Since the United States Women’s National team’s 2015 World Cup win, a lot of new faces have put on the coveted shirt for the first time. A few of those names include 19-year-old Mallory Pugh, Casey Short, Rose Lavelle, Lynn Williams, and Andi Sullivan. Another common denominator with these players is how young they are, the oldest being 26 and the youngest being 19. I could name a handful more but instead here is a player who I believe deserves a call-up this year: Arin Gilliland.
The 24-year-old defender plays her club ball for the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL. Gilliland was drafted out of Kentucky in the 2015 NWSL College Draft, taken eighth overall. The 2015 College Draft is actually my favorite of each that the NWSL has hosted since the league started. It saw players like Morgan Brian, Lynn Williams, and Samantha Mewis enter the league. Players who are all now very important pieces of their NWSL teams as well as the senior national team.
As a rookie in 2015, Gilliland played in 17 games with Chicago, helping to lead them into the playoffs, and was named to the NWSL’s second-best XI. Her second season proved to be even better; she started in 21 games and was a big contributor to the 2016 Red Stars’ 1.0 goals against average.
This season Gilliland has played in 11 games, starting 10 of those. She has been a huge part of the Red Stars’ success this season, quietly doing her part as usual. She has helped Chicago to a 7-3-3 record, which is good for 24 points, second on the table and within striking distance of first. In her third season, Gilliland has been steady as ever, working well with a rotation of players that include Short, Julie Ertz, Katie Naughton, and Sam Johnson. Gilliland is well known in the league for her lock-down defense, her ability to contain just about every player she goes up against.
The current USWNT list of defenders does include another Red Star–Casey Short, who has accumulated 10 caps since debuting in 2016. And Gilliland has been called into national team camp, getting her first call-up in October of 2016. But somehow this capable, steady, and superb defender doesn’t have a cap to her name. She rarely gets beaten down the right side, but in the rare event that she does, her recovery speed reminds me of a certain USWNT veteran who is universally known for her incredible speed when tracking back (if you guessed Ali Krieger, you are correct).
In their 13 games so far this season, Chicago has scored 16 goals while only giving up 11. Gilliland has been doing her part exceptionally well. The team relies on her strength and positioning each game, and her willingness to do whatever it takes to win. When you see her play, there is passion in her eyes, fight in her tackles, and her domination on the backline is evident in the lack of opponent’s goals on the scoreboard. Gilliland is what the NFL would refer to as a “shut-down-corner.” She is one of the best in the league, certainly a top-five type of player and, in my opinion, sorely underrated.
Arin Gilliland player is the kind of player who is consistently great across the back. With her quality possession, her eagle-eye vision, her crunching tackles, and the way she handles opposing threats, she would be a welcome and reliable presence on the USWNT backline, a defense that feels more like a merry-go-round these days.
And, yes, I get it. Head coach Jill Ellis is working out a lot of things, experimenting in just about every position to find what works in anticipation of the next tournament cycle. But, given the resume Gilliland has along with her talent, this Chicago Red Star deserves a chance to take the pitch in a US jersey.
If the USWNT want a chance at another WWC trophy in 2019, we need to build another Department of Defense. Arin Gilliland could be one of the pieces we need to make our backline great once again.
Women’s soccer has had a slow climb to popularity in the United States. Before the NWSL existed there were two other leagues that started and failed. Both of those teams, Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league, and the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) had two teams in California. The WUSA had teams in San Diego and San Jose while the WPS had a team in Carson and Hayward California. However, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) does not have a single team in California.
The pattern of women’s soccer in California seems to be on a downward trend. Going from having professional teams in major cities in California, to smaller cities, and now to absolutely no teams at all is telling of the culture of women’s soccer in California. Unfortunately, soccer is still seen as a men’s game in parts of the state, from men-only small-sided pickup games to schools struggling to field a team of 11 girls for a game. Moreover, the announcement of a new Major League Soccer (MLS) team coming to LA is representative of the culture of support the men’s game receives.
Is there even room for women’s professional soccer in California? Can a team tap into the prominent men’s side in order to build a fan base and support, as well as partner with for financial stability? What are the options for expanding the NWSL into the sunny state of CA?
Really, there are three possible options for an NWSL California expansion: by adding a women’s club to a pre-existing MLS team in California, by promoting a semi-pro women’s team, or by courting an investment by an international club. And all three are possible, if not equally likely.
The new MLS team, LAFC, is slated to enter the scene in 2018 and is partially owned by none other than Mia Hamm. She has already spoken about her desire to add a NWSL team to the LAFC team. However, Jeff Plush, former commissioner of the NWSL, has said that he believes the window to add another team will close in October 2017, which is just a few short months away. Would LAFC be able to put together a NWSL team during their inaugural season in the MLS, or would they want to wait a year or two? Could they afford to start one in their early MLS days, or might it be better to wait until they’ve got a few years and a large base of support–financial and fan-based–to make a move in the direction of women’s soccer?
A second option would be to promote a semi-pro women’s soccer team. The Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) fields 13 teams based in California at the moment. A WPSL-related expansion This could happen either independently, a WPSL owner making the case and having the financial backing to convince the NWSL to expand with them. Or, it could happen with international support. One of these teams is WPSL teamsissponsored by Ajax, a European team out of the Netherlands. If Barcelona followed Ajax to California, as is predicted, it could make a strong argument for an NWSL expansion, and the numerous WPSL teams would help to fill out the roster after a college draft, allocation process, and (likely) expansion draft.
If Barcelona is interested in backing an NWSL team, is it likely they would follow Ajax’s interest in the California area? Or might they stay in New York where their office is based? Honestly, the likelihood of Barcelona not going to New York is slim. Especially after Western New York moved to North Carolina, leaving behind a professional WoSo vacuum in the state. But, there are already many NWSL teams on the East coast, and provisions to protect teams from encroaching upon the markets of others within the league.
Despite the unsteadiness of the past two women’s leagues in the United States, the NWSL is doing well and looks to be continuing to improve and grow. Additionally, the teams in the NWSL that are sponsored by an MLS team have proven to be stable teams and are avoiding any financial issues. Orlando City added the Pride in 2015, and the Houston Dynamo added the Dash in 2013, and the Portland Thorns have always been closely associated with their men’s side, the Portland Timbers.
