I am not directly affiliated with the league. I know someone that gets information from a source they have, plus I read on twitter, tumblr, etc. I am proactive with seeking this information, nothing more. I will answer the above questions as best I can (see red font above).
I would be fairly certain the three feds didnt get together to have lunch without running it past FIFA. What they have in the NWSL is very similar to the Champions League. If may be a different matter if they try and add federations outside CONCACAF however.
Haiti can't subsidize their way into functional housing and potable water. Who is going to pay for their girls to come here?
I don't know where they found the money, but the FC Indiana team in the WPSL-Elite was made up mostly of players from Haiti. If the federation found the money to do that, they *could* partially or fully support a couple of players in NWSL.
I think Haiti is/was a special case, more based on the coach than on the fed. I mean, isn't Shek the Haiti NT coach as well? And I don't think FCI was ever 'professional' in the sense of paying players. My impression was that it was Shek saying "if you want to be on the NT, you'd better play with me during the summer, too" and nothing more. This. Let's get back on-topic, shall we?
No one said they were paid, but bringing 17 players into the US for the summer isn't free. Someone paid for that.
Not every nation's subsidized players are going to get the same amount of money, or the same comfort or luxury of lifestyle. For example, Haiti's subsidized players may end up sleeping in much cheaper housing (Bates Motel), and eating burnt leftover Little Caesar's pizza. Their lounge TV will be shared with 18 other rooms, and will feature six local cable channels in low definition with aluminum foil around the antenna. All the players will be sharing the same bathroom. All while Alex Morgan will be sleeping at the Peak Valley Meshaude', getting a full body massage, daily professional hair care treatment, and eating fresh surf and turf. Her pent-house suite will have 2,842 satellite channels from across the world, all in glorious high definition on an 80 inch screen. Alex will have 3.5 personal bathrooms all to herself, including a personal spacious powder room.
I hope this league succeeds but how is it any different than WUSA or WPS? Interest in women's soccer could be even lower than when those 2 leagues started!
In an attempt to bring this back on topic. I still don't see Kristie Mewis in a Breakers uniform this season. She is a good talent but inconsistant. I think she is a project and projects like Amy Rodiguez haven't thrived in Boston in the past. I think she is better suited to end up in KC or with SkyBlue.
Based on what though? It's not like they have the same coaches they did in 2009. Sure, Boston will have more continuity than some of the other teams, but we can only guess who else will be on the roster. The current coach did a good job of getting a jump in performance from Katie Schoepfer in her sophomore pro year and got some pretty decent rookie years out of Melissa Henderson and others. Of course, you expect the teams to be deeper, but not sure you can make any inferences based on Tony DiCiccio's coaching.
I agree that players such as Schoepfer, Angeli & Hemmings have been able to develop their game in Boston. I think they are all hardnosed players that thrived here. I just have seen more inconsistencies in Mewis that tell me that she would develop better elsewhere like Rodriguez did in Philly. Nothing against the coaching I just don't think she is the right fit here.
I dont think this is a really strong draft anyway and I think all things being equal teams may be looking at players with local ties.
There is no description of the why another place is better to develop in than Boston. Are you saying that Lisa Cole isn't good at developing players? Based on what she did last year in WPSL Elite? Are you saying Mewis needs a certain style of coach? This reads more like "I don't want her to play here" than a "I think she could be better elsewhere". Why try to be polite about it?
Agreed, the players coming out of UNC next year, Ohai & Dunn, kind of blow away any talent in this years lot. Isn't Maya Hayes a junior as well?
It's always hard to compare in a U20 WWC year unless you really watch the college game, because the U20s - the players we generally know best - almost always have at least 1 more year.
True. But it is a FACT that next year's draft class for rookies is far superior to the one coming up.
You don't know this as FACT. Success in college does not = success in the pros - Ask Tim Tebow. Also there will be players drafted out of mid-level conferences that may become stars in the pros. As well, players need to fit in to the right pro system to be successful. Coaches will be drafting players that they feel will adapt to their style of coaching and play. I am sure Rory Dames will draft and pick players that can adapt to his coaching style with the Red Stars. How many of you here know much about the coaches that will be coaching in this league? Not much I bet. They are former indoor coaches, Youth Club coaches, former college assistants, etc. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here.
We are not forcasting how these rookies will do in the pro's, we are comparing the quality & potential in the draft. Amber Brooks is projected to go number one on a lot of peoples board, but there are two players just on the same team, Ohai & Dunn, who would probably be picked before her. Don't squash peoples excitment over upcoming drafts with the ludacris comment "lets not get ahead of ourselves" . . . thats the whole friggin point of this thread.
There is also more than one way to build a team. A lot of GMs would sign free agents who play the coaches style because u have total control there. With the draft, simply taking the best athlete available is also a proven method and coaching them into ur system rather than selecting someone u consider inferior just because they fit.
Yeah, OK go for it. Didn't mean to rain on WPS_Movement's and your enthusiasm. LOL, we have enough threads for it.
Seriously, the name of the thread is about the draft, were talking about draft prospects, we made comments about the draftees. What is wrong with you?
Any coach in this league will tell you the 2014 draft pool is a lot better than 2013. Amber Brooks is the 3rd best player on UNC (behind two underclassmen) and she is expected to possibly go #1 in the 2013 draft coming up. Any draft that has: Dunn, Ohai, Hayes, DiBernardo, J. Johnston, K. Johnson, Stengel, Filigno, Kallman, and Anasi in it, is insane. And Ubogagu might graduate after three years, with as intelligent and driven as she is. She wants to be at the highest level as quickly as she can get to, and wants be on the U.S. national team, or at least a national team soon. There's a reason why she takes so many credit hours at Stanford.
As I've suggested earlier, aren't there some college seniors who have fulfilled their graduation requirements, who are soccer red-shirt juniors, that might forego their college soccer senior years and make themselves available to the draft now? Couldn't this substantially upgrade this year's draft? In fact, if the next graduating class is as good as you say, wouldn't it be a good idea for those that can come out now to do it?
Considering the pay that will be offered, it might be a smart to say in school and finish a degree first.
Dont start lighting candles for poor Amber Brooks just yet. She's a great ball winner and plays a position of need. Remember, on the big team there is only one real DM and she is 35. Brooks is likely on the short list at that position and if she impresses could have a much easier path to the big team than some higher touted players at more congested positions.