Well, tbh, I think there was more to Marta & Boxx ending up at FCGP than just Montoya picking up the phone. Yes, congrats to Kessler (the GM) and Montoya & ownership for adjusting the cap & funding for that. But I got the feeling that Marta was going to stay in CA & that Boxx was going back to CA regardless after STL folded spit...Cooper...spit as she is from CA and requested to be in CA when the league started. But that's just one woman's reading of tea leaves that could be read differently. But your larger point stands. CRS needs to upgrade a couple of areas and vastly improve some decision making/shooting percentage/etc.
cross one off the draft list-- Ali Hawkins all but slammed the pro door (if you will) shut in an interview linked over on the UNC thread on the college boards. Ouch.
I think that's the right decision for her. She'd be only a marginal pro player if she could even stay healthy. I'm a fan of hers in the college game but injuries have taken a step or two from her.
Well, we've been eliminated from the playoffs again. What a shame. We have good fan support. A team like Philadelphia that barely draws 2,000 fans makes the playoffs and a team that consistently draws double that does not. It is not only to the Red stars interest but the leagues as well that the Chicago Red Stars do well on the field. With a winning team we would outdraw everyone at the gate. We have a good group of core players especially on defense, but as I believe, we have too many players that are similar ,need the ball in a similar way, etc. We need players that have a distinct skill and play their roll. We can't have Formiga, Carney, Cristiane, Rapinoe all doing their thing in midfield and all wanting the ball at the same time. Ella Masar has learned how to play her roll very well. She gets the ball, shoots-goal! No trying to get in perfect position or take one more man on like some of the rest. I'm also tired of watching Cristiane in games, dribble, dribble, dribble, roll the ball with her left, and then dribble and lose it to now a double team. A total waste of energy and time. Well. We'll see what changes or improvements come in the off-season. But one thing I know. The Chicago Red Stars better have a winning team next year from the start. Fans will only be so patient before they lose interest and all that work that was done over the past couple years will go down the drain.
Assuming you mean Tarpley? I think this is a non-starter to try to blame the CRS front office. There were outside constraints that manangement did the best they could with. The real reason Tarpley went was money. There was no way they were going to be able to pay both her and Christiane. Think about the situation management was in: You can only afford to sign one. Tarpley is injured and not projected to come back until April or May at the earliest. On paper it seemed like a no brainer. Really...think about it. How do you justify paying that kind of money to a player that you probably will only have for 2/3 of the season, with no guarentee that she will even be able to come back as good? As much as I like Lindsay (and she has the heart of a champion--as evidenced by her around 70 minutes/game this season) I don't see how you can justify rolling the dice like that. We're talking about the focus of your offense. Are you really going to get rid of your top scorer when your almost top scorer is out with a potentially career ending ACL tear? A second outside constraint that the front office did the best they could with was the league's decision to expand the season into September. Carre didn't come back because that messed with her school year. So now you have a player you can't afford to sign (and can't even guarentee will be able to play as well again) and you need a goal-keeper. Bingo, problem solved in Jan. with the trade to St. Louis. Neither of these problems were created by the CRS management. I think they made the smart move in both situations.
I don't have time to follow college soccer very much...I'm assuming this means that Hawkins is an underclassman? I thought WPS had a policy of not drafting anyone who still had college eligibility left?
I heard from a very reliable source (who I will not name because then they might not be a source anymore) that there are no plans to move from TP.
I'm just a busy little beaver here, aren't I---four posts in a row. Actually the beginning of the fall semester has been a nightmare this year (Blame the new Learning Management System, not the player) and I haven't had any time to get in here. So I'm taking advantage of a few stolen moments to get back to reality CRS-style. I'm going to start from the back and work my way to the top with some of my thoughts about what I think about next year. With as much crap that is getting thrown Loyden's way, I think it would be a big mistake to get rid of her. Ok, so she has made a couple pretty bad plays and I think she needs to make quicker decisions about when to come out and when to stay back. BUT, goalies and defenders need stability more than any other positions on a soccer team. I think it would be a horrible mistake to break up the trio of Loyden, Engen, and Markgraf. Whitney won't win it because she's a defender but she should be the Rookie of the Year. She is everything a defender should be and she's only going to get better. I never thought I would say this, but I can see Joy Fawcett status in her future. Too bad that LePeilbet and Buehler have pretty much nailed down those central spots on the national team (although both of them are awesome) but she's going to be a mainstay for many years to come soon. She's that scary good. Markgraf can still get up and down the field. And again i never thought I would say this about her because on the national team she used to drive me crazy with her uncontested give aways by booting the ball out of bounds...but she has grown into a really good organizing back. As a mentor for Engen, her experience is invaluable. Give these two and Loyden more time to get to know each other.
Hawkins is a (redshirt) senior. In a radio interview it was said (by Anson) that she's on track to graduate in December. In that same show she clearly said that she was not going to play pro ball. She's looking to enter the business field (possibly investment banking). As a CRS fan, you should know that WPS will draft a US based player w/ college eligibility left. Jessica McDonald had college eligibility left and CRS drafted her. 2 defenders are on the rookie of the year list (Taylor & Riley). Yes, I would have put Engen on the list but in this instance you can't really say that defenders aren't getting recognized. And as for Loyden, we're just going to have to agree to disagree.
