Category: Opinion

Four Days are Better than One: How to Extend the NWSL Championship Weekend

Posted on by RJ Allen

As the NWSL heads toward it’s 6th season–3 years longer than WUSA or WPS went before folding–now is the time to start building the sorts of traditions that are meant to truly last. 

The logical place to focus our attention for this sort of developments is the final week before the Final. While some, including some British NWSL coaches, might wish the league would abolish the playoffs all together, I don’t see the league removing the playoff system going forward. So assuming the playoffs are here to stay, those days are prime territory for some innovation.

While it’s true that fans can only stay in the host city for so long, that’s still a lot of time in which to take advantage of events that might be offered. Make the events exciting enough and people might come just for them, even if they’re not especially interested in watching the final live.

So how would I set up these underused days heading toward the championship game? I’m glad you asked.

Day 1: (Likely Wednesday) The NWSL All Star Game

This is not a new idea or one I haven’t spoken about before. I have wanted an NWSL All Star game for as long as I’ve been covering the league. And there is no better time to have it than in the days leading up to the final.

Think about what it would mean. A game to exhibit the best of the best in the league playing against each other. And in a context where it’s okay to focus on the fun more than the outcome. An All Star game doesn’t have to rise to the stakes of the game coming a few days later. And that’s a good thing.

Here’s the basics of an idea: In early July the league would start allowing fan voting on the All Stars. Set it up however you like–by team or position or something else. The point is to give fans a direct say in who gets to head to game.

Each team would be made up of 17 players, 11 starters and 6 subs. The fans get to vote on 20 of the 34 spots with the coaches picking the reminding spots to make sure that they didn’t have 17 attacking players and no goalkeepers on their roster.

The teams could be broken up in several different ways: east vs the rest of the league, north vs south(ish), or US eligible players vs the world. Even taking the teams that finished 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 would work. The sky is the limit for how they split up the teams.

Two rules I would put in place to make sure that things weren’t slanted too much one way or another. Each team gets 4 spots for USWNT federation players, and every team must have at least one player represented in the game. 

If a player who made an All Star roster is playing in the final, they can be replaced, either by the coach or simply by taking the next highest voted player from the same position. Not a hard fix to having a few out due to playing in the title game.

How do we pick the coaches? The two that didn’t make the final the year before? The two that did? Pull two names out of a hat on a livestream? Have fans vote? Doesn’t matter so long as they are willing to play along with the more relaxed feeling this game should have.

Day 2: (Likely Thursday) The NWSL Media Day

Media day is one of the best and strangest days of the year for those of us involved in writing about the NWSL and covering the teams.

Think of it like this. It’s media speed dating. All of the players are seated at tables, usually paired off together as a starter and a non starter, and the journalists move around the room, talking to players and trying to get quotes for pre-final pieces.

It is a surreal experience. And one that is shockingly effective for getting access to players and finding some interesting quotes to help punch up our pre game pieces.

There is nothing I really would change here with one exception from the 2017 media day. Media day needs to happen at least 48 hours before the final. Writers need to have time to digest the conversations we’ve had with players and write more thoughtful pieces. This year it was the day before the final and it was a difficult task for many of us to manage to get everything accomplished.

Day 3: (Likely Friday) The NWSL Awards Gala

Outside of the draft and the championship, the league has no real statement event. While I think the All Star game can help, even better would be a true annual awards gala, hosted the night before the final.

Think of how cool this could be. All of the nominated players, media from all over the world, league officials, and maybe even some season ticket holders of the ten different clubs, all together for an evening of awards, and a celebration of the league. The awards ceremony could be live streamed so fans from around the country and really the world could watch as Rookie of the Year or MVP is handed out right there. Right now, awards are announced by an email and a tweet from the league. That’s fine, but this would would add real weight to the news.

There are models out there for the league to look at when putting an event like this together. Our own Luis Hernandez even pointed out that Orlando City and the Orlando Pride have a yearly awards gala. While their $300 price tag for a table might be a little high for the NWSL, I do think they could get away with tickets in the $50 to $100 range for media and a select number of season ticket holding fans who would want to be there.

It would also give the league a chance to add more awards. Assist of the Year, Goal of the Year, Save of the Year, Unsung Hero of the Year could join the current cast of awards in the program. Players, coaches, general managers or team owners, even some media could step up to present awards. Maybe the league could event persuade Aly Wagner and Jenn Hildreth to host the event before calling the final the next day.   

This type of event would requite planning and preparation, all of these events would, but it would be something that the league could use as a way to thank the players, teams, media and season ticket holders in a way that they currently don’t have a way to do.

Day 4: (Likely Saturday) The NWSL Championship

You know, the reason we’re all in (insert hopefully predetermined location here) in the first place.

By in large I think the NWSL does a pretty great job with the final itself. I wouldn’t change much that they are already well aware of and will likely tighten up going forward. Hopefully they can work on getting the time of the game a bit later in the day, though I wouldn’t hold my breathe there.

The NWSL needs to make the final more than just a game and a fan zone before it. They can elevate the event and spectacle that it should be by adding in either the all star game or the gala, both would be even better, to the run up to the championship game. They don’t need to break the bank to make the days leading up to the final worth it for fans and media to show up for. It would just take a bit of planning in advance to keep the costs down. 

The league has proven it came improve year after year and that is is around to stay. Now is the time to start making the types of changes that make one of the two biggest events of the year even better.

Fly Away Home: 5 Reasons Players Are Flocking Overseas

Posted on by RJ Allen

Morgan Brian is packing her bags and taking her talents to Lyon. Jessie Fleming is allegedly setting her sights on Europe. Crystal Dunn is playing very well for Chelsea Ladies FC. And Rachel Hill has found her stride in Perth. Meanwhile, what’s going on in America you ask? Well, a very poor transition of women’s soccer out of Kansas City and into Salt Lake, and, as always, a lot of the same unsteadiness that the league has been known for in the past. From not having a commissioner, to clubs not being able to make ends meet, there are a lot of reasons why players are beginning to find American club soccer less appealing. Compare that to some great options for players overseas and the NWSL is left with some real hefty competition and some cleanup work to do. In reality, there are a lot of reasons that the women’s professional leagues in Europe and Australia are looking like more of an attractive option to players here in the U.S. Here are just five of those reasons.

Stability

It’s no secret that the NWSL isn’t the most stable league in the world. But knowing that and realizing that are two different things. For the Kansas City FC women and their fans, they got that reality slap of truth this last week. In America, it isn’t always set that where you are playing one year will equate to where you are playing the next, and that isn’t just because of trades. We saw it with the Western New York Flash too. It isn’t fun for the fans to lose their team and it definitely isn’t fun for the players to up and relocate. But unless you have hit the jackpot and are playing in Portland, your future in a city or with a team isn’t guaranteed. In Europe that isn’t necessarily the case. Part of that is because the beautiful game is a way of life across the pond, but the other part is the fact that the women’s league grew off of the men’s. And sure, that isn’t necessarily the most attractive part of their stability. We would all love for a women’s league to stand by itself, but having a larger league that can offer a history of successful management, an established financial basis, and an existing fan base leads to a better chance for a successful women’s club. Is it ideal? No. But does this structure work? Absolutely. And for a player, that can look really appealing.

