisters why they decided to do this, their answer was mature beyond their years:
We love soccer. We think that all girls should be able to play soccer like we do. Not all girls in the world have the opportunities that we do, and we think that is unfair. Soccer Without Borders can be the solution to that problem. They also provide exceptional education programs too. It’s important to do good for others, and it feels good too. We wanted to find a fundraiser or volunteer activity that we could do at our age. A lot of the ideas we had are for much older kids. Soccer Without Borders was an excellent opportunity for us to help because their ambassador program accepts people of all ages. It’s fun and exciting to do it together as sisters.
They’ve already raised over $1600 and Positive Tracks, a group that helps youth athletes become civic activists, will double that. Just yesterday they shared an update on the campaign on Facebook, stating that their Grenada drive has been so successful, Soccer Without Borders has asked if they’d direct their efforts towards a similar program in Uganda:
We have raised enough money to help fund the Soccer Without Borders Grenada La Villa expansion. La Villa is a more remote area in Grenada, and SWB hopes to reach girls there that may not have been able to participate in the past. The awesome people at SWB have asked us if we would also include their girls program in Kampala, Uganda now that the La Villa expansion is on track. Of course, we said YES! It’s not just soccer. Refugees from six different countries who speak nine different languages receive English language learning from SWB in Kampala. Please keep spreading the word, so we can help girls everywhere.
The U.S. Women’s National Team will open their 2017 She Believes Cup play today against the current Olympic Gold medal winners and #2-ranked Germany. The last time these two teams faced each other was at the inaugural She Believes Cup on March 9th of last year.
At the Boca Raton match in 2016, the US won 2-1 against the German team, under then-coach Silvia Neid. German striker Anja Mittag scored the first goal of the match in the 30th minute, but two goals from the US–Morgan at 37′ and an unassisted goal from Sam Mewis in the 42′, only her second international goal in all–put the US on top. The victory against Germany was the US’s last opponent of the three-game tournament and put them at the top of the table, giving them the historic first title in the homegrown tourney.
But the teams that will take the pitch later today are quite different than those who squared off last year, and the US might find themselves with an uphill climb against Steffi Jones’s lineup.
The USSF is marketing this game as a major meet-up between a World Champion (obviously touting the US with their 2015 WWC victory) and an Olympic Champion, and while semantically accurate, factually, the USWNT is not playing anywhere near the level they did in Canada during the summer of 2015. Retirements, injuries, and suspensions have affected the lineup, first and foremost. Major names such as Wambach, Boxx, Cheney, Rampone, Solo, and Rapinoe are absent from the 23-player roster put out by the USWNT.
Of course, in their place are new names, names that we are becoming familiar with, as new players are rotated into the pool and evaluated. Mallory Pugh, coming off her time with the US’s U-20 World Cup team, has already made her bones on the senior level; Casey Short performed well at her first caps with the senior team back in October; Lynn Williams came onto the pitch for her first cap against Switzerland in October and scored within a minute. But while these younger players are performing well, they have never faced a team of Germany’s caliber before and their ability to play-make and adapt on the field when up against significant threat is yet unknown.
Another issue for the US is the strategic changes that have been made since the 2015 WWC victory. Despite all the recognition Carli Lloyd received for her impressive performance in the final against Japan, the real MVP of the USWNT’s World Cup drive were the five players in the back–the “Department of Defense” that included Hope Solo, Ali Krieger, Julie Johnston, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Meghan Klingenberg. Their ability to break down any offensive threat that came their way–keeping Solo from even having to make more than a few attempts at a save–is what gave the midfield and attacking players the freedom to hunt down opportunities to score. But after their disappointing loss in Rio, coach Jill Ellis has consistently put out a three-back defensive line that, at best, has been seen mediocre success.
It was a good experiment in the aftermath of being knocked out in their quarter-final match against Sweden. Look, something had to change, that’s undeniable. International play around the world has progressed so well that the US’s old stand-by, physical condition and throwing Abby Wambach or the other forwards toward the opposing goal with no plan but “shoot until you hit the net,” isn’t going to work anymore. Sweden’s refusal to engage the US offensively worked. But the three-back? It has not. Despite the scorelines at the six post-Rio friendlies the team hosted last year, it has not worked. Mostly because, at her core, Allie Long is not a centerback, she doesn’t possess the tactical perspective (the kind of thinking that sees six moves ahead in a chess game) to play in the center, and she’s easily out-maneuvered or misled by opposing offensive players. And Becky Sauerbrunn is not a rightback, she’s a brilliant player but she lacks the speed necessary to track back in an instant to help out Long when the converted CB inevitably finds herself in trouble.
