Category: Articles

Working Through The Break: 5 Things NWSL Players Did While On National Duty

Posted on by RJ Allen

Congratulations, NWSL fans: we got through the international break! And even though we didn’t get to see our favorite clubs play this past week, we did get to see some of our favorite NWSL players do some pretty great work on the national team level. In case you missed it, here is a quick recap of just five amazing things that happened this past week for our NWSL stars:

Estefanía Banini’s Free-Kick Goal

Washington Spirit’s Estefanía Banini may have had the greatest goal of the international break. The Argentinian forward had a free-kick opportunity from right outside the box in their match against Brazil, and she did not waste it. She hit a screamer to the top right corner of the net and it left the audience speechless. Unfortunately, Banini’s heroics were not enough to pull out a win for Argentina, but damn if I don’t want to watch this on repeat:

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Alex Morgan Did Alex Morgan Things

Four goals in two national team matches? I’ll take it. Alex Morgan was a woman on a mission this past week against Mexico, and that mission was dominance. Morgan played in what looked to be mid-season form as she was the constant threat for the US inside the box. On set pieces, in transition, and with the ball, she seemed to be unstoppable. Add in beautiful passes from Megan Rapinoe and what do we have? A confident striker that was a terror for Mexico’s defense. No doubt she will be taking some of that momentum with her back to Orlando. 

Katie Johnson’s Chip

It was a tough international break for Mexico, but for the NWSL fans out there, they got to see a nice, cheeky little shot from Katie Johnson, the Mexican and Sky Blue forward. Alyssa Naeher hit a bit of a rough patch in the first of the USA-Mexico friendly when coming off the line. Katie Johnson was there to capitalize on that, and it was quite a goal. She chipped Naeher as she came off her line, a decision I’m sure the goalkeeper wishes she could have back. Check it out below.

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Carli Lloyd Got 100

With a goal in the first and second of the US-Mexico friendlies, Carli Lloyd achieved the 100 goal milestone that everyone has been waiting for. It was only a matter of time before it happened, and I don’t think anyone was surprised when it did. Though the 100th goal was not a pretty one by any stretch of the imagination, a goal is a goal. And that one, my friends, was a big one. Even if Carli Lloyd likes to pretend that it was no big deal. If you want to watch it again (because who doesn’t?) here’s the clip:

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Jess Fishlock Flew Home in Style…Jodie Taylor Did Not.

When England and Wales played this past week in a World Cup qualifier, it made opponents out of Seattle Reign teammates Jess Fishlock and Jodie Taylor. The match was a hard-fought draw, with Wales (and Fishlock) coming out ahead of England. But the weirdest thing that happened was that Taylor and Fishlock both took the same flight back to the United Kingdom—only Fishlock got a business-class seat and Taylor was left in economy. And of course, as all good teammates would, Fishlock made sure Taylor was aware:

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Obviously, a lot more happened over the international break, but I only have five slots to fill, so go check out some recaps and brush up on your international soccer IQ. Just make sure you come on back and get ready for tomorrow and Sunday. The NWSL has returned to us, my friends. Let’s not miss a second of it.  

Interviews with Emma: Savannah Jordan

Posted on by RJ Allen

Savannah Jordan was picked in the 2017 draft by the Portland Thorns, but started her career playing in Scotland. She returned to Portland at the end of last season. She is now a member of the Houston Dash.

Birthdate: January 24, 1995

Nickname from teammates: Sav

Hometown: Fayetteville, Georgia

Age when you started playing: 13

College/major: University of Florida / Sociology, with a minor in education

Career aspirations after soccer: College soccer coach

Why did you pick your particular uniform number? I wore #3 all through my club years then switched to #7 in college, and since I have been playing professionally I have worn #13. I have always liked odd numbers and each one kind of fell in my lap so it was a “meant-to-be” kind of thing.

Pregame meal: Typically I try to have grilled or baked chicken, vegetables, and rice or pasta.

Workout music: I like working out to fast-paced music. Mostly hip-hop and rap. If I am going for a long run, I will listen to some slower r&b to stay relaxed.