Money

Money isn’t everything, but it sure is something. And we live in a time where women know their worth. They certainly know that they are worth more than the NWSL’s $15,000 minimum salary. So, for many young players – and sadly some veterans – they have to swallow a bitter pill and play at a level that is way below their pay grade. And it isn’t the NWSL’s fault. There simply isn’t money available. And for international players that aren’t from the U.S. or Canada, where their paycheck is signed by the National Team, the most that can be made is only $45,000. Take that in. Marta, one of the best women to ever touch a football, can only make $45,000 playing in Orlando. So as much as we would love to have these amazing international players in the NWSL, like Amandine Henry and Nadia Nadim, we cannot blame them when they decide to go back to Europe and make a bigger paycheck.

 Skill Sets

We play women’s soccer at a very high level here in America. No one can deny that. We have the number one ranked National Team in the world, and some of the greatest depth the game has to offer. But there are some skills that we do not have. There are numerous styles of play that we do not possess. If a player is looking to become more well-rounded, then looking to Australia, France, or England may be just the ticket to get them to that next level of play (See: Rachel Hill in her past four matches with the Perth Glory). There is also the added benefit of knowing how to better play against a National Team opponent. And sure, the transition isn’t always an easy one, but it can benefit the player ten-fold if they can perform well. Take, for example, Lindsey Horan. Instead of playing college soccer, she began her professional career in France and because of that, she plays a very different style of game than the rest of her USWNT teammates. But that also leads her to create opportunities for her team that another player wouldn’t consider. It also leads to her having a different kind of strategic mindset when on the pitch. And that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Staying in Form

I made this point last month when I wrote about the W-League. There are great opportunities for NWSL players that do not affect their contract and give them the chance to stay in form during the offseason. For many players, especially young ones who aren’t bogged down by National Team duties, the W-League offers them a chance to further condition themselves, gain some new skills, and become acquainted with other playing structures. This is a great option for so many reasons, but the best part has to be that they get to come back and play a whole season in the NWSL as well. So for all those Americans and Aussies doing a bit of double-duty, keep on keeping on. Because a little bit of extra soccer never hurt anyone. Just ask NWSL MVP, Sam Kerr or NWSL Rookie of the Year, Ashley Hatch.

League Structure

This may not sound like a very important reason for foreign leagues to look so attractive to players here in the U.S., but there is something to be said about the opportunity to win multiple competitions while playing at a single club. In the NWSL, players can only with the NWSL Championship. They can play all season, be the best team in the league and then lose it all in the Championship Final. North Carolina knows what that’s like. And it’s awful. But then there are clubs oversees like Chelsea Ladies FC that get to play in the FA Women’s Super League, which consists of other English clubs, but also in the UEFA Women’s Champion League, which is made up of clubs across Europe. It’s more competition against different kinds of teams that only lead to more player development. It’s more opportunities to lift a trophy. And it’s more opportunities the completely dominate on multiple levels. Who doesn’t want that?

Surely there are more reasons than just these five for a player to consider playing somewhere other than the NWSL. This isn’t an exhaustive list. Not even close. And in some circumstances, these five reasons aren’t any of the ones that a player may consider when deciding to go play overseas. But the point of the matter is that the NWSL doesn’t hold the single most dominant place in women’s soccer. Not by a long shot. This league isn’t necessarily the biggest pull for professional players and we have to accept that, but we also have to look to fix it. Because what the league is doing isn’t enough. They need to stay competitive and progress. They need to do more to make the league more attractive on an international scale. But most importantly, they need to find stability. Because once they do, the other parts will begin to fall into place.

2009 to 2013: The Golden Age of USWNT Videos

Posted on by RJ Allen

There was once a golden age of USWNT videos. From around 2009 until 2013, videos of soccer tennis, holidays, birthdays and all sorts of things ruled the day.

And then the darkness came and these videos, which looked like someone filmed them on their iPhone, were replaced with glossy videos. So today in honor of the golden age, we visit some of my personal favorite videos. Just a note, I mostly stayed away from “Studio 90”, “Behind the Crest” and the “Back Home” Series. Go watch them all.  This is more a list of the one off and funny videos you might not know about.

So, on to the funny, the odd and the occasionally touching look at the golden age of USWNT videos.

Warning: This list is neither exhaustive nor is it in any particular order.

The New Kids Videos

Maybe a cheat because 1) There are 4 videos and I’m counting it as 1 and 2) They weren’t all from the golden age. And to that I say, New Kids don’t care about no rules.

WNT Smarter than a Fifth Grader?

There was a time when the USWNT had 4 Stanford alumnae on the team. I mean other than 2017 with Jane Campbell, Andi Sullivan, Christen Press and Kelley O’Hara. In 2013 it was Nicole Barnhart, Rachel Buehler, Christen Press and Kelley O’Hara. To see which of the younger two was smarter they played a game.

Classic Castle & WNT Wizards and The WNT Hits the Links

The USWNT took to Scotland before the 2012 Olympics and had two of the greatest videos that have ever been made. There isn’t much I can say about these videos that will do justice to them. From Kelley O’Hara falling after being “sniped” to Syd Leroux’s golf swing both are a delightful way to remember a time the USWNT wasn’t out of the Olympics before the final.

Rock Hard Abs on the WNT

Heather O’Reilly is a USWNT fan favorite, both for her play on the field and her personality off of it. This video is a pretty great showing off the second. O’Reilly and Lori Chalupny talk about a WPS game where Chalupny’s hand broke off of HAO’s rock hard abs.

Studio 90: Two Captains, Two Champions

I mostly have stayed away from Studio 90 but for this one I am willing to make an exception. There was a time when Julie (Johnston) Ertz was not a near permanent member of the USWNT. This video shows her close but not quite there yet as she and then captain Christie Pearce chat. One of the less funny but one of my personal favorites.

USWNT Does Celebrations: WNT Halloween in Mexico, WNT Holiday Party, WNT Birthday Party in Juarez, Mexico: Stephanie Cox

These three videos are great. Just great. They serve as a reminder just how much things like birthdays and holidays the team does together around camps and games. When you are together more days than you’re apart you have little choice but to become family. 

And how many videos show players getting thrown in a pool?

Sisters 4 Life

AKA Kristie and Sam Mewis answer weird questions about each other for our amusement. This video has some of the best (worst) graphics you could ask for. Along with odd questions and teenage Kristie and Sam. Some of the best entertainment there is out there. 

Cheese Tasting with Becky and Bue

Let’s face it. Becky Sauerbrunn is one of the wittiest people we wish we knew. And in video we get to see that wit in full force. She and the Buehldozer aka Rachel (Buehler) Van Hollebeke go on a cheese tasting adventure. Also Carli kicked Bue in the face beforehand so her nose is black and blue.

Chelsea Ladies: The Real Chelsea

Posted on by RJ Allen

About two months ago, I moved to London to pursue my Masters in Human Rights at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Being a massive fan of soccer (or football as it is called over here), and women’s soccer in particular, I was eager to check out some of the London area teams in the FA WSL. My first choice was Chelsea, and shortly after moving to the city, I went to their season opener against Bristol City.

I knew that women’s soccer in the United Kingdom was still in its early stages. It didn’t exactly shock me that it took 90 minutes to get from my apartment in Central London to the stadium—about 45 minutes on the Underground and 45 minutes on a bus—but I could see where conversations about accessibility come into play. The match had little advertising outside of the women’s soccer circles on social media, and the team’s new stadium—officially known as the Cherry Red Records Stadium—left much to be desired. But there were over 1,000 people at the season opener, and Chelsea looked impressive in their 6-0 victory. I knew I was seeing some of the best players in the world—Ramona Bachmann, Crystal Dunn, Fran Kirby, and Hedvig Lindhal, amongst others. Even better, a ticket to the match was only £6.

