Category: Opinion

Why, Lingerie Soccer League, Why?

Posted on by RJ Allen

In November, The Lingerie Soccer League announced on Twitter and Facebook that they will be launching a North American league in the Fall of 2017. My initial thought was, “Okay, how will this league work?” I wanted to honestly give a fair shot to the LSL and explore the impact (positive or negative) of bringing another league of this sort into the North American market. I wanted to be as open-minded as possible.

However, a more important question kept popping into my mind first: Why?

A little over a year ago Oxygen debuted “Pretty Strong,” a reality show that followed women who play for the Chicago Bliss of the Legends Football League (formerly known as the Lingerie Football League). Although this league has been criticized for issues with their less than preferable branding (Sarah Spain wrote a wonderful article about it), they still aren’t the absolute worst.

Many of these women have very few alternatives to play professional football in an atmosphere like they have at a Legends League game. Not to mention the fact that every game features former Division I athletes competing in full-contact tackle football. Even though the league isn’t an ideal league for female athletes, it still offers them a place to play a sport they love while making small strides in the right direction.

Their founder and chairman, Mitch Mortaza, is attempting to rebrand their league as one with legitimate athletes playing a real sport. Of course their biggest flaw is still their uniforms (at least they still aren’t wearing the uniforms with bows and lace and a choker and a garter belt, right?).  But one success is that the football league is no longer using the words “Lingerie” in their title, deciding that the word wasn’t needed to further their league or their brand.

Which brings me to my primary question…

Why, Lingerie Soccer League?

Honestly. Why? Why do you want to exist? Why do you feel there is a need for you in the U.S.? Why is this the business venture you’ve decided in delve into?

If you break down why a successful business should be started, there are essentially two core reasons:

  1. There is a demand and need for a solution to an existing problem
  2. The opportunity and timing to start your business are impeccable.  

Let’s review both.

A demand and need for a solution to an existing problem:

Is this an actual demand of the people? Are people actually upset when they see women playing soccer with clothes other than underwear? Is this a problem facing our country? Do we not have enough women playing sports in revealing clothes? Although someone actually voiced these sentiments once, they also weren’t aware that the Women’s World Cup was going to be the most watched soccer event in American history. And guess what? They wore regular kits. Currently, I see no issues that the LFL would fix.

The perfect timing:

There couldn’t be a worse time for this league to start. The US Women’s National Team are making a very public (and publicly supported) case for equal pay. The support for gender equality in sports is at an all time high. The fight against sexism in our country has been in a massive upswing because of our recent political climate. These are all red flags from a strictly business perspective. 

The only reason I would welcome the development of this league at this particular time is the possible positive effect it might have on its players. It could be a place for the women of the league to feel both the support of having a team, while also feeling the empowerment of flaunting a body they’ve most likely worked extremely hard for. But of course, that’s assuming the atmosphere of the league isn’t a harmful or sexist one, which currently seems like a pipe dream. 

Ultimately, Lingerie Soccer League, I will never, ever shame the women who choose to play for you, but don’t be surprised when not a single self-respecting soccer fan wants to show up to your games. You have a definite uphill battle ahead of you.

Around the World of WoSo: USC Victorious; U-20’s Finish Fourth

Posted on by RJ Allen

Japan Grabs Third Place Over U.S.:

The Under-20 Women’s World Cup third place match was one that saw the Americans really struggle against a dominant Japanese group. In the previous three games between these two countries, Japan outscored the U.S. 11-2. So, to some, this was not a surprise and was predicted. To others, this game was a summary of how the American U-20 team has performed this whole tournament: underwhelming and disappointing.

For the first half, the Americans managed to stay afloat, largely in part to goalkeeper Casey Murphy, who made three acrobatic saves to deny the Japanese in her best game of the tournament. The Yanks were in defensive mode and just could not gain quality possession. Yet, Japan ran circles around them and had no problem finding holes in the defense. Japan was not lacking in patience. They continued to pressure and attack the U.S. backline. The U.S. looked uninspired and lethargic, while Japan played with confidence and eagerness.

The American midfield had trouble getting into the attack, which meant limited chances for their two big attacking threats, Mallory Pugh and Ashley Sanchez. As the game went on, Pugh and Sanchez were defending so much that, if they somehow did get the ball, they could not advance into the final third. In fact, when either one of them had the ball, the rest of the team struggled to move up and create an attack. There was no cohesion. It was essentially two versus 10. But maybe that was Michelle French’s only game plan all along.

In the second half, the U.S. finally put together a string of threats, but Japan was organized at virtually every angle. That momentum was short-lived, as the Japanese attack was finally rewarded in the 87th minute. Starting with a turnover from the United States, Japan was off to the races, compiling a few touches to bypass the U.S. midfield. In the blink of an eye, Mami Ueno found herself wide open just inside the eighteen, and with a brilliant chip, she gave Japan the victory. It was Ueno’s fifth goal of the tournament. This is Japan’s best finish at the U-20 level.

Overall, it was a lovely performance by Japan. The U.S., on the other hand,  were left with plenty of questions and “what ifs”. This was the second time the Americans finished fourth at this level.

FIFA Announces COY and POY Shortlists:

Coach of the Year nominees are USA’s Jill Ellis, Germany’s Silvia Neid, and Sweden’s Pia Sundhage. While I understand Neid’s and Sundhage’s inclusion, I don’t like Ellis in this group. Sure, the United States won double-digit games, but they failed at the Olympics and in no way played like the number one team in the world. I do hope Neid wins the award this year, as she has been a tremendous coach and is deserving of the recognition.

As for Player of the Year, Carli Lloyd of USA, Marta of Brazil, and Melanie Behringer of Germany are the nominees. Again, I don’t agree with an American being on the list. I think Behringer should win it. For me, she was the biggest reason Germany was so successful at the Olympics, winning their first gold at the Games in program history.

The winners will be announced January 9, 2017.

Melbourne City Wins Again:

The W-League is off to a wild start, with City leading the way once again. Through four games, City remains undefeated, with 12 points, and are on top of the table. This time, they defeated the Brisbane Roar, which sits in the middle of the table on seven points.

In a 2-1 victory, Jess Fishlock scored for the second consecutive game, helping her team to its fourth-straight win. Erika Tymrak scored the other goal, her first of the season for Melbourne. As if things can’t get any better for City, Bev Yanez is now with the team on loan from Seattle. City’s next game is against Canberra United on December 10th.

Sydney FC Close Behind:

Another team that is dominating competition in the W-League this season is Sydney FC, which has 12 points as well. They have played five matches, but with this latest win over Newcastle, they have now won four in a row. Key players, Kyah Simon, Alanna Kennedy, and Teresa Polias, have all stepped up and played well to so far. The captain, Polias, has the third-most appearances in W-League history with 90, so she has plenty of experience to lead this team.

Sydney takes on Perth Glory December 10th as they look to stay on pace with Melbourne City for the top spot.

Johnson’s Brace Leads USC Past West Virginia for Title:

The USC Trojans and West Virginia Mountaineers played one incredible game on Sunday night. WVU was ranked number one and was expected to be there. USC was ranked seventh and surprised many by making it to the final.

It started off with a bang. Morgan Andrews guided a header past WVU keeper Rylee Foster in the second minute to give USC the lead. It was Morgan’s second goal of the tournament and ninth on the year. It was a shock because this was only the second time WVU trailed a team all year, the first being their match agaist TCU in the Big 12 Championship back in November.

