Author: RJ Allen

Around the World of WoSo: USC Victorious; U-20’s Finish Fourth

Posted on by RJ Allen

Japan Grabs Third Place Over U.S.:

The Under-20 Women’s World Cup third place match was one that saw the Americans really struggle against a dominant Japanese group. In the previous three games between these two countries, Japan outscored the U.S. 11-2. So, to some, this was not a surprise and was predicted. To others, this game was a summary of how the American U-20 team has performed this whole tournament: underwhelming and disappointing.

For the first half, the Americans managed to stay afloat, largely in part to goalkeeper Casey Murphy, who made three acrobatic saves to deny the Japanese in her best game of the tournament. The Yanks were in defensive mode and just could not gain quality possession. Yet, Japan ran circles around them and had no problem finding holes in the defense. Japan was not lacking in patience. They continued to pressure and attack the U.S. backline. The U.S. looked uninspired and lethargic, while Japan played with confidence and eagerness.

The American midfield had trouble getting into the attack, which meant limited chances for their two big attacking threats, Mallory Pugh and Ashley Sanchez. As the game went on, Pugh and Sanchez were defending so much that, if they somehow did get the ball, they could not advance into the final third. In fact, when either one of them had the ball, the rest of the team struggled to move up and create an attack. There was no cohesion. It was essentially two versus 10. But maybe that was Michelle French’s only game plan all along.

In the second half, the U.S. finally put together a string of threats, but Japan was organized at virtually every angle. That momentum was short-lived, as the Japanese attack was finally rewarded in the 87th minute. Starting with a turnover from the United States, Japan was off to the races, compiling a few touches to bypass the U.S. midfield. In the blink of an eye, Mami Ueno found herself wide open just inside the eighteen, and with a brilliant chip, she gave Japan the victory. It was Ueno’s fifth goal of the tournament. This is Japan’s best finish at the U-20 level.

Overall, it was a lovely performance by Japan. The U.S., on the other hand,  were left with plenty of questions and “what ifs”. This was the second time the Americans finished fourth at this level.

FIFA Announces COY and POY Shortlists:

Coach of the Year nominees are USA’s Jill Ellis, Germany’s Silvia Neid, and Sweden’s Pia Sundhage. While I understand Neid’s and Sundhage’s inclusion, I don’t like Ellis in this group. Sure, the United States won double-digit games, but they failed at the Olympics and in no way played like the number one team in the world. I do hope Neid wins the award this year, as she has been a tremendous coach and is deserving of the recognition.

As for Player of the Year, Carli Lloyd of USA, Marta of Brazil, and Melanie Behringer of Germany are the nominees. Again, I don’t agree with an American being on the list. I think Behringer should win it. For me, she was the biggest reason Germany was so successful at the Olympics, winning their first gold at the Games in program history.

The winners will be announced January 9, 2017.

Melbourne City Wins Again:

The W-League is off to a wild start, with City leading the way once again. Through four games, City remains undefeated, with 12 points, and are on top of the table. This time, they defeated the Brisbane Roar, which sits in the middle of the table on seven points.

In a 2-1 victory, Jess Fishlock scored for the second consecutive game, helping her team to its fourth-straight win. Erika Tymrak scored the other goal, her first of the season for Melbourne. As if things can’t get any better for City, Bev Yanez is now with the team on loan from Seattle. City’s next game is against Canberra United on December 10th.

Sydney FC Close Behind:

Another team that is dominating competition in the W-League this season is Sydney FC, which has 12 points as well. They have played five matches, but with this latest win over Newcastle, they have now won four in a row. Key players, Kyah Simon, Alanna Kennedy, and Teresa Polias, have all stepped up and played well to so far. The captain, Polias, has the third-most appearances in W-League history with 90, so she has plenty of experience to lead this team.

Sydney takes on Perth Glory December 10th as they look to stay on pace with Melbourne City for the top spot.

Johnson’s Brace Leads USC Past West Virginia for Title:

The USC Trojans and West Virginia Mountaineers played one incredible game on Sunday night. WVU was ranked number one and was expected to be there. USC was ranked seventh and surprised many by making it to the final.

It started off with a bang. Morgan Andrews guided a header past WVU keeper Rylee Foster in the second minute to give USC the lead. It was Morgan’s second goal of the tournament and ninth on the year. It was a shock because this was only the second time WVU trailed a team all year, the first being their match agaist TCU in the Big 12 Championship back in November.

The dream start for the Trojans seems to ignite WVU. For the rest of the game, the Mountaineers were absolutely relentless. Wave after wave, they pressured the opposing defense. Senior leaders, Ashley Lawrence and Kadeisha Buchanan, had USC on their heels. They not only controlled the tempo after the opening goal; they had momentum leading into the second half after attacking USC’S half for an extended amount of time.

Finally, a breakthrough in the 66th minute came for West Virginia. Lawrence fired a shot just outside of the eighteen and caught USC keeper, Sammy Jo Prudhomme, near-post for the equalizer. It was a beautiful goal that merited all of the energy spent on offense up until that time. But USC were not rattled at all, in fact, just 11 minutes later, they put another past Foster. This time, it was Leah Pruitt doing all the hustle to get past the lone WVU defender down the sideline. She found Johnson all alone at the top of the box. Johnson placed it neatly in the right corner, and once again the Trojans had the lead.