I had every intention of going back to another Chelsea Ladies match. At the same time, I was starting my program at LSE. A few of the people on my program were soccer fans, although admittedly most of those soccer fans were men. I was talking to one of my classmates about it as we walked to an event. I told him that I was a women’s soccer fan and I told him he should check out some of the women’s teams in the area. I told him that I was getting ready to see Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea in Champions League and that it was only £6.

A random stranger stopped us as we were walking through the building. “I’m sorry,” this man said. “Did you say you saw Chelsea for £6?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Their women’s team.”

The stranger looked at the guy I had been talking to and laughed, as if they were sharing some personal joke.

“Oh,” he said. “I thought you meant the real Chelsea.”

He laughed again and kept walking. 

I didn’t say anything to my friend about it. In fact, I had drawn this reaction to women’s soccer with such frequency that it didn’t even stand out to me until later, when I was getting ready to go to the match. I was so excited to go to my first Champions League game. I didn’t understand why some people sought to undermine it. The Chelsea Ladies had looked great in their first match—so, why were they any less worthy of this man’s respect?

When I got to the match, I was surprised. I expected a Wednesday night match to struggle for attendance, especially since Chelsea Ladies draw a lot of families. But to my surprise, there were over 2,000 fans in attendance and Bayern Munich had their own traveling supporters section.

I sat down towards the front. They had been handing out free Chelsea flags outside of the stadium and I didn’t want those waving in my face, so I sat behind one of the academy teams. These girls were probably between 8-10, but I quickly realized how well they knew their stuff. Two of the girls sat down next to me, with the rest spread out in the front row.

“There seems to be a lot of stoppage in this game,” one of the girls said during the first half.

“Yeah,” the other said. “Munich fouls a lot.”

Shortly after that, Chelsea came close to a breakaway, before a Bayern Munich player tackled her to the ground.

“Come on!” The girls moaned.

It kept going like that for most of the game. The girls argued about the calls they didn’t like, and pointed out which players they were most like.

“I’m like Fran Kirby,” the girl next to me said.

“Yeah,” another one laughed. “Cause you’re short!”

“And fast,” the girl said, swinging her legs under her seat.

It was a thrilling 1-0 win for Chelsea Ladies, with a goal scored by Drew Spence, who I met after the match. For me, the best moment of the game was when the women walked out of the tunnel. All the people around me—a lot of them families—had their flags waving in the air. They were singing the Chelsea song. And the two little boys behind me—no older than five or six—were freaking out. “CHELSEA!” They kept screaming. They went on like that for most of the game. “GO CHELSEA!”

That’s right. Chelsea. Because to those kids—those young boys who hadn’t been taught to think less of the women than the men, those young girls who thought that maybe someday they could be on that pitch—these players were the “real” Chelsea. There was no difference for them. And that was enough to give me hope.

NWSL: We’ll Cross That Bridge When We Get There

Posted on by RJ Allen

The fifth National Women’s Soccer League is well in the rearview mirror.  National team players are in camp, while overseas leagues like the Australian W-League and England’s FA WSL are underway.

Looking back on the NWSL, the excitement and action of the season was clearly memorable. We had  Sam Kerr scoring goals on her way to the Golden Boot and MVP awards, Marta elevating the play of the Pride and guiding them to the first playoff appearance for an expansion team, and Christine Sinclair leading the Portland Thorns to their second league title.

However, not all the action stayed on the pitch.

Those that followed the league closely will remember the nebulous NWSL disciplinary committee suspending Seattle Reign defender Merritt Mathias and Thorns forward Tyler Lussi. However, even those paying close attention would probably have a challenging time actually explaining the league policy and inner workings of the DisCo, and that’s a problem. As the league becomes more stable and mature, there should be a higher expectation for defined league policies and transparency on how those policies function.

To illustrate the point, it’s worth taking a moment to consider things on the men’s side. At Orlando this year, for example, a couple players had off-the-field issues involving the law. After their arrests, these players were placed into Major League Soccer’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health (SABH) policy. This program covers a range of issues, including the codification of player suspensions, potential behavioral health assessments, and treatment for the player if required. The idea is to directly address the direct issue of player arrests, while taking a “whole person” approach that focuses on player wellness as well as simple punishment.

Thankfully, as far as we know, this type of program hasn’t been needed in the NWSL. But there have been some close cases, with one recent prominent example being the Alex Morgan alcohol-related incident at Walt Disney World’s Epcot theme park. The end result of that incident was Morgan and members of her group being escorted out after a day of drinking around the world. Nobody in the group was arrested.

Now, this incident is worth discussing not because of what actually happened. As far as we know, this was an isolated incident, with no reason to expect any recurring problem. The only reason the story received global attention is because of who Alex Morgan is. However, while there is no reason to think anything serious happened here, and no need to rehash the minor details, it did call attention to the question of underlying policy. Because, when asked whether they had a something similar to the MLS SABH policy, the NWSL responded that they did not have any set policy, and would handle any instance on a case-by-case basis.

The SABH policy also governs drug testing. Federated players compete in Olympic and international competitions, in which drug testing is normal, but we have no information about whether the league’s other players might fit into a league drug testing policy. It wouldn’t be shocking if the NWSL drug tested the players somehow–other women’s sporting organizations like the WNBA and LPGA have systems in place–but we have no information about whether it actually happens. And given the general bare bones standards set by the league, it certainly wouldn’t be surprising if the non-federation players are not drug tested. The league is focusing on raising standards from bare-bones to merely acceptable. It’s possible that drug testing simply hasn’t made the cut.  Maybe, just like with the substance abuse policy, they’re operating on a case-by-case basis.

The question: is that the best approach for a growing league?

Back in May, Amanda Duffy was questioned on the NFL policy known as the Rooney Rule, which requires a team to interview a minority candidate for open positions like head coach. The thought here is to promote diversity within the coaching ranks, a point made now that Laura Harvey has stepped down as Seattle Reign head coach. Her response was not all that surprising.

Generally, as a society we prefer to establish policies that are clearly stated, in which actions are treated equally. Anything else risks creating awkward situations and double standards. Had the situation with Alex Morgan escalated into something worse would the league have taken any action or would U.S. Soccer have stepped in? What if the Morgan incident had also included non-federated players? What sort of actions would those players face, and would all the players be treated equally? Could an amateur player looking to make a team turn to performing enhancing drugs, knowing there is no system to prevent it and catch a potential culprit? If so, doesn’t that create an awful incentive for other players struggling to make the roster to engage in similar experiments?

It’s time the NWSL front office establish a formal policy, so that players, front offices, and coaches can understand the rules and play the game fairly. As a growing league, it’s understandable they’ve prioritized other things, but the time for creating policy on the fly is over.

The WNBA uses the NBA as a model for its policy. Is there a good reason why the NWSL couldn’t do the same, and adopt a variation of the MLS SABH policy? Surely, given how involved U.S. Soccer is in the league, it would be no difficult thing.

This would also be a perfect opportunity for the league to act in good faith, and engage with the newly formed NWSL Players Association. That could improve relations with the players, and help set the tone for productive arrangements when a union is eventually formed. 

The old patchwork system, where federated players operate under one set of rules set by the national team, and everyone else operates in a series of grey areas, is no longer acceptable. Players shouldn’t have to speculate about consequences. Fans and media shouldn’t have to speculate either. 

