Tag: Amber Brooks

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances in Week 10

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week. 

We’re right around the midpoint of the NWSL season, and the table is starting to take shape. With the exception of the midweek battle between the North Carolina Courage and the Portland Thorns, Week 10 challenged each team to play without their U.S Women’s National Team members, who are currently in Salt Lake City preparing for a pair of friendlies against China. Despite losing six players to the national team camp, the North Carolina Courage narrowly maintained their unbeaten streak with a 1-1 draw against the Houston Dash on Sunday night. The Utah Royals found their first road win of the season against Sky Blue FC, who are still looking for their first win after nine games. The Chicago Red Stars also bounced back with a 2-0 win over the Washington Spirit in a match that was delayed over five hours due to weather. Overall, there were 12 goals scored across five matches in Week 10. Here is a full list of scores:

Portland Thorns vs. North Carolina Courage (1-4)

Sky Blue FC vs. Utah Royals (1-2)

Washington Spirit vs. Chicago Red Stars (0-2)

Houston Dash vs. North Carolina Courage (1-1) 

Seattle Reign vs. Orlando Pride (0-0)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Haley Kopmeyer— Kopmeyer would probably be a starting goalkeeper on most rosters, but it’s difficult to break out of Ashlyn Harris’s shadow (just ask Aubrey Bledsoe). With Harris away on national team duty, Kopmeyer earned the start against the Seattle Reign, whom she played with before being traded to Orlando this past offseason. Kopmeyer took advantage of her opportunity. She faced 15 shots from the Reign and made five saves, including one in the 51st minute that earned her a nomination for NWSL Save of the Week. Naomi Kawasumi took a shot from distance and Kopmeyer jumped into the air, punching the ball over the net. Even without Megan Rapinoe, it isn’t easy to get a clean sheet against Seattle. But Kopmeyer managed to shutdown the likes of Jess Fishlock and Naomi Kawasumi, giving the Pride their fourth clean sheet this season, and helped her team earn a point on the road. 

2. Emily Boyd— Like Kopmeyer, Boyd also stands in the shadow of a national team goalkeeper. But with Alyssa Naeher away on national team duty, the rookie out of California earned her first NWSL start. The Washington Spirit were lacking two of their stars on offense– Mallory Pugh, who is out with a knee injury, and Francisca Ordega, who is representing Nigeria in a pair of World Cup Qualifiers against Gambia. But Boyd still faced eleven shots from the Spirit and made four saves. Her save in stoppage time earned her an NWSL Save of the Week nomination. The Spirit managed to slot a ball behind the defense, and it landed at the feet of Ashley Hatch. Boyd saw that her defenders couldn’t get there, and she came off her line, sliding to the ground and putting her body in front of the ball. She got hit in the face with Ashley Hatch’s foot, but still managed to jump back up, although the second effort from the Spirit went over the net. A clean sheet and three points on the road— not a bad way to make your NWSL debut. 

3. Lydia Williams— Williams, who has been alternating with Betos throughout the season, earned another clean sheet this week against the Orlando Pride. Like other teams, the Pride had a somewhat diminished offense, lacking the talents of Alex Morgan and Marta. But Chioma Ubogagu, Sydney Leroux, and others can be equally threatening. Williams faced 12 shots and made two saves on Sunday night. In the 74th minute, the Pride set up a shot from Emily Van Egmond. Williams managed to stick her foot out and make an instinctive kick save, knocking the ball to her left where it was eventually knocked out of play. The scoreless draw marked Williams’ third clean sheet of the year. 

Top Three Defenders

1. Amber Brooks— The North Carolina Courage may have been missing a few key attackers in their weekend match against the Houston Dash, but the Houston defense was still going up against Jessica McDonald and Lynn Williams. The Houston defense looked shaky early on in the game, but eventually they settled down, and Brooks played a critical role in the central defense to keep the Courage from setting up their shots. The Courage were only able to get eight shots in that match, including three shots on goal. Brooks made a couple of key blocks and dispossessions throughout the match, again preventing the Courage from developing a firm rhythm. With Brooks and Van Wyk in the central defense, and Allysha Chapman and Haley Hanson on the outside, the Houston defense is shaping up to be competitive with the best in the league. 

