Tag: Washington Spirit

Boston sends Kristie Mewis and Kassey Kallman to Washington for Megan Oyster and Picks

Posted on by RJ Allen

Boston and Washington have woken the WoSo world up on this Thursday. Defender Kassey Kallman and midfielder Kristie Mewis head to Washington in exchange for defender Megan Oyster as well as the Nos. 3 and 9 overall picks in the 2017 NWSL College Draft.

Below is the Boston Breaker’s press release.

WATERTOWN, Mass. (Nov. 17, 2016) – The Boston Breakers announced today that the team has acquired defender Megan Oyster as well as the Nos. 3 and 9 overall picks in the 2017 NWSL College Draft from the Washington Spirit. In exchange, the Breakers send defender Kassey Kallman and midfielder Kristie Mewis to the Spirit. In addition, Boston also receives the No. 2 allocation spot in return for the No. 1 spot in the Distribution Ranking Order. 

The 13th overall pick in the 2015 NWSL College Draft out of UCLA, Oyster played two seasons for the Spirit. She started all 25 games she appeared in, logging 3,140 minutes.

 The Naperville, Ill native is currently on loan in Australia, playing in the Westfield W-League for the Newcastle Jets. This is her second straight offseason in Australia, having played for Newcastle during the 2015/2016 W-League season. 

“Megan is a player that we really wanted to bring to the club,” Boston Breakers head coach Matt Beard said. “She is a very good defender and comfortable on the ball. Megan will bring great experience to the back line and a winning mentality.” 

A four-year star at UCLA, Oyster was instrumental in the Bruins winning the 2013 NCAA National Championship. She assisted on the game-winning goal in overtime of the championship game against Florida State.

 “Megan is a top quality defender, a very important piece of the puzzle for us, and a player Matt wanted, so to bring her into the club is a big positive for us. We have a plan in place for how we use the draft picks to help strengthen the squad which is the important next step,” said Boston Breakers President of Soccer Operations and Development Lee Billiard. “It is always tough moving players like Kassey and Kristie, but we felt the need to freshen it up and free up cap space, allowing us to keep making the progress we have done so thus far”.

Kallman spent two seasons in Boston, playing every minute of all 40 matches. Mewis joined the Breakers in 2014, and in three seasons with the club scored 10 goals to go along with five assists in 51 games.

What the Furt, Washington?

Posted on by RJ Allen

It’s been just a month since the Western New York Flash won the 2016 NWSL Championship, and the off-season has seemed as nail-biting as those last seconds of extra-time at the end of the match. But the “What will happen next?” vibe of this off-season hasn’t affected each team across the league equally. Instead, the majority seems to be centered with the Washington Spirit, the team that fought so desperately to win in those last twenty or so seconds after Lynn Williams’s breath-stopping goal that sent the championship game to PKs.

Only a month, and yet, already it’s clear—the 2017 Washington Spirit will be very different than this year’s runners-up.

First, there was the trade of National Team member and Federation allocation Ali Krieger to Orlando in exchange for the Pride’s #2 spot in the Distribution Ranking Order—an exchange that seems paltry, if not insulting, to a foundational player in the team’s play these past four years. Krieger is an original member of the Spirit’s inaugural NWSL roster, returning from FFC Frankfurt, where she had played since 2007 and has served as its captain since Lori Lindsey’s departure following the first season.

Laura Harvey announced the acquisition of midfielder Christine Nairn by the Seattle Reign. Nairn was drafted out of Penn State by the Reign in the 2013 NWSL draft, but was traded in November of that year to the Washington Spirit (where she has played since) in exchange for Kim Little’s discovery rights. The trade also includes rights to goalkeeper Madalyn Schiffel, a 2016 draftee for the Spirit who spent her season with a club in Norway, for Seattle and sends midfielder Havana Solaun and three draft picks (3rd and 36th picks overall in the 2016 draft and the Reign’s second-round pick in 2018) to Washington.

Finally, in the past weeks there has been increasing chatter among soccer journalists that Crystal Dunn, 2015 NWSL MVP and National Team member, will be heading overseas to play in Europe. Dunn confirmed this rumor with Julie Foudy this week, intimating that if she’s going to go and have the experience of playing in a club overseas, now is the time to do it.

That’s three (three!) of the biggest names on the Washington Spirit’s 20-person roster that are certain or highly likely to be gone from the roster next year. That’s three of the team’s leadership players gone. (When Krieger was away on National Team duty, it was Nairn who picked up the armband.) That’s three of the most experienced members of the team—three of the players who have been with the team the longest (Krieger since 2013, Dunn and Nairn since 2014).

If the Krieger trade had you scratching your head, the Nairn trade is sure to leave you baffled. It has me thinking “What the furt, Washington,” honestly.

Because, at first glance, trades and movement during the off-season are natural. Teams reassess their rosters and their anticipated needs for next season’s adjustments. But the actions of the Washington Spirit roster take on a different tone in the wake of issues arising throughout the end of the 2016 regular season and persisting through the run-up toward the Championship.

There are at least three ways to look it, as far as I’m concerned, but none of them seem to spell anything good for the future of the Washington Spirit in 2017.

1. All Systems Green: Calm Seas, Smooth Sailing

And sure, that’s true. Player movement is a sign of a healthy, developing league, with teams planning not just for the next season but for the next several seasons.

But this isn’t what’s happening with the Washington Spirit. I think we need look no further than Krieger’s own statement on the trade for evidence of that.

“The Washington Spirit’s decision to trade me comes as a surprise,” she wrote before going on to thank her teammates and the team’s fans as well as the Spirit staff, volunteers, and coaches for all their hard work and support over her years in DC. Even more, Krieger was reportedly made aware of the trade not by the Washington Spirit but by the Orlando Pride. Other teammates, as well, found out the news not from the Spirit’s owner, Bill Lynch, or coach, Jim Gabarra, but when asked their opinion on the trade, as in the case of Canadian National Team member and allocation Diana Matheson.

While an athlete’s rights can, in general, be traded away at any time without notice or recourse, there is usually a protocol for such things. And it’s when that protocol is ignored, or violated, that suggests something deeper might be at play.

If anything, the Krieger trade brings to mind Western New York’s 2014 trade of Carli Lloyd to the Houston Dash in exchange for Whitney Engen and Becky Edwards, which she characterized in 2015 as lacking decency and respect, saying:

“I don’t think it’s a lot to ask to get a little bit of respect in this league. We don’t get paid millions of dollars to just be uprooted from our families and friends and homes and be traded on the spot. If we were getting paid millions of dollars, different story.”

In the case of Ali Krieger, Dan Lauletta reported on rumors of a trade at least a week before the movement was confirmed, a report that stirred up Krieger’s vast fanbase to the point that she released a statement denying any such speculation.

Ten days later, her trade was announced.

2. Yellow Alert: We’ve Sprung a Leak

A second option is that these are unhappy players looking for a way out. And there’s evidence to that effect—circumstantial and without named sources, but enough to lead to speculation that individual players may be interested in teams with other leadership styles and organizational priorities.

There have long been rumors about player discontent in the locker room, rumors that came to a head the night of the National Anthem controversy in September earlier this year. Immediately after the game, speaking to reporters, Megan Rapinoe made the claim that Bill Lynch is homophobic, and questioned whether this played a role in his decision to silence her protest. In a statement to Caitlin Buckley, Rapinoe said that “I’ve had conversations with Spirit players both current and past,” and that the team, unlike most others in the league, does not seem interested in putting together a Pride night, despite the numerous “gay players on their team.”

In contrast, a Spirit spokesperson insisted that the players would not speak about the anthem issue, only the match itself, and the players released a joint statement two days later which expressed “disappointment” in their owner and team leadership.

Since then, there has seemed to be an undercurrent of displeasure, at least out of the public eye. And when the Krieger trade was confirmed, the Washington Post clearly stated that the relationship between the front office and the locker room was a factor. “The trade comes amid broader player unhappiness about the Washington organization,” the Post’s sources said, and confirmed that the Spirit’s “players are not happy with management in general.”

And during a conversation with Julie Foudy in the days before the first match against Romania this week, Krieger made it clear that, despite the surprise of being traded, the move is actually a positive one, stating, “I was unhappy with the organization there.”

So, when the news of Nairn’s trade broke this morning—and Steven Goff of Soccer Insider suggested that Nairn sought out the trade herself—I don’t think many people were surprised.

3. Code Red: Grab an Oar, It’s a Reckoning

The third option is that the Spirit ownership and leadership are cleaning house. The ship hasn’t sprung a leak so much as it’s been rammed into the rocks.

And to what benefit?

It’s not hard to speculate.

Three of the players with the most power in the locker room and the strongest ability to lead are gone or possibly soon to leave.

Left behind on the Spirit roster, in large part, are the younger, more inexperienced players. The ones who get paid the least—whose livelihoods depend on their team paycheck in a way that Krieger’s, Dunn’s, and possibly even Nairn’s do not.  Players who might think twice before organizing a team meeting to discuss a reaction to an event like Lynch’s anthem decision, as Ali Krieger was reported to have done. Players without the political currency or the playing stats to provide them with some measure of protection if they offer criticism or push back against Lynch’s decisions.

So Which Is It, and What Does It Mean for Washington?

Honestly, I think the answer is a mix of options two and three. On one hand, players are no longer willing to put up with whatever is making them unhappy behind the scenes. On the other hand, an owner is making a stand, expressing his control over his players’ lives.

Whether it’s problems in the locker room, issues with coaching decisions, or a negative relationship with the ownership, there is some truth to the rumors of player unhappiness on the team. And, it’s a problem bad enough that multiple players have, as of today, spoken or alluded to it directly.

And it’s also an issue of control on the part of Bill Lynch, a man who decided he had the right to control patriotism and free speech earlier this season. This reeks of retribution and punishment, especially in the case of Ali Krieger and the trade that wasn’t a trade. That was an expression of control, pure and simple. A warning statement to his remaining players that he quite literally possesses their futures—their rights—and can do with them what he pleases.

With respect to the future, fans of Washington should be concerned. The Washington Spirit was a team on fire in 2016, even though they appeared to dim a little after the anthem issue, their performance suffering (an indication of what was to come, surely). And losing the Championship in such a manner as they did, the Spirit were primed for a “comeback season.” The kind of season a team has after experiencing such a defeat, inspired by their failure to convert.

Now, without two (possibly three) of their strongest leaders, in a season with no majors tournaments, and with the question of whether the Canadians will come back, the Spirit will be looking to fill spaces. They’ll be selecting starters from the 2017 NWSL draft, which is a hit and miss prospect, because not every college star makes a successful transition to professional athlete, much less ones who could be relied on to start and become a playmaker from the get-go.

They’ll be looking to acquire international talent and allocated talent, and they’ll be trying to fit different playing styles together instead of trying to adjust and improve upon what they had.

But most of all, they’ll be looking at building team cohesion from the bottom up, instead of growing upon existing partnerships and on-field chemistry.  And they’ll be doing all of this in a team environment with an owner that has made it clear that it’s Lynch’s way or the highway.

In the meantime, Coach Jim Gabarra says fans are just going to have to trust them.

But honestly? 

I don’t know if they’ve earned it.

Washington Spirit Head Coach and General Manager Jim Gabarra Writes a Letter to Fans

Posted on by RJ Allen

Head Coach and General Manager of the Washington Spirit Jim Gabarra has written a letter of Spirit fans about the recent changes. 

Below is the full text of the letter.

Dear Spirit Fans,

In light of the response to our recent trades here at the Spirit over the past two weeks, I feel it’s important to share some reasoning and information with our fans. While I can’t share everything, we understand and value the emotional connection our fans have with our players and club, so I’ll share as much as I can, in the hope you can feel the same level of optimism I have for our future.

The Spirit certainly had a historic and successful season in 2016, my first at the club. The entire club and our fans collectively achieved great things through togetherness, hard work, and commitment at every level. It was especially rewarding and something I’ll never forget. I hope we can all look back a year ago and see the result of the changes made then as well as acknowledge the job done by new and returning staff and players.

That said, my role as general manager is to continue to evolve and improve the club and the roster. In doing so, there are numerous factors and decisions to be made, often based on dozens of moving parts involving multiple points of interest. In most every case, the public will never see or know all of the reasons, so it’s very understandable that official public releases of information can cause strong emotions.

As you know, 2016 was my first season with the Spirit, as it was for Denise Reddy as my assistant coach. We both came into a new situation with solid returning core of very talented staff and players. This was enhanced with a good draft class and successful new signings, and together we grew and learned. Reaching the NWSL Championship match in Houston was great, however it’s still my job to look forward and continue to put things in place that give the club the best chance to keep reaching for our goals. As is the case with every team in pro sports changes must be made because no matter how successful a season, things can always be better.

Before making any changes, I evaluate each and every aspect of the club, taking into consideration input from my staff, talking to players, and then create a plan to improve and move forward. Just as was the case a year ago, the plan for the 2017 roster requires changes and improvements. These changes are not taken lightly, and are always difficult. Not everyone completely agrees with these changes as they happen, sometimes even including the owner. But I assure you that the only factors ever used in making these decisions are about how to put the best team on the field every day. I would never make any player trades based on any other factors, and ask for our fans’ consideration as we go through the changes that all NWSL teams go through this time of year.

Thanks for your continued support,

– Jim Gabarra

Seattle Reign FC Bring Back Christine Nairn

Posted on by RJ Allen

In a move that is sure to leave Washington fans scratching their heads, midfield Christine Nairn is heading back to Seattle. In exchange for Nairn, Washington will get the 3rd and 36th pick in the 2017 NWSL college draft and the rights to midfielder Havana Solaun, as well as Seattle’s second round pick in 2018.

Below is the Seattle Reign’s press release.

Seattle Reign FC has acquired the rights to midfielder Christine Nairn and goalkeeper Madalyn Schiffel from the Washington Spirit. In return, the Spirit received the 3rd and 36th overall picks in the 2017 NWSL College Draft, the rights to midfielder Havana Solaun, and Reign FC’s second-round pick in the 2018 draft.

Schiffel, who has represented the United States at the U-20 and U-23 levels, was selected by Washington in the 2016 NWSL College Draft with the 34th overall pick. Schiffel elected to play the 2016 season with Avaldsnes IL in the Norwegian Toppserien.

Nairn has spent the past three seasons with the Spirit, after beginning her professional career with Reign FC in 2013.

“I’m excited for Christine’s return to the club,” said Seattle Reign FC head coach and general manager Laura Harvey. “We felt it was the right time for Christine to come back to the club as we work towards achieving our ultimate goal. She played a key role in Washington’s success over the past three seasons and believe she can make a similar impact for our club.”

Nairn made 67 appearances for Washington, starting in 62 of them. The midfielder scored 14 goals and provided 10 assists over her three seasons with the Spirit, helping them to their first playoff appearance in 2014 and first NWSL Championship appearance in 2016.

Seattle originally selected Nairn with their first overall draft pick in 2013, selecting the Penn State alumna with the seventh overall pick in the first round. During the 2013 season Nairn made 22 starts while leading the team in assists with five. The midfielder also scored three goals, including the club’s first ever goal in NWSL play.

“I am very excited to come back to Seattle for the upcoming season,” said Nairn. “It has been one of the best organizations in the NWSL since day one. In my first year, I made such great relationships with everyone involved, so it makes it a very easy decision to return.”

Is Bill Lynch the Second Coming of Dan Borislow?

Posted on by RJ Allen

Bill Lynch is not Dan Borislow.

He is not the next iteration of a man who paraded elite athletes for his own amusement until the legal ramifications caught up to him. While we may be inclined to conflate his decision and the greater narrative of the Washington Spirit organization into a sort of convoluted doomsday scenario, Lynch will not cause the imminent implosion of the National Women’s Soccer League. However, we really cannot consider the Orlando Pride’s acquisition of Ali Krieger in exchange for their second-overall spot in the Distribution Ranking Order to be a true “trade” facilitated by the Washington Spirit.

A trade in professional sports implies an exchange of one team’s assets for another that has been negotiated and agreed upon by both ownership groups of concern. As General Manager Chris Hummer could tell you, trades for players or assets in sports are intended to give teams the “best chance at” winning “championships” or whatever the highest honor of that respective sport and league is.

On October 9, 2016, Ali Krieger played the last thirty seconds of her career with the Washington Spirit believing herself about to become an NWSL champion—until Lynn Williams changed all of that. Over the course of a 20-game regular season and a post-season, she displayed unparalleled commitment and class to the NWSL that has not been matched by any other allocated US Women’s National Team player thus far. Over the course of the historic fourth season, the Washington Spirit organization was implicated in a series of rumors of player discontent, petty behaviors, and greater questions of character. With the transaction of Ali Krieger for a likely meaningless slot in the “Distribution Ranking Order,” the Washington Spirit effectively gave up their most valuable player for the sake of Bill Lynch’s pride.

While perhaps not as well-known as Merritt Paulson and Joe Sahlen, Bill Lynch is not an owner unknown to followers of the National Women’s Soccer League after its historic fourth season. To the contrary, he has come into the crosshairs of the larger NWSL audience for his particularly controversial set of hypocritical behaviors.

While the NWSL is hailed as one of, if not the, most LGBTQ inclusive sports leagues around the world, Bill Lynch’s Washington Spirit is the sole team to never have hosted an LGBTQ “Pride Night.” In reaction to calls for an answer to this controversy, he has claimed that he does not want to endorse the personal politics of himself or others by hosting a Pride Night. In classic fashion, he ironically bought his personal politics into the conversation when, at the Spirit-Reign game in September where Megan Rapinoe planned to kneel, he played the national anthem while the players were in the locker room. In response, Ali Krieger coordinated a players meeting to discuss their grievances and published a letter expressing their views that were in vehement opposition to their owner. She had the wherewithal to oppose her owner as an allocated player paid by United States Soccer Federation, whereas her fellow teammates have to rely on paychecks from the team that average 10-20 grand for a six-month season.

Ali Krieger was not “traded” by the Washington Spirit to the Orlando Pride organization in exchange for an equitable amalgamation of assets and terms. Rather, from comments disseminated on a variety of platforms, it is clear she was offloaded for the sake of an owner’s need to control and assuage a perverse superiority complex.

Any and all claims that she somehow asked for a trade are not only definitely false but also besmirch her leadership, sheer athletic ability, and character. When businesses are faced with dissent by an employee with leverage to act in opposition to the goals or politics of the individuals in power, it is the right and privilege of those individuals to dispel and squash opposition. When you’re competing for championships, that’s not the case. The objective is to build the strongest squad with depth in every position. The actions of the Washington Spirit organization in this “trade” do not correspond with this basic logic.

If we’re going to boil this “trade” down into a more generalized statement or larger idea, this was a business decision that is a testament to the immaturity of the National Women’s Soccer League.

Despite this off-season being uncharted fertile ground for growth in the stability and prestige of the United States’ longest-running professional women’s soccer league, this is only the start of the forth offseason. We are still toiling and troubling in pre-kindergarten, with some kids throwing Play-Doh at each other and others not able to able to afford it. The NWSL’s approval of this business transaction is, for lack of a better term, a slap in the face to the talent and stature of Ali Krieger.

However, we shouldn’t be surprised that a transaction of this magnitude, in regards to its utter triviality and lack of logic, has happened, considering the state of the NWSL.

The NWSL is not failing or close to failure; it is a stable league with leaps and bounds to grow beyond its current position. But immaturity on the part of ownership and league leadership is an issue that must be addressed, so as to not stifle its development. There is a fundamental reason for disparity in the assets of different teams within the National Women’s Soccer League, and that is money and expertise. It is not practical or fiscally responsible to ignore the fundamental fact that the business of sports encourages competition and the consequential investment of money.

While the monetary regulations of the NWSL is an entirely different convoluted conversation, it is pertinent to the Ali Krieger trade because she was “traded” as an asset far below her value. To any casual observer of the NWSL or even a bandwagon follower from the World Cup, who only watches highlights of their favorite players, this trade is obviously lopsided. The function of the front office of the National Women’s Soccer League is to facilitate the maintenance and property of the NWSL that arguably reigns as the world’s best women’s soccer league, due to the competitive nature of the league. On any given day, the league’s worst team can draw the NWSL champions or lose to them by a six goal margin (sorry Boston). Amandine Henry did not leave the fur-lined trappings of Jean-Michel Aulas’s hefty pocketbook for a salary cap that is nowhere near her monetary value in European leagues. This “trade” is in contradiction to the best essential selling point and asset of this league as juxtaposed with the Frauen-Bundesliga, Damallsvenskan, and the Women’s Super League.

Bill Lynch is an owner that may not always be a proprietor of the National Women’s Soccer League. As leagues grow and develop in the United States and abroad, clubs foreclose and owners are bought out or forced out. At this point in the development of the NWSL, the Ali Kreiger trade harkens back to the turbulent days of WPS, when Dan Borislow was able to play with salary caps and players like backyard pool toys.

Yes, we’ve moved on from the dark days of power-tripping owners demanding their employees call them “Daddy.” However, we do not forget those days so easily.

The Washington Spirit were 30 seconds away from winning the NWSL Championship. That alone should be enough heartache for the team and its fans. Yet, we’re in the penultimate month of 2016, and the club’s captain—its heart and soul—was just sent away for reasons we can only speculate about. But this trade is more a testament to the present authority of the league, while can easily be stifled or stagnate its own growth. Courtesy of Bill Lynch.

Addendum: The author acknowledges that she did make a considerable number of assumptions about the facts and conditions of the situation. Within the facts that have been provided to the general public, this piece was written as a reaction to the small quantity of information that is publicly available.

Ali Krieger traded to the Orlando Pride

Posted on by RJ Allen

Ali Krieger, former captain for the Washington Spirit, has been traded to the Orlando Pride.  In exchange for her rights, the Orlando Pride have swapped places with the Washington Spirit in the Distribution Ranking Order (DRO). The DRO is how newly allocated players are paired with teams.

Bill Lynch, owner of the Washington Spirit, had this to say in the team’s press release:  “On behalf of the entire Washington Spirit organization, past and present, I would like to thank Ali for her extreme commitment and leadership over these four years. She has played a major role in our efforts to build a strong foundation for the future. We wish her well both on and off the field.”

Orlando head coach Tom Sermanni, who coached Krieger on the USWNT before current coach Jill Ellis took the reins in 2014, was quoted in the Orlando press release as pleased with the results of the trade, saying, “We’re ecstatic to get Ali Krieger to the Club; she’s one of the best players in the country. She’s extremely experienced, a great leader, great personality and a great signing for us leading into 2017, I think she’ll help both on the field and off the field. She’s a real, thorough professional so her preparation will start to influence and help our younger players. Her focus and her quality in her training and play will be a huge asset to the team.”

News of Krieger’s trade broke yesterday, pending league approval, and was made official just before 5 pm EST this evening.

She Saved Three: Three Thoughts on the Western New York Flash Championship

Posted on by RJ Allen

The Second Coming

In the first part of this decade we saw the raise of a young forward who had speed, grit and something indescribable about her. I don’t quite remember what I thought the first time I saw Alex Morgan play, but I imagine it was something like what I felt watching Lynn Williams’ performance in the post-season this year. Granted, the National and NWSL stages are wildly different in terms of size and impact, but with her play this year Williams has proven that talent is not confined to just the largest platforms.

Watching Lynn Williams play was magnificent. Only her second year in the NWSL, and already she plays as if she was made for the sport, as if she was created to play the kind of soccer that comes with the pressure of being the league’s tops scorer. The pressure?  It doesn’t even seem to register. 

Did she have moments of quiet, long stretches of minutes when she was not the focus of play? Yes, almost all players have those moments in games. And even more in a game situation where both sides played 120+ minutes in their semifinal matches just days before. 

Throughout the 2016 season, Williams and her teammate Jess McDonald formed what might be one of the greatest forward partnerships a player or team could wish for.  Between them, their stats include 21 goals and 12 assists during their 1650 minutes of play (out of a possible 1800). What they were able to do together might be go down in NWSL history as one of the best pairings of all-time, joining the ranks of Holiday/Rodriguez and Fishlock/Little, if, of course, they can keep this up for another season.

I will forward to see what she does when the USWNT jersey is on her back.

A Narrative of Loss

One of the points that members of the Western New York Flash returned to repeatedly over the championship weekend was the fact that their season had initially been discounted by the media.

Paul Riley was frank and amused by it, calling out media reps for it during the pre-game press conference on Saturday. In the post-game press conference, MVP Sabrina D’Angelo noted that the team had adopted that narrative as a sort of inspiration for their season, the chance that they would be able to write their own story because of it. And one Flash player reportedly laughed after the game, saying “They said we’d be ninth!” while celebrating their win.

Being the underdog, and the freedom it gave the Flash in determining their own story, might be why the Western New York Flash won this game. The power that comes from being united together behind a narrative of powerlessness imposed upon them from an outside source might have inspired Lynn Williams to put just a little more reach on her jump when she put the game tying header past Wys in the last seconds of stoppage time. Maybe there is magic in everyone doubting and you and, in believing against all odds you can climb the mountain with a boulder on your back.

Maybe the magic is in hearing the odds being stacked against you, and deciding not to listen.

She Saved Three

I’ve been thinking about the NWSL final for almost a week and that is what I come back to time after time: Sabrina D’Angelo saved three penalty kicks.

And not only did she save three penalty kicks, but she saved two penalty kicks taken by seasoned national team level players Ali Krieger and Diana Matheson. The third against Tori Huster, an NWSL veteran.

This might be one of the greatest penalty kick performances of a goalkeeper at the club level in living memory. She didn’t benefit from players just missing their penalty kicks while she stood in goal. 

She saved them.

It’s said that you depend on your goalkeeper to save one penalty kick and all your players to hit theirs. But Sunday night, D’Angelo did more than anyone could have ever hoped to depend on her for.

And for her performance? She was awarded the 2016 NWSL Championship MVP trophy.

Which, to much amusement, she dropped as she headed into the press conference with Riley and Flash captain Abby Erceg.

But when it counted? When her hands had to be rock solid?

She saved three.

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Around the World of WoSo: NWSL Champions Crowned, Stanford Falls; New Blood for USWNT

Posted on by RJ Allen

Flash Stun Spirit in NWSL Final:

Let’s be real. This game was messy, foul driven, and ended in penalty kicks. Not exactly the dream final between Western New York and Washington that I was hoping for. But the last 45 minutes of action, between the 30 minutes of extra time and then PKs, was highly entertaining.

In the first half we saw two great goals. Washington struck first in the ninth minute when Crystal Dunn found WNY keeper Sabrina D’Angelo in no man’s land and slotted it home for the early lead. WNY were not fazed at all. Less than five minutes later Samantha Mewis fired a shot from distance to grab the equalizer. After those first minutes of excitement, the game turned into a choppy bit of play, with plenty of fouls for each team and no more goals in regulation.

In extra time, Dunn was at it again. Somehow finding herself wide open inside the eighteen, she fired a rocket courtesy of her left foot into the near post. The flash struggled to string passes together for the next 20 minutes, but then a miracle happened. In the 124th minute, Jessica McDonald sent in a hopeful cross than found the head of Lynn Williams, beating two Spirit players and keeper Kelsey Wys to the ball, and it dropped in the back of the net. An incredible moment that gave me instant flashbacks to the 2011 Women’s World Cup semifinal between USA and Brazil, when Megan Rapinoe found Abby Wambach’s head in the box to level the score in the 122nd minute, pulling of the seemingly impossible.

This moment wasn’t quite as momentous, but it had the same feeling of improbability and was fun to watch unfold. One minute later (literally), the whistle blows. I’d have to imagine it’s a cringing reminder that the Spirit had the championship in their hands. In penalty kicks, WNY keeper D’Angelo made three saves on Ali Krieger, Diana Matheson, and Tori Huster to secure the title for the Flash. An incredible outcome that I don’t think anyone could’ve predicted. In front of 8,255 fans—many of whom were supporting Washington—WNY managed to shock everyone. Quite a determined performance to take the NWSL world by surprise.

Anson Dorrance Reaches Milestone at UNC:

North Carolina has been a powerhouse from the second the program began in 1979. That was the first year of Dorrance’s tenure as well, and he’s never slowed down in his 37 years in charge.  A few days ago, he secured his 800th victory. What’s more amazing is that he did it in his 900th game. In his career, he has accumulated 800 wins, 65 losses, and 35 draws. All staggering numbers anyway you look at it.

Dorrance has coached so many players who went on to have fantastic careers at the U.S. senior national team level. To name a few: Mia Hamm, Cindy Parlow, April Heinrichs, Kristine Lilly, Carla Overbeck, Heather O’Reilly.  This past weekend, his 15th ranked Tar Heels defeated Wake 2-1 to make this historic night an unforgettable one. They improve to 8-2-3 on the season while winning their fourth consecutive game. They face Notre Dame on Friday and look to continue their winning ways.

U.S. U-17 Eliminated from WWC:

In the final group game, the United States faced Japan and lost 3-2. They struggled defensively against the technical and quick Japanese players. At one point in the second half, the USA gave up 2 goals in a span of three minutes. They absolutely collapsed and couldn’t recover from it. One bright spot was 17-year-old captain Ashley Sanchez, who scored both goals for the Americans. She now has 18 goals in 18 appearances for the Youth National Team.

Considering they lost to the defending champions, some could look the other way, but I think this was a glaring failure that leaves me with questions about how the youth systems are operating. I had high expectations for this group. Another exit by a U.S. women’s team in a major tournament. In my opinion, the world has definitely caught up to us, if there was any real doubt about that.

2016 NCAA College Cup Finds New Home:

Over a month ago, the decision to remove all NCAA championships from North Carolina due to the state’s anti-LGBTQA laws was officially announced. This week, we have a new home of many NCAA DI tournaments, more specifically the DI Women’s Soccer final will now be played in San Jose, California at Avaya Stadium, which is the home of MLS side San Jose Earthquakes (holds 18,000). While tradition will be missed for those in NC, this was a much needed change. I fully support this relocation and look forward to seeing what kind of atmosphere fans will bring to San Jose in December.

USC Upsets #1 Stanford:

Coming into this game, Stanford had showcased an impressive amount of quality wins, including Minnesota, Santa Clara, and UCLA. But USC outhustled them in this one, were more aggressive, and simply shut out the number one team in the nation. Maybe Stanford needed to lose this one? You know, to bring them back to earth and figure out what weaknesses they can improve on. They fall to 11-1-1 on the year.

The Trojans came in as the number seven team and riding a ten-game win streak. They put three goals past Stanford. (It should be noted that starting goalkeeper Jane Campbell was out due to suspension for the Cardinals.) Nonetheless, I still had Stanford at least drawing this one. This was another strong win for USC, who have also defeated North Carolina, Arizona, and Georgia. The Trojans are now 10-3-1 on the season. They travel to Tempe to square off against Arizona State on Saturday.

Ellis Names USWNT Roster for October Camp:

Jill Ellis has named 24 players to a roster for October camps ahead of two upcoming friendlies against Switzerland. The first will be October 19th at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, while the second is October 23rd at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  

Notable players not included are Ali Krieger, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Julie Johnston, and Meghan Klingenberg. I don’t want fans to worry. This is just a reminder that we are moving towards new blood for the new cycle, and that means there will be some rotation in the rosters. And that’s a good thing.

It seems the NWSL play is making a real impact. Ellis has called 11 new players in. A variety of familiar names—but only at the club level. Kealia Ohai, Lynn Williams, Danielle Colaprico, Shea Groom, Casey Short, Arin Gilliland, Abby Dahlkemper, and Merritt Mathias are all representatives of the league. Three YNT and/or Collegiate players were chosen as well: BYU standout Ashley Hatch and the Stanford duo of Jane Campbell and Andi Sullivan.

This is the perfect time to bring in new players—a test of the waters really. See what the program has to work with in preparation for the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. I know I’m looking forward to these matches and learning who will not only standout but bring something new to the table. Let’s get our fans and federation excited again for the possibilities this team has.

Around the World Of WoSo: NWSL Semis Go Bananas

Posted on by RJ Allen

Washington Advance to NWSL Championship:

The first ladies of professional soccer have finally advanced to the National Women’s Soccer League Championship after beating the Chicago Red Stars over the weekend.

In a cold and rainy game, this was such a great matchup to have on TV for all kinds of fans to see. Casual, extra passionate, and new fans to the league all had the opportunity to tune into FS1 to watch the 2016 NWSL Playoffs get underway.

The crowd on hand was very impressive as well—officially 4,249 fans filled the Plex to see this one. Washington drew first blood late in the first half, courtesy of veteran defender and captain Ali Krieger. The right back used her head to find the back of the net in the play following a Spirit corner kick. And it shouldn’t be forgotten that the service was absolutely PERFECT from fellow defender Shelina Zadorsky. The Spirit controlled the tempo in the first half, having several scoring chances, but the post was busy all night-stopping both teams on more than one occasion. The biggest chance perhaps came from Crystal Dunn minutes into the second half, but her shot was of course denied by the post. Chicago finally found their breakthrough in the 81st minute when Christen Press grabbed the equalizer on a beautiful volley from Casey Short. It seemed to energize them for a short amount of time, actually pressing Washington quite a bit until the end of the game.

Heading into overtime, the Spirit had the momentum despite giving up a late goal in regular time. In the 111th minute, that momentum and hard work paid off as Christine Nairn worked her magic in the midfield to find Francisca Ordega for the game winner. I must say, Nairn played a very solid game, as did Krieger.

They finally advance to the championship game, and it is well deserved after that performance.

WNY Stun Portland in a Seven-Goal Thriller at Providence:

In arguably the toughest place to play in the NWSL, Providence Park is home to the Portland Thorns and 20,000+ fans as backup on any given night. But Western New York didn’t care about the atmosphere, the opponent, or expectations.

They not only went to Portland and won, but they did it in incredible fashion, scoring four goals on a defense that allowed only seven goals at home all year. And The Flash only won on the road three times this season—not exactly a great road team…until now.

The scoring stared early and came often. WNY was led by the 2016 Golden Boot winner, Lynn Williams, who scored twice in the first overtime period (including the game winner) and seemed to be everywhere on the field at once. Samantha Mewis gave WNY the early lead in the 16th minute, and just before half, in the 38th minute, Makenzy Doniak doubled the lead. Although this was certainly unfamiliar territory for Portland this season, those who have followed the team will note that this was the third time in three NWSL semifinal appearances that the Thorns found themselves facing a 0-2 scoreline. But Portland refused to see their season end quietly, and one minute later Christine Sinclair pulled one back off a furious volley to breathe life into the Rose City. In the 78th minute, after a scramble in the box, the Thorns found the equalizer by way of rookie center back Emily Sonnett,  forcing the match into overtime.

Heading into overtime, it was anyone’s game. Ultimately, the speed and physicality of the Flash had took a toll on the Thorns. Overtime was William’s time to shine—she scored twice in the span of six minutes to bury Portland and all their hopes of a championship this season. Portland managed to score one more two minutes later, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.

In front of a record playoff crowd of 20,086, WNY stunned plenty of people, myself included. This was sweet redemption for WNY coach Paul Riley, who was in charge of Portland the previous two years, now heading to the final in his first year with WNY—though he won’t be allowed on field, due to the red card he picked up.

The Championship is set for Sunday October 9th, at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Curse of the NWSL Shield:

Four years. Three different Shield winners. Zero championships. That’s enough to constitute a curse, right?

A small sample size, but the numbers and outcomes speak for themselves.

In 2013, the WNY won the first NWSL Shield, then the next two years the Seattle Reign were declared Shield winners, and now in 2016 the Portland Thorns were crowned. All, of course, having high expectations and sights set on a championship for their respective clubs.

But here we are. Another year, another shield winner bowing out in a semifinal or final and coming away with nothing. So it rightly begs the question: Is winning the Shield a curse?

I honestly think it might be a thing. It might be a coincidence or just how it turned out. But let this be a warning to other teams who chase it next year. In this league, a regular season title is a nice accomplishment, but ultimately you want a championship trophy and a star, not some silver platter and a footnote in history. Speaking as a Reign fan, it’s not good enough. It’s not ever satisfying enough. 

So, yes winning the shield is indeed a curse. Now we have to wait another year to see if it can be broken. Thanks, Portland.

NWSL ROTY announced:

The NWSL Rookie of the Year is Raquel Rodriguez.

The Sky Blue midfielder played in 18 games (starting 17), scoring one goal and making one assist. To be honest, I was surprised at this pick. I had a few other candidates in mind that I thought contributed more to their respective teams.

I can’t deny Rodriguez has had a great last calendar year, from winning the College Cup with Penn State, to being a consistent starter in this league, to now winning ROTY. She helped her team compete all year, and although they finished seventh in the table, that doesn’t quite represent how well this team performed.

I look forward to seeing how she further develops in this league and with Sky Blue.

Parsons Grabs Coach of the Year:

While Portland won’t be competing for the championship, they do have a lot to be proud of, including winning the shield, And now their new coach has earned some hardware of his own.

Mark Parsons has rapidly evolved into a winning coach and one that is very well respected across the league. He led the Thorns to a 12-3-5 record and gave them a home-field playoff berth for the first time in club history. Parsons put together a very impressive and diverse squad in just a short amount of time after taking the job. Boasting the likes of Christine Sinclair, Tobin Heath, Amandine Henry, Nadia Nadim and Dagný Brynjarsdóttir, Parsons managed to apply a system that worked for all of these high-profile players.

I think this was well deserved for Parsons, a coach who will only continue to do great things for this league.

BYU Senior Can’t Stop Scoring:

Ashley Hatch has played in 12 games this season and already scored 15 goals with four assists to help her team to a 10-1-1 record.

The senior led her team to a pair of huge wins against Ohio State and defending champion Penn State. Hatch scored a hat trick in the 3-2 win earlier in the season at #5 PSU and grabbed a goal in the win at #19 OSU as well. She netted her THIRD hat trick on the year on Monday as they defeated USF handily 4-0. I approve of her new nickname of Hatchtrick.

It’s fitting and well deserved. BYU faces Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine this week. Can Hatch continue her scoring ways?

Josh Brunais will Act as Honorary Captain for the Spirit Friday Night

Posted on by RJ Allen
The Washington Spirit announced this morning that US Paralympic Flag Bearer Josh Brunais will act as Honorary Captain for their Friday night semifinal match against the Chicago Red Stars.
The midfielder, a native of Stafford, Virginia, competed for the US Paralympic National Team in 7-a-side soccer, which finished 7th over-all in the tournament, and was elected to carry the flag during the Closing Ceremonies by his fellow Team USA members. Brunais is also a veteran of the US Army, serving overseas with the 75th Ranger regiment, for which he received the Soldier’s Medal for distinguished heroism after saving the lives of fourteen servicemembers whose helicopter had crashed and caught fire. Having served through six overseas tours, Brunais retired from service in 2015 after sustaining wounds from an IED explosion that he believed would affect his ability to keep his men safe.
 
It was soccer that helped Brunais adjust to life after the Army, after the Rangers, and the Veterans soccer team he joined helped to give him the purpose and the team he missed from his time in the military. And so it is fitting that on Friday night, he will be celebrated on the soccer field, joining the captains in the center circle for the coin toss in front of what is expected to be a sell-out crowd.