Tag: Alex Morgan

Around the World of WoSo: The Book of Ellis, Lloyd Makes City Debut

Posted on by RJ Allen

Panico to make history:

Patrizia Panico is set to make history in the realm of Italian soccer. The 42-year-old former striker for the Italian Women’s National Team is the assistant coach to the U-16 level and will coach two games this week. Head coach Daniele Zoratto will be out due to commitment to the U-19 squad.

This will be the first time a woman is on the sidelines in the existence of Italy’s soccer program. It’s exciting, and a great opportunity for women in sports. Having just Panico in charge for a pair of games could open the door for not only her but other women wishing to coach at any level in Italy.

 

Simon says … surgery:

Matildas and Boston Breakers star Kyah Simon has announced she will have double shoulder surgery in an effort to rid her of pain in her shoulders that she has been suffering for quite some time. Simon also stated in an Instagram post that she has been dealing with dislocations for over nine years.

The 25-year-old has been a consistent playmaker for not only the Australian national team and Sydney FC but also the Boston Breakers of the National Women’s Soccer League here in the States. Simon has been a Breaker since 2015, appearing in 23 games and scoring three goals. She has informed the Breakers and fans that she will not be returning to the team for the 2017 season. Instead she will remain home in Australia to get the surgery and train individually when able.

This is a small bit of bad news for the Breakers considering what Simon brings to the club (goals and energy), but Boston have made some exciting additions in the off-season. Two of those include draftees Rose Lavelle and Morgan Andrews.

 

City win in Lloyd’s debut:

Manchester City Women played Reading in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday, winning 1-0 on a Lucy Bronze goal in the 84th minute. But perhaps another story worth buzzing about was that U.S. midfielder, Carli Lloyd, made her much-anticipated debut for The Blues.

Lloyd didn’t get on the scoresheet, but she did make her presence felt around the goal, almost finding the back of the net on two occasions. Her best chance for serious contribution was in the 12th minute, when Lloyd found Georgia Stanway, but Reading goalkeeper Mary Earps was more than up for the challenge. Lloyd got stronger as the game went on—perhaps a good sign for times to come?

Lloyd signed a short contract to play for Manchester for three months and is expected back sometime in June for NWSL play with the Houston Dash.

 

Morgan heating up:

Alex Morgan found success once again with Olympique Lyonnais over the weekend. The 27-year-old striker appeared in her fifth game for Lyon, coming on for Caroline Seger in the second half against Albi. Morgan found her goal-scoring form last weekend when she netted a hat-trick to lead Lyon to another lopsided victory at Rodez.

This time, Morgan only needed two minutes to bag two goals for the French powerhouse. She finished off the scoring for the day after her teammates put away three goals in the first half by way of Saki Kumagai, Ada Hegerberg, and Camille Abily.

Morgan and Lyon next play in the first leg of the Champions League in Wolfsburg March 23rd.

 

Kranich goes to Princeton:

Former Boston Breaker Jami Kranich has announced she will be an assistant coach on the Princeton Women’s Soccer staff for the 2017 season. Kranich played two seasons with Boston from 2014-2015 before being let go near the start of the 2016 season. Although competing with Alyssa Naeher for the number one spot would be tough to ask of a rookie, Kranich held her own. While in Boston, she appeared in 17 games, grabbing eight starts and earning a record of two wins, four losses, and two draws.

Kranich has respectable experience working as a coach since graduating from the University of Villanova in 2014. She has been an assistant coach at Stars of Massachusetts Football Club and Keeper Institute Goalkeeper Summit. Kranich will be a fine addition to a team that has been successful in recent years, going 31-14-7 in the Ivy League and looking to become even more competitive in 2017.

 

The Book of Ellis:

Over the last 6 months the USWNT has been using a three-back system for friendlies, an experiment implemented by head coach Jill Ellis. With the United States finishing in last place in the #SheBelievesCup in March, the criticism of the losses has been centered on the new formation. Some of it has been fair (questions of using players full potential in this system) while some of it maybe is a bit premature (asking for Ellis to be let go). Either way, the “Thesis of a Three-Back” seems to have crept into the NWSL mailboxes as required reading material this off-season.

