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The National Women's Soccer League has made a huge stride. The NWSL has reached it's fifth season. In the United States, where the NWSL is based with 10 clubs, there has never been a successful women's soccer league that made it this far. The Women's Professional Soccer League (WPSL) only made it to three seasons. Now, the NWSL has increased in popularity. The league has made a name for themselves and proved that with two major new deals. A+E Networks and Lifetime TV partnered up with the NWSL to regularly broadcast matches this season. In addition, the network will give the NWSL a pre-game show. Also, go90 has agreed to live-stream 98 matches for the NWSL, which will be available on an iOS and Android application. The league is also growing with the players that are joining. Last week, it was reported that Marta, a legend of the Brazilian Women's National Team, will be joining the Orlando Pride. Even more, popular players like Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns), Ali Krieger (Orlando Pride), Rose Lavelle (Boston Breakers) and Kelley O'Hara (Sky Blue FC) are on NWSL rosters. In the summer, Alex Morgan will return from Lyon in France to the Orlando Pride and Carli Lloyd will return to the Houston Dash after a stint with the Manchester City Women's Team. Even more, the NWSL is gaining more traction with a brand new website, which is more pristine and clean. The NWSL is working it's way up the ladder in popularity, with the following trending on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. The NWSL has a long way to go to reach the level of Major League Soccer, the men's league in the United States. However, they're on the right path, and will reach it sooner than expected.
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The Orlando Pride just made one of the biggest NWSL moves of all time, and certainly in club history. The second-year expansion club announced on Friday that they have signed Brazilian Women's National Team superstar, and current captain, Marta Vieira da Silva (Brazilian footballers typically go by one name, hence why she is called "Marta") to a two-year contract. Marta's contract also has an option for a third season, and is off a free transfer from her current club FC Rosengård (in Sweden). The move is a powerhouse move for the Orlando Pride, who are affiliated with Orlando City SC of the MLS. Business members of Orlando City SC's club spoke about the transaction. "We are incredibly proud to bring Marta to Orlando, and I am personally very excited as I have been a fan of her for many years,” Orlando City SC CEO Alex Leitão said. “Our technical team worked hard to add the best, most accomplished women’s soccer player in the world to the roster. We started the Pride to win, and bringing Marta to Orlando is a testament to our belief in this team, our supporters and the passion for soccer in Central Florida." “Marta’s resume speaks for itself. She is not only the best player in the world, she is a player that fills one of our biggest needs on the field,” Orlando City SC General Manager Niki Budalic said. “Our goal this offseason was to evaluate our first year’s performance and give the Pride the best tools for success in 2017 and forward. With the addition of Marta, as well as fellow veterans Ali Krieger, Ashlyn Harris and Alex Morgan, among others, we are building a strong, exciting lineup for years to come.” Budalic is absoultely right; the Brazilian superstar has a resume that makes fans stare in awe when she takes the pitch. Marta is a five-time FIFA Women's World Player of the Year recipient, which all came from 2006-10. In addition, her international work has her with 101 appearances for the Brazilian Women's National Team, since 2002. Marta currently holds 105 goals to her name. At the club level, Marta has played in the United States, Sweden and her native Brazil. In competitive matches, Marta has racked up a total of 321 appearances where she has scored 358 goals. Marta will bring her Brazilian style of football, as well as goal-scoring prowess, to a team in desperate need of an attack game. The Pride have loaned out forward, and United States Women's National Team star, Alex Morgan to French club Olympique Lyonnais. While the Pride have Christina Burkenroad, Jamia Fields, Jasmyne Spencer and Chioma Ubogagu, they aren't big names like Morgan. Also, their resumes aren't as impressive as Marta's. Now that the Pride have finalized the final aspect of their team that needed the most attention- the forward position- the Pride are a real threat to opposing NWSL clubs. The club also acquired defender Ali Krieger, another USWNT player, in the offseason to help bolster the defense, and now with the addition of Marta, the club, on paper, looks to be unstoppable. The Pride will put their stacked team to the test on April 15 when the NWSL season kicks off. The Pride will travel to the West Coast to face the Portland Thorns, who are equally equipped with talent. The match will air on Lifetime TV, with coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET. When it comes to football, there is a level of respect before, during and after a match. Players swap jerseys after battling for 90 minutes. Tempers might flare during matches, but afterwards, those players are shaking hands with the other players. Rivals swap jerseys and share hugs with their fellow professional athletes. Even looking back recently, the United States Men's National Team and the Mexican Men's National Team, two fierce and bitter rivals in the CONCACAF league, share a team photo together, instead of separately, during their November 2016 match. The photo proved that football unites people. Hopefully that same level of respect can be found on Thursday, when the United States Women's National Team hosts the Russian Women's National Team for a friendly in Frisco, Texas. It's hard to not avoid talk about Russia in this day and age. Election hacking, Donald Trump's ties with Vladimir Putin and their involvement in the Syrian crisis. However, that's politics. This is football. This is a sport that unites people. This is a sport that demands respect. This is a sort of PSA for USWNT fans, and U.S. Soccer fans in general: no matter how much you hate on Russia, politically, remember to have respect. This is a friendly match, so Russia could have easily said no to making the trip to Texas to face the USWNT. However, they agreed, so now many fans can go to Frisco and watch their favorite players. The Russian WNT deserve just as much of respect as the United States WNT. The Russian players are not a resemblance of their country's politics. They are representing their country, and should do so with an immense amount of pride (which they surely will), but they are not scapegoats for the United States and Russia tensions. They're people just like the rest of us, and they are incredible athletes. U.S. Soccer fans must, not should, but must show the Russian WNT the respect that they deserve. As a dual citizen of both Russia and the United States, I hear vulgar sayings all the time. It's actually kind of cruel the things people will say and then cover up and say "We're just joking." Don't pull that kind of ridiculous, and immature, behavior in Frisco, and in Houston where the two teams will meet up again on April 9. As a proud citizen of both nations, I will be rooting for both teams. I encourage U.S. Soccer fans to treat the Russian fans that make the trip to the match with the utmost respect. That's a lot of dedication, flying all the way from Russia to Frisco/Houston, to see your national team play. They deserve respect, just like their players. The same goes the other way around. The Russian fans must have respect for the U.S. Soccer fans and players. I'm looking forward to a fun, fierce and friendly match between the two sides. I am also looking forward to not hearing any horrible stories to come from the matches, when it comes to fan relations. These are two teams that deserve the utmost respect. Football is a sport that unites players, coaches and fans. Let's keep it that way. To hear more about this issue, check out the "Soccer 2 The Max" podcast that I'm on every Sunday night with Erik Watkins and Sean Garmer. This week's episode had me talking about the match, and the encouragement of respect. Click here for the link. |
About Me
20-year-old football enthusiast living in the United States. I try to get Americans to say "football" and not "soccer." Archives
May 2017
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