2. Katherine Reynolds— Reynolds is one of the best defenders in the NWSL. In Portland’s midweek match against the North Carolina Courage, Reynolds made her 100th career NWSL appearance. While the Thorns ultimately allowed four goals in, including a penalty given away by Reynolds in the 30th minute, Reynolds also had some shining moments. One of those moments came in the 50th minute, when Reynolds got in front of Lynn Williams to block her shot. But Reynolds best moment of the night came– surprisingly– on offense. A free kick was given to the Thorns in the 88th minute, just outside of the 18-yard box. Heath took the free kick and sent the ball towards the edge of the 18-yard box. With no other players there to grab it, Reynolds set up her shot and slotted it across the keeper to the back of the net. The goal is Reynolds first in her career. 

3. Jess Fishlock— Fishlock is not usually a name one expects to hear on defense. And while she had some spectacular moments on offense in this weekend’s match against the Orlando Pride, it was her save in the 50th minute that earned her a spot on the highlight reel. Leroux had the ball at the edge of the 18-yard box, and tried to send a cross into the middle. But Fishlock anticipated the play and jumped in front of the ball, sending it out of play. 

Top Three Attackers 

1. Lynn Williams— It’s been a slow start to the season for Lynn Williams. She’s started in nine of the Courage’s 12 matches, but prior to this week, she had scored only one goal. But in the midweek match against the Portland Thorns, Williams started to find her rhythm again, scoring her second and third goals of the season. She opened up the game in the 30th minute, when Debinha was taken down in the box by Katherine Reynolds and the Courage earned a penalty. Williams took that penalty, slotting the ball into the bottom corner. She found the back of the net again in the 62nd minute. A corner kick was sent into the box, and bounced off the heads of a couple of Courage players before Williams was able to get her left foot on it and send it into the back of the net. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to carry that momentum into the weekend against the Houston Dash. The Courage just couldn’t get going on offense, and Williams was substituted out in the 56th minute.

2. Yuki Nagasato— Nagasato is an unsung hero for the Chicago Red Stars, and she proved that again this week with a goal and an assist in the Red Stars 2-0 win over the Washington Spirit. The first goal was set up by Nagasato when the Red Stars earned a free kick in the center of the pitch, a few yards outside of the 18-yard box. Nagasato slotted it towards the bottom corner, forcing Kelsey Wys to make a diving save. While Wys was able to successfully block the shot, she couldn’t grab onto it nor could she jump up in time to stop Sam Kerr, who came in with the second effort and found the back of the net. Nagasato found a goal of her own in the 48th minute. She brought the ball down inside the 18-yard box, settling it and passing it off to Alyssa Mautz. Mautz then sent it right back to Nagasato, who found some space and sent the ball back into that bottom corner. This time, Wys wasn’t quick enough to stop it, and Chicago found themselves with a 2-0 lead. This was Nagasato’s first goal and second assist on the season. 

3. Sam Kerr— Kerr made her seventh start of the season on Saturday night, and did plenty to make her presence known. She scored the Red Stars first goal of the night in the 25th minute, after a terrific free kick by Nagasato bounced out of the hands of Kelsey Wys. Kerr was able to get to the ball before the Spirit defenders and kick it into the back of the night to give Chicago the lead. While Kerr would be limited to one goal that night, she had a couple of other fantastic chances. In the 20th minute, she took a shot from outside the 18-yard box that sailed just over the top of the net. And then in the 64th minute, Alyssa Mautz threaded a ball through the Spirit defense to Kerr, who couldn’t get a good angle and sent the ball just wide of the post. In those seven appearances, Kerr has scored five goals for the Chicago Red Stars, including three goals in her last two games. 

Amber Brooks Deserves Another Shot With the USWNT

Posted on by RJ Allen

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 Curious Case of Red Card Appeals

Posted on by RJ Allen

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: 

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.

Unsung Hero of the Week: Dynamic Dash Duo

Posted on by RJ Allen

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.

Draft Class Magic: Late Round Picks that Paid Off

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL draft has brought some truly outstanding players into the league from the world of college soccer: Crystal Dunn, Rose Lavelle, both Mewis sisters, the list of first round picks could go on and on.

But past the second round the chances of success can fade. I’ve gone back as far as the very first draft in 2013 to pick out my top 10 picks from the 3rd or 4th rounds, to see who went late and paid off for their clubs.

Each of the ten I picked are starters (at least are when both ACLs are healthy), and have made major impacts for their clubs since coming on board.

2015 – 19th Overall Pick – Caprice Dydasco – Washington Spirit

Dydasco was the very first pick on the third round of the 2015 NWSL draft. While she only played 6 games, with 1 start, in 2015 it was 2016 where she really started to shine. With 12 appearances, all starts, the speedy defender proved her worth to the Spirit, helping take them to the NWSL championship game. While she ended up with a torn ACL before half time, she has made a quick recovery and already returned to the pitch in 2017, which will surely be a delight for Spirit fans far and wide.

