Category: Opinion

The NWSL International Player Power Rankings

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL has some truly outstanding international soccer talent rostered on the nine current teams in the league.

We are all incredibly lucky to be able to watch some of the best in the world, week in and week out in this league. You have five time FIFA Women’s Player of the Year, Marta, playing in Orlando. Women’s World Cup winner, Nahomi Kawasumi, putting in crosses for Seattle. The former New Zealand captain and Olympian Abby Erceg defending the goal in North Carolina.

One evening I was talking with a friend about Kim Little and the impact she had on the league. After the conversation ended, I started to think about the wealth of talent in the NWSL and the players who have come and gone in the league. We often talk about the NWSL as a training round for the future of the USWNT but other countries have sent us their best and brightest and reaped the benefits for themselves.

I came up with my own ranking. But I wanted to see if my thoughts held up so I then reached out to the masses of the internet to get their feeling on who should be ranked where.

I set forward the criteria as 1) The players impact on the league while playing, 2) Their impact on the league after they left, if they are no longer playing in the league, 3) Their personal awards (MVP, Best XI, ect) and if they have any 4) NWSL titles.

What follows is a list of the power rankings (based on votes) of the greatest international players the NWSL has seen in it’s six year history.

The French midfielder was an impactful player from the get-go, on a team that was full of impactful players. She played just over 30 games for the Thorns before heading back to Europe but having the 2015 Silver Ball winner in the league did bring a little elevation to the league.

While her time with the English women’s national team has been choppy as of late, the English forward has been one of the true bright spots in Houston. Playing in both the attack and the defense for Houston has kept them much more alive this season than they were expected to be the first week of the season.

While the focus has largely been on the American World Cup winners in the last few years, it should not be understated that Naho has shown just why she has a World Cup winner’s medal at home. Her two stints on the Seattle Reign have shown her ability to cross the ball on to a player’s head or foot with astonishing ability.

Stories like Nadim’s go far past just a feel good sports story. During her time in the NWSL, Nadim brought into focus a world many here in the US didn’t often think about in terms of the human element. She was also a PK champion during her time for Sky Blue FC and Portland.

Angerer was a solid goalkeeper during her years for the Thorns. But it is maybe her impact on the league as the Thorns goalkeeping coach that puts her as high on this list as she is. Her work with the goalkeeping unit in Portland has shown just how impactful a coach can be.

Abby Erceg may go down as one of the best, if not the best, non-federated defenders in NWSL history when all is said and done. On top of her work in the NWSL, highlighting the New Zealand federation’s lack of support for their women’s national team has, hopefully, helped make things better for her fellow Kiwi’s.

Marta brings a legitimacy to whatever team and league she is on. There is no way of getting around that fact. Her name on a roster might mean more in terms of marketing dollars than nearly any other name in women’s soccer. She might be a step or two slower than a decade ago, but she still makes magic happen when she touches the ball.

If you look at the list of top goal scorers in NWSL history, Little still finds herself near the top. Even being out of the NWSL, she still has left her mark on the league in the history she helped create. It was Little who Kerr had to pass for the scoring record (more on Kerr in a minute). It was Little who Rapinoe had to pass for the Seattle scoring record. She might be gone but her name still lives on in the league’s records.

Jess Fishlock makes every player around her better. She makes a mark, cleat or otherwise, on every game she plays in. And when she is in the match, other teams have to pay attention to her in ways that few other players command. She has scored game winners, assisted them and brought to Seattle two NWSL Shields.

What is there to say about Sam Kerr? She owns the single season scoring record, and the most goals in NWSL history. Kerr nearly brought Sky Blue FC to the 2017 playoffs behind some of the most brilliant moments the season had to offer, including a four goal game against two time NWSL Champions FC Kansas City. Sam Kerr will go down among the all time greats of the league and is on pace to do so for the sport at large. 

Forecast for the Orlando Pride: Gray Skies Ahead

Posted on by RJ Allen

The Orlando Pride started its three-match homestand with a frustrating draw with the Seattle Reign. Both teams were missing key players this match due to national team duty: Alex Morgan and Ashlyn Harris for Orlando, and Megan Rapinoe and Allie Long for Seattle. The hosts may rue this performance which saw 17 fouls called against them versus four on the visitors while being out-shot, out-possessed, and out-passed. Now Coach Tom Sermanni will need to prepare his squad for Orlando’s next match on August 5 against Sky Blue FC.

