Maybe the club wants to make it sound good about "putting her in the mix for competition at GK" but signing an international GK to a long term contract to not be your #1 would be kind of dumb. Although, then again, so is carrying 6 keepers on a 26-person roster whose biggest glaring deficits are wingers that can score, and centerbacks that can command the back line.
On the Nats: It can be argued that this send-off match isn't going to be at all typical of Olympic matches: teams aren't likely to go into such an extreme defensive shell, even in group play. Teams like Germany, Australia, and Zambia (their Group B opponents) are going to be plenty aggressive with their own offense. The US' recently-untested defense is going to need to play well (very well against Zambia in particular: we've seen what Banda can do), but the attack is going to have more room to operate.
Thing is, they need to massively clean up their finishing. They weren't without chances today, but the finishing was dreadful (and the CR 'keeper very good, it has to be said). In addition, the midfield, particularly when Lavelle is unavailable - which is more often than not, to be blunt - is slow and uncreative. The "slow" part extends to both pace and speed of play. Horan's move to Europe has doubtless done her bank balance a lot of good, but it's done her quality no favors (again, to be blunt). Having all of two competitive matches (plus Champion's League) in a season, dealing with a long-ish term injury, and playing in a league that's anything but pacey has made her into a very ordinary AM.
I haven't watched the key Euro sides since their Olympic qualis ended (that is, none of the recent tune-ups), but I have been watching the Nadeshiko. While Japan's not on the same form they were at WWC23, the team I saw in the last couple games would hand the US its ass. Hell, I'm not sure their U17s might not pull off an upset (but they have a very, very special #10...remember this name: Miharu Shinjo).
Agreed. Fact is, the USWNT's prep is never any good outside of stuff like Sheba. They just aren't able to get the big teams to fly over and play friendlies here.
So yeah: The tradeoff against better teams is that you're going to have to play, well, *better teams* but you're also not going to have to go up against the Costa Ricas of the world when the entire tournament is comprised of the best teams in the world. Which means that Soph/Mal/Rodman are probably going to have more space if the defense can hold up.
And yes, if Lavelle continues to be as fragile as she usually is, Hayes simply cannot make the mistake of playing Albert over Shaw. If she Ashley Sanchez-es Shaw at the Olympics, I'm gonna have a straight up meltdown lol
Yes, Costa Rica was often playing with *all 10* outfield players back. They didn't even have a lone forward keeping our defense honest. We may see such a formation in the Olympics, but I doubt it; it's much more likely in a World Cup game, where the gulf in ability is larger.
But don’t forget Sweden parking the bus against the US in the 2016 Olympics. But I agree the talent now is so balanced at the major tournaments that play will be more wide open and that will be fine for Soph, Mal and Trin.
I think the most recent episode of the Expected Own Goals podcast did the best job of summing up how folks should feel about the Costa Rica match AND the expectations of this US team at the Olympics. Highly recommend.
What does "expected" mean, I wonder: is it like, the podcasters' reasonable guess, or has somebody with the team who would know done or said anything to indicate that?
I became an Arnold fan during the "golden age" W-league years before the mass Aussie exodus. (Roar Corps represent!) so this was a fistpump-in-the-afternoon event for me personally. I've never seen a keeper so calm and never ever yell at their defense. My fervent hope is that Macca's plus-level distribution will help the offense, as it's kind of hard to do much better than the clean sheets Hogan has netted. So the most room for improvement is through that avenue. Though given the current squad makeup, I will need to see more of a willingness to advance the ball with urgency through midfield before I can confidently predict that happening. I'll get my popcorn ready and hope for the best.
Really disappointed. Not necessarily that they ended up with Gale --probably a perfectly fine coach all things considered-- but in the process. Gale isn't a tactical elevator and by not taking the risk of hiring someone externally, they're settling for what they know, and what they know has a ceiling. More than that, removing the interim tag now has zero logic to it: Let him see out the season and hire him if he does well. What *possibly* is the benefit of handling it the way they did? Reeks of Becki Tweed, and we all know how that's going.
I'm not expecting the Bhathals to be Michelle Kang, but you HAVE to be aggressive when you get the chance to be, and this simply isn't that. They seem to have let KK make the decision instead of demanding she hire someone external, and if we know one thing about KK it's that she's gonna hire the popular internal candidate instead of taking risks. I'm not gonna go full doomsday because who is on the field is still the most important, but this is a real bummer for those of us (me) who thought the Bhathals would take a more active role in shaping the direction of the team.
Reeks of Mike Norris, but only gave it 3 months! She hired Gale because Gale is seriously just like a male version of herself. Just so so underwhelming to have this level of ambition...which makes me concerned what the top players on our team think of this. Sure they like him...but what does this lack of ambition say to them?
Is that even true tho? It seems like she's more on the abrasive side of happy-talker while he's on the "everybody loves him" side.
Regardless, without knowing if or who they conducted interviews, I think she hired him because he's well liked and they have a good relationship.....and that's just what she does. Which is why this is 100% on the Bhathals for me.
And, fwiw, this is entirely different than Norris....which is the whole problem! The FO didn't have the luxury of conducting a full search with Norris because of Paulson! They did have that luxury with Gale and still took the easy route.
I just mean they are both high energy in-your-face vibe guys. Sure, there's nuance, but they seem very similar imo. Rob is just more likeable and less obnoxious.
And yes, this isn't up to snuff for the Bhathals. Super disappointing. And, it's just a bad decision to make that hire now....like, why? Maybe they didn't have any viable coaches in the pool (which doesn't make sense), but they could've at least kept it open until the offseason to A) see if more folks can be interviewed post-Olympics and B) give Rob more than 3 freaking months.
Honestly, what do they do if we end up in 8th place? Or out of the playoffs? Conduct another search? Stick with mediocre? They put themselves in quite a risky predicament...
Does anyone believe the world's historically most successful pro WOSO club did not get a lot of attention from top-tier coaches regarding their gaffer slot?
Am guessing that we either didn't want Stoney or didn't have what it would take to get her, the players didn't want Parsons to return, and that Twila is heading for SD. All just guesses, tho.
To be honest, I'm not really interested in any of those three. Stoney would have been a bigger "get" from an ambition perspective, but none are clear upgrades.
I was hoping they'd go to Europe and really get someone different.....and they just elected to, well, not do that.
I agree in that this isn't a full on disaster by any means and the players on the field are always going to be the most important, but it certainly fails to walk the walk of the Bhathals' big talk.
