Tag: NWSL

O’Hara and Lytle Traded To Utah Royals FC

Posted on by RJ Allen

In the first big blockbuster move of the offseason, the National Women’s Soccer League has announced a trade between Sky Blue FC and Utah Royals FC.

Utah has acquired U.S. Women’s National Team defender Kelley O’Hara, midfielder Taylor Lytle, and the No. 25 draft pick in the 2018 NWSL College Draft from Sky Blue in exchange for forward Shea Groom, midfielder/defender Christina Gibbons, and the No. 4 draft pick in the 2018 NWSL College Draft.

“Very exciting moves as we continue strengthening our roster in advance of preseason by obtaining highly talented players like [O’Hara] and [Lytle],” Royals general manager Craig Waibel said. “We look to properly balance the roster in the coming months in order to align with the attacking-oriented combination and possession-based style Laura wants to play.”

“On behalf of everyone here at Sky Blue FC, we also want to thank [O’Hara] and [Lytle] for all they have done over the past five seasons. They made major contributions to our club, both on and off the field, and they played significant roles in helping to develop professional women’s soccer here in New Jersey,” Sky Blue FC president and GM Tony Novo said in the Sky Blue FC news release.

The Scouting Report: 6 Days of Ticket Sales

Posted on by RJ Allen

[podbean resource=”episode=q97ae-7f2d7f” type=”audio-rectangle” height=”100″ skin=”1″ btn-skin=”103″ share=”1″ fonts=”Helvetica” auto=”0″ download=”0″ rtl=”0″]

The TSR hosts talk about Hope Solo running for USSF president and the Harvey/Utah/FCKC debacle. Plus they answer viewers questions on the NWSL and USWNT.

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Where to find the hosts on Twitter:
RJ Allen
Lindsay Schwarz
Becca Kimble
The Scouting Report
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Thank you for playing The Scouting Report.

A Higher Standard: The Issue of Professionalism in Women’s Soccer

Posted on by RJ Allen

For a little over a month now women’s soccer within the United States has gone completely rogue.

It seems like every day I wake up and look at Twitter and some new major change has occurred with the NWSL, USSF, or the personnel that surround it. Major changes happen in sports all the time, but generally those changes are planned out, executed professionally within a timeline, and supported with assurances to the media, fans, and public as a whole.

None of that happened in the last month-or-so with regards to women’s soccer.

In fact, the exact opposite happened – it was chaos, and question marks, and overall lack of care or due diligence. Frankly, there was nothing professional about it. But still, the Harvey/USSF/Seattle/Andonovski/Kansas City/Salt Lake debauchery was widely accepted as something that could and should readily occur. And therein lies the problem.

Let’s go over the facts. On November 7th it was reported that Laura Harvey was leaving Seattle to take on an expanded role with the US Soccer Federation. Vlatko Andonovski, the former FC Kansas City coach (and personal suggestion from Harvey), would be replacing her. This shocked the Seattle soccer community because Harvey had been such a staple there for so long. But it looked to be a smart move. She was moving up to a national role – one that many were excited about. The issue is that the USSF never stated what Harvey’s expanded role would be. What was her job, exactly? What would she actually be doing? We weren’t told. And yet, for the most part it was accepted. Maybe the details would come later.

But flash-forward a week and suddenly everything changed again. The NWSL announced that Salt Lake would be a ‘new’ team in the 2018 season for the NWSL. The team didn’t have an official name yet, but at the press conference it was announced that it would be one of ten teams within the league. But as a ‘new’ team that would make 11 total clubs within the league. The NWSL didn’t expand on that point, but merely kept the audience in a bit of conundrum as to what the future held for some of the teams within the league.

Close followers of the news knew that FC Kansas City was in a bad way, and that this Salt Lake team was less a ‘new’ team and more a transfer of franchise from KC. Except that this wasn’t what was announced. At the time that Salt Lake declared themselves a new NWSL team, FC Kansas City was still in operation. In fact, the folding of FCKC and the movement of their contracts to Salt Lake wasn’t made until six days later on November 20.

