Tag: Rory Dames

Route Two Soccer: What’s Wrong With Chicago?

Posted on by RJ Allen

Going into the 2017 NWSL season, the Chicago Red Stars were widely regarded as a leading contender for the title. Through the first ten games, they seemed to be living up to the promise, earning 18 points and playing an aggressive, exciting brand of soccer.

The back half of 2017, however, saw a serious downswing. The strong start gave them a cushion which was enough to hold off challengers for the final playoff spot, but they did very little with their semifinal berth, going down in a rough-and-tumble game against the North Carolina Courage.

There have been some signs of life this year, but the results have remained difficult to come by. Combining their ten games this year with their final fourteen of 2017–a full season’s worth of matches–they’ve picked up a meager 31 points.

NWSL results – based on most recent 24 games for each team

Now, 31 points isn’t nothing. It’s much better, for example, than the 17 points the beleaguered Washington Spirit have managed in that same period. But 31 points is well below a normal playoff pace and is well below what a reasonable observer would anticipate given the quality of players on this roster.

Any team will suffer ebbs and flows in performance, so one shouldn’t overreact to a few bad results. But a full season’s worth of results is more than just a blip or a bad run. It’s clear, at this point, that Chicago is stagnating. That certainly doesn’t mean they can’t right the ship. But it does invite some serious questions about why this is happening and what can be done to fix it.

Chicago has struggled with a serious injury crisis

When searching for theories, it’s hard not to start with injuries. After a consistently great bill of health for most of last year, Chicago’s roster began to run down toward the end of the year, and those problems have more than carried over into 2018. They’ve had to do without some critical players, starting with Julie Ertz, who has only recently returned and still doesn’t seem to be close to 100%. They’ve also desperately missed Vanessa DiBernardo, whose incisive passing is critical to unlocking the Chicago attack. Casey Short was one of the league’s best defenders in 2017, but has missed all of this season. Then consider that Chicago was missing some key players on international duty for most of April. Not least of which: Sam Kerr.

Given these conditions, Chicago has relied heavily on supporting players so far. These include Taylor Comeau and Sarah Gorden in defense, Nikki Stanton in the central midfield, and Alyssa Mautz, Summer Green, and Michele Vasconcelos in the attack. On the whole, these players have done reasonably well, but there is a reason that they are generally not first-choice when the full roster is available.

Of course, every team suffers injuries, so it’s not like the Red Stars are the only ones being forced to turn to second and third choice options. But Chicago’s list is arguably the worst of any team in the league. That has to be part of the equation.

Chicago has played a packed schedule

It’s also worth noting that Chicago has been forced to fit a lot of games into a compact schedule. In a nine-team league, every squad is going to have busier and lighter sections of the schedule, but Chicago hit theirs at a particularly rough moment. It’s certainly notable that the team is winless in their last six games, even as they’ve gotten back their internationals and some of their injured players. It’s unlikely that this is all due to tired legs, but it’s probably a factor. 

Unfortunately for Chicago, these effects aren’t quickly resolved, either. Players who are run into the ground early will need extended recovery breaks to get things back in order—breaks that the schedule simply doesn’t contain.

Chicago is still struggling with their tactical evolution

Last October, I wrote an autopsy on the Red Stars season, in which I argued for some necessary evolution of their playing style. Their rigid adherence to a midfield diamond was blocking many of the teams’ strengths in possession and passing, and doing little to take advantage of their greatest asset: Christen Press. This year, finally, Chicago seems to be making real changes. They have generally set up in a 4-3-3, relying heavily on their fullbacks to both push high and to drift inward—bolstering the wide attack as well as the central midfield. The goal has been to build a smoother attacking style, one organized more around controlled possession and less fixated on direct assaults.

Ironically, they made this change even as they swapped out Press for Kerr. I say ‘ironic’ because Kerr would have been far more suited to the direct style they played last year, while Press fits more naturally into a possession game.

That being said, Kerr is a world-class striker in any system. While things haven’t quite clicked yet, it’s only a matter of time before she reels off a string of goals. And the possession game is a better utilization of Chicago’s overall roster, particularly once they get DiBernarndo back. Her ability to thread the perfect through-ball has been sorely missed so far this year. In the long term, they’ll be a better team if they focus on cultivating more diversity in their range of play. Assuming that they still see themselves as playoff contenders (as they should), their goal should be to get ready to play their best in September.

