Zerboni isn't getting any younger and Denise O'Sullivan is seven years younger and fills much the same role for the Courage. Sky Blue get a presence. A great locker room and on-field leader. I'm more curious as to whether this affects Scott Vallow. Then again Crystal Dunn and her Portland Thorns employed husband seem to be doing okay. As for Mace, the Courage are definitely a soft landing. Paul Riley rotates his squad. Pretty much every game they have a USWNT player starting - on the bench. Mace probably won't get 24x90 if she signs, but she'll get on the field as long as she shows she's willing to put in work that Riley demands for his system. This really is a win-win trade. If you look at all the players that Riley has traded away over the last few years, he really seems to find that personal and team balance that keeps players wanting to play for him. Alanna Kennedy, Ashley Hatch, Darian Jenkins, Liz Eddy, Makenzy Doniak, and now McCall Zerboni. And like I said before, Zerboni is exactly the sort of leader on the field that a rebuilding team is going to need. And being at Red Bull Arena, if they continue to draw there, she'll be an instant fan favorite.
…..just a little friendly needling here: If Vallow leaves, maybe Riley could add <gasp> a Woman coach to his full time Courage staff…… From one of Vallow’s tweets it does not look like he is leaving: You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met & I’m going to miss you every day. Your commitment to your craft is hard to match & I know without a doubt that you will thrive at Sky Blue! ps—->may all your 2020 yellow cards be against non-Courage players! 😉 https://t.co/9dpJGiFlVB— Scott Vallow (@ScottVallow) January 10, 2020
Hard to overstate how important Zerboni has been to WNY/NCC. The few media stories I've read about this trade mention her as a member of the team since 2016. This is true technically, but she was on WNY from 2011-2014, dating back to WPS, then WPSL Elite and ultimately NWSL. The only hiatus was in 2015 and a few months of 2016 when she played for Boston and Portland. So she is almost a career player with this club. And except for 2019, she was a reliable starter the whole time. Ultimately this trade benefits both involved in the immediate sense. Sky Blue's midfield is thin, so Zerboni will help right away. That said, she's 33 years old. Sky Blue just lost a 22-year old player with a much longer future in the game. Question mark where Mace fits in. With no expansion this year, NCC keeps Dahlkemper so the center backs remain intact. Mathias is out at least half the season recovering from ACL, so maybe Mace plays right back? I know at UCLA she played center and left back for a while. I like her better as an attacking player, but as we all know the Courage are stacked. She would probably be a substitute there, or occasional starter if Riley rotates the lineup more. Initially the rumor was Mace to Portland, which I thought was great because the Thorns needs more youth and speed up front to pose a real threat to North Carolina. Getting both her and Smith from the draft would have gone a long way. Ironic that Mace now goes to Portland's big rival.
good move by sky blue - mace looked like she was going to leave them holding on to thin air. great move by riley - more speed and athleticism with which to press opponents and run them ragged. even greater move (is that possible?) if indeed portland was jonesing for mace.
...still waiting to see if just smith is what portland gets for all those players & picks. that’s still a head scratcher for me. (i read somewhere that macario’s mom is a doctor, so leaving stanford early is probably not even in her cards - making portland’s trade even more of a riddle.)
Hayley Raso not returning to Portland: https://thewomensgame.com/news/another-matilda-joins-kerr-in-womens-super-league-536592
Are you sure she isn't coming back to Portland? I suspect you're right, but I haven't seen anything specific and definitive on that. Her contract with Everton is for only 6 months, which would finish in early July. In theory, at least, she could be in Portland for most of July and the rest of the season. Also, she still is listed on the Portland roster, whereas the players they've traded already are off it and the players they just drafted are on it. So, that suggests she'll be back in Portland. It's possible that this was a way for Portland to let Raso increase her earnings while still keeping her and at the same time meeting the salary cap.
Well, she won't be at Portland come training camp, with anything that follows complicated by what her contract status is (who has her primary contract?) and the transfer windows. You can't be registered with multiple teams in a year, though there are some exceptions for offset calendars.
Loan is part of that consideration. You can only be registered with 2 teams that you play with during a year. I'm not sure she'd be able to play for Everton, Portland AND Brisbane in the same calendar year. She's already played for Brisbane, so not sure if the offset calendar allows her to play in the NWSL. Her time at Everton would take her up to the Olympics (July to August), so that complicates time in NWSL and may mean she'll want to skip NWSL to get some rest. This article hints she isn't coming back soon: https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2020/1/15/21068463/reports-indicate-hayley-raso-is-off-to-everton
So Pugh to SBFC is official. Pugh may not have lived up to her potential in Washington but SBFC being able to get her for 3 picks in this draft and next year 1st rounder is a steal. Especially given SBFC was still able to draft really good players in this draft. With a front three of Pugh, Lloyd and Purce we should finally see some consistent goal scoring from this team. I'm excited for them.
Yeah my jaw was dropping when they announced the number of picks and unknown player at the time. I figure it had to be big.
SKY BLUE! We know for sure Alyse LaHue can General Manage her ass off. We're going to find out if Freya Coombe can coach. From @nwsltechsupoort Twitter: Sky Blue in: Mal Pugh Midge Purce McCall Zerboni Evelyne Viens Kaleigh Riehl Mandy McGlynn Chantelle Swaby Sky Blue out: Raquel Rodriguez
pugh was my first thought when they announced the trade. let’s hope this change of scene restarts her engines. she seems to have taken things for granted.
!!!! people will always ask how much of a hand she had in each major move, but... last year‘s mgmt of that toxic situation was amazing! followed by the offseason move to rb stadium!! followed by an outstanding draft!!! expansion teams might be willing to pay good $$ to steal her..
In more Sky Blue player moves news: Apparently they've now shipped off rights to Ashley (the other 2019 draftee that spurned them) to Reign FC for Onumonu. They've traded off old and current draft picks (and Rocky) for Zerboni, Pugh, Onumonu, and Purce, and still managed a probable starter in the draft with Viens. Not bad. Gonna be a fun team playing at RBA this year.
Yes, Sky Blue will be the most interesting team to watch -- at least at the beginning of the season. They got Pugh for Sanchez and change. Zerboni for the rights to Mace Unomonu for the rights to Ashley Purce for R. Rodriguez Viens in the draft (rated as 3rd best player in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer, behind Macario and Fleming and ahead of every other draft choice. So, maybe you put Carli Lloyd at attacking mid if Viens turned out good at center forward, Zerboni at defensive midfielder, Pugh as a wing forward, Unomonu as another wing forward. and Purce as a outside back. However, Paige Moghehan and Sarah Killion are pretty good also. so the newbies will have to earn a starting spot. And Dorsey is around, and Elizabeth Eddy looked good on occasion last year. Lots of attacking talent.