Category: Opinion

6 Takeaways from NWSL: Week Two

Posted on by RJ Allen

An unpredictable Week Two in the NWSL has now come to a close. We saw the first win of the season for the Boston Breakers, the absolute rout of Houston from Seattle, and the first appearance of Marta in Orlando. Here are a few of our takeaways: 

Orlando Pride Draw 14,452: What That Really Means — Luis Hernandez

The Pride held the first match in the new Orlando City stadium which holds 25,500 hoping to break the league attendance record set last year in Orlando’s inaugural home opener. To do so, the club’s marketing department rolled out its “Fill The Bowl” campaign, Pride players made personal appearances, and were on radio and television pushing the #FillTheBowl message. Outsiders will be quick to point this out as a disappointment or a failure to draw in more crowds than before even with the signing of Marta, but I think after a closer examination this is not a bad thing, but a good thing.

The high attendance number of the first game didn’t carry over for the rest of the season. As the city of Orlando grew the sport of soccer on the men’s side, the club needs to do the same for the women, and that will take time. First year, first game brought in those looking for some novelty, and wanted to “check out” the new team for the club. Orlando has a lot going on besides soccer, and this year three teams are playing in the stadium. People are being selective, so the 14K strong in attendance to see the Pride take on the Spirit were more actually fans of WoSo who are more than likely to have a greater number return. The number in attendance isn’t cause for alarm yet for the Pride; however, the next home game falls on Mother’s’ Day, so looking big picture and long term would be the smart way moving forward.

 

Parity, It’s a thing – Luis Hernandez

The North Carolina Courage seem to be the strongest team out the gates going into Week Three as they host the Pride. Yet looking at the standings with the results of the first two weeks, all the teams have at least a point. The Dash beat the Red Stars Week One then get blasted by Seattle and Chicago holds off FC Kansas City. The Reign could only draw the first week against Sky Blue, and KC provided to be too much for the Breakers. Fast forward to Week Two, Boston gets a win over Sky Blue.

See where I’m going here? In this league, each team needs to be ready to give maximum effort, and execution; otherwise it will be a long match (looking at you Houston). Orlando was finally able to get a point from Washington by creating quality in the final third for one moment after the Spirit were able to improve their team’s performance from Week One. No game is going to be a gimme, and that level of competition is one of the hallmarks of the league, not found in most women’s leagues. May it continue for the rest of the season.

The Injury Bug Keeps Biting the Washington Spirit – Jordan Small

In last week’s opening weekend matchup with the North Carolina Courage, the Spirit had to use two subs in the first half due to injuries. Joanna Lohman is out for the rest of the season because of torn left ACL and Cheyna Williams missed this weekend’s match because of a strained right adductor. Things got even worse for the Spirit on Saturday.

In the 19th minute of the match vs. the Orlando Pride, forward Katie Stengel had to be subbed off because of what appeared to be a knee injury. If Stengel is unable to play against the Houston Dash next week, that would leave the Spirit with just three true forwards on the roster. Lohman, Stengel, and Williams join Caprice Dydasco, Cali Farquharson and Kelsey Wys on the list of injured Washington players.

 

Franch is Not Bad, But Also Not Great – Jordan Small

If you look at the box scores of the first two weeks of the season for the Portland Thorns, there doesn’t seem to be a lot wrong with the goalkeeping. A 2-0 win at home and a 1-0 loss on the road are two very respectable results. But what if I told you that the goalkeeping is a position of concern for the Thorns heading into the rest of the season?

Adriana Franch has been the starter for Portland in both matches this season. Despite allowing just one goal in that time, Franch had multiple mistakes that really put her team in harms way. Franch’s distribution out of the back has been suspect this season, forcing her backline to clean up her mistakes. Her mistakes have not cost her team on the scoresheet just yet, but how long will Mark Parsons wait before putting Britt Eckerstrom?

Houston, We Might Have a Problem? – Leigh Nieves

It’s difficult to say if Houston was purely having an off night, or if they really didn’t remember what is was like to play the Seattle Reign. Their shaky defense and questionable starting line up was a complete 180 from their first game vs Chicago. The one thing that was unquestionable? Seattle’s lethal attack.

Saturday night was the game many Reign fans were waiting to see. Jess Fishlock opened the scoring with a lovely ball that slid right past rookie keeper, Jane Campbell. This was only the beginning of Campbell’s nightmare-esque pro debut. In the next fifteen minutes, the Reign bagged two more goals, one from the deadly left foot of Megan Rapinoe and one from rookie defender, Kristen McNabb. Houston only continued to deteriorate, getting only one goal in the 84th minute from Poliana and ending the game with a 5-1 loss.

Houston should have a pretty decent offensive side this year with Kealia Ohai and Rachel Daly leading their formations, but the duo was practically invisible against the Reign. Maybe we can chalk this up to Houston’s bad luck vs Seattle (the Reign is 8-0 all-time against the Dash), or maybe there needs to be a big change in tactics for the next game.

 

Boston is Good? – Leigh Nieves

The Breakers closed out Week Two with a 1-0 shutout vs Sky Blue. And yes, they looked solid. A beautiful pass from Rose Lavelle to Natasha Dowie resulted in the game’s only goal. Sky Blue found themselves struggling against Boston’s ability to maintain possession and break (see what I did there) down Sky Blue’s attack. Though SBFC’s Christie Pearce seemed to be a dominant force in the first half, their second half performance lacked connectivity in the midfield. Ultimately, I would not be worried as a Sky Blue fan, but I would be hyped as a Breakers fan.

Jane Campbell Didn’t Have an Excellent First Start (And That’s Okay)

Posted on by RJ Allen

Saturday evening’s game between the Seattle Reign and the Houston Dash was a bit of a bust for some people. Reign fans were all in, and with good reason. Seattle scored consistently and well, earning five goals over the 90 minutes of play, while the Dash tried time and again and only managed to find the back of the net once, when Poliana scored one for the visitors in the 84′.  Continue reading “Jane Campbell Didn’t Have an Excellent First Start (And That’s Okay)” →

The Unused Sub: No, I Don’t Know Where Mallory Pugh Is Going

Posted on by RJ Allen

… but a gambling syndicate in southeast Asia probably has a good line on it.

Hey, guess what? I’m back for another installment of The Unused Sub.

So no questions for me to tackle? I’m serious about @-ing me on Twitter (@jacobcristobal) for a question. Hell, it doesn’t have to be about soccer. The more random, the better. The brain’s gotta make room for other things now and then, and sometimes those other things are a needed distraction from things that suck.

Speaking of …

THE SOCCER GODS ARE HORRIBLE, AWFUL MONSTERS HELL BENT TO TAKE AWAY THINGS WE LIKE

Yes, you evil bastards that have to go and jack up opening weekend for us and destroy the ACLs of Joanna Lohman (Washington Spirit) and Amy Rodriguez (FC Kansas City). Seriously, that is some diabolical hater shit and blah blah blah blah injuries can happen at anytime, but c’mon. Opening weekend?!  After we had been waiting 84 years for the NWSL to come back?

Some seriously cold shit you soccer gods are doing. What’s next, you’re gonna tell me that nonsense of you can’t put pineapple on pizza?

Seriously though, to Joanna Lohman & Amy Rodriguez – stay strong and may you two have speedy and full recoveries. The game is better with you two on the field and as ambassadors for it off the field.

 

WHAT’S WITH ALL THE SCREAMING ABOUT STREAMING

Yes, opening weekend there were some hiccups with the go90 platform on opening weekend. Should they be taken as deal breakers and everyone flips tables and goes, “NOPE I’M THRU WITH YOU NWSL & GO90?”

G. O. D. N. O.

Yes, it wasn’t fun seeing a placeholder graphic for a commercial break interrupting a live stream – but perhaps it was something originating from the broadcast location and not necessarily the app itself. It’s easy to be thousands of miles away from the source and armchair manage and think the sky is falling. Yes, it was annoying that the full game replays weren’t archived properly until yesterday – but was waiting that extra day really the crime of the century? All the screaming from the hills about doubting this streaming platform the NWSL went with really was a bit much. Honestly a lot of it sounded like screaming just for the sake of screaming because it’s easier to rile people up. Yes, come this weekend’s game I will have higher expectation that whatever issues go90 encountered on opening weekend will have been fixed and everything will work as advertised, but let’s try not to hold it like a personal grudge that folks from either the NWSL or go90 broke into your house and ate your cupcake.

