Protect the Players*

*some conditions apply

Again, past my bedtime, there was apparently a complete ripper of a game that happened in the Pacific northwest…kind of an American Community Shield between the defending champions Washington Spirit, and the current Shield holders Portland Thorns.

As per most games in the fat hours of the evening, I tried to catch up what I missed on social media…lots of talk about how the battle between Emily Sonnett, and Sophia Smith was evenly matched chaos through the game, Trinity Rodman saying a no-no word picked up on camera, Ashley Hatch winning yet another delivery into the box to equalize, Bella Bixby making saves no human should make, and a Sonnett goal-called-back-become-meme.

Focusing on the Sonnett goal that wasn’t, I’m still not entirely sure why…it..was…n’t? The official’s wheel of stuff they can call landed on Offsides, and it lead to forward Trinity Rodman, and everywhere Ashley Sanchez to run back and play CB for a minute to help cover the goal.

Anyway, this goal also had referee controversy, which means it fits in with almost every other game the Spirit have played this year. Only this time, coach Kris Ward had enough.

Washington Spirit @WashSpirit

We stand with you, Coach 🗣️

The general point he’s making is that the officials, and by extension the league, is letting the players down by not protecting their safety. This is 100% absolutely correct.

Ward mentions Emily Sonnett getting her ribs broken by a harsh Carrie Lawrence tackle in the 31’ in the opening game against Orlando. Lawrence received a yellow card for the foul, and after the game, Ward received a response to his complaint about the foul: “Well, she finished the game”.

This is really concerning response from the league, for what should be obvious reasons. But if, as Ward says, she got kicked twice and had broken ribs from violent action in the 31st minute…why did she finish the game?

“Because she’s a warrior. Because she’s strong”…because her coach didn’t think the risk of serious injury was enough to take her off?

Ward left her on for 59+ minutes after a foul so violent that it left her with broken ribs…so memorable he used it as evidence of officiating malpractice two months later.

He also mentioned Hatch’s $100 fine for going studs in on Abby Erceg’s (just as an aside, the fact that Sean Nahas allowed Erceg to continue after this play is absolutely shameful too) in the Challenge Cup finale as neglectful by the league…a fine is too much, he would have been fine with a foul or a yellow…even appealing to Hatch’s good character as a way to malign the officiating letting Lawrence get away with a hard foul. Which is curious because in that finale, Ward allowed Aubrey Bledsoe to continue playing after hitting her head against Diane Ordonez’s knee and directly back into the post. She passed the on-field check, but had to go through the protocols post game also to just make sure she didn’t have a concussion.

So for someone who was so visibly upset about how the officiating has treated his players, and how the league shrugs his complaints off, his hands aren’t clean either.

Demanding that the league protect the players is essential for the technical staffs to do, even in the face of league discipline. But you have to protect your players too, which Ward’s record is mixed.

Quick Hits

USSF, MNT, and WNT Sign Equal Pay CBAs

If you’re reading this newsletter, you have probably heard. I spent a big chuck of Wednesday applying my day job knowledge in discussions with people asking questions about what this means in good faith. However, some men DID find me…

In The Other Two Games

San Diego was handed their first loss in franchise history in Louisville off a tremendous free kick by Savannah Demelo, all while Casey Stoney was Covid positive.

Orlando beat a completely decimated North Carolina team (5 players in Covid protocols, an illness, two knee injuries, and Kerolin’s ankle injury which happened under unexplained circumstances) after goals from Sydney Leroux, and the first-ever professional goal from the blondly ponytailed Mikalya Cluff.

About That Decimated Squad…

North Carolina FINALLY used Jorian Baucom after picking her up on wavers from Louisville. Baucom was a striker at Colorado where she scored 45 goals in 81 games for LSU and Colorado, then she went to Houston for a literal minute, to Czechia where she appeared in the Champions League, and then to Duisberg in Germany, where she scored three times in her seven games.

So Nahas played her as a defensive midfielder. As you do.

This Weekend

Six NWSL games, the Champions League final between Barcelona and Lyon, the last day of the boy’s Premier League where Spurs will figure out someway to ruin their future against 20th placed Norwich and Liga MX Femenil Liguilla Finals Friday and Monday between Chivas and Pachuca.

Speaking of Liga MX Femenil one cool thing that came out on Thursday was that Sarah Luebbert is back in Chicago after a successful loan with Club America in Mexico. At CA, she was a regular and a fan favorite in Mexico City.