Category: NWSL

What Happens if the NWSL Folds?

Posted on by RJ Allen

This piece is one I don’t want to write. And for a long time I didn’t think I would ever write something like this.

And then I watched the Canadian Women’s Hockey League fold. Quickly too.

Take something as simple as their Wiki entry, which went from “The Canadian Women’s Hockey League are a professional women’s ice hockey league” to “The Canadian Women’s Hockey League was a professional women’s ice hockey league.”

It’s just one word, but that “was” terrifies me.

This league is strong enough to have me spending thousands of dollars to cover games and hundreds of hours writing and talking about the NWSL. It’s strong enough to push a lot of talented people to do a lot of work to try to keep this whole thing going.

But what if it isn’t strong enough?

What happens if the house of cards finally falls? If the neglect from media deals and sponsorships that never came to be eventually add up to enough of a breeze to send the cards flying?

Shock happens first, right? Trauma from the body blow puts the whole system into crisis. However it happens, it’s likely that the ax won’t come down cleanly. Even in death, the league would probably find the least graceful way to go. So it would begin with an avalanche of tweets from the media. Then the official statement and the tweets from players come next. Each confused and angry and trying to figure out if they will ever put a jersey on again.

Anger is next. Righteous and white hot. Anger at the system and at the NWSL and at USSF for not saving this league. For knowing they could and not saving the third attempt at a women’s pro league in the most successful women’s soccer country.

Anger at those who would blow $70,000,000 on second men’s pro football league, which the NFL will crush under their heel before breakfast, while even a tenth of that money could have stabilized the NWSL for good.

But the anger can only burn for so long. Because life has to go on.

Some players would head overseas. They would find a team, any team, to take them on. For the top players, it will be fine. There will still be leagues with the money to pay for Alex Morgan or Rachel Daly or Lydia Williams. But for the average player, it will be tougher. There are only so many spots out there, and most of them are full.

Some might play for a semi pro team, figuring that it’s worth sacrificing a bit to keep playing, in hope that another league will come. WPS players had to wait less than 2 years for the NWSL. It’ll happen this time too. Right? Well, maybe.

For a lot of players though, this would be it. They would just retire. How many times can we expect them to change their lives for an uncaring sport, anyway? How many times can we ask them to pack up little boxes and move to another place? At some point they pack up their kits for the last time and get on with their lives. And down the road they can tell stories about how they used to play professional soccer.

If another league does form–a few months later, maybe a few years later–then we all get to start the count down all over again. Hold our breaths every time a mistake is made, feel our hearts pound when one season ends, wondering if that will be the last one.

Backline Soccer won’t determine if the NWSL survives. Neither will any of the SB Nation sites or the Equalizer. We can post 5 pieces a day about each of the NWSL teams for the rest of time and wouldn’t get half the eyeballs that the New York Times sports section would get if they wrote a piece about every Sky Blue game.

The NWSL needs people watching and a deal to allow that to happen. They need good people doing excellent work week in and week out in their front office and with each of the teams. They need money. From new owners coming in, from deals that give them a chance for real growth.

I wasn’t a writer when the WPS folded. I didn’t follow the league. I don’t know what it must have been like when the ax came swinging down.

I hope I never find out either.

Why I Joined 5 NWSL Supporters Groups and Why I Plan to Join 4 More

Posted on by RJ Allen

As someone who has not been shy about their feelings on fans picking a team and sticking with them, why would I become a member of 9 different supporters groups?

The idea of a supporters group is, for those who don’t know, a bit like the fan clubs of old. They are a way for fans to connect together to talk about that thing they love that others in their lives might not understand. And having people to tail gate with is always a bonus too, right?

We should take a look at the supporters groups in the NWSL. This is not meant to be a full list but it is the one that I am going off of based on who clubs recognize.

The Chicago Red Stars have Chicago Local 134.

The Houston Dash have Bayou City Republic.

The North Carolina Courage have the Junkyard Dogs.

The Orlando Pride have the Black Swans Drinking Club.

The Portland Thorns FC have the Rose City Riveters.

The Reign FC have the Royal Guard.

Sky Blue FC have Cloud 9.

The Utah Royals FC have The Court.

The Washington Spirit have the Spirit Squadron.

Currently the Court, the Royal Guard and the Spirit Squadron do not have memberships open for 2019 but I have been told both will be open soon. Everyone else is accepting memberships.

Soccer culture in America, men’s or women’s, pro to amateur has a very different history than it does in other parts of the world. And that is understandable. NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL teams and fans color the modern sporting landscape in the US in a way they just don’t in other countries where soccer, rugby or cricket are king.

As with a lot of things in American soccer, modern supporters group culture only goes back so far. And often it has been grown in a broken stream as leagues and teams come and go. That effect is felt all the more in women’s soccer.

But supporters groups are something found far and wide and for good reason. In supporters groups you can find people ranging from the die-hards who could name the roster in numerical order, alphabetical if you rather have it broken down that way and tell you their college stats if you were interested all the way down to the new fan who just doesn’t want to go to games alone.

They stand and drum and make tifos that range from jokes about Chicago pizza being a casserole (Thank you Cloud 9 for that gem) to the Rose City Riveters creating one that says “We Are Family” over different LGBT related flags.

But the question stands as to why I would join all of these supporters groups when both my ability to get to games is limited because of where I live, and I wouldn’t get the full effect of the supporters group as I don’t sit in the stands during matches?

Because I want the NWSL to thrive. I want this league to celebrate 10 years and then 20 and one day 100 years of being in existence. To get there investments have to be made, teams need to grow and yes some might step off the pitch at the end of a season and never walk on again. But most of all fans have to show up, be involved and hold the clubs accountable. Supporters groups are a great way to facilitate that.

Often times supporters groups are in the best position to offer constructive criticism to their clubs. As the issues swirl around Sky Blue FC, their own supporters group, Cloud 9, has been a strong voice of accountability for the club.

Offering my money to these groups is a small gesture to help them survive and grow. But it is something I can do to help today. I hope the tweets I put out and this piece nudge those not in supporters groups to join. Or at least think about the reasons why you might or might not want to.

I asked on Twitter for those who are in supporters groups to tell me why they joined. I think the only fitting way to wrap this up is to share some of their stories.

https://twitter.com/JeanineHoffman/status/1107770615434366977

Where in the World is Raquel Rodriguez?

Posted on by RJ Allen

Raquel Rodriguez is under contract with Sky Blue FC, but has yet to make an official public appearance with the team. According to sources, this is not a coincidence, but an intentional break between player and team.

Rodriguez was re-signed in the offseason, with Sky Blue exercising their option to renew her contract. And in their preseason roster announcements, she has been listed as rostered. Moreover, unlike some players who have been listed as NYR (not yet reported), Rodriguez’s name has been unfootnoted. By all official accounts, she is part of the team.

And yet, there is no official documentary proof of this fact. No photographs, no comments on the record, nothing. What’s more, not only has Rodriguez did not make an appearance in Sky Blue’s first preseason match this weekend, she was not even present for the game. This is despite suggestions from her social media that she spent the day exercising elsewhere in town.

And this is the persistent conundrum. According to her social media accounts, Rodriguez spent a significant portion of the offseason training in New Jersey with her teammates. So why has she been MIA from official events?

The answer may come back to the extensively discussed problems between players, the front office, and the coaching staff. The background problems with the organization are well known, and seem to have played a significant role in a number of offseason departures. And Backline’s RJ Allen reported in January that problems extended to the head coach, who may have alienated some key players.