After all the league results, the Pride sit in fourth surrounded by teams with a game in hand. Realistically, Orlando has a favorable schedule with three of the last five at home and squaring off twice with winless Sky Blue. Statistical prediction website, FiveThirtyEight puts the Pride’s chances of making the playoffs at 63% favored in both matches against Sky Blue, as well as the Chicago match. Orlando tallied 40 points in the 2017 season, and if the Pride want to match that the team will have to find a way to earn 11 more points. Additionally, if Orlando wants to host a playoff game, Sermanni’s side will need to hope teams like Utah, Houston, and Chicago play spoiler to keep the Reign within reach. This series of fortunate events doesn’t appear likely as I predict Seattle will finish the regular season with 41 by capturing 11 points from six matches.

Tied in points with the Pride at 29 are the Portland Thorns, who hold the tiebreaker due to goal differential. While Portland face several challenging matches, visiting North Carolina and Orlando, the Thorns also host Sky Blue and Chicago and can earn a result against the Washington Spirit and Seattle. Based on the schedule, the standings will continue the trend of teams being tightly packed. I expect the Thorns to come away with 11 points by the end of the season and end with 40 points.

One point behind Orlando sit the Chicago Red Stars with 28 points. The Red Stars have the hardest road to the playoffs. Chicago will host Sky Blue, but afterward face the Courage, Reign, Thorns, and Pride while closing the season against the Royals. Fans of Chicago will say the team playing teams currently ahead of them in the standings can be six-point swing matches because the Red Stars will be able to close the gap to make the playoffs. I don’t hold the same faith as Chicago supporters. I predict the Chicago Red Stars finish with 33 points after only adding five points the rest of the way.

The gridlock in the standings will remain that way. On the outside looking in will be the first year side, Utah Royals finishing with 34 points, and the Houston Dash, who were the bane of the Orlando Pride under first-year coach Vera Pauw, with 33 points. Both teams may be disappointed not to make the playoffs, but in actuality should be commended as each team had its share of injuries to key players they couldn’t completely overcome. Laura Harvey’s side will look back at the numerous times it drew an opponent, while Houston’s slow start this year was what ultimately doomed the squad’s playoff hopes. 

An area of concern for the Pride has to be the offense which has been missing in 2018; the flow of the offense has been choppy and inconsistent. If the team can match the 12 goals from last season in the last stretch, it would only manage 39 goals.  As Coach Sermanni stated after the home match versus Seattle, “What we haven’t done well enough this year is actually finish the chances and finish them when we’ve been on top of the game. So, I think that probably is as much to blame as anything.”

Ultimately, the Orlando Pride will not equal last season’s point total falling short with 37 points, but still good enough for a fourth place finish. However, it’s worth noting the Pride have missed opportunities at home where the only way to match last year’s win total of six at Orlando City Stadium is by winning out against Sky Blue, Portland, and Chicago. In 2017, the Pride scored 12 goals in its last five games finishing up with 45 goals and a +14 goal differential. Orlando is a flawed team trying to make playoffs again, and the home stretch is going to be nerve wrecking for the Pride. The best outcome I can see at the end of the season is a trip to North Carolina for the first round playoffs. Brace yourselves.  

It’s Time for Sky Blue to Start Making Concrete Promises

Posted on by RJ Allen

The last two offseasons have seen considerable movement among NWSL franchises, with Western New York relocating to North Carolina, FC Kansas City being replaced by the Utah Royals, and the Boston Breakers folding suddenly in early 2018.

All this movement has generated some persistent chatter about the status of other franchises, with Sky Blue FC being regularly mentioned as a spot of concern. Compared to many of the other NWSL teams, Sky Blue offers a far less impressive support infrastructure for its players and a less impressive gameday experience for its fans. With discussions swirling about raised standards, there have long been low-level conversations about whether (and how) they might work to raise their standards.

Things finally came to a head this weekend, however, with the the instigating event being a postgame interview with Sam Kerr. Asked about her feelings coming back to play her former club, Kerr provided a heartfelt and plaintive comment, as reported by Dan Lauletta:

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These are not new issues, but one of the world’s best players raising the topic—and doing so in this way, more in sadness than in anger—has turned on the spotlight. Additional fuel was then added to the fire when the Cloud 9 supporters group released their own statement building off Kerr’s comments:

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Neither Kerr’s comments, nor the statement from Cloud 9, name any specific goals. The list of potential improvements is long, however, and speaks to the continuing disparity between franchises in a league where the average player barely makes a minimum wage salary. In that context, additional support—housing, modern training and matchday facilities, job opportunities, transportation, etc.—make an enormous difference in quality of life. Compare the experience at Portland, Utah, or Chicago to those at Sky Blue, for example, and it’s not difficult to understand why Kerr wanted to leave.

