So, lots of talk in the Philly game thread (well, several threads) about Hayes and whether she is getting the job done. The consensus seems to be a big fat No. So, as I sometimes do when people complain about WNT callups, here's a challenge. Who do you think should be the candidates for the CRS head coach? Throw some names out there. And be reasonable. No top NCAA coach (hell, no midlevel NCAA coach) is going to leave their job for the CRS job. And Marcia has enough on her plate right now w/ being GM & NSCAA president. She's not going to fill the gap.
Former USWNT assistant coach Bret Hall is from Chicago. Just saw him not too long ago. I think he would be a great candidate for the job. Or since Marcia is an UNC alum, how about asking Bill Palladino to take over. But he has a great gig being Anson's assistant. Kelly Lindsey Abner Rodgers
Would he really leave Pali right at the start of the season to take over in Chicago? If so, I'd pick up the phone and test the waters. And what about April Heinrichs? I ask partly in jest and partly very seriously. It is a summer league & the visor would get much use She might not have been the best WNT coach evah (and I had my issues w/ her in that role) but she was successful enough at UVA. She doesn't have a current coaching gig that I know about. The WPS very well could be the place for her to return. Of course, then we might have to watch Markgraf play left back. I can't stop w/ the jokes. Seriously, though, I think she should be considered.
Actually that's not a bad idea. Marcia and April know each other well and I think April has the creds for the job. And BTW, who says she wasn't a good USWNT coach? The old guard of 99ers? Because she didn't start Brandi in the Olympics? I think she did a fine job as USWNT coach. She didn't win the World Cup but she did win an Olympic Gold Medal. And I don't want to hear how they won in spite of her. She should get credit for that win.
um, me? and it has nothing to do w/ Brandi and the Olys. It is all about no Pierce vs Germany in '03 Not to totally rehash (and potentially kill my own suggestion) but... The '03 WWC pretty much should make my case that April wasn't a great WNT coach. It was the '99ers that had to campaign for Boxx to be included on the team even though she was kicking major @ss in WUSA. It was obvious to every one but April that she should be there. It was equally obvious to most that MacMillan had no business (due to health) being there. And don't get me started on the Germany game. But I really do think she is a viable option in WPS.
You do have a point about Pierce and MacMillan. Didn't Sarah Whalen quit because she didn't like April's style or something?
Heinrichs was a disastor. The team only won because they were loaded with talent not only on the field but on the bench as well. She had a stifling mentality which led to great discord among players. It was more than MacMillan, Pierce, and Whalen. Even Milbrett walked away and lost some of her best years. April as a player was one thing, as a coach NO WAY.
it would be good to get a coach that will stay and not bail on the team..so that leaves one of these out...but a change is necessary i think..something is not clicking...
What candidates would you suggest? Heinrichs wasn't a great national team coach and was not a good coach for that particular set of players. But club ball is very different than international ball. Also, I think Heinrichs is capable of learning from mistakes and developing her coaching philosophy. I'm not saying she is the bestest coach evah. I'm not even saying I'd hire her. I'd need serious discussions regarding how she's adjusted her coaching philosophy to address the changes in the game over the last 5+ years. But, there aren't a ton of other candidates with her qualifications that aren't in better jobs (ie NCAA). Naimo, Rogers, Lindsey, Hall, and Heinrichs have been suggested so far. I'd think Lindsey likely needs to stick somewhere as an assistant for a while & rehab her image. Rogers is back w/ a CA club organization, correct? He's been in CA so long and connected w/ CA soccer for so long that I simply do not see him moving for another gig. I think Naimo would move for the right job but I'm not convinced that he'd leave Pali just as the season is starting. Maybe he would leave for Chicago & it is worth the cost of a few phone calls. I don't know much about Hall or his coaching philosophy at all, including how he feels about not being hired in the first place (wasn't he a candidate?). And Heinrichs is a somewhat flawed selection, too. But, if folks are going to call for Hayes to be fired, then I think it is reasonable to try and come up with a list of replacements. It is easy to just say "fire 'em" but firing someone doesn't really solve the problems. So, let's come up w/ some more candidates.
However, there is more to it when chosing a coach in the WPS then just knowledge of X's and O's. Especially, IMO in the CRS case. An organization may want a coach that does camps, public appearances, volunteer coaching, charity work, etc. In other words put a positive and friendly face image to the community. This why IMO, and just my opinion, is why Emma Hayes may have been chosen over someone like a Shek Borkowski. Would Shek have done all the training and appearances in the Chicago suburbs to groups of little kids? Would he have started a fund raiser to get underprivilaged kids a chance to go to a Red Stars game? I don't know, but these are just some examples of what may go into chosing a coach, in my opinion.