If this style continues to falter, they may eventually be forced to revert to type. But for now, at least, it’s an experiment still worth pursuing.

We’re approaching make-or-break time for Rory Dames

Broadly speaking, women’s leagues see much less turnover in coaching positions than their male equivalents. Still, try to imagine a coach in the English Premier League or Serie A being allowed to spend this long with this talented a roster and this poor a run of results. It’s pretty difficult. Even in the comparatively lower temperature environment of the NWSL, Dames’ seat has to be getting just a little bit hot.

This by no means is meant to impugn Dames’ obvious qualities as a coach. His tenure at Chicago has been extremely impressive. He built this team up from the ground, assembling a squad of superb players who have grown and developed together. It’s been an incredible achievement, and one well-worth celebrating. Given all that success, it would hardly be unreasonable to give him more time to put things back on track.

At the same time, one can’t help but wonder if there may be diminishing returns to Dames’ contributions in this position. It’s the rare case for a coach to serve more than a few years in a position. Ideas start to go stale, personalities start to clash, motivations falter. This implies no personal failing of the coach; it’s just a natural part of the process. There are, of course, a few notable exceptions—coaches who survive for decades by reinventing themselves and their teams—but for every Sir Alex Ferguson, there are a dozen big names who hop quickly from team to team. 

This year, the NWSL has already seen two big moves, with Vlatko Andonovski and Laura Harvey swapping jobs. Each had seemed inseparable from the team they had built, but not only have Utah and Seattle survived the transition just fine, both teams actually seem revitalized.

A team like Chicago—stacked with talent and anxious to break their semifinal curse—may eventually be forced to consider whether it’s time to part ways. That decision certainly shouldn’t be taken lightly. Still, considering the malaise hanging over the Red Stars over the past twelve months, it’s worth at least entertaining the idea.

The darkest hour is just before dawn?

The Red Stars are an enigma, probably the hardest team in the league to assess. The underlying quality is obviously there, and it’s very easy to put a positive shine on things. Injuries, missing internationals, an evolving style of play—all these point toward a team primed for improvement. What’s more, while Chicago has struggled to find points this year, that has been primarily been driven by a surprising number of draws. A few more lucky breaks here and there could easily have turned a couple draws into wins, which would give them a lot more breathing room. And even without those extra points, they’re hardly in serious danger.  12 points from 10 games isn’t great, but it would only take a couple wins on the bounce to rocket them back up the table. That’s eminently possible, and should give Chicago supporters plenty of reason for hope. 

At their best, Chicago are one of the league’s most exciting teams to watch. For the sake of neutrals everywhere, here’s hoping that the optimists are right and that Chicago turns a corner sooner rather than later.

Route Two Soccer – Evolve or Die

Posted on by RJ Allen

Kat Farris

Kat Farris

The Chicago Red Stars entered 2017 with high hopes. After several strong seasons that ended in the semifinals, this year was supposed to be their turning point. And not just in terms of results. They were going to be more flexible, would take better advantage of their talented roster, would develop and grow. But now after another disappointing semifinal result, it’s time to take a look back and see what happened to those promises.

The Big Change

There was one big change, and it was an enormously successful one. After starting the season at center back, Julie Ertz was soon moved up into the midfield, where she had an immediate impact. Ertz is a dynamic defensive player, exceptionally disruptive, and capable of initiating quick attacks after winning possession. Those skills become more valuable in a more advanced role, and Chicago used her to great effect.

In the early stages of the year, coach Rory Dames even experimented with playing Ertz in an attacking midfield role. While she is not anyone’s idea of a playmaker, her physical presence, disruptive abilities, and aggressive attacking ability all were useful in that advanced role. However, as the season progressed, she mostly played in a pure holding role, occasionally coming forward but mostly sitting back and shielding the defense.

On the whole, the Ertz experiment was a success, even as the effect seemed to diminish as the season progressed. But this wasn’t just about Ertz; the whole team seemed to wilt in the final several months, eventually stumbling into the playoffs as the 4th seed after a strong start.

Why did this happen?

The simplest answer might be injuries and fatigue. While Chicago was notable all season for the sparseness of its injury report (often listing everyone as fully healthy), it was also clear that many of those ‘fully fit’ players were actually carrying some knocks. Key players like Alyssa Naeher, Danielle Colaprico, Christen Press (just to name a few) have looked less than 100% for months. That might be due to the wear and tear of the season.