2015 – 21st Overall Pick – Sabrina D’Angelo – Western New York Flash

Only two goalkeepers were taken in the 2015 draft. FC Kansas City selected Katelyn Rowland with the 17th pick, which was followed by the Flash taking D’Angelo four spots later. While the two would end up as teammates during the Flash’s 2016 championship run, it is D’Angelo who has come out on top in terms of playing time and accolades. The Canadian international has been quite good since coming in to the NWSL. And no one can forget her 3 PK saves during the title game in 2016. 

2016 – 23rd Overall Pick – Erica Skroski – Sky Blue FC

In 2016 Sky Blue took four players, each still on the current roster. Their third pick was used to snag Rutgers defender Erica Skroski, who made an immediate impact on the Sky Blue starting XI. Her speed, calmness under pressure, and willingness to put in the work have made her a mainstay in a young Sky Blue backline, where she has brought maturity far beyond what most second year players can find.  Some minor injury worries have limited her time somewhat this year, but once she is back to 100%, her tough defending will once again be a rock in that back four.

2017 – 23rd Overall Pick – Kailen Sheridan- Sky Blue FC

Goalkeepers always go late. It’s a fact of the draft. But if early returns are any indication, a few coaches might have wanted to take a bigger risk in 2017. Sheridan won the starting job right out of the gate for Sky Blue and hasn’t looked back since. Her performances seem to only get better week to week. While some young goalkeepers have struggled coming into the league in the past it seems that Sheridan is thriving under the pressure.

2013 – 24th Overall Pick – Amber Brooks – Portland Thorns FC

Amber Brooks is one of those players who sometimes struggles to find playing time, despite performing extremely well whenever she actually gets the chance to take regular minutes. She is smart on the ball, able to play a hard position, holding mid, well and has a rocket of a shot when she takes it. It is against all reason that Brooks has not been in the USWNT picture since a brief stint in 2013.

2013 – 25th Overall Pick – Jen Hoy – Chicago Red Stars

Jen Hoy is often the odd woman out for Chicago when people discuss their many attacking options. And there are certainly plenty of other names to focus on there. But while she might not have the panache of Press or the outright speed of Huerta, Hoy has some beautiful footwork, great vision and had put in work over her time on the Red Stars. 2015 may serve as her high water mark with 1110 minutes played over 18 matches, with 4 goals scored but I think given the chance she has more in the tank.

2014 – 25th Overall Pick – Emily Menges – Portland Thorns FC

Over the last 3 years, Menges has been one of the best defenders in the NWSL. She’s the kind of player who rarely gets the recognition she deserves–solid no-nonsense defenders are often underappreciated.  Always solid, she has developed one of the most sophisticated readings of the game, and her defending has only grown over the years.

2016 – 27th Overall Pick – Abby Smith – Boston Breakers

Another goalkeeper, another late round gem. Of the 5 goalkeepers who were selected in the 2016 NWSL draft Smith is the only one starting games. Lindsey Luke, Caroline Casey, Madalyn Schiffel, Britt Eckerstrom have all found themselves on NWSL rosters as backups, while Smith (when not fighting off nasty injuries) is the clear #1 in Boston. Her play has even gotten attention from the USWNT, as she was called into the US roster for the recent friendlies in Norway and Sweden Smith was on hand. Though she watched both games from the bench it was still a deserved call up. 

2015 – 30th Overall Pick – Whitney Church – Washington Spirit

29 players had their names called before Whitney Church in 2015, nine of them defenders. And while you might not argue with Gilliland or Dahlkemper going before her it is clear that Washington got a bargain when they took Church 30th overall. Speed has never been Church’s primary feature but her brains on the pitch and her skill in the air have kept her in the Spirit’s lineup every game so far in 2017.

2013 – 31st Overall Pick – Haley Kopmeyer – Seattle Reign FC

Maybe the greatest late round draft pick of all time. Haley Kopmeyer joined a Seattle team already populated by the likes of Michelle Betos and Hope Solo and outlasted both of them. She joined in 2013 as a clear 3rd choice, but has taken the time spent as a backup to craft and hone her trade, growing by leaps and bounds into a top 3 goalkeeper this year. Her growth is in no small part to the Reign’s commitment to develop her and to Hope Solo’s mentorship of her during her time on the team. From second-to-last to one of the best isn’t too shabby.