Just reflecting the new US ethos of not needing anyone else?
New?
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Nah. Hayes needs to remind the players what their role is on the USWNT, that they shouldn’t come in with their own ideas about that. Guessing she missed some vibe at practices. She probably needs to shake something up for the next friendly.
OK, USWNT properly shaken.
Now, American Sports Model (“entertainment”) vs Euro (winning):
USSF stopped their protection racket (“nice spot on the USWNT you got there; shame if something were to happen to it”) a few years ago, and a foreign coach doesn’t need to tow the line of “play domestically or else” as prior ones did.
So, off to biogger challenges, bigger salaries, and a bigger prize (UEFA W Champions League).
And, a good old-fashioned catfight. “Woof!”
No VAR makes for a terrible game. Sure, the Women don’t deserve it. 50000 fans at one match don’t deserve it.
I guess they could pay tRump to take her Visa away.
One thing strikes me:
But Berman, while expressing a desire to raise the salary cap, was noncommittal about whether that would happen for the 2026 season.
“We do not believe the NWSL is a charity,” she said. "We believe it is a business, and in order to treat it like a business, it means that the amount that our teams are investing has to have a rational relationship to revenue.
“And so when we go through that process of reviewing the overall ecosystem and the value proposition that we’re offering to top talent and to our players, and we’re looking at the amount being invested in training facilities, in stadiums, in compensation for players, we have to look at it in the context of where our business is at.”
Yeah, it’s a business, not a sports competition. /s
“We are a business. We take in revenue and we pay expenses, and the goal is that the former needs to be higher than the latter. What’s our business? Not important.”
"Oh, and look at these other shiny objects (facilities, coaches, playoffs)! "
Meanwhile, their competition – for players, that is, not for consumers’ cash – are in a different business: winning championships.
One thing they (NWSL) should note when trying to keep talent from leaving is note that in Europe most of the women’s teams are under the same umbrella as a men’s team. And the men are the priority. Will that sell well versus the 5 times salary?
Terrible Score Bug on TNT for the USWNT Match.
One team is playing in white, one team playing in blue.
Score bug shows both teams in white background, blue font.
One team’s score is white on a blue background, the other white on a red background.
I can see Rodman going to one of Michelle Kang’s other teams, getting paid what she’s worth, then going on loan back to WAS Spirit at a reduced price. Wonder if that is allowed. Wondering if teams winning elsewhere are more valuable, to the owner, than winning the NWSL.
Trinity Rodman got offered a 4 year deal that the league vetoed.
WTF is the authority of the league to kill deals based on a feeling.
ETA: the players association has already filed a grievance as the contract terms are in compliance with the CBA.
Probably a “controlling women” thing. Been that way in the past, when they forced the USWNT players to stay in the league or be kicked off the USWNT, which at the time paid way more than the league (and other leagues, I think).
She should just go, make the money, play against the best players in the world, some of that during practices.
USWNT to play in Santa Barbara. @Triweasel ?
No Euro players, since USSF ignores International breaks.
I’ll look into it and let you know. I have a few friends that will probably attend.
So, instead of the easy way – just pay them or they will leave – let’s create an extremely complicated methodology:
Seems like a real business problem: an NWSL Team cannot make enough money to justify paying a player (or 11) so much. The salary cap ensures that all owners make money. And this is the main objective of a sports team, right? Make the money.
“Profile” determined by something.
“How much can player make for the owner?” is the likely determinant.
“Marketability,” so it does not apply to those who are not also models. “Will people buy your jersey in great numbers?”
What if another owner decides to bid for Rodman? Or is that not going to be allowed?
Sophia Wilson (nee Smith) now getting $1M for 2026:
One good way of keeping female soccer players in the USA is encouraging them to have babies and to marry NFL players.
The half that aren’t lesbians, I mean. NTTAWWT.
NWSL lose Sam Coffey to a better league.
While the NWSL tries to protect its billionaire owners’ pockets by keeping salaries down, other teams build teams to win.
Spirit buying (and eventually selling, cuz too expensive for the cheapo league) Uruguayan:
Team will need some American athlete stud to marry her, keep her in the country.
Heard of this? Me neither:
Alright! Some good payday to ARS women, eventually. On DAZN. Too complicated to add to my TV, so forget it.
This is the way IMO. There aren’t many teams that are true final destinations for top players, including in the Men’s premier league. If you aren’t one of them, you develop, sell, and build. I approve of your mocking of teams with retirement league mentality on the men’s side, but this is logical for most.