Can you point to a qualifying tournament held outside a fifa window? What foreign teams would compete? The only examples of players In camps I can think of outside of windows is when the USA transfer windows are out of sync with European windows. In those cases, you can have a friendly of mostly domestic players, but I can't think of any qualifier ever being outside a Fifa competition window. That's their whole purpose.
Well, I just said one. The CONCACAF U-23 Olympic Qualifying Tournament (US, Mexico, Canada, El Salvador, Honduras) was held outside the FIFA window, so mostly domestic players participated. You can also consider the current US camp underway in California. MLS teams are already in preseason, but their players are allowed to participate and will play a friendly against Canada at the end of the month. Almost all UXX tournaments in CONCACAF are outside the FIFA windows (logistically impossible to fit in with a traditional 1 or 2 site tournament). The UXX WCs are events where the teams must release the players, but not the qualifying tourneys.
Well, exactly, it was held during a transfer window, during which time players aren't obliged to clubs. It's a dead period. For the USA, that's Jan 21 to March 2, I think., and the longer break in the summer. That is covered under the transfer regulations.
I was talking about Uxx qualifiers. At least in CONCACAF, those are always outside the FIFA windows. The 2012 version of the U23 was held in March/April.
Yeah, the competition was March 22-27 last year, according to the CONCACAF site. I'm almost positive that was a FIFA window. Unfortunately, the 2012 FIFA calendar isn't on the main site anymore. The 2013 fifa calendar is up, and this year the window is from March 22 to March 26. And for multi day events, clubs have to release players 5 days before and 48 hrs after the competition, according to the FIFA contract regulations. I'll correct the transfer window for the USA, though. In the USA and Canada, the winter window this year is Jan 21 to April 15. The Summer one is June 27 to July 27. Even if it wasn't a fifa window, it would have fallen during the transfer window if last year was similar. No league play is permitted during transfer windows.
Actually, the CONCACAF tournament finished on April 2nd. There's no way to finish an 8 team tournaments in 6 days. It was not a FIFA date in 2012 or the US would have called in their European based players. For another example, the 2013 CONCACAF U20 men's tournament starts Feb. 18th and finishes March 3rd. No part of that falls on a FIFA date on the 2013 calendar. There are many tournaments that don't fall into FIFA dates and clubs/leagues *may* release players if they wish. I'm not sure how that relates to the primacy of the women's contracts.
I'm not sure why the transfer window has anything to do with this. Above you say that during a transfer window, players aren't obligated to clubs. But many Europe clubs are inside the January transfer window (men & women) and they are playing for their clubs.
I'm just reading the FIFA regulations for player contracts, which say teams can't obligate players for dates during 4 and 12 week transfer windows and leagues can't schedule dates during those windows that players are obligated to ( makes the NWSL start date of 4/13 problematic). Leagues can adjust their windows with FIFA approval. Perhaps certain euro leagues have applied. Teams can expect players to train, and they can hold exhibitions to aid in that process, but players can't be held out of national team dates. The games I'm reading about Rapinoe playing in, for example, are exhibitions unless there has been a big change we haven't been told about. Shanghai isn't in the French league. The window closes in France on Feb 2.
