Tag: NWSL

Chicago Red Stars Head Coach Rory Dames is Here to Remind You He’s Chicago AF

Posted on by RJ Allen

It’s Week 3. And yeah, it’s a bit early in the season. But unless you’re the NC Courage, many teams are still busy building fitness, establishing chemistry, and finding their offensive rhythm. But if there’s one thing other than the sporadic goals to remind us that NWSL is back for season five, the early frustrating officiating is here to help you out.

To refresh your memory, last season in May, several coaches had issue with officiating during a weekend of games. In a rivalry match up that featured Portland and Seattle, things naturally got physical. However, when the contact between rival players increased to the point of potential injury, and Reign FC coach Laura Harvey let her feelings be known in the post-game. Quoted from Sounder At Heart, Harvey knew she would be fined for part the following statement:

“I thought the ref lost control of the game. I think everyone should look at Bev Goebel’s face. I’m not saying anybody went out to hurt anybody. But the reality is that when the referee doesn’t get a hold on the game, like he didn’t, someone was going to get hurt.”

During the same post game, Portland Thorns head coach Mark Parson shared similar sentiments, stating “It sounds like Laura might be getting fined, so I’ll try to take the calm approach.” Parsons further cemented his agreement in making a simple “No comment,” when he was asked his thoughts on the officiating. In the same 2016 weekend, NC Courage [then WNY Flash] Head Coach Paul Riley also expressed frustrations with the officiating.

It truly was a season to remember, but what some recall most are the articles, podcasts, and general conversations about PRO officiating. And this year, the season with the brand new shiny A+E Network Lifetime TV deal, fans got their first dose of Chicago Red Stars head coach Rory Dames joining the officiating critique party. On Saturday,  when the Red Stars faced the Thorns in Lifetime’s featured game of the week, this was Dames’ post-game reaction.

I reached out to Coach Dames for some post-game comments. When I asked him his thoughts on the collision between his star striker Christen Press and Portland’s Goal Keeper Adriana France, Dames shoots it straight from the hip,

“It’s a stone-cold penalty kick, and arguably, a Red Card. Casey plays the ball in, Christen takes the ball high, the goalie goes low, takes her feet and wraps her up. She’s [Franch] the last defender who prevents her from scoring. So, no question, it’s a penalty kick and arguably a red card.”

As the visiting team, in an early season game that could’ve been perceived as a future potential playoff game, collecting a first goal can often be crucial. Chicago is no stranger from having to play from behind, but while trying to grind out a result, one can’t help but wonder if momentum is killed or changed. Dames admits there can be both, while reminding me of one penalty vs no penalty.

“I don’t think it [missed calls] kills the momentum. I think that when he [official] turns around and calls a penalty kick on a ball that’s blasted from a yard away onto Christen’s arm, a ball that Sonnet’s actually kicking away from our goal, it probably would’ve traveled 40 yards towards the half line, and that’s when you decide to take the penalty kick? I mean obviously, it changes momentum in that scoring the first goal in that game was always going to be important. So, either be brave enough to call them on both sides, or don’t call them on either side.”

Both teams faced each other in preseason back in March. The result of that game also came from a penalty kick. However, playing for assessment and playing for a result are two very different things. Dames even took time to elaborate on the positives for a longer preseason,  saying that he thinks “a longer preseason and a longer regular season would be good for the league. But I don’t think what went on in our preseason has any impact on where we’re at in the table right now. But I think everyone would want to have a longer season and preseason if we could.”

Chicago’s head coach since 2011, Dames has been with the team since it was competing in the WPSL. He has been praised for his ability to draft well and help develop players. Coaches are often responsible to help establish the tone and culture of their teams. Since the NWSL began in 2013, Dames has been a key component of making that happen for his teams throughout the seasons. While many famous coaches in other sports have been tied to Chicago through their large personalities or their championships, Dames’ style and approach is tied to the players he coaches. While his hard-nosed techniques might not sit well will some, his coaching philosophies resonate with his players.

Although Dames currently doesn’t have an NWSL championship on his resume, no one doubts his experience, or his honesty. As to whether he expects a fine after his comments this weekend, Dames just said that if one comes his way, he’ll happily take it.

Now that’s a Chicago-style attitude for sure.

 

The Unused Sub: When You Right, You Right

Posted on by RJ Allen

As I write this, I just got home from a happy hour where the place I was at played about six Audioslave songs. It felt like I was back in my college days; fun fact, the place I went to where I got a college degree DOESN’T EXIST ANYMORE! How many people can say their alma marter doesn’t exist anymore? No, the school itself wasn’t wiped off the map by a meteor.

And for the record, I like Audioslave, so I didn’t mind the nostalgia soundtrack while out with co-workers.

Anyways onward with the soccer takes.

SO THE NWSL CHAMPIONSHIP WILL BE IN ORLANDO…
…and I will gladly accept donations to get me there in October.

WELCOME TO THE NWSL, JANE CAMPBELL BUT IT WASN’T ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT
Over the course of the Seattle Reign FC’s onslaught of Houston Dash on Saturday, people were talking about if Dash head coach Randy Waldrum should have pulled goalkeeper Jane Campbell. I didn’t have much time to think about it as it was happening live as I was live-tweeting and a post-match conference with Waldrum and a couple days later, I think it would have been worse if he did pull the rookie goalkeeper. I mean sooner or later rookies in the NWSL are going to have those “welcome to the league, kid” games where everything goes wrong and they get straight up clowned. Jane Campbell wasn’t the only Dash player that had a nightmare day in the office on Saturday. That entire back line did Campbell no favors, especially Poliana -garbage time goal be damned. Anyone wearing an orange shirt on Saturday night got systematically bossed by anyone wearing a blue Reign FC shirt and you know what, it happens. Sure it was spectacularly bad given the week before the Dash had a field day against the Chicago Red Stars, but week after week, nothing is a give. Not anymore in the the 2017 NWSL. I thought was was nice to witness was Rachel Daly & captain Kealia Ohai acknowledge that yes they flat out stunk on Saturday night but as the leaders of the team to shoulder the responsibility. They took their medicine this past Saturday and I’m sure will respond in kind this weekend, going forward. The ceiling on Jane Campbell is still pretty high and I think barring some really unfortunate turn of events with her development, she will be fine. As my Backline Soccer colleagues pointed out, Sabrina D’Angelo got shelled by Seattle in 2015. Now look at her.

AND SPEAKING OF THE COURAGE FORMERLY KNOWN AS WESTERN NEW YORK FLASH
The former owners of the club formerly known as Western New York Flash will be presenting the now North Carolina Courage players that won the 2016 NWSL Championship with rings. Good. Those ladies that were in Houston last October to win the league title deserve a memento to celebrate the achievement. It might rub some people the wrong way about the shared/not-shared history of the Western New York Flash, but that is not the fault of the players. I dare anyone to tell Sabraina D’Angelo or Abby Erceg they “shouldn’t” get a ring. Anyone that does, get back to me should you survive a studs up tackle from either one of them.

GUESS THEY’RE NOT ROLLING OUT THE RED CARPET FOR ME AT YURCAK FIELD

At the time of writing this,Groucho Marx glasses are $13.90 on Amazon.com. Best I stock up.

