Tag: McCall Zerboni

Nothing is Guaranteed: 5 Reasons North Carolina Isn’t Untouchable

Posted on by RJ Allen

We all know that the North Carolina Courage are great. They are dynamic, driven, and talented. No one is denying that. In fact, it is the exact opposite. People are talking about them as though they are untouchable. This week on The Scouting Report it was even stated that they could have a chance at going undefeated this season. Whether that is true or not still remains to be seen, but there is something about this team that makes us hope that they could. Could this be the NWSL’s version of the 1972 Miami Dolphins? It could be, but it is likely not possible for any team—there are a lot of variables and factors that come into play throughout the course of the season. No team is untouchable.

Here are five simple reasons why North Carolina isn’t the exception:

1. Complacency

Like any great sports team, there will be moments when their guard will be down. When they are so confident in their abilities that what seems like the simplest of games can turn into a team’s worst nightmare. These are moments of complacency—when all the kinks are worked out, and the team is running like a well-oiled machine, but the issue becomes another team running faster. North Carolina has a fantastic mental game and outlook on the season. I mean, even their slogan for this year is #nofinishline. But anyone who has ever run a long-distance race will tell you that some miles will be better than others. You get into a groove, you grow content, you slow down, you recognize the change, and then you speed back up. The same will most likely happen for North Carolina. They will hit a rough patch at some point—even if for just a game—and then they will come back with the forcefulness we all know they possess.

2. Peak Too Soon

As can be seen with so many teams throughout the history of the game, sometimes teams just peak too soon. Look at the Chicago Red Stars last season. There was a moment when they looked so dominant that it was said that they would definitely win the NWSL Championship… and that didn’t happen. They peaked too soon. It may not happen to North Carolina. There are a lot of factors that come into play. But it can be said that they came into this season in much better form than any other team. They are working as a cohesive unit, while other teams are still trying to find all the parts.

3. The Injury Bug

No team is safe from the injury bug! North Carolina doesn’t have Sam Mewis right now because of it. And statistically speaking, Sam Mewis’s current injury probably will not be the last for the club this year, because things happen. Things that are outside of anyone’s control. It’s why no team can ever be considered untouchable. And when players have to sit out and are no longer an option, it can create holes that other teams are able to exploit. North Carolina doesn’t have a bad bench to replace from, but it isn’t necessarily Portland’s. And not all of the skillsets of players are interchangeable. No one else on the team can do what McCall Zerboni can do. No one else on the team can do what Crystal Dunn can do. So, if major a major injury occurs, that can sometimes mean a major change in playing strategy, and that can take some getting used to.

4. Rosters At Full Strength

I put forth earlier that North Carolina is playing considerably better than the other teams. They are a collective force, while other teams haven’t quite gotten there. But the other teams are working toward that, and they are getting better. They are also going to be getting a lot more talent once their rosters are at full strength. Take Chicago for example. They have won two games this season, but they have done so without Julie Ertz, Danielle Colaprico, and Sam Kerr. Orlando is currently missing Marta, Poliana, and Alanna Kennedy. So comparing North Carolina’s roster to that of other teams definitely bodes well for the Courage, but things may change once other teams have their complete arsenals at their disposal.

5. Self-Infliction

When a team is really good it is often said that something is “theirs to lose.” And for North Carolina, that certainly could be the case with regards to the potential punishment for not releasing Debinha back to Brazil for her international duty on time. The facts surrounding the situation are still a bit hazy, but the fact of the matter is that Debinha played in the March 31 match against Sky Blue when she should not have. No punishment has come down yet, but it would be a shame if North Carolina were to lose three points because of failure to follow the rules. It is these types of mistakes that are completely avoidable. It is what can take a spotless season and give it an asterisk.

