Tag: Seattle Reign

Long Traded To Seattle, Stott and Johnson To Sky Blue, Foord to Portland

Posted on by RJ Allen

A three-team trade has shuffled several players around the National Women’s Soccer League.

Sky Blue FC acquired the rights to New Zealand Women’s National Team defender Rebekah Stott and Mexico Women’s National Team forward Katie Johnson from Seattle Reign FC in exchange for the rights to Australian international Caitlin Foord.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Rebekah and Katie to Sky Blue FC,” said Tony Novo, Sky Blue FC President & General Manager. “Both have performed on the world stage and have been exceptionally productive at every level in which they have played. They are two young players with high-rising trajectories, and we cannot wait to have them on the field for our club.”

Seattle Reign FC traded the rights to Foord and a 2020 NWSL draft pick to Portland Thorns FC in exchange for U.S. Women’s National Team midfielder Allie Long.

“We are very appreciative of Allie’s contributions to the club over the past five seasons,” said Thorns FC general manager and president of soccer Gavin Wilkinson. “She accomplished a great deal during her time in Portland, winning two NWSL Championships and achieving her goal of making it to the national team, and we wish her all the best.”

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

Posted on by RJ Allen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don’t they owe it to themselves?

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

Interviews with Emma: Beverly Yanez

Posted on by RJ Allen

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

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

Birthdate: July 19, 1988

Nickname from teammates: Bev

Hometown: Moreno Valley, CA

Age started playing: 5 years old

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

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

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

Pregame meal: Nuzest protein smoothie, and many carbs!

Workout music: Anything that Russ sings

Favorite cartoon character: Spongebob

Fave movie: The Mask

Fave actress: I don’t have one 😦

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

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

Fave charity/cause: Austen Everett Foundation 

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

Superstitions: I do not have any.

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

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

You can find Bev’s Twitter here.   

Andonovski to Seattle, Harvey to U.S. Soccer

Posted on by RJ Allen

It has been confirmed that FC Kansas City head coach Vlatko Andonovski has been hired by Seattle Reign FC for the 2018 season, replacing longtime coach Laura Harvey.

Andonovski, who was with Kansas City since 2013, led the team to two NWSL titles in 2014 and 2015. His contract with the team expired at the end of the 2017 season. He leaves the club with a 47-37-25 overall record.

“We thank Vlatko for all he has done for this club and we wish him the best of luck in the future,” said FC Kansas City owner Elam Baer.

There is no news of a replacement for Andonovski at this time.

Harvey, who had been with Seattle Reign FC since the inaugural NWSL season in 2013, will be taking a yet-undisclosed expanded role within the U.S. Women’s National Team. She leaves Reign FC with a 51-33-26 overall record, with two NWSL Shield wins in 2014 and 2015 and two NWSL Finals appearances in 2014 and 2015.

“I am deeply appreciative of all Laura gave to our organization over the past five years. She is a brilliant coach, but more importantly, she is a tremendous individual — there is nobody I would have rather worked with to build the club. Laura’s impact will be felt long after she departs, as she helped establish the enduring values that define what it means to be a part of our organization.” said Reign FC owner Bill Predmore.

Harvey had this to say:

NWSL Teams Announce End-of-Season Roster And Contract Updates

Posted on by RJ Allen

All ten National Women’s Soccer League teams have announced their roster and contract updates following the 2017 NWSL season.

Here are the updated rosters:

Boston Breakers

Contract Option Exercised: Abby Smith, Sammy Jo Prudhomme, Megan Oyster, Julie King, Amanda Frisbie, Rosie White, Morgan Andrews, Adriana Leon, Natasha Dowie, Ifeoma Onumonu, Margaret Purce, Hayley Dowd

New Contract Offered: Brooke Elby, Christen Westphal, Angela Salem. Tiffany Weimer, Katie Stengel

Federation Players: Allysha Chapman, Rose Lavelle

Chicago Red Stars

Contract Option Exercised: Danielle Colaprico, Taylor Comeau, Michele Dalton, Arin Gilliland, Sarah Gorden, Summer Green, Jen Hoy, Sofia Huerta, Samantha Johnson. Lauren Kaskie, Alyssa Mautz, Stephanie McCaffrey, Yuki Nagasato, Katie Naughton

New Contract Offered: Vanessa DiBernardo

Federation Players: Morgan Brian, Julie Ertz, Christen Press, Casey Short

FC Kansas City

Contract Option Exercised: Yael Averbuch, Christina Gibbons, Sydney Miramontez, Caroline Flynn, Mandy Laddish, Shea Groom, Maegan Kelly, Brittany Ratcliffe