Then, just to complicate the story more, Laura Harvey was signed as the new coach for Salt Lake on November 27. Even though she left Seattle to take a job on the national level. Adding to the complications, her new roster would be the former FCKC squad–the team that her replacement in Seattle had given up to take over that job.  But wait – it gets better. When commenting on it, Harvey stated, “In some ways it’s funny. It is the ultimate trade. We basically traded spots.” You know who isn’t laughing? Seattle fans. Kansas City fans. Anyone who was excited for her potential impact with the USWNT.

Then, finally, on December 1, eleven days after the announcement of the club, Salt Lake finally got a name, after finally settling legal issues that had delayed the process. 

To sum it up: one city lost a team, two rosters traded coaches, the NWSL made announcements before they were ready, and no one ever will know what was supposed to happen with Harvey’s USSF position. And the worst part of it all is that no one batted an eye at it. This was considered business as usual for women’s soccer in the United States. This was considered acceptable for the league and the federation. And that is what is wrong with women’s professional soccer.

The NWSL is trying so hard to be the premier women’s soccer league in the world. They pull from the largest talent pool of its kind. But yet they struggle financially. And when looking at the women’s side of the US Soccer, they aren’t fairing much better. They are the number one team in the world, but they aren’t paid their worth. And in all of this are the players who are struggling to make ends meet, striving for a future in the sport they love, and supporting the platform for future generations of strong female athletes to perform on.

It’s exhausting. But it means something. So they keep trying to build. They keep pushing forward, and keep screaming into the void for recognition and acknowledgment of their worth. They fight to be seen as professionals – to be equal among other professional leagues and athletes. But unfortunately, the NWSL and the USSF have not been acting professional. And because of that, it holds back every female player just a little bit more. It puts a little more drag on their already short line. And it holds themselves back as well – financially, publicly, and in the eyes of the sporting world.

In any other league or in any other sport the movement of a top coach to the national level would have had more publicity. It would have had more concrete details about the job and that coach’s potential new impact. In any other league the movement of a team from one city to another is done with months of planning and preparation. Even if that team is having financial difficulty or there is scandal surrounding it. Look at the Columbus Crew in the MLS – everyone is aware of the potential move and there are really strong feelings on both sides. But in the NWSL? Nothing but bush league transitions, the absence of due care, and a total lack of professionalism.

So the question becomes, ‘How can the professional sporting world take you seriously, when you refuse to act professional?’

The answer is that they don’t. And it isn’t hard to see why, when moves like this happen without any explanation. It feels ill-prepared at best, shady at worst. It’s bad enough that they didn’t have an active Commissioner all of last season, but this? This is just off-the-cuff work that was patched together and came out looking halfway decent.

Now, most likely these transactions weren’t undertaken with malice or bad motives. But that doesn’t mean that they were done correctly. There should be a standard of professionalism. Things need to get better if the league wants to be a serious player, make real money, and change the way women’s sports are treated.

This isn’t asking a lot. They should want to do better and hold themselves accountable. They should want more transparency, in order to show the world that they mean business. They should want to show pride in what they’re doing.

Don’t the women who play in the league deserve that? Don’t the fans? Doesn’t the entire women’s movement that this league – and women’s sports in general – plays a large role in?

Don’t they owe it to themselves?

It can’t be said as to how the next season will go for the NWSL. It can’t be said how USSF President elections will affect the women’s game. But it can be said that in order to be taken seriously, you have to take yourself seriously. That is what should be asked of the NWSL and women’s soccer in the US. Hold yourself to a higher standard. The highest standard. It’s hard – no one is denying that. But to get to where the league, the athletes, the fans, and the media want to go it is a necessity. A necessity that should not be taken so lightly in the future.

Four Days are Better than One: How to Extend the NWSL Championship Weekend

Posted on by RJ Allen

As the NWSL heads toward it’s 6th season–3 years longer than WUSA or WPS went before folding–now is the time to start building the sorts of traditions that are meant to truly last. 

The logical place to focus our attention for this sort of developments is the final week before the Final. While some, including some British NWSL coaches, might wish the league would abolish the playoffs all together, I don’t see the league removing the playoff system going forward. So assuming the playoffs are here to stay, those days are prime territory for some innovation.

While it’s true that fans can only stay in the host city for so long, that’s still a lot of time in which to take advantage of events that might be offered. Make the events exciting enough and people might come just for them, even if they’re not especially interested in watching the final live.

