Category: Articles

A Human Right’s Approach to U.S Soccer: Hope Solo’s Platform

Posted on by RJ Allen

Discussion around who will succeed Sunil Gulati as the next President of U.S Soccer has been intense, particularly since the current president announced that he would not be running for re-election. Ever since the United States failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, a few questions have been circulating: how did this happen? And how can we ensure it doesn’t happen again?

Hope Solo shook up the conversation even more when she declared her intentions to join the race.

The former U.S. goalkeeper has a checkered past with both U.S. Soccer and it’s supporters, but Solo’s entry into the race deserves more attention than just her name. When Solo announced her candidacy via Facebook, she laid out a platform fundamentally different than that of other candidates. Her message was clear: yes, she wants to win matches. But she also wants to bring U.S. Soccer in line with principles of human rights.

Solo starts her announcement by talking about her own childhood. She talks about her own experiences with what has been deemed the “pay to play” system. She had to overcome a lot to find success—too much for most young athletes. It was clear in Solo’s announcement that her experiences in the youth system shaped her as both a player and a person, and will be critical to her approach as a business executive.

Unsurprisingly, Solo’s first point in her announcement was about creating a “winning” culture in U.S. Soccer. On the surface, this might seem a bit obvious. But the language that she uses is crucially different from that of her opponents. Solo proposes a focus on diversity in youth soccer as a path to developing a “winning” culture. By talking about diversity in this section of her platform, Solo alludes to the idea that the strength of the U.S team will come through its diversity. In fact, you could say that by including this statement in the ‘Know How To Win’ section, Solo is suggesting that everyone benefits from diversity and that U.S. Soccer cannot succeed without it.

Solo’s second point is about equal pay and women’s rights. She expands the concepts of equal pay and equal opportunity to the U.S Women’s National Team and all USSF female staff members. She draws on principles of non-discrimination, made clear when Solo writes that one of her goals is to “eliminate sexism and discrimination.”

The third point of Solo’s platform focuses on the youth system. She states that she wants to “address the issue of ‘pay to play.’” She wants to make soccer financially accessible to all, and demands socioeconomic diversity. This is perhaps the most intriguing point on Solo’s platform. From a human rights perspective, these statements once again draw on principles of non-discrimination, but also on the concept of a “right to play.” The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child has a right “to engage in play and recreational activities.” In this point of her platform, Solo places the responsibility to fulfill this right on U.S Soccer.

But this point is flawed as well. It’s not clear how Solo plans on making soccer “financially accessible” to all. The vagueness of the term makes it difficult to imagine what achieving that goal might look like. Is her goal to make youth soccer free? If not, will U.S. Soccer be giving out scholarships for kids who cannot afford even a reduced price? How can we truly ensure that every child is given the opportunity to play soccer?

Solo’s final point in her platform states that she will make U.S. Soccer a “transparent” organization. The promotion of transparency implies that Americans who consume or partake in soccer have a right to participate in the decisions being made. This does more to bring people into the conversation and to forge a genuine connection between soccer consumers and the U.S. Soccer Federation.

Earlier in the announcement, Solo alludes to the idea that U.S Soccer has a corruption problem. She asks how a “profitable” non-profit with millions of dollars at its disposable had not made soccer accessible to all. She also points to many sources of revenue and says, “I certainly don’t know” where that money ended up. Corruption is a difficult problem for anyone to tackle, let alone someone who is new to this sort of leadership role. Her allusions should be concerning for everyone involved in U.S. Soccer, but one might raise the question of whether or not she’s ready to handle that sort of responsibility.

Solo’s platform prioritizes human dignity over capitalism. She seems to promote a rights-based approach to U.S. Soccer not only because she believes that it will help their teams win, but because she understands that respecting and promoting both equality and participation makes U.S. Soccer a stronger and better organization.

But Solo’s platform still leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Her statements are vague, and so far we have not seen a clear plan as to how she plans to achieve these objectives. Considering her lack of experience, those plans are even more critical for her to prove she can do the job.

In addition, one must mention Solo’s isolating history with U.S Soccer. She tells a genuine narrative about her childhood and her struggle to get to the senior national team. But the fact remains that some U.S. Soccer fans will not be able to look past the accumulation of incidents that led U.S Soccer to terminate her contract after the 2016 Olympics. Regardless of what you think of Solo, the question remains—will her agenda be overshadowed by her personality?