But even though they are perhaps the stronger team, Germany too faces a few obstacles in their She Believes journey. First of all, they are still adjusting to new leadership, as Steffi Jones has replaced the retired Silvia Neid. It hasn’t seemed to affect their play, however, as they sailed through their EURO 2017 qualifiers (including a 4-0 victory against the Russian Women’s team, whom the US will host in two friendlies later this spring) and other recent friendlies. Yet, while they’ve lost key players from the last cycle as well, their younger players–including Sara Däbritz, Leonie Maier, Dzsenifer Maroszán, Anja Mittag, Lena Petermann, and Alexandra Popp–have played for or earned titles at the youth and senior levels, including the 2013 UEFA Women’s Euro (won), the 2014 U-20 Women’s World Cup (won), the 2015 Women’s World Cup, and the 2016 Olympics in Rio (won).
No matter what the obstacles, however, the US and Germany will ultimately give us some excellent international women’s soccer to watch (and if you ask me, it’s about damn time).
Each team will play 24 matches–12 home and 12 away–and meet with every club at least twice, once at home and once away. The teams’ schedules include three games each against six selected teams, and two games against the remaining three teams.
The confirmed schedules include three FIFA windows–one in each June, July, and September–to allow international players the freedom to return home for National Team duties, but will not feature an extended break as it has over the past two summers (for 2015’s World Cup and 2016’s Olympics, respectively).
Details on which games will be aired on Lifetime each weekend are not yet available.
A couple of months ago, former Orlando Pride player Becky Edwards announced her retirement from the NWSL. But it seems the 28-year-old midfielder/defender has found new life in Sweden, as the club Kristianstad DFF have announced her signing this past weekend. Edwards is set to play again, in a lower-tier club, but with players such as Lisa Karlsson, Johanna Rasmussen and Alice Nilsson.
Edwards is no stranger to new adventures on the soccer front, and she’s traveled to a handful of different cities and countries to play the game she loves. Early on in the States it was New Jersey Wildcats, then the Washington Freedom Reserves, before moving on to California’s FC Gold Pride, and Western New York Flash. She them suited up for Sweden’s Hammarby IF DFF and her current club Kristianstad DFF. Since the start of the NWSL in 2013 she has played for Portland Thorns, Houston Dash, and the Western New York Flash before ending her US domestic career with the Pride in 2016.
Harvey’s New Role:
Seattle Reign head coach and General Manager Laura Harvey has temporarily been given the U.S. U-23 job. They are currently in Spain for the La Manga tournament, which will take place between March 2nd and March 7th. This might not come as a surprise for those of you who were aware that Harvey was in attendance for the team’s January camp.
The U-23 team will take on Japan, England and Norway to conclude the tournament. This will be the first international competition of the 2017 campaign and they also are booked at the end of March to play in the Portland Thorns Spring Invitational. Out of the 22-player roster, Harvey will be accompanied by two members of the Seattle Reign, Madalyn Schiffel and Kristen McNabb. Schiffel is a goalkeeper signed after a tour with Norway’s Avaldsnes IL, and McNabb was the 37th pick in the recent 2017 NWSL College Draft.
With Harvey at the helm, expectations are, of course, going to be high.
FIFA PRO 2016 Shortlist:
The shortlist for the 2016 FIFA Pro World XI was released this past week. The U.S. leads the nominations with nine players, France comes in second with eight, and Germany holds up third with six. The short list consists of 55 players in total, including five goalkeepers, 20 defenders, 15 midfielders and 15 forwards.
I was surprised by a few of the names, including United States’ midfielder Megan Rapinoe and defender Meghan Klingenberg. Obviously both of these players are very talented and there’s no denying that, but for the World XI? For 2016? Both players were under-par last year, hampered by injuries, and neither played near to the level that they are capable of when healthy and fit. I just don’t buy it. However, for the most part, I agree wholeheartedly with the selections. Rightfully on the list were familiar names such as: Melanie Behringer (GER), Ada Hegerberg (NOR), Steph Catley (AUS), Steph Houghton (ENG), Hedvig Lindahl (SWE), and Saki Kumagai (JPN).