Between Barcelona and LAFC, someone will take California on and attempt to break the downward trend of the women’s game. Hopefully, the fact that there are 13 WPSL teams to pull talented and young players from will encourage someone to start a team in California. Will anyone be brave enough to take California on, or will the curse scare a team off?
There are few players in the NWSL today who you can say truly transform a team’s play when they step onto the pitch. But Sky Blue’s Raquel Rodriguez is definitely one of those players. Every time she steps out onto the field, Sky Blue’s play becomes more dynamic and more focused.
We saw just how much her presence can affect the tone of a game at Saturday’s match-up between Sky Blue and the Chicago Red Stars. When she checked into the game in the 56th minute, the midfield’s play started to shift in Sky Blue’s favor. And you wouldn’t be hard-pressed to link her play in the midfield to Sam Kerr’s extraordinary feats of late-game scoring, as Rodriguez’s movement on the ball helps to create space for Kerr and the other forwards to do their thing.
In her rookie season, she was awarded Rookie of the Year, and became the first non-American to bear the title. And now, in just her second season as a pro, Rodriguez has made the center of the midfield her dominion to rule over.
With a large share of the pressure to control the midfield on Rodriguez’s shoulders, she approaches it game-by-game. But aAs I watch her week in and week out I can’t help but get flashbacks to when a young Lauren Holiday moved to center midfield. Rodriguez has the same spark that Holiday displayed, the same sense of being the spine of the team, the same drive to grow and learn as a player. They both can take a team on their back and deliver out of this world results. It’s just a matter of time before we see Rodriguez playing at the level of Lauren Holiday in her prime.
Backline Soccer: Your rookie season was about as good as could be, you won Rookie of the Year. A lot of players seem to have sophomore slumps, but you seem to have avoided that so far. You’ve had a couple late goals. You’ve played well. Is that something you’re sort of taking game-by-game? Or are you saying, you know, I want to have that type of season every year. I don’t want a slump. Is that in your head or is it just game-by-game?
Rodriguez: I think during the season I take it game by game. My first off-season was this past one, and I think one thing that I learned from the rookie season where I came in knowing nothing more than what I heard, to come in the second season, I think the off-season was really key to feeling prepared for this game. But during the season I take it game-by-game. I always want to get better season after season. But that also means that every day I take care of the little things and then that will take care of the big picture. So I take it game by day.
Learning from the game and fellow teammates is something that any good player should do. As much as Orlando or Houston considered to be packed with international players, Sky Blue, too, has their share of national team-quality players from all around the world. Players from Sky Blue have caps with Canada, Australia, England, American and Costa Rica.
Backline Soccer: You have a lot of internationals on the team this year, but they tend to go unnoticed because they’re not from teams like Germany or France. Is that sort of nice that you can learn from these different styles, you don’t have to necessarily play the American style, you have other things to learn from?
Rodriguez: 100%. I think I’m a person who tries to learn wherever I go with whatever experience I live. But, I mean, you’re totally right. Whether it’s Americans, Canadians, Australians, English, I learn every day from world class players. And I think that’s also the standard from this team, and we push each other and we learn from each other. So 100%. It’s a blessing to be in this team.
But it isn’t just Sky Blue that Rodriguez puts on a uniform for. The Costa Rican international has been playing for her country’s senior team since 2010. With over 30 goals tallied for her country, she is an up-and-coming superstar at the international level. In fact, Rodriguez scored Costa Rica’s first ever Women’s World Cup goal in their tournament debut back in 2015.
Backline Soccer: Costa Rica went to the 2015 Women’s World Cup, you scored the first Costa Rican goal in the World Cup. Do you have your sights on 2019? Are you in “we’re going to go to the World Cup again” mode?
Rodriguez: 100%. I think when I think about that, I really want it really bad. You know I want to–we all want to come back to the World Cup in 2019. That’s the goal, of course. I think qualifiers are next year, 2018, so that’s something that is in the back of my head, being a Costa Rican national player. It’s the dream, it’s a dream that I carry in my heart, and I know that my teammates do as well. So anything that I learn here in the international level, here in the NWSL, it’s to bring back to Costa Rica.
And on the topic of captains? Rodriguez considers herself blessed.
Backline Soccer: I spoke to Kailen Sheridan a little bit last week. She has Christine Sinclair and Christie Pearce as her country and club captain, respectively. You have Shirley Cruz and Christie Pearce. Shirley Cruz is sort of a big figure in Costa Rican soccer in general, and internationally as well. Is it nice to have two captains of that sort of experience level, and you can sort of learn from those two captain styles?
Rodriguez: For sure. I think, again I try to learn always, but you know it is an honor and a blessing. Like you mentioned, the two of them. It truly is an honor because they are legends. I say it’s a blessing because you know them as the people they are–not only as the soccer players they are, and the public figures they are. And when you get to know them personally then it just adds that little more you know, it’s a blessing and an honor, truly.
There are players that you can watch just because the way they play the game, who they are in the game, is pure joy to witness. Raquel Rodriguez is one of those players. When she is good she lights up to pitch in a way so few can. And she’s always pretty damn good.
As far as France in 2019? I fully expect to watch Costa Rica take the field for their second Women’s World Cup appearance and to see Rodriguez there with them.
Amber Brooks may not be the first name that comes to mind when talking about who might be called up to the USWNT in the next year or so, but perhaps she should be.
With the USWNT officially in the rebuilding stage in between major international tournaments, there has been much conversation about who might factor into the picture for the 2019 World Cup. Jill Ellis said at the beginning of this process that she would be looking at the NWSL as the prime market for identifying talent that could translate to the international stage. This has paved the way for many of the new faces we’ve seen in recent friendlies, including Casey Short, Lynn Williams, and Kealia Ohai.
There are still pieces of the puzzle missing, however, if their struggles against the top teams in the She Believes Cup is any indication. One of those pieces happens to be a primarily defensive-minded, holding midfielder who can hold down the fort and spring the strong attack. Without the steadying defensive presences of Lauren Holiday and Shannon Boxx, the USWNT has looked slightly lost when it comes to feeding the ball through the middle and stopping attacking runs before they get to the backline.