Over the weekend, two teams in particular were using similar formations to that of Ellis and the National team—the Orlando Pride and the Washington Spirit. The Pride went with Laura Alleway, Ali Krieger and Dani Weatherholt as the chosen three, while the Spirit opted for Shelina Zadorsky, Whitney Church and Estelle Johnson.

Washington played Penn State University and earned a 3-0 victory. Orlando hosted Stetson and showed no mercy, producing a nine-goal shutout. Neither PSU nor Stetson were a serious test of the defenses, but could this formation become a trend in the NWSL? While I don’t have a clear answer, I do think if more teams toy with it and it somehow works, it could be intriguing to watch.

Nevertheless, after the embarrassment that was the #SheBelievesCup, I’m not yet sold on the idea of the National Team committing to it.

Around the World of WoSo: Morgan Hat-Trick, Sweden Gains a Kiwi

Posted on by RJ Allen

Wilkinson to Sweden:

After five years at the University of Tennessee, New Zealand International Hannah Wilkinson has signed her first professional contract. The 24-year-old striker is now in Sweden to play for Vittsjo GIK, a respected club in the Damallsvenskan league.

Wilkinson had a well-rounded career at Tennessee, from 2012-2016 she played in 68 games while scoring 33 goals and adding 19 assists. On the National Team for New Zealand, Wilkinson has been capped 78 times and already played in two World Cups, two Olympic games, and has scored 24 goals. She has so much experience, it’s no wonder a top club wanted her.

If Wilkinson can remain healthy, I would expect her to get on the score sheet plenty once she suits up.

Stout Out For Boston:

The Boston Breakers of the National Women’s Soccer League have announced that goalkeeper Libby Stout has sprained her ankle and is expected to be out 4-6 weeks. In 2016 Stout started in nine of the ten games she appeared in, accumulating 42 saves in that time.

Boston drafted Sammy Jo Prudhomme out of University of Southern California, who won the 2016 NCAA DI College Cup. She and Abby Smith are expected to battle for the number one spot. Preseason has begun for all teams as they prepare for the fifth NWSL season which opens April 15th.

Boston has revamped their roster, adding defenders Megan Oyster, Allysha Chapman, Amanda Frisbie; midfielders Amanda DaCosta, Rosie White, Rose Lavelle; and forwards Tiffany Weimer, Emilie Haavi. I think this could be the year they climb out of the bottom of the table and compete in the middle of the table.

Sky Blue Release Stanley:

Sky Blue FC has announced they have released goalkeeper Caroline Stanley. The 23-year-old got 11 starts in 2016, racking up 33 saves in 940 minutes. She earned two wins, four losses, and four draws in her time in New Jersey.

Sky Blue now turns their attention to Caroline Casey and the rookie from Clemson, Kailen Sheridan. Both are worthy of the number one spot, with Casey earning 10 starts in 2016 and Sheridan playing 21 games her final season at Clemson, earning a .77 goals against average.

With Stanley being a Kansas City native, could we see her land as the backup for Nicole Barnhart in the near future? I think that would be a great opportunity for both FCKC and Stanley.

Moros Back to KC:

A key piece of the 2015 NWSL championship team for Kansas City has returned. After being sent to Houston for the 2016 season, Becca Moros is finding her way back to the Blues. FCKC acquired the defender from Houston for their highest third round pick in the 2018 College Draft.

Moros has played for Portland, Houston, and Kansas City, playing in 58 games since 2014. KC finished in sixth in 2016, and for the first time in two years didn’t qualify for the playoffs. Bringing back Moros is certainly good news; she has always been a solid defender in the NWSL. It’s safe to say the defense in KC just got better, as they also have Becky Sauerbrunn and Katie Bowen, who are stars in their own right. With a few other familiar pieces added (Amy Rodriguez, Sydney Leroux Dwyer), could FCKC return to the top of the league?

