I was waiting to interview Lori Lindsey after Sunday's match and realized that she'd played for five different professional teams*. I was wondering if that was a record, but eventually we came up with a player who'd played for seven (exercise left for the reader, at least for now). Anyone done more than that? *WUSA Spirit (2002), WUSA Freedom (2003), WPS Freedom (2009), WPS Independence (2010-11), NWSL Spirit (2013).
USA only? I can think of a player who has played for 9 professional sides, but only one was in the USA.
Seven teams? How many did Kerri Hanks play with in WPS? At least three in 2009 and/or 2010, and then she tried out with just about every other team in 2010 or 2011, and didn't make a roster then. Heather Mitts? Let's see, Philadelphia Charge (WUSA), Boston Breakers (WPS), Philadelphia Independence (WPS), Atlanta beat (WPS), Boston Breakers (NWSL), but she's retiring so NWSL doesn't count for her. If she didn't retire recently, she would have matched Lindsey equally with five teams. Shannon Boxx? Let's see, San Diego Spirit (WUSA), New York Power (WUSA), Los Angeles Sol (2009), St. Louis Athletica (2010), FC Gold Pride (2010), MagicJack (2011), Chicago Red Stars (2013 in NWSL). That's seven. So the answer is definitely Shannon Boxx. Unless a player out there has 8 teams.
Boxx was the one we came up with, too. And I was only thinking of US teams, in part because I'm never entirely sure which European teams are pro and which aren't. (I didn't consider WPSL-Elite in this, either, for that same reason, since some teams were pro and some weren't.)
The reason you find it hard to distinguish whether foreign clubs are pro or amateur is that for most clubs in the world there is no distinction between pro and amateur clubs . FIFA does not classify clubs as pro or amateur. That is a purely NCAA distinction. What is important to FIFA's definition of amateurism is what a player's INDIVIDUAL contract is, that is, whether a players contract is for education, room and board and expenses, or involves a salary beyond those. ( incidentally, the same conditions of conduct the NCAA requires, except the NCAA says you can't play on a club that calls itself professional and has ANYONE getting a salary) Euro players play on mixed club teams on a regular basis. It is the model for how youth clubs are organized in many countries. And the NCAA recognizes this and allows those imports to play in the USA. FIFA originally was forced to make the distinction for the 1956 games by the International Olympic Committee for the Olympic games. Back then, only amateurs were permitted in the games. Here is the document they came up with that defines amateurism. Note that the status of the club is not part of the equation. http://www.la84foundation.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1956/BDCE56/BDCE56v.pdf
Well, I assume the OP was operating under that definition of "professional" - as expected for most US-centered conversations - so using a different definition is changing the goalposts, as it were, making the comparison moot.
The real question is, how many players have pulled the entire "cycle" (Quintet) - WUSA - WPS - WPSL Elite - NWSL - Overseas League (anywhere outside of America) Are there any players that have played for all five of these? If so, they've pulled off the "cycle" (using baseball terms, but in baseball it's four things that make a cycle).
This is off topic bu this is from Shek Borkowski's website. Do You Agree with him? Big margins of victories in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament have generated criticism of the qualification process and calls for a change in the process, including giving top teams an automatic bye to semi-finals. I have a different view. Having been involved in this game for a long time, I am encouraged by what I have witnessed so far. Yes 14-0 and 13-0 results make it appear that progress is not taking place, however, the technical and tactical standard of participating teams had undoubtedly improved. Writers, bloggers and fans attracted to the game in the last four years would have been shocked to see the level of this competition prior. There simply is no comparison. Is there a lot of work that needs to be done? The answer is categorically yes. Still, instead of changing the qualification process, the CONCACAF should aid and encourage development. Give the Haitis and Guatemalas of the region a tool for players, coaches and teams to continuously learn and gain experience. Through quality competition by sponsoring a CONCACAF Women’s Champions League (CWCL) it would be possible to duplicate what the UEFA is doing in Europe. I’m a firm believer that the UEFA Women’s Champions League had a significant impact on the growth of the sport in Europe. Currently, the UEFA is comprised of 49 national women’s teams. There are 136 nations fielding women’s teams in the FIFA system. According to latest FIFA rankings 12 in the top 20 (60%) teams are UEFA members. 17 in top 30 (56%) 24 in top 40 (60%) 27 in top 50 (54%) The CONCACAF numbers are not encouraging. 2 in top 20 (10%) 3 in top 30 (10%) 5 in top 40 (12%) 5 in top 50 (10%) While I concede that financial resources and the game’s tradition in Europe have contributed to UEFA members’ success, I submit that the existence of the UEFA Women’s Champions League has aided it greatly. Through the competition, top European teams and players gain valuable exposure to tactical developments, styles of play, and have an opportunity to test their progress against other top European teams. Utilizing this experience, participating teams serve as catalysts for change and models in their own countries. That perpetuates progress. The existence of competitive isolation in the CONCACAF region hampers development of the game. CONCACAF club teams and players have minimal exposure to tactical developments, competition vs. top players and teams in the region. This, and not the qualification process, stunts growth and development. Few would argue that Mexico’s progress in great part is attributable to playing annually 4-6 matches vs. American college teams for the past 8 years. It gave Mexican players opportunity to frequently play against Americans and to test their physical, technical, tactical and psychological progress. Creating the CWCL will have a similar effect on development in member countries. The CONCACAF does not need a change to the qualification process, it needs to establish and sponsor a CONCACAF Women’s Champions League to foster progress.