The dream start for the Trojans seems to ignite WVU. For the rest of the game, the Mountaineers were absolutely relentless. Wave after wave, they pressured the opposing defense. Senior leaders, Ashley Lawrence and Kadeisha Buchanan, had USC on their heels. They not only controlled the tempo after the opening goal; they had momentum leading into the second half after attacking USC’S half for an extended amount of time.

Finally, a breakthrough in the 66th minute came for West Virginia. Lawrence fired a shot just outside of the eighteen and caught USC keeper, Sammy Jo Prudhomme, near-post for the equalizer. It was a beautiful goal that merited all of the energy spent on offense up until that time. But USC were not rattled at all, in fact, just 11 minutes later, they put another past Foster. This time, it was Leah Pruitt doing all the hustle to get past the lone WVU defender down the sideline. She found Johnson all alone at the top of the box. Johnson placed it neatly in the right corner, and once again the Trojans had the lead.

USC were not done just yet. With four minutes left, a turnover in the midfield created another opportunity for Johnson, who took the long distance shot for her brace. It was a tremendous effort, which tied her with Morgan for team lead, each having scored 10. Final score was 3-1, but that doesn’t quite do WVU justice for the performance they put in. The Mountaineers outshot the Trojans 20-6, but USC was just more opportunistic in front of goal. For me, it was the best championship game in recent years—it was that good. This was USC’s second title in as many trips—first for third year coach Keidane McAlpine.

U.S. Soccer Announces Nominees for WNT POY and Youth POY:

Five are nominated in each category, with Tobin Heath, Crystal Dunn, Becky Sauerbrunn, Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd for the National Team. At the Youth level, Ashley Sanchez, Andi Sullivan, Emily Ogle, Kaleigh Riehl, and Karina Rodriguez made the list.

My picks would be Heath and Sanchez. Heath had an exceptional year, playing in 22 games and totaling six goals with eight assists. But what doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is her playmaking abilities and how she impacts the game with her skill. She is a player who we have seen mature and one who has continued to polish her game since the second she came on the scene back in 2008. Heath has been instrumental to the team and especially to the midfield.

Sanchez has competed in the U-17 and U-20 World Cups this year while emerging as one of the best youth players in the system. She has tallied seven goals and two assists in 11 games, between the two teams. Her vision is key to her performance, as well as her ability to provide service. Even though she was the youngest on the roster at age 17, she was one of the brightest and most exciting at the U-20 World Cup.

The NT winner will be announced on December 11th, on ESPNFC. The Youth winner will be announced December 12th, also on ESPNFC.

Around The World of WoSo: College Cup Set and U20’s Fall

Posted on by RJ Allen

Melbourne Derby One Sided:

The Australian W-League saw a thrilling Derby between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory on Saturday. Plenty of NWSL talent on display: Jess Fishlock (Seattle), Steph Catley (Orlando), Lydia Williams (Houston), Natasha Dowie (Boston), Christine Nairn (Seattle), Sam Johnson (Chicago), Erika Tymrak (Kansas City), Laura Alleway (Orlando), and Biannca Henninger (Houston).

It was a battle of Houston Dash keepers. In the first half, City had real chances, but Henninger did a solid job between the posts for Victory. Williams kept City in it as well, with a few early saves. The second half was a completely different story, as a certain Welsh midfielder was all over the place, scoring the opener in the 64th minute and finishing the scoring in the 76th minute. In between her goals was Captain Catley, scoring on replacement keeper Bethany Mason-Jones minutes after Henninger left the field with an injury.

City extends their winning streak to three games and sit atop the table with 9 points. Victory remains in ninth through four games, losing their third game. They are still searching for a win.

 

Battle of the Carolinas for College Cup Spot:

North Carolina topped South Carolina over the weekend in the NCAA Quarterfinals match-up. I had the Gamecocks favored (hello, Savannah McCaskill) but the outstanding goalkeeping of UNC’s Lindsey Harris shut them down in every way. The Tar Heels grabbed the only goal in the 22nd minute, thanks to a beautiful chip from Madison Schultz—her fifth goal on the year.

South Carolina had a series of chances within the first ten minutes with nothing to show for it. Kaleigh Kurtz also had a shot hit the crossbar just before halftime. The best chance of the night for the Gamecocks came from the penalty spot. Sophie Groff took it, but Harris made an acrobatic save to keep her team in front. Harris made several impressive saves, showing her strength in the air and her ability to hold on to the ball on an aggressive goal-line challenge from McCaskill. Harris’s eight saves on the night brought her season to total to 91, a new single-season school record after passing Molly Current, who played in 1980.

North Carolina advances to its 27th semifinals, the most of any D1 program. They will play in San Jose against West Virginia.

 

Georgetown Edges Santa Clara:

The Hoyas certainly have performed well. This past weekend they showed why they deserve to be in the College Cup. Usually Rachel Corboz and Grace Damaska are the names covering the score sheet, but Crystal Thomas’s phenomenal strike was all the Hoyas needed to advance. The graduate forward took a chance with 16 minutes left in the contest. Out of nowhere, she let a shot rip from the left side of the penalty area. The distance (22 yards) and tough angle surprised Bronco keeper, Melissa Lowder, who had absolutely no chance to save it. It was a powerful shot—one that is surely the most important of Thomas’s career.

With that wonder strike, Thomas and the Hoyas are headed to the College Cup for the first time in program history. They also recorded their 17 shutout of the season. They move on to continue this incredible season to face USC Friday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

West Virginia Handles Duke:

I wanted the Blue Devils to take this one, but it was a long shot considering how many injures this team had throughout the season. The #1 seeded West Virginia was healthier and overall had a more talented squad. The Mountaineers proved to be too much and found the winning goal from junior Alli Magaletta (transferred from Missouri) in the 16th minute. The midfielder got on the end of a corner to put away the only goal of the game.

Duke had plenty of chances but the freshman in goal for WVU had other plans, Rylee Foster made five saves to keep her team ahead. The second half was all senior Blue Devil Toni Payne, who created most of the opportunities and had a shot stopped right on the goal line. The back line leader Kadeisha Buchanan made sure her group was organized and ready for any attack made by Duke.

West Virginia now set school records reaching 22 wins and 17 shutouts on the season. They continue their historical run Friday as they face UNC on ESPNU at 4 p.m. CT.

USC Slips Past Auburn:

With the year the Auburn Tigers were having, I had them advancing into the College Cup. Wow, was I proved wrong. In another one-goal contest, the Trojans crushed the dreams of Tiger players and fans. The lone goal came just four minutes in, from a header by Alex Anthony (assisted by Julia Bingham). Although I knew USC had a strong defense, I didn’t expect them to get off to that quick of a start on the offensive end.

Auburn boasted an impressive lineup, spearheaded by Brooke and Casie Ramsier and Kristen Dodson. The dangerous trio had a combined 33 goals and 31 assists. Someone would have to slow them down eventually, right? That someone would be Trojan keeper, Sammy Jo Prudhomme, who made six saves to preserve her team’s 15th shutout of the year. Prudhomme has been outstanding all season long, coming up big while recording 18 wins and being the leader of the defense.

USC will play Georgetown in San Jose at Avaya Stadium.

