Washington Spirit

[Anonymous]

She's 15 and 5ft 1...I'm not saying she's not good, but she should finish high school, grow a little, and go to college. She played maybe 5 minutes at the end of the game on Saturday. She seemed to have good energy, but she's 15!

[Anonymous]

There are certainly better players at the same 2007 age in the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She's 15 and 5ft 1...I'm not saying she's not good, but she should finish high school, grow a little, and go to college. She played maybe 5 minutes at the end of the game on Saturday. She seemed to have good energy, but she's 15!

Who? Chloe? If so, she's 16 and turns 17 in May.

I feel bad for her. They put her in to play when another player was injured. Maybe they contractually have to play her a certain amount of time?

She lost the ball. Later, she got the ball and kicked it out of bounds. I imagine playing like this must be really hard on her, and she's so young.

[Anonymous]

Here's the issue - it used to be that any 20-year old "phenom" female player had an elevator straight up to the full national team. Think Rose Lavelle, Alex Morgan... they had no real competition.

Now all these "phenoms" opting out of college soccer and signing at 16 years old have the other 2008 "phenoms" to compete against, the 2007 phenoms, the 2006 phenoms, and then the all-Americans coming out of college and foreign national team players settling down in the US.

We do not have a real pyramid where say choley rickets can start and play a full 90 in the 3rd tier of women's soccer on loan from the spirit. This is what is done in every other country with a legit soccer system. After 1-2 years of playing full 90s for a lower division team, Spirit loses a key player and boom she is ready to go.

But instead they have her sitting on the bench watching everyone else play and will probably sign another 16 year old to do the same next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are certainly better players at the same 2007 age in the DMV.

There are at least 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's the issue - it used to be that any 20-year old "phenom" female player had an elevator straight up to the full national team. Think Rose Lavelle, Alex Morgan... they had no real competition.

Now all these "phenoms" opting out of college soccer and signing at 16 years old have the other 2008 "phenoms" to compete against, the 2007 phenoms, the 2006 phenoms, and then the all-Americans coming out of college and foreign national team players settling down in the US.

We do not have a real pyramid where say choley rickets can start and play a full 90 in the 3rd tier of women's soccer on loan from the spirit. This is what is done in every other country with a legit soccer system. After 1-2 years of playing full 90s for a lower division team, Spirit loses a key player and boom she is ready to go.

But instead they have her sitting on the bench watching everyone else play and will probably sign another 16 year old to do the same next year.

This is a great post and totally accurate. Without the support and infrastructure these young ladies need at 15 through18 the US women's professional soccer decision just doesn't make sense yet unless you are literally the best of the best in the NWSL the minute you sign...which is not the case for any of these teenagers. There are 100's of college players that can easily do the job now and better while easily handling being a professional at 21+ with experience. I'm sure a few of them will do fine but it's a huge risk and the youngster for the Spirit is already in a tough spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She's 15 and 5ft 1...I'm not saying she's not good, but she should finish high school, grow a little, and go to college. She played maybe 5 minutes at the end of the game on Saturday. She seemed to have good energy, but she's 15!

Who? Chloe? If so, she's 16 and turns 17 in May.

I feel bad for her. They put her in to play when another player was injured. Maybe they contractually have to play her a certain amount of time?

She lost the ball. Later, she got the ball and kicked it out of bounds. I imagine playing like this must be really hard on her, and she's so young.

the Fuller girl is struggling badly as well and look overwhelmed. Moultrie does not look like a full national team player and is playing 30 minutes off the bench for her nwsl team.

[Anonymous]

failures all of them before the age of 20, tought crowd

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't the whole narrative college is better because you can have a professioanl career to make "big money". Figure out what you are actually saying first champ.

LOL. What is that supposed to mean? College isn't better for everybody, my point was that if a kid wants to chase the dreams of being a pro, let her. That is HER happiness, we're all sitting here assuming that there needs to be big money attached for it to make sense. Sometimes people are perfectly okay chasing their dream and making enough to get to the next day.

15 year olds in the NWSL is just an irresponsible decision even if the kid is a phenom. the league does not have the proper infrastructure and support to have that work out at a decent percentage. Maybe a few more years down the line when the league is stable. 18 would have been a good place to start and go from there after some results.

They had a rule that you had to be 18, but one of the girls sued NWSL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:failures all of them before the age of 20, tought crowd

nothing about failing. they hyped these kids. the kids hyped themselves. simply observing the games and making an evaluation so far. it actually got me to watch. they are paid professionals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She's 15 and 5ft 1...I'm not saying she's not good, but she should finish high school, grow a little, and go to college. She played maybe 5 minutes at the end of the game on Saturday. She seemed to have good energy, but she's 15!

Who? Chloe? If so, she's 16 and turns 17 in May.

I feel bad for her. They put her in to play when another player was injured. Maybe they contractually have to play her a certain amount of time?

She lost the ball. Later, she got the ball and kicked it out of bounds. I imagine playing like this must be really hard on her, and she's so young.

Spirit with another win. The two drafted college player look fabulous. Ricketts zero minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She's 15 and 5ft 1...I'm not saying she's not good, but she should finish high school, grow a little, and go to college. She played maybe 5 minutes at the end of the game on Saturday. She seemed to have good energy, but she's 15!

Who? Chloe? If so, she's 16 and turns 17 in May.

I feel bad for her. They put her in to play when another player was injured. Maybe they contractually have to play her a certain amount of time?

She lost the ball. Later, she got the ball and kicked it out of bounds. I imagine playing like this must be really hard on her, and she's so young.

Spirit with another win. The two drafted college player look fabulous. Ricketts zero minutes.

Bethune is fantastic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She's 15 and 5ft 1...I'm not saying she's not good, but she should finish high school, grow a little, and go to college. She played maybe 5 minutes at the end of the game on Saturday. She seemed to have good energy, but she's 15!

Who? Chloe? If so, she's 16 and turns 17 in May.

I feel bad for her. They put her in to play when another player was injured. Maybe they contractually have to play her a certain amount of time?

She lost the ball. Later, she got the ball and kicked it out of bounds. I imagine playing like this must be really hard on her, and she's so young.

Spirit with another win. The two drafted college player look fabulous. Ricketts zero minutes.

Bethune is fantastic.

Amazing player...how does she not get called up to the national team? Injuries in the past I think.

[Anonymous]

Great additions to the team this year. Hershfelt, Bethune, and can't forget Ratcliffe, she's been amazing off the bench.

[Anonymous]

Happy to see the local team doing well after a few down years after their championship run. Still have to look forward to Leicy Santos arriving in the summer as well.