Category: Opinion

NWSL QuickCap 2: Weekly Boogaloo

Posted on by RJ Allen

Welcome to your week two NWSL QuickCap.

Week Two saw another week without Australians and so many misses from inside the six that every forward in the league was probably at an extra practice while you were at your Seder and/or Easter dinner.

Houston Dash 0-0 Utah Royals

Neither Amy Rodriguez or Kealia Ohai have shown they can take over a game and create offense from nothing, but after this one it’s a risk I’m willing to take. A 0-0 game can be exciting as well as defensive, or it can be a mess where neither team has a coherent offense. Or even a visible game plan. Not that I had anything better to watch on my Friday night. Utah’s best offensive play was a late run down the left by Sauerbrunn and Utah’s most offensive play was a Desiree Scott challenge that could have been a credible straight red. Houston’s English national teamer Rachel Daly looked to be working in a vacuum trying to generate some offense and Kristie Mewis earned Twitter raves for a competent performance starting as an outside back, but Jane Campbell looked like the USWNT heir-in-waiting she’s already been declared.

Sky Blue FC 0-1 North Carolina Courage

The new Sky Blue spent most of the game hanging even with a pressing North Carolina Courage, even showing some offensive spark after being dominated early. North Carolina still looks to be missing Samantha Mewis for the central leadership, but Abby Dahlkemper and Abby Erceg remain a solid duo. Behind them, Sabrina D’Angelo was either struggling with an injury or stalling for time in the first half. Carli Lloyd had some fancy footwork, but wasn’t a catalyst for the young offense or the star that took over the game on her lonesome. Lynn Williams has speed to spare and a first touch rarely seen outside a U6 early season practice, but the underappreciated Jess McDonald saved their Easter ham with a last minute goal past the NWSL’s other superb Canadian GK, Kailen Sheridan, who came out too far and left her goal exposed.

Washington Spirit 2-0 Orlando Pride

Orlando was without Marta and Morgan, but on a team with this roster, such losses…really, really hurt. Sydney Leroux was all over, but as with Morgan, is the sort of pure scorer who relies on others moving the ball. Unfortunately for her, no Easter eggs were being put into the right baskets here. Washington’s offense of the future started early and kept Orlando on the back foot. Sullivan playing on the right side wasn’t as involved as she might have been as central player all the internet pundits want to see, but Pugh and Hatch both scored in the last ten minutes, and that was enough to seal the deal. GK Ashlyn Harris might want Pugh’s nutmeg goal back, but there’s nothing anyone could have done about Hatch’s shot from outside.

Chicago Red Stars 2-3 Portland Thorns FC

Chicago’s black uniforms look like something a referee would wear and I spent the first few minutes very confused. Unlike the rest of the league this weekend, these teams raced right past the “no more than two goals” limit, tallying more goals than the other six teams combined. It started with Horan opening the scoring for Portland. Then, Chicago’s Alyssa Mautz knuckleballed over Adrianna Franch only to be met by Portland’s Christine Sinclair who drove past a sliding Alyssa Naeher and kept control of a bouncing ball to put Portland up 2-1 at the half. Sinclair added a penalty kick and Mautz added a second. And there’s no way I can stay under my word limit if people keep scoring like this in these games.

Head in the Game: Concussions in the NWSL

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL doesn’t do everything right. Being a newer league, it has limited funding in comparison to other sports and its business structure still needs a lot of fine tuning. They are learning, and growing, and making fantastic strides forward, but it would be unreasonable to expect the NWSL to be best-in-class in the sporting world.

Last Saturday, the NWSL and the Orlando Pride faced a decision when Alex Morgan collided with Abby Smith in the 45th minute. Given what happened, they did the best that any league or club could do. 

The knock to Morgan’s head was hard. Anyone in the stadium or watching at home could see it. She stayed down and the training staff immediately went to assess the potential head injury. After a few minutes she was taken to the locker room and then it was decided that she would not play the remaining of the game after being evaluated under a complete concussion protocol.

That was the most important call of the game. By far. And it’s an important precedent for not only this league but for sports in general.

Concussions are serious injuries that haven’t always been taken seriously. It is only lately that the long-term effects of head injuries—and the impact that contact sports plays on the brain—have come to light. For some sports, such as football and boxing, head injuries are finally becoming a major consideration when it comes to whether an athlete is allowed to compete, or how long he or she must sit out.

