Other Team Discussion Thread Vol. 12: Spoilers Within

Thanks for the sarcasm.

 

Nick Rimando coming up huge saves in this panama game. Flying squirrel kick save thing was epic

 

It's very reminiscent of the old DCU days, actually. He's made some fantastic saves; he's also put himself into some really bad situations.

 

Dear Rico Clark,

Thanks very much for saving our bacon against Venezuela. Please disappear back into the after-thought category of the National Team pool.

Thanks again,
Skippy

PS, if you see where Teal left his first touch, would you return it to him?

 

PS ... Take that Zach Loyd character with you!

 

I think the bad situations were mostly the shoddy defense. Nick was personally responsible for saving the game at least twice in the first half. Hamid did well the other night too.

 

I think it's behind him.

Thx,

Jay!

 

********ing women's professional soccer. Why can't I quit you?

 

While the soccer is mehtastic, (sorry, ladies, I just can't be bothered) the drama surrounding the league and it's ownership has been gripping. Just when you think it can't get any wackier, it does.

Pretty funny that they've probably made more money off of me because of their hilarious dysfunction than because of their soccer.

 

Can you sum up said drama? I haven't really followed it at all.

 

While there have been more recent developments, including today's WPS shutdown, this article gives more background and comic stylings.

 

Maybe I'm just not getting it, but why is that funny? It looks like a lot of young women who are trying to eke out a living playing a sport for which we share a mutual love are going to be out of a job because of a person who seems to be a psychopath. (at least if you read his emails). Unless you think the whole league deserves to go down because Washington lost its team, it's pretty awful.

 

Well, Im not sure if its feasible to expect a womens league to succeed in the states, but the good players will always have an option to move to Europe, where there is stability.

 

The only thing comical in all this is the rantings of Dan Borislaw. That there's a piece of work. What has happened to the other teams in the league and the WPS players is not at all comical, and I hope they can get it together for the 2013 season, but I would not bet on it.

 

Wow, thanks for that. I won't ever be buying a magicjack now and I'll definitely dissuade anyone that I know that is considering it. What a total tool.

Despicable. And he'll probably never get what he has coming to him.
http://www.ncrp.org/news-room/news-2007/169-charitys-founder-paid-himself-17m

 

The league is going down because they keep getting investors who will accept the reality that a women's professional soccer league is only going to survive if it is implemented on a semi-pro basis, with regional conferences leading to national playoffs.

 

Timbers sign Designated Player Kris Boyd

 

I guess you mean "will not accept" and while that may be true, it doesn't seem funny. This iteration seems to be being drug down in a storm of litigation by an anti social misogynist megolomaniac.

I think it's sad.

 

I believe he passed on Houston. So is this Portland reaping the benefits of Spencer's contacts in the European game? If Boyd translates his ability to this league, which I have no doubt that he will, then that is huge for Portland.

They flogged off the overrated/injury prone Cooper to Metro's, and upgraded with a European pedigree striker, who I think is a better fit for there players [Chara, Palerza and Nagbe]. Will be interesting over there.

 

Philly lost Mondragon and Le Toux - finally an East Coast team looking worse for the upcoming season.

 

Portland > Houston in every way. Better fans, culture, and city.

As for the women's league - the European ones are only semi-pro (I think) so they won't make a living off it so much as earning supplemental cash, and would need to work a second job. The US was trying to offer a full-time gig.

The problems I saw with the league appeared to be expectations in the stars. They had to keep the league local, centered around regional teams. It just costs far too much to travel around the US to make games. Keep division sizes small - max of 6-8 teams, then play a final against the west coast's champion. Grow locally, not nationally.

It's a pity. The women's game and the women's team deserve better. However, the economy is not right to support it. I'm sure they'll bounce back eventually.

 

right, "will not accept"

Absolutely sad, but I think the blaming of Borislaw is whitewash for a (still in denial) group that was headed toward trouble in the first place. Let's not forget that Borislaw only ended up in control of the team because it was sold by one of women's soccer's biggest boosters, John Hendricks, who no longer had the stomach for losses, and that he bought into a league that was shrinking yearly.

But, IMHO, denial is the natural state of being in US women's soccer these days anyway.

 

I'm wondering if the only way the womens league will work is if it's heavily subsidized by the USSF.
Maybe it pays the USWNT players yearly salaries with the requirement they play in the league.

 

I'm not sure I can agree. My mind can be changed, but Houston women > Portland women.

Please PM me if someone would like to help arrange some trials.

 

Are you talking about trials with Houston and Portland women?