I still think Sky Blue FC head coach Christy Holly has some dapper sweaters.

WHICH NWSL SUPPORTERS GROUP DO I ENRAGE THIS WEEKEND

Chicago Red Stars OVER Portland Thorns – ‘sup Rose City Riveters 😉
North Carolina Courage & Orlando Pride play to a DRAW.
Seattle Reign FC OVER Boston Breakers.
Washington Spirit & Houston Dash play to a DRAW.
Sky Blue FC & FC Kansas City play to a DRAW.

So since no one has yet asked me any questions, I’m closing this week’s installment with one to you the readers. What are your TWO go-to karaoke songs. I will opine your song choices choices in next week’s piece, so get to dropping your tunes.

My head hurts. It was that cocktail called Jessica Rabbit that did me in.

Battle of the Keepers: NWSL Goalkeeper Power Ranking

Posted on by RJ Allen

RJ Allen:

Hey Jordan, you wanna talk about goalkeepers?

Jordan Small:

Of course! Who doesn’t want to talk about the best position in the game?

RJ Allen:

So before we started,Jordan and I ranked 1-10 the best goalkeepers in the league. Then we made a joint list I think we’re both pretty happy with.

We’re both pretty happy, right?

Jordan Small:

I think so. We talked about how the middle of the pack could be interchanged right now because of how well everyone is playing so far.

RJ Allen:

Someone has to be number 10 and sadly you and I both put Adrianna Franch in that spot.

Jordan Small:

You know, looking at Portland’s stats this year, people might scratch their head at why we put her at the bottom. I mean she has only given up one goal. But her distribution has been anything but clean. She has really put her defenders in a tough spot and you can see that they are frustrated with her. These mistakes may not have cost them yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it happens soon.

RJ Allen:

It’s amazing how well she played in 2013 and after some time off because of being hurt, some time overseas, and a year of being a backup, she looks nothing like the player so many thought would be a staple on the national team.

Jordan Small:

Yeah, I mean even in a few camps last year, we thought she would be getting back in with the national team. Now we are seeing why she was the backup to Michelle Betos last season.

RJ Allen:

Number 9 is a 2 for 1 special. We both agreed that because of how the season has gone to rank Lydia Williams and Jane Campbell together.

Which, let’s be fair, drops Williams a few spots.

Jordan Small:

Of course, since they both have played only one game, we thought it was fair to put them together. Obviously Campbell had a rough outing last weekend in Seattle, but I don’t think that is indicative of how Campbell will be at the professional level. On the other hand, you have a goalkeeper like Williams who played very well on opening weekend and picked up the win for Randy Waldrum’s side. It will be interesting to see what Waldrum does this week with his goalkeepers.

RJ Allen:

We’ve seen good goalkeepers have bad games but usually you aren’t starting a rookie over a top 10 international keeper. I think it has to play mind games a bit on both goalkeepers going into this weekend.

Even if Williams is back in goal.

Jordan Small:

Absolutely. I think Waldrum has an interesting situation on his hands.

But like you said, starting a rookie over a top 10 international keeper is not always the smartest decision. It’s even worse when it’s on the road against one of the best home teams in the league.

RJ Allen:

Him picking Campbell was a head scratcher. Starting her in Seattle feels like an even bigger one.

Jordan Small:

Exactly. But now that she has that first game under her belt, I hope she continues to improve.

I also think it was super smart to leave her in for the whole game. Really helps with the confidence going forward.

RJ Allen:

The next place is hard because I think we’re getting into a list of goalkeepers that are playing well but they have to be somewhere so they end up lower than fans will think they should be. So, at Number 8 we put Kailen Sheridan.

Jordan Small:

Sheridan was a wild card for me. I had seen her play in college and for the Canadian national team a few times. I think she has played well this season. The first game of her professional career, she gives up one goal off of a penalty kick. You can’t complain too much with that.

RJ Allen:

And the Dowie goal I think would have been hard for most goalkeepers to save.

I think she still looks like a young goalkeeper but right now I think she is playing pretty well.

Jordan Small:

For sure. Dowie is a world class goalscorer. Not many people are stoping that.

RJ Allen:

I do think with two rookies, a second-year player and Pearce as lead on the backline, she has to be a little bit more commanding.

Jordan Small:

She definitely does not have it easy in her first year. But I am sure that Pearce has been a great help adjusting to this level. I mean who better to have as your centerback in your first year as a pro?

RJ Allen:

I think if anyone can help her grow to be a stronger leader, it’s Pearce.

Jordan Small:

Definitely.

RJ Allen:

Number 7 is going to get us into some hot water, I think, but we did both agree on this one. Number 7, Ashlyn Harris.

Jordan Small:

She had to end up somewhere on the list. I put her down here because she has made some mistakes that have put her team in dangerous situations. This past weekend against Washington, she had some moments where I was like ‘what are you doing?’

But she has one of the shakiest defensive lines in the league right now, so I think number 7 is a good spot for her.

RJ Allen:

Her decision making has been very much “they can’t do the thing so I will do the thing for them” which, with the backline she has, I can understand. But it doesn’t make for great goalkeeping.

Jordan Small:

As cool as it looks, I don’t think you want to see your goalkeeper performing diving headers at the top of your own 18 yard box.

RJ Allen:

The more the line breaks down the more she has to do things that take away from her own skill set. Which is not going to do Orlando favors in the long run.

Jordan Small:

Not at all. She is a solid goalkeeper but does a little too much sometimes.

RJ Allen:

Number 6 might shock a few people but we went Abby Smith.

Jordan Small:

Abby Smith is a name that NWSL fans should get used to hearing. She is coming off a knee injury that kept her out most of last year, but she has a ton of potential. We’ve seen what she can do in the first two games of the season. The first game against FCKC may not have been the best, but man did she have a great game against Sky Blue. I really think she should have won Save of the Week. That’s a different conversation though.

RJ Allen:

It is but I think it’s one we agree about.

Smith has really looked good in the first town games for a team we both agree will surprise a few teams this year. She has not looked unsure once this season.

Jordan Small:

I think she will be the key to Boston having a better season. If she can continue her great play, this could be a year to remember for the Breakers.

RJ Allen:

How long before you think we see her get a national team call up, or do we?

Jordan Small:

I would like to see her get a call up. I’m not sure we will though.

RJ Allen:

Number 5 is a player I really thought we’d have higher until I started ranking them all, national team #1 Alyssa Naeher.

Jordan Small:

At the time of the SheBelieves Cup, I was calling Naeher the best goalkeeper in the world. I still stand by that. However, she has not looked her best as of late. The first game of the season was not a good one from her. She struggled with positioning a lot in that game. But then she came out in the second game and shut out FCKC at Toyota Park. I know she can play better and I can’t wait to see Naeher back at her best. Naeher at her best is my favorite.

RJ Allen:

Naeher is a really, really good goalkeeper but I have a hard time calling her world class. And if you are the number one goalkeeper in the US I think you need to be world class. And she hasn’t shown that to me this year for country or club.

But I do again her best is really damn good.

