Tag: She Believes Cup

SheBelieves Preview: It’s Do or Die Time for the USWNT

Posted on by RJ Allen

The USWNT needs to win the SheBelieves Cup.

If they don’t win it, they at least need to come out of it answering more questions and putting more doubt to rest than they did during the 2017 version, or last summer’s Tournament of Nations.

The last year or so has not been kind to this team—this team who suffered losses to England and France. On home soil. This team who was beaten by Australia. Also on home soil. It’s as if a spider that had been soaked in some glowing green goop crawled to their hand and sung its fangs in deep. The DNA of this team has been transformed.

And yet, they still win, much as they always have. Sometimes convincingly, over teams like Denmark, who, don’t forget, were in the Euro final just last summer. Sometimes against Canada at home. They have both big-name standbys and players still a little wet behind the ears—players who can make magic happen in the space of a heartbeat.

But time isn’t on the USWNT’s side. France 2019 is next year. The minutes are ticking down, the pressure is ratcheting up, and it’s time the World Cup roster gets put together in theory.

Thankfully for those of us who engage in punditry, Jill Ellis isn’t hard to read. Like it or not, she makes nearly all her intentions loud and clear, if you know how to decode the writing on the wall. Taking a look at the 26 players heading to the pre-SheBelieves camp shows she is as consistent as she sometimes is maddening.

Becky Sauerbrunn, Sam Mewis, and Tobin Heath would be there if they were healthy, but rest will do each of them good.

Nikita Taparia, StepoverFC.com

Ellis called up Jane Campbell, Ashlyn Harris and Alyssa Naeher as her goalkeeping trio—the same group she has called up, more or less, since Hope Solo walked herself in to a suspension after the 2016 Olympics. Adrianna Franch is reportedly out of camp due to injury, but what would it matter if she were there? Ellis has settled on her number one in Naeher. The other goalkeepers are there for training, and in case the worst happens to Naeher. At this point they are more ornamental than functional.

As the focus turns to the defense, there is a pretty major difference in experience between Kelley O’Hara and everyone else. O’Hara has 105 caps. Every other defender called in has a combined 58 caps. Abby Dahlkemper, Tierna Davidson, Sofia Huerta, Casey Short, Taylor Smith, and Emily Sonnett join O’Hara as Ellis’s options in the back.

While it is a good time to see how the likes of Dahlkemper, Short, Smith, and Sonnett do against some of the top talent in the world, I can’t help but worry that Huerta has not adapted well enough to her new position to be a sound option as a starter or sub. Davidson was green in her 90 minutes against Denmark, but for a first attempt, we’ve seen much worse. Hailie Mace, who was in the 26-player camp, didn’t make the final roster, but just being in camp was likely good experience for her.

I expect Short to be used as a left back who can go to the center if needed—but then, she could also be deployed centrally alongside Dahlkemper. Without Sauerbrunn, a question arises about who to start at centerback. If Davidson plays—and I expect her to at least get some minutes after Ellis had her play 90 against Denmark—these matches will be the deepest of deep ends for the young defender to be thrown into. Sonnett is always an option, but Ellis has a history of calling the talented centerback in only to leave her on the bench or off the roster altogether. While Dahlkemper seems a likely lock, based on Ellis’ history, to start all three games, her partner in this tournament remains one of the few real questions when it comes to the defense.

Ellis has options in the midfield. Morgan Brian, Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Carli Lloyd, Allie Long, and Andi Sullivan are all solid names for her to pull from. Rose Lavelle wasn’t included on the final roster, as she’s still rehabbing her hamstring injury.

With Brian not in camp, everyone else—all central midfielders, as the wide players are all listed as forwards—will have gotten a chance to work on their chemistry going into the games. Ertz has been nothing short of a revelation since she has been given the freedom the midfield offers. Horan has been coming in to her own more and more lately between Portland and the USWNT. Lloyd and Long are known entities who will give what they always do.

Nikita Taparia, stepoverfc.com

Say what you want about the rest of the USWNT, but when it comes to world-class forwards, the USWNT’s cup is running over. Having a group of forwards that includes Crystal Dunn, Savannah McCaskill, Alex Morgan, Christen Press, Mallory Pugh, Megan Rapinoe, and Lynn Williams is like playing FIFA on easy mode. There are few, if any, wrong choices when it comes to who should be played and who should come in as a sub among this group. If anything, this is the place where the USWNT should feel the most comfortable going in. It might be possible to shut down Morgan or Press or Pugh or any one of them for a game—but shutting down two or more becomes a much harder task.