Should Solo succeed in her campaign, it could have radical effects on the sport, both nationally and globally. In her announcement, Solo speaks of “shedding a mentality that is no longer acceptable” and “the importance of sports in the world order.” We all know that corruption and discrimination exist in FIFA, but Solo’s election could be the shove the world needs to start making necessary changes.

Minimally, one hopes that even if Solo is unsuccessful, maybe she can start some important conversations surrounding U.S. Soccer. Regardless of the way the election goes, she has made her goal clear.

“Soccer is the World’s game,” she wrote on Facebook. “I want to share it with all of America.”

A Higher Standard: The Issue of Professionalism in Women’s Soccer

Posted on by RJ Allen

For a little over a month now women’s soccer within the United States has gone completely rogue.

It seems like every day I wake up and look at Twitter and some new major change has occurred with the NWSL, USSF, or the personnel that surround it. Major changes happen in sports all the time, but generally those changes are planned out, executed professionally within a timeline, and supported with assurances to the media, fans, and public as a whole.

None of that happened in the last month-or-so with regards to women’s soccer.

In fact, the exact opposite happened – it was chaos, and question marks, and overall lack of care or due diligence. Frankly, there was nothing professional about it. But still, the Harvey/USSF/Seattle/Andonovski/Kansas City/Salt Lake debauchery was widely accepted as something that could and should readily occur. And therein lies the problem.

Let’s go over the facts. On November 7th it was reported that Laura Harvey was leaving Seattle to take on an expanded role with the US Soccer Federation. Vlatko Andonovski, the former FC Kansas City coach (and personal suggestion from Harvey), would be replacing her. This shocked the Seattle soccer community because Harvey had been such a staple there for so long. But it looked to be a smart move. She was moving up to a national role – one that many were excited about. The issue is that the USSF never stated what Harvey’s expanded role would be. What was her job, exactly? What would she actually be doing? We weren’t told. And yet, for the most part it was accepted. Maybe the details would come later.

But flash-forward a week and suddenly everything changed again. The NWSL announced that Salt Lake would be a ‘new’ team in the 2018 season for the NWSL. The team didn’t have an official name yet, but at the press conference it was announced that it would be one of ten teams within the league. But as a ‘new’ team that would make 11 total clubs within the league. The NWSL didn’t expand on that point, but merely kept the audience in a bit of conundrum as to what the future held for some of the teams within the league.

Close followers of the news knew that FC Kansas City was in a bad way, and that this Salt Lake team was less a ‘new’ team and more a transfer of franchise from KC. Except that this wasn’t what was announced. At the time that Salt Lake declared themselves a new NWSL team, FC Kansas City was still in operation. In fact, the folding of FCKC and the movement of their contracts to Salt Lake wasn’t made until six days later on November 20.

Then, just to complicate the story more, Laura Harvey was signed as the new coach for Salt Lake on November 27. Even though she left Seattle to take a job on the national level. Adding to the complications, her new roster would be the former FCKC squad–the team that her replacement in Seattle had given up to take over that job.  But wait – it gets better. When commenting on it, Harvey stated, “In some ways it’s funny. It is the ultimate trade. We basically traded spots.” You know who isn’t laughing? Seattle fans. Kansas City fans. Anyone who was excited for her potential impact with the USWNT.

Then, finally, on December 1, eleven days after the announcement of the club, Salt Lake finally got a name, after finally settling legal issues that had delayed the process. 

To sum it up: one city lost a team, two rosters traded coaches, the NWSL made announcements before they were ready, and no one ever will know what was supposed to happen with Harvey’s USSF position. And the worst part of it all is that no one batted an eye at it. This was considered business as usual for women’s soccer in the United States. This was considered acceptable for the league and the federation. And that is what is wrong with women’s professional soccer.

The NWSL is trying so hard to be the premier women’s soccer league in the world. They pull from the largest talent pool of its kind. But yet they struggle financially. And when looking at the women’s side of the US Soccer, they aren’t fairing much better. They are the number one team in the world, but they aren’t paid their worth. And in all of this are the players who are struggling to make ends meet, striving for a future in the sport they love, and supporting the platform for future generations of strong female athletes to perform on.

