Tag: NWSL

5 Reasons Not to be an NWSL Writer and 1 Reason You Totally Should

Posted on by RJ Allen

Being a women’s soccer reporter is great, most of the time. But there are reasons it’s not the greatest thing since bicycle kicks.

1. Pay? What Pay?

No one who goes into writing about women’s soccer is doing it for the money. Most sites don’t pay their reporters. Full disclosure, neither does this one (we do pay in cool stickers). Not because we are being cheap. Sites that aren’t attached to a larger company simply do not have resources or ad income to be able to pay staff. (And, as we’ve seen just recently with Fox Sports, the number of paying jobs for soccer writing are becoming all the rarer.)

There are some sites that do pay by the story. And some writers who already report on other sports do get paid to write women’s soccer. But most of those women’s soccer reporters you love to read the work of? They all have day jobs to pay the bills. 

2. The Hours are The Worst

The NWSL has this fun little habit of putting big news out at the worst possible time. 60 seconds before kick off. Friday night. A week after the thing happens. To make it worse, most of the time it’s something that you at least need to know about, if not need to drop everything and write about. 

Even if the news isn’t drop-everything-and-write-about-it-right-now worthy, it is frequently something that we women’s soccer writers do have thoughts about. Twitter is a very easy way to express that. And the hours we’ve all spent on Twitter expressing those thoughts are longer than the amount of time most of us see our families in a week. 

3. Haters Gonna Hate

One of the facts of writing anything — not just sports — and putting it online is that someone will hate it. Someone is going to tell you that it’s stupid. That you’re wrong. That the facts used are just biased garbage. 

Sometimes they are right. More likely, it’s hate for the sake of hate. You expressed your professional opinion about something and they disagree and “OMG YOU ARE WORSE THAN CANCER” because of it. It can be harsh and it can be annoying and there are times when good reporters have left the job because of it. 

Be prepared to be hated sometimes. We all are.

4. Forgetting How to Fan

As a fan, you love your team. As an NWSL reporter, you pick apart your team in articles, opinion pieces, interviews, and everything else you write. You have to. It’s the job. And sometimes that leads to a disconnect from the very joy that brought you to the game in the first place. 

Nearly every NWSL reporter I know still has a spark of fan in their hearts. They love the game and they have teams or at least players they enjoy. And doing this job does require putting a wall around that enjoyment. You have to be able to critique and read or write criticism about your favorite team and players. And sometimes, that’s hard. But you either have to accept the wall or you have to step away. 

5. Big Fish Eat Small Fish

It happens now and again. You have the perfectly sourced story. You have the receipts. You break it. And the NWSL media world and fans go nuts. And then you see someone on ESPN “breaking” the story a few days later. You see all of the hard work you put into being the first, brushed away because you are not on the payroll of one of the large media companies.

It is maddening. It is frustrating. And one day we all hope it changes so someone who works for a site without ESPN bankrolling them can be asked on to the news to break the story they worked so hard on.

So. Why do we do it? Why should you do it?

Because there is one big reason that this job is the best in the world …

1. It’s a Labor of Love

Literally. We’re here because we love soccer. Because we love women’s soccer in particular. We’re here because we love watching the game, cheering for the players, rooting for the underdogs, coaching from our keyboards, dissecting every minute of the game from every angle. We’re here because we have been inspired, because we have made great friends, because in the end, it’s the love that keeps us coming back each and every day. 

We do it because we love it. And that makes everything else worthwhile.

Read all of that and still think you might want to give women’s soccer writing a shot?

Apply to join the Backline Soccer family here.

A History of Highs and Lows in Allocations in the NWSL

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL has long leaned on their national team players for both firepower in games and star power outside of games.

The United States Women’s National Team has carried the load over the five years of the NWSL in terms of the sheer number of players allocated. Between 2013 and 2016 USWNT players have been allocated within the NWSL 98 times. Compared to just 56 times with the Canadians and a mere 28 times with the Mexican players. 