New Contract Offered: Alex Arlitt, Becca Moros, Brittany Kolmel (nee Taylor), Katie Bowen. Lo’eau LaBonta, Alexa Newfield, Erika Tymrak, Nicole Barnhart, Cat Parkhill

Federation Players: Desiree Scott, Amy Rodriguez, Sydney Leroux, Becky Sauerbrunn

Houston Dash

Contract Option Exercised: Bruna Benites, Jane Campbell, Meghan Cox, Claire Falknor, Andressinha, Kristie Mewis, Janine Van Wyk

New Contract Offered: Poliana Barbosa, Amber Brooks, Rachel Daly, Sarah Hagen, Caity Heap, Bianca Henninger, Cami Levin, Kealia Ohai, Cami Privett, Cari Roccaro

Federation Players: Janine Beckie, Carli Lloyd, Nichelle Prince

Placed on Re-Entry Wire: Kelly Conheeney

North Carolina Courage

Contract Option Exercised: Abby Dahlkemper, Debinha, Elizabeth Eddy, Abby Erceg, Kristen Hamilton, Ashley Hatch, Jaelene Hinkle, Jessica McDonald, Katelyn Rowland, Taylor Smith, Darian Jenkins. Yuri Kawamura

New Contract Offered: Makenzy Doniak, Denise O’Sullivan, Meredith Speck, Sam Witteman, McCall Zerboni

Federation Players: Sabrina D’Angelo, Samantha Mewis, Lynn Williams

Placed on Re-Entry Wire: Stephanie Ochs

Retirement: Nora Holstad

Orlando Pride

Contract Option Exercised: Aubrey Bledsoe, Camila, Nickolette Driesse, Kristen Edmonds, Danica Evans, Jamia Fields, Rachel Hill, Monica, Toni Pressley, Jasmyne Spencer

New Contract Offered: Stephanie Catley, Alanna Kennedy, Chioma Ubogagu, Dani Weatherholt

Federation Players: Ashlyn Harris, Ali Krieger, Alex Morgan

Placed on Re-Entry Wire: McKenzie Berryhill, Jocelyn Blankenship, Jordan O’Brien

Under Contract: Marta

Portland Thorns FC

Contract Option Exercised: Ashleigh Sykes, Tyler Lussi, Savannah Jordan, Emily Menges

New Contract Offered: Adrianna Franch, Britt Eckerstrom, Katherine Reynolds, Celeste Boureille, Dagny Brynjardottir, Meg Morris, Hayley Raso, Mallory Weber

Federation Players: Christine Sinclair, Tobin Heath, Allie Long, Meghan Klingenberg, Emily Sonnett

Placed on Re-Entry Wire: Kendall Johnson

Leaving the Club: Amandine Henry (Olympique Lyon), Nadia Nadim (Manchester City)

Seattle Reign FC

Contract Option Exercised: Haley Kopmeyer. Maddie Bauer. Rachel Corsie, Merritt Mathias, Kristen McNabb, Rebekah Stott, Christine Nairn, Larissa Crummer, Kiersten Dallstream, Katie Johnson, Beverly Yanez

New Contract Offered: Lauren Barnes, Carson Pickett, Jessica Fishlock, Rumi Utsugi, Nahomi Kawasumi, Lydia Williams

Federation Players: Megan Rapinoe, Diana Matheson

Retirement: Elli Reed, Madalyn Schiffel

Sky Blue FC

Contract Option Exercised: Cassidy Benitente, Mandy Freeman, Kayla Mills, Christie Pearce, Daphne Corboz, Sarah Killion, Madison Tiernan, Sam Kerr, McKenzie Meehan

New Contract Offered: Caroline Casey, Domi Richardson, Erin Simon, Erica Skroski, Taylor Lytle, Raquel Rodriguez, Nikki Stanton, Leah Galton, Maya Hayes

Federation Players: Kailen Sheridan, Kelley O’Hara

Placed on Re-Entry Wire: Tasha Kai

Washington Spirit

Contract Option Exercised: Yanara Aedo, Lindsay Agnew, Cali Farquharson, Francisca Ordega, Arielle Ship, Cheyna Williams, Estefania Banini, Meggie Dougherty Howard, Tori Huster, Joanna Lohman, Morgan Proffitt, Havana Solaun, Whitney Church, Caprice Dydasco, Estelle Johnson, Alyssa Kleiner, DiDi Haracic

New Contract Offered: Kassey Kallman, Kelsey Wys

Federation Players: Mallory Pugh, Stephanie Labbe, Shelina Zadorsky

Placed on Re-Entry Wire: Line Sigvardsen Jensen

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 22

Posted on by RJ Allen

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Backline Soccer Recap:

Quick Fire Week 22 Game Previews:

We have arrived in the final week of the 2017 NWSL season before the playoffs arrive and what a season it has been! The four playoff teams are set: North Carolina, Portland, Chicago, and Orlando have all secured their spot. Let’s take a look at how the final regular season weekend matches up. 

