More on the Japan trip: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?....342053305902774.82178.332380726870032&type=1 Going very early preseason, so I assume they will be able to go into camp earlier than other teams. The Algarve Cup finishes March 13th. Looks like the Cyprus Cup finishes about then. Getting to Japan and being ready for a March 17th match will be tough, even if the non-US/Canadian NT members aren't there.
Reign FC are using extensive google ad placement to catch the eye of Northwest soccer fans. http://goalwa.wordpress.com/2013/02/14/reign-fc-using-google-in-search-for-ticket-sales/
Reviving thread to discuss how the team is looking so far. For some fun comparison, I decided to look up the 2012 L. League and see how the Reign have stacked up. Last summer, INAC averaged a goal differential per game of +3.167; at the other end of the scale, Fukuoka averaged -1.722. The Reign earned -2 versus INAC and +2 versus Fukuoka, which would suggest that, at the moment, the Reign are roughly comparable to a mid-to-upper-table L. League team. Considering the Reign have been together barely two weeks and don't have the USWNT contingent (or Kyle), I'm expecting that they would then be comparable to INAC or NTVB at full strength - putting them among the pool of top clubs in the world, though not quite at Lyon level. Then considering the Reign don't even look like the top NWSL team on paper, that makes me really excited about the league as a whole.
I have to wonder if INAC took it a bit easy on them. I don't mean that to disparage the Reign. INAC controlled possession vs Lyon for a full game and overtime last year. Lyon had to resort to thuggish fouling play to make headway starting in the 65th minute. INAC had the lead through most of the game and Lyon didn't score until upping the physical tactics. They ended up winning 1-2 on a penalty goal in the 103 minute of overtime. So we know that INAC is a very good team. The Reign is a new team with quality players who have been practicing together for a week. The are missing many of their expected top players. Of course that doesn't mean the other players can't show us they are just as good or better. But 1 week of practice together vs a long standing team that is intact from last year?
So what will the Reign roster look like on opening day? There's no Rapinoe or Solo yet (or A-Rod for the whole year, or ever, since they traded her rights). There also won't be Krzysik, probably ever, in Seattle. The good news is that Seattle will have Noyola on opening day, and Winters, plus Dallstream now. F - Cameron, Taylor, Heyboer, Bogus MF - Schaffer, Fishlock, Noyola, Nairn, Patterson, Meier, Kyle, Winters D - Reed, Dallstream, Zurrer, Deines, Barnes, Ruiz GK - Betos, Kopmeyer Looks like this will be their 20 on opening day (or I should say opening match, because they open up on the road). They will get Rapinoe and Solo back eventually. When that happens, they'll probably cut one of their midfielders, and a goalkeeper, to get back to 20. Seattle should also think about signing one more defender, just in case. You never know what kind of injury situation you'll have there. If Rapinoe and Solo do come back, and if they can miraculously convince Krzysik at the last second to join them, then this team could win a championship (provided they get some goal scoring up top). Some of their midfielders will hopefully contribute with goal scoring (Fishlock, Nairn, Rapinoe, etc). All-Star game candidates Rapinoe Fishlock Nairn Winters Reed Deines (darkhorse pick for all-star consideration) Solo Top of the line role players Cameron Taylor Bogus Noyola Kyle Dallstream Zurrer Barnes Roster Fillers Heyboer Schaffer Patterson Meier Ruiz Betos Kopmeyer
I wouldn't be surprised if they did. Japan's culture is all about respect, so I could believe it if INAC simultaneously stacked their roster and chose to not play 100% against an international visitor. And both goals were relatively early in the game, right? They scored enough to not embarrass themselves and then eased off so as to not embarrass Seattle. You could also say Seattle stepped up their game after going down... hard to say. Probably both. I think their result versus Fukuoka justifies the comparison, though, no matter hard hard INAC actually tried.
Other then the Japan trip, are the Reign having any preseason exhibition games locally around Seattle. The Japan games can't be all that they will play before the season starts.
Well, I saw this today. So I thought it was with the Women's Sounders, but it's a meet and greet at the champions league match, which the Sounders just dropped. Seattle has a full preseason compared to the Thorns. The Pilots game is all they have announced. Maybe the two will sneak a game in with each other.
On twitter, it was mentioned that Seattle's summer franchise theme song that will be played when the team comes out on the field will be "Cruel Summer" (Blue Crush version). I guess this was the team's choice, as this seems more of a young crowd choice, more than an older crowd who would choose some rock (such as AC/DC - THUNDERSTRUCK). Cruel Summer. Surf theme. Fits Seattle in the summer. It's an upbeat song with a catchy hook to it. The hook has a bit of a late 80's or early 90's feel to it.
http://www.soccerwire.com/news/reig...b-finalizes-season-preparations/?loc=cascadia Interesting timing.
That's too bad. I like Amy Carnell. very approachable and fan friendly. Well we'll see. I hope this isn't "MagicJack revisited".
Well if there were the case, does the NWSL have the ability to revoke a franchise, unlike WPS? They could then just award it to the Sounders Women.
Lucky for Seattle, they don't have a phone cord for a phone jack of a logo How about Vancouver Cellular FC ??? They could be an expansion team up north of Seattle. They can keep the same colors, but the logo would be a cellular connection. Vancouver Cellular FC
Reign don't have any information on their site. The first thing I thought was MagicDan. I wonder will WPSMagicJack build a fan site for them, better than the team site.
I'm still waiting on a magicJack website for the 2011 team. It hasn't been built yet. I want to see all the pictures of the fans sitting in "lawn blankets" at their impressive stadium. Their seating was filled to the brim with "lawn room only" (as opposed to standing room only).
I know it isn't the most important concern, but it's bad news for Reign's social media followers too as I am pretty sure Amy ran the facebook page. Both Reign twitter and facebook pages have been noticeably silent after the announcement. I will miss the transparency (if this is the case).
An article from the Seattle Times: http://seattletimes.com/html/sounders/2020761414_reign12.html This is not a good sign. I have lived in Seattle now for a little over a year and since the Reign started, I have heard or seen little advertisement for this team compared to the buzz last summer about the lady Sounders. I sure hope this isn't going to fail in Seattle because this is a great soccer town. Like I said, I hope this isn't going to be another MagicJack fiasco. Still early to tell but I wonder if the women's Sounders ownership was not the better choice for the franchise in seattle.
Sponsorship? Target, EA Sports, Nintendo, Toyota, Home Depot are his company's major clients. Who in the world is their jersey sponsor? Isn't this the reason he got a franchise because of his major connections and savvy at marketing? What kind of agency does he run? Internet? Yeah, he got the sharp logo right but what else? Maybe Sahlen will buy the jersey sponsorship, so he can expand his deli meats to Seattle? You'd think Target with its' family theme would jump to put their logo on the jersey with the Hope Solo tie-in This guy and Washington's owner have "closed franchise after one season" written all over them. What kind of bills do they have, if USSoccer and Canada are covering the BIG contracts for the power players in the league, and they can give out $6000 contracts, which is right up Fitz's alley. And Mexico is a complete mess also, but I can't blame USSoccer for that. Let me make a correction. POP was sold, so he probably doesn't have those direct connections anymore.
The Reign already have a good web presence (or had; not sure how it will go now that Amy's gone) and will be on a good field with (most importantly) an owner who seemingly wants to do well. I would compare this more toward Athletica or the Beat than to magicJack.