U-20 Fall In Semifinals of WWC:

The United States Under-20 Women’s team may have made it to the semifinals, but in no way have they been one of the better teams in this U-20 Women’s World Cup. They needed a miracle to get past Mexico last week, but against a very technical North Korea squad, one miracle wasn’t enough, and the U.S. was rightfully defeated. The Americans have a talented squad but are just not polished enough on both ends of the ball. The defense was unorganized, giving up 25 shots, while the offense could not finish the several opportunities in front of goal, only producing seven shots.

North Korea unsurprisingly struck first (they have the most goals in this tournament) with a chance from the penalty spot. A handball was called on USWNT defender Katie Cousins as she was challenging for the ball in the 51st minute. Jon So Yon stepped up and easily converted while the U.S. fans were still in disbelief that the call was made. After watching it several times, I would have to say it was a questionable call.

The United States continued to be under pressure, scrambling on defense and, at times, falling over each other due to limited communication. The second half was difficult to watch, as the U.S. attack stalled. The defense was barely hanging on. North Korea showed confidence on the ball and looked fit throughout. The Americans, on the other hand, were noticeably slowing down as the game wore on.

In the 89th minute, an awkward and desperate volley from Natalie Jacobs gave the Americans life, albeit, a life I’m not so sure they deserved, considering their sub-par performance. That goal sent it into overtime. Less than a minute in, North Korea scored again. This time resulting from the run of play, as Sung Hyang Sim slipped a pass to a charging Ri Hyang Sim, who slotted it far post, past keeper Casey Murphy for the game winner.

North Korea advances to their third U-20 final while the United States crash out. The coaching concerns voiced by many are now louder than ever (and especially relevant with the recent change in MNT head coach). The system needs a serious overhaul if they want to be one of best teams at this level again. On Saturday, North Korea will face France in the final. The U.S. will take on Japan in the third-place match.

Around the World of WoSo: Elite 8 Set; U-20’s Advance

Posted on by RJ Allen

# 1 Seeds Knocked Out:

Favorites to make the College Cup, Stanford and Florida have been knocked out by Santa Clara and Auburn this past weekend. The Cardinal put up a fight, taking the Bronco’s to overtime. It was short lived because in the 107th minute Jenna Holtz brought the ball down in the box, shook off her defender and aided with a slight deflection, scored the game winner for Santa Clara. It was absolute elation for the Bronco’s and incredible heartbreak for the Cardinal players. Santa Clara will take on #2 Georgetown Saturday at noon.

As for the other #1, I favored Florida but also having kept an eye on Auburn all year, I knew it would be tough. What I didn’t expect were the Tigers to win 3-1 and control most of the game. Auburn struck first, thanks to an outstanding volley by Brooke Ramsier in the 26th minute. In the last seven matches, Ramsier has been seemingly unstoppable, scoring five goals and adding five assist. Scoring two in the second half to seal the win, Auburn stuns Florida and advances to its first quarterfinal in program history. The Tigers will matchup against USC on Friday at 4 p.m.

Duke & WVU Return to Elite 8:

The only returning team from 2015 tournament to make it to the quarterfinals this year are the Blue Devils and Mountaineers. That’s right, no Penn State, Florida State, Texas A&M, Stanford, Virginia or Rutgers. What a turnaround for some of these teams, while Duke and WVU manage to stay on track.

Duke beat Illinois State in the second round 3-1 and escaped Northwestern 1-0 in the third round. Senior Toni Payne led the way, scoring two goals against Illinois State with a breakaway beauty first and a technical hit from just outside the 18 yard box for her second. Against Northwestern, it took a bit more patience but a 40th minute rebound by Ella Stevens gave the Blue Devils all they needed to secure a spot in the Elite 8. The goal was Steven’s 10th of the season, not a bad way to enter double-digits.

West Virginia took on Ohio State and was tested all game long, eventually needing double overtime to decide a winner. Junior Michaela Abam grabbed her 11th goal of the season with a lofted ball from distance that probably should’ve been saved. Nonetheless, they moved on and faced #14 UCLA, another game that needed more than 90 minutes.

 The Mountaineers and the Bruins have young Canadian talent to show for, with Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence representing WVU and Jessie Fleming for UCLA. In the first half WVU grabbed the first goal but late in the second half Fleming brought her team back from the dead to stun the Mountaineers. Double overtime wasn’t enough so in penalty kicks, early on Fleming made hers for UCLA while Lawrence converted as well. The fifth and final shot was up to Buchanan, who slotted it home to take her team to Elite 8.

One question many had after was why UCLA coach Amanda Cromwell replaced starting freshman keeper Teagan Micah with junior Siri Ervik. Micah, who in my opinion has been the second best player for UCLA this season only behind Fleming and made several key saves throughout this game. So why take her out and out and put in a cold keeper? Its possible Cromwell had more confidence in Ervik to handle the pk’s, but still, after this loss, it’s reasonable to wonder why.

The Blue Devils and Mountaineers will face each other on Saturday for a chance at the College Cup at 3 p.m

Georgetown & South Carolina Cruise:

The Hoyas and Gamecocks were destined for the Elite 8. Boasting impressive records and each having dynamic duo’s leading the way, it’s possible they could make it to the College Cup.

Georgetown had the more challenging path, facing Rutgers and Virginia, but they beat each by a score of 2-0. The Hoyas are led by junior Rachel Corboz and senior Grace Damaska, who have been so steady all year. Corboz has poured on 11 goals and 16 assist (leading the nation) while Damaska contributed fourteen goals and five assist. The Hoyas recorded their 16th shutout on the season after a UVA own goal and Corboz free kick secured the win.

South Carolina is reliant on junior Savannah McCaskill and senior Chelsea Drennan. McCaskill leads the team in goals with 17 and adding 11 assist while Drennan has accumulated eight goals and 11 assists. The captain Drennan scored the only goal, a penalty in the 69th minute to give the Gamecocks the win over BYU. That goal also set a new single-season record for South Carolina by recording the 51st goal of 2016.

North Carolina Back Where They Belong:

    The Tar Heels are back in the Elite 8 since the 2013 season. UNC beat Kansas 2-0 and edged Clemson 1-0 on Sunday. Considering the storied past of the this program and high expectations, which includes 21 Titles in 32 appearances, the Heels have been less than impressive en route to the College Cup this season. Although I wasn’t expecting them to get this far, they have clearly earned it.

    Led by Sophomore Dorian Bailey, who scored in wins at Liberty and notched the game winner from distance against Clemson on Sunday. In just her fourth goal on the year, Bailey couldn’t pick a more perfect time to catch form. The #2 seed will face top seeded South Carolina on Friday at 6 p.m.

U-20 Finish Group C on Top:

The United States Women’s Youth team finished its final group game against Ghana in the U-20 Women’s World Cup. In a less than impressive 1-1 draw on Sunday night, the Americans needed some magic from the Captain Mallory Pugh to salvage a point. Two other players who also stood out with moments of quality were Ashley Sanchez, Emily Fox and Katie Cousins. For the next round the U.S. will need to clean up its passing in the final third and finish its chances. Other players will need to step up, including keeper Casey Murphy, who had a blunder in the first half to give Ghana the short-lived lead.

What many may not know is that to commit to the Youth WC, they must red shirt the 2016 college season. The U.S. is has a total of nine colleges represented but none more present than Penn State, who have five players on this Youth roster. Cousin’s is a Tennessee Volunteer and will be a sophomore in 2017. Sanchez has plans to attend UCLA while Fox will attend North Carolina, both in the fall of 2017.