Favorite cartoon character: I will say I am not the biggest cartoon fan, but if I had to choose I would say Tweety Bird.

Fave movie: Miracle

Fave actress: Keira Knightly or Emma Watson.

Hidden talent: I don’t know that I have so much of a hidden talent, but as a hobby I like to write (journal writing, poems, free writing, etc).

Mentor (in soccer or life): Becky Burleigh, my college soccer coach.

Fave charity/cause: In college I worked a lot as a volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club. I was able to spend time with the young kids there who are not as privileged as others, and help them become motivated to reach certain goals in their academics or life in general.

Life motto: “Progress, not perfection.”

Superstitions: I have several before a game… I eat the same pregame meal, listen to the same playlist while getting dressed, I always put my left cleat on before my right, I wear the same headband every game, I put a small piece of tape on my right pinky finger, and I always listen to “Girl on Fire” as my last song before going out onto the field.

Pets: I had a cat named Blu in college, but actually had to give her away when I left to play professionally 😦 I was moving around too much to keep her with me.

If you were going on Amazing Race, which teammate would you want as a partner, and why? I would probably bring Rachel Daly, for two reasons: 1) She is super athletic and fit, and 2) She has a “no losing” mentality, so I think we could come with a victory! 🙂

If you had your own reality show, what would it be called? This is a tough one… I would probably call it “unconditionally me.” I have always loved the term unconditionally. It means that there are no conditions or limits. In all that I do I want to embody that term. Whether it is unconditionally loving, unconditionally competing or unconditionally supporting, I want to stay consistent to that. No matter what changes around me or experiences I go through, I want to always remain “unconditionally me.” So hopefully my reality show would give an inside glimpse at that.

Great Moments In the NWSL: The Flash Face The Thorns in the 2016 Playoffs

Posted on by RJ Allen

It was destined to be a great match in Portland. With over 20,000 fans stuffed into Providence Park, the Portland Thorns were hoping for a smooth road to the championship match. They had won the Supporters Shield with 12 wins and 41 points, just edging out the Washington Spirit. No NWSL team had yet won the Shield and the championship in the same season; the Thorns were looking to be the first. 

Meanwhile, the Western New York Flash came into the match as the underdog. They finished the season fourth on the table with 32 points, barely holding off the Seattle Reign to qualify for the playoffs. While they had looked good at various times throughout the season, and had remained within the playoff bracket for most of the year, it was going to be a tough task to take down the Shield winners.

As soon as the match kicked off, fan predictions started to fall into place. The Thorns had an excellent chance within the first minute of the match. Sabrina D’Angelo—the goalkeeper for the Flash—came out to clear the ball and botched it. Thankfully for the Flash, Mewis ran in and provided the clearance. It was a close call for Western New York. The message was clear: these teams weren’t fooling around.

The game broke open in the 16th minute. After a long throw-in from Jess McDonald, the ball bounced around in the 18-yard box before finding the foot of Sam Mewis. She slammed the ball into the back of the net and much to everyone’s surprise, the Flash took an early 1-0 lead.

But the scoring was far from over. The Flash found their second goal of the match when Jess McDonald crossed the ball into the 18-yard box. She connected with Makenzy Doniak, who headed the ball into the back of the net for Western New York’s second goal. 

The Flash didn’t have long to celebrate. One minute later, the Thorns sent a long ball down field. Christine Sinclair turned with the ball, beating her defender, and with one step shot the ball into the corner of the net. To make matters worse for the Flash, head coach Paul Riley made physical contact with the fourth official after the Thorns’ goal and was ejected from the game. With their ringmaster sent off and their clean sheet forfeited, the Flash finished the half with a 2-1 lead and a determination to hold on. 

The Flash had a couple of good shots early in the second half, but Thorns keeper Michelle Betos kept them off the scoreboard. She made a couple of incredible saves, showing why she was considered one of the best in the league. Still, it wasn’t enough to just keep the Flash out; Portland still needed at least one goal to force extra time—two if they wanted to win in regulation. 

