Since the United States Women’s National team’s 2015 World Cup win, a lot of new faces have put on the coveted shirt for the first time. A few of those names include 19-year-old Mallory Pugh, Casey Short, Rose Lavelle, Lynn Williams, and Andi Sullivan. Another common denominator with these players is how young they are, the oldest being 26 and the youngest being 19. I could name a handful more but instead here is a player who I believe deserves a call-up this year: Arin Gilliland.
The 24-year-old defender plays her club ball for the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL. Gilliland was drafted out of Kentucky in the 2015 NWSL College Draft, taken eighth overall. The 2015 College Draft is actually my favorite of each that the NWSL has hosted since the league started. It saw players like Morgan Brian, Lynn Williams, and Samantha Mewis enter the league. Players who are all now very important pieces of their NWSL teams as well as the senior national team.
As a rookie in 2015, Gilliland played in 17 games with Chicago, helping to lead them into the playoffs, and was named to the NWSL’s second-best XI. Her second season proved to be even better; she started in 21 games and was a big contributor to the 2016 Red Stars’ 1.0 goals against average.
This season Gilliland has played in 11 games, starting 10 of those. She has been a huge part of the Red Stars’ success this season, quietly doing her part as usual. She has helped Chicago to a 7-3-3 record, which is good for 24 points, second on the table and within striking distance of first. In her third season, Gilliland has been steady as ever, working well with a rotation of players that include Short, Julie Ertz, Katie Naughton, and Sam Johnson. Gilliland is well known in the league for her lock-down defense, her ability to contain just about every player she goes up against.
The current USWNT list of defenders does include another Red Star–Casey Short, who has accumulated 10 caps since debuting in 2016. And Gilliland has been called into national team camp, getting her first call-up in October of 2016. But somehow this capable, steady, and superb defender doesn’t have a cap to her name. She rarely gets beaten down the right side, but in the rare event that she does, her recovery speed reminds me of a certain USWNT veteran who is universally known for her incredible speed when tracking back (if you guessed Ali Krieger, you are correct).
In their 13 games so far this season, Chicago has scored 16 goals while only giving up 11. Gilliland has been doing her part exceptionally well. The team relies on her strength and positioning each game, and her willingness to do whatever it takes to win. When you see her play, there is passion in her eyes, fight in her tackles, and her domination on the backline is evident in the lack of opponent’s goals on the scoreboard. Gilliland is what the NFL would refer to as a “shut-down-corner.” She is one of the best in the league, certainly a top-five type of player and, in my opinion, sorely underrated.
Arin Gilliland player is the kind of player who is consistently great across the back. With her quality possession, her eagle-eye vision, her crunching tackles, and the way she handles opposing threats, she would be a welcome and reliable presence on the USWNT backline, a defense that feels more like a merry-go-round these days.
And, yes, I get it. Head coach Jill Ellis is working out a lot of things, experimenting in just about every position to find what works in anticipation of the next tournament cycle. But, given the resume Gilliland has along with her talent, this Chicago Red Star deserves a chance to take the pitch in a US jersey.
If the USWNT want a chance at another WWC trophy in 2019, we need to build another Department of Defense. Arin Gilliland could be one of the pieces we need to make our backline great once again.
There are few players in the NWSL today who you can say truly transform a team’s play when they step onto the pitch. But Sky Blue’s Raquel Rodriguez is definitely one of those players. Every time she steps out onto the field, Sky Blue’s play becomes more dynamic and more focused.
We saw just how much her presence can affect the tone of a game at Saturday’s match-up between Sky Blue and the Chicago Red Stars. When she checked into the game in the 56th minute, the midfield’s play started to shift in Sky Blue’s favor. And you wouldn’t be hard-pressed to link her play in the midfield to Sam Kerr’s extraordinary feats of late-game scoring, as Rodriguez’s movement on the ball helps to create space for Kerr and the other forwards to do their thing.
In her rookie season, she was awarded Rookie of the Year, and became the first non-American to bear the title. And now, in just her second season as a pro, Rodriguez has made the center of the midfield her dominion to rule over.
With a large share of the pressure to control the midfield on Rodriguez’s shoulders, she approaches it game-by-game. But aAs I watch her week in and week out I can’t help but get flashbacks to when a young Lauren Holiday moved to center midfield. Rodriguez has the same spark that Holiday displayed, the same sense of being the spine of the team, the same drive to grow and learn as a player. They both can take a team on their back and deliver out of this world results. It’s just a matter of time before we see Rodriguez playing at the level of Lauren Holiday in her prime.
Backline Soccer: Your rookie season was about as good as could be, you won Rookie of the Year. A lot of players seem to have sophomore slumps, but you seem to have avoided that so far. You’ve had a couple late goals. You’ve played well. Is that something you’re sort of taking game-by-game? Or are you saying, you know, I want to have that type of season every year. I don’t want a slump. Is that in your head or is it just game-by-game?
Rodriguez: I think during the season I take it game by game. My first off-season was this past one, and I think one thing that I learned from the rookie season where I came in knowing nothing more than what I heard, to come in the second season, I think the off-season was really key to feeling prepared for this game. But during the season I take it game-by-game. I always want to get better season after season. But that also means that every day I take care of the little things and then that will take care of the big picture. So I take it game by day.
Learning from the game and fellow teammates is something that any good player should do. As much as Orlando or Houston considered to be packed with international players, Sky Blue, too, has their share of national team-quality players from all around the world. Players from Sky Blue have caps with Canada, Australia, England, American and Costa Rica.
Backline Soccer: You have a lot of internationals on the team this year, but they tend to go unnoticed because they’re not from teams like Germany or France. Is that sort of nice that you can learn from these different styles, you don’t have to necessarily play the American style, you have other things to learn from?
Rodriguez: 100%. I think I’m a person who tries to learn wherever I go with whatever experience I live. But, I mean, you’re totally right. Whether it’s Americans, Canadians, Australians, English, I learn every day from world class players. And I think that’s also the standard from this team, and we push each other and we learn from each other. So 100%. It’s a blessing to be in this team.
But it isn’t just Sky Blue that Rodriguez puts on a uniform for. The Costa Rican international has been playing for her country’s senior team since 2010. With over 30 goals tallied for her country, she is an up-and-coming superstar at the international level. In fact, Rodriguez scored Costa Rica’s first ever Women’s World Cup goal in their tournament debut back in 2015.
Backline Soccer: Costa Rica went to the 2015 Women’s World Cup, you scored the first Costa Rican goal in the World Cup. Do you have your sights on 2019? Are you in “we’re going to go to the World Cup again” mode?
Rodriguez: 100%. I think when I think about that, I really want it really bad. You know I want to–we all want to come back to the World Cup in 2019. That’s the goal, of course. I think qualifiers are next year, 2018, so that’s something that is in the back of my head, being a Costa Rican national player. It’s the dream, it’s a dream that I carry in my heart, and I know that my teammates do as well. So anything that I learn here in the international level, here in the NWSL, it’s to bring back to Costa Rica.