There are plenty of scenarios in which North Carolina can be beaten—just like any team in this league can be beaten. Sure, they are stronger than most. They are focused, and headstrong, and extremely skilled. They are the complete package as of right now. But things can change in this league and in this game very quickly. That’s why it isn’t advised to count one team out, or to tally the win before the final whistle. Lots of things can occur, and the players are only human. No one is indestructible. No one is untouchable. Not even North Carolina.

Before the Final: Quotes from Abby Erceg, Jess McDonald and McCall Zerboni

Posted on by RJ Allen

Abby Erceg

Backline: So, championship, second year in a row, sort of. Is there that same feeling as last year? Or do you guys think of this as sort of a different team? 

Erceg: No, I think we have 75% of the players from last year. So other than the rebranding I think it’s more or less the same team. We treat it as the same team. We treat the history the same as you would if a club was obviously the same name. So this for most of us is our second championship consecutively regardless of the name. Regardless of whether or not you’ve won one before, I think you have to put that aside and focus on what’s happening this year because last year’s championship isn’t going to win you this year’s championship, unfortunately. But yeah, we do treat it like it’s the same team. 

Backline: So, championship, second year in a row, sort of. Is there that same feeling as last year? Or do you guys think of this as sort of a different team? 

Erceg: No, I think we have 75% of the players from last year. So other than the rebranding I think it’s more or less the same team. We treat it as the same team. We treat the history the same as you would if a club was obviously the same name. So this for most of us is our second championship consecutively regardless of the name. Regardless of whether or not you’ve won one before, I think you have to put that aside and focus on what’s happening this year because last year’s championship isn’t going to win you this year’s championship, unfortunately. But yeah, we do treat it like it’s the same team. 

Backline: Is there a little bit of that comfort that a lot of your players have gone through a championship before? You don’t maybe have the same amount of nerves. I’m sure there’s nerves, but it’s not that first time you’ve sort of played on that stage. 

Erceg: Yeah, I think that’s a really good thing about it. It just seals the nerves a little bit. We know exactly what to expect. We know what’s going on. We know that it’s going ot be a little disruptive and not the same kind of build up that we have for normal games. So I think having that does help a little bit. You’re obviously going to have the nerves going into a game anyway. But I think it does help. 

Backline: You had the home semi this year. Was that something North Carolina’s first home semi in the league – was that sort of a nice thing to give back to the fans? 

Erceg: Yeah, I’ve played with Chicago and we had a home game there, and it’s kind of the exact same thing. You work so hard throughout the season. Obviously being with North Carolina for the first time you want to give something back to the fans and to everybody that’s supported us. SO I think coming to the championship is a really nice way to do that. 

Backline: Now there is something unusual this year. Both center backs on Portland are Emilys, both center backs on North Carolina are Abbys, is there just a little bit of that sort of weirdness of it? 

Erceg: Yeah, I think just playing with Abby last year, playing with two center backs called Abby, you don’t see that everyday. Even now, it’s weird. But the fact that we’ve got two teams like that. I mean, coincidence, maybe? 

Backline: A little bit about your relationship with Abby [Dahlkemper], sort of your partnership. Has that grown as she’s gotten some national team experience to sort of bring that back in? You yourself have a long history of experience. 

Erceg: Yeah, I think having played with her the first year, I didn’t get to play alongside her. I obviously played the midfield in front of her. We did a lot of switching, we did a lot of changes of formation trying to figure out who went where and what fit best with each other. I think this year hitting it, we know exactly where people fit and who fits best with each other and I think me and Ab have been able to build that relationship from the start. The way that she plays is a lot similar to me. We’re both more on the aggressive side rather than the conservative side so the way that she plays makes it easier for me to as well, I can read her, and I think it works really well together. 

Jess McDonald

Backline: So how are you feeling going into the final? I’ll get the boring question out of the way first.

McDonald: Feeling excited! I’m pumped to be here, obviously the whole team is so. It’s just cool to be back in the championship again. 

Backline: With Duke and UNC right there, is that helpful having a local pro team that those players – they can go to games, the UNC women can just come to a game as a block and watch you guys on the field as professionals. Does that sort of make it more real for the college players do you think? 

