Well you have high expectations of Crystal Dunn, I'm not going to disagree that Dunn could be the best player in next years draft. She did win the Mac Hermann Trophy after all. But I do think you are under appreciating Kaelai Ohai and even Maya Hayes. Dunn may be considered a midfielder but she will be slotted in as an outside back. Why? its the way she plays. She isn't a possession midfielder like a Farrelly that can hold onto the ball. Dunn is all about speed, aggression and attacking. Perfect traits for an outside back which is where she is being used on the national team. And when she gets drafted that is where she will be used, as an outside back. So as a professional team, if you know Dunn is going to be allocated, and I don't see why Dunn won't be. Then more then likely your going to perfer her as an outside back since that is where the national team will be playing her there. If Dunn somehow doesn't get allocated, then everything is up in the air, because can a team with a top pick afford to pick Dunn as a first pick overall when they know the national team will be using her as an outside back? My feeling is no she will not be picked first overall because of this. As I stated before, if you have the first pick overall, then your team is in a rebuilding mode, and the key players that they MUST focus on is down the spine of the club. Centerback, midfielder and forward. If a team is weak in any of the positions, then they have to fix that weakness. Crystal Dunn is going to be a great player, but the national teams use of her in their roster is going to play a very big roll in how professional teams view her and if she is going to be an outside back, then Dunn is not a good pick as a top pick in a draft.
"Realistic" best-case scenario for Washington in 2014: U.S. allocated players: Yael Averbuch, Ali Krieger, Ashlyn Harris (Lindsey no longer subsidized) Canada allocated players: Diana Matheson, Robyn Gayle Mexican allocated players: Alina Garciamendez, Teresa Worbis ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Free agents signed/retained: Lori Lindsey, Ingrid Wells, Kika Toulouse, Chantel Jones Other discovery players acquired: Toni Pressley Other internationals signed: Candace Chapman, Aya Miyama 100% Healthy players on team: Jordan Angeli Key players retained: Stephanie Ochs, Caroline Miller, Tiffany McCarty, Colleen Williams Other players retained: Tori Huster, Domenica Hodak 2014 draft picks: Crystal Dunn, Mollie Pathman, Taylor Schram, Becca Wann ------------------------------------------------------------------------- players shown with player rating: F - Ochs (89), McCarty (89), Miller (88), Wann (86) MF - Miyama (93), Averbuch (91), Matheson (89), Wells (89), Lindsey (89), Angeli (88), Schram (87), Williams (86), Huster (85), Worbis (84) D - Krieger (92), Dunn (91), Chapman (90), Garciamendez (88), Pathman (88), Pressley (87), Gayle (87), Toulouse (86), Hodak (84) GK - Harris (90), Jones (84) Yeah, this is more than 20 players going into camp, so they would have to cut some of these lower rated players in camp. But if they can go into camp (early 2014) with a roster like this, then they can be a championship contender in 2014. Their midfield problems are solved. Everything looks stellar except at forward. I think they need to "develop" Ochs, McCarty, and Miller, up top, and ride that young-wave, as they continue to get better each year. If you're thinking of this in young prospect terms (baseball analogy), these are three of the better young up and coming forward prospects in the league. They just need time to develop.
....well, the Spirit have scared me today. So, earlier this week I had e-mailed them because I hadn't yet received the season tickets I ordered back in February. I had gotten a confirmation e-mail back then, and when I went to the Spirit site this week I saw my season ticket order present. Half-an-hour ago, I got an e-mail confirming the ordering of 11 single-game tickets for $220, and now it's those sale appearing on the tickets site under past orders (instead of my single STH package).... I called the Tickets phone number and it sounds like I caught the guy while he was at home. he told me to send him the confirmation number(s) via e-mail and he'd look into it when he got back to the office on Monday. I'm hoping it's just some weird bookkeeping on the Spirit's part; I notice now that my first e-mail had "credit" as the payment description while this most recent one had "comp", whatever that means ("compensated"?). Of course, me being me, I forgot the guy's e-mail between ending the phone call and going back to my e-mail to send him the confirmation number... Barret? Balett? I can't find it on the website at all. But if I've been charged $220 instead of (or, worse, on top of) the $120 I thought I paid earlier....
Ordinarily, "comp" would mean "complimentary" as in you were comped the tickets meaning they are free.
Yeah, I got a third e-mail about fifteen minutes ago explaining the one earlier today. Would have been nice to have gotten this one before the other one, of course, so as to prevent my freak-out, but good to know everything's accounted for.
Even though the Spirit didn't seal the deal. I was impressed, they dominated the game and should have won. I think sometimes teams get a lead and stop attacking. The last 20 minutes looked like little league. Possess the ball, connect your passes, Attack and play with confidence and together and you will be successful. Thanks for making WPS (prediction) look like an AZZZZZZZ!
