I get the impression that teams have been trying to trade draft picks for her. But considering the odds of expansion, even a first round pick is probably going to be in the 5-14 range and not that high of value. Add in that Houston doesn't seem to be looking long term and wouldn't value 2020 draft picks. So with that and the comments above regarding teams not wanting to trade their top players midseason, I expect Press to stay overseas for this entire season.
And Utah has the defacto #1. Of the players they've still got coming (Ohai & Simon), none fill that glaring need at the back. With small CBs and holding mids Id expect set pieces and clearing the ball in the defensive third to be a theme all season. A draft pick down the road won't help them there. The number 1 need on this team was a big, young, mobile CB to anchor the defense and they made absolutely zero effort to address it.
Make sense, the Swedish league make a short break during July and (with a transfer window) so most signing that isn't for the whole season is to the break in July.
You go way back to Waldrum's regime and back then there were quite a few head scratchers: Whitney Engen, Klingenberg, Alyssa Chapman. The only one on that list that was let go by Pauw and I agree with is Roccaro. She is not starting CB quality in the NWSL, I would doubt that she makes NC 's roster.
The Dash is a team in serious transition. Everything has to be built from the ground-up, it seems. Preseason and the 1st couple weeks, build the defense. Last game and a half, the defense and mid started to string 3 passes together. Next, get the forwards to make the correct runs, somehow hold the ball and occasionally strike at goal !
Flip side to that is last 2 games the style of play has not shielded the backline the same way it did in the first 2 games, consequently it has looked extremely vulnerable. If Orlando had Marta rather than Ubogagu yesterday, the Dash probably give up 3 as they did against Chicago. Van Wyk is not good enough for the NWSL, and without that protection we've seen that last two games. This is an expansion season quality roster. It's not deep, and apart from a handful of players, it's not particularly good. I don't think they can both be more aggressive offensively and defend well. It's one or the other. Pack it in and hope for clean sheets, or play like they did yesterday and pray that the opposition doesn't cut your backline to pieces.
While I agree with your assessment, I disagree completely with the approach. Playing not to lose is a sure way to lose a game. Packing it in and hoping for a clean sheet is not the way forward. You don't learn anything from it. Not to mention the snooze fest that it creates and drives away fans.
Siberian... Agree with some of the names no your list... however Brian did nothing for Houston. She played three years in Houston and scored zero goals had 4 assists. I agree the perception of Brian is huge and think she has the potential but was average for Houston. Mewis scored more goals in less than half a season...1. Still can't figure out how the most creative player Houston has and the leader in goals (other than Kealia) are playing in the back. You forget to mention Cami Levin on that list. she played every minute as a left back for Houston last season and was part of the unbeaten streak along with Brooks. Every player that was a released this season is miles better than the South African players that replaced them. Osullivan asked to leave because she wasn't playing.. if it was me I would of taken it to the training field and proved my worth instead of asking to leave. Biggest suprise for me is the draft... traded a 1st round pick for Agnew who didn't play at all in Washington last season.. trained at outside back during preseason and now doesn't play.. would of picked up Quinn in a heartbeat instead of trading away.. Quinn got picked up by Washington with that trade and will be a good player in this league. she is a CB and would of been a good tandem with Brooks in the back, scoring threat in the attack and solid defender for team Canada. Then we go to dispersal draft with Boston... why another GK... future with Jane is sky high and we waste a pick on that!! Don't understand.
The Agnew trade may well go down as one of the worst in Dash history, and that is saying a lot. She was acquired to be the starting left back. You gave up the ability to get a very good player through the trade. Now, not only is an attacking midfielder starting over her at left back, in this weekend's game a no name journeyman player (Alli Murphy) was used as a sub at fullback ahead of Agnew. Sadly, though, that's not unusual for this year. Pauw clearly has demonstrated a lack of understanding of what NWSL quality is with almost all of her roster moves. Disagree with you on the Boston dispersal draft, however. They took SJP in the 3rd round. This is a year where their two other keepers (Campbell and Henninger) will miss games due to national team duty. You need to have someone around who is a quality starter and can replace them. Moreover, she was the 24th overall pick. There was nothing left on the board by then. Only one active player was selected after her, Joanna Boyles. The travesty of the dispersal draft was not taking SJP at the tail end, it was taking the rights to Kyah Simon in the 1st round when you could probably have gotten them in the 3rd round, and taking Lotta Okvist in the 2nd round when there were still proven NWSL players that could have helped this team.
