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‘Read the game’: Why the NWSL championship will be won in the midfield

Washington’s Ashley Sanchez and Chicago’s Sarah Woldmoe battle for the ball during a regular season game. (Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — When a truly excellent midfield controls the flow of a soccer game, their contributions can be so subtle as to be easily overlooked. For the midfields of the Washington Spirit and Chicago Red Stars, the lack of recognition is undercut by the internal understanding that they are the backbone of their teams.

The Red Stars have made an unlikely run to the final behind the smothering holding play of Morgan Gautrat and Sarah Woldmoe, with assistance from Danny Colaprico and Vanessa DiBernardo, the team’s No. 10. The Spirit have relied on the vision and veteran calm of Andi Sullivan, the technical ability of Dorian Bailey and the tirelessness of Ashley Sanchez.

Fans across the league are familiar with the end product: Golden Boot winner Ashley Hatch and Rookie of the Year Trinity Rodman have Washington soaring in the postseason, and Katie Johnson’s wonder strike allowed the Red Stars to sit on a lead in the semifinal and stifle the Portland Thorns into submission.

But how does the ball get into those spaces, and what happens when momentum swings the other way? What is it actually like in the trenches of an NWSL midfield?

In many ways, the midfields of the teams meeting in Saturday’s NWSL championship game have more similarities than they do differences. The players’ communication is constant, and mostly occurs when the unit is moving defensively rather than with the ball.

“The communication is straightforward: left, right, check your shoulder,” says Woldmoe, Chicago’s deepest-lying midfielder. “It’s not anything out of the ordinary or super special or anything like that. But it is, I would say, constant. It is nonstop. We definitely do hear each other, definitely do rely on each other.”

As the architect connecting the Spirit’s defense to their attack, Sullivan is a bit more vocal.

“I feel like I constantly am running my mouth, and for me, that’s both selfish and team-oriented,” she says. “Because I feel like it helps the team stay organized and see things that they might not have seen, but also helps me just get in flow. And I feel like if I make a mistake, I also rely on my communication to get me back into the flow of the game. It’s almost like I’m narrating.”

Communication is essential to any midfield moving as a cohesive unit, but the speed of play in the transition-heavy NWSL forces even the best midfielders to rely on instinct in the moment.

“If you’ve gotten the ball and you’re trying to think, you’re too late,” says Gautrat, who has become Chicago’s engine in possession and the key ball winner. “The best midfielders are thinking about what they’re going to do with [the ball] before they get it. And if you don’t, a lot of times either, one, you have to play backwards or, two, you get the ball taken from you.”

Both Woldmoe and Sullivan say they’re constantly working to read the game that’s unfolding in front of them.

“It’s more reading and instinctual. But then obviously, you’re updating that information as the game goes on,” Sullivan says.

“Read the game,” echoes Woldmoe. “It depends where the ball is, depends where we each are in that situation.”

“I feel like a lot of times, it’s important for us to know what’s around us all the time, 360 [degrees],” Gautrat concludes. “And taking your touch where the pressure isn’t coming from, which is tough because a lot of times, pressure’s coming from multiple sides.”

Sometimes, that pressure comes in the form of a crunching tackle all too common in the NWSL. Players on both sides are willing to sacrifice themselves in order to disrupt play, understanding that anything less than full commitment could actually result in injury.

“I feel like that’s also something that you have to train yourself not to think about, and just do,” says Colaprico, who stepped in to defend from an advanced position in the win over Portland. “Otherwise, you’re going to really hurt yourself or hurt the other person.”

Bailey, known for being calm on the ball under pressure, would rather avoid contact but isn’t afraid of it. “Sometimes it’s maybe just playing a little smarter instead of going to be so physical, so finding a way to maybe avoid contact once or twice, not every time,” she says with a laugh. “Sometimes you’ve got to hit someone.”

Every player at Thursday’s media day described the midfield as a battle that can often seem chaotic. But the tactics behind each rotational shift come with point-perfect intentions. If either team commits numbers forward, they have to be ready to immediately fall back into shape once an attack breaks down, looking to disrupt again and find their next chance.