Moving on the quarterfinals is a familiar feeling for this program, as it has advanced to this stage in each of the previous seven tournaments. The Americans have been crowned U-20 champions three times (2012, 2008, and 2002) but the Germans are the 2014 defending champions. Drawing with Ghana ensured not only moving on, but it made sure they wouldn’t face Germany. Its opponent will be Mexico and its set for Friday (Nov. 25th) on FS1 at 1 a.m. ET.

Injuries Galore For Americans:

Four were injured in last weekend’s W-League action and one injured in College play. Two were extremely devastating as keeper Kelsey Wys (Newcastle Jets, Washington Spirit) and midfielder Andi Sullivan (Stanford) each tore an ACL. Wys was playing in the W-League for the Jets and landed very awkwardly during a play while Sullivan had to leave the game against Santa Clara in OT during Stanford’s Tournament run. ACL’s recovery can range anywhere from six months to a year. Hopeful both have a healthy recovery.

Another W-League injury was to Perth Glory and Chicago Red Star midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo. She has a hamstring injury that has carried over from the NWSL season. A fellow Red Star who is also down under is Jen Hoy, who plays for the Jets and has an upper body injury but is listed as questionable. One last report is regarding Orlando Pride/Canberra United forward Jasmyne Spencer. She went down in United’s win over Brisbane Roar, but remains questionable for the next game.

Players Can’t Tell the Difference Between Nutmeg News and Bill Lynch, and That is Terrifying

Posted on by RJ Allen

Last week, Ashlyn Harris and Megan Rapinoe took to social media to express their concerns over a quote in an article posted by the Nutmeg News.

The article quoted Bill Lynch, the owner of the Washington Spirit, as saying,

“We decided over the course of the season that our roster wasn’t patriotic enough and didn’t support our love of the best country on the face of the planet. The Washington Spirit is all about great soccer, community involvement, fanatical devotion to the best country ever, standing for the national anthem, and asking our players to not outwardly display their support of LGBTQ causes. As such, it behooves us to ensure that our roster reflects this.”

Fortunately for the Washington Spirit, the comments aren’t real. The Nutmeg News is a fake, satire site meant to be “The Onion” of women’s soccer.

Harris posted, “Wow You disgust me (sic)” in regards to the fake Lynch comments. Rapinoe tweeted that the comments were “deeply disturbing”.  After it was made apparent to both players that the article was fake, Harris deleted her post and Rapinoe tweeted out an apology to the Washington Spirit saying that she didn’t realize the article was fake.

Everything was forgiven and we all moved on.

With the exception of one lingering thought: Isn’t it terrifying that two professional players, one of whom used to play for the Washington Spirit, genuinely believed that this was something that Bill Lynch said?

Lynch has drawn a lot of attention to himself in 2016. His most infamous moment of the year was probably when he prevented Seattle Reign player, Megan Rapinoe’s anthem protest by playing the national anthem while both the Reign and Spirit were still in the locker room before their game on September 7th without consulting anyone from the NWSL or anyone on the team.

Although this was a very petty gesture, one could possibly have chalked up his actions to emotions running high, given that he is a veteran and it was less than a week before the anniversary of a huge disaster for our country. Maybe he was not thinking logically. Maybe he was going to apologize. But then came the uncalled-for “hijack” statement. And then the rival statement from the Spirit players. And then the reminder that when the Supreme Court passed the gay marriage ruling in 2015, the Spirit were the only team to not publicly support ruling because Lynch allegedly (and hypocritically) didn’t want to get personal politics involved with soccer.

I truly detest assuming the worst in people. I pride myself on believing one of my strongest attributes is being able to see the good in even the worst situations. However, now we have two professional athletes who have dealt with Lynch on a professional level who seem to believe it plausible for him to say the ridiculous quote above.

Whether they meant to or not, Harris and Rapinoe have enlightened us with a hint this week. And how seriously we choose to take this hint is up to our discretion.

Stay aware. Stay woke.

Around the World of WoSo: NCAA Update and USWNT Close Out 2016

Posted on by RJ Allen

SIUE Stuns Notre Dame:

The Fighting Irish were the number two seed and clear favorites to win but the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars played out of their minds. More specifically, sophomore goalkeeper Juli Ross was the hero on the pitch that night. Ross shut down Notre Dame’s chances, including 21 shots at goal, all night, making memorable saves in each half and then in both overtimes to take it to penalties. And the goalkeeper’s  5’7″ frame helped her save two pks taken by Notre Dame’s Katie Uhler and Cindy Pineda.

 The winning pk came from SIUE’s Mariah Vollmer, who hadn’t played a single minute of the game but had no problem stepping up in a critical situation when her team needed it. This victory is was only the second time a team from the Ohio Valley Conference has gotten past the first round, and marks SIUE’s first tournament win in program history. The Cougars will face Northwestern University on Friday.

Michigan Falls to Illinois State:

Another massive upset that ended with penalties after the extra time periods did not yield a winner came with Michigan’s loss to Illinois State. Michigan had the momentum after Nicky Waldeck scored an equalizer in the 75′ to force the game into overtime. Then, the score tied at two a piece, Michigan managed to get the ball in the net twice, only to have each goal called back due to fouls. Illinois State’s best chance to take the lead and the game came in the 106th minute off a powerful header by Paige Jarsombeck’s that was saved by Michigan’s Sarah Jackson.

Though both teams netted four pks each, Michigan missed its fifth shot to to give the Redbirds the win. This was the third tournament win in school history for Illinois State, who are on a 15 game winning streak, the longest in school history. The Redbirds will face Duke on Friday in the second round.

NC State Upsets Minnesota:

In its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 20 years, NC State made a memorable return to the big stage this past weekend. Not only did they win, but they beat the Big Ten Conference champions Minnesota. The Wolfpack started strong, firing 10 shots toward goal in the first half while the the Gophers only managed to put up two. The second half saw NC State create several serious chances through set pieces but ended up at the end of regulation with nothing to show for it.

Throughout the two overtimes both teams had a few shots, but neither managed to break through and score. But, what’s another game without nail-biting penalties? Wolfpack goalkeeper Sydney Wootten made two important saves to help her team advance. What’s more impressive about this win is that NC State was without All-ACC freshman forward Kia Rankin, who ranks second on the team in goals, with five heading into this tournament. Reports are she could be available for the second round. NC State will face Pepperdine on Friday. 

A Handful of Conference Champions Still Remain:

Out of the 31 conference champions that were crowned last week, only nine remain in the hunt for the title. Some are expected to advance, such as powerhouses FSU, Stanford, Florida, and West Virginia. They beat their respective opponents by a combined score of 14-0 en route to the second round.

 A few teams were stunned and sent home packing, however, such as Big Ten champions Minnesota, and Ivy League representative, Harvard. Of course serious title contenders like Georgetown (Big East) and UConn (American Athletic) are on to the next round as well.

Second Round Match-ups/Predictions:

Friday should prove to be quite a day for fans of the women’s game, as a handful of exciting match-ups are set to take place. The first is #3 Virginia taking on defending champions Penn State at 11a.m. The Cavaliers’ leading scorer is senior Alexis Shaffer who has tallied 13 goals and six assists on the year. As for Penn State, they are led by junior Frannie Crouse, who has 12 goals and recorded three assists. it should be noted that the Nittany Lions will be with out several players due to the U-20 Womens World Cup; Kaleigh Riehl, Ellie Jean, Maddie Elliston, Emily Ogle and Rose Chandler. With these pieces missing, i dont see how Penn State can get past the second round. That being said, I have Virginia winning this one, not without Penn State giving them a serious threat. 