Obviously, every team is different, and faces different conditions. Not every team can offer what Portland provides. But there absolutely must be minimal standards, and they need to be significantly higher than what is currently offered by some teams—with Sky Blue certainly being on the list.

What’s more, even if conditions differ, we shouldn’t drift into fatalism. Portland is able to offer so much more largely because they have committed to building an organization and infrastructure capable of doing so. They have built a fanbase capable of sustaining those operations, and have redoubled their investments to continue making improvements. This process isn’t easy, but we also shouldn’t accept the idea that Portland is simply an outlier. Every NWSL team should strive to treat their players like the professionals they are. And if they can’t, serious external pressure will be needed to enforce those standards.

The pressure generated by Kerr and Cloud 9 does seem to have lit a fire, with Sky Blue releasing a statement yesterday morning promising improvements.

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This is an important step, but it’s notable just how little actual substance there is to this statement. Kerr and Cloud 9 spoke vaguely, and for good reason, but the club itself needs to start getting specific.

Sky Blue says that they are committed to “doing better.” Unless that involves making concrete and specific promises, sooner rather than later, that commitment is going to ring hollow. If they are serious about being held accountable, that means setting benchmarks against which their actions can be measured.

Change doesn’t come easily, particularly when it comes to issues as grounded as stadium infrastructure, but without something more definite, it will be hard to take this statement as anything other than an attempt to escape from a PR disaster, rather than a genuine invitation to collaboration.

This is a club with a rich history. It’s been an integral part of women’s professional soccer in this country, and no one is hoping to see them disappear. But as league standards continue to improve, Sky Blue’s position in the league is growing more and more untenable. It’s time for them to professionalize and modernize. If the investments necessary to make that happen aren’t forthcoming, it will be time to start asking whether it might be time to explore relocation.

The players deserve better. So do the fans. For all their sake, it’s time for Sky Blue to show that they’re listening, and that they’re willing to do more than just keep scraping by.

NWSL Week 13: A Tweetstorm Review

Posted on by RJ Allen

Hey guys welcome to our second Tweetstorm Review. We’ve had a lot of games, a lot of goals, and a few milestone so lets get started.

Houston 1, Portland 3

It was a hot game in Houston as Sinclair made her 100th NWSL appearance and fans were eager to get the chance to see ‘new’ players return to the rosters.

It took only nine minutes for Tobin Heath to break through Houston’s backline and score the games first goal.

Three minutes later, one of the newest Dash members, Sofia Huerta leveled the game at one.

However that was about the last Dash highlight of the night as Portland ran away with it 3-1.

Seattle 1, North Carolina 4

Many wondered how North Carolina would play after losing their first game of the season the week before, the answer: very well.  In the first battle of Williams v Williams, Lydia Williams came out victorious.

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Megan Rapinoe, who had a strong performance for the Reign, helped give Seattle their first and only lead of the game with an assist off a free kick.

During the game, McCall Zerboni became the first NWSL player to play 10,000 minutes.

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The tide turned for the Reign as Lynn Williams had redemption from her earlier saved PK.

The Courage would go on to score 3 more.

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Washington 0, Orlando 1

In the 11th minute Alanna Kennedy scored what could end up being the most impressive goal of the year in the NWSL.

Washington continued to struggle throughout the game.

With talented players on the roster, it’ll be interesting to see how things may change for the Spirit moving forward.

Chicago 2, Utah 0

With Christen Press returning to the NWSL this game was highly anticipated. Press ultimately didn’t end up lacing them up for Utah, but the points up for grabs were important for both teams.

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Morgan Brian, who was originally listed in the starting XI, ended up being switched out last minute – and ultimately was pulled from the available subs leaving the commentators and fans wondering why.

Abby Smith was shaken up on the first goal of the game, but was ultimately able to stay and finish the game out.

Vanessa DiBernardo scored the second goal for the Red Stars.

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Overall, it was not the game Utah was hoping to have. With this win Chicago bumps into the 5th spot with Utah in the 6th.