How many pro teams are in Mexico, for instance? Wiki shows a 19 team league: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Liga_Femenil_de_Fútbol Is it pro?
Mexico, Haiti, and Costa Rica have leagues as far as I know. Guatemala and Trinidad pprobably have them too.
Actually; Lori Lindsey, who was mentioned at the top of the thread, did. She was with Washington in the WUSA, and in WPSLE with the WNY Flash. She hasn't played in an overseas league as a pro, but did have one match with the WNT in the last World Cup in Germany. Combined with her stints in WPS with Washington and Philly, you could consider that a "cycle" (sort of).
No. Please stop asking. There has never been a women's "pro" league - as the American sports public would recognize it - outside the US. I don't know anything about leagues throughout the Americas, but considering most teams in Europe aren't fully professional, I highly doubt any of the women's teams elsewhere have payrolls anywhere near NWSL payrolls, if they pay at all. I can tell just from looking at the Mexican league that very few of the teams are associated with DI or even DII teams, already much unlike the leagues in Europe. Ah, nice! Thanks for the catch.
Lyon and PSG don't have NWSL salaries? Can you name a player for Lyon or PSG who just has an amateur contract?
A) I said "most", not all, teams in Europe B) I said "elsewhere", i.e. not Europe - though I will amend that as I realize now that I forgot about the top three L. League teams; I have no clue what their players are paid all the way down the rosters but I would not be surprised if they all had good salaries as well.
To talk about players in places like Haiti, and even most of Mexico, being in leagues that even approach subsistence, never mind salary, is just foolish. Think about what you are claiming. The last time the USA played Haiti they gave them their shoes after.
That was the u17, 3 years ago. Now Shek Borkowski is arguing points for stuff like Integrating the Copa Libertadores with Concacaf and having a Continental offseason tournament.
Platini is talking about saving money from goal technology to give to youth programs. Doesn't mean it will happen.
Um, that was kinda my point - asking if they're professional is foolish. The support for women's soccer in most American countries just isn't there. I wasn't making the claim that those leagues were professional in any way.
No, actually you don't. You need to have a Champion from each of the participating federations (countries) but a national Cup will do for that if there are no league (and yes that was the prequisite for UEFA WCL when it started and I still think it is, the winner of the national League or Cup (the runner up of the League may fill in if the winner can't, no such option for the cup). And a Cup is easier to organize than a League, and pretty much any federation should be able to do so. The UEFA WCL was a great incentive for national federation to start Leagues, that said half the success with the WCL in Europe is probably due to the prestige of the name worked up by UEFA and the men's competion, pretty much everybody in Europe knops what CL is just but a Women's before it and everyone will get what it is so no extra advertising needed to sell the idea. Not sure if the CONCACAF CL have the rep in it's region to pull that of, but still worth a try.
OK, I will take the bait... Karina Leblanc Breakers (WUSA) Extreme (W-League) NJ WildCats (W-League) SOL Philly Magic Jack Sky Blue (Suspended season) Portland There are a few players that played for many teams in WPS, but only a few from WUSA days