But they don’t always get it right. Money, league politics, and pending legal matters have all been factors in the debate of proper concussion protocol throughout all of sports. It’s inevitable, because professional sport is such a profitable business. Things are getting better, and awareness is being raised, but things are still far from perfect.

One example: in the discussion around head injuries, very little attention has thus far been paid to female athletes.  The focus generally seems to gear towards football, but according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, female soccer players suffer the highest rate of concussions in high school sports. Moreover, in gender-matched sports, girls experienced significantly higher concussion rates than boys. A consensus study by the NCAA from 2015 revealed that concussions are the second-most common injury in women’s soccer.

The numbers are staggering, and the long-term effects of these traumatic brain injuries (TBI) will only cause greater issues for players down the road. Years after a concussion, there can still be abnormal brain wave activity, which can lead to the deterioration of motor pathways and attention problems. In extreme cases, it can lead to Parkinson’s-like symptoms, or as a UCLA study found, manifest the tau proteins that are linked with Alzheimer’s. Repeated concussions could also force surgery on the occipital nerves in the neck to help alleviate some of the symptoms. Sadly, for Manya Makoski, a former NWSL midfielder, this was a reality. 

So the threat is real and the league needs to come up with a game plan for how to handle it. It currently follows the US Soccer Concussion Guidelines, which centers a lot on education and initiatives to bring awareness and promote safety. One of those initiatives is Recognize to Recover. This standard looks to train the athletes, coaches, and training staff on how to look for signs of possible head injuries, and steps on how to recover. That is a great start. And the example cited above—with Morgan being removed from the game due to risk of concussion—shows they’re taking the issues seriously. But just because something works, doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be improved upon. In fact, US Soccer and the NWSL have the opportunity to set the standard for concussion safety. They are on the right track, but there’s no such thing as being too far ahead of the curve on this point.

The current US Soccer Concussion Protocol starts at the the beginning of a player’s time at a US Soccer Development Academy. They receive a baseline test through the use of Standardized Concussion Assessment Tool 3 (SCAT3) and an ImPACT neurological test. This baseline is retested every two years unless a concussion is detected. Then, when a concussion is suspected, they go through a four-step testing over the course of numerous days depending on how their symptoms progress. If a player is still symptomatic, they will not progress to the next step until they have achieved the baseline level of symptoms for that time frame. This is a great start. But one issue is that the four-step testing involves heading the ball—something that could potentially cause more trauma if certain symptoms are missed, or unrecognizable. 

So what more can the league and US Soccer do to help ensure the players’ safety and long-term health?

First, they could modify their policy on identifying concussions. Part of the current concussion protocol is that players must report if they suspect that they have a possible concussion. If the collision does not happen in the game, or does not appear problematic in practice or training, then often times the training staff does not have the opportunity to diagnose the issue. But putting that responsibility on players can lead to a lot of undiagnosed concussions. Most professional athletes will do everything in their power to stay in the game, and are unlikely to fully grasp the long-term health risks. Giving them the power to control that decision point is a bad idea. Discretion should be in the hands of a neutral party, not the players themselves. 

That relates to a second change: hiring unaffiliated doctors. This is a reality for a lot of leagues, and for US Soccer. But for the NWSL, this is a much greater feat. It wouldn’t be feasible today, but down the road once the league has more stability and wealth, it should be a priority. Currently, training staffs and doctors are set on a club-by-club basis. Being employed by the club, they have a certain stake in the result of the game, a problem that wouldn’t exist for unaffiliated doctors who are there to collect data, establish safety protocols, and provide unbiased healthcare and strategy regardless of the team. Other leagues like the NFL use this model, with positive results on treatment and research.

Finally, not necessarily another change, but a different utilization of assets, could come in handy for US Soccer and the NWSL in the long term. Yesterday it was announced that US Soccer is partnering with STATSports as the official on-field monitoring device. These devices will be able to stream in real-time, providing vital information for benchmarking, injury prevention, and improved performance. The best part is that these monitors will be distributed through the development academies, the NWSL, and the national teams, while all the information is compiled centrally and can be cross-referenced. And although this tool was not purchased to help track and monitor concussions, the NWSL and US Soccer could use it to help with the research that surrounds them: how an athlete performs before and after a TBI, how that potential concussion could have effected motor function in the long term, or even find trends to help identify different long-term symptoms of a head injury.

