Thanks. I'd just been to the team site and hadn't seen an article so it must have gone up right after I checked. So, did Clyde fall on his sword to save Gabarra? And will he land on his feet pretty solidly w/ a youth coaching gig w/ the Freedom? Sounds sorta like that.
"Consultant" may just be a better term for "acting assistant coach." I would guess she's being tried out for the rest of the 2010 season and will be upgraded if it works out.
Ah, gotcha. So Gabarra is a lame duck. It'll be interesting to see how that works out in the end. They could still sneak into the playoffs.
Well, I was actually thinking that she's being tried out as the new assistant coach and will keep the job if it's shown she can help the team. But replacing Gabarra is certainly another possibility. The bit in the statement about retaining Gabarra "for the remainder of the season" clearly implies that change thereafter is under serious consideration.
My initial reactions: http://vasoccernews.blogspot.com/2010/08/official-announcement-from-washington.html
I wouldn't want to be Gabarra right now - "keeping him for the rest of the season." Now we have the answer to "what's worse than the dreaded vote of confidence?" Hopefully management has been very clear about how Hayes and Gabarra will work together - this could really toxic really fast . . . As far as hiring coaches from outside - money talks. Nothing would say "WPS is sticking around" like seeing the Freedom hire a new coach on a 3 year guaranteed deal. Keeping Gabarra through this year might allow for a really effective search - allowing the Freedom to name someone at the end of the college season.
Jerrry Foley - GM at Philly on Twitter just now. "I am thinking going back to Coaching is what will be best for me, not sure when but who knows." Just a possibility.
I don't like people that openly campaign for other people's jobs. And Terry Foley has been the GM for Philly since ~mid June. iirc, at the time it was said Foley was moving positions in part to allow more time to give more focus to the youth club in which he's involved.
I would not say he is "openly" campaining just putting himself in possition in case the job becomes available. You see this in sports all the time. its his way of showing availability.
I should have added that I wasn't saying Foley was openly campaigning. Your point is taken. But people can "show availability" in ways other than posting on twitter and in ways other than gunning for other people's jobs.
The main thing is this is a very competitive, very balanced league - they're all good teams! I admit to some skepticism about the depth of Washington's roster but I realize budget considerations do come into play. Asante, if she's fully recovered, can help you a lot. She was a very integral part of Sky Blue's success last year. If she helps solidify the back line that allows Washington to play Bompastor in the midifield and, if needed, Nikki Marshall at forward. That may be all you need to make a run at the playoffs. Look at Boston: their hot streak is largely traceable to Kelly Smith getting hot and being moved to the striker position. That was made possible by, A) Leslie Osborne regaining form in the midfield and, B) Jordan Angeli taking a midfield spot. And Angeli's moving to the midfield has been facilitated by Ifeoma Dieke filling in on the backline. So a little chain of related changes has helped fuel Boston's resurgence. Something similar, though less dramatic, can happen with Washington. Injuries are hurting Washington, though. Losing McLeod and DeVanna hurts. And it's hampered the return of Britanny Bock who, when fully recovered, will make a solid contribution.
Agree with this view of how balanced and tight the league really is, with the exception of Pride, all the other teams are capable of beating each other and games often decided by slimmest of margins. Washington has struggled (but so has NJ who have gotten a few more breaks). There are a lot of teams out there not playing up to their potential (cough, cough, Chic, NJ, ATL) and struggling. I like the fact that team doing something and trying to improve, albeit perhaps in a controversial way. Every game counts in a tight playoff race.
Very true & good points. And this has really been a lost season for Bock after such a great season last year.
Interesting interview with Gabarra It makes it sounds as if bringing in Hayes was his idea, which makes it seem less likely that she's the coach-in-waiting.
I thought sitting Sawa was the right move. She's been a shadow of her previous self in the games I've seen and far too easily dispossessed (particularly by physical teams). I thought Bock was superior but the piece on the wps site says her substitution was forced (foot problem again). I sort of feel that Washington has the feel of a team that needs to be blown up (good pieces that just haven't come together as a winning unit) to get better so I'm not exactly giving Gabarra a sterling grade for the season but sitting Sawa Sat wasn't a bad move in my book.
QFT Abby does best w/ a running mate. She never really had one this season. She looked exhausted (physically but I think more emotionally) the 2nd half of the season.
And Mykjåland never really panned out as an alternative. I'm not sure what happened there - she seemed to do well early on, but late in the season you'd scarcely know she was on the field.
I don't know if Sawa is easy to dispossess but instead of her, you have players (not neccesarily Bock who did not show me anything this weekend) who give the ball away themselves or do not have a creative bone in their bodies! This team, at the start of the WPS, looks promising to be one of the top teams, if not the best, and it just does not look very good right now.
I thought she was very noticable. The commentators also noticed that she turned the ball over most of the time she touched it.