OL women

[Bonnie Lass]

The only thing I want to see is Nordby playing again since I'm not too convinced by Pons.

I'm biased, I know. :o But sometimes Pons does things that make me nervous. Like not quite communicating with her defense enough or odd positioning, bobbling the ball a bit on a catch, etc.

... it also creates disharmony amongst the players. Plus don't forget that Lara Dickenmann has also just arrived, and we have yet to see Cynthia Uwak play either.

I'd wondered about that. Trana's good, no? And Franco's behind her, so now that Stensland's on board, I imagine someone will be getting the bench. (I mean, if I may make such a pompous observation.) They're just so stacked already. Even if you're a player and you don't lose your position, seeing a teammate lose theirs could be quite disheartening.

Lyon are also beginning to incorporate more and more fully professional players into their team - last fall there weren't any, and now there are six of them.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, but when and if they win the UEFA Cup, what then? Do they try and establish a long-lasting dominance, or will they get bored?

[Inara]

I'd wondered about that. Trana's good, no? And Franco's behind her, so now that Stensland's on board, I imagine someone will be getting the bench. (I mean, if I may make such a pompous observation.) They're just so stacked already. Even if you're a player and you don't lose your position, seeing a teammate lose theirs could be quite disheartening.

Both Corine Franco and Shirley Cruz Trana are internationals, so it's not like she's a weaker player than needs replacing. Franco just got here last summer and has been coming off the bench (it seems to me that Lyon play with only one real DM, but I could be wrong), and she's done well so far. But it's hard to tell because Lyon haven't come against serious opposition this year (I can't consider Arsenal serious after the dismal way they played against both OL and Umea). Maybe one of them wants to move on, so Lyon want to bring in Stensland. Otherwise, I can't imagine why Lyon would have three internationals vying for one spot in the long term, even if a European Cup is at stake.


That's not necessarily a bad thing, but when and if they win the UEFA Cup, what then? Do they try and establish a long-lasting dominance, or will they get bored?

Right now, I don't see any clubs in France that would be able to match Lyon's pace - or even come close to it. Juvisy and Montpellier can barely afford to keep their women's teams semiprofessional as they are now and have to rely on only domestic talent. So that leaves the UEFA Women's Cup the only challenge for them, and I don't know if that's enough to justify the amount of money spent on the team, considering that clubs like Umea and Frankfurt have achieved a lot more despite spending a lot less.

[Bonnie Lass]

Maybe one of them wants to move on, so Lyon want to bring in Stensland. Otherwise, I can't imagine why Lyon would have three internationals vying for one spot in the long term, even if a European Cup is at stake.

Bringing on Stensland b/c one of them is leaving makes sense. I guess we'll wait and see. The Norwegian papers originally said she'd signed an 18-month contract, but then OL and UEFA both stated she'd signed a 6-month contract, with the option of an additional year, should both sides be happy. (Much like Nordby's original contract.)

I really do hope both sides will agree to an extension. I quite like having two Norwegians on the same international team. Even if it's just for a little while.

So that leaves the UEFA Women's Cup the only challenge for them, and I don't know if that's enough to justify the amount of money spent on the team, considering that clubs like Umea and Frankfurt have achieved a lot more despite spending a lot less.

Maybe Aulas & Co. figure the women's game is so much cheaper than the men's, why not aim to have the best team? Aside from them becoming bored, I can't help but wonder if the women's team isn't the first thing they'd cut back on if OL ever falls onto hard times.

But this is all random (wild?) speculation of course. :o Sorry, don't mean to be a downer.