According to my reporting, Rodriguez is unhappy in New Jersey. One source familiar with the situation told me that she wants to avoid causing problems for her teammates, but also has no intention of spending another season at Sky Blue. This source suggested that the media blackout is an attempt to keep the issue under the radar while alternatives are explored. The first choice seems to be a trade within the league. But with time running out, Rodriguez may look abroad for other options. However, another source cautioned that the situation is still up in the air, and told me that arrangements to keep Rodriguez at Sky Blue might still be made.

I reached out to Sky Blue for comment on this story, but did not receive a response.

Given the persistent speculation that the future may not be long for Sky Blue as an organization, it shouldn’t be particularly surprising that many players are looking into other options. The increasing coverage of the team’s player support infrastructure also makes clear why a longtime member of the squad might be frustrated.

But for now, with everyone playing close to the vest, we may just have to wait for concrete news to emerge.

Update: We have been told Rodriguez was at the game but was not on the bench for the match. As of now this claim is unconfirmed but we felt it was worth mentioning.

Backline Chat: Becca Moros, Just for the GIFs

Posted on by RJ Allen

Charles Olney (@olneyce): Welcome to our Backline Soccer slack chat for the week. It’s been a long cold winter, but the NWSL is finally on its way back, and we are excited to get back into the swing of things.

We’re going to start things off with the preseason. We’ve had some roster trimming already, but most teams still have a lot to do before they’re down to fighting weight. What have you seen so far that looks interesting? Any teams that look poised for big things?

RJ Allen (@TheSoccerCritic): Houston’s new head coach James Clarkson releasing players he knew he wouldn’t want early to give them a chance to go to another team instead of keeping them for practice is something that stood out to me. It’s a small thing but it shows a shift.

Luis Hernandez (@radioactivclown): I’m surprised by the recent addition of Caitlin Farrell in Orlando. I didn’t expect her here, and a talent like her should make the competition for starting striker when the national team players are in France something to watch.

Charles Olney: Yeah, the Houston thing seemed like a nice move. Let people know where they actually stand; don’t just keep them around for the sake of keeping them around. As you say, it’s a small thing but it’s at least a signal that Clarkson might be on the right track.

Luis Hernandez: I was a little bummed to see Nickolette Driesse gone in NC. I had hoped she would find a way to stick with an NWSL team. Hopefully, she finds a team overseas.

Charles Olney: In theory, I like what they’re trying to do up at Washington. They still don’t really have any defenders, but at least from these opening games, it seems like there might be some more coherence to how they set up.

From reports, Sullivan has been working as a deep-lying playmaker with Huster doing the tackling in front of her. That has a lot of potential, and might be important for getting Sullivan back on track.

Allison Cary (@findingallison): I like the sound of that.

RJ Allen: It’s really hard with so little of the information to see in person. Some times preseason games are live tweeted but until we see some real soccer being played it’s hard for me to judge much of it.

Charles Olney: Luis, for Orlando, what are your thoughts about their midfield (or lack thereof)? On the most recent roster, they have a total of three (3) midfielders who aren’t college draftees or non-roster invitees. I know they’ve gotten by without much of a midfield for a couple years now, but…are they really going to keep this up?

Luis Hernandez: I think the Pride are deeper at midfield than how it’s listed on the roster. Camila is listed as a forward for example. I also really liked what I saw when Abby Elinsky was on the pitch for the team. I think there are two things to consider, 1) Dani Weatherholt is the veteran on the team who needs to step up, 2) Coach Marc Skinner’s message that he’s focused on developing the players he has to work with.

Charles Olney: It will certainly be interesting to see how they set up. Skinner has a good track record, and I’ll be curious to see what he does with the team.

Luis Hernandez: He mentions his time in Birmingham City where he had a starting goalkeeper who was 17 and he believes will eventually get time with the Lionesses in the future.

Charles Olney: I was a big Sermanni fan, and thought he managed to make an unbalanced roster work pretty well in 2017, but it didn’t seem like he had any great answers last year. And Elinsky is a nice point for Orlando. I wrote a piece about replacement level players, and Elinsky is a great example of someone who probably isn’t (at the moment) good enough to start regularly, but who can still add a lot of value by plugging gaps. And if you’ve got someone willing to work, there’s always potential to grow.

Luis Hernandez: The Pride will definitely have a new playing style which I’m curious how well it will work out.

Kat Farris (@farrisphotos): Labbe is back in NWSL with North Carolina.

Allison Cary: Yeah, happy to see Labbe back. And curious to see what role she plays in North Carolina.

Charles Olney: Any other thoughts about rosters? There hasn’t been much movement this offseason, but Washington has picked up some Australians. Dagny is back in Portland. Houston signed Sophie Schmidt recently. Anything that jumps to mind as potentially significant?

RJ Allen: I am very interested to see if Sky Blue has a defense this year with the move they made with Washington.

Luis Hernandez: The only announced preseason match with the Courage will be more measuring stick than anything else.

Charles Olney: Yeah, Sky Blue has to be one of the biggest question marks.

RJ Allen: I do not believe 538 is near the mark on how many points Sky Blue will have but I think they end up with more than in 2018.

Charles Olney: Looking at the roster, they’re actually not that bad in theory. But how will the group play together? How much are players willing to invest? Can they find a way to band together to solve problems when they pop up?

Allison Cary: Looking at the roster, they didn’t look that bad last year.

Charles Olney: Exactly.

RJ Allen: Allison is correct.

Charles Olney: I could easily see them hanging right there with the pack all season. They won’t lose almost anyone to the World Cup. And if the team spirit is high, they could scrounge plenty of points here and there. But if things start out bad, it’s easy to see everyone just hanging their heads and waiting for the axe to fall.

Allison Cary: Especially if things don’t change with the off-the-field situation. Or at least, don’t change enough.

Kat Farris: I had to reread that. I was having flashbacks of 2018 Pride

Luis Hernandez: I think the early part of the schedule favors Sky Blue and they could get a favorable result. I’m not going to bet the farm on a win just yet.

RJ Allen: I am a little surprise we’re not seeing more movement. Trades aren’t the most common thing in the NWSL but they happen more than they have this off season.

Allison Cary: Yeah, it’s been really quiet.

Charles Olney: Do you think it has something to do with it being a World Cup year? Maybe everyone is more focused on bolstering their ranks and not as worried about topline moves?

Luis Hernandez: Okay, RJ has a point, but I would say that traditional sellers like Orlando have started to switch things up and are holding assets more. Maybe GMs in the league are preparing for beyond 2019 with *whispers* expansion…

Kat Farris: Are national allocations official yet?

RJ Allen: Yes. They have been out for a few weeks.

Charles Olney: Speaking of which, what do people think about the allocations?

RJ Allen: Overall I wonder why the number is so low. They are able to have 4 or 5 more players allocated than they have. Which in a World Cup year you’d think you’d want those few players who might make the roster to already be on the payroll.

Luis Hernandez: There are limited allocations, I don’t know how many are called out in the CBA, but maybe the federation needs to be selective.

RJ Allen: They have a range they can pick from and from what I read they went with the minimum.

Luis Hernandez: I wonder how the lawsuit will eventually impact the CBA or future CBA negotiations

Charles Olney: And of those selected, it’s certainly hard to explain why Allie Long, for example, is still allocated and Davidson is not…assuming that you’re looking purely at value to the national team. But it’s pretty clear they’re looking at things beyond that. The question is whether that’s okay.

