Tag: Lyon

Euro Roundup: Champions, Champions League and WSL Restructure

Posted on by RJ Allen

Before you go ahead and read this article, please note that the Euro Roundup will be taking a little break over the summer period with the majority of leagues finished. There will be a roundup looking at the next round of results from World Cup Qualifications next month but that will be it for a while up until September.

Champions

As previously mentioned, many leagues have finished or are nearing their conclusion with the champions already crowned. In England, WSL1 was won by the unbeaten Chelsea. It was close between them and Manchester City with not much between the two. Ultimately it was points dropped by City late on in the season that cost them the title and a second full season in a row with an unbeaten side winning the title. Chelsea’s unbeaten run almost came to a halt in the last match with Liverpool taking an early 2-0 lead but 20 minutes from the end, Chelsea scored three in reply and secured that run. They also won the FA Cup this season with this being the second time they’ve won the double.

In Spain, it was another close-fought title race between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona. Atletico Madrid just managed to claim the title with Barcelona one point behind. Previous matches between the two in the league saw them evenly matched as both matches ended in 1-1 draws. Barcelona’s two losses let them down with those coming against Granadilla Tenerife Sur and Athletic Club. Atletico’s only loss came against Rayo Vallecano.

In France, it was business as usual with Lyon blowing the opposition away. At the time of writing this, they are still unbeaten in the league with one game to go. They’ve recorded 20 wins and one draw. That draw came against PSG on May 18th. Lyon faces Rodez on the final day. Unfortunately for PSG, they are eight points behind with 17 wins, two draws, and two losses.

German giants Wolfsburg won yet another title with the same point difference but still have two games to go. This is their second time of winning it twice in a row after the 2012/13 and 2013/14 wins. Between these feats, Bayern Munich achieved a double title win and that is who Wolfsburg travel to next.

Italy saw the closest title race in Europe with the title having to be decided in a championship decider match between Juventus and Brescia. The two teams finished the Series A season with identical records, 20-2. They each won against each other in the league with Juventus’ second loss against Fiorentina and Brescia’s against Mozzanica. Like the title race, the decider was a very close one with neither team scoring in 120 minutes. It took penalties to separate the two and Juventus triumphed winning it 5-4.

Champions League

Lyon triumphed over Wolfsburg in what was a crazy ending to the Champions League. That was Lyon’s fifth title and third in a row. Both teams looked equally matched in the regulation 90 minutes with chances for both.

It all started to change when Pernille Harder put Wolfsburg ahead just a few minutes into extra time. After being put through a grueling cup match just days before, this was a bit of a surprise and they looked to hold on to the lead. It didn’t take long for the match to implode on itself. Alexandra Popp committed a late challenge and having been booked already, she received her second one and was sent off. Lyon immediately pounced on this with Amandine Henry equalizing and Le Sommer putting them ahead just moments later. The win was pretty much wrapped up when Ada Hegerberg scored a record 15th goal of the UWCL campaign. Lyon added another late one in the 2nd half of extra time with Camille Abily getting the perfect send-off as she scored in her 81st and final European game.

WSL Restructure

The WSL started up in 2011 with a second league being added on in 2014. The next big change from then on was the recent 2017/18 season. The WSL had always been a summer season as it fitted in well with having the league as its own entity and filling a gap between normal seasons elsewhere. It changed to a winter season recently to put it in line with most other UK leagues as well as the European calendar. This was to help the top teams compete more in Europe as well as helping the national team. Not long after the season started, the news dropped that there would be a restructuring of the top four tiers which rendered promotion and relegation obsolete for this season.

The restructure seems minimal in Tier3  and Tier 4. That’s where the Women’s Premier League is and it will be renamed to the Women’s National League. The top Tier 1 and Tier 2 are where the main change is happening. WSL1 will revert back to the original name of WSL and WSL2 will become the Championship. There have already been licenses issued to various teams in both. All but 1 team in WSL1 has been granted a new one, with Sunderland waiting til the second round of application and Brighton going up from WSL2 to WSL1 after being granted a Tier 1 license.

