This is the WPS game of the week. Here's the official WPS preview: Sunday, April 19 Chicago Red Stars vs. Sky Blue FC (6 pm ET - FSC) Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL The last of the seven WPS home openers comes four weeks into the season and will feature the first-ever game for a women’s professional soccer team in Chicago. The Red Stars opened with two games on the road, defeating Saint Louis and drawing with Washington, and now have five straight games at Toyota Park including two home games against Sky Blue FC three weeks apart. The big city rivalry between Chicago and New Jersey/New York will heat up four times during the WPS regular season and will feature a pair of English-born coaches in Emma Hayes for Chicago and Ian Sawyers with Sky Blue FC. On the field, the Red Stars have been paced offensively by Kalamazoo, Michigan-native Lindsay Tarpley while goalkeeper Caroline Jonsson has been a rock in goal facing a barrage of shots in the opening two games, but yielding just one goal. Brazilian star Cristiane saw some playing time this past Saturday for Chicago and it will be curious to see if she starts this weekend. The same goes for veteran defender Christie Rampone, out this past week for Sky Blue FC with an injured hamstring. Anyone know Rampone's status?
Starters just posted here. Rampone not included. One thing I find quite strange, though: why don't they list players on the bench so you can see available substitutes?
Because that would be helpful. FSC decides to call the team "NJ", though I think Mark Roghandino called them "NY" in the open. Sky Blue playing in road orange, while Chicago are in sky blue jerseys. Yes it's confusing.
Branham came on for Bardsley at the half, FSC not sure why SB subbed the keeper. Schnur cautioned at 59'. Still 0-0.
I was at the game. It was nasty weather, rained all day in Chicago. They said attendance was over 5,800.
The ball was skipping due to the wet ground, however I did see some nice ball movement on both sides. It was just rainy and cold. Not exactly ideal for beautifuk soccer.
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-4801-NY-Soccer-Examiner~y2009m4d19-Draw-with-Red-Stars-leaves-Sky-Blue-FC-winless
"Sawyers subbed goalkeeper Bardsley out for Jenni Branam at halftime in his continuing effort to get both keepers minutes and let them battle out who will obtain the starting job." Wow, Alexander must be more hurt that I thought (calf).
Well, Branam was moved from developmental status to the full roster on April 10. The transaction wire does not mention who was moved to the developmental roster. I do wonder what the procedure is for players that are injured -- in other words, I see no Injured Reserve list or its equivalent.
Unless or until there is made available just the 18 player roster for a home game, we can’t tell who was moved down if anyone. The team is traveling and can (I believe) have only 16 players on the road, so maybe the team did not have to move someone down yet. The injury reserve list subject has come up before on BS and its sounds as there is not one. There are only 4 subs allowed per game and so far league coaches are mainly using 2 or 3 per game, so a short term injury could stay on a roster (see Rampone). I was told by a player that players have either a guarantee or non-guarantee contracts, so its possible if a non-guarantee player has a bad injury, she could be just let go.
There's a statement by Peter Wilt on here somewhere to the effect that USSF turned down WPS's request to have 4 subs per game, so it's actually the standard 3. It's not at all clear how injured players are handled. Sarah Huffman (out for the year with an ACL injury) is apparently both on and not on the Freedom roster, at least she doesn't count against the 22-player allocation.
Teams are supposed to only be able to keep 18 on the full roster regardless of who is on the travel 16 list so someone had to move off the 18 if Branam moved up. Unless, an injured player no longer counts against the 18 which appears to be the case w/ Hoffman, as StarCityFan pointed out. I really wish someone from the league would clear up the IR rules. If a player can "be just let go" due to injury suffered on the job, then they have a very bad contract and a very bad agent. I personally would not have signed such a contract. I would view a non-guaranteed contract like a temp job. You could get fired/demoted at any point w/ or w/o cause. But you still get basic benefits while you're on the job.
Here is the roster answer: April 9, 2009: Sky Blue FC waived Cori Alexander. http://www.womensprosoccer.com/news/transactions-09 (how did we not see this the other day?) Maybe she had "a very bad agent".
Interesting. We all looked, right? I know I did. I wonder if this entry on the transaction wire was added late b/c I don't remember it being there when the note about Branam being elevated was initially added. (the entry for Jill Oakes being picked up by Chicago was posted on the 21st/22nd but dated the 17th so post-dating on the transaction page has happened). She could have been waived b/c she was beaten out. Or waived not for injury sustained on the job but pre-existing*. If the injury was pre-existing (ie before she signed a contract/drafted) there could have been a contract clause regarding recovery time/passing a medical/etc. The ability to pass a physical is fairly standard for pro sports and trades/moves have been nixed b/c a player failed one. Or, like you say, she could have a very bad agent. Alexander could have signed a contract that allowed her to be waived for injuries received on the job w/o compensation. There are a lot of "could have" statements in my post. I think this discussion is an appropriate place for me to, once again, plea for the league to publish an IR-type list and/or publicize league IR rules. *Anyone know the details of the injury? RUFan, you were the first poster I saw who mentioned it. Was she injured b/f being drafted/pre-season camp?
Well, she's still on their roster, and if you look at the new website, they have a blank photo gallery for her. Don't know for sure, but it looks like they waived her and then kept her on as their developmental GK. They probably have to go through the waiver process in case another team wants her as a regular roster player.
On the eve of the first qame (LA), I asked a player who told me Alexander had an injury (calf, if I heard it right). I did not ask when, but Sawyers picked up Branam (I wonder if asked Chicago for her) early/middle of the pre-camp. Moog’s theory could be right for the process of moving a player down.
Something from Mary Harvey found on a older thread http://fancorner.womensprosoccer.com/profiles/blogs/developmental-players Developmental Players - How it works: 1. Each team in WPS can have up to 4 developmental players, one of whom must be a goalkeeper. 2. These players train regularly with the team, and are members of their teams in every way. 3. How a team uses its developmental players, however, has limitations. A developmental player can only be used in a WPS league game IF the team's active roster fall below 18. The could be for example, due to injury (muscle pulls, sprains, or God forbid worse) or international call-ups. In these circumstances, a team may call up one of its developmental players to its active roster of 18 for a game. 4. If a player plays in 10 or more games, she must be offered a regular player contract. 5. A developmental player who is under contract with one team, however, can sign with another team, if the other team offers her a full contract.