Just create a policy, NWSL. You’ve got a perfectly good guide available in the MLS policy. Don’t wait until a crisis happens. The league has spent a lot of time being reactive. It’s time to start being proactive.

Who Should Make a 23 Person USWNT Roster?

Posted on by RJ Allen

Sometimes thought experiments are a good way to go through players pools and figuring out what you like and don’t like about players. As someone who writes about women’s soccer, I do a lot of thought experiments that never see the light of day. But the last one I did was something I thought I’d share.

It started with a simple question: Who could reasonably be included in the USWNT pool? It then turned quickly into who would make the best 23? Not who ARE the best 23 players in the country but which 23 would make the most solid team? I’m sure if you looked at the list of the last few rosters of players called up to the USWNT you could put together a 23 woman list that would be the envy of most countries on earth.

But is that the best the US could do?

I think if there was an event, a fictional mid December tournament, let’s say in France with Germany, the US and Australia all invited. Each team gets 23 players on the roster and the USWNT no longer has players they have to call up due to contracts, who makes the cut?

If I were in charge, and every player were healthy, this is what would my 23 for this tournament look like.

Before you crack your knuckles and start commenting and why this or that player should have made the cut, let me explain how I got down to the pool I did. I listed out all of the players in the NWSL, sorry college players but I don’t know you well enough to judge you yet, who could be called up to the USWNT. 

Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards
Abby Smith Abby Dahlkemper Allie Long Alex Morgan
Adrianna Franch Ali Krieger Andi Sullivan Ashley Hatch
Alyssa Naeher Amber Brooks Christina Gibbons Beverly Yanez
Ashlyn Harris Arin Gilliland Christine Nairn Carli Lloyd
Aubrey Bledsoe Becky Sauerbrunn Dani Weatherholt Cheyna Williams
Haley Kopmeyer Caprice Dydasco Danielle Colaprico Chioma Ubogagu
Jane Campbell Cari Roccaro Daphne Corboz Christen Press
Katelyn Rowland Carson Pickett Julie Ertz Crystal Dunn
Michelle Betos Casey Short Kealia Ohai Jasmyne Spencer
  Christen Westphal Kristen Edmonds Jessica McDonald
  Emily Menges Kristie Mewis Lynn Williams
  Emily Sonnett Lindsey Horan Mallory Pugh
  Erica Skroski Lo’eau LaBonta Margaret Purce
  Estelle Johnson McCall Zerboni Merritt Matthias
  Gina Lewandowski Megan Rapinoe Rachel Hill
  Jaelene Hinkle Meggie Dougherty Howard Savannah Jordan
  Katherine Reynolds Morgan Andrews Shea Groom
  Kelley O’Hara Morgan Brian Stephanie McCaffrey
  Kristen McNabb Nikki Stanton Sydney Leroux
  Lauren Barnes Rose Lavelle  
  Mandy Freeman Samantha Mewis  
  Megan Oyster Sarah Killion  
  Meghan Klingenberg Sofia Huerta  
  Sam Witteman Tobin Heath  
  Taylor Smith Tori Huster  
    Vanessa DiBernardo  

To start pairing down the list I removed the players who I gave a “soft pass” to. These are players who either have never been in the USWNT system, have been passed by it, or I don’t think have that special something needed to be on the full national team. 

The players given a “soft pass” are marked in red.

Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards
Abby Smith Abby Dahlkemper Allie Long Alex Morgan
Adrianna Franch Amber Brooks Andi Sullivan Ashley Hatch
Alyssa Naeher Becky Sauerbrunn Christina Gibbons Carli Lloyd
Ashlyn Harris Caprice Dydasco Dani Weatherholt Cheyna Williams
Aubrey Bledsoe Cari Roccaro Danielle Colaprico Chioma Ubogagu
Jane Campbell Carson Pickett Daphne Corboz Christen Press
Katelyn Rowland Casey Short Julie Ertz Crystal Dunn
Michelle Betos Christen Westphal Kristen Edmonds Jasmyne Spencer
Haley Kopmeyer Emily Menges Lindsey Horan Lynn Williams
  Emily Sonnett Megan Rapinoe Mallory Pugh
  Erica Skroski Meggie Dougherty Howard Margaret Purce
  Jaelene Hinkle Morgan Andrews Rachel Hill
  Katherine Reynolds Morgan Brian Savannah Jordan
  Kelley O’Hara Rose Lavelle Shea Groom
  Kristen McNabb Samantha Mewis Beverly Yanez
  Mandy Freeman Sarah Killion Jessica McDonald
  Taylor Smith Sofia Huerta Merritt Matthias
  Ali Krieger Tobin Heath Stephanie McCaffrey
  Arin Gilliland Vanessa DiBernardo Sydney Leroux
  Estelle Johnson Christine Nairn  
  Gina Lewandowski Kealia Ohai  
  Lauren Barnes Kristie Mewis  
  Megan Oyster Lo’eau LaBonta  
  Meghan Klingenberg McCall Zerboni  
  Sam Witteman Nikki Stanton  
    Tori Huster  

Then it was time to look at the remaining players and remove those who just aren’t ready yet in my best estimation. Some were rookies, some had been in the league for a few years but were just becoming starters, and still yet some had shifted positions and I wanted a bit more “burn in” before they were called up.

The players given “Give Them Time” are listed in blue.
The players given a “Soft Pass” are marked in red.

Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards
Adrianna Franch Abby Dahlkemper Allie Long Alex Morgan
Alyssa Naeher Amber Brooks Andi Sullivan Ashley Hatch
Ashlyn Harris Becky Sauerbrunn Danielle Colaprico Carli Lloyd
Michelle Betos Casey Short Julie Ertz Christen Press
Abby Smith Emily Menges Lindsey Horan Crystal Dunn
Aubrey Bledsoe Emily Sonnett Megan Rapinoe Lynn Williams
Jane Campbell Jaelene Hinkle Morgan Brian Mallory Pugh
Katelyn Rowland Katherine Reynolds Rose Lavelle Shea Groom
Haley Kopmeyer Kelley O’Hara Samantha Mewis Cheyna Williams
  Taylor Smith Sofia Huerta Chioma Ubogagu
  Caprice Dydasco Tobin Heath Jasmyne Spencer
  Cari Roccaro Vanessa DiBernardo Margaret Purce
  Carson Pickett Christina Gibbons Rachel Hill
  Christen Westphal Dani Weatherholt Savannah Jordan
  Erica Skroski Daphne Corboz Beverly Yanez
  Kristen McNabb Kristen Edmonds Jessica McDonald
  Mandy Freeman Meggie Dougherty Howard Merritt Matthias
  Ali Krieger Morgan Andrews Stephanie McCaffrey
  Arin Gilliland Sarah Killion Sydney Leroux
  Estelle Johnson Christine Nairn  
  Gina Lewandowski Kealia Ohai  
  Lauren Barnes Kristie Mewis  
  Megan Oyster Lo’eau LaBonta  
  Meghan Klingenberg McCall Zerboni  
  Sam Witteman Nikki Stanton  
    Tori Huster  

After the first two rounds of cuts I had 33 players left. A mix of older and younger players that was really difficult to break down much more than I had. It was from this group I’d make my 23. 

Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards
Alyssa Naeher Becky Sauerbrunn Julie Ertz Alex Morgan
Adrianna Franch Casey Short Lindsey Horan Christen Press
Ashlyn Harris Kelley O’Hara Samantha Mewis Mallory Pugh
Michelle Betos Abby Dahlkemper Tobin Heath Ashley Hatch
  Amber Brooks Allie Long Carli Lloyd
  Emily Menges Andi Sullivan Crystal Dunn
  Emily Sonnett Danielle Colaprico Lynn Williams
  Jaelene Hinkle Megan Rapinoe Shea Groom
  Katherine Reynolds Morgan Brian  
  Taylor Smith Rose Lavelle  
    Sofia Huerta  
    Vanessa DiBernardo  

My person preference when I’m putting together a roster is a balance between defenders, attacking players who are strong defenders and attacking players who bring the heat with the usual 3 goalkeeper set up.

I started to pair down by looking first at the goalkeepers.

Goalkeepers

Alyssa Naeher, Adrianna Franch, Ashlyn Harris, Michelle Betos were the goalkeepers that survived my first two rounds of cuts.

At 29, 26, 32 and 29 it’s not a young group by any means.

For this roster I wanted Naeher’s experience as the current number one. Adrianna Franch, the best goalkeeper in the NWSL in 2017, was my second choice.

Third choice was down to Ashlyn Harris or Michelle Betos. In the end I went with Betos. I want to see how her time away from the NWSL has done to her game.

I would give each of the three a game to see just what they could do against high level attacks.

Just like that 3 of the 23 slots were decided.

Defenders

Going from 10 really solid defenders down to six is never easy. I am the type of roster builder that usually tries to sneak an extra defender or two in, but with the 23 I’m building I don’t have room for more than the 6 I went with.

Amber Brooks, Emily Menges, Jaelene Hinkle and Katherine Reynolds were the four that ended up chopped last.

Dahlkemper, Sauerbrunn and Sonnett are three centerbacks that give me the type of tenacity and reliability I’m looking for. Sauerbrunn has been the rock of the USWNT backline over the last 3 years in a way that has saved more goals than her lack of speed has created. In Dahlkemper and Sonnett I’d get a pair of up and coming players who are hungry to prove their worth.

And with O’Hara, Short and Smith you have speed, defense and each has an attacking soul deep down that tends to pop up in key moments.

I’d start O’Hara and Short, use Smith as a sub if needed for Short and shift O’Hara to the left. With the centerbacks I’d like start safe with Dahlkemper and Sauerbrunn and bring in Sonnett as needed.

9 players down, 14 to go. 

Attacking Players

This is a bit of a two for one.

Let’s look at the center of the park and then the forward attack.

I tend to forget just how stacked the center midfield is for the US because Ellis doesn’t call a lot of the players in.

No matter who I went with in this pool I was going to get center midfielders who can do work. I ended up keeping Julie Ertz, Samantha Mewis, Andi Sullivan, Danielle Colaprico, Rose Lavelle, and Vanessa DiBernardo.

I want a little bit of what each brings. Is it a lot of options in the center, yes. But with Ertz ability to be the 6, 8 or 10, Colaprico’s skill on the ball, Sullivan’s talent for disruption, Lavelle’s vision, Mewis’s crazy soccer smarts and DiBernardo’s everything, it is a 6 pack worth having.

Yes, I cut Horan from this, mostly because I think with the midfield I’m thinking of, Colaprico or DiBernardo could do the job with a few less yellow cards. 

Any three put out there will have all the keys needed to prevent being run over. And the level of finesse to physicality can be turned up or down depending on the team of the moment.

No team wins without attackers, right? So for my wingers/wide forwards/forwards I went with the idea of “if it isn’t broken, don’t try to fix it too much”.

Having Alex Morgan, Christen Press, Mallory Pugh, Lynn Williams, Ashley Hatch, Tobin Heath, Megan Rapinoe, and Sofia Huerta all on the same team feels a little like playing a video game. They are all so good.

I added Ashley Hatch because the forwards need a little more spark at times. Dunn used to have that role but England has hurt Crystal Dunn’s game on the USWNT. I wish it hadn’t but she didn’t look like the same player in her minutes with the team. I hope she can come back to the NWSL and find her mojo. But until then I have to go with another attacker.

And yeah, no Carli Lloyd. They are a better team when she isn’t there to force the line up in her image.

So the full 23 would be:

Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards
Alyssa Naeher Becky Sauerbrunn Julie Ertz Alex Morgan
Adrianna Franch Casey Short Samantha Mewis Christen Press
Michelle Betos Kelley O’Hara Tobin Heath Mallory Pugh
  Abby Dahlkemper Andi Sullivan Lynn Williams
  Emily Sonnett Danielle Colaprico Ashley Hatch
  Taylor Smith Megan Rapinoe  
    Rose Lavelle  
    Sofia Huerta  
    Vanessa DiBernardo  

So is my 23 the 23 best players in the NWSL that the US could take? Maybe. I went with some young choices in hopes of growing the players and trying a few new things. I think the 23 I went with would at least be a bit of an entertaining mix.

If you were going to pull together a 23-player roster for a December tournament, if all spots were open, who would you go with? 

The Path to Madness and Heartbreak: Letting Go of 2015

Posted on by RJ Allen

The 2015 Women’s World Cup is one of the most exciting sporting events we’ve ever watched. It had drama, emotional release of all those years of waiting, and is still the most-watched soccer game for the US. It was the very best result the US could have hoped for.

Even now if the first few chords of Rihanna’s “American Oxygen” came on, the power of memory would transport many back to those Canadian fields where America broke a 16-year drought that felt like a lifetime of frustration.

And now it’s time we let it go.

As much as it was important and brought forth a new wave of excitement for the USWNT itself and for women’s soccer as a whole, we have to step away from the shadow it casts and move down the road. 

We see it all the time in the suggestions both fans and media make toward the roster. It’s in the small details people hold as fact that haven’t been true in two years. Things have shifted and it’s time we face the facts. The team of now is no longer the team of then, and trying to fix this team with those players only leads to madness and heartbreak.

Letting Go of Important Players

It’s never easy to say goodbye to the players who were key to big moments. No matter how much the program needs to grow past who they were and who they are now, there is always a bittersweet taste left in doing so.

The last two years have changed the very core of who this team is. They are no longer the outstanding defensive team that matched the record for minutes played without allowing a goal at the World Cup. They no longer have a goalkeeper and backline that are unyielding in the face of the world’s best attacking players.

They are above average in the world in terms of the defense but no longer sit at the very top. They have changed into a hyper-attacking style of defense that Ellis has used to start, and in some cases equally participate in, the attack in a way they did much less of in 2015. In this system, we’re going to see more attacking players converted rather than defensive players. It leads to the kind of high risk, high reward play that O’Hara and Short have shown us Ellis is comfortable with, even as the rest of us find ourselves squirming from play-to-play.

The game played in 2017 doesn’t put as much value on the “defend first, attack second” outside backs of years past. North Carolina, Sky Blue, Chicago all have defenders in the USWNT’s usual rotation of players, and all use an attacking style of outside back, either as a result of, or because Ellis is seeing how well it works and using those players in a similar way herself.

In talking about letting go of players, we have to talk about the two that seem to be the hardest to give up.

We have to talk about Ali Krieger and Hope Solo.

I’ve written about my thoughts on Krieger and her quest for 100 caps. She is as deserving as anyone to hit the milestone, but 2017 Krieger is no longer 2015 Krieger.  And 2017 Krieger isn’t a good enough outside back to make it into the Starting XI over O’Hara or Short or Smith. And when building a team for the future, Krieger isn’t who you pick over some of the players making their way onto this team. Screaming into the void about how Ali Krieger would solve this, that, and the other thing is just screaming for the honor of defending her honor at this point.