There are seven confirmed teams in the Championship. Oxford United and Watford didn’t apply first time around but they could be included in the second round. The winner of the WPL Play-Off Final between Blackburn Rovers and Charlton Athletic will be in the Championship next season subject to the license. This leaves four spots in WSL and four spots in Tier 2. One of those four in Tier 2 looks to be filled by Manchester United who are starting a women’s team again but look to be taking it seriously with Casey Stoney set to become the manager.

The teams in both tiers will be confirmed on Monday, May 28th, so when you are reading this, you may be able to find out just who is in and who is out.

Backline Chat: USWNT Roster, Lyon, and Where Will Press Go?

Posted on by RJ Allen

Welcome to a new feature here at Backline: our weekly soccer chat. This week, we discussed the new USWNT roster, Lyon’s victory in the Champions League, and the continuing saga of Christen Press’s club situation. 

The transcript below has been lightly edited.

Charles Olney (@olneyce) : Welcome everyone, to our first edition of the Backline Soccer chat. To kick things off, let’s start with the most recent piece of news: the roster for the US Women’s National Team, which just dropped an hour or two ago. What from this roster strikes people as worth discussing? McCall Zerboni getting a callup? Christen Press coming back in after missing the last set of friendlies? The lack of a single natural fullback in the squad?

Alanna Fairbairn (@jfhobbit): I was a little surprised to see Campbell left off the GK list, honestly. The Dash has been the Dash for most of the season, but she’s kept them in striking distance in a lot of games.

Charles Olney: Campbell does feel like a big omission. It’s hard to look at her and Harris, for example, and explain the difference. I’m certainly excited to see Casey Murphy on the list, though, given the issues that all the other big names have been having.

RJ Allen (@TheSoccerCritic): I think the lack of experienced outside backs worries me most. The center backs are all real center backs. The outside backs are not.

Alanna Fairbairn: Yeah, the defense list was a head-scratcher

Tyler Nguyen (@tdn_): Do we think that Ellis just sees no fullbacks in the NWSL for her to choose from? Is anyone an obvious miss?

Alanna Fairbairn: I think all the fullbacks in the NWSL that have seen looks for the National Team have been exiled from the lists for one reason or another; Hinkle, Krieger, etc

RJ Allen: With Short and O’Hara out I think Ellis is less picking real replacements and more just shrugging her shoulders.

Charles Olney: I do think that the fullback pool is pretty weak right now. Looking at other options, Hinkle and Krieger are the two names that certainly leap out for me. Obviously, there are reasons why both might not get the call, but if you’re not going to take them, I’m not sure who else is really making a case for themselves.

Tyler Nguyen: Last season I would have said Gilliland is the obvious miss, but something’s up with her form this year. Good to see Purce get called up but she’s not really the finished product yet.

RJ Allen: I see no reason to call Krieger in at this point. Ellis has made it clear that Krieger’s time moving forward with the national team is done. Calling her up now to be a stopgap just takes the slot away from a player she might more likely take to the WWC in 2019.

Alanna Fairbairn: I see some reason to call Klingenberg, even with the fitness issues that she has. At least she’s experienced and would work well with Heath on the left side.

Charles Olney: Gilliland would be an interesting pick. Ellis has never seemed too enthusiastic about her, and her performances this year have been a little hit or miss. But when on, she’s been very good.

RJ Allen: Do we think Kristie Mewis would have gotten a look at outside back later in the year?

Tyler Nguyen: Oof. Too soon.