To be fair, I think we’ve acquired a lot of good free agents. Fleming was high dollar one at the time, but things change. She ended up being a little more than Rocky Rodriguez. They also extended Smith.
I want to see the formal announcement for the practice facility (did I miss it?)
They don't know the game or have any connections within it. They don't know what to do next.
However... I have to assume that Sophia was fine, or "fine," with the hire. Either she's happy to stay here longer term, or she's one foot out the door.
the players probably like Rob! I don't think the players should be who we go to, though! Players will like coaches if they're a good person and the team wins.
Agreed. It made sense when we had to scramble and replace Rhian. But in general, though I think it's a good idea to involve your franchise centerpiece, I don't think they should have say-so.
This is new though! She wasn’t *bad* at the defensive aspects of playing the six in her first two years necessarily, but she wasn’t a very good tackler and didn’t play with much aggression in the tackle…which makes sense because she was a 10 in college.
This year, it seems like she’s really worked on those traits and it’s legit a strength of hers, especially for the nats (if still not at Ertz levels).
This ACFC schadenfreude is oh so sweet. This piece goes into Ohanian hating Uhrman, board politics, and many other specifics of the general ACFC dysfunction.
This is so perfectly reflective of my personal dealings with Uhrman. For the sake of the league I’m glad it sounds like she’s on her way. Because if ACFC collapses I could definitely see it indirectly bringing the NWSL with it.
I wanted to compile a not exhaustive list that I've seen recently-ish of players overseas who've either announced a departure, or have been rumored to at least have interest from other clubs, some of which come from the NWSL. Quality obv varies (and some may be unattainable) and these aren't endorsements on my end; kept it mostly to positions I think we'll be targeting...
F/M:
Delphine Cascarino (rumored to be connected to SDW, but nothing announced)
Lieke Martens (rumored to be connected to Lazio, but nothing announced)
Nikita Parris (United have triggered her option to keep her for another year, but is said to have offers from other clubs and was briefly connected to NC Courage before the deal fell through)
Toni Payne (rumored to be connected to Brighton, but nothing announced; also Nicole Payne's sister)
Inma Gabarro (young player; rumored to be connected to Brighton, but nothing announced)
Hayley Raso (has left Real Madrid)
Amel Majri (rumored to be connected to Inter, but nothing announced)
Ana-Maria Crnogocevic (has left Atletico Madrid; honestly have no idea what position she plays lately)
Ludmila (has left Atletico Madrid and is connected to the NWSL, among other leagues; also follows KK and the NWSL on IG...)
Shanice Van De Sanden (has left Liverpool)
Rosa Kafaji (young player; has been connected to numerous clubs/leagues including the NWSL)
CB:
Eva Gaetino (At PSG, who is bleeding players; OL rumored to be connected. A young American who I think would be a good prospect to target)
Kathellen Sousa (has left Real Madrid)
Laia Aleixandri (only adding bc her contract is up in 2025 and she's rumored to have interest from other clubs, Barca being one, although I don't think she's attainable)
Ya know I thought about Ludmila a few weeks ago when I was going through the Spanish league trying to find potential wing adds. She's not what I'd call a star by any means, but she's a real good player who scores goals and does the other winger-y stuff at a high level. She's also Smith-like in that she likes to play more centrally, but has pace and pulls wide often. I wouldn't be mad at that at all. She is, however, coming off an ACL.
Other than that, no thanks to pretty much all the attackers except for Kafaji who I would do terrible terrible things to have here but almost certainly is gonna end up at a big Euro club. Majri would be fun too, but she's going to Inter as you mention. Any of the CBs would be cool.
Got a piece discussing the roster over at Riveting! for whatever value more conversation about this might have.
I’d like to add just this; I’m reading a lot of hand waving over Arnold’s meh WSL form based on the “eye test” and here’s the thing about keepers; really good keeping DOESN’T catch the eye.
Positioning, tactical nous, and anticipation mean the it looks like opponents are always shooting right at you, and their crosses are always right to you. If you “look dominant” you’re likely getting beat and having to make big dives and circus catches.
Of course the numbers can be deceptive, too! There’s no reason to just accept the stats without a look at the whole player.
But given this roster the real question isn’t so much “is this a good player?” (because she very obviously is) but “is this the best use of club resources?”
I’d argue probably not - the front and backlines need more help - but I’m also not particularly arsed about it…UNLESS the other needs aren’t addressed when the August window opens.
Where I've settled on Arnold: I don't think she IS a shiny new object- They paid nothing but an international roster spot to get her. I wouldn't say that she "looks dominant" either, even during that WC- For better or worse, her best attribute isn't her otherworldly shot-stopping, as the stats show. I wouldn't call her a top ten keeper (whatever that means) in the world either, but I do feel good in saying that she's an upgrade on what we have, especially with her feet....which is huge given how god awful both Bixby and Hogan are with theirs. So, good-not-great signing in a vacuum.
So, the primary discussion points are therefore related to resource allocation:
1. What happens to the other keepers and how does that impact roster building going into the offseason and next season. In other words, is there a significant opportunity cost to signing Arnold? I lean towards "no" (international spots are fungible, it's hard for me to believe they'll go into next season with more than four keepers), but the fact is that we currently have five rostered keepers and the incumbent --at least in theory-- returning next season.
2. What comes next? Phuoc has indicated pretty heavily that they're not done this summer. As everyone agrees, we're in desperate need of wing reinforcements if we want even a hope of competing down the stretch. If they sign a big name winger and maybe one other depth piece, I start to feel pretty decent going into the offseason.
We spent the offseason lamenting the lack of FB’s and the team brings in both Muller and Payne. Not so much of a concern now and I’d argue Obaze has shown well when healthy.
We took flyers that cost virtually nothing in Kozal, Asman, and Alvarado. 2 of those happened when Bixby was on pregnancy leave.
My assumption is Arnold’s roster spot will come at true expense of one of those goalies.
I anticipate long term we are looking at:
Arnold
Bixby or Hogan
Kozal
Curious what names you’d see at forward? Deanne Rose? Evelyn Viens? Ebony Salmon?
Well, you know I've liked every signing they've brought in since the Bhathals took over other than Dias. If there is an opportunity cost to spending international spots, the Dias signings is the greater sin (though still not the end of the world) compared to a free international caliber keeper.
Not sure what they paid for Dias, but they did finalize the loan for Payne to keep her long term. My assumption is they won’t do the same for Dias though I see tools that are overshadowed by chaotic nature of her play.
I also was very encouraged by Fleming the last game.
I do believe there is a forward in mind. I’ve read in threads that Beckie’s fiance lives in Florida and she sounds like she might need a Gabbie Seiler type change.