USC were not done just yet. With four minutes left, a turnover in the midfield created another opportunity for Johnson, who took the long distance shot for her brace. It was a tremendous effort, which tied her with Morgan for team lead, each having scored 10. Final score was 3-1, but that doesn’t quite do WVU justice for the performance they put in. The Mountaineers outshot the Trojans 20-6, but USC was just more opportunistic in front of goal. For me, it was the best championship game in recent years—it was that good. This was USC’s second title in as many trips—first for third year coach Keidane McAlpine.

U.S. Soccer Announces Nominees for WNT POY and Youth POY:

Five are nominated in each category, with Tobin Heath, Crystal Dunn, Becky Sauerbrunn, Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd for the National Team. At the Youth level, Ashley Sanchez, Andi Sullivan, Emily Ogle, Kaleigh Riehl, and Karina Rodriguez made the list.

My picks would be Heath and Sanchez. Heath had an exceptional year, playing in 22 games and totaling six goals with eight assists. But what doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is her playmaking abilities and how she impacts the game with her skill. She is a player who we have seen mature and one who has continued to polish her game since the second she came on the scene back in 2008. Heath has been instrumental to the team and especially to the midfield.

Sanchez has competed in the U-17 and U-20 World Cups this year while emerging as one of the best youth players in the system. She has tallied seven goals and two assists in 11 games, between the two teams. Her vision is key to her performance, as well as her ability to provide service. Even though she was the youngest on the roster at age 17, she was one of the brightest and most exciting at the U-20 World Cup.

The NT winner will be announced on December 11th, on ESPNFC. The Youth winner will be announced December 12th, also on ESPNFC.

Janine van Wyk Helping to Build a Bright Future for South African Soccer

Posted on by RJ Allen

Earlier this year in one of the final tune-up matches before traveling to Rio, the USWNT played the South African Women’s National Team for the first time and nearly everyone predicted the game would be a likely bloodbath favoring the American side. But on game day we were treated to a surprisingly tight game, with Crystal Dunn scoring the only goal in the 35th minute. And while Hope Solo did notch her 100th international career shutout–the most ever in the women’s game–as a whole, the match wasn’t quite the cakewalk that one might expect when a team ranked at #1 takes on #52.

One of the reasons South Africa was able to hold the US to a 1-0 game is centerback and captain Janine van Wyk. Van Wyk is the most capped South African player, male or female, with 130 senior international appearances since 2005. And her influence in the development of soccer in South Africa is felt both on and off the pitch, perhaps nowhere more evident than her work with growing nation’s youth game.

In 2012 van Wyk founded the JVW Girls Football Development Program, and recently Backline Soccer spoke with Lauren Duncan, the program’s project manager, about what has been going on in South African soccer and the JVW program that van Dyk started. 

Backline Soccer (BS): Why was the JVW Girls Football Development Program (JVW GFD) started?

Lauren Duncan (LD): The Program was started in 2012, to improve, develop and expose women’s soccer. Women’s soccer is slowly on the rise in South Africa, but more needed to be done at grassroots and school levels to give girls an equal playing chance. The JVW GFD Program started with a School League with 12 teams and has now grown to 109 teams within 5 years. The women’s club JVW FC was started a year after the School League as we felt there needed to be a stable environment for identified and talented players to play in, and potentially be able to take the next step in the sport.

BS: What are the main goals of the program?

(LD): To develop young, aspiring and talented players. To create a competitive and structured playing environment at schools level and bridge the gap between school and club players. To promote women’s soccer and raise the standard of the women’s game in South Africa. To produce top players and introduce their talent to the professional soccer world.

(BS): Janine van Wyk is the namesake and founder of the program. Does having the captain of the full NT help in drawing players to the program?

(LD): Yes, of course it does. We have a lot of young girls who look up to and want to be like Janine, and there are many girls who want to be part of the program to gain experience directly from Janine. Janine is very actively involved in the program, and gives a lot of guidance to the younger girls.

(BS): How has the landscape of soccer in South Africa changed since the program was founded?

(LD): Women’s soccer is on the rise throughout the world, and by having this program more girls are now able to play football, and aspire to be part of the program. Although the program is only running in one of the nine provinces in South Africa, more awareness has been created for the women’s game.

(BS): When bringing in new coaches what qualities do you look for to make sure they fit with the program’s ideals?

(LD): We have had coaches in the past whilst we were still testing the waters to see what worked and what didn’t work. We have now started looking at our own players in our Senior teams, to see who can add value to our Program/Club, and are looking to bring in more female coaches to grow the sport at different levels. We look for passionate female leaders in the women’s game who share the same vision for the sport as we do.

(BS): In 5 years where do they see the program?

(LD): In 5 years, we are hoping that there is a professional League for women in South Africa in which our First Team is actively participating in. However, we aspire to be one of the top women’s soccer programs in South Africa, producing elite athletes to professional clubs abroad. We would also like to branch out into other provinces in South Africa, to give other girls the same opportunities as the ones currently participating in the Gauteng Province. We also would like to be a feeder for Scouts/Varsities abroad, and give girls in South Africa opportunity to make a career out of the sport.

(BS): Anything else you think people should know about the program and South African soccer?

(LD): The Club caters to girls from as young as 9 years old, which gives them the option to participate in an all-girls club, and progress throughout the years to eventually make the first team. Our first team have currently been crowned Sasol League Gauteng Champions and are heading to National Playoffs in early December. The Sasol League is the highest league for women in the country, but it is still not considered a Professional League. We have six Senior Women’s National Team Players in our first squad, which adds a huge amount of value to the club.