Alanna Fairbairn: I don’t think her play at outside back was anything to write home about. She didn’t really blossom until she was put up in the attacking formation

RJ Allen: Mewis was better than Huerta at outside back. (edited)

Charles Olney: Mewis (and Gilliland, et al) does raise the larger question of where this team stands in terms of depth. Ellis very clearly has strong opinions about a lot of players, and while we’ve seen a lot more movement in and out of the marginal slots recently, there do seem to be a batch of players that she simply thinks of as B/B+ players, and no matter how good their form, she just doesn’t buy them as national teamers. Do people think that’s a fair characterization? If so, is that a problem? Or just a quirk?

Tyler Nguyen: It does seem like Ellis hasn’t really ever accepted that players on the national team could just be role players.

RJ Allen: I really think Ellis is holding out hope that O’Hara and Short recover and are fine by next year. She doesn’t seem to really be testing out reasonable people for any new position, much less outside back.

Alanna Fairbairn: I think it’s a problem if they get zero looks at all on the international level. If they get called up and can’t hang, that’s one thing. If they’re prejudged without a call-up that’s an issue. But I also agree with RJ. She seems set on her lineup and these call-ups are just stopgaps until her Chosen Ones recover.

RJ Allen: Talent scouting is part of the job though. As much as I don’t always agree with the ones who are called up you can’t call up everyone in the set up the USWNT has.

Charles Olney: Let’s put this another way. Imagine that Ellis had to step away and you were put in charge of the team. What would you be doing differently in terms of personnel right now?

RJ Allen: Does cutting Carli Lloyd count?

Charles Olney: Sure does

RJ Allen: I really think Ellis is holding on to players that she shouldn’t. Lloyd being one of them. They don’t have the hold on her that someone like a Wambach, Boxx or Pearce had. But I think some of her thoughts are stuck in 2015.

Charles Olney: My approach would be to pretty radically shift things. My feeling is: China at this point isn’t dangerous enough to pose a serious threat to the best US squad, and we’re nowhere close to the World Cup yet. I’d take the chance to blood a bunch of new folks, try out young players that could fill in depth positions, or who might still grow into realistic first choice players a year from now. The Tournament of Nations is coming up and will give us plenty of time to see the first XI play together. Right now, let’s see the kids play, and give the vets a little bit of rest.

RJ Allen: I think this far in to the cycle is not the idea time to try out a bunch of people. I wouldn’t do that until after 2020 but I get why you would want to now. I agree some vets need the rest though.

Becky Schoenecker (@Beckster20): I would start with goalkeeping and shake that up a bit. I would have also called in different players, but I would use this time to like Charles said radically switch things up, but specifically with the keepers.

Alanna Fairbairn: I would kick Allie Long to the curb. I feel like she’s proved that while she’s spectacular in the league, she doesn’t provide much in any position for the NT except *maybe* forward, and we already have tons of those.

RJ Allen: I think Zerboni can do all Long can and a bunch of things she can’t. Long I think has the benefit of being willing to do whatever she is asked. She seems to have no problem playing wherever Ellis wants her.

Charles Olney: I’ve been a Long-skeptic for quite a while, and I generally agree with Alanna. But it would be pretty strange to cut her right now, when she’s playing about as well as I think she’s ever played. I’m not convinced it will last, but at least for the moment, Long is pretty clearly one of the best US midfielders.

RJ Allen: At a club level. Not at a USWNT level.

Charles Olney: I’m not convinced there’s a difference

RJ Allen: Not against China, no. Against England it is.

Becky Schoenecker: Long won’t lose a game for the US, I think she’s a safe roster position until some others step up.

Tyler Nguyen: Midfield for me is not a huge concern area at the moment. I think that US Soccer needs to better decide what they want from their fullbacks. It seems like the main objective is for them to be able to run the line all game, but they’re also expected to contribute to attack and there just isn’t talent out there to do both of those things on both sides of the field. The turnover at fullback in the past year or so has been pretty absurd

Charles Olney: Agree, Tyler.

RJ Allen: The only spots where I am pretty worry-free is centerback and forward. I think the three centerbacks are perfect and we have enough forward talent to make up for a lot of the midfield issues.