Luis Hernandez: I think Davidson needs to prove more to Ellis that she deserves it. Jane Campbell for example got allocated early without showing much

RJ Allen: It is odd that Morgan Brian is and Davidson isn’t, Long being another. But maybe Ellis is less sold on Davidson to the World Cup than we all think?

Kat Farris: It always amazes me how much of soccer revolves around not soccer

Luis Hernandez: I think it’s more contractual. That’s all I can think of which would explain it.

Kat Farris: Maybe they’re waiting to see a few more games from Tierna since coming back from injury?

Charles Olney: It seems pretty obvious to me that allocations are treated like a sinecure, where you have to really justify ‘taking one away,’ while a young player like Davidson can be effectively required to leave college early and then still not be granted an allocation.

Luis Hernandez: I really think the answer may be more simple than we realize. Like A-Rod being allocated for as long as she was.

RJ Allen: A-Rod had to be because she was on maternity leave. She couldn’t have it taken away during that window.

Luis Hernandez: Right. Maybe this is also a contractual allocation. Like maybe in the CBA there’s a provision for team veterans to have an extra allocation year before getting dropped

Charles Olney: It’s also weird that allocation decisions happen in December but aren’t announced until the spring and then don’t really ‘take effect’ until the start of the season in April. All of which is to say: the allocation system is terrible.

But, of course, the allocation system will be around a while longer, since it was bargained in the recent CBA. Which takes us nicely to our next topic…

What is going on with the US National Team and US Soccer?

RJ Allen: The difficulties the USWNT and USSF are having really do highlight the issues with the two very different systems the MNT and WNT work under.

The problem is neither party can control the reasons the two systems are so different. Which makes cases like this that much harder.

Luis Hernandez: RJ hit the nail right on the head.

Charles Olney: I think that’s an important point. It’s pretty clear to me that the system is not working well, and that US Soccer has some obligation to do more than they are currently doing. But it’s also clear that there’s not really a simple solution. Given the different dynamics, any treatment is necessarily going to look very different across the two teams.

RJ Allen: But why things like meal pay and flights are different is just USSF being cheap on the women’s side. On top of being plain stupid when it comes to marketing and things like kits.

Luis Hernandez: If player compensation was exactly the same between the men and women, there would be serious impacts in the league.

Allison Cary: Yeah, there are some things that are related to the different contracts/systems and some things that I think that USSF just thinks they can get away with.

Charles Olney: Exactly. US Soccer does actually have some decent arguments in a few places. But it’s incredibly hard to take their side overall when they’re so obviously failing to meet minimal standards in the places where it would be really easy to do so.

Luis Hernandez: I like that USSF now uses charter planes to move the USWNT like they do for the men. I dislike that USSF doesn’t think a women’s open cup is worth having. I had to get that in.

Charles Olney: RJ, can you develop that point about the kits a little more? It’s blown up a bit on twitter in the last 24 hours, but is worth digging into since it’s such a good demonstration.

RJ Allen: US Soccer’s issue is they are just flat out bad at some things. Right now if you go to their website you can’t buy a women’s kit. And men’s kits are not able to have three stars.

They are leaving a ton of money on the table by holding the kits back until May for the women and not allowing men’s cut kits to have three stars at all.

Charles Olney: I bought one of the three star kits a couple years ago when they were available. But if I remember correctly it took them almost a year after the 2015 tournament to actually make them. And now they’re unavailable again.

Allison Cary: I was just talking to a male friend earlier this week who wants to buy a three-star kit and is just waiting for them to come out.

RJ Allen:  I do not understand the argument I’ve seen made that it will “confuse” people to see a men’s cut jersey with three stars. Of all the arguments to pick, that is the dumbest.

Luis Hernandez: I’m more than happy to correct anyone that would confuse a men’s three star kit if they thought that was for the men’s team

Allison Cary: I didn’t even know that argument existed and that is the worst.

Luis Hernandez: Not to give the federation any breaks, but is that also on Nike?

RJ Allen: Nike has not had this issue with other countries though, Luis.

Charles Olney: My understanding is that Nike is the one making the choices about what to make available. But my understanding is also that huge organizations like US Soccer has the ability to discuss marketing strategy with Nike. Basically, if they genuinely cared about getting their product out, it would be out.

Luis Hernandez: The kit supplier should know better when it’s the like of Nike. I’m assuming they want to make money selling WNT gear.

RJ Allen: They are assuming there is no market or a market not worth investing in. And then saying “see there is nothing here” to not have to do more work in growing that market. For an org that loves money, both Nike and USSF, I do not understand the choices in kits or marketing.

Allison Cary: Sexism over money? It’s like the sexism is so embedded that, as RJ said, they’re convinced they won’t sell without any proof that’s true. Like you could be making money but your sexism is preventing you from being logical.

Charles Olney: Which really brings us around the core of the problem with all of these arguments about equality, market demand, revenue, and so forth. When you have institutions that are uninterested or unwilling in putting in the work to grow, develop, and sell a product, that product is obviously going to struggle more than if you have an enthusiastic actor trying to get everyone involved. With so many of these conversations, we’re talking about years, decades, of neglect. Which makes it impossible to assess what ‘really’ should be going on.

We saw 60,000 turn up for a women’s soccer match in Spain this weekend. We’ve seen huge numbers in Mexico. We’ve seen some of the big European countries selling out their pre-World Cup matches. Those are all great signs. But they’re also a reminder that there is potentially a LOT of demand, but demand which doesn’t have clear avenues for expression a lot of the time.

Allison Cary: I know a lot of people who are soccer fans. They watch men’s soccer because it is accessible, and they would support women’s soccer, but they feel it is such a struggle to get access.

Luis Hernandez: But are we underestimating the popularity of soccer in other parts of the world. I find a lot of people across the board that still have a hangup on watch/supporting a sport because it’s played by women

Allison Cary: I’m by no means trying to say those people don’t exist, I just think that we shouldn’t assume everyone is like that. When I was in England, there were plenty of old, white men who watched the Chelsea women’s games. And I spoke to more who said they would watch the matches if they were on TV or go to games if they were played at the same stadium as the men.

Luis Hernandez: There should be more fans of sports that watch/support the game regardless of the gender of the players.

Allison Cary: I also met people who automatically dismissed women’s soccer simply because it was played by women, so I’m not trying to say everyone would watch it if it were available, but it would matter.

Kat Farris: You can’t sell a product only the dedicated few know exists and expect to increase your market/grow the game

Charles Olney: I think that it’s absolutely true that there are a lot of soccer fans who aren’t realistically available for women’s soccer marketing. They have expectations and aren’t interested in changing them. But it’s also true that the worldwide soccer audience is unbelievably large, and you don’t need to persuade everyone. Just getting the people on the margins, who might be willing to take a look, could go a long way.

And of course social expectations do change, even for people who seem dyed-in-the-wool. I say this as someone with family in Atlanta who cared 0.00% about soccer until a couple years ago and NEVER would have thought it was possible that they’d follow the sport.

Luis Hernandez: I was going to say something on a lack of a league TV deal, but I didn’t want to go off the rails.

Charles Olney: A topic for another week, for sure.

Alright, let’s take a little time to get back to things on the pitch before we close up for the week.

Since we last chatted, the US completed the SheBelieves Cup. It didn’t go well. But it also wasn’t a disaster. How is everyone feeling about the team at this point?

