Western New York Flash 3-2 defeat of the Washington Spirit on penalty kicks in the NWSL Final in Houston brings an end to a landmark season for women's professional soccer.
The National Women's Soccer League finished its fourth season—a first for any women's professional soccer league in the U.S.—with the fourth place Western New York Flash knocking off the NWSL Shield winners (regular season champions) Washington Spirit 2-2 (3-2) in penalty kicks in thrilling fashion in the League Championship Final. In front of 8,255 fans in Houston, Texas, U.S. international forward Crystal Dunn scored twice for Washington in the final--equaling her entire goal total during the regular season--with the second coming early in the first overtime period (91st minute). The Flash tied the game in the second overtime period on a late injury-time headed goal by Lynn Williams (124th minute)—her third of the playoffs and fourteenth overall in 2016—from a cross by Jessica McDonald, who had ten goals during the regular season. During the penalty kick session, Canadian international goalkeeper Sabrina D'Angelo saved three Spirit penalties from U.S. international Ali Krieger, Tori Huster (ex-Florida State and who played with the Flash in WPSL Elite) and her fellow Canadian international Diana Matheson. The Flash added the NWSL championship to their three previous league titles in the W-League, WPS and WPSL-Elite (2010, 2011 and 2012 respectively). The Flash had made the playoffs in the NWSL's first season in 2013 but fell at home to the Portland Thorns in the Final game. Last week, the Flash defeated the Thorns in Portland 4-3, again in overtime. Also encouraging is that no one ever brings up the question of if the NWSL will be around next year, as plagued past leagues and the NWSL for a few years. Breaking the four year barrier and never losing a founding franchise (8) and adding Houston and Orlando as expansion teams shows that the league has found a formula for steady growth and success.
Both the Flash and the Spirit had new coaches in 2016—Liverpool native Paul Riley for Western New York and former U.S. international midfielder Jim Gabarra for Washington. Riley was the last NWSL coach hired in 2016—after the January college draft—but Charlie Naimo was brought in as Technical Director in late 2014 and put together two stellar drafts. In 2015, the Flash selected Abby Dahlkemper, Sam Mewis and Williams, who all were named to the U.S. national team for games later this month against Switzerland (Dahlkemper and Williams for the first time). D'Angelo was also selected in the draft from the University of South Carolina. Jalene Hinkle, who just missed making the U.S. Olympic Team for Rio, also was drafted in 2015. In 2016, Michaela Hahn (ex-Florida State), Makenzy Doniak (ex-University of Virginia) and goalkeeper Britt Eckerstrom (ex-Penn State) were added. Naimo won multiple W-League crowns for the New Jersey Wildcats (2005) and Pali Blues (2008, 2009, 2013 and 2014). Naimo was the General Manager of the L.A. Sol for its only season in L.A. and brought Brazilian superstar forward Marta to America, where they fell in the final to Sky Blue FC. Riley's Portland Thorns side missed the playoffs in 2015 due to injuries and World Cup callups, which created havoc on his roster, after falling in the semifinals in 2014 to eventual champion FC Kansas City (2-0). Riley explained that expectations were very high in Portland—coming off of league title win in 2013—and that it is difficult for a team to repeat since every side tries to knock them off, but with the Flash: “There were no expectations, as most of the media wrote off the team as a rebuilding project."