It’s exhausting. But it means something. So they keep trying to build. They keep pushing forward, and keep screaming into the void for recognition and acknowledgment of their worth. They fight to be seen as professionals – to be equal among other professional leagues and athletes. But unfortunately, the NWSL and the USSF have not been acting professional. And because of that, it holds back every female player just a little bit more. It puts a little more drag on their already short line. And it holds themselves back as well – financially, publicly, and in the eyes of the sporting world.

In any other league or in any other sport the movement of a top coach to the national level would have had more publicity. It would have had more concrete details about the job and that coach’s potential new impact. In any other league the movement of a team from one city to another is done with months of planning and preparation. Even if that team is having financial difficulty or there is scandal surrounding it. Look at the Columbus Crew in the MLS – everyone is aware of the potential move and there are really strong feelings on both sides. But in the NWSL? Nothing but bush league transitions, the absence of due care, and a total lack of professionalism.

So the question becomes, ‘How can the professional sporting world take you seriously, when you refuse to act professional?’

The answer is that they don’t. And it isn’t hard to see why, when moves like this happen without any explanation. It feels ill-prepared at best, shady at worst. It’s bad enough that they didn’t have an active Commissioner all of last season, but this? This is just off-the-cuff work that was patched together and came out looking halfway decent.

Now, most likely these transactions weren’t undertaken with malice or bad motives. But that doesn’t mean that they were done correctly. There should be a standard of professionalism. Things need to get better if the league wants to be a serious player, make real money, and change the way women’s sports are treated.

This isn’t asking a lot. They should want to do better and hold themselves accountable. They should want more transparency, in order to show the world that they mean business. They should want to show pride in what they’re doing.

Don’t the women who play in the league deserve that? Don’t the fans? Doesn’t the entire women’s movement that this league – and women’s sports in general – plays a large role in?

Don’t they owe it to themselves?

It can’t be said as to how the next season will go for the NWSL. It can’t be said how USSF President elections will affect the women’s game. But it can be said that in order to be taken seriously, you have to take yourself seriously. That is what should be asked of the NWSL and women’s soccer in the US. Hold yourself to a higher standard. The highest standard. It’s hard – no one is denying that. But to get to where the league, the athletes, the fans, and the media want to go it is a necessity. A necessity that should not be taken so lightly in the future.

Hope Solo probably shouldn’t be the US Soccer president, but it’s good that she’s running

Posted on by RJ Allen

To the average fan of US Soccer, the job of president is defined primarily by big decisions on high profile issues. Who should be the head coach? How should money be spent? How should resources be collected?

But the reality is that the job is far more prosaic than these big decisions. The president is not a dictator who can simply set policy as she wishes, nor does she necessarily exert significant influence over the Board of Directors or the federation as a whole. Given the diversity of interests at stake in the membership of these groups, the day-to-day job of president is primarily a matter of managing factions, massaging egos, and facilitating coalitions. Those are all things that Sunil Gulati – the retiring president – did well. And whether or not you like the ultimate results, there’s no denying that Gulati was effective at the job.

Now, with news that Hope Solo has put herself into the race to become Gulati’s replacement, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on the job, and her quality as a candidate for the position.

Being a good president means more than having good ideas

In my day job as a political scientist, we tend to be quite skeptical of ‘message’ campaigns. According to their standard-bearers, simply winning the election will create a bank of ‘political capital,’ which will help drive the agenda through. But it turns out that winning elections is often the easiest part of the job. When the electorate is dissatisfied, the promise of ‘change’ is powerful. But once decisions are being taken about resource allocation, vested interests settle into their trenches, and defend their fiefdoms with equal doses of aggression and patience. A charismatic message can certainly win votes, but when the rubber hits the road, things get much trickier.

None of this means that the president plays no role in setting overall strategic objectives. It’s more to say that broad policy goals often falter on lack of successful management. Weak executives make for weak policy – something just as true for administrative entities like US Soccer as it is for political entities like the United States federal government.

Ultimately, this means that any choice for president of US Soccer should pass three distinct tests.