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The results next week could really shake up the table. Make sure to watch and tweet along with the games!

Are the North Carolina Courage Bad for Women’s Soccer?

Posted on by RJ Allen

No, they aren’t.

The North Carolina Courage are not “killing the NWSL” nor are they “turning the NWSL into the French women’s league”. For some reason people ask because when they see a women’s team doing better than anyone else in their league or conference or sport, it’s the first question that apparently springs to their minds.

But I ask you, how could a team made up of solid players who work well together under a coach who believes in his team with the fervent veracity of a game show host mixed with a motivational speaker be bad for a league or the sport overall?

In a league where the last place team has two points in eleven matches, the second to last place team has ten points in fourteen matches, somehow it is the top (junkyard) dog that is being asked “why can’t you just suck a little bit more so the other teams aren’t blown away quite so much”.

Right now the North Carolina Courage are dominating the league. 33 points in 14 matches is a record that will grab people’s attention even if they know nothing about the league or even soccer. Dropping just nine points over 14 games is something the Courage should be lauded for, not chided as someone breaking the league or the sport.

And while the Courage are dominating the league, teams two through six are all within five points of each other. Orlando with 22 points; Seattle, Portland and Chicago with 19 points; and Utah with 17 points are all still very much alive as the season hits the other side of halfway. This is the best time of the season. The teams have made the majority of their trades, players are in peak form and matches are starting to really become important when tiebreakers are so critical. But with 33 points the Courage draw the eye of the casual fan – or those looking for a reason to deride the league – as a problem for the rest of the league.

And if the North Carolina Courage had 33 points while the rest of the league drew each other to keep everyone else’s points low, or the Courage blew every team out 7-0 while playing like the Harlem Globetrotters of the NWSL, then yes, the league would have a problem. But the league playoff race is still very much competitive and the Courage are more likely to beat you 1-0 than 7-0. They are a team that wears you down and can beat you in any way that you give them the opening to do. They are not a super team bought and paid for the way some European teams are. They aren’t even the team with the most international players on the roster.

The NWSL has a lot of great stories in it. Using your mental energy to breakdown why Sky Blue or Washington have been outliers toward the negative this year is a better use of your time. Looking at the way players like Morgan or Press can change the league in mega-trades that effect half the league all at once is a better use of your time. Pondering the players Jill Ellis would never call up but should is even a better use of your time.

But thinking to yourself that a team who have drafted well, invested in players that other teams benched, while relying on experienced vets who are able to preform for a coach who believes every single player on his roster could be a superstar for their national team if they just got a shot is a really bad use of your time. 

NWSL Week 12: A Tweetstorm Review

Posted on by RJ Allen

An NWSL Gameday means quality games and quality tweets. Whether they’re updates, gifs, hot takes, or highlights the NWSL and its fans have you covered. Each week we’ll be taking some of the best tweets to review the game, so make sure you’re tweeting you might just find yourself in the next piece.

With a hectic day of games was summed up pretty well here.

Overlapping matches made it hard to catch all the action live and with score updates during games, getting through one without any spoilers from the commentators was nearly impossible.

Washington 0, Seattle 0

To start things off we go to Washington where Aubrey Bledsoe had herself a game and Rose Lavelle made her first start of the season.

In the battle of Rapinoe v Bledsoe, Bledsoe came out on top.

Though Washington had some of the better play throughout the game, they were unable to capitalize and the score ended zero all.  However, with Lavelle walking off with a limp after the match Washington, and possibly the USWNT, may have bigger problems than a draw.

North Carolina 0, Utah 1

Utah traveled to Wakemed Soccer Park and put an end to the Courage’s winning streak.

Brittany Ratcliffe waited until the last minute to collect a free kick, turn and fire in a stunner to give Utah the win.

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Chicago 1, Portland 1

Chicago and Portland started with the announcement of players being out of the lineup due to impending trades.

As far as announcing is concerned, Charles is still waiting for them to read his piece. As a public service announcement it is ok to say a player isn’t doing well, or made a poor pass.

Chicago were first to score off a rebound from a PK, but were unable to hold the lead very long with Portland scoring just minutes later.

Horan had the goal for the Thorns, but after collecting her fifth yellow card of the season she’ll have to sit out in their next match.

New Jersey 2, Orlando 3

If the lack of goals in the earlier matches had you down, New Jersey and Orlando had you covered, albeit mostly due to questionable defense from both teams.