Game 1: Portland Thorns vs. Chicago Red Stars

Portland Thorns record: 13-5-5
Position: 2nd
Total Points: 44

Chicago Red Stars record: 11-6-6
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 39

With second place securely locked up in the playoffs, I assume that Head Coach Mark Parsons will be looking at resting some starters to prepare for the home semi-final match the next weekend. Then again, this may be their semi-final matchup so they may want to test some things before that. With one of the best defenses in the league, they will look to contain the Red Stars attacking push. But the struggle they had last week against Orlando was spending so much time defending they were unable to get much going on the offensive end. This worked against Orlando but may not work against Chicago who will exploit the width that Orlando didn’t. So their task this week, if they want to win, will be to spur their offensive attack a lot more than they have been. 

Chicago will need a draw or win to secure the third place spot in the playoffs or for Orlando to draw or lose. This week will be interesting if they decide to go the resting route to prepare for the semi-finals or go all out as this environment and team may be who their semi-final opponent is. By the end of last weeks match the Red Stars looked exhausted as their starters have been put through the ringer this season. If we assume no one rests this should be quite the matchup. While Chicago’s defense has suffered a bit over the last several games, Vanessa DiBernardo coming back to the field will help settle everyone around her and get Chicago clicking better. Chicago will also be without Yuki Nagasato this week due to red-card suspension. Chicago will need the offensive prowess of Christen Press and Sofia Huerta to make something happen for them up top. And the defense will need to make sure to not let Portland get any pockets of space to allow the likes of Hayley Raso to speed past them.

Game 2: Washington Spirit vs. Seattle Reign

Washington Spirit record: 5-15-4
Position: 10th
Total Points: 19

Seattle Reign record: 8-8-7
Position: 5th
Total Points: 31

Washington was only able to put two field substitutes on the field last week due to injury and by the end, the team just looked exhausted. I expect this week to see them put up a good fight in their last home match but that will entirely depend on what Seattle team shows up to play. Washington has some great pieces, save for the offside calls, Mal Pugh netted two goals last game for the Spirit. I expect her to be just as involved this week in sparking the offense. It will be up to the defense, which has struggled especially since Estelle Johnson went out, to stave off the Seattle attack.

Megan Rapinoe is out for the final match of the Reign 2017 season due to yellow card accumulation. With nothing left to play for but pride, I expect Seattle to come out blazing and playing a lot more free. This will also be the final match of her career for Elli Reed, who is retiring. Combine those two and I expect Seattle to not have too many issues this week with a depleted Spirit side. 

Game 3: Boston Breakers vs. Sky Blue FC

Boston Breakers record: 4-12-7
Position: 9th
Total Points: 19

Sky Blue FC record: 9-11-3
Position: 6th
Total Points: 30

Boston has had pockets of good throughout the season but find themselves in a very similar predicament to last year. Progress has been made but they still are not winning very much. With their big road win last week against the Spirit, they carry that momentum into their final match of the season to their house. This week Boston’s biggest task will be shutting down Sam Kerr and letting her capitalize on any opportunities because if they’re there, she’s taking them. Sky Blue’s defensive struggles have been apparent this season and Boston is starting to see a bit of a spark in their offensive. If they can take advantage of that weakness and the opportunities it will inevitably produce, we could see this game go either way.

Sky Blue will be looking to end their season on a high note after fighting to a good draw with the first-place Courage last weekend. Sky Blue saw a lot of opportunities last week against a tough team but could not finish their chances. But this week, with Boston on the struggling end of things as well, if they can capitalize on mistakes and opportunities from the Boston defense, Sam Kerr just might get that goal record this weekend. 

Game 4: North Carolina Courage vs. Orlando Pride 

North Carolina Courage record: 15-6-1
Position: 1st
Total Points: 49

Orlando Pride record: 10-6-7
Position: 4th
Total Points: 37

The Courage are coming into this game on short rest and with the shield locked up, I would not be surprised to see some starters resting. Both Jaelene Hinkle and Katelyn Rowland were completely rested and Taylor Smith saw limited minutes. This may have been in part to save players for this weekend’s match as it is also a potential match we will see in the semi-finals if current standings hold. This will be a deciding factor I think it what we may see in the outcome of the weekend. Overall, the Courage have not scored the most goals this season but enough to firmly cement their place at the top. Sam Mewis has been stellar and will be a threat both offensively and defensively this weekend. The Courage will be tasked with making sure that Marta and Alex Morgan are not given many chances to connect as the Pride engine relies on that a lot. 

