Jen Hoy retires: An unforgettable journey ✨Enjoy retirement, @Jenhoy2!📰 | https://t.co/Iz5wIgx0RA#SBFC pic.twitter.com/YWoVrfVfcZ— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) February 7, 2020
As I remember, Jen Hoy scored the stoppage time goal to lift Chicago over KC in the last game of the 2013 season, thus putting WNY into first place, on standings tie-breakers, and giving the Flash home field advantage for the playoffs (and a shield). I always cheered for her after that. So I got to have semi-crippled Tobin Heath break my heart in person during the 2013 final, instead of on TV. Also from the Way-Back machine, "new" Sky Blue FC midfielder McCall Zerboni previously played for Sky Blue, don't you know? Between the 2011 WPS and 2013 NWSL seasons, coach Jim Gabarra kept several Sky Blue players together with hopes that a first divison league would return after the 2012 hiatus. Sky Blue "borrowed" a handful of WNY Flash players and went on a March 2012 trip to Japan to play INAC Kobe Leonessa. https://skybluefc.com/2012/03/14/sky-blue-fc-heads-to-japan/ Roster: GK: Brittany Cameron, Chantel Jones, Robyn Jones D: Anita Asante, Jazmyne Avant, Kendall Fletcher, Camille Levin, Nikki Marshall, Rebecca Moros, Alex Sahlen M: Carolyn Blank, Brittany Bock, Amanda DaCosta, Beverly Goebel, Taylor Lytle, McCall Zerboni F: Melissa Henderson, Laura Heyboer, Casey Nogueira, Nikki Washington Pre-trip training video. Kendall Fletcher at about 3:36 is PRICELESS.
I remember very well that trip. Beverly Goebel and Becca Moros ended up being offered a contract by INAC Kobe Leonessa and remained in Japan for the subsequent pair of seasons.
wouldn't go that far... but oyster is indeed an excellent defender, one of the best in the nwsl, and immediately improves the defense of the dash. (groom will also play like her life depended on it - not lol around like huerta. so great trade for the dash)
Ali Riley signs with Orlando: NEWS: Orlando Pride Signs New Zealand Women’s National Team Defender Ali Riley. #VamosOrlando— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) February 10, 2020
Hot damn! They got her to come back Stateside finally! I wouldn't call this a "coup" game-changing signing, but it's a damn solid move on ORL's part. (Maybe Duffy is already starting to work some magic that she was too restricted to do in the NWSL President role?)
Beverly Yanez retires: Reign FC midfielder @beverlygoebel (Yanez) has announced her retirement from professional soccer.Thank you to Bev for an incredible six seasons. Bev will always be a part of the Reign FC family.Details here: https://t.co/vefvFYUOJZ#ThanksBev pic.twitter.com/f8eT9PvMiq— Seattle Reign FC (@reignfc) February 10, 2020
So sad. One of my favourite players. And she also had been one of the best Seattle's players last season, so I didn't expect her to leave.
For 3 or 4 years i expected her to retire, this year was the first year i was sure she wouldn't. I'm unhappy about this. I guess the rebuilding and the new coach didn't have space for her. SAD.
Someone on EQZ also kinda hammered on Riley because she has only played a handful of games since leaving Sweden, but it's been well-documented that she's had injury issues, particularly at Chelsea. Of the games she has played with Chelsea and Bayern, a disproportionate number of them have been UWCL games, particularly at Bayern, so I think she still brings a lot of value to the field - when she can play. (Heck, she somehow scored two goals - as a defender - at Chelsea in just 16 games)
It’s possible Ali Riley is past her prime, but still a talented player. I question this signing more on a need/team fit basis. Riley primarily plays outside back, more often on the left. Orlando already has Pickett, and drafted Petersen. On the right side they have Krieger or Sonnett, whoever doesn’t slot in centrally (I suspect Sonnett goes RB to accommodate her WNT trajectory). They have a slew of center backs after the draft: Krieger/Sonnett, Zadorsky, Pressley, Kennedy, Plummer, McClernon, McCoullough. It seems the only answer is higher up the pitch, as a winger. Has she had any success there on other teams?
Not "moves" exactly, but we have the subsidized player list now: https://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/article/nwsl-releases-2020-allocated-players-list 32 players total 23 US and 7 CAN. No Sullivan, JMac, or Williams from the US side. On one hand, it seems counter-productive for some of the veterans to get subsidization while younger up-and-coming players who would be better investments don't. On the other hand, as NWSL grows, federation allocation should eventually be phased out in favor of the new allocation money system. Thoughts?
For the US, it just seems to be the WWC players. So maybe there was some agreement there in the CBA or elsewhere? Or since they were due December 1, maybe Vlatko and/or Kate Markgraf didn't feel like there was really time to assess players and change the list before it needed to be turned in.
If the allocations were due December 1, using the WWC players because there wasn't time to assess players and make changes seems like a logical explanation. The teams needed to know who would be allocated in order to manage their signing or releasing of players, their draft strategy, and their new player acquisition strategies. It all seems to fit. It leaves some "unfortunate" situations, but it's maybe about as good as could be done.
Apologies but at first glance it did look like the WWC roster. But apparently my glance wasn't thorough enough. After looking a little closer, I notice that Casey Short is on the allocated list and Jessica McDonald is not. So it seems the WWC roster was not used.
That's a weird allocation list. Brian, Long, and Short are on it -- and none of them have appeared in a National Team match this year -- and few last year. McDonald and Williams have appeared frequently in matches this year and are not on the list? And McD was in many matches last year. I would be pissed if I were her. What gives? Who decides what players are on the allocation list?
Reports are that Becky Sauerbruun is coming to Portland in exchange for allocation money and a player not yet identified (not an allocated player).
Wow. Two years of not winning hardware, and they're really making moves in Portland. Close, but no cigar, isn't good enough.
Two years of not making the playoffs in Utah and we're blowing the whole thing up and restarting with a youth movement; this must be part of that. But she's one of those I'd anchor the whole endeavor on.
Definitely sad for Utah, but I'm not shocked. Sauerbrunn has been living (or at least was...I don't know about currently) in Portland part time anyway.
The Sauerbruun trade is done. She'll come to the Thorns, and Elizabeth Ball plus $100,000 in allocation money will go to the Royals; and some additional allocation money may go to the Royals depending on unidentified future events. Ball is a good, young player, popular with fans, so she'll be an asset for the Royals. Bruun apparently has had Portland as her home for the last 5 years, so she's happy. Bruun did a nice, very brief hello video for the Portland fans; and a really nice good bye and thank you for the Royals.
I'm very optimistic about this trade. Ball is a really good, young defender. This is a great long-term pickup for the Royals.