The second game of the day will be at 3 p.m. when Auburn faces #13 UConn. Auburn has really impressed me this season, led by senior Casie Ramsier with 12 goals and four assists. UConn is no slouch either when it comes to big time players. The Huskies’ leading scorer is a name many fans should recognize from leading the nation in points and in a three-way tie for most goals; red-shirt senior Stephanie Ribeiro, who has accumulated a staggering 21 goals and 13 assists this season. This will be a game for those who love high powered offenses, and I have Auburn just edging out UConn in a close one that could see overtime as well as pks to decide the winner.

The 7 p.m. game will feature Wisconsin against #1 seed Florida. The Badgers will rely on senior Rose Lavelle, a National Team pool member who leads her college team with six goals and four assists. As for Florida, they have one of the fastest forwards in the tournament: Savannah Jordan. The senior has played consistently all year, totaling 16 goals and offering nine assists. Although Wisconsin has a strong group, I have Florida taking this one easily in regulation.

USWNT Finish 2016 with a Pair of Wins:

The United States Women completed the year by defeating Romania in two friendlies over the weekend–the first time the teams have competed–with a combined score of 13-1. Both matches had solid crowds (16k+ & 20k+) and given the high volume of US goals, fans had plenty of reasons to cheer.

 While it wasn’t quite the challenge some were expecting, it gave Coach Jill Ellis the chance to bring in youth once again and experiment with her formations. Ellis hasn’t been afraid to change things up after the disappointing Rio finish, and continues to do just that.  In these matches, she had the US women play in a three-back system, interchanging Becky Sauerbrunn, Julie Johnston, Allie Long, Kelley O’Hara, Ali Krieger, and Casey Short.

While there are many things I might agree or disagree with Ellis about, in my opinion, wasting time on a three-back system is one of the more questionable things she has done with our current personnel. Over the past year our offense seems to have improved, but often at the cost of our defensive play. In a nutshell, it was a difficult year for the USWNT and I hope that 2017 and the start of a new cycle can get us back to being the true #1 team in the world.

Around the World of WoSo: Stanford Roll, Florida outlasts Arkansas for SEC Title, TCU Collapse, and 64 Teams Set to Dance

Posted on by RJ Allen

Stanford Keeps PAC-12 Title:

 Stanford was my favorite to win this one, but the #21 ranked California Bears put a decent effort in. Within the first 15 minutes, each team had already scored, making for an exciting and unpredictable match-up. In the middle of it all was Andi Sullivan, a player you should be familiar with by now. She leads this team in goals with 11 and is second in assists with 7. Sullivan has proven that she is one of the best players in the nation, even as a junior. She grabbed her goal in the 56th minute by way of a brilliant one-on-one effort to beat Bear keeper Emily Boyd.

    The Sullivan goal seemed to spark the rest of the offense, as sophomore Kyra Carusa and freshman Beattie Goad also contributed goals in the second half to cruise to a 4-1 victory. This was the second consecutive PAC-12 title and 11th in program history for the Cardinals.

FSU outlasts UNC in ACC Showdown:

    Going into this game, I had many expectations, one being that Florida State would win. But I also knew North Carolina would put up a fight. First half was possession-heavy for the Tar Heels, while the Seminoles had troubles connecting the final pass.

    One thing I didn’t expect was for redshirt senior, Kirsten Crowley, to struggle as much as she did in the first half. She gave away bad turnovers, there was a lack of communication between Crowley and the defense, and her passing was horrific. Not sure if it was nerves, fatigue, or just having a rough start, but she did settle in a little more in the second half. A few mistakes by Crowley led to several set piece opportunities for UNC, but they ended up with nothing to show for it.

    One player who is arguably FSU’s best offensive threat is Deyna Castellanos, the explosive freshman from Venezuela. She had her best scoring chance early in the second half, but was stopped by Lindsey Harris, who stood tall for FSU all game. UNC’s best player for me was Maya Worth, who pressured the backline of FSU all game and nearly had a few goals herself. Worth was impressive and very solid in her effort.

    In penalty kicks, the Seminoles converted four while UNC only made three, missing the last one to keep the ACC title in Tallahassee. This is FSU’s fourth consecutive conference title—fifth in sixth seasons.

Georgetown Handles Marquette for Big East crown:

    Two of the best players in the nation happen to be on the same team. Yes, I’m talking about junior Rachel Corboz and senior Grace Damaska. The dynamic pair each scored to lead Georgetown to a 2-0 win and secure its first ever Big East conference title in program history.

    Damaska opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, going unassisted on a loose ball in the box and putting home her team-leading 13th goal of the year. The Hoyas unsurprisingly controlled possession, and they found their second goal early in the second half thanks to Corboz pouncing on a rebound and blasting it home for her 10th goal on the season.

    This win was Georgetown’s 13th shutout of the year, which ties the school record. Another impressive stat was that Marquette only managed one shot on goal, a real testament to the strong defense the Hoyas have put together. This is Georgetown’s seventh bid to the NCAA Tournament in program history.

TCU Collapse Gives West Virginia Big 12 Championship:

    The Horned Frogs got off to a fast start, pressuring and grabbing loose balls, until Michelle Prokof capitalized on a turnover and scored in the 5th minute. That goal was her sixth of the year, putting her at second all-time on the TCU scoring list, with 27 goals to her name. The Horned Frogs struck again just before half. Super sub Allison Ganter earned her ninth goal of the year. What’s notable about that is that Ganter has scored all of her goals when coming off the bench.

    The second half, West Virginia looked more like themselves, pressuring and creating serious scoring threats. Still, the defense of TCU was hanging on. With less than two minutes to go, TCU lost focus, and West Virginia senior defender-turned-forward Kadeisha Buchanan buried a loose ball in the six yard box (from a beautiful dummy by her teammate) to tie the game and give her team life. TCU had the title in their hands, and then it was gone.

    Heading into overtime, the Mountaineers definitely had the momentum—rightfully so. Just seven minutes into OT, senior Ashley Lawrence got ahold of a low cross on the back post for the game winner. It was a remarkable comeback—one that will surely haunt TCU for a while. This was WVU’s third Big 12 championship in four years.

Florida & Arkansas Entertain For SEC Bragging Rights:

This match-up was my favorite of the day, mostly because I enjoy seeing Arkansas continue to prove people wrong. Another reason is that Florida has one of the best forwards in college in senior Savannah Jordan, and she’s got some serious wheels. Jordan and Razorback defender, Qyara Winston, tangled in a few tackles early on, and that seemed to set the tone for the rest of the night. This game brought serious energy, tough challenges, and chippy plays—all the makings for a highly entertaining game.

    Jordan grabbed the opening goal for Florida in the 19th minute by backing down her defender in the six yard box and turning on a dime to score her 15th goal of the year. It also moves her into second place all-time in scoring for the Gators with 80 goals, only 16 behind USWNT and Florida legend Abby Wambach.

    Arkansas continued to hang and pressure the Gators’ backline, and finally capitalized on a mistake. Florida gave a weak and dangerous back pass to keeper Kaylan Marckese, who then had a deflected clearance that fell to Razorback, Sparky Fischer. Marckese took her time getting into position, and Fischer took advantage of that to send a laser into the upper left corner for the equalizer. It was a beautiful goal to keep hope alive for Arkansas.