Or as my man Tetsuya Naito would say…Relax, take it easy!

 

THIS IS THE GOOD STUFF

Sitting in the press conference room after Seattle Reign FC & Sky Blue FC played to a 1-1 draw, Sky Blue FC head coach Christy Holly was first to do his post-match presser. I gotta say, he is one sharp dressed man, and his sweater game that Saturday night was on point. Watch your lunch money Mark Parsons, because you just might have some competition as who is the best-dressed gentleman in the NWSL.

Here’s Reign FC forward Nahomi Kawasumi throwing the ceremonial first pitch at Wednesday’s Seattle Mariners game. The pitch looked like a changeup and a good one at that.

Houston Dash’s Rachel Daly won Goal of the Week and rightfully so. Look at this- it’s evil, cold-blooded, rude as hell and I love it and have watched it many times. I understand fair elections and all but there was really no point in putting it up to a poll this week.

Haley Kopmeyer won NWSL Player of the Week for putting the team on her back and keeping it possible for them to get a point against Sky Blue. Her winning the honor extends Reign FC’s lead on having won more Player of the Week awards than any other NWSL club to date. Don’t believe me? Here’s the chart I made logging every single NWSL Player of the Week in the league’s five-year history.

https://twitter.com/jacobcristobal/status/854516726272114688

MY WEEK 2 PREDICTIONS LIKE I KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT

  • Chicago Red Stars OVER FC Kansas City
  • Orlando Pride OVER Washington Spirit
  • North Carolina Courage & Portland Thorns DRAW
  • Seattle Reign FC OVER Houston Dash
  • Boston Breakers OVER Sky Blue FC

Yep, you read that right. I’m picking Boston Breaker’s, last season’s basement team, to win over Sky Blue this week. Send all accolades or hate mail to @jacobcristobal on Twitter and we can hash it out.

So that’s it for this week’s installment. Tune in next week to see me reflect on how wrong I was in my picks. No matter what, though, I’m glad the season is underway. Lots of changes, most of them for the better in the bigger picture things. Still, the more things change, the more things stay the same – looking at you NWSL “Save” of the Week, LOL.

A Comedy of Errors, an Open Letter to the NWSL

Posted on by RJ Allen

Congratulations on a fifth season.  I’d say “historic” fifth season but at this point, every new season is historic, so what’s the point? Still, it’s a big deal, and I’m thrilled to be watching as the ten teams in the league compete to lead the table this year.

And when I say thrilled to be watching, I mean it. I’m the kind of fan who watches every game, every week. (As I’m also the kind of fan with a busy schedule, being able to catch up on them over the span of the week via Youtube was priceless—in the same way amy League Pass to the WNBA each season is worth far more than the $17 I pay for it.) So, the news that the NWSL would be partnering with Lifetime to broadcast a game a week was a big deal. Not just to me, but to everyone. And though there were concerns about the appropriateness of the channel, the availability of those games internationally, I have to say, I have been in your corner.

But it’s the other 98 matches that have a large number of fans going “What the furt” this year.

The very first problem was the way information was released, the lack of transparency and organization. Obviously pulling together a streaming platform isn’t easy. But who expected it to be? And while I wasn’t exactly on the same warpath as some regarding the lack of updates as the months until opening day turned into weeks, and then the weeks turned into days, and then hours, the fact that the Monday before opening weekend nobody had a clue how to watch four out of the weekend’s five games was a bit of a big deal.

But this season, the announcement of an official partnership with a media provider for the non-televised games, raised expectations exponentially. Everything–from the pay to the fields to the streaming–was supposed to be better this season.

The league’s work in the off-season has been almost entirely focused on growing the game, on exceeding the last year’s successes, on bringing in new fans and audiences while also retaining the steady and loyal core groups. Except, you can’t bring in anyone new and you can’t retain anyone old if they can’t watch the games. With only ten teams spread across limited geographic zones, most fans are only able to keep abreast of their teams and players via streamed (or now, televised) broadcasts. Those who can’t watch rely heavily on updates via social media, and every game day the Twitter world is awash with NWSL hashtags and commentary.  Streaming access is the backbone of NWSL fan support.

So, opening weekend over, how do you think you did?

Let me be the first among many to tell you that the Lifetime broadcast was an absolute success. Granted, that’s not to say there’s not room for improvement, but in Week 1, the channel and broadcast team did a great job. The production was high quality, the commentary was informed and entertaining, while not overwhelming what was happening on the field.

But the other four games this weekend, and their distribution to fans, were problematic. To say the very least.

For those fans trying to watch along with the non-televised game, Week 1 involved:

  • spotty streams
  • unavailable content
  • commercials mid-game (as often as every three minutes)
  • lack of archive for on-demand viewing

And these were only some of the problems mentioned and experienced by fans.

By large, the issues can be boiled down into two branches categories: quality and accessibility.

 

Quality

As far as quality goes, up until this season, it was by and large determined by each team’s infrastructure. Certain venues could always be counted on to have quality and reliable streams, others were always more troublesome, whether that meant shoddy audio, frequent lag, or just bad camerawork due to the limitations of the field. The Thorns and the Dash, playing in MLS-affiliated stadiums, had the camera resources to provide close looks at action on the field. Some of the other teams, though, always looked like your dad recorded the game on his old video camera. Fans may have complained–fans will always complain–but aside from the limited broadcasts of postseason games, it was all we had. And so we dealt.

Before 2017, commentary could be hit-or-miss sometimes, to the point that it felt like sometimes broadcast interns were in charge of doing the play-by-play. But there were some excellent commentators for the league, people we looked forward to hearing every week because they provided insightful analysis.  And even when the commentary wasn’t the greatest before this season, at least they were there, on the sidelines, able to see all the action. Broadcast teams for the go90 streams were all located in Florida, a fact I personally didn’t know until I heard it from Equalizer Soccer’s breakdown of go90 this morning. But even not knowing that, of the only game I was actually able to watch in its entirety on the go90 app–FCKC’s 2-0 win over the Boston Breakers–the commentators mis-identified players, spoke over the action, and provided very little play-by-play. Broadcast teams are supposed to guide a viewer through a game, not distract them away from it.

But the biggest problem with go90’s quality was the constant interruption of streams for advertisements. For two forty-five minute halves, soccer is a blissful, ad-free, safe space. That’s one of the things that makes soccer soccer. There aren’t timeouts in soccer, there aren’t commercial breaks, there isn’t a 60-second race to quickly pee and refill your drink before the action starts up again.

Soccer goes non-stop. Or, at least, it did until this weekend, when every go90 stream I’ve heard about broke in to tell frustrated fans about other content available on the app. (Did you know it’s not easy to be 5’11 and a QB in the SEC? Did you? DID YOU?)

And fans are not the only ones upset by this intrusion into our sacred space. Players and coaches weren’t pleased either.

Yes, please fix this.

 

Access

A second issue for the NWSL’s streaming this year is ease of accessibility. Sure, everything the NWSL told fans to expect sounded great. In the league’s February announcement of the partnership with A+E Networks, highlighting Game of the Week broadcasts on Lifetime, it also added that

NWSL Media will oversee the live streaming of all matches and produce the games in high definition with a consistent, state-of-the-art approach that will include exclusive new and original digital content for pre-game, halftime and post-game segments. The joint venture is currently negotiating with potential partners to stream the games not broadcast on Lifetime.

And for months, that was all anyone knew. Until last week Thursday, when the partnership with go90 was made public. Fans were assured that, as:

A fully ad-supported, mobile streaming service, go90 will feature 98 NWSL games accessible via live and on-demand streaming for the 2017 season. To access, visit go90.com or simply download the go90 app via the App Store or Google Play. Users with go90 version 3.0 and later can cast live games from the go90 app to Airplay and Chromecast. No registration or authentication is required.

