Category: NWSL

The Game Changers: Week One

Posted on by RJ Allen

The Game Changers is a weekly series looking at the three most important results of each week. Each section will look at one team and how its win, loss, or draw impacts the season.

As the NWSL season begins, some teams are looking to reassert their dominance, while others are hoping to start a new chapter in their club’s history. Some succeeded in their quests, while others will be turning back to the drawing board. Here are the Week One results:

Washington Spirit vs. Sky Blue (2-0)

North Carolina Courage vs. Chicago Red Stars (1-1)

Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns (0-2)

Reign FC vs. Houston Dash (1-1)

The North Carolina Courage Start 2019 With A Draw

The North Carolina Courage had a historic 2018 season. They won the Supporters’ Shield with 15 points more than No. 2 Portland Thorns, and broke the “Shield curse” by winning the NWSL Championship. The Courage are considered one of the best teams in the world, and they were hoping to start once again with three points.

But the Courage were unable to get the win in their season opener. Despite having many good chances in the first half, it was Chicago who got on the scoreboard first at the feet of, of course, Sam Kerr. Dunn curled the ball into the back of the net in the 66th minute to equalize, and both teams had decent chances after that to find a winner. But neither team could score, and the match ended in a draw.

The Courage are far from panicking. The Chicago Red Stars are a good team, and perhaps looked better than anticipated on Saturday. But for a team that only had one loss and two draws last season, the Courage will not be satisfied with that result. Maybe they will be less superhuman in 2019– or maybe the opener was just a small bump in the road.

Houston Dash Draw Against The Reign

Houston was a decent team last year, and so it might not seem like a major accomplishment that in their first match against Reign FC, they earned a draw. But watching the final moments of this game, it felt like one that a Dash team of the past would have lost at the last second.

Reign FC suffered two bad injuries in the first half– to Jasmyne Spencer and Megan Oyster– that threw off the whole rhythm of their game. But Houston looked good. They scored their first goal within ten minutes, off the foot of Nichelle Prince. Daly had another chance just a few minutes later. Multiple good saves by Michelle Betos kept the game at 1-0 until Darian Jenkins took a shot that deflected off the foot of a Houston defender and into the goal. With the game at 1-1, Houston was looking for more. But in stoppage time, Jane Campbell fouled Jodie Taylor inside the box and gave Reign FC a PK.

It seemed like Houston was about to lose. But Taylor didn’t take the best PK, Campbell got the save, and the game ended in a draw.

I’m not saying the Dash have solved all the problems that would have caused them to lose a game like that in years past. But the fact that they didn’t lose is significant. If they can get points out of close matches, they have a chance to fight for a playoff spot. This is a good starting point for them.

Orlando Struggles in 0-2 loss to Portland

It is not surprising that Orlando lost their season opener to Portland. This happens almost every year. What is surprising is just how much Orlando struggled on the pitch, particularly in the first half. Orlando has two of the greatest strikers in the world– Marta and Alex Morgan– up top, but they couldn’t get out of their own half. The defense didn’t seem to know what was going on, and the midfield was non-existent. The only thing standing between Orlando and the abyss was some fantastic goalkeeping skills from Ashlyn Harris.

Orlando is in their first season with a new head coach. Some growing pains are to be expected. But Orlando didn’t really solve their roster problems in the offseason, and it showed on Sunday. The team got better in the second half, particularly when Camila came on for Chioma Ubogagu. And Orlando fans will note that Alanna Kennedy and Emily van Egmond were both out at the last minute with illness. But that alone does not explain just how bad Orlando looked.

I don’t think Harris was hoping to start her season facing 22 shots and being forced to make six saves. If Orlando wants to competitive in this league, they’ll have to step up their game.

Backline Chat: The NWSL is back!

Posted on by RJ Allen

Charles Olney (@olneyce): Welcome to the first Backline chat of the 2019 NWSL season. We have four matches under our belts, and a lot of material to cover. To kick things off, let’s stay big picture. Did anyone see anything this weekend that changed their expectations for the year? Or is the sample size still too small to draw any conclusions?

Allison Cary (@findingallison): Too small, for me. Everything I can comment about this weekend, I can also blow off as a bad game. Or a good one

RJ Allen (@TheSoccerCritic): It looked very Week 1 of the season to me. But I do think Portland and Houston were stand outs for me so far in this season. Both looked better in some ways already than their 2018 form.

Luis Hernandez (@radioactivclown): It’s still early. Most teams looked to still be in preseason mode. I felt Portland and Chicago looked the best while North Carolina was exactly what I expected.

Charles Olney: The closest I can say is that Orlando might be even worse than I was expecting. But that’s really only one the evidence of a single half. And as Allison says, anyone can have a bad half. Still, it was a REALLY bad half.

Luis Hernandez: The second half was better. I’ve watch Orlando a bit in the preseason and I know what Skinner wants to instill. It’s going to take time.

Allison Cary: I feel like the Houston game is one they would have lost in the past. Granted, they almost choked. But it meant something to me that they didn’t.

RJ Allen: Houston played like a team with a plan and the ability to (mostly) complete that plan. Which is an upgrade for them.

Allison Cary: Exactly @rjallen, completely agree.

Charles Olney: I feel like Houston did a lot to push off the unlucky loser dynamic last year, when they actually got results in lots of games that (to my eyes) they shouldn’t have. But I agree with Allison that there was something specific about those final minutes that felt different. There was definitely an intensity, combined with a joyfulness, in the Houston players post match. They knew they played well, and felt good about being able to repeat it.

Luis Hernandez: I feel better about Houston and less so for the Reign. That team can’t afford more injuries. As for the Dash, I still think they can do better but I was pleased.

RJ Allen: I do wonder if Washington looked better or if Sky Blue are just somehow worse. More matches are needed there, for sure.

Charles Olney: To dial in a little bit, let’s talk through each match briefly. Starting with North Carolina-Chicago. It was a rematch of last year’s semifinal (the #DrainageDerby), and North Carolina picked up where they left off. But Chicago managed to hang onto a draw. What were people’s thoughts there?

RJ Allen: North Carolina’s whole MO is to take a bunch of shots and have a few land. They looked a bit rusty which happens early in a season. Plus having McCall Zerboni not look 100% yet changes how that midfield plays. She is really what drove them forward.

Allison Cary: I thought it was North Carolina’s game to lose. After such a dominant season, not being able to get three points out of your home opener isn’t exactly where you wanted to start. But credit to Chicago for going toe-to-toe with them.

Luis Hernandez: I think North Carolina could have been more sharp in the attack, and if they had cleaned that up they could have beaten the Red Stars.

Charles Olney: This very much felt like a game that NC dominated – and I fully expected them to do their normal thing of reeling off two or three goals around the 60th minute. But they didn’t, and Chicago actually ended up with the final great chance. I do think that was more to Carolina being unable to put them away than any special performance from them.

But from Chicago’s perspective, getting a point away to North Carolina, in a game they didn’t actually play that well, is hardly a bad way to start the season.

