One reason is that European and Japanese women have fewer children than American women: 1.5 per woman for Europe and Japan and 1.8 for the U.S. A speculative reason is that the economic benefits of having children for American women athletes may be greater than for athletes from other country. American professional sports tend toward the socialistic, while European soccer, and possibly other sports, is more capitalistic. .
In that case what kind of "dottir" will she be? If I get the way this kind of patronimic works in Iceland right, it is indeed a "patronimic", i.e. the first half is always the name of the father, and can't be the one of the mother. So, we actually can't have a "Dagnysdottir".
Notice that, for all of the USA examples you cited, they were USWNT stars. Being on the USWNT comes with a paycheck and job security that not many other WoSo players have. USWNT can afford to take time off to have their child, (and afford to support a family in general,) and will be relatively likely to regain their club&country playing roles once they come back from their maternity leave. I'd bet that players in other countries - or even non-WNT US players, since I can't think of any pregnancy examples of those at the moment - avoid getting pregnant too soon because there's too much monetary and career risk involved, so they wait to have children until they're done with their playing career.
I guess you are probably spot-on. I hadn't noticed the fact that I had only made examples of players who were already USWNT established names at the time of their pregnancy, but now that you mention it, I can't remember any case of non-USWNT players either. Not sure about the rest of the world, but it Japan only one name comes to mind of a player who had a child during her career, an international from early 2000s, Tomomi Miyamoto, who retired from NT duties not much ahead of WWC 2011. But I don't think in Japan there ever was any form of federal support for NT players, so I am not sure how easy it was for her (and probably it anyway helped that she was an established NT player already and the star of her local Division 1 team, so it was likely that she would have found a place at her return from maternity leave). Off-topic: am I wrong, or making this thread a sticky thread was a quite recent thing?
Jessica McDonald is the only non-USWNT NWSL player that I can think of who has had a child (Yes, I know, she's had a cap since then, but she had the baby when she didn't have the security of being on the USWNT). She had her child in 2012, and had the lull between WPS and NWSL to get back in shape. But she very quickly after having her son was playing in Australia in 2012. I think STT said it well. USWNT players have maternity leave and job security that non-NT NWSL players don't. They also get child care while in NT camp, plus a decent salary from which they can pay for child care during NWSL season. NT players also seemingly have more control over trades, etc., in which other NWSL players may have to uproot their family to move to a different city on short notice. In other words, NT players know that if they have a child during their playing years, their job will be there waiting on them, if they want to come back. They'll also have the support they need to make it happen. Non-USWNT players do not have that job security and usually choose to wait until their playing days are over. The NWSL players unionizing though might make it easier for someone to be a mom and still play, if they end up fighting for things like maternity leave and/or child care.
...so, of our two non-USWNT pregnancy examples, one had her kid before even starting her pro career, and the other had her kid during a year when there was no pro league to play in. I think my original point still stands.
At this point, I have do wonder if Dagny, despite being only 26, is actually determined to go on with her career. Although she's the star of Icelandic NT (thus supposed to be called again, should she come back from maternity leave), I am not sure what kind of financial support Icelandic federation gives, if any. I am aware, though, that nordic country are normally quite ahead in terms of welfare state, gender parity and general social services.
My original question was also intended to ask if that was true. I was curious because I live in Europe, so my knowledge of American society is indirect and incomplete.
Jen Cooper at KeeperNotes put together a roster spread sheet for all the teams including contract and allocation status: Stay currrent with @NWSL off-season roster moves with this roster spreadsheet: https://t.co/b5NmlQKRxy— Keeper Notes (@keepernotes) January 9, 2018
I'll probably hold off on judging this deal until we know which two players are getting traded. Hopefully it is not some of our younger players because this team needs to get younger and not older. National sources say NWSL trade in works, with #USWNT MF-D Allie Long ending up in Seattle from Portland for Australian intl Caitlin Foord's rights. (Seattle trades two players to Sky Blue for rights to Foord.)— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) January 11, 2018
Mathias would be a good bet for one of the players going to Sky Blue....Versatile, tough as nails, always finds her way into the lineup wherever she is.
Just kill me now. This is a TERRIBLE trade. Sure we were at a surplus at CF but why trade away the youngest and best prospect for two players pushing 30 with one of them a flighty player who never stays with a club for more than half a season. Also, we trade one of the best right backs in the league and are left with Mathias?? Why Why Why. Just when you thought our youth situation will be better with Harvey gone this happens, ugh. Sky Blue FC has completed a trade with Seattle Reign FC, acquiring @NZ_Football defender Rebekah Stott and @miseleccionmx forward Katie Johnson. https://t.co/baFNXTt8no— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) January 11, 2018
By the way, Caitlin Foord, after being nominated Asian Women's Footballer of the Year in 2016, had a quite average season in Japan, in Vegalta Sendai Ladies. She was quite good, actually, but not oustanding as one could have expected from her, given that individual award. It is very possible, on the other hand, that she couldn't give her best because of a mediocre perfomance from the team around her, that once again failed in the attempt of seriously fighting for the title. So I have to suspend my judgement about this signing: the Foord I saw playing in Japan in 2017 was a good player, but not a game-changer: I am curious to see how she will fare in NWSL, in a very different set-up and environnement (if the rights will actually be put to use by Portland).
Always big news when an "original" player leaves her club. O'Hara leaving Sky Blue, and now Long leaving Portland. When I think of Portland Thorns, the two that come to mind first are Sinclair and Long. While I don't think she belongs on the national team, Long has been integral to Portland's success (with the exception of late 2017 when she rode the bench) and the fans loved her. With Henry and Nadim leaving, Shim before them, and now Dagny pregnant, Portland is suddenly very thin in midfield. More trades to come no doubt, and the draft, but still. Foord would be a great addition, adding some speed which they lacked last year. Initially I wondered where Long fits in a Seattle midfield with Fishlock, Utsugi and Nairn already starters. Then I remembered Laura Harvey and her 4-3-3 are gone. Vlatko may have a new system in mind featuring more midfielders.
Ugh! Stott was indeed good in 2017 season, but especially Katie Johnson was indeed awesome at times, especially as a super-sub (although she had disappointed at times as a starter: but she's young, it's understandable). I am aware that Allie Long just won the title with Portland and is an US-WNT member, but I am not super-excited for her, as a Seattle fan. Maybe I am biased because the memory of her that I mostly have in my eyes is that of her performance vs France at SheBelieves 2017?
Nairn belongs on the bench. Also I think Vladko prefers the 4-3-3/4-5-1 as much as Harvey so I don't see it going away. He could try a 4-4-2 as we well with Utsugi at left back, Rapinoe and Kawasumi on the wings, Fishlock and Long in a midfield diamond and Taylor and Yanez up top. There are many options for him now. Above all else I'm just mad we still have Mathias
Long is actually in my top 5 best NWSL players of all time. She's really good in the league so I don't mind the signing. I just mad that we had to give up K-Jo and Stott for her.
Surprised you write off Nairn so quickly. She didn't have the best season, but her ball control is good and she can move the ball around efficiently.