Then, on Friday, one day before the season began, the NWSL released their app (iOS only), which, at least for US fans, is just a mobile version of the website, offering nothing more than you can find anywhere else.

It seems like an overabundance of options, no?

Except, it’s not. Ironically, all these various options for watching the streaming NWSL matches actually left fans almost unable to watch at all. Watching on the go90 website itself was impossible, both live games and the “on-demand” matches were unavailable. Watching via the go90 app was partially successful. If you consider having to restart the match and by the grace of God alone find where you’d left off anytime something–a phone call from mom, a need to check social media, your phone just deciding to exit all applications on a whim, or, and far more likely, the stream freezing and requiring a restart of the app–interrupted your feed, a success.

So for domestic fans, the go90 partnership compromised their ability to watch the games this important opening weekend. To the point that advice was passed around about how to bypass the location blocks that provided international fans access to high-quality streams on the NWSL website.

As for watching games “on-demand,” after they’d aired, Jonathan Tannenwald at The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News landed a scoop from insiders familiar to the NWSL’s deal with A+E and go90, and provided insight into the peculiarities of each’s on-demand access. In both cases, the games will be archived for 48 hours and then made available on the NWSL website and app.

But so far, they haven’t been, despite content disappearing from go90 already. And a quick search of “NWSL go90” on Twitter will tell you how people feel about the matter:

Granted, it’s a holiday weekend, but the NWSL weren’t deprived of a calendar when planning out their season. If you schedule your opening weekend for Easter, you damn well better make sure your staff is on-hand to get it off without a hitch.

Youtube was a preferred platform for fans because it offered a single way to watch (rather than the multitude of complicated, confusing, and unreliable options this season) that domestic and international fans could access equally. Content was immediately available after the live stream for viewing, viewing could be done on a mobile device but most often occurred on a computer, freeing up a mobile device to engage in conversation via social media about the game, thereby increasing any match’s digital footprint across multiple social media platforms. Of course there were issues, of course it wasn’t perfect. But by comparison, the streaming of non-televised games this first weekend has many wishing we could have Youtube back.

So, yes, there are problems. The league needs to answer the concerns of their fans, and sooner, rather than later.

But that’s not to say all is lost for this historic fifth season of the NWSL. The Game of the Week on Lifetime went off, as far as anyone could tell, without a hitch. It was absolutely a success and hopefully, even with the time (3 pm) and holiday weekend, the ratings will demonstrate that our fans show up. We show up.

When we can.

And that’s really the reason the streaming elements need to be worked out as soon as possible. For all its progress, the NWSL is still nowhere near stable. It’s done well, it has succeeded in ways every previous iteration failed, and now the front office of the league is thinking and planning in terms of years rather than one season to the next. They’ve built a fanbase, they’ve built an audience–they built it and we came, to paraphrase one of the greatest sports movies of all-time–but we have to be able to continue to show up, in person whenever possible and virtually whenever not, to help this league continue to grow.

So, as a fan, as a member of the media, I’m asking the powers that be: please, fix this.

Because, for a league trying to make its case for being the premiere professional women’s soccer league in the world, the NWSL came out looking like amateurs this weekend. And we deserve better–all of us. From the front office to the locker-room to the fans in the stands.

We deserve–and we can do–better.

 

The Unused Sub: And So It Begins

Posted on by RJ Allen

The Unused Sub is a weekly musings piece by Jacob Cristobal because he has fooled the world into thinking he has valuable opinions about soccer. So yeah.

You may remember me from being a contributor to Sounder At Heart’s Ride of the Valkyries. When I was asked to be a part of Backline Soccer, I thought it was a confirmation of the power of the bribe. If it’s worked for FIFA all these years, then why not for a women’s soccer blog? The next thought was, “Oh cool, I get to drop more silly thoughts about soccer because that’s what this world needs right? Another dude with opinions about soccer.” Alas here we are and once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more. I share the same amount of excitement that everyone else has. Who knows what this season will bring us, but surely there will be highlights and low lights or shall we say the preferred nomenclature, FURTlights.

WE ARE IN YEAR FIVE AND WE SHOULD ALL BE FEELING FINE
My experience in covering women’s soccer only goes as long as the NWSL has existed. I know plenty of others were here for the WUSA and WPS days and viewed last season as uncharted waters being the previous two leagues didn’t have a fourth season. However it was an exciting uncharted waters, because we knew there was a fourth season. Now we are entering a fifth season and with plenty of excitement now that the league has a full and proper TV deal. This partnership with A+E Networks with a NWSL Game of the Week being on Lifetime every Saturday is exactly what the NWSL needed. I’m of the belief that “if it’s on TV, people will watch.” And it’s not just a one and done. A+E invested in the league for multiple years and one can assume, considerable money on the table. For a league very much in its infancy, this is exactly what it needed. The idea of the NWSL celebrating a 10th year I think is no longer a pipe dream and its foundation is being made.

ABOUT THAT FOUNDATION – NO ONE SAID IT WAS GOING TO BE EASY WORK
Yes the road to today’s announcement of the streaming platform was dumb and ugly but it shouldn’t be viewed as a deal breaker like some insinuations would have you think with the tone of their screaming from the hills. I have no idea how those meetings went when it came to finding a vendor, nor working out the logistics of the rollout and quality assurance. I can only safely assume that it wasn’t easy. Things take time. Could the league have been more transparent with that and say something to the effect? Possibly, but it could easily open up follow-up questions from the incredibly impatient. It’s easy to say should have, could have, would have, etc but I’d like to think the radio silence wasn’t intentional. Let’s not go Tin Foil Hat County (too much salt in the food, let’s be real) and weave a thread that the league is messing up on purpose because they want to make life harder for themselves and all parties interested in the growth of women’s soccer. The NWSL is entering it’s fifth year, still a lil’ one. Yes we live in a 24/7 world, but it’s not like it’s eradicated growing pains. We will see how the go90 streaming platform goes this weekend. Knock on wood it all goes smooth whether you’re a Sky Blue fan watching from New Jersey or a Houston Dash fan tuning in from England. And if there are problems, let’s have faith in the people behind the scenes on making the necessary fixes so week 2 of the 2017 NWSL season goes without a hitch as far as streaming a match.

BOSTON WILL BE BETTER AND NO I AM NOT HIGH
For the past two seasons, the Boston Breakers finished last in the league standings. This season I think they break that dubious streak. A full offseason and better college draft later and I think Matt Beard has identified his core players and how everything in the NWSL works. While I don’t think Boston is a playoff contender this year, I think they will do enough that they can influence the playoff picture. I think one NWSL team’s playoff hopes will be thwarted because of the Boston Breakers this season. Matt Beard’s squad will show growth on the field, likely led by NWSL Rookie of the Year contende Rose LaVelle and make considerable noise that come the 2018, this could be a dark horse pick of a playoff contender. Again, I am not under the influence of any narcotic at the time of writing this.

PAUL RILEY WILL GET TOSSED BECAUSE LIFE IS RICH LIKE THAT
The only question is, will it be because he twerked into the fourth official like last year in Orlando? WELL HOLY CRAP, THE NWSL IS A VENGEFUL GOD AND TOLD RILEY TO SIT DOWN FOR THE FIRST TWO GAMES of the season because of his tomfoolery in the playoffs last year. That said, I don’t think this will be the only time Paul gets a time out. I will never get tired of a twerking Paul Riley.

A NEW AMERICAN HEROINE WILL RISE & JILL ELLIS WILL NOTICE, ACTUALLY PLAY HER
If you were to tell me that say Beverly Yanez, Haley Kopmeyer, Sofia Huerta, or a Katie Naughton could have a banner 2017 for their respective NWSL club that US national team head coach Jill Ellis gives them a call-up, I would not be surprised. Any of these could do something special in 2017. Now would Ellis actually give them minutes in an international match is another topic of discussion for another time.