Backline Chat: USWNT Friendlies, the Men’s World Cup, and Back to the NWSL

Posted on by RJ Allen

Charles Olney (@olneyce): Alright, welcome to our slack chat for this week. Today we’re going to start with the US national team, who just finished up a pair of friendlies against China. How do people think it went?

For what it’s worth, my general takeaway is: the US still isn’t playing great, but two more wins against solid competition sure sounds a lot better than two draws or two losses.

RJ Allen (@TheSoccerCritic): I think it’s harder to say than people might want it to be because of who was out for the US. Not having maybe 5 starters/starters coming back from being hurt really makes it muddy as to what are really issues. I will say it does show how poor Ellis can be at game planning though.

Allison Cary (@findingallison): Yeah, I thought they were lucky to get the win yesterday. But they did get the win, so I guess that counts for something.

Charles Olney: Why do you say lucky to get the win, Allison? Because of the save from Harris, or a more general comment?

Allison Cary: It wasn’t far off from being a draw. I guess that was more my point. Both with China equalizing in the second half and nearly equalizing again had Harris not made that save.

Charles Olney: To my eyes, they were totally dominant in the first half, and should have had a two-goal margin (I think Ertz’s goal was onside). They struggled more in the second half, for sure. I’d say it was a pretty classic USWNT performance–good enough for the win, but not a whole lot more.

Allison Cary: Yeah, I think they generally looked like the better side in the first half. But then not finishing those chances… I mean, it doesn’t mean much to say I thought they played better if they can’t score.

(This coming from a bitter France fan).

RJ Allen: How much is “totally dominant” worth when they weren’t on the scoreboard though? I agree the US was the better side – though maybe by not as much as you do – but for most of the time it was a 1 goal or draw game.

Charles Olney: Well, like I said I think they should have been up 2-0. But this does sort of get at the larger question I wanted to ask.

I spent some time on twitter this week hyping up the US. Now admittedly that’s partly just me making the argument for the sake of making the argument, but I do think that expectations are sometimes set a little too high. So let me ask it this way: who do you think are favorites to win the World Cup?

Allison Cary: I think England is in a good position to go far.

RJ Allen: Right now my top 4 are US, England, Aussies and France.

Allison Cary: I’m a bit surprised by France, but otherwise I agree.

RJ Allen: They are at home. That gives them a boost for me.

Allison Cary: Yeah, I think they’ve hurt me too many times for me to have faith. But I hope you’re right.

Charles Olney: I think that’s a fair top 4. And I’d have a hard time drawing a clear line between those, or to exclude Germany, the Netherlands, etc. Which I think really just shows that things are pretty close at the top of the game right now. But all things being equal, it’s hard for me to say that anyone is in a MORE favorable position than the US.

Which isn’t to say that there isn’t plenty of reasons for concern about the US. But I think people need to calibrate their expectations. This is a good team, quite possibly the favorite, even accounting for their limitations.

Luis Hernandez (@radioactivclown): I’m okay with the WNT performance. Championship caliber teams find ways to win. Was it ideal? Not even close but I think there’s a lot to take away and hopefully Jill improves the squad. I was also happy to see the team get tested in a friendly. I think the team is in good position heading into the World Cup. Favored but not a favorite.

RJ Allen: The US has a lot of champagne problems and one or two big ones. The problem is people confusing the two.

Charles Olney: So let’s dial in a little before we move on. What do you see as the big problems?

RJ Allen: Morgan vs Press vs (Insert forward of your choice here) is not a real problem.

Charles Olney: I agree that the forwards just aren’t a ‘problem’ in any meaningful sense of the term. Whoever is in form this time next year is going to be one of the best strikers in the world. If it’s Morgan, great. If it’s Press, awesome. If it’s Pugh and Rapinoe, wonderful. If it’s Amy Rodriguez, amazing.

Alanna Fairbairn (@jfhobbit): I see the lack of defensive depth as being the biggest problem.

RJ Allen: I think the outside back area and maybe center midfield are the biggest problems right now. The outside backs are all hurt so Ellis is using players there that she shouldn’t and not calling up those she should. And center midfield just feels like a lack of something. An ill-fitting connection might be the best way to put it.