Portland Re-sign Duo:
The Portland Thorns have now brought back their 17th and 18th players from their successful 2016 season. Though they did not advance to the NWSL Final in Houston, the Thorns did take home the NWSL Shield for the first time in program history. And both Emily Menges and Mana Shim, now officially back in the Rose City for 2017, played significant and crucial roles in chasing down that spot at the top of the regular season table. Menges, a 2014 College Draft signing, is just 24 years old, but she’s started 59 games for the Thorns and some would name her as one of the biggest reasons for the team’s success. Shim is just a year older at 25, and the product of an open tryout in 2013, but she’s also a steady contributor on the pitch, and with the potential for the 2017 Thorns to find themselves atop the table again, it’s safe to say that both are happy to be back with the team this year.
Houston Dash Sign Falknor:
The Houston Dash announced another off-season signing this week, this time adding a player to their defensive options. Claire Falknor is a defender/midfielder, having played the latter during her time at Bayern Munich, where she made nine appearances in 2016 and scored two goals. Falknor is only 23 and played for the University of Florida from 2012-2015. She has also earned experience at the youth level for the United States, getting two caps for the U-23 program in the 2015-2016 season. Falknor will be a familiar face to some of the Dash players, especially former teammates Cari Roccaro and Jane Campbell, and this will only help to strengthen Houston’s performance on the field.
Houston is looking to improve from last year, and with the pieces they’ve managed to find, on paper it looks decent. But in the NWSL we know that isn’t always enough. Nonetheless, Dash fans have every right to be excited to get underway.
Matildas on Fox Sports:
The 2017 edition of the Algarve Cup in Portugal will begin on March 2nd and conclude on March 7th. The Matildas are in the tournament for the first time in 17 years, and it’s been announced the home fans will be able to watch every game on Fox Sports.
This is not only great news for fans Down Under, as it gives the AUSWNT some well-deserved exposure, but it’s also also a chance to see the talent-heavy Australian women play some great competition. The Matildas are set to face Sweden, the Netherlands, and China in group C. The group stage games will be televised, as well as final placement depending on who tops the group.
This will be the first time the Matildas take the field since the 2016 Rio games in August. But their quest for the cup won’t be easy–defending champions Canada are back as well and certainly look to retain the title.
Where in the World is WoSo is an occasional series focusing on some of the lower-profile or lesser-known Women’s National Teams and soccer leagues around the globe. These are teams we feel deserve a shout-out for their efforts both on and off the pitch to build a love of soccer in their communities and nations.
The Liberia Women’s National Football Team hasn’t taken the field in an official FIFA match since 2014, but make no mistake, women’s soccer is alive and well in Liberia.
UWSNT coach Jill Ellis and goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris traveled to the country late last year to advocate for women’s soccer, part of the #GROWTHEGAME movement. While in Liberia, Ellis and Harris spent their time visiting Monrovia Football Academy, doing a little coaching and training and sharing their experiences with sports and what soccer has contributed to their own lives. Harris spoke positively of the trip, calling the experience “life-changing” and speaking of the way the Football Academy uses the sport of soccer “to break down gender barriers, improve academic performance, and produce well-rounded leaders.” The message is clear: Liberia loves soccer, and soccer is far more than just a sport to its people.
However, on the national team level as well as the club level the sport is under-organized, both in terms of administrative support as well as the field training. American Lani Fortier, who was invited to play with the previous iteration of the women’s professional league in Liberia after “a local coach spotted her kicking a ball around with friends,” recalled in 2011 that:
I spent most of my career as a Lady Pro Anchor pretty confused. […] A bus would show up and be like, ‘We have a game today.’ Really? It’s 2 o’clock on a Wednesday, but okay.
An “informal” practice of the women’s national team takes place in a town square, Paul Coover shares, on a dirt field with traffic sometimes interrupting play and only a single ball after one is punctured by a rusty goal’s old support post. And after, “the practice the girls all head their separate ways. They do not have plans for when to practice next, and no games are scheduled.”
But, still, women and soccer persist in the nation. In 2016, after a two-year absence, the Liberia Football Association resurrected a women’s league with roots stretching back to the 1980s and featuring eight clubs with names like Earth Angels, Island Queens, Senior Professional Sisters, World Girls, and my personal favorite, Determined Girls. According to Brooks, the new season is scheduled to begin in March, when the Earth Angels will defend their 2016 title.
Of course, the state of play in Liberia is not without problems. Problems that seem all-too-familiar to fans of women’s soccer across the world. As Martina Brooks writes in August of 2016, female sports and leagues in the nation suffer from a lack of perceived “commercial value,” low pay that results in players leaving the sport long before their time, inconsistent support compared to the men’s teams and players, and a failure to attract attention from press which, in turn, translates to an inability to build fanbases or followings. In our correspondence, Brooks added that financial issues and lack of practice and playing equipment hamper the development of play and the growth of players in the country.
