The IX: Soccer Monday with Annie M. Peterson for November 4, 2019
Annie's Flu Game — Must-click links
Annie’s Flu Game
Hey guys, I have the flu, so The IX is gonna be short today. Fewer links and no interview. Sorry. Just having trouble staying on task long enough to do anything meaningful today. Product of sitting out in 25-degree weather for Fast Eddie’s final high school football game.
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Most important: Caitlin Murray’s “Bible” on the USWNT has been updated with the 2019 World Cup! It’s available here. I feel the need to shamelessly promote this book, not just because Caitlin is awesome, but because I’m actually mentioned in it!
Also: Is the Sacramento Storm happening? Seems to be some speculation.
And there are A LOT of different things going on in soccer before we face the “kinda’’ off-season. I say kinda because Vlatko Andonovski has announced he’ll hold a December camp, which I’m assuming will be in addition to the more traditional January camp. Then very quickly there’s Olympic qualifying, which is traditionally in late January or February.
Andonovski this morning named Milan Ivanovic as an assistant. Ivanovic has worked with Andonovski for the past four seasons. No surprise there.
Andonovski last week announced his roster for the two upcoming friendlies. The injury list is what we kind of expected: Kelley O’Hara, Ali Krieger, Crystal Dunn, Tierna Davidson, Megan Rapinoe and pregnant Alex Morgan.
I like that Midge Purce and Aubrey Bledsoe appear to be getting a reward for their fine NWSL play. Also interesting: Alana Cook and Imani Dorsey.
There’s lots of questions surrounding Cook. As many of you know, she went to Stanford and was expected to be a top NWSL draft pick, but instead went to Paris Saint-Germain on a three-year deal, Then last month, she was called up by Phil Neville to play for England in friendlies against Brazil and Portugal. She is a dual national because her father is British. Here’s a good story about it from Kieran Theivam in The Athletic.
So did the USWNT call-up signal that Cook, who played on youth teams for the United States, was back with the Americans after testing the waters in England? Not necessarily. Cook can still play for the United States in a friendly and then appeal to FIFA to play for England.
Is it possible that Neville and Andonovski are going to have to figuratively wrestle over Cook? Cool. It’s going to be fun to see how all of this plays out. She’s a good defender and the team obviously needs a little help there with the injuries — although it is not certain that Andonovski will keep Dunn on the backline.
Also, does this signal and end to what seemed to be Jill Ellis’ preference that U.S. players need to be on NWSL rosters to be considered for the player pool? Stay tuned on that one, too. But that certainly may add to a bit more speculation and intrigue over roster callups.
Andonovski said it himself in the introductory press conference: “When we’re talking about expanding the player pool, we’re talking everywhere. I mean, anywhere we think that we can find a player to make this team better and help us win games, we’re going to consider the player. Whether it’s the NWSL, Europe, anywhere in the world or college soccer, we’re going to look very thorough and research, as well, to make it possible.”
OK, I didn’t even get to the new NWSL rules. I’m glad everyone got a raise. I will add what most people way smarter than me think in the the links. However, just from personal experience over past several years, the housing changes are key. Being able to stay in one place and train year-round is going to make a world of difference for some of these young women. So good on ya, NWSL owners.
One last NWSL thing just dropped in my inbox: There are 19 players on the re-entry wire, including Kyah Simon, and nine (!) players from the Washington Spirit. Here’s the release.
Quickly on to the links before I pass out:
This Week in Women’s Soccer
Reminder: First, the underlined words are the links. Second. CLICK these, even if you’ve already read them. Clicks = Attention from editors, producers and webmasters. Third, if you want to push out stuff you’ve written or read, email me! apeterson@ap.org.
The Equalizer laid out all the new NWSL salary stuff here.
My story on the salary stuff.
I keep wishing it wasn’t true, but at some point I have to face reality. Sam Kerr is leaving. Bridget Gordon has the skinny in Hot Time for Old Town.
And apologies to anyone who was first on the Kerr news. I was traveling on Friday and wasn’t following closely. I think if may have been the great Steven Goff for the Washington Post, so here’s his story.
Sophie Lawson does a fun story on where Sam Kerr might end up. Fun Fact: I had a Twitter search set up with keywords Chelsea and Women and I got mostly mean tweets about Chelsea Clinton.
The Athletic’s Meg Linehan on Kate Markgraf giving us the first taste about how she’s handling her new position.
Stephanie Yang with a with the allocation money international wish list. Mine is Wendie Renard.
Tragic news about Tarania Clarke of the Reggae Girlz.
Bloomberg ran this update about the Equal Pay lawsuit today. Not unexpected and don’t know if in the end it will be relevant. But it may be interesting to see this information. Seems a little confusing because the federation pays allocated players in the NWSL.
BIG NEWS on the Equal Pay front in Australia.
Jeff Kassouf of The Equalizer asks about the USWNT players in relation to the new NWSL rules.
This is the Tweet of the Week, and it may end up being the Tweet of the Year. Becky Sauerbrunn is badass.
OK guys, I’m heading back to bed.