Yeah, I am of the belief that there's going to be a lot of roster turnover this offseason --both because it's needed and because half the roster is out of contract-- and probably at least a few big acquisitions. My big question is whether they spend a lot this summer or wait to evaluate under a new coach in the offseason (or both).
Yeah, the coaching issue has been the big question mark for me, also, in regards to any major player acquisitions...
You'd think KK would understand that a new coach would wanna contribute to the discussion about player profiles to execute the vision when considering shopping for players.
Must agree re. effective keeping not necessarily being flashy and maybe to the point, a calm keeper keeps the back line calm as well. I'd put Sheridan's stint vs. Thorns up as an example of perfect positioning that a lot of keepers could not have mimicked and without which, Portland wins by three or four. (Can't slam her for Izzy's miragoal. She was there but not low enough.)
I agree with you. Hogan is showing herself to be more than serviceable. And the analytics are not kind to Arnold. But, we'll see how she fares in Paris. That will tell us a great deal.
Also, Arnold probably won't have to face the KC firing squad that Hogan did. Just looking at GAA is clumsy, but Hogan conceded 9 to KC. In both matches, I'd say her defense did her no favors, and she did much better in the 2nd KC match than the first. Indeed, most of the matches when she has conceded multiple goals, she's not actually been at fault on those goals (or at least the vast majority of them).
So, Arnold could well walk in here and put up several clean sheets in the final 1/3rd of the season and have no matches when 4 or 5 get past her, but it wouldn't really tell us much about whether she's an upgrade on Hogan that is worth the price relative to overall roster construction and need.
I know there wasn't a transfer fee involved, and that all she cost us is an international slot. However, she does represent something against the salary cap, and also we do have 6 keepers under contract ATM, so she does represent at least a short-term cost. And the fact that we signed her to a 3-year deal with an option for a 4th means we have tied up some resources here. So there's also a long-term cost. Now... we'll have to see whether it was a good one relative to what it means and how it works overall, as you say.
Not much more to say on Arnold, frankly: She's certainly an upgrade regardless of where you have her placed in the overall world keeper hierarchy. No harm on taking a free hit at an upgrade on keeper so long as that last international spot is used wisely.
(Re-posting from the last open thread for those interested):
Week 16 Recap! Featuring:
- Hines out-coaches Vlatko
- What in the world has gotten into Ella Stevens?
- Syd Leroux and Alex Morgan on washed watch in SoCal
I couldn’t post on eaststand but I really appreciated your comments on Fleming she was awesome and everything we expected her to be. Thanks as always for your great analyses of NWSL games.
As others have noted, we now have 6 keepers under contract. That's obviously going to reduce down to 3-4 keepers over time.
Bella - I don't take for granted that Bixby will make it back and beat out other keepers. Yesterday was her first workout, which is amazing given that she just announced the birth on July 2. Still, the chances are that she hasn't been training as a keeper since maybe the end of the 2023 regular season. Getting back to NWSL-starting quality -- and beating out Hogan, Arnold, and Alvarado -- to start the 2025 season seems like a pretty big stretch. Hell, training camp starts in just over 6 months. That's a lot of work in not a lot of time.
Arnold - What to make of this situation? In 2019 -- her previous NWSL stint, behind Naeher -- she never saw the pitch, not once. While she had a strong 2023, her 2024 has not been strong. If you look at her FBRef comps over the past 365 days, they're not impressive, at all. The only name that rates, as far as I can tell, is van Domselaar. Also, Arnold's partner plays for West Ham, and she just re-signed with the Hammers. Even Sam Kerr sounded surprised that Arnold went to Portland. This may well have been a case of West Ham being ready to move on, or at least not match what Portland offered. We'll see.
Kozal and Asman - start looking for gigs in the USLSL, methinks.
Alvarado - After playing 2 years as a starter in the D1F, this is now two NWSL clubs in a row where she isn't going to see any playing time at all. Time to move on, or maybe a loan?
Hogan - I think she has more upside than Bella does. Certainly quicker reflexes, quicker off her feet, quicker recovery, quicker to get down, more explosive. Seems to have stronger wrists as a shot-stopper. Seems pretty fearless in the air. Haven't seen too many weak or brain-fart concessions from her, at least not over the past many matches, and she's becoming steadier back there. Obviously needs to work on distribution. It would be a shame simply to lose her or give her away after developing her here. She's not elite, but she's also not backup-quality anymore. And, I don't think trying to tuck her away next year and ship her to Boston in the 2026 expansion is going to work because that would be a whole year when she didn't play, if Hogan became Arnold's backup. Maybe a loan?
Personally, I expect to see an all-out competition between Hogan and Arnold, and much will depend on who meshes better with the re-forming back line and defensive mids.
The number of goaltenders are odd, but I anticipate some moves to come.
My expectation is that Alvarado will be sought after by Liga MX Femenil teams if she wants to stay stateside. Maybe they can recoup some of the funds they paid for her. She’s a useful goalie even though she hasn’t gotten game time IMO.
I’ve been expecting Asman to be released and get a shot in the USL.
My guess is Kozal is the developmental goaltender who stays on the roster this year, but needs to beat out people next year.
Bixby is not part of the active roster, so her presence seems relevant next year where she should battle it out with Hogan and Arnold. Nothing is guaranteed.
Mostly agree, but I think Arnold is coming here to be the number one, and I think it'll be her job to lose. Don't underestimate the new GK coach being Australian, and being in and around the Matildas set up over the last few years, even if it was with the U23: he certainly will have communication with the senior staff.
So I think that slightly changes the question: who is a) capable of being the backup and b) is fine being the backup.
Oh, I agree. I fully assume she's coming here to be #1, but I don't think Hogan is going to give up the position quietly. Then again, look what Gotham did to Cassie Miller (and, ultimately and eventually, Abby Smith) when they acquired Berger. We'll see about Arnold's form pretty fast. The Matildas face Germany July 25, Zambia July 28, and the USWNT July 31. Should be a good test for Macca.
To me it looks like another case of nepotism/bias for a position that is not the first or second need on the team. Just like Fleming, who I think her best position is the same one played by Moultrie and Hina. Meanwhile, we haven't adequately replaced Rocky and we have a glaring winger issue (and she cost a lot to acquire and against the cap).
Granted, Arnold was a free acquisition, but it still consumes an international slot. Clear upgrade over Hogan? I guess we'll find out. KK clearly has a comfort zone. Meanwhile, our best acquisitions in recent years (Hina, Mueller, Kuikka, Rocky, potentially Obaze, etc.) have had seemingly no connection to any of the coaches or GM.