Charles Olney: Alright, I think there’s still plenty of national team conversation for us to have, but we’ll certainly have time to cover some of those issues over the next few weeks. For now, why don’t we turn to a different topic: the Champions League.

Lyon defeated Wolfsburg last week in a pretty peculiar game that saw very little action for 90 minutes and then all hell breaking loose as soon as extra time hit. Let’s talk for a bit about the game. How do people feel about the result?

Tyler Nguyen: Lyon are so stacked. Van De Sanden was the best player on the field and OL only brought her on after extra time started.

RJ Allen: I think the Champions League shows why most of the clubs don’t care about their regular club season.

Charles Olney: I get what you’re saying RJ, but I think that’s an exaggeration. Lyon is the exception who doesn’t have to worry about their domestic league. Most of the other big teams have serious competition.

RJ Allen: I am going to be called out for this – I’ll owe it – but I think the CL really contributes to the European leagues being so weak.

Charles Olney: We’ll need to bring on Chloe for a conversation soon, but I think there’s more depth in most of the European leagues than is often credited. Certainly, the attitude and structure of the leagues (and focus on Champions League as the height of competition) creates a system with less parity, but the mid-tier teams in England are still pretty good. The French league strikes me as the huge exception, and I wonder how much of that is driven by peculiarities of the French developmental system.

RJ Allen: I don’t see the English league as very strong. Though they just did a reshuffle on it.

Tyler Nguyen: Lots of players in the NWSL also go to the English leagues and vice versa so it should be pretty easy to compare the two. Look at Crystal Dunn and Nadia Nadim, two players who both swapped the two leagues recently. Both look like they’re more or less the same player.

Charles Olney: If anything, Dunn has been better on both sides of her time in England.

RJ Allen: I think a lot of the top teams might get a win against an NWSL side but over a 24 game season I don’t think any would beat the likes of Orlando, NCC, Portland, Seattle, Utah, Houston week in and week out the way they win games over there.

Charles Olney: Okay, so let’s take that back to Lyon for a second. I think it’s generally accepted that they’re the best in the world. But let’s have fun speculating a bit. How would they do if they were in the NWSL? I think it’s safe to say that they’d win the Shield, but by how much? Would it be close? What percentage chance would you give them to win the title?

RJ Allen: At best they would be maybe 3rd. At worst 6th. I don’t think they win the shield or get close.

Tyler Nguyen: I think the hardest part for Lyon would be cutting their roster down to 20. But I’d back them to get a home playoff spot and then crush the playoffs.

Alanna Fairbairn: I would say the same as Tyler. They just have so much pure talent and I don’t think most of the NWSL has the defensive lines needed to contain them

RJ Allen: Look, maybe I am crazy and maybe I’m not. But super teams don’t often do well in this league. It is really hard to play week in and week out against the other teams in the league and 1) keep everyone healthy 2) keep everyone happy and 3) not get complacent.

Charles Olney: I think those are all fair points. But I also think that Lyon’s second XI would be a playoff team in the NWSL. They’re just ridiculously stacked

RJ Allen: I am unimpressed with them as a team. They have a lot of great parts but I think the sum is weaker than the parts. But would I take Ada Hegerberg to play on any team in the league? Yes.

Charles Olney: I think we’ll have to agree to disagree on that point. But maybe another way to think about things would be to reverse the question. What if some of the top NWSL teams were in Europe? How would North Carolina and Portland do if they were in the Champions League this year? Would North Carolina win the WSL in England?

RJ Allen: I think Orlando, Seattle or NCC would do very well over in Europe. And without the same salary cap I think a lot of the coaches would have a blast pulling in a few more key players.

Alanna Fairbairn: I think Portland would strive to match Lyon for a stacked roster if they didn’t have the salary cap, which would definitely help them compete

Charles Olney: I think the point about roster limits and salary caps is important. But, of course, this is the whole reason why the NWSL is as balanced as it is. A Portland that didn’t have to deal with roster restrictions would really just be Lyon 2.0, wouldn’t it?