“There’s a lot of work that goes into the midfield,” says Gautrat. “There’s the timing, and those [moments] are the ones that make the game and the teams tight.”

Chicago center back Tierna Davidson cites the protection of Seam Two, the area between the zones in and in front of Chicago’s 18-yard box, as the key to the Red Stars’ defensive scheme. With the dual No. 6s in front, Chicago’s center backs can fall back into space, making it hard for their opponents to penetrate straight down the middle (an area that Washington is known for attacking).

“That’s a space that attackers love to get into. That’s a space that a No. 9 or a No. 10 loves to get into,” Davidson says. “[They] turn and face and then dribble at us, and slip through balls to take shots, and it’s a very dangerous part of the field.”

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Andi Sullivan serves as the main link between the Spirit's defense and attack. (Daniel Bartel/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

With that area of the pitch covered, the Red Stars can match numbers elsewhere in the midfield and push teams outside to try to beat them on the flanks, where they also feel comfortable defending. As Gautrat puts it, “If you kind of take each other out of the game, then that just comes about. Who can do something on both ends that is special?”

Chicago’s midfield also has many years of experience playing together, which allows them a certain amount of fluidity when they do get to push forward.

Washington matches Chicago’s defensive organization with an emphasis on intention in possession.

“I feel like the more that midfield touches the ball, the easier my job is,” says Washington forward Ashley Hatch. “I feel like that was a piece that has been missing in the past couple years. We’ve always been good at keeping the ball, but keeping it with the purpose of keeping it and moving forward.”

The head coaches of both teams feel strongly that their midfields are well-balanced and can quickly list the reasons why. Chicago manager Rory Dames credits Gautrat’s ability to escape pressure with the ball, Woldmoe’s willingness to try 12-yard style passes, Dibernardo’s penetrating passes forward and Colaprico’s long-ball distribution. Washington interim head coach Kris Ward notes that Sullivan can place a pass from anywhere on the field, Bailey can turn away from pressure and dribble into open space and Sanchez has an awareness combined with a brashness that surprises defenders.

Both teams pride themselves on a sense of intuitive defensive rotation no matter the personnel, a tactic that can easily go awry if a person isn’t tracking off-the-ball movements. All too often in the NWSL, when one team struggles against the other, people point to the attacking team not executing properly. The more accurate reason, however, lies somewhere in between offensive execution and full-team defending off the ball.

Focusing less on the ball and more on the spaces in between is something the Spirit have been working on consistently since their mid-season managerial change.

“I mean, that’s defending, right?” says Spirit outside back Kelley O’Hara. “Obviously, the ball is what’s going to score the goal. But if you’re able to deter the other team from getting into the spaces that are dangerous, there’s less of a chance.”

Washington and Chicago each believe that constant work rate off of the ball is what sets them apart from their opponents, and they’re committed to settling into the grind of the championship match. But within that organization, they’ll also look to attack in transition and be smart with their timing.

“I think our attacking half has been unreal at taking those moments and knowing when to keep it and when to go,” says Washington center back Emily Sonnett.

“Also, I think our defensive [mindset], being able to handle knowing that they’re gonna sit and they’re gonna sit, and they’re gonna take those chances, those moments, and us being really organized,” adds O’Hara.

“Counter the counter,” Sonnett interjects.

“I think something that we’ve done better recently is just focusing on those countermeasures,” Sullivan says. “So when people are attacking, how can we eliminate their ability to get out and win it back higher? That’s something that I enjoy thinking about from that defensive mid position. Just thinking, what’s their way out?”

Just as it’s been for Washington and Chicago all season, the championship game will come down to who wins in the trenches. The Spirit will do everything they can to surgically remove Chicago’s control over the final, but the Red Stars are equally ready to battle for one another. Whoever executes that game plan better will most likely walk away with the franchise’s first title.

