Suddenly American stars are transferring to Euro clubs

Discussion in 'USA Women: News and Analysis' started by dspence2311, Sep 9, 2020.

  1. dspence2311

    dspence2311 Member+

    Oct 14, 2007
    Did the domestic league fold? Is it about to fold soon?
     
  2. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006
  3. dspence2311

    dspence2311 Member+

    Oct 14, 2007
    I meant US women’s domestic league. Seems like several USWNT stars announced transfers from US to European clubs in the last week.
     
  4. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006
    #6 Cliveworshipper, Sep 10, 2020
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2020

    Well, there is no evidence the NWSL is folding or even that teams are in trouble. It’s a single entity corporation subsidized by the USSF.. And the clubs don’t pay most of the salaries of the players on the USWNT.

    what i do see is a greatly shortened season.

    what you May be seeing is a chance for players to go someplace where they actually have come to grips as nations. And aren’t mired in a national health situation nobody trusts.

    i notice there don’t appear to be any long term contracts. I suspect little pressure for the National Team as the Olympics look doubtful. It may be they are going for minutes until they get called back to the mother ship. Be aware that the primary contract USA players sign is it’s th USSF , not with clubs like the rest of the World ( excepting perhaps Canada.) there is reason they are called Allocated players. Ask yourself who is doing the allocating. Think of it as players on loan and the large salaries they command being paid by other sources in times of reduced revenue.
    The USWNT will expect any players who want spots on the next Cup team to be available outside normal FIFA windows. They were gone from the league for long stretches before the last cup. The only way that happens is is they are home playing in a league largely controlled by the USSF. It’s the whole reason the league was formed in the first place.

    who will fund Euro players when their club teams go belly up?
     
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  5. jackdoggy

    jackdoggy Member+

    May 16, 2014
    Big D
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not to worry -
    The Absolutely Fabulous Natalie Portman will:​
    Nat.jpg

    • Return Futbol to L.A.
    • Reinvigorate the NWSL
    • Save Western Civilization
     
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  6. zdravstvuyte

    zdravstvuyte Member

    Aston Villa
    United States
    Jul 26, 2018
    Back on tour !!!
    For you fans of the Woman’s game the FA Player is a free app that shows all the WSL games and more. No Geo-Blocking either.
     
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  7. lil_one

    lil_one Member+

    Nov 26, 2013
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    "Did it fold?" o_O The NWSL is in pretty good shape actually with new national sponsors, a solid summer "bubble" tournament, and a new commissioner. WNT players are headed overseas for various reasons: because European countries have handled the pandemic better, because they've been encouraged by Vlatko to get playing time where they can, and because the NWSL took awhile to announce any fall games and there's no games on the horizon for the WNT either. Notably, players are headed to teams that are pretty much starting back traditional seasons, whereas the NWSL just has some regional friendlies scheduled...again because those countries have handled the pandemic better than the US.

    As far as WNT contracts go and the restrictions on WNT players headed overseas, the Equalizer has a full breakdown on how the restrictions have been relaxed: https://equalizersoccer.com/2020/08...ts-nwsl-threat-europe-rose-lavelle-sam-mewis/

    TL;DR: The NWSL is doing fine, and a few players headed to Europe doesn't change that.
     
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  8. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Yeeeaaahhhh... All those links posted early in the thread seem to be Euro-based clubs having trouble, not US clubs.

    The main reasons USWNT players are going overseas is that
    A) NWSL didn't have a regular "season" this year because of the pandemic
    B) the continued lack of progress in the US with the pandemic puts a question mark on next spring
    C) the Olympics are coming up and USWNT players need regular playing time
    D) the UEFA superclubs are in nations with the pandemic mostly under control, which means they're getting a mostly-normal season started up again

    The superclubs are also starting to pour a lot more money into WoSo than they used to, which is making the top-end salaries very desirable, almost more so than the base USWNT salaries are. Granted, with NWSL expanding and introducing the extra allocation money, the top end in NWSL should be at least moderately competitive with the Lyons and Chelseas of the world, so we'll see what happens in NWSL can put on an uninterrupted 2021 season. Most (all?) of the USWNT players "going overseas" now have only signed one-year contracts, so I believe the plan is to come back stateside after the Olympics are over.
     
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  9. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I do not know for sure, but I think USWNT players are expected to play in the US for 3 years of each 4-year World Cup cycle. So leaving for 1 year is not unusual. But another factor not yet discussed may be the upcoming expansion draft for new team Louisville. Each NWSL team can protect only 2 allocated players from the USWNT. For the Portland Thorns, they have Horan, Franch, Sauerbruun, and Heath on their rosters. I have guessed that they would protect Horan and Franch. I think Sauerbruun would let it be known she would retire rather than go to another team. That would leave Heath exposed. But, if she goes to MU for a year, it would make taking her in an expansion draft -- especially given her age -- not very attractive. The Thorns retain NWSL rights to her, which they emphasized when they announced her year with MU. So it could be a way of protecting her from being drafted by Louisville.
     