South African women’s soccer is definitely on the rise with the pool of female players increasing on a daily rate, however as a country we still struggle with proper women’s soccer grassroots/development programs as the sport is still not considered as one of the fastest growing sports in the world. We feel the gap is not having a Professional League for Women, and almost all female soccer players have full day jobs, in order to play soccer.

 

Around The World of WoSo: College Cup Set and U20’s Fall

Posted on by RJ Allen

Melbourne Derby One Sided:

The Australian W-League saw a thrilling Derby between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory on Saturday. Plenty of NWSL talent on display: Jess Fishlock (Seattle), Steph Catley (Orlando), Lydia Williams (Houston), Natasha Dowie (Boston), Christine Nairn (Seattle), Sam Johnson (Chicago), Erika Tymrak (Kansas City), Laura Alleway (Orlando), and Biannca Henninger (Houston).

It was a battle of Houston Dash keepers. In the first half, City had real chances, but Henninger did a solid job between the posts for Victory. Williams kept City in it as well, with a few early saves. The second half was a completely different story, as a certain Welsh midfielder was all over the place, scoring the opener in the 64th minute and finishing the scoring in the 76th minute. In between her goals was Captain Catley, scoring on replacement keeper Bethany Mason-Jones minutes after Henninger left the field with an injury.

City extends their winning streak to three games and sit atop the table with 9 points. Victory remains in ninth through four games, losing their third game. They are still searching for a win.

 

Battle of the Carolinas for College Cup Spot:

North Carolina topped South Carolina over the weekend in the NCAA Quarterfinals match-up. I had the Gamecocks favored (hello, Savannah McCaskill) but the outstanding goalkeeping of UNC’s Lindsey Harris shut them down in every way. The Tar Heels grabbed the only goal in the 22nd minute, thanks to a beautiful chip from Madison Schultz—her fifth goal on the year.

South Carolina had a series of chances within the first ten minutes with nothing to show for it. Kaleigh Kurtz also had a shot hit the crossbar just before halftime. The best chance of the night for the Gamecocks came from the penalty spot. Sophie Groff took it, but Harris made an acrobatic save to keep her team in front. Harris made several impressive saves, showing her strength in the air and her ability to hold on to the ball on an aggressive goal-line challenge from McCaskill. Harris’s eight saves on the night brought her season to total to 91, a new single-season school record after passing Molly Current, who played in 1980.

North Carolina advances to its 27th semifinals, the most of any D1 program. They will play in San Jose against West Virginia.

 

Georgetown Edges Santa Clara:

The Hoyas certainly have performed well. This past weekend they showed why they deserve to be in the College Cup. Usually Rachel Corboz and Grace Damaska are the names covering the score sheet, but Crystal Thomas’s phenomenal strike was all the Hoyas needed to advance. The graduate forward took a chance with 16 minutes left in the contest. Out of nowhere, she let a shot rip from the left side of the penalty area. The distance (22 yards) and tough angle surprised Bronco keeper, Melissa Lowder, who had absolutely no chance to save it. It was a powerful shot—one that is surely the most important of Thomas’s career.

With that wonder strike, Thomas and the Hoyas are headed to the College Cup for the first time in program history. They also recorded their 17 shutout of the season. They move on to continue this incredible season to face USC Friday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

West Virginia Handles Duke:

I wanted the Blue Devils to take this one, but it was a long shot considering how many injures this team had throughout the season. The #1 seeded West Virginia was healthier and overall had a more talented squad. The Mountaineers proved to be too much and found the winning goal from junior Alli Magaletta (transferred from Missouri) in the 16th minute. The midfielder got on the end of a corner to put away the only goal of the game.

Duke had plenty of chances but the freshman in goal for WVU had other plans, Rylee Foster made five saves to keep her team ahead. The second half was all senior Blue Devil Toni Payne, who created most of the opportunities and had a shot stopped right on the goal line. The back line leader Kadeisha Buchanan made sure her group was organized and ready for any attack made by Duke.

West Virginia now set school records reaching 22 wins and 17 shutouts on the season. They continue their historical run Friday as they face UNC on ESPNU at 4 p.m. CT.

USC Slips Past Auburn:

With the year the Auburn Tigers were having, I had them advancing into the College Cup. Wow, was I proved wrong. In another one-goal contest, the Trojans crushed the dreams of Tiger players and fans. The lone goal came just four minutes in, from a header by Alex Anthony (assisted by Julia Bingham). Although I knew USC had a strong defense, I didn’t expect them to get off to that quick of a start on the offensive end.

Auburn boasted an impressive lineup, spearheaded by Brooke and Casie Ramsier and Kristen Dodson. The dangerous trio had a combined 33 goals and 31 assists. Someone would have to slow them down eventually, right? That someone would be Trojan keeper, Sammy Jo Prudhomme, who made six saves to preserve her team’s 15th shutout of the year. Prudhomme has been outstanding all season long, coming up big while recording 18 wins and being the leader of the defense.

USC will play Georgetown in San Jose at Avaya Stadium.

U-20 Fall In Semifinals of WWC:

The United States Under-20 Women’s team may have made it to the semifinals, but in no way have they been one of the better teams in this U-20 Women’s World Cup. They needed a miracle to get past Mexico last week, but against a very technical North Korea squad, one miracle wasn’t enough, and the U.S. was rightfully defeated. The Americans have a talented squad but are just not polished enough on both ends of the ball. The defense was unorganized, giving up 25 shots, while the offense could not finish the several opportunities in front of goal, only producing seven shots.