I predict Portland's roster will look like this in 2015: F - Kealia Ohai (U.S. subsidized in 2015) (I have a feeling she'll be a forward in this league) F - Allie Long F - Lindsay Tarpley (she's back, and in Portland to close her career) F - Casey Nogueira F - Courtney Jones (21st member on team, somehow they get away with it) F - Summer Green (leaves a year early from UNC, joins the league in 2015) MF - Heather O'Reilly MF - Crystal Dunn (playing in the midfield on this team, Dunn to Ohai again) MF - Tobin Heath (ain't that sweet, Heath and Nogueira on the same team) MF - Kacey White MF - Meghan Klingenberg MF - Yael Averbuch MF - Lori Chalupny (slipped through the cracks somehow as a "Mexican" subsidized player) DM - Amber Brooks D - Whitney Engen D - Cat Whitehill D - Kristi Eveland D - Nikki Washington (converted to defender, an attacking one) D - Robyn Gayle (Canada subsidized) GK - Ashlyn Harris GK - Bryane Heaberlin (leaves a year early from UNC, to play on "THIS" team) Coach: Cindy Parlow Assistant Coach: Anson Dorrance Medical Staff and Team Trainer: Maggie Tomecka Portland Heels FC - Team Sport Psychologist: Jenni Branam Team Formation: 3-4-3
Well, Portland traded away Sinclair as a way to release a Canadian subsidized player in exchange to receive the rights to super WPS leftover Kacey White, and a George Foreman portable grill. Alex Morgan decided to explore a career in beach volleyball with Kerri Walsh. Spicy Chaluupa Chalupny is back-doored as a Mexican subsidized player, which is exciting for Portland fans. Three new Mexican restaurants opened up in Portland as a result of the exhilarating news. Portland Heels FC has announced a sellout crowd for every match in 2015, with all the UNC alumni in Portland gobbling up the tickets. Mia Hamm is flying out to Portland for the first home match, which is against the Washington Weed, a new expansion franchise located in the state of Washington. The Sounders couldn't pass qualification as having a team in this league, but the Weed passed all the appropriate tests to qualify for entrance as an expansion team. Weed FC has acquired Tasha Kai away from rugby, as well as Hope Solo. Their Canadian allocation was Melissa Tancredi. They drafted Stephanie McCaffrey ("just off the binky" girl from Boston College), as well as getting a steal in "Discovery" by signing hair-pulling Elizabeth Lambert from New Mexico, who just got out on parole in time for training camp. It should be an exciting match. Lots of big names, and controversial characters. Brandi Chastain is already talkin' sh*t to Hope Solo on twitter. Lambert has signed for the league minimum: !
Well sometimes u have to laugh not to cry. Can I assume they r going to add some free agents who play in the midfield? At this point ur only two seems to be in Europe. Any rumblings out there? At least u do have an ace in the hole. Morgan is the most easily traded player in the league and ud still have Sinclair and Long to build ur attack around. Say u traded Morgan to FCKC for Cheney and Tymrak. That would give u two mids who could either play central or slide into the attack when Heath finally shows up. Tymrak handles well and can play make. KC still has Farrelly, Mewis and Scott if they go with 3 mids and Berry if they go with four. Morgan and Henderson on top make them scary and they can use Cuellar to put three in the attack.
Actually, as a strong Portland fan, you should love it. They now have "inroads" and a "pipeline" into UNC talent, which is the most "fertile" plethora of women's soccer amateur (and pro prospect) talent in the U.S. So any hype about UNC to Portland, is a good thing for Portland fans. It can build them into having championship caliber teams each year in the league. They won't have 20+ players from UNC on the roster. But they may end up with 5 or 6.
If I'm Portland, I would trade Alex Morgan and Roxanne Barker (which was their 4th round rookie pick) to Kansas City for Lauren Cheney and Brittany Tymrak. KC would do this trade, because they'd have Morgan and Henderson up top (and Cuellar), with Mewis and Berry still as attacking midfielders (and Farrelly as a midfielder as well). This also opens up room for Nogueira up top to play a lot with this Portland team. Prospective Portland Thorns team (after Baby Horse trade) F - Casey Noguiera (free agent signing, since Heath is here, or will be here) F - Allie Long (free agent signing) F/MF - Christine Sinclair F - Danielle Foxhoven F - Nicolette Radovcic MF - Brittany Tymrak MF - Tobin Heath MF - Lauren Cheney MF - Angie Kerr (free agent signing) MF - Jordan Angeli (Thorns sign her, as she's still rehabbing) DM - Amber Brooks (joins the team in the late spring - early summer period) MF/D - Manya Makoski (played for the Sol in 2009. utility reserve player) D - Kat Williamson D - Rachel Buehler D - Rubi Sandoval D - Allison Falk (free agent signing) D - Elli Reed (supplemental draft) D - Luz Saucedo GK - Karina LeBlanc GK - Bianca Henninger (supplemental draft) Now that's a TEAM. LOADED everywhere on the field, even many of their reserves are super subs. This midfield is arguably the best ever, in women's professional franchise history (any league). This team will scare the pants off the other teams, when they come into Portland.
I have to say other than being surprised Johnson wasnt the defender of choice, Im surprised they took a defender there at all. Even with Heath still in the picture they still could have used Tymrak more than a back. Maybe they thought she was too similar to Heath. Maybe CP just grabbed the wrong Gator.
Rumor is that they have more free agents ready to sign, but are waiting for the league. If this is true, I'm guessing one is a highly skilled great-passing midfielder who was spotted in town.