Anybody overseas? Dutch national coach quit her job, she seems to have experience and brought the Netherlands to the big stage, she seems like she could do good. Idk really, I can't think of a lot nor do I know if they are any good. Maybe an ex USA player, akers needs some money for her horses, she could do it.
Does Akers even have a ussf coaching license? She has had little to no coaching experience. I do not actually think she has the skill base to be the head coach of a WPS team. I would not be in favor of hiring someone, no matter the playing success, who has had so little coaching experience after such a long time away from their playing days. Cindy Parlow and Carla Overbeck have more coaching experience. I do not think either of them would be a appropriate candidate for the CRS job. Overbeck has shown no interest in pursuing a coaching gig outside of her assistant job at Duke. She seems happy to live in the Durham/CH area and raise her kids. Parlow very well might be a good candidate for a WPS assistant gig. She's coached club soccer and has been a volunteer assistant at UNC. Vera Pauw is an interesting suggestion. My (main?) concern w/ hiring Pauw would be her lack of knowledge of the American game. Doesn't mean she wouldn't be able to figure it out and/or get a good America staff to compensate for that.
Anyone else notice Hayes's lack of Twitter updates lately? Wonder if she has nothing to say... Then again I think Saturdays post-game comments were the first time I've ever heard her criticize herself and not call it "unlucky".
Re: the European coaches: Hayes has said "overseas" origins and that hasn't worked out. Just b/c a coach has an accent and has coached in Europe doesn't mean they are better than American coaches and should get the job. Miettnen is Finnish but she's spent a lot of time in the USA college coaching ranks b/f getting the SBFC job--and she played NCAA soccer. Pia also spent some time coaching in the USA.
Couldn't agree with you more. I don't know if Emma knows or has it in her to put together all these different styles of play with authority. I want to believe she does, but the second season has been a continuation of the first season and so far I'm not convinced. IMO, if she doesn't get it together fast, she will start losing players. Whether they will say it or show it publicly or not, players will quit believing in her and then the team will eventually start splintering into groups. Let's hope things turn around within the next two home games.
You would think Nogueira, Cristiane, and Asllani would be working together, they seem to all be somewhat creative players, maybe their missing that tall forward like an Abby or Landstrom to make space. Idk but Emma's attacking style isn't working when it should be. She needs to light a fire under some of their butts. She has to realize her job is getting close to being on the line if it isn't already. I also think we might be seeing a trade for an offensive player. If Cristiane and Asllani don't start scoring, I think you'll see someone brought in.
A trade wont fix our issues. Sure, that gets some new blood in the team, but this is a problem that includes multiple people. Cristiane's lack of fitness, Asllani's lack of knowledge of what to do with the ball, Rapinoe's lack of ever giving the ball up, Formiga's inept ability to pass... etc. I'm almost positive if the midfielders and forwards have specific instructions of how to play.. we'd start doing much better. Instead we're playing a hodgepodge of attacking styles and nothing is flowing.
I used to figure as a rule-of-thumb a ratio of about 6 shots on goal for every goal in the women's game. In WPS so far, it's closer to 5:1. Red Stars ratio is 10.3. At the other end of the scale, you have Washington at 3.7 and Gold Pride at 4.3 -- And the worst is Atlanta with an astonishing 19.2 ratio - that's just plain being snake-bit; they will score more goals and that number will come down. I think the same is true for the Red Stars - they will score a little more often and that number will come down. I'm not saying they're going to score a ton of goals but.... The teams in order from best to worst (shots on goal per goal): Washington 3.7 Gold Pride 4.3 Philadelphia 4.6 St Louis 4.7 Sky Blue 5.6 Boston 6.2 Chicago 10.3 Atlanta 19.2 Numbers may be off - unfortunately the WPS stats have numerous errors in them. I adjusted the numbers for a few games that were clearly wrong (such as Washington vs Boston where every shot was recorded as a shot on goal). I also excluded goals from PKs and own-goals.
yeah I had the same reaction -- wow. should be interesting the next couple of games then. maybe the lineup will get a spark...
I guess she wasn't getting her message across the squad. It is a result business at the end of the day and she has been getting good ones for a while. There is a position open at Arsenal, she should apply.