In the past, FIFA has been underwhelmed by the attention that women’s soccer and the development of women’s soccer has received by the country. In 2013, the sport’s global governing body sent a consultant to the country in order to “help the local body identify social-cultural barriers that work against the growth of female soccer and how to remove or lessen their influence.” FIFA’s Financial Assistance Program has budgeted substantial funds for Women’s football in Liberia over the past several years, and also assisted in building a technical center, renovating the national stadium, and more for the country. So attention is being given not only to the growth of soccer in the nation, but to the development specifically of “grassroots football and youth football and women’s football.”
But the problem, it seems, is that anytime progress is close, the system of women’s soccer (even soccer in general) disassembles, whether by war, by disease, or disinterest from those charged with overseeing the development of the women’s game. Danesius Marteh, writing for LiberianSoccer.com, shared a quote from Musa Bility on the Liberia Football Association’s responsibility to female players:
We have no obligation to female clubs. Even under the FAP where we are told to spend a certain amount of that money on female football, your understanding or the lack of it of that statement should not lead you into blending us as not supporting female clubs.
And just last year, Rochelle Woodson, who was a member of the Liberia Football Association’s Executive Committee, and who once said that a “women[‘s] football league in Liberia can get bigger and grow” with a focus on “sponsorship and individual motivation,” was removed from her position (reportedly due to her absence while on maternity leave).
Woodson had previously suggested that the LFA was in the process of trying to organize “a school league of female soccer,” a movement which the head of the Women’s Football Committee within the LFA seems to have confirmed is moving forward with plans to bring the sport to girls in schools across the nation. Ciata Bishop has said that
“We need more female players, more female referees, more ball girls, as well as female medics and to archive our goals we want to reach out to the counties and identified girls who have passion for the game and see how we can train and develop them.”
Women’s soccer in Liberia is a story with many twists and turns, with chapters that seem empty and others that seem cut off too soon. But right now, with Bishop’s leadership on the Women Football Committee and representing Liberia at FIFA Women’s Football development events, there is much to hope for.
As Bishop herself says, responding to Liberia’s invitation to the 2017 FIFA Female Leadership Development Program taking place earlier this month (beginning on February 6, 2017), “We now have a voice.”
We at Backline Soccer can’t wait to see how they use it.
Liberia Women’s National Team Information:
Association: Liberia Football Association
Confederation: Confederation of African Football (CAF)
Sub-Confederation: West African Football Union (WAFU)
Current FIFA Ranking: 135 (High: 92, 2009; Low: 144, 2007)
Upcoming Fixtures:
N/A
Follow the Liberia Women’s National Team on Social Media:
This is part three of a three-part series. [Part 1, Part 2]
**DISCLAIMER**
Yes, this is a women’s soccer article referencing a rap album. Yes, there is foul language. Yes, this is your Parental Advisory.
Back in August, Backline Soccer published Part One of this WoSo Remix series featuring Chance The Rapper and the Chicago Red Stars. On the Friday before the Grammys, we published Part Two to recognize his multiple nominations. And finally, in honor of Chance The Rapper’s recent three Grammy wins (Best Rap Performance, Best New Artist, Best Rap Album), we present the third and final installment of WoSo Remix: Chance The Rapper and Chicago Red Stars.
If you’re into music, you may have heard of the recent Grammy winning Chicago native, Chance the Rapper. If you’re into women’s pro soccer, you may have heard of the Chicago Red Stars. If you’re blessed to be a Chicagoan, you’ve heard of both these things. If you’re not, you can download Chance’s new mixtape for free.
WHY WOMEN’S SOCCER & HIP HOP?
It’s no secret that athletes are into music. They use it to motivate their workouts and hype up game days. Here at Backline Soccer, we’re into a whole bunch of cool shit like WoSo, tacos, and music. So when Chance The Rapper dropped that mix-tape, I immediately downloaded it like the loyal Chicagoan I am. It was released back in May, about a month after the National Women’s Soccer League kicked off its historic 4th season.
Similar to athletes listening to tunes when they work out, I usually listen to music whenever I do some kind of writing. So it only seemed appropriate to do a review and remix of the mix-tape that has taken the music world by storm with the squad that literally reps Chicago’s notorious stars on its crest, The Chicago Red Stars. While going through Coloring Book from start to finish, I will be comparing players from this season’s active roster to specific lyrics in its tracks.
