I want to continue the series of reviews I started last week when I went over the impact the 2009 WPS Draft had on the Freedom. This week I want to look at how the rest of the roster was built and the impact those players had on the Freedom’s 2009 season.
Part 1: The 2009 draft
ALLOCATION
The obvious first place to start should be with the first players the Freedom were allocated. Before I get into the individuals, I do find it interesting that if the USWNT player allocation had taken place a year earlier, there is a really good chance Abby Wambach and Cat Whitehill are placed on separate teams. Amazing how much a couple of injuries impacted the process.
Abby Wambach – After getting off to a slow start while still recovering from the broken leg suffered right before the Olympics last year, things finally seemed to click for Abby after she scored her 100th International goal in front of her hometown crowd in Rochester, N.Y. on July 19. Abby continues to be one of the toughest players to deal with when she is on the field and should continue to be the leader of this team for years to come.
Cat Whitehill – Another solid leader with loads of International experience, Cat put her leg strength on display all season, helping the team come up with numerous timely goals. The two that come right to mind are the boot to Abby in stoppage time against FC Gold Pride to give the Freedom their first win and the huge punt on a rainy night to Sonia Bompastor to help the Freedom tie Saint Louis on the night they honored Mia Hamm. No other team boasts a weapon like Cat Whitehill and hopefully the Freedom will continue to find ways to take advantage of that asset.
Ali Krieger – Signing a contract extension in Germany at the same time she was allocated to the Freedom, it seemed like her presence in D.C. was iffy at best all season. Then an interesting thing happened, an injury and a setback cost her most of the German season and she was then loaned to the Freedom to help her get back into game shape. Her arrival coincided with a huge turnaround in the defense and she showed she was truly worth the wait. Unfortunately, she went straight back to Germany after the season and will not be able to return until her contract expires, which should be at the same point next season.
INTERNATIONALS
Homare Sawa – A player Jim Gabarra was familiar with during his WUSA coaching days, I believe Sawa’s offensive impact was neutralized the day Sarah Huffman went down with her ACL injury. Sawa seemed to mesh well with Lori Lindsey in the center of the midfield but Lindsey always seemed to be more of the aggressor while Sawa helped more defensively. If Sawa is to have more of an impact next year, she will need to be allowed to be more offensive minded.
Sonia Bompastor – I know I (and many others) have made this point before but Sonia is the reason this league exists. Were it not for WPS, we Americans may have never seen (and become fans of) French players like Sonia given the fact that France has a hard time qualifying for the only two tournaments average Americans care about – the World Cup and the Olympics. Sonia’s non-stop motor, experience and ability to play all over the field make her an invaluable asset on the level of Abby or Cat and she will be a necessary component of the Freedom next year.
Lisa De Vanna – It took a while to get her 90 minute fit but Lisa’s speed was one of the most dangerous weapons in WPS in 2009 and as she got her timing down, she was able to make defenses pay. With her and Abby up top, the pair complement each other well and give the Freedom a balanced attack.
Louisa Necib – Sonia’s countrywoman never played for the Freedom but the team continues to hold her WPS rights in hopes they can persuade her to come to the U. S. for 2010. With the rave reviews she often gets, she would be a quality addition.
Erin McLeod – A post-draft discovery player, the goalkeeping situation was a mess until she arrived – which took a lot longer than anyone thought. But now with her Visa issues in the past, she is one of the elite keepers in the league, which is a must-have in a league as small as WPS. Coming into 2010 at the beginning of the season should help her challenge for the claim of best keeper in WPS.
Lene Mykjaland – She almost ended up here last year and after only signing a 1-year deal with her Norwegian club, I don’t see how she doesn’t end up in D.C. this season. The young forward would add another dimension to an already deadly attack and would take the pressure off Abby and Lisa. I don’t care if anyone else is added to the roster, Lene should be the team’s top priority.
GENERAL DRAFT
Sarah Huffman – I feel bad for Sarah in that she has been playing all over the world the past couple of years and when she finally gets the opportunity to play professionally in the U.S., she suffers a serious injury during the first week of practice. It was great to see Sarah take the field in the playoffs and after spending the offseason playing in Germany, hopefully the No. 1 overall pick of the general draft will be able to display the talent that made her No. 1.
Becky Sauerbrunn – With some nice maneuvering in the International Draft, Gabarra was able to nab the No. 3 pick in the draft so he could select Becky. Becky and Cat seem to have a great cohesion in the back and should be the rock of the middle of the defense for a while. Along with Sawa, Becky was the only other player on the team to play all 1890 minutes (including playoffs) this season. Hopefully she is due for a national team callup at some point.
Lori Lindsey – After years of sticking it out with the Freedom in WUSA festivals and the W-League, things finally payed off as Lori proved to be one of the key components of this squad and proved to be good enough to finally earn another national team callup. Hopefully this isn’t the end of Lori’s career in Washington as she will be left unprotected for the expansion draft.
Emily Janss – After beginning the season as a starter on defense, Janss found herself riding the bench and getting little playing time by May. Like Lindsey, Janss is another who has been hanging around the D.C. area waiting to help usher the Freedom back into the pro ranks. Unfortunately for the former Terrapin, I think her days in D.C. may be winding down.
FREE AGENT
Kristin DeDycker – Probably the biggest surprise of the year, DeDycker not only had to earn her way on to the team through a tryout but she had to earn her way into playing time after only earning a spot on the developmental roster. DeDycker proved to be that defensive presence in the midfield the team was desperately looking for, but an injury early in the season hindered her the rest of the way. Having played for Atlanta in the WUSA, I can’t help but think there might be a reunion in the works. I am told developmental players are not part of the list for the expansion draft, but they will be up for drafting in January so we will wait and see what happens.
That concludes my look at the 2009 roster of the Freedom. In all it seems to be a solid unit that with one or two key additions, might finally be able to beat the Sol (or Sky Blue in the playoffs). Now I turn the floor over to you – any thoughts on the ’09 roster or what the team should do to improve? Leave me a comment.
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