McDowell back in Charge Villanova, PA (Sports Network) - On Wednesday, the WUSA announced a trade between the Washington Freedom and Philadelphia Charge that sent midfielder Rebekah McDowell back to Philly, where she played for the past two seasons. The UNC product was originally traded to the Freedom on February 2. She then switch hands again for the Charge's third-round pick in the 2004 draft. In her two seasons in Philly, McDowell played 31 times for the Charge, including 22 starting appearances.
With Monroe in school and the earlier indication of her continuing to rehab, does this mean McDowell assumes the squirt role on the roster?? This roster is getting real crowded. McDowell to central defense anyone??
I think Monroe spot is ok... Kraus might be the odd one out now.. Or McDowell becomes a reserve, and Karyn Hall loses out. DC with Steffi Jones and Minnert really didn't need McDowell. As long as Makinen stays wiht the Charge, basically it's a 2nd round draft choice for Makinen. Sounds like Gabarra gave up on her??
yes i would say that he did...dunno why, she wasnt half bad...right now with mcdowell back id say that was a steal...i dont care what the freedom sez...read the waiver list...mcdowell got cut...glad we got her back...as for her role...id say backup utility M/D and get rid of hall. possibly have her as a reserve depending on how well she does.
Hall went through a major off season conditioning program, so she's probably a better player this year. Given what's happening, it seems to be it's Kraus versus Hall as a reserve. McDowell is so quite, the recent turn of events must be affecting her somewhat. I do wonder about Monroe's progress in rehab. If she's out for any time, it's great to get McDowell back, because I don't see any other player on the Charge performing that pest role.
no offense to hall but i really cannot see her as much of anything to this team but a reserve or even delevopmental player. then again if kraus is stinking it up...she may have a chance. we will see on sunday...as for McDowell, she will be on this team...where is the question...and if monroe really starts out on IR, it was key that we got mcdowell back...good move i say. got to have our mak and eat it too (wait that didnt sound right, you do know what i mean, right :-\ )
If Monroe is on IR, then McDowell just takes her spot. If Monroe is healthy, then the question is, is it McDowell or Kraus who makes the roster. As to players performance, the weather is so horribly poor, you have to wait till conditions improve and people show what they have on a fair surface. Between Hall and Kraus and McDowell, the question is which player is a better central defender. Cachundo's point over the winter was moving McDowell back there. We have have found EI replacement today??
im not sure...if mcdowell really was up to be an EI replacement, why would we trade her in the 1st place (even though mak is a huge trade up and we got mcdowell back anyway.) kraus never was a central defender, i think kirks eye on her was to replace karvelsson and to go with mcveigh at CD...if mcveigh is really like tullock then i would say that she shouldnt be put in at CD either as it would waste talent. we shall see.
Well, my favorite team ever was clockwork orange, so this concept of having skilled players in defense isn't all that bad... I can see the day when the USMNT outside backs are Reyna and O'Brien... Sunday, the most fascinating point to observe is formation and who's in central defense... the who's in goal. weather is supposed to be very favorable... 10:50 AM R5 out of 30th st is probably my train... don't forget Market east and Suburban stations are closed during the weekend for line repairs
she was waived - why didn't we pick her up off waivers? what did we trade to get her back? this is very weird - something fishy going on. where are the conspiracy theorists when you need them?
The Front Office of the WUSA stepped in and said: "The Freedom couldn't put her on waivers, because the trade for Anne wasn't a done deal until Anne gets her green card." and if you look at the Freedom roster Ruth Montgomery isn't listed yet, because of the trade.
Yes, this is very odd. The green card matter probably takes longer due to the extra security checking for all applicants. So, it just seems a matter of time before Anne gets it. The story was McDowell wasn't going to make their 16?? I'd see her being here at least as a reserve. Hoffmann and Makinen, potentially being 5 foreign players. Either the league gives special dispensation or one of these players sits pending the green card being acquired. Since it's Makinen who is in the process, it seems to me, it's Hoffmann who is the innocent bystander. So, hire Makinen as a coach pending her green card, then put her on the squad as player/coach, once she's green!! Any one else have any other ideas, other than her getting a marriage of convenience.