Krieger is likely to make the switch to centerback permanent going forward. As outside backs get older some are able to find a second life in central defense. Some get an extra few years making the swap and at club-level Krieger is surely good enough to keep playing as a centerback. Maybe even as an outside back.

But for the USWNT? She’s not better than O’Hara or Short in the system they want to play. She doesn’t have the speed to get back, cut players off and keep the fastest forwards at bay anymore. She can mentally make the runs but defenders, and outside backs even more so, slow down as they age. And Krieger isn’t immune to Father Time.

As sad as many find it, myself included, calling Krieger up and starting her at right back simply are no longer options going forward as the team prepares for France 2019. And neither is calling in Hope Solo.

As much as many of us long for the days when Solo seemed ten feet tall and bulletproof in goal, those days are gone. She has had two major shoulder surgeries and as far as we know from the second, she hasn’t been medically cleared to dive on her shoulder yet, much less fully train with any team. Goalkeepers do have a habit of being able to outlast field players but it’s time to accept that Alyssa Naeher is the new Number One. As much as Solo might tease on social media about a comeback to club, a comeback to country is a bridge she and USSF have both burned down.

Moving past Solo was going to happen sooner or later. She wasn’t going to wear the #1 for the US for more than another cycle, and that was if she was able to come back at all from her latest surgery. Add on top the issues she has with the federation and the issues the federation has with her, and as messy as the break up was, it was always going to happen sooner rather than later. 

At this point, we have to want them to move away from her. As much as Solo has given to the USWNT she has managed to dig herself into a hole with breathtaking efficiency.

To paraphrase a popular song, Solo and USSF are never, ever, ever getting back together.

Remembering Without Idealizing

It is possible to both remember fondly the team that won the 2015 World Cup and understand the current state of the USWNT. It is possible to understand that it won’t be helped by either bringing those same players back in or reverting to the style that won those games. As much as Morgan Brian and Carli Lloyd aided in 2015 win, in the world of 2017 we can do better in those positions and we must in order to keep up with the rest of the world.

Carli Lloyd played 16 minutes of the most out-of-her-mind soccer that has ever been played. And it’s possible to remember how wonderful those three goals were without over-compensating for her as an overall player, and her in the current women’s soccer environment. She is not good enough to start for the USWNT anymore. And while that is a hard pill for some to take it is a face we’ve seen each time she isn’t in the XI for the USWNT. They play better without her reorienting the attacking formation around herself. 

Morgan Brian gets this treatment all the time. “She was an amazing attacking midfielder in college” someone cries into the void. And she was.

But she isn’t that player for the USWNT, and with her injury history, there is a chance she won’t be one of the 23 players on the roster for the 2019 Women’s World Cup. And that sucks, but it’s reality. And as much as soccer media and soccer fans like to think about all possibilities, we do have the ground ourselves in the possible. Without it, we’re just writing a novel that has as much to do with the world we live in today as any fantasy novel written by an able craftsperson would.

Maybe Brain gets healthy this offseason. Maybe she beats out Ertz, Mewis, and Horan and works her way back into the Starting XI for the USWNT. Maybe in 2019 she’s the best midfielder on the team and in the world. Wouldn’t that be great? It would be. But right now there are so many “what ifs” attached to it that it’s a murky future at best.

This trickles to players who will almost certainly be on the roster for 2019 and likely will still be starting. It isn’t reserved just for players hurt or past their prime.

Becky Sauerbrunn, the overworked captain, isn’t in 2017 what she was in 2015. Is she still the best centerback in the USWNT pool? Yes, I believe she is. But is she invincible? No. She has lost a little spark as of late which we can only hope she finds after some rest and time off. But fooling ourselves that she will be 2015 Sauerbrunn forever doesn’t change the basic facts. It just keeps our heads in the past and makes our pain more certain when things don’t work out that way.

Honoring the deeds done by players while still accepting who they are now has to become something we are okay with doing.

What Does Letting Go of 2015 Mean?

It’s hard to let go of 2015. Of the defense that was such a strong unit. Of the style of attacking that was so of its moment but ended up winning the day with one of the most magnificent performances we’ve ever seen. Of the players whose names we wear so proudly on our backs.

But moving on is needed to be able to understand the team as they are now. Comparing Naeher to Solo at every turn does nothing but lead to frustration. Comparing her to the players of now, Harris and Campbell, is going to at least keep us focused on the moment.

It’s okay to miss the players and the moments that are important to us. Going back and watching games is something we all do. It’s natural to want to feel a little tingle of that glory again. But wishing players back and pretending that we can’t see the writing on the wall does nothing but lead to anger and frustration, for everyone.

The team of 2017 has faults and flaws and needs improvement in areas that I’m not sure we’ll see in time to save their hopes for a fourth star in France. But wishing the 2015 team was in its place? Pretending like they can ride back in and save the day? That way madness lies. Madness and heartbreak. 

BFFs: 5 Reason the NWSL and the W-League are a Match Made in Heaven

Posted on by RJ Allen

I made it less than a week. Less than a week without women’s soccer before I caved. We finished the NWSL season, the U.S. had the Korea Republic friendlies, and then I only made it five days before I sat in front of my computer screen at five in the morning and ordered my monthly subscription for the Australian Westfield W-League. And let me tell you, it was possibly one of the best decisions I’ve made all year. After watching only four minutes of the Perth Glory/Melbourne City match I knew that this was something that every NWSL fan needs in their life. The offseason feels long and ominous? Don’t worry, because it’s not the offseason at all! The NWSL may be gone, but it’s got a perfect partner on the other side of the world. If these leagues were on Tinder they would both be swiping right. Because they fit. And they need each other. And together they help promote women’s soccer even more. So yeah, I ship this pair, and you should too. But in case you need more persuading, here’s five reasons why they work so well together:

Opposite Schedules

The NWSL and the W-League are like the sun and the moon. They are never out at the same time, but we need them both here on earth. No one wants to wait for another match to watch, and they certainly don’t want to wait six months. Luckily, this pairing keeps us safe from that danger.  The NWSL season runs from April to mid October. And then the W-League runs from late October through February, which is just in time for players to have a short break and return to NWSL preseason camps once again. It’s a virtuous and amazing cycle that leaves the players in both leagues constantly playing and the fans (and opposite league and club management) constantly paying attention to what is happening around the soccer world.

Show Me The Young Guns

The W-League offers an amazing opportunity to NWSL and other international players of all ages, but it’s the young players who seem to benefit the most. This may be because most young players are not bogged down by National Team camps. That means they don’t have to worry about the daunting task of a 22-hour flight home to go play for their country. They get to keep a schedule, mesh with their teammates, and see the different style of play that Australia brings to the table. It also gives these young players more experience, which will only benefit them more when they return to the NWSL after their W-League season is over. But it’s not just a place for young players. It also features some serious talent, from Jess Fishlock to Sam Kerr to the majority of the Australian National Team. So yes, Ashley Hatch, current NWSL Rookie of the Year, may be hanging out in Melbourne to get more experience, but she is also facing some of the fiercest competition of her life…and playing on a team whose roster looks like it belongs at an all-star game.