Also, why draft so many keepers if you don't give them a shot at succeeding? I get that their draft position is a low probability anyway, but why not try to draft a diamond-in-the-rough at a position of need? It's to the point where it feels like a hoarding/obsession issue. You need ONE good keeper. Having a good backup is a luxury that is hopefully never needed.
Again: we have an entire new goalkeeper coach working with the goalkeepers. One thing that I think is VERY obvious is that no Thorns keeper who was Angerer trained was good with their feet. Arnold's distribution is good. She once played in midfield for West Ham. The coaching staff may have identified that as a need in terms of long-term planning. Calling it nepotism seems wide of the mark. International slots can be dealt with. You can trade for more; Hina might be reaching a point where she qualifies for a green card; Fleming too.
Well said. We need to make sure we're distinguishing nepotism (not what this is at all) from using connections to bring in players (exactly what is going on and something that happens everywhere in pro sports).
Ok, scratch "nepotism" and call it nationality bias. It's definitely a trend with this team, though. And both recent signings seemingly at least influenced by nationality are for players who fell out of favor with their then-current teams and who don't fill a pressing need on our current roster. It can be argued that the positions that Fleming and Arnold fill are the most crowded and potentially aren't clear upgrades (pretty safe in saying that about Fleming - she's not a 6/8 like Rocky was - her best position is the one Hina/Moultrie play, IMO).
So we get an offensive mid and a goalie but still need a Rocky replacement and a RW. Can't wait to see the striker we sign next.
They replaced Rocky (an 8) with Fleming (also an 8). Rocky has rarely --if ever-- played the six over the course of her career. You're conflating her physicality with the stereotypical profile of a six, when in reality she's played as an 8 her entire career and frequently even higher on the field for Costa Rica. Similarly, Fleming hasn't played as a true 10 for years for club or country. Plus, the midfield isn't crowded at all: The Thorns quite literally have no depth at the 8 beyond a rookie 2nd round pick. Hina and Moultrie play COMPLETELY different positions.
What you seem to be saying is that you disagree with where their resource allocation and the specific players they acquired. Which is a perfectly fair perspective, but you can hold that opinion without it being some sort of conspiracy to only sign players from certain countries. Why in the world would the Thorns be biased towards Australians?
Ok, it just seems like more weird roster management based on nationality and position rather than talent and actual need. That's great she's good with her feet in terms of distribution, but I would rank that pretty close to the bottom of what I would look for in a keeper, behind shot-stopping, quickness, decision-making, command of the goal area / communication, etc., all areas where Hogan has done pretty well and is improving markedly since the beginning of the season. Also, distribution is one of the easiest things to improve for a goalie.
Maybe Hogan never becomes better than average, but I'd rather she be replaced by more of a sure thing if they are going this route. Also, I found this tidbit: "During the Covid-19 pandemic, Arnold discovered she has significant hearing loss and she now wears hearing aids off the pitch." That seems like it could be problematic for a goalie, on top of turning 31 next season and her play potentially in decline.
And you have to admit, having 6 keepers on a roster is absolutely bizarre and worthy of ridicule. I mean, who does that? Well, KK, obviously. But seriously. It feels like someone needs to take the keys away. Maybe we lack depth because we have way too many freaking keepers? And this was before the Arnold signing! And I'm a former keeper and I love keepers!
"Also, I found this tidbit: "During the Covid-19 pandemic, Arnold discovered she has significant hearing loss and she now wears hearing aids off the pitch." That seems like it could be problematic for a goalie, on top of turning 31 next season and her play potentially in decline."
Since then she played in the World Cup, come on now.
Just pointing out something that could affect her play in goal, even if only in a minor way. There is a lot of communication between a goalie and the defense. Is this a condition that is going to get worse?
Late round flyers on goalies are not the worse thing. It’s the fact that so many are on the active roster that’s odd. Most late round picks won’t be on the team in two years, so seeing an open competition makes sense to me.
I kind of give one spot a pass because Bixby isn’t there. Pregnancy is a wonderful thing, but outside of Crystal Dunn; it’s basically the equivalent of an SEI.
The only odd part was keeping both young keepers when Alvarado was acquired. Now, it’s a super crowded room but there is enough unproven assets that it can be rectified within an afternoon.
Agree with your points, but roster management is a zero sum game. For every extra goalie, there is one less position player. I would rather take a flyer on a position of need like RW or 6/8 and hope you find a late-bloomer / diamond-in-the-rough. 6 goalies and 4 strikers (with one of those strikers being world-class) is just the height of absurdity, IMO. Cut those numbers in half (3 goalies and 2 strikers with Sophia as #1) and you will have common sense roster numbers at those positions. In fact, you have a really good #1 goalie, you can get away with just 2 and add a third as needed.
Maybe the club wants to make it sound good about "putting her in the mix for competition at GK" but signing an international GK to a long term contract to not be your #1 would be kind of dumb. Although, then again, so is carrying 6 keepers on a 26-person roster whose biggest glaring deficits are wingers that can score, and centerbacks that can command the back line.
I will add defensive mid to the glaring deficits. We haven't adequately replaced Rocky and we have zero depth behind Coffey.
i mean one of those 6 keepers doesn't actually count to the roster and they will clearly move on from one or two of them before the window is out.
Breaking: Portland Thorns have signed GK's Sarah Bouhaddi, Sabrina D'Angelo, and Noelia Bermúdez as NTRP's for the coming summer cup.
NTRP: Not The Right Position
lmoa perfect
And word has leaked that the Thorns plan to rebrand as the Portland Keepers.
The scary part is that my brain immediately, if briefly, accepted this as literal truth.
Sorry for the jumpscare, had to take advantage for the jokes lol
The Triplettes of Belleville.
On the Nats: It can be argued that this send-off match isn't going to be at all typical of Olympic matches: teams aren't likely to go into such an extreme defensive shell, even in group play. Teams like Germany, Australia, and Zambia (their Group B opponents) are going to be plenty aggressive with their own offense. The US' recently-untested defense is going to need to play well (very well against Zambia in particular: we've seen what Banda can do), but the attack is going to have more room to operate.
Thing is, they need to massively clean up their finishing. They weren't without chances today, but the finishing was dreadful (and the CR 'keeper very good, it has to be said). In addition, the midfield, particularly when Lavelle is unavailable - which is more often than not, to be blunt - is slow and uncreative. The "slow" part extends to both pace and speed of play. Horan's move to Europe has doubtless done her bank balance a lot of good, but it's done her quality no favors (again, to be blunt). Having all of two competitive matches (plus Champion's League) in a season, dealing with a long-ish term injury, and playing in a league that's anything but pacey has made her into a very ordinary AM.