2013

In 2013 the Allocations were almost perfectly even in terms of numbers. Each team was given three US players and two each Canadians and Mexican players. Western New York was an American short but given Lloyd and Wambach. Nothing to scoff at in 2013. 

But the issues in terms of parity started nearly as soon as they started. For the Americans, Amy LePeilbet was out due to injury, Heather Mitts retired before the season and Amy Rodriguez was pregnant with her first child. On the Mexican side, two players failed fitness tests, Marylin Diaz and Luz Saucedo; one had a contract already with FFC Frankfurt, Alina Garciamendez; and a fourth showed up hurt, Rubi Sandoval. 

During the 2013 season, FC Kansas City seemingly hit the jackpot. Nicole Barnhart, Lauren Cheney, Becky Sauerbrunn, all from the USWNT, were gifted to the club. Barnhart and Sauerbrunn serve as co-captains today and have done well in their five years on the team to bring in two NWSL titles. Something that I doubt anyone would say would be guaranteed if the allocation fairy had chosen differently. 

Another footnote of the original 2013 Allocations comes from Chicago. No player allocated to the Red Stars in 2013 is currently on their roster, or anyone else’s in the NWSL in 2017. Shannon Boxx, Amy LePeilbet, Keelin Winters, Erin McLeod, Carmelina Moscato, Maribel Dominguez, and Dinora Garza were all allocated to the Red Stars that very first season, and all have either retired or gone to play elsewhere. 

2014

The most startling difference between 2013 and 2014 in terms of Allocations has to be Mexico only allocating 8 total players. Allegations of underfunding, of lack of proper support and training, are not new to the Mexican federation when it comes to women’s soccer. One of the easiest to see symptoms of that is the Allocations being halved in a year Mexico should have, with the gear up to the 2015 World Cup underway, been pushing its players to fight for starting spots in the NWSL. 

As with FCKC in 2013, and really themselves in 2013 as well, the Portland Thorns have had a lucky go of the Allocations given to them. From the USWNT, Rachel Buehler, Tobin Heath, Alex Morgan. From Canada Karina LeBlanc and Christine Sinclair. Finally from Mexico, Jackie Acevedo. The Thorns of 2017 have shed Buehler and LeBlanc to retirement, Acevedo has left the league. And Morgan, well we all know what happened there. But having been dealt Tobin Health and Christine Sinclair has to be a win in most eyes. 

Two 2014 Allocations, Stephanie Cox for Seattle and Jillian Loyden for Sky Blue FC are current assistant coaches for the clubs. 

2015

In 2015 the Women’s World Cup removed all 42 Allocations for what amounted to a third of the season. And while Mexico did allocate 4 players, none played in the 2015 season.

The 38 American and Canadian players taken out of the NWSL during the World Cup did leave a hole in the league that showed one of the great injustices the league has to offer. While the World Cup players, national teamers all, were away to play for their country the players who filled their roster spots and donned uniforms in their place were unpaid amateurs. Players who under NWSL rules can not be paid for their work. It was truly a tale of the best-paid players in the league leaving to participate in the grandest spectacle the game has to offer and those filling in couldn’t be given a $1 of pay while keeping their club teams afloat. 

Of the 25 USWNT Allocations announced on January 14, 2015, 23 went to Canada to bring home the World Cup. Two did not. Kristie Mewis and Crystal Dunn. While Dunn’s story of being either the second to last or very last cut is well known, Mewis is rarely spoken about. Mewis was a project that then USWNT Head Coach Tom Sermanni was working on as an outside back and outside midfielder. When Ellis replaced him, Mewis the Elder’s time on the NT faded as the team moved closer to the World Cup. In 2016 she would no longer be an allocation. In 2017 she is having one the best years she has had in years. 

2016

The 2016 Allocations look most like the current 2017. Whitney Engen might not be with the Boston Breakers this year, Hope Solo isn’t keeping the net free of goals in Seattle, and we won’t go into Washington’s 2016 to 2017 changes, but mostly it’s what we know from 2017. 