Allison Cary: Yeah, I’m happy if I’m Chicago.

RJ Allen: That is the magic of Sam Kerr.

Luis Hernandez: However, I felt the Red Stars came in with a smart game plan and Chicago was able to get a result. Taking points from the Courage at Cary is going to be a win for any team.

Charles Olney: I do sort of disagree there. I don’t think Chicago really had a great game plan. The Courage ran right through them most of the game and they depended a lot on excellent performances from the keeper and center backs. Which…it succeeded, I guess, and maybe there wasn’t any better option available. But I don’t think it was a successful game plan. But we’ll have to see them with a full strength team to really draw any conclusions, I think.

Charles Olney: Okay, the other Saturday game was Washington-Sky Blue. In the matchup of the two bottom teams from last year, Washington managed to find a win. How much of that was due to improvements on their end, and how much was due to Sky Blue’s continued problems?

RJ Allen: 40% improvements and 60% Sky Blue being terrible.

Charles Olney: I’ll admit this is one that I’ve still only seen the first half of. But at least there, the quality on both sides was still pretty lacking. But Washington at least seemed to be reasonably coherent, and occasionally exciting. It was, as usual, hard to even tell what Sky Blue thought they were doing.

RJ Allen: Sky Blue just looked bad. And I’m not sure there is anything that can be done at this point that isn’t new ownership or moving the team to fix it. A lot of the changes are a bit like putting lipstick on a pig.

Charles Olney: You do have to wonder about a team coming straight out of preseason, when they’ve had a month to talk about their approach and style, with no particular idea of how to play. And a coach whose postgame comments make clear that she doesn’t have a vision, either. That’s bad, no matter how you dress it up.

Allison Cary: Neither team really looked “good.” I feel like they’re gonna be hard to judge until they go up against other opponents, but if I’m Sky Blue I’m pretty terrified.

Luis Hernandez: The Washington/SkyBlue game was really hard to watch, and I’m not taking Yahoo Sports stream.

Charles Olney: We’ve spent a lot of time on these chats feeling sad about Sky Blue, so let’s turn our attention to the positive side. Do people see this Washington with a real chance to break out from the bottom tier? Or not? Or, again, still too soon to know?

Luis Hernandez: I can’t say too much against the Spirit since they won. I’m reserving judgment on them until they play a game or two more.

Allison Cary: I think it’s too soon but… I’m not encouraged.

Luis Hernandez: It just isn’t an accurate indicator because of who they played.

Charles Olney: The Spirit have Utah next weekend, which could be a good match to tell us a lot about both teams. Or maybe will end up being another game that will just leave us scratching our heads for more data.

The one thing I’ll say for the Spirit is that, whatever the history behind Burke as a coach (which I continue to think has not been taken nearly seriously enough by the team), he seems to be pretty popular at the moment with the players.

Allison Cary: Yeah, I’m not really a fan but I guess I’ll give him a chance to change my mind.

Charles Olney: The real test will be when things go poorly for a while, so it’s absolutely something to keep our eyes on.

Charles Olney: Okay, turning to Sunday’s games, the first was Orlando-Portland. As we’ve already mentioned, the first half was very good for Portland and very not good for Orlando, but the second was much more even. Thoughts on what that tells us?

I’ll start with the controversial statement that Tobin Heath looked very very good, which is a good sign for the US this summer, but a bad sign for other NWSL teams.

Luis Hernandez: It’s going to be a rough year for the Pride. Portland was Portland. Very good. Talented. Deep.

RJ Allen: Orlando is not a good soccer team and hasn’t really been since they were founded. For a team that has some of the best players in the world it is not a good sign. I understand it takes time to build a team and with a new coach it takes more. But they do not have 1-20 a good or solid roster.

Allison Cary: Even if they aren’t as bad as they were in the first half, Orlando is not gonna be able to compete with the top teams in this league.

Charles Olney: In some ways, I wonder if that great run at the end of 2017 actually ended up hurting the Pride overall. I think it’s pretty clear on the evidence of the past few years that this roster isn’t actually a world-beating group, but for a couple months they just looked that way. But because they had that success, they maybe stuck with the plan longer than might have otherwise happened.

Luis Hernandez: Orlando had to field supplemental players in the first match. What else do people need to know?

Charles Olney: That said, it was pretty clear this offseason that things needed changing, and they didn’t change much, so maybe not.

Allison Cary: Yeah, they didn’t fix their problems from last year. Even with a new head coach, they needed to do more. It’s gonna be a long year.

Luis Hernandez: The main problem from last year was that they underachieved.

Charles Olney: I do think there’s space in this squad to set things up for the next few years, in anticipation of the team that will come after Morgan and Marta leave. But it may be a bit of a slog.

RJ Allen: The league wants Orlando to be a good team. They might even need Orlando to be a good team. So I hope they can get it together.

Luis Hernandez: I know sports isn’t about patience but that’s exactly what everyone will need to have for the Pride. The roster isn’t even complete.

RJ Allen: That makes it so much worse though.

Luis Hernandez: And look at the first ten matches for Orlando, it’s brutal. Hi. Let’s play Portland at home then travel to North Carolina then to the Reign in one week.

Charles Olney: For Portland, any other thoughts? They looked good, certainly. Better than I was expecting for them out of the gate. I do really worry about what they’ll be able to do during the World Cup, but if they can play this well outside of that window it may not matter.

RJ Allen: I do think they dip a bit during the World Cup but I think they will still end up in the playoff picture and end strong.

Allison Cary: They looked impressive, albeit with very little resistance.

Luis Hernandez: Yeah, I wanted to call out Kling for a dirty foul on Morgan that didn’t get called.

Allison Cary: Yeah, that was a bad missed call.

Charles Olney: I think we’re all pretty sick of rough play going uncalled. This was just one more example.

RJ Allen: A lot of players in the league play to whatever level of reffing there is. Kling is one of them. If they let her get away with murder, she and a lot of other players will go for it.

Luis Hernandez: The Thorns need to grab all the points while they have their starters. They will make the playoffs. I didn’t think they would until Sunday.

RJ Allen: Can we talk about the surprise front runner for best match of the week now?

Charles Olney: Absolutely. In the final game of the weekend, Houston drew with Reign FC. I was able to make it up to Houston for this one, and it was one of the most enjoyable games I’ve attended in a long time. We’ve already talked a bit about Houston, but any further thoughts there, or about the Reign?

Allison Cary: Injuries suck

RJ Allen: Two subs for two hurt players in quickly is going to hurt any team. I think Seattle handled it about as well as you could.

Allison Cary: Yeah, especially considering who they lost and who was already out.

Charles Olney: I’ve got a full post coming up on the site about this game, so I won’t repeat myself too much here. But the main point I do want to hit is that I saw qualities from both of these teams that helped answer some of the lingering questions I had about them.

RJ Allen: Houston had 8 shots on goal. 8! And they were good chances too.