FURT WILL LIVE FOREVER & ALWAYS…
However I think with a new season there should be some new inside joke terminology to describe some schadenfreude. Not necessarily a word made up because of some hilarious coloring of half a word for a snazzy banner image, but maybe we bring back a word into popularity. I’m borrowing a word from a friend across the pond (hi Kieran Theivam) and going with gazump.

PREDICTIONS, SCHMEDICTIONS
The NWSL Media Association asked all members to fill out a poll as to where the teams will finish this season. At the risk of exposing myself to ridicule, I’ll share with you how I filled out the poll. Keep in mind this is where I think teams will be at the end of the regular season. Ask me about predicting the NWSL Playoffs when the field is set and then ridicule me for getting those wrong too.

  1. Chicago Red Stars
  2. Portland Thorns FC
  3. Sky Blue FC
  4. Seattle Reign FC
  5. Orlando Pride
  6. North Carolina Courage
  7. FC Kansas City
  8. Boston Breakers
  9. Houston Dash
  10. Washington Spirit

And with that, cheers to the new season ahead, try not to be Mad Online too much about your team, and remember salt kills snails & slugs. So unless you got some major beef with them, don’t be a monster and just pour salt on them for kicks.

Got a question, a reaction, something to say? Yes, I’m serious, @ me on Twitter: @jacobcristobal. Me answering a question or two only helps the word count in future posts and it’d be fun to answer them.

Will the Stars Align for FCKC in 2017?

Posted on by RJ Allen

Heading into the 2017 National Women’s Soccer League’s fifth season, I think we can assure any FC Kansas City fans out there that they will have plenty to be excited about this season. For starters, two key playmakers will be returning to the offensive side while two important pieces on the defense will also be back in Blue. On the other hand, some of the departures from Vlatko Andonovski’s side could also have an impact on the club down the stretch.

Departures:

Heather O’Reilly (M) – Perhaps one of the most consistent players to ever grace a pitch has gone overseas in the off-season to play out her life-long dream of experiencing European soccer. She has suited up for Arsenal Ladies and has made public any plans on whether she’ll be returning to FCKC at this time. Simply known as HAO to fans and media alike, O’Reilly gave 1000% every game, running down the flanks and providing service to her teammates. O’Reilly was truly a fan-favorite, always up for a post-game chat, smiling for fans who eagerly awaited just a glimpse of her up close. The gap filled won’t ever be completely filled, but for FCKC’s hope to get back into the post-season this year, they will need to figure out a way to compensate for her absence.

Amanda Frisbie (D) – Having only played two games in 2016 before being let go, the absence of Frisbie shouldn’t have a major impact on the defense or the team as a whole. She was waived and signed to Stjarnan Women for nine games before returning to the NWSL, signing with Boston for the 2017 season as a discovery player.

Caroline Kastor (F) – Kastor had been with KC since 2015, playing in eight games that season and made 15 appearances in 2016. She wasn’t a player that would necessarily stand out or make the big plays, but she put in the work and helped earn KC’s first championship in 2015 by doing her small part. Earlier this year in March, the Wichita, Kansas native announced her retirement from the NWSL and professional soccer.

Tiffany McCarty (F) – Since turning pro in 2013, the speedy forward has been with the Washington Spirit, Houston Dash, Nadeshiko (Japan) and in 2016 played 15 games for FCKC. The 26-year-old has since signed with Medkila, a club in the Toppserien league for Norway. Much like Frisbie, her absence will have little impact overall.

Frances Silva (F) – The tiny Venezuelan played for FCKC from 2014-2016, playing 33 times and scoring two goals. In 2015 Silva led the league in assists per minute played, averaging an assist every 145 minutes. Silva was fun to watch in open spaces and will be missed for her ability to distribute and create. In November of last year, Silva announced her retirement from professional soccer to pursue other interests. She currently is the Social Media Specialist for FoxSoccer.

 

Additions:

Sydney Leroux and Amy Rodriguez (F) – Two of the quickest players in the game have returned after each missing last season due to pregnancy. Syd and A-Rod each will be relied upon to be the offensive firepower that was heavily missing in 2016. Leroux has moved around a bit, playing for Boston in 2013, Seattle in 2014, and moved to Western New York in 2015. She was brought to KC in a deal that involved two other teams–Houston and WNYF.  Leroux got dealt to KC with Tiffany McCarty while WNYF acquired Jess McDonald in exchange for a 2016 and 2017 International roster spot and a 2017 second-round pick.  She signed with FCKC in January of 2016 and has the potential to fulfill the scoring needs of FCKC. Leroux has scored 18 goals in her NWSL career and when combined with A-Rod’s impressive goal-scoring ability, these two could pack a serious one-two punch.

A-Rod has been with FCKC since 2014, playing in 37 games and scoring 26 times. She brings incredible energy and literally never stops running on the field. Rodriguez loves to pressure opposing defenses and has a knack for scoring goals when it really counts (most recently the 2015 NWSL Championship where she scored the game-winning goal). I expect both of these players to be the center of the offense and to score at least a handful of goals.

Becca Moros (D) – Moros returns to the Blues after spending one season down in Houston. She previously played for FCKC in 2015, anchoring part of that incredible defense that won the title that season. Moros will bring stability to the backline as well as veteran experience.

Christina Gibbons (M) – The rookie out of Duke was selected fifth overall in the 2017 NWSL College Draft. Gibbons played 88 games at Duke, netting 10 goals and 19 assists. I would love to see her earn serious minutes this season, she is a strong player and if she does well, could be in the Rookie of the Year conversation come August.

 

Not So Bright in 2016:

In 2014 and 2015, FCKC were unstoppable and shined the brightest out of all teams in the NWSL. 2016 was a bit dimmer. FCKC had a less-than-ideal start to the season, not earning the first win until May 28; well under the expectations after winning back-to-back championships in 2014 and 2015. In 2016 they earned just seven wins, eight losses, and grabbed five draws. FCKC did finish the season strong, winning three games in September and taking a draw.

FCKC struggled offensively, managing just 18 goals – no one player reached double digits in goals. It’s no secret that Vlatko is a defensive minded coach, but they just simply didn’t execute enough on the other end. The midfield last season had trouble combining with the forwards and when you add the lack of finishing when they did finally connect, Kansas City just wasn’t sharp enough offensively. The Blues had seven different goal-scorers but three players contributed just one goal in 20 games. It was an extreme drop-off in production from the previous year where they had 13 different goal-scorers and had the second-most goals with 32.

 

The Veterans Return:

The only two-star team in the league has several players returning who will be consistent starters: Becky Sauerbrunn, Nicole Barnhart, Yael Averbuch, Shea Groom, Erika Tymrak, Mandy Laddish, and Desiree Scott. On the defensive side with Broon, Barnie, Katie Bowen, and Averbuch, I expect them to continue to be solid this season but they also need to find which combination of personnel will work best. Last season they didn’t have a consistent backline. They added in Averbuch but technically she is best in the midfield. She should be someone who is in the attacking third, not sitting on the backline every game. We can expect polished work from Barnie and Broon, two players who are still under-appreciated in my opinion but deserve serious praise for the work they’ve put in. Yael is always a threat on set-pieces and can help FCKC in the scoring department occasionally.

Adding in Moros will help with finding the right chemistry. I think the more Bowen plays on the outside, the more she could be a factor for the offense. She scored in pre-season action against Missouri at the end of March and looked ready to do some lifting on the offensive side of the ball. FCKC do have one of the older backlines, so we will see how that comes into play later on in the season. All of these core veteran players need to have a bounce-back year after finishing sixth and missing the playoffs last season.

In the midfield, they have a talented bunch with Tymrak, Scott, and Laddish. These three are all under 25 years-old and have been playing very well since arriving in KC in 2014. Each will also need to step up their play from last season.

Tymrak had a very quiet year, scoring just one goal in 15 appearances compared to scoring eight goals combined the two previous seasons. She has the talent to take on a defense and make things happen. If she can find a way to tap into her potential a little bit more, she could be one of the top scorers for the Blues.