McDonald: Oh, most certainly! And the most incredible thing is that a lot of them have actually come and trained with us. So it’s cool to have them throughout the summer time to give them a piece of what the pro game is like. And so I think it’s just a cool experience for those type of college players overall to not only join in at our games and watch us, but to join us at training and to improve their football on the field. So it’s cool to watch them mature as well as players. I think it’s just an absolutely incredible thing for each program. 

Backline: One thing that we’re sort of getting to in the NWSL that we didn’t have in previous leagues. If you came into college as a freshman, and you’re about to graduate, you’ve had the NWSL every year you’ve been in college. Is that stability key to players? They can plan, “yeah, they want to go pro.” vs. “I don’t know if the leagues’ going to be there when I graduate college.” 

McDonald: Definitely! And I feel as if, if you have something like that to look forward to, you’ll want to improve your game. You’ll want to try to be the best player out there, obviously. So I think it’s cool to see how they have a plan to become a pro soccer plan, whereas when I was younger, when I was a freshman in college, we didn’t have a league. So I didn’t have that to look forward to. But for these college players now, that’s something to look forward to. I think it’s just a lot better of a feel. And obviously, parents always want their kids to become pro at whatever sport that they play, so. I know it’s only a small percentage but I just think it’s gonna help college players stay motivated.

Backline: Speaking of mother-son relationships, are you and your son going to be the first mother-son cap of the US? Is that the goal? 

McDonald: I hope so! That would be great! Yeah! 

McCall Zerboni

Backline: So Dan Lauletta put out an interesting stat, I think it was there’s been 3 years or 2 years since 2009 that neither you or Paul hasn’t been in the playoffs. Is that sort of one of those things where you guys have that experience that you can help some of the younger players sort of– it’s just another game guys, you know, you don’t have to–

Zerboni: I hope so, yeah. We’re a fairly young squad, and you know sometimes nerves can work into these things, or expectations get the best of us. But it’s just another game. And people just need to remember that. Nothing’s changed. it’s still a 90+ minute game, it’s still 120 by 75, it’s on a beautiful grass field, it’s what we’ve been doing, what most of us have been doing since we were 5, 6, 7 years old. So just to remind them why we do this, and it’s because we love it, and we should go out there and enjoy ourselves and not freak out. 

Backline: One interesting bit that you sort of touched on is that you have a lot of UCLA players on this team. Is there a little bit of that connection that helps that you guys have that UCLA background? 

Zerboni: You know, our generations were different. Like I never played with the young ones. But you know, a group of them did play together, so I’m sure that helps. I think it’s more fun for like banter, you know we banter all the time. Like oh, if you’re on UCLA, you can’t be in this box over here, you know so we kind of joke around, stuff like that. But yeah, I mean maybe a little bit, just kinda gets us on the same page, or that we have a little something in common, that helps, because we come from all different parts of the world and all different backgrounds, and the more and more we can find commonalities and realize our common goal, that’s helpful. 

Backline: You and Abby seem to have some experience. Does that help having another sort of player that’s not 21, 22, just sort of be like, okay – we’re going to talk about mortgages and about life. 

Zerboni: Yes (laughs). So that’s why I really appreciate her. So since Nora came in, we’ve just really bonded. I think not so much because of our age and our experience, but I mean she’s an amazing person, and we just sort of have the same take on life, and we’ve both been through a lot. And sometimes it was just me and Jess or whoever and so, I’m like, “Anyone? Anyone gotta pay their bills today? No one? okay.” Or, “remember when this happened, or remember when this song came out?” or just to have someone to relate to, to kind of help me lead the troops is helpful. 

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 1

Posted on by RJ Allen

Welcome to our first installment of “Off the Bench,” the latest Backline Soccer weekly series.

Backline Soccer Recap:

This last week on Backline Soccer, we posted all ten of our 2017 NWSL team previews. If you haven’t yet read them, please visit our site to check them out and let us know what you think!