North Korea unsurprisingly struck first (they have the most goals in this tournament) with a chance from the penalty spot. A handball was called on USWNT defender Katie Cousins as she was challenging for the ball in the 51st minute. Jon So Yon stepped up and easily converted while the U.S. fans were still in disbelief that the call was made. After watching it several times, I would have to say it was a questionable call.

The United States continued to be under pressure, scrambling on defense and, at times, falling over each other due to limited communication. The second half was difficult to watch, as the U.S. attack stalled. The defense was barely hanging on. North Korea showed confidence on the ball and looked fit throughout. The Americans, on the other hand, were noticeably slowing down as the game wore on.

In the 89th minute, an awkward and desperate volley from Natalie Jacobs gave the Americans life, albeit, a life I’m not so sure they deserved, considering their sub-par performance. That goal sent it into overtime. Less than a minute in, North Korea scored again. This time resulting from the run of play, as Sung Hyang Sim slipped a pass to a charging Ri Hyang Sim, who slotted it far post, past keeper Casey Murphy for the game winner.

North Korea advances to their third U-20 final while the United States crash out. The coaching concerns voiced by many are now louder than ever (and especially relevant with the recent change in MNT head coach). The system needs a serious overhaul if they want to be one of best teams at this level again. On Saturday, North Korea will face France in the final. The U.S. will take on Japan in the third-place match.

Breaking News: Allysha Chapman to Boston Breakers

Posted on by RJ Allen

The Boston Breakers get Allysha Chapman for a 2017 and 2018 international spot and the #15 pick in January’s NWSL College Draft.

The Boston Breakers announced today that the team has acquired defender Allysha Chapman from the Houston Dash in exchange for an international roster spot in 2017 and 2018 as well as the No. 15 overall pick in the 2017 NWSL College Draft.

The draft pick sent to Houston was originally transferred from the Chicago Red Stars in a trade in July. Should Chicago acquire the 13th or 14th overall draft pick, that selection would go to Houston as the Dash will receive the lower of the two Red Stars 2017 second-round draft picks available to Boston at the draft.

Capped 39 times for the Canadian Women’s National Team, Chapman has started 27 games for Canada, scoring one goal and tallying two assists. She recently won the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio. She claimed silver at the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship and was on Canada’s team that finished first at the 2016 Algarve Women’s Cup.

“Allysha was one of my top targets in this offseason, and I’m delighted that we have managed to bring her to Boston,” Boston Breakers head coach Matt Beard said. “She will add great defensive stability to our side, and she is a threat going forward. She also brings a wealth of NWSL and International experience.”

Prior to playing for the Houston Dash, Chapman played for Eskilstuna DFF in Sweden’s top-flight league, Damallsvenskan, in 2014. She scored three goals in 19 appearances (17 starts). In 2012 and 2013, she played for IK Sirius FC in Sweden’s second division, Elitettan.

A three-year letterwinner at Louisiana State University, Chapman was the 2011 SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and named to the All-SEC First Team as a senior. In three years at LSU, Chapman made 67 appearances.

Chapman had this to say about the trade:

Predicting the Pride: Pre-NWSL Draft

Posted on by RJ Allen

Head Coach Tom Sermanni’s first season in the NWSL fell short of the team’s pre-season expectations with a ninth place finish. The less-than-stellar result can be attributed mostly to the team failing to win a match after the long Olympic break. Looking for a quick turnaround in the 2017 season, however, the NWSL’s new kid on the block has already made one big move this off-season.  In a much-critiqued trade with the Washington Spirit, the Pride picked up defender Ali Krieger, and hopes that she will be able to bolster its backline, one that gave up thirty goals in its first season.  As far as its existing roster goes,  the team hedged its bets by offering contracts or picking up the options of all the players except for backup goalkeeper, Kaitlyn Savage.

But, Sermanni’s off-season work is not done. Going into the draft on Jan. 12, fans should expect more roster moves and news. Here are three options the team might take.

Option One: Full International

Sermanni hasn’t been shy about utilizing all five international spots on his roster. However, four of the spots are already full; Australian defenders Steph Catley and Laura Alleway hold two, as well as Brazilian defender Monica, and, a late addition to the inaugural season, Lisa De Vanna, captain of the Matildas, who only notched 154 minutes for the Pride in 2016. All of the internationals but De Vanna are currently playing in the Australian W-League, while De Vanna is focused on her coaching license. Still, without a midseason loss of national team players to a major competition like the 2016 Rio Olympics, or even next summer’s women’s Euro, Orlando could feel that 2017 is the year to load up on foreign talent.

But the Pride’s worst kept secret is their desire to sign talented attacking Australian Caitlin Foord. It would not be a surprise if Foord is wearing Orlando purple next season once her rights with Sky Blue lapse. Even if the team fails to add Foord, expect Sermanni’s international connections come into play in finding another overseas player. Additionally, ownership could look to add another Brazilian player to join the squad such as, former Florida International University standout and one time teammate of Monica while at Ferroviária, Thaisa Moreno. 

This view has players like Kristen Edmonds and Jasmyne Spencer maintain a high level of production for the team, while Dani Weatherholt and Sam Witteman, coming off a loan with Apollon Limassol, continue their development by earning more minutes on the pitch and working their way into the starting XI. The Pride would also look to have Maddy Evans back in Orlando as the team is in contract negotiations for her return next season while she spends time on the W-League’s Brisbane Roar. Even by embracing the team’s full complement of international players, the Pride will still the domestic players on the roster to contribute.