Sometimes teams just peak at the wrong time, and that might be what happened with Chicago. However, the story of Chicago’s failures shouldn’t be reduced purely to a problem with the players on the field. Because this team was also hampered by a serious lack of tactical innovation, something that became all too clear in the semifinal this weekend.

The 442 Diamond: Constraints and Limitations

Chicago spent virtually the entire season in the same tactical setup: a pinched 442 diamond, which is characterized by tucked in wide midfielders. We saw this again on Sunday, with Colaprico and Huerta (neither of whom would fit anyone’s idea of a traditional winger) playing in the wide positions.

This setup offers a very stable base and is excellent for choking off threats through the midfield. The pinched in wide players offer support, and can easily collapse on the ball when needed. And at least theoretically the diamond facilitates a short-passing midfield game. By moving away from the 442 as ‘two banks of four,’ you generate some forward impetus in attack.

However, the diamond is also severely limited. It features no true wide attackers, offloading the entire responsibility for width in the attack to the fullbacks. Of course, the modern fullback is generally expected to contribute significantly to the attack, but in most systems is given support by some form of wide attacker. In the diamond, there is no such support. That can be an advantage—since it gives your fullbacks a lot of empty space to run into—but is also a danger. Without clear partners to link up with, the fullbacks can easily become isolated. They may find it difficult to join the attack at all, which effectively condenses the team’s attacking options to a very narrow pathway down the center of the pitch.

Furthermore, the diamond also cedes wide spaces to the opponent’s attackers, to potentially devastating effect. On Sunday, North Carolina’s wide attackers (especially Taylor Smith down the right) were given endless expanses of green space to race through. With the Red Stars fullbacks stuck back in their defensive third, there was no one to stop those free runs. Casey Short did admirable work defending deep, but without her and Gilliland moving forward to join the attack, Chicago was left with a clogged midfield and nowhere else to go.

Route One Soccer with a Route Two Roster

When it works well, a diamond can give those players a chance to shine. But once countered, it offers very little flexibility. Facing off against North Carolina’s 4-2-2-2 ‘magic square,’ Chicago were deprived of space in the midfield and pressed back deep in defense. Without any real wide attackers, they could not push back Carolina’s fullbacks in order to relieve pressure.

And this was by no means the first time that Chicago has run into problems with their diamond. In fact, their persistence with this setup is one of the most baffling things about their season. For all the claims early in the year about fluidity and flexibility, they arguably were the most rigid team in the entire league.

In principle, a diamond can provide a useful staging ground for a strong midfield possession game. And at times this year, we saw the Red Stars finally seeming to produce the sort of technical soccer that has long been promised. The problem is that this depends almost entirely on the opposition’s willingness to let you play. As teams have increasingly packed the midfield and pressed their fullbacks high, Chicago’s central players have been starved of both space to operate and outlets for relief.

This is compounded by the apparent desire for Press to stay high up the pitch, rather than having her drop back to receive the ball and initiate attacks. Without her support in the midfield, passing lanes grow even more clogged, and attacks fizzle into wasted possession or costly turnovers.

Ultimately, against teams willing to adapt to circumstance, Chicago has been reduced to a caricature of their direct style. Instead of quick ball movement opening up lanes for through-balls, they are forced to resort to lumping the ball forward and hoping for knockdowns. This is hardly a good use of their resources under any circumstance and was an unmitigated disaster against North Carolina. On long ball after long ball, players like Mewis, Zerboni, Dahlkemper, and Erceg rose far above their Chicago counterparts to easily control the ball and restart their attack. It was as ineffective as it was baffling.

If Chicago were a fast, physical team with players of limited skill but maximal effort, this would make perfect sense. Route one soccer is an effective way to level the playing field against superior opposition. It allows your strong defensive unit to stay deep while giving you a modest chance at a lucky break on the attacking end.

But a team with Dani Colaprico, Vanessa DiBernardo, Christen Press, and Yuki Nagasoto in the middle of their attack has no business playing that way.

Where to Go from Here?

Chicago is blessed with an excellent roster, and much of the credit for that goes to coach Rory Dames, who has built this team up year by year. Dames was nominated for manager of the year, at least partially in recognition of that work. However, there’s a difference between assembling a top-level group of players and getting the most out of those players once you have them. And on the second front, it’s hard to say that Dames’ reign has been a success.