The NWSL should strive to be a leader on this issue. Although concussions can affect any athlete, the research is unequivocal that female soccer players are particularly high-risk. This isn’t something people talk about much. But they should. And that fact puts the NWSL in a great position to set the standard across the board. They can be the league that takes care of their players. They can be the league that others look to for guidance. They can be the league that takes this issue seriously.

It shouldn’t take a potential concussion by the biggest name in the sport to get us talking, and to create action. But hopefully this becomes a catalyst for real concussion reform in the league, and the game itself. They did things right this weekend—Morgan was assessed correctly and was pulled from the match—but that shouldn’t lead to complacency. The good start means that the league can start off from a point of positivity. They’re already on the right path, and should strive to stay ahead of the ball on this issue, not be forced to address it after a major crisis. 

Make changes now to prevent sadness down the road. Be the standard for others to follow. This issue is big. The consequences are huge. And the players’ lives are invaluable. It’s not enough to just sit around and hope for the best as the athlete checks back into the match. In fact, that’s the least that can be done.

Points of Pride: Week One vs Utah Royals FC

Posted on by RJ Allen

Greetings, friends, and welcome to the first installment of Points of Pride. Each week, I’ll give three takeaways, two match quotes, and one point to look for going forward into the next match. For the first edition, the Orlando Pride hosted the Utah Royals FC in the Pride home opener and first-ever match for the Royals.

At the final whistle, the score was a 1-1 draw, which sees Tom Sermanni’s side claim an opening day point for the first time in its three year history. Laura Harvey’s side is going home feeling hard done by the referee and the questionable penalty kick which allowed Marta to equalize for the home side. Let’s look at my three takeaways from the game:

Three Takeaways

Most people will be talking about the referee instead of the game

The biggest takeaway for most people is going to be the performance of the referee, Danielle Chesky, who was also in the spotlight as the head referee for last season’s NWSL championship match. For most folks, the penalty awarded to the Pride on a supposed Becky Sauerbrunn handball—on the replay, the ball seemed to hit Sauerbrunn in the face—was the wrong call. It allowed the Pride to equalize when the team’s defensive lapse in the third minute had given Gunny Jonsdottir the opportunity to give the visitors the opening goal. After the match, Chesky answered the pool reporter’s questions by stating she “had a clear view of the incident” and referring to Sauerbrunn, said, “the arms were in an unnatural position and was determined to deliberately handle the ball” [sic].  The Utah defender was also issued a yellow card for unsporting behavior.

Orlando Pride looked disjointed

The expectation coming into the season for Orlando was the offense was going to pick up where it left off last season as the highest-scoring team in the league. However, there was little rhythm in the ball moment for the Pride, and many times instead of turning and going for goal the team would turn and play the ball back. Instead of growing into the game, Orlando seemed unsure at times, missing passes and getting dispossessed. In the second half, once Alex Morgan was subbed out due to a head injury, Sermanni’s side was only able to generate two shots, one being on target. He addressed this post-match, attributing the lack of sharpness to a short preseason and players still getting to know each other.

A point is still a point

Prior to this season, the Pride have started on the road in Portland. Each trip to Providence Park left the Pride with a road loss and zero points to show for it. This time around, the schedule makers decided to have an NWSL championship rematch with the Courage hosting the Thorns, which left Orlando free to host league newcomer Utah. Regardless what some fans may think after yesterday’s performance, the Pride is happy to start the season with one point heading to Maryland to take on the rebuilt Washington Spirit.

Two Quotes From the Game

Orlando Pride Head Coach Tom Sermanni: “When you consider we had five new starters on the field tonight, when you consider we virtually, like most teams, had no preseason, I’m satisfied that we’ve come out and kept our run in the league going from last year and not losing the game. That was important. We’re one point better off than we’ve been at the start of the first two seasons in the league.”

Utah Royals FC Head Coach Laura Harvey: “I mean, I don’t want to get fined, but it’s hard to come here and not come away with three points when you concede the penalty that we did. What I don’t get is how the linesman watches the replay and still gives it. It blows my mind. So I don’t want to get fined, but it just has to be better and every year we say the same. Every year we’re told that they’ve been better… I just don’t get it… and Becky Sauerbrunn literally has a Nike swoosh on her face. It’s tough.”