Charles Olney: Houston actually possessed the ball really well, which is a huge change from last year. They also pressed well, which is different, and gives them a new angle. Those suggest a team who isn’t just hanging on. They think they’re good enough to outplay the opposition. That’s great.

For the Reign, the first half was really rough, but the second half showed that they should be very good again. Even accounting for injuries, and for the strange poor play from Theresa Nielsen. They’ve got a real player in Darian Jenkins. They’ve got a potential replacement for what they’ve traditionally gotten from Rapinoe (playmaking from the wings drifting inward) in Shea Groom. They have real depth in the defense, with McNabb and Celia both performing well. But oh boy do they need to get Fishlock back and/or need better performances from Andrews and Kellond-Knight.

RJ Allen: Charles took the words right off my keyboard.

Luis Hernandez: The game I felt was officiated well. I don’t give credit when that happens but I kind of feel like I need to since I’ve been bashing the refs in Orlando.

RJ Allen: Also maybe have Allie Long take the Seattle PKs?

Allison Cary: Yeah that PK from Taylor was… not good.

Charles Olney: Okay, we’ll wrap up with the conversation about matters ON the pitch there. But let’s also take a moment to discuss everyone’s favorite topic: streaming. How was the experience using Yahoo for the first time?

RJ Allen: My Roku played the Yahoo app without issue. The only problem was the steams on day 1 being switched and then switched back.

Luis Hernandez: I had difficulties casting to my TV but I could watch on my laptop. I didn’t try to use the mobile app

Allison Cary: I just watched on my laptop. It was fine.

RJ Allen: Chromecast doesn’t allow Yahoo steams to be cast, so I’ve been told.

Charles Olney: Everything also basically worked for me. I do have some nitpicks: the streams swapping, some difficulty actually finding the streams on the app, technical issues causing problems with the replays (both during the broadcast, and with attempts to watch the streams after the match was over), and the obligatory name-flubs and other commentary issues. But it’s far better than the go90 rollout. And we heard some nice new voices in the broadcasts, too.

Luis Hernandez: I wasn’t expecting Dan on the broadcast.

RJ Allen: Having someone with as much woso knowledge as him back, was nice.

Luis Hernandez: I’m going to try the other options as the matches come up. Or invest in a Roku.

RJ Allen: Roku’s are the best.

Charles Olney: On the whole, it sounds like our experiences were okay, though there could always be improvements. I certainly would like to see more and better options for streaming, casting, and watching. It continues to frustrate me that the experience on the league website is clearly superior to the official one through a huge tech company. But que sera.

RJ Allen: VPNs are good my friends.

Charles Olney: Alright, any thoughts on the matches coming up this week? We’ve got North Carolina and Orlando tonight, and four more games on the weekend. Any that particularly catch your eye?

Luis Hernandez: I’m looking forward to seeing Utah.

Allison Cary: Orlando is gonna get killed.

Luis Hernandez: Which match Allison?

RJ Allen: Both.

Charles Olney: Both.

Allison Cary: I meant NC, but both.

Charles Olney: I actually would be a little surprised if they lose both. But not that surprised.

Luis Hernandez: I think they’ll fare better in Tacoma.

Charles Olney: To me, Chicago-Portland looks like the game of the week, and could give us a real sense of where those teams stand at this point. But I also am excited about Utah and Washington, as a game with two teams that have some potential to make big improvements this year facing off.

RJ Allen: I’m just glad the NWSL is back and we can talk soccer weekly.

Allison Cary: Amen

Charles Olney: RT @rjallen

Luis Hernandez: Are we expecting a Chicago win at home or a Portland win on the road. RJ picked a draw.

RJ Allen: Spoilers!

Allison Cary: Portland win. Because why not.

Charles Olney: Draw seems like a fair call. I wouldn’t be surprised at any result, though.

Luis Hernandez: I expect Chicago to find a way to win.

I also expect Kerr to get fouled like it was going out of style.

Allison Cary: Fair prediction.

Charles Olney: Alright, with that we’ll call it a wrap for this week. Thanks to everyone for joining us. And as always, feel free to hit me any of us up on twitter with questions or comments.

Let The Erik Ustruck Era Commence

Posted on by RJ Allen

There’s a new face leading the Orlando Pride. We’re not talking about first year head coach Marc Skinner, but Erik Ustruck, the first dedicated general manager for the team.

In prior years, Orlando City, the Major League Soccer side who is the parent club for the Pride, would have the general manager for men’s side also act in the same role for the women. At the time, head coach Tom Sermanni seemed to have developed his preferred method to build the Pride roster for his tenure at Orlando. Fast forward to late 2018, Orlando City had parted ways with the club’s general manager, and the Pride head coach position was vacant. The club officially named Luiz Muzzi the general manager for the organization on December 18, and after only a short time there came to the conclusion that to do the job successfully, he could not focus on both MLS and NWSL sides. Erik Ustruck was then named Pride general manager, a role focusing on managing all aspects of the Pride’s technical operations on January 7.

At the time of Ustruck’s appointment, Muzzi stated, “We are very happy to promote Erik to this newly established position, which will allow us to continue increasing our resources and focus on building the Pride. Erik has been dedicated to the success of this Club from his time as a player through his positions in the front office, and we believe he will be a great asset in strengthening and supporting our NWSL operations.”

Prior to this appointment, fans of the Pride had been critical on marketing efforts, and at times a perceived lack of support. Having Ustruck in the role allows allows the coach to focus on the team while still have an advocate in the club front office. His time being a part of the Orlando City organization since 2011, first as a player, then joining the front office after his playing day in 2014. He was able to hire Marc Skinner with a solid understanding of the Orlando organizational environment.

Coach Skinner’s transition as Pride coach has appeared to have gone smoothly with full support of the club. Ustruck was able to add coach Carl Green from Birmingham City to re-join Skinner in Orlando as part of a larger technical staff. With Erik Ustruck as GM, the Pride have broken the mold on valuing draft picks. The team currently hold their first, second, and third round picks while adding Houston’s third and fourth round picks for the 2020 draft where in past years Orlando didn’t put much stock in keeping picks and building through the draft.

The approach for preseason matches were also changed up. This off-season instead of completely playing junior college and college sides, the Pride took on professional teams in the North Carolina Courage and Puerto Rico Sol FC.

Off the pitch, the Pride had a full series of stand alone kickoff week events leading to their opening day match against the Portland Thorns. Some events were mainstays like the fourth annual Scarf the City while adding the open to the public aforementioned Puerto Rico Sol match that drew over 2,000 fans. Additionally, the team held an exclusive supporter group event at Orlando City Stadium, along with Pride in the Park, a family-friendly night out at Lake Eola Park, a venue in the heart of downtown Orlando, with music, games and activities which culminated in the 2019 home kit reveal. The night before the match Coach Skinner hosted at Lion’s Pride, a club owned sports bar, a two hour Q&A session with players in attendance that will also feature the debut of a new menu item, the Pride Burger.