The Pride are coming in this weekend with a lot less pressure as they were able to clinch the final playoff spot thanks to the result of the FCKC and Seattle game last weekend. The Pride would be pressed to treat this match like a playoff as this could very well be who they are facing in the semi-final but I can also see Head Coach Tom Sermanni giving some players a rest who may be dealing with slight injuries or fatigue. If I was a betting woman, I do not think we will see Steph Catley this weekend due to the small knock she took last week against Portland. The Pride need to make sure they are exploiting the wide areas against the Courage this week as Portland was able to shut down their entire offensive game last week by making them play too tight. While the Pride defense has gotten a lot better in the last several games, the Courage attack can give them fits if they do not keep their line tight and organized. 

Game 5: FC Kansas City vs. Houston Dash

FC Kansas City record: 8-9-6
Position: 7th
Total Points: 30

Houston Dash record: 7-14-2
Position: 8th
Total Points: 23

FCKC put a dagger in the playoff hopes of the Seattle Reign last week and have been on a successful run for their last several games. With the Dash clearly struggling on and off the field, I expect to see FCKC finish their season on a positive note. Look this week for them to exploit the defensive scramble that the Courage were able to mid-week. And if Becky Sauerbrunn plays like she did against Seattle, Houston will have a very hard time getting anything through the defensive line. 

Houston is coming into this game after a 4-0 loss and short rest. We saw a few players rest on Wednesday but I do not expect much of that today, seeing as it is the final game of their season. On Wednesday, their defensive struggled mightily against everything the Courage were throwing at them. This match they will face similar with Shea Groom and Sydney Leroux both springing the offensive attack. Amber Brooks has been a stalwart in defense but she is only one person and if Houston hops to make it out of this match unscathed, she and Jane Campbell will need a lot more help.

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 the episode, catch up here:

Soccer Takes From Jake: End Of The Line

Posted on by RJ Allen

AND SO THE NWSL PLAYOFFS ARE SET
It’s weird that we’re getting two playoff preview matches on the final weekend of the regular season, but here we are. All four teams will go into them definitely with the intent of using them as film study for the semi-final matches next weekend. The results will surely help set a tone for the win or go home stakes of next weekend, so in a way you can look at the Portland/Chicago and North Carolina/Orlando matches as basically the first leg of the NWSL Playoffs.

HERE WE ARE, WEEK 22, THE FINAL WEEK OF THE REGULAR SEASON
And what a ride it has been.

PORTLAND THORNS OVER CHICAGO RED STARS
For your first NWSL Semi-Final preview, you have Portland hosting Chicago. Decades ago, in another sport, someone playing for Chicago wearing the number 23 lit up a team from Portland. I don’t see the Red Stars’ number 23 doing something similar. Portland is too well balanced of a team and at home, they will look to set the tone and show the Red Stars what’s to come next weekend in a win or go home scenario.

SEATTLE REIGN FC OVER WASHINGTON SPIRIT
The Seattle Impossible did not happen and for the second straight season, the Reign FC miss the playoffs. Where their offseason goes, I think is going to be dictated by if head coach/general manager Laura Harvey becomes the new manager of the England Women’s National Team. No one in their right mind will dispute her credentials, so we shall see what happens in the not too distant future. In the immediate future, Reign win this one on the field and who knows what happens around it in this year’s edition of The Bill Lynch Derby.

BOSTON BREAKERS AND SKY BLUE FC PLAY TO A DRAW
I’m glad the Breakers are keeping head coach Matt Beard for next season. It’s not his fault Rose Lavelle came back broken from national team duty. The development of the Breakers under Beard’s system should be allowed to have more time and with an actually healthy franchise player. While I don’t think we’ll get any solid evidence of what the 2018 Boston Breakers will be from this match, the comfort for the players knowing he will be back I think takes away some anxiety of needing to play for their future. Breakers open the scoring, but Sky Blue’s Sam Kerr answers back and yep becomes the new queen of most goals in an NWSL season, surpassing Kim Little.

NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE OVER ORLANDO PRIDE
North Carolina secured the NWSL Shield, but just like the preview of the Thorns/Red Stars match, this will be a preview of the number 1 seed versus the number 4. Orlando needs to win to move up to the 3 seed, but no way North Carolina loses this one going into the playoffs.