I haven't watched the key Euro sides since their Olympic qualis ended (that is, none of the recent tune-ups), but I have been watching the Nadeshiko. While Japan's not on the same form they were at WWC23, the team I saw in the last couple games would hand the US its ass. Hell, I'm not sure their U17s might not pull off an upset (but they have a very, very special #10...remember this name: Miharu Shinjo).
Agreed. Fact is, the USWNT's prep is never any good outside of stuff like Sheba. They just aren't able to get the big teams to fly over and play friendlies here.
So yeah: The tradeoff against better teams is that you're going to have to play, well, *better teams* but you're also not going to have to go up against the Costa Ricas of the world when the entire tournament is comprised of the best teams in the world. Which means that Soph/Mal/Rodman are probably going to have more space if the defense can hold up.
And yes, if Lavelle continues to be as fragile as she usually is, Hayes simply cannot make the mistake of playing Albert over Shaw. If she Ashley Sanchez-es Shaw at the Olympics, I'm gonna have a straight up meltdown lol
Yes, Costa Rica was often playing with *all 10* outfield players back. They didn't even have a lone forward keeping our defense honest. We may see such a formation in the Olympics, but I doubt it; it's much more likely in a World Cup game, where the gulf in ability is larger.
But don’t forget Sweden parking the bus against the US in the 2016 Olympics. But I agree the talent now is so balanced at the major tournaments that play will be more wide open and that will be fine for Soph, Mal and Trin.
Yeah, but anti-football is kinda Sweden's whole schtick.
Cowards! Oops!
I think the most recent episode of the Expected Own Goals podcast did the best job of summing up how folks should feel about the Costa Rica match AND the expectations of this US team at the Olympics. Highly recommend.
The podcast made it seem like Arnold was the first of a couple of moves expected.
What does "expected" mean, I wonder: is it like, the podcasters' reasonable guess, or has somebody with the team who would know done or said anything to indicate that?
Probably a little bit of both. Phuoc has projected a lot of signings this year.
I became an Arnold fan during the "golden age" W-league years before the mass Aussie exodus. (Roar Corps represent!) so this was a fistpump-in-the-afternoon event for me personally. I've never seen a keeper so calm and never ever yell at their defense. My fervent hope is that Macca's plus-level distribution will help the offense, as it's kind of hard to do much better than the clean sheets Hogan has netted. So the most room for improvement is through that avenue. Though given the current squad makeup, I will need to see more of a willingness to advance the ball with urgency through midfield before I can confidently predict that happening. I'll get my popcorn ready and hope for the best.
Really disappointed. Not necessarily that they ended up with Gale --probably a perfectly fine coach all things considered-- but in the process. Gale isn't a tactical elevator and by not taking the risk of hiring someone externally, they're settling for what they know, and what they know has a ceiling. More than that, removing the interim tag now has zero logic to it: Let him see out the season and hire him if he does well. What *possibly* is the benefit of handling it the way they did? Reeks of Becki Tweed, and we all know how that's going.
I'm not expecting the Bhathals to be Michelle Kang, but you HAVE to be aggressive when you get the chance to be, and this simply isn't that. They seem to have let KK make the decision instead of demanding she hire someone external, and if we know one thing about KK it's that she's gonna hire the popular internal candidate instead of taking risks. I'm not gonna go full doomsday because who is on the field is still the most important, but this is a real bummer for those of us (me) who thought the Bhathals would take a more active role in shaping the direction of the team.
It appears surrenderball is a top-down strategy. This is the corporation's version of starting Sinc.
Hate saying it because both are amazing people, but sometimes facts are just facts.
Reeks of Mike Norris, but only gave it 3 months! She hired Gale because Gale is seriously just like a male version of herself. Just so so underwhelming to have this level of ambition...which makes me concerned what the top players on our team think of this. Sure they like him...but what does this lack of ambition say to them?
Is that even true tho? It seems like she's more on the abrasive side of happy-talker while he's on the "everybody loves him" side.
Regardless, without knowing if or who they conducted interviews, I think she hired him because he's well liked and they have a good relationship.....and that's just what she does. Which is why this is 100% on the Bhathals for me.
And, fwiw, this is entirely different than Norris....which is the whole problem! The FO didn't have the luxury of conducting a full search with Norris because of Paulson! They did have that luxury with Gale and still took the easy route.
I just mean they are both high energy in-your-face vibe guys. Sure, there's nuance, but they seem very similar imo. Rob is just more likeable and less obnoxious.
And yes, this isn't up to snuff for the Bhathals. Super disappointing. And, it's just a bad decision to make that hire now....like, why? Maybe they didn't have any viable coaches in the pool (which doesn't make sense), but they could've at least kept it open until the offseason to A) see if more folks can be interviewed post-Olympics and B) give Rob more than 3 freaking months.
Honestly, what do they do if we end up in 8th place? Or out of the playoffs? Conduct another search? Stick with mediocre? They put themselves in quite a risky predicament...
Does anyone believe the world's historically most successful pro WOSO club did not get a lot of attention from top-tier coaches regarding their gaffer slot?
Not I.
Bathals be doing it on the cheap. Don't want to spend for a bid name coach.
Am guessing that we either didn't want Stoney or didn't have what it would take to get her, the players didn't want Parsons to return, and that Twila is heading for SD. All just guesses, tho.
To be honest, I'm not really interested in any of those three. Stoney would have been a bigger "get" from an ambition perspective, but none are clear upgrades.
I was hoping they'd go to Europe and really get someone different.....and they just elected to, well, not do that.
Stoney = damaged goods and Parsons is so last-decade. Were they considered? Love to be a fly on the wall to learn that. {swat!}
Curious about Paul Ratcliffe.
ETA so weird seeing Stanford soccer in ACC.
I think Gustavsson or Rita Guarino will head to SDW...each for different reasons.
I’m more focused on player acquisition if they feel Gale can manage the team. This isn’t what we’ve been sold, but it can be recoverable
I agree in that this isn't a full on disaster by any means and the players on the field are always going to be the most important, but it certainly fails to walk the walk of the Bhathals' big talk.
To be fair, I think we’ve acquired a lot of good free agents. Fleming was high dollar one at the time, but things change. She ended up being a little more than Rocky Rodriguez. They also extended Smith.