A team picked by many to win the Shield instead finished a distant fourth, and played one of their worst games of the season in the semifinal. And that’s not too dissimilar from what happened in 2016, either.

All in all, a team with a stacked roster and limitless potential has now spent the past two seasons barely staying above water. Over 46 games (regular season plus two semifinals) Chicago has managed a goal difference of only +5. That’s a shockingly weak result for a team filled with such good players. And it suggests that whatever the proximate causes for their poor performance in the semifinals, there are deeper issues with the team as a whole.

It would be surprising if Chicago made a coaching change in the offseason, but for the first time since the start of the NWSL, it’s no longer outside the realm of possibility. And regardless of who takes the helm in 2018, the priority will need to be significant tactical evolution. Playing direct helped turn Chicago into a playoff team, but unless they can diversify their options, they are unlikely to take the next step forward.

Route Two Soccer – How Will Chicago Use Morgan Brian?

Posted on by RJ Allen

[media-credit name=”Kelley Piper” align=”aligncenter” width=”300″][/media-credit]

When news arrived that Houston had traded Morgan Brian to Chicago, it immediately inspired speculation about the motivations for the deal. Was Brian the rumored national teamer that might be headed to Lyon? Was this simply Houston’s effort to get something out of the player before she departed for foreign shores? If so, and given her lingering health issues, would she even play for Chicago? But we’ve now heard that Brian plans to stay in the States and that she’s ready to suit up this weekend.

So, while there is certainly some interesting reporting to be done about how this all went down, this is a tactics column, and we’re going to jump right over the ‘how did we get here’ part and take a look at how Brian might be used now that she’s joined the Red Stars.

The most likely scenario: a 4-4-2 diamond

Early in this season, there were some rumblings that Chicago wanted to work on their tactical flexibility. And in the first few games, we even saw glimpses of it. But as the season has progressed, they have settled quite firmly back into coach Rory Dames’ preferred approach: the 4-4-2 diamond. This setup looks to back the center of the pitch, relying mostly on fullbacks for depth. It’s generally very compact, and while Chicago has shown flashes of higher-level ball control, they often seem less concerned with holding possession and more interested in quick, direct attacks.

In its most successful iteration, the diamond has featured Ertz in the holding role, with Colaprico on the left, DiBernardo in the 10, and Huerta on the right. And the arrival of Yuki Nagasoto seemed like it could be the final piece of the puzzle—giving them another player with elite technical skills to pair with Press.

However, in recent weeks some of the luster has come off this basic setup. Despite a wealth of quality midfielders, they’ve had a difficult time producing much; generating tons of opportunities, but very few good ones. Meanwhile, the forwards have drifted further and further back, hoping to revitalize the attack, but taking themselves further out of scoring range in the process. It’s all been a bit stagnant.

It also hasn’t helped that the injury bug has bit a few times—forcing some reallocations between the backline and midfield, and some last minute substitutions.

So … if we assume that Dames is likely to stick with his preferred setup, the question is where Brian will fit into the mix. And it’s actually a difficult question to answer, given the impressive versatility of many of these players. If DiBernardo has to miss another week, Brian could easily replace her in the attacking midfield role. If Ertz is needed at center back, Brian could easily take over the holding role. And while no one would mistake Brian for a winger, the whole point of the diamond is to allow the ‘wide’ midfielders to pinch in. Just as Colaprico has thrived on the left this year, Brian could easily take over the right.

But, if we assume a full strength side in Chicago’s traditional diamond, this is probably the most likely deployment of resources. While Ertz has been excellent in the midfield, it was a luxury that depended on strong performances from Naughton and Johnson in the back. As they’ve begun to falter, the arrival of Brian might be the trigger to move Ertz back.

Ultimately, it’s a question of what Dames believes the team’s main problem to be. Because there are plenty of minor variants available here, all of which are slightly better or worse in small ways. Brian and Colaprico could swap, as could Huerta and Nagasoto. Alternatively, Brian could take over the attacking midfield role, pushing DiBernardo to the right (where she played much of last year), with Ertz staying at the bottom of the diamond.

The problem with all these approaches, however, is that they don’t really resolve the underlying problems. Now, that may not be necessary. After all, Chicago were flying high a month ago using this system, so maybe simply adding another elite player into the mix will be enough to achieve a reset. But if Dames sees the rot as going a bit deeper, Brian’s arrival opens up a broad new realm of tactical possibilities.