And though either luck, talented coaching or magic FC Kansas City carried five Allocated players into the 2016 season. And then by either bad luck, fickle soccer gods, or dark magic they lost both Sydney Leroux and Amy Rodriguez for the season due to pregnancy. That Becky Sauerbrunn isn’t doing too bad for herself though. 

Two Allocations from the 2016 list that I do want to note are Kelley O’Hara and Christie Pearce. Sky Blue and Portland are the only two teams, from the original 8, that had kept two original Allocations for all four seasons by the time that 2016 rolled around. And unlike Portland, which as had two or three additional Allocations during that time, in New Jersey it was mostly O’Hara and Pearce lifting the weight as the only two national team players. 

Conclusions

Make no mistake. The NWSL is the USWNT’s league. 54% of the 2013-2016 Allocations came from the US. 31% from Canada. 15% from Mexico. No one complains when a Canadian player is played in a position their club doesn’t need them in but whispers of the national team staff asking them to be played in said position because it doesn’t happen. Canada doesn’t have the same monetary investment in the league as the US does, and with that investment comes power to dictate terms that not all coaches have the will to say no to.

In 2013 when the first set of Allocations came out the US had 42% of the total Allocations in the league. There were other voices in the room. Other national teams who had their own ideas. In 2016 it was 69% USWNT allocations, same as 2017.

In some ways, the NWSL is the best league in the world. In others, it’s the USSF’s longest USWNT camp in history.

The 2016 NWSL Allocations: A Snapshot

Posted on by RJ Allen

Nothing like starting with the first year of the NWSL and moving through the rest of them. Gotta catch them all, right? Here is a look at the 2016 NWSL allocations.

Here is a quick snapshot of who stayed with their first club, who moved on to another and who is just out of the league altogether.

The Boston Breakers

USWNT Allocations: Whitney Engen

Canadian Allocations: None

Mexican Allocations: None 

Allocations still with the club: 0

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 0 

The Chicago Red Stars

USWNT Allocations: Alyssa Naeher, Christen Press, Julie Johnston

Canadian Allocations: None

Mexican Allocations: None

Allocations still with the club: 3, Naeher, Press, Johnson

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 0

FC Kansas City

USWNT Allocations: Sydney Leroux, Heather O’Reilly, Amy Rodriguez, Becky Sauerbrunn

Canadian Allocations: Desiree Scott 

Mexican Allocations: None

Allocations still with the club: 4, Leroux, Rodriguez, Sauerbrunn, Scott

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 0 

The Houston Dash

USWNT Allocations: Morgan Brian, Carli Lloyd

Canadian Allocations: Janine Beckie, Allysha Chapman

Mexican Allocations: None

Allocations still with the club: 3, Brian, Lloyd, Beckie

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 1, Champman for the Boston Breakers

The Orlando Pride

USWNT Allocations: Ashlyn Harris, Alex Morgan

Canadian Allocations: Josée Belanger, Kaylyn Kyle

Mexican Allocations: None

Allocations still with the club: 2, Harris, Morgan

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 0 

The Portland Thorns

USWNT Allocations: Meghan Klingenberg, Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan

Canadian Allocations: Christine Sinclair

Mexican Allocations: None

Allocations still with the club: 4, Klingenberg, Heath, Horan, Sinclair

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 0

The Seattle Reign

USWNT Allocations: Hope Solo, Megan Rapinoe

Canadian Allocations: None

Mexican Allocations: None 

Allocations still with the club: 1, Rapinoe

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 0 

Sky Blue FC

USWNT Allocations: Kelley O’Hara, Christie Pearce

Canadian Allocations: None

Mexican Allocations: None

Allocations still with the club: 2, O’Hara, Pearce

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 0 

The Washington Spirit

USWNT Allocations: Crystal Dunn, Ali Krieger

Canadian Allocations: Diana Matheson, Stephanie Labbé

Mexican Allocations: None

Allocations still with the club: 1, Labbé

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: Krieger for the Orlando Pride, Matheson for the Seattle Reign

