If we only had the players that were actually signed on our rosters right now, a couple teams wouldn't have any players listed. The roster pages will change before the season starts anyway because the league and teams will be launching new Web sites, and hopefully by then the rosters will be more settled.
I don't have a problem with listing any of the players that have been drafted, except those that have already signed with other teams. Once they're signed by other teams, they're not your players anymore (actually they never were). You might be able to work out a loan agreement, but that's it.
when they were originally put up on the respective websites it was never because they were owned by the team, it was because that team had their wps rights. for most of them nothing has changed in that regard. the various teams still retain their rights. however, i do agree that after these formative months, when the rosters have been finalized, each team will certainly redo their websites.
If I read the translation at the bottom of this Japanese article announcing Sawa signing with the Freedom, it looks like Shinobu Ohno, who was drafted by Boston, will not be making the jump to the WPS--she's resigned with NTV Beleza (but, then again, I don't read/speak Japanese...)
Thanks Elaine. Both Babelfish and Google struggles with East Asian languages, but both your link here and the one from Beleza's site definitely seems to say that Ohno has renewed her contract with Beleza for the 2009 season. There isn't even any mention about competing interest from Boston.
Slightly off topic, but a little more information about the Renata Costa signing. It appears that her contract with the Danish club OB doesn't expire until December 2009. Her move to Sweden is actually a loan deal between OB and LDB FC Malmö. Malmö pays for the loan in cash and, just as important, in helping the Odense club developing organization and club infrastructure. I don't know how happy WPS clubs are with paying transfer fees, but I suspect the second part is where St. Louis couldn't come with a competitive offer. St. Louis is a start-up located on the other side of the Atlantic. They can't possibly offer the same level of cooperation as a club that has just recently made a very successful transition from an essentially amateur organisation to a professionally run club. And it's only a two hours drive away. So, as I understand it, the choice between Malmö and St. Louis wasn't made by Renata Costa as much as by her club. I don't think she is unhappy with where she ended up, but she will not make her own decision until her contract expires in December.
i'm not so worried about the players that we lose this first time around, because we haven't proven anything yet. right now the only appeal the wps has is that it's a league played in the u.s.a. however, i look forward to some of these same players (the ones we lose now) asking for transfers or loans to the wps in the second and third year of the league. i know that's optimistic. but that's the way i think it will happen.
Probably true. But it still isn't good PR when they decide not to come, especially since most people were expecting WPS to draw the big names.
i think some players are looking to see how the league grows if at all. Its a 6 month league with very little pay starting of in the usa which is possibly in recession. There is no guarantee it will be a success. If they are getting more money elsewhere i don't blame them staying where they are.