Pushing the attack higher with a back three

With Brian now joining the team, Chicago probably has the strongest midfield of any team in the league, with a wealth of top-level talent, who all excel on both sides of the ball. Dani Colaprico is one of the best holding midfielders in the US pool but is arguably only the third best of this group.

The ‘problem’ is that for all their depth here, Chicago simply doesn’t have much width. With a back four, that’s addressed by asking the fullbacks to run like crazy. But that’s been hit or miss and creates serious exposure risks at the back. A back three resolves this problem by pressing the fullbacks up to become wingbacks and allowing the central trio free reign to control play through the middle.

This is one possible setup, which deploys Huerta as a wingback. It’s a bit risky, but Huerta is potentially interesting in that role, and it gives Chicago a much firmer grip over the midfield. An alternative would be to swap Gilliland in for Huerta, which offers a bit more defensive solidity but a bit less attacking flair.

But the heart of this approach is the space it creates for Brian, Colaprico, and DiBernardo to operate freely in the central midfield. Bringing Brian into the mix, in particular, is a huge upgrade given her comfort and vision with the ball in tight spaces. She isn’t quite the wrecking ball defensively that Ertz has been—though she is shockingly good at occupying space and managing play—but she makes up for it with smoothness in possession and the ability to organize play through the middle.

Tactical fluidity

There are obviously pluses and minuses to every approach, and the back three is no different. But it offers a lot of advantages to a team overloaded with talented central players who need a bit more support from the wings. And it also offers a lot to a team with several world class attackers, which nevertheless has consistently struggled (for several years now) to actually find the back of the net.

So, there is a real case for making a change here. But, as with all tactical conversations, it’s important not to overstate the differences. While the back three might seem like a major shift, it’s actually not that far away from the 4-4-2 diamond discussed above. In effect, the back three pushes Ertz back from her holding role, while pushing two fullbacks up into the midfield. The result is a much wider attacking line, which prevents opponents from collapsing into the center to suffocate the passing game. It is an approach that can be exposed by speed on the wings, but the extra body in the backline does a lot to limit the damage here.

Indeed, one of the big advantages of exploring your tactical options is the ability it gives you to shift things mid-game to exploit opportunities as they arise. And here, the versatility of the Chicago players becomes absolutely deadly.

With the right players, a 3-4-1-2 can switch fairly seamlessly into an aggressive, attacking 4-3-3. All you have to do is drop Short into the backline and push Huerta forward into the front.

Alternatively, you can capitalize on the wealth of talent in the holding midfield role by loading up the central midfield and shifting to a 4-2-3-1.

The key point here is simply: Chicago has options. It remains to be seen how many of those options they employ, and some may work out better than others. But at a bare minimum, they ought to at least be exploring the possibilities.

How far can the diamond take them?

In the end, Dames doesn’t seem likely to make any major tactical moves, at least not in the short term. But he should seriously consider it. Chicago has been very good for three years now but has consistently stumbled once everything was on the line. That may be nerves, bad luck, or just happenstance. But it also likely has something to do with their stagnant style of play. The diamond is a solid setup and can be very successful on its day. But it’s very constrained and doesn’t give your star players many chances to seize the game by the reins and do something special.

With the additions of Brian and Nagasoto, Chicago is now bursting at the seams with top level attacking talent, and they have a rock solid support system to give those players a chance to impose themselves. The diamond has served them well, but it’s time to unfurl the sails a bit and see what else they can do.

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, International Break #2

Posted on by RJ Allen

Backline Soccer Recap:

The Scouting Report:

We went live on Monday night with our weekly TSR. A reminder that you can catch TSR live every Monday night at 8pm EST on our YouTube channel. Make sure to follow the podcast on Twitter @ScoutingPodcast.

In case you missed this week’s episode, catch up here:

My colleague, Jacqui Porter, will be writing a great recap of the USWNT and Matilda’s match on Thursday night, which you can read later today. Come back next week as I will be back to regularly scheduled programming with NWSL previews!

Four Star Takeaways from Chicago Red Stars: Week 3

Posted on by RJ Allen

It’s a new season, folks, and one ripe for some hot new takes. And that’s why this year I’ll be writing a new column for Backline Soccer, and providing our readers with Four Star Takeaways from Chicago Red Stars every week. Be sure to follow along for some post-game takes and match-day quotes!