Over the next 18 months, the team is going to have to take several steps forward if they want to defend their 2015 World Cup win. Doing well at the She Believes Cup would go a long way toward getting their heads right before the NWSL season takes their attentions in other directions.

USA Schedule

March 1: vs. Germany, 7 pm ET/4 pm PT (ESPN2)
March 4: vs. France, 12 pm ET/9 am PT (ESPN2)
March 7: vs. England, 7 pm ET/4 pm PT (ESPNews)

U.S. Soccer Announces Dates, Venues For 2018 SheBelieves Cup

Posted on by RJ Allen

U.S. Soccer has announced the scheduling and venues for the 2018 SheBelieves Cup.

The six-game tournament will be held March 1-7 and will see the U.S. Women’s National Team host Germany, England, and France. The SheBelieves Cup will kick off with England taking on 2017 SheBelieves Cup champions France on Thursday, March 1 at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the USWNT against Germany at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2). The teams will then travel to Red Bull Arena in New Jersey where the USWNT will play the first match on Sunday, March 4, taking on France at 12 p.m. ET (ESPN2) followed by Germany vs. England at 3 p.m. ET. The tournament will finish on Wednesday, March 7, at Orlando City Stadium as France takes on Germany at 4 p.m. ET followed by the tournament finale featuring the USWNT vs. England at 7 p.m. ET (ESPNews).

At this time, there are no announced streaming options for the games not featuring the USWNT.

Around the World of WoSo: USSF Adds Policy, Plush Steps Down

Posted on by RJ Allen

Plush Steps Down:

Jeff Plush has announced he is formally steppeing down as the National Women’s Soccer League Commissioner. Plush has been in the role since January of 2015. In his tenure, he saw the league grown to 10 teams when the Orlando Pride entered in 2016. Plush also oversaw the sale of Western New York Flash and their re-brand to become the North Carolina Courage at the start of 2017.

Plush wasn’t as recognizable to many fans because he wasn’t in attendance as often as someone like myself might like. A few other commissioners around sports such as Adam Silver (NBA), and Lisa Borders (WNBA) are well-known for making a serious effort to not only attend playoffs and championship games, but regular season games as well.

Plush was in attendance at the 2016 NWSL Championship and helped complete the recent TV deal with Lifetime and A+E. This latest deal could be what many will remember him for, a historic TV partnership that will bring the NWSL into American homes every Saturday.

The search for a new commissioner has begun and I hope we find out soon who will lead the way for the NWSL’s fifth season – which begins April 15th.

 

USSF New Anthem Policy:

The United States Soccer Federation has introduced a new policy to that will apply to the National teams. This new policy states that:

“All persons representing a Federation national team shall stand respectfully during the playing of national anthems at any event in which the Federation is represented.”

In my personal opinion, this policy is completely unnecessary and undermines the player’s constitutional right to protest. This new policy seems to be a very dramatic and ridiculous reaction to USWNT midfielder Megan Rapinoe kneeling during the National anthem in a friendly September 15th of 2016. Rapinoe has said she did it to support Black Lives Matter, the movement that rose over the past few years to fight against racial inequality in America.

While U.S. Soccer made it clear that they didn’t agree with Rapinoe’s action when it happened, this addition to the bylaws seems to be sending a very strong statement to players thinking about wanting to protest in any slight way during the anthem. I do feel confused by this, because without protests how will the players, as citizens, express their desire for positive change and for the government to do the right thing by ALL citizens of this beautiful country?

ESPN The Magazine Senior writer Mina Kimes perhaps summed up my feelings perfectly when she tweeted out her opinions of the new policy:

Kimes, along with myself and many others, don’t agree with this new policy. Also, could this decision signal the end of Rapinoe’s national team career? Rapinoe has not been selected for National team duty since September 18th of last year. Time and future actions will certainly tell if the fate of Rapinoe with the USWNT is over for simply standing by what she believes in.

 

Rampone Honored:

One of the best players to ever grace the game of soccer in the history of the sport has officially retired from international play. 41-year-old USWNT legend Christie Rampone was honored Saturday before the game versus England in front of the crowd of 26,500 in Harrison, New Jersey at Red Bull Arena. In attendance to honor the trailblazer were familiar and former stars of the USWNT, Abby Wambach, Heather O’Reilly, and Nicole Barnhart.