**DISCLAIMER 2**
AGAIN. This album contains a Parental Advisory for Explicit Content. So, chill the fuck out. Also, not all players will be used in this WoSo Remix to the album. Mostly active starters & players from this season to date, with some honorable mentions.
Chance The Rapper – Coloring Book (cover art)
CHANCE THE RAPPER – COLORING BOOK (Tracks 11-14)
HOW GREAT (ft. Nicole Steen & Jay Electronica) The religious themes and gratitude to God on this album flow through this track. In this song, Chance features his cousin, Nicole Steen, who opens singing the line “How Great is our God.” The song ends with a rap from Jay Electronica, a practicing Muslim, who continues the underlying message of making rhymes to praise faith and growing as an individual.
The lyric “My village raised ‘em a child, come through the crib and its bustin’ You meet anyone from my city, they gon’ say that we cousins” will be remixed for Naperville native, Vanessa DiBernardo. Often in Chicago circles, claiming someone as your ‘Cousin’ or ‘play brother/sister’ is a pretty common term of endearment. Drafted by the Red Stars back in 2014 out of the University of Illinois, DiBernardo has been a staple on Chicago’s roster. Her Chicagoland roots keep her connected to the city, its fans, and the team. Wearing the captain’s armband while Christen Press was away, her play on the field has been crucial to Chicago’s attack.
While DiBernardo hasn’t been named to any senior national team camps (yet), she continues to elevate her game, earning praise from her teammates, coaches, and the media. In 2016, she led all Red Stars players in total minutes (1,787) and assists (7). And this off-season, she reached the Grand Final with Perth Glory Women in Australia’s W-League.
*Honorable mentions: Illinois natives, Michele Dalton and Courtney Raetzman. As the backup Goal Keeper, Dalton has had a busy two seasons filling in for Katrina LeBlanc and Alyssa Naeher. Raetzman contributed in her rookie season with six appearances for the Red Stars*
SMOKE BREAK (ft. Future) Chance continues his album with a slower tempo track in “Smoke Break.” He examines the hectic lifestyles he and his fiancée live, frequently unable to spend time with each other. In a similar style to the earlier track “Same Drugs,” Chance uses drugs as a metaphor for time regarding him and his fiancée. Between the birth of their child and his music career, they both deserve a break with one another.
Another personal song for Chance, the lyric “she don’t have time for herself, she putting points on the board, yes” will be remixed for outside back Arin Gilliland. Gilliland started all 20 games for the Red Stars last season, even after being subbed out of a game with what many assumed was a significant injury. While only in her second season with Chicago, she has already become a key part of the backline for the Red Stars, showing off her pace against forwards like Shea Groom and Alex Morgan. She also came up huge on more than one goal line save in 2016.
Although Gilliland recorded no goals for Chicago, it wasn’t from lack of effort, as she posted a 75% SOG rate. Her goals came in the off-season for Australian W-league team Newcastle Jets, where she recorded a hat trick during a game against Sydney FC.
FINISH LINE/DROWN (ft. Noname, Eryn Allen Kane, Kirk Franklin, T-Pain) The longest track on Coloring Book, at just under seven minutes, this track breaks down as two parts of one whole song. In the first part on “Finish Line” Chance raps about his journey and challenges in navigating the music business while trying to release his art to the world. He features several artists on this track, including T-Pain who sings the hook of praise “All my days I prayed and prayed, and now, I see the finish line.”
However, the lyric “LA for 4 months end up leaving right back, I’m in love with my city, Bitch, I sleep in my hat” will be remixed for longtime Red Star, Jen Hoy. Drafted back in 2013 as Chicago’s fourth-round selection, Hoy will enter her fifth season with the Red Stars this year. She has been a consistent option at forward for the Red Stars during her time on the team, and has 13 goals in her 63 appearances with the club to date. Hoy battled through injury and played with plantar fasciitis for most the 2016 season. In the off-season, she joined other Chicago teammates on the Newcastle Jets in Australia’s W-League and scored five goals.
Part two of this track is “Drown,” which features local Chicago rapper Noname. She continues the trend of recognizing God’s blessings through her own experiences and her mother. The track ends with Kirk Franklin singing a bit of praise as prayer in the form of an outro, even mentioning “So someday Chicago will be free,” and reminds us that Chicago will always see the finish line.
*Honorable Mention: Cara Walls for the lyric “She like my blessing in disguise.” Walls came through as another option at forward while Christen Press was off on national team duty and Hoy nursed her injury. Although she only netted one goal in 2016, it was in the final game of the regular season to help Chicago clinch the 3rd playoff seed.