Week 3: A Thorn of a Time in Rose City [Portland Thorns 1 – Chicago Red Stars 0]

Chicago Red Stars collected three points against FC Kansas City in their home opener back in Week 2, and looked to build upon that success in Portland during Saturday’s Game of the Week on Lifetime. Coming into Week 3, both teams were tied with with one win and one loss.  And with Portland once again without team MVP Tobin Heath, Chicago was looking for their first win against the Thorns since 2013.

It was another game with strong possession and moments of opportunities for Chicago’s offense, which was able to break through gaps in the home team’s backline early on. However, some interesting officiating in the game took center stage instead of Chicago’s tactical game plan to press high on Portland’s center backs. Chicago lost the game 1-0 on an unfortunate hand ball penalty that Portland’s Nadia Nadim converted in the 27th minute.

✶ Battle of the Mids

Last week against FC Kansas City we saw Julie Ertz in midfield as an attacking mid. And her performance last week earned her the start in position again this week against Portland.  And Ertz did well in just her second appearance in the Chicago midfield, providing some dominance against a Thorns midfield that featured fellow NT player Allie Long. Head Coach Rory Dames spoke about Ertz and helping his player adjust in the early weeks: 

“One of the bigger things that happened in our preseason was Julie not being in it for the most part, which was a choice we made. I’ve felt all along that the first three of four games would kind of be similar to preseason to working her in and figuring out how we were going to be and how we were going to do things.”

✶ Samantha Johnson, Weekend Warrior

With Ertz playing higher up as an attacking mid, her absence in the backline has given players like Katie Naughton time in the center back role, where she’s been partnered with Samantha Johnson. Both defenders worked on their game this offseason, traveling together to play in Australia’s winter W-league. “Sam and Katie have both been excellent. They both worked on their game in the offseason overseas and both look really good, even better than they did last year,” Dames said, acknowledging the benefit that their offseason play has brought to Chicago this year.

However, it’s veteran Samantha Johnson who has been having an impressive first three weeks. From an open tryout invitee in 2014 to an anchor in Chicago’s backline for 2017, Johnson has worked hard to get where she is, and made several strong impressive challenges this season against the offenses of Houston, Kansas City, and now Portland. Johnson had to be subbed off at the half due to an injury, and when Coach Dames was asked about her condition after the game, he explained that:

“Sam wasn’t a substitution by choice. She took a knock to the quad and had to come off because she felt her knee locking up on her.” He elaborated more on her contributions to the team this season, remarking that, “[Johnson] is part of the reason we are able to move Julie [Ertz] higher.” 

Hopefully Johnson can make a return to the pitch in Week 4. 

✶ Shine Bright like a Diamond

The last three weeks have seen the Red Stars play in a traditional 4-4-2 diamond formation but during the second half against Portland, we saw Chicago push for the equalizer in a 3-back form to free up their attacking players. Moving ahead to next week, Coach Dames will continue to work with his team but doesn’t put blame on formation for lack of finishing, saying that:

I think it depends on who we’re playing against and what their shape is. I think we we’ve been pretty good in the 4-4-2 all three weeks, and I feel like we’ve been the better team in all three games. Unfortunately, credit to Houston and Portland, because they won games and are both very good teams. So, I don’t know that we would change our shape, just to change our shape. And I don’t think our shape is the issue that we’re having. I think our quality in certain areas has to get better. Our decision making in certain areas has to get better. And we’re not ruthless enough in front of goal.”

✶ A Coach that Loves His F-ing Team

If you couldn’t watch Lifetime’s game of the week last Saturday, you probably heard about it. During the game, Christen Press had a big collision with Thorns goal keeper Adrianna Franch in the 26th minute. The hard challenge could have been called as a penalty in the box, but was not. The no call was further heightened when four minutes later a hand ball was called against Chicago in Portland’s box. A call that some have said is controversial, as Press’s contact with the ball appeared to be unintentional, and the USSF advises referees to use the rule of thumb that “it is handling if the player plays the ball, but not handling if the ball plays the player.” As far as we could tell, Christen Press was clearly played by the ball, and not other way around.  

Head Coach Rory Dames took to Twitter after the game when the visiting coach was not interviewed for comment, and he was obviously upset with the quality of the refereeing. Later, Backline Soccer was able to speak with Coach Dames about the match, where he continued to express his frustration on the no call.