Scott is known for her ability to win the ball and is a physical player. She is another player who I feel is a bit underrated for the work she puts in. Between these three players, just one goal was scored, which will be unacceptable this season if they want to get back to winning ways.

Laddish has contributed one goal in 18 appearances for Kansas City but her stat sheet doesn’t need to be filled up for fans to appreciate the hustle she puts in every time she is called upon. She has the potential to add a few more if she can receive the ball in the right spaces for her to pull the trigger. The partnership of the midfield will be one to keep an eye on early on, to see who is clicking.

 

Groom’s The Way:

If you’re a fan of FCKC, you should be happy that Shea Groom is back for 2017. Groom was the top scorer for the Blues last season with eight goals, a career-high for her. She led the way for an offense that clearly was not what it used to be. But after adding a few key pieces in Syd and A-Rod I think the offense could return to the compelling threat it was in 2015.

Overall, I have Vlatko and company finishing fifth in the table but with this roster, I also would not be surprised if they managed to squeak their way back into the playoffs somehow.

2017 FC Kansas City Roster

GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart, Cat Parkhill

DEFENDERS (7): Alex Arlitt, Yael Averbuch, Katie Bowen (INTL-NZ), Becca Moros, Brianne Reed, Becky Sauerbrunn (FED-USA), Brittany Taylor

MIDFIELDERS (6): Christina Gibbons, Lo’eau LaBonta, Mandy Laddish, Alexa Newfield, Desiree Scott (FED-CAN), Erika Tymrak

FORWARDS (3): Shea Groom, Sydney Leroux (FED-USA), Amy Rodriguez (FED-USA)

The Breakers Look to Make Wa…. Create a Significant Impression

Posted on by RJ Allen

With just a week to go until the start of the 2017 NWSL season, it’s time to meet the Boston Breakers. If you saw the Breakers play in 2016, the blue kit will look familiar, but most of the women wearing it will not. No more than eight players will return, and that number may drop even lower this week. Since last year’s squad struggled to find a way to win, the roster turnover was expected and necessary. The new-look team may take some time to coalesce, but they’ve looked sharp and dangerous in training. Jump on the bandwagon now, because this side is going to (no, I will not write “make waves” here) move up the table this season.

 

Best Laid Plans

Coach Matt Beard struggled last year to field a unit that could consistently play as a whole. His attack would look good, but the defense would surrender silly goals. The midfield would control the game, but his forwards couldn’t find the net. He played his exciting rookie keeper only to have her shred her knee in her second appearance. His first choice netminder Libby Stout, who he’d imported from his Liverpool Ladies squad, was injured off and on for much of the year, requiring him to sign an emergency option to play half the year. By the time Natasha Dowie arrived, the year was largely lost and her goal scoring only made one wonder what might have been if she’d been present all season. But with a year under his belt, Beard’s approach in 2017 looks to be very different.

 

Zero Non-Roster Invitees

Most teams in the league bring unsigned players into camp to compete for spots. Not this year’s Breakers. Beard hosted only the players he’d recruited, retained or drafted. He’s spent the spring getting players used to their roles and building their rapport with one another. From what I’ve seen in training, the strategy is working. It’s an attack-minded squad, skilled at connecting one-touch passes through the midfield and to the forwards. The defense was intentionally constructed of players Beard rated highly, and though many outside the team have questions about the defensive roster, it would be hard to be much worse than last year. The hope is that any questions about a suspect defense will be answered by out-scoring opponents.

 

Here’s the squad, line by line, at the moment.

Goal:

Abby Smith has recovered from the nasty knee injury suffered last year and looks like a solid number one during the preseason. She’ll initially be backed up by 2017 draft arrival from USC, Sammy Jo Prudhomme, who signed her first pro contract on April 4th. I’d thought that Prudhomme would likely to start the year with the reserve squad, but Libby Stout has been unable to do much in camp this spring due to injury. Stout carried a few injuries in 2016 and despite her history with Beard at Liverpool Ladies, she may end up without one of the initial 20 roster spots when push comes to shove. But, since teams can get roster relief at the GK position for injuries, I don’t expect Stout to be cut. Final rosters will be released on Monday, so we’ll know soon enough.

Defenders:

Boston started Julie King, Whitney Engen, Kassey Kallman, and Mollie Pathman / Brooke Elby across the back for much of the season last year. King is still here, but she’ll have new partners, and possibly a new defensive shape in 2017. I’d expect Canadian Allysha Chapman to start opposite King outside, with Megan Oyster and someone else in the center. This will probably be either Christen Westphal or Amanda Frisbie. But Beard will tinker with this line until something sticks, so it’s possible I know as much as Jon Snow about the Breakers defense: nothing.

Westphal didn’t get much of a chance at CB last year, but spent most of her Florida career there. Beard hasn’t had her spending much time at CB this preseason, so he may move some pieces around and keep her earmarked for the outside. Frisbie has bounced around a bit, but had a good season last year with Stjarnan in Iceland, winning the Úrvalsdeild Championship. She’s been limited in camp with a hip injury, so I’m not sure who to expect to see paired with Oyster for the opener if the team lines up with four across the back.

Other options include returning Breakers Brooke Elby and Kylie Strom. I think Elby has plenty of talent to play outside, but she needs to learn how to take care of her body during a match. She ended up in the hospital once last season, and though I joked with her that she was only permitted one hospitalization per season, she’s first on my list of “players most likely to be involved in a major collision.” Strom earned a roster spot mid-season and filled in well for King when needed. She’s not flashy, but she regularly ran past defenders down the sideline during Friday’s clash with UConn.

Regardless of who is starting, the defense will be the biggest question mark for this team until they settle in and get some results. With Oyster and Chapman on international duty, and Westphal and Frisbie held out of the game on Friday, there were several different personnel groups and positional shapes on display. I suspect Friday’s lineup will look nothing like the one Beard selects for the season opener next weekend.

Midfielders:

Angela Salem will be the only familiar face returning to the Boston midfield from 2016. I expect her to return to her holding role in the middle, distributing to the more attack-minded players. One of those is New Zealand’s Rosie White, who I think will have a monster year in Boston. Though just 23, she’s already earned 84 senior caps for her country, and all that experience has helped her look like a world class pro. She’s been very impressive in training, with slick feet and an intuitive sense for the position and movement of all the players around her.

That bodes well for rookies Rose Lavelle and Morgan Andrews, who may come in and start immediately. Lavelle, of course, is the current “it girl” for the United States Women’s National Team and was selected as an allocated federation player for 2017. She’s got undeniable skill and will be a joy to watch over the season. Andrews is coming off a national championship at USC and always is looking to unleash a strike. She’s from New England and has an infectious positive energy that I expect will make her a fan favorite very quickly.

However, the two rookies may need to take turns. I’d anticipate Matt Beard deploying his former Liverpool Ladies midfielder (and 2012 WPSL Elite Boston Breaker) Amanda DaCosta to combine with Salem in pulling the strings for the attack. During Friday’s UConn match, the two worked very well together, keeping balls away from the defense and supplying well-placed passes forward. Forward is where Beard’s team will be headed at all times, because it’s a very attack-minded roster.

Trust me, this team is going to attack. There were times during the match when only one Breakers field player wasn’t in the attacking half. That may work against UConn, but will be a risky bet against a team with speedy strikers like the Thorns or Courage.

Forwards:

Every forward from the beginning of 2016 is gone, and only late-season arrival Natasha Dowie is back with the team. She’s the only player who stood out on attack last year, showing her teammates how to hit the net just minutes into her first Breakers match. She collected three goals in seven games overall, then continued her form in Australia, netting nine goals in 12 appearances for the Melbourne Victory in the W-League. Dowie is a real deal central striker and should be much more dangerous now that she’ll have help. Some of that help will eventually come from Norwegian winger Emilie Haavi, but she’s recovering from surgical repair of a broken jaw suffered a week ago Friday in training.