RJ Allen: I do not for the life of me understand why Sam Mewis is not starting every game.

Charles Olney: I’ve been a mild skeptic in the “Mewis would fix everything” debates. But even so, I completely agree. I don’t think she’d fix everything, but she sure would help.

RJ Allen: I think Dunn is a great player but she has been made into a pure attacker and her defending during a World Cup scares me. Ellis has to find another outside back and hope O’Hara stays healthy.

Allison Cary: I completely agree on the Dunn point.

Luis Hernandez: I’m not a believer in Rose being a starter when we have the roster at full strength. I would rather see Mewis, Ertz and Horan.

RJ Allen: I do wonder overall why the USWNT pool of outside backs is as weak as I think we’ve ever seen it.

Charles Olney: It is weird. I feel like two years ago we were marveling at all the young exciting fullbacks who were coming up. And they’ve pretty much all flamed out.

RJ Allen: Honestly if Kristie Mewis hadn’t gotten hurt, I wouldn’t have minded her getting a look.

Charles Olney: I suppose it’s also worth noting that we’d arguably be having a different conversation if Hinkle had decided that she was okay wearing a pride jersey.

Luis Hernandez: Accurate.

Allison Cary: Yep.

RJ Allen: Hinkle showed herself not to be someone the team could depend on. That is the biggest USWNT sin.

Luis Hernandez: I don’t feel good that Short didn’t get playing time.

Charles Olney: With Short, I have to imagine there’s something about how she’s doing in training. Because it’s such an obvious HUGE problem right now, and based on her form of a year or so ago, it seems obvious that she should be getting some time. But she did miss a lot of time last year, and I’m not sure she ever really got back to her peak for Chicago. So maybe she just has genuinely lost a step and it’s been obvious in training?

RJ Allen: I do still wish the US would call up the eligible outside backs on each team and just give them a go. Honestly just try everyone and see who sticks. Becca Moros just for the gifs.

Luis Hernandez: I think club play is going to favor more for those bubble roster players and perhaps we’ll see someone surprise us and make the jump to the national team.

Charles Olney: [Whispers]: Sofia Huerta?

RJ Allen: Charles. Don’t be mean. Houston doesn’t even play her as an outside back.

Charles Olney: I mean, she still can’t really defend, but…what evidence do we have that Ellis cares about that? Is all I’m saying.

RJ Allen: Honestly have HAO play outside back. At least she would be good for team chemistry.

Charles Olney: I detect no lies there.

RJ Allen: One last thing I want to throw out there is the fact that the US Soccer Hall of Fame vote is going to happen soon. And there are some USWNT players up for possible selection.

Eligible Players: David Beckham | Gregg Berhalter | Carlos Bocanegra | Shannon Boxx | Edson Buddle | Rachel Buehler Van Hollebeke | Lori Chalupny | Lauren Cheney Holiday | Steve Cherundolo | Brian Ching | Kenny Cooper | Jeff Cunningham | Todd Dunivant | Kevin Hartman | Frankie Hejduk | Thierry Henry | Stuart Holden | Eddie Johnson | Chris Klein | Karina LeBlanc | Amy LePeilbet | Eddie Lewis | Lori Lindsey | Stephanie Lopez Cox | Pablo Mastroeni | Clint Mathis | Heather Mitts | Jaime Moreno | Ben Olsen | Pat Onstad | Heath Pearce | Troy Perkins | Steve Ralston | Cat Reddick Whitehill | Donovan Ricketts | Leigh Ann Robinson Brown | Tony Sanneh | Homare Sawa | Kate Sobrero Markgraf | Bakary Soumare | Taylor Twellman | Aly Wagner | Abby Wambach | Josh Wolff

Luis Hernandez: Excellent point RJ.

RJ Allen: Look, Boxx, Chalupny, Holiday, Sawa, Markgraf and Wambach should get in, in a landslide. But they likely won’t other than Wambach.

Luis Hernandez: I wouldn’t be repping Orlando right, if I also didn’t mention Tiffany Roberts who now coaches at UCF. She’s on the ballot in the Veteran category

Charles Olney: The US Soccer Hall of Fame is a weird institution, covering the men (a not very successful group of players compared to the rest of the world), the women (the best group of players in the world), and foreign players who have had a big impact here. It’s just kind of hard to even comprehend how you can jam all those together in a coherent way.

Allison Cary: Very true.

Charles Olney: Like, Amy LePeilbet was one probably top 20 at her position in the whole world, right? But she’s like 12th on this list for women who deserve induction. Compare to someone like Carlos Bocanegra, who was one of the KEY players for the US men over a full decade, and one of our most successful players in a top European league. But…at his best, he was a useful player for a mediocre Fulham team.

I also saw someone pointing out that when/if Markgraf gets inducted, the entire starting XI for the 99ers will be inducted. Which seems bizarre. How can the whole team be in the Hall of Fame? Except, of course they’re all in. They’re all ridiculously good!

RJ Allen: It is not enough to have been great during your years of international and domestic play if you’re on the women’s side. The women have five current forwards that would make the hall of fame for nearly every other country in the world. It’s not enough to have simply defined your position internationally during your time on the national team, you have to be the best to have ever played it.

Either the standard for the men seeking induction needs to be raised to meet the level of Hamm and Overbeck and the rest of the supremely talented women who have made it into the Hall or the standard for the women needs to come back down to earth.

Charles Olney: To be honest, I don’t really see it getting worked out. I think it will just continue to stumble along like a drunken sailor, getting enough of the big decisions right for people to continue talking about it, but not enough right to be a fully credible institution.

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!

Route Two Soccer: Replacement Level in the NWSL – Part 2

Posted on by RJ Allen

Last week I discussed the theory of replacement level valuation, and described some general ideas about how it can be usefully employed to think about the NWSL. This week, I want to dig into things a bit more, with four observations about player value in the league, informed by the idea of replacement level.

1. Setting replacement level in a precarious league

Replacement level is not static. If overall talent levels improve, so should the replacement level. And in a league like the NWSL, with a precarious employment structure, the movement is probably more significant than in other more settled systems.

While early retirements are growing less common, it remains true that plenty of good players leave the game for reasons that have little to do with their abilities on the pitch. Christina Gibbons’ recent retirement is a good example. She wasn’t forced out by lack of quality; she left because the hassles of trying to maintain a professional career for little money and no amenities seem to have overwhelmed the desire to play.

A league which can’t necessarily compete with economic opportunities in the private sector will naturally suffer more turnover and loss of talent than one where players make hundreds of thousands as a baseline. That in turn means that marginal player availability is often determined more by the willingness to accept a lack of compensation than by a strict accounting of ability. As a result, simply showing up and turning in 90 minutes is generally worth more in the NWSL than it would be in a league with fairer compensation.

However, as time goes on and standards improve, more players are willing to stick it out. This means that replacement level is going up over time. A player who was modestly above replacement level in 2014 might not be any longer, simply because the overall tide is rising.

2. Measuring modest contributions

The concept of replacement level is a useful device to square some circles within discussions about NWSL talent. Too often, conversations exist in a framework where a player is either excellent or useless, without any clear sense of the space in between. But in fact, the league is full of players who are contributing modest value, without necessarily rising to the level of average.