Jordan Small:

I think she is in a difficult spot because she has to follow up Hope Solo. I just wish Solo was around to help her transition into the number one instead of just being thrown in there.

RJ Allen:

I do wonder what it says for the future of USWNT goalkeeping, if anything, that all the current goalkeepers in the conversation are 5-10 and none are top 4.

Jordan Small:

I also think that says something about the strength of goalkeepers internationally. But you’re absolutely right, it is a little bit worrisome that they are not in the top 4. However, there is a goalkeeper in the top 4 that you and I both would agree should see time with the national team. Unfortunately, I don’t think that will ever happen.

RJ Allen:

Before we get to that goalkeeper let’s talk about our number 4. A goalkeeper who happens to be the third most capped USWNT goalkeeper, Nicole Barnhart.

Jordan Small:

Man, Nicole Barnhart. The goalkeeper that never seems to drop off. Barnie is a special one. She has been probably the most consistent goalkeeper in the NWSL over the years. It has been no different in year five. She has made some incredible saves that have really kept her team in it. If it wasn’t for her and Becky Sauerbrunn, I don’t know where FCKC would be right now.

RJ Allen:

She is an ageless wonder of soccer. Someone who really is just always there, always knows what needs to be done and always works her tail off to do what she can to get her team the win.

Underrated I think by a lot of fans.

Jordan Small:

I really wish she was able to play more for the national team. Timing is everything at the national team level, especially at the goalkeeper position. But you can’t argue that she is one of the best to ever play in the league.

RJ Allen:

I would argue that if we’re just talking NWSL she is the best goalkeeper the league has seen.

Jordan Small:

I can’t argue that.

RJ Allen:

Let’s talk top 3, shall we? Kicking off the top 3 is a goalkeeper I know you watch very closely, Steph Labbe.

Jordan Small:

Ah, yes. Steph Labbé. Let’s just say that the Washington Spirit are very lucky that she stuck around. She has been incredible for them this season. I mean if you look at the game against North Carolina in week one, she is the only reason that game didn’t end up 5-0, 6-0. She finished with seven saves I believe. Just incredible. But she did get kind of crossed up in the Orlando game on the game tying goal. She could really save the season for the Spirit.

RJ Allen:

She really has looked sharp lately. And she is is getting toward her peak goalkeeper years, later than peak field player years, which is great for both Washington and Canada.

Though I do still worry about her having to over compensate for her backline.

Jordan Small:

I think that this backline will get better in a few weeks now that Caprice Dydasco has been cleared. But if you’re Washington and Canada, you have to be happy with the product you are getting from your number one.

RJ Allen:

Number 2 and number 1, you and I could have swapped and felt pretty good about. But our number two right now is Haley Kopmeyer.

Jordan Small:

Haley Kopmeyer is finally getting her chance at number one. Good things come to those who wait. After waiting for so long behind Solo, she is finally getting her chance. She has looked so good in her first two games of the year. I can’t wait to see what she can do moving forward. I wish we could see her get called into the national team, but I just don’t think that’ll happen. We’ll just have to settle for seeing her lead the team in Seattle instead.

RJ Allen:

I would take her on the national team over just about anyone right now. She has clearly learned from Solo over her time there when it comes to deciding to make a move and doing it. She really looks like someone who could spend the next decade playing at a super high level.

Jordan Small:

I don’t disagree with that.

If she continues to impress this season, maybe we will see her get a call up this year.

RJ Allen:

Shall we talk about the number 1? I believe it’s that time.

Jordan Small:

I think we owe the people that much. So let’s talk about our number 1.

Sabrina D’Angelo has not allowed a single goal all season, so she was my obvious choice for number 1.

RJ Allen:

Going D’Angelo as the number one was pretty easy even with Kopmeyer playing the way she is, yeah.

Jordan Small:

Although I think you could make the case for Kopmeyer to be number 1, D’Angelo has piggybacked off of an incredible 2016 championship game performance.

She wasn’t forced to be very active in game one, but those pesky Portland Thorns really put her to work. She showed why she deserves to be number 1.

Do you think this puts John Herdman in a tough spot when it comes to the number 1 spot in net for Canada?

RJ Allen:

I think it does but I think it’s a problem that any coach would love to have.

Right now if I were Herdman I would go D’Angelo 1, Labbe 2, but I can understand having Labbe start for Canada as well.

I do wonder if she has less of the confidence issues that Labbe has fought in the past too, which can help.

Jordan Small:

I think I would go with Labbé just because she has more experience at the international level. However, with no major tournaments coming up, this could be the time to have a battle play out. It’s a nice situation to be in.

RJ Allen:

It really is. And for North Carolina having her be at the level they are with everything else that’s going for them? They have a shot at the playoffs for sure.

Jordan Small:

I think they are the most complete team in the league right now.

RJ Allen:

We are planning to revisit the goalkeepers in the league a few times this season. Who do you think has the most room to make the biggest jump up the board in that 10-6 range?

Jordan Small:

Probably Abby Smith. I think that if she keeps playing the way she has been, she can be a star in this league.

RJ Allen:

Yeah I really think she can go pretty far.

I think Sheridan can make a jump but that is also going to be a lot to do with her backline.

Jordan Small:

I agree with you on that. Sheridan will have to really learn to control that backline.

RJ Allen:

Any final thoughts on the league and goalkeepers?

Jordan Small:

You know, the goalkeeping has been great to start off the year. I think this could be the most competitive year on record for goalkeepers. Nothing makes me happier than great goalkeeping, so this should be fun.

RJ Allen:

I agree. I’m looking forward to seeing some great goalkeeping this year and seeing if any of the non starters get time and who might break in to the league.

Jordan Small:

Is there a certain spot in the league where you could see a non-starter get some time?

RJ Allen:

Portland I think gives the best odds.

Jordan Small:

I definitely agree with that. I think the only question there is when? The 

RJ Allen:

It’s only a matter of time before Franch has a game like Campbell the way she’s playing.

Jordan Small:

I hope Parsons makes the change before it costs them.

I think that’s really the only place we will see a different person in net unless you are looking at someone being away on national team duties.

RJ Allen:

I think we’ll see. Never know what might happen with only 20 goalkeepers on the rosters right now.

Jordan Small:

And that’s what is so much fun about goalkeeping.

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.

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 2

Posted on by RJ Allen

Backline Soccer Recap:

Last week on Backline Soccer, we introduced several new series that you can look forward to reading throughout the 2017 NWSL season.