NWSL Week One Game Recaps:

What a great first weekend back for the NWSL we had! Let’s dive straight into a recap of the five matches we had this past weekend.

 

Game 1: Houston Dash 2 vs Chicago Red Stars 0

Houston Dash record: 1-0-0
Chicago Red Stars record: 0-1-0
Attendance : 4,484

First up, to kick off the 2017 NWSL season, the Houston Dash took on the Chicago Red Stars at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston. Kealia Ohai opened up the scoring giving the 2017 season its first goal in the 15th minute. Alyssa Naeher stuck to her line a little too long and Ohai made her pay. Then, in the 80′ minute, Rachel Daly sent a rocket past Naeher, for goal number two, and was featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter for it!

 

Game 2: Portland Thorns 2 vs Orlando Pride 0

Portland Thorns record: 1-0-0
Orlando Pride record: 0-1-0
Attendance : 16,145

The first Lifetime Game of the Week started shortly after the Houston game, with the Portland Thorns taking on the Orlando Pride. It was a pretty even game for most of the match. The 24th minute saw a killer diving header from Ashlyn Harris to keep the Thorns from scoring but an unfortunate handball on Alanna Kennedy in the 32nd minute led to a converted PK by Nadia Nadim. Christine Sinclair netted home the final goal to seal the Thorns’ win in the 67th minute.

 

Game 3: Washington Spirit 0 vs North Carolina Courage 1

Washington Spirit record: 0-1-0
North Carolina Courage record: 1-0-0
Attendance : 2,400

Next up were the Washington Spirit and North Carolina Courage, in their inaugural match. McCall Zerboni scored the game’s lone goal–and the first in NC Courage history–in the 19th minute but it was Spirit goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé who put on a spectacular performance that kept the Courage from scoring any more after that. With one spectacular save after another, Labbé demonstrated to everyone just what an asset she will be for the Spirit this season. Unfortunately for the Spirit, Joanna Lohman went down in the first half with what was confirmed on Monday as a torn ACL in her left knee.

 

Game 4: Seattle Reign 1 vs Sky Blue FC 1

Seattle Reign record: 0-0-1
Sky Blue FC record: 0-0-1
Attendance : 3,521

The final match of the day was between the Seattle Reign and Sky Blue FC, which ended up being the game of PKs. A foul committed by a Sky Blue player saw Megan Rapinoe convert a PK in the 56nd minute. Then in the 62nd minute, a foul by a Reign player saw Sarah Killion bury a PK to level the game. Seattle Reign goalkeeper, Haley Kopmeyer, who had a player of the week worthy game as well on Saturday, almost stopped the PK taken by Killion.

 

Game 5: FC Kansas City 2 v. Boston Breakers 0

FC Kansas City record: 1-0-0
Boston Breakers record: 0-1-0
Attendance : 3,340

The final game of the first weekend back for the NWSL between FC Kansas City and the Boston Breakers saw the return of Amy Rodriguez and Sydney Leroux to the pitch after maternity leave. Leroux kicked off the party early with her first goal in over a year in the 7th minute. Amy Rodriguez decided she wanted to be part of the goal scoring party too and netted herself one in the 48th minute. Then in the 58th minute, we all held our breath as Rodriguez went down with a non-contact injury and was stretchered off shortly after. Official confirmation has not been given but it was reported to be the left leg which was then immobilized with a brace.

The weekend ended with the Dash, Thorns, Courage, and FCKC all taking home 3 points, while Sky Blue and the Reign each left with a point. Held winless and pointless in the first weekend were the Red Stars, Pride, Spirit, and Breakers.

The Scouting Report:

The Scouting Report went live last night with the first official NWSL weekly TSR recap of all NWSL games from the weekend. Make sure to tune in every Monday at 8pm EST to catch our weekly series!

You can find last night’s TSR here:

Come back next week for the next edition of Off the Bench!