In a league with nine teams, there are probably only about 50 players who could reasonably be described as average or better. But 188 players received minutes last year. How do we account for the players in the middle of the pack? Here I’m thinking of players like Adriana Leon, Joanna Lohman, Christen Westphal, Amy Rodriguez, Rebecca Quinn, Thembi Kgatlana, Brooke Elby, etc.

With any players, it’s obviously important to look at context. What did their team ask of them, how well did they fulfill their role, what alternatives were there? What sort of potential do they have? Obviously, Andi Sullivan is a different sort of player from Brooke Elby, and it wouldn’t be helpful to pretend their total contributions could be measured by one universal metric. At the same time, if you want to tell the story of the season, it’s useful to have some form of cross-contextual comparison.

So with players like this, one useful perspective might be to emphasize that they logged important minutes, and provided meaningful value, to the extent that they performed above the replacement level, while also recognizing that their contributions were probably below the average production levels in the role. This can then be supplemented with more specific evaluations.

For example, while Elby and Sullivan both contributed some value, Elby was only expected to be a role player. She was selected 23rdd in the Breakers dispersal draft—almost literally the definition of a replacement player. That she contributed real positive value helped her teams enormously. Sullivan, meanwhile, was the top pick in the draft, and Washington was counting on her to step into the pro game immediately. While she wasn’t hopeless (she did contribute real value), merely being above replacement level was extremely damaging for the Spirit who needed more.

Sullivan clearly has the higher ceiling, and likely will have many strong seasons to come. But in 2018, her performance hurt Washington a lot because they were counting on more.

3. Replacement level variations across roles (the problem of too many good forwards)

Another important feature of an analysis informed by replacement level: emphasis on the distribution of talent across roles. Specifically, the imbalance between attacking and defensive talent. Because the reality is that the overwhelming percentage of top-quality players in the league fill attacking roles. This is partly a feature of the game itself—where individual brilliance matters more in the attack, while team structure matters more in the defense—but it’s also a consequence of the developmental structure in the US system. With college still the dominant training system, players are free to continue as forwards long past when they might have been forced to switch in a world where the pipeline narrowed earlier.

Whatever the cause, it’s clear that the league is stacked with attacking talent. Unfortunately for the players below the top tier, this significantly reduces their value, because replacement level is fluid and depends on the actual distribution of talent.

For a given team, their 4th or 5thh choice striker is probably going to be close to replacement level. She is the player who can perform satisfactorily and do a job, but is well outside the top talents in the league. But look at even a team as hapless as Sky Blue and realize that they have Naho Kawasumi, Carli Lloyd, Savannah McCaskill, and Imani Dorsey. Not to mention Jen Hoy. And McKenzie Meehan. And Paige Monaghan and Kyra Carusa coming in.

These are all very good players. But when you do the same exercise across the league, you realize that every team is objectively stacked in their attack. Unfortunately, though, ‘stacked’ is ultimately a relative term. The problem for Sky Blue isn’t a lack of excellent players in the attack; the problem is that teams like North Carolina and Chicago are even more absurdly blessed.

But this means that there are dozens of genuinely great attacking players who not only can’t get a regular starting job, they’re not even particularly close to one.

Adriana Leon is particularly apposite example here. When the Boston Breakers folded, she entered the dispersal draft and fell to the 18thh pick. That felt low to many people, who pointed out her six goals for Boston in 2016. When she found no playing time in New Jersey and was eventually traded to Seattle for a 4th round pick, there was more outcry. A seasoned striker, a Canadian international no less, had to be worth more than a low draft pick.

But thinking about it in terms of replacement level can help clarify things a bit. Because the reality is: six goals in a season notwithstanding, Leon simply doesn’t have that impressive a record over her career. In 83 NWSL games, she notched 10 goals. That’s not nothing, but given the same opportunity to occupy a roster space, many other players might have found the net far more often, or contributed in other ways. Ultimately, strikers just aren’t scarce in the NWSL, while opportunities at striker very much are.

None of which is to suggest that Leon isn’t a good player. She certainly is. It’s just that she’s not clearly comparatively better than the many other good players who can fill the same role. Probably every team in the league would be happy to have her, but none of them would be willing to give up much (or any) value to do so. That’s because they’re not assessing her talent on an absolute scale; they’re looking at it comparatively.

Compare this to defense, and things look very different. Here, the replacement level is much higher as teams struggle to fill out their roster with players who can plausibly handle the job.

This is a big part of the reason why teams consistently try to shift attacking players back into more defensive roles. They’re trying to take advantage of their overabundance in one area to bolster themselves in another space. And it’s why positional flexibility is very helpful for marginal players. The ability to step into multiple roles increases their potential value over replacement.

4.Replacement level in a World Cup year

As we know, the World Cup takes place this summer. And just like in 2015, the NWSL will continue amidst the tournament, despite the removal of three dozen or so of its best players for a substantial chunk of the season. What’s more, the removal of talent is by no means balanced. Teams like North Carolina and Portland will lose most of their starting XIs, while Sky Blue, Washington, and Houston will be significantly less ravaged (as always, the wonderful NWSL roster sheets maintained by Jen Cooper are crucial here). To some extent this will have a balancing effect on the league, pushing everyone toward the middle.

But it also depends on how well teams manage their replacement markets. Team depth is always important, but especially in a season like this, when it will be significantly more tested. And it’s a reminder that ‘replacement level’ as an abstract concept is never quite the same as the actual replacement level for a specific team. Those that play the game well will assemble supporting casts that are better equipped to step into the breach. It’s a reason to pay special attention to the preseason this year, because that’s the time when the league’s replacement talent (recent college graduates, trialists, part-timers, etc.) have the chance to make their case.

What should be Marc Skinner’s Top Priority For the Orlando Pride?

Posted on by RJ Allen

Teams entering the 2019 National Women’s Soccer League season, which coincides with a World Cup year, would be challenged with the loss of federated players preparing for the global tournament in France. Compounded to some of the teams woes is the appointment of a new coach, or like the Orlando Pride no coach officially named until after the draft. Barring any trades, Coach Marc Skinner will need to find players to fill the now twenty-two roster spots, and additionally the four supplemental players will also be important due to the potential of missing ten starters this summer.

Coach Skinner explained his thoughts on the World Cup absences impact to his roster in his initial statements by saying, “But what we need to do is look at what we have, who we’ll have to use during the World Cup, and then we as a coaching staff will work everyday to make those players better. So while our players are out representing in the World Cup, we’ll make sure those holding the fort will be doing their best, keeping us competitive and winning games.”


Head Coach Marc Skinner at Orlando City Stadium – Courtesy Orlando Pride

Impacting the Pride significantly will be the national team players who may end up missing more time than just the World Cup however since the U.S. women’s national team, along with Brazil and England, will be participating in a series of matches in preparation. While the Aussies will be participating in their own set of friendlies at that time. Most national team players have extensive commitments away from their club team leading into France.

In his brief time with the team so far, Coach Skinner has already made his started to make his mark on the roster for the Pride with his selections of Erin Greening and Marisa Viggiano in the 2019 NWSL college draft; additionally,the team announced waiving Brazilian defender Poliana after she expressed her desire to return to her homeland and play there.  Not claiming a preferred formation, Skinner will have a few potential formations to tinker with, based on the remaining non-federated players on the Pride roster there currently won’t be enough players to field a starting XI.