And on the topic of captains? Rodriguez considers herself blessed.
Backline Soccer: I spoke to Kailen Sheridan a little bit last week. She has Christine Sinclair and Christie Pearce as her country and club captain, respectively. You have Shirley Cruz and Christie Pearce. Shirley Cruz is sort of a big figure in Costa Rican soccer in general, and internationally as well. Is it nice to have two captains of that sort of experience level, and you can sort of learn from those two captain styles?
Rodriguez: For sure. I think, again I try to learn always, but you know it is an honor and a blessing. Like you mentioned, the two of them. It truly is an honor because they are legends. I say it’s a blessing because you know them as the people they are–not only as the soccer players they are, and the public figures they are. And when you get to know them personally then it just adds that little more you know, it’s a blessing and an honor, truly.
There are players that you can watch just because the way they play the game, who they are in the game, is pure joy to witness. Raquel Rodriguez is one of those players. When she is good she lights up to pitch in a way so few can. And she’s always pretty damn good.
As far as France in 2019? I fully expect to watch Costa Rica take the field for their second Women’s World Cup appearance and to see Rodriguez there with them.
Amber Brooks may not be the first name that comes to mind when talking about who might be called up to the USWNT in the next year or so, but perhaps she should be.
With the USWNT officially in the rebuilding stage in between major international tournaments, there has been much conversation about who might factor into the picture for the 2019 World Cup. Jill Ellis said at the beginning of this process that she would be looking at the NWSL as the prime market for identifying talent that could translate to the international stage. This has paved the way for many of the new faces we’ve seen in recent friendlies, including Casey Short, Lynn Williams, and Kealia Ohai.
There are still pieces of the puzzle missing, however, if their struggles against the top teams in the She Believes Cup is any indication. One of those pieces happens to be a primarily defensive-minded, holding midfielder who can hold down the fort and spring the strong attack. Without the steadying defensive presences of Lauren Holiday and Shannon Boxx, the USWNT has looked slightly lost when it comes to feeding the ball through the middle and stopping attacking runs before they get to the backline.
In the NWSL, there are few better at that job than Amber Brooks.
Brooks came up with the National Team youth system, playing in major tournaments for the U-17, U-20, and U-23 sides. Her college years were spent playing for the vaunted UNC Tarheels under legendary Anson Dorrance. Brooks was looked at by the USWNT in 2013–during Tom Sermanni’s tenure–earning one cap and 81 minutes against Brazil. Her club career includes a stint at Bayern Munich, as well as playing with Portland and Seattle in the NWSL before landing in Houston.
Brooks came to Houston in October of 2015, by way of the blockbuster trade that landed Alex Morgan in Orlando and Meghan Klingenberg in Portland. While Houston has struggled (to put it lightly), Brooks has provided a bright spot in their lineup. She’s a strong presence on the field, she’s a ruthless defender, and her free kicks and eye for offensive service make her a perfect lynch-pin for an attack. With Morgan Brian out with persistent injuries and National Team duty for much of 2016, Brooks became the stalwart presence that helped the Dash midfield and defense steady themselves after their shaky start. She has only grown in that role for them as the 2017 season has progressed.
For a USWNT so desperate for defensive solutions that they have resorted to putting attacking midfielders in at center back, under the guise of needing someone to direct the attack from the back, Brooks would be a valuable stop-gap as a defensive mid. She is not particularly fast, but she is smart about compensating for her speed by choosing her moments, similar to Sauerbrunn. Having her in front of the backline would provide some peace of mind to a struggling defensive system and allow attacking mids like Allie Long and Carli Lloyd to range farther forward where their heads can provide perfect targets for Brooks’s strong service.
Houston has most definitely benefitted from having Brooks offensive skills over the past couple of years. Her solid presence and ability to direct play allows players like Andressinha, Morgan Brian, and Carli Lloyd to assume their preferred attacking roles. Brooks has also developed good connections with Rachel Daly and Kealia Ohai in the Dash’s frontline, often feeding them through balls that they can run onto as often as their heart desires.
While Brooks is 26–a bit older than the young phenoms that Ellis has shown a preference for–she definitely deserves another look at the defensive mid position for the USWNT. Her years of experience are exactly what the USWNT needs to balance out their glut of young attackers and strengthen the backbone of the lineup. Brooks can provide an offensive rallying point and perhaps give Becky Sauerbrunn some peace of mind.
The NWSL may be the American women’s soccer league, but some of their strongest players come from all around the world. This series will look at some of those internationals that you may not know a lot about. Each article will highlight their style of play, the role they play on their national team, and the role they play in their club.
This time we’ll be looking to the Portland Thorns and French international Amandine Henry.
What Does She Do?
Amandine Henry is a midfielder who plays for the Portland Thorns and the French National Team. Widely considered to be one of the best midfielders in the world, Henry is the only French international playing in the NWSL. She has diverse strengths in the midfield, being able to play both attacking and defensive roles depending on the situation. Prior to joining the Thorns, Henry spent nine seasons with Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon). She played a massive role in bringing the world’s attention to both Lyon and France.
L’Equipe de France
Henry made her first senior appearance with the French national team in 2009. She has earned 61 caps for the senior team, appearing in the World Cup, the Olympics, and the Women’s Euros, and has scored six goals. She was a part of the team that won the SheBelieves Cup in the United States earlier this year, serving as the captain in their first match against England and starting in all three matches in the tournament. While she might struggle with a language barrier in Portland, on l’Equipe de France she is a vocal leader. She has been nominated for and won countless awards. In 2015 and 2016, she was put on the shortlist for FIFA Women’s Player of the Year. In 2015, she made the FIFPro XI and was put on the shortlist for it again in 2016. Following the World Cup, she was named to the Women’s World Cup All-Star Team after starting in all five matches for France and scoring a goal in the group stage against Mexico. In 2015-2016, she was the runner-up for UEFA Women’s Player of the Year, which she ultimately lost to her former Lyon teammate Ada Hegerberg.
Portland Thorns FC
Henry plays more of a solidly defensive role on the Thorns. She started and played in the first twelve matches for the team this year and scored her first NWSL goal on May 27th in the team’s 2-0 win against the Boston Breakers. Last season, she earned ten appearances in nine starts for the Thorns, tallying one assist. Henry plays amongst a strong midfield in Portland, arguably the strongest midfield in the NWSL. Yet even amongst a crowd that includes players such as Tobin Heath, Dagny Brynjarsdottir, Lindsey Horan, Meg Morris, and Allie Long, Henry is a regular starter. That alone speaks volumes about her strength and skill. When she made her move to the NWSL last year, it was a massive boost for the league. Being able to draw one of the best players in the world away from one of the best teams in the world lifted the NWSL to another level. Henry’s reason for the move was quite clear—she wanted to win a championship in what she viewed to be the best women’s soccer league in the world. She’s still chasing after that dream—maybe this year will be the year it comes true.
