Worldwide women's news

[The Ref]

4 English players, 1 English coach and 1 English keeper.  Heavy biased towards England with 6 .

 

[Unnamed Trialist]

17 hours ago, red card said:

FIFA names Alexia Putellas of Barcelona as best women's player again.

Best GK is Mary Earps of Man United (Labbe was there to present award).

Best coach is Wiegman of England National Team. 

Best 11 has 4 English players, 2 Spanish and 1 each from Chile, France, Germany, Australia & USA.

Last year, when Putellas was actually playing and Barça had handily won the Champions League, Putellas was not voted onto the best 11 by the players. Something odd, perhaps perverse, went on there. It made no sense at all, it was an embarrassing decision that suggested the players were voting for entirely non-objective reasons.

This year, as if by compensation, she is on the team when she only played half the year, missed the Euros, is still out injured in fact. And won top player in the The Best vote, which makes less sense.

I appreciate the Champions League is a better showcase than the US playoffs, but we are not properly gauging the levels here. I am sure the US league is as good as the better leagues in Europe, the level seems very similar. But perhaps what is required is more teams, and definitely, an official women's clubs competition to start to get competitive games head to head.

[red card]

US Soccer released their financials for the fiscal year ending March 2022. As part of their disclosure, they list what they paid their top 5 players (all women) & staff. This is before the new CBA.

Berhalter: $1.6m includes $300k bonus (highest paid USSF employee)

Markgraf (Women GM): $500k
Andonovski: $447k includes $50k bonus

Sonnett: $386k ($172k bonus)
Sauerbrunn: $379k ($166k bonus)
Lloyd: $377k ($166k bonus)
O’Hara: $375k ($161k bonus)
Naeher: $373k ($161k bonus)
 

Looks like base comp for the women players was just over $200k. 

Overall, USSF lost US$24.5 million. Biggest expense was $US96.5 million for their national teams while CSA spent C$16 million on national teams in 2021 (within 10x factor normally applied for US comparisons).

Edited March 1, 2023 by red card

[The Ref]

The same way that Concacaf and Conmebol came to an understanding to expand the Copa America men's wil they also do the same for the Copa America women?

[red card]

21 hours ago, The Ref said:

The same way that Concacaf and Conmebol came to an understanding to expand the Copa America men's wil they also do the same for the Copa America women?

It's the other way. Concacaf has invited the top four CONMEBOL national teams to participate in the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup.

The four guest CONMEBOL teams that will participate have been determined based on the results of the 2022 Women’s Copa America: Brazil (champion) Colombia (runner-up), Argentina (third place) and Paraguay (fourth place).

https://www.concacaf.com/news/conmebol-and-concacaf-sign-strategic-collaboration-agreement/

[narduch]

TSN has picked up NWSL rights 

[red card]

TSN streamed NWSL a few years ago when ESPN held NWSL rights for basically free. I can't recall any matches on TSN's linear channels during those years while they say some will be shown this year.

Deal is only for 1 year. Twitch's 4 year international deal that expired last year was for a total of US$1 million. So, it shouldn't be a major outlay for TSN.

For viewers, it's going from all free on twitch (ex shown on CBSSN) to paying for a selection of matches if you're not a TSN subscriber. It seems like the rest of the matches can be seen for free on NWSL's website. International ex Canada can see all matches for free.

For NWSL, it looks like a temp solution for international rights till the American rights expire at the end of this year. It gives them the option to offer a global rights deal a la MLS. Reports are surmising NWSL's new deal should rise from its current US$4.5 million CBS deal to more around the $75 million/yr previous deal of MLS.

WNBA's US deal gets them US$27 million/yr that rises to US$33 million by 2025. They're looking for US$100 million in a new deal.

 

[red card]

Matildas get the streaming treatment.

 

[red card]

Another week, another resignation/firing in woso world. 

FFF’s executive committee had drawn up a report on the situation of its women’s team, and delivered its conclusions on Thursday to seal Corinne Diacre’s fate.

The FFF said the “fracture” between players and hierarchy seemed “irreversible” and was “detrimental to the interests of the national team”.

In a statement to AFP via her lawyer, Diacre claimed she has been “the subject of a smear campaign which is astonishing in its violence and dishonesty”.

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by red card

[Rivaldo]

20 hours ago, red card said:

For viewers, it's going from all free on twitch (ex shown on CBSSN) to paying for a selection of matches if you're not a TSN subscriber. It seems like the rest of the matches can be seen for free on NWSL's website. International ex Canada can see all matches for free.