One Thought for Next Week

The Orlando Pride will be without the services of Brazilian internationals Marta, Monica, and Poliana as they depart to join their national team for World Cup qualifying at Copa America Femenina for CONMEBOL. The team might be further shorthanded if star striker Alex Morgan—who left the game shortly before halftime after a blow to the head with a collision with Utah goalkeeper Abby Smith—isn’t cleared for play next week. While the team is sure to announce more national team replacement player signings, there was a lack of offense in the first match and coach Sermanni is going to have to evaluate the health of his squad to see who will be able to provide the goals needed to get results. Additional pressure will be placed on Sydney Leroux, especially if there’s no Morgan to play off of in the final third. Where will the goals be coming from when the expectations for this offense are so high?

There you have it: the three, two, one for the first week of Points of Pride. Let’s hope for smoother sailing at the ‘plex for the women in purple. 

If you want more of thought of Luis you can tune in to Quick Kicks. Quick Kicks is live on YouTube every Tuesday at 8:30 pm ET. 

The Deep Dive: 5 Things Every NWSL Fan Should Do This Season

Posted on by RJ Allen

Congratulations, women’s soccer fans! We made it! The season has officially begun and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. No longer will we have to go through NWSL withdrawals. No longer will we have to mark down the days on our calendars. No longer will we have to wonder if the schedule will be released. Because it’s here, and there are so many things to look forward to this season. So let’s take a deep dive, and explore five ways we all can make the most out of this season:

  1. Watch With The Enemy

This season I challenge everyone to go to an away game for the team that you root for. There is something cathartic about going into the lion’s den and holding your own. It builds character as a fan. You have to hold your own, keep your chin up, and still rep your colors regardless of where you are and who is surrounding you. The players appreciate it, and so will you. Now, I know this is not always financially or geographically possible for a lot of fans, so the next best alternative is to watch from home with a supporter of the other team. It’s not equivalent, but will give you some of the same feeling.

  1. Buy Some Swag

One of the best ways to support your team, and the NWSL, while also getting pumped for this upcoming season, is to buy some new team gear. There are some phenomenal new products out there. Whether it is the latest Seattle Reign jersey, or the fresh Sky Blue FC snapback, there is something out there for every fan. It also automatically helps you pick out your weekend outfits for the next seven months. Win/Win.

  1. Invite A Friend

You know what’s great? Watching soccer with a buddy. You know what can be even better? Watching soccer with a friend who isn’t already a fan. That friend will also end up having a kick-ass time being part of the experience. They might come away a die-hard Chicago Red Stars fan and get you fly across the country next season for a game (I may or may not be speaking from experience). In any case, not only does it help grow the women’s soccer fan community, but it also makes you appreciate the game just a little bit more—that non-fan friend will point something out that you’ve taken for granted for years. Don’t be a fan snob. Accept the newbie. Love the newbie. Cherish the newbie.

  1. Watch A Game With No Stakes

So often we get wrapped up in only watching our favorite team play, or we watch another match to see how it could potentially impact our team’s standing. All that is fine, and generally leads to exciting, edge-of-your-seat moments. But watching a match that you have absolutely no stake in can really bring you back in touch what it is that you love about the game itself—not who you love in it. This leads to more intelligent debates between fans, newfound appreciation for lesser-known players, and a more intense focus on techniques and skill sets. All of that might actually be useful when it comes back around to evaluating your own team and their chances against these opponents in the future. But even if there’s no utility, you can just have some fun with the game itself.

  1. Shout It Out

Here in America, not everyone is a soccer fan. I get it. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be a loud, vivacious, attractive nuisance of a minority, right? So shout it out. Let the world hear about your love of the game and your team. Talk to people about how much you appreciate Jess Fishlock’s attack, or how great the Utah Royals are going to be this year. My new boss has never watched a soccer match in his life, but after only two months of having me as an employee he sure-as-shit knows who Sam Kerr is. Why? Because I make sure that everyone knows about it when I get excited for this game. Word of mouth is how we help to keep this league and this sport growing—by showing it to the world loudly, and with purpose.

There are plenty of ways that you can go all out this NWSL season. These are just five. But no matter what, make sure you tune in, watch, and share. It’s too good not to.