    This game, like so many others, went into overtime. But both teams were energized and had chances to end it. Both defenses stepped up big time to neutralized those chances. That is, until the final minute, when Gator, Brooke Sharp, headed home a lofty back-post cross by Dougherty Howard. It was a great team goal. This was quite a match, as Arkansas was very tough and gave it all without a doubt. Florida earned their 12th SEC title and first since the 2012 season.

NCAA DI Tournament Selection:

On Monday, the fate of 64 teams looking to get into the NCAA DI tournament was official. The 31 conference winners received automatic bids, along with Stanford (PAC-12), Harvard (IVY), and Pepperdine (West Coast), who each won the regular season in their respective conferences.

    Plenty of the usual powerhouses are included: North Carolina, Virginia, Florida State, Notre Dame, Duke, West Virginia, and UCLA. Teams who are back after a long absence are NC State (1996), Bucknell (2005), UNLV (2006), SMU (2006), and Charlotte (2008). Every year, new teams emerge onto the national stage. This year, four are making their debuts: Alabama State, Kent State, Eastern Washington, and Northern Kentucky.

    Two teams that I had on the bubble were Texas A&M (11-8-1) and Texas Tech 9-8-2). They both managed to make the tournament, even with less than impressive records and wins. The Aggies’ biggest win was 2-1 against Auburn. Other than that, they didn’t stack up against top-20 opponents all year. They struggled in conference play, finishing with five wins, five losses, and a draw. Certainly a team I wouldn’t have picked, but it’s a new season, and anything could happen. As for Texas Tech, they finished conference at an abysmal two wins and six losses. The biggest win on the year for them was at Oklahoma, a narrow 1-0 victory.

    The first round will take place November 11, 12 and 13.

In a time when our country is most divided, is the national women’s team most inclusive?

Posted on by RJ Allen

In case you missed it, there was a presidential election in the United States this past Tuesday. No matter how you voted, or whether you were able, you might have had some feelings about it the following day.

There’s Nothing Like an Election to Remind You How Divided We Are

Full disclosure, I was one of those people with feelings. After the election, I was left more than discouraged, plagued with concern for the future of my friends and family, as well their own personal safety – and my own as included. To be even more honest, I was finding it hard to get excited about the upcoming pair of international friendlies the United States national team was about to face. I love sports. I love women’s soccer. How low must I be if I couldn’t get enthusiastic about sports?

The US national team is currently ranked number one in the FIFA standings. They will be facing Romania in these two upcoming matches. Romania is currently ranked 36th overall, and were eliminated from qualifying to the Euros. It not difficult to imagine the US will come out victorious in these matches. I thought maybe I’d skip these games and continue with my post-election processing.

Nothing Like Sports to Show Us How United We Can Be

Sports can sometimes be a way for people to try and find some solace. Sports are a constant in our American culture. Need to take your mind off something? Watch a game. I heard you can even find drone racing on television these days. Sports can be therapeutic at times. Whether you’re out on the pitch, in the press box, or watching in your home – sports can be a source of comfort.

In pulling myself out of political limbo, I’ve tried to remind myself why I should watch a couple of games that ultimately are meaningless in terms of major tournaments. This team hasn’t always been the most diverse. History has shown that. Former USWNT goalkeeper Briana Scurry recently had her jersey and gloves enshrined in the brand new National Museum of African American History and Culture. The same jersey she wore in 1999 just 17 years ago when the USWNT won their second Women’s World Cup.

17 years ago: that’s younger than our nation’s voting age.

In spite of the lack of diversity on this team–largely to things like “pay to play” and the failure, on multiple levels, to make formal youth soccer opportunities available and accessible in ethnic urban areas–the Women’s National Team has always given its fans reasons to cheer. In winning their World Cup championships and Olympic medals. They have also given its fans players who are uniquely their own to root for. Whatever your politics, if you cheer for this team you probably have favorite players.

Whether you’ve been around awhile and have looked up to a legend like Mia Hamm, or maybe you’re a LGBT youth who has found representation in a player like Megan Rapinoe. Maybe you’re strong in faith and looked up to players like Lauren Holiday. Maybe you’re a young girl or woman of color and are searching for someone who looks like you, and realizing that for the first time, watching this team on the field tonight, you have LITERAL options.

When You Cry Because There Are So Many Players For You to Cheer For

When the national call-ups first dropped, it truly was a welcome surprise. Yes, this team is different than a year ago, but that wasn’t the surprise.  It was the range of diversity and inclusion represented on it. It was mainly because of its diversity and inclusion, something that has been somewhat scarce in games past.  It gave us six players of color to watch and cheer for in these upcoming games.

Along with national team regulars Crystal Dunn and Christen Press, we saw players like Casey Short and Lynn Williams earn their second camp call-ups. We saw the return of Jaelene Hinkle and a first time call-up for Orlando Pride’s Kristen Edmonds. When Hinkle had to decline due to injury, her Western New York Flash teammate Jessica McDonald received the call-up, and tonight, earned her first cap with the senior team. Six players. More than one hand. More than enough to help heal a heart in this divisive time in our country.

To my knowledge, I am unaware of there being any current Asian or Latinx or non-Christian players on this team. I also understand that this is professional sports and one should expect the best roster of players. I acknowledge that could mean the team can literally look different at any time.  Therefore, I will always celebrate these small moments that mean so much to so many.

The Personal Is Political

It’s easy to dismiss people’s feelings when they don’t directly affect your own. There has been a lot of that in this country the last few days. It’s also easy to say sports are just entertainment. However, let’s not act like sports hasn’t been a unifying tool for people in their time of need. Sports has always been a place for people to try and come together. Maybe these November friendlies came at the most perfect time, even if they are ‘meaningless.’

They will allow us a moment to imagine that things aren’t looking so grim.

A large amount of work must take place at a grassroots level to make this game more accessible to everyone. However, these games and this moment will give us a roster that’s starting to look toward a more diverse future. That includes representation for a sector of fans that hasn’t always been so visible. Representation matters, and these players care about that. Crystal Dunn is very good at having that conversation and has been more than willing to take on that role. 

These games might not see all these players on the pitch. Maybe these games will be completely one sided. Maybe we could all use something simple to root for, like our soccer team vs the other soccer team. Maybe as citizens we will get to a point where we will allow more love and less fear.  I will always be on the lookout for the next great national team Latinx superstar, and I will always look for women of color being dominate in their respective sports, but I have never felt more hopeful about the national team’s future than now.

Is Bill Lynch the Second Coming of Dan Borislow?

Posted on by RJ Allen

Bill Lynch is not Dan Borislow.

He is not the next iteration of a man who paraded elite athletes for his own amusement until the legal ramifications caught up to him. While we may be inclined to conflate his decision and the greater narrative of the Washington Spirit organization into a sort of convoluted doomsday scenario, Lynch will not cause the imminent implosion of the National Women’s Soccer League. However, we really cannot consider the Orlando Pride’s acquisition of Ali Krieger in exchange for their second-overall spot in the Distribution Ranking Order to be a true “trade” facilitated by the Washington Spirit.

A trade in professional sports implies an exchange of one team’s assets for another that has been negotiated and agreed upon by both ownership groups of concern. As General Manager Chris Hummer could tell you, trades for players or assets in sports are intended to give teams the “best chance at” winning “championships” or whatever the highest honor of that respective sport and league is.

