Tag: Mana Shim

Around the World of WoSo: NWSL TV details, Mittag to Sweden

Posted on by RJ Allen

Mittag on the move:

German international Anja Mittag has announced she will be returning to Sweden’s FC Rosengard this season. The-31 year-old striker is familiar with the club, having played for them from 2012-2015. She will leave Wolfsburg behind after just one season, and played her final game for the German powerhouse in the Champions League last week, losing to Lyon in the quarterfinals round.

Mittag appeared 68 times for FC Rosengard during her last tenure there, scoring a remarkable 61 times. After leaving Sweden in 2015, Mittag went on to play for Paris Saint-Germain for one year, playing in 18 games and contributing 10 goals, before returning to Germany to join Wolfsburg.

Mittag joins a squad that is filled with international playmakers, including Ali Riley (New Zealand), Erin McLeod (Canada), Lotta Schelin (Sweden), Lieke Martens (Netherlands), and Sofie Junge Pedersen (Denmark).

 

Reign sign Katie Johnson:

The Seattle Reign have officially welcomed Katie Johnson to the family. The dynamic forward was selected in the second round of the 2017 College Draft, eager to acquire the kind of player who always seems to find a way to score goals. Johnson is explosive in open spaces, and her finishing skill alone is appealing for the average soccer fan. In her last match as a senior she scored two goals for USC, going on to win the National Championship against West Virginia. Across her total collegiate career, she netted 24 goals and six assists.

The Reign lost two key pieces of the scoring puzzle in Kim Little and Manon Melis in the off-season, so bringing in a young talent like Johnson was a no-brainer. Even with a roster that has Bev Yanez, Nahomi Kawasumi, Megan Rapinoe, and Larissa Crummer, I still think Johnson has a shot at earning quality minutes this season.

 

USWNT trio out with injuries:

The United States Women’s National team will be without three midfielders for the two matches with Russia on April 6th and 9th later this week. Tobin Heath is ruled out with a back injury, Morgan Brian has a minor knee injury, and Lindsey Horan is dealing with a hip-flexor strain.

Heath is one of the key veterans on the team, appearing 131 times and has 18 goals. Two things the 28 year-old veteran loves to do is to create plays and distribute the ball, giving her teammates as many opportunities as possible. Brian has slowly become an important piece as well, already appearing 66 times and has six goals. Horan arrived on the scene first in 2013, and has appeared 33 times while scoring three goals.

 

Shim and Daly go the distance:

Over the weekend, the Portland Thorns held a pre-season tournament at Providence Park, consisting of the Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash and the United States U-23 team.

In the finale between Portland and Houston, two players were equally responsible for securing their respective teams point in the 1-1 draw on Saturday. The first strike ordered was by Thorns midfielder Mana Shim in the 17th minute. She had a small window of space on the left of the 18-yard box and Shim just let it fly, ripping a left-footed shot that flew past Dash keeper Lydia Williams for the opening goal. While Williams did manage to get a slight hand on it, there was just no saving this ball. It was a spectacular effort and finish.

Next up was Rachel Daly’s turn. The England international and Dash forward got a hold of the ball in the 76th minute to run at the back four of Portland. She started on the left but drifted towards the middle and from just over 20 yards out, Daly unleashed a shot. Thorns’ keeper Britt Eckerstrom had no chance to save this shot either. It was the kind of goal you can watch over and over again and not get tired of, that’s how special it was. Not too shabby for a preseason game.

 

Lotzen goes down:

Bayern Munich forward Lena Lotzen tore her ACL during the Paris Saint-Germain Champions League match. Lotzen is unfortunately no stranger to injuries in her career, in 2014 she tore her ACL and then in 2015 tore her meniscus in the same knee. The 23-year-old has played for Bayern since 2010 and has made 70 appearances while scoring 23 goals. At the National team level, Lotzen has played in 25 games and netted nine goals for Germany.

Each time, Lotzen managed to make a comeback and is still young and has been playing at a very high level since she was 16. I hope she can continue to prolong her career and make another strong comeback.

 

NWSL releases TV schedule:

After patiently waiting and wondering, the people have gotten what they want. The National Women’s Soccer League has finally released the TV schedule, two weeks before the fifth season kicks off. The details regarding who will be calling the action were also included in the same release.

The schedule has 22 regular season matches every Saturday as well as playoff and championship coverage in the fall. The first televised game on Lifetime will be the Portland Thorns hosting the Orlando Pride at Providence Park at 4 pm. The reigning champions NC Courage will play their first televised game against FC Kansas City on June 3rd at Sahlen’s Stadium (formerly WakeMed Soccer Park) in Cary, NC.

Details of the four members of the broadcast team have also been announced. Brought on to call the play-by-play is Jenn Hildreth. Fans might remember her from her coverage of the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada and or the NCAA DI Women’s National Championship as well. Former USWNT star Aly Wagner has been added as an Analyst. Wagner was also a member of the 2015 WWC reporting team and calls USWNT matches.

The last members of the team are Dalen Cuff, who will serve as a pre-game host and sideline reporter and Kate Markgraf, who will join him on the pre-game coverage and also contribute as an analyst. Cuff covered the 2016 Rio Olympics when he represented NBC Sports Network while Markgraf is known for her work during the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games for NBC.