So how would I set up these underused days heading toward the championship game? I’m glad you asked.

Day 1: (Likely Wednesday) The NWSL All Star Game

This is not a new idea or one I haven’t spoken about before. I have wanted an NWSL All Star game for as long as I’ve been covering the league. And there is no better time to have it than in the days leading up to the final.

Think about what it would mean. A game to exhibit the best of the best in the league playing against each other. And in a context where it’s okay to focus on the fun more than the outcome. An All Star game doesn’t have to rise to the stakes of the game coming a few days later. And that’s a good thing.

Here’s the basics of an idea: In early July the league would start allowing fan voting on the All Stars. Set it up however you like–by team or position or something else. The point is to give fans a direct say in who gets to head to game.

Each team would be made up of 17 players, 11 starters and 6 subs. The fans get to vote on 20 of the 34 spots with the coaches picking the reminding spots to make sure that they didn’t have 17 attacking players and no goalkeepers on their roster.

The teams could be broken up in several different ways: east vs the rest of the league, north vs south(ish), or US eligible players vs the world. Even taking the teams that finished 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 would work. The sky is the limit for how they split up the teams.

Two rules I would put in place to make sure that things weren’t slanted too much one way or another. Each team gets 4 spots for USWNT federation players, and every team must have at least one player represented in the game. 

If a player who made an All Star roster is playing in the final, they can be replaced, either by the coach or simply by taking the next highest voted player from the same position. Not a hard fix to having a few out due to playing in the title game.

How do we pick the coaches? The two that didn’t make the final the year before? The two that did? Pull two names out of a hat on a livestream? Have fans vote? Doesn’t matter so long as they are willing to play along with the more relaxed feeling this game should have.

Day 2: (Likely Thursday) The NWSL Media Day

Media day is one of the best and strangest days of the year for those of us involved in writing about the NWSL and covering the teams.

Think of it like this. It’s media speed dating. All of the players are seated at tables, usually paired off together as a starter and a non starter, and the journalists move around the room, talking to players and trying to get quotes for pre-final pieces.

It is a surreal experience. And one that is shockingly effective for getting access to players and finding some interesting quotes to help punch up our pre game pieces.

There is nothing I really would change here with one exception from the 2017 media day. Media day needs to happen at least 48 hours before the final. Writers need to have time to digest the conversations we’ve had with players and write more thoughtful pieces. This year it was the day before the final and it was a difficult task for many of us to manage to get everything accomplished.

Day 3: (Likely Friday) The NWSL Awards Gala

Outside of the draft and the championship, the league has no real statement event. While I think the All Star game can help, even better would be a true annual awards gala, hosted the night before the final.

Think of how cool this could be. All of the nominated players, media from all over the world, league officials, and maybe even some season ticket holders of the ten different clubs, all together for an evening of awards, and a celebration of the league. The awards ceremony could be live streamed so fans from around the country and really the world could watch as Rookie of the Year or MVP is handed out right there. Right now, awards are announced by an email and a tweet from the league. That’s fine, but this would would add real weight to the news.

There are models out there for the league to look at when putting an event like this together. Our own Luis Hernandez even pointed out that Orlando City and the Orlando Pride have a yearly awards gala. While their $300 price tag for a table might be a little high for the NWSL, I do think they could get away with tickets in the $50 to $100 range for media and a select number of season ticket holding fans who would want to be there.

It would also give the league a chance to add more awards. Assist of the Year, Goal of the Year, Save of the Year, Unsung Hero of the Year could join the current cast of awards in the program. Players, coaches, general managers or team owners, even some media could step up to present awards. Maybe the league could event persuade Aly Wagner and Jenn Hildreth to host the event before calling the final the next day.   

This type of event would requite planning and preparation, all of these events would, but it would be something that the league could use as a way to thank the players, teams, media and season ticket holders in a way that they currently don’t have a way to do.

Day 4: (Likely Saturday) The NWSL Championship

You know, the reason we’re all in (insert hopefully predetermined location here) in the first place.

By in large I think the NWSL does a pretty great job with the final itself. I wouldn’t change much that they are already well aware of and will likely tighten up going forward. Hopefully they can work on getting the time of the game a bit later in the day, though I wouldn’t hold my breathe there.