I find this move bizarre. As judy mentioned, McDowell seems to have been waived, so why trade something of value? Very bizarre. So now the Makinen trade morphs to a 3rd-rounder this year & a 3rd-rounder next year. The real issue now is that there seem to be too many bodies chasing a few spots. Trading for McD at this point in time looks to me like she's a lock for the final 16. If not, why trade for her in the first place? I wonder who McD will displace? With all these bizarre goings-on, I wouldn't be surprised to see SD trade their '04 1st-rounder to get back Kraus & their '04 2nd-rounder. They're hurting for capable defenders, so PHL should accomodate them.
I think the issue is the health of Monroe. There was the Charge story about here finishing this semester at UCLA and still rehabbing. So Mcdowell is a logical fit for Monroe, if indeed MF isn't totally healthy. Worse case scenario has McDowell being a reserve. The most neagtive aspect of this could be Makinen not getting a green card, which threatens either Makinen or Hoffmann. But I don't see WUSA playing hardball with the Charge in this matter, but who knows. The final aspect is Hoffmann getting a visa, and given her "Bader Meinhof" past, just kidding folks!!!, this might not happen. And to Cachundo, what's up with the world of cycling... Kivilev.... Armstrong getting a divorce... and the Tour starting in the States in2005, with Outdoor Life Network, a COMCAST entity pushing for a start in Philadelphia.
Really? LeTour in the US? I see a 4th-of-July prologue up that hill in Manayunk. Logistical problems will abound, just like when they did the prologue in Ireland. But Ireland's just a ferry ride away for team logistics. LeTour & ICU shy away from this side of the pond, not only because of scant participation, but also because of insurance & liability issues. Once they can hurdle those, expect F1 to also make a comeback.
Still Lurking About McDowell leaving! Arase Gk and Szyluk M/F( who assisted Abby's goal against the courage Sat.) also have left.
As improbable it may seem, the Tour de France might come to Philadelphia in two years. Comcast's Outdoor Life Network, which televises the race in the United States, has held "extremely preliminary talks" with Tour officials about holding the initial stages of the 2005 race on the East Coast, according to Bloomberg News. The rest of the race would be held in France. The idea would be to start in New York and go to Washington, with a stop in Philadelphia, home of cycling's U.S. Pro Championship. In recent years, the Tour often has had stages outside France but always in a neighboring European country.
Are the DC people getting cut by gabarra or leaving of their own valition?? laura is still there right?? how's the battle between borski and herself going??
Here is something on McDowell from today's (March 13) USA Today Transactions - ************************************* SOCCER San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) - Signed goalkeeper Pat Onstad to a multi-year contract. Philadelphia Charge (WUSA) - Waived midfielder Rebekah McDowell. *************************************
Can we all send McDowell a fond good-bye again. To me, this whole matter has been poorly handled. You don't screw people around in this fashion, sending them from team to team, and then have the axe fall in this fashion. We probably don't have the whole story here, but this is too bizarre for me to even contemplate the truth in it. Good luck Rebekah!!! Gabarra and Krikorian need a little soul searching here. True, this is a business, but what went on here is really awkwardly strange.
AGREE i spent all last night talking to fan of mandy over on WUSA.com trying to figure this out and i STILL have no fn clue what the hell went on...so wait we undo a trade keep makinen and then tell McDowell to goto hell (AGAIN!) Total BS and your right, i useally defend kirk but they way that was handled was crass and wrong, you dont trade for a player just to cut her when she already was pending waivers (IE already cut)...gives the Piaites who sit next to us and think kirk is a jerk some ammo definatly. as for gabby, we all know that hes just a shill for mia just like the entire freedom front office so i dont care about that fn nitwit, dont ask me how he coached his team to FC2 but it wasnt because he was trying to thats fer sure. uglier incident than the iverson situiation...WUSA as a whole should yell loud and long at both of those ppl...there is cutting people as a business which is part of the game, but then there is throwing people around like a peice of meat for no reason...if mcdowell tried out as a UFA with the charge and failed...things would be different...but this...this is just poor managment.
What may have happened was that McD decided to retire when she was traded. DC said WTF is that??!! PHL relented by forking over next year's 3rd-rounder instead.
WUSA is more looney than Alice in Wonderland right now. Let the football get started, or else we'll all go crazy over these wierd happenstances.