Well.. Source tells me Debinha, whose signing with Flash was announced yesterday, had no idea team was about to relocate #NWSL— Dan Lauletta (@TheDanLauletta) January 6, 2017
Both related to WNY news and draft news, so I'll just place it here: Hearing current Flash management (i.e. Riley, Naimo) are still going to be making decisions for the draft. All subject to change, of course.— Chris Henderson (@chris_awk) January 6, 2017
Thank all you folks for the kind thoughts. I do think I will follow the team these players are on at least for next year. To go in person, Boston and Sky blue are geographically closest to me, and I have relatives in DC, which would make at least one trip there attractive. It isn't going to be the same. *sigh* Here are some of my thoughts about the sale - randomly: This is what I posted in December 2015 about selling the team: I like that Lines stepped down. I have felt that Alex Sahlen has become more interested and committed to the Flash Academy over the NWSL Flash in the last couple of years. It looks like Lines will be making it his first priority now. With the attendance problems, I was thinking about a move to Toronto; this change gives the opportunity to really solidify and increase the reputation of the Academy and sets the stage for new ownership of the NWSL team in a couple/three years and then the club could move anywhere...if Randall doesn't achieve his attendance goals. And The Flash are owned by Joe Sahlen. I conjecture that if Alex has transferred her commitment from the pro team to the academy and if Aaran does the same, then Joe has no longer personal incentive to own the team, although I do believe he is a big supporter of Women's pro soccer. My guess is he'd sell the pro team and focus his sports ownership resources on his car racing team. The Flash Academy was recently accepted into the ECNL and the USSF Development Academy. Will the DA participation be at risk without a pro team? I think I read that the W league does not exist anymore, but I could see the Flash having a W-league level semi-pro/pro team in Buffalo (like the original Buffalo Flash). I do think the Flash name will not go to North Carolina; rightfully so. The Flash Academy and Flash name will remain with the Sahlens. I’m sure they want to keep the brand. I guess the North Caroline FC was chomping at the bit to announce the purchase, which probably instigated the timing of the announcement to the players. I had suspected they had to tell Debinha and Rosana, but that seems to be untrue. I guess all the contracts just transfer, but Rosana hasn’t been signed yet, to my knowledge, so that may change her situation. Riley. One of the selling points for WNY was proximity to his home and his home club. There are several non-stop flights per day from both Buffalo to LaGuardia and Raleigh to LaGuardia and the flying time is similar, about 1 hr 30-40 mins. Also the time zone is the same. I think new ownership has to make very convincing arguments to get him on board. I also think he has a personal attachment to these players and wouldn’t mind sticking with them for a while. I think new ownership should pursue Riley. Without Riley, I think some players will bail. Vallow and Zerboni. I think they are both out, regardless. Vallow has personal ties to Rochester and Zerboni to the Sahlens and both are connnected to Riley. But they got married this fall and seem to have settled in Portland. I already doubted Zerboni was going to come back, probably mostly for maternity reasons, and also she has gotten to that point in her career. HB2 - North Carolina’s bathroom law. I think the NWSL and USSF will catch some flack. I suspect this will be a problem for some players, giving another reason for them to bail. I think new ownership needs to trade the rights to Lianne Sanderson back to Orlando ASAP. Dworkin/Rhinos – Sahlen/Flash. I think @LucyFearsTheMorningStar remembered some of my observations about this (apparently bad) relationship. I vividly remember hearing Wendy Dworkin in an interview saying she couldn’t wait to get the Sahlen’s Stadium sign down. To recap: Dworkin paid for the new turf and all the other stadium improvements, except for the new scoreboard, which I think the City finally sucked it up and paid for. The Dworkins also own the stadium now, not the City of Rochester. I suspect the Dworkins wanted to soak the Flash for as much money as possible to make up for their cash outlay. There is a viable market in Rochester for this NWSL team. Rochester had 10,000 for the WPS championship game in 2011, more than either Los Angeles or San Francisco did for their championship matches. Abby Wambach was not in the game (or at the game as I recall). During the regular season, Abby was on the visiting Magicjack when we put 15,000 into the 13,000 seat stadium – the Sahlens added extra bleacher seats for the game. Coming off this 2016 Championship, I could see attendance climbing to the 4,500 per game level or even more, particularly since during the 2015-16 off season the club decided they had to more effectively focus on actually courting fans in Rochester, rather than the past practice of ‘there is a game: they will come” marketing. If the Buffalo Flash are resurrected, I'll be there.
