NC Courage Offseason 2017-2018

Discussion in 'Western New York Flash' started by BlueCrimson, Oct 28, 2017.

  1. BlueCrimson

    BlueCrimson Member+

    North Carolina Courage
    United States
    Nov 21, 2012
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Club:
    Sydney FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    With the season having wrapped up a few weeks ago, it's time to focus on the long few months until April and Season 6 of the NWSL.

    Quick recap of the offseason so far:

    The USWNT took on Korea Republic in 2 matches, both wins for the US. While Taylor Smith was forced to withdraw from the roster due to that cheap shot from Tobin Heath in the final, Abby Dahlkemper, Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams did get to represent in both games, with McCall Zerboni receiving a call for the second match and making her international debut in Cary. Mewis scored a brace and Williams added a goal of her own for a Courage hat trick, while Dahlkemper played the full 90 in both matches. The US finishes the year with a 2 game series against Canada in November, and several Courage players are expected to be named for that roster.

    Denise O'Sullivan represented Republic of Ireland for a World Cup qualifier against Slovakia and played the full 90, scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 victory. ROI's next qualifier is in the Netherlands on November 28.

    Makenzy Doniak and Ashley Hatch have joined Adelaide United and Melbourne City on loan in the W-League. While Adelaide has a bye for Round 1, City started their season with a 4-1 loss to Perth Glory, with Hatch playing the full 90 for City. Round 2 will see City face off against Melbourne Victory, while Adelaide opens their season against Western Sydney Wanderers.

    Finally, the Courage announced their first offseason roster moves. Mewis, Williams, and Sabrina D'Angelo are listed as federation players, while Steph Ochs was placed on the waiver wire and Nora Holstad is expected to announce her retirement. All other rostered players have either had their options exercised or been offered new contracts for 2018. The team did not make any selections in the waiver draft.
     
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  2. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Any news about Yuri Kawamura? When she will recover from her ACL, NC Courage manifested any intention to retain her? :cautious:
     
  3. BlueCrimson

    BlueCrimson Member+

    North Carolina Courage
    United States
    Nov 21, 2012
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Club:
    Sydney FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The team chose to exercise her option for next season. So as of right now, she's under contract.
     
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  4. BlueCrimson

    BlueCrimson Member+

    North Carolina Courage
    United States
    Nov 21, 2012
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Club:
    Sydney FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States


    Interesting.
     
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  5. CoachJon

    CoachJon Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Rochester, NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Season retrospective by Kelly Glendenning- it almost brought a tear to my eye.

    "On October 31, 2002, I dressed up as my childhood hero for Halloween.......Danielle Fotopoulus was fresh off a WUSA Founder’s Cup Championship, and my adoration of this U.S. Women’s National Teamer was at an all time high. I had to be her for Halloween. Like HAD TO."

    "The NC Courage didn’t move to Cary on January 9, 2017. That’s the day they finally came back home."

    http://www.northcarolinafc.com/news/2017/10/31/theyre-finally-home-2017-season-review

     
  6. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Which, to me, is the most interesting and important news so far this off-season.

    That really speaks to what they think of her. Especially when they ended with a backline with two active USWNT players, one who likely would be except for certain political issues, and the recently retired New Zealand national team captain.

    Unless they expect to lose one of Hinkle/Dahlkemper/Erceg/Smith, that's a luxury to have five back-liners at that level.

    I can also see the Courage having roster issues moving forward. The team just spent the season parking one 2017 draft pick on the DL as well as another recovering draft pick they think highly of that was never signed, but I believe they still control the rights to. There are definitely players on the roster who are replaceable, but unless something gives with the 20 players or even the salary cap, I'm not sure how the team adds Yuri and Darian to the team. Especially as they play the two positions the team is loaded.