  • The Unused Sub – Jacob Cristobal graced us with two pieces in this series last week. The first piece details the introduction of the streaming platforms and where we are at in year five. In the second piece, Jacob breaks down his thoughts on the uproar about Week 1 streaming, curses the Gods for taking Amy Rodriguez and Joanna Lohman out of the 2017 NWSL season with torn ACLs, and more. As always, he asks you to give him your best shot on twitter, @jacobcristobal, for any questions or comments!
  • Route Two Soccer: The Counterattack and Houston’s 4-3-3 – The first piece from our newest addition, Charles Olney, is all about tactics. In this first edition, he breaks down the tactics of the Houston Dash in their game against the Chicago Red Stars. This series is sure to be a hit, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled to our site for the next one.
  • Rising Blues, Falling Spirit- NWSL Power Rankings Week 1 Edition – Jenn Hayes will take you through power rankings each week of all ten NWSL teams. Week 1 saw FC Kansas City claim the top spot after a great opening game but the Washington Spirit, a team who made the 2016 NWSL championship game, found themselves at the bottom.
  • 6 Takeaways from NWSL: Week One – Jordan Small, Leigh Nieves, and Luis Hernandez will take you through their six takeaways each and every week following a weekend of NWSL games. Some highlights for week one included streaming issues, the first game on Lifetime, and the huge game Stephanie Labbé had.
  • Jane Campbell Didn’t Have an Excellent First Start (And That’s Okay) – Elizabeth Wawrzyniak takes a look at Jane Campbell’s first pro start for the Houston Dash. Even with the goals allowed she looks into why Campbell is going to be just fine.

Check them all out on our website–make sure to catch up on last week’s great pieces before diving into Week 2!

NWSL Week 2 Game Recaps:

We have arrived at the end of Week 2 in the 2017 NWSL season! We saw some great games this past weekend, so let’s dive right in.

 

Game 1: Chicago Red Stars 1 vs FC Kansas City 0

Chicago Red Stars record: 1-1-0
FC Kansas City record: 1-1-0
Attendance: 2,153

The first game of the day was the home opener for the Chicago Red Stars against FC Kansas City. Both teams were bringing the heat with some quality matchups, but it was ultimately a goal by Julie Ertz in the 41st minute that decided the game. Yes you read that right, Julie Ertz, our beloved JJ, scored the lone goal and game winner for the Chicago Red Stars! The 49th minute provided a PK to the Red Stars but Christen Press’ shot went wide, continuing the struggles with PKs for another USWNT star. FC Kansas City was noticeably different without the star power of Amy Rodriguez (who is out for the season with a torn ACL) but Nicole Barnhart kept Chicago limited to just one goal with some amazing saves. We’re only in week 2 but she is looking prime Barnie in goal so far.

Game 2: Orlando Pride 1 vs Washington Spirit 1

Orlando Pride record: 0-1-1
Washington Spirit record: 0-1-1
Attendance: 14,452

The Lifetime Game of the Week this week showcased the Orlando Pride and the Washington Spirit. This was the home opener for the Pride, the first appearance in their brand new stadium, and also the first game for Marta. A lot of give and go between both teams took us into halftime with no goals but plenty of excitement. Orlando has arguably one of the best backlines (at least on paper) in the league, but some slipups forced goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris into a number of crucial saves. Pride fans will appreciate the saves but I’m sure would prefer to see Harris less busy. She herself has said that a perfect game involves having to make no saves. With the continuing struggles of the front line for the Pride, the addition of Marta should provide a much needed boost. The return of Alex Morgan in June will also be a big help, but let’s hope Pride fans don’t have to wait that long for the team to start finishing their chances.

The Washington Spirit also looked much better this week, with Stephanie Labbé continuing to perform well. Marta made her anticipated appearance in the 59th minute, only to see Line Sigvardsen Jensen notch her first NWSL goal and put the Spirit up 1-0. But it was a stunner of a goal from rookie Danica Evans, her first as a professional, in the 87th minute that tied the game up. Shortly after, Marta came very close to scoring her first  and sealing the Pride’s first win of the season but couldn’t quite find the mark. Both teams come away here with a hard fought point.

Game 3: North Carolina Courage 1 vs Portland Thorns 0

North Carolina Courage record: 2-0-0
Portland Thorns record: 1-1-0
Attendance: 6,298

The Courage were up next in their home opener, the first for the newly relocated team, against the Thorns. In a rematch of the intense semi-final of last season, both teams game out of the gate swinging. Portland started off early as a FK by Nadia Nadim almost found its way to Allie Long for the first goal of the match but we went into halftime still scoreless. On both sides, Franch and D’Angelo came up big in the net to keep this game tight. Finally, in the 81st minute, Debinha scored the lone goal of the night to put the Courage up 1-0. She also came close earlier in the match with a supreme bicycle kick. The game was intensely physical, with the Courage ultimately coming out on top and seeing out the win in their new home in North Carolina.

Game 4: Seattle Reign 5 vs Houston Dash 1

Seattle Reign record: 1-0-1
Houston Dash record: 1-1-0
Attendance: 2,727

The final game of Saturday night saw the Reign take on the Dash in Seattle. The Dash were coming off a hopeful start after a win and shutout for Lydia Williams last week against the Chicago Red Stars but this time they looked like a different team. Jane Campbell made her NWSL debut in goal for Houston, and was put under pressure early and often. Jess Fishlock opened the goal-fest in the 17th minute. From there, it was all downhill for the Dash. Rapinoe launched a rocket in the 26th minute, McNabb followed in the 29th minute, Yanez in the 55th minute, and finally Katie Johnson, (her debut and first professional goal) in the 74th minute. Poliana put the Dash on the board, finally, in the 84th minute, but by then it was too late. Amber Brooks came up huge for the Dash in the 51st minute with a goal line clearance to keep the Reign off of the board but the Dash struggled most of the night against the Reign.

The decision to go with Campbell over Williams in goal was met with skepticism by many, and unfortunately she did not seem to be quite ready for the test. However, she certainly wasn’t helped by a shaky backline which, missing Janine Van Wyk due to illness, looked messy and unorganized. Ultimately, while it wasn’t a great night for Campbell, she should fare better going forward.

On a final note, Merritt Mathias took a hard knock and had to come off after a huge welt formed on her head. Despite the bump, she was seen laughing about it with teammates Haley Kopmeyer and Megan Rapinoe and seems to be OK.

Game 5: Boston Breakers 1 vs Sky Blue FC 0

Boston Breakers record: 1-1-0
Sky Blue FC record: 0-1-1
Attendance: 2,329

The final game of the weekend was the Boston Breakers’ home opener against Sky Blue FC. Not wanting a repeat of last years slow start, the Breakers came out determined to get three points. They looked much better this week and should give their fans a lot of hope. On the other side, Sky Blue also looked different from week 1, but in the other direction. After the dominating performance against the Reign last week, they could not buy a goal on Sunday to save their life. It was Natasha Dowie who scored the deciding goal in the 37th minute, thanks to Rose Lavelle’s first career assist. Kelley O’Hara took quite a beating this match as she was hustling all over the pitch, shuttling from forward to midfield, trying to make things happen for her team and fill in holes as needed. In the later part of the game, she was moved to fullback, in an effort to bolster the backline, but did not seem pleased about it. Both keepers, Abby Smith and Kailen Sheridan, looked dominant all game for their respective teams and should be proud of their output.

The weekend saw the Red Stars, Courage, Reign, and Breakers come away with three points, while the Pride and Spirit each garnered their first point of the season. Held winless and pointless this week were FCKC, the Thorns, Dash, and Sky Blue.

A reminder for U.S. fans that you can catch the Lifetime Game of the Week live and on demand either via TV, computer, or mobile and all other games live and on demand on the go90 app and (as of this weekend) on the go90 website. Additionally, after 48 hours, all go90 games will be on demand on the NWSL website. All international fans can catch every game, live and on demand, on the NWSL website.