Another player returning to Boston after a long period away is Tiffany Weimer, who last donned the blue Breakers kit during the 2010 WPS season. Last year in Sweden’s Damallsvenskan, she collected five goals in ten matches for Kvarnsveden. On Friday night, she had several chances and converted two of them, including one header that arrived via Natasha Dowie’s headed cross. Her positioning is exceptional, as she’s seen everything soccer has to offer during her long career. If she’s lost any speed, her movement off the ball makes up for it, and she looked every bit as capable and quick as any of the much younger UConn women on Friday.

Canadian forward Adriana Leon has been on fire during preseason, and may get an early nod up top. If Beard runs a three forward attacking line, she’d be a great option opposite Haavi, who normally attacks from the wide areas. Rookie first-rounders Midge Purce and Ifeoma Onumonu may also benefit from Haavi’s injury to get some early playing time. Both have looked very eager to shoot in camp. Purce saw extensive action against UConn, pouncing on a loose ball and demonstrating her elite pace with a flashing dart up the middle of the pitch to earn a one-on-one with the UConn keeper. The UConn player marking her was sprinting home, but Purce pulled five strides clear of her between the midline and the top of the box. Her mid-stride, upper-corner shot was blocked away with the save of the night. Prior to that, Purce been a tad disconnected, but after the chance, she looked much more comfortable and involved.

Haley Dowd was picked late in the draft by Boston, but I think she’s likely to be the one player in camp to not to win the numbers game. It’s a shame because she brought some good, composed play and showed encouraging signs of her talent in limited action toward the end of the game on Friday night. Hopefully, she’ll be able to stick with the reserve squad and work into the pro team if someone gets injured later in the season.

 

Optimism

It can’t get much worse than last year for Boston, but on paper, this team has the pieces to be dramatically improved. They’ve looked much better this preseason than at points last summer, and have all the pieces to challenge for a playoff berth. They’ll need some help, but I think it’s well within the realm of possibility that they force Lifetime to broadcast a postseason match in Boston after being snubbed (along with the Washington Spirit and FC Kansas City) for a home Game of the Week in 2017. Wouldn’t that be a great story?

2017 Boston Breakers Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): Sammy Jo Prudhomme (GKR), Abby Smith, Libby Stout

DEFENDERS (7): Allysha Chapman (FED-CAN), Brooke Elby, Amanda Frisbie, Julie King, Megan Oyster, Kylie Strom, Christen Westphal

MIDFIELDERS (6): Rose Lavelle (FED-USA), Morgan Andrews, Amanda Da Costa, Angela Salem, Tiffany Weimer, Rosie White (INTL-NZL)

FORWARDS (5): Natasha Dowie (INTL-ENG), Emilie Haavi (INTL-NOR), Adriana Leon (INTL-CAN), Ifeoma Onumonu, Margaret Purce

Can The Rose City Blossom Once Again?

Posted on by RJ Allen

The 2017 Portland Thorns will look very similar to last season’s team, and if you’re a Rose City fan, that’s got to be a great feeling. For Portland, three important elements of the NWSL Shield-winning 2016 team are back:  an explosive offense, a core veteran group, and a dominant defense. There’s only really one area of concern–who will stand in goal for the Thorns–but we’ll dive into that below.

The Thorns were lucky this off-season, not having any major holes or weak areas that need addressing, but with a handful of European internationals likely to be called up for the 2017 Euros in July, head coach Mark Parsons had to be strategic in his pick-ups and trades.

Departures:

Michelle Betos (GK) – Left to play professionally in Norway for Valerenga. Being the solid starter for Portland in 2016 and earning NWSL Goalkeeper of the year the season before, Betos will be missed greatly. She was one of the leaders and fan-favorites as well. I’m still not sure how Portland were not able to keep her in a Thorns uniform, she was extremely important to the success this team had. 

McKenzie Berryhill (D) – Selected in the third round of the 2016 draft, Berryhill played in five matches. She was claimed by Orlando City on waivers last August. With such little time on the field, her absence won’t likely make a big impact on the Thorns’ performance this season. 

Maureen Fitzgerald (M), Shade Pratt (D), and Samantha Lofton (D) – These three amateur players called in last June to  help fill in during for National team players Meghan Klingenberg, Allie Long, and Emily Sonnett who were away for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. The trio are back on the reserve team to start the 2017 season. 

Jennifer Skogerboe (D) – Portland signed her last June as Mark Parsons realized that she was a versatile player, someone who could play full back, center back, attacking midfielder, and even holding midfield if needed. With so many players on NT duty over the season, this kind of versatility was much needed. Skogerboe appeared in three matches and after the Thorns declined her 2017 contract option, she went on to sign with the South Korean club Suwon FMC. 

Kat Williamson (D) – Williamson spent three years in Portland, winning the 2013 Championship with the Thorns as well as helping win the 2016 Shield, and announced her retirement at the end of last season. The 27-year-old was the club’s first-ever draft selection back in 2013 when they took her eighth overall from the University of Florida. She appeared in 47 matches and had become a reliable player. While it is unfortunate she chose to retire, Portland’s defense is very strong. Still, her experience on the field will be missed.  

 

Additions:

Britt Eckerstrom (GK) – This is the most exciting addition the the Thorns for me. The second-year player was acquired from the North Carolina Courage in a trade that sent two fourth-round picks in the 2018 NWSL College Draft to the newest franchise in the league. Eckerstrom is young and appeared once with her draft team (known at the time as the Western New York Flash), but she has the talent and work ethic to make it in the NWSL. Considering the fact that Adrianna Franch’s play can be questionable at times, I would like to see if Eckerstrom has what it takes to earn the starting spot. This position will be a battle all season long. 

Ashleigh Sykes (F) – It was announced at the beginning of March that Portland had signed Australian forward Sykes. She won the Golden Boot for Canberra in the 2016 season, grabbing 12 goals. Sykes has explosive talent and a serious knack for scoring. She will be another weapon for the Parsons arsenal to be used, and is expected to report in June.

Spread Offense?

Let’s begin with the offense.

Portland scored 35 goals in 2016, second only to the Western New York Flash (now North Carolina Courage), who ended up taking home the NWSL Championship trophy in October.  Good news for the reigning NWSL Shield winners–Portland’s leading scorer in the 2016 season, Danish international Nadia Nadim, will be returning to PDX to cause havoc for the opposition once again.  Nadim will be looking to best the personal record she set last season, netting nine goals in 21 games.

But Nadim certainly wasn’t the only one who found success on Portland’s score sheet last year. Canada’s pioneer Christine Sinclair contributed seven while the Iceland international and NWSL newcomer Dagný Brynjarsdóttir found the back of the net five times. Two Americans rounded out the high scorers, with newcomer Lindsey Horan and longtime Thorn Allie Long each adding six to the Thorn’s total goals.

The most important piece of the offense, though, is midfielder Tobin Heath. Considered a mastermind of tricky foot skills (especially her nutmeg and snake skills), and one of the most intense players on the pitch (although she makes everything look relaxed and effortless), Heath is always up for some one-on-one action. She only managed one goal last season but she was the league leader in assists with 10. What makes it even more impressive is that Heath did that in just 14 games.

Still, in addition to Heath, French star Amandine Henry must also be mentioned here. Henry played just nine games in 2016 for Portland after being acquired from Olympique Lyonnais in March. Hopefully Henry can get healthy and have more of an impact this season, especially now that she’s had successful groin surgery this past November to repair some nagging damage. 

It’s not too outlandish to say that if Henry has a more productive season (and all the other pieces fall into place) Portland could find themselves in the title game. Henry was on the FIFA shortlist for best Women’s Player of the Year in 2016. She has the ability to turn the game around with just one pass, one goal, or one world class play. While Portland have many of the necessary elements to get them to the post-season again this year, Henry was brought to the Rose City for a reason–to win Championships. They were so close last season, they could find themselves in the title game if the French star plays her part. 

 

Plenty of Experience

Every successful team needs a group of veteran players to help guide the mission and vision of the squad, and to share their knowledge and experiences. The core group that has been in Portland since day one consists of Heath, Sinclair, and Long. With a combined 189 appearances for Portland, they have more than committed to this team. Each player comes back every year with one goal in mind-winning the NWSL Championship.