What a weird situation! Whoever is in charge of setting up the room needs to get Courage Logo stuff to replace the Flash stuff in a hurry. It will be interesting to see what people will be actually sitting at the draft table. And poor Jen Cooper! Will the historical Flash stats be adopted by the Courage name? Unrelated: Does this count as a team folding? NWSL has had no franchises fold to date. *knocks wood*
Yes, USL shuttered the W-League after the 2015 season. About half of the surviving teams joined WPSL, while the other half (plus some WPSL breakaways) founded a new league called UWS. (Come join our threads down in the Lower Divisions forum!) I do not believe relocation counts as folding, but I'm not sure if stats will officially transfer or not.
I wouldn't be surprised if in the next year or so we see more moves by NWSL teams to shore up stabilty, merge, sell, etc. We in Chicago have a good owner who is committed to the women's game and Chicago but even he may in the future opt to accepting another partner in ownership of the Red Stars, merge with an existing organization, make strategic stadium moves, etc. Who knows? Time will tell. This is how the league will now start to evolve, IMO. In the 5th season of the NWSL we already have heard of two teams being sold in FCKC and WNY. Who knows what other news will come out of things we don't know about in the near future, that may be in talks behind the scenes right now.
My sympathies to @CoachJon ... but on the other hand, I finally have team, and one that I can walk to go see if I have to. Only thing that make this day better would be for NCFC to trade for Kealia Ohai. Excited to see how much this team dips into local players, & it makes you wonder if they reach for Gibbons of Duke @ #2. The trademark is North Carolina Courage, not Carolina Courage. So NC Courage, compared to Western New York Flash & WNY Flash.
It's less of a reach than one might think. Yes, there are players that are more highly rated, but most of those players are in positions where the team already has strength. Gibbons gives the team much needed depth at OB.
Thank you and Congrats! I haven't seen Meghan Klingenberg's name yet for potential NC Courage players. From the Nat Team videos, I understand she wants to live in Chapel Hill, eventually - only a short 25 mile walk from Cary. Hoo Boy! I think the "2017 Player Moves" thread is going to be overloaded between now and April!
The NWSL needs sponsors.... and ever since Plush has been Commissioner he has been saying he's "working" on that, he said he would be announcing sponsors in the coming weeks at LAST SEASON'S OPENING GAME in Houston, we are 3 months away from the new season and nothing. We haven't even seen Plush since. IDEA: Just like the league is partnering with MLS teams , they should try to get some current MLS sponsors
I def plan on coming for a game now at Wake-Med, preferably when the Red Stars go down there. I'll take a few days off to get in some golf at Myrtle Beach and a game.
They just had a big press conference, I'm sure there will be a lot of articles that will be put together in the next hour or so. I'm not sure if there is anything new except maybe the fact that Paul Riley is just a "candidate" & not official been hired as the manager yet. Nice logo with a female lion, blue/"southern gold" will be primary colors.
Curt Johnson, the North Carolina FC president and general manager said he has known Paul Riley for 20 years - going back to the Long Island Roughriders and I think he said he has chatted with Paul. He also said the standard: "it has to be a right fit for us and right for Paul." P.S. Of all the speakers, only Jeff Plush mentioned that Jess McDonald played at UNC. HAO, Mia, Carla, and Lil were mentioned by others.
We're going to need to have the Western New York Flash sub-forum name changed. If I recall correctly, only a super mod can do that. EDIT: I found the place where we need to start a thread with this request. http://forums.bigsoccer.com/forums/forum-requests-and-voting.666/
Will be interesting to see if they make any moves to get any bigger name UNC players since Flash is surprisingly light on UNC players. HAO gets mentioned a lot but with her no longer being a NT player, I can't imagine her playing that much longer. Of course being able to Play nearer to home might make it attractive to continue on as I know she loves the game. They're kind of in the same boat with Engen. Kling is probably the most likely active player. Heath, Harris, and Ohai aren't happening.
Good news! (Although I feel for the folks in Western New York.) The new governor of NC showed up at the press conference. He's called for the repeal of the LGBT bill and his support of the team blunts the issue of NC's discriminatory legislation. Were the old governor, who supported the LGBT bill, still in office -- I don't think North Carolina would have had a team this year.
Personally, I think the WNY forum should be moved to the expansion forum (to be with the other now defunct teams) as a historical archive, and a new NC Courage forum created. Similar to how there is both a Washington Freedom and a magicJack forum.
I like this a lot. Don't you think so @MiLLeNNiuM and @babranski ? It would be nice if @Blaze20 ; @BlueCrimson ; @WNYChelseaFan ; and oher WNY subforum posters would chime in, too. -CJ