In the NWSL, there are few better at that job than Amber Brooks.
Brooks came up with the National Team youth system, playing in major tournaments for the U-17, U-20, and U-23 sides. Her college years were spent playing for the vaunted UNC Tarheels under legendary Anson Dorrance. Brooks was looked at by the USWNT in 2013–during Tom Sermanni’s tenure–earning one cap and 81 minutes against Brazil. Her club career includes a stint at Bayern Munich, as well as playing with Portland and Seattle in the NWSL before landing in Houston.
Brooks came to Houston in October of 2015, by way of the blockbuster trade that landed Alex Morgan in Orlando and Meghan Klingenberg in Portland. While Houston has struggled (to put it lightly), Brooks has provided a bright spot in their lineup. She’s a strong presence on the field, she’s a ruthless defender, and her free kicks and eye for offensive service make her a perfect lynch-pin for an attack. With Morgan Brian out with persistent injuries and National Team duty for much of 2016, Brooks became the stalwart presence that helped the Dash midfield and defense steady themselves after their shaky start. She has only grown in that role for them as the 2017 season has progressed.
For a USWNT so desperate for defensive solutions that they have resorted to putting attacking midfielders in at center back, under the guise of needing someone to direct the attack from the back, Brooks would be a valuable stop-gap as a defensive mid. She is not particularly fast, but she is smart about compensating for her speed by choosing her moments, similar to Sauerbrunn. Having her in front of the backline would provide some peace of mind to a struggling defensive system and allow attacking mids like Allie Long and Carli Lloyd to range farther forward where their heads can provide perfect targets for Brooks’s strong service.
Houston has most definitely benefitted from having Brooks offensive skills over the past couple of years. Her solid presence and ability to direct play allows players like Andressinha, Morgan Brian, and Carli Lloyd to assume their preferred attacking roles. Brooks has also developed good connections with Rachel Daly and Kealia Ohai in the Dash’s frontline, often feeding them through balls that they can run onto as often as their heart desires.
While Brooks is 26–a bit older than the young phenoms that Ellis has shown a preference for–she definitely deserves another look at the defensive mid position for the USWNT. Her years of experience are exactly what the USWNT needs to balance out their glut of young attackers and strengthen the backbone of the lineup. Brooks can provide an offensive rallying point and perhaps give Becky Sauerbrunn some peace of mind.
The NWSL may be the American women’s soccer league, but some of their strongest players come from all around the world. This series will look at some of those internationals that you may not know a lot about. Each article will highlight their style of play, the role they play on their national team, and the role they play in their club.
This time we’ll be looking to the Portland Thorns and French international Amandine Henry.
What Does She Do?
Amandine Henry is a midfielder who plays for the Portland Thorns and the French National Team. Widely considered to be one of the best midfielders in the world, Henry is the only French international playing in the NWSL. She has diverse strengths in the midfield, being able to play both attacking and defensive roles depending on the situation. Prior to joining the Thorns, Henry spent nine seasons with Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon). She played a massive role in bringing the world’s attention to both Lyon and France.
L’Equipe de France
Henry made her first senior appearance with the French national team in 2009. She has earned 61 caps for the senior team, appearing in the World Cup, the Olympics, and the Women’s Euros, and has scored six goals. She was a part of the team that won the SheBelieves Cup in the United States earlier this year, serving as the captain in their first match against England and starting in all three matches in the tournament. While she might struggle with a language barrier in Portland, on l’Equipe de France she is a vocal leader. She has been nominated for and won countless awards. In 2015 and 2016, she was put on the shortlist for FIFA Women’s Player of the Year. In 2015, she made the FIFPro XI and was put on the shortlist for it again in 2016. Following the World Cup, she was named to the Women’s World Cup All-Star Team after starting in all five matches for France and scoring a goal in the group stage against Mexico. In 2015-2016, she was the runner-up for UEFA Women’s Player of the Year, which she ultimately lost to her former Lyon teammate Ada Hegerberg.
Portland Thorns FC
Henry plays more of a solidly defensive role on the Thorns. She started and played in the first twelve matches for the team this year and scored her first NWSL goal on May 27th in the team’s 2-0 win against the Boston Breakers. Last season, she earned ten appearances in nine starts for the Thorns, tallying one assist. Henry plays amongst a strong midfield in Portland, arguably the strongest midfield in the NWSL. Yet even amongst a crowd that includes players such as Tobin Heath, Dagny Brynjarsdottir, Lindsey Horan, Meg Morris, and Allie Long, Henry is a regular starter. That alone speaks volumes about her strength and skill. When she made her move to the NWSL last year, it was a massive boost for the league. Being able to draw one of the best players in the world away from one of the best teams in the world lifted the NWSL to another level. Henry’s reason for the move was quite clear—she wanted to win a championship in what she viewed to be the best women’s soccer league in the world. She’s still chasing after that dream—maybe this year will be the year it comes true.
Kailen Sheridan: Not Your Average Rookie – RJ Allen interviewed the Sky Blue rookie keeper and asked her about her rookie season, playing with Christine Sinclair and Christie Pearce, and more.
Sam Kerr, Australian For Baller – RJ Allen interviewed the NWSL all-time leading goal scorer while at Sky Blue training. They talked about what she thought of NWSL rivalries, Aussie internationals in the NWSL, and more.
A European Holiday: The NWSL In The Euros – Jordan Small breaks down each NWSL player that is participating in the Euros and how each team might be missing their play.
6 Takeaways From NWSL: Week 12 – Jordan Small, Luis Hernandez, and Elizabeth Wawrzyniak bring you the latest takeaways including league parity, FCKC red card problem plus much more.
Unsung Hero of the Week: Dynamic Dash Duo – Jacqui Porter could not just choose one Dash defender to highlight this week, so, this week, she shines the spotlight on Amber Brooks and Janine Van Wyk.
The NWSL Salary Maximum is a Lie – RJ Allen closely examines the NWSL salary numbers and why no player is making the maximum amount for the season.
Quick Fire Week 13 Game Previews:
We have arrived at Week 13 of the NWSL. Parity is still a real thing as we continue to move through the season, but the gaps are widening. The Courage and the Red Stars are pulling away from the pack but the fight for the 4th spot is fierce; even the 3rd spot is potentially up for grabs as we progress through the season. Let’s take a look at some quick notes on this weekend’s games.