  • First, what is their strategic vision? What would they seek to accomplish in their tenure? Where would the resources go? How would the finances work? What goals would they set? What priorities would they outline?
  • Second, can they outline a plausible pathway for achieving those objectives? How would the finances work? Why would relevant parties be willing to buy in? Do they have contingency plans where things inevitably go off track?
  • Third, do they have the skills to actually succeed at managing time, resources, and interests? Can they build coalitions? Do they have good social networks, or can they create them? Will people lead where they follow?

The core point here: having a powerful message is only one part of the equation. It’s an important part, to be sure, and a candidate can make a big difference even if they don’t offer anything more. Simply putting issues on the table may force other candidates to speak to them or even shift their position in order to head off the threat from the challenger. This is the classic role of the ‘protest’ candidate: there to make a point, not necessarily to win. But protest candidates rarely win, and for good reason. Failure to fill in the details in these second and third is a powerful signal that someone might be good for the race without necessarily being good for the job.

Solo is a better candidate than it might seem, but is that enough?

Taking that as a framework of a viable campaign, where does Solo fit?

On the first test, she makes for a strong and important candidate. Her statement announcing her candidacy was powerful, and spoke to a range of interests that have been overlooked by the other candidates. In her time as a player, Solo was forthright and aggressive about the need for reform in US Soccer, and she makes an excellent standard-bearer for that message now.

The question is how far she can push the issues. After all, everyone is already willing to sign up for platitudes like ‘equal pay’ and ‘fairness.’ But her announcement went into much more detail, discussing the problems with elite youth clubs, with profit-driven incentive structures, with the secretive role of Soccer United Marketing (SUM) at the heart of US Soccer, and with gender equality. That sort of detail is critical, and suggests that Solo is serious, at least on this level. It also shows why having someone like her in the race is critical—to call attention to issues that otherwise might be swept under the rug by the rest of the field.

But this is where things get trickier. On the second prong—filling in the details about how to produce the desired change—we haven’t seen much so far. That said, we are still early in the process, and there’s some possibility that a more complete picture could emerge. It is never a good idea to underestimate Hope Solo. We know that was true on the field, but her efforts behind the scenes organizing the team’s collective action campaign on pay equality suggests that she is more than capable of carrying that same level of determination and focus into the management side of things.

Certainly, the work Solo had to do to capitalize on her fame and talent compares favorably to the efforts of male players like Wynalda and Martino—who were provided with a far more established infrastructure.

Only time will tell here, and the proof will ultimately be in the pudding, but there’s absolutely no reason to dismiss Solo’s case ex ante. At a bare minimum, she deserves the same level of respect accorded to other candidates—few of whom have done much to establish their bona fides on this front.

Moreover, there is a case to be made for focusing significantly more attention on the big picture questions. The president has most control over the direction of the agenda, and increasingly less control as the details grow more fine-grained. Gulati has been a hands-on president, but his successor might reasonably chose a less directly involved approach—setting broad policy objectives while handing over day-to-day responsibilities to a cadre of bureaucrats.

Here, though, is where the case for Solo becomes quite rocky. The third leg of the table—capability to organize, manage, collaborate, and enable—is where her body of work ceases to be an advantage and becomes a liability. No one doubts her ability to fight for her goals. But the job of president requires a great deal of subtlety in the application of force.

There is more than one way to lead an organization, but the more diverse the interests involved, the harder they will be to bulldoze. US Soccer is extremely diverse, and leading it effectively will take a great deal of personal sublimation. To be successful, the next president will need the full range of persuasive skills, particularly if he or she hopes to institute significant reforms. Those vested interests are likely to resist, and fighting them directly without building a broad and durable base of support is more than likely to end in disaster.

To say the least, Solo’s history on this front is hardly encouraging. She tends toward black and white views of issues, bluntness (to the point of abrasiveness), and a commitment to speaking the truth as she sees it regardless of potential consequences. These are admirable qualities in some circumstances, but rarely the mark of a successful leader.

Now, it is important to acknowledge the role that gender expectations play in this conversation. Solo is a controversial figure partly for reasons that are idiosyncratic and specific, but it’s impossible to fully disentangle her personal history from the larger context of a social landscape in which women are scrutinized far more heavily (and less generously) than men.

Nevertheless, as a player she experienced several run-ins with the law (a domestic violence charge as well as an incident in which her husband drove her in a team van while intoxicated), not to mention a suspension from the national team after her comments in the 2016 Olympics. These are not solely the product of unfair gender expectations.