    NWSL rosters are designed to be threadbare. Teams can't afford (either in roster flexibility or in cold, hard, cash) to have top-line replacements all over the field. You're lucky if you've got 10 quality starters in their best field positions. Ignoring the obligatory two goalkeepers, you're left with 18 spots. Which is fine for a single game, but it's brutal over a 7-8 month season. Stephanie Ochs and her ilk exist not because she's particularly good at anything, but because she can play forward and she can play defense. A group of starters and a bench of utility players. Jessica McDonald as an outside back, anyone?

    But then there's good solid economic reasons why NWSL rosters aren't 22 or 24 players. When you have teams (FCKC) that apparently traveled without a full game-day compliment of 16 players last summer as a cost savings measure, adding six figures in salaries and other costs across the board isn't really viable.

    As the ownership groups around the league are upgraded, hopefully that'll be something that can change.

    But I was definitely surprised when I saw Yuri's option picked up. Not because she didn't impress - she really did, but in that I was struggling to fit her back into the NWSL roster rules.
     
  7. CoachJon

    CoachJon Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Rochester, NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Twitter today. I still want to see females in this group pic.
     
  8. CoachJon

    CoachJon Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Rochester, NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Paul Riley's response to a tweet about the all-male pic:
    I think the response is weak. Saying there are many womenin the background does not change the fact that none are in the foreground and therefore misses the whole point.
     
  9. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    So you think there should be quotas? Would the league be better with more female photographers?

    Frankly, I'm more concerned about the lack of women in the technical staffs of NCAA/USL/NASL/MLS teams than I am about the presence of an all-male coaching staff in the NWSL.

    I'm both proud to have been their to document Meghan Cameron's appearance at SKC's draft table, but I'm also saddened that she's just now the first.

    Without understanding the context of Paul Riley's construction of his staff, it's hard to get too concerned one way or the other. We don't know who he and Curt Johnson approached, and what they were able/willing to offer. The one assistant coach that appears to be replaced was only a volunteer with the team - his day job being working for a local college team. If only two or three of those positions are paid, it might not be that easy to find anyone, much less a specific race or gender to make the photo look better, to fill the position.

    I see lot of people - both last year and now - upset over the lack of women, I don't see any similar outrage over the racial homogeneity of the photo.

    Four of the five technical positions are carried over from last year. It appears the one opening when to a white guy.

    Brad Friedel and Giovanni Savarese are new MLS head coaches with all new staffs. I don't see any women in their groups - each with a clean slate to start with. And both with a lot more financial resources to offer prospective assistants.
     
  10. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    A better comparison to the Courage coaching staff would be the Thorns. In a comparable picture, 4 of the 7 would have been female.
     
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  11. CoachJon

    CoachJon Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Rochester, NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'll address the @AndyMead post without doing a 'Quote' and inserting it here.

    Yes, and my Quota is One woman, minimum, on the senor team’s coaching staff. I do not believe the league or any other authority should create quotas.

    Race and ethnicity, although pertinent and important, are not a part of this conversation.
    This is a women’s soccer league, and the participation of women at all levels is important and relevant.

    I believe any women’s sports organization needs to be pro-active in hiring/bringing on board women through the side of the organizational pyramid, as well as in developing participation in the vertical direction.

    Because I follow NC, the impression I get is they have one of the league’s larger coaching staffs for the senior team, whether or not those staff members wear two or more hats in the organization. To have no women involved in those positions is evidence leading to the perception they don’t care about the matter. Both reality and perception are important.

    And your point about the availability of women for the staff is weak – sure there may be (maybe a lot) fewer women than men who have qualifications and can accept the economic constraints – but if the NC organization really wanted to have a women on the senior women’s team coaching staff, they could get one (or more).
     
  12. CoachJon

    CoachJon Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Rochester, NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Doniak is the only NC player who has been offered a contract and has not signed. I wonder why? Could she be trying to use here really good season in the W-league to eke out a bit more compensation?
     
  13. hotjam2

    hotjam2 Member+

    Nov 23, 2012
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Doniak just got an ACL, but the newest scoop is that Chrystal Dunn is coming to the Courage
     

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