Game 1: Portland Thorns vs. North Carolina Courage
Portland Thorns record: 5-4-4
Position: 5th
Total Points: 19
North Carolina Courage record: 9-4-0
Position: 1st
Total Points: 27
Portland’s season has been a bit of a head scratcher and an argument between Allie Long and Meghan Klingenberg caught on camera at the end of last week’s match, it seems cohesion and team chemistry may actually be the bigger problem this year. They will also be without Nadia Nadim, Amandine Henry, and Dagny Brynjarsdóttir, who are off with their national teams to compete in the Euros. Playing at home this week should give them the energy and motivation they need to get back on track. Look for players like Christine Sinclair to feed off of that energy and hopefully get her season in a groove. Facing a strong wave of attack from the Courage, the Thorns will need to be careful of not being spread too far and allowing the attack to find pockets of space. Adrianna Franch has been having problems with her decision-making in big moments and will need to shore that up this week to have a fighting chance. Overall, if the Thorns can find their attack early, coupled with the Courage’s seeming struggles on the road, they may just pull one out at home.
The Courage have spent all but about 12 hours of this season on top, but over the last several games, they have proven that they are beatable. They would certainly prefer to continue to reign at the top. With both Lynn Williams and Jess McDonald fully back from injury as well as an in-form Ashley Hatch, the Courage have plenty of attacking power to test the Thorns defense, which they will look to do this week. Playing on the road and especially in Portland, the Courage will want to get on the board early.
Game 2: Sky Blue FC vs. Chicago Red Stars
Sky Blue FC record: 7-6-1
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 22
Chicago Red Stars record: 7-3-3
Position: 2nd
Total Points: 24
Sky Blue is looking for three big points at home this week. After a come-from-behind win thanks to the dominating play of Sam Kerr last week, I ask, where would they be without her? I think you would be hard-pressed to find a team that needs the likes of Sam Kerr more than Sky Blue as another attacking option just does not seem plausible without her. Sky Blue will be facing a tough Chicago attack with Christen Press leading the way and a stalwart midfield, led by Julie Ertz. While they have been in the habit of winning games late, they are going to want to wrap this one up early in order to stave off Chicago, who gets progressively better as the game goes on. The big focus for Sky Blue this week will be their defense. Mandy Freeman was injured last week, spraining her left ankle in the big win against FCKC, and will be out this week. Even with her healthy, the backline of Sky Blue has had struggles holding games together and will more likely have big problems against Chicago this weekend.
Chicago would also like to move on from a disappointing draw last week with three big points this week. Their main focus this week will be to figure out how to contain Sam Kerr. If they can shut down Kerr, the Sky Blue attack will be mainly stifled. However, Chicago has had issues this season stringing passes together and maintaining meaningful possession. To accomplish pulling out a win and containing Kerr, they will need to rely more heavily on the team as a whole–not just Christen Press–to drive the attack. Press works better as the main striker and with her not playing last week there, their best asset was not being utilized properly. The Red Stars, though, continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the back. Expect Naeher and company to be tested frequently.
Game 3: Orlando Pride vs. FC Kansas City
Orlando Pride record: 4-5-4
Position: 6th
Total Points: 16
FC Kansas City record: 3-6-4
Position: 8th
Total Points: 13
Orlando’s season has been one big roller coaster but if they want a chance at that fourth spot, they have got to get better at finishing their chances and stop giving away games with dreaded penalties. This week, with FCKC struggling in the attack, as long as the Pride can finish more of their chances, they should see positive results. The Pride seem to have a different struggle each week. For example, Orlando needs to find a better and more suitable defender than Kristen Edmonds as her play is becoming detrimental at times. This game should not prove defensively troublesome but if the Pride cannot convert their load of possession into the end result of goals, then the struggles will continue. Look for more cohesion from Alex Morgan and Marta this week, as they have another week of practice time under their belts. If Morgan can get her timing right this week, she may just be the extra push and clinical finisher they need up top with Marta.
FCKC just doesn’t have the answer for replacing Amy Rodriguez as a linking attacking player, which would free up players like Sydney Leroux and Shea Groom in the attack. Without Groom this week, due to a red card suspension, it will be mainly up to Leroux to hold down the attack and try to work in behind the Pride defensive line. If Leroux is able to find an opening and get on the board, FCKC may be able to start building the game from there. They will have their hands full, however, up front, staving off the attack Morgan, Marta, and Camila; the latter two players have been leading the way for most of the Pride season.
Game 4: Houston Dash vs. Washington Spirit
Houston Dash record: 4-7-2
Position: 7th
Total Points: 14
Washington Spirit record: 3-6-3
Position: 10th
Total Points: 12
Houston is on the slow and steady upswing of their season, pulling out some crucial points. Without Carli Lloyd this week, due to red card suspension, we will see if her influence is just as palpable on the bench as on the field. The flair of the Spirit attack will test the Dash backline. While Lloyd has not yet supplied a good amount of goals, she has been crucial in developing play and linking passes to the goal-scorers, so they will need to make sure someone steps up in her absence. If Houston can get more production from Rachel Daly and similar production from Poliana–who should be starting–they may get positive results in the week without Lloyd.
The Washington Spirit attacking duo of Estefania Banini and Mal Pugh will be key this week. Banini and Pugh showed off some early connections against the Pride last week, so with more time together, they should prove deadly for anyone facing them defensively. The Spirit have some dark horses in Meggie Doherty-Howard and Havana Solaun and if they can engage their talents more this week, they should see some good production. As always, the Spirit will look to rely on Tori Huster and Steph Labbé who have been huge and crucial for the success that Spirit have had this season.
Game 5: Seattle Reign vs. Boston Breakers
Seattle Reign record: 5-3-5
Position: 4th
Total Points: 20
Boston Breakers record: 3-6-4
Position: 9th
Total Points: 13
Seattle will be without Jess Fishlock for a while, and once they looked out of sorts last week against the Courage without her. They will need to bounce back quickly to continue their quest for a playoff spot. Megan Rapinoe will need a much better game this week in order for the team to see success. If Rapinoe can connect and get back to the form she has had all season, the Reign should roll through this game. But if the Reign continue to have inconsistency issues, the Breakers could feasibly fight for the win.