To many women’s soccer fans–or soccer fans in general–Rampone is simply known as Captain America. The defender made her USWNT debut in 1997 and played her last minutes in 2015. And Rampone expressed the desire to make a bid for the 2016 Olympics had injury not hampered her fitness. The two-time World Cup Champion (1999, 2015) and three-time Olympic gold-medalist (2004, 2008, 2012) has certainly left her mark on the game. Rampone played in five FIFA World Cups, four Olympics, appeared 311 times for her country to become the second-most-capped player in US history, and managed to score four goals during her time.

I don’t think enough can be said about the last 99er. Rampone was composed, positive, regarded as a complete team leader and someone who embodied the national team spirit. She was one of the most incredible athletes I’ve ever seen compete at the highest level for that length of time. I’m absolutely honored to say I had the privilege of watching her play in person years ago and I will forever be proud to call her our Captain.

 

Lavelle Earns 1st Cap:

21-year-old Rose Lavelle has finally earned her first cap for the USWNT this past weekend in the #SheBelieves Cup. Starting against England, a team ranked fifth, Lavelle held her own. Even though the United States lost to England, she played well enough to also earn her first Player of the Match award.

The Cincinnati, Ohio native played all four years of college ball at the University of Wisconsin. She was selected number one overall in the 2017 NWSL College Draft by the Boston Breakers. Lavelle has shown plenty of promise and to see a small sample of what she is capable of on the National team is rewarding as a supporter.

 

Chastain and MacMillan HOF Confirmed:

Two more USWNT legends are being inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame on March 24th. The two women earning this honor are Brandi Chastain and Shannon MacMillan, who each spent 12 years on the National team.

Chastain made her debut in 1988 and concluded her career in 2004. She won two World Cups (1991, 1999) and two Olympic medals (1996, 2004), appearing in 192 games for the U.S. She is known for her left foot penalty shot that secured the USWNT’s second Women’s World Cup in 1999 and then taking off her shirt to celebrate. I witnessed that moment when I was eight and for me, it’s easily one of the most iconic moments in sports. Chastain now coaches at the University of Santa Clara.

MacMillan got her start in 1993 and ended her career in 2005 after appearing in 176 games and scoring 60 goals, good enough for ninth place in program history. MacMillan won the ’99 World Cup and Gold at the 1996 Olympic games. She was named U.S. Soccer’s Female Player of the Year in 2002. MacMillan is now in San Diego, where she is the director of club operations for the Del Mar Carmel Valley Sharks soccer club.

 

Sweden Women Aim To Inspire:

The Sweden Women’s National team is sporting a different look these days. The Swedish Football Association have initiated for the team to replace the names of players to instead have messages of empowerment. These messages are meant to be positive and to inspire all generation of women.

The Swedish players picked quotes from Swedish women, to show the power they hold, and to bring to light the National team at the same time. Some of the messages include: “To try is to be successful” (journalist Frida Soderlund); “Women want different things”(comedian Karin Adelskold); “I’m not bossy, I’m the boss” (author Nina Akestam); and “Never look down on someone unless it is to help her up” (politician Gudrun Schyman).

The latter message was chosen by Sweden’s captain Lotta Schelin, who expressed this in a statement recently: “It is great we can join forces with other strong women and together we can show that everything is possible.” She went on to say that “There is always a need to show young women it is possible to succeed, and that no one should feel limited in what they can achieve and particularly not because of their sex.”

I absolutely love this from the Swedish Federation and the team itself. I fully support this idea. I think everything Schelin mentioned is very important in a world where the glass ceiling does still exist. These kits have been worn during the Algarve Cup that takes place March 1st through March 8th.

She Believes: USWNT v France

Posted on by RJ Allen

The US will make their final 2017 She Believes appearance this evening, playing in a match against France. Coming out of the second round of games, France leads the table, with a 2-1 win over England and a 0-0 draw with Germany to earn them 4 points and a +1 goal differential. The US, on the other hand, earned 3 points with their 1-0 win over Germany but lost 1-0 to England on Sunday, leaving them vying for second place in the standings. At three points each and +0 goal differential, the US women and their English opponents are neck and neck, with Germany falling securely in last place with a single point.

Honestly?

I don’t know if anyone knows what to expect tonight. One could say that France has the momentum coming in, but they were unable to break down Germany and score to secure the win on Sunday. On the other hand, it could be said that the US has the upper hand, but they lost to England that same day, unable to defend against a last-second set piece from a desperate-to-score English squad. If there is a team on an upswing right now, it has to be England, who have a definite chance at the title if they win or draw against Germany this afternoon.