Blessings (Reprise) For the final track of the album, Chance closes out his mixtape with a reprise of the earlier track “Blessings.” This reprise features a flow from Chance that echoes more like a spoken word prayer than an actual rap. On the track, he reminisces on moments that have led up to this point in his career. He mentions his early struggles and process in making prior mixtapes, literally passing out music, and his later success leading up to the release of Coloring Book.
No matter the lows or the highs, Chance has always been strong in his faith, never wavering from the path he has chosen to navigate for his music being label free. Through his constant efforts in creating his third mixtape, he anticipates the moments in which he can reap the blessings of his hard work. He sings and asks the question, “You got it you got it you got it, it’s coming. So are you ready? Are you ready?”
This lyric will be remixed for all Red Stars fans. From international fans, to supporters’ group Local 134. The years of watching and following this team has led to some special moments, especially recently. Chicago has been trying to build towards something over the last few seasons, and even though they are home to one of the younger teams in NWSL, they made repeat appearances in the NWSL semifinals in 2015 and 2016.
Fans have seen the continued growth of the club over all, from its birth as a WPS franchise to establishing itself as a locally grown, draft-winning, blue collar team. Although the team hasn’t exactly made it the promised land (yet), much of the previous roster is returning for the 2017 season, and several players continued working on their game during the off-season in Australia’s W-League. It’s not surprising that some fans are entering 2017 with a sense of optimism.
On average, a team has 350 pass attempts, 133 defensive actions, 40 set pieces [free kicks, corner kicks, and throw-ins], 10 shots, and 1 goal per game. Yet, the only thing remembered and rewarded are the goal scorers. I cannot fault anyone for this. There is nothing like watching a rocket into the upper 90. I mean, I can watch Christen Press goal replays for days. However, goals alone cannot explain how a game unfolded. Everything else I mentioned can explain the state of a game or a team or a season but it requires a lot more memory and the ability to compare objectively. Thus, for the next few months, I will deconstruct the 2016 NWSL and USWNT season using WoSo Stats. This will be a series split between Backline Soccer and Positives and Negatives. Please note, the data in this post represents 78 games from the 2016 NWSL season (only Portland has a complete set of data). For the visuals that illustrate player position, the data points are the average of the players in said position for their team. In addition, only players who have at least 180 minutes logged are included. For now, we start with basics!
Figure 1. On average, a team has 350 pass attempts, 133 defensive actions, 40 set pieces [free kicks, corner kicks, and throw-ins], 10 shots, and 1 goal per game. Here, you can see how these stats break down for each team.
As mentioned before, on average, there are 350 pass attempts for a team per game. Even from the simple bar graph (Figure 1), there is a clear indication that Seattle has the most attempts per game. However, we can get a better indication of the quality of these passes and who makes them if we compare pass attempts per 90 minutes vs. pass completion percentage. There is a linear trend, which is especially notable if we ignore the positions and just compare by teams (not shown here), with the only outlier being Seattle. This indicates that as pass attempts increase, the percentage of these passes completed also increases and this is very favorable.
Figure 2. As the number of pass attempts increases, the completion rate increases. The bold line is the overall trend and the curved lines indicates the 95% confidence interval (there is a 95% chances a data point lies between these lines).
A bigger part of this visual is deconstructing pasted on player position – forward, midfielder, defender. There is a clear indication that midfielders (green) and defenders (blue) are more involved in the game than the forwards (orange). This makes sense because a forward needs to finish the sequence with the ball into the back of the net. However, we can also examine each team individually. For instance, the Spirit’s defenders and midfielders have an almost equivalent number of pass attempts per 90 and with one of the highest completion rates, while their forwards make fewer passes with a lower completion rate (Figure 3A). Other teams that follow this same pattern include Seattle, Kansas City, and Orlando.
Figure 3. Click the image for full size. A) Washington Spirit has a similar pass attempts and completion rate for their defenders and midfielders in comparison to their forwards. B) Portland Thorns has a similar completion rate for their defenders and midfielders but midfielders have more pass attempts. C) Chicago Red Stars have a similar completion rate among all positions with different pass attempts.
In comparison, there is a completely different pattern if you examine a team like Portland Thorns, whose midfielders make more passes than the defenders and the same completion rate (Figure 3B). Interestingly, Boston follows a similar pattern and – to a lesser extent – the Western New York Flash (now the North Carolina Courage). In fact, the Flash make the least number of open play passes, passes that do not include set pieces, and we will investigate this further on a later date. Houston and Sky Blue also illustrate higher passing in the midfield, but these teams follow the actual trend. Chicago is the only team that maintains the same pass completion percentage for all of their positions with the number of pass attempts relatively similar (Figure 3C).
