Agreed but a draft is still a draft. I would have preferred to see all the internationals grouped as part of the 10/6 draft anyway, this multi-step process is hard to figure. And we still have more layers to get through. Ugh.
The WPS has been talking to the players prior to the draft. Maybe not all of them, but there have been some, like Stensland, who have been approached prior to being listed. I understand the technical aspects of the draft, and I know why they did it. But it would have been nice to have had something even remotely similar to what they did in 2000, and actually have some signings in place to trot out. It wouldn't have needed to be all the international signings, but maybe one or two per team. Then if a team did land Marta or Kelly Smith, all the better.
I think the WPS's site made it very clear. It's the media who reported on the process who did not, I don't doubt they either don't know the process or don't care about the details either. 1) The int'l draft is not an allocation, only a wish list. 2) The WPS can not talk to these players until they follow FIFA's rules. Suppose they can, whom from the WPS do you suppose have to talk to these players? The execs? the PA guys, the teams's owner, coaches ... or the guy who drive the truck? They have to establish an internal rule/ order , a draft is like an assignment for these teams to go talk to these players. 3) How many int'l players had actually indicated their preferences to play in the WPS? Many would have sounded foolish if they started to sound-off until someone asked. If the league only "draft" int'l players who had talked, there will be many left out. What more, there maybe those who say they won't come but a good offer can probably change minds.
http://www.womensprosoccer.com/newsitem_ektid3478.aspx According to the July 8th WPS press release, clubs had a window to conduct discussions with players pre-draft: "July 8 – Aug. 5 WPS teams may enter discussions with international players, in advance of International Players’ post-Olympics draft " There is an article quoting the Commish in one the draft threads implying that Lauren Gregg did some advance work on this and was available to the teams as a "consultant" prior to the draft.
And Ian Sawyers was spotted watching some games in Norway in July and was even briefly interviewed by TV2 about his presence there.
The "draft pool" should have been only been made up of players who had already agreed to play in WPS. News of not being able to sign a drafted player will only make the league look inferior to other leagues and inept. That's not the PR needed when selling a league to customers.
OK, but I think that pales in comparison to how bad it looked adding and dropping franchises days before the US allocation... pushing the whole thing back a year to begin with.... having teams without names or logos drafting players.... But we seem to have gotten over all that, I predict that this too shall pass....
Actually I think the whole Dallas for Bay Area thing (as much as it benefited me) was another foul up. And I'm not sure the league has gotten over it yet. Also, WTF is with LA? Why have they not got a logo or name yet? I mean seriously... they're arguably the richest, most experienced experienced and advanced in soccer ownership group in WPS yet they're almost as far behind as the newcomers in the Bay Area who have owned the team less than a month.
Fan expectations are that this will be like the WUSA international draft. It cant be because foreign leagues heve become quite lucrative and WUSA is not automatically the premiere women's league anymore. Erase your expectations, and be patient. The foreign draft is a gamble, mostly in terms of the league having the staying power and being able to attract the international players down the line....of course a club or coach could have an inside track -like I am hoping the the STL coach has with the Brazilians. It's a mixed bag because you score big down the line if the league succeeds, but you give something up now. STL got rid of Sawa who could impact immediately, while we wait hoping to sign Lotta down the line. I don't get what the fuss is about. It is just another form of strategy.
I didn't think that Kelly Smith would come to the WPS, and in fact I'm sure I posted that on this messageboard months ago, but now I'd be willing to place money that she will come, even if only for a short time. Same with Marta (though I've always believed she'd come). It's obvious that the WPS isn't telling the full story. I just can't believe that the individual teams would waste their time naming a player that they had only a 10 or 20% chance of signing. There were big international stars left out. The ones named have to be players they believe they can get. And it's not as if Boston would be "cashing in" on the name of Kelly Smith. I know she's a great player, you know she's a great player, but we're on a women's soccer messageboard for pete's sake. She's from a country that doesn't participate in the Olympics, so there's no "great tournament" to be coming off of to entice a casual fan into coming. If I was a manager in this league I wouldn't waste an opportunity to sign a guaranteed player from a country like Canada, Norway or China in exchange for a Brazilian or a Brit that you know doesn't want to come. And then watch those same Canadian, Norweigan, and Chinese international players go to other teams while you're left with WSL players, but hey for a second you suckered those fans into thinking you'd have a Brazilian. The logic in that is beyond me.