Charles Olney: I’d say the US’s biggest problem over the past few years has been sorting out the midfield, but would say that the issues are starting to shift backward a bit. Mostly because I’ve decided to just accept that the US isn’t going to get the sort of midfield play that I really want from them. And in that case, the group of Mewis, Ertz, Brian, Zerboni, etc. is going to ensure that we make it difficult for the other team, even if we don’t necessarily generate a ton through the center either. But that puts a lot on the fullbacks, so that really feels like the crisis point

RJ Allen: I think it was Kim McCauley who said on Twitter – maybe joking – the US should lean in the being assholes on the pitch and I’m not sure she is wrong. The US has players who can dominate and sometimes I really think they shy away from that for some reason that doesn’t benefit the team. Horan, Zerboni, O’Hara and even Morgan – among others – have the talent and the style about them that can bend teams to their will a lot more than they sometimes do.

Charles Olney: It’s a strange place for the team, which was supposedly spending the past few years developing and improving technically. We haven’t really seen much in the way of results there. But I sometimes wonder if that was just a big waste of time to even discuss.

RJ Allen: You really want to throw a team off? Like Horan, Zerboni, O’Hara and Morgan make them pay – within the laws of the game – and a lot of teams would get rattled. They half do it anyway.

Charles Olney: One final comment I’ll throw out is that I thought the second game showed a (relatively rare) example of Ellis tweaking things slightly to get good results. The setup in the first half wasn’t all that different from the previous game, but the midfield pinching in aggressively forced China to stay compact, and then Dunn on the left and Press on the right had tons of space to work. And it was pretty successful!

I think that’s a big thing to watch going forward. Now that we’re actually getting close to real games, will Ellis the tinkerer be able to plug a few holes here and there, even if she’s never going to fundamentally outwit anyone tactically.

RJ Allen: Ellis is a fine coach. She is fine. Like dry toast. She isn’t your favorite and she isn’t horrible.

Charles Olney: I’d say that’s fair.

Allison Cary: “Like dry toast” is honestly just the best comparison.

Luis Hernandex: I’m not fond of the tactics the WNT employs at times and I put that on the coach. To me that’s the biggest problem. I’m just convinced Jill is gone after the World Cup. I’d also like the US to better develop fullbacks. I’d also like to see us develop a true number 10. So yeah youth development? Even though we just had the U-17 win the CONCACAF tournament.

Charles Olney: Alright, so we can set the national team aside for a bit. They won’t be back until the Tournament of Nations, and we can devote our attention elsewhere. Mostly to the NWSL, but there’s also another big event going on this summer that I think we should touch on at least for a moment here: the men’s World Cup.

It’s the biggest event in world sports, and while we focus on women’s soccer, obviously, I’m guessing that some of us will have at least an eye on it.

So: who will be watching?

Alanna Fairbairn: I will be, when I’m not out of town and easy streaming range. I’m nominally rooting for Iceland because I love a good underdog story

RJ Allen: I would like Iceland to win because their men’s and women’s coaches help each out during majors and I think that’s the coolest thing.

Allison Cary: I’m excited about it. Especially being in England, and London specifically. It’ll be really cool to see how the people here get into it.

Charles Olney: For myself, it’s going to be a strange experience. I think I watched 90% or more of the games in the last four cups, but I’m pretty much checking out of this one. I’m just beyond sick of FIFA’s corruption, and while the Qatar cup is the true moral travesty, Russia is hardly a great place to plant your flag, either. So I’m going to grudgingly watch a few matches here and there, but mostly trying to just let it slide past.

I’ll certainly watch the Mexico games, and root for them.

And I’ll be hoping for Messi to get the title he deserves, so we can finally put to rest all the ‘you can’t be the GOAT without a title’ talk.

RJ Allen: Is Messi the short one or the tall one?

Charles Olney: The short one.

RJ Allen: I am putting a moral pox on him until that federation gives anything approximating a damn about their women’s team. You shouldn’t be able to enter the men’s world cup if you don’t have or fund well your women’s team.

Alanna Fairbairn: That would be a interesting political squabble to watch, if FIFA started requiring that.

Charles Olney: I’d support it. It’s a drop in the bucket. They could all pay it.

Luis Hernandez: I’m going to watch every men’s World Cup match. I have my bracket filled out. Just looking forward to seeing good soccer. Not having a horse in the race, I have Germany winning it again going back to back. I can’t root for Mexico.

Charles Olney: Alright, one final question about the boys side of things: any thoughts about the announcement that the joint bid will be hosting the 2026 cup? Will that have any effect on the women’s side of things?