[guignol]

Maybe Aulas & Co. figure the women's game is so much cheaper than the men's, why not aim to have the best team? Aside from them becoming bored, I can't help but wonder if the women's team isn't the first thing they'd cut back on if OL ever falls onto hard times.i don't think times will ever get that hard, there's so much money in the men's game that even without CL quarterfinals or even annual L1 titles to keep such a cashflow that the ladies' team fits into the "miscellaneous expenses" budget line.

it's money well spent in terms of the club's image overseas, miles better than ASM's investment in freddy adu for example (and less expensive i hazard.)

though it will never generate even remotely comparable revenue the women's game has more growth potential than the men's especially in certain markets like the USA (where the new pro league will enforce a tradition of soccer being rather a women's game)... and scandinavia (where i gather football of both sexes takes a backdoor to ice hockey)... maybe that's where stensland fits in.

with the WPS it will be even harder to get american girls to come here, and to really make a splash in the US market just winning a european title won't suffice, but if OL can become the real madrid of women's soccer, the nec plus ultra, it will not escape notice.

[Inara]

Sandrine Dusang ruptured a ligament at practice yesterday. She'll be out for the rest of the season. It's a blow not only because she is a good player but also the team captain.

Hopefully there is someone to replace her. The injury happened just as the transfer window is closing, so it's unlikely a replacement will be brought in.

[Bonnie Lass]

Did y'all see this:
http://www.olweb.fr/index.php?lng=fr&a=43154&pid=101002

OL apparently means business. There's also a thread in the WPS forum, started by Dandal.

[Inara]

Why can't they just wait until the season is over? It's right in the middle of Lyon's domestic and European campaigns.

I'm glad Lyon is taking a stand and not letting the WPS walk over them.

[Bonnie Lass]

They've come this far, and spent an incredible amount of money (by women's standards) trying to claim the UEFA Cup, so it makes sense.

Of course, of all the clubs the WPS picked from, OL's the only one with the financial backing to make their statement a credible threat. I'd be surprised if the league bothered with the players at this point. They may still try and recruit Bompastor and Abily, but possibly not until the end of the WPS season. If only because by the time the French season is over, WPS will be 1/2 way done with theirs.

[guignol]

i wonder what kind of offer they could have made them to make them want to give up a UEFA semifinal just like that.

one thing i suspect is that their salaries at OL are not all that great, perhaps if this forces the club to match the MLS offer (even if just for the rest of the season) it could be a good thing for women's football all around.

one thing that bothers me though: at the outset of the WPS draft there were guidelines about having to deal with clubs for players under contract (minimum 6 months left iirc). what gives?

[Bonnie Lass]

See, did the WPS already approach the players, or is this just a preemptive release from Lyon? And when are their contracts up for renewal?

I don't know. I seriously doubt very many people at the WPS clubs have the slightest idea about what rules exist for talking to contracted players. This is the same league who drafted Lotta Schellin two months after she'd sign with OL.

So, rather than malicious intent, I think it's more along the lines of deep-seeded stupidity and ignorance. It feels like WPS is treating every other club as some Sunday afternoon pick-up league, so why should they bother getting permission to speak to a player or hold negotiations?

I don't like it one bit. And if they're not careful, they're seriously going to burn some bridges.

[guignol]

my interest was piqued enough to do a little research, and found what actually i had known all along in a way: that none of these players, even schelin, are pros. of course lotta, and camille and sonia, make rather good livings at OL, but ostensibly working for OLTV, OL marketing or as coaches or scouts. the team plays in an AMATEUR championship and must remain technically amateur. the statute of professional does not exist for women in france and perhaps not anywhere in europe.

coincidentally and ironically, bompastor and abily were on OLTV a few months ago talking about the need to professionalize the women's game and the progress OL had made in that direction.

the problem is that if aulas would like to see this happen, no clubs in france, and probably no more than half a dozen are in a position to follow suit at the moment. look at the domestic championships, where OL or arsenal can run away with it and outscore opponents 10 to 1 over the season, and even in the UEFA cup competition really only begins with the last 8.

but you're right about burning bridges. what's good for the WPS is probably bad for women's football on the whole and the worst part is doing it right in what is the middle of the season in the rest of the world. they've knocked the UEFA cup into a cocked hat, and just as important, the WPS season ends august 22 and the euro starts on... august 23.

a lot of patient work in europe is being destroyed practically overnight. and if the WPS goes the way of the WUSA in a couple of years, women's football will have been running around in circles, finally to just start over from zero.