RJ Allen: Which would make the league weaker as a whole because it would create an imbalance that a lot of teams, money or not, wouldn’t be able to overcome. This is why I am a strong advocate for the leagues being more balanced and having tighter rules in place to keep it that way.

Charles Olney: Alright. One final topic for this week: Where in the world is Christen Press going to end up? Some news came out today suggesting that Göteborg might not be willing, or able, to cover the cost of her contract when it’s up in a few weeks. She has been good in Sweden—unsurprisingly—but the team is doing poorly, and it seems like they might be wondering whether the investment is worth it. That said, it doesn’t seem like any of the issues that led to her going to Sweden in the first place have really been resolved. Houston still owns her rights and doesn’t appear particularly inclined to negotiate.

So, the question: where do people think Press is in September? Back in the NWSL? Still in Sweden? Signed with a big European team in one of the top leagues?

RJ Allen: I think Mewis being hurt is going to force Houston’s hand. They need help and she is their biggest chip right now.

Alanna Fairbairn: I think it’s a matter of how stupid Houston’s front office is going to be about it. Or how stubborn, maybe is a better way to put it. I do not think she’s going to end up in Houston, no matter how much they may want her. They need to understand that, and get some serious value for her

Becky Schoenecker: I doubt she’ll end up in Houston, but I would like her to. I think they have a chance to get to the playoffs, which was a bit unthinkable at the beginning of the year. With Mewis out they need a Press to have any chance now I think.

Alanna Fairbairn: Houston already dealt with Carli Lloyd not really wanting to play there, I don’t really want them to have another unhappy star. It’s not a good look, and it doesn’t do anyone really any good.

Tyler Nguyen: Houston definitely feels like they need some value right now but I still don’t really see a trade out there that they’d be willing to accept. I don’t actually think Houston should play Press since their forward line looks so good at the moment. You want to bench Prince or Daly right now?

Charles Olney: If Press wanted to play for Houston, I think she’d actually slot in fairly well. She and Daly would play off each other well, and Press would alleviate some of the problems they have holding possession through the middle. But I agree: she’s almost certainly never kicking a ball for the Dash, so there’s not much point in speculating.

Becky Schoenecker: Which team could use her the most/would be willing to trade for her?

RJ Allen: I’d really like Press to go to Utah. I think she and ARod could make some magic happen and it would even things out. But I don’t know what Utah could give up for her. Seattle has pieces the Dash could use but they want a NT player, or they did, so unless they want to give up Long I don’t see it.

Charles Olney: I agree with RJ that Press would fit extremely well into the Utah system, but it’s hard to see what deal Houston would be willing to accept. One consideration: Heather O’Reilly is finished in England and Utah has her rights. It’s hard to see her being willing to go to Houston, either, but I have wondered whether a three-way deal could be possible that would send O’Reilly somewhere else.

RJ Allen: To be fair HAO doesn’t have to be willing. Houston just has to think she is.

Alanna Fairbairn: If O’Reilly were hypothetically willing to play in Houston, I would cry with happiness. I don’t know that they would be able to woo her, but she would help so much.

RJ Allen: Draft picks I would think. Or an extra international slot.

Charles Olney: If you were Houston, would you do a straight swap of Press for HAO (assuming you got some confirmation that she’d actually be willing to play for you)? I would.

Alanna Fairbairn: In a heartbeat.

Becky Schoenecker: Absolutely. I think HAO would fit in to their team much better as well.

RJ Allen: Assuming she was willing I think they would want HAO and a draft pick or something.

Alanna Fairbairn: I think it’s not just a talent thing either. HAO strikes me as the type of person who would fit in well with the ethos Pauw is trying to implement

Charles Olney: So it’s settled. HAO for Press. Both teams get better, and the we all get to watch some great players come back to the league. It’s a win for everyone.