Exposure For Aussies

Probably the best thing about the W-League being promoted so much is the exposure it brings for Australian players. Because it isn’t just the fans who are paying attention, but every manager, coach, and club that has a player across the Pacific Ocean in the W-League. And it’s impossible to only watch NWSL assets when there is so much amazing Australian talent on display. I don’t know about you, but I could use another Sam Kerr, or Haley Raso, or Lydia Williams in the NWSL. After all, the Aussies are on fire lately, and their National Team is only getting better and better. And let’s face it, they are entertaining as hell to watch. So if them getting a bit more exposure means that I can see a few more of them play here in America for a couple months of the year, that’s great news for everyone. Heck, if they aren’t too proud to play for a maximum salary of 45k in the NWSL then I would take all of the Matildas that I could get. The more that people get to watch them, and the more that players get to play them, the better the game will become.

Keeping the Team Together (and apart)

Another great thing about the W-League is that we get to see some really great combinations of NWSL players still playing with familiar faces from back in the States. Take for example the Perth Glory. Somehow, Sam Kerr got to take both Nikki Stanton and Raquel Rodriguez with her from Sky Blue, and now they are on the verge of doing some amazing things in Perth. Don’t believe me? Believe Sam Kerr’s fourth minute goal assisted by Stanton in their opening match of the season. So, if you are a Sky Blue fan, you should be really excited to see what this trio brings back to New Jersey, and what kind of chemistry they continue to develop on the field while in Perth.

And there are also some fun arrangements in the other direction: not combinations that stick together but NWSL teammates who are now split apart. Look at the Chicago Red Stars. Arin Gilliland plays for the Newcastle Jets, while her Red Star teammates Alyssa Mautz, Danielle Colaprico, and Katie Naughton play for Adelaide United. Do you not think that they will play to each other’s strengths and weaknesses? I do. And I also think it will be a great match to watch on November 25.

Staying in Form

Perhaps the most important factor that benefits the players of both leagues is that playing in both the NWSL and the W-League allows players to stay in top physical form. No one is going to have to worry if a player shlubbed off their offseason workouts and didn’t stick to the greatest diet for a professional athlete. These players are hitting the field everyday and honing their skills even more. The only potential issue that both leagues need to worry about is whether a player will get injured while playing in the other. And this makes that rest period in between leagues crucial. It also means that these players need to really listen to their bodies when they are telling them something is wrong. It’s safer to rest than to push through and cause a bigger injury that could affect their playing status in both leagues.

Perhaps the only downside of following the Westfield W-League from the United States is the time difference. Because of my work schedule I think nothing of watching a match at four in the morning, but I know that is not the norm. Still, the streaming packages from OZ are a great deal – $2.99 per match, or $4.99 per month for all the matches. I went monthly, and I would recommend that if you want to at least watch one match per week. And at least one match is on at an appropriate time to view…well, 7 a.m. isn’t that bad. Still, for anyone looking to get their WoSo fix, I would highly recommend the W-League. It is the natural fit and progression from the NWSL and you are going to be cheering for a lot of the same players that you were just last month. So check it out. It’s time to watch the amazing skill and entertainment Australia has to offer. And hopefully, when it is the NWSL’s turn to return the favor, we can do so with a few more Aussies here in America, and an even tighter bond between the two leagues.

Is 7 the Number to Make the NWSL Playoffs Magical?

Posted on by RJ Allen

The 2017 NWSL playoffs were fine.

They were fine.

The three games we saw were sometimes boring, occasionally exciting, often brutal matches between 4 teams who all managed to keep themselves above the other 6 teams in the league at the end of a 24 game season.

Some people have called for the NWSL to eliminate playoffs all together and crown the Shield winner the season champion. Some have offered the idea of a home and away match in the semis and a single game in the final. Still others think the current set up is what should be used going forward.

I humbly bring forward another option to satisfy both the desire to see the playoffs and the need to separate the Shield winner from the second place team in terms of benefits from winning the regular season.

The NWSL should have 7 teams make the playoffs.

The format I would put forward is as follows.

Round 1

Game 1 – Team 2 plays Team 7

Game 2 – Team 3 plays team 6

Game 3 – Team 4 plays team 5

Round 2

Game 4: Team 1 plays winner of Game 3

Game 5: Winner of Game 1 vs Winner of Game 2

Round 3

Championship: Winner of Game 4 vs Winner Game 5

So in 2017 it would have looked like this,

Round 1

Game 1 – Portland vs FCKC @ Portland

Game 2 – Orlando vs Sky Blue @ Orlando

Game 3 – Chicago vs Seattle @ Chicago

Round 2

Game 4: North Carolina vs (Chicago vs Seattle) @ NCC

Game 5: (Portland vs FCKC) vs (Orlando vs Sky Blue) @ Higher seed

Round 3

Championship: Winner of Game 4 vs Winner Game 5 @ Predetermined

Now before you call me insane, and I am sure many of you will after you read this anyway, let me explain why in a 10 team league I think there should be a 7 team playoff hunt.

1. It gives the Shield winner a first round bye.

2. Gives more teams a chance to host a playoff game, gives more fans a chance to attend and helps fans who might not make it to the final make it to a playoff game.

3. Prevents the league from ever having a truly horrific playoff in terms of markets. 

Make the Shield Mean Something

The NWSL shield is less than meaningless right now. Every team that has won the shield, no matter how dominant going into the playoffs, has fallen before grabbing the NWSL championship. Talk of the Curse of the Shield is treated like a fact and not something due to possible small sample size and better teams finishing lower on the table.

Giving the Shield winner both a week to recover from a 20 plus game season and an automatic trip to the second round of the playoffs would be a worthy reward for being the best team of the regular season. We saw the North Carolina Courage have a week turn around from losing Debinha in a meaningless, for them, end of the season match against the Orlando Pride to barely slipping past the Chicago Red Stars largely in part of having so little time to change their game place.

Shouldn’t the number one team in the league, if we have a playoff system, have more time than everyone else to rest, adjust and prepare? Outside of having no playoff it might be the best we can offer them.

More Games, More Fans, More Marketing

The NWSL has upped it’s marketing game in 2017. The Lifetime deal and the money it brought in have surely helped. But that doesn’t mean that all of the marketing woes of the NWSL were fixed with a pen stroke.

An additional round of games helps the NWSL’s marketing department in a few ways.

First there are more games so more of a chance to market the playoffs both on line and during the extra games. Three more games and an extra week of postseason gives the league more of a shot to market meaningful games during the season and to reach the biggest markets in the league. If you look at this year and the matchups that would appear in the first round; Portland vs FCKC, Orlando vs Sky Blue and Chicago vs Seattle, all the match ups would be held in great places to play, and they would involve teams that people would watch even if their team wasn’t playing. Both because they would watch each playoff game and because their team might face one of the winner next.

Second more teams get to host playoff games and more teams are involved during the playoffs. Believing your team has a shot to make the playoffs is what drives a lot of fan’s excitement for the playoffs. Knowing that even if you have to go up against the second ranked team in the league as the seventh ranked team, you still get a chance. You still have hope that maybe, just maybe, any given Sunday can happen this time. In a league that needs major matchups and excitement to help bring in the casual fans it keeps trying to go after, this could be a huge win for the league.

What Happens if the Big Teams Fall?

What happens in a practical way if we have an NWSL playoff with FCKC, where they are currently located, Sky Blue FC, the Washington Spirit and the Boston Breakers? No Portland. No Seattle. No Orlando or Chicago.

As laughable as it sounds right now there is a chance one day this happens and happens before any of those teams have the location to host an NWSL semi that is ready for Lifetime or the number of fans that would want to attend. The teams would either have to work to make their current locations work or maybe more likely host the game from a new location. A location that makes hosting that play off game a down step from the home field advantage you would have had.