The Scouting Report:

The Scouting Report went live last night with our second 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! And don’t forget to check out the rest of our great content created weekly on the Backline Soccer website!

 

6 Takeaways from NWSL: Week Two

Posted on by RJ Allen

An unpredictable Week Two in the NWSL has now come to a close. We saw the first win of the season for the Boston Breakers, the absolute rout of Houston from Seattle, and the first appearance of Marta in Orlando. Here are a few of our takeaways: 

Orlando Pride Draw 14,452: What That Really Means — Luis Hernandez

The Pride held the first match in the new Orlando City stadium which holds 25,500 hoping to break the league attendance record set last year in Orlando’s inaugural home opener. To do so, the club’s marketing department rolled out its “Fill The Bowl” campaign, Pride players made personal appearances, and were on radio and television pushing the #FillTheBowl message. Outsiders will be quick to point this out as a disappointment or a failure to draw in more crowds than before even with the signing of Marta, but I think after a closer examination this is not a bad thing, but a good thing.

The high attendance number of the first game didn’t carry over for the rest of the season. As the city of Orlando grew the sport of soccer on the men’s side, the club needs to do the same for the women, and that will take time. First year, first game brought in those looking for some novelty, and wanted to “check out” the new team for the club. Orlando has a lot going on besides soccer, and this year three teams are playing in the stadium. People are being selective, so the 14K strong in attendance to see the Pride take on the Spirit were more actually fans of WoSo who are more than likely to have a greater number return. The number in attendance isn’t cause for alarm yet for the Pride; however, the next home game falls on Mother’s’ Day, so looking big picture and long term would be the smart way moving forward.

 

Parity, It’s a thing – Luis Hernandez

The North Carolina Courage seem to be the strongest team out the gates going into Week Three as they host the Pride. Yet looking at the standings with the results of the first two weeks, all the teams have at least a point. The Dash beat the Red Stars Week One then get blasted by Seattle and Chicago holds off FC Kansas City. The Reign could only draw the first week against Sky Blue, and KC provided to be too much for the Breakers. Fast forward to Week Two, Boston gets a win over Sky Blue.

See where I’m going here? In this league, each team needs to be ready to give maximum effort, and execution; otherwise it will be a long match (looking at you Houston). Orlando was finally able to get a point from Washington by creating quality in the final third for one moment after the Spirit were able to improve their team’s performance from Week One. No game is going to be a gimme, and that level of competition is one of the hallmarks of the league, not found in most women’s leagues. May it continue for the rest of the season.

The Injury Bug Keeps Biting the Washington Spirit – Jordan Small

In last week’s opening weekend matchup with the North Carolina Courage, the Spirit had to use two subs in the first half due to injuries. Joanna Lohman is out for the rest of the season because of torn left ACL and Cheyna Williams missed this weekend’s match because of a strained right adductor. Things got even worse for the Spirit on Saturday.

In the 19th minute of the match vs. the Orlando Pride, forward Katie Stengel had to be subbed off because of what appeared to be a knee injury. If Stengel is unable to play against the Houston Dash next week, that would leave the Spirit with just three true forwards on the roster. Lohman, Stengel, and Williams join Caprice Dydasco, Cali Farquharson and Kelsey Wys on the list of injured Washington players.

 

Franch is Not Bad, But Also Not Great – Jordan Small

If you look at the box scores of the first two weeks of the season for the Portland Thorns, there doesn’t seem to be a lot wrong with the goalkeeping. A 2-0 win at home and a 1-0 loss on the road are two very respectable results. But what if I told you that the goalkeeping is a position of concern for the Thorns heading into the rest of the season?

Adriana Franch has been the starter for Portland in both matches this season. Despite allowing just one goal in that time, Franch had multiple mistakes that really put her team in harms way. Franch’s distribution out of the back has been suspect this season, forcing her backline to clean up her mistakes. Her mistakes have not cost her team on the scoresheet just yet, but how long will Mark Parsons wait before putting Britt Eckerstrom?

Houston, We Might Have a Problem? – Leigh Nieves

It’s difficult to say if Houston was purely having an off night, or if they really didn’t remember what is was like to play the Seattle Reign. Their shaky defense and questionable starting line up was a complete 180 from their first game vs Chicago. The one thing that was unquestionable? Seattle’s lethal attack.

Saturday night was the game many Reign fans were waiting to see. Jess Fishlock opened the scoring with a lovely ball that slid right past rookie keeper, Jane Campbell. This was only the beginning of Campbell’s nightmare-esque pro debut. In the next fifteen minutes, the Reign bagged two more goals, one from the deadly left foot of Megan Rapinoe and one from rookie defender, Kristen McNabb. Houston only continued to deteriorate, getting only one goal in the 84th minute from Poliana and ending the game with a 5-1 loss.

Houston should have a pretty decent offensive side this year with Kealia Ohai and Rachel Daly leading their formations, but the duo was practically invisible against the Reign. Maybe we can chalk this up to Houston’s bad luck vs Seattle (the Reign is 8-0 all-time against the Dash), or maybe there needs to be a big change in tactics for the next game.

 

Boston is Good? – Leigh Nieves

The Breakers closed out Week Two with a 1-0 shutout vs Sky Blue. And yes, they looked solid. A beautiful pass from Rose Lavelle to Natasha Dowie resulted in the game’s only goal. Sky Blue found themselves struggling against Boston’s ability to maintain possession and break (see what I did there) down Sky Blue’s attack. Though SBFC’s Christie Pearce seemed to be a dominant force in the first half, their second half performance lacked connectivity in the midfield. Ultimately, I would not be worried as a Sky Blue fan, but I would be hyped as a Breakers fan.

Jane Campbell Didn’t Have an Excellent First Start (And That’s Okay)

Posted on by RJ Allen

Saturday evening’s game between the Seattle Reign and the Houston Dash was a bit of a bust for some people. Reign fans were all in, and with good reason. Seattle scored consistently and well, earning five goals over the 90 minutes of play, while the Dash tried time and again and only managed to find the back of the net once, when Poliana scored one for the visitors in the 84′.  Continue reading “Jane Campbell Didn’t Have an Excellent First Start (And That’s Okay)” →

The Unused Sub: No, I Don’t Know Where Mallory Pugh Is Going

Posted on by RJ Allen

… but a gambling syndicate in southeast Asia probably has a good line on it.

Hey, guess what? I’m back for another installment of The Unused Sub.

So no questions for me to tackle? I’m serious about @-ing me on Twitter (@jacobcristobal) for a question. Hell, it doesn’t have to be about soccer. The more random, the better. The brain’s gotta make room for other things now and then, and sometimes those other things are a needed distraction from things that suck.

Speaking of …

THE SOCCER GODS ARE HORRIBLE, AWFUL MONSTERS HELL BENT TO TAKE AWAY THINGS WE LIKE

Yes, you evil bastards that have to go and jack up opening weekend for us and destroy the ACLs of Joanna Lohman (Washington Spirit) and Amy Rodriguez (FC Kansas City). Seriously, that is some diabolical hater shit and blah blah blah blah injuries can happen at anytime, but c’mon. Opening weekend?!  After we had been waiting 84 years for the NWSL to come back?

