Re: New Women's Pro League!

by Geezaldinho Tue Feb 12, 2013 7:20 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:
PurpleGeezer wrote:Playing every three days for two weeks is brutal . Especially when the "rest" day is travel. Don't kid yourself.
We obviously come from different working backgrounds....we'll just have to agree to disagree and move on.

Yeah, I worked 60 hour weeks in the construction industry for 40 years. I'm sure I don't know what a brutal schedule is.

by **DaTruRochin** Tue Feb 12, 2013 8:38 pm

For what it's worth, I remember playing in youth tourneys where we played 5 games in 3 days... So, I'm pretty sure they can handle it.

by KFTC Tue Feb 12, 2013 10:28 pm

Not minimizing any other line of work mentioned here, but Geezer is correct. The level here is vastly different from high school and college. Go ask any college freshman playing soccer how difficult the transition from club to college was, even playing "just" a Friday-Sunday schedule. It's a shock to the system, even kids who, two months earlier, were playing in 3-4 games a weekend in youth tournaments. It is so, so, so much harder on the body than you think because of the increased speed of play, higher degree of physicality, and limited substitutions (usually).

Five games in 14 days at that point of the season and year is brutal scheduling. And the teams they face won't be chumps either. Keep in mind they are allowed only three subs per game, so don't expect the team to go unbeaten or injury free during this stretch. I can't imagine Cindy Cone was thrilled seeing that when they got the prelim schedule to review, but here's to hoping she's loading up a really deep bench. Getting Tobin back in July will help loads.

by Geezaldinho Tue Feb 12, 2013 11:32 pm

KFTC wrote:Getting Tobin back in July will help loads.

Yeah, if Tobin (and Amber Brooks) wants to come back for a cut in pay.

by UPSoccerFanatic Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:22 am

PurpleGeezer wrote:
KFTC wrote:Getting Tobin back in July will help loads.

Yeah, if Tobin (and Amber Brooks) wants to come back for a cut in pay.

I wonder, when the USWNT women and USSF have a new contract worked out, if the contract will provide for reduced pay by USSF if a player is playing for a team that itself is paying her compensation, or something like that. I haven't thought through what the mechanics would be, so I don't know if it's really possible to accomplish it. I'm guessing that USSF is going to negotiate for whatever terms it can get that will encourage USWNT players to play here.

by Geezaldinho Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:32 am

From the figures I have seen for European first division leagues, they pay more that what the published data is for residency contracts here. I'm sure that varies a lot, but if you have a second or third tier contract your USA pay will be lower. Heath, I'm sure, doesn't have one of the top tier contracts.

If you don't have a residency contract, there is no way it's better here financially. The only thing bringing you back Is being close to home. It would be easier to get double the money in Europe for a player like Brooks. I'm betting she only comes back if she washes out there. Christen Press only comes back ( maybe) if she ever gets a residency contract.

There has been no announcement that the 2006 contract has been renewed or that a new contract has been signed. No clue on Canada and Mexico.

by PurplePrideTrumpet Thu Feb 21, 2013 2:34 pm

Hot off the internet:

@Thorns FC: Thorns FC sign F Danielle Foxhoven.

by DoubleDipper Thu Feb 21, 2013 3:47 pm

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:Hot off the internet:

@Thorns FC: Thorns FC sign F Danielle Foxhoven.

Portland Thorns FC today announced the signing of forward Danielle Foxhoven, a standout at the University of Portland and former United States youth international, as a Discovery Player. Per league and club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Foxhoven, 23, ranks fourth on the University of Portland’s all-time career scoring list with 139 points (57 goals, 25 assists). The Colorado native, who appeared in 87 matches for the Pilots from 2008-11, also ranks fourth on the program’s all-time goal-scoring list with 57 goals in four years. Foxhoven was a two-time All-WCC First Team selection (2009, 2010) and was the WCC Freshman of the Year in 2008.

“Danielle is a great addition to our already powerful group of attacking players,” said Thorns FC head coach Cindy Parlow Cone. “She is a very cerebral forward with great vision and finishing abilities.”

Originally drafted as the 17th overall selection in the 2012 Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) Draft by the Philadelphia Independence, Foxhoven signed with Russian club FC Energiya Voronezh in February 2012 after WPS ceased operations.

In Russia, the four-time All-West Coast Conference selection scored six goals in nine appearances, including a hat trick against Kubanochka on April 26, 2012. After returning from Russia, Foxhoven joined the University of Portland as an assistant coach for the 2012 season.

Foxhoven gained extensive experience throughout the U.S. youth international system, making several appearances for the Women’s U-17 National Team in 2006, including a 10-day trip to Argentina. In 2010, Foxhoven was a member of the Women’s U-23 National Team and helped the side win the 2010 Four Nations Tournament in the United Kingdom.

by DoubleDipper Fri Feb 22, 2013 12:18 am

Spoke with Coach Smith yesterday…..he’s obviously very pleased that Danielle has left his coaching staff and is headed to the Thorns. “We were just keeping her here (at UP) preparing her to play professionally again,” he joked.

It was obvious he was proud of the number of Pilots on the Thorns’ roster……and hopes there will many more in the years to come.

by Indigo Kid Fri Feb 22, 2013 7:51 am

This is great! Look forward to seeing Fox in the Box at Jeld Wen!

by Geezaldinho Fri Feb 22, 2013 8:41 pm

Selected my seats at Jeld-wen today. It turns out they have fur lined seats also, and with these I am about 50 steps from the bar. No struggling past the hoi polloi to get there.... Cheers!

by UPSoccerFanatic Fri Feb 22, 2013 10:59 pm

PurpleGeezer wrote:Selected my seats at Jeld-wen today. It turns out they have fur lined seats also, and with these I am about 50 steps from the bar. No struggling past the hoi polloi to get there....