In the 78th minute, the Thorns got what they needed. Tobin Heath sent a long ball into the box on a free kick for the Thorns. D’Angelo came out to get the ball, but she didn’t get control. The ball bounced around in the box before falling at the feet of Emily Sonnett, who gave Portland their equalizer. 

At the 90th minute, the match was still tied 2-2. That meant 30 more minutes of play. And regulation was nothing compared to what was waiting in extra time.

In the 98th minute, the Flash found their third goal of the match. Similar to their first goal, the ball came off of a long throw-in from Jess McDonald. Mewis then flicked the ball over to Lynn Williams. The 2016 Golden Boot winner kept the ball on the ground, but got enough power to slide it past a few defenders and past the fingertips of Michelle Betos. The Flash now had a 3-2 lead. 

But that wasn’t the last time we saw the Mewis-Williams combination. Six minutes later, the Flash came charging down the field with Sam Mewis in the middle. She passed the ball to Williams in the box, who was quicker than her defender. She sent the ball into the back of the net for her second goal of the match and the Flash’s fourth. Providence Park was silent. 

Once again, the Thorns bounced back quickly. Just a few minutes later, Portland defender Meghan Klingenberg sent the ball into the 18-yard box. It bounced off the head of Dagny Brynjarsdottir and landed in front of Horan, who slotted the ball back for Portland’s third goal of the match. Horan immediately picked up the ball and ran back to the line. The Thorns still had a lot of work to do.

In one of the final plays of the game, the Thorns nearly found their equalizer. Sonnett sent a desperate long ball towards the Flash goal.  D’Angelo tried to punch it out, but she missed. Horan got her head on the ball, and nearly put it away, but Abby Dalhkemper cleared it off the line. A few seconds later, the final whistle blew. 

Seven goals. Six yellow cards. A head coach ejected from the match. The Western New York Flash defeated the regular season champs 4-3 and went on to win the 2016 NWSL Championship. In the offseason, they would be sold to an ownership group in North Carolina and transformed into the North Carolina Courage.

In 2017, the tables would turn, when the Courage made it back to the championship only to lose to—you guessed it—the Portland Thorns. 

Armchair Centerback: Three Thoughts from the USA vs Mexico Friendlies

Posted on by RJ Allen

The two friendlies this week against Mexico weren’t the highest quality games the US has ever played. The shape wasn’t always compact and both defense and goalkeeping left something to be desired. But these games did show us that when players are “on” they can still be a delight to watch. Here are three thoughts on the US vs Mexico matches. 

The History of Goalkeeper Management Is Catching Up to the USWNT

The US is bad at creating the conditions for world class goalkeepers to be born. At the same time, they’ve also had some of the best goalkeepers in the history of the women’s game. With Briana Scurry and Hope Solo, it’s more that they overcome the underlying conditions than it is any real indication of success in the way goalkeepers are handled in this country. The mismanagement of the current crop—from who is being called in, to who is being capped, to the scarcity of substitutions—is making that very clear.

Scurry and Solo were able to overcome those difficulties because they were generational-quality keepers. Simple stuff, really. But Alyssa Naeher, Ashlyn Harris and Jane Campbell aren’t that lucky. They have each had minutes for the USWNT since Solo’s messy departure. While Ellis has put the most faith (and pressure) on Naeher’s shoulders, it hasn’t quite worked out the way that many expected. She certainly hasn’t locked up the position. In the rare minutes she gets, Harris has been competent if not stellar. And this week, Campbell used her first start to concede twice on corners while standing inside of goal.

Not stellar no matter how you cut it.

Abby Smith and AD Franch are both options that Ellis should look at before she runs out of pre-France minutes. After the last few matches, there is no reason to bank heavily on a return in Naeher’s form, nor would it be safe to treat either backup as ready for primetime. Why not bring in some healthy competition?

