Empowering Female Soccer Players to try go Pro ver.2018-2019

[Anonymous]

interesting, thanks for the info! I just started recently following NWSL as you guessed Your last sentence made me think of Spirit playing at Audi field next month, do you see any synergy between DC United and Spirit in the near future?

Also, why does the NWSL need to import talent at all? US soccer should have a huge pool for female talent no??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:interesting, thanks for the info! I just started recently following NWSL as you guessed Your last sentence made me think of Spirit playing at Audi field next month, do you see any synergy between DC United and Spirit in the near future?

Also, why does the NWSL need to import talent at all? US soccer should have a huge pool for female talent no??

Oh how I wish!! I've heard many people mention that as well, but so far, nothing has surfaced. I think in the short term, no such connection will be made - formally at least.

The US has talent, but there is a lot of talent overseas as well. From watching pro games, seeing national teams, etc, the US favors athletic, fast girls who are technically capable of connecting a pass, but there is no support for any creativity or originality. As has been mentioned in other threads, drill after drill has a touch limit, and this is the type of soccer US Soccer wants taught. In fact, in an article previously posted, there was talk of the Mexican American who got passed over, Gonzalez.

"It’s not that the US lost Jonathan Gonzalez, it’s that a player like Jonathan Gonzalez had to look elsewhere for opportunities,” says Gomez. “He was discovered by [former US youth coach] Hugo Perez but there are not enough coaches like Perez who think outside the box. We have been conditioned to believe that proper football is British and that proper football commentary is British. But this is not the world we live in. There are different worlds."

US Soccer just wants one model of a soccer player. This isn't one coach, one club, or one league. It's systemic in the DA and upward. In fact, because of this, when asked why he had left the DA system after trying it briefly, Taitague (or his father, I just can't remember) said that what the DA wanted took from Taitague what makes him impactful as a player: the ability to dribble the ball through players and create space. Yet Schalke loves him.

[Anonymous]

RantingSoccerDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Average salaries in French and German women's pro leagues:

D1 Feminine 2017/18 = $49,700
Frauen-Bundesliga 2017/18 = $44,000.

That's actually almost double the NWSL. Plus you could end up playing the Women's UEFA (the most competitive soccer to play in, except maybe the WC).

In addition to supporting women going pro ahead of college, financially and competition level, it just seems a better option.

It's a little misleading. A couple of teams pay a ton -- this survey says Lyon and PSG's expenses account for half of the spending in D1 Feminine. The average salary at Lyon is listed at 162,000 Euros.
https://www.globalsportssalaries.com/GSSS%202017.pdf

And yet Lyon just lost to an extremely watered-down (six players busy with national teams) version of the North Carolina Courage. Go figure.

So you're really talking about very high salaries at Lyon, PSG, maybe Wolfsburg (where, as of 2011, most players had second jobs -- many with VW) and a few other places, then a big drop. You can see the lack of parity in those leagues and even in the Champions League until those top 4-5 teams all start playing each other.

Basically, European leagues don't have the parity controls U.S. sports have. You see it on the men's side, of course -- Swansea's salaries aren't comparable to Chelsea's, etc. And it's true in the women's game as well.

All that said, I don't know where people are getting the idea that there's this big gateway for women's soccer players going to Europe instead of going to college. There's only one Lindsey Horan. There's only one Mallory Pugh.

The European system is designed for players to go from high school to pros without college. Numerous names on the list previously posted did just that: Line Sigvardsen Jensen, Camilla Kur Larsen, Kerstin Garefrekes, Amandine Henry, Vicky Losada, and on and on. Whereas the US system is designed for players to go to college first. So when you look at almost every single US player barring the 2 you mentioned, they all went to college. SO, if there is a place where a player can postpone college until after their pro career, it is far more likely to be Europe.

That's why people mention Europe. But as for becoming a professional soccer player as a woman, the leagues are fewer, the clubs are fewer, they pay less, and it has to be a choice made out of a deeply rooted passion for soccer. Unlike men, who can go make millions of dollars.

[Anonymous]

Yup. The gambeta (trick, sauce, panna, whatever you wanna call it) allows you to get past a man with just 1 player, and if you can’t do that, THEN you can use combination play to beat the same player, which takes at least 2 players. Here in the US, there’s a tendency to prefer players that can combine, and the gambeta gets scoffed at as “doing too much”. Ideally you want a player that can do both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:interesting, thanks for the info! I just started recently following NWSL as you guessed Your last sentence made me think of Spirit playing at Audi field next month, do you see any synergy between DC United and Spirit in the near future?