It’s not a matter of if Orlando adds more players to the roster, but when those players will be announced. Until then instead of speculating on where specific players will be on the pitch during the World Cup absences, Coach Skinner will need to address the main hurdle which plagued Orlando last year: who in the remaining group of the roster will step up and score goals for the team. The focus will partly turn to both Danica Evans and Rachel Hill. However, if Chioma Ubogagu doesn’t make the roster for England, the Pride could maintain three forward on the attack in a potential 4-3-3. Both Ubogagu and Hill have spent the offseason in the W-League and could find themselves in form from the beginning of the NWSL season barring injuries.

Hill scored five goals while on loan for Perth, and Ubogagu found the back of the net twice. Having Sam Kerr on her team, Rachel was more successful as a distributor providing six assists as well. Chi scored her goals in her role as a poacher putting the ball passed the goalkeeper on second chance opportunities. From the group, Evans is the more pure striker of the group, but hasn’t been able to generate much momentum since her rookie season. Coach Skinner will need to find a way to give Danica an avenue to contribute more. It has yet to be seen if she can handle that role.

The possibility of Ubogagu making the World Cup roster for England is not unlikely, and if Orlando deployed a two striker front line could play into Hill’s playmaking ability for Evans to get herself on the scoresheet during the season. Scoring threats may have to come from the midfield, and the Pride may utilize a variation of a 4-4-2. Also in the W-League, Christine Nairn playing for the Melbourne Victory and contributed four goals to the team’s tally. Orlando managed 30 goals in 2018, which was a significant drop from the league leading 45 goals in 2017. Sydney Leroux was the team’s golden boot with six goals in 2018 while Marta led the team in 2017 with 13 goals.

The new gaffer for the Pride should also be mindful of the 2016 season when Orlando deployed a single striker formation. Back then the team struggled to provide service to Alex Morgan, and she would have to deal with defenders double teaming her without any other consistent scoring options. The Pride managed a meager 20 goals the team’s inaugural season. Kristen Edmonds had a breakout year and led the team with six goals.

Many questions are still needing to be addressed by the first year skipper. However, finding more goal scoring needs to be Skinner’s first priority, as in the brief existence of the team has shown the basic principle that goals cure most issues. If Orlando wants to return to the playoffs in 2019, the Pride will need to have multiple goals scorers where the player who leads the team generate more than six goals and get near double digit production.

4 Winners and 2 Losers from the 2018 NWSL Final

Posted on by RJ Allen

This was a fitting end to an unbelievable season for North Carolina, in a city that has set the gold standard for the future of the game. North Carolina came away 3-0 winners, but there was plenty more to this game than just the final result. Here are four winners and two losers from the game.

Winner: North Carolina Courage

This was a fitting end to an outrageous year from the Courage. After a regular season which destroyed the record books, if anything North Carolina did better in the postseason. Two resounding victories over their closest competition staked their claim as not merely the best team in 2018, but arguably as the best in the history of US women’s professional soccer. This is a squad without weaknesses, who can threaten from any angle, who will close down every play, win every second, third, and fourth ball, and simply make it impossible for the opposition to do anything according to plan. On a day when the Courage didn’t get any particularly outstanding performances from their ‘stars’ (Dunn, Williams, and Mewis—all of whom played well, but did not show anything out of the normal), it made no difference. Because they could rely on Denise O’Sullivan, Jaelene Hinkle, and Jess McDonald to blow off the doors. This is a team with no weaknesses and dozens of strengths, and if there were ever any doubts, they were put permanently to rest today.

Loser: Portland Thorns

This one is relative. Portland lost the game, but not because they played especially poorly. They came in with a game plan, and while it wasn’t executed flawlessly, neither was it badly botched. They looked to move the ball quickly forward, forcing North Carolina to collapse on the point of attack, thus creating space above that line for their more creative players to work. The problem is that they just couldn’t do enough to make the pinpoint long passes that were necessary to instigate the plan. As a result, they struggled to create scoring opportunities. And given the relentless Carolina assault, a few half chances were never going to be enough.  All that said, this really wasn’t a bad performance from Portland. They played well. Just not well enough.

Winner: Jess McDonald

I will admit that I voted for a different Courage player as my MVP, but could not possibly argue with McDonald getting the nod. She scored twice, helped create plenty more chances, and was virtually unplayable for much of the day. With better finishing, she might have had four or five. Her dribbling was exceptional, including several moves in Portland’s box where her dance through a sea of Portland tackles almost seemed choreographed. And her contributions weren’t limited to the offensive side, with some of high pressure doing plenty to disrupt Portland’s possession. McDonald has long been one of the league’s most underrated players, and this game is merely one more in a sea of outstanding performances.

Loser: The Portland fullbacks

Ellie Carpenter will have many big games ahead of her, but this is one that she’ll probably want to forget. She struggled to get involved in the attack, sending plenty of errant passes that resulted in Carolina interceptions, and similarly struggled to contain the Courage left-sided attack. Meanwhile, on the far side, Megan Klingenberg was more involved in the attack, and helped keep Carolina slightly more contained down that flank, but also had something well below her best game. Given the range of their possible attack, Portland desperately needed its wide players to bring their A game. Without consistent threats from their fullbacks, they were stretched too thin, and unable to cover the vacancies into which the Courage players pounced.

Winner: Jaelene Hinkle

Every time she touched the ball, the stadium filled with a chorus of boos, but none of that seemed to phase Jaelene Hinkle, who turned in an inch-perfect performance, sending in crosses on a dime, and bottling up Portland’s right-side attack with ease. Hinkle is one of the keys to North Carolina’s dominance—being able to slot in one of the league’s best creative players at left back exponentially increases the defensive obligations of the opposing side, and that was on clear display today. Without anyone forcing her back, she effectively deputized as a left winger, running rampant up and down the sidelines. I voted for her as player of the match. I have no interest in supporting Hinkle’s politics, but she played a whale of a game.

Winner: The City of Portland

At this point, we’ve run out of superlatives to describe the experience in Portland, and everything feels like a cliché. But when language isn’t up to the task, clichés are all we have left. This game gave me goosebumps, and left me more than a little choked up. The atmosphere at this game was electric—the sort of thing you expect from sports with decades, or centuries, of history. The seats were packed with a sea of red. The crowd was engaged, passionate, and ready to watch a game for the ages. While they didn’t get the result they wanted, the support never wavered. And as the Thorns players circled the stadium clapping their fans after the final whistle, they were greeted with thunderous cheers. It was one of the most powerful moments I’ve ever witnessed in sports. This the future, and it’s up to the rest of us to live up to standards that Portland has set.

Semifinal Preview: North Carolina Courage host Chicago Red Stars … in Portland

Posted on by RJ Allen

On Saturday, the Portland Thorns defeated the Seattle Reign to advance to their second consecutive NWSL Final. The defending NWSL Champions now await the winner of tonight’s contest between the Chicago Red Stars and the North Carolina Courage.

If Chicago advances, it will be the first time Rory Dames gets his team to the championship match. If the North Carolina Courage win, it will be the third consecutive season Paul Riley leads his team (Western New York, 2016 & North Carolina, 2017) all the way to the title game. These two teams have history, so Tuesday night in Portland is guaranteed to be fireworks!

Setting the scene

Last year, Dames and his squad  figured out Riley and the Courage in all three of head-to-heads.  This season, the teams played to a pair of draws, with a Courage win sandwiched between. Of course, the history of the series matters little in a winner or go home semifinal, especially since the back-to-back shield winners will not have home field advantage.