New Look Spirit:

The Washington Spirit have signed six players to a new contract: Estelle Johnson, Jo Lohman, Cheyna Williams, Cali Farquharson, Kristie Mewis, and Alyssa Kleiner. They also signed two picks from the 2017 College Draft, Meggie Dougherty Howard (University of Florida) and Lindsay Agnew  (Ohio State).

These are all surely a relief for the Spirit organization, who had a busy off-season. Big time players left including Ali Krieger (Orlando Pride), Christine Nairn (Seattle Reign), Diana Matheson (Seattle Reign), Crystal Dunn (Chelsea Ladies FC), and Estefania Banini (Valencia Feminas FC).

Even with the changes, the Spirit have a reputation for winning, and 2017 is no different. Fans expect them to make the playoffs every year. In 2016 they finished the regular season in second and lost to Western New York Flash in the NWSL final. It will be interesting to watch this team come together and answer the question: Just how long will it take to find that right amount of chemistry?

Only time will tell.

Morgan Finds Her Goals:

Orlando Pride and USWNT star Alex Morgan has finally found her stride for Olympique Lyonnais in the D1 Feminine. In three previous starts, the 27-year-old striker hit the post a few times and came close, but never quite connected the right way. On Sunday she played in her fourth game and managed to score three goals for Lyon.

Was it inevitable, Morgan scoring for Lyon? Of course it was, even with the stacked roster that includes Wendie Renard, Eugenie Le Sommer, Elodie Thomis, Ada Hegerberg, Dzsenifer Marozsan, and many more. Morgan was going to find playing time and with world-class support behind her on the field and on the bench, she was eventually going to find goals.

Morgan got the start and netted her first goal in the 38th minute after finding a slotted pass from Thomis inside the eighteen-yard box. With Lyon leading by just a pair of goals at halftime, Morgan and company turned it on in the second half, showing no mercy. Morgan grabbed her second goal in the 63rd minute, and finished her clinic in the 79th minute to secure the win.

Lyon was competing in the French Cup Quarter-finals against Rodez. With the hat-trick by Morgan leading the way to a 6-0 win, they advance to the semi-finals.

She Believes: USWNT v France

Posted on by RJ Allen

The US will make their final 2017 She Believes appearance this evening, playing in a match against France. Coming out of the second round of games, France leads the table, with a 2-1 win over England and a 0-0 draw with Germany to earn them 4 points and a +1 goal differential. The US, on the other hand, earned 3 points with their 1-0 win over Germany but lost 1-0 to England on Sunday, leaving them vying for second place in the standings. At three points each and +0 goal differential, the US women and their English opponents are neck and neck, with Germany falling securely in last place with a single point.

Honestly?

I don’t know if anyone knows what to expect tonight. One could say that France has the momentum coming in, but they were unable to break down Germany and score to secure the win on Sunday. On the other hand, it could be said that the US has the upper hand, but they lost to England that same day, unable to defend against a last-second set piece from a desperate-to-score English squad. If there is a team on an upswing right now, it has to be England, who have a definite chance at the title if they win or draw against Germany this afternoon.

One thing is certain though, the US must win this match if they want the title. Regardless of what happens in the earlier match, if they simply draw the French, it will not be enough to see the Cup stay with the home team.

But a win against France will not be easy. Foremost, perhaps, France’s experienced players must be taken into consideration. With players like Le Sommer, Thiney, Bussaglia, Abily, and Georges—all likely see time on the pitch tonight—France has over 700 caps-worth of experience to call upon when they take the field. More than experience, however, the US needs to worry about 6’1″ centerback Wendie Renard, whose height and head could prove deadly in set-pieces in the box for the shorter American team.  On defense, too, Renard is a formidable opponent for the US’s attacking game, and as much as I hate to admit it, if the outcome of the game comes down to defense, France’s backline is stronger, better organized, and simply performing at a higher level than Jill Ellis’s experimental 3-back right now.