Solo has a lot to prove, but don’t count her out just yet

We will learn a lot in the coming days, and that may help us better understand where Solo fits into this campaign. Already, Julie Foudy is reporting that Solo does not in fact have the necessary three nominations to become an official candidate. If that bears out, then this campaign will end almost as quickly as it began. If not, we will have a chance to follow her over the next few months as she makes her case, and responds to criticism.

There is no doubt that Solo’s presence in the race is a big deal. She is one of the most famous players in US Soccer’s history, a powerful advocate for equality and fairness, and a charismatic figure in her own way. The question is whether she can draw on those strengths and overcome her weaknesses. There is a lot of baggage in her record, and it will take serious effort to exhibit the grace, poise, and skill needed for the job.

At the moment, I remain skeptical. But I have also learned that it’s rarely a good idea to bet against Hope Solo. So I am excited to see what she has to offer.

Raising the Game: Solo for President

Posted on by RJ Allen

In the early hours of Friday morning Hope Solo announced her candidacy for US Soccer Federation President.

She isn’t the right person for the job. In fact, she is the exact wrong person for the job. She is controversial, polarizing, and has an extreme lack of filter in rather inopportune moments. She should not be elected to the position.

But that does not mean that her candidacy is meaningless. It actually may be the most important and game-changing event that has happened in this race. And Solo running may create more influence on the future of the US Soccer than any other candidate ever has.

Why is that? Well, because she is Hope Solo.

Solo is loud. She is demanding. And she is captivating. Whether you love her or you hate her (because there is no in between) she forces you to sit up and listen when she speaks. And she is looking to speak as a candidate. And the issues that she wants to speak about with regards to US Soccer are pertinent. They are issues that other candidates don’t want to touch. They are issues that many candidates don’t have answers to. But they are issues that Solo will refuse to shy away from – ones that she has no problem bringing to the forefront.

Her candidacy looks to bring awareness to what is clearly being ignored. And her voice speaks for those that do not have a platform – the underprivileged, the minorities, the underdogs. Because Solo has had a very different upbringing than most of her US counterparts. She didn’t grow up with money. And that fact makes her realize better than anyone else how hard it is to develop your soccer skills in the US when you don’t come from an upper middle class family. She understands the struggle of young players who are good enough to play, but whose families don’t have extra thousands of dollars every year to allow them to do so. She has a stance on pay for play, and she recognizes the disparages between the classes and how that effects the talent pool for the sport. Other candidates cannot say the same.

She also gets to speak from first hand experience to the inequalities that women face in the soccer world. She has been a part of the major lawsuits. She has lived the life of a female athlete on the National level. And she knows exactly how differently she was treated in comparison to the men. No other candidate brings that. And for the most part, no other candidate really has any concrete ideas on how to improve the women’s side of US Soccer. But you best believe that Solo does.

The greatest thing that Solo brings to the table though is her ability to get the other candidates to talk and give their opinions. They have been good at dodging anything really concrete so far, but Solo will demand it of them. She can get answers from them – answers that we all want, but may not have been able to get without her. Because she will take a stance on the issues. They may not be the best stances, or the ones that US Soccer needs, but they will put the other candidates on notice to do the same. If they don’t…well, she’s Hope Solo – she’s never afraid to call anyone out.

And that is probably her biggest downfall as a candidate. It’s why she shouldn’t be the head of the US Soccer Federation. Tact isn’t always her strong suit. When her emotions run high she tends to say the wrong thing. She fails to have the ability to take a breath, compose herself, and think of the consequences before speaking. She just reacts. And she was the bad girl of the soccer world for a reason – she didn’t care who it was, if she had beef she would say something. Brandi Chastain. The Swedish National Team. And even the US Soccer Federation on a few occasions. Mirror that with her antics off the pitch and it becomes even more difficult to make a case to support her candidacy. It could create issues with other Federations and with the cohesiveness of ours. It could throw us into chaos in a worst-case scenario. It could set us back.

Yes, her election to USSF President could have momentous repercussions, but her candidacy could also usher in a new level of meaning to the position. One where the candidate must have thoughts, and take stances, and be able to communicate the steps to achieve their visions for the future of the Federation. It wouldn’t just be a popularity contest or a contest to see who has the biggest bank account. No, her candidacy helps ensure that this race means something. Her candidacy holds the rest of the candidates accountable.