RJ Allen: The other thing is that if Houston doesn’t trade her I’m not sure they get anything. The NWSL might have offered them something if LA gets a team and she’s moved there but there is no guarantee they will.

Charles Olney: That’s the other big question mark. If they expect to get decent value there, then it really might make sense to just hold her rights and wait for the payout. If all they’ll get is a draft pick or something, then it’s a pretty bad idea to give up a good trade chit when you could extract real value from Seattle/Utah/etc.

Tyler Nguyen: Last from me: I really want Houston to lean into their role of scrappy underdog team where players who just haven’t worked out on other teams prove their value. But it doesn’t seem like their front office really knows what their identity as a team is.

Charles Olney: Absolutely. Given how well the team has managed to do in terms of results, there’s a real chance to wipe away a lot of the bad taste from previous bungling. It’s just a matter of actually getting it done.

When Good Is Too Good: French Women’s Soccer and the Case of Lyon

Posted on by RJ Allen

When you look at the team on paper, they are almost unbelievable. Lyon has had a women’s football club since 1970, but since merging with Olympique Lyonnais in 2004, the team has won the league ten times, the Coupe de France seven times, and the Champions League four times.

This season, they have outscored their opponents 140 to three in 22 matches across all competitions. They have attracted the talents of internationals such as Morgan Brian, Ada Hegerberg, and others, not to mention sporting many of the best players on France’s national team roster.

But is there a point at which you can be… too good?

Maybe it isn’t a matter of Lyon being too good. But it is difficult to look at the score lines of these matches and say they are being challenged. The only opponent to hold Lyon to a single goal this season is Paris Saint-Germain. Lyon has yet to lose across all competitions. Most matches they don’t even come close.

Lyon’s dominance brings up some interesting questions, especially when looking at the potential consequences for the French National Team.

It doesn’t take much digging to see that France has struggled on the international stage. Despite being ranked sixth in the world, they have never won a major international tournament. They have a talented roster, consistently strong at the club level. Yet they failed to make it past the quarterfinals in the Women’s Euro in 2017, the Rio Olympics in 2016, and the Women’s World Cup in 2015. Arguably their biggest accomplishment in the last three or four years was winning the SheBelieves Cup in 2017.

And it’s not just the failure to win matches, but how the French national team loses that is important to look at. Quite often, they choke. They don’t have the fighting spirit to keep going at the end of a match. In the rare moments when France surpasses this obstacle, they are glorious to watch. Look at their match against Germany in the quarterfinals of the 2015 Women’s World Cup. But most of the time, they slip up. They get tired.

So, why does a roster that is so talented—that has players consistently rated as some of the best in the world—have such problems winning? I would argue that the lack of competition at the club level plays a big role. When you play at Lyon, you are training with some of the best in the world. If you’re Morgan Brian or Alex Morgan, you’re probably learning new ways of playing and experiencing new competitions that you aren’t exposed to in the United States. But you don’t get challenged every time you’re on the pitch. You don’t get that feeling of taking the field week in and week out, and fighting your heart out for a victory. You cruise to a win, check it off the calendar, and keep moving forward until you finally lift the trophy. And for French players who have played in this league their entire career, it can have a detrimental affect.

So, why does Lyon have no domestic competition?

There are a few factors that come into play. One is the structure—or lack thereof—of the French league. The league is loosely regulated by the federation, with no salary cap. PSG and Lyon are able to attract the top talent from across the country and around the world, meaning smaller clubs can’t compete. Contrast that with the United States Soccer Federation, which helps fund the NWSL and designed the league to help strengthen the national team and drive competition.