Tonight’s match was originally scheduled for Sunday at Sahlen Stadium in Cary, North Carolina. However, the threat of Hurricane Florence forced a venue change. Both teams will face-off for a spot in the final in Portland, home of the defending champs, and the site of their 2-1 victory over Seattle on Saturday.

Sam Kerr & Company

If Chicago intends to advance, it will need a huge game from Australian striker and two-time Golden Boot winner, Sam Kerr. Of the 38 goals this season, Kerr has scored 16.  The next highest total belongs to Alyssa Mautz (five), followed by Yuki Nagasato (Four).  No other Chicago player has scored more than two goals on the season. Defensively, the Red Stars have let up 28 goals this season. Starting keeper Alyssa Naeher has seven clean sheets in 22 starts with Chicago.

There is no getting around the fact that Kerr is the main target—for Chicago to feed and North Carolina to stop. Despite having no NWSL playoff experience, she is up to the task. “I think as forward we kind of struggle with … if you don’t score you don’t have a good game.  I’ve tried to learn over the last few years that it’s not necessarily the case.” Her skill and ignorance to the pang of defeat in the past several years may work to her teams advantage.  Yet, so too may the vivid memory of the past. 

Veterans like Naeher and defender Julie Ertz carry in spades. Both remember the sting of the 89th minute goal by Denise O’Sullivan which deflected off Ertz and beyond the react of her teammate for club and country.

The year before, Francisca Ordega broke a 1-1 draw in the 11th minute to send the Washington Spirit to the final against the Western New York Flash (now the NC Courage).  Western NY went on to win the final in penalty kicks.  For 10 players on the North Carolina roster, this is their third-straight finals appearance, adding crucial playoff experience to an already dominant team. 

Nevertheless, Dames and his squad are ready to turn the pages of history in their favor. “You want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best,” Red Stars head coach told the media last week. “North Carolina is the tip of the sword. So we’re excited to see what we can do against them.”

The Greatest NWSL Team Ever?

Sure, the above could be a statement, but will anything short of a title diminish the legacy of this North Carolina team? No NWSL team has had a better record, ever! At 17-1-6 this season, the Courage hold the league record in wins, fewest losses, most points (57), lowest goals against average (.71), and largest goal differential (+36).

Where Chicago has one out-of-this-world offensive threat in Kerr, the Courage have multiple scorers. To begin, 2016 Golden Boot winner Lynn Williams has 14 goals and 5 assists for North Carolina in 21 games played. She and Jessica McDonald, the team leader in assists (8) are known as the “Twin Towers”.  They stand at 5’7″ and 6’0″, respectively and offer a perfect balance of speed, size, and physicality to keep defenders on their toes.

The smaller but equally as dangerous (Tiny Terrors?) Debinha and Crystal Dunn each have eight goals for the Courage this season. At 5’2″ and 5’1″, respectively, the pair are devilishly fast and powerful. The formula has worked for the Courage as of late, but will be enough to bring home the second title in three years?

Well, first there is Chicago. Defensively, the Courage roster contains the league leader in minutes played (Abby Erceg) and assists (Jessica McDonald). The Courage also have four players and head coach Paul Riley  nominated for end-of-season awards.  The Courage will however be without the services of MVP Candidate McCall Zerbroni, who suffered a broken elbow while with the U.S National Team.

Unfortunately, injuries are nothing new for North Carolina this season. Between injuries and national team duties, the Courage have manipulated their starting XI multiple times. No doubt, they are hoping the growing pains from earlier in the season will allow them to take the uncertainties of the postseason in stride. “We’ve been pretty consistent I think what’s important for us. We haven’t really had a downturn during the season where we’ve been struggling and lost our form,” said Riley on last week’s media call. 

“Due to that, I think we like our chances.”

You can catch the second semifinals game between the North Carolina Courage and the Chicago Red Stars live on ESPNews at 9:00 p.m ET.

 

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances in Weeks 23 and 24

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week.

The 2018 NWSL season has come to an end. After an exciting playoff race that was often too close to call, we finally have our final four. And in the last two weeks of action, the matchups did not disappoint. These were the weeks of the home team, where only the Washington Spirit were denied a win for the home fans (they settled for a draw).  Sky Blue earned their first win of the season in their final game against the Orlando Pride. The North Carolina Courage scored five goals in a thrashing of the Houston Dash that broke all sorts of NWSL records. And at Providence Park on Friday night, the Cascadia rivalry added another stunning chapter. Here is a full breakdown of the scores from Weeks 23 and 24:

Washington Spirit vs. Sky Blue (1-1)

Chicago Red Stars vs. Sky Blue (5-0)

Portland Thorns vs. Seattle Reign (3-1)

Sky Blue vs. Orlando Pride (1-0)

Utah Royals vs. Chicago Red Stars (2-1)

North Carolina Courage vs. Houston Dash (5-0)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Nicole Barnhart— The Utah Royals were so close to making the playoffs in their inaugural season, but missed the mark by just two points. While their final game against the Chicago Red Stars was purely playing for pride, pride is something the Royals were interested in. What better way to send off home fans than by beating the team that topped you in the playoff race? Barnhart played a critical role in earning this win for the Royals. She faced 14 shots from the Chicago Red Stars and made seven saves. In the first half, Chicago dominated the offensive opportunities. With the exception of Kerr’s goal in the 39th minute, Barnhart was generally able to read the Chicago offense and stop their attack. Her best save came in the 40th minute, right after Kerr’s goal. Nagasato took a shot, and Barnhart got her fingertips to it, pushing the ball up and over the net.

2. Kailen Sheridan— Sky Blue had a tough schedule this week. And I understand that some will say Sheridan shouldn’t be on this list after allowing five goals against Chicago on Tuesday night, regardless of what she did in the other games. But I think Sheridan’s other performances are worth looking at, particularly her performance in the win over Orlando. Sheridan faced 20 shots from the Orlando offense and made six saves. She had help from her defenders, particularly Dominique Richardson and Erica Skroski, but she made some critical saves to earn the clean sheet. In the 10th minute, Sydney Leroux passed a ball to Alex Morgan, who got behind the defenders. Sheridan made the decision to come out, and was able to stop Morgan from getting her shot off. In a similar play in the 42nd minute, Leroux got behind the defenders and Sheridan made the decision to come out. Leroux launched her shot, but Sheridan deflected it, and it was collected by the Sky Blue defense.

3. Aubrey Bledsoe— In the Spirit’s match against Sky Blue, Bledsoe officially broke the NWSL record for most saves in a single season. Bledsoe finished the season with 108 saves and just four shutouts. She faced 20 shots and tallied five saves against the Sky Blue offense. It didn’t take long before she was challenged— in the 5th minute, she had to make a diving save off a shot from Madison Tiernan. At the start of the second half, she made another diving save off a shot from Shea Groom. It’s worth noting that Bledsoe’s opponent in goal, Kailen Sheridan, finished the season just one save below her at 107.

Top Three Defenders

1. Erica Skroski— It was a busy week for Sky Blue, but despite their exhaustion, they did not give up the battle to earn their first win in the final match of the season. They did find that win, thanks to a late goal from Carli Lloyd. But it was also thanks to some excellent defending, particularly from Skroski. Skroski provided excellent coverage of Alex Morgan, preventing the stellar forward from scoring on more than one occasion. Her first block came in the 10th minute, when a beautiful ball came into the final third for Morgan. Skroski ran with the forward, and stuck her leg out when Morgan took her shot. When Morgan tried to recover possession, Skroski jumped up and tapped the ball forward to her teammate, who cleared it out. Nearly the same play occurred in the 63rd minute, where again Morgan was sent in a long ball and again Skroski was able to stick her leg out and gain possession. Skroski finished the game with seven clearances, two tackles, and one block.

