Tancredi isn't even playing in NWSL this season. Beckie was underwhelming, because her NWSL coach couldn't figure out offensive tactics and offense, not defense was the real problem for Houston this season. You also got the starting CBs wrong. As to Canada, I don't think a team with only 2 clean sheets in 6 games, has a great defense. On the other hand they scored 10 goals and I don't consider this underwhelming offense either. I wasn't so impressed with JJ play at WWC. It was't even so much about her defensive skills, but her distribution annoyed me enormously. I actually think she played much better in Rio. And lastly: I'm not your baby
Buchanan may have a bit of trouble with NWSL rule for yellow card accumulation. Im still thinking she plays in Europe. Only way I see her in the NWSL is if Canada doesnt allocate her.
Lloyd I was always on the fence about Lloyd. Yes she could be selfish but it was hard to get too down on a player who worked as hard as she did. I always thought if u put her in the right role there were more positives than negatives. Still I have to say Ive completely lost interest since WC - far be i for me yo stand between a player and a chance to make money but I like players who actually show up for practice. Last year after WC she mostly just appeared for Dash matches. Now post Olympics she misses both matches, makes a short practice today then will be staying in Boston after Wednesdays match only to pop up again for the weekend match. Add the fact that she already has a book tour scheduled as soon as the regular season ends. Ugh. - Was it too late for her to do anything? Maybe not. Let's say she goes to Waldrum and says, hey, Im still recovering from OG but I can give u a half against Washington if ull let me sit out the next week to recover. And Ill show up for WNY if the team needs me. The Dash could easily have won both those matches which would have left them 8 pts out of 4th win five matches left to play. - There's always next year. Heard that last year.
Never was a fan of Lloyd, always in it for herself it seemed. Not for team. This tidbit only proved it to me, now she's all over twitter in damage control saying she's here for the rest of the season. Personally, I think they should trade her, get some folks who actually want to be in Houston, and will work just as hard.
I withhold judgment on Lloyd's case because I can see that a commitment made months ago may outweigh even a job. There are some things we knee-jerk sports fans are not entitled to know. Just off the top of my head: blood test for the marriage license some other post-Rio medical test/procedure pre-marriage religious service / visiting a family shrine adoption hearing It sounds like Dash / NWSL knew about the prior commitment, but not what it was. Evidently, it wasn't public, whatever it was, so we can eliminate most cash grabs and vacationing on the beach.
I'm not sure I agree with Carli when she says that her personal commitment really is no one else's business. She's an international star, she's not there for her team due to the commitment. It seems to me a really strong argument could be made that the reason for her not being there is NWSL fans' business so they can make a judgment about whether her reason is legit or not. Maybe it's very private, but then let her tell someone with high trust credentials what the reason is and let that person say, "I know what the reason is, it's legitimately private, but it's a good reason." On the other hand, Waldrum comes out of this looking really bad.
Agreed. I wanted them to trade her after last season already, but not many people agreed then. It would be probably easier after her performance at WWC. It just doesn't seem to work for her and the Dash. Not off the field and not on the field either (at least it didn't last season). But nah https://t.co/cb4lh1JIbW— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) August 29, 2016
Was this in doubt? Waldrum said in the press conference Lloyd had some things to take care of and wouldnt be back until after the WNY match. He also said he had hoped to get some of his US players back for the Spirit. It was the return of the other players he was having trouble pinning down. Lloyd for her part said her plans were made before the NWSL schedule was finalized. I mean how could Lloyd have possibly assumed the Dash would have a match on a weekend in August after the Olympics?
I totally disagree. If she, or anyone, says something is private, then it is private. No one else needs to corroborate it. I totally agree, and Lloyd should be really upset with him - he threw her under the bus for no good reason. As a fan, it would have been best if, after the Olympics, the club let it be known that Lloyd would be unavailable for the August 27 game for pre-scheduled personal business that the club knew about.
WNY did not seem too broken up about jettisoning her. Pia Sundhage got criticized for her statement about managing Lloyd. I think Sundhage said "delicate, delicate" referring not to Lloyd's toughness, but saying that she needed to be managed with care and a deft touch. Lloyd's club career has been spotty. If she really thinks she is the, or one of the, best players in the world, she should take her act to Europe, and see how that works out.
Like CoachJon said, Lloyd is obligated to tell anyone her private business accept her employer. And all this would have been avoided if the team had get ahead of the story and let people know that Lloyd would not have been available that weekend for a pre-arranged leave of absence.
Lloyd will never be Spider-man because she doesnt get With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility. And no if u schedule a trip to Europe for Christmas u dont get t tell ur family ur sorry u cant be with them for Christmas because u have plans.
These women are nomads, whose life schedules are dictated by the game. Heck, even if you are guaranteed to be called into national team camp, you never know far in advance where it will be held and Ellis did change the get to camp date at least once this year, making it sooner. There must come a point when you decide you are going to do something on a certain date in a certain place eight or nine months in the future and you decide to write it in pen and stick a nail in it - to hell with what may happen with the soccer schedule. You have a life outside the game.
OK, then let me throw out this scenario. Lloyd wants to do something on the weekend of the Flash match and plans it well in advance. As the date approaches she realizes she wasnt at Olympics as long as she thought she'd be so the extra no longer blends in to her Olympic recovery break. Here's what I would do. I would have come back and played in the Spirit make up match like Krieger did and justified shortening my recover by two days by the fact that Im getting the next week off for personal time. If she had done that I would have been fine with it.
Also I was a little disappointed on Richard Farley's take on the Lloyd situation on the Mixxed Zone podcast. He seems to be pushing a notion that Waldrum and the Dash were saying they didnt know Lloyd was returning late from her Olympic commitment. Where this idea comes from I dont know as Waldrum said in the Spirit/Dash press conference that Lloyd has some stuff on her plate and he didnt know if he's have her for the Flash match. To me that sure sounds like he and the Dash were clearly saying Lloyd had some personal business planned. It also sounded like Waldrum hoped she might decide to play anyway. Ive been hard on Waldrum here but I dont see how he was anything but up front in this case.
75 minute, your keeper made a tough save, ball bounced out to Roccaro, facing her own goal just outside the 6, what did she try? Make a clumsy turn with the ball so she can gift the goal away? Where did she learn how to play center back? 80 minute, O'Sullivan got fouled in the PK area, with Ohai battling for the golden boot, what did the Dash do? Let Lloyd take the PK. Sitting behind the Dash's bench, I yelled "Let Ohai take the kick". The whole bench heard me but no response.
Waldrum should be really upset with Roccaro's college coach that safety first wasnt drummed into her as a freshman. The PK didnt bother me...Ohai is more about team than padding her stats.
Ohai was about team but what about others? How often do you get win Golden boot? Don't you want to look out for your player when she is on the borderline making national team?
It's a no win situation. If she asked to take the PK and misses she is viewed as selfish. I think she regrets that last shot that Kranich deflected with her leg more than not taking that PK.
Per Andressa's agent, a contract has been agreed to with the Dash if she agrees to stay. But she still could leave the NWSL.— Corey Roepken (@RipSports) September 14, 2016
Please stay, cupcake! (I've been expecting her to get offered a good contract from a European team somewhere)