I want to see the formal announcement for the practice facility (did I miss it?)
Unserious stuff from the organization, and a sign that the owners talk a good game but don’t act with one.
They don't know the game or have any connections within it. They don't know what to do next.
However... I have to assume that Sophia was fine, or "fine," with the hire. Either she's happy to stay here longer term, or she's one foot out the door.
the players probably like Rob! I don't think the players should be who we go to, though! Players will like coaches if they're a good person and the team wins.
And . . . he still could have remained as an assistant with a new coach hire. Win-win.
Agreed. It made sense when we had to scramble and replace Rhian. But in general, though I think it's a good idea to involve your franchise centerpiece, I don't think they should have say-so.
Quick, someone tell KK to sign the Costa Rican GK!
The old saw is that to a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
To Karina, everything looks like a goalkeeping deficiency.
I love how Sam has just decided to morph from Sergio Busquets to Julie Ertz when she goes from Portland to the Nats. What a player lol
Also the rolled up sleeves with the tucked in shirt is quite the aesthetic I must say
Rolled sleeves has always been my vibe (I’m a southern California girl, after all)
I love her lol.
...but Sam Coffey is a Julie Ertz who's also really accurate at passing. (That never was Ertz's strength.) What a player indeed.
This is new though! She wasn’t *bad* at the defensive aspects of playing the six in her first two years necessarily, but she wasn’t a very good tackler and didn’t play with much aggression in the tackle…which makes sense because she was a 10 in college.
This year, it seems like she’s really worked on those traits and it’s legit a strength of hers, especially for the nats (if still not at Ertz levels).
Totally agree! That was a new side of her in the Mexico game. Bring it Sam!
https://www.wsj.com/sports/soccer/angel-city-nwsl-powerstruggle-9c009842?st=dxiv9ieyabf7bw3&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
This ACFC schadenfreude is oh so sweet. This piece goes into Ohanian hating Uhrman, board politics, and many other specifics of the general ACFC dysfunction.
That was a fun read. What a dumpster fire of a club.
This is so perfectly reflective of my personal dealings with Uhrman. For the sake of the league I’m glad it sounds like she’s on her way. Because if ACFC collapses I could definitely see it indirectly bringing the NWSL with it.
Huge cup of meh.
I wanted to compile a not exhaustive list that I've seen recently-ish of players overseas who've either announced a departure, or have been rumored to at least have interest from other clubs, some of which come from the NWSL. Quality obv varies (and some may be unattainable) and these aren't endorsements on my end; kept it mostly to positions I think we'll be targeting...
F/M:
Delphine Cascarino (rumored to be connected to SDW, but nothing announced)
Lieke Martens (rumored to be connected to Lazio, but nothing announced)
Nikita Parris (United have triggered her option to keep her for another year, but is said to have offers from other clubs and was briefly connected to NC Courage before the deal fell through)
Toni Payne (rumored to be connected to Brighton, but nothing announced; also Nicole Payne's sister)
Inma Gabarro (young player; rumored to be connected to Brighton, but nothing announced)
Hayley Raso (has left Real Madrid)
Amel Majri (rumored to be connected to Inter, but nothing announced)
Ana-Maria Crnogocevic (has left Atletico Madrid; honestly have no idea what position she plays lately)
Ludmila (has left Atletico Madrid and is connected to the NWSL, among other leagues; also follows KK and the NWSL on IG...)
Shanice Van De Sanden (has left Liverpool)
Rosa Kafaji (young player; has been connected to numerous clubs/leagues including the NWSL)
CB:
Eva Gaetino (At PSG, who is bleeding players; OL rumored to be connected. A young American who I think would be a good prospect to target)
Kathellen Sousa (has left Real Madrid)
Laia Aleixandri (only adding bc her contract is up in 2025 and she's rumored to have interest from other clubs, Barca being one, although I don't think she's attainable)
Hawa Cissoko (has left West Ham)
Anyone y'all would add?
Ya know I thought about Ludmila a few weeks ago when I was going through the Spanish league trying to find potential wing adds. She's not what I'd call a star by any means, but she's a real good player who scores goals and does the other winger-y stuff at a high level. She's also Smith-like in that she likes to play more centrally, but has pace and pulls wide often. I wouldn't be mad at that at all. She is, however, coming off an ACL.
Other than that, no thanks to pretty much all the attackers except for Kafaji who I would do terrible terrible things to have here but almost certainly is gonna end up at a big Euro club. Majri would be fun too, but she's going to Inter as you mention. Any of the CBs would be cool.
Got a piece discussing the roster over at Riveting! for whatever value more conversation about this might have.
I’d like to add just this; I’m reading a lot of hand waving over Arnold’s meh WSL form based on the “eye test” and here’s the thing about keepers; really good keeping DOESN’T catch the eye.
Positioning, tactical nous, and anticipation mean the it looks like opponents are always shooting right at you, and their crosses are always right to you. If you “look dominant” you’re likely getting beat and having to make big dives and circus catches.
Of course the numbers can be deceptive, too! There’s no reason to just accept the stats without a look at the whole player.
But given this roster the real question isn’t so much “is this a good player?” (because she very obviously is) but “is this the best use of club resources?”
I’d argue probably not - the front and backlines need more help - but I’m also not particularly arsed about it…UNLESS the other needs aren’t addressed when the August window opens.
Where I've settled on Arnold: I don't think she IS a shiny new object- They paid nothing but an international roster spot to get her. I wouldn't say that she "looks dominant" either, even during that WC- For better or worse, her best attribute isn't her otherworldly shot-stopping, as the stats show. I wouldn't call her a top ten keeper (whatever that means) in the world either, but I do feel good in saying that she's an upgrade on what we have, especially with her feet....which is huge given how god awful both Bixby and Hogan are with theirs. So, good-not-great signing in a vacuum.
So, the primary discussion points are therefore related to resource allocation:
1. What happens to the other keepers and how does that impact roster building going into the offseason and next season. In other words, is there a significant opportunity cost to signing Arnold? I lean towards "no" (international spots are fungible, it's hard for me to believe they'll go into next season with more than four keepers), but the fact is that we currently have five rostered keepers and the incumbent --at least in theory-- returning next season.
2. What comes next? Phuoc has indicated pretty heavily that they're not done this summer. As everyone agrees, we're in desperate need of wing reinforcements if we want even a hope of competing down the stretch. If they sign a big name winger and maybe one other depth piece, I start to feel pretty decent going into the offseason.
We spent the offseason lamenting the lack of FB’s and the team brings in both Muller and Payne. Not so much of a concern now and I’d argue Obaze has shown well when healthy.