2. Abby Erceg— The North Carolina Courage have already won the Shield and punched their ticket to the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. But in their last match of the season, they were aiming to set records. Team Captain Abby Erceg helped them do that. She started the game with an assist on Jess McDonald’s goal in the 13th minute, the first of the night for the Courage. But she shined on the other side of the pitch, where she played a key role in earning the Courage their 11th shutout of the season. In the ninth minute, Sofia Huerta charged down the field, looking to spark the Houston offense. But Erceg came in with a sliding tackle. In the 15th minute, Houston again tried to get things going up front with Veronica Latsko, but Erceg was able to get the takeaway. Houston’s offense has definitely clicked, especially in the later half of the season, but any time they were able to get going, Erceg and her fellow defenders were there to shut it down.

3. Emily Menges— The Portland Thorns needed to win this match to secure home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, and the defense was a factor at both ends of the pitch. After getting a bit rattled by the early goal from Jess Fishlock, the Portland defense locked in and kept Seattle out of the net. Menges played a critical role defensively, alongside Emily Sonnett. She had 47 touches and two tackles on the night.

Top Three Attackers

1. Sam Kerr— The Red Stars had some work to do in these last couple of weeks if they wanted to make the playoffs, and they got the job done. First, the Chicago Red Stars faced Sky Blue at home. Sky Blue was playing their second game in 48 hours, after a rain delay in Washington DC on Saturday night led to a Sunday morning match between the Spirit and Sky Blue. Chicago was able to take advantage of their exhaustion, scoring five goals in their win. Amongst those goals was Sam Kerr, who earned the team’s 3rd goal of the night in the 64th minute. Brooke Elby sent a ball into the box and Kerr was able to get her head on it. Sheridan dived to make the save, but the shot was too strong, and the ball bounced off her hand and into the back of the net. Kerr earned an assist on the next goal. After Gilliland sent a ball into box, Kerr was able to send it over to Rosie White, who slipped past the defenders and sent it into the back of the net. Chicago’s second match in these weeks was on the road against the Utah Royals. The lone goal for Chicago came from Sam Kerr in the 39th minute— a stunning header where Kerr actually seemed to hang in the air, waiting for the ball. Kerr took a total of 14 shots between the two games and finished the season with 16 goals, enough to win her the 2018 NWSL Golden Boot.

2. Lindsay Horan— The narrative couldn’t have been better. Under the Friday night lights, the Portland Thorns needed a win to claim the No. 2 spot on the table and earn homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Their opponents? The Seattle Reign, their biggest rivals. The Reign have been a fantastic team this season, and they went up early in the match, but the Thorns weren’t intimidated. The Great Lindsay Horan made sure they came out on top. Her first goal came in the 30th minute. Midge Purce sent a ball across to Sinclair, but Sinclair was tripped up. The ball rolled out of the box to the feet of Horan, who launched a rocket into the top corner. The Thorns took the lead early in the second half, courtesy of Tobin Heath, but the rest of the match remained tense as Seattle sought their equalizer. Horan put those thoughts to bed in the 82nd minute. Heath took the corner kick and Horan got her head to it, sending the ball into the top corner. The Thorns now have homefield advantage in the semi-final and host the championship, a huge advantage in Portland.

3. Lynn Williams— One of the many records the Courage broke this week was the most goals in a single season. They needed to score three goals to break the record, but always the overachievers, they scored five. Two of those goals came from Lynn Williams. Her first goal came at the end of the first half. Jess McDonald split the defenders, sending the ball to Williams. Williams was covered by Lindsay Agnew, but she was able to cut back and send the ball past Sheridan for the Courage’s third goal of the game. Williams also got the 4th goal of the match, in the 57th minute. McDonald sent the ball into the box, and Williams tapped it into the bottom corner. Williams finished the season with 14 goals, just two behind Golden Boot winner Sam Kerr.

The NWSL Weather Woes: Playoff Edition

Posted on by RJ Allen

The National Women’s Soccer League 2018 season will be remembered for the extremes of the standings with the dominance of the North Carolina Courage and the woes in New Jersey both on and off the field with Sky Blue FC. Among the lesser stories which will be nothing more than footnotes in the season, will be the impact of the weather in the season.

Unlike the increased risk of heat which had to be dealt with in 2017 by the league with a change to the extreme heat policy and hydration breaks mid-season, this year the league’s weather bone of contention was lighting delays. Multiple matches throughout the season had to be rescheduled, most notably was Sky Blue’s match against the Washington Spirit on Sunday, September 2nd which caused the side from the Garden State to play the Chicago Red Stars the very next Tuesday with less than 48-hours of rest.

Fast forward to the star of the post season and the playoff games scheduled for this weekend where North Carolina is scheduled to host Chicago in the second playoff game on Sunday, September 16.

However, the league is going to face a unique weather related situation, Hurricane Florence is projected on making landfall as a major hurricane somewhere along the coast in the days leading up to the match. The same time the Red Stars will be looking to fly in to North Carolina and the same time fans will be looking to head toward Cary. 

The Saffir-Simpson scale is a wind rating from category one, being the weakest, to category five, the strongest winds causing catastrophic damage. A major hurricane would be a category three or higher. The current projections put Hurricane Florence at a category four. 

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Several factors to consider is this storm will bring a large amount of rain to the area, and potentially flooding to parts of the state. Tornadoes can potentially occur even several hundred miles away from the center of the hurricane. This isn’t going to be an ideal situation to host a playoff game even with Cary being much further inland that it would be spared much of the initial impacts.

The league should already be working on getting ahead of the situation since the threat is real even with the high level of uncertainty.  Last season, the league moved up the game in Orlando from Saturday to Thursday when the Pride hosted Seattle due to Hurricane Irma. The NWSL could do this as well, but since it is a scheduled televised game that may not work out. That option may be too soon, and not logistically wise since the storm would arrive by the end of the week which could push up the Courage playoff game too early for anyone to travel into North Carolina. Additionally, the teams would have to leave quickly, so they wouldn’t feel the impact of Florence.

The North Carolina Courage have issued a statement advising they are monitoring the situation. 

The North Carolina Football Club is closely monitoring the forecast for Hurricane Florence related to potential impacts on the upcoming home NC Courage NWSL Semifinal on Sunday September 16, as well as travel for NCFC as they visit Penn FC on Sunday evening.

Specific to the NC Courage NWSL Semifinal against the Chicago Red Stars on Sunday, September 16 at 3:00 p.m., at Shalen’s Stadium,  the club is in contact with the League and the visiting team. The safety and well-being of fans, players and event staff is the club’s priority.

Any updates will be posted on NorthCarolinaFC.com and NCCourage.com, as well as shared with fans via email, social media and other communications channels. 

The NWSL needs to act swiftly by coordinating with both teams to move the venue for the playoff game to Chicago or a neutral city since the Chicago Fire will actually host Orlando City on Sunday at Toyota Park.. It will be an unfortunate situation since this will impact attendance and cause North Carolina to travel when they have obviously earned the right to host the playoff match. The prospect for this situation to create another black eye for the league is extremely likely especially if it doesn’t get ahead of this possible weather woe.