It seemed that the Flash limped into the playoffs in fourth with a late string of ties, but they had a number of road games (7 of their 8 final matches including their two playoff games were away from home) but a stretch of seven home games in a row (from May 21 through July 9) resulted in 6 wins and the team in second place. Riley said: “During the last 35 days, we've been in a hotel for 25 of them but the run of 7 games at home got us into the playoffs." Riley said after the NWSL Championship game about his young squad: “They just wanted it to be more fun; they wanted to enjoy it more and be about the process—to get the players better so they can play on the national team." Of course the down side is that more of his team will miss games next season if they are away with national team duties, as he found in Portland. Riley brought fun back to a side that had not made the playoffs for two consecutive seasons under New Zealand native Aaron Lines and had become a cauldron of player dissatisfaction, particularly younger players, some of whom left the side for other clubs in the U.S. and abroad to receive playing time and more focused attention in training. Riley changed things quickly and said that: “The environment was amazing—competitive. They were happier, they liked each other, liked the staff. This was all about process, working for each other." Riley not only added the fun factor—which is easy due to his engaging personality—but revved up the offense, leading the league in regular season goals with 40. The “Twin Towers" of League MVP and Golden Boot Winner Lynn Williams and Jessica McDonald (who bounced from Chicago to Seattle to Portland to Houston in her first three years in the league after scoring a College Cup Final winning goal in 2009 with the University of North Carolina—after also winning the title in 2008) scored 21 goals together.
Some of the international brigade with the Flash included English international forward Lianne Sanderson, who was acquired in midseason from Orlando but tore her ACL during the season. Defender Abby Erzig—a long time Lady Fern's international with New Zealand—arrived from Chicago and was hugely influential in the middle of the park, even though as Riley said: “She had never played in the middle of the park before." Australian international Alana Kennedy slotted into defense along with rookie defender Abby Dahlkemper (ex-UCLA). Canadian international forward Adriana Leon was even transferred late in the season to FC Zurich, where she scored a hat trick in a Champions League Round of 32 first round tie last week against Sturm Graz of Austria (6-0). Riley said that: “It was better for her to go. I'd like to thank her. She could go where she could score goals. I would take her back in a second. She sat behind the top two forwards in the game [McDonald and Williams]." Leon had no goals and no assists in 10 games with the Flash, only three of which she started.
On the other bench, Gabarra felt that his job was not to tinker too much with a successful side which had made the NWSL semifinals in the 2 previous seasons under now Thorns head coach Mark Parsons. He had Canadian Olympic Games team keeper Stephane Labbe in goal, though she never replaced Kelsey Wys (ex-Florida State and a Flash player in 2014) after she came back from Brazil. Her international teammate Diane Matheson was a long-time pillar of the team and had 4 goals to go with her two consecutive Olympic Games Bronze medals. Argentinian forward Estefania Banini came from Colo Colo in Chile and led the team in goals with 5. Katie Stengle (ex-Wake Forest) joined from FC Bayern Munich and chipped in 4 goals. U.S. internationals Christine Nairn (3 goals), Dunn and Ali Krieger along with former international midfielder Joanna Lohman were key players all year. Before the game, Gabarra explained that he didn't want to rely on Dunn scoring 15 goals this season like she did in 2015, which was fortuitous because she didn't but fed others while defenders focused on stopping her. Former Spanish international Laura Del Rio (ex-Bristol Academy in the Super League and Frankfurt) was out for the season with an injury while Danish international Line Sigvardsen Jensen (ex-Fortuna Hjorring) played sparingly. Gabarra said after the match that he felt that his side was the better team for most of the game: “But the better team doesn't always win."
Riley also felt that his team didn't play as well as the Spirit during the game—“We were very average today"—but called his side: “A team of destiny." Since he had such a young team, they didn't set team goals (playoffs, a championship) but just focused on getting better every day. Riley called this championship: “The most far-fetched win; it's good for the sport. We talked about Leicester City, how they won it [the English Premier League in 2015-16]—they were 5000-to-1 odds—we were probably 500-to-1 to win. We didn't have a lot of depth. I had to do more counterattacking and change my philosophy [playing the ball on the pitch]." Riley is a Liverpool native but went to college at Adelphi University in New York State and then played semi-pro and professionally in the U.S. before turning to coaching. He planned to fly to England later in the week to see Liverpool play Manchester United, as his family has Liverpool season tickets. Riley explained that: “Liverpool gave me my passion for the game" and he taught his team what the song “You'll Never Walk Alone" means and that: “It was my wedding song."
Thinking a bit about next season, Riley was encouraged with how young his squad was but that: “We have a target on our backs now. We had no target on our backs this year.
"We won't be ranked 9th or 10th next year."
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