No one being paid by the NWSL makes the league allowed $41,700 maximum salary.
How do I know this, since the league does not allow contract details with salaries to become public? Because math tells me if anyone did the rest of the team would be making the minimum.
The NWSL isn’t 100% transparent on how the roster pay structure is set up. They do tell us in the rules that the cap is “spread across a minimum of 18 Players … based on adjustments for Federation Players,” and that “if a Team is carrying less than 18 Players, minimum salary Player spots are added to the Team’s budget for the purpose of calculating the total”.
While the NWSL won’t comment for sure if the adjustment made for the USWNT player is to simply add minimum salary player spots as they do when the roster is under 18, we can be reasonably sure this is how it’s done.
The league’s salary cap is $315,000. What this means is that if one person out of the NWSL minimum 18-player club makes $41,700 for the season, there will be $273,300 left to pay the other 17 players on the team or about $16,076 per player for the season. That’s the league minimum of $15,000 plus an equal portion of what remains of the cap ($1,076).
It would be nearly impossible for any club in the league to keep 17 players around at $16,076 while a single player on their roster is making $41,700. Not when salaries can’t happen in a vacuum.
It’s much more likely most players are making between $15,000 and $20,000 a season. To fit under the $315,000 cap, five players could be making about $20,000, while eight players make $17,500, and the remaining five players make the league minimum of $15,000.
Remember, too, that while 18 is the minimum number a team has to carry according to the NWSL, they can have as many as 20 players on their roster at a time. And in some instances, as when players are on the D45 list, or out for the season with injury, etc., their replacements are subject to salary cap rules as well, though a team can apply for relief from the NSWL. In other words, it’s probably standard operating procedure for a team to carry a little breathing room under the cap in case of injury. So that sample team breakdown? The numbers could be even lower.
You want to know why the NWSL relies heavily on amateur players to fill in?
Because they don’t have to pay them.
If you really do care about players in the NWSL getting paid then you have to care about getting the salary cap raised before anything else matters. The NWSL can list the maximum salary as anything they want if it will never be paid.
How the National Team Fits In
When people go on and on about the USWNT and the clause in their contract that states they must be paid more than any NWSL player, they’re mostly being angry simply to be angry. They often criticize the team for being on the leading edge of fighting for equal pay when they make triple what their club teammates do. Or they take shots on those who have some and are trying to get more when there are those who have much, much less.
As a reminder USWNT players are not paid by the NWSL. The clubs these players play for, along with the Canadian National team players, don’t hold their contracts either. As we talked about above the current interpretation is that rosters account for these players at the minimum salary.
The USWNT players are paid a USWNT salary, and on top of that, a NWSL salary. Their NWSL salary does not come out of NWSL funds, the USWNT pays it. The accounting for the salary cap is made up with ghost players making the league minimum on rosters to get to the magic 18 number.
In theory the more USWNT players on your team, the more to go around. The ghost players are only making the minimum so $2,000 or more from each can go to other players on the roster.
A USWNT player makes about $50,000 to play in the NWSL on top of their USWNT pay. But with the salary cap the way it is now, even if there was no clause preventing an NWSL player from making that much it would be nearly impossible–using any math out there–to get more than one or two non-USWNT players to $30,000, much less $50,000. The salary cap locks them into their wages more than the USWNT and that clause ever could.
The Future of the Salary Cap
One of the biggest problems the NWSL faces is growing salary in a way where players are able to make soccer their full-time job. No more being forced to coach on the side, no more picking up a part time job in between practices or using savings to get through the lean times.
To do, that it’s not the maximum salary that needs to change, no one can get it now anyway. The salary cap is where the attention for growth needs to be. That is what will change the real day to day lives of players in the league.
To look at how different caps effect the bottom line of pay, I set the cap at three different levels and played out what an 18 person roster could be paid while keeping under the caps. I did use whole round numbers to make the math easier.
What Might Future Salary Caps Look Like?
Salary Cap: $425,000
Possible Option:
$20,000 @ 3 players
$22,000 @ 6 players
$25,000 @ 4 players
$27,000 @ 5 players
My goal here was to lift the minimum as well as use the $425,000 to make sure that the clubs could pay the core of their team a little bit more. This possible option gives the clubs a bit more in the way of creating levels of play where rookies come in the league and move up after they have proven themselves.
Salary Cap: $500,000
Possible Option:
$23,000 @ 5 players
$25,000 @ 7 players
$30,000 @ 2 players
$35,000 @ 2 players
$40,000 @ 2 players
With this option, there is a lot of moving players up and giving levels of rewards based on what happened the year before. At the very top, the clubs would have six players they could reward as they would likely be the pillars of the team.
Salary Cap: $630,000
Possible Option:
$25,000 @ 5 players
$30,000 @ 6 players
$45,000 @ 5 players
$50,000 @ 2 players
Having double the current cap to play with gave room for everyone to be making the type of salary that will at least keep them buying the name brand Band-Aids for their blisters. With this option, the lowest was $25,000 with seven players able to move into the $45,000+ range.
Final Thoughts
As the NWSL grows they are going to have to decide if it’s the minimum or the maximum salary they want to focus on. Do they want to lift the minimum while leaving the maximum, as useless as it is right now, where it is or do they want to lift the maximum in a meaningless show that they are able to do so?
I hope it’s the salary cap that gets the most attention. With a properly adjusted salary cap the minimum becomes less of a “most players make this” and more of something used as a starting place as players’ contracts are being worked on.
If the cap can be lifted to $450,000 (or more) in the next season or two then soon players should have the chance to focus on soccer in a way that they have not been able to do en masse before. No more coaching to make ends meet, no more divided attention, or bills going unpaid.
The NWSL has lasted longer than any other league. The foundation has been set and the walls raised. It’s time to start paying the players who have put in so much work to build this house.
In this weekly series, I will be highlighting a player from the weekend who was their respective team’s unsung hero, win or lose. A player who does the dirty work, does the little but important things in a game, and someone who didn’t exactly fill up the stat sheet but found other ways to contribute.
This week is special–two for the price of one! I’ve chosen Houston Dash defenders Janine Van Wyk and Amber Brooks to highlight together because I believe that the on-field relationship between the two women really contributed to the Dash’s play this week.
Van Wyk is in her first year in the NWSL and has adjusted nicely to the American way of playing. The 30-year-old is the first South African player to suit up for an NWSL side, earning a place after her 2015 Women’s World Cup showing and her impressive performance against the USWNT in a mid-year friendly in 2016. Van Wyk is the caps leader for either male or female for South Africa, with an incredible 143. She impressed on the biggest stage so it was a no-brainer to recruit her. I, for one, was hoping she would make her way over here and it seems she has made a home with the Dash.