Option Two: Wheeling and Dealing

While this year’s college draft is deep with talent at almost every position, Orlando’s ability to take advantage of this is somewhat limited right now, as they won’t see any picks from the highly-sought-after first two rounds. Granted, there’s no way to know know which players will declare themselves available for the NWSL, but a team like 2016’s last place Boston Breakers–who currently hold seven of the first twenty picks this year–are in a good position to boost the talent on their roster. And Orlando could use a similar boost.

Yet even though Coach Sermanni was pleased with his first draft class and his ability to identify young talent is something he’s known for, the only way they’re going to get a chance at any of the highest-ranked players is to trade for draft picks.  Sermanni has shown that he is interested in making trades, but if the Pride want to jump into the first or second round, he’s going to have to let go of more than just their spot in the Distribution Rank Order.

Since Orlando only have a third and fourth round picks, are there any players the team is likely to part ways with in exchange for a draft pick? Someone who might be valuable enough for another team to enter into negotiations?

One name which stands out is Lisa de Vanna. De Vanna is still a talented player with pace who is great with the ball at her feet. She can quickly bring leadership and a veteran presence to a team locker room. 

Another player to use as trade bait this off-season is Josée Bélanger. With the acquisition of Ali Krieger, Bélanger’s role on the roster becomes ambiguous. A versatile player, Bélanger has speed to get forward as she’s playing on wide, and could be a valuable player on the trading block. As an added bonus, she’s a federated player, so she wouldn’t impact the team financially. That being said, she is also worth keeping for those same reasons, not to mention the possibility of Sermanni moving her into the midfield to aid the Pride’s attacking capabilities.

Option Three: Roll the Dice Draft Style

The final option for Sermanni and the Pride is the most simple one.  They could release some of the least productive players and add others, and then fill other needs with smart picks in the third and fourth round of the draft. Fourth round draft pick Dani Weatherholt who played 786 minutes for the team is proof that quality players can still be found in the later rounds. Sermanni himself has come out and publicly praised Weatherholt a number of times for her development, versatility, and work ethic. He rewarded her efforts with nine starts in twelve appearances for Orlando. Essentially, it wouldn’t be out of the question to keep the players the team has and identify a few key players in the later rounds of the draft.

But who could the Pride draft that would benefit their 2017 roster? Well, we’ll talk more about that in our draft preview.

Around the World of WoSo: Elite 8 Set; U-20’s Advance

Posted on by RJ Allen

# 1 Seeds Knocked Out:

Favorites to make the College Cup, Stanford and Florida have been knocked out by Santa Clara and Auburn this past weekend. The Cardinal put up a fight, taking the Bronco’s to overtime. It was short lived because in the 107th minute Jenna Holtz brought the ball down in the box, shook off her defender and aided with a slight deflection, scored the game winner for Santa Clara. It was absolute elation for the Bronco’s and incredible heartbreak for the Cardinal players. Santa Clara will take on #2 Georgetown Saturday at noon.

As for the other #1, I favored Florida but also having kept an eye on Auburn all year, I knew it would be tough. What I didn’t expect were the Tigers to win 3-1 and control most of the game. Auburn struck first, thanks to an outstanding volley by Brooke Ramsier in the 26th minute. In the last seven matches, Ramsier has been seemingly unstoppable, scoring five goals and adding five assist. Scoring two in the second half to seal the win, Auburn stuns Florida and advances to its first quarterfinal in program history. The Tigers will matchup against USC on Friday at 4 p.m.

Duke & WVU Return to Elite 8:

The only returning team from 2015 tournament to make it to the quarterfinals this year are the Blue Devils and Mountaineers. That’s right, no Penn State, Florida State, Texas A&M, Stanford, Virginia or Rutgers. What a turnaround for some of these teams, while Duke and WVU manage to stay on track.

Duke beat Illinois State in the second round 3-1 and escaped Northwestern 1-0 in the third round. Senior Toni Payne led the way, scoring two goals against Illinois State with a breakaway beauty first and a technical hit from just outside the 18 yard box for her second. Against Northwestern, it took a bit more patience but a 40th minute rebound by Ella Stevens gave the Blue Devils all they needed to secure a spot in the Elite 8. The goal was Steven’s 10th of the season, not a bad way to enter double-digits.

West Virginia took on Ohio State and was tested all game long, eventually needing double overtime to decide a winner. Junior Michaela Abam grabbed her 11th goal of the season with a lofted ball from distance that probably should’ve been saved. Nonetheless, they moved on and faced #14 UCLA, another game that needed more than 90 minutes.

 The Mountaineers and the Bruins have young Canadian talent to show for, with Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence representing WVU and Jessie Fleming for UCLA. In the first half WVU grabbed the first goal but late in the second half Fleming brought her team back from the dead to stun the Mountaineers. Double overtime wasn’t enough so in penalty kicks, early on Fleming made hers for UCLA while Lawrence converted as well. The fifth and final shot was up to Buchanan, who slotted it home to take her team to Elite 8.

One question many had after was why UCLA coach Amanda Cromwell replaced starting freshman keeper Teagan Micah with junior Siri Ervik. Micah, who in my opinion has been the second best player for UCLA this season only behind Fleming and made several key saves throughout this game. So why take her out and out and put in a cold keeper? Its possible Cromwell had more confidence in Ervik to handle the pk’s, but still, after this loss, it’s reasonable to wonder why.

The Blue Devils and Mountaineers will face each other on Saturday for a chance at the College Cup at 3 p.m

Georgetown & South Carolina Cruise:

The Hoyas and Gamecocks were destined for the Elite 8. Boasting impressive records and each having dynamic duo’s leading the way, it’s possible they could make it to the College Cup.