Beyond the Tournament: 5 Takeaways From the SheBelieves Cup

Posted on by RJ Allen

The SheBelieves Cup comes at the perfect time of year, in my opinion. It is right before the start of the NWSL season, prepping the WoSo fan base for the next eight months. It also happens to kick off Women’s History Month. What better way to celebrate the history of women than by putting the best female athletes in the world out on a pitch to battle through the wind, rain, and cold during a seven-day span? Because women can handle shit like that, plain and simple. They worked hard out there, and in turn, we got to see some great (and not-so-great) moments of football. And we also got to learn some things in the process. Here are just five:

1. All Alyssa Naeher All The Time!

Jill Ellis knows who she wants in goal. That much is certain. While other countries, like England, gave their backup goalkeepers some playing time during the tournament, the USA refrained. The only keeper needed (or wanted by Ellis) was Alyssa Naeher. Although she played well and had a couple of great saves, it does beg the question of what would happen if she were to get injured. Who would replace her? Would they be ready? And how does that change the dynamic of the team? The USA has some great options in goal, but Ellis’s motto is simple: if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

2. England is on the Rise

The Lionesses are a good team, and they are only getting better. From their amazing first match against France, to their new dominating outlook on the game, England is definitely a team to watch out for. They are playing with purpose and intent—even after flying basic economy with a non-direct flight. Nothing seems to shake this team, which is a surprise considering what their past year has entailed. But it seems as though Phil Neville is fitting into his role just fine despite the initial criticism of his hiring and the team hasn’t seemed to let the noise around it faze them whatsoever. I’m sure they didn’t mind having Neville’s mate, David Beckham, stop by the locker room to wish them luck, either.

3. Fran Kirby is a Beast

I’ve been saying this for a while now, but for a lot of women’s soccer fans in America, this was a first time seeing the creativity and precision that is Fran Kirby. The English forward is a playmaker and is amazingly fun to watch. Her passing is pristine, her shooting is lethal, and her work ethic leaves the normal player in the dust. If you didn’t get a chance to catch any of her work during the tournament, do yourself a favor and watch it on replay—you can thank me later. Yes, Fran Kirby may just be the future of football, and a potential Best FIFA Women’s Player candidate.

4. France Has Some Kinks to Work Out

The France team that we saw at the beginning of the SheBelieves Cup was considerably different than the one we saw at the end of it. They got pummeled by England, pulled it together to manage a draw against the US, and then finally became the France the crowd is used to seeing when they defeated Germany 3-0 in their final match. Needless to say, they are having some consistency issues. And match that with a coach that said some rather harsh things about the team after their first match and, well… they have a few things that need to be worked on. But, as can be seen by their match against Germany, they are still a threat going into a World Cup on their home turf.

5. Young America is a Great Thing To See

America is in a transitional phase. Certain fan favorites from the last World Cup are getting older and playing fewer minutes. Other staple players have been out with injuries. And while the depth chart for the USA team seems to go on for miles, there have been points where youthfulness wasn’t its strength. But at the SheBelieves Cup, the young blood was on display. The likes of Mallory Pugh, Tierna Davidson, Andi Sullivan, and surprise sensation Savannah McCaskill, showed what the future of the USWNT could very well look like moving forward. And I must say—it’s not a bad look at all. Sure, the US side still definitely needs polishing, but with the young potential that was shown throughout the tournament, that polishing could produce something completely unseen down the line.

Bonus Takeaway:

German forward Alexandra Popp is a qualified zookeeper. Does that make her the coolest soccer player in the world? It just might…

Regardless of who we cheered for during the SheBelieves Cup, we all got some takeaways from it—some good, some bad. But we also got some great entertainment from some amazingly talented women out on the pitch. And I think we can all agree that we will be tuning in next year to see what the SheBelieves Cup holds for us. 

Some Things are Bigger than Soccer

Posted on by RJ Allen

There’s something amazing about the sport of soccer. No other sport is called the beautiful game. Normally, the term refers to the game itself, but there are times that we are reminded the impact of soccer as a force for good. From groups like Soccer Without Borders and their effort to create positive change to the social impact soccer has in the Middle East for women, the power of soccer can be felt globally.