Since winning the NWSL championship back in 2013, these veterans have each been vital to the Thorns becoming one of the most respected teams in the world. They each bring something different to the pitch–Heath distributes the ball very well, while Long and Sinclair have been two of the best finishers since the league began in 2013. 

In what could be considered down years in 2014 and 2015, Portland finished third and sixth respectively. They had players like Alex Morgan and Rachel Van Hollebecke on the roster then, but during that time National Team players were frequently gone for World Cup Qualifying events and eventually the World Cup in 2015. When that happens it is extremely difficult to sustain any kind of the chemistry needed to be successful. 

In 2016 they reached the semifinal game but lost to Western New York in a wild seven-goal overtime thriller at their home pitch, Portland’s Providence Park. Like many fans, I expected them to win and be in the title game, but it wasn’t to be. Heath and Long played a solid game, Sinclair got on the score sheet. But none of that was quite enough. WNYF youth combined with pressure on the Thorns midfield eventually wore down Portland’s attempts moving forward. The Flash offense wouldn’t stop, they kept finding cracks in the Thorns defense and eventually the effort paid off for them. 

So to say that this season those veterans are returning and will be hungry to accomplish even more would be an understatement. That loss in front of 20,086 Rose City faithful surely left a bitter taste in their mouths.

But their veteran depth doesn’t stop with that core. This season Meghan Klingenberg and Nadia Nadim will be returning to play in Portland again. These two players were key in the Thorn’s drive towards the 2016 playoffs. Nadim took fourth in the league in scoring, while Klingenberg helped to anchor the best defense in the league’s historic fourth season. The fact that both will be proudly wearing Thorn colors again this season is welcome news for the fans.

 

A Steady Defense

The 2017 Thorns will be able to boast the return of their strong defensive line, a backline that allowed in just 19 goals in 21 games. Klingenberg, Emily Menges, Emily Sonnett, and Katherine Reynolds led the league in goals against last year, with Chicago and KC close behind with only 20 each.  But the Thorns aren’t just concerned about this year–they’re interested in building for the future, which is why it’s important to note that Sonnett and Menges are just 23 and 24 years, balancing the more veteran players with them on the line (Reynolds and Klingenberg are 29 and 28, respectively) and certainly benefiting from both the experience and the guidance.

Last season was the first these four played together and it was uncertain how (or if) they would pan out. Menges joined the team as the 25th pick at the 2014 draft, and has already become an extremely reliable defender, appearing 59 times, while Sonnett was drafted first overall in the 2016 NWSL College Draft and has a reputation for being very organized on the line. Both work well in tight spaces, using their quickness to get out of trouble. 

Kling and Reynolds have been around a bit longer. Klingenberg, drafted by Houston in the 2014 Expansion Draft, was part of a three-way trade that sent Alex Morgan to Orlando in late 2015, and briefly landed her in Seattle for about a week before being sent to Rose City. Reynolds has been shopped around a little more, playing for WNYF in 2013-2014 before being traded to the Washington Spirit in 2015. But she seems to have found a home in Portland. Kling brings the energy all game and she likes to get involved in the offense as well. Reynolds also is known for getting into the attack, not afraid to take that chance to create a scoring opportunity. Now that this group of players have a year under the belt as a defense, I expect more of the same from these two in 2017

With these four returning to the Thorns backline, I see no reason why they can’t once again be dominating and unforgiving to opposing offenses.

 

Dilemma between the posts?

With the departure of starting goalkeeper Michelle Betos, the Portland Thorns now have to figure out who they can rely on to keep their Goals Against stats low. Adrianna Franch has been with the Thorns just one season after playing for WNYF in 2013 and in Norway for Avaldsnes in 2015. And in this past off-season, Portland landed Britt Eckerstrom from WNYF in exchange for two fourth-round draft picks in the 2018 College Draft.

Franch will have the slight upper hand having played in the league already and with 28 appearances to her name. But 26-year-old has yet to prove she can again be a starting keeper for a whole season, something she hasn’t done since 2013.  In the six games she started for Portland last season Franch earned three shutouts while making 19 saves. How well she performs in pre-season will decide who is the clear front-runner. Even with this small sample size, could Franch live up to her full potential and be the starting keeper for the Thorns? My answer is no. I believe Franch would be better utilized as the back-up. She has not played admirably or consistently since 2013, and I just don’t have that kind of faith in her anymore. 

Meanwhile Eckerstrom is a fresh talent and eager to make an impact. She led Penn State to a DI Championship in 2015, and ended her college career with a .80 goals against average and had an impressive record of 64-14-3. In her brief time with Western New York she made one appearance for the eventual NWSL Champions while showing a .67 goals against average and looked strong as a rookie under Sabrina D’Angelo. Some could say that going with Eckerstrom would be a risk considering she has minimal professional experience but I actually am hoping she wins the job in preseason. I want to see how well she works with this backline when it matters and if she can help fill some of the void that Betos has left.

Considering all of the above, this is a team that is ready to go on paper. But we all know that’s not what it takes to win championships. With this kind of roster I fully expect the Portland Thorns to make the 2017 playoffs.

2017 Portland Thorns Roster

GOALKEEPERS (2): Britt Eckerstrom, Adrianna Franch

DEFENDERS (5): Kendall Johnson, Meghan Klingenberg (FED-USA), Emily Menges, Katherine Reynolds, Emily Sonnett (FED-USA)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Celeste Boureille, Dagny Brynjarsdottir (INTL-ISL), Amandine Henry (INTL-FRA), Lindsey Horan (FED-USA), Allie Long (FED-USA), Mana Shim, Mallory Weber

FORWARDS (6): Tobin Heath (FED-USA), Meg Morris, Nadia Nadim (INTL-DEN), Hayley Raso (INTL-AUS), Christine Sinclair (FP-CAN), Ashleigh Sykes (INTL-AUS, OOM)

Around the World of WoSo: NWSL TV details, Mittag to Sweden

Posted on by RJ Allen

Mittag on the move:

German international Anja Mittag has announced she will be returning to Sweden’s FC Rosengard this season. The-31 year-old striker is familiar with the club, having played for them from 2012-2015. She will leave Wolfsburg behind after just one season, and played her final game for the German powerhouse in the Champions League last week, losing to Lyon in the quarterfinals round.

Mittag appeared 68 times for FC Rosengard during her last tenure there, scoring a remarkable 61 times. After leaving Sweden in 2015, Mittag went on to play for Paris Saint-Germain for one year, playing in 18 games and contributing 10 goals, before returning to Germany to join Wolfsburg.

Mittag joins a squad that is filled with international playmakers, including Ali Riley (New Zealand), Erin McLeod (Canada), Lotta Schelin (Sweden), Lieke Martens (Netherlands), and Sofie Junge Pedersen (Denmark).

 

Reign sign Katie Johnson:

The Seattle Reign have officially welcomed Katie Johnson to the family. The dynamic forward was selected in the second round of the 2017 College Draft, eager to acquire the kind of player who always seems to find a way to score goals. Johnson is explosive in open spaces, and her finishing skill alone is appealing for the average soccer fan. In her last match as a senior she scored two goals for USC, going on to win the National Championship against West Virginia. Across her total collegiate career, she netted 24 goals and six assists.

The Reign lost two key pieces of the scoring puzzle in Kim Little and Manon Melis in the off-season, so bringing in a young talent like Johnson was a no-brainer. Even with a roster that has Bev Yanez, Nahomi Kawasumi, Megan Rapinoe, and Larissa Crummer, I still think Johnson has a shot at earning quality minutes this season.

 

USWNT trio out with injuries:

The United States Women’s National team will be without three midfielders for the two matches with Russia on April 6th and 9th later this week. Tobin Heath is ruled out with a back injury, Morgan Brian has a minor knee injury, and Lindsey Horan is dealing with a hip-flexor strain.

Heath is one of the key veterans on the team, appearing 131 times and has 18 goals. Two things the 28 year-old veteran loves to do is to create plays and distribute the ball, giving her teammates as many opportunities as possible. Brian has slowly become an important piece as well, already appearing 66 times and has six goals. Horan arrived on the scene first in 2013, and has appeared 33 times while scoring three goals.