While Boston is sitting near the bottom of the table, they have begun to play a little better lately. The Breakers will sorely miss Allysha Chapman, out on yellow card accumulation. Boston will have to find an answer for Rapinoe this week, especially if she is back to her usual self. If they can contain her and put up a quality attacking presence, they just might be able to come out of Seattle with the win.
The Scouting Report:
We went live on Monday night with our weekly TSR. A reminder that you can catch TSR live every Monday night at 8pm EST on our YouTube channel. Make sure to follow the podcast on Twitter @ScoutingPodcast.
In case you missed this week’s episode, catch up here:
Going into Week 13 action, the focus has been officiating and discipline from the previous week. Week 12 saw two red cards given to Shea Groom of FCKC and Carli Lloyd of the Houston Dash, both in controversial plays that had many questioning the validity of the officiating. Carli Lloyd indicated that they would appeal her card and one-game suspension, but according to Dan Lauletta, the NWSL doesn’t have a process for such an appeal to occur:
I can confirm two things: 1) #NWSL does NOT have an appeal process for red cards; 2) PRO official tells me both Saturday reds were correct
Just when it seemed like everyone was about to turn the page on red cards, the league announced a series of fines on Thursday to Dash player Amber Brooks, interim Head Coach Omar Morales, and FCKC gaffer Vlatko Andonovski. Somehow, the outspoken Carli Lloyd managed to escape a fine, but she will miss this weekend’s match against the Washington Spirit. (Lloyd missed three games with Manchester City earlier this year after she received a straight red there for elbowing an opponent.)
Many are saying this type of controversy is taking away from the play on the field. As the NWSL looks to grow into one of the top women’s leagues in the world, it’s a serious concern that the league does not have a policy in place to review red card decisions.
So, is it time for the NWSL to make adjustments to league’s discipline policy? And what would that look like?
Major League Soccer’s policy to appeal a red card is pretty straight forward: each team in the league puts up a $25,000 refundable bond for the opportunity to have red card appeals. The team is only allowed two unsuccessful appeals a season, and as a deterrent from this system being abused, if the ruling body determines the red card appeal is frivolous then the team loses the bond, loses the right to appeal any decision for the current season as well as the next season, plus the punishment of the red card appeal is doubled. For the appeal to be successful, the decision of the ruling body has to be unanimous otherwise the appeal is considered denied and the suspension stands. The ruling body is composed of a three-person panel made up of a member of U.S. Soccer, a member of the Canadian Soccer Association, and a member of PRO, the organization which manages the referees in North American soccer. The makeup of the panel is such so MLS can claim that the panel is independent since no one from MLS sits upon it.
This seems to work in MLS as the majority of teams don’t appeal a red card unless it is an obvious error. One of the recent successful appeals was back on June 7 when Orlando City won a red card appeal from a decision of Ted Unkel – who ironically is married to Christina Unkel the referee who dismissed Carli Lloyd last week.
Can a similar system work with the NWSL structure? Already one of the glaring problems that would have to be addressed is that league is backed by U.S. Soccer, so the league couldn’t claim that the ruling panel was independent since it works with the backing of the Federation. Would it matter if the panel wasn’t “independent” like MLS? Could an individual from a separate organization–the MLS, perhaps–sit on the panel in place of U.S. Soccer? Since the numbers of appeals would be so few and far between, it wouldn’t seem likely to be an issue, but the optics of impartiality may be something that could not sit well with a fan base for a team already frustrated by a red card of a player which merited an appeal.
Another item which the league would have to address is the amount of the bond which teams would have to put up. This being NWSL, if the league established the bond would every team even put up the cash for the bond? It seems unlikely it would be an amount as high as $25,000 but it would still be an amount significant to act as a deterrent if a team were to appeal frivolously. Thankfully Western New York isn’t in the league anymore, to be the team that doesn’t put up the money to give themselves red card appeals. It would still be something the league would have to figure out, but keep it from being public since the team’s fan bases would have a meltdown if their team didn’t put up a bond.
Ultimately, it doesn’t seem the league has ever thought to have a red card appeal system because it didn’t consider that the growth of the league would merit such a mechanism. Even going into the fifth season, the league seemed more focused on maintaining the existence of the league. However, at this point, nobody is questioning if the league will have a 2018 season and beyond. The league can finally shift its focus on improving policies like the adjusted hydration break policy midseason. As more attention is on the NWSL, we can expect to have a red card appeal process. We could even see a change in policy in yellow card accumulation like other leagues, as the season continues the twenty-four-match season and looks to expand to a longer season.
The next issue to address is that of the referees. The inconsistent decisions of the PRO referees reflect two things. First, the league is still young–in just its fifth season–so our referee pool is not fully developed and may need more experience to mature. A part of the growing pains of being a five-year-old league is the referees for the NWSL need to have the match time to improve. Even though the officials go through a series of training sessions, nothing is a substitute for match minutes – just like the players. As the play of the league improves, the speed of the game will get quicker, and the skill of the some of the referees will need to catch up with that.
And lastly, now that the league is consistently on television and more eyes are on the league, officiating errors will be more magnified. The referees are human and will make mistakes. Every league in the world has some type of officiating errors and fans complaining about the refs is just as common as soccer scarves and tifos. For now, there needs to be some patience with how the league handles red cards. Fans, players, and coaches will all have to wait and hope the NWSL will adjust its policy for future seasons.
No one being paid by the NWSL makes the league allowed $41,700 maximum salary.
How do I know this, since the league does not allow contract details with salaries to become public? Because math tells me if anyone did the rest of the team would be making the minimum.
The NWSL isn’t 100% transparent on how the roster pay structure is set up. They do tell us in the rules that the cap is “spread across a minimum of 18 Players … based on adjustments for Federation Players,” and that “if a Team is carrying less than 18 Players, minimum salary Player spots are added to the Team’s budget for the purpose of calculating the total”.
While the NWSL won’t comment for sure if the adjustment made for the USWNT player is to simply add minimum salary player spots as they do when the roster is under 18, we can be reasonably sure this is how it’s done.