[Bonnie Lass]

a lot of patient work in europe is being destroyed practically overnight. and if the WPS goes the way of the WUSA in a couple of years, women's football will have been running around in circles, finally to just start over from zero.

I think what I hate the most about WPS is the fact they just don't give a shit and have proven as much by he way they've gone about picking up int'l players, setting up their season schedule, etc. In all honesty, if they had thought things through a bit, they could have set up a 'partnership' with some of these foreign leagues as a way to constantly feed new internationals to them. Working with them, as opposed to against them.

That being said, I don't think WPS is going to dissolve what other leagues have worked so hard for. I think that the lack of Norwegians, and most importantly, Germans, is proof of that. Unlike 2000, there are other options this time. If anything, interest from the WPS probably helped Mykjåland, Wiik and Stensland negotiate bigger contracts with their clubs.

I do not know if the league will survive. I imagine they'll go the way of the WUSA. Yes, their business plan is more financially sound this time and yes, they have investors that are 'committed'. But I have a nagging suspicion it's too little too late. If they couldn't capitalize on the success of 1999, they damn sure can't do it on Hope Solo and Marta alone.

They'll make a big fuss, parade around the big names and hemorrhage money just like before. In the meantime, the domestic leagues around Europe will continue to grow and may even consider offering players legitimate professional contracts to counter the effects of the U.S. league.

No, the Europeans have been through this before. And they'll still be there when it's over and done and the U.S. fans are scratching their heads, wondering what the hell happened.

Maybe I'm being too optimistic. I don't know. I just know I have zero interest in the new league. I got burned last time and I don't plan on it happening again. I rather like knowing that Trondheims-Ørn or Potsdam or Lyon will still be around in 5 years time.

[guignol]

OL certainly can, and even desperately wants, to go pro, and they have the funds that would put any WPS club to shame. but it's of little use if no one else in their league can afford to go pro even in a theoretical way.

bompastor and abily didn't leave for more money. they left for more competition.

[Bonnie Lass]

Well, this has been a horrible week.

What makes it worse is that I have 0 places to go to really vent my frustration and anger about the league and their fans. I may have to ban myself from the WPS forum for a while. It seems like everything I read is pissing me off.

[guignol]

cheer up RC, the WPS being a success can't be considered a bad thing once you look farther than your own back yard.

and if americans can be a smug and tiresome lot at times (i know, i am one.) they aren't so maliciously. and if only in the limited domain of women's soccer, the presence of all these europeans can do them nothing but good in that area too.

[Bonnie Lass]

I'm just going to make this my happy place I think.

So, OL blew someone out 12-0 today I heard.

[Inara]

Well, it looks like Lyon are backing up their threats. They will begin proceedings against both Abily and Bompastor, as well as Sol and Washington. They have also convinced the FFF not to release their international transfer certificate (whatever that is).

[shlj]

Yep la 3F will not release the ITC but it is a smokescreen on that point : if you check annexe 3 part 4 of the regulations on status and transfer of players. The US federation will simply issue a provisional registration that become permanent after a year. Saying that the players status comitee can revoque the temporary ITC but I don't see it happening. Not surprised JMA put his threat into execution.

[Bonnie Lass]

If nothing else, maybe this will make WPS realize 'playing nice' isn't such a bad thing.

[Gnafron]

Interesting:

Foot - Féminines - Statut pro pour ces dames (http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breves2009/20090306_081943_statut-pro-pour-ces-dames.html)

Réuni ce jeudi, le bureau du conseil fédéral a entériné la création du statut professionnel pour les joueuses de football en France. Cette décision va permettre à l'OL de ne pas voir ses joueuses partir sans contrepartie financière. Actuellement, les deux internationales tricolores, Sonia Bompastor et Camille Abily, ont été contactées par les clubs américains de Washington et Los Angeles.

The French Football Federation has just voted the creation of pro contracts for women players… ;)