This power was demonstrated once again when Jamie Morris, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student, took to Twitter Sunday to pay homage to her fallen teammate, Alyssa Alhadeff, who was one of the the 17 victims in the Valentine’s Day school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

In slightly over three hours, her plea managed to draw the attention of U.S. women’s national team forward Alex Morgan, as well as Orlando City Foundation President, Kay Rawlins:

The viral tweet from Florida will now see the hoped-for results, as there will be a moment of silence for Alyssa, who played as a center midfielder, at the March 7 SheBelieves Cup match in Orlando. The City of Orlando is already sensitive to senseless gun violence after the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016. Orlando City has a permanent reminder in the stadium, with 49 rainbow seats serving as a tribute to the victims of that shooting.

U.S. Soccer also stated on Twitter that Alyssa’s teammates will be be guests at the Orlando match. As the #NeverAgain movement continues to be a force for change in America, it also allows the power of one voice from a mourning team multiplied by Twitter with the common link of soccer to allow these survivors another avenue to help in the healing process. I look forward being in the stands for the SheBelieves matches in Orlando, as well as, surely, a future Orlando Pride match when Alyssa’s life can be honored. Even though her life was tragically cut short, her spirit will continue to live on.

Interviews with Emma: Taylor Lytle

Posted on by RJ Allen

Emma Bayer is an 11-year-old who will be doing a recurring interview series for Backline Soccer. You can find more out about how Emma got into soccer here.

Taylor Lytle was a member of Sky Blue FC from 2013 to 2017. After a trade, she is now a member of the new Utah Royals.

Birthdate: March 31,1989

Nickname from teammates: Tay, Tay Tay, T, Little One

Hometown: Las Cruces, New Mexico

Age started playing: 6 years old, my first team was called the Rowdy Magic, it was a mixed team with boys and girls. Everyone’s dad helped out because no one really knew how to coach 6-year-olds or soccer!

College/major: Texas Tech University, and my major was Animal Science (pre-vet).

Career aspirations after soccer: I would love to do something with animals, maybe work at a vet clinic or a zoo.

Why did you pick your particular uniform number?: I was number 12 in college, but when I started playing for Sky Blue, 12 wasn’t available. So I decided to be 6 because it was half of 12, haha.

Pregame meal: My normal pregame meal is chicken, rice, and some sort of veggies. I usually eat some fruit as well.

Workout music: When I am doing longer runs, I listen to hip hop/pop music because the beat helps me. When I am lifting I listen to country music. It calms me down and just lets me focus on what I am doing.

Favorite cartoon character: Growing up I really liked Tweety. He was so tiny and cute and mischievous.

Fave movie: I am from the Southwest, so I grew up watching westerns, and my favorite one is Tombstone. I also enjoy any Disney movie, and Beauty and the Beast is probably my favorite.

Face actress: Sandra Bullock. She can do funny and serious and all her movies are great!

Hidden talent: I’m double-jointed in my arms.

Mentor: My college coach, Tom Stone.

Fave charity/cause: I love animals, so I am really into helping out Humane Societies or SPCAs. My roommates and I fostered a dog this year until she got adopted, and there are so many wonderful doggies out there in shelters that people really should adopt and not shop.

Life motto: Let Go, Let God.

Superstitions: I don’t really have any. I know that a lot of athletes do, but I don’t.

Pets: I have a pit bull. He is 11 and his name is Savian. He is 100 pounds of muscle and love! Sweetest dog I know!

Amazing Race teammate: My best friend Kelsey. She has traveled a lot and is very competitive, smart, and can always make the best out of any situation. She is also hilarious, so the adventure with her would be entertaining.

Get Hyped: 5 Things to be Excited for This NWSL Season

Posted on by RJ Allen

Alright, my friends, let’s just say it how it is. This off-season has been rough for the NWSL. I think the majority of us will agree to that. We lost a team, we had some really weird coaching shakeups (looking at you, Laura Harvey), and we still have no schedule even though it’s only a little over a month until the first match. To say things went less than ideally in the off-season is an understatement. And for some fans, this may have been a rather discouraging time. Maybe a trade didn’t go your way, maybe you lost your home club, or maybe you have been trying to plan a west coast road trip that centers around going to a Thorns game and somehow you still don’t know what weeks they are playing at home.

