2017 UCLA

I'm not a Bruin supporter, but this post seems a little harsh.

Media doesn't always report on spring games (although to your point, they did put out a couple of tweets over the weekend announcing the game). Mallory Pugh was not present (in with USWNT) and I believe Jessie Fleming was similarly away with the Canadian national team. Don't know whether there were other missing or injured players for UCLA. Also, Long Beach State shouldn't be dismissed out of hand. They are a good squad who last year (pre-season) beat USC 1-0 and only lost to UCLA 2-1.

UCLA is likely to be as good as expected this season - not too much can be inferred from their first game of the spring.

 

An old quote from Anson Dorrance when people would get worked up over a UNC spring loss went something like this..."They don't give trophies in the Spring". Spring ball doesn't count. Good coaches lose games in the spring all the time to teams they will go on to crush in the fall. Spring ball is all about determining what you might have for the fall and trying out different combinations of players in different positions, etc, There will be many girls that get playing time in spring games that will not even suit up in the fall.

 

Maybe Anson doesn't know that Long Beach also beat the Bruins in the fall of 2015, they beat USC in fall of 2016, and tied USC in '15 as well.

 

And it could be that some programs who might havce reason to feel that they have something to prove to their "Rich Neighbors" go all out in the spring to post wins over the supposed juggernauts.

On the other hand from what I see, from Anson at UNC and other ACC programs, it's all about experimentation and looking to find the players who are ready to step up. Every spring game I have attended over the past decade features waves of substitutions with erstwhile forwards trying out playing on the back line, (or the All-ACC defensive player of the year playing at wing midfield (Crystal Dunn), or (back a few years when the Heels had a bunch of keepers) playing a keeper in the midfield for a few spring games to see what might develop. Clearly, winning spring matches has not been the point.

 

In the spring of 2009, when the Bruins were waiting for GK Chante’ Sandiford to transfer in from Villanova and had no others available, UCLA borrowed a keeper from the other team. Clearly, it wasn't a big deal.

Still, it would have been nice to know who played Sunday. Long Beach State even had photo of its team after the win. Heh.

 

Does anybody know if Pugh is enrolled for the Spring? thank you.

 

Yes, she is.

 

Don't count on Santa Clara's media , they are keeping this game and any other spring games a secret.

 

UCLA twitter was posting live updates throughout the game. Final - 2-2. Bruins score with 4 seconds remaining (Pugh) to even the score (per twitter).

 

Big loss for UCLA:

Freshman @MalPugh has left UCLA to pursue professional opportunities. We wish her all the best! #BruinForLife https://t.co/tZ2mJf4CWv pic.twitter.com/GURNcznNWG

— UCLA Women's Soccer (@UCLAWSoccer) April 18, 2017

 

...so, apparently, no?

 

Pugh's opportunity is very rare. Best of luck to her (and to us, with her on the WNT )
The degree will still be available later. Half of UCLA's mbb team can relate to that, maybe

She did take almost a full school year to make the decision, so we may assume she got good advice, and thought it through. For her, it makes sense: the degree prepares you for $100k/yr, but she earns more than that (including endorsements?) by signing next week. Since she played in spring games, she must have been enrolled for spring, and "has left" means she's withdrawing. (Darn -- no credit for those spring classes half-done)

Maybe she'll finish Spring'17 as a regular student while playing pro

 

Made the right decision. Needs to play against professionals, would only get worse by playing in college. Interested to see where she will end up.

 

I called this (along with others) two years ago. I think the whole not going pro ruse was just to wait out the collective bargaining agreement. That's done. She's gonna get paid and paid big. She will be the face of US Soccer within 6 months. Probably has the Nike Contract sitting on her desk right now

 

Is the assumption that Pugh will go to the NWSL (with it's salary caps) or follow the three other current WNT players now in Europe where she might be able to command a significantly larger contract?

 

senor stinx...my friend wunders...maybe you made the mistake...this is your call.........you have papers?...or sumtheeng?...maybe a papers...says this is my call'?.............the call has a thread...post a link to this thread............well...maybe this is your call...it could be...we just want to be sure...it somebody else's...we want to be fair...do the right thing.............all right, we will say this is your call...it is done.

 

Experimental prose? Or early-morning inebriation? ......me wunders

 

I don't think so. What benefit is there? To miss out on being paid last season, because she'll be paid more this season? She'd still be paid more this season if she played last season. Plus if she had gone pro last season, everything was all set up for her to go to her desired destination of Portland. Now Portland has to work out some trade with the Spirit to get the top allocation spot. The Spirit got a lot of bad press in trading Ali Krieger for that spot, so I don't think they'll give it up lightly. Unless she has no intention of playing in the NWSL, in which case the CBA really has no bearing on what salary she'll get, so again, what benefit was there?

She will be an allocated player paid by the federation, salary caps will not apply. The question is whether the federation salary to play in the NWSL + sponsorship money will be more or less than a contract with a European team and less sponsorship money.

 

According to a Yahoo interview with her from March 7, she was taking a History of the Beatles and a Nutrition class at UCLA in the Winter Term. Probably a good indication that getting a degree was not a top priority. I wish her nothing but the best. I have met her twice a she seems like a good kid. Will be the face of US Soccer for a number of years and should be well compensated in terms of endorsements - if she stays in the US. Will be better served soccerwise n Europe but the ca$h in the states. You go girl - strike when the iron is hot!

 

MPR2477, you should take down your post. Disgraceful. You should be ashamed of yourself.

 

Come on, VioletsAreBlue, let's not say anything that you'll regret. I've read your posts...you don't want to hurt anybody's feelings...