What can the US do to win? They’re going to need to be organized. The midfield needs to be locked down, taken in hand by someone with a Lauren Holiday or Shannon Boxx style of leadership—calm and steady. They need some stability, and time to build partnerships and chemistry. But right now, with players being swapped left and right and Ellis seemingly undecided on the shape she wants in that section of the pitch, the midfield looks antsy and uncertain of their strategic value. And maybe no one more than Carli Lloyd, who continues to play back even when her coach urges her to move forward.

The forwards will need to be faster, and the passes from the line or the midfield need to be made with surgical precision tonight, letting a fewer balls roll out of play than we’ve seen over the past two games. Whoever starts in an attacking position tonight needs to make cutting runs into the box, supported by powerful and accurate crosses from the wings. The kind of crosses Ali Krieger and Kelley O’Hara can send into the box in their sleep. I know Krieger has said recently that she likes the 3-back specifically because she can focus on defending, but honestly? The US needs her support in the attack, making those long sideline runs on the right to set up scoring opportunities for Press, for Pugh, for Williams, for whomever can cut into a scoring opportunity.

The ultimate question, of course, is whether the US can win against France tonight. And they can. It can be done. But they’re going to have to come out looking a hell of a lot different than we’ve seen over the past two matches. And that includes personnel as well. Ellis is shaking things up in her Starting XIs, that is undeniable, but is she shaking the right things?  Maybe it’s time for some players to sit down. Lloyd, Morgan, even Long, if you asked me. Because with the first two, the team plays to them specifically. The US plays a different type of soccer when Lloyd is on the field, or Morgan. They play soccer built around those players’ styles. And it’s not working anymore.

The best player of Saturday’s match was Rose Lavelle, earning her first cap and Player of the Match on the same night. Lavelle was a driving force against England, honestly, I’d take her over Allie Long anywhere on the pitch, any day of the week. (Yes, even at CB. Please don’t put Lavelle at CB.) The best player of the match before that? Lynn Williams, and no, not just because she scored the winning goal, but because she brings a kind of innovation to the field that is sorely needed.

 

Around the World of WoSo: NWSL Draft, Morgan in Lyon

Posted on by RJ Allen

NWSL College Draft Tidbits:

The 2017 National Women’s Soccer League College Draft was held in Los Angeles over the weekend and – no surprise – Rose Lavelle was taken number one overall. The first of 40 picks, the talented midfielder out of Wisconsin spent all four years a Badger and led her team to two (2014, 2012) trips to the postseason. 

2016 National Champions USC had plenty to celebrate on the day, as five player’s names were called. Three players went in the first round; Morgan Andrews third to Boston, Kayla Mills fourth to Sky Blue who also grabbed Miranda Freeman with the 10th pick. Two more players were selected in the second and fourth rounds respectively as Seattle took a chance on Katie Johnson, while Samantha Prudhomme found a home in Boston.

The newest team in the NWSL, the North Carolina Courage (formerly the Western New York Flash) had three picks. They grabbed Ashley Hatch from BYU with the second pick, Darian Jenkins out of UCLA with the seventh and Claire Wagner from Clemson at 20.

Alex Morgan Suits up for Lyon:

In her first action for Olympique Lyonnais in the Division 1 Feminine, Morgan helped Lyon to a 3-0 victory over Guingamp. Morgan managed 72 minutes and grabbed her first assist to French superstar Eugenie Le Sommer. This was a positive result for OL, considering the last match between these clubs was all Guingamp in a 3-1 win over Lyon last November.

A few reasons for the turnaround could be the additions of the American Morgan, Canadian Kadeisha Buchanan and German Josephine Henning. On paper, this roster could now be the best in the world. Other stars include; Le Sommer, Dzenifer Maroszán, Wendie Renard, Ada Hegerberg, Camille Abily, and Caroline Seger. All these world-class players on one team should be certainly intimidating for the rest of the league. Lyon leads the league in most titles with 14 and I do expect them to win it again this year.