One thing is certain though, the US must win this match if they want the title. Regardless of what happens in the earlier match, if they simply draw the French, it will not be enough to see the Cup stay with the home team.

But a win against France will not be easy. Foremost, perhaps, France’s experienced players must be taken into consideration. With players like Le Sommer, Thiney, Bussaglia, Abily, and Georges—all likely see time on the pitch tonight—France has over 700 caps-worth of experience to call upon when they take the field. More than experience, however, the US needs to worry about 6’1″ centerback Wendie Renard, whose height and head could prove deadly in set-pieces in the box for the shorter American team.  On defense, too, Renard is a formidable opponent for the US’s attacking game, and as much as I hate to admit it, if the outcome of the game comes down to defense, France’s backline is stronger, better organized, and simply performing at a higher level than Jill Ellis’s experimental 3-back right now.

What can the US do to win? They’re going to need to be organized. The midfield needs to be locked down, taken in hand by someone with a Lauren Holiday or Shannon Boxx style of leadership—calm and steady. They need some stability, and time to build partnerships and chemistry. But right now, with players being swapped left and right and Ellis seemingly undecided on the shape she wants in that section of the pitch, the midfield looks antsy and uncertain of their strategic value. And maybe no one more than Carli Lloyd, who continues to play back even when her coach urges her to move forward.

The forwards will need to be faster, and the passes from the line or the midfield need to be made with surgical precision tonight, letting a fewer balls roll out of play than we’ve seen over the past two games. Whoever starts in an attacking position tonight needs to make cutting runs into the box, supported by powerful and accurate crosses from the wings. The kind of crosses Ali Krieger and Kelley O’Hara can send into the box in their sleep. I know Krieger has said recently that she likes the 3-back specifically because she can focus on defending, but honestly? The US needs her support in the attack, making those long sideline runs on the right to set up scoring opportunities for Press, for Pugh, for Williams, for whomever can cut into a scoring opportunity.

The ultimate question, of course, is whether the US can win against France tonight. And they can. It can be done. But they’re going to have to come out looking a hell of a lot different than we’ve seen over the past two matches. And that includes personnel as well. Ellis is shaking things up in her Starting XIs, that is undeniable, but is she shaking the right things?  Maybe it’s time for some players to sit down. Lloyd, Morgan, even Long, if you asked me. Because with the first two, the team plays to them specifically. The US plays a different type of soccer when Lloyd is on the field, or Morgan. They play soccer built around those players’ styles. And it’s not working anymore.

The best player of Saturday’s match was Rose Lavelle, earning her first cap and Player of the Match on the same night. Lavelle was a driving force against England, honestly, I’d take her over Allie Long anywhere on the pitch, any day of the week. (Yes, even at CB. Please don’t put Lavelle at CB.) The best player of the match before that? Lynn Williams, and no, not just because she scored the winning goal, but because she brings a kind of innovation to the field that is sorely needed.

 

She Believes: USWNT v England

Posted on by RJ Allen

Saturday’s meeting between the US and England women’s teams should be quite the match. England, coming off a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to France on Wednesday, March 1, will be fighting to get themselves back in the tournament, while the US, after beating Germany 1-0 later that day, will look to build up their goal differential in anticipation of a tight race for the top position on the tourney table. Currently, France leads the table thanks to their two goals scored, followed by the US, England, and Germany.

The teams have not met since last year’s She Believes Cup, where Crystal Dunn scored the game’s only goal in the 72nd minute off an assist from Meghan Klingenberg. Dunn, of course, is expected to play in the upcoming match, which will pit her against new Chelsea L.F.C. teammates Karen Carney (F) and Millie Bright (D). Klingenberg has been hampered by injury and was not named to this year’s US roster. But while Dunn has performed at a high rate since last March, she may not be the biggest threat to England’s chances this year. Instead, Christen Press and newcomer to the Senior Team, Lynn Williams, will likely give the English defenders and goalkeeper a run for their money. Williams scored the US’s game-winning (and only) goal against Germany on Wednesday, and Press continues to run circles around the players between her and the net, finding opportunities to shoot—or creating them out of thin air when any other player might be stymied by a lack of openings.