Brooks is a player who has been in the NWSL since 2014, with Portland and Seattle before settling in with Houston. The 26-year-old played her college ball at the Taj Mahal of women’s soccer, the University of North Carolina from 2009-2012. She is a player that has been solid no matter what team she has been on, yet she is on her third NWSL team. And while it is certainly not a preference for any player to move around that much, she has definitely made a home for herself in Houston.
Houston 1-1 Portland:
Going into this matchup, I wasn’t heavily favoring Portland but I certainly didn’t think Houston would put in this kind of performance. Keep in mind the Thorns were without Amandine Henry, Nadia Nadim, and Dagny Brynjarsdottir as they are with their respective teams for the European Championships.
From the starting whistle the Dash were buzzing, putting pressure on early to take control of the game right away. Portland would have a half chance in the second minute but Van Wyk intercepted a pass from Hayley Raso in the Dash’s own 18 that was intended for a charging Lindsey Horan. Van Wyk read the play perfectly and the Dash have a hard time coming back from behind so it was a much-needed play.
Although youngster Janine Beckie scored a goal for Houston in the eighth minute, the Thorns were not fazed, bringing wave after wave of attack.
Midway through the first half, the two Dash veterans continued their strong start, making back-to-back plays to keep Portland off the board. Van Wyk was up for the challenge of the Thorns attack in the 14th minute when, with Sinclair waiting on the doorstep, she remained a step ahead of the Canadian legend. Van Wyk cleared the dangerous ball sent in from Australian import Ashleigh Sykes and relieved the pressure momentarily for Houston.
Just a minute later in the 15th minute, Brooks took Hayley Raso’s chance away in Houston’s box. Brooks’ style isn’t to dive in with the speedy forward barreling down. Instead, she waits, patiently, unafraid. In this game, she waited and contained Raso long enough for Van Wyk to arrive and help support, eventually clearing the ball out of danger. Not too long after that, Brooks was busy once again. This time she sacrificed her body her block a vicious shot by Meghan Klingenberg, who was moving in her typical left-to-right tread.
A close call in the 27th minute required Brooks to be aware of just which Portland player was around her. In this instance, it was Allie Long attempting to get in behind the backline about 25 yards out. Brooks stretched out to steal the slotted ball, breaking off what was sure to be a breakaway date with Houston’s rookie goalkeeper Jane Campbell.
In the second half, it was much of the same from the Dash dynamic duo.
With the Thorns piling on the pressure, Van Wyk and Brooks had to do whatever it took not to allow a goal, let alone a goal right after half. In the 53rd minute, they stood their ground on teasing ball after ball being whipped in by the Thorns, each rising to head it out two different times. Even with the high pressure, Houston and its backline displayed steady composure, led by Van Wyk and Brooks in the center.
Several minutes later Brooks showed how dangerous her service can be, almost grabbing an assist, but Carli Lloyd’s header went just wide. It’s a shame Lloyd couldn’t quite get it on target because it was a gorgeous ball in from Brooks.
Van Wyk and Brooks orchestrated a solid game-plan from the back all night long, switching fields when necessary and providing support to the midfield. They did a fantastic job leading the Dash, and while they earned just one point, it was a sign of life once again from this team.
The other two points slipped away when Horan scored a lovely free kick in the 91st minute. Houston had done a wonderful job keeping Horan in check all game until a moment of magic spoiled the result. It was certainly a stunner for Dash fans, just seconds within reach of a rare win at home.
Still, it doesn’t take away from the performance of Van Wyk and Brooks that kept it that close for 90 minutes.
No matter what Portland tried, Houston had an answer. They were just making all the right decisions. Staying organized, working for quality spells of possession, movement on and off the ball was satisfying, and they worked hard to control the pace of the game. I could’ve picked several Dash players for this week’s column on the defensive side alone. It was one of my favorite performances of the year so far.
2017 has been a good year for defenders moving into the midfield. First, was Julie Ertz with Chicago. And this weekend, we got another fascinating (and potentially transformative) example, with Christina Gibbons stepping out from her traditional left back role to patrol the central midfield for KCKC.
It’s impossible to discuss any part of KC’s season this year, without mentioning Amy Rodriguez, whose injury in the first game of the season threw everything into chaos. It’s hard to think of many players in the league that would have been more essential to the team’s plan going into the year. Without Rodriguez, they lack a true linking player in their attack. Despite immense talent (the KC frontline looked to be one of the most dangerous in the league at the start of the season), they’ve struggled mightily to find the creativity that can help unleash the full talents of Sydney Leroux and Shea Groom—who both work better as slashing attackers rather than as central strikers. Combined with the absence of Mandy Laddish, it’s been tough times down the middle for Kansas City this year.
Now, they are hardly without resources, and Vlatko has managed to put together a solid Plan B: a system with two holding midfielders at the base of a compact 4-2-3-1. The goal is to put a firm hand on the throttle, keep control of the game, and prevent the other side from getting the chance to come at you. But it’s hard to spend the whole year in a defensive crouch, and to his credit, he’s continued to tinker at the edges—looking for a way to get his talented attacking players better looks at goal.
A bit of serendipity brings Gibbons to central midfield
And this weekend, against Sky Blue, a small bit of serendipity seems to have helped that process along. With Lo’eau LaBonta suspended for the match, Andonovski asked Christina Gibbons, his rookie left back, to try her luck in the midfield.
On paper the move makes a lot of sense. Gibbons is very skilled on the ball, an excellent passer, with good field vision, and good pace. And while she still has work to do with her defensive positioning and tackling, she’s a good defender one-on-one. All of those skills suggests an able box-to-box midfielder, something KC has really been lacking this year.
Still, it was a gamble since, despite having moved around a lot—as young and talented players are often asked to do—central midfield is not one of the positions she’s spent much time in. And with only a few days to practice, there wasn’t much time for direction. As Gibbons described her training: “He gave me a few directions going into the weekend, but mostly just said ‘I want you to feel it out yourself and make adjustments as you go.’” She had a few days to try and get comfortable working with Desiree Scott to manage her new responsibilities covering arguably the most important area on the pitch.
So this was by no means a sure thing. But this sort of move—slightly outside the box, based on an expectation that his players all understand the team’s overall approach and setup, grounded in a deep sense of trust between player and coach—that’s been the hallmark of Vlatko’s tenure at Kansas City. After all, this is a coach who looked at Yael Averbuch and saw one of the league’s best center backs.
And once again, Andonovski’s vision paid off. It seemed to take Gibbons five or ten minutes to really get comfortable in the role, but before long, things started to click.