And that was all done simply by her throwing her hat in the ring. Because she is Hope Solo. She has always demanded excellence of herself. So there is no doubt that she will demand excellence from her competition as well. The stakes were already high. But she just raised them.

The Beautiful Games: France vs. Germany 2015

Posted on by RJ Allen

This series will look at some of the biggest games in the women’s soccer world. Rather than simply recapping the score line, these articles will look at the beating pulse of each match. For the first article, I’ll take you back to the 2015 Women’s World Cup and the meeting of Europe’s powerhouses.

It easily could have been the final. But thanks to the luck of the draw, Germany and France met in the quarterfinals of the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Germany looked like title contenders—not surprising for a team that dominated Europe for 20 years. France was also looking surprisingly strong, desperate to take home the first major trophy for their country.

But French fans were understandably nervous to face the German powerhouse. Germany had won every European Championship since 1995. Meanwhile, France had failed to even come close to winning an international tournament despite having some of the best players in the world on their roster. 

 Whatever confidence the fans lacked, the French team had no doubts that they could win this game. Both teams were known for their physicality and you could tell from the first kick how much each of them wanted to walk away with a win. Chances were taken on both sides, but at the end of the first half, things were scoreless.

 In the second half, things got even more physical as both sides started to worry about how long this game would go on without a goal. Their questions were answered in the 64th minute, when French superstar Louisa Necib launched a ball from outside the 18-yard-box past German goalkeeper Nadine Angerer to give France a 1-0 lead.

But it didn’t take long for France to become their own worst enemy. In the 84th minute, as the Germans moved their attack down field, a ball inside the 18-yard box bounced off the arm of a French player. A penalty was given to Germany.

French fans hearts stopped. You couldn’t often rely on Sarah Bouhaddi to hand you a miracle, but they all had hope. 

Bouhaddi jumped the wrong way. The ball rolled into the back of the net and the game was even.

Both teams were looking for the winner, but as the second half went on, they looked more and more tired. In the end, neither side could break through and the match went to extra time. 

The French may have been tired, but they were determined. They started extra time in control, creating great chances that they couldn’t finish. Nothing was more frustrating for French fans than in the 117th minute, when the ball was crossed to Gaetane Thiney. She was one-on-one with the keeper, but an awkward bounce off her leg caused the ball to go out of bounds.

 You could feel the energy of that match through the TV screen. Everyone was tired. But they continued to play their hearts out, as physical as they had been in the opening minutes. Claire Lavogez dove for a header and flipped over a German player’s back, landing in a painful position but she got up. In extra time, Kheira Hamraoui took an elbow to the face and earned herself a gruesome bloody nose. She had to step onto the sidelines, but she just told them to stop the bleeding and get her a new kit so she could get back onto the pitch.

 At the end of 120 minutes, it was still 1-1. The match went to penalty kicks—the worst ending to such a beautiful match of soccer.

 In 2015, both France and Germany had some of the best strikers in the world. Their skill would be on display in this penalty set. Penalties were taken by the likes of Celia Sasic and Melanie Behringer for Germany, Louisa Necib and Camille Abily for France. In the end, it was 5-4, with only Claire Lavogez left to kick for France.

 A bit of context about Claire Lavogez—she’s young. When she played this match, she had just turned 21. She hadn’t received much time with the senior national team prior to the tournament, but had emerged as one of the most talented young midfielders on France’s roster. She had impressed a lot of people, clearly enough to earn her the final penalty kick in this match.

 She missed.

 At first, she just walked off. The German team stormed the pitch, tackling Nadine Angerer with pure joy. No one doubted the power of the United States, but many thought the toughest match of the tournament may have been behind them. It wasn’t an easy road ahead, but there is nothing more hopeful than a chance. 

Occasionally, they would show Lavogez amongst the celebrations. Her teammates comforting her or just laying out on the pitch, crying. Jessica Houara was the first person to hug Lavogez. Lavogez bit down on her jersey, clenching her teeth and trying not to break down. They flashed to her later, cradling her knees and crying while her teammates tried to console her. There were a lot of emotional moments in the Women’s World Cup, but this was one of the toughest to watch.

