This week we look at a recent signing by F.C. Kansas City of a player from the summer amateur leagues, who previously played Rugby Union Sevens at the national level.
We also cover the second game of the Canada-Brazil series ahead of this summer's Olympic Games.
Cat Parkhill joins FC Kansas City
F.C. Kansas City, the two-time reigning National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) champions, have signed goalkeeper Cat Parkhill to their roster for the rest of the 2016 season. Parkhill had played the first three games of expansion-side F.C. Pacific's Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) 2016 season. WPSL is the largest amateur summer league in the U.S. (100 teams) and along with the 11-team United Women's Soccer League (UWS), which replaced the 21-year-old W-League that folded after the 2015 season, are popular destinations for college and post-college players, a number of whom have their sights set on playing professionally in the U.S. or abroad. The Huntington Beach, California-based F.C. Pacific club's philosophy is to help their players realize their goals in soccer, which for many is to play make the leap to the professional level. General Manager Dalton Kaufman wants to position F.C. Pacific as a club where players can develop so they can pursue a spot with a professional club. Head Coach Chris Sydney said: “Cat Parkhill is a consummate professional whose work ethic will see her be part of the NWSL family for a long time…Her quest to acquire experience and knowledge about how to be an elite goalkeeper has no boundaries. FC Kansas City will be absolutely impressed with who Cat Parkhill is as a player and person."
Parkhill a native of Apple Valley, Minnesota, played collegiately at the University of Minnesota. She started all 20 games for the Gophers her senior season in 2012 and compiled a 1.24 goals against average and a record of 11 wins, 7 losses and 2 ties. F.C. Pacific was her first club since graduating in 2013, after recovering from some injuries and a stint playing Rugby Union Sevens for the U.S. national team, which will play this summer in at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. She had wrestled in middle school and found similarities in the tackling technique used in rugby and quite enjoyed the physical tackling, the tactics and the kicking game, as she took all of the free kicks for the rugby team. When she failed in her attempt to make the final squad for Rio, she rededicated her focus to resuming her soccer career. She had planned to play for local WPSL side Minnesota TwinStars until Chris Sydney contacted her about spending the summer in California. Her time on the Southern California coast was shortened when F.C. Kansas City had a goalkeeper spot open after trading Katelyn Roland to the Western New York Flash last week for two second round draft picks in the 2017 college draft. The NWSL champions signed Parkhill for the rest of the season. Parkhill's signing shows the value of the summer amateur leagues to players with hopes of playing professionally, particularly for those who have finished their college playing years. Selecting the right WPSL or UWS club is important for these players; Cat Parkhill, FC Pacific and FC Kansas City have shown that there is a legitimate path from the summer leagues to the professional ranks.
Canada defeats Brazil 1-0 in second friendly in Ottawa
On June 7, Canada defeated Brazil 1-0 before 23,568 in Ottawa in the Maple Leaf's last friendly at home before this summer's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Janine Beckie, who plays for the Houston Dash in the NWSL, scored an extra time winner with the last kick of the match. Goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé (Washington Spirit) sent a ball upfield which was cleared by the Brazilian defense but Josée Bélanger (Orlando Pride) intercepted it and headed the ball to Diana Matheson (Washington Spirit). Matheson spun on the ball and lofted a soft pass over the top of the defense for Janine Beckie to run onto and she calmly scored the winner.
Canada lost to Brazil 2-0 in Toronto on June 4 in the first game of the series. Canada will host a home camp in July before traveling to France for one last friendly before heading to Brazil. Canada will face Australia, Olympic Games debutants Zimbabwe, and Germany in the group stage of the Rio 2016 Women's Olympic Football Tournament, beginning August 3rd in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Tim Grainey is a contributor to Tribalfootball. His latest book is Beyond Bend it Like Beckham on the global game of women's football. Get your copy today.
Follow Tim on Twitter: @TimGrainey