Some seriously cold shit you soccer gods are doing. What’s next, you’re gonna tell me that nonsense of you can’t put pineapple on pizza?

Seriously though, to Joanna Lohman & Amy Rodriguez – stay strong and may you two have speedy and full recoveries. The game is better with you two on the field and as ambassadors for it off the field.

 

WHAT’S WITH ALL THE SCREAMING ABOUT STREAMING

Yes, opening weekend there were some hiccups with the go90 platform on opening weekend. Should they be taken as deal breakers and everyone flips tables and goes, “NOPE I’M THRU WITH YOU NWSL & GO90?”

G. O. D. N. O.

Yes, it wasn’t fun seeing a placeholder graphic for a commercial break interrupting a live stream – but perhaps it was something originating from the broadcast location and not necessarily the app itself. It’s easy to be thousands of miles away from the source and armchair manage and think the sky is falling. Yes, it was annoying that the full game replays weren’t archived properly until yesterday – but was waiting that extra day really the crime of the century? All the screaming from the hills about doubting this streaming platform the NWSL went with really was a bit much. Honestly a lot of it sounded like screaming just for the sake of screaming because it’s easier to rile people up. Yes, come this weekend’s game I will have higher expectation that whatever issues go90 encountered on opening weekend will have been fixed and everything will work as advertised, but let’s try not to hold it like a personal grudge that folks from either the NWSL or go90 broke into your house and ate your cupcake.

Or as my man Tetsuya Naito would say…Relax, take it easy!

 

THIS IS THE GOOD STUFF

Sitting in the press conference room after Seattle Reign FC & Sky Blue FC played to a 1-1 draw, Sky Blue FC head coach Christy Holly was first to do his post-match presser. I gotta say, he is one sharp dressed man, and his sweater game that Saturday night was on point. Watch your lunch money Mark Parsons, because you just might have some competition as who is the best-dressed gentleman in the NWSL.

Here’s Reign FC forward Nahomi Kawasumi throwing the ceremonial first pitch at Wednesday’s Seattle Mariners game. The pitch looked like a changeup and a good one at that.

Houston Dash’s Rachel Daly won Goal of the Week and rightfully so. Look at this- it’s evil, cold-blooded, rude as hell and I love it and have watched it many times. I understand fair elections and all but there was really no point in putting it up to a poll this week.

Haley Kopmeyer won NWSL Player of the Week for putting the team on her back and keeping it possible for them to get a point against Sky Blue. Her winning the honor extends Reign FC’s lead on having won more Player of the Week awards than any other NWSL club to date. Don’t believe me? Here’s the chart I made logging every single NWSL Player of the Week in the league’s five-year history.

https://twitter.com/jacobcristobal/status/854516726272114688

MY WEEK 2 PREDICTIONS LIKE I KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT

  • Chicago Red Stars OVER FC Kansas City
  • Orlando Pride OVER Washington Spirit
  • North Carolina Courage & Portland Thorns DRAW
  • Seattle Reign FC OVER Houston Dash
  • Boston Breakers OVER Sky Blue FC

Yep, you read that right. I’m picking Boston Breaker’s, last season’s basement team, to win over Sky Blue this week. Send all accolades or hate mail to @jacobcristobal on Twitter and we can hash it out.

So that’s it for this week’s installment. Tune in next week to see me reflect on how wrong I was in my picks. No matter what, though, I’m glad the season is underway. Lots of changes, most of them for the better in the bigger picture things. Still, the more things change, the more things stay the same – looking at you NWSL “Save” of the Week, LOL.

A Comedy of Errors, an Open Letter to the NWSL

Posted on by RJ Allen

Congratulations on a fifth season.  I’d say “historic” fifth season but at this point, every new season is historic, so what’s the point? Still, it’s a big deal, and I’m thrilled to be watching as the ten teams in the league compete to lead the table this year.

And when I say thrilled to be watching, I mean it. I’m the kind of fan who watches every game, every week. (As I’m also the kind of fan with a busy schedule, being able to catch up on them over the span of the week via Youtube was priceless—in the same way amy League Pass to the WNBA each season is worth far more than the $17 I pay for it.) So, the news that the NWSL would be partnering with Lifetime to broadcast a game a week was a big deal. Not just to me, but to everyone. And though there were concerns about the appropriateness of the channel, the availability of those games internationally, I have to say, I have been in your corner.

But it’s the other 98 matches that have a large number of fans going “What the furt” this year.

The very first problem was the way information was released, the lack of transparency and organization. Obviously pulling together a streaming platform isn’t easy. But who expected it to be? And while I wasn’t exactly on the same warpath as some regarding the lack of updates as the months until opening day turned into weeks, and then the weeks turned into days, and then hours, the fact that the Monday before opening weekend nobody had a clue how to watch four out of the weekend’s five games was a bit of a big deal.

But this season, the announcement of an official partnership with a media provider for the non-televised games, raised expectations exponentially. Everything–from the pay to the fields to the streaming–was supposed to be better this season.

The league’s work in the off-season has been almost entirely focused on growing the game, on exceeding the last year’s successes, on bringing in new fans and audiences while also retaining the steady and loyal core groups. Except, you can’t bring in anyone new and you can’t retain anyone old if they can’t watch the games. With only ten teams spread across limited geographic zones, most fans are only able to keep abreast of their teams and players via streamed (or now, televised) broadcasts. Those who can’t watch rely heavily on updates via social media, and every game day the Twitter world is awash with NWSL hashtags and commentary.  Streaming access is the backbone of NWSL fan support.

So, opening weekend over, how do you think you did?

Let me be the first among many to tell you that the Lifetime broadcast was an absolute success. Granted, that’s not to say there’s not room for improvement, but in Week 1, the channel and broadcast team did a great job. The production was high quality, the commentary was informed and entertaining, while not overwhelming what was happening on the field.

But the other four games this weekend, and their distribution to fans, were problematic. To say the very least.

For those fans trying to watch along with the non-televised game, Week 1 involved:

  • spotty streams
  • unavailable content
  • commercials mid-game (as often as every three minutes)
  • lack of archive for on-demand viewing

And these were only some of the problems mentioned and experienced by fans.

By large, the issues can be boiled down into two branches categories: quality and accessibility.

 

Quality

As far as quality goes, up until this season, it was by and large determined by each team’s infrastructure. Certain venues could always be counted on to have quality and reliable streams, others were always more troublesome, whether that meant shoddy audio, frequent lag, or just bad camerawork due to the limitations of the field. The Thorns and the Dash, playing in MLS-affiliated stadiums, had the camera resources to provide close looks at action on the field. Some of the other teams, though, always looked like your dad recorded the game on his old video camera. Fans may have complained–fans will always complain–but aside from the limited broadcasts of postseason games, it was all we had. And so we dealt.