Glad to see they finally got to you. Where are your seats? Maybe on the other side of the field from mine, since I don't remember being 50 steps from Pliny the Elder's. (Of course, as you know, my house is only about 500 steps from the nearest Pliny's, problem being I fall asleep before I get home if I have one -- maybe on one of those benches on Klickitat mall.)

by Geezaldinho Fri Feb 22, 2013 11:29 pm

UPSoccerFanatic wrote:
PurpleGeezer wrote:Selected my seats at Jeld-wen today. It turns out they have fur lined seats also, and with these I am about 50 steps from the bar. No struggling past the hoi polloi to get there....
Glad to see they finally got to you. Where are your seats? Maybe on the other side of the field from mine, since I don't remember being 50 steps from Pliny the Elder's. (Of course, as you know, my house is only about 500 steps from the nearest Pliny's, problem being I fall asleep before I get home if I have one -- maybe on one of those benches on Klickitat mall.)

That was YOU napping on the benches? I figured it was more umm, outdoor types. When I walk the neighbor's dog, she give folks on the benches a wide berth. Next time, don't mumble at her. It scares her.

We are in C2 row K, so we are under the canopy. It's about as high as our seats at Merlo, so I think it will be fine. The section is the "L" in Portland
New Women's Pro League! - Page 13 D55594f07c987ec5938790ca51ed86cd

New Women's Pro League! - Page 13 D55594f07c987ec5938790ca51ed86cd

The vertical bar in "T" is midfield.

by Indigo Kid Tue Mar 05, 2013 6:00 am

Interesting article on AWK about the Reign and the trade for Keelin. Also mentions Rapinoe and Reed.
We can see how this plays out soon. All White Kit

by A_Fan Tue Mar 05, 2013 8:51 am

Strange article. He starts out mentioning the trade and later talks about the midfield issues the Reign has, but doesn't mention Keelin and she might fit and improve their midfield.

He did give Elli a nice mention, before deciding she is too inexperienced to lead a back line attack.

by ChrisAWK Tue Mar 05, 2013 9:55 am

A_Fan wrote:Strange article. He starts out mentioning the trade and later talks about the midfield issues the Reign has, but doesn't mention Keelin and she might fit and improve their midfield.

He did give Elli a nice mention, before deciding she is too inexperienced to lead a back line attack.

Uhhh...what?

That’s not to say that the addition of Keelin Winters isn’t one that could and should help the Reign this year. While Winters probably hasn’t hit the upside that she came into WPS with a few years back, she’s still shown promising signs in Boston and with Turbine Potsdam in Germany. Winters is probably an upgrade over Kate Deines, who would’ve likely started as the club’s defensive midfielder had the trade not been made.

Adding Winters and bringing Noyola back on time for the beginning of the season should mean the midfield has the potential to be one of the league’s best.

by Geezaldinho Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:45 am

I think a central midfield of Winters and Deines cold go a long way towards solidifying that midfield. People get trapped in stereotyping players. They forget that Keelin and Becky Edwards were together an immovable rock as a midfield at the 2008 u20 cup, and Keelin was actually a pretty good distributor on that team in the slightly more forward of those two positions.

And when she came back to Portland, she was the distributor when Sophie played out of the forward position.

There was a reason that Tony Dicicco named only Keelin out of a bunch of players that included Morgan and Leroux as ready for the next step.

In the same report he said Elli was the most versatile player on the pitch. I saw her taking shots at practice last week. She did better than some very good former and current players, including some male ones.

by UPSoccerFanatic Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:59 am

Here's what AWK's Henderson said about Elli:

" Elli Reed’s probably one of the league’s better left-backs, almost by default, but she’s still very green and probably not in a position to lead a backline yet. The likely center-back pairing of Kate Deines and Emily Zurrer has a ton of size, but I like Deines better as a midfielder, while Zurrer isn’t going to be a contender’s top option at center-back. Right-back? You might as well throw names into a hat at this point. Lauren Barnes and Elli Reed out of position, Liz Bogus, Jess Fishlock, Jenny Ruiz, or someone else could all be thrown into that spot, with it looking like a serious liability at this point."

by A_Fan Tue Mar 05, 2013 6:05 pm

I overlooked the "click to continue" at the bottom of the article.

by Geezaldinho Tue Mar 05, 2013 6:36 pm

You know, I was watching Elli take PK's last week ( from the arc) and she took them with her right and did better than everyone else.

And now that I think of it, Elli played both right mid and right back.

So while technically she would be out of position on the right, I'm not so sure it would make a whole lot of difference.

by Indigo Kid Fri Mar 08, 2013 1:39 pm

Nice article about the Fox and work in community service. She is a roll model for people in athletics. We need more like her! Dani - Community Service

by Geezaldinho Mon Mar 11, 2013 8:01 pm

The Thorns are running preseason camp at Jeld-Wen, presumably without the players overseas.

Maybe somebody can catch a practice?

http://www.kptv.com/story/21572925/portland-thorns-fc-to-start-preseason-training-camp

by DoubleDipper Thu Mar 14, 2013 8:27 am

From Christine last night:

The journey home begins....lessons learned in Cyprus. Ready to start a new adventure in Portland

by DoubleDipper Tue Mar 19, 2013 4:27 pm

From Christine two hours ago:

Portland bound in the am. Can't wait to meet my new team. @ThornsFC

by Geezaldinho Wed Mar 20, 2013 9:54 am

The USSF and the USWNT announced they have signed a new collective bargaining agreement to run for four years, which would take them through the 2016 Olympics.

The last CBA was a 6 year deal and expired in January.

This is important because the NT players would not have joined their teams without an agreement in place.

No details yet on the terms of the agreement.