The NWSL needs to make the final more than just a game and a fan zone before it. They can elevate the event and spectacle that it should be by adding in either the all star game or the gala, both would be even better, to the run up to the championship game. They don’t need to break the bank to make the days leading up to the final worth it for fans and media to show up for. It would just take a bit of planning in advance to keep the costs down. 

The league has proven it came improve year after year and that is is around to stay. Now is the time to start making the types of changes that make one of the two biggest events of the year even better.

Fly Away Home: 5 Reasons Players Are Flocking Overseas

Posted on by RJ Allen

Morgan Brian is packing her bags and taking her talents to Lyon. Jessie Fleming is allegedly setting her sights on Europe. Crystal Dunn is playing very well for Chelsea Ladies FC. And Rachel Hill has found her stride in Perth. Meanwhile, what’s going on in America you ask? Well, a very poor transition of women’s soccer out of Kansas City and into Salt Lake, and, as always, a lot of the same unsteadiness that the league has been known for in the past. From not having a commissioner, to clubs not being able to make ends meet, there are a lot of reasons why players are beginning to find American club soccer less appealing. Compare that to some great options for players overseas and the NWSL is left with some real hefty competition and some cleanup work to do. In reality, there are a lot of reasons that the women’s professional leagues in Europe and Australia are looking like more of an attractive option to players here in the U.S. Here are just five of those reasons.

Stability

It’s no secret that the NWSL isn’t the most stable league in the world. But knowing that and realizing that are two different things. For the Kansas City FC women and their fans, they got that reality slap of truth this last week. In America, it isn’t always set that where you are playing one year will equate to where you are playing the next, and that isn’t just because of trades. We saw it with the Western New York Flash too. It isn’t fun for the fans to lose their team and it definitely isn’t fun for the players to up and relocate. But unless you have hit the jackpot and are playing in Portland, your future in a city or with a team isn’t guaranteed. In Europe that isn’t necessarily the case. Part of that is because the beautiful game is a way of life across the pond, but the other part is the fact that the women’s league grew off of the men’s. And sure, that isn’t necessarily the most attractive part of their stability. We would all love for a women’s league to stand by itself, but having a larger league that can offer a history of successful management, an established financial basis, and an existing fan base leads to a better chance for a successful women’s club. Is it ideal? No. But does this structure work? Absolutely. And for a player, that can look really appealing.

Money

Money isn’t everything, but it sure is something. And we live in a time where women know their worth. They certainly know that they are worth more than the NWSL’s $15,000 minimum salary. So, for many young players – and sadly some veterans – they have to swallow a bitter pill and play at a level that is way below their pay grade. And it isn’t the NWSL’s fault. There simply isn’t money available. And for international players that aren’t from the U.S. or Canada, where their paycheck is signed by the National Team, the most that can be made is only $45,000. Take that in. Marta, one of the best women to ever touch a football, can only make $45,000 playing in Orlando. So as much as we would love to have these amazing international players in the NWSL, like Amandine Henry and Nadia Nadim, we cannot blame them when they decide to go back to Europe and make a bigger paycheck.

 Skill Sets

We play women’s soccer at a very high level here in America. No one can deny that. We have the number one ranked National Team in the world, and some of the greatest depth the game has to offer. But there are some skills that we do not have. There are numerous styles of play that we do not possess. If a player is looking to become more well-rounded, then looking to Australia, France, or England may be just the ticket to get them to that next level of play (See: Rachel Hill in her past four matches with the Perth Glory). There is also the added benefit of knowing how to better play against a National Team opponent. And sure, the transition isn’t always an easy one, but it can benefit the player ten-fold if they can perform well. Take, for example, Lindsey Horan. Instead of playing college soccer, she began her professional career in France and because of that, she plays a very different style of game than the rest of her USWNT teammates. But that also leads her to create opportunities for her team that another player wouldn’t consider. It also leads to her having a different kind of strategic mindset when on the pitch. And that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Staying in Form

I made this point last month when I wrote about the W-League. There are great opportunities for NWSL players that do not affect their contract and give them the chance to stay in form during the offseason. For many players, especially young ones who aren’t bogged down by National Team duties, the W-League offers them a chance to further condition themselves, gain some new skills, and become acquainted with other playing structures. This is a great option for so many reasons, but the best part has to be that they get to come back and play a whole season in the NWSL as well. So for all those Americans and Aussies doing a bit of double-duty, keep on keeping on. Because a little bit of extra soccer never hurt anyone. Just ask NWSL MVP, Sam Kerr or NWSL Rookie of the Year, Ashley Hatch.