“We’ve learned, every single game this year, that you don’t just win by chance. You don’t just win by luck,” Woldmoe says. “You have to grind, you have to be disciplined, you have to be willing to get stuck in.”

For Colaprico, the strategy is simple: “When you see someone’s down, pick them back up, and keep everyone going for a full ninety minutes.”

Claire Watkins is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering soccer and the NWSL. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

USC’s McKenzie Forbes: From Gap Year to the NCAA Tournament

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate McKenzie Forbes. 

Here are five things to know from our conversation with the graduate transfer from Folsom, California.

#1 Inspired by USC’s Head Coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, McKenzie wants to be a basketball coach or work in the front office in the future.

When weighing in on what makes a good coach, McKenzie said x’s and o’s are important but “Coaching is a lot of relationship managing and people managing. I think you have to be a good people person and be able to build those relationships, but also in that same breath, you can’t be afraid to have people dislike you in moments. I think that’s a big part of leadership.”

#2 McKenzie says the trajectory of her career changed when she made the decision to transfer from Cal to Harvard.

 In order to transfer, she was forced to take a gap year and spend a lot of time in the gym. “I completely transformed my body and, going into the Harvard season, felt like I was a completely different player. Going to Harvard and playing in a more mid-major conference, I had the ball in my hands a lot more than I might have if I transferred to another Power 5. It really developed other parts of my game.”

#3 How does McKenzie think USC will do in the Women’s College Basketball Tournament?

“I’m not going to give a typical interview answer. I want a Final Four. We have that potential and capability. Like why not? Why not us? I think we have all the pieces.”

#4 Her older brother, Marcus, was her biggest mentor growing up.

“He was basically my trainer from Elementary school on until he went to college.”

#5 Fun facts about Forbes:

She can juggle and she was the quarterback of her Pop Warner football team. “I was slow but I could throw it!”

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

Christen Press back training with Angel City FC

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 15: Christen Press #23 of Angel City FC waves to fans following a game between the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC at BMO Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)

Christen Press continues to inch her way back to a return, having returned to training with her club team Angel City. 

Angel City FC coach Becki Tweed said on Wednesday that Press is back with the team full-time as she continues to make her way back from an ACL injury. While she’s still working on rehab, her being back with the team gives staff a better picture of her progress. 

"Christen [Press] is back with us full time which is amazing,” she said. “Having her in and around the team every day, continuing to work hard on rehab ... she's in a space where being in with the team is really important to her and her progression as well.”

The status update comes days after Press posted videos to social media that featured her doing lateral movement in cleats on grass. 

“Look out world she’s on the move !” Press captioned it. 

Press has been sidelined with an ACL injury since 2022, which caused her to miss the 2023 World Cup. She’s since had four separate surgeries to help repair her ACL.

Press told The Athletic a month ago that she’s been “relentless” in her optimism with her recovery despite it being a “slow process.”

“I have a bit of relentless optimism,” she told The Athletic. “I never, ever doubted that I would make it back on any of the timelines I’ve been on."

"Every single time I’ve heard, ‘You have to have surgery,’ I’m completely shocked,” she said. “When somebody asks me how it’s going, I’m like, ‘It’s going great. And it was going great every time. So I don’t know what to tell you anymore!’”

Sophia Smith re-signs with Portland on record deal

(Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports)

Sophia Smith is now the NWSL’s highest-paid player. 

The Portland Thorns announced on Wednesday that they have signed Smith to a new contract through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the team did reveal that Smith is now the highest-paid player in the league on an annual basis.

It’s the latest in what has been a series of record-breaking contracts in the NWSL offseason. 

Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson, Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji, and Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda all signed multi-year deals worth between $2 million and $2.5 million in total. While Smith’s contract is shorter and not worth as much over the long-term, the annual worth is higher. 

“We are over the moon to have Soph commit again to the Thorns. She is a proven, world-class talent and one that we are excited to have contribute to the team’s continued success,” said head coach Mike Norris in a statement. “We look forward to working with her in a Thorns jersey as she continues to shine as one of the top strikers in the world.”