“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.”

 We feel you, Coach Dames, we feel you.

Ahead in Week 4

The Red Stars will face the Houston Dash at home in Toyota Park on Saturday at 3pm CT. The match will be featured as Lifetime’s Game of the Week.

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.

 

Danielle Colaprico: The Mini Fortress

Posted on by RJ Allen

Before the start of the 2016 NWSL season the Chicago Red Stars lost veteran midfielder and former captain Lori Chalupny. She made the decision to retire from both club and country after the 2015 season. Despite missing Chalupny, Chicago has been able to command their midfield presence with two important players in their midfield in Vanessa DiBernardo and Danielle Colaprico.

A graph of Colaprico & DiBernardo connection earlier this season @wosostats
A graph of Colaprico & DiBernardo connection earlier this season @wosostats

 

Chicago has hit a bit of a recent rough patch in the absence of their U.S. national team players being out for the Olympics in Rio. Over the last four weeks Chicago has had two losses, one win, and only managed a draw against a ninth place Houston Dash – a game they should’ve won. Chicago’s lack of offense is something they are trying to correct; they’ve recently acquired Stephanie McCaffrey via Boston in a trade with the breakers.

Their defense and their midfield however have been bright spots throughout the season. Largely in part because of Dibernardo and Colaprico. After their recent match against Houston, Coach Rory Dames praised them both in their midfield roles “The more she’s [Colaprico] on the ball and the more Vanessa’s [DiBernardo] is on the ball, the better we are. They have a pretty good relationship with each other as far as their movement.”

Colaprico is the 2015 rookie of the year, and is only in her second season in the NWSL with the Red Stars but has shown no signs of a sophomore slump. Dames emphasized the role that Colaprico plays for Chicago. “Dani is really, really, good at what we ask her to do. She cuts out a lot of balls, she covers a lot of ground. She’s better in the air than people think. Getting her on the ball more is important for us.”

Colaprico has started every game since being drafted by Chicago, and has become a staple in Chicago’s midfield by being able to disrupt the oppositions run of play. She is a type of versatile player that is able to help facilitate offense and be trusted for defensive coverage. After winning the ball she can be trusted to play the ball through to DiBernardo or the outside backs in Casey Short and Arin Gilliland. She can be counted on for serving in a long ball to Christen Press or Sofia Huerta for goal. Defensively, she can prevent an offensive press by getting on the ball before it enters Chicago’s final third.

@wosostats tracking interceptions earlier in the season.
@wosostats tracking interceptions earlier in the season.

Colaprico’s play has obviously elevated in her second season with Chicago. However recently, we have seen the athletes tape around her knee and hamstring grow over the last few weeks. It’s cause for concern for a team that is already struggling offensively and missing its national team players for the Olympics. The NWSL will break for the Olympics in August, and despite playing through injury, Colaprico’s play has still shown resiliency and determination in her play.

Dames elaborated on her ability to perform while dealing with injury. “Dani’s been hurt for the last five weeks. Dani’s just trying to make it to the break so she can recover. About four of five of them [players] probably. You see her knee’s all taped up. Her hamstrings all taped up. So she’s probably playing at 70/75 percent, and still able to cover a ton of ground and do the things we’re able to ask of her.”

Colaprico understands playing through injury and explains her mind set in having to currently do so. “I’ve been having some knee problems. It’s hard but I think its getting better and its just something to push through. We have a break coming up in August so I’m just trying to get through to that break and we have one more week to get three points. I’m just pushing through at this point. ”

Chicago is a young team with a lot of talent and Colaprico is considered to be a part of its core. Her outstanding play last year lead to a national team camp call up during the U.S national team World Cup victory tour. After this years Olympic break, it will be another four years till the next cycle. Its not crazy to assume there will be more in her future. Dames shares this thought as well, and concluded his praise by acknowledging her potential on a national team level. “I think that there’s about four or five in our group that are on the cusp that when the Olympics are over if they can improve on a few things they’re going to have a legitimate shot to at least get a look in the next cycle. She is obviously one of them.”

Her importance to the team and presence in the midfield, coupled with DiBernardo, has proven crucial in some of Chicago’s more closely contested matches this season to date. While fans in Chicago will be treated this weekend to the return of Chalupny for a jersey retirement ceremony, they will also be witness to a rising star midfielder in Colaprico.