 

Live coverage of NWSL The 2023 season kicks off on March 26.

It's amusing that the press release calls it "the top North American division of women’s soccer" even though it's an American league.

I think this used to be Paramount+'s only sports programming in Canada. Were all matches on Twitch too?

[red card]

1 hour ago, Rivaldo said:

Live coverage of NWSL The 2023 season kicks off on March 26.

It's amusing that the press release calls it "the top North American division of women’s soccer" even though it's an American league.

I think this used to be Paramount+'s only sports programming in Canada. Were all matches on Twitch too?

Good eye. They also include Gilles as a player to watch even though it isn't known yet if she will return from her loan.

NWSL wasn't available on P+ in Canada. You could see the handful matches carried on CBS, the 1 or 2 carried every week on CBSSN and the rest on twitch. Radio-Canada streamed about one per month in French in the past couple of years.

An issue was that CBSSN is only carried by Bell Fibe. So, there was some complaining as these matches were geoblocked on twitch in Canada. But as the season progressed last year, everything was put on twitch for Canadian viewers. 

[red card]

TSN will show a bit over 70  NWSL games. About 13 will be on their linear channels with half being late night (ET) games.

3 additional games not carried by TSN can be seen on CBS. There will be about 25 games on CBSSN but likely blocked in Canada this year. TSN or TSN+ will show about 10 games that are on CBSSN.

So, the majority of the games will have to be seen via NWSL website or possibly all if TSN games aren't geoblocked. 

With TSN not carrying all games, they're likely paying a nominal amount or getting it free. Showing games on NWSL website means no takers for a 1 year deal on international rights. American rights expire end of this year. So, NWSL is leaving open flexibility to offer global rights.

https://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/nwsl-announces-television-and-streaming-details-for-2023-season-with-all-176-matches-airing-across-cbs-sports-platforms

Edited March 15, 2023 by red card

[red card]

Not sure what this signals but ata football is refunding its subscribers and making its streaming service free.

This means you can see some to all the major women's leagues matches for free.

UCL: DAZN Youtube/ata football

WSL: FA Player (50-60% of matches)

NWSL: league website (60%)

Liga F: DAZN Youtube

Serie A/Bundesliga: ata football

D1 France: Radio-Canada (10%); ata football may show certain matches

liga MX: club websites/facebook

FIFA+: various 2nd tier & below leagues

https://www.atafootball.com/

 

Edited March 17, 2023 by red card

[Rivaldo]

On 3/9/2023 at 3:01 PM, red card said:

NWSL wasn't available on P+ in Canada.

NWSL was on Paramount+ live and on demand in Canada last year. I assume it won't be this year.

Does Radio-Canada show D1 France matches on TV or just streams?

[red card]

7 hours ago, Rivaldo said:

NWSL was on Paramount+ live and on demand in Canada last year. I assume it won't be this year.

Does Radio-Canada show D1 France matches on TV or just streams?

You have mentioned a couple of times NWSL was on P+ in Canada. I haven't heard anyone else say this.

Officially, NWSL was on P+, CBSSN & CBS in the US. International rights were held by twitch for 4 years ending last year. But if matches were shown on CBSSN, twitch stream was usually geoblocked in Canada as CBSSN is available on Bell Fibe.

Radio-Canada only streamed matches from DI France & NWSL last year. About 1-2/month.

Edited March 22, 2023 by red card

[red card]

3 makes a trend.

June 2021: Moultrie signed at 15 years, 286 days and later debuted as NWSL's youngest player.

March 2023: Ricketts becomes the youngest contracted NWSL player by 3 days

March 2023: Barcenas signs with the Wave as the youngest contracted NWSL player at 15 years, 138 days

Teenagers signing is common in rest of women's football. So far, NWSL is basically following a similar timeline that MLS took from moving away from drafting US college players to developing players through academies.

The league was forced by Moultrie's lawsuit to allow u18 players signings. NWSL CBA u18 rules are:

Each team is limited to two u18 players; 

Contract term must run through the season in which the player turns 18; 

Players may not be waived or traded until the player has turned 18 or the team has received consent from both the player and parent or legal guardian; 

Players must reside with a parent or legal guardian until their 18th birthday; 

Players must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/san-diego-wave-fc/story/4906862/san-diego-wave-sign-15-year-old-barcenasyoungest-nwsl-player

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/chloe-ricketts-15-year-old-nwsl-1.6768571

It further puts Canadian players at a disadvantage which further bolsters the case for a domestic league.