Georgetown had the more challenging path, facing Rutgers and Virginia, but they beat each by a score of 2-0. The Hoyas are led by junior Rachel Corboz and senior Grace Damaska, who have been so steady all year. Corboz has poured on 11 goals and 16 assist (leading the nation) while Damaska contributed fourteen goals and five assist. The Hoyas recorded their 16th shutout on the season after a UVA own goal and Corboz free kick secured the win.

South Carolina is reliant on junior Savannah McCaskill and senior Chelsea Drennan. McCaskill leads the team in goals with 17 and adding 11 assist while Drennan has accumulated eight goals and 11 assists. The captain Drennan scored the only goal, a penalty in the 69th minute to give the Gamecocks the win over BYU. That goal also set a new single-season record for South Carolina by recording the 51st goal of 2016.

North Carolina Back Where They Belong:

    The Tar Heels are back in the Elite 8 since the 2013 season. UNC beat Kansas 2-0 and edged Clemson 1-0 on Sunday. Considering the storied past of the this program and high expectations, which includes 21 Titles in 32 appearances, the Heels have been less than impressive en route to the College Cup this season. Although I wasn’t expecting them to get this far, they have clearly earned it.

    Led by Sophomore Dorian Bailey, who scored in wins at Liberty and notched the game winner from distance against Clemson on Sunday. In just her fourth goal on the year, Bailey couldn’t pick a more perfect time to catch form. The #2 seed will face top seeded South Carolina on Friday at 6 p.m.

U-20 Finish Group C on Top:

The United States Women’s Youth team finished its final group game against Ghana in the U-20 Women’s World Cup. In a less than impressive 1-1 draw on Sunday night, the Americans needed some magic from the Captain Mallory Pugh to salvage a point. Two other players who also stood out with moments of quality were Ashley Sanchez, Emily Fox and Katie Cousins. For the next round the U.S. will need to clean up its passing in the final third and finish its chances. Other players will need to step up, including keeper Casey Murphy, who had a blunder in the first half to give Ghana the short-lived lead.

What many may not know is that to commit to the Youth WC, they must red shirt the 2016 college season. The U.S. is has a total of nine colleges represented but none more present than Penn State, who have five players on this Youth roster. Cousin’s is a Tennessee Volunteer and will be a sophomore in 2017. Sanchez has plans to attend UCLA while Fox will attend North Carolina, both in the fall of 2017.

Moving on the quarterfinals is a familiar feeling for this program, as it has advanced to this stage in each of the previous seven tournaments. The Americans have been crowned U-20 champions three times (2012, 2008, and 2002) but the Germans are the 2014 defending champions. Drawing with Ghana ensured not only moving on, but it made sure they wouldn’t face Germany. Its opponent will be Mexico and its set for Friday (Nov. 25th) on FS1 at 1 a.m. ET.

Injuries Galore For Americans:

Four were injured in last weekend’s W-League action and one injured in College play. Two were extremely devastating as keeper Kelsey Wys (Newcastle Jets, Washington Spirit) and midfielder Andi Sullivan (Stanford) each tore an ACL. Wys was playing in the W-League for the Jets and landed very awkwardly during a play while Sullivan had to leave the game against Santa Clara in OT during Stanford’s Tournament run. ACL’s recovery can range anywhere from six months to a year. Hopeful both have a healthy recovery.

Another W-League injury was to Perth Glory and Chicago Red Star midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo. She has a hamstring injury that has carried over from the NWSL season. A fellow Red Star who is also down under is Jen Hoy, who plays for the Jets and has an upper body injury but is listed as questionable. One last report is regarding Orlando Pride/Canberra United forward Jasmyne Spencer. She went down in United’s win over Brisbane Roar, but remains questionable for the next game.

Players Can’t Tell the Difference Between Nutmeg News and Bill Lynch, and That is Terrifying

Posted on by RJ Allen

Last week, Ashlyn Harris and Megan Rapinoe took to social media to express their concerns over a quote in an article posted by the Nutmeg News.

The article quoted Bill Lynch, the owner of the Washington Spirit, as saying,

“We decided over the course of the season that our roster wasn’t patriotic enough and didn’t support our love of the best country on the face of the planet. The Washington Spirit is all about great soccer, community involvement, fanatical devotion to the best country ever, standing for the national anthem, and asking our players to not outwardly display their support of LGBTQ causes. As such, it behooves us to ensure that our roster reflects this.”

Fortunately for the Washington Spirit, the comments aren’t real. The Nutmeg News is a fake, satire site meant to be “The Onion” of women’s soccer.

Harris posted, “Wow You disgust me (sic)” in regards to the fake Lynch comments. Rapinoe tweeted that the comments were “deeply disturbing”.  After it was made apparent to both players that the article was fake, Harris deleted her post and Rapinoe tweeted out an apology to the Washington Spirit saying that she didn’t realize the article was fake.

Everything was forgiven and we all moved on.

With the exception of one lingering thought: Isn’t it terrifying that two professional players, one of whom used to play for the Washington Spirit, genuinely believed that this was something that Bill Lynch said?

Lynch has drawn a lot of attention to himself in 2016. His most infamous moment of the year was probably when he prevented Seattle Reign player, Megan Rapinoe’s anthem protest by playing the national anthem while both the Reign and Spirit were still in the locker room before their game on September 7th without consulting anyone from the NWSL or anyone on the team.