 

Shim and Daly go the distance:

Over the weekend, the Portland Thorns held a pre-season tournament at Providence Park, consisting of the Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash and the United States U-23 team.

In the finale between Portland and Houston, two players were equally responsible for securing their respective teams point in the 1-1 draw on Saturday. The first strike ordered was by Thorns midfielder Mana Shim in the 17th minute. She had a small window of space on the left of the 18-yard box and Shim just let it fly, ripping a left-footed shot that flew past Dash keeper Lydia Williams for the opening goal. While Williams did manage to get a slight hand on it, there was just no saving this ball. It was a spectacular effort and finish.

Next up was Rachel Daly’s turn. The England international and Dash forward got a hold of the ball in the 76th minute to run at the back four of Portland. She started on the left but drifted towards the middle and from just over 20 yards out, Daly unleashed a shot. Thorns’ keeper Britt Eckerstrom had no chance to save this shot either. It was the kind of goal you can watch over and over again and not get tired of, that’s how special it was. Not too shabby for a preseason game.

 

Lotzen goes down:

Bayern Munich forward Lena Lotzen tore her ACL during the Paris Saint-Germain Champions League match. Lotzen is unfortunately no stranger to injuries in her career, in 2014 she tore her ACL and then in 2015 tore her meniscus in the same knee. The 23-year-old has played for Bayern since 2010 and has made 70 appearances while scoring 23 goals. At the National team level, Lotzen has played in 25 games and netted nine goals for Germany.

Each time, Lotzen managed to make a comeback and is still young and has been playing at a very high level since she was 16. I hope she can continue to prolong her career and make another strong comeback.

 

NWSL releases TV schedule:

After patiently waiting and wondering, the people have gotten what they want. The National Women’s Soccer League has finally released the TV schedule, two weeks before the fifth season kicks off. The details regarding who will be calling the action were also included in the same release.

The schedule has 22 regular season matches every Saturday as well as playoff and championship coverage in the fall. The first televised game on Lifetime will be the Portland Thorns hosting the Orlando Pride at Providence Park at 4 pm. The reigning champions NC Courage will play their first televised game against FC Kansas City on June 3rd at Sahlen’s Stadium (formerly WakeMed Soccer Park) in Cary, NC.

Details of the four members of the broadcast team have also been announced. Brought on to call the play-by-play is Jenn Hildreth. Fans might remember her from her coverage of the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada and or the NCAA DI Women’s National Championship as well. Former USWNT star Aly Wagner has been added as an Analyst. Wagner was also a member of the 2015 WWC reporting team and calls USWNT matches.

The last members of the team are Dalen Cuff, who will serve as a pre-game host and sideline reporter and Kate Markgraf, who will join him on the pre-game coverage and also contribute as an analyst. Cuff covered the 2016 Rio Olympics when he represented NBC Sports Network while Markgraf is known for her work during the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games for NBC.

Around the World of WoSo: FA Cup, UWCL action, latest USWNT camp

Posted on by RJ Allen

Arsenal’s shocking loss:

In the Sunday quarterfinal of the FA Cup between Arsenal Ladies and Birmingham City, one team was expected to win and it wasn’t the Blues. Arsenal are the reigning champions, so to be knocked out so early surely has to be a blow. Defeating Arsenal’s talent-rich roster, which includes Fara Williams, Jordan Nobbs, Kim Little, Heather O’Reilly, and Jodie Taylor, has to be cause for extra celebration for Birmingham.

The Blues stood tall all game, and in front of 514 fans, they were more than ready for the challenge. Marisa Ewers secured the win in the 77th minute, when Ellie Brazil slotted a beautiful ball for her to put away in the top corner. Birmingham were hungry all match. Ellen White had some quality chances but was denied each time. While both sides had a handful of chances throughout the match, the 1-0 scoreline lasted through the final minutes.

The Blues are led by the energetic forward, White, who many might remember for her recent endeavors with the Lionesses. She scored the winning goal for England against the United States just two weeks ago in the #SheBelieves Cup—their first win against the U.S. on American soil. White will continue to lead her club team as they advance to the semifinals of the FA Cup.

 

Germany reclaims top spot:

The latest FIFA Women’s rankings were released this week, and a few changes have been made. The United States was once again dethroned and removed to second after Germany was named the number one team in the world. Rounding out the top five are France in third (has been in third for a handful of years now), England up to fourth, and Canada down a spot in fifth.

While some may not care for the rankings (or, rather, the system that determines them), I do think Germany is deserving of this. It is not just that the Americans haven’t been performing like the best team in the world for quite some time. Just last summer, Germany won gold for the first time at the Rio Summer Olympics. Germany was last ranked number one back in March of 2015, before the World Cup. If they were set back a step after just failing to medal in that tournament, they were quick to recover.

One team I thought deserved to move up was France, who just recently won the #SheBelieves Cup and finally played up to potential. France has world-class players at just about each position, I thought they would grab the second spot, and I would’ve put the United States at three or four. But at the same time, the rankings are justified by a system of points.

Teams who benefited from this system were Switzerland, who just won the Cyprus Cup and moved into 16th, and Spain, who won the Algarve Cup in stunning fashion in a match against Canada and moved into their highest-ever ranking at 13th. Sweden also moved two spots up to sixth thanks to an incredible silver finish at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

 

Chelsea moves on:

Chelsea Ladies have advanced to the semifinals of the FA Cup thanks to a 5-1 win over Sunderland on Sunday. Sunderland started the scoring by way of a penalty in the 18th minute (converted by Lucy Staniforth). But the momentum didn’t last long, as Chelsea took the lead, courtesy of to two goals from Ramona Bachmann in the 39th and 44th.

Bachmann wasn’t the only Chelsea player to grab a brace. Hannah Blundell took the spotlight when she netted goals in the 49th and 58th minute. Sunderland couldn’t get back on track, and Chelsea ran away with it, adding the cherry on top with a fifth goal in the 90th minute when Drew Spence headed home a Karen Carney cross. It was quite an emphatic win for Chelsea Ladies, who go on to another semifinal showdown.

 

USWNT report to camp:

The United States Women’s National Team will be called into camp March 30th in preparation for a pair of April friendlies with Russia. The matches will take place April 6th in Frisco (FS1) and 9th in Houston (ESPN).

Ellis has named 24 players for the camp but will narrow it down to 18 after the week-long session. Some notable returns include Megan Rapinoe, Amy Rodriguez, and Meghan Klingenberg. Young up-and-comers Rose Lavelle, Casey Short, Lynn Williams, and Kealia Ohai are back as well. One brand-new addition to the pool is Boston Breaker Megan Oyster, who has played admirably since joining the National Women’s Soccer League in 2015.

 

City winning on all fronts:

It has been a busy week for Manchester City, who competed in both the Champions League and the FA Cup, winning both matches. In the first leg of the UWCL, City beat the Danish champion Fortuna Hjorring 1-0 on a Lloyd goal—an incredible first goal in the Manchester kit.

On Sunday, in front of 504 fans, they played Bristol City in the quarterfinal of the FA Cup, winning 2-1. Steph Houghton and Nikita Parris made sure they advanced, each scoring to secure the victory for City.

The second leg of the UWCL against Fortuna is on Thursday at Academy Stadium, while the semifinals for the FA Cup are set for April 17.

 

Rosengard without Schelin:

FC Rosengard will be without Lotta Schelin when they travel to Spain for the second leg of the UWCL. Rosengard lost to Barcelona in the first leg 1-0 last week, so they need all the firepower they have. Without Schelin, FC will rely on Ali Riley, Lieke Martens, Marta, and Ella Masar to attempt to overcome the deficit.

Schelin has a slight hamstring injury, they deemed it too much of a risk to go and play in the second leg. The 33-year-old Swedish forward is a big draw no matter what team she’s on. After almost eight years with Olympique Lyon (138 appearances and 143 goals), Lotta moved back home in June for an opportunity to play once again in the Champions League. Schelin has scored six goals for FC Rosengard in just five appearances.