Just a brief post today but as I was looking at my notifications on Twitter I noticed that there are certain teams that seem to have a lot of players with a consistent social media presence. Now I realize the Freedom set up Twitter feeds and Facebook fan pages for everyone on the roster last year but it seems only a few players actually used them and most of them stopped once the season ended. I also realize President and GM Mark Washo has been very active on Twitter.
Last year the players who updated fans online consistently seemed to be Cat Whitehill, KJ Spisak and Alex Singer. With Spisak now in St. Louis it seems the Freedom players are falling behind in web presence. So the question is this, which Freedom player would like to see develop more of a web presence? Leave your comments below and who knows, maybe we can use this discussion to lobby that player!
Given recent comments and Twitter posts by President and GM Mark Washo, we know the Freedom seems close to announcing a free agent signing. However, I wonder if that train has now derailed given word out of Boston that the Breakers have signed USWNT player Leslie Osborne.
Word from The Equalizer, which seems to be breaking all of the big women’s