Before 2017, commentary could be hit-or-miss sometimes, to the point that it felt like sometimes broadcast interns were in charge of doing the play-by-play. But there were some excellent commentators for the league, people we looked forward to hearing every week because they provided insightful analysis.  And even when the commentary wasn’t the greatest before this season, at least they were there, on the sidelines, able to see all the action. Broadcast teams for the go90 streams were all located in Florida, a fact I personally didn’t know until I heard it from Equalizer Soccer’s breakdown of go90 this morning. But even not knowing that, of the only game I was actually able to watch in its entirety on the go90 app–FCKC’s 2-0 win over the Boston Breakers–the commentators mis-identified players, spoke over the action, and provided very little play-by-play. Broadcast teams are supposed to guide a viewer through a game, not distract them away from it.

But the biggest problem with go90’s quality was the constant interruption of streams for advertisements. For two forty-five minute halves, soccer is a blissful, ad-free, safe space. That’s one of the things that makes soccer soccer. There aren’t timeouts in soccer, there aren’t commercial breaks, there isn’t a 60-second race to quickly pee and refill your drink before the action starts up again.

Soccer goes non-stop. Or, at least, it did until this weekend, when every go90 stream I’ve heard about broke in to tell frustrated fans about other content available on the app. (Did you know it’s not easy to be 5’11 and a QB in the SEC? Did you? DID YOU?)

And fans are not the only ones upset by this intrusion into our sacred space. Players and coaches weren’t pleased either.

Yes, please fix this.

 

Access

A second issue for the NWSL’s streaming this year is ease of accessibility. Sure, everything the NWSL told fans to expect sounded great. In the league’s February announcement of the partnership with A+E Networks, highlighting Game of the Week broadcasts on Lifetime, it also added that

NWSL Media will oversee the live streaming of all matches and produce the games in high definition with a consistent, state-of-the-art approach that will include exclusive new and original digital content for pre-game, halftime and post-game segments. The joint venture is currently negotiating with potential partners to stream the games not broadcast on Lifetime.

And for months, that was all anyone knew. Until last week Thursday, when the partnership with go90 was made public. Fans were assured that, as:

A fully ad-supported, mobile streaming service, go90 will feature 98 NWSL games accessible via live and on-demand streaming for the 2017 season. To access, visit go90.com or simply download the go90 app via the App Store or Google Play. Users with go90 version 3.0 and later can cast live games from the go90 app to Airplay and Chromecast. No registration or authentication is required.

Then, on Friday, one day before the season began, the NWSL released their app (iOS only), which, at least for US fans, is just a mobile version of the website, offering nothing more than you can find anywhere else.

It seems like an overabundance of options, no?

Except, it’s not. Ironically, all these various options for watching the streaming NWSL matches actually left fans almost unable to watch at all. Watching on the go90 website itself was impossible, both live games and the “on-demand” matches were unavailable. Watching via the go90 app was partially successful. If you consider having to restart the match and by the grace of God alone find where you’d left off anytime something–a phone call from mom, a need to check social media, your phone just deciding to exit all applications on a whim, or, and far more likely, the stream freezing and requiring a restart of the app–interrupted your feed, a success.

So for domestic fans, the go90 partnership compromised their ability to watch the games this important opening weekend. To the point that advice was passed around about how to bypass the location blocks that provided international fans access to high-quality streams on the NWSL website.

As for watching games “on-demand,” after they’d aired, Jonathan Tannenwald at The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News landed a scoop from insiders familiar to the NWSL’s deal with A+E and go90, and provided insight into the peculiarities of each’s on-demand access. In both cases, the games will be archived for 48 hours and then made available on the NWSL website and app.

But so far, they haven’t been, despite content disappearing from go90 already. And a quick search of “NWSL go90” on Twitter will tell you how people feel about the matter:

Granted, it’s a holiday weekend, but the NWSL weren’t deprived of a calendar when planning out their season. If you schedule your opening weekend for Easter, you damn well better make sure your staff is on-hand to get it off without a hitch.

Youtube was a preferred platform for fans because it offered a single way to watch (rather than the multitude of complicated, confusing, and unreliable options this season) that domestic and international fans could access equally. Content was immediately available after the live stream for viewing, viewing could be done on a mobile device but most often occurred on a computer, freeing up a mobile device to engage in conversation via social media about the game, thereby increasing any match’s digital footprint across multiple social media platforms. Of course there were issues, of course it wasn’t perfect. But by comparison, the streaming of non-televised games this first weekend has many wishing we could have Youtube back.

So, yes, there are problems. The league needs to answer the concerns of their fans, and sooner, rather than later.

But that’s not to say all is lost for this historic fifth season of the NWSL. The Game of the Week on Lifetime went off, as far as anyone could tell, without a hitch. It was absolutely a success and hopefully, even with the time (3 pm) and holiday weekend, the ratings will demonstrate that our fans show up. We show up.

When we can.

And that’s really the reason the streaming elements need to be worked out as soon as possible. For all its progress, the NWSL is still nowhere near stable. It’s done well, it has succeeded in ways every previous iteration failed, and now the front office of the league is thinking and planning in terms of years rather than one season to the next. They’ve built a fanbase, they’ve built an audience–they built it and we came, to paraphrase one of the greatest sports movies of all-time–but we have to be able to continue to show up, in person whenever possible and virtually whenever not, to help this league continue to grow.

So, as a fan, as a member of the media, I’m asking the powers that be: please, fix this.

Because, for a league trying to make its case for being the premiere professional women’s soccer league in the world, the NWSL came out looking like amateurs this weekend. And we deserve better–all of us. From the front office to the locker-room to the fans in the stands.

We deserve–and we can do–better.

 

Route Two Soccer: The Counterattack and Houston’s 4-3-3

Posted on by RJ Allen

Welcome to Route Two Soccer, a new (semi) weekly column, where I’ll be discussing tactics in the women’s game.

There are plenty of great resources out there already on soccer tactics in general, and a whole lot more applying those concepts, but there’s not nearly as much available about tactical developments on the women’s side of things. I’m hoping to help fill in a little bit of that gap.

To kick things off this week, I want to talk about the Houston Dash, a team picked by many (including yours truly) to finish near the bottom of the table, who played this weekend without their two biggest stars (Carli Lloyd is in England until June and Morgan Brian carrying an injury), and nevertheless managed to secure a 2-0 victory over a strong Chicago side.

Despite the scoreline, it was a relatively even affair with Chicago arguably having the better of the game for the first 70 minutes. However, the manner in which Houston achieved the win deserves attention, since it has big implications for how the team will need to set up over the rest of the season if they hope to replicate this result.

Houston set up in a 4-3-3, led by an attacking triumvirate of Ohai, Daly, and Beckie—a group with the talent to be one of the best frontlines in the league. Ohai and Beckie were nominally positioned on the left and right respectively, but swapped sides easily over the course of the match. Daly mostly held the center, playing off the others, and trying to set the conditions for successful linkup play.

Houston’s 4-3-3: strengths and weaknesses

When it works, this sort of fluid attacking line creates enormous difficulties for the defense. All three are adept at picking off isolated defenders, dragging defenses out of position, and then slicing through the resulting spaces. Working together, they can trigger a cascading effect. As one creates a gap, the next moves through it to receive the ball, further dragging defenders off their mark and creating space for the third to gain a solid look on goal.