League Structure

This may not sound like a very important reason for foreign leagues to look so attractive to players here in the U.S., but there is something to be said about the opportunity to win multiple competitions while playing at a single club. In the NWSL, players can only with the NWSL Championship. They can play all season, be the best team in the league and then lose it all in the Championship Final. North Carolina knows what that’s like. And it’s awful. But then there are clubs oversees like Chelsea Ladies FC that get to play in the FA Women’s Super League, which consists of other English clubs, but also in the UEFA Women’s Champion League, which is made up of clubs across Europe. It’s more competition against different kinds of teams that only lead to more player development. It’s more opportunities to lift a trophy. And it’s more opportunities the completely dominate on multiple levels. Who doesn’t want that?

Surely there are more reasons than just these five for a player to consider playing somewhere other than the NWSL. This isn’t an exhaustive list. Not even close. And in some circumstances, these five reasons aren’t any of the ones that a player may consider when deciding to go play overseas. But the point of the matter is that the NWSL doesn’t hold the single most dominant place in women’s soccer. Not by a long shot. This league isn’t necessarily the biggest pull for professional players and we have to accept that, but we also have to look to fix it. Because what the league is doing isn’t enough. They need to stay competitive and progress. They need to do more to make the league more attractive on an international scale. But most importantly, they need to find stability. Because once they do, the other parts will begin to fall into place.

Interviews with Emma: Beverly Yanez

Posted on by RJ Allen

Emma Bayer is an 11 year old who will be doing a recurring interview series for Backline Soccer. You can find more out about how Emma got in to soccer here.

When I first got to know Bev, her last name was Goebel. She married Othaniel Yanez in 2012. She has played for the Washington Freedom, Western New York Flash, and currently for the Seattle Reign. She has also played professionally in Australia, Finland and Japan. Bev is always smiling!  Here are a few facts about her:

Birthdate: July 19, 1988

Nickname from teammates: Bev

Hometown: Moreno Valley, CA

Age started playing: 5 years old

College/major: University of Miami, FL. Sports Administration

Career aspirations after soccer: To be a soccer coach and implement more tactics in youth soccer in America.

Why did you pick your particular uniform number: When I went to Japan three years ago, I learned a very technical and tactical style of soccer. My teammates were so kind and patient in teaching me this style. I was continually growing in so many aspects of my game and had a breakthrough year. I was given #17 from the club that year. After my breakthrough year, I stuck with the number. It was a new me and one that I was so proud of!

Pregame meal: Nuzest protein smoothie, and many carbs!

Workout music: Anything that Russ sings

Favorite cartoon character: Spongebob

Fave movie: The Mask

Fave actress: I don’t have one 😦

Hidden talent: Wish I had one, but I thought long and hard and could not think of anything 😦

Mentor (in soccer or life): My husband and parents! Always supporting me and inspiring me to be the best player and person I can be.

Fave charity/cause: Austen Everett Foundation 

Life motto: Treat others the way you want to be treated

Superstitions: I do not have any.

Pets: Love dogs! But don’t have any pets currently. My favorite dogs are pugs!

If you were going on Amazing Race, which teammate would you want as a partner, and why?: Naho Kawasumi because she is so smart and can make anything work with her positive attitude.

You can find Bev’s Twitter here.   

Houston Dash Appoint Vera Pauw As Head Coach

Posted on by RJ Allen

The Houston Dash have announced that they have hired Vera Pauw as their new head coach.

Pauw replaces interim head coach Omar Morales, who took over the position midway through the 2017 season after the Dash parted ways with head coach Randy Waldrum. 

Pauw, who has held head coaching positions with the Scotland Women’s National Team, the Netherlands Women’s National Team, and the Russian Women’s National Team, joins the Dash after two years with the South African Women’s National Team. 