A fluid 4-4-2
One crucial advantage to playing Gibbons is the additional flexibility she brings to the role. Desiree Scott, Becca Moros, and even Lo’eau LaBonta (who has shown some flair this year) are all excellent players, but they’re generally best utilized as true holding players. They can get forward in the attack, but that’s not their primary role. With Gibbons, KC instantly becomes more expansive.
And in an effort to take advantage of that opportunity, the formation needed some tweaking as well, moving away from the 4-2-3-1 that looked to pack the midfield and seize control of the game and toward a 4-4-2 that played more expansively. And which played at a much higher tempo.
On defense, they generally worked with two banks of four in the defense and midfield, with Gibbons and Scott spread out to cover the midfield horizontally. On offense, however, Gibbons had a lot more freedom to move forward aggressively into an attacking midfield role. In fact, at times, the 4-4-2 actually split apart a bit, playing more like a 4-1-4-1, with Scott staying back as the only true holding player, and with Gibbons and Groom almost playing side to side as a pair of inside forwards.
Closer to a 4-1-4-1
And this raises another key point. This setup is notable for the flexibility it provides for the strikers. Groom, in particular, seemed to relish the opportunity. It gives her the chance to come back, pick the ball up high, and take people on going forward. There are few in the league who can match her at full flight with the ball at her feet, but playing out wide for most of the year, she’s had fewer chances to exploit defenses this way. In this 4-4-2, she had that freedom, and it made a huge difference.
A scary sight for opposing defenses
For almost the first time since that opening match, Kansas City looked like the dominant attacking force a lot of us expected them to be. And while Gibbons is still a long way from being ‘the next Amy Rodriguez,’ it was still notable just how much this setup seemed to revolve around her creativity and passing acumen on the center stage. You can see clear evidence of this in the first KC goal, of course, but there are plenty of other examples. The thing that immediately strikes you when watching Gibbons is how quickly the ball moves. One-touch passes, quick touches to produce an angle, and then moving the ball along. I’d love to see the Opta stats on this one, because at least subjectively, it didn’t seem like she necessarily had all that many touches. But when she did get involved, things tended to happen.
A (much) more open game
For all the benefits of this approach, there are of course consequences as well. If their previous setup was focused on managing and limiting the other side, this more fluid attacking approach depends on sacrificing some defensive stability. When the game is more open, there are more chances for both sides to step into that space. And if the KC attack is generally going to play higher up the pitch, it requires the whole team to do more pressing in order to close down counterattacks before they can get going. This is an approach that emphasizes disruption over control.
But (at least in the first half), this gamble more than paid off. Sky Blue spent most of the half looking a bit overwhelmed, and were often at a loss to make much of their possessions—turning the ball over as soon as they won it on quite a few occasions. In particular, neither of their central duo, Killion and Rodriguez, seemed to be particularly crisp. Amidst the harrying from Kansas City, they lost the ball far more often than they would have liked.
All of which meant that, very quickly, Sky Blue seemed to settle back into a fairly deep defensive position. They looked to pack their defensive third with bodies, giving Kansas City quite a bit of room on the ball in the midfield and out wide. In general, this probably is the best way for Sky Blue to play. Their defenders are quite good at soaking up pressure and closing down attacks once they’re in the danger zone, but far less good at managing wide-open defensive space. And for the first half hour, it did mostly work, with KC settling for some tame shots from distance and some not particularly well-measured crosses.
But Kansas City was pressing hard, and eventually the dam burst, with Groom moving wide and sending in a cross that Sheridan could only punch away. A delightful bit of insight and creativity from Gibbons and a solid strike from Bowen and KC found the back of the net.
The pressure kept up for the rest of the half, with Gibbons growing into the game, and defensive harassment giving her plenty of chances to shine. Eventually, that’s what produced the second goal, with Killion losing the ball on a tough challenge from Scott. A quick KC counterattack unfolded, with the Sky Blue defenders dropping away to try and set up their bunker. But Gibbons found the ball at her feet, with space to run, and simply went for goal.
A game of two halves
As the cliché goes, this one was very much a game of two halves, with Kansas City rampant for the first half and Sky Blue even more dominant for the second. A huge part of that is Shea Groom’s red card. For the second week in a row, Kansas City found themselves down a player for the second half. But where Houston was content to settle deep and let KC have the ball, Sky Blue was chasing the game and were absolutely relentless in doing so.
And here is where the serendipity turned around a bit. LaBonta’s suspension came with a big silver lining—by inspiring Gibbons’ move to the midfield, it breathed some new life into their attack—but in the second half her absence was felt quite keenly. As set up, KC was depending on aggressive pressing to close down the Sky Blue attack—and to shut off the supply to Sam Kerr at the top. But down a player, this simply wasn’t a viable approach. And with LaBonta unavailable, they simply didn’t have the sort of solid defensive substitute that was desperately needed to shore up the backline.
Sky Blue, who had been so frustrated for the whole first half, were suddenly given space all across the field, and 45 minutes worth of chances to target Sam Kerr in the box. The Kansas City defense managed to hold out for a long time, but eventually, exhaustion seemed to set in and Kerr was able to score a dazzling hat trick to clinch the game.
Going forward
All in all, that made for a bitter defeat, but one from which KC should be able to take a lot of solace. In a year of difficult results, they’re still only a couple of victories away from the playoff race and are now possessing some additional tactical options.
It will certainly be interesting to see how Gibbons is used going forward. In the short term, it’s hard to imagine Vlatko moving her immediately back to left back, but over the long term that may still be her best role. Especially once Laddish returns and can fill that crucial linking role.
And over the even longer term, this is a question that will be interesting to folks above and beyond just Kansas City fans, since Gibbons certainly is in the mix of young and talented players with a chance to break into the full national team. Left back is an extremely deep position right now, but if she has the flexibility to play elsewhere at a high level, that might make a difference in her chances of joining the squad.
Sports is still a major part of our American culture, and more and more women are playing them.
So why does it seem like there’s still a double-standard when it comes to female athletes and aggressive play? When a woman appears to play aggressively on the field, they’re called dirty, or classless, or told they shouldn’t be playing in the first place. But on the other side, the world of men’s sports relies on its aggressive play, it thrives on its villains and it encourages that kind of play in just about every major sport and especially in the NFL and NBA.
In the National Women’s Soccer League, we have players who, in the five years that this league has existed, have become the ones who are known for an aggressive style of play. Those include Jessica Fishlock, Carli Lloyd, Merritt Mathis, Kelley O’Hara, and Shea Groom. Now I’m not saying these athletes are perfect–they have all made some questionable plays–I’m simply saying the spotlight is certainly on them every time they step on the pitch for their respective teams.
When athletes taunt their opposition, I don’t think that’s a dirty thing to do, but that does depend on how far they are willing to go. Every time I hear about taunting I’m always reminded of a certain NBA legend who made a choking sign in 1994 at Madison Square Garden. For those who may not know, Reggie Miller was taunting the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. In that case, I loved what Miller did. He clearly knew how to get the attention of the opposing fans. That’s just how other sports operate, sure some may not agree with it, but it’s literally a part of sports and it’s not going anywhere.