But if the US needs to fix anything before they take the field on Saturday, it’s the midfield, which looked more than a little lost Wednesday night. Carli Lloyd doesn’t trust the backline, that much is obvious by the way she played back when both her coach and the flow of the game should have seen her move forward to support the forwards. Multiple times, Lloyd was called over to the sideline by Ellis and told to play higher, but she couldn’t seem to break free of the midfield line. Dunn and Heath were essentially neutralized by the German team, and Brian and Mewis couldn’t seem to get themselves organized in the lateral or side-by-side formation (rather than the older one forward, one back midfielder structure) Ellis had them in.  Not to mention that as per the US Women’s usual style of play, they were basically cut out of the game entirely, with the backline sending balls far down the field (and often too far forward or into empty space) for the attacking players to collect and send into goal. Rarely did the US take the opportunity to build play from the backline, through the midfield, and to the forwards. Sooner, rather than later, this will be the source of their downfall.

Another question for the US is who will be taking the field in the keeper’s kit. Alyssa Naeher earned her 11th cap on Wednesday night and managed a shutout, with at least one extremely impressive save. But as of yet there is still a question—acknowledged by the coaches even—of who is their starting GK. Ashlyn Harris is an obvious contender, and at the moment, rookie Jane Campbell is also in play. Harris, also with 11 caps, is a bit of a riskier choice, as even in friendlies she’s sometimes been caught off her line and is mostly used to playing with the older four-player backline. If England shows up to play as hungry for a win as they were earlier this week, with their forwards and midfield pressing hard and making great runs and crosses into the box, Harris could find herself in trouble. Campbell is the least likely to find a start during this tournament, but if Ellis truly wants to get her some experience against a top-ten team, who knows? I certainly have more faith in her than I do in the three-back, so…

England, of course, suffers from no lack of talent. But the real question that the Lionesses have to answer is about their endurance. Yes, they came out strong against France on Wednesday, and they led for long enough that fans began to think they might not only win but shut out the French. But when they came back after the half, their first-half high-energy press and attacking strategy seemed to be their undoing. They played the second 45 minutes looking much slower and a little lethargic. The US has consistently been one of the most athletic teams in the world of women’s football, and when all else fails, it’s been their fitness that has driven them to success.

But more important than any one game of soccer, Saturday’s match will pay homage to one of the biggest names in US soccer, men’s and women’s. Christie (Pearce) Rampone, twenty-year veteran of the USWNT has retired from national team duty, and the team is set to honor her long and noteworthy career in the state she calls home. No matter what the outcome, it will be an event to remember.

SheBelieves: USWNT v Germany

Posted on by RJ Allen

The U.S. Women’s National Team will open their 2017 She Believes Cup play today against the current Olympic Gold medal winners and #2-ranked Germany. The last time these two teams faced each other was at the inaugural She Believes Cup on March 9th of last year.

At the Boca Raton match in 2016, the US won 2-1 against the German team, under then-coach Silvia Neid. German striker Anja Mittag scored the first goal of the match in the 30th minute, but two goals from the US–Morgan at 37′ and an unassisted goal from Sam Mewis in the 42′, only her second international goal in all–put the US on top. The victory against Germany was the US’s last opponent of the three-game tournament and put them at the top of the table, giving them the historic first title in the homegrown tourney.

But the teams that will take the pitch later today are quite different than those who squared off last year, and the US might find themselves with an uphill climb against Steffi Jones’s lineup.

The USSF is marketing this game as a major meet-up between a World Champion (obviously touting the US with their 2015 WWC victory) and an Olympic Champion, and while semantically accurate, factually, the USWNT is not playing anywhere near the level they did in Canada during the summer of 2015.  Retirements, injuries, and suspensions have affected the lineup, first and foremost. Major names such as Wambach, Boxx, Cheney, Rampone, Solo, and Rapinoe are absent from the 23-player roster put out by the USWNT.

Of course, in their place are new names, names that we are becoming familiar with, as new players are rotated into the pool and evaluated. Mallory Pugh, coming off her time with the US’s U-20 World Cup team, has already made her bones on the senior level; Casey Short performed well at her first caps with the senior team back in October; Lynn Williams came onto the pitch for her first cap against Switzerland in October and scored within a minute. But while these younger players are performing well, they have never faced a team of Germany’s caliber before and their ability to play-make and adapt on the field when up against significant threat is yet unknown.

