Pugh

Discussion in 'USA Women: News and Analysis' started by Mississippi Flash, Feb 22, 2016.

  1. RockyTopFan

    RockyTopFan Member

    Dec 3, 2015
    Tennessee
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Nowadays, you can play the game and study for a degree at the same time.
     
  2. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm wondering how these four scenarios compare, in terms of long term economics and other considerations:

    (1) Player goes to college and plays college soccer until she gets her degree, then plays professional soccer, then retires from pro soccer;

    (2) Player goes to college, gets her degree, and plays professional soccer at the same time, then retires from pro soccer;

    (3) Player defers college and instead plays professional soccer, then after retirement goes to college and gets her degree; and

    (4) Player doesn't go to college at all, plays professional soccer, then retires from pro soccer.

    I don't think it's self-evident that any one of these scenarios is better or worse for all players than the others.
     
    taosjohn repped this.
  3. luvdagame

    luvdagame Member+

    Jul 6, 2000
    if pugh did (2), doing uop classes while suiting up for the thorns & playing for the wnt, wouldn't it be better $$wise than if she did the others?
     
    kernel_thai repped this.
  4. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Well accept for the last part. Pugh isnt going to get her degree and then retire from pro soccer.
     
  5. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Pugh is in the rare position of having her cake and being Marie Antoinette. People need to try and put themselves in Pugh's position. How many here would have passed on working a six figure job while going to college simply to get a free education out of it? Add in the fact they seem bent on having the members of the U20 WC team red shirt and u have to wonder why she is considering this at all. If I were making a bet, I still think she turns pro after she graduates high school.
     
  6. Really?

    Really? Member

    Nov 7, 2015
    Club:
    Al Nasr Riyadh

    I would take that bet and raise you that either she skips the U20 WWC or they make an exception for her. She is expected to play 9-13 games this year in college and they are prepared for her to miss the playoffs... Or not miss them.
     
  7. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Well it would be pretty pissy of French to make the others red shirt or leave the team and then exempt Pugh. It is possible she skips the U20s but if that is solely because of the red shirting it further brands that dumbest idea eva. Personally I dont think French made this decision without already knowing what Pugh's plans were.
     
  8. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006

    Did French exempt Pugh?
     
  9. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    No one is exempt as far as Ive seen and that would be a pretty big can of worms.
     
  10. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Perhaps a better question, is Pugh going to be on the team? Maybe she's graduated to a higher level.
     
  11. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006

    Well, yeah I don't think many players have dropped down after making the full team. Maybe if they were marginal and getting a cap or two, but that's not Pugh's case. I figure her as lock for the Olympics.

    The only player I can think of who played on a youth team and full team at the same time is Sophie Schmidt for Canada, who captained the u20's through qualifiers while playing on the full team for the World Cup. And still went to college.

    But even she didn't go to the U20 WC after they qualified.

    And as I recall, she was pretty worn out by the end of that year.

    And, oh yeah. There was a Sinclair kid who did something similar for them. But she took a redshirt year for the WC.
     
  12. Really?

    Really? Member

    Nov 7, 2015
    Club:
    Al Nasr Riyadh
    I know that Jessie Fleming is playing in the Olympics then reporting to school and then skipping the U20 WWC for Canada. The Bruins will not likely be missing anyone due to the redshirt requirement. Canales is a possibility but I will know more intel on that after this Saturday.

    Pugh loves to play but my money is on either an exception being granted or her skipping it entirely. She has already played in a U20 WWC.
     
  13. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    It's certainly a lot less prevalent in the US because the NT tends to select their players older. In 2012 the US beat Korea DPR 1-0 in Olympic group play. A month later at the U20 WC the US beat Korea DPR 2-1 in the quarter finals. If memory serves, there were 13 Korean players who were on both rosters.
     
  14. BlueCrimson

    BlueCrimson Member+

    North Carolina Courage
    United States
    Nov 21, 2012
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Club:
    Sydney FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    And there have been players who played in youth tournaments after becoming established on their senior teams.
     
  15. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    I think it is more likely she plays in this one than the next one because she has a lot of friends on the team.
     
  16. Really?

    Really? Member

    Nov 7, 2015
    Club:
    Al Nasr Riyadh
    Pugh most likely won't be playing. I know 100% that she isn't redshirting and they expect her to play in 9-13 games. i also know that Canales isn't redshirting either should she make the roster. They will at least get Sanchez if she makes the final roster. Pugh will be more likely to play in 2018 due to it not interfering with the college season and it not being a WWC or Olympic year.
     
  17. BlueCrimson

    BlueCrimson Member+

    North Carolina Courage
    United States
    Nov 21, 2012
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Club:
    Sydney FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That makes sense especially if Pugh makes the Olympic roster.
     
  18. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Another thing Ive seen mentioned, Chris Henderson maybe, is how soon is French picking this roster for November matches? Is she going to pick it before the college season starts or is everyone in the pool expected to red shirt just in case they get picked?
     
  19. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Another thing Ive seen mentioned, Chris Henderson maybe, is how soon is French picking this roster fro November matches? Is she going to pick it before the college season starts or s everyone in the pool expected to red shirt just in case they get picked?
     
  20. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006

    In 2008 players were told in late July/early August for a cup at almost exactly the same time.
     
  21. PacmanJr_00

    PacmanJr_00 Member

    Aug 29, 2010
    Club:
    Southampton FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You have to factor in the equation, endorsements. As exciting as Pugh has been, she could become a media darling pretty quick. She forfeits any ability to take endorsements as a college athlete. It's hard to project endorsement earnings but she certainly appears well on her way to earning endorsement contracts sooner than later.
     
  22. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
  23. BrooklynSoccer

    BrooklynSoccer Member+

    Jan 22, 2008
    I get wanting to experience college, she should go and have fun.

    for a year. then leave, she's too good not to be playing professionally against the best competition in the world. Go to Germany in the off season, NWSL in summer.
     
  24. upprv

    upprv Member

    Aug 4, 2004
    Agree. She could parlay her Olympics into some pretty sweet and easy advertising money and then train full time with other pros while playing pro year round. Does she want to go get beat up by physical college defenses whose whole goal will be to put her on the ground? Does she want to train day in and day out with players lesser than her? Will it cause issues when she sits out conditioning sessions to save her legs? Does she want to stay up until 2am studying for an econ final and then going to weights at 7am? Does she text Amanda and tell her she needs to sleep in cuz she has an international friendly that weekend? Do her teammates resent her? Is she unnerved by her national team teammates dedicating themselves year-round to developing their game when she is limited to 20 hours? Who knows, maybe she can navigate all those (and more) unique complexities of college soccer with grace and enjoy it. Or she can look at endorsement money, pro development and a finite window of opportunity waiting for her and cash in.

    I'm pretty sure UCLA will always be there. It's such a unique case (and I am a college lover!) but the whole point of college is to ready yourself for your career. If you are already ready do you go back down a step if you didn't have to? I don't know... will be interesting to watch.
     
  25. taosjohn

    taosjohn Member+

    Dec 23, 2004
    taos,nm
    Well-- glad we got that settled!

    Which one of you is going to send her her orders?
     
    RalleeMonkey and Semblance17 repped this.

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