One player who always has the “Is she too aggressive” spotlight shining on her is WNBA star Diana Taurasi. Taurasi recently became the all-time leader in points, but is also a player who has always been aggressive and that’s her style, that’s what makes her so great. She is known for getting a technical every now and then or having calls go against her. But Taurasi hasn’t changed her game because of it, not in the 13 years she has played in the league. And no one should expect her to.
Another WNBA player just as popular as Taurasi is Australian legend Lauren Jackson. She was best known for her trash talk and assassin-like play and is perhaps most remembered for her encounter with another WNBA great, Lisa Leslie, in the 2000 Olympic games. Jackson accidentally pulled some of Leslie’s hair out and that fueled a rivalry for years to come. Jackson was a dominant and physical presence her entire career, both on the offensive side and defensive side.
In the NWSL, taunting and physicality of play doesn’t seem to sit well with some fans. In other sports, it’s seen as just a part of the game, it’s not usually deemed unacceptable. Just a couple weeks ago, Sky Blue defender Kelley O’Hara was called classless for her play against Portland. She made an aggressive but clean tackle on Hayley Raso, and then, believing Raso was making more of the contact than was necessary, yelled at her to get up. I watched that moment more than once, and I didn’t find anything that crossed the line or that done with malicious intent. She was aggressive, calculating, and trying to help her team win. But there was no ounce of dirty play–yet that’s exactly what she was labeled afterward from the opposing fans.
I’ve seen countless plays in women’s sports where, after a play has been made for the ball, it will automatically be labeled a negative action. Now, sure, sometimes this is just a fan being a fan and they don’t want their team to lose or whatever the case may be. But for the most part, it demonstrates a blatant disrespect towardsthe female athlete, to say it’s a negative thing to be aggressive. And that’s not cool, not in the past, not now and not in the future.
And that’s not cool. It wasn’t in the past, but we can’t change what was said then. It’s not cool now, but we have the opportunity to correct the way we talk about women in sports right here and right now. And it won’t be cool in the future, either, and we damn well better start appreciating our female athletes for their physicality as well as everything else by then).
One prime example of people overreacting to players demonstrating any sort of aggression or “unladylike” behavior from this very NWSL season is the “swearing game” that took place in April between the Chicago Red Stars and the Portland Thorns. Midfielder Stephanie McCaffrey was a little bit heated after a play and was caught swearing at the referee. In her exact words: “Are you fucking insane?!”
In her exact words: “Are you fucking insane?!”
Yeah, clearly she crossed the line. OR WAIT. No, she did what a lot of women (not to mention men!) do in sporting events … she said a “bad word.” (Cue the longest eye roll ever, am I right?)
McCaffrey got comments from all angles of social media, so much so that she decided to write a very on point, hilarious and well-written post on her blog Sporting Chic about it. In her post, she assures readers that she understands swearing at the referee is selfish and that it is disrespectful. But by no means was this her backing down. McCaffrey pulls examples from men’s soccer, how literally every EPL match you can catch a player swearing at the referee. And when this happens, it’s taken in a humorous or matter-of-fact way and no one makes a big deal of it. It’s absolutely ludicrous that we even have to make a comparison or take a stand on this issue because swearing is not exclusive to one gender last time I checked.
McCaffrey went on to say that swearing needs to stop being a taboo in women’s sports. At this point in her article, I was clapping and saying out loud “HELL YES.”
What is so unbelievably annoying is the fact that this is a thing. Getting blasted for swearing? In an intense game? Here’s the obvious catch, guys: she’s a woman so clearly her mouth shouldn’t be allowed to say those words, let alone be caught on camera doing it. (But what about the children!) Yeah, I’m gonna go ahead and call bullshit on that thought right there (and I know I’m not the only one) and stop this ridiculous way of thinking in society.
McCaffrey was showing passion with a big side of ferocious intensity. And none of that is wrong. In fact, let’s celebrate it! She let her competitive fire be shown in a different way, and that’s important to understand. To put it in McCaffrey’s words, we need to “get excited about the fact that NWSL and Lifetime TV are helping to normalize the fact that playing like a girl can get rough and ugly and that’s fucking awesome.”
Another player who grabs a lot of attention around the NWSL is Jess Fishlock, a Seattle Reign midfielder who hails from Wales. In a recent sit down chat with her Reign teammate and goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer, Fishlock talked about her aggressive style of play:
“I am very bold, and just do what needs to be done to win the game. I think that’s a thing that’s kind of lost within the women’s game, you see it in the men’s game all the time. You know that’s a professional foul, they take a booking and that’s a great play, well done. In the women’s game, it’s I can’t believe she did that, that’s so un-lady like. […] It’s very much a part of the game, my game, it has been very disliked by many because it’s not deemed as the lady-like play, right? You like it, you don’t like it, it doesn’t really affect me that much to be honest.”
Fishlock hits it right on the head, some people believe that women should not be playing aggressively. And this is extremely frustrating, not only as a former college athlete but as an avid supporter of women’s sports. This needs to stop, for those who label every single “aggressive” play as dirty needs to understand it’s very much included in the women’s game. It’s very much a part of every game, in fact.
But it’s become clear that women athletes are not afforded the same respect as men when it comes to sports (ok, let’s be real, when it comes to about 98% of things in life, but that’s a whole different story). Women are still struggling to gain the recognition they deserve for going that extra mile, for making that game-changing tackle, for getting physical to win the ball, for simply being an athlete.
It’s time for that to change, appreciate the effort these athletes are putting in, the work it takes just to be an athlete in the professional realm is incredibly difficult and to understand that women’s sports will continue to be fierce and the players will continue to play their part. Get used to it, women are athletes too.
I drew the short straw with writing about the player allocation system in the NWSL and if it works in general. I gave it some thought. Had an adult beverage. Gave it some more thought. Had another adult beverage. Watched the two Planet of the Apes movie reboots to distract myself (they’re pretty decent, for those curious). Then I gave it some more thought.
Does the allocation system work?
We are in the fifth season of the NWSL, advancing further than the last two women’s professional leagues. Growing pains are still there because the league is still in its infancy. We know this. That said, overall the allocation system works. The NWSL was founded with the idea and practice that each of the eight founding teams would have the best soccer players that the US, Canada, and Mexico has to offer. RJ Allen’s piece is a nice capsule of the allocated players since year one, with what’s worked and what hasn’t. If you’ve followed the NWSL since day one, you know that there’s no absolute of a “right or wrong” about the allocation system. What I mean is if you want to win in the NWSL, you don’t need to have a super team of allocation players. Nor are you exactly digging your own grave if you don’t have any. The Portland Thorns have always had at least four allocated players and that’s gotten them one NWSL Championship and one NWSL Shield. At the same time, it has affected the Thorns when all those allocated players had to report to their respective national teams and roster depth was tested. The Seattle Reign FC have never really been focused on getting as many allocated players possible. Instead, Laura Harvey built her super teams through world-class internationals and the development of a core group of players she identified from the inaugural season. The Chicago Red Stars do have their US internationals but Rory Dames has a deep team through college draft picks working out, whether they are starting eleven caliber or impact subs.