FC KANSAS CITY OVER HOUSTON DASH
It’s crazy to think that in one offseason, the NWSL could lose its two most successful coaches. Just as much as there is uncertainty over the future of Laura Harvey in Seattle, the same can be said about Vlatko Andonovski in Kansas City. Time will tell if we are going to see the last match of the Vlatko Andonovski Era in Kansas City, but take away that question, Kansas City is still the better team and handles Houston easily.

Here is your last music video break of the regular season.

Song: “Cut Chemist Suite” | Artist: Ozomatli

Soccer Takes From Jake: Oh, England

Posted on by RJ Allen

IN THEORY…
Let’s talk about things that are good in theory. Specifically football governing bodies.

Whether it’s FIFA, US Soccer, The FA (of England), these entities mean well and over the years sure have done plenty of good in terms of organizing the beautiful game, forming leagues, and all that jazz.

At the same time, for every bit of good they do, boy do they have some spectacular transgressions that wash out their mission statements and leave us with a bland taste in the mouth that tends towards bad – like eating anything from Subway.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock and/or are choosing to plug your ears, on Wednesday, The FA told Mark Sampson to get to walking. They didn’t give him the boot over the allegations of racial abuse of Eniola Aluko or Katie Chapman’s claims that he dropped her from national team consideration as she was going through a divorce. Instead, he was fired because of his transgressions while he was coach at Bristol City in 2014.

Here’s where things get really stupid.

Those transgressions apparently weren’t deemed to be fireable transgressions – just one that didn’t make him look good (HUH?!). It was only when  Sampson’s now former boss, FA big boss Martin Glenn read the Bristol City report in full  (HUH?!) that he decided to give Sampson the boot.

Oh Marty, why oh why did you just wait until last week to read the Bristol City report? Were you getting annoyed at everyone on social media rightfully tearing into Sampson regarding Aluko and the growing support for her as well as the emergence of Chapman? It’s hard to swallow the idea that the FA simply forgot about this report. Surely as you were getting settled into the job, you’d be told about important things like investigations into your senior national team manager being a scumbag.

When they were talking about today’s events on TalkSport, someone said that the “best” thing for The FA  to do at this point is lay out all their cards on the table. Likely alluding to making that Bristol City report available for the public to read and just see for themselves how bad Sampson’s conduct was. This whole notion of that whatever his conduct was, it wasn’t a risk to the safeguard of players is quite the eyebrow-raiser. If the assertions from the Bristol City report are Sampson was pretty much a scumbag, how is that not a threat to player’s safety and well-being, physically and/or mentally? I’m really going to need an adult to explain that one to me.

It’s one thing to appoint someone with the charisma of a paper towel tube, like Roy Hodgson being appointed to the men’s side. Some might even say it’s hilariously fitting. It’s a completely different thing to know someone has a dark cloud above them and still give them the keys. The FA’s position is, basically: “While we feel Mark Sampson is not a racist, we’ve determined that he was kind of a scumbag.” That is the message The FA, under Martin Glenn’s helm have chosen to close the Mark Sampson era as manager of their senior national team. You and The FA might feel like you’ve done the right thing in dumping him now before more voices get louder and stronger with the receipts, but you put this stain on yourself and reputation of the governing body as a whole by not taking it seriously years ago. Matthew Lawson at The Daily Mail said it best: how can you survive the way this one has been mishandling?

So let’s actually get it all on the table.  Omit the names to protect their privacy if you must, but we the public deserve to read that Bristol City report. Trying to keep it all away from public eyes is only going to heighten the scrutiny and when it’s eventually leaked, things will only be worse. Get it all out now, and let’s have a true accounting. 

Fans are going to trash the governing body executives for all kinds of reasons – not liking who they appoint, corruption, ineptitude, etc. But that’s all standard stuff. When those suits turn a blind eye to genuinely awful behavior, public trust will go out the window for good. If there was any defense for their actions, they need to put it out there, or risk a total collapse of legitimacy. 

We can all concede that overseeing a governing body is not an easy job and there are tons of moving parts. However if you’re involved in the game and when it’s time to actually govern for the right, moral reasons and you don’t – this is what undermines your practices and render the entity as just… good in theory.

WEEK 21 NWSL PREDICTIONS
Hey, back to actual soccer and stuff that happens on the field!

PORTLAND THORNS OVER ORLANDO PRIDE
Reign FC fans might find it weird hoping Portland does them a solid and beat Orlando to keep their playoff hopes alive, but there is incentive for the Thorns to win this in general. They are two points behind the North Carolina Courage and the allure of retaining the NWSL Shield for best regular season record is there for them.

WASHINGTON SPIRIT AND BOSTON BREAKERS PLAY TO A DRAW
They’ll play this game and probably not a whole lot of eventful things will happen.