The Triple-Edged Sword Reborn

The Triple-Edged Sword was the name given to the attacking trio of Michelle Akers, Carin Jennings-Gabarra and April Heinrichs during the 1991 Women’s World Cup. Alex Morgan, Mallory Pugh and Megan Rapinoe look like they might be aiming to take that nickname for themselves.

Morgan finished the international break with four goals and one assist. Pugh notched two goals. And Rapinoe got an impressive one goal and five assists. The only goal the trio didn’t have a hand in was Carli Lloyd’s Lindsey Horan-assisted goal in the first game.

The three have looked sharp for the national team and with their NWSL clubs. If they can keep this energy up when the likes of Julie Ertz and Sam Mewis rejoin the midfield it could be a windfall for the team. It also puts less pressure on Tobin Heath when she returns. She won’t be the only source of creativity on the field. 

This Defense Is Just Fine.

Ellis wants the ability to go high and low with her outside backs. And after some thinkpieces and a minor freak out on the internet over Crystal Dunn being on the backline for these games, we saw some evidence that suggests it just might work.

Dunn was able to get into the attack nearly as much as if she were a winger. In the second game the mix of Davidson, Sauerbrunn and Sonnett was a fairly balanced and dynamic three-back when Dunn pushed up.

This won’t be the only setup that the USWNT plays, and it shouldn’t be. Very few teams are truly settled, with just one settled backline, one defensive unit, or one unitary style. Having players like Dunn and Kelley O’Hara who can line up on the left or right and on the backline or in the midfield gives Ellis the chance to play a back four, a modified back three or even pull back the wingbacks for a five-woman defense. What’s more, she can do it without making a bunch of substitutions thanks to a lot of flexibility in the individual players.

Having Sauerbrunn on the field is a huge advantage here, which we saw again this week. Her ability to teach in real time—giving Sonnett, Dahlkemper and Davidson room to learn without just stepping in for them—is exceptional. And remember, they’re missing some key players. When O’Hara comes back into the mix, she’ll provide a bit more experience about precisely when to push and when to hold back. Over time, we should see trust building and players working together as a more integrated unit.

Not That Bad: 5 Things the Dash Have Going For Them

Posted on by RJ Allen

We can all agree that the Houston Dash didn’t quite have things go their way this off-season. They lost some great international players to trade, ended up being shunned by Christen Press, and had their owner make some rather unfathomable choices for the club. It went so horribly that the women’s soccer media and NWSL fanbase seemed to give up on analyzing the decisions and defaulted to just pitying them. Yeah, it was that bad. And it still isn’t great by any means. But going into this international break, Houston can repeat this point of pride to themselves: “We are currently an undefeated team.” Sure, it’s only two draws, but that’s not nothing.

Everyone is still looking at them like winning a match will be a miracle. Analysts are plopping them at the bottom of their power rankings. Old southern women are practically ‘blessing their hearts.’ But this isn’t necessarily rock bottom for the club. And they shouldn’t be written off so easily. To paraphrase Monty Python, they’re not dead yet! So although things are bad, there are still some bright spots for the team looking forward into the season. Here are five of them:

1. Jane Campbell Is A Boss

One of the biggest takeaways from the first two games of the season is that Jane Campbell is a phenomenal goalkeeper. She has played on a new level for the start of this season, and brought a lot of stability for the Houston side. As a last line of defense, Houston can at least feel comfortable in the fact that they have Campbell. She comes up big when they need it. She is confident. And she is finding her rhythm in Houston, a fact that I am sure allows Vera Pauw to breathe a little easier. While a good keeper alone isn’t enough to make you the best team in the league, it sure is a start. If she can continue this trend, other US keepers are going to need to watch their backs.

2. Daly & Mewis Bring Creativity

When Rachel Daly was moved to fullback, I was seriously wondering what Houston was doing, especially since Kealia Ohai was still out on injury. But there has been  a certain level of magic created by the pairing of Daly and Kristie Mewis as Houston’s outside backs. They command the offense and set the pace for the team. They bring creativity up and down the pitch. And they are all over the field, aggressively going after the ball because they both have the speed to make it back on defense in time. The commentators of the Houston-Utah match called them two of the best in the league, provoking some snarky comments. But there’s something to it. Neither of them is a singularly phenomenal outside-back. But together—working as one unit, establishing a proper give and take for the team—they are a force to be reckoned with.