Also, why does the NWSL need to import talent at all? US soccer should have a huge pool for female talent no??

Oh how I wish!! I've heard many people mention that as well, but so far, nothing has surfaced. I think in the short term, no such connection will be made - formally at least.

The US has talent, but there is a lot of talent overseas as well. From watching pro games, seeing national teams, etc, the US favors athletic, fast girls who are technically capable of connecting a pass, but there is no support for any creativity or originality. As has been mentioned in other threads, drill after drill has a touch limit, and this is the type of soccer US Soccer wants taught. In fact, in an article previously posted, there was talk of the Mexican American who got passed over, Gonzalez.

"It’s not that the US lost Jonathan Gonzalez, it’s that a player like Jonathan Gonzalez had to look elsewhere for opportunities,” says Gomez. “He was discovered by [former US youth coach] Hugo Perez but there are not enough coaches like Perez who think outside the box. We have been conditioned to believe that proper football is British and that proper football commentary is British. But this is not the world we live in. There are different worlds."

US Soccer just wants one model of a soccer player. This isn't one coach, one club, or one league. It's systemic in the DA and upward. In fact, because of this, when asked why he had left the DA system after trying it briefly, Taitague (or his father, I just can't remember) said that what the DA wanted took from Taitague what makes him impactful as a player: the ability to dribble the ball through players and create space. Yet Schalke loves him.

Want to see some high level, creative, technical soccer? Watch the women's UEFA on youtube. That's what we should be striving for.

[Anonymous]

For the NC Courage vs Lyon, every dog has its day. Man City beat FC Barcelona in the UEFA 4-1, and all the main starters were there. But there's no question which club is better.

What does it mean? Nothing. Lyon was a last minute add when Chelsea dropped out and had players missing. Lyon Lyon didn't play their strongest line up, at least based on what they played in their big games last season. Like Bouhaddi wasn't there, Marozsan, etc.

https://www.dirtysouthsoccer.com/2018/7/30/17628946/world-conquered-north-carolina-courage-wins-the-icc-womens-tournament

"Both teams were undermanned, but that didn’t stop the final from feeling like a championship match. North Carolina was missing six of their players while Lyon, who is still in preseason, was missing a handful of their own."

"Beating Lyon was fantastic and something that was scarcely predicted in the soccer world. That said, neither team was at full strength or top physical condition. It was an excellent match and growing experience for both teams, but it was just a friendly tournament (that we won!)."

Also, the NWSL started in March, so this is midseason for them, but this is pre-season for Lyon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yup. The gambeta (trick, sauce, panna, whatever you wanna call it) allows you to get past a man with just 1 player, and if you can’t do that, THEN you can use combination play to beat the same player, which takes at least 2 players. Here in the US, there’s a tendency to prefer players that can combine, and the gambeta gets scoffed at as “doing too much”. Ideally you want a player that can do both.

+1. That's my biggest issue. I'm not against players passing, but:
1. Eventually to score, somebody has to beat somebody. Instead, they just want/hope to have a fast enough player who outruns instead of outplays.
2. How are we developing when we aren't giving our youth the space to try? Not to be a ball hog, but let them try at least a couple of times in a half - hell a game!

I see coaches belittle and degrade players any time they try to do anything just a little special. Like I saw a girl in practice, not even in a game, juggle a ball over a girl's head and then the next girl, but then even though she was successful, she failed to complete the pass after that. She tried, but wrong weight. Coach laid into her. It's a practice for God's sake, and quite frankly, I was impressed. Why not let her try? Instead, he gave this speech about unless she was a gifted dribbler, not to try that again. How ever will she become a gifted dribbler if coaches step on her every time?

I don't care about that instance. I'm just illustrating a point. It's not even when it's a critical game where we are tied. Coaches don't give them space in games where we are up by a couple of goals, in a practice, or in a scrimmage. They just step on them all the time. And it's not just one coach or club. It's a systemic problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup. The gambeta (trick, sauce, panna, whatever you wanna call it) allows you to get past a man with just 1 player, and if you can’t do that, THEN you can use combination play to beat the same player, which takes at least 2 players. Here in the US, there’s a tendency to prefer players that can combine, and the gambeta gets scoffed at as “doing too much”. Ideally you want a player that can do both.