It was also the last World Cup match for many of the players that might be referred to as France’s Forgotten Generation. World-class players like Camille Abily, Louisa Necib, and Elodie Thomis would never play in a World Cup match again. And they would finish their international careers without a trophy or a medal to take home to their country.

It wasn’t enough, but this much was clear: they had given their all.

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

Posted on by RJ Allen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Day 2: (Likely Thursday) The NWSL Media Day

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

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

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

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

Day 3: (Likely Friday) The NWSL Awards Gala

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

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

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

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

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

Day 4: (Likely Saturday) The NWSL Championship

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

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

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

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

Fly Away Home: 5 Reasons Players Are Flocking Overseas

Posted on by RJ Allen

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

Stability

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

Money

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

 Skill Sets

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

Staying in Form

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

League Structure

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

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

USWNT To Host Denmark In January Friendly

Posted on by RJ Allen

U.S. Soccer has announced that the U.S. Women’s National Team will open their 2018 schedule with a friendly against Denmark in January after the annual training camp in Los Angeles.

Denmark was the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 runners-up, defeating powerhouses such as Norway and Germany before falling to the Netherlands in the final. The USWNT last played against Denmark at the Algarve Cup in 2014, which resulted in a 5-3 loss for the Americans. 

The game will be played in San Diego on January 21 at 4:30 p.m. PT, and will air on ESPN.

Interviews with Emma: Beverly Yanez

Posted on by RJ Allen

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

When I first got to know Bev, her last name was Goebel. She married Othaniel Yanez in 2012. She has played for the Washington Freedom, Western New York Flash, and currently for the Seattle Reign. She has also played professionally in Australia, Finland and Japan. Bev is always smiling!  Here are a few facts about her:

Birthdate: July 19, 1988

Nickname from teammates: Bev

Hometown: Moreno Valley, CA

Age started playing: 5 years old

College/major: University of Miami, FL. Sports Administration

Career aspirations after soccer: To be a soccer coach and implement more tactics in youth soccer in America.

Why did you pick your particular uniform number: When I went to Japan three years ago, I learned a very technical and tactical style of soccer. My teammates were so kind and patient in teaching me this style. I was continually growing in so many aspects of my game and had a breakthrough year. I was given #17 from the club that year. After my breakthrough year, I stuck with the number. It was a new me and one that I was so proud of!

Pregame meal: Nuzest protein smoothie, and many carbs!

Workout music: Anything that Russ sings

Favorite cartoon character: Spongebob

Fave movie: The Mask

Fave actress: I don’t have one 😦

Hidden talent: Wish I had one, but I thought long and hard and could not think of anything 😦

Mentor (in soccer or life): My husband and parents! Always supporting me and inspiring me to be the best player and person I can be.

Fave charity/cause: Austen Everett Foundation 

Life motto: Treat others the way you want to be treated

Superstitions: I do not have any.

Pets: Love dogs! But don’t have any pets currently. My favorite dogs are pugs!

If you were going on Amazing Race, which teammate would you want as a partner, and why?: Naho Kawasumi because she is so smart and can make anything work with her positive attitude.

You can find Bev’s Twitter here.   

Houston Dash Appoint Vera Pauw As Head Coach

Posted on by RJ Allen

The Houston Dash have announced that they have hired Vera Pauw as their new head coach.

Pauw replaces interim head coach Omar Morales, who took over the position midway through the 2017 season after the Dash parted ways with head coach Randy Waldrum. 

Pauw, who has held head coaching positions with the Scotland Women’s National Team, the Netherlands Women’s National Team, and the Russian Women’s National Team, joins the Dash after two years with the South African Women’s National Team. 

“I’m very excited. It’s just a dream come true, isn’t it? To be able to be coach and play in facilities like BBVA Compass Stadium and in such a competitive league. Soccer is an evolving sport here in the U.S. with a unique background, and I am very excited about the opportunity ahead to work with a very talented roster. We have a solid core of players that will be key in reaching our goals for 2018 and beyond.” Pauw said in the Houston press release.

“We are thrilled to have Vera as the next Dash head coach and look forward to her making positive contributions to the club,” Dash president Chris Canetti said. “She brings a wealth of experience at the highest level, a strong record of success, and a passion for the game. She also has a strong desire to be a part of our club and believes in what we are building here in Houston.”