There is also the sheer amount of financial investment that Lyon has chosen to make in their female players. In 2017, SFR Sport reported that Alex Morgan made $33,000 per month while playing for Lyon. The Sun also reported that Lyon is the highest-paying women’s club in the world, with an average salary of £145,000 (roughly 200,00 US dollars). Other teams in France either aren’t capable of doing that, or don’t value women’s football in the same way. Paris Saint-Germain showed how much they’re willing to invest in their men’s side when they paid a record transfer fee of $263 million to bring Neymar in from Barcelona. The club is among the richest in the world; it would be a drop in the bucket for them to make a bigger investment in their women’s side, but they’re not willing to do so.

If France wants to be successful at the national level, they might consider club-level oversight from the French Football Federation, or perhaps even direct investment. The U.S Soccer Federation chose to invest in the NWSL, and it paid off: the national team has expanded the pool of talent available to them, and they’ve ensured that their players will play in a competitive league for at least part of the year. Maybe similar investments, as well as higher standards and regulations, are the answer in France as well. It might also lead to an increase in development opportunities for players in France. Whether that’s building on existing academies such as the one in Lyon, or building new academies in smaller clubs, it’s an investment that certainly would give the national team a wider pool to pull from. 

If France expects to keep up with the likes of the United States, Germany, or England, they’ll have to make some changes. And maybe that requires a dismantling of the dynasty that is currently sitting in the city of Lyon– or at least helping the rest of France catch up. 

 

 

Around the World of WoSo: Marta Arrives, Rapinoe Still Has It, Boston Impress

Posted on by RJ Allen

A New Pasture for the G.O.A.T.:

Marta, regarded as one of the greatest women’s players of all time, has arrived in America … for the fourth time. This time she can be found in the National Women’s Soccer League, playing with the Orlando Pride. Marta Vieira da Silva comes to Orlando from Brazil via Sweden, where she has played with FC Rosengard since 2014. Simply known as Marta to many supporters and fans around the globe, she has well-earned her nickname of G.O.A.T. Marta has won the FIFA Player of the Year 5 times (2006-2010), won Silver at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics while representing Brazil, and holds the record for most goals scored in Women’s World Cup play with 15.

The 31-year-old striker and native of Dois Riachos, Alagoas, Brazil certainly has a recognizable name and a superb set of skills to match that. Marta is known for her flair, her blazing speed and her ability to score magnificent goals in the blink of an eye. But she also brings a variety of championship experience, having won at the club level just about every year: Umea IK (Sweden, 2005-2008), Santos (Brazil, 2009), FC Gold Pride (USA, 2010), Western New York Flash (USA, 2011), Tyreso FF (Sweden, 2012), and FC Rosengard (Sweden, 2014-2015). Her remarkable accomplishments may be enough for some but it’s clear Marta wants more trophies.

Marta came on as a substitute for Orlando in their season opener this past weekend against Washington. She may not have gotten on the score sheet but her presence alone had a slight effect on the game; the crowd roared to life when she stepped on the field and eventually Orlando did manage to grab a point out of the 1-1 draw.  It will take a bit of time to adjust to her new city and new teammates, but I am not worried one bit that Marta will find her footing soon enough with Orlando.

 

Rapinoe Scorcher Helps Seattle Win:

Megan Rapinoe has returned to form! Also known as 2012 when she had a standout year for the National team during their run to gold …. Ok, maybe not completely 100% returned, but we certainly saw a flash or two of it on Saturday when Seattle beat Houston at Memorial Stadium. In the Reign’s 5-1 thrashing of the Dash, Rapinoe’s goal was perhaps the most electric. It was the second goal of the night for the Bois of Seattle and it was assisted by another blonde playmaker in Jess Fishlock. The Tiny Dragon placed a neat ball over the top of the Houston defense for Rapinoe to run onto and from 18 yards out she hit a stunning volley into the back of the net.

Rapinoe now has scored in consecutive games for the first time since 2014 when she also netted goals in the first two weeks of the season. Rapinoe has the ability to turn a game around with either a goal or an assist, and in this game we saw a little glimpse of what kind of season she is set to have. She obviously got her name on the score sheet but Rapinoe was active all game up and down the flanks, providing service and creating opportunities for her teammates. It really did seem like I was watching a game from 2012 and that is a good feeling to have as a Reign Supporter.

