There should be some kind of rule that says internationally recognized players may not change their name under any circumstances. I remember when Julie Johnson became Julie Ertz. I thought 'noooooo, she was perfect the way she was. Don't change now.' I also thought 'what the hell is an Ertz?' But she ended up changing for the better, so you never know.
from FOTMOB new power rankings (l-w)Rodman …(#9)Smith. (r-w)Boade ……………….(am)Bethune ………………(b2b)DiBernadino ………………(dm)Flint (l-fb) Pickett)…McKeown…Girma…(r-fb)Izzy (can’t figure out Gk) flavor of the week should go to Ashlyn Schlagel(CRS)who’s got currently 4 goals. most dominant player of the week(but unfortunately foreign)should go to Banda(Orlando) comeback of the week goes out to Lynn Williams(but needs more games under her belt to get on the ranking system
Thank you so much for these. I've been crazy busy, but I'll get back to watching NWSL matches this week. I appreciate this info. Can't see what kind of defense she plays based on a highlight reel But, on O, she looked world class. Before you hate, watch the reel. Even on the goal she didn't assist, she had the key pass. Noteworthy: she's had 3, that's 3, torn ACL's in her young life. Yikes!
I agree Ivory should be this week's Flavor of the Week. I saw her play last year and thought her distribution was as good as I have seen. Last night, her shot stopping was terrific. National team material? ... to continue in the Flavor of the Week vein -- although I think she has been on youth national teams, so maybe that disqualifies her from being Flavor of the Week material. I'm thinking about a new soccer term. When a young player has looked good for a while, maybe we should say she "has flavor."
FotW just means a US-eligible that is playing well in the domestic league. It's a shorthand for having a US-eligible specific thread for NWSL. Technically, Brunn could be mentioned in FotW. Definitely and emphasis on talking about rising talent, but not restricted to that by any means.
Watching the Racing vs Washington game last night, four players that deserve an opportunity to make the national team after the Olympics are: Hal Hershfelt, (she looks like the mean defensive mid we need) and Croix Bethune (forward) for Washington and Taylor (Korniek) Flynn (big and surprisingly good on the ball) and Savannah DeMelo (a motor that won't quit) of Racing. (And, yes, I realize that a couple of the above have been on the NT, but aren't likely to go to the Olympics.)
my 2 cents worth; Best NWSL coach so far; Donaldson of Chicago Red Stars. He more than anyone seems to provide the space needed to strive for his attacking players upfront, whether it’s Swanson, Hocking. Schlegel & the Cook sisters—who are really cooking(hopefully a worthy pun!) at 5th place, Donaldson doing it without much of an heralded lineup, but their getting the job done by quick transition while the ball behind opposing defenses Smith stats are out of this world; 8 goals, 6 assists, but that’s at central/striker. Why on earth does the USWNT keep using her as either right, left side winger & earlier this year as an attacking mid? still picking Banda as my choice as the top overall player in the league(though FOTMOB has her only at #6) Flint moves past Chawinga as FOTMOB’s #4 best power ranking, Rodman retains #1. Flint's ranking is impressive cuz she doing with an team that's don't got near strong team mates like Rodman's or #3 & who's club is only at eleventh place got to give a special shout out to French legend Amadine Henry. Most Euro elite’s can be snobbish & will only play for the most prestigious clubs or who has the best chance of winning the Champions League. So hear hear(or as they say in French; ces’t la vie) for Henry picking last place Utah! here’s highlights fo Chicago vs Utah, don’t get why they keep highlighting the first goal & not mention it turns out to be offsides, lol but at least Hocking makes up for it with an classy goal later
The Cook's are not sisters (nor are they even related) and one of them tore her ACL so she is not exactly cooking.
I think she should be called into the USWNT camp this month, she's playing so well, we should give someone with such a hot boot a chance with the national team, even with so little time before the Olympics. We gave Multrie, Albert, Gaetino, and Yohannes time with the USWNT this year and I think Bethune has outplayed them all.
Like something out of an bad H G. Wells novel, the takeover of the NWSL by foreign invaders is complete….with current league leaders Orlando lead by the ‘beast of Zambia’ along with its four samba dancing Brazilians/four the five top goal scores are now foreigners. perhaps take comfort from when England’s WSL hosted six USWNT members after the 2019 WC & their TV announcer kept commenting. …”their here so we can learn” but then the Tottenham Spurs benched after seeing Alex Morgan most their games after seeing that she’s not fit to play—so why aren’t we learning this lesson?) American flavor of the week goes to Louisville’s Emma Sears at r-wing, but that position pretty much locked up by Rodmann(who still leads in FOTMOB’s power rankings) got to ask; what gives with Trinity’s new bleach blond looks? Is she trying to copy her brash dad, or, yikes, MTG!!!
And it 's just the beginning ! Women players go now where there are pesos and coins, i.e USA and UK. Take the money and run
I've only watched the first half of Louisville's match against Chicago - I was going to post about Sears here (unless she messed up the second half). Pickett for Louisville seems to be a prospect too? I tried to watch Flint, but seeing the work that a D-mid does can be difficult. She looked fine, had a nice touch volley to relieve pressure in a tight space. Played some well-weighted long diagonals.
I'd hope the lesson the NWSL learns is Japan 5 Zambia 0, and Spain 5 Zambia 0 - organized defending & controlled attacks for the win, vs all transition ball all the time... Not taking anything away from Banda, she seems to be a top class finisher, excellent movement off the ball, the ball gets near her anywher ein the box and she finds a way to get it in the netting.
But notice what’s making Vlatko looking like a genius, attacking coach these days…….his foreign mercs, willing to bet without either Chawinga or Bia, his team would be nowhere near the the top Your(French) Sarr, deserves a lot of credit in that otherwise Yankee Doodle offense of the Spirit, but how on earth did Henry got stuck with(by far) last place Utah? lol if I remember the one FC Bay striker was missing from the Zambian WC squad due to injury. They also had a miserable coach that got outed for abusing his players & since been fired. But yeah, the US should otherwise should have its way against them with hopefully a much needed big score for better positioning for the playoff rounds the NWSL now responsible for the growth of all these 15/16 year olds they keep hiring, The question will be can these rather independent clubs able to develop its youthful players as good as an billion dollar club like Barca & its vast infrastructure can? and remember, from what I’ve seen, for Barca players, attending Christiano Ronaldo’s famed School of Diving is apparently mandatory(do we got one of those schools over here?)
This comparison makes little sense. Japan and Spain's victories are not good evidence of superiority of one style or another. Zambia only had three professional players in their starting line-up: Kundanaji, Banda and Grace Changda. It is unrealistic to expect them to be competitive against two powerhouses whose entire lineups are professionals in top leagues.
flavor of the week....Wrigley Stadium!. Which the usual barely attended Red Stars nearly sold out despite heavy rain. Could playing at baseball fields be the trend of the future?
You mean like playing at Providence Park in Portland? ... former home of college football, minor league baseball?