Which exemplifies this "young" Washington team to a tee. Even when they have a great chance at victory, they can't finish the deal. If Washington wants to make the playoffs, they need to seal whatever victories they can get, when the opportunity presents itself. And honestly, this league is better with DC, than it is without DC. I'm extremely glad DC has a team. This league wouldn't be the same without them. And it's exciting having a young team like Washington in the league, it'll be fun to watch them grow. But it's gonna take a near miracle for this Spirit team to make the playoffs this year. Washington does have a team of the future. Their future is bright, certainly after 2013. But the pundits know what they're talking about, when placing Washington 7th or 8th this year.
The pundits are basing their assumption of their preseason matches where the Spirit were without their starting keeper in Ashlyn Harris, 3 defenders in Candace Chapman, Ali Krieger and Robyn Gayle and without their best midfielder in Diana Matheson. All of them were either recovering from injury with Chapman or away on national duty. From the reports we got from the match, their defense were holding up very well against Boston's attack. The 91st minute goal by Sydney Leroux was very fortunate for Boston. I don't think they will do as bad as the pundits have stated which all but beau dure placed them last. And Beau who reports on the Spirit was generous enough to place them 4th. Washington isn't as bad as everyone thinks they will be and I think Stephanie Ochs is going to become a breakout star for the Spirit. She will rack up the assists with her playmaking ability.
Yes but when those players Are away on nt duty (or injured), then what? I agree those top players make a difference but guess what: other teams will lose their nt players and not drop off in talent like the spirit will. You can't deny that...
Not denying that, the Spirit may not have alot of depth, but they are not as bad off as Boston or Seattle is. Both have problems on defense and in Seattle's case the return of Rapinoe will not solve those problems. I have the Spirit finishing 5th in the league, outside of the playoffs, not last like most everyone has.
Well considering the thorns didn't do much With those 4 I'm less worried about them without. The game against KC would have been about the same honestly...
We not only have the best fans in NWSL we have the best field in the country. Over 3,000 tix gone now, tomorrow may sellout......— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) April 20, 2013
While I'm excited to see a good crowd and will be there myself, unless the sky clears up by noon I doubt we'll see many walk-ups. On top of that, I noticed that during preseason, they usually had about a 50% return on purported tickets sold to actual attendance.
1:1 Renae is good for one goal at this level a game since her runs really aren't controlled, and the penalty in the box wasn't on Sinclair or Morgan. I'd still have it as a tie. Mitt would be Kreiger's backup, if she hadn't returned. Who in the world in their pool will beat out Dunn, since in a year she'll probably be pushing Kreiger? Defense still wins champions. Hayes is an over-hyped forward, and attacking mid-fielders are a dime-a-dozen in the USA camps, so I wouldn't take Ohai with my first pick, if Dunn is on the board, which Dunn will be a constant for probably the next 10-12 years on the national team and her upside is probably best defender in the world at some point, depending on how Renard develops.
....and I just realized that this statement was rather silly to make. Preseason "tickets" were free, so no extra commitment to show up if you "bought" one of them. Different story now. Also, since the Spirit said they need 3k/game to break even, sounds like they've hit the mark so far, and since the skies have cleared up versus earlier this morning there should be good walk-up. And there had better be good walk-up, since the home opener is often well above the average for the year.
Props to the Spirit. Not just for the great attendance tonight, but holding your own on the field. Two matches, two draws, zero losses, and the Spirit have shown as much toughness, resiliency, and overall heart on the pitch as anyone in the league so far. They are living up to their name (Spirit). Matheson and Krieger are phenomenal players. Lindsey shows that she's still got some left in the tank. Harris is an incredible goalkeeper. And Ochs has terrific potential. McCarty is inconsistent, but consistency will come with age. No one can deny her talent. The Spirit really are a healthy Candace Chapman, healthy Jordan Angeli, Tasha Kai, and a developed Caroline Miller away from being a title contender (no joke). Huster has potential. I'd like to see what Holly King can do. A healthy Angeli would bolster their midfield. I'd also like to see what Colleen Williams can do as an attacking mid, with her playmaking abilities.
Huster had never played defender in her life until a couple of weeks ago, and tonight she was called upon to man-mark Abby Wambach - and she did pretty well.
Attended the Spirit-Sky Blue match last night. Entertaining although the Spirit lost 2-1. They had their chances late in the second half but couldn't convert. Ash Harris was one vocal keeper - she also played well. StarCityFan's livetweets of the match give a good sense of it. Great conditions and a beautiful pitch.
I am the only one hoping Miller gets the start over McCarty Saturday? McCarty is talented but her decision making just isn't there yet.
What STT said. Everyone I've heard (or read) who's expressed an opinion on the subject has said the same thing.
Enjoyed this thread. We will catch the wny-wash game in early June. Flying all the way from Austin. How is the view from the Hill? That looks like a fun way to watch.