Although this was a very petty gesture, one could possibly have chalked up his actions to emotions running high, given that he is a veteran and it was less than a week before the anniversary of a huge disaster for our country. Maybe he was not thinking logically. Maybe he was going to apologize. But then came the uncalled-for “hijack” statement. And then the rival statement from the Spirit players. And then the reminder that when the Supreme Court passed the gay marriage ruling in 2015, the Spirit were the only team to not publicly support ruling because Lynch allegedly (and hypocritically) didn’t want to get personal politics involved with soccer.

I truly detest assuming the worst in people. I pride myself on believing one of my strongest attributes is being able to see the good in even the worst situations. However, now we have two professional athletes who have dealt with Lynch on a professional level who seem to believe it plausible for him to say the ridiculous quote above.

Whether they meant to or not, Harris and Rapinoe have enlightened us with a hint this week. And how seriously we choose to take this hint is up to our discretion.

Stay aware. Stay woke.

Around the World of WoSo: NCAA Update and USWNT Close Out 2016

Posted on by RJ Allen

SIUE Stuns Notre Dame:

The Fighting Irish were the number two seed and clear favorites to win but the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars played out of their minds. More specifically, sophomore goalkeeper Juli Ross was the hero on the pitch that night. Ross shut down Notre Dame’s chances, including 21 shots at goal, all night, making memorable saves in each half and then in both overtimes to take it to penalties. And the goalkeeper’s  5’7″ frame helped her save two pks taken by Notre Dame’s Katie Uhler and Cindy Pineda.

 The winning pk came from SIUE’s Mariah Vollmer, who hadn’t played a single minute of the game but had no problem stepping up in a critical situation when her team needed it. This victory is was only the second time a team from the Ohio Valley Conference has gotten past the first round, and marks SIUE’s first tournament win in program history. The Cougars will face Northwestern University on Friday.

Michigan Falls to Illinois State:

Another massive upset that ended with penalties after the extra time periods did not yield a winner came with Michigan’s loss to Illinois State. Michigan had the momentum after Nicky Waldeck scored an equalizer in the 75′ to force the game into overtime. Then, the score tied at two a piece, Michigan managed to get the ball in the net twice, only to have each goal called back due to fouls. Illinois State’s best chance to take the lead and the game came in the 106th minute off a powerful header by Paige Jarsombeck’s that was saved by Michigan’s Sarah Jackson.

Though both teams netted four pks each, Michigan missed its fifth shot to to give the Redbirds the win. This was the third tournament win in school history for Illinois State, who are on a 15 game winning streak, the longest in school history. The Redbirds will face Duke on Friday in the second round.

NC State Upsets Minnesota:

In its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 20 years, NC State made a memorable return to the big stage this past weekend. Not only did they win, but they beat the Big Ten Conference champions Minnesota. The Wolfpack started strong, firing 10 shots toward goal in the first half while the the Gophers only managed to put up two. The second half saw NC State create several serious chances through set pieces but ended up at the end of regulation with nothing to show for it.

Throughout the two overtimes both teams had a few shots, but neither managed to break through and score. But, what’s another game without nail-biting penalties? Wolfpack goalkeeper Sydney Wootten made two important saves to help her team advance. What’s more impressive about this win is that NC State was without All-ACC freshman forward Kia Rankin, who ranks second on the team in goals, with five heading into this tournament. Reports are she could be available for the second round. NC State will face Pepperdine on Friday. 

A Handful of Conference Champions Still Remain:

Out of the 31 conference champions that were crowned last week, only nine remain in the hunt for the title. Some are expected to advance, such as powerhouses FSU, Stanford, Florida, and West Virginia. They beat their respective opponents by a combined score of 14-0 en route to the second round.

 A few teams were stunned and sent home packing, however, such as Big Ten champions Minnesota, and Ivy League representative, Harvard. Of course serious title contenders like Georgetown (Big East) and UConn (American Athletic) are on to the next round as well.

Second Round Match-ups/Predictions:

Friday should prove to be quite a day for fans of the women’s game, as a handful of exciting match-ups are set to take place. The first is #3 Virginia taking on defending champions Penn State at 11a.m. The Cavaliers’ leading scorer is senior Alexis Shaffer who has tallied 13 goals and six assists on the year. As for Penn State, they are led by junior Frannie Crouse, who has 12 goals and recorded three assists. it should be noted that the Nittany Lions will be with out several players due to the U-20 Womens World Cup; Kaleigh Riehl, Ellie Jean, Maddie Elliston, Emily Ogle and Rose Chandler. With these pieces missing, i dont see how Penn State can get past the second round. That being said, I have Virginia winning this one, not without Penn State giving them a serious threat. 

The second game of the day will be at 3 p.m. when Auburn faces #13 UConn. Auburn has really impressed me this season, led by senior Casie Ramsier with 12 goals and four assists. UConn is no slouch either when it comes to big time players. The Huskies’ leading scorer is a name many fans should recognize from leading the nation in points and in a three-way tie for most goals; red-shirt senior Stephanie Ribeiro, who has accumulated a staggering 21 goals and 13 assists this season. This will be a game for those who love high powered offenses, and I have Auburn just edging out UConn in a close one that could see overtime as well as pks to decide the winner.

The 7 p.m. game will feature Wisconsin against #1 seed Florida. The Badgers will rely on senior Rose Lavelle, a National Team pool member who leads her college team with six goals and four assists. As for Florida, they have one of the fastest forwards in the tournament: Savannah Jordan. The senior has played consistently all year, totaling 16 goals and offering nine assists. Although Wisconsin has a strong group, I have Florida taking this one easily in regulation.