3. Pauw Has A Plan

It was clear from the first few games that Vera Pauw doesn’t particularly care what others may think of her team. She is coaching with purpose, and convincing her players to play with purpose. She understands that her team has weaknesses. She isn’t ignorant of that fact. But she is also able to see that this team has strengths. Every player brings a different skillset, and her job is to find how all those pieces fit. It’s still a work in progress, but one that she is working diligently at. She’s also been quite honest about where things stand, owning in her last post-match interview that her team wasn’t fully able to play to their strengths against Utah—that they still had some homework to do. But it looks as though Vera is willing to put in the work as long as the players are. No phoning it in from the Dutch leader.

4. The Return of Ohai

Houston hasn’t won a match yet this season. But they also haven’t had their greatest attacking threat on the pitch yet. Kealia Ohai, who is coming off of an injury, will be a welcomed sight. Although she only got to play 10 matches last season before tearing her ACL, in the 2016 season she recorded 11 goals and four assists in 20 matches. Even if her return to the pitch doesn’t immediately bring those kind of results, it will still be great news for the Dash, because even when Ohai isn’t on the ball, she is still going to pull the attention of defenders. That is something that Houston has been missing. With Ohai’s return, we’ll get a chance to see some new dynamics of the Houston team. They haven’t shown all of their cards just yet.

5. The Underestimation Factor

Everyone knows Houston is supposed to be bad this year. But in a funny way, that’s an advantage. When your opponents expect very little out of you, they tend to get complacent. And then they lose. Just ask the University of Virginia men’s basketball team—whose first game as the overall favorite in the NCAA March Madness Tournament against 16th seed University of Maryland, Baltimore County didn’t quite go to plan. When there isn’t a lot expected of you, opponents tend to sit back and allow things to happen. They allow the underdogs to set the pace—and then the underdogs have no choice but to seize opportunity when it comes. It is David and Goliath. It is the tortoise and the hare. It is USA vs Russia in the 1980 Olympics. Could it be Houston vs North Carolina or Portland? Maybe. The stage is surely set and primed to have it played out.

So in light of all this, I refuse to feel bad for Houston. And I will not do the team the disservice of pitying them. Instead I will root for them—to get better, to fight the good fight, to play to their strengths. Because this team isn’t a lost cause, and we should stop treating it like one. They have a lot of talent and a great coach in Vera Pauw to steer this team toward a season that could mean something for them. They have some positive aspects that they bring to the table. We need to stop only talking about the negative.

Euro Roundup: WSL, Sweden, UWCL and the International Break

Posted on by RJ Allen

WSL Title Race

The NWSL may have just started but other leagues are nearing the end of their current seasons. One, in particular, is WSL1, which saw a big shock this weekend when Reading beat first-place Manchester City 2-0. Reading have been a tough team to beat this season and are starting to really show just how good they can be. An improvised bicycle kick finish by Remi Allen put the Royals in front and Kirsty Pearce secured the win for them despite going down to 10 players. City had plenty of chances but just couldn’t get past Mary Earps in the Reading goal.

Had City won, they would have capitalised on Chelsea dropping points to their London rivals Arsenal. The Chelsea-Arsenal matchup is always close and full of drama, and this one lived up to it. Sari van Veenendaal made an error in clearing the ball, which Ramona Bachmann latched onto before sending it into Fran Kirby. Kirby took a touch and poked it past Veenendaal to get her 20th goal in all competitions this season. Beth Mead leveled it up for Arsenal right before halftime with a great solo goal. She made a good run, beat a couple of the defenders, and finished well. She was easily one of the best players in that game and fully deserved the goal.

Birmingham City quietly moved up to third in the table with a good 2-0 win against Sunderland and Liverpool kept themselves near enough in the top five with a 4-0 win against Yeovil Town. Arsenal are just ahead in fourth of Liverpool on goal difference.

