News & Media II: Articles, photos, videos, etc.

Jaelin Howell & Sophia Smith have been playing together since U-littles:

How it started: How it’s going: pic.twitter.com/t2AZGIiJJV

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) December 1, 2020

Well, Abby Wambach retweeted the pics and look what Smith popped up with:

well @AbbyWambach, you were a big reason this moment happened for me. you inspired me to follow my dreams. thank you. 🙏🏽 https://t.co/NLNIonyW5y pic.twitter.com/54azfKYIGK

— Sophia Smith (@sophsssmith) December 1, 2020

She one-upped Weston McKennie.

 

We have the nominees for US Soccer Female Player of the Year: Abby Dahlkemper, Crystal Dunn, Lindsey Horan, Sam Mewis, and Christen Press. The US Soccer Young Female Player of the Year nominees are Mia Fishel, Naomi Girma, and Trinity Rodman. These awards do cover the whole year, meaning for the senior team, it's mostly about those CONCACAF Olympic qualifying games and the SheBelieves Cup that seem a lifetime ago but were actually in 2020.

 

In the young'uns category I believe from what I have seen Trinity Rodman is the hands down winner. Of course she will have to overcome the prejudices introduced by her somewhat notorious father.

I do have to wonder why Ertz is not in the running. I know she dropped just a little from her "all world" levels but she still, to me, is clearly in the top three or so.

I am glad to see Press get to the very top levels. She spent years at the national team level being very good up to the final shot or pass but flubbing that all important part of a forwards game. In the last couple of years she has added finishing and passing in the final third to her game and has become one of the best in the world.

However the last year and a half I believe the MVP for the ladies has been Dunn. She does not usually require any "cover" thereby freeing up the rest of the defense to just do their job. Oh, she can also play a pretty mean forward or midfielder if needed. Not to mention it seems she can run all day and usually looks about as fresh at the end of a match as she did at the start.

 

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Congratulations to the deserving nominees.
In my totally objective opinion:

• Abby Dahlkemper – Bad*ss Personified
• Crystal Dunn – Bad*ss Personified
• Lindsey Horan – Bad*ss Personified
• Sam Mewis – Bad*ss Personified
• Christen Press – Bad*ss Personified

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Truer words have not been posted on this Board…...well, if you don’t count mine that is.

I will say that I’m putting the finishing touches on a 14-hour PowerPoint Presentation based on the premise that Crystal may be the baddest of the Bad*sses.

 

There are 12 USWNT players who made the shortlist (55 players) for FIFPro's Best XI. For sure, it was a strange year, but a few are real head scratchers (along with at least one glaring omission, imo). However, just a reminder: the 55 are voted on exclusively by pro players. The 12 USWNT (or former USWNT) players are Nicole Barnhart, Alyssa Naeher, Abby Dahlkemper, Crystal Dunn, Ali Krieger, Julie Ertz, Rose Lavelle, Carli Lloyd, Kelley O'Hara, Tobin Heath, Christen Press, and Megan Rapinoe.

 

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The Staff and Management of the Washington Spirit have used this photo to announce the successful signing of the USWNT Defender and welcome her to the Nation’s Capital.

There are others, and I won’t say who, that have additionally and correctly interpreted this image as President Lincoln taking a back seat to Kelley O’Hara.

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<<….Paris France, December 13, 2020….>> Jean-Luc Martinez - President of the Louvre, has reported a tremendous spike in attendance at the Museum that he attributes to an edit to one Exhibit. Mr. Martinez was quoted as saying…..“NOW, we have a real Masterpiece.”

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A picture is worth 10 billion words............

 

Tobin Heath and Megan Rapinoe were selected for FIFPro's Best XI for 2020: https://www.fifpro.org/en/industry/world-11/the-fifa-fifpro-women-s-world-11-of-2020

And Megan Rapinoe acknowledged on social media that her selection was odd (and based mostly on name recognition, not play):

So much to be thankful for this year, and so much work still to be done. 🙏❤️ https://t.co/LtwTv8S0Jv pic.twitter.com/Kz8LettjXI

— Megan Rapinoe (@mPinoe) December 17, 2020

As a reminder, the FIFPro Best XI award is based on play for club and country, and the Best XI are selected solely by their peers, fellow female professional soccer players. But, of the USWNT players, my vote would have gone to Dunn or Sam Mewis (who didn't even make the shortlist).

 

https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports...a-naeher-went-from-wnba-dreams-to-no-1-keeper

 

Sam Mewis is named the 2020 US Soccer Female Player of the Year: https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2020/12/mewis-wins-2020-us-soccer-female-player-of-the-year

Young Female Player of the Year award to be announced on Monday.

 

I'm a little surprised about Mewis being named player of the year -- but I have in the past opined that she was the best player on the U.S. team -- and somebody named her the best player, statistically speaking, of the 2019 World Cup.

Her effortless transition to starting for Man City confirms to me that she is exceptional.

However, she's not even a guaranteed starter on the US team. Horan is almost as good, but slow -- and Lavelle is a better goal scorer and Ertz a better defender. But Mewis has it all.

 

I am jackdoggy and I approve this message.

 

It is unfortunately quite hard for a "defensive" player to get any "Best overall Player" type of awards. I still think that Dunn is and has been the US's most valuable player for the last couple of years.

Yes Mewis is very very good and is deserving of the honor but I think Dunn helped the US more. It is kind of like looking for the most valuable system of a jet fighter. It is tempting to single out one or more of the weapon systems but without the engine the jet "don't go" and therefore cannot attack anything with any effectiveness. Mewis in a very good and important weapon system but Dunn is the engine and drives everything and gets the US out of trouble when needed.

 

I suspect that Mewis's performance at Man City over the past three months pushed her to the top in the selection. For her to immediately become a standout on a good English team was impressive.

Dunn was worthy of the award -- and Press also had a case for being the best U.S. player of the year.

 

The Best Passing Centerback on the Planet is getting hitched.
https://www.teamusa.org/news/2020/d...engagement-to-mls-player#.X-Dkdj0pujw.twitter

 

US Soccer Young Female Player of the Year goes to U-20 defender Naomi Girma (only the 2nd pure defender to win the award): https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2020/12/girma-wins-2020-us-soccer-young-female-player-of-the-year

This one was probably even more of a toss up considering the number of games youth players have played this year. Girma's award essentially is based on the WC qualifying tournament and getting called into the full team's camp in October; her Stanford season was postponed until the spring.

 

Nevertheless, for me this is a good pick. She is very good.

 

SheBelieves news from the Equalizer: https://equalizersoccer.com/2020/12...orlandos-new-gm-2021-shebelieves-cup-updates/

Brazil and Japan are confirmed. The fourth team has been reported as Norway, but another source said that was inaccurate. Instead, Canada may actually be the fourth team. No word yet on venue or dates, but only one location (probably closed-door) is likely with the tournament happening in a "bubble."

 

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USWNT star Alex Morgan, family test positive for COVID-19

Nobody can avoid this virus. It is too bad that I see so many people ignoring guidelines and putting everyone at risk.

I just wish we could keep national treasures like Alex Morgan and all the rest of the world safe but with the lack of leadership and the stupidity of many/most in the general public it is impossible.

 

Her fault so I don’t feel sorry for her. You aren’t supposed to be throwing a big holiday bash and walk around without a mask in LA. Really Alex? You have a newborn baby. She’s definitely not the sharpers tool in the USWNT shed.

 

OK, everyone's thinking it but I will say it......................

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Cancel search party.