“I’m very excited. It’s just a dream come true, isn’t it? To be able to be coach and play in facilities like BBVA Compass Stadium and in such a competitive league. Soccer is an evolving sport here in the U.S. with a unique background, and I am very excited about the opportunity ahead to work with a very talented roster. We have a solid core of players that will be key in reaching our goals for 2018 and beyond.” Pauw said in the Houston press release.

“We are thrilled to have Vera as the next Dash head coach and look forward to her making positive contributions to the club,” Dash president Chris Canetti said. “She brings a wealth of experience at the highest level, a strong record of success, and a passion for the game. She also has a strong desire to be a part of our club and believes in what we are building here in Houston.”

Laura Harvey Named Head Coach Of Real Salt Lake NWSL Team

Posted on by RJ Allen

Laura Harvey has been named head coach of the new Real Salt Lake National Women’s Soccer League team.

“Laura’s record of excellence has been proven on both sides of the pond, and she obviously possesses a vast knowledge not only of the NWSL, but of international players all over the world.” Salt Lake general manager Craig Waibel said.

“Visiting with [RSL owner] Dell Loy Hansen, [general manager] Craig Waibel, [RSL MLS head coach] Mike Petke and others and having the chance to see their vision for the club locally and the sport nationally and internationally, it was impossible not to get excited about what RSL looks to do for women’s soccer. The facilities and environment that we will be able to offer our players are world-class. This is a great place for me to continue to develop as a coach, and I believe we will be able to make a huge stamp on women’s soccer not just in Utah but nationwide.” Harvey said in the team’s official release.

Harvey, who was the head coach with Seattle Reign FC for five seasons, led the team to two NWSL shields and two championship games – both of which the Reign lost to former NWSL team FC Kansas City. She had initially stepped down from her position with Seattle in early November to pursue a reported opportunity with U.S. Soccer. However, as of this writing, there has been no indication of what the opportunity was or its current status.

It was also announced today that Real Salt Lake would be announcing the name of the new NWSL team this coming Wednesday – articles with updates will be posted here on Backline Soccer.

FC Kansas City To Cease Operations

Posted on by RJ Allen

The National Women’s Soccer League has announced that it is ceasing operations of FC Kansas City, after re-acquiring the club’s membership interest in the league.

“As the league moves on, and as difficult as it is to share this news about FC Kansas City, we feel it is in the best interest of the league and the players at this time. Most importantly, we would like to acknowledge and sincerely thank all the fans and the city of Kansas City for their support of this club, the league and the sport over the past five years.” said NWSL Managing Director of Operations Amanda Duffy.

Late last week, the NWSL announced that a new club owned by Real Salt Lake would be joining the league in 2018, and as such the new club will replace FC Kansas City in the 10-team league. 

In terms of roster and player movement, all FC Kansas City players currently on the roster will be transferred to the new club prior to the 2018 season. Salt Lake City will also receive FC Kansas City’s 2018 NWSL College Draft picks in addition to their places in the Discovery and Waiver Tie-Breakers and Distribution Ranking Order. Salt Lake will be given the No. 1 overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NWSL College Draft.

“This is the best and necessary decision for the future of the league and the players who have impressively represented NWSL and Kansas City over the past five years,” said former owner of FC Kansas City Elam Baer.

One of the eight founding teams of the NWSL, FC Kansas City leaves behind a legacy that includes three playoff appearances and two NWSL titles in five seasons.

 

 

Real Salt Lake To Join NWSL in 2018

Posted on by RJ Allen

It was announced today that Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer will launch a new club in the National Women’s Soccer League in the upcoming 2018 season. Home matches will be played in Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.

“We are very excited to welcome Dell Loy Hansen and Real Salt Lake into the NWSL family as the newest member of our league. During our discussions in this process, Real Salt Lake has demonstrated their unquestionable desire and commitment to bring the highest level of professional women’s soccer to all fans of the game in Salt Lake City and Utah. Real Salt Lake will immediately be able to hit the ground running on the business side as well as provide the players with a top-notch training ground and one of the best game venues in the country.” said NWSL Managing Director of Operations Amanda Duffy in the NWSL press release.

In the Real Salt Lake press conference, it was said that there will still be 10 teams in the NWSL. At this time, there is no mention of the fate of FC Kansas City, which has been on the market for new ownership. 

There is no information about official team name, potential roster, or potential staffing at this time.

We will be posting more articles as updates become available.