Another issue for the US is the strategic changes that have been made since the 2015 WWC victory. Despite all the recognition Carli Lloyd received for her impressive performance in the final against Japan, the real MVP of the USWNT’s World Cup drive were the five players in the back–the “Department of Defense” that included Hope Solo, Ali Krieger, Julie Johnston, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Meghan Klingenberg. Their ability to break down any offensive threat that came their way–keeping Solo from even having to make more than a few attempts at a save–is what gave the midfield and attacking players the freedom to hunt down opportunities to score. But after their disappointing loss in Rio, coach Jill Ellis has consistently put out a three-back defensive line that, at best, has been seen mediocre success.

It was a good experiment in the aftermath of being knocked out in their quarter-final match against Sweden. Look, something had to change, that’s undeniable. International play around the world has progressed so well that the US’s old stand-by, physical condition and throwing Abby Wambach or the other forwards toward the opposing goal with no plan but “shoot until you hit the net,” isn’t going to work anymore. Sweden’s refusal to engage the US offensively worked. But the three-back? It has not. Despite the scorelines at the six post-Rio friendlies the team hosted last year, it has not worked. Mostly because, at her core, Allie Long is not a centerback, she doesn’t possess the tactical perspective (the kind of thinking that sees six moves ahead in a chess game) to play in the center, and she’s easily out-maneuvered or misled by opposing offensive players. And Becky Sauerbrunn is not a rightback, she’s a brilliant player but she lacks the speed necessary to track back in an instant to help out Long when the converted CB inevitably finds herself in trouble.

But even though they are perhaps the stronger team, Germany too faces a few obstacles in their She Believes journey. First of all, they are still adjusting to new leadership, as Steffi Jones has replaced the retired Silvia Neid. It hasn’t seemed to affect their play, however, as they sailed through their EURO 2017 qualifiers (including a 4-0 victory against the Russian Women’s team, whom the US will host in two friendlies later this spring) and other recent friendlies. Yet, while they’ve lost key players from the last cycle as well, their younger players–including Sara Däbritz, Leonie Maier, Dzsenifer Maroszán, Anja Mittag, Lena Petermann, and Alexandra Popp–have played for or earned titles at the youth and senior levels, including the 2013 UEFA Women’s Euro (won), the 2014 U-20 Women’s World Cup (won), the 2015 Women’s World Cup, and the 2016 Olympics in Rio (won).

No matter what the obstacles, however, the US and Germany will ultimately give us some excellent international women’s soccer to watch (and if you ask me, it’s about damn time).

Around the World of WoSo: Lloyd to City, Kemme and Huth out for Germany

Posted on by RJ Allen

Lloyd bleeds blue:

United States midfielder and two-time FIFA Women’s Player of the Year Carli Lloyd has decided to call Manchester City home for the next four months. Lloyd is expected to be reunited with her Houston Dash club in June, meaning she will miss the first two months of the NWSL season.

This is the first time the two-time Olympic Gold medalist will be playing internationally at the club level. In her first interview for City, Lloyd expressed that one of the biggest draws to playing in Europe was the possibility of competing in the FA Cup and the Champions League. I certainly can’t blame her for wanting that experience and she has the right to finally choose where she wants to go.

The FAWSL champions have brought in Lloyd in addition to an already intimidating roster which includes England’s star players Steph Houghton, Lucy Bronze, Jill Scott, and Karen Bardsley. Lloyd joins the high-profile list of USWNT stars making way to Europe, joining Crystal Dunn (Chelsea Ladies), Alex Morgan (Lyon), and Heather O’Reilly (Arsenal Ladies).

German pair out for SB Cup:

Two major players on Germany’s 2016 Olympic Gold medal team will not be making an appearance at the upcoming She Believes Cup. Tabea Kemme and Svenja Huth have 38 and 26 appearances respectively for Germany, and have scored two goals between them. When not repping their country on the international level, both play at Turbine Potsdam, one of the top teams in the German Bundesliga.

Kemme recently had surgery to repair a torn right meniscus and while Huth doesn’t have any major injuries, there is enough concern about the status of her right knee to keep her out of the SB Cup.  Replacements for the two are Verena Faißt (30 caps, three goals) of FC Bayern Munich and Hasret Kayikçi (one cap) of SC Freiburg.

While this is obviously not good news, Germany still has plenty of power on the roster. Some of the biggest names in the game that include Dzsenifer Marozsan, Anja Mittag, Alexandra Popp, Sara Dabritz and Josephine Henning. The German team took second in the 2016 inaugural She Believes Cup, and their roster this year features a majority of the same players.

The Gals in red:

The new 2017 USWNT kit has been revealed this past week, an all-red color scheme that has the latest campaign called #RedToToe. This new kit will make its debut at the #SheBelievesCup on March 1 when they face England in the opener. The Americans are the reigning champions of the tournament, which first took place last year.