Alanna Fairbairn: I would hope the main effect is an uptick in good soccer stadiums to play in. As well as general sport visibility

Allison Cary: If it really grows support for the game in the U.S the way people think it will, it’s possible we could also carry some of those fans over into the women’s game. But that may be wishful thinking.

RJ Allen: I do think one thing that might change is a few teams that play in football/soccer places might end up getting new places to play.

Charles Olney: In general, I’m a proponent of ‘the rising tide lifts all boats’ theory, so more interest in the game overall will be good. But I’m also a believer in ‘people won’t put resources toward the women’s game unless you hold their feet to the fire, and maybe not even then’ so the effect might not be nearly as big as we’d hope.

Alanna Fairbairn: I would hope that USSF does some PR around the women’s team. Like when the did they One Nation, One Team bit around the 2015 Women’s World Cup to bring people in. Actively go for more fan crossover.

Charles Olney: I hope so, too, but wouldn’t hold my breath for it.

Luis Hernandez: I’m hoping to live to see the World Cup in 2026. Kidding. Kinda. I hope it grows the game even more for the nation and allow our host partners to give us a pass politically. Plus can we also host the Women’s World Cup now? Please.

RJ Allen: We’ve hosted it twice. I don’t think the US should until at least after 2027. I’d love England to get a WWC.

Alanna Fairbairn: That would be brilliant. Way better summer climate too

Allison Cary: That would be fun.

Charles Olney: Okay, final topic: the NWSL will be starting back up again this weekend. Any games that have people particularly excited? Any storylines you’re watching for?

Alanna Fairbairn: So for this weekend, I will be interested to see who of the internationals come back from their break hyped and ready to go, and who comes back exhausted and needing a rest

I noticed that even Megan Rapinoe on her Instagram story was mentioning how stinking long the US camp was this go around.

Charles Olney: I’d say the most important game of the weekend is Chicago-Portland. Both teams will REALLY want a win there, given their struggles so far.

Allison Cary: Yeah, that could be a really defining match if either team can walk away with three points (Portland and Chicago).

RJ Allen: I think Portland is the better team but that doesn’t mean they win.

Charles Olney: I’m certainly curious about when and if Chicago starts to get some of their players back. DiBernardo and Short are supposedly close. Morgan Brian is back in the States and they still have her rights. If they could add those three players in the next week or two, that could make a HUGE difference.

Or it could disrupt the things that were just starting to gel.

Either way, it should be very interesting to follow.

Alanna Fairbairn: I think if DiBernardo is still out, Brian could be an interesting addition to the midfield. She’s at least healthy and well rested now. But it depends on if she decides to stay or requests somewhere else.

Charles Olney: My read on her performance for the NT is that whatever ‘injuries’ she had in France were more a matter of minor setbacks than anything serious. She didn’t look more ready than she did back in April, but didn’t look worse, either. I wouldn’t want to count on her yet, but it could be a big addition if they work it carefully.

RJ Allen: Morgan Brian holds very little possibility for me until she proves she can be healthy long term. See also Lavelle, Rose.

Allison Cary: Yeah, I don’t know that I’d expect to see Brian right away. And I agree with RJ: the injuries thing is critical.

Alanna Fairbairn: And possibly Pugh on that list too, with the injury she picked up in camp

Charles Olney: On a similar note, Julie Ertz still doesn’t look 100% to me, and I’m curious how long it will taker her to get completely right. That could be another huge question for them. Basically: Chicago could be one of the best teams in the league or a continuing disaster over the next month. We have no idea!

Allison Cary: Yep.

Charles Olney: Thoughts about Orlando-Sky Blue? Obviously Orlando are favorites, but Sky Blue has looked a LITTLE bit better. And they have to win at some point. Is it this weekend? And what are they going to do with Carli Lloyd?

Alanna Fairbairn: Rest her and put her in as a super sub. It is time for Lloyd to go the way of Wambach; if she refuses to leave, cut her minutes and give her a chance at the end of the game to add a tally or two to her record.

RJ Allen: They will lose and Reddy will say it is bad luck.

Charles Olney: I have a sneaking suspicion that they pull this one out, but RJ’s clear-eyed cynicism is probably more accurate than my sneaking suspicion.

RJ Allen: You also thought North Carolina were going to get the L in Houston. And while it was a draw it was not a win for H-Town.

Charles Olney: They were so close though!

RJ Allen: Close only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes.