Coach Skinner has suggested his roster is a work in progress. Having Erik Ustruck as GM, allows Skinner to focus on the job of coaching the players while Ustruck can address ways to improve the roster as a whole once the coaching staff identifies potential areas of improvement such as the recent trade with North Carolina for defender Morgan Reid for added depth during the absences of players heading to the World Cup in France this summer. It’s anticipated that Orlando will add more players and fill the two open international slots once the leagues in Europe end their season. The Women’s Super League in England wraps up May 11 and no doubt Ustruck will be busy adding reinforcements.

As the NWSL season begins the appointment of Erik Ustruck seems to have heralded a new chapter in the short history of the Pride. All appearances so far this year make it seems like there is a greater vision for growth of the team’s brand off the field as the changes in support have shown, and if the front office with Erik Ustruck as the focal point show the patience to cultivate results on the pitch for the long haul. It will be a very bright future for Coach Skinner and the Orlando Pride.

Washington Spirit Looking Ahead to the Future, Not Back at the Past

Posted on by RJ Allen

With the NWSL season beginning this weekend, teams across the league are pushing hard in their last few practices before the matches. For the Washington Spirit, practice was intense, but light-hearted with the players enjoying working hard together, constantly teaching and learning from one another.

Head coach Richie Burke even made up songs about his players and sung the hilarious lyrics during the beginning of practice (surprisingly somewhat in tune) as he participated in a touch pass drill with the team.

With a new coaching staff comes a new style, and there were serious questions raised about Burke’s tough style, but the players in preseason seem to have been very comfortable with his style thus far. And Burke is similarly pleased with his squad. “Not only are they a pleasure to work with, they’re flexible, versatile,” Burke said. “We have superstars that can adjust and adapt. The tactics that we’ve worked on so far in our preseason have been a joy for me to watch and we’ve had a lot of positive results from it. I’m very happy where we are and happy we have this type of quality players in our program.” Change is a good term for this team and the players are truly feeling the power of these improvements.

The Spirit have a new look this season with a young roster, brand new coaching staff, new ownership, and front office staff dedicated to improving the program. Some major changes include a new locker room, Live TV and broadcast streaming deals, a contract with a world class strength and conditioning facility, and much more! Media Day at the Maryland SoccerPlex gave an inside preview as to where the team stands for the start of the season from the perspective of Aubrey Bledsoe, Tori Huster, and Mallory Pugh.

AUBREY BLEDSOE – Goalkeeper
Q: “What’s the general feeling of the team with having a new coach?”
A: “A lot of excitement! There’s been a lot of change. Not just with Richie, but we have a whole new coaching staff, new ownership, new front office staff – just the whole feel is a nice, exciting buzz around the club and it’s great to have that new feeling. Richie has been big on saying we aren’t looking at the rear view mirror, we are going forward. Last year was not something we are proud of but we don’t want to dwell on it. We’ve got a lot of talent, the right pieces, we are looking forward and we are going to put all of that together.”

Q: “You have four new players right in front of you, how is that going to test your skills and working together as a team?”
A: “I am excited. I think we have a lot of potential. There’s definitely a lot of room for growth, but it’s a long season and we are just looking to get better and add pieces to our game day by day. Hopefully I have less work to do than last year, I’m confident in who we’ve got in front of me, and I think they’ll step up for the challenge on Saturday.”

Q: “Being a leader on the field, how do you take on that role?”
A: “Honestly, I’ve always been a leader. I communicate a lot. With a lot of new faces this year communication is key and being on the same page because we all come from a little different backgrounds and styles of play so we’ve had to learn what is our brand of football is going to be this year. My main leadership role is communication on the field to try and get us all working collectively.”

Q: “Obviously, it’s not ideal to have shots on goal on you, but how does it toughen you up as a goal keeper?”
A: “Just experience. Facing a lot of different scenarios. I wouldn’t say it made me tougher, but I think I grew a lot in my reading of the game and decision making. This year I know I can make saves. I’ve got a lot of confidence.”

TORI HUSTER – Midfield
Q: “What has it been like this year playing with new players and coaching staff this season thus far?”
A: “Whether it’s this year, a new coach or new players, that’s kind of happened every year. It’s definintiely not something that’s super new to me. There’s always some sort of change over and this year is no different. I think off the field we have made a lot of improvements and just the culture that’s surrounding the group – the technical staff, the players – has been really good.”

Q: “Since you’re a veteran player now can you walk through from where you started until now and how your game has progressed?”
A: “It’s funny that you say that because I feel like while I’ve learned a lot, it’s been the experience of the last couple five years or so that I’ve had. I think playing in the league for six seasons now I know a lot of the players and how they play so now it’s about me being able to give that knowledge to our team to make us successful. Just looking at it, the league has really progressed and it’s still super competitive. It’s exciting to be a part of and hopefully this year we are successful on the field.”

Q: “What will be the challenge when facing Sky Blue?”
A: “It’s the first game of the year so everyone is going to be flying, it’s going to be super energetic and mistakes happen, even if they are silly, they’re going to happen that first game. There’s a lot of unknowns for them so we are just focusing on ourselves and how we want to play, attack, what we need to do in compact defending, and getting all on the same page. Not letting mistakes add up. Solve the problem as soon as possible. Communicating to the group with how we want to play.”

Q: “With first game jitters, how do you take on that leadership role and calm everyone down?”
A: “I think it’s a balance between being calm and being as vocal as possible so that the messages are communicated so that we have the least amount of mistakes at possible. Everyone has been waiting for this for five or six months in the off-season.”

Q: “How does it feel playing against your old teammates?”
A: “I’m really excited to see them! I hate that they’re on the other team but that’s how it goes. Friends have come and gone from the Spirit for a really long time. It’s always great to see them, but you never want to play against them – that’s just the job and it’ll be fun to match up against them.”

MALLORY PUGH – Forward
Q: “What improvements is the offense looking to make to promote goal scoring this season?”
A: “We have more a freedom to play. We’re the players and we are the ones playing so we can be creative. As the season goes on, we are going to start to mesh more and know each other’s tendencies.”

Q: “What do you think is going to be the biggest challenge against Sky Blue this Saturday?”
A: “I think they have a lot of good quality players, but I think for us it’s not really focusing on them and more on us and what we can bring to the table.”

The Washington Spirit’s first season match versus Sky Blue FC is Saturday April 13th at 7:00pm located at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, MD.

Five Questions for the 2019 NWSL season

Posted on by RJ Allen

Can North Carolina continue their incredible run?

Last year, the North Carolina Courage’s completed the most impressive season in the history of American women’s soccer. This is a bold statement, considering the star-studded lineups possessed by some other teams from the past—most notably the 2014-2015 Seattle Reign, the WPS-era FC Gold Pride, and a number of WUSA teams able to draw from the very best players in the world. But the Courage stand above the crowd. Not just for their dominant record, good as it was. And not just for the strength of their roster, though it’s a great roster. But North Carolina is the greatest because of the full team dynamic, which lifted a group of stellar individual players up to become an unstoppable force.