The signature “1 Team, 1 Nation” motto is back on the inner sleeves while the staple “USA” remains on the back of the collar. At first glance I don’t mind the red look, but it looks so similar to the standar template of other countries, such as England and Portugal. I usually wait to hold off judgment until I see them on the players or in person. (Fun fact: each kit has been made from recycled plastic bottles, 16 to be exact.)

Matildas announce Algarve roster:

The 24th edition of the Portugal’s prestigious Algarve Cup will begin March 1 and conclude with the final on March 8. It remains highly competitive, even with the United States winning it a record 10 times. The Algarve cup has always attracted high-ranking teams like France, Germany, Sweden, Japan and Brazil, and continues to do so this year. The Matildas last competed in the Algarve in 1999, finishing fifth out of a possible eight, and they undoubtedly look to finish even higher in the 2017 edition.

Head coach Alen Stajcic has plenty of veterans to help lead this team. Clare Polkinghorne, Lisa De Vanna, Kyah Simon, Steph Catley, and Caitlin Foord have all been named to the roster. But don’t count out some of the talented youth he is bringing in, including Amy Harrison (nine caps), Gema Simon (five caps), Ellie Carpenter (five caps), Emma Checker (three caps), and Alex Chidiac (one cap).

The 2017 tournament will also feature last year’s champions, Canada, as well as Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Portugal, Russia, and China PR.

Jordan nets hat-trick:

Former Florida Gator and star forward Savannah Jordan had a professional debut to remember on Sunday. In the Scottish Women’s Premier League opener, Glasgow City FC took on Jeanfield Swifts and it was Savannah who shined the brightest.

In an eight goal rout, the newest member of City opened the scoring in the 30th minute, with a header that had no chance of being saved. Eight minutes later, after a goal by Abbi Grant, Jordan sent in an assit to Grant, who pushed the lead to three. Jordan had to use her head once again in the 45th minute off a corner from Leanne Ross. To complete her hat-trick in the 87th minute, Jordan once again found service off a corner to drive a powerful header home.

Glasgow has won the title for the last 10 years and this game showed they are already ready for whatever the season brings them.

USWNT book Russia in April:

The United States Women’s National team has confirmed that they will play Russia in a pair of friendlies in April. Both games will be played in Texas, with the April 6th game in Frisco’s Toyota Stadium in Frisco, to be televised by FS1. The second game is April 9th at BVAA Compass Stadium in Houston, the site of 2016’s NWSL Championship game, and will be aired on ESPN. The last time these two teams met was back in 2014.

The Russians are ranked 23rd in the world, and have never beat the Americans in the handful of times they’ve met. The USWNT have played in Texas 17 times and have never suffered a loss in the Lone Star State.

These will be the final international matches before the NWSL season kicks off the following week.

Around the World of WoSo: NWSL Draft, Morgan in Lyon

Posted on by RJ Allen

NWSL College Draft Tidbits:

The 2017 National Women’s Soccer League College Draft was held in Los Angeles over the weekend and – no surprise – Rose Lavelle was taken number one overall. The first of 40 picks, the talented midfielder out of Wisconsin spent all four years a Badger and led her team to two (2014, 2012) trips to the postseason. 

2016 National Champions USC had plenty to celebrate on the day, as five player’s names were called. Three players went in the first round; Morgan Andrews third to Boston, Kayla Mills fourth to Sky Blue who also grabbed Miranda Freeman with the 10th pick. Two more players were selected in the second and fourth rounds respectively as Seattle took a chance on Katie Johnson, while Samantha Prudhomme found a home in Boston.

The newest team in the NWSL, the North Carolina Courage (formerly the Western New York Flash) had three picks. They grabbed Ashley Hatch from BYU with the second pick, Darian Jenkins out of UCLA with the seventh and Claire Wagner from Clemson at 20.

Alex Morgan Suits up for Lyon:

In her first action for Olympique Lyonnais in the Division 1 Feminine, Morgan helped Lyon to a 3-0 victory over Guingamp. Morgan managed 72 minutes and grabbed her first assist to French superstar Eugenie Le Sommer. This was a positive result for OL, considering the last match between these clubs was all Guingamp in a 3-1 win over Lyon last November.