The bottom line is that no NWSL roster is constructed with the thought process of, “Give us all the federation players, because that’s all we know.” Yes, any team would love to have the services of a Christine Sinclair, Megan Rapinoe, or Becky Sauerbrunn, but any coach worth their salt builds their team with a mix of allocated players, international players, and development of college drafted players. The first two years of the NWSL were confusing with the revolving door of changes as to who was an allocated player and where were they allocated to, especially when in the early days it was all about trying to get as many players to their preferred choice as much as possible.
Should there be a system of compensation for teams who are not represented fairly among the allocations and what should that compensation be?
There are a couple of angles to look at to answer that question. What is fair representation? If a team only chooses to have one or two federation allocated players and they are content with that setup, then all’s well that ends well. It’s a club’s prerogative to make their environment as attractive as possible for a player to want to play there – bright-eyed, ready-to-turn-pro college player or prolific international. For example let’s look at this season’s allocations between the Portland Thorns, Seattle Reign FC, and Sky Blue FC.
As we’ve reached the halfway mark of the season, Seattle and Sky Blue look to be playoff contenders and Portland are just on the outside looking in. Ask any Seattle or Sky Blue fan and I bet they’re happy with the current state of their teams, more or less independent of their teams just having two Ffederation players versus Portland’s six.
The other way of addressing the question of if there should be a compensation system in place is, what if an allocated player can’t play for their NWSL team? The question then becomes why can’t they? The obvious answers to that why are injury or a life event like pregnancy. Should there be a compensation system should one of those situations happen? I don’t think so. The player allocation system is unique in that only the top-flight soccer leagues in the United States are the only sports leagues to have such intricate systems. I don’t think the system necessitates needing a safety net if an allocated player gets injured or has to stop playing because of a life event. Injuries and life events happen in all sports and teams usually have the resources (roster depth) to address those problems should they arise. That said, I can think of one instance compensation related to allocated players could make sense – it’s if said player refuses to play for the team they were allocated to.
Megan Rapinoe was initially not happy with being allocated to Seattle – Portland was her first choice – and sought a trade, but in the end, it all worked out well for her and Seattle. However, it’s not completely out there to think of a scenario in which a federation allocated player would refused to play for a NWSL club and would go as far as sitting out a season. What’s a club and the league to do at that point? Consider a hypothetical scenario in which a US player was allocated to a team that they did not want to go to. It wasn’t their first, second, third or even fifth choice. Usually, before it becomes public that the player did not want to play for that team, a trade happens before they even set foot on that team’s home pitch. Likely they’d be traded to one of the NWSL teams they preferred to play for if there are enough pieces involved that both sides are happy. Another player, draft picks, allocation ranking places are usually said pieces. Or the player opts to play their club soccer abroad if they can and their “NWSL rights” stay with that team until a solution (player changes mind and reports to the team or the aforementioned trade happens) is reached. While I don’t think it’s happened where a federation allocated player simply sat out a NWSL season because they didn’t want to play for a specific team, I don’t think one can rule out it ever happening.
So what’s a team to do if the most extreme scenario happens – an allocated player refuses to show up for work, didn’t sign up to play abroad and would rather sit at home than play for (insert NWSL team here)? Honestly, I think the federation at that point would force a trade, using their best judgment (I hear you people laughing if it were USSF handling this – stay with me) to get the most equal trade for both sides to happen. If for some reason a forced trade can’t happen, THEN under this extreme scenario do I think a compensation system could work. And of course, the simplest form of compensation would be the almighty dollar.
Since federation allocated players have their salaries subsidized by said federation, if that player is that extreme-case scenario where they don’t want to play for their designated NWSL team and would rather sit out the season, then my proposal would be to give whatever salary that player would have commanded to the NWSL club as a “good for only this season” addition to their salary cap. Maybe put in a provision that the money can only be used to give a salary bonus to the rest of the players under contract with that NWSL club and aren’t federation allocated players. Maybe reward that midfielder that made it to the NWSL Best XI last season. Basically reward those that are showing up to play for that NWSL club, that city and not just look at that nice pile of money and think, “Alright, gonna go get me a mercenary for the season!” Again, this should only be for the extreme scenario in which an allocated player basically says, “Nope, not going to show up for work.” The player may have valid reasons for calling their shot like this, but you have to consider the NWSL coach that likely expected to use the player’s skills for their game plan and yes – the good coaches will find a way to adjust and plan accordingly, but as we know in sports, that extreme scenario could be when you least expected it.
Does this entire scenario sound preposterous? For the most part yes, especially since we the public wouldn’t know about it unless someone did some major silence-breaking. It would become a provocative story if Player X went public with their proclamations of, “I refuse to play for this team.” Even that though going public would feel incredibly last resort. Then again, this is WoSo where there is a particular word reserved for something incredible like the league and/or federation being unable to come to a resolution and more or less allowing it become ugly.
In the present, the allocation system works for the NWSL. Is it going to be around forever? I would say for the most part yes. As long as US Soccer remains the main investor of the league, then we know their interest lies in wanting to keep the national team player pool deep as college players turn pro, get drafted into the league and develop into national team-caliber talent. Yes the US has the biggest stake in investment, but Canada surely is enjoying the development of goalkeepers Sabrina D’Angelo and Kailen Sheridan the more they play in the NWSL.
Time will tell if Mexico resurrects participation in the allocation process, but I’d imagine there’s interest down the line as the league looks into expansion. It’s hard to foresee now if any influx of money from expansion and/or increased sponsorship brings about a conversation about NWSL clubs having enough money that they can cover player salaries without any subsidizing from federations. Though as the saying goes, never say never.
In an ideal WoSo world, yes, there’s enough sustainable money coming in that the budget-tight early days of the NWSL are barely a distant memory, but in the now and immediate future, player allocation makes sense.
Well, faithful followers, it has been quite the week in WoSo, hasn’t it? From the nail-biting 12-minute score-a-thon from Sam Kerr to Carli Lloyd’s “You think that’s a red card, I’ll show you a red card” last minute send-off on Saturday night, our heart rates are still not quite back to normal.
But, the excitement only fuels our fingers, folks! We’ve got six takeaways from this weekend to share with y’all.