It wasn't just because of not playing. Like others that forced there way out, she wasn't happy with the organization. That doesn't mean they have to honor her wish and waive her, though. They could have tried to trade her or shop her to one of the European teams that were after her. Might not get much transfer fee, but would have defrayed some of the cost of the transfer fee they paid to get her.
DynamoManiac... You have no clue how the NWSL works. It is not even remotely close to what the MLS or any other league in the world does. Dash paid nothing to get Osullivan, in the Womens game there are no transfer fees or monetary trades. You cannot trade Osullivan or any other player for money... it just doesn't work that way. My understanding is that Osullivan wanted to go back to Europe and because the NWSL doesn't have a set of regulations when a player wants to go back to Europe she has to be released/waived by her current team to then get her transfer papers in order by FIFA to be able to go play in Europe. The only way in the NWSL for this to happen is to get released/waived by the club you currently play with which then allows a 24hr window for other NWSL teams to pick you up. Osullivan told Houston she would go to Europe and not stay in the NWSL, league said this would happen then magically NC picked her up and league did nothing about this. About SJP, I understand what you are saying, however the reason why I see it as a bad pickup is because that kills a roster spot. That spot could of been taken by a defender for instance that could of allowed Mewis or Daly to push up into the forward position. Im still shocked as to why three defenders were released (Roccaro, levin and Privett). These players would of done a better job than Agnew and Murphy simply because of the experience.
LOL, the idea of someone telling me I have no clue about NWSL or inside story on the Dash is hysterical. The Dash did pay a transfer fee for O'Sullivan. It was a factor that held up her transfer for a considerable period of time. She'd already agreed to sign with Houston 2 months before the deal was announced. She was under contract for another year with Glasgow. NWSL does not have a mechanism in place to pay transfer fees, so something had to be worked out. As you might imagine, it was not a huge transfer fee (only four figures), but cash was paid. Transfer fees are in fact becoming more common in the women's game. Transfer fees have been paid in Europe in amounts just over 6 figures. 2-3 players have been sold by NWSL to European clubs in return for a transfer fee. As for the why and how on O'Sullivan leaving, you're wrong, but that's okay. I'd imagine you haven't actually spoken to Denise. On SJP taking up a roster spot. She doesn't. Players that were under contract with Boston (so that excludes Kyah Simon as she was not under contract) do not count against the salary cap or the roster cap. So, with SJP the Dash could carry 21 players, which is what they have done. There are currently 21 players on the Dash roster.
And if you don't believe me, here's an article on the transfer of Denise O'Sullivan. http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/...ansfer_makes_history_as_Dash_splash_the_cash/
When one is wrong one can only admit... However do you think Denise was effective in Houston as she has been in NC? I don't think the fit in with Houston. In Carolina she is successful because she has Sam Mewis behind her so she doesn't have to necessarily defend. In Houston being next to Andrea and Brian there was no real physical dominance that would win headers like Mewis does so she had to use her energy defending and not really be a free player. Denise and Andressa were too similar.
I think in her first season she was arguably one of the best players on the team. Team really struggled to score goals until she was inserted into the starting lineup. If you used Brooks as holding mid, Brian and Andressinha were just too similar as players in terms of the space they filled and what they did. O'Sullivan complimented the other midfielders as more of an attacking player. Year two, the way she was used she was a bit deeper and she struggled there. She was misused and I thought she was pretty mediocre. While she was pretty physical for her size, she was much better in a more advanced role just under the center forward where she could find more space to work with.
Having said that, they've waived Wetherington so now are down to 20. Not a huge loss, should never have been signed to begin with. Unfortunately they still have around six players that shouldn't be on an NWSL roster.
I have to agree that this Dash's roster is really underwhelmed. Somehow in 5 years, they have managed to regress. Owner & management will have to look in the mirror.
From Corey Roepken's twitter today-commenting on Lisa Cole's twitter announcement that she has left the Dash. He believes Cole and Pauw didn't see eye-to-eye. Roepken commented that the separation happened maybe 2 or 3 weeks ago.
If anyone has some inside scoop or an idea as to what is going on in Houston and why Cole left, please post.
All I'll say on the matter is Pauw has proven to be very command and control and stubborn. It's her way or the highway, no room for others to express opinions, provide advice, etc., etc.
I mean, if it works, great... And I heard the early reports that the players seemed to have bought in to her system entirely. And to both her and their credit, this Houston team is punching above what people would think just looking at the roster. That said, they're still winless. Pauw clearly has a plan for the Dash when the Dash didn't seem to have a plan before, but they need some W's soon, or doubt will creep in.