Around the World of WoSo: Harvey Takes the Reigns, Matildas on TV

Posted on by RJ Allen

Edwards to Sweden:

A couple of months ago, former Orlando Pride player Becky Edwards announced her retirement from the NWSL. But it seems the 28-year-old midfielder/defender has found new life in Sweden, as the club Kristianstad DFF have announced her signing this past weekend. Edwards is set to play again, in a lower-tier club, but with players such as Lisa Karlsson, Johanna Rasmussen and Alice Nilsson.

Edwards is no stranger to new adventures on the soccer front, and she’s traveled to a handful of different cities and countries to play the game she loves. Early on in the States it was New Jersey Wildcats, then the Washington Freedom Reserves, before moving on to California’s FC Gold Pride, and Western New York Flash. She them suited up for Sweden’s Hammarby IF DFF and her current club Kristianstad DFF. Since the start of the NWSL in 2013 she has played for Portland Thorns, Houston Dash, and the Western New York Flash before ending her US domestic career with the Pride in 2016.

 

Harvey’s New Role:

Seattle Reign head coach and General Manager Laura Harvey has temporarily been given the U.S. U-23 job. They are currently in Spain for the La Manga tournament, which will take place between March 2nd and March 7th. This might not come as a surprise for those of you who were aware that Harvey was in attendance for the team’s January camp.

The U-23 team will take on Japan, England and Norway to conclude the tournament. This will be the first international competition of the 2017 campaign and they also are booked at the end of March to play in the Portland Thorns Spring Invitational. Out of the 22-player roster, Harvey will be accompanied by two members of the Seattle Reign, Madalyn Schiffel and Kristen McNabb. Schiffel is a goalkeeper signed after a tour with Norway’s Avaldsnes IL, and McNabb was the 37th pick in the recent 2017 NWSL College Draft.

With Harvey at the helm, expectations are, of course, going to be high.

 

FIFA PRO 2016 Shortlist:

The shortlist for the 2016 FIFA Pro World XI was released this past week. The U.S. leads the nominations with nine players, France comes in second with eight, and Germany holds up third with six. The short list consists of 55 players in total, including five goalkeepers, 20 defenders, 15 midfielders and 15 forwards.

I was surprised by a few of the names, including United States’ midfielder Megan Rapinoe and defender Meghan Klingenberg. Obviously both of these players are very talented and there’s no denying that, but for the World XI?  For 2016? Both players were under-par last year, hampered by injuries, and neither played near to the level that they are capable of when healthy and fit. I just don’t buy it. However, for the most part, I agree wholeheartedly with the selections. Rightfully on the list were familiar names such as: Melanie Behringer (GER), Ada Hegerberg (NOR), Steph Catley (AUS), Steph Houghton (ENG), Hedvig Lindahl (SWE), and Saki Kumagai (JPN).

 

Portland Re-sign Duo:

The Portland Thorns have now brought back their 17th and 18th players from their successful 2016 season. Though they did not advance to the NWSL Final in Houston, the Thorns did take home the NWSL Shield for the first time in program history.  And both Emily Menges and Mana Shim, now officially back in the Rose City for 2017, played significant and crucial roles in chasing down that spot at the top of the regular season table.  Menges, a 2014 College Draft signing, is just 24 years old, but she’s started 59 games for the Thorns and some would name her as one of the biggest reasons for the team’s success. Shim is just a year older at 25, and the product of an open tryout in 2013, but she’s also a steady contributor on the pitch, and with the potential for the 2017 Thorns to find themselves atop the table again, it’s safe to say that both are happy to be back with the team this year.

 

Houston Dash Sign Falknor:

The Houston Dash announced another off-season signing this week, this time adding a player to their defensive options. Claire Falknor is a defender/midfielder, having played the latter during her time at Bayern Munich, where she made nine appearances in 2016 and scored two goals. Falknor is only 23 and played for the University of Florida from 2012-2015. She has also earned experience at the youth level for the United States, getting two caps for the U-23 program in the 2015-2016 season. Falknor will be a familiar face to some of the Dash players, especially former teammates Cari Roccaro and Jane Campbell, and this will only help to strengthen Houston’s performance on the field.

Houston is looking to improve from last year, and with the pieces they’ve managed to find, on paper it looks decent. But in the NWSL we know that isn’t always enough. Nonetheless, Dash fans have every right to be excited to get underway.

 

Matildas on Fox Sports:

The 2017 edition of the Algarve Cup in Portugal will begin on March 2nd and conclude on March 7th. The Matildas are in the tournament for the first time in 17 years, and it’s been announced the home fans will be able to watch every game on Fox Sports.

This is not only great news for fans Down Under, as it gives the AUSWNT some well-deserved exposure, but it’s also also a chance to see the talent-heavy Australian women play some great competition.  The Matildas are set to face Sweden, the Netherlands, and China in group C. The group stage games will be televised, as well as final placement depending on who tops the group.

This will be the first time the Matildas take the field since the 2016 Rio games in August. But their quest for the cup won’t be easy–defending champions Canada are back as well and certainly look to retain the title.