With matches still to be rearranged after weather delays, and some teams having games in hand, this title race could go right down to the wire. There is no room for error for any of the top five.

Sweden

As most of you will have heard by now, Christen Press has joined her former team Kopparbergs/Göteborg on a short team deal after the interesting saga with the Houston Dash. Press was last with this team after WPS folded, a spell with the club saw the team win the Svenska Cupen.

It’s been a few years, so let’s look at where the club is now and where the league is currently. Press has come into the league at the start with the Damallsvenskan kicking off April 14. Kopparbergs will kick off their season away against Rosengard on the 16th. Rosengard were runners-up last season, while Kopparbergs finished eighth last season out of 12 teams and will be looking to improve on that.

UEFA Women’s Champions League

This is another club competition nearing its finale for the season. UWCL is highly regarded as it really shows who is the best in Europe. History has already been made, with both WSL1 teams in the tournament—Chelsea and Manchester City—making it to the semifinals for the first time. It’s also the furthest that Chelsea have ever made it. They faced Montpellier in the quarterfinals, and while the French side did make it tough, Chelsea progressed through 5-1 on aggregate.

Manchester City made it interesting for themselves in the second leg against Linkoping. City took a 2-0 lead into the away leg and what ensued was a goalfest, with both teams going for it. The second leg ended 5-3 to Manchester City. The other two in the semifinals are usual suspects at this stage, with Lyon and Wolfsburg both making it through. Wolfsburg secured their place with a 5-0 win over Slavia Praha in the first leg, but drew 1-1 in the second. Lyon faced quite a tough test against a great Barcelona side but won both legs to put them through.

Both semifinals are on the same day with the first leg on April 22 and the second one on April 29. Both English teams will start off at home. Manchester City face Lyon, who they faced at this stage last year. Lyon won the first leg last time, but City managed to win the second one—although it wasn’t enough to put them through. City will be looking to go one step further this year.

Chelsea, meanwhile, will be facing their nemesis Wolfsburg. The German team has put Chelsea out twice before in earlier rounds, but the third time could be the charm for the Blues. Chelsea have already come through a tough journey, beating Bayern Munich, currently second in the Frauen Bundesliga, on away goals. They then went on to beat Rosengard 4-0 over two legs before facing Montpellier. This is not the same team as in previous seasons, with manager Emma Hayes bringing in players to really strengthen Chelsea’s ability to compete on various levels. Chelsea are currently unbeaten in the league, and could finally beat Wolfsburg over two legs. These two semifinals are really unpredictable and we could see yet more history made.

International Break

This month sees four federations kick off or resume their World Cup Qualifications. AFC will see the Asian Cup take place in Jordan, with five teams qualifying for the World Cup. CAF will see teams in the first qualifying round for the African Women’s Cup of Nations, and the Copa America will directly qualify two CONMEBOL nations and send a third to a playoff against the fourth-place CONCACAF team.

The fourth federation is, of course, UEFA, and the European qualifiers look to be at the business end. Eight teams will qualify out of seven groups. Group 1 sees the top two teams, Wales and England, go head to head for the first time in this campaign. Wales currently top the table with 10 points, but England are behind by just one point with a game in hand. England have won all three of their matches so far, and will be full of confidence after performing well in the SheBelieves Cup.

England are now second in the world, but Wales won’t be too much of a pushover, with players like Jess Fishlock and Natasha Harding in their ranks. 15,000 tickets have already been sold for the encounter, which takes place at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton on April 6 and it should be a great atmosphere. Expect England to win and thrash their next opponents Bosnia with Wales ending their campaign later on in a playoff spot.

Group 2 is a bit more wide open, with Switzerland on top, with 12 points, and Poland second with six points and a game in hand. Group 3 is quite close, with the Netherlands and Republic of Ireland level at seven points, while Norway have six points. The Netherlands and Republic of Ireland face off on April 10. Group 4 has Denmark and Sweden first and second based on goal differential, with Denmark to face third-place Ukraine. Germany will look to regain their form against the Czech Republic, who are second. Rounding out the groups, the top two in Group 6 (Italy and Belgium) face each other April 10, while Spain and Finland in Group 7 play April 6.