USWNT Called Into January Camp:

Jill Ellis has called 29 players in for the first United States Women’s National Team camp of 2017. This camp will serve as evaluation for the upcoming SheBelieves tournament in March.

22 players from last year are back, including Carli Lloyd, Alyssa Naeher, Becky Sauerbrunn, Tobin Heath, Crystal Dunn, Alex Morgan and Julie Johnson. Ellis has also called in six players who have not yet earned a cap; Jane Campbell, Adrianna Franch, Rose Lavelle, Christina Gibbons, Kristen Edmonds, and Taylor Smith. The young and explosive forwards Lynn Williams and Kealia Ohai are also back.

Ellis has also decided to bring in five U-23 players to the senior camp; 16-year-old Brianna Pinto, Casey Murphy (Rutgers), Mandy Freeman (Sky Blue FC), Tierna Davidson (Stanford), and Savannah McCaskill (South Carolina).

The long-awaited return of fan-favorite forward Amy Rodriguez was a nice surprise. Out since giving birth to a baby boy in June 2016, her last appearance was November of 2015 during the World Cup Victory Tour.

SheBelieves Cup Details Announced:

The second edition of the SheBelieves Cup will be held March 1-7th in three different locations; New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. All four teams from last year have agreed to compete again, each ranked in the top five; United States (1), Germany (2), France (3) and England (5).  

The venues chosen are Red Bull Arena (NJ), Talen Energy Stadium (PA), and RFK (D.C.). I would’ve liked the locations to be a little more south, as it could be a bit cold in March, but we will see how it works. Two of the USA matches will be shown on FS1, while the other one will be on FOX.

The Americans won last year, defeating Germany in the final match to secure the inaugural trophy.

England Legend Kelly Smith Retires:

The 38-year-old has decided to call her career in football over. The Lioness had a career most could only dream of. It started at Seton Hall where she set collegiate records, earned countless awards and scored 76 goals in just 51 matches and three years.

Her professional career started in 1994 and she played for several clubs; Wembley Ladies, New Jersey Lady Stallions, Philadelphia Charge, New Jersey Wildcats, Boston Breakers and Arsenal Ladies (three different stints).

Smith was a two-time FA POY and won 20 trophies in her time with Arsenal, including five FA Cups, winning the Premier League four times, the FA Cup three times and the UEFA Cup once. She finished her Arsenal career with 144 appearances and 125 goals, a remarkable ratio. In her brief time here in the States, her football style was enjoyable to watch, even when the sport was seriously struggling throughout the 2000s to gain attention.

What is amazing to think about is that even with a variety of injuries in her professional career, she managed to keep coming back and remind the world she belonged. She torn her ACL in 2002, broke her leg in 2004, picked up a stress fracture in her foot in early 2005, Achilles injury in 2011, and another stress fracture in 2012. Smith each time came back with resiliency, never giving up on herself.

One of her most notable accomplishments could be her international career with England from 1995-2015. She earned 117 caps and scored a record 46 goals in that span. Along with Rachel Yankey, Fara Williams, Casey Stoney, and Faye White, Smith carried the spotlight. She took on the responsibility of getting women’s football on the map; for me, she was what Mia Hamm was to the American fans. That’s how great she was, that’s how important she was to women’s football for England.

Personally, I believe Smith is one of the best players to ever step on the pitch. She will be missed but no doubt she will continue to teach the next generation of English footballers. Up next for Smith will be a full-time coaching role within Arsenal’s organization.  

Goals Galore Down Under:

This past weekend in W-League fans of Adelaide United and Canberra United had plenty to cheer about. Adelaide destroyed the Wanderers by a score 10-2 while Canberra managed a 7-2 win against Perth Glory. Two top scorers for Adelaide were Sofia Huerta and Adriana Jones, both having hat-tricks in a wild game. As for Canberra, Ashleigh Sykes was the stand-out player who grabbed four goals on the day.