The Legacy of Tony DiCicco – Luis Hernandez
As the Boston Breakers hosted the Chicago Red Stars, the club also paid homage to Tony DiCicco, the team’s former coach from 2009 to 2011 in Women’s Professional Soccer, the pro league prior to NWSL. The passing of DiCicco touched off a series of in memoriam moments in the women’s soccer community as many remembered how he led the 1999 Women’s National Team to victory in the World Cup. But Coach DiCicco’s impact to the sport and WoSo family was more than this achievement. Honoring him at the national and club levels not only honors his memory, but also introduces and educates new fans of women’s soccer.
The history of women’s soccer is rich and goes back a lot further than casual fans realize. As people retell the legacy of Tony Dicicco and are exposed to his impact at the club level, I hope it also fosters an appreciation for the role he played in the larger tradition in the sport as well. His life touched the lives of so many players, and they in turned touched and inspired so many of today’s players and fans. His legacy will truly endure.
His legacy will truly endure.
Exciting Draws is More than Just Parity – Luis Hernandez
Three of the five matches this past weekend ended in a draw, but they were anything other than a dull watch. Starting last Friday, the Breakers, perhaps inspired by the previously mentioned DiCicco memorial, managed to hang on for dear life at home to preserve the nil-nil draw against Chicago with Sammy Jo Prudhomme starting in goal. The tension grew the whole match, as Matt Beard’s side fought off the Red Stars peppering the Boston defense with ten shots on goal. The Breakers defense bent at times, but it did not break, and it rode out the waves of Chicago attack. This was not a case of parity in the league, just the resilient effort of a team refusing to lose for one night.
Meanwhile, on Saturday the Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit drew 2-2 in another entertaining showdown. Both sides felt hard done by the referee, and even though that storyline risked overshadowing the final result, it seems like the points being shared by both sides was the right outcome. Watching Marta playing this season has been a joy and her impact–and leadership out of the other Orlando players–has taken the Pride to better results than last season. And it seems like the Spirit have rebounded from the negativity of the offseason, adding Mallory Pugh and bringing back Estefania Banini to the fold. Once Washington’s attack gels, the rest of the league may have to watch out. Plus, Pugh’s development is exactly the result U.S. Soccer hoped for when backing the league. Just throw each team’s record out the window, it’s going to be entertainment at its finest.
Finally, the week ended in a dramatic style with Houston versus Portland. Dramatic might actually be an understatement. Houston scored early as Janine Beckie, the Canadian International, finally got on the score sheet, the Thorns equalized with a skillful free kick from Lindsey Horan. Throw in the straight red card to Carli Lloyd and the post-game conflict between Allie Long and Meghan Klingenberg, and this match was definitely worth the price of admission. Watching both teams clawing for a result makes every match must watch television. These results are good for the league.
Red is the New Blues – Elizabeth Wawrzyniak
Halfway into the season, and FCKC leads the league in red cards. They’ve accumulated three of the seven reds shown by refs; no other team has received more than one. That’s three red cards in just twelve games. Across their four preceding seasons, FCKC has only ever had two players ejected with a red: Lauren Sesselmann in 2013 for pulling Lisa De Vanna down by her jersey in the box, and Shea Groom in 2016 for picking up two yellows in a game against the Thorns.
So, why are they so red-heavy this season? You can argue back and forth all you want about whether the cards were deserved or not, whether the refs are shit or not, but the fact is, KC has racked them up this year. Because they are frustrated. Because they are better than 8th place. This was supposed to be a comeback season for the two-time league champions. Instead, they lost Amy Rodriguez in the opening match, they’ve struggled to win whether at home or away, and once again, playoff chances are seeming further and farther out of reach. The team’s frustration–and Groom’s in particular, after a season that’s kind of used her as a punching bag so far–is coming out in their play.
Sure, it’s not an excuse, but you can kind of understand it.
If they want to make a play for the post-season, though, it’ll have to be fast. Time is quickly running out. And, they’ll need to tighten up their play and keep their frustration a little better in check on the field.
Because let’s be honest, we all know that FCKC is better than 8th place. They have the talent, they have the experience. But what they might be lacking at the moment is the mentality.
They need to not let their circumstances get the better of them.
The Puzzling Portland Thorns – Elizabeth Wawrzyniak
You ever build a puzzle and you’ve got two pieces you are sure will fit together? Right color, right pattern, the shape of the tabs and the blanks look like they’ll join together just right … but when you put them together, there’s just something off? Like one of the lines doesn’t quite match, or the join isn’t snug or doesn’t actually fit.
Watching the Thorns this weekend, that’s all I could think about.
This puzzle doesn’t quite gel.
Sure, they’ve got all the pieces you’d think were necessary to be on the top of the standings–multiple world class international players, the height of professional soccer facilities for women in the US, a huge fan base both home and away. And yet right now, they’re sitting in fifth place. They won the Shield last year but lost to the 4th place team (who, true, did go on to win the final).
Honestly, what’s up with Portland?
It’s an example of having all the money to buy the best players, but not really understanding how a team works. How teamwork works. A team full of elites might look good on paper, but in practice, it rarely works out. Because for every Mal Pugh, you need a Tori Huster. For every Rose Lavelle, you need a Julie King.
What I mean is, you need balance. You need melody and you need harmony–flash and drive. And what we’ve been seeing from the Thorns this year suggests that they’re not harmonizing well, at all.
You don’t have to look any further than the game against Houston to see that this team?
It’s not a team right now.
Plenty of people have said that the injuries in the team’s deep bench are where the problem is, but look, I don’t know that if Tobin Heath comes onto the field next week they’re suddenly going to turn themselves around. I don’t know that she’s the steady and calm leader that somehow balances everything else out on the field and off.
Is a big part of why they’re in 5th place right now.
Sam Kerr Proves Why She is the MVP – Jordan Small
Once again, Sam Kerr put on a show in New Jersey. In the final 12 minutes of the game, Kerr scored a hat trick to bring Sky Blue back from the brink of death to beat FCKC 3-2. Now Kerr did have some help along the way, but without her, this team would not be where they are today.
With her hat trick, Kerr took over the Golden Boot race and now leads the pack over Megan Rapinoe and Marta. In the early portion of this season, Kerr was not herself. After a trip back to Australia for an awards ceremony, Kerr came back with a vengeance. Without Kerr, the attack for Sky Blue would be hurting. Very few have the impact on their team that Sam Kerr has.
The Pugh-Banini-Ordega Trio is Just Getting Started – Jordan Small
This week against Orlando, Estefania Banini, Francisca Ordega, and Mallory Pugh all started together for the first time. They connected to score the first goal for Washington on a passing sequence that went from Banini to Ordega and then to Pugh for the score. The combination of speed, foot skills, and vision will be one to keep an eye on.
So much of what was missing early on in the season for Washington was that spark to take the pressure off of young Mallory Pugh. After getting a game and a half under their belts, the attack will continue to build and will put defenses across the league on notice. With a four-game road trip coming up, the Spirit will need a strong stretch from these three to pick up some points.
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