We could see teams going a step closer to their place at the World Cup and maybe a few shocks as well.

Interviews with Emma: Lindsay Agnew

Posted on by RJ Allen

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

Lindsay Agnew is a forward for the Houston Dash, after spending a season with the Washington Spirit. She is also a member of the Canadian National team.

Birthdate:

March 31, 1995

Nickname from teammates:

Linds

Hometown:

Confusing question for me. I was born in Kingston, Ontario (Canada) and then moved a few times. I went to high-school in Dublin, Ohio, and now my parents (kind of) live in Florida.

Age started playing:

3 years old

College/major:

Ohio State University. I majored in Sustainability in Business. GO BUCKS!

Career aspirations after soccer:

I would like to work for a business, preferably doing something that is focused on their environmental impact or social responsibility. Eventually, I would like to be a professor for a university. Also, I would like to be a mom and raise a family.

Why did you pick your uniform number:

I picked 8 because my dad used to wear 8 when he played college hockey.  Also, 8 is great :). I wore 8 when I was younger and then switched to 20 (my other favorite number) when I moved teams for my high school and college years. Then, 20 was taken when I joined the Spirit, so I went back to my roots and wore 8 again for my rookie year. I am not sure what I am wearing for Houston yet, but I wear 22 for Canada.

Pregame meal:

Pasta with feta cheese and fruit.

Workout music:

I like all music, but when I work out, I am pretty basic and like the top 40 stuff. I really like upbeat songs with good lyrics that keep me going when I get tired in my workout.

Favorite cartoon character:

Woody from Toy Story.

Fave movie:

Remember the Titans.

Fave actress:

Jennifer Lawrence.

Hidden talent:

Playing the cello and talking with my mouth closed.

Mentor (in soccer or life):

My dad, mom, and brother.  Whenever I make a major decision, I always get their opinions. They are my biggest supporters and advocates and always help me through tough times. My dad is a professional hockey coach, and has switched teams a few times as well, so we always joke that we are always Team Agnew first. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.

Fave charity/cause:

That is a tough one, because there are a lot of great charities, but I would say either Soles for Souls, Run the Race, or Athletes for Hope.

Life motto:

“If it is to be, it is up to me.” (The 10 most powerful two-letter words in the English language)

Superstitions:

I used to have a ton of superstitions, and I mean a ton… to the point where it was exhausting. However, now, I would say it has narrowed down to the songs I listen to before the game and the timing of my meals.

Pets:

I don’t have any pets right now. I had a bunny for almost 12 years who ran around our house like a dog. He was litter-trained and would beg for Cheerios in the morning. His name was Shadow, but he passed away my senior year of high school and I haven’t had another pet since, although my sophomore year of college, a stray cat showed up to our door one day and we used to feed it. We called him Penny—yes, him, we didn’t know he was a boy when we named him.

If you were going on Amazing Race, which teammate would you want as a partner, and why?

I was just traded, but from my new team, Nichelle Prince. We have been best friends since I was 16 and have played soccer on five teams together. She is calm, composed, competitive, and fast and we never fight, so I think we would make a good team. We also travelled Europe this past December and it was practically the Amazing Race, so we also have a practice round under our belt.

If you had your own reality show, what would you call it?

“Figuring it out #FIO” or “LA Life”.

NWSL QuickCap 2: Weekly Boogaloo

Posted on by RJ Allen

Welcome to your week two NWSL QuickCap.

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

Houston Dash 0-0 Utah Royals

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

Sky Blue FC 0-1 North Carolina Courage

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

Washington Spirit 2-0 Orlando Pride

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

Chicago Red Stars 2-3 Portland Thorns FC

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

Head in the Game: Concussions in the NWSL

Posted on by RJ Allen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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