The big question now is whether they can keep the magic alive. It seems impossible to imagine them maintaining the same levels of dominance – if only because the team will be splintered for several months during the World Cup. But based on their performance last year, I wouldn’t bet against the Courage finding a way to continue their obliteration campaign.

Who will step up as the next big star?

In 2015, Crystal Dunn was the final player left out from the World Cup roster. She responded by running roughshod over the league all season. There’s no guarantee we’ll get something similar this year, but there are plenty of candidates who might just seize the opportunity to take center stage and show everyone what they’re really capable of. Lynn Williams is one obvious possibility. It’s never been clear to me why she fell out of the national team rotation in the first place, but her skills are unavoidable. We might just see her improve on her Golden Boot winning campaign a few years ago.

Can Houston take the next step forward?

Many people seem to have Houston as their dark horse candidate to upset the playoff hierarchy, and there’s good reason for thinking so. After entering the 2018 season as a consensus pick for bottom of the league, they showed everyone just how much punditry and predictions should be trusted—performing strong all season and staying in the playoff hunt until the final weeks. This year, with a roster that will be less hit by the World Cup than most, they could level up again.

But there are also reasons for concern. All accounts so far suggest a positive environment around new head coach James Clarkson, but change always invites the possibility of breakdowns or disruptions. Something could go wrong there. There’s also the question of whether the Dash’s offseason moves to remedy some of last year’s weak spots will pay off. Is Sophie Schmidt the answer to a soft central midfield? Maybe. But she’s not the player she once was, so that comes with some risk. Can Ari Romero and Satara Murray shore up the defense?

There’s also the reality that Houston probably overperformed last year. Luck tends to even out in the long term, but one season isn’t necessarily long enough for it to show. So it’s possible they’re in for a bit of regression. On the other hand, as they say, good teams often find a way to make their own luck. So it’s going to be exciting to watch, and see whether their success truly was a bit lucky, or whether it was simply down to resilience, perspiration, and class.

How will the Reign enjoy their new home?

The Reign have moved to Tacoma, and it will be fascinating to watch how the transition goes. It’s an important test for a two reasons. First, Seattle has long been one of the strongest independent teams, but in spite of their success they faced structural problems. This move to Tacoma seems to have shored up those issues, and kept the organization on track. If they can succeed, that could be a good sign that independent ownership really can work. Second, Tacoma is an interesting city for a women’s soccer franchise. It has a reasonably dense population center, and can draw in a huge population base from the broader metropolitan area. But it’s also small enough that the Reign will instantly be one of the biggest draws in town. If they can build a good relationship with their new city, that could be a sign that league expansion might succeed best in cities that aren’t already saturated in sports franchises.

Can anyone displace the top 4?

At the moment, he four playoff teams from 2018 look like strong contenders to reach that status again this year. In an offseason that didn’t feature much movement, it’s hard to identify one of the five who were outside-looking-in that looks especially primed to knock any of the top teams out. One of the NWSL’s big selling points, compared to other top leagues in the world, is the degree of parity among its teams. But there actually hasn’t been that much movement at the top in recent years. Will this year be any different, or will we just get another season of the likely contenders coming out on top?

Welcome to American Soccer: Here’s the Entrance Fee

Posted on by RJ Allen

This is the second article in the series “Welcome to American Soccer,” which focuses on equal treatment and access to soccer in the United States. The articles focus on where U.S. Soccer stands on a variety of issues and where they need to improve.

At an event ahead of last year’s World Cup, a group of ESPN commentators gathered in Manhattan to discuss the upcoming tournament. As the conversation shifted to the United States, who would be missing the highest-level men’s competition for the first time in 32 years, Herculez Gomez went off on the pay-to-play system that operates in the United States.

Gomez admitted that he never would have been able to play soccer had it not been for certain people stepping up to help. He and his brothers had a benefactor who wrote an annual check of $25,000 and a coach that was willing to drive an extra 45 minutes to and from practice.

“It’s very difficult for young immigrant families to pay to play,” Gomez said. “Oftentimes these Latin American kids—it’s not just Mexican-American kids, it’s all walks of life—get overlooked because they don’t have the funds. It’s very much a suburban sport.”

Shaka Hislop was the goalkeeper for Trinidad and Tobago in their 2006 World Cup experience. Now, he’s raising his kids in America, and he’s seen first-hand how much of an investment is required.

“It’s expensive. In all honesty, unless you earn a certain amount you just can’t stay in the game,” Hislop said. “That’s a detriment of the wider player pool, and, honestly, I don’t know what the other option is. There are a lot of opportunities in the game, but they come at a cost and as a result, I think a significant portion of the talent pool is being overlooked.”

Soccer in the United States operates as a “pay-to-play” system. If you want to make it to the highest levels of U.S. Soccer, you’re not going to get there by playing in your recreational league. Instead, you’ll need to join a travel or club team, where costs usually exceed thousands of dollars. Children who come from middle- or lower-class backgrounds, who can’t afford $3,000 a year just to play their sport, never have a chance of being noticed and may never be introduced to soccer in the first place.

This problem has been confirmed by studies on the topic. Roger Bennett and Greg Kaplan published a study in 2013 on the pay-to-play system in the U.S. They compared the background of each U.S. men’s national team member from 1993 to 2003 to each NBA all star and NFL pro bowler over the same period. Using hometown zip codes as an indicator for socio-economic status, the study found that soccer players come from communities that had higher incomes, educational and employment rankings, and were whiter than the U.S. on average. By comparison, NBA and NFL players came from places that ranked below the average on the same indicators.

In many ways, the pay-to-play system has become accepted as an unfortunate reality. Most people understand that it is a problem, but it’s almost impossible do anything about it without reaching the highest levels of U.S. Soccer. But there has been more discussion around it in the last year or two, spurred by two events: the U.S. Soccer presidential election and the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers.

During the U.S. Soccer presidential election, many candidates mentioned pay-to-play in their platform and campaigning. Hope Solo made the pay-to-play system central to her argument. She started her announcement by explaining her own experiences with the pay-to-play system, and shared that she wouldn’t have made it without a lot of help from friends, family, and her community. She went on to talk about her belief that the problems in U.S. soccer start at the youth level.

“Soccer has always been a middle class sport and in more recent times, has become an upper middle class sport,” Solo said. “Some of the best clubs around the country charge each youth player between $3000-$5000 per season. I have personally witnessed young players heartbroken over the financial reality that they could no longer pursue their dream.”

Solo’s raw approach to the topic of pay-to-play, and the boldness of her run overall, got the attention of a lot of people. But the issue of pay-to-play also seemed impossible to ignore after the U.S. men’s national team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Based on population alone, the United States should have an over-abundance of top-level soccer talent. Many have suggested that the United States could be one of the best soccer countries in the world if we made the game accessible to all people, from all walks of life. But because of pay-to-play, all kids aren’t being given the same opportunities. And as long as certain communities are denied the chance to be successful, the U.S. can never reach its full potential.