On October 9, 2016, Ali Krieger played the last thirty seconds of her career with the Washington Spirit believing herself about to become an NWSL champion—until Lynn Williams changed all of that. Over the course of a 20-game regular season and a post-season, she displayed unparalleled commitment and class to the NWSL that has not been matched by any other allocated US Women’s National Team player thus far. Over the course of the historic fourth season, the Washington Spirit organization was implicated in a series of rumors of player discontent, petty behaviors, and greater questions of character. With the transaction of Ali Krieger for a likely meaningless slot in the “Distribution Ranking Order,” the Washington Spirit effectively gave up their most valuable player for the sake of Bill Lynch’s pride.

While perhaps not as well-known as Merritt Paulson and Joe Sahlen, Bill Lynch is not an owner unknown to followers of the National Women’s Soccer League after its historic fourth season. To the contrary, he has come into the crosshairs of the larger NWSL audience for his particularly controversial set of hypocritical behaviors.

While the NWSL is hailed as one of, if not the, most LGBTQ inclusive sports leagues around the world, Bill Lynch’s Washington Spirit is the sole team to never have hosted an LGBTQ “Pride Night.” In reaction to calls for an answer to this controversy, he has claimed that he does not want to endorse the personal politics of himself or others by hosting a Pride Night. In classic fashion, he ironically bought his personal politics into the conversation when, at the Spirit-Reign game in September where Megan Rapinoe planned to kneel, he played the national anthem while the players were in the locker room. In response, Ali Krieger coordinated a players meeting to discuss their grievances and published a letter expressing their views that were in vehement opposition to their owner. She had the wherewithal to oppose her owner as an allocated player paid by United States Soccer Federation, whereas her fellow teammates have to rely on paychecks from the team that average 10-20 grand for a six-month season.

Ali Krieger was not “traded” by the Washington Spirit to the Orlando Pride organization in exchange for an equitable amalgamation of assets and terms. Rather, from comments disseminated on a variety of platforms, it is clear she was offloaded for the sake of an owner’s need to control and assuage a perverse superiority complex.

Any and all claims that she somehow asked for a trade are not only definitely false but also besmirch her leadership, sheer athletic ability, and character. When businesses are faced with dissent by an employee with leverage to act in opposition to the goals or politics of the individuals in power, it is the right and privilege of those individuals to dispel and squash opposition. When you’re competing for championships, that’s not the case. The objective is to build the strongest squad with depth in every position. The actions of the Washington Spirit organization in this “trade” do not correspond with this basic logic.

If we’re going to boil this “trade” down into a more generalized statement or larger idea, this was a business decision that is a testament to the immaturity of the National Women’s Soccer League.

Despite this off-season being uncharted fertile ground for growth in the stability and prestige of the United States’ longest-running professional women’s soccer league, this is only the start of the forth offseason. We are still toiling and troubling in pre-kindergarten, with some kids throwing Play-Doh at each other and others not able to able to afford it. The NWSL’s approval of this business transaction is, for lack of a better term, a slap in the face to the talent and stature of Ali Krieger.

However, we shouldn’t be surprised that a transaction of this magnitude, in regards to its utter triviality and lack of logic, has happened, considering the state of the NWSL.

The NWSL is not failing or close to failure; it is a stable league with leaps and bounds to grow beyond its current position. But immaturity on the part of ownership and league leadership is an issue that must be addressed, so as to not stifle its development. There is a fundamental reason for disparity in the assets of different teams within the National Women’s Soccer League, and that is money and expertise. It is not practical or fiscally responsible to ignore the fundamental fact that the business of sports encourages competition and the consequential investment of money.

While the monetary regulations of the NWSL is an entirely different convoluted conversation, it is pertinent to the Ali Krieger trade because she was “traded” as an asset far below her value. To any casual observer of the NWSL or even a bandwagon follower from the World Cup, who only watches highlights of their favorite players, this trade is obviously lopsided. The function of the front office of the National Women’s Soccer League is to facilitate the maintenance and property of the NWSL that arguably reigns as the world’s best women’s soccer league, due to the competitive nature of the league. On any given day, the league’s worst team can draw the NWSL champions or lose to them by a six goal margin (sorry Boston). Amandine Henry did not leave the fur-lined trappings of Jean-Michel Aulas’s hefty pocketbook for a salary cap that is nowhere near her monetary value in European leagues. This “trade” is in contradiction to the best essential selling point and asset of this league as juxtaposed with the Frauen-Bundesliga, Damallsvenskan, and the Women’s Super League.

Bill Lynch is an owner that may not always be a proprietor of the National Women’s Soccer League. As leagues grow and develop in the United States and abroad, clubs foreclose and owners are bought out or forced out. At this point in the development of the NWSL, the Ali Kreiger trade harkens back to the turbulent days of WPS, when Dan Borislow was able to play with salary caps and players like backyard pool toys.

Yes, we’ve moved on from the dark days of power-tripping owners demanding their employees call them “Daddy.” However, we do not forget those days so easily.

The Washington Spirit were 30 seconds away from winning the NWSL Championship. That alone should be enough heartache for the team and its fans. Yet, we’re in the penultimate month of 2016, and the club’s captain—its heart and soul—was just sent away for reasons we can only speculate about. But this trade is more a testament to the present authority of the league, while can easily be stifled or stagnate its own growth. Courtesy of Bill Lynch.

Addendum: The author acknowledges that she did make a considerable number of assumptions about the facts and conditions of the situation. Within the facts that have been provided to the general public, this piece was written as a reaction to the small quantity of information that is publicly available.

What’s the difference between FIFA, CONCACAF, and USSF?

Posted on by RJ Allen

When we talk about soccer (or football, if you want to sound like the rest of the world), we often talk about how the governing federations influence the game and how it is run. If you’ve primarily followed women’s soccer, you may have heard of FIFA, CONCACAF, and the USSF (if you’re American) as the three main governing bodies that determine – and often mess up – how the women’s game is developed, funded, and marketed to the world.

However, hearing about them all the time doesn’t really give you a good picture of what the organizations actually do for the game as a whole, and how they work together to make sure the game of soccer is somewhat uniform around the world.

FIFA

Let’s start with FIFA. FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Their headquarters are based in Zurich, Switzerland. They are the overarching governing body that sets the rules, regulations, and laws of the game for every level of soccer, from youth programs to international federations, for every country around the world.

Their current President is Gianni Infantino, who was recently elected to replace long-standing former president Sepp Blatter, infamous not only for multiple accusations of corruption but also for his comment on how the women’s game would be more popular if the women wore shorter shorts.

FIFA is an extremely complex organization with multiple levels of governing bodies and more committees than you can shake a stick at. The main thing you need to know about them is that they perform two very important functions for the game of soccer worldwide:

  1. They set the laws of the game, which dictate how the game is played and what the fields of play should look like.
  2. They distribute money to the regional bodies and countries of the world who have soccer federations for the development of national, professional league, and youth programs.

CONCACAF

Next level down from FIFA is not actually the USSF but CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football), which is the regional body that governs USA and its neighbors. CONCACAF runs tournaments at the international level (e.g. the Gold Cup) and at the league level (e.g. the Champions League, where clubs from different leagues in the region play each other).