HOUSTON DASH AND CHICAGO RED STARS PLAY TO A DRAW
The Red Stars need a win to keep their grip on the three-seed but I can see this one being a draw, leaving us at least a little bit of drama going into the final weekend.

NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE OVER SKY BLUE FC
The Portland Thorns are right on North Carolina’s heels for that NWSL Shield. While I don’t think Paul Riley’s squad views that piece of hardware as a priority, it sure would do a nice job of trying their championship from last year under a different name together with their new position in NC.

SEATTLE REIGN FC OVER FC KANSAS CITY
Who knows if the tone of the FourFourTwo article will have an affect on the Blues coming into Seattle, but with things in flux and in Seattle’s home finale, they should be amped up. I don’t see a shootout but I can see Seattle throwing everything including the kitchen sink to get the full three points and make that final weekend of the regular season exciting and anxiety-inducing.

So yes, the third and fourth playoff seeds will come down to the final weekend. Hope you remained buckled into the roller coaster that is the NWSL. Here’s your music video break.

Song: “Doing It For The Money” | Artist: Foster The People

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 21

Posted on by RJ Allen

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

Backline Soccer Recap:

Quick Fire Week 21 Game Previews:

We have just two games left (three for North Carolina and Houston) in the 2017 NWSL season and what a season it has been. We seen more parity between the upper part of the table than years before, which should make an exciting playoff setup. There are three teams competing for the final two playoff positions, Seattle, Orlando, and Chicago. If Orlando and Chicago win this weekend or Seattle loses, both will secure the playoff positions. Let’s break down what to look forward to this weekend. 

Game 1: Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns

Orlando Pride record: 10-6-6
Position: 4th
Total Points: 36

Portland Thorns record: 13-5-4
Position: 2nd
Total Points: 43

Orlando’s final home game of the season has serious implications. A win puts them into the playoffs. They would already be there if not for a crazy last second goal by Jess Fishlock last week, but they’ll hope to put it to bed this time around. They’ll need to be careful about the minutes of their returning players who were on national team duty. Six of the eleven starters were with their national teams, Marta, Monica, Steph Catley, Alanna Kennedy, Alex Morgan, and Ashlyn Harris, but only four of them saw minutes. Hopefully they are prepared and recovered enough to put in a solid shift. Alex Morgan is on a tear, with three goals in the two games for the USWNT. If she takes this form into Saturday, Portland will be hard-pressed to shut her down. The Pride’s biggest task will be their defense. Ali Krieger is their leader in the back but she cannot be expected to cover everyone. Portland will put up a big test and it will be up to the backline to shut them down.

Portland also has players returning from international duty, including Allie Long, Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan, Hayley Raso, Amandine Henry, and Nadia Nadim, all of whom saw minutes. Tobin Heath played about fifteen minutes for the USWNT on Tuesday night so I would expect her to maybe get 20-30 minutes in this match as a sub. They will not want to push her too much.  Portland started the season slow, looking unable to make much happen with top players not producing and the loss of Heath. But in recent games, they’re starting to look much better. That said, their last game against Boston wasn’t great, and if they come out in the same way this time, it could make for a long and difficult game. 

Game 2: Washington Spirit vs. Boston Breakers

Washington Spirit record: 5-13-4
Position: 9th
Total Points: 19

Boston Breakers record: 3-12-7
Position: 10th
Total Points: 16

Washington has had a very tough season. They have few healthy players on the bench to sub in. This week they take on the Breakers, who have also been seriously struggling, in what seems to be a race for the number one draft pick. The Spirit were able to pull off a great win against Sky Blue last time out, and will hope to build on that performance. The biggest thing for them at this point in their season is just to take care of their players and keep them healthy and motivated for next year.

Boston is currently sitting in last place. If you had said that would be the case after the first few weeks of the season, I would have called you a liar. But here they are. Boston is in a similar position as the Spirit in terms of needing good draft picks next season to help build their team. This week, with Mal Pugh looking to start to hit a bit of a stride, they will want to work to contain her and work their way through the Spirit defense. 

Game 3: Houston Dash vs. Chicago Red Stars

Houston Dash record: 7-12-2
Position: 8th
Total Points: 23

Chicago Red Stars record: 10-6-6
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 36

The Dash are out of the playoffs but have the opportunity to play spoiler a bit for the Red Stars if they can pull off the win. Houston really has nothing to lose at this point so it will be interesting to see how they come out. If that’s going to happen, I think it starts with Rachel Daly finally getting in more on the attack and another big game from Jane Campbell. She was away on national team duty but did not see any minutes so should be fresh. The Dash have looked decent at times, but often just do not seem to have a clear game plan. Lack of a real head coach might have something to do with that. Against the Red Stars, they will have a lot to handle, with plenty of big names like Yuki Nagasato and Julie Ertz coming at them. But the Chicago defense has been shakier of late, so there is room for Houston to make a mark here. 