Figure 4. Typically, forwards and midfielders are under higher pressure than defenders (as expected). Therefore, forwards are less likely to complete their pass in comparison to the other two position. Midfielders have the largest discrepancy between teams. Note the scale difference on each axis.
A good portion of passes are taken under pressure. On average, 68% of passes from forwards, 61% of passes from midfielders, and 50% of passes from defenders are taken under pressure, with a completion rate of 80%, 84%, and 83% respectively. While the forwards and defenders form a cluster, the midfielders are a bit more spread in their range (Figure 4). This was also the case in an interactive on defense I built last year. On the spectrum, Washington Spirit midfielders completed more passes under pressure in comparison to Western New York Flash midfielders. At the same time, Orlando Pride midfielders faced less passes under pressure compared to Seattle and Kansas City. In fact, Orlando defenders had the lowest percentage of passes under pressure compared to anyone, though as I previously tweeted, Orlando also had the least defensive action per game as well. Clearly, this layer of analysis is not enough to understand the consequences of less pressure. If I were to venture a guess, many of these averages and any future data is a consequence of the current game structure, in which certain teams face a ‘rival’ four times rather than twice. In Orlando’s case, they faced Houston four times. For now, I will save the analysis of passes under pressure and defensive action for next time.
Part II will appear on Positives and Negatives in 1-2 weeks. Make sure to follow now so you do not miss a post!
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United States midfielder and two-time FIFA Women’s Player of the Year Carli Lloyd has decided to call Manchester City home for the next four months. Lloyd is expected to be reunited with her Houston Dash club in June, meaning she will miss the first two months of the NWSL season.
This is the first time the two-time Olympic Gold medalist will be playing internationally at the club level. In her first interview for City, Lloyd expressed that one of the biggest draws to playing in Europe was the possibility of competing in the FA Cup and the Champions League. I certainly can’t blame her for wanting that experience and she has the right to finally choose where she wants to go.
The FAWSL champions have brought in Lloyd in addition to an already intimidating roster which includes England’s star players Steph Houghton, Lucy Bronze, Jill Scott, and Karen Bardsley. Lloyd joins the high-profile list of USWNT stars making way to Europe, joining Crystal Dunn (Chelsea Ladies), Alex Morgan (Lyon), and Heather O’Reilly (Arsenal Ladies).
German pair out for SB Cup:
Two major players on Germany’s 2016 Olympic Gold medal team will not be making an appearance at the upcoming She Believes Cup. Tabea Kemme and Svenja Huth have 38 and 26 appearances respectively for Germany, and have scored two goals between them. When not repping their country on the international level, both play at Turbine Potsdam, one of the top teams in the German Bundesliga.
Kemme recently had surgery to repair a torn right meniscus and while Huth doesn’t have any major injuries, there is enough concern about the status of her right knee to keep her out of the SB Cup. Replacements for the two are Verena Faißt (30 caps, three goals) of FC Bayern Munich and Hasret Kayikçi (one cap) of SC Freiburg.
While this is obviously not good news, Germany still has plenty of power on the roster. Some of the biggest names in the game that include Dzsenifer Marozsan, Anja Mittag, Alexandra Popp, Sara Dabritz and Josephine Henning. The German team took second in the 2016 inaugural She Believes Cup, and their roster this year features a majority of the same players.
The Gals in red:
The new 2017 USWNT kit has been revealed this past week, an all-red color scheme that has the latest campaign called #RedToToe. This new kit will make its debut at the #SheBelievesCup on March 1 when they face England in the opener. The Americans are the reigning champions of the tournament, which first took place last year.
The signature “1 Team, 1 Nation” motto is back on the inner sleeves while the staple “USA” remains on the back of the collar. At first glance I don’t mind the red look, but it looks so similar to the standar template of other countries, such as England and Portugal. I usually wait to hold off judgment until I see them on the players or in person. (Fun fact: each kit has been made from recycled plastic bottles, 16 to be exact.)
Matildas announce Algarve roster:
The 24th edition of the Portugal’s prestigious Algarve Cup will begin March 1 and conclude with the final on March 8. It remains highly competitive, even with the United States winning it a record 10 times. The Algarve cup has always attracted high-ranking teams like France, Germany, Sweden, Japan and Brazil, and continues to do so this year. The Matildas last competed in the Algarve in 1999, finishing fifth out of a possible eight, and they undoubtedly look to finish even higher in the 2017 edition.