The league’s salary cap is $315,000. What this means is that if one person out of the NWSL minimum 18-player club makes $41,700 for the season, there will be $273,300 left to pay the other 17 players on the team or about $16,076 per player for the season. That’s the league minimum of $15,000 plus an equal portion of what remains of the cap ($1,076).
It would be nearly impossible for any club in the league to keep 17 players around at $16,076 while a single player on their roster is making $41,700. Not when salaries can’t happen in a vacuum.
It’s much more likely most players are making between $15,000 and $20,000 a season. To fit under the $315,000 cap, five players could be making about $20,000, while eight players make $17,500, and the remaining five players make the league minimum of $15,000.
Remember, too, that while 18 is the minimum number a team has to carry according to the NWSL, they can have as many as 20 players on their roster at a time. And in some instances, as when players are on the D45 list, or out for the season with injury, etc., their replacements are subject to salary cap rules as well, though a team can apply for relief from the NSWL. In other words, it’s probably standard operating procedure for a team to carry a little breathing room under the cap in case of injury. So that sample team breakdown? The numbers could be even lower.
You want to know why the NWSL relies heavily on amateur players to fill in?
Because they don’t have to pay them.
If you really do care about players in the NWSL getting paid then you have to care about getting the salary cap raised before anything else matters. The NWSL can list the maximum salary as anything they want if it will never be paid.
How the National Team Fits In
When people go on and on about the USWNT and the clause in their contract that states they must be paid more than any NWSL player, they’re mostly being angry simply to be angry. They often criticize the team for being on the leading edge of fighting for equal pay when they make triple what their club teammates do. Or they take shots on those who have some and are trying to get more when there are those who have much, much less.
As a reminder USWNT players are not paid by the NWSL. The clubs these players play for, along with the Canadian National team players, don’t hold their contracts either. As we talked about above the current interpretation is that rosters account for these players at the minimum salary.
The USWNT players are paid a USWNT salary, and on top of that, a NWSL salary. Their NWSL salary does not come out of NWSL funds, the USWNT pays it. The accounting for the salary cap is made up with ghost players making the league minimum on rosters to get to the magic 18 number.
In theory the more USWNT players on your team, the more to go around. The ghost players are only making the minimum so $2,000 or more from each can go to other players on the roster.
A USWNT player makes about $50,000 to play in the NWSL on top of their USWNT pay. But with the salary cap the way it is now, even if there was no clause preventing an NWSL player from making that much it would be nearly impossible–using any math out there–to get more than one or two non-USWNT players to $30,000, much less $50,000. The salary cap locks them into their wages more than the USWNT and that clause ever could.
The Future of the Salary Cap
One of the biggest problems the NWSL faces is growing salary in a way where players are able to make soccer their full-time job. No more being forced to coach on the side, no more picking up a part time job in between practices or using savings to get through the lean times.
To do, that it’s not the maximum salary that needs to change, no one can get it now anyway. The salary cap is where the attention for growth needs to be. That is what will change the real day to day lives of players in the league.
To look at how different caps effect the bottom line of pay, I set the cap at three different levels and played out what an 18 person roster could be paid while keeping under the caps. I did use whole round numbers to make the math easier.
What Might Future Salary Caps Look Like?
Salary Cap: $425,000
Possible Option:
$20,000 @ 3 players
$22,000 @ 6 players
$25,000 @ 4 players
$27,000 @ 5 players
My goal here was to lift the minimum as well as use the $425,000 to make sure that the clubs could pay the core of their team a little bit more. This possible option gives the clubs a bit more in the way of creating levels of play where rookies come in the league and move up after they have proven themselves.
Salary Cap: $500,000
Possible Option:
$23,000 @ 5 players
$25,000 @ 7 players
$30,000 @ 2 players
$35,000 @ 2 players
$40,000 @ 2 players
With this option, there is a lot of moving players up and giving levels of rewards based on what happened the year before. At the very top, the clubs would have six players they could reward as they would likely be the pillars of the team.
Salary Cap: $630,000
Possible Option:
$25,000 @ 5 players
$30,000 @ 6 players
$45,000 @ 5 players
$50,000 @ 2 players
Having double the current cap to play with gave room for everyone to be making the type of salary that will at least keep them buying the name brand Band-Aids for their blisters. With this option, the lowest was $25,000 with seven players able to move into the $45,000+ range.
Final Thoughts
As the NWSL grows they are going to have to decide if it’s the minimum or the maximum salary they want to focus on. Do they want to lift the minimum while leaving the maximum, as useless as it is right now, where it is or do they want to lift the maximum in a meaningless show that they are able to do so?
I hope it’s the salary cap that gets the most attention. With a properly adjusted salary cap the minimum becomes less of a “most players make this” and more of something used as a starting place as players’ contracts are being worked on.
If the cap can be lifted to $450,000 (or more) in the next season or two then soon players should have the chance to focus on soccer in a way that they have not been able to do en masse before. No more coaching to make ends meet, no more divided attention, or bills going unpaid.
The NWSL has lasted longer than any other league. The foundation has been set and the walls raised. It’s time to start paying the players who have put in so much work to build this house.
In this weekly series, I will be highlighting a player from the weekend who was their respective team’s unsung hero, win or lose. A player who does the dirty work, does the little but important things in a game, and someone who didn’t exactly fill up the stat sheet but found other ways to contribute.
This week is special–two for the price of one! I’ve chosen Houston Dash defenders Janine Van Wyk and Amber Brooks to highlight together because I believe that the on-field relationship between the two women really contributed to the Dash’s play this week.
Van Wyk is in her first year in the NWSL and has adjusted nicely to the American way of playing. The 30-year-old is the first South African player to suit up for an NWSL side, earning a place after her 2015 Women’s World Cup showing and her impressive performance against the USWNT in a mid-year friendly in 2016. Van Wyk is the caps leader for either male or female for South Africa, with an incredible 143. She impressed on the biggest stage so it was a no-brainer to recruit her. I, for one, was hoping she would make her way over here and it seems she has made a home with the Dash.