These goals explain why Adelaide and Canberra are leading the league in total goals scored with 28 and 24 respectively. But they also concede almost as many, with Adelaide giving up 23 while Canberra has given up 19. Through 10 matches Adelaide still sit at the bottom of the table and Canberra remains in second place.

Breaking: Alex Morgan heads to France for Champions League

Posted on by RJ Allen

Alex Morgan, of the Orlando Pride, is heading to France for the end of the Olympic Lyons 2016-2017 season.

Morgan has played in the NWSL for each of the first four seasons. First with the Portland Thorns, and then in the 2016 season for the Orlando Pride.

Morgan explains her reasons for leaving in this piece in The Players’ Tribune.

Below is a portion of the press release from the Orlando Pride.

ORLANDO, Fla. (December 20, 2016) – U.S. Women’s National Team (U. S. WNT) forward Alex Morgan has communicated her desire to play the first half of 2017 in Europe, and will join French side Olympique Lyonnais. Morgan will return to the Pride following the conclusion of Lyon’s 2016-17 season in May.

“We are obviously disappointed that Alex will miss the beginning of the Pride season but understand her wishes to play in Europe and we look forward to her rejoining her teammates after Lyon’s season,” Orlando City SC Founder and President Phil Rawlins said. “This in no way affects our plans or commitment to growing Orlando Pride and we will continue providing the team the best available players, training resources and staff to become a championship contender in the NWSL and a leader in women’s professional soccer.”

“My decision to play for Lyon was not an easy one, but it is an important step in my evolution as a player,” Morgan said. “I want to thank the Pride and our incredible fans and community for their continued support. I look forward to returning home this summer as a better player and leader to join my teammates at our new stadium as we compete for a NWSL Championship.”

Morgan and fellow U.S. WNT players are annually allocated to NWSL by the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF). Currently, the USSF and the U.S. WNT Players Association are negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, with the current agreement set to expire on Dec. 31, 2016.

Go Watch the USWNT even if Alex Morgan isn’t Playing

Posted on by RJ Allen

The USWNT needs roster turnover more than you need to see Alex Morgan score a goal against a team outside of the top 10 in the FIFA rankings.

I understand seeing Alex Morgan or Julie Johnston or Carli Lloyd can improve your experience or make it into a once-in-a-lifetime thing, I really do. But included in the price of your ticket is not the right to get a say in who is in the starting eleven, who is in the 18, or who got called into that camp.

Outside of matches meant to reward or thank fans after a World Cup or Olympics, the games played, even the friendlies, are meant to test new players and check up on more seasoned players. They should matter to the evaluation of the coaching staff for the next major tournament and not be an eleven packed with fan favorites just for the sake of making those fans happy.

Alex Morgan shouldn’t start every single USWNT friendly. Neither should Carli Lloyd. Even Becky Sauerbrunn should be rotated to the bench a few times a year to give other players a chance to grow their experience and for evaluations. Not to mention resting some of your best in some of the less challenging games is a benefit to the players.

And while the chance of seeing Alex Morgan and Julie Johnston and Meghan Klingenberg have remained high in the past, with the newest 24 person roster for the upcoming camp and pair of friendlies, these games will happen without all three being even possible subs.

The USWNT needs to expand the list of names that the coaches are able to look at during the year. It’s even more important in the next two years as they gear up for France in 2019.

Some of the World Cup winning 15ers have retired. More will in the coming months. Some still will be cut. While it’s disheartening at times to see players left out in the cold, it is a necessary evil when it comes to sports.

Rosters aren’t 50 players long. You want some of the great NWSL players to get a shot? Someone has to go.

To all of those who have a friendly in their city and are thinking of not going? Go. Maybe you’ll get to see the first game of the next great USWNT player’s career. Maybe you’ll just see the first game of a player who has waited her whole life for the shot to step on the pitch with three stars above her heart.

Either way? Go to the game. Support the team. Hope in 2019 we have the best 23 the World Cup has ever seen. Your favorites or not.