However, this approach has limitations as well. For one thing, it misses out on the advantages of a traditional center forward. While Daly can deputize as a #9, she lacks the physical presence to dominate in the air or allow for a game built around hold-up play. Moreover, this trio is chock full of great goals, but is far less adept at the sort of goal poaching that’s so often is necessary to grind out a tough win.

But most importantly, with all three forwards at their best facing goal and/or moving laterally, it can be difficult for Houston to orchestrate much buildup through the midfield. When it’s not working, this 4-3-3 leaves the attacking trio isolated, and the midfield overrun.

This effect is compounded by Houston’s relative dearth of good possession-oriented central midfielders. Andressa certainly fits that bill—with as much skill on the ball as almost anyone in the league—but Denise O’Sullivan and Amber Brooks do not. They both have excellent work rates, and can be trusted to put in a shift, but these are hardly the players to build a tiki-taka game around. Houston’s 4-3-3, therefore, can easily set up their opponent to dominate possession and choke off attacks before they begin, something that happened all too often last year (including an almost unbelievable scoreless run of 567 minutes).

In theory, this setup should be relatively flexible, shifting quickly back and forth between the 4-3-3 in attack to a 4-2-3-1 in defense (with Ohai and Beckie dropping back to the midfield, and O’Sullivan dropping back to form a bank of two defensive midfielders). However, neither of the wide attackers is particularly adept defensively, minimizing the value of this switch. And, even more importantly, the 4-2-3-1 is best suited for facilitating transitions through the center of the pitch, using the extra bodies in the midfield to support the attack. But this isn’t really Houston’s objective, and it remains to be seen whether they try to move more in that sort of direction.

Houston’s 4-3-3 in action – Week 1

On Saturday, we saw clear evidence of both the strengths and weaknesses of the 4-3-3.

On the negative side, Chicago’s excellent central diamond used their extra body and greater skill in possession to great effect, running circles around the beleaguered Houston midfield. Despite their best efforts, O’Sullivan and Brooks spent most of the first hour chasing shadows, giving dangerous players like DiBernardo, Colaprico, and Press far too much time and space on the ball. Meanwhile, Andressa spent a lot of time getting kicked, but didn’t find much joy threading needles through quickly collapsing spaces.

However, on the positive side, as Houston dropped deeper in defense Chicago was forced to come forward, leaving acres of space behind their defensive line. And this sort of expanse is precisely the terrain that Houston’s frontline is best suited to exploit.

You can see the effect quite clearly in Houston’s first goal. It all began with Chicago slicing open the Houston defense and then rattling the post with a shot. But in the space of just a few seconds, Brooks went from standing over the ball in her own defensive third (with five Chicago players behind her) to launching a ball over the top right to the feet of an onrushing Ohai, with only the keeper to beat. It was a ridiculously fast transition: from nearly conceding to putting the ball in the net in the space of 15 seconds.

And this is the issue for Houston in 2017. Their chief resources are blistering pace and skillful attackers who do best attacking head-on, taking defenders on directly, or rushing into space to meet a throughball. In that sense, they seem ideally suited to a counterattacking setup. However, Houston’s primary weakness is its backline, where none of their defenders are without significant questions. A strategy of resolute defending and lightning counterattacks might serve them well, but it could be exceptionally dangerous to sit back and wait for opponents to attack their weakest link.

The return of Lloyd and Brian

These questions will only grow as Lloyd and Brian return. Both are excellent players, of course, but it remains to be seen whether and how they can be fitted into a more successfully tactical setup.

Lloyd, in particular, is a real enigma. Her presence in 2016 coincided with (by far) the team’s best run of form. Consider: in Lloyd’s six full games, Houston scored 17 goals and earned 12 out of 18 points. In their other 14 games, Houston scored just 12 goals and earned only 10 out of 42 points. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether Lloyd actually fits into the system that Houston needs to play. She’s certainly not well suited for a lethal counterattacking unit built on pace and quick one-touch passing to slice through a defense in transition.

And if she does return to the Dash starting XI, whom would she replace? Sacrificing any of the midfielders would only exacerbate the defensive frailty. Losing one of the front three, however, would radically change the offensive structure—with Lloyd likely slotting in as more of an attacking midfielder at the top of a 4-4-2. We have seen Lloyd excel in that role before—when she is on her game, she truly fits the bill of the trequartista. But those games are rare in the best of times, and Lloyd is now solidly in her mid 30s. Can the Dash afford to build their entire offense around the gamble of getting Lloyd at her best?

What to do with Morgan Brian is an easier topic, though not without its own subtle concerns. Thanks to national team duties and a series of injuries, Brian has never quite achieved what the Dash hoped from her when they selected her with the #1 pick in 2015. But a healthy Morgan Brian is one of the most skillful and gifted (both physically and mentally) players in the world–the sort of player that any team can use.

So, looking forward, the question for the Dash is just how soon they’ll be able to get that version of Brian, and where they should use her once she becomes available. I’ve argued before over at Stars and Stripes FC that Brian’s best role going forward might be as a holding midfielder, in something of the Sergio Busquets role. That position maximizes the value of her skill on the ball, her field vision, and her control in tight spaces. However, if Houston plan to play a counterattacking game, they simply won’t have much use from a short-passing playmaker in the deep holding slot. It might make more sense, then, to continue slotting in Brooks at the #6—where she is more than serviceable—and swap out O’Sullivan instead.

For Houston, Brian’s value will probably be maximized if she plays as a box-to-box midfielder, dropping deep and effectively playing as the second piece of a double pivot when in defense—enhancing the midfield shield that will help to protect the frail backline—but with the freedom to range forward to link up with Andressa, Poliana and the attacking three when in possession. O’Sullivan did well enough in that role on Saturday, but there’s no denying that a fully fit Brian would make it easier for the Dash to shift fluidly between the 4-3-3 in attack and the 4-2-3-1 in defense.

If they’re able to integrate Brian into the system in that slot and if she and Andressa can form a solid relationship in those roles, it would significantly enhance Houston’s tactical versatility, and could be the difference between a successful campaign and another mediocre season.

Going forward

Houston performed well on Saturday, managing to play fairly even with a strong Chicago team, and start their season with three points. But the flaws of this roster were very much on display, and the real problem is: it’s not really clear that there are many solutions available.

The 4-3-3 is the best way to maximize the attacking abilities of their front six, but it’s a fairly rigid framework. When it works, it produces moments of magic. When it doesn’t, it produces a lot of frustration. And unlike other teams in the league, with enormous flexibility to rebalance their team on a given day, Houston doesn’t have a lot of other options.

As noted above, when Lloyd returns they may choose to shift to a 4-4-2 (pushing Ohai to the wings and using Lloyd as the #10), and they did have some success in this formation last year. But it relies heavily on getting top-quality performances from Lloyd (a risky gamble), and also risks seriously unbalancing the midfield.

Ultimately, it’s hard to look at the roster and not think that a trade might be their best option. At the end of the day, Houston’s season will be made or broken on the backline, and while they can and should work on drilling a bit more positional solidity into that backline, there’s a limit to how much water you can squeeze from a rock.

But Lloyd remains an incredibly dangerous player. Might not some other team in the league be willing to offer up some defensive support in order to get her? If it’s possible to bring in some additional strength from outside, they would be well advised to consider it.