Chicago are in a similar position to Orlando: win, and they’re in. They also had six players with the USWNT, Alyssa Naeher, Christen Press, Julie Ertz, Sofia Huerta, Casey Short, and Morgan Brian. All six saw minutes, with both Ertz and Naeher seeing significant time. The team has seemed a bit sluggish and off their mark for several games now but have managed to pull together enough positive results to keep things afloat.  Christen Press has dipped a bit in form, but I expect her to step up this weekend and push her team into the playoffs. Julie Ertz is coming off a hot two games with the USWNT, and should be able to bring that energy to Chicago as well. Overall, if their big players produce as they should, the Red Stars should not have much trouble this week against the Dash.

Game 4: Sky Blue FC vs. North Carolina Courage

Sky Blue FC record: 9-11-2
Position: 6th
Total Points: 29

North Carolina Courage record: 15-6-0
Position: 1st
Total Points: 45

Sky Blue is officially out of the playoffs which may afford them the opportunity to play more freely this week, and with Sam Kerr on the prowl, that could end up being deadly. Facing the Courage will be a tough challenge, but we have seen them pull off some big wins this year, and if anyone is going to give the Carolina defense a rough time, it’s Kerr and company. Defensively, things look dicier, so they’ll try to keep things as tight as possible, but victory is most likely going to be a matter of outscoring the opposition.  

The Courage are still sitting atop the standings and will be looking to stay there through the end. They also had players off on national team duty. Lynn Williams, Taylor Smith, Abby Dahlkemper, Sam Mewis, Denise O’Sullivan, and Debinha all saw minutes. I don’t expect much experimentation here – they know what works, and will want to focus on locking things in for the playoffs. That said, they have a lot of depth, so we might see them do a bit of minute-management for those who were busy with their national teams. Whoever they run out, North Carolina’s attack will be strong, and will definitely look to exploit a fragile Sky blue backline. 

Game 5: Seattle Reign vs. FC Kansas City

Seattle Reign record: 8-7-7
Position: 5th
Total Points: 31

FC Kansas City record: 7-9-6
Position: 7th
Total Points: 27

Seattle needs a win (and a Orlando and Chicago loss) to stay in the playoff hunt. It is no small task but they have the fight to make it happen. FCKC has been officially eliminated, but are playing some of their best soccer of the year, so could pose a serious challenge to the Reign. Defense has been an issue all season for the Reign but signing Lydia Williams has locked up the back a bit as she has saved their butts quite a few times already. However, she will be on short rest and long travel, after playing every minute for Australia in both games. FCKC have finally started to click and have made a lot of hay from pressuring the opposition and poaching goals, so Seattle will need to be careful as they press the attack to not get caught.  

FCKC’s playoff hopes were dashed with their draw against the Red Stars. However they have been a very good string of positive results and with Seattle’s defensive woes, KC will like their chances of finding the net. They are returning Becky Sauerbrunn and Katie Bowen from national team duty, both seeing significant minutes, but should otherwise be fresh. Seattle’s range of attacking options will pose a real test for the FCKC backline. Hopefully, both sides stay in form and we get a great match. 

The Scouting Report:

We went live on Monday and Wednesday night with two special TSR’s to cover the U.S.A vs. New Zealand matches. 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 the episodes, catch up here:

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 20

Posted on by RJ Allen

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

Backline Soccer Recap:

Quick Fire Week 20 Game Previews:

The playoff race could be decided this weekend as some big matches are taking place to decide the fate of some teams. Let’s take a look.

Game 1: Orlando Pride vs. Seattle Reign

Orlando Pride record: 10-6-6
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 36

Seattle Reign record: 8-7-7
Position: 5th
Total Points: 31

This game was moved to Thursday to better prepare for Hurricane Irma and get the players to safety before the storm was scheduled to hit Florida. It was a relatively back and forth game until literally the last seconds. Alex Morgan scored in stoppage time in what was sure to be their playoff winning berth. But Jess Fishlock said, not so fast, and scored just seconds later to close an exciting 1-1 draw. 

Game 2: FC Kansas City vs. Chicago Red Stars

FC Kansas City record: 7-9-5
Position: 7th
Total Points: 26

Chicago Red Stars record: 10-6-5
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 35

FCKC has hit on a nice hot streak save for the Orlando loss. They are really hitting their form this late in the season and could spell spoiler to a few potential playoff teams. Heck, they are technically still in contention as well. They have the potential to run away with this game at home if they can capitalize. This week they need to really center their game plan around Shea Groom, who has had a hand in quite a few different runs this season. The Chicago defense has had issues over the last several games so FCKC would do well to take advantage of those pockets of breakdown and capitalize. If FCKC can continue the path they took against Sky Blue last week they may see this one out. 