Despite the roaring voices of disapproval, there have been very few concrete proposals of how pay-to-play might end. And when former U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati was asked about it during the elections, he offered little hope that the highest levels of soccer are seriously thinking about change.

“There’s nowhere in the world that has no pay-to-play,” Gulati said. “What you want to make sure of is that anybody can afford it. But you have millions of kids playing, and the thought that we’re going to end play-to-play is nonsensical.”

Gulati might be right. But there is another reason why some people are so desperate to keep pay-to-play alive: it is a multi-billion-dollar industry. It seems that U.S. Soccer, like many industries, will go where the money is, even if that means leaving some kids behind.

Which seems like odd behavior for an organization deemed a “non-profit.”

So, maybe you can’t eliminate pay-to-play. Maybe the goal of making soccer available to anyone who wants to play is “nonsensical.” But we won’t know if we don’t try, so let that be our north star. U.S. Soccer has an obligation to make soccer in the United States open to people from all walks of life. People shouldn’t be left out because they can’t pay an entry fee.  

The NWSL Is About To Start, Three Things I’m Excited For

Posted on by RJ Allen

Like most who follow the National Women’s Soccer League, I’ve been eagerly counting down the days to the start of the 2019 season. The off-season lacked a bit of drama for most teams, and while there was the occasional huge news drop, like the termination of the deal between the NWSL and A&E which will no longer have game of the week broadcasts on the Lifetime network, the late “will she or won’t she” drama of Tierna Davidson declaring for the NWSL draft, or the Reign FC name change that came with the move to Tacoma. As teams finalize rosters for the upcoming campaign in the shadow of the World Cup this summer, and league activity ramps up to come at us fast and furious, here are what I’m looking forward to this year.

New Gaffers In Charge

One of the signs on how competitive the NWSL is a team changing a head coach when results are poor or when a team needs a new voice to get the players over the hump, and into the playoffs. Washington and Orlando sacked veteran coaches when the teams ended in the bottom third of the standings, while Houston parted ways with Vera Pauw and hold new manager James Clarkson.  I’m excited to see how the Marc Skinner can give Orlando a new identity in what is to be a challenging year. As players heading to the World Cup come and go, will Orlando be able to take a step forward in development? I’m curious how the Spirit will bounce back with what has to be a shift in culture from how Jim Gabarra ran the show. Coach Clarkson has the pieces to finish higher than the 2018 version of the team. However, the Houston Dash appear to have the talent in place to see the team make the playoffs for the first time in team history. Houston appears less impacted from the World Cup as the other teams with new coaches. Could this be the year the Dash make the postseason?

 World Cup Bounce

With the league not on television and attendance dropping for most teams last season, the “World Cup bounce” is something that needs to happen for the league to continue on a positive trajectory. NWSL matches will be streaming on Yahoo Sports domestically, but I want to see what sort of TV deal the league can get in place after the World Cup is over. My expectation is the league has to have at a minimum the playoffs and championship games broadcasted on television. I’m trying to give the league office the benefit of the doubt on having a plan to boost the presence of its players and the product on the field once all the players that missed time in France return. Additionally, I’m hoping to see a spike across the league at the gate. Each team in the league should be thinking of marketing during and after the World Cup, and I know it isn’t going to have the same impact across the teams. I just want the momentum to actually be a thing. Perhaps even have the league announce any plans of expansion around this time. This pipe dream is starting to get carried away.

Can Lightning Strike Twice For the Courage?

I think it’s fair to say that North Carolina was one of the most dominant teams to play in the world. On top of all the Courage achieved domestically, the team came away with the International Champions Cup over the likes of PSG and Lyon. Recently, the ICC was announced to take place in Cary with the Courage defending the cup at home. Obviously the champions of the league last year are also favored for this season, and even though my loyalty isn’t with North Carolina, I’m just looking forward to seeing if they can be as successful this year as they were in 2018. Every match played for the Courage will be must-watch as far as I’m concerned, either to watch the dynasty continue or to see them stumble, it will be entertaining to me.

Those are my top three things I’m excited for this NWSL season. Hopefully, we are all in for a treat as women’s soccer will be in the spotlight. There are several unanswered questions still to be seen, such as how will the season go for Sky Blue or will the Reign attendance change with a new location. That being said: Are you not entertained?

Five NWSL Questions As We Approach Opening Day

Posted on by RJ Allen

The sixth NWSL season is only two weeks away, and hopefully it will be the best season yet. As we prepare for another year of highs and lows, a million questions buzz around: will the North Carolina Courage win the Shield again? Who will be hit hardest during the World Cup? Which players will get suspended for yellow card accumulation?

There are many questions that will be answered in the coming months. Here are the five questions that I am excited to see answered in 2019.

Who will be the best without their World Cup players?

The big event looming over the 2019 NWSL season is the World Cup. It will consume the time and energy of many starting players across the league, leaving room for non-national team players to step up to the plate. The absence of so much talent has the potential to really shift the league and impact the playoff race. But it could also be the chance that launches a career for a player not on the national team radar.

So often, we overlook the talent of players who aren’t on their respective national team. This will be their opportunity to show us why we shouldn’t underestimate them.

What impact will Vero Boquete have in Utah?

The attacking midfielder from Spain, who most recently played with PSG in France and Beijing BG Phoenix in China, is back in the NWSL for the first time since her 2014 stint with the Portland Thorns. I’m excited to see what Boquete will add on the pitch for the Utah Royals. Seeing her play alongside the likes of Christen Press and Amy Rodriguez is going to be fun and might be the boost they need to take Utah to the playoffs.

Will Sky Blue win a game this year?

The answer to this question should be simple: of course. And after a terrible 2018 season, I am looking forward to seeing Sky Blue win a game this year. Between their off-the-field situation and their on-the-field struggles, this is a team that will appreciate every point in 2019. It’s hard not to cheer for them, if only because of all the negative stuff they are forced to deal with. I’m looking forward to seeing them put up a fight, and maybe even lifting themselves up from the bottom of the table.

What will happen when Portland and the Reign clash?

I’m not a supporter of either Portland or the Reign, but this rivalry remains one of the best in American soccer. Last year, these two teams met four times, including in the semi-finals of the NWSL playoffs. Portland’s 3-1 victory over the Reign just before the playoffs was one of the best regular-season matches in 2018, and their semi-final game a week later lived up to the inevitable hype. Both teams have some of the best talent in the league, and when they face each other, fouls, yellow cards, and goals are abundant. They will likely be missing a lot of their superstars for their first match on July 5th, but they’ll play two more times in Tacoma towards the end of the season.

Who is going to beat North Carolina?

North Carolina was unstoppable last year, and the team appears to have only gotten better in the offseason. I think they are the clear choice to win the Shield again, but maybe we will be surprised? Will someone challenge the Courage for the title, or will it be a runaway again? It will be fun to see how the World Cup impacts this team, and whether or not they finish No. 1 at the end of the year.

Backline Chat: Searching for Reasons to be Optimistic

Posted on by RJ Allen

Charles Olney (@olneyce): Welcome everyone to our Backline chat for the first week of April. We’ve got some international games coming up, and the start of the NWSL season just past that on the horizon. We’ll cover both of those topics this week. But to kick things off, let’s start with the national team. With the two upcoming matches against Australia and Belgium likely the sternest tests they’ll face before the World Cup begins, what are you looking for here?

RJ Allen (@TheSoccerCritic): Was Ali Krieger brought in to play or just to give the forwards a tougher test in training? That honestly is my biggest question.

Luis Hernandez (@radioactivclown): Ali has to be a headline. I don’t see how you don’t start her if you’re Jill.

RJ Allen: It would be cruel to sit her at 99. And I am not a huge fan of major hyperbole when it comes to all of this.

Charles Olney: Yeah, I actually do expect her to play, though I certainly wouldn’t put any money on it. But I would be surprised if she only plays once.

One thing I actually appreciate about Ellis is that she just doesn’t seem to care much about the hoopla around stuff like this. But I don’t think she’s completely unaware of how it would look.

RJ Allen: Honestly having Krieger makes me less nervous about Dunn. They can play a 3.5 back with Krieger in and I would be much more comfortable.

Allison Cary (@findingallison): I agree.

RJ Allen: The best and worst (if you’re Ellis) thing about Krieger is she will stay back if she feels she needs to.

Charles Olney: I think I’m one of the lone voices that has generally been pretty happy with Sonnett out there, but there’s no denying that fullback is a massive weak spot for a team that’s pretty stacked everywhere else.

RJ Allen: I think Sonnett is more or less fine but she is not *really* an outside back.

Charles Olney: That said, I also think Krieger just isn’t really up to this level anymore.

Or an outside back anymore either, really.

I would be happy to be proven wrong about that, though. I’ve always been a fan of Krieger.

RJ Allen: I think Krieger at 80% is still better than 100% of Dunn at outside back though.

Charles Olney: Well, I won’t belabor the point, but all of this is yet another reason why it’s frustrating that Ellis proved so hopeless at organizing a back three. It would be a pretty clean solution to this particular weakness, if they could just do it.

Luis Hernandez: It’s also fair to say that Ali hasn’t had match minutes in a while and if she did start against the Matildas, well that may be interesting…

Charles Olney: Any other issues on your mind about these games? What do you expect in the midfield? More Sam Mewis maybe? More Pugh for some reason?

RJ Allen: Please let Sam Mewis play.

Allison Cary: I’d like more Mewis, please.

Anthony Merced (@nycsportsworld): At some point they have to show what kind of energy level they’ll have in France. I feel like these games are that. SheBelieves felt like an intentional mess which is “okay” but things needs to be smoother in these games.

Charles Olney: It is weird that they scheduled all these games, but it’s hard to identify what they’ve actually gotten out of them…other than wiping away a lot of the momentum from 2018.

Anthony Merced: Truth is USWNT is the only commodity US Soccer is running that anyone cares about.

So they are trotting them out for games that are very unnecessary and the team has to balance it.

RJ Allen: I would honestly like to see Morgan/Press/Heath and Pinoe “set free”. Sometimes it feels like the system is somehow just hoping they will have a great moment and win it vs setting them up and letting those moments come naturally.

Luis Hernandez: Pugh hasn’t done herself any favors with her recent run with the squad.

RJ Allen: Pugh also has the “kid savior” mantle that was given to her.

Luis Hernandez: I’m noticing a tread if you ask me. It starts and stops with Ellis as coach

RJ Allen: I don’t think anyone can live up to who she was when she bust on to the team. It’s like a pitch that blows people away year one and then people figure out.

Anthony Merced: Hopefully she survives that. It’s hard when that title weighs on you in big tournaments.

Charles Olney: It’s crazy to think how long she’s been around, and how young she still is. There’s all the potential in the world there still, but it’s been almost a full year since she’s really been any good.

Allison Cary: Yeah, she carries a lot on her shoulders for a player that still has a lot of her career ahead of her (and thus, a lot of improvement. Hopefully)

Charles Olney: Alright, any predictions for these matches?

Luis Hernandez: I’m on record. I think the US wins both matches.

RJ Allen: US does not win against the Aussies and then takes Belgium out back behind the woodshed.

Allison Cary: I think the US could lose or draw to Australia. Beats Belgium.

Anthony Merced: Feel the same way. Australia is really good.

Charles Olney: I’ll go with two wins, I suppose. But it’s been a long time since the US has really controlled a game against Australia.

Luis Hernandez: Is playing at altitude a factor at all?

RJ Allen: Maybe but not enough I think it will change much of anything. Australia has been there for a few days.

Charles Olney: So, staying on the national team, but moving off the pitch, the continuing cold war over equal pay continues apace. The most recent move was recently announced, with Luna Bar providing the cash to cover the gap in prize money for the men’s and women’s teams.

Big deal? Weird PR campaign? Signal of more to come?

Anthony Merced: Very weird PR. US Soccer can easily address this and come out looking better but instead things like this happen.

Allison Cary: Because it’s coming from a private corporation and not the federation, that limits how “big of a deal” it can be. It’s not a long-term solution, just a PR stunt. That being said, glad they are getting something out of it.

Luis Hernandez: It’s a weird PR campaign for sure. A nice touch, but still weird.

Allison Cary: I do think it looks bad for US Soccer. Which hopefully pushes them.

RJ Allen: It’s so weird but I am glad they are getting the money? I feel torn to be honest.

Luis Hernandez: I partly saw it as smart marketing with the USWNT PA.

Charles Olney: On the whole, it seems to me that the players are winning their social media campaign – but it’s more that US Soccer has been terrible and less that they’ve done a fantastic job.

Allison Cary: I’d largely agree with that assessment.

RJ Allen: I’m honestly not sure that USSF cares that much about any of this though.

Anthony Merced: USSF lives in a strange bubble where they think they can strike oil by paying foreign teams to come play in the United States.

Charles Olney: And I feel obliged to point out every time this stuff comes up that ‘equal pay’ is great, and I’m all for the USWNT getting fair compensation for their talents and labor. But it still does ring a little hollow when the equality is so strictly limited to the national team.

RJ Allen: A lot of it makes me just sigh.

Charles Olney: Same.

Allison Cary: I see where the national team can seem limited, but I think it’s a first step. We’re not gonna get equality between the leagues overnight. Hopefully this pushes things in the right direction.

Charles Olney: I think that’s right, Allison. Still, I would really like to see the solidarity be expressed a little more aggressively.

RJ Allen: The leagues are frankly not going to be equal in our lifetimes. That’s not to say we shouldn’t push forward and try though.

Allison Cary: Yeah, Charles, I definitely get what you’re saying. It’s hard not to feel like so many players are being left behind.

Charles Olney: It’s one of those terrible things where we put expectations on those who are treated unequally to care about those who are below them, while also still needing to fight for what they deserve. But just because it’s unfair doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be a priority.

Luis Hernandez: seems like a reflection of our society

Anthony Merced: Absolutely a reflection of society. We like to pretend that there is equality (gender and race) but then there are glaring examples where the issues are very blatant. Just look at Latin American players in MLS and their treatment vs. European players.

Charles Olney: Alright, unless people have any other thoughts about the USWNT, let’s briefly look outside the US. There are a whole bunch of friendlies coming up. Any that you are particularly interested in? Any teams that still have something to prove as they work their way toward France?

Luis Hernandez: it frustrates me that soccer-crazed countries in central and south America are also not backing the women’s game there like they should be. I get it baby steps…

RJ Allen: I think England has a lot to prove.

They are going to want to show 2015 wasn’t a fluke.

Charles Olney: I’ve got my eye on Spain v. Brazil. This is a pretty weak version of Brazil but they were actually a little better in SheBelieves than I expected. And Spain is fascinating to watch develop.

Anthony Merced: It’s amazing how far Brazil has fallen.

Charles Olney: Yeah, England v. Canada should be good. That’s a team England really should beat, but who will be tough to play. We could learn a lot about both of them there.

Luis Hernandez: France should be bouncing back from the lost to Germany. Hope Japan does well.

Allison Cary: I’m not convinced on England yet. It will be interesting to see them face Canada. I agree that they have a lot to prove.

Charles Olney: I’m a little confused why the Dutch are ‘only’ playing Mexico and Chile? It seems like they could have used a tougher tune-up here? Mexico feels like the team you schedule for a couple weeks before the tournament to just get a game.

Allison Cary: Yeah, that isn’t exactly a challenging lineup.

Charles Olney: I wonder if it’s a matter of preference or if the FA just dropped the ball or something.

Luis Hernandez: I’m also going to keep an eye out on Sweden

Charles Olney: Okay, moving back to the US, let’s talk a little NWSL. The season is closing in. We can do a full leaguewide roundup next week. But for now, do you feel like you’ve learned anything from the preseason so far?

Luis Hernandez: Not me.

Anthony Merced: Sky Blue will be better, but I have no real evidence to prove that.

RJ Allen: I am team #PreseasonDoesNotMatter but I think the Portland event did show that playing other pro teams can be useful.

Luis Hernandez: Preseason can be taken with a grain of salt. It won’t tell you if your team is good, but if it’s bad then the early warning signs are there.

Charles Olney: Agreed there, RJ. Chicago won’t have liked to lose those games, but I think they’ll be in much better shape for having played them.

Anthony Merced: North Carolina is good but I feel like we already knew that.

Luis Hernandez: The Spirit played to a draw with the Tarheels, right? There could be a sign of trouble.

Charles Olney: They’ve definitely struggled with results across several of these games. Though they looked WORLDS better for the half that I did watch them against Bordeaux.

Luis Hernandez: Oh, and of course preseason isn’t great when you have season ending injuries for your team either.

Allison Cary: Luis is right. That sucks.

Charles Olney: Yeah, Sky Blue cannot catch a break, it seems. Though you do have to start wondering about training techniques when so many players are getting injured. Similar with Washington under Gabarra.

Luis Hernandez: Teah, that’s certainly a valid point. why are some teams more prone to injury?

RJ Allen: Trainers do not have consistent training from what I’ve heard.

Anthony Merced: NWSL teams don’t have deep conditioning coaching staffs.

Charles Olney: This was a major revolution in the men’s game in the 90s and early 2000s, with physical fitness coaches and nutritional people coming in to help players. And most of that has been shared on the women’s side. But it’s clearly not happening at the same level of detail, and especially not in the NWSL where the resources are so limited.

Anthony Merced: That leads to injuries.

Charles Olney: It does make me wonder if trying to mimic good methods, but failing to quite manage it, might end up being worse than doing nothing.

RJ Allen: A lot of it comes down to just not having the ability to do the same things, including the same testing, that would happen on the men’s side.

Anthony Merced: Also, from what I have seen, many of the preseason games have been on awful artificial pitches.

Charles Olney: Taking a step back slightly to look at the bigger picture, there’s been a conversation going on this week about the state of the NWSL in 2019. A lot of us are not thrilled. There’s still no commissioner (probably a permanent state at this point), no communications department at all, no official announcement about streaming, no new sponsorships. They canceled the Lifetime deal, supposedly to give them more flexibility to do things on their own. And since then…crickets. This feels bad.

Am I overreacting?

Anthony Merced: No, you’re not. It is very concerning.

RJ Allen: I think president has taken the title as commissioner.

Luis Hernandez: No, I check Yahoo Sports daily to see if anyone will update the soccer page

RJ Allen: I don’t think they are separate.

Allison Cary: The message seems to be that this is not a league looking to grow. And I don’t really mean adding new teams, but just getting more people involved. Raising the bar. Changing the status quo.

RJ Allen: The league feels like it’s trapped in quicksand. The harder it moves the deeper it sinks.

Luis Hernandez: the league is suppose to be holding teams accountable to these new standards. Is the league not clued in that it should go both ways. Then I listen to RJ and end up blaming USSF.

Charles Olney: The small counterpoints I’ll provide: the transition from Seattle to Reign FC was handled well, and is potentially a good sign that independent ownership can work. Chicago’s marketing approach is great, and a model for other teams. And Utah seems to actively be trying to grow, and might just be able to change the narrative about lackluster (non-Portland) MLS partnerships.

That’s me trying to be optimistic. Is it persuasive?

Allison Cary: It’s not all bad or all good. There are positives and negatives.

Luis Hernandez: don’t forget that Orlando made the commitment and hired a full time GM for the Pride. Or Houston increasing the size of the coaching staff. Seems like the teams if they have the will can get on the right path

Charles Olney: Good points. Even Sky Blue has made (some) progress.

It does feel like team-by-team you could tell a positive story about the offseason. It’s the leaguewide level that is troubling.

Allison Cary: True.

Luis Hernandez: In spite of the league, teams generally want to succeed

RJ Allen: And yet, they persisted.

Charles Olney: Well, we won’t reach any firm conclusions today. But as always it’s something to keep an eye on. Any final topics that people want to throw out there?

Luis Hernandez: I have a question for the group

Luis Hernandez: With the report that Ella Masar is leaving Wolfsburg at the end of the season, will she end up in the NWSL and if so where?

Allison Cary: I’d love to see her in the league, but not sure if she’ll find her way back here.

Anthony Merced: I think she’ll go to England.

RJ Allen: I was thinking England too.

Anthony Merced: Manchester United is heading for the D1 and they are going to spend some cash so that may be a landing spot.

Charles Olney: I wouldn’t be shocked if she ended up as a Laura Harvey surprise midseason move. But I wouldn’t bet on it.

And with that, we will close things out for today. Thanks for reading everyone. And as always, let us know if you have any topics you’d like to hear us discuss in future weeks!