They also provide the first hurdle for those teams vying for spots at World Cups and Olympics, organizing qualifying tournaments that are supposed to provide a testing ground for any team who wants to advance to a major international tournament. But just how well that the system works depends greatly on whether you are referring to the men’s game or the women’s game. In the men’s game, the CONCACAF international field is full of competitive teams that can (and often have) soundly beaten the USMNT.

On the women’s side, there is… slightly less of a challenge.

The major reason for this is that of the many federations who have women’s teams under CONCACAF’s jurisdiction, only two have consistently dedicated funds for the growth of the women’s game: the US and Canada. 

Basically every other country barely manages to scrape together a team to field, a task made difficult due to spotty youth development, rampant sexism in cultures that look down on women who want to play soccer professionally, and a general unwillingness to pay the players and often the coaches. Though this is not unique to CONCACAF, we do have some of the worst examples in the world.

This results in a lot of qualifying matches that end with the USWNT basically playing a scrimmage against a youth team, padding their goal and assist stats while the goalkeeper makes daisy chains at the top of the 18-yard box. One notable example of this was the Olympic Qualifying match in 2012, where the US beat the Dominican Republic 12-0, a game that saw multiple players record hat tricks.

USSF

Finally, we have the USSF, the United States Soccer Federation. Sunil Gulati is the name you will likely hear the most, as he is the president and the public face of the federation. The USSF is the organization in charge of the day-to-day running of the men’s and women’s National Team programs, facilitating professional leagues, and creating and running youth programs that keep our future bright.

The USSF is the organization which, as you may have heard, is in the process of “negotiating” a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) with the USWNT. It is also directly involved in the pay structure of the NWSL, subsidizing the league by paying the allocated national team players instead of having the teams control their individual salaries. While this is unusual, it was the only way to ensure that everyone would get paid at the start of the league. It was also a way  to “encourage” (read: ensure) National Team players would stay in the country and help build the league, with many players coming back from their European clubs only because USSF promised to match their salary. Additionally, USSF has exercised some control over the NWSL clubs to ensure that allocated players are always available to leave their clubs for NT camps and friendlies, something that European clubs have the right to refuse.

Whether or not this is still a valid set-up now four years into the league is a  topic for a different article. It’s safe to say that until a new CBA is negotiated with the USWNT, the federation’s relationship with the NWSL will remain as it is.

For the record, MLS had no such set-up when it was begun. A product the US winning the 1994 World Cup bid, MLS was set up as part of the agreement for countries to use some of the proceeds to establish a Division One league if one did not already exist. To do this, USSF created a second USSF (United States Soccer Foundation) which is technically a charitable organization that happened to give charitably to the MLS in the first years of its existence, and they were a sponsor for many years afterward. 

There is an allocation process for the MLS, but it is tied to the league, not directly to the USSF, although select USMNT players are on the allocation list, eligible for extra salary funds above the league maxiumum salary cap. Like the allocations in the NWSL, this money is given to them so they can get players who warrant a larger paycheck. For instance, Tim Howard, an allocated player for the Colorado Rapids.

The primary way that the USSF supports the MLS is through Soccer United Marketing (SUM), a marketing company that basically exists entirely to promote the USSF and MLS – though notably, not the NWSL. The connections between the USSF, SUM and the MLS are somewhat shady, and their exclusion of the NWSL from their deals warrants significant ire from many WoSo fans. It also makes it difficult to track how marketing dollars are allocated to the USMNT vs. the USWNT, a key issue in the Equal Play, Equal Pay discussion. 

So, What Can Be Done?

The common characteristic between all of these organizations is that they are still pretty clueless on how to treat the women’s side of the game equally to the men’s. FIFA runs the World Cup and the Women’s World Cup completely differently. FIFA allowed the 2015 tournament in Canada to be played entirely on turf fields, leading to general outrage from the players who understandably hate playing on turf, particularly in the middle of the summer when field temps can reach up to 120°F. The potential for injuries is also greater, and the turf also plays differently enough that many countries who had trained on grass had trouble adjusting. The argument was made that FIFA would never have considered such a set-up for men, a statement supported by history. 

Besides providing substandard playing surfaces, FIFA traditionally has not demanded that the money they give the federations be put to use in women’s programs, except in insignificant amounts. This accounts for part of the disparity in quality of play between the top five women’s teams and the rest of the world, though many countries are finally catching on and catching up. FIFA also puts much less money towards the marketing and the prize money attached to the Women’s World Cup.

Furthermore, until this last year when the leadership of FIFA was shaken up by a slew of corruption and embezzling lawsuits, there was no system in place for women to obtain any positions of power in FIFA. Since those shake-ups, they have taken steps to fix the problem. They are making an effort to appoint women to open positions in various levels of leadership. To their credit, they are attempting to build a base. However, it is still only 15% of the money sent to federations, which is a very small step. And as Julie Foudy pointed out (http://www.espn.com/espnw/news-commentary/2015worldcup/article/13224279/fifa-do-more-develop-women-game-globally), while their words are very encouraging, we need to have some receipts to see how their 10 Keys for developing Women’s football are being implemented and followed. 

This is especially important because many federations, particularly small CONCACAF federations, are still not spending this money fully on women’s soccer. We still have countries that are not paying their players, we still have countries that don’t even have a registration system for their female players, and we have countries to whom the idea of a professional league is up there with the idea of a unicorn. In these countries, FIFA needs to step in and mandate the changes it outlines in its development keys, and then make sure these mandates are being followed. FIFA has said that they’re committed to developing the women’s game, and they need to follow through. This is the essential job of an International governing body. 

The USSF is an interesting case when it comes to equality of treatment. On the one hand, we have probably the best-funded women’s program in the world, leading to our team being a consistent contender in top competitions since the first Women’s World Cup in 1991. We have a youth system that registers huge numbers of girls into their programs every year, youth national teams that compete in the top tournaments at their level, a college system that takes their women’s soccer very seriously, and a professional league in the NWSL that is incredibly competitive. The USA is often considered to be the world leader in all categories considered when it comes to developing the women’s game.

And yet, not everything is rosy in USSF-land when it comes to women’s soccer. The USSF also got caught up in the turf war post-World Cup, after it was revealed that the USWNT played over half their matches of the year on turf fields, including the match in Hawaii that was boycotted after a stadium walkthrough revealed unsafe playing conditions. After the team boycotted, USSF sued them for violating their contract. In contrast, the USMNT played none of their 2015 matches on turf fields, sometimes even requiring that stadiums lay down new sod to provide a grass field to play on. 

Furthermore, five (at the time) members of the USWNT filed a wage discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming that they have brought in more money for the federation than the men have and have not been compensated accordingly. While that is still being investigated, they are also in talks with USSF about a new CBA after the old one expired in 2012 and was extended with a Memorandum of Understanding that expires in December of this year. Their main goal is to increase how they are paid to match the men, who have a completely different, much more lucrative, pay system. 

What this all boils down to is this: Leadership needs to improve at all levels to grow the women’s game. If FIFA says they’re going to be dedicated to supporting this growth, they need to act on that. They need to put their money there, and they need to make sure the money is being used for the right purposes. If USSF wants to continue to be the top women’s program in the world, they need to continue leading the way. They have coasted for so long on the coattails of being one of the only in the world to actually support the women’s team, even if it wasn’t equal to the men’s program. Now, they need to take it a step farther and show the world what actual equal treatment looks like. The world needs a model and USSF is perfectly poised to lead the charge.