Its actually all over the board what the other leagues do. NBA has what I consider the best system. They leave the lottery teams intact, then they slot the expansion teams with the two next picks followed by the teams who made the playoff. NFL likes to throw them at the top. MLB baseball does whatever it feels like at the time. I would expect NWSL to follow the WPS lead but it's a bad idea IMO. U need to help the teams proven bad by play not speculated bad on paper. They should adopt the NBA model and give the expansion teams their picks after the four teams who failed to make the playoff. If there is expansion that is.
I dont see Johnston playing defender in this league. Unless Chicago just thinks she is too good to pass up I see them taking a midfielder (DiBernardo) and a forward who can play on top. Unless Ohai has a huge season scoring goals for UNC I dont think it's her. I think she projects to AM in the pro game or an outside forward in a three forward system. The other problem with Ohai is she slots the same place as Bywaters and Hoy and Chicago really needs help more in other places. If they put up good numbers I think Hayes and Marlborough r the two possibilities. Chicago is BiG country so Hayes has a rep with the fans there. If Marlborough shows the same form as at Nebraska she is the tall target forward everyone wants.
I don't think it's a bad idea to give a new expansion side the first pick. Not only did WPS do it, but they were already following the example set by MLS (and the NFL). I can kinda understand the notion giving the first pick to a team proven bad as opposed to just looking bad, but at the same time it's a really good idea to give expansion sides the best 'kick' they can get - especially considering the vast majority of new teams end up in the bottom 1/3 of the table anyway. That said, I'm really starting to doubt that there will be expansion for 2014. More likely to have a sizable number of new teams join in 2015.
The problem with throwing a couple expansion teams ahead of Washington is it sends the wrong message to ur established teams. Washington needs a lot of help and has rewarded the league by attracting a fairly large fan base. If Im the Spirit or one of its fans, Im not worrying about helping the new kid get started. Anyway, it's all speculation...expansion talks seem to be cooling a bit.
...maybe this is just anecdotal, but I've been speaking as a Spirit fan and STH through all of this. And while I want the league to even out some of the inequalities from the allocation and scheduling, I still think an expansion team is "worse off" than DC is. Starting from scratch is a lot tougher than continuing from a previous season. Not only do you have to create a brand and carve a fan base from a community not used to it, but the team has no "carryover" players to build their core around. Even if there is an expansion draft, the existing teams get to protect their best players, so the expansion side is starting at a distinct disadvantage on that count. Of course, no team wants to encourage another team reaping a benefit they don't get - but someone has to help the new kid, so that falls to the league and what they can control. I don't view our attendance as a reward to the league; besides, what if it was Chicago that finished last instead of us? Attendance is a poor argument to justify draft order.
On the other hand the best college player is a pretty nice welcome to the league gift. Generally an expansion team takes a few years to get going any way but prolly not so much in this case. Say we add the Houston Aces for example. They had a quality semi pro team this year and u would expect them to carry over players from that. They also get the players they pick in the expansion draft which will likely include NT players. Im thinking these teams r going to hit the ground running an be competitive right away. Also, NFL is a bad example unless the NWSL has similar revenue sharing. The reason the NFL wants expansion teams to do well is it's one for all and all for one. If Washington just has to survive on what they make at their gate, they r more interested in putting fannies in their seats and not some expansion seats. But, as it was pointed out, the WPS soccer model is to give the expansion teams a welcome to the league gift. Maybe the NWSL should look to borrow policies from successful leagues instead of defunct ones.
I just ran my own lottery, with two expansion teams (Toronto and Vancouver). I'm pretending Sporting KC and FCKC are one franchise, and Red Bull and Sky Blue as one. End result, I'm assuming ten franchises (only six franchises... non-playoff teams are in lottery). I gave six franchises at least one lottery ball (they were actually various colored hard candies) Washington = 6 balls (as the last place team) Toronto = 5 balls (gotta be nice to their ownership, they bring a lot) Vancouver = 4 balls Chicago (via Seattle, Winters trade) = 3 balls Chicago = 2 balls Boston = 1 ball Here's how the lottery unfolded: 1.) Washington (I drew a Spirit ball first, aka DC Spirit colored candy first) 2.) Chicago (via Seattle) 3.) Toronto 4.) Chicago 5.) Vancouver 6.) Boston I expect the league to do something similar. It would be an edge of your seat lottery selection. Therefore, here's how the first round should look like: 1.) Washington 2.) Chicago (from Seattle) 3.) Toronto 4.) Chicago 5.) Vancouver 6.) Boston 7.) playoff team #4 seed (Sky Blue?) 8.) playoff team #3 seed (Portland?) 9.) playoff team #2 seed (WNY?) 10.) playoff team #1 seed (FCKC?) *The playoff teams don't get lottery balls. Conclusion Having a lottery draw would be "fair" to the eight returning teams, and the expansion teams. It would be fair to the returning teams that didn't make the playoffs, and the expansion teams.