In just four seasons in the NWSL, Smith has led the Thorns to five trophies – including the 2022 NWSL championship – while winning league and championship MVP in 2022. In 61 appearances with Portland, she has 34 goals – including a brace to start this season against Kansas City. 

She’s also a member of the USWNT, having scored 16 goals in 44 international appearances.  Set to become a free agent at the end of this season, she told ESPN she “thought of all the options” but ultimately Portland felt like the right decision.

"There is no place like Portland," Smith said in a small roundtable interview that included ESPN. "I don't believe there's an environment like Portland to play in and it's a city that's so special to me and a city that I feel like I've grown up in almost and become who I am."

She also told ESPN that the team’s new ownership “changes everything.” The club is now led by the Bhathal family, who bought the club after Merritt Paulson was forced to sell it following his part in the NWSL’s abuse scandal. 

"Since I've been here there has been a lot of things going on with this club -- a lot of not-great things going on with this club -- and I have just been waiting for some stability and some reassurance that this club is headed in the right direction, and the Bhathal family coming in is doing exactly that, if not more,” Smith said. 

"Their vision for this club is so exciting, and you can just tell how passionate they are about making this what it should be and continuing to push the standard in women's soccer globally.”

Caitlin Clark offered $5 million to compete in Ice Cube’s league

IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 25: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates as time runs out in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers during their second round match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark has been offered $5 million to play in Ice Cube's Big3 league, he confirmed on social media Wednesday after the offer leaked.

"We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship," Ice Cube wrote on social media. "But I won't deny what's now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn't we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3."

While there has yet to be a women's player in the league, both Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Leslie have been part of the league as coaches and won championships.

"The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men's pro team, and she won the championship in her first year," Ice Cube continued. "Then Lisa Leslie won it all in year two. With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes."

Ice Cube, whose name is O’Shea Jackson, says that the offer was made with the intention that Clark be able to compete in the WNBA “offseason.” Clark is largely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft in April. But it’s unclear how the scheduling of the two leagues would work. 

The 2024 Big3 season is set to tip off on June 15, with 10 games spanning through mid-August. The WNBA regular season, meanwhile, begins on May 14 and ends on Sept. 19.

On “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, Jackson said that the league has yet to hear back from Clark. 

“We just need an answer, as soon as they are ready to give it to us,” he said. “It’s always 50-50 till we get a no. At the end of the day, it’s a generous offer.”

The offer – as well as the confusion on Jackson’s part about the timing of the WNBA season – caused some current WNBA players to react. 

"It's funny cause I be seeing his son at W games.. they don't talk?" wrote former No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard

"So no other women's basketball player has came to mind in the last 7 years?" wrote Lexie Brown, adding that she'd support if Ice Cube wanted to build a women's iteration of the league. She later discussed it on the Gils Arena Show, noting that his reasoning of wanting to “uplift and support WNBA players and women athletes” is a “cop out.”

Kalani Brown, meanwhile, told Clark to "take that money" and start a women's Big3.

WNBA salaries has been a talking point in recent months as more collegiate stars declare for the league. WNBA stars have often made more money playing abroad than they have in the WNBA. Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 15, with a rookie salary of $76,535 for lottery draft picks (Nos. 1-4) that rises to $97,582 by her fourth season. But she also has an NIL valuation of almost $3.5 million.

Diana Taurasi famously skipped the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian club, who paid her more to sit out than she would have made in the W. Her contract with the club was reportedly near $1.5 million per year.

Jackson also seemed to suggest that his league could be an alternative to going abroad

“America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their off seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet,” he wrote. Although it’s unclear whether or not the rapper intends to make offers to additional WNBA players. 

While the league does hold prioritization rules in its CBA, those typically apply only to players playing in overseas leagues. It’s unclear whether or not that would prevent Clark’s participation in the Big3 league.

WNBA players that don’t want to go overseas currently have the option of playing in Athletes Unlimited, which competes in the WNBA offseason.

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