+1. That's my biggest issue. I'm not against players passing, but:
1. Eventually to score, somebody has to beat somebody. Instead, they just want/hope to have a fast enough player who outruns instead of outplays.
2. How are we developing when we aren't giving our youth the space to try? Not to be a ball hog, but let them try at least a couple of times in a half - hell a game!

I see coaches belittle and degrade players any time they try to do anything just a little special. Like I saw a girl in practice, not even in a game, juggle a ball over a girl's head and then the next girl, but then even though she was successful, she failed to complete the pass after that. She tried, but wrong weight. Coach laid into her. It's a practice for God's sake, and quite frankly, I was impressed. Why not let her try? Instead, he gave this speech about unless she was a gifted dribbler, not to try that again. How ever will she become a gifted dribbler if coaches step on her every time?

I don't care about that instance. I'm just illustrating a point. It's not even when it's a critical game where we are tied. Coaches don't give them space in games where we are up by a couple of goals, in a practice, or in a scrimmage. They just step on them all the time. And it's not just one coach or club. It's a systemic problem.

Thank you. I encourage my players to take risks. If they make a mistake, it happens, it’s okay as long as they show some effort in winning the ball back immediately, since they’re the closest player to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup. The gambeta (trick, sauce, panna, whatever you wanna call it) allows you to get past a man with just 1 player, and if you can’t do that, THEN you can use combination play to beat the same player, which takes at least 2 players. Here in the US, there’s a tendency to prefer players that can combine, and the gambeta gets scoffed at as “doing too much”. Ideally you want a player that can do both.

+1. That's my biggest issue. I'm not against players passing, but:
1. Eventually to score, somebody has to beat somebody. Instead, they just want/hope to have a fast enough player who outruns instead of outplays.
2. How are we developing when we aren't giving our youth the space to try? Not to be a ball hog, but let them try at least a couple of times in a half - hell a game!

I see coaches belittle and degrade players any time they try to do anything just a little special. Like I saw a girl in practice, not even in a game, juggle a ball over a girl's head and then the next girl, but then even though she was successful, she failed to complete the pass after that. She tried, but wrong weight. Coach laid into her. It's a practice for God's sake, and quite frankly, I was impressed. Why not let her try? Instead, he gave this speech about unless she was a gifted dribbler, not to try that again. How ever will she become a gifted dribbler if coaches step on her every time?

I don't care about that instance. I'm just illustrating a point. It's not even when it's a critical game where we are tied. Coaches don't give them space in games where we are up by a couple of goals, in a practice, or in a scrimmage. They just step on them all the time. And it's not just one coach or club. It's a systemic problem.

Thank you. I encourage my players to take risks. If they make a mistake, it happens, it’s okay as long as they show some effort in winning the ball back immediately, since they’re the closest player to it.

That's excellent! So few coaches get that any more, especially in the higher "elite" leagues. And as for chasing it down, I respect that, and that's how I was taught to play.

[Anonymous]

I ran across this and thought it was worth sharing:
"Is college soccer too much of a risk for rising U.S. talent?"

http://www.espn.com/sports/soccer/story/_/id/22869596/2018-world-cup-college-soccer-too-much-risk-rising-us-talent

Not just because of the college vs pro career. I also just liked Williamson's back story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the NC Courage vs Lyon, every dog has its day. Man City beat FC Barcelona in the UEFA 4-1, and all the main starters were there. But there's no question which club is better.

What does it mean? Nothing. Lyon was a last minute add when Chelsea dropped out and had players missing. Lyon Lyon didn't play their strongest line up, at least based on what they played in their big games last season. Like Bouhaddi wasn't there, Marozsan, etc.

https://www.dirtysouthsoccer.com/2018/7/30/17628946/world-conquered-north-carolina-courage-wins-the-icc-womens-tournament

"Both teams were undermanned, but that didn’t stop the final from feeling like a championship match. North Carolina was missing six of their players while Lyon, who is still in preseason, was missing a handful of their own."

"Beating Lyon was fantastic and something that was scarcely predicted in the soccer world. That said, neither team was at full strength or top physical condition. It was an excellent match and growing experience for both teams, but it was just a friendly tournament (that we won!)."

Also, the NWSL started in March, so this is midseason for them, but this is pre-season for Lyon.

Speaking of Europe, this would be spectacular to see happen:

Barcelona says it plans to have a team in NWSL
https://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/05/12/barcelona-womens-team-nwsl-us-soccer