Head coach Alen Stajcic has plenty of veterans to help lead this team. Clare Polkinghorne, Lisa De Vanna, Kyah Simon, Steph Catley, and Caitlin Foord have all been named to the roster. But don’t count out some of the talented youth he is bringing in, including Amy Harrison (nine caps), Gema Simon (five caps), Ellie Carpenter (five caps), Emma Checker (three caps), and Alex Chidiac (one cap).
The 2017 tournament will also feature last year’s champions, Canada, as well as Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Portugal, Russia, and China PR.
Jordan nets hat-trick:
Former Florida Gator and star forward Savannah Jordan had a professional debut to remember on Sunday. In the Scottish Women’s Premier League opener, Glasgow City FC took on Jeanfield Swifts and it was Savannah who shined the brightest.
In an eight goal rout, the newest member of City opened the scoring in the 30th minute, with a header that had no chance of being saved. Eight minutes later, after a goal by Abbi Grant, Jordan sent in an assit to Grant, who pushed the lead to three. Jordan had to use her head once again in the 45th minute off a corner from Leanne Ross. To complete her hat-trick in the 87th minute, Jordan once again found service off a corner to drive a powerful header home.
Glasgow has won the title for the last 10 years and this game showed they are already ready for whatever the season brings them.
USWNT book Russia in April:
The United States Women’s National team has confirmed that they will play Russia in a pair of friendlies in April. Both games will be played in Texas, with the April 6th game in Frisco’s Toyota Stadium in Frisco, to be televised by FS1. The second game is April 9th at BVAA Compass Stadium in Houston, the site of 2016’s NWSL Championship game, and will be aired on ESPN. The last time these two teams met was back in 2014.
The Russians are ranked 23rd in the world, and have never beat the Americans in the handful of times they’ve met. The USWNT have played in Texas 17 times and have never suffered a loss in the Lone Star State.
These will be the final international matches before the NWSL season kicks off the following week.
The release was chock full of important information. Most notable, perhaps, was the fact that 2017’s Opening Weekend will take place April 15-16 and feature five games, though a close contender is sure to be just which teams will be featured in Lifetime TV’s first “Game of the Week” broadcast.
Well, wait no longer.
Continuing their history-making trend, the first “Game of the Week” will be April 15’s showdown between Portland Thorns FC and Orlando Pride at Providence Park. For the second year in a row, a game between Portland and Orlando at Providence will look to make a mark on the Women’s Soccer world. Last year, of course, the Orlando Pride played their first-ever match at Portland, where they made a good show but ultimately lost 1-2 to the Thorns.
Other matches during Opening Weekend include:
Houston Dash v Chicago Red Stars @ BBVA Compass Stadium (April 15)
Seattle Reign FC v Sky Blue FC @ Memorial Stadium (April 15)
Washington Spirit v North Carolina Courage @ Maryland SoccerPlex (April 15)
FC Kansas City v Boston Breakers @ Swope Soccer Village (April 16)
The league’s newest franchise, the North Carolina Courage (formerly Western New York Flash, for those unaware of the off-season move) will host their first-ever match the following weekend, when they welcome the Portland Thorns to WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday, April 22. The Courage will look to make a splash as they somehow balance the almost oxymoronic titles of Reigning NWSL Champions and Newest NWSL Club.
But perhaps even more anticipated than North Carolina’s debut that weekend will be the showdown taking place in Orlando’s brand new Orlando City Stadium between the Pride and visiting Washington Spirit. The match on the 22nd will be heavily watched by fans of both sides, owing not only to the quality of the competition but to the somewhat frustrating nature of the trade that sent national team member and former Spirit RB Ali Krieger to the Pride in exchange for what some called a paltry gain in the distribution ranking order.
Other home openers during Week Two:
Chicago Red Stars v FC Kansas City @ Toyota Park (April 22)
Boston Breakers v Sky Blue FC @ Jordan Field (April 23)
The last team to play at home this season, but never the least, will be Sky Blue FC, who will welcome their fans back to Yurcak Field on Sunday, April 30, in game against FC Kansas city. FCKC will likely have back Amy Rodriguez, a key component missing from their roster last year, while Sky Blue’s roster features the great Captain America, Christie Rampone, whose steady leadership always makes SBFC a formidable opponent for any team.
Other information revealed in the release today includes confirmation of a 24 game season (12 home games, 12 away), though it’s not yet clear if the schedule will feature “geographic rivalries” as last year’s did.
The full press release can be located on the NWSL’s website here.
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