Brooks is a player who has been in the NWSL since 2014, with Portland and Seattle before settling in with Houston. The 26-year-old played her college ball at the Taj Mahal of women’s soccer, the University of North Carolina from 2009-2012. She is a player that has been solid no matter what team she has been on, yet she is on her third NWSL team. And while it is certainly not a preference for any player to move around that much, she has definitely made a home for herself in Houston.
Houston 1-1 Portland:
Going into this matchup, I wasn’t heavily favoring Portland but I certainly didn’t think Houston would put in this kind of performance. Keep in mind the Thorns were without Amandine Henry, Nadia Nadim, and Dagny Brynjarsdottir as they are with their respective teams for the European Championships.
From the starting whistle the Dash were buzzing, putting pressure on early to take control of the game right away. Portland would have a half chance in the second minute but Van Wyk intercepted a pass from Hayley Raso in the Dash’s own 18 that was intended for a charging Lindsey Horan. Van Wyk read the play perfectly and the Dash have a hard time coming back from behind so it was a much-needed play.
Although youngster Janine Beckie scored a goal for Houston in the eighth minute, the Thorns were not fazed, bringing wave after wave of attack.
Midway through the first half, the two Dash veterans continued their strong start, making back-to-back plays to keep Portland off the board. Van Wyk was up for the challenge of the Thorns attack in the 14th minute when, with Sinclair waiting on the doorstep, she remained a step ahead of the Canadian legend. Van Wyk cleared the dangerous ball sent in from Australian import Ashleigh Sykes and relieved the pressure momentarily for Houston.
Just a minute later in the 15th minute, Brooks took Hayley Raso’s chance away in Houston’s box. Brooks’ style isn’t to dive in with the speedy forward barreling down. Instead, she waits, patiently, unafraid. In this game, she waited and contained Raso long enough for Van Wyk to arrive and help support, eventually clearing the ball out of danger. Not too long after that, Brooks was busy once again. This time she sacrificed her body her block a vicious shot by Meghan Klingenberg, who was moving in her typical left-to-right tread.
A close call in the 27th minute required Brooks to be aware of just which Portland player was around her. In this instance, it was Allie Long attempting to get in behind the backline about 25 yards out. Brooks stretched out to steal the slotted ball, breaking off what was sure to be a breakaway date with Houston’s rookie goalkeeper Jane Campbell.
In the second half, it was much of the same from the Dash dynamic duo.
With the Thorns piling on the pressure, Van Wyk and Brooks had to do whatever it took not to allow a goal, let alone a goal right after half. In the 53rd minute, they stood their ground on teasing ball after ball being whipped in by the Thorns, each rising to head it out two different times. Even with the high pressure, Houston and its backline displayed steady composure, led by Van Wyk and Brooks in the center.
Several minutes later Brooks showed how dangerous her service can be, almost grabbing an assist, but Carli Lloyd’s header went just wide. It’s a shame Lloyd couldn’t quite get it on target because it was a gorgeous ball in from Brooks.
Van Wyk and Brooks orchestrated a solid game-plan from the back all night long, switching fields when necessary and providing support to the midfield. They did a fantastic job leading the Dash, and while they earned just one point, it was a sign of life once again from this team.
The other two points slipped away when Horan scored a lovely free kick in the 91st minute. Houston had done a wonderful job keeping Horan in check all game until a moment of magic spoiled the result. It was certainly a stunner for Dash fans, just seconds within reach of a rare win at home.
Still, it doesn’t take away from the performance of Van Wyk and Brooks that kept it that close for 90 minutes.
No matter what Portland tried, Houston had an answer. They were just making all the right decisions. Staying organized, working for quality spells of possession, movement on and off the ball was satisfying, and they worked hard to control the pace of the game. I could’ve picked several Dash players for this week’s column on the defensive side alone. It was one of my favorite performances of the year so far.
2017 has been a good year for defenders moving into the midfield. First, was Julie Ertz with Chicago. And this weekend, we got another fascinating (and potentially transformative) example, with Christina Gibbons stepping out from her traditional left back role to patrol the central midfield for KCKC.
It’s impossible to discuss any part of KC’s season this year, without mentioning Amy Rodriguez, whose injury in the first game of the season threw everything into chaos. It’s hard to think of many players in the league that would have been more essential to the team’s plan going into the year. Without Rodriguez, they lack a true linking player in their attack. Despite immense talent (the KC frontline looked to be one of the most dangerous in the league at the start of the season), they’ve struggled mightily to find the creativity that can help unleash the full talents of Sydney Leroux and Shea Groom—who both work better as slashing attackers rather than as central strikers. Combined with the absence of Mandy Laddish, it’s been tough times down the middle for Kansas City this year.
Now, they are hardly without resources, and Vlatko has managed to put together a solid Plan B: a system with two holding midfielders at the base of a compact 4-2-3-1. The goal is to put a firm hand on the throttle, keep control of the game, and prevent the other side from getting the chance to come at you. But it’s hard to spend the whole year in a defensive crouch, and to his credit, he’s continued to tinker at the edges—looking for a way to get his talented attacking players better looks at goal.
A bit of serendipity brings Gibbons to central midfield
And this weekend, against Sky Blue, a small bit of serendipity seems to have helped that process along. With Lo’eau LaBonta suspended for the match, Andonovski asked Christina Gibbons, his rookie left back, to try her luck in the midfield.
On paper the move makes a lot of sense. Gibbons is very skilled on the ball, an excellent passer, with good field vision, and good pace. And while she still has work to do with her defensive positioning and tackling, she’s a good defender one-on-one. All of those skills suggests an able box-to-box midfielder, something KC has really been lacking this year.
Still, it was a gamble since, despite having moved around a lot—as young and talented players are often asked to do—central midfield is not one of the positions she’s spent much time in. And with only a few days to practice, there wasn’t much time for direction. As Gibbons described her training: “He gave me a few directions going into the weekend, but mostly just said ‘I want you to feel it out yourself and make adjustments as you go.’” She had a few days to try and get comfortable working with Desiree Scott to manage her new responsibilities covering arguably the most important area on the pitch.