  10. lil_one

    lil_one Member+

    Nov 26, 2013
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The Equalizer article makes it clear that leaving in 2020 is a bit unusual though (if 2020 were to be the year that we had expected). The reporters have some inside knowledge on the contracts so I'm just going to sum up here what the article above says for those not subscribed because I'm sure it'll come up again as this discussion continues. Also, I'm not sure if the 3 out of 4 year rule is in the CBA. I haven't seen that reported anywhere.

    -The minimum number of WNT contracts will go down to 16 in 2021. I think we can assume the players heading overseas are/were on contract, but it's always important to note that they may not be.

    -Any contracted player can go abroad at any time, but they normally give up their WNT contract to do so, meaning they'd give up the guaranteed salary and would just get the money for camps, game appearances, etc.

    -On the most important note for this thread, the CBA spells out that zero contracted players could play abroad in 2020. That was surely with the understanding that it was an Olympics year, so that stipulation was relaxed by mutual agreement of USSF and the USWNTPA.

    -By the CBA, three contracted players can play abroad in 2021.

    -The CBA defines missing an NWSL season as missing more than 3 regular season games, which with the way the NWSL has operated this year may have given players an out even if the 2020 stipulation hadn't been relaxed.

    The Equalizer also has more info on how players can make the money work out, if they're giving up the guaranteed salary to play overseas.
     
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  11. zdravstvuyte

    zdravstvuyte Member

    Aston Villa
    United States
    Jul 26, 2018
    Back on tour !!!
    Yeah but rip up the rules ... it’s 2020.
    Each Woman for herself.
     
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  12. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006

    Considering the disparity between what a player with a NT contract gets and everyone else, I don’t think so.
     
  13. zdravstvuyte

    zdravstvuyte Member

    Aston Villa
    United States
    Jul 26, 2018
    Back on tour !!!
    Sorry Clive, it was a vain attempt at some kind of humor.
     
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  14. zdravstvuyte

    zdravstvuyte Member

    Aston Villa
    United States
    Jul 26, 2018
    Back on tour !!!
    Baby Horse to Tottenham!!!
     
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  15. Klingo3034

    Klingo3034 Member+

    Dallas FC
    United States
    Oct 11, 2019
    Impossible!!!
     
  16. BostonRed

    BostonRed Member+

    Oct 9, 2011
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The official word:

     
  17. zdravstvuyte

    zdravstvuyte Member

    Aston Villa
    United States
    Jul 26, 2018
    Back on tour !!!
    [​IMG]
     
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  18. JimWharton

    JimWharton Member+

    Feb 25, 2017
    You all know the intricacies of the contracts and such better than I, but it’s not just the American players being drawn to the Super League. Sam Kerr came to Chelsea last year and Lucy Bronze and Pernile Harder moved to England this year. Rose, Tobin, Press, Alex all headed that way as well. There’s a ton of talent in England right now (Chelsea is LOADED) and some very well-heeled clubs that are seeing the women’s game as a good investment. Maybe it is just minutes, but fat contracts and soccer-crazy communities might be very tempting over time.
     
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  19. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Yeah, the WSL is seeing a massive surge right now, and considering the financial heft of the men's clubs backing the teams there, there's not reason why this won't be a permanent change. Honestly, I expect an English CL winner within the next three or four years. Other national leagues are gonna have to spend big bucks to keep up with England.
     
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  20. Klingo3034

    Klingo3034 Member+

    Dallas FC
    United States
    Oct 11, 2019
    Feel like within a year.
     
  21. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Mmm, I am more in @SiberianThunderT's camp about that: I totally agree that we're going to soon have a WCL Champion from England, but this year's tournament showed that, although they maybe had it a little harder than in other years, OL don't look like they're really "declining". If Chelsea want to win the Champions' League, they don't just have to beat the rest of the Europe: they especially have to get rid of OL somewhere along the way and I'd say that's the difficult point. On the other hand, I admit they already had almost made it when they met OL in the seminfinals in 2019.
     
  22. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    I mean, yeah we know that WSL clubs can in theory go toe-to-toe with the OL/Wolfsburg/Barca teams already, so it's possible to happen this coming year. However, I'm not 100% sure the consistency is there yet, and even if it was, knockout competitions are always open to upsets. So even if there was a 2/3 chance on a WSL team winning the competition from this point on, I'd put money on the 3-4yr time frame instead of just a 1yr time frame.
     
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  23. Hexa

    Hexa Member+

    May 21, 2010
    Club:
    Vasco da Gama Rio Janeiro
    While star players might come back, the rise of European W game economic power could profoundly impact NWSL. Rich European team can easily go after up and coming American players just as they do in Brazil/Argentina. I think 2020 will mark Europe's rise, but I have been saying that for over 4 years. I don't fully understand the college game. Would Macario sign for an OL/Barça/ManUntd and bypass NWSL? She isn't eligible for USWNT now, so I guess there is no guarantee pay for her; and would future prospects go pro instead of the college route?
     
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