On top of that in a ratings driven world, how does the NWSL and Lifetime market games that likely would bring in much lower numbers than the 147,000 that watched the 2017 NWSL final? Maybe they get 80,000 or 90,000 from fans loyal enough to watch because it’s the playoffs and these teams were good enough to make the playoffs. But it still would be a bad year and cost the league and Lifetime.

An expanded pool does mean one, maybe two, games over the course of the playoffs might not be held at the best locations. But it does lessen the chances all the teams in the playoffs have locations that aren’t ideal.

 

The system I’m putting forward isn’t perfect.

There will be some who say it’s just too many teams playing the playoffs. I get that. But I think saying it would make the regular season meaningless is an overstatement. It would mean what it does now, seeding. Seeding is key because the difference between seventh and fifth could be a tie breaker to go play the second best in the league or the forth. 

With an extra round it could be said it puts the league at the greatest risk of having a good team go home early. But that has happened already in the NWSL playoffs and will always be a risk in any playoffs. 

There will be some who say that the Shield winner should be the only winner, but to them I would say Americans would hardly be satisfied with a system that gives them a league with no championship game. They can adapt to a lot but we love championships. 

And there will be some who say the home and away for the semis, or even the final, is a better fix. They might be right but we can still get the FCKC, Sky Blue FC, the Washington Spirit and the Boston Breakers playoff I spoke about and all the problems that comes with that. 

All and all I say if we’re going to have a playoff, why not go all in on the type of playoff that would be engaging, exciting and show the world the hardest league in the world to get a title in is the NWSL? 

The High Five: A New Idea For The NWSL Postseason

Posted on by RJ Allen

Everyone loves a good story. It’s what compels us to sit up and listen or watch. But the NWSL failed to do that this postseason. And part of that is the fact that they are a young league, but the other part of that is because their playoff structure is so simple that it is boring. Top four teams. Three games. Two weeks. Blah.

So why not spice it up a bit? Draw things out a tad bit longer, but get more action in as well? The league shouldn’t make too many changes, because it is young and it doesn’t want to bite off more than it can chew. That’s how leagues fold, and no one wants that. But I would like to put forth the argument that the NWSL hasn’t bitten off enough. They can do better when it comes to the postseason. Here’s what I would suggest:

The top five teams go beyond the regular season. The forth and fifth ranked teams play a mid-week wildcard game immediately following the end of the season. The winner of that game plays the number one ranked team on the weekend, while the second and third ranked teams play each other. Then, the winners of those matches play a best of 9 points Final (potential three game series) the following week. Here’s how it would have looked on a timeline for this season:

– Sunday, Oct. 1: End of Regular Season

– Wednesday, Oct. 4: Wildcard game – Chicago(4) v. Seattle(5) in Chicago

– Saturday, Oct. 7: Semifinals – Portland(2) v. Orlando(3) in Portland

– Sunday, Oct. 8: Semifinals – NC(1) v. Wildcard Winner in NC.

– Saturday, Oct. 14: Finals Game 1 at higher ranked teams’ field

– Wednesday Oct. 18: Finals Game 2 at lower ranked teams’ field

– Sunday Oct. 22: Finals Game 3 at higher ranked teams’ field (if needed based on points accumulated)

So yeah, this looks a bit strange. I’ll admit it. But this structure brings a few really great things to the table. It creates a sense or urgency, it takes fan bases into account, and it extends out the postseason just enough to craft some really interesting story lines. Here’s how:

Sense of Urgency

Major League Baseball added the wildcard games in 2012 as a way to extend the postseason, get more fan participation, and gross more money. And since then it has turned into this mentality of ‘win and we’re in’ and ‘do-or-die.’ And as the New York Yankees can attest this year, it has created a lot of fun not just for the players but for the fans as well. It urges the fans to attend, because their team is just on the cusp of making the playoffs. And in this scenario, if you are that fifth seeded team, you are riding that underdog mentality. Everything comes down to 90 minutes. And sure, we have that with the current setup going straight to the semifinals, but what if there was this game in between where players are playing on short rest and the emotions are heightened because of that? What if Seattle pulled off the upset? Could they have gone on and beat North Carolina? I bet Laura Harvey would believe that they could. But the sense of urgency in this structure isn’t just limited to the wildcard game.

The Finals set up as a potential three game series with a best of nine points can absolutely create a phenomenal and urgent game two. Because imagine that your team is going into game two with no points – you couldn’t even pull out a draw in the last match. This match, you need at least a draw to advance to the third game. If not, your season is done, but there was potentially something left on the table – there was a third game…and all you needed was a tie. Because of this, the style of play could change. And the tactic of home field advantage could come into play more. It might be better to play conservatively than risk losing it all if you could have another 90 minutes in a few more days to make it work better and win off of a goal differential. It also might mean you get to go home to your own fans too.

Root For The Home Team

Something that I hate to see: a league final not sell out. What did I see this year? A half-packed Orlando City Stadium. And yes, it was nicely advertised. But there is absolutely no reason that a random Orlando tourist could just walk up to the ticket box ten minutes before kickoff and be able to watch a Championship. That is just plain unacceptable. And we can’t blame North Carolina or Portland fans for not having a larger turnout. That is a long way to travel, especially for Portland, and on short notice.

But if we had a potential three game series that moved between the two teams’ home fields then you have a better chance of selling out the stadium. You have a better atmosphere for the players and for the fans watching at home. Which means the NWSL sells more tickets, and more merchandise, and there is a greater impact on the league as a whole.

It also provides the two teams an edge going into their home game for the Final, because no matter what, they will at least play one match at home. And any player would rather play home than away – that’s obvious. But there are also those players that love to silence the stands. And this structure plays to their strengths as well.

Give It Time To Craft A Story

I started this article by saying that the NWSL playoffs didn’t tell a good story this year, and they didn’t. The most exciting game there was with regards to gamesmanship, social media, and overall hype was the Orlando/Portland match, but that wasn’t because of the NWSL. That was because Portland said they wouldn’t mind visiting Epcot, and Orlando put a Pride scarf on a rather important log. To be fair, the NWSL tried to make the games seem more intense than they were with their pregame videos about each team and what it would mean to them moving forward, and it made me fall asleep. Every team wants to win a Championship, so let’s make the journey a little more grueling, a little more fun, and a little more unpredictable.

With the five team structure so many great stories could be crafted from it, and every team’s story could build upon the last match that was played. Take the fifth ranked Wildcard team. Let’s say they survive and move to the Semifinals. Then they have to play the number one ranked team. They have to become a giant slayer. And to top it all off, they have to play at the number one ranked team’s home field. But somehow they pull it off. Their fans are going crazy and the story line keeps getting deeper because now they are going to a best of three series. And even if they drop the first match, they are going home to their fans to get a little bit more momentum to maybe give them that final push to make it to game three. And of course they do. And now you have the team that no one thought could make it anywhere playing in a 90 minute duel to the death. They know they are the David to the other team’s Goliath, but they still believe. Do you?

Yeah, that would be a story, wouldn’t it? You might tune in for that one, even if you aren’t a fan of that team.

So that’s my pitch. That is what I would like to watch unfold before me. Five teams. One Wildcard game. Two semifinal matches. And a Finals Series. So, I guess at the end of the day that just translates to me being a simple kind of sports fan. Because all I really want is just a packed house, a chance to watch a little more of the sport I love, and a good story that demands my attention. The question is, does the NWSL?