Chicago finally pulled out a win last week against the Courage in dramatic fashion but still have a bit to go in getting back to their full strength and form. Their defense has been shaky and looked out of sorts so that will be one thing they will need to shore up and lock in against an offensive FCKC. There were some bright spots starting with newcomer Yuki Nagasato last week she should be starting this weekend to give Chicago some good spots right out the gate. I would also like to see more involvement throughout the match from Christen Press as I know she has a lot more to contribute. Overall Chicago will have its work cut out against a surging FCKC and will need to be in top form to compete all 90 minutes. 

Game 3: North Carolina Courage vs. Houston Dash

North Carolina Courage record: 14-6-0
Position: 1st
Total Points: 42

Houston Dash record: 7-11-2
Position: 8th
Total Points: 23

The Courage will be disappointed with last week’s match against Chicago so they will be coming in this week looking to rebound and take all three points. They really should not have much trouble against the Dash. Their biggest problem last week was that they just could not finish their chances. With more hustle and work in the final third, North Carolina should be on the board early. 

Houston is looking to finish the season strong even if it is without some key players, namely Carli Lloyd. As it looks like she will continue to be out this weekend, the Dash will need to see great production from the returning Rachel Daly. The Dash have some great pieces but really need help on the defensive end and that will most likely show this weekend with the offensive firepower of the Courage. Overall, there is a lot of work to do as an organization for the Dash in the off-season but this week, they just need to stick to the basics and stay in the game. 

Game 4: Boston Breakers vs. Portland Thorns 

Boston Breakers record: 3-11-7
Position: 9th
Total Points: 16

Portland Thorns record: 12-5-4
Position: 2nd
Total Points: 40

Boston is officially eliminated from playoff contention but with just a few games left, they can still set some groundwork for next season. Rose Lavelle saw limited minutes last weekend which is a positive step for them and will most likely see some time this weekend as well. Boston has the pieces but just have not been able to string together enough. The biggest thing they can do this week against the Thorns is to capitalize on any potential mistakes they see. This would include defensive lapses or breakdowns, which is how they capitalized last week against Orlando. 

Portland sits just two points behind the Courage for first place and honestly, I am a bit surprised. I did not expect this to be their outcome this season considering how the season started and how out of sync they looked. The most surprising thing about this season I think, for me, is the drop off in the play of Allie Long, who quite frankly has been hard pressed to break back into the starting lineup as of late.  Portland has just been clicking together the last several games and is showing no signs of a slow down. This week though they have to be careful to not let up as the Breakers still have the fight in them to win some games. Hayley Raso will also be back after serving her yellow card accumulation suspension which will be another thorn in the Breakers side. 

Game 5: Sky Blue FC vs. Washington Spirit

Sky Blue FC record: 9-10-2
Position: 6th
Total Points: 29

Washington Spirit record: 4-13-4
Position: 10th
Total Points: 16

Sky Blue is still in playoff contention but needs some help from teams above them to make that happen. After last week’s loss to FCKC they will look to bounce back this week against the Spirit. It has been hard to really pinpoint the exact reason for the decline but to simplify it, the team just seems to be missing an identity outside of “Sam Kerr will score all of the goals and save us each week.” Last week she did not really look at the top of her game and I think in some ways she was playing a bit down to the opponent, which ultimately hurt them. But one of the bigger problems is the incredibly young backline and their inability to stop the attack of many bigger teams. The Spirit may not pose too big of a challenge this week but as with any game, anything can happen if you are not prepared. 

You have to feel for the Spirit players this season. A lot of core leadership was traded (or left) in the off-season and I am not sure anyone really stepped up to fill those voids, especially off of the field. Add on the many injuries they have accumulated and being eliminated from the playoffs, I am sure they just want to get to the end of the season and regroup. This week also brought the news that goalkeeper Steph LabbĂŠ would be sitting out the rest of the season for medical reasons. I wish her all of the best for whatever she is going through. Last game saw Estefania Banini looking to be dealing with a hamstring issue and also Mal Pugh limping a bit after a play. While there is no official word, the injury report this week will be the deciding factor. Ultimately, the Spirit are having trouble fielding players. This week, their biggest hope is to make sure they can stave off any further injuries and spur enough of an attack against Sky Blue and put some goals away.

The Scouting Report:

We went live on Tuesday 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 the episode, catch up here: