Some good injury news for once! Just back from Dash practice and spoke with Coach Waldrum. Latest news: Ohai was back in full training today for 1st time. #DashOn #NWSL — Hal Kaiser (@Hal_Kaiser) April 25, 2014
That is good news because having speed on the flanks will make it harder for Cox and Reed to spend the whole game in Houston's end. I wonder if Noyola will start?
I think Dash should sign up K Ball and M Morris to boast up their back line. If Gardner is available she too. Sorry I only know players with UNC but believe they are excellent choice to give Dash the uplift needed.
Houston has Engen and Klingenberg arriving soon. They won't be here for this week's matches, unfortunately, but should be available for the June 8th match against SkyBlue. Kind of a bummer for Houston that neither one will be there for Houston's one trip to Rochester. If there was any place a team could use reinforcements at, it's there.
I just watched the first part of the video of the latest match today. It looked to me that getting the ball up the field to the forwards was so difficult. It suggests that Dash is badly lacking in talents in the mid which is the heart and soul of a team. The first goal against was a bad back pass by the defense. This sort of mistake is difficult for a team to overcome as it has to score one more goal to tie, not to mention 2 goals in order to win. Dash will have a difficult job ahead of them if there are no better players to help the team. Hope Engen and Kling will make a difference.
OK Houston faithful...here's the deal. The hardest thing to get in this league is a proven scorer. U can develop them but it takes seasons and it's a crap shoot at best. The question is what would u give up to get one? KC has Sarah Hagen coming in soon, I guess. They tried to play 4-2 in anticipation of this and it didnt go well. A-Rod is raining goals in their 5-1 which also seems to suit Tymrak and Holiday better. On the other side of the ball Richmond is doing OK but not making anyone forget Scott at DM. The same can be said for Phillips at CB. Houston on the other hand has two top of the line players KC might be able to use as upgrades to their defense. Becky Edwards and Whitney Engen. While Houston cant really replace either one if traded, would u deal one of them to get Hagen?
That may not be possible as Hagen might have a no trade clause given she was a top of the line free agent. You mention proven scorers are hard to get but so is a good midfielder, ask Portland about that. If I was the Dash, there's no way I trade either of those players unless they are gaurantee to get Morgan next year
For all the talk of not having a proven scorer, Houston have scored five times in their past three games. Not lighting the world on fire, but nothing to sniff at either. I was definitely thinking the opposite when they were losing games 0-1 all over the place, but now I think they will be very happy to have defenders instead of forwards coming in as reinforcements. Hey, with two low-drawing competitions (compared to MLS) stacked together, maybe both will benefit?
That's more than other teams who have established strikers have been able to score in their last 3 matches. I find it somewhat of a coincidence that both NWSL teams that have been part of a doubleheader have faced the same opponent.
There is no way I would trade Edwards, easily their MVP, nor Engen. I would like to see how it goes with Engen and Klingenberg on the field first. Personally, I think with those 2 shoring up the backs, it will allow everyone to go forward. Numbers in the attack is how they will score.
Most if not all of the home teams do highlights from matches. Dash doesn't seem to but does intersperse clips during their post game PR video. Is this intentional or did they just forget recent games? (eg. Chicago) I kind of assumed they were required to do this, but perhaps it was just common practice?
Houston? Verloo was just waived. Look at this list of a 2008 national team that she was on. Worth a look? 2 DF Lexi Harris 6 December 1991 (16) Dallas Texans 3 DF Amber Brooks 23 January 1991 (17) Arsenal Soccer 4 DF Crystal Dunn 3 July 1992 (16) Albertson Fury 5 MF Erika Tymrak 7 August 1991 (17) IMG Soccer Academy 6 DF Cloee Colohan 1 June 1991 (17) Black Diamond Park City 7 FW Courtney Verloo 9 May 1991 (17) South Side Strikers 8 FW Vicki DiMartino 4 September 1991 (17) Albertson Fury 9 FW Sam Johnson 10 June 1991 (17) Real So Cal 10 MF Kristie Mewis 25 February 1991 (17) Scorpions SC 11 MF Sam Mewis 9 October 1992 (16) Scorpions SC 12 FW Hayley Brock 3 August 1992 (16) Stars of Massachusetts 13 DF Julia Roberts 15 May 1991 (17) McLean Freedom 14 MF Mandy Laddish 13 May 1992 (16) Blue Valley Stars 15 MF Kate Bennett 3 December 1991 (16) Crossfire Premier 16 MF Morgan Brian 26 February 1993 (15) Ponte Vedra 17 DF Rachel Quon 21 May 1991 (17) Eclipse Select
Well their is no way to know if KC would move Hagen and also it doesnt do Houston any good to get a striker and cripple their midfield. On the other side, their is little help coming a striker unless Horan decides to return and who knows where her rights lay. The next college draft is very strong in midfielders and defenders but very little top quality at forward. Here r the senior forwards ranked highest by allwhitekit.com 1. Sofia Huerta – Santa Clara 2. Jannelle Flaws – Illinois 3. Stephanie McCaffrey – Boston College 4. Lynn Williams – Pepperdine 5. Rachel Tejada – Illinois State Now of course someone could emerge as Jazmine Reeves did last year but who knows. Huerta could also be allocated by Mexico if they stay in the league next year. Add that to the fact that it is going to be harder to get international players to play in the NWSL during the build-up for Canada 2015. I also dont think Hagen drastically changes Houston this year but she solves a problem and buys time for their younger forwards. If they still finish last they could add Morgan Brian, Ally Courtnall and Kristin Grubka thru the draft (who all project around the top pick in each round) they suddenly have a nice young core.
With Engen and Klingenburg taking the pitch next game, what about the player behind them? While I think McLeod has played well, her goals against average is more than twice Henniger's, Henniger has the same number of wins as McLeod despite playing in only two games compared to eight, and against the one common opponent McLeod gave up 3 goals and Henniger 1. Not saying statistics tell the whole story, and you could argue that the sample size for Henniger is too small to be determinative, but the statistics that are available seem pretty one-sided.
You are arguing against yourself and you are losing. Even if you have not watched them played and you only depend on stats, you are not looking at all the stats, dig a little deeper.
Orange In The Oven @OrangeInTheOven 2h With call ups next week, Dom Richardson & Tori McCombs will join the roster for 11th & 14th. Kinneman as well for the 14th.
Jeff Kassouf @JeffKassouf 1h Looks like Guatemala forward Ana Lucia Martinez is joining @HoustonDash (on trial?): http://www.prensalibre.com/deportes/futbol_nacional/Ana_Lucia_Martinez-Unifut-Rosal-Pruebas-Houston_Dash-NWSL-Estados_Unidos_0_1150085186.html…
McLeod was the worst starting goalie statistically last year (even Michelle Betos had a better save percentage). So I don't get why anyone would be surprised about this. But I don't think it's entirely her fault. Last season Chicago was not strong defensively and this season the Dash have been even worse, which is to be expected with the makeshift back-line they've had. Hopefully with Engin and Klingenberg coming in her numbers will improve.
Well, not sure what else you want to look at? Shots per game and shots on goal per game are similar for both, Henniger averages 7 saves a game to less than 5 for McLeod, the team has scored 1.5 goals per game for Henniger while it scores just under 1 goal per game for McLeod. As with the previous stats, these all appear to be leaning in the same direction. Is leadership more important than keeping the ball out of the back of the net?