A few reasons for the turnaround could be the additions of the American Morgan, Canadian Kadeisha Buchanan and German Josephine Henning. On paper, this roster could now be the best in the world. Other stars include; Le Sommer, Dzenifer Maroszán, Wendie Renard, Ada Hegerberg, Camille Abily, and Caroline Seger. All these world-class players on one team should be certainly intimidating for the rest of the league. Lyon leads the league in most titles with 14 and I do expect them to win it again this year.

USWNT Called Into January Camp:

Jill Ellis has called 29 players in for the first United States Women’s National Team camp of 2017. This camp will serve as evaluation for the upcoming SheBelieves tournament in March.

22 players from last year are back, including Carli Lloyd, Alyssa Naeher, Becky Sauerbrunn, Tobin Heath, Crystal Dunn, Alex Morgan and Julie Johnson. Ellis has also called in six players who have not yet earned a cap; Jane Campbell, Adrianna Franch, Rose Lavelle, Christina Gibbons, Kristen Edmonds, and Taylor Smith. The young and explosive forwards Lynn Williams and Kealia Ohai are also back.

Ellis has also decided to bring in five U-23 players to the senior camp; 16-year-old Brianna Pinto, Casey Murphy (Rutgers), Mandy Freeman (Sky Blue FC), Tierna Davidson (Stanford), and Savannah McCaskill (South Carolina).

The long-awaited return of fan-favorite forward Amy Rodriguez was a nice surprise. Out since giving birth to a baby boy in June 2016, her last appearance was November of 2015 during the World Cup Victory Tour.

SheBelieves Cup Details Announced:

The second edition of the SheBelieves Cup will be held March 1-7th in three different locations; New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. All four teams from last year have agreed to compete again, each ranked in the top five; United States (1), Germany (2), France (3) and England (5).  

The venues chosen are Red Bull Arena (NJ), Talen Energy Stadium (PA), and RFK (D.C.). I would’ve liked the locations to be a little more south, as it could be a bit cold in March, but we will see how it works. Two of the USA matches will be shown on FS1, while the other one will be on FOX.

The Americans won last year, defeating Germany in the final match to secure the inaugural trophy.

England Legend Kelly Smith Retires:

The 38-year-old has decided to call her career in football over. The Lioness had a career most could only dream of. It started at Seton Hall where she set collegiate records, earned countless awards and scored 76 goals in just 51 matches and three years.

Her professional career started in 1994 and she played for several clubs; Wembley Ladies, New Jersey Lady Stallions, Philadelphia Charge, New Jersey Wildcats, Boston Breakers and Arsenal Ladies (three different stints).

Smith was a two-time FA POY and won 20 trophies in her time with Arsenal, including five FA Cups, winning the Premier League four times, the FA Cup three times and the UEFA Cup once. She finished her Arsenal career with 144 appearances and 125 goals, a remarkable ratio. In her brief time here in the States, her football style was enjoyable to watch, even when the sport was seriously struggling throughout the 2000s to gain attention.

What is amazing to think about is that even with a variety of injuries in her professional career, she managed to keep coming back and remind the world she belonged. She torn her ACL in 2002, broke her leg in 2004, picked up a stress fracture in her foot in early 2005, Achilles injury in 2011, and another stress fracture in 2012. Smith each time came back with resiliency, never giving up on herself.

One of her most notable accomplishments could be her international career with England from 1995-2015. She earned 117 caps and scored a record 46 goals in that span. Along with Rachel Yankey, Fara Williams, Casey Stoney, and Faye White, Smith carried the spotlight. She took on the responsibility of getting women’s football on the map; for me, she was what Mia Hamm was to the American fans. That’s how great she was, that’s how important she was to women’s football for England.

Personally, I believe Smith is one of the best players to ever step on the pitch. She will be missed but no doubt she will continue to teach the next generation of English footballers. Up next for Smith will be a full-time coaching role within Arsenal’s organization.  

Goals Galore Down Under:

This past weekend in W-League fans of Adelaide United and Canberra United had plenty to cheer about. Adelaide destroyed the Wanderers by a score 10-2 while Canberra managed a 7-2 win against Perth Glory. Two top scorers for Adelaide were Sofia Huerta and Adriana Jones, both having hat-tricks in a wild game. As for Canberra, Ashleigh Sykes was the stand-out player who grabbed four goals on the day.

These goals explain why Adelaide and Canberra are leading the league in total goals scored with 28 and 24 respectively. But they also concede almost as many, with Adelaide giving up 23 while Canberra has given up 19. Through 10 matches Adelaide still sit at the bottom of the table and Canberra remains in second place.