The Western New York Flash

USWNT Allocations: Jaelene Hinkle, Samantha Mewis

Canadian Allocations: Adriana Leon, Sabrina D’Angelo

Mexican Allocations: None

Allocations still with the club: 3, Hinkle, Mewis, D’Angelo

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 1, Leon for the Boston Breakers

Totals

Total 2016 allocations: 33

2016 allocations still playing in the NWSL: 26

2016 allocations still playing in the NWSL for their original club: 23

2016 allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 3

The 2015 NWSL Allocations: A Snapshot

Posted on by RJ Allen

Nothing like starting with the first year of the NWSL and moving through the rest of them. Gotta catch them all, right? Here is a look at the 2015 NWSL allocations.

Here is a quick snapshot of who stayed with their first club, who moved on to another and who is just out of the league altogether.

The Boston Breakers

USWNT Allocations: Kristie Mewis, Alyssa Naeher

Canadian Allocations: Nkem Ezurike

Mexican Allocations: Bianca Sierra

Allocations still with the club: 0 

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 2, Mewis for the Washington Spirit, Naeher for the Chicago Red Stars

The Chicago Red Stars

USWNT Allocations: Shannon Boxx, Christen Press, Julie Johnston

Canadian Allocations: Adriana Leon, Rachel Quon, Karina LeBlanc, Melissa Tancredi

Mexican Allocations: None

Allocations still with the club: 2, Press and Johnston

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 1, Leon for the Boston Breakers

FC Kansas City

USWNT Allocations: Nicole Barnhart, Lauren Holiday, Amy Rodriguez, Becky Sauerbrunn, Heather O’Reilly

Canadian Allocations: None

Mexican Allocations: None 

Allocations still with the club: 3, Barnhart, Sauerbrunn, and Rodriguez

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 0

The Houston Dash

USWNT Allocations: Meghan Klingenberg, Carli Lloyd

Canadian Allocations: Erin McLeod, Lauren Sesselmann, Allysha Chapman

Mexican Allocations: None

Allocations still with the club: 1, Lloyd

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 2, Klingenberg for the Portland Thorns, Chapman for the Boston Breakers

The Portland Thorns

USWNT Allocations: Rachel Buehler, Tobin Heath, Alex Morgan

Canadian Allocations: Christine Sinclair, Kaylyn Kyle, Rhian Wilkinson

Mexican Allocations: None

Allocations still with the club: 2, Health and Sinclair

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 1, Morgan for the Orlando Pride

The Seattle Reign

USWNT Allocations: Megan Rapinoe, Hope Solo, Sydney Leroux

Canadian Allocations: None

Mexican Allocations: None

Allocations still with the club: 1, Rapinoe

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 1, Leroux for FC Kansas City

Sky Blue FC

USWNT Allocations: Kelley O’Hara, Christie Pearce

Canadian Allocations: Jonelle Filigno

Mexican Allocations: Monica Ocampo

Original allocations still with the club: 2, O’Hara and Pearce

Original allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 0

The Washington Spirit

USWNT Allocations: Ashlyn Harris, Ali Krieger, Crystal Dunn

Canadian Allocations: Diana Matheson

Mexican Allocations: Arianna Romero, Veronica Perez

Original allocations still with the club: 0

Original allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 3, Krieger and Harris for the Orlando Pride, Matheson for the Seattle Reign

The Western New York Flash

USWNT Allocations: Abby Wambach, Whitney Engen

Canadian Allocations: None

Mexican Allocations: None

Allocations still with the club: 0

Allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 0

Totals

Total 2015 allocations: 41

2015 allocations still playing in the NWSL: 21

2015 allocations still playing in the NWSL for their original club: 11 

2015 allocations still playing elsewhere in the NWSL: 10