So this was by no means a sure thing. But this sort of move—slightly outside the box, based on an expectation that his players all understand the team’s overall approach and setup, grounded in a deep sense of trust between player and coach—that’s been the hallmark of Vlatko’s tenure at Kansas City. After all, this is a coach who looked at Yael Averbuch and saw one of the league’s best center backs.
And once again, Andonovski’s vision paid off. It seemed to take Gibbons five or ten minutes to really get comfortable in the role, but before long, things started to click.
A fluid 4-4-2
One crucial advantage to playing Gibbons is the additional flexibility she brings to the role. Desiree Scott, Becca Moros, and even Lo’eau LaBonta (who has shown some flair this year) are all excellent players, but they’re generally best utilized as true holding players. They can get forward in the attack, but that’s not their primary role. With Gibbons, KC instantly becomes more expansive.
And in an effort to take advantage of that opportunity, the formation needed some tweaking as well, moving away from the 4-2-3-1 that looked to pack the midfield and seize control of the game and toward a 4-4-2 that played more expansively. And which played at a much higher tempo.
On defense, they generally worked with two banks of four in the defense and midfield, with Gibbons and Scott spread out to cover the midfield horizontally. On offense, however, Gibbons had a lot more freedom to move forward aggressively into an attacking midfield role. In fact, at times, the 4-4-2 actually split apart a bit, playing more like a 4-1-4-1, with Scott staying back as the only true holding player, and with Gibbons and Groom almost playing side to side as a pair of inside forwards.
Closer to a 4-1-4-1
And this raises another key point. This setup is notable for the flexibility it provides for the strikers. Groom, in particular, seemed to relish the opportunity. It gives her the chance to come back, pick the ball up high, and take people on going forward. There are few in the league who can match her at full flight with the ball at her feet, but playing out wide for most of the year, she’s had fewer chances to exploit defenses this way. In this 4-4-2, she had that freedom, and it made a huge difference.
A scary sight for opposing defenses
For almost the first time since that opening match, Kansas City looked like the dominant attacking force a lot of us expected them to be. And while Gibbons is still a long way from being ‘the next Amy Rodriguez,’ it was still notable just how much this setup seemed to revolve around her creativity and passing acumen on the center stage. You can see clear evidence of this in the first KC goal, of course, but there are plenty of other examples. The thing that immediately strikes you when watching Gibbons is how quickly the ball moves. One-touch passes, quick touches to produce an angle, and then moving the ball along. I’d love to see the Opta stats on this one, because at least subjectively, it didn’t seem like she necessarily had all that many touches. But when she did get involved, things tended to happen.
A (much) more open game
For all the benefits of this approach, there are of course consequences as well. If their previous setup was focused on managing and limiting the other side, this more fluid attacking approach depends on sacrificing some defensive stability. When the game is more open, there are more chances for both sides to step into that space. And if the KC attack is generally going to play higher up the pitch, it requires the whole team to do more pressing in order to close down counterattacks before they can get going. This is an approach that emphasizes disruption over control.
But (at least in the first half), this gamble more than paid off. Sky Blue spent most of the half looking a bit overwhelmed, and were often at a loss to make much of their possessions—turning the ball over as soon as they won it on quite a few occasions. In particular, neither of their central duo, Killion and Rodriguez, seemed to be particularly crisp. Amidst the harrying from Kansas City, they lost the ball far more often than they would have liked.
All of which meant that, very quickly, Sky Blue seemed to settle back into a fairly deep defensive position. They looked to pack their defensive third with bodies, giving Kansas City quite a bit of room on the ball in the midfield and out wide. In general, this probably is the best way for Sky Blue to play. Their defenders are quite good at soaking up pressure and closing down attacks once they’re in the danger zone, but far less good at managing wide-open defensive space. And for the first half hour, it did mostly work, with KC settling for some tame shots from distance and some not particularly well-measured crosses.
But Kansas City was pressing hard, and eventually the dam burst, with Groom moving wide and sending in a cross that Sheridan could only punch away. A delightful bit of insight and creativity from Gibbons and a solid strike from Bowen and KC found the back of the net.
The pressure kept up for the rest of the half, with Gibbons growing into the game, and defensive harassment giving her plenty of chances to shine. Eventually, that’s what produced the second goal, with Killion losing the ball on a tough challenge from Scott. A quick KC counterattack unfolded, with the Sky Blue defenders dropping away to try and set up their bunker. But Gibbons found the ball at her feet, with space to run, and simply went for goal.
A game of two halves
As the cliché goes, this one was very much a game of two halves, with Kansas City rampant for the first half and Sky Blue even more dominant for the second. A huge part of that is Shea Groom’s red card. For the second week in a row, Kansas City found themselves down a player for the second half. But where Houston was content to settle deep and let KC have the ball, Sky Blue was chasing the game and were absolutely relentless in doing so.
And here is where the serendipity turned around a bit. LaBonta’s suspension came with a big silver lining—by inspiring Gibbons’ move to the midfield, it breathed some new life into their attack—but in the second half her absence was felt quite keenly. As set up, KC was depending on aggressive pressing to close down the Sky Blue attack—and to shut off the supply to Sam Kerr at the top. But down a player, this simply wasn’t a viable approach. And with LaBonta unavailable, they simply didn’t have the sort of solid defensive substitute that was desperately needed to shore up the backline.
Sky Blue, who had been so frustrated for the whole first half, were suddenly given space all across the field, and 45 minutes worth of chances to target Sam Kerr in the box. The Kansas City defense managed to hold out for a long time, but eventually, exhaustion seemed to set in and Kerr was able to score a dazzling hat trick to clinch the game.
Going forward
All in all, that made for a bitter defeat, but one from which KC should be able to take a lot of solace. In a year of difficult results, they’re still only a couple of victories away from the playoff race and are now possessing some additional tactical options.
It will certainly be interesting to see how Gibbons is used going forward. In the short term, it’s hard to imagine Vlatko moving her immediately back to left back, but over the long term that may still be her best role. Especially once Laddish returns and can fill that crucial linking role.
And over the even longer term, this is a question that will be interesting to folks above and beyond just Kansas City fans, since Gibbons certainly is in the mix of young and talented players with a chance to break into the full national team. Left back is an extremely deep position right now, but if she has the flexibility to play elsewhere at a high level, that might make a difference in her chances of joining the squad.
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