Allison Cary: To be fair, I thought there was a chance Houston might win that match. But I don’t think Sky Blue get the win here. Maybe a draw, if the Pride are having an off day (which is entirely possible).

Alanna Fairbairn: Thus why I’m excited that Houston got Polkinghorne, so she can hopefully help to plug up the defensive holes. And they can maybe defend for longer than 75 minutes a match

RJ Allen: With Polkinghorne in, Brooks to the midfield?

Alanna Fairbairn: Maybe? Or possibly Polkinghorne could be a partner for Chapman on the outside

Charles Olney: I’m certainly curious to see how that affects their backline. I’m a known Van Wyk critic (though I think she’s improved a lot of late), so I’d start to phase her out a bit. But I’ve learned to not try to anticipate what Vera Pauw will do.

Alanna Fairbairn: I do think Brooks to a holding midfield spot is also a possibility. Simply because they just lost Mewis, and they need someone to hold it down in the midfield so Daly and Ohai can do what they do

Charles Olney: I think whatever happens will be an interesting indicator of how Pauw ultimately sees the team. They could play all three of their center backs and get a more solid backline, but sacrifice some attacking potential. Is that a trade Pauw wants to make? Or move Brooks up? I have a hard time seeing them keep the juggling act alive without a stronger support structure in the central midfield, but I’ve been wrong so far.

Luis Hernandez: With the two year anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting on the 12th and the club having Pride night with a fundraiser to LGBT charities, I’ll be looking forward to the Orlando/SB match. It should boost everything for the Pride and hopefully the attendance number will not disappoint. I’m also looking forward to the first NWSL match on ESPN News.

Meet the NWSL Dogs of Social Media

Posted on by RJ Allen

Instagram is a great place for dogs. Honestly, who doesn’t love logging onto their Instagram account and seeing adorable pups? The NWSL is full of dogs— in fact, I think Allie Long said last night on Alex Morgan’s Instagram Stories that she wants two more, bringing her total to four. And come on, we can’t all pretend like we didn’t get really excited to find out it was Pups at the Pitch night in Houston last week. Here is a list of some of my favorite NWSL Dogs of Instagram: 

The Dogs

1.Blue (Alex Morgan)— Alex Morgan and her husband, L.A Galaxy Midfielder Servando Carrasco, got their dog Blue last year. Blue has come a long way since his puppy days: 

Blue has many interests, including helping his dad fish.

And smiling for the camera.

Also, we all know he can totally rock those shoes.

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#TGIF 💙

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2. Tink (Jane Campbell)— Okay, so unfortunately Jane Campbell hasn’t posted any photos of Tink on her Instagram account, but Tink features in her Instagram Stories all the time. The little ball of fluff loves to play with her toys, and according to Campbell, resembles Nemo from Finding Nemo. Here is a picture of Tink taken from Campbell’s Twitter.

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3. Ollie (Sofia Huerta)— Sofia Huerta took it to the next level with her dog Ollie. Not only does Ollie feature on Huerta’s Instagram account frequently, but she also has herown Instagram account, @olliemarz. Ollie is always up on the latest fashion trends, and can totally rock a pair of reindeer sunglasses.

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Merry Xmas eve woof!

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She enjoys playing around with her parents and having a good time. 

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Just chilling

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Even when Mom makes her run. 

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Post run w/ mom!

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She’s always happy to snag a photo with her superstar mom.

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@olliemarz smiles!!!!

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4. Zoe (Toni Pressley)— Orlando Pride defender Toni Pressley loves to share photos and videos of her dog, Zoe. How could anyone resist that smile?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgrDManhjHA/?taken-by=tonideion.

And she loves snuggling with her toys.

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🐶

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It appears there might be some tension in that household right now, but I’m sure it’s just a phase.

5. Wilma (Rose Lavelle)— Finally, we come to Rose Lavelle, and her dog Wilma. Lavelle loves dogs, and appears to be magnetically drawn to them even when she’s on the road.

But Lavelle’s favorite dog is her own dog, Wilma. Wilma has been a part of the Lavelle family since 2012. She never misses a chance to cuddle with her mom.

She loves dressing up and getting into the holiday spirit.

And she loves hanging out with Mom and her friends.

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Two potatoes came to Purdue to visit today

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Here is a compilation Lavelle made of some of their best moments.

These are just some of my favorite dogs in the NWSL, but there are tons more. Who are your favorite NWSL dogs?