We took flyers that cost virtually nothing in Kozal, Asman, and Alvarado. 2 of those happened when Bixby was on pregnancy leave.
My assumption is Arnold’s roster spot will come at true expense of one of those goalies.
I anticipate long term we are looking at:
Arnold
Bixby or Hogan
Kozal
Curious what names you’d see at forward? Deanne Rose? Evelyn Viens? Ebony Salmon?
Well, you know I've liked every signing they've brought in since the Bhathals took over other than Dias. If there is an opportunity cost to spending international spots, the Dias signings is the greater sin (though still not the end of the world) compared to a free international caliber keeper.
Not sure what they paid for Dias, but they did finalize the loan for Payne to keep her long term. My assumption is they won’t do the same for Dias though I see tools that are overshadowed by chaotic nature of her play.
I also was very encouraged by Fleming the last game.
I do believe there is a forward in mind. I’ve read in threads that Beckie’s fiance lives in Florida and she sounds like she might need a Gabbie Seiler type change.
Yeah, I am of the belief that there's going to be a lot of roster turnover this offseason --both because it's needed and because half the roster is out of contract-- and probably at least a few big acquisitions. My big question is whether they spend a lot this summer or wait to evaluate under a new coach in the offseason (or both).
Yeah, the coaching issue has been the big question mark for me, also, in regards to any major player acquisitions...
You'd think KK would understand that a new coach would wanna contribute to the discussion about player profiles to execute the vision when considering shopping for players.
Must agree re. effective keeping not necessarily being flashy and maybe to the point, a calm keeper keeps the back line calm as well. I'd put Sheridan's stint vs. Thorns up as an example of perfect positioning that a lot of keepers could not have mimicked and without which, Portland wins by three or four. (Can't slam her for Izzy's miragoal. She was there but not low enough.)
I agree with you. Hogan is showing herself to be more than serviceable. And the analytics are not kind to Arnold. But, we'll see how she fares in Paris. That will tell us a great deal.
Also, Arnold probably won't have to face the KC firing squad that Hogan did. Just looking at GAA is clumsy, but Hogan conceded 9 to KC. In both matches, I'd say her defense did her no favors, and she did much better in the 2nd KC match than the first. Indeed, most of the matches when she has conceded multiple goals, she's not actually been at fault on those goals (or at least the vast majority of them).
So, Arnold could well walk in here and put up several clean sheets in the final 1/3rd of the season and have no matches when 4 or 5 get past her, but it wouldn't really tell us much about whether she's an upgrade on Hogan that is worth the price relative to overall roster construction and need.
I know there wasn't a transfer fee involved, and that all she cost us is an international slot. However, she does represent something against the salary cap, and also we do have 6 keepers under contract ATM, so she does represent at least a short-term cost. And the fact that we signed her to a 3-year deal with an option for a 4th means we have tied up some resources here. So there's also a long-term cost. Now... we'll have to see whether it was a good one relative to what it means and how it works overall, as you say.
OT: Statement from the Sirens (Wave fan group). Worth a read. Good for them.
https://x.com/sd_sirens/status/1811113319736168909
Not much more to say on Arnold, frankly: She's certainly an upgrade regardless of where you have her placed in the overall world keeper hierarchy. No harm on taking a free hit at an upgrade on keeper so long as that last international spot is used wisely.
(Re-posting from the last open thread for those interested):
Week 16 Recap! Featuring:
- Hines out-coaches Vlatko
- What in the world has gotten into Ella Stevens?
- Syd Leroux and Alex Morgan on washed watch in SoCal
- The Jessie Fleming game
https://www.theeaststandnwsl.com/post/nwsl-week-16-recap-the-battle-of-the-unbeatens-and-the-summer-of-ella-stevens
I couldn’t post on eaststand but I really appreciated your comments on Fleming she was awesome and everything we expected her to be. Thanks as always for your great analyses of NWSL games.
This will be interesting.
Before I say any more, go here: https://registry.thebump.com/bella-bixby-elliot-bixby-july-2024-or/65726013 Yes, a Target Bixby baby registry so you can help out!
Ok, now, down to business:
As others have noted, we now have 6 keepers under contract. That's obviously going to reduce down to 3-4 keepers over time.
Bella - I don't take for granted that Bixby will make it back and beat out other keepers. Yesterday was her first workout, which is amazing given that she just announced the birth on July 2. Still, the chances are that she hasn't been training as a keeper since maybe the end of the 2023 regular season. Getting back to NWSL-starting quality -- and beating out Hogan, Arnold, and Alvarado -- to start the 2025 season seems like a pretty big stretch. Hell, training camp starts in just over 6 months. That's a lot of work in not a lot of time.
Arnold - What to make of this situation? In 2019 -- her previous NWSL stint, behind Naeher -- she never saw the pitch, not once. While she had a strong 2023, her 2024 has not been strong. If you look at her FBRef comps over the past 365 days, they're not impressive, at all. The only name that rates, as far as I can tell, is van Domselaar. Also, Arnold's partner plays for West Ham, and she just re-signed with the Hammers. Even Sam Kerr sounded surprised that Arnold went to Portland. This may well have been a case of West Ham being ready to move on, or at least not match what Portland offered. We'll see.
Kozal and Asman - start looking for gigs in the USLSL, methinks.
Alvarado - After playing 2 years as a starter in the D1F, this is now two NWSL clubs in a row where she isn't going to see any playing time at all. Time to move on, or maybe a loan?
Hogan - I think she has more upside than Bella does. Certainly quicker reflexes, quicker off her feet, quicker recovery, quicker to get down, more explosive. Seems to have stronger wrists as a shot-stopper. Seems pretty fearless in the air. Haven't seen too many weak or brain-fart concessions from her, at least not over the past many matches, and she's becoming steadier back there. Obviously needs to work on distribution. It would be a shame simply to lose her or give her away after developing her here. She's not elite, but she's also not backup-quality anymore. And, I don't think trying to tuck her away next year and ship her to Boston in the 2026 expansion is going to work because that would be a whole year when she didn't play, if Hogan became Arnold's backup. Maybe a loan?
Personally, I expect to see an all-out competition between Hogan and Arnold, and much will depend on who meshes better with the re-forming back line and defensive mids.
The number of goaltenders are odd, but I anticipate some moves to come.
My expectation is that Alvarado will be sought after by Liga MX Femenil teams if she wants to stay stateside. Maybe they can recoup some of the funds they paid for her. She’s a useful goalie even though she hasn’t gotten game time IMO.