USWNT Finish 2016 with a Pair of Wins:

The United States Women completed the year by defeating Romania in two friendlies over the weekend–the first time the teams have competed–with a combined score of 13-1. Both matches had solid crowds (16k+ & 20k+) and given the high volume of US goals, fans had plenty of reasons to cheer.

 While it wasn’t quite the challenge some were expecting, it gave Coach Jill Ellis the chance to bring in youth once again and experiment with her formations. Ellis hasn’t been afraid to change things up after the disappointing Rio finish, and continues to do just that.  In these matches, she had the US women play in a three-back system, interchanging Becky Sauerbrunn, Julie Johnston, Allie Long, Kelley O’Hara, Ali Krieger, and Casey Short.

While there are many things I might agree or disagree with Ellis about, in my opinion, wasting time on a three-back system is one of the more questionable things she has done with our current personnel. Over the past year our offense seems to have improved, but often at the cost of our defensive play. In a nutshell, it was a difficult year for the USWNT and I hope that 2017 and the start of a new cycle can get us back to being the true #1 team in the world.

Boston sends Kristie Mewis and Kassey Kallman to Washington for Megan Oyster and Picks

Posted on by RJ Allen

Boston and Washington have woken the WoSo world up on this Thursday. Defender Kassey Kallman and midfielder Kristie Mewis head to Washington in exchange for defender Megan Oyster as well as the Nos. 3 and 9 overall picks in the 2017 NWSL College Draft.

Below is the Boston Breaker’s press release.

WATERTOWN, Mass. (Nov. 17, 2016) – The Boston Breakers announced today that the team has acquired defender Megan Oyster as well as the Nos. 3 and 9 overall picks in the 2017 NWSL College Draft from the Washington Spirit. In exchange, the Breakers send defender Kassey Kallman and midfielder Kristie Mewis to the Spirit. In addition, Boston also receives the No. 2 allocation spot in return for the No. 1 spot in the Distribution Ranking Order. 

The 13th overall pick in the 2015 NWSL College Draft out of UCLA, Oyster played two seasons for the Spirit. She started all 25 games she appeared in, logging 3,140 minutes.

 The Naperville, Ill native is currently on loan in Australia, playing in the Westfield W-League for the Newcastle Jets. This is her second straight offseason in Australia, having played for Newcastle during the 2015/2016 W-League season. 

“Megan is a player that we really wanted to bring to the club,” Boston Breakers head coach Matt Beard said. “She is a very good defender and comfortable on the ball. Megan will bring great experience to the back line and a winning mentality.” 

A four-year star at UCLA, Oyster was instrumental in the Bruins winning the 2013 NCAA National Championship. She assisted on the game-winning goal in overtime of the championship game against Florida State.

 “Megan is a top quality defender, a very important piece of the puzzle for us, and a player Matt wanted, so to bring her into the club is a big positive for us. We have a plan in place for how we use the draft picks to help strengthen the squad which is the important next step,” said Boston Breakers President of Soccer Operations and Development Lee Billiard. “It is always tough moving players like Kassey and Kristie, but we felt the need to freshen it up and free up cap space, allowing us to keep making the progress we have done so thus far”.

Kallman spent two seasons in Boston, playing every minute of all 40 matches. Mewis joined the Breakers in 2014, and in three seasons with the club scored 10 goals to go along with five assists in 51 games.

Frances Silva of FC Kansas City Retires from Professional Soccer

Posted on by RJ Allen

FC Kansas City will be without midfielder Frances Silva coming 2017. She has announced her retirement from professional soccer.

Silva leaves to work at Fox Soccer as a Social Media Specialist.

Below is their statement.

KANSAS CITY (Nov. 16, 2016) – Two-time National Women’s Soccer League champion midfielder Frances Silva announced her retirement from professional soccer this morning. She plans to join Fox Soccer as a Social Media Specialist.

“I want to thank the FC Kansas City organization for allowing me to live out my lifelong dream of playing professional soccer,” Silva said.

“Getting to play in my hometown and winning two titles for this great city is more than I could have ever hoped for. I want to also thank my teammates and coaching staff for making the experience something I’ll always remember. Walking away from the game you love is never easy, but I’m excited for the new challenges that are ahead working for Fox Soccer.”

Silva is one of a handful of local talents that have played for the Blues in the first four NWSL seasons. The Overland Park, Kansas native attended Blue Valley North High School, where she set a number of program records and led the Mustangs to the 2007 state championship. She finished her career with 41 goals and 17 assists, which helped earn her scholarship to West Virginia.

She quickly found her place with the Mountaineers, appearing in all 24 matches (starting 20) and earning Big East All-Rookie Team honors in 2010. She contributed 87 points in her next three seasons, which included 15 goals and 13 assists her senior year.  West Virginia won the Big 12 Championship and she was tabbed as the conference Player of the Year.

Silva was drafted by the Blues with the 19th overall pick in 2014 and played in 18 games, starting five for the league champions. She scored two goals and had one assist her rookie year. She contributed three goals to the FCKC’s second title run in 2015. This past season, Silva started ten games and played in all but one.

“Every time we lose a player to retirement we’re filled with mixed feelings. It’s not any different this time…we are sad for losing Fran. She was an important part of this team during our most successful times and helped us to win two NWSL championships,” said head coach Vlatko Andonovski. “At the same time, we are happy for her and excited about her new opportunities.”