So what is your point? The article said it was a research done by Lauren Gregg. I read it to mean there were some researches and feelers were sent out but there were no direct contact or at least no contract/ negotiation with the players since that would have been against FIFA's rules. http://www.fairgamemag.com/eng/fair...nal_draft_some_clarification_from_the_commish WPS International Draft - Some Clarification from the Commish
First, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that when her contract would expire in 2010, she would still have part of the 2010 WPS season to play. Second, given her connection to Hope, I would find it very unlikely that Cooper didn't talk to her and make certain she would come over after her contract expires. Third, she's only 24 - and a very good talent. So, if Cooper has assurances that she will in fact come over after her contract, she'll only be 25/26 when she can start playing. Securing rights to that type of player even if you have to wait a year (or 2) was a smart move on Cooper's part. You have to remember, with more teams joining in 2010, they are going to get draft preferrence. They would have swooped on her during next years draft.
Perhaps Schelin is a talented actress? It seems she expressed surprise when questioned by reporters immediately after the draft. Here's Dandal's translation/summary of the interview: http://dandal.webblogg.se/watch/index.html Maybe her surprise was at popping up in the draft sooner rather than later? Her contract with OL was signed in August and valid from September 1 as far as I remember.
But that same page says: USA has always been my goal and in some ways it still is. I'm missing out on a season I could have played there, but that's no big deal. I have many years of playing left", Lotta Schelin says.
And that would have been the basis for my last suggestion that the surprise was at being drafted now instead of in a later stage.
I agree, but I can definitely see why Cooper did it. She would never have lasted past the 2010 expansion draft.
My point was that she wasn't coming at all, but that she would not be in St. Louis green for quite some time. And I understand about him wanting to call dibs on a player, but ... Well, I'm already good and soured about the draft, so I'll leave it at that.
Wait a doggone minute we're talkin' 'bout L8 (Lotta Schelin)? Just how good is she? Do we go to the Rivalry Forum for a verdict here...? (Of course silly me - I'd be tempted to draft Jessica Landström...)
Amidst all the blah blah blah on various homepages, including the official site, I see nothing about when the season is scheduled to end, only the starting date of April 4/5. Is the WPS web site just obscure, or don't they know yet?
this whole international draft would have been best to keep quiet and in house until some players were signed or not signed.... clubs are anouncing Hey we got"***" and sending out therir newsletters, only for fans of the team to go "What do you mean they we not signed" Expect the following release: We have been unable to meet the contract demands that (Marta or Kelly Smith) are looking for. We find that in the effort to contain costs and not have to raise the general addmission ticket prices above 30 dollars we are unable to sign such a talent Thank you
That's what worries me. But here's hoping they pull the signings off without putting the league into a bad financial state.
that's why i picked marta, smith and schelin in this poll. if budgets are to be sustainable, such players are for the time being unattainable. and will backfire. a deflated hope is the worst kind of disappointment. by drafting quality european players they CAN sign, and there are plenty of those. that's why i wouldn't put sonia bompastor (to take a hometown example) on the "wont come" list. WPS money would look good to her, she'll at least use being drafted as leverage for negotiation at OL. and furthermore... first of all, StL is sister city to lyon so i won't permit such talk (then again birmingham is too and it's a proper s***hole ) anyway you'd be surprised! france may get plenty of bad press in the states but america is still a land of enchantment for europeans in general and the french perhaps in particular. but the remark was actually about schelin so... the verdict will come in in two years. will the WPS flourish and be able to offer the kind of contract the big names are getting in europe? will the competition really prove better than european leagues, which are rapidly improving? and last, lotta said this before she'd ever even been to lyon; we'll see if the attraction secretcode mentions works (it might; certainly did on me!)