And if the draft unfolded that way: 1.) Crystal Dunn (Washington) 2.) Kealia Ohai (Chicago) 3.) Maya Hayes (Toronto) 4.) Vanessa DiBernardo (Chicago) 5.) Morgan Marlborough (Vancouver) 6.) Julie Johnston (Boston) 7.) Jonelle Filigno (Sky Blue) (local from Rutgers) 8.) Emily Oliver (Portland) 9.) Katie Stengel (WNY) (groomed to be the heir-apparent to Abby?) 10.) Mandy Laddish (FCKC) 11.) Cloee Colohan (Seattle) (from Lindsay Taylor trade) 12.) Natasha Anasi (FCKC) (from Renae Cuellar trade) 13.) Shelina Zadorsky (Toronto) 14.) Kassey Kallman (Chicago) 15.) Michelle Pao (Vancouver) 16.) Taylor Schram (WNY) (from Melinda Mercado trade) 17.) Annie Steinlage (Sky Blue) 18.) Courtney Verloo (Portland) 19.) Mollie Pathman (WNY) 20.) Erica Owens (FCKC) (assuming they lose either Barnhart or Henninger to expansion team) 21.) Hayley Brock (Washington) 22.) Jenna Richardson (Seattle) 23.) Nkem Ezurike (Toronto) 24.) Laura Weinberg (Chicago) 25.) Becca Wann (Vancouver) 26.) Kaitlyn Kerr (Boston) 27.) Maegan Kelly (Sky Blue) 28.) Jenna Richmond (Portland) 29.) Marissa Diggs (WNY) 30.) Lindsay Elston (Seattle) (from Teresa Noyola trade)
I dont think ull ever need a lottery. One player, no matter how good just doents impact games. Also the bottom half of the table played better towards the end of the year so there was no tanking of games to get a higher pick.
A simple system if the league expands might go something like this. Each existing team gets to protect 10 players on their roster. The remaining unprotected players -- about 60-80 -- are put into a pool and the expansion teams pick the players they want. They also get first choices in the draft. Maybe 10 isn't the right number to allow each team to protect. Maybe 8? I don't think you want to break up the existing teams very much. Fans like continuity.
Teams should be able to protect up to 3 U.S. allocated players, 1 Canadian allocated player, and 1 Mexican allocated player. And then 5 additional non-allocated players can be protected per team. There should be an allocated expansion draft, and a non-allocated expansion draft. Assuming Canadian teams would draft Canadian allocated players (the ones that are unprotected). Each Canadian expansion team gets to draft no more than 3 Canadian allocated players. And then an expansion draft would be held for non-allocated players (unprotected players).
Two protected US players. No team currently has more than three tho Seattle is holding one of Chicago's hostage.
Current draft order 1 Washington 2 Chicago (from Seattle) 3 Chicago 4 Boston 5 Sky Blue 6 Portland 7 KC 8 WNY 9 Seattle (from Washington) 10 KC (from Seattle) 11 Chicago 12 WNY (from Boston) 13 Sky Blue 14 Portland 15 KC 16 WNY 17 Washington 18 Seattle 19 Chicago 20 Boston 21 Sky Blue 22 Portland 23 Seattle (from KC) 24 WNY 25 Washington 26 Seattle 27 Chicago 28 Boston 29 Sky Blue 30 Portland 31 KC 32 WNY
Boy, 3 of the top 11 picks for Chicago in what's expected to be a deep draft. Have to wonder if they'll trade any of those away.
Im sure they would trade down if they could. U know they want DiBernardo and could probably still get her anywhere down to #6 where Portland might want her as well. The other thing that is interesting about the Red Stars is Seattle still owes them a WNT player.
Do we know if the playoff results determine the last four picks or is it just the final regular season standings?
I don't remember them saying yet. If they follow the WPS model, regular season results. If they follow the MLS model, playoff results.
Last update until we get closer to the draft. Again, I left out internationals because of potential changes to the allocation process. http://makealist.com/node/2969
I like your first round mock draft. I think Seattle would take Morgan Marlborough at #9 overall over Kassey Kallman in that spot. If Marlborough is available at #9 (or any proven goal scorer), then Seattle should take that player over Kallman. Seattle already has Stephanie Cox back on defense, and Kate Deines, Emily Zurrer, etc. Plus Elli Reed, Dallstream, and Barnes, as outside backs.
Morgan Marlborough has been quiet so far. 1.Washington Crystal Dunn – D Set in stone 2.Chicago (from Sea.) Julie Johnston – D/M I think they take Maya Hayes.. Grings is gone and Leon & Bywaters can play AM. A Hoy-Hayes-Masur rotation in the front doesnt look bad on paper 3.Chicago Vanessa DiBernardo – M a lock 4.Boston Natasha Anasi – D/M Julie Johnston here...she helps them now and midfield and in the future at defender 5.Sky Blue Maya Hayes – F Kealia Ohai she'll be a good outside forward on their 4-3-3 6.Portland Cloee Colohan – M Need help in the midfield. The only problem they can solve is BU GK Emily Oliver. Hoping Ohai slips. 7.FCKC Kealia Ohai – F Morgan Marlborough big target forward from the Show Me state. 8.WNY Katie Stengel – F Hoping Marlborough slips.
In an interview after the UNC-UCLA game, Dorrance said he had been contacted by Washington concerning Dunn. AD said not to worry about Krieger cause ur crazy if u dont play Dunn in the midfield.
Well, we can take Oliver off the draft boards: Chris Henderson @chris_awk 21m Pac-12 Network airing Stanford-Saint Mary's (CA) game. Has apparently broken the news that GK Emily Oliver is retiring.
Is it just her college career done, or her entire soccer career? It would seem strange if it's her soccer career. What is it... a heart condition?