Whatever the reason, I get it. I empathize with you. But I also want to get excited with you. Because even despite all this crap that has been happening since October, there is still a lot to look forward to in this new season. There is a lot to get hyped about. Here are just five of those reasons:

1. Roster Shakeups = Better Rivalries

Maybe you cried when Sam Kerr went to Chicago, or when Harvey decided to end her long-time run in Seattle. Maybe you shouted out expletives when you received a text that Houston had traded yet another international player away. Or maybe you very publicly willed the Ashley Hatch trade into existence by saying on The Scouting Report podcast that she wasn’t going anywhere for at least a year.

Whatever the trade is that shocked your world, you have to admit that it is going to make a few games very interesting. Because big times trades help create even more intense rivalries. They create grudge matches. They get the fans more into the game. And all of those things create an exciting atmosphere for a fan, player, or coach. Come on Seattle, you know you want to pulverize Utah at your first meeting. Chicago, I know you are looking to come back at North Carolina for your semi-finals loss with your newly-formed attacking arsenal that includes a touch more Australian magic. Those games are going to be great—regardless of whether the trade went your way.

2. The New Team Making Big Moves

No matter which club you support, you probably have a pretty strong opinion about the Utah Royals. Everyone feels a certain kind of way about them, whether it is good or bad.

They came into the league in a big way, with a big announcement—one that was a little premature, considering they didn’t even have a team name. But they had a big name coach. And then they made some big-time trades. And then all of a sudden, Utah Royals FC were a force to be reckoned with, playing in a world-class stadium, and asking no one for permission or forgiveness for their abrupt entry into the women’s soccer world. It’s moves like that which cause everyone to sit up and take notice. It causes all of us to want to tune in, whether it is to see them excel, or to root for their demise. No matter what, they are something to look forward to, and that is something that no one can deny.

3. Young Washington

There are a lot of people who, only a few months ago, made the accusation that the Washington Spirit had no game plan. People said that they didn’t know what they were doing. Well, look at ’em now! Washington played the long game with some young players: drafting hometown hero Andi Sullivan, and then fighting for their shot to get Rose Lavelle in the Breakers dispersal draft. That’s on top of Mallory Pugh, Ashley Hatch, and Taylor Smith.

So yeah…I’m thinking Washington definitely has a game plan now. And maybe that game plan won’t be perfected this season, but there is something about this team that definitely has the same sort of flair that the Baby Bombers gave to Yankees fans last season. It’s hope, and excitement, and a damn good touch on the ball. Mark your calendars for their matches (when the schedule is released)—they are not a team you are going to want to miss.

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4. The Prodigal Daughter Returns

On January 19th a three-team blockbuster trade deal sent Carli Lloyd back to her home state of New Jersey. Lots of people had lots of different feelings about it. And I have to say that I was quite skeptical about how this trade benefited Sky Blue. But Becca Kimble, one of my Scouting Report co-hosts, pointed out to me that Carli Lloyd of Sky Blue is in no way the Carli Lloyd of Houston. And she is absolutely correct.

Last season, Lloyd spent the majority of her time either injured or playing for Manchester City (not that I can blame her—that team is insanely talented). But that made it difficult for a fan, or herself, to get too pumped about her time in the NWSL. When the trade happened, though, she was the Carli Lloyd that everyone always wants her to be: happy, excited, and pumped to play the game. She is back in Jersey working in the community and giving keynote speeches to youth athletes. She was one of the only top-tier players to take to social media to welcome her new teammates from the former Breakers roster.

And to top it all off, she is insanely proud that she gets to play for her home crowd again. She is practically shouting it from the rooftops, and that is something that every Sky Blue fans should get excited about it. Everyone else should get excited because when Carli Lloyd is happy, working hard, and playing well… well, she’s Carli Lloyd. I don’t have to explain that to you.

5. We Get To Start Earlier

I think the only reason I have not written a strongly worded letter to the NWSL about the schedule not being released is the fact that we get to start watching the beautiful game three weeks earlier than last season. And that is definitely something that we should get excited about. Because despite all of the bush league-style things that have happened this off-season—the unfortunate last-minute folding of Boston, the poorly-timed movement of FC Kansas City to Utah, or the atrociously-explained situation where Harvey and Vlatko just switched rosters—the bad juju that has been written all over this off-season will come to a close a little sooner than expected.