I’ve been expecting Asman to be released and get a shot in the USL.
My guess is Kozal is the developmental goaltender who stays on the roster this year, but needs to beat out people next year.
Bixby is not part of the active roster, so her presence seems relevant next year where she should battle it out with Hogan and Arnold. Nothing is guaranteed.
Mostly agree, but I think Arnold is coming here to be the number one, and I think it'll be her job to lose. Don't underestimate the new GK coach being Australian, and being in and around the Matildas set up over the last few years, even if it was with the U23: he certainly will have communication with the senior staff.
So I think that slightly changes the question: who is a) capable of being the backup and b) is fine being the backup.
Oh, I agree. I fully assume she's coming here to be #1, but I don't think Hogan is going to give up the position quietly. Then again, look what Gotham did to Cassie Miller (and, ultimately and eventually, Abby Smith) when they acquired Berger. We'll see about Arnold's form pretty fast. The Matildas face Germany July 25, Zambia July 28, and the USWNT July 31. Should be a good test for Macca.
To me it looks like another case of nepotism/bias for a position that is not the first or second need on the team. Just like Fleming, who I think her best position is the same one played by Moultrie and Hina. Meanwhile, we haven't adequately replaced Rocky and we have a glaring winger issue (and she cost a lot to acquire and against the cap).
Granted, Arnold was a free acquisition, but it still consumes an international slot. Clear upgrade over Hogan? I guess we'll find out. KK clearly has a comfort zone. Meanwhile, our best acquisitions in recent years (Hina, Mueller, Kuikka, Rocky, potentially Obaze, etc.) have had seemingly no connection to any of the coaches or GM.
Also, why draft so many keepers if you don't give them a shot at succeeding? I get that their draft position is a low probability anyway, but why not try to draft a diamond-in-the-rough at a position of need? It's to the point where it feels like a hoarding/obsession issue. You need ONE good keeper. Having a good backup is a luxury that is hopefully never needed.
Again: we have an entire new goalkeeper coach working with the goalkeepers. One thing that I think is VERY obvious is that no Thorns keeper who was Angerer trained was good with their feet. Arnold's distribution is good. She once played in midfield for West Ham. The coaching staff may have identified that as a need in terms of long-term planning. Calling it nepotism seems wide of the mark. International slots can be dealt with. You can trade for more; Hina might be reaching a point where she qualifies for a green card; Fleming too.
Well said. We need to make sure we're distinguishing nepotism (not what this is at all) from using connections to bring in players (exactly what is going on and something that happens everywhere in pro sports).
nepotism, to me, is Harvey Neville playing for T2 or whatever they're called now.
Yes well you couldn't find a better dictionary definition of nepotism than Harvey Neville lmao
Ok, scratch "nepotism" and call it nationality bias. It's definitely a trend with this team, though. And both recent signings seemingly at least influenced by nationality are for players who fell out of favor with their then-current teams and who don't fill a pressing need on our current roster. It can be argued that the positions that Fleming and Arnold fill are the most crowded and potentially aren't clear upgrades (pretty safe in saying that about Fleming - she's not a 6/8 like Rocky was - her best position is the one Hina/Moultrie play, IMO).
So we get an offensive mid and a goalie but still need a Rocky replacement and a RW. Can't wait to see the striker we sign next.
They replaced Rocky (an 8) with Fleming (also an 8). Rocky has rarely --if ever-- played the six over the course of her career. You're conflating her physicality with the stereotypical profile of a six, when in reality she's played as an 8 her entire career and frequently even higher on the field for Costa Rica. Similarly, Fleming hasn't played as a true 10 for years for club or country. Plus, the midfield isn't crowded at all: The Thorns quite literally have no depth at the 8 beyond a rookie 2nd round pick. Hina and Moultrie play COMPLETELY different positions.
What you seem to be saying is that you disagree with where their resource allocation and the specific players they acquired. Which is a perfectly fair perspective, but you can hold that opinion without it being some sort of conspiracy to only sign players from certain countries. Why in the world would the Thorns be biased towards Australians?
Ok, it just seems like more weird roster management based on nationality and position rather than talent and actual need. That's great she's good with her feet in terms of distribution, but I would rank that pretty close to the bottom of what I would look for in a keeper, behind shot-stopping, quickness, decision-making, command of the goal area / communication, etc., all areas where Hogan has done pretty well and is improving markedly since the beginning of the season. Also, distribution is one of the easiest things to improve for a goalie.
Maybe Hogan never becomes better than average, but I'd rather she be replaced by more of a sure thing if they are going this route. Also, I found this tidbit: "During the Covid-19 pandemic, Arnold discovered she has significant hearing loss and she now wears hearing aids off the pitch." That seems like it could be problematic for a goalie, on top of turning 31 next season and her play potentially in decline.
And you have to admit, having 6 keepers on a roster is absolutely bizarre and worthy of ridicule. I mean, who does that? Well, KK, obviously. But seriously. It feels like someone needs to take the keys away. Maybe we lack depth because we have way too many freaking keepers? And this was before the Arnold signing! And I'm a former keeper and I love keepers!
"Also, I found this tidbit: "During the Covid-19 pandemic, Arnold discovered she has significant hearing loss and she now wears hearing aids off the pitch." That seems like it could be problematic for a goalie, on top of turning 31 next season and her play potentially in decline."
Since then she played in the World Cup, come on now.
Just pointing out something that could affect her play in goal, even if only in a minor way. There is a lot of communication between a goalie and the defense. Is this a condition that is going to get worse?
Late round flyers on goalies are not the worse thing. It’s the fact that so many are on the active roster that’s odd. Most late round picks won’t be on the team in two years, so seeing an open competition makes sense to me.
I kind of give one spot a pass because Bixby isn’t there. Pregnancy is a wonderful thing, but outside of Crystal Dunn; it’s basically the equivalent of an SEI.
The only odd part was keeping both young keepers when Alvarado was acquired. Now, it’s a super crowded room but there is enough unproven assets that it can be rectified within an afternoon.
Agree with your points, but roster management is a zero sum game. For every extra goalie, there is one less position player. I would rather take a flyer on a position of need like RW or 6/8 and hope you find a late-bloomer / diamond-in-the-rough. 6 goalies and 4 strikers (with one of those strikers being world-class) is just the height of absurdity, IMO. Cut those numbers in half (3 goalies and 2 strikers with Sophia as #1) and you will have common sense roster numbers at those positions. In fact, you have a really good #1 goalie, you can get away with just 2 and add a third as needed.