In front of an underwhelming crowd of 2,727, the Reign certainly put on a satisfying performance, came away with everyone somewhat healthy (Merritt Mathias left the game with a good size bump on her forehead after colliding with Bruna Benites in the 37th minute), and three big points to their name.

 

Lyon Run This City:

In the first leg of the semi-final blockbuster Champions League match between Lyon and Manchester City, it was the French powerhouse that earned a 3-1 victory. Leading up to it, many media outlets tagged it as the Carli Lloyd vs Alex Morgan showdown, but it was bigger than just the Americans playing overseas. The match included a penalty given in the second minute off a Lloyd handball, and continued with Lyon dominating large portions of the game. But maybe, most of all, the game was about Dzsenifer Marozsan and Eugenie Le Sommer dazzling the fans while each scoring a goal in front of a crowd of 3,614.

While the penalty was caused by Lloyd to give Lyon the lead early on, it won’t define her Champions League experience if City can turn it around in the second leg on April 29th. This was Manchester’s first loss since October of 2015. Morgan, on the other hand, had a quiet outing, but it’s her Lyon team who now have the advantage for the next game. To be fair, while both teams are clearly rich with talent, I do think Lyon have the better overall team and should finish off them in the second leg with no problem.

 

Boston Breaks Through:

The Boston Breakers have already won a game and it’s only week two. Not only did they grab the convincing victory, they saw Natasha Dowie earn her fist goal on the season and rookie Rose Lavelle got her first assist as a pro. With the home opener and a 1-0 win over Sky Blue in the books, they showed potential all across the board for the future.

Midfielder Lavelle has brought a dose of trickery and silky-smooth passing, goalkeeper Abby Smith was up for the challenge, making four crucial saves, and Margaret Purce brought insane energy in the 26 minutes she grabbed in the second half. The backline of Megan Oyster, Julie King, Christen Westphal and Allysha Chapman had a bounce-back game after a rough week one in KC. This team showed serious potential and I think they could surprise many people this season if they can put in that kind of effort consistently.

 

PFA Awards Handed Out:

The Professional Footballers Association gave out its annual hardware on Sunday and plenty of big names were recognized in the women’s game. Commonly referred to as PFA, it is an England-based event and this year was no different. Three winners that stood out were Kelly Smith, Lucy Bronze, and Jess Carter.

Smith, who recently retired, was honored with the Special Achievement Award for her lifetime commitment to the game. She brought attention to England that no other had done before and she was an exceptional player throughout her long career. Another player honored was Bronze, who received the Player of the Year award, the first player to do so for consecutive years in the PFA’s 44 years of existence. Quite a remarkable notion and Bronze is deserving of it as her play for club and country have been so enjoyable to watch. The last woman to be honored was Jess Carter, who plays her club ball for Birmingham City LFC and was awarded the Young Player of the Year.

 

NWSL Championship Location Announced:

Get your plans in motion, your friends on notice, and your bank account ready. The 2017 NWSL Championship game will be played in Orlando, Florida at Orlando City Stadium. The date is set for Saturday, October 14th with the time to be determined. The brand-new stadium recently debuted and it can hold over 25k, which will surely be enough seats for the final.

The age-old question soon crept into my mind after it was announced, will this put more pressure on the Pride to do well and make it to the final in just their second season? To answer my own question, I don’t think it puts any added pressure that they don’t have on themselves for this season. They’ve got a talented roster with some key veterans (Ali Krieger, Laura Alleway, Ashlyn Harris) and young kids who can contribute (Danica Evans, Steph Catley, Chioma Ubogagu) and just added the world best player in Marta. They don’t need to worry about the NWSL championship just yet.

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: 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.