So, CRS has ATL's 2011 1st round pick and their own. If things finish out like we think they will, that's pick #1 & pick #2. Not quite the bonanza (ie Heath & Cheney) of the 2010 draft but still. With the right player evaluation & the proper ability to deal make, CRS could do very well. Worst case draft scenario is that a team joins WPS (if the Buffalo rumors prove true & the enter in 2011) and CRS has the #2 & #3 picks. Still pretty good. You'd be able to get a quality left back.
That's why they traded thier #1 pick. The pickins are slim. But there is Cristen Press of Stanford, Alex Morgan of U of California, Meghan Klingenberg and Rachel Givan are solid players out of UNC. Also, isn't Amanda Poach is still a senior at Santa Clara? I think she was red shirted a couple of times due to injury. I think she was actually drafted into the WPS last year but didn't play.
Athletica drafted Poach (3rd round, #28 overall) and then traded her to Atlanta in the LA Sol dispersal draft deal. Atlanta released her early on, although I don't know the circumstances there.
Picks are slim but there is enough quality for a good first round. Just not 5 rounds. Here's a money & time saving idea for WPS--only 4 rounds for the college draft this time. And here's another big money saver: no All-Star game in 2011. There's a WWC.
Thanks for the info on both these players. Like I said, I don't have time to follow college soccer so I didn't know either player's story. I just thought I had read somewhere that there was a league wide policy against drafting players with eligibility left. I never said defenders don't get recognized...I said they don't win. As for the piling on of Loyden. If CRS had been scoring no one would be saying boo about some of the mistakes she's made. Between her and the defenders their defense has been amoung the top all year. She has also made a few amazing saves (of both shots and covering for defensive mistakes). Even averaging one more goal a game and the Red Stars would be in the playoffs. That's an offensive problem. Not a reason to dismantle one of the only good things you have working for you at the moment.
Well I'm ready to sign Vero up for a full season shot next year... damn visa issues ! I know it's kind of early to sing her praises but in two games she's pretty much shown she's everything we need and Cristiane's not: 1. High Soccer IQ 2. Finds a way to make things happen no matter what. 3. Sets up others well. 4. Technical 5. Speedy 6. Hungry, hungry, hungry...it's beautiful to watch. Everyone (Nogueria especially) played like a fire was lit under their a$$es because they obviously want to be signed for next year. But I think it was more than that this game. Most of them, with the exception of Nogueria and Cristiane, play with passion most games. The difference this game was that even though Carney, Rapinoe and Dalmy were having dodgy passing days, as they so often do, they had someone on the field who's soccer IQ managed to override that. Vero actually has the ability to create, deliver perfect passes, and suck away defenses with her ability to move and shoot and that means someone like Rapinoe can score even when her accuracy has been crap to that point. Vero, Nogueria and Rapinoe had their share of muddled messes, but it worked out in the end because Vero just kept her IQ coming and coming and coming, play after play, after play. This is the exact opposite of Cristiane who has a play or two up her sleeve a game and if it doesn't work out well, it's getting pissy time. I also thought that Nogueira looked like she responded to her well. I'm not saying their chemistry is there yet, but soccer intellectually speaking she seemed to be having fun with someone who could think it and deliver it. That would be interesting to watch develop. Well, I know I'm probably preaching to the choir about Cristiane, but my point is Vero is the anti-Critiane and I found it damn refreshing and I truly appreciated her effort, here's to hoping we sign her for next year. Bittersweet game, but at least we get a silver lining to our season, looks like they had fun out there.
So Boquete gets a goal and two assists in her first two full games with us. Yeah, we definitely need to make sure she is signed for next year.
Cristiane was playing midfielder, I think that that is a good spot for her. If the CRS get rid of her then Boquete is going to be the only skill player in the team.
I would have little problem keeping Cristiane if that meant jettisoning her contract and freeing up a lot of cap money. But I don't think she'll be here. Coach was visably upset by some of her decisions last night, including one time hitting the side boards so hard they boomed and shook.
I thought they looked looked unstoppable last night. It gives us a sense of what we can look forward too!
So since we officially came in 6th place.. and Atlanta came in 7th, we now have the first 2 picks of the 2011 draft. Unless Buffalo joins the league.. then I would assume we have the 2nd and 3rd. Either way, even though it won't a draft like this past year, doesn't hurt that we'll get 2 of the top 3 picks regardless.
Very true. I think the first round picks (if chosen carefully) will produce some gems. I know many of us are on edge about the future of WPS in general. I really want to think positive. I will say that while TP is a great location, perhaps the cost simply doesn't justify it--particularly if moving to a different place could be the difference btwn survival or folding. Good luck CRS folks.
Boquete may the missing piece to the CRS puzzle. With her on the field y'all seemed to play with more direction and cohesion. I think Chicago will be a force to be reckoned with next season.
I'd be surprised if they didn't pick Morgan with one of their picks. I also like Press from Stanford.