And I don’t know about you guys, but for me, there is nothing as agonizing as the long wait in between the final whistle of a championship and the first whistle to start the season. I’ve had the W-League to tide me over, but it just isn’t the same. Especially when we still have so many questions looming around us—questions like, “When are Portland’s home games this season, so I can plan this road trip? What was that job Laura Harvey took with USSF? And who in the hell is the NWSL Commissioner?”

Some answers we may never know. What we do know: the wait is almost over. So buy some new swag and get your go90 and Lifetime accounts ready to go—games are only a little more than a month away!

In closing, I’ll say this: Sometimes it is extremely difficult to be a women’s soccer fan. Crazy things happen that would be unimaginable in other leagues. There is an instability that can permanently keep us on edge. And the hunger to achieve an equal playing field can seem extremely daunting.

But despite these facts, there is still a lot to be excited about. There is Alex Morgan on the pitch, and Vera Pauw on the sidelines, and a perfectly crossed Carson Pickett ball into the box—those things that put a smile on our faces and command us to keep watching. To keep cheering. And to keep fighting to make this league better.

These are still early times for this league. There are still some things that will happen in the future to irritate us or make us angry. But with all of that, comes all of those things that excite us too. And the 2018 season will be no different. It will get us to stand from our seats. And it will undoubtedly make us cheer. So get hyped, my friends! 2018 is the NWSL is going to be a good one.

The Changing Face of the NWSL

Posted on by RJ Allen

It has been an offseason of change for the NWSL. In November, it was announced that FC Kansas City—the two-time NWSL champions—were folding. In their place, the Real Salt Lake organization would be bringing the Utah Royals into league. For legal reasons, this was technically one club folding and another expanding, but since FCKC’s roster was transferred over, in practical terms it was a relocation. This week, shortly after the draft and mere weeks before the start of the preseason, it was announced that the Boston Breakers would also be folding.

The Boston Breakers are one of the oldest women’s soccer teams in the country. They have participated in every season of the top professional leagues, starting with the WUSA from 2001-2003. They were then re-established with the start of the WPS in 2007 and have been playing ever since (dropping down to the WPSL Elite level for the gap year between WPS and NWSL). Some of the most famous people to ever play the game on U.S soil came through Boston, including U.S national team stars such as Meghan Klingenberg, Sydney Leroux, and most recently, Rose Lavelle. Just last week, they participated in the NWSL draft, welcoming four new players to their club.

It’s hard to believe that they will not be there on opening day in 2018—even harder for the dedicated fans, staff, and players.

This sort of change in the NWSL is not new. Three teams that have joined the league since 2014—the Houston Dash, the Orlando Pride, and the Utah Royals—have been associated with MLS, while the North Carolina Courage (inheritors of the Western New York Flash) are associated with North Carolina FC, a USL side that has applied to join MLS. These teams have money behind them, and even if they have a bad season, they have the security of a diverse organization to keep them afloat. That’s something Boston didn’t have, and it seems to have been a major factor in them shutting their doors.

As we enter the 6th season of the NWSL, many would argue that this kind of change is necessary. While unsettling at times, the league needs investments of this sort. Partnership with men’s sides has proven to work from multiple angles—marketing, stadium sharing, increased awareness. In that context, an independent team like Boston, which struggled with operation costs and played at a venue that only held 2,500, can seem like a poor fit for the NWSL vision.

But there are problems with this too. No one would deny that the league needs money. Still, for all the focus on growth, it seems we often forget about our roots—about the role that clubs like Boston and Kansas City have played in the history of women’s soccer and the history of the NWSL. And while history isn’t going to pay player’s salaries or pay for a better venue, we lose something when we forget its importance. We lose something when we fail to acknowledge the people who paved the way for us to be here today.

The league is expected to balance out to 10 teams again next year. Reports are saying that there will likely be a partnership between FC Barcelona and LAFC that will result in a new NWSL franchise in Los Angeles. That is an exciting prospect—but we should not simply push aside the old for the new. Maybe there wasn’t a place for Boston in the new order of the NWSL—but there would be no new order if it wasn’t for Boston.

One of the greatest parts of the NWSL is the community that surrounds it. For those of you who aren’t fans of the Boston Breakers, be sensitive. Don’t forget the people who laid the ground for you to be here today. Don’t belittle the sadness of those fans, players, and staff who now have to start anew. And if you are a Boston Breakers fan—let me be one to extend my sincerest apologies that this is something you have to go through. It is never easy to lose the things you love.