Edited March 22, 2023 by red card

[red card]

Yahoo Sports has surprisingly deep dive articles at times on the world of footy - especially American.

This time, it is a state of a NWSL nation type article.

“Our goal is to be the English Premier League of the women's game,” says Jill Ellis, the former U.S. national team coach who now runs the NWSL’s San Diego Wave.

Compensation is the simplest and biggest impediment at the top of rosters. Multiple club executives told Yahoo Sports that they’ve lost out on players whose salary demands didn’t fit within their cap-enforced wage structures. Agents and club execs clarified that middle-of-the-roster salaries are comparable in Europe, and floors at smaller clubs can be much lower; but for “the top, top talents,” as agent Guillermo Zamarripa says, ceilings are significantly higher overseas.

Of the top 60 on The Guardian’s list of the world’s best women’s footballers in 2022, one plays in Mexico; six play in the NWSL; and 53 in Europe.

Casey Stoney, the British head coach of the NWSL’s Wave, said on a panel at the United Soccer Coaches Convention in January. “But this is the most competitive league in the world. You don't get big scorelines; you get very even games [in the NWSL]. The game is fast here, a lot faster than it is in the WSL.”

But there is a rising tide of teams that want to accelerate their outlays; that foresee sizable returns on their most important expenditure, on players, if only they were allowed to spend more freely. They think parity is overrated. They believe that, even if casual fans aren’t currently aware of foreign stars, they’ll soon realize what they're missing.

“Yes, the money's important, but it's also about structure, commercial potential, being close to home, level of play — there's a lot of different factors.” And in many of those areas, the NWSL is both best-in-class and rapidly improving.

Several sources directed conversations away from the salary cap and roster rules, and toward the league’s calendar, to say that it has a far greater impact on the NWSL’s ability to woo foreign stars than many outsiders realize.

The league’s broad message, with respect to everything from the calendar to the future of the draft, is that “there's really nothing that's off the table,” as Berman said this week. “

https://sports.yahoo.com/the-nwsl-confronts-a-looming-obstacle-its-americanness-193638696.html

Edited March 25, 2023 by red card

[red card]

US & Mexico are bidding for 2027 World Cup. They join Brasil and likely bids from South Africa and Belgium/Netherlands/Germany. 

Deadline to submit interest was yesterday. Deadline to submit bidding agreements is May 19th. Decision is expected in May 2024.

US was expected to bid for 2031. So, going for 2027 is a slight surprise especially given hosting 2026 World Cup. And LA is hosting 2028 Olympics.

Canada Soccer says given they hosted in 2015, they have not been part of these conversations and was never put in a position to decline a co-hosting opportunity.

https://canadasoccer.com/news/statement-canada-soccer-supports-usa-mexico-fifa-womens-world-cup-2027-bid/

[CanadaFan123]

Amazing that Stephanie Labbe managed to complain about this. Still working that let’s complain about everything angle - interesting play. 

[Ivan]

3 minutes ago, CanadaFan123 said:

Amazing that Stephanie Labbe managed to complain about this. Still working that let’s complain about everything angle - interesting play. 

Where did you see Labbe complaining?

[narduch]

9 minutes ago, Ivan said:

Where did you see Labbe complaining?

 

[The Ref]

3 hours ago, CanadaFan123 said:

Amazing that Stephanie Labbe managed to complain about this. Still working that let’s complain about everything angle - interesting play. 

She is still around!

[red card]

4 hours ago, CanadaFan123 said:

Amazing that Stephanie Labbe managed to complain about this. Still working that let’s complain about everything angle - interesting play. 

Labbe needs to get up to speed on the bidding dynamics. Outside of Concacaf, almost no one wants the US to host it again for the third time or Canada again. They prefer it goes to South America via Brasil or Africa via South Africa for the first time. 

So, Mexico is there to hep counter these views and pass it off as a "new host" bid as a US stand alone bid for 2027 has little to no chance.

Edited April 21, 2023 by red card

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

1 hour ago, red card said:

Outside of Concacaf, almost no one wants the US to host it again for the third time or Canada....so, Mexico is there to hep counter these views and pass it off as a "new host" bid as a US stand alone bid for 2027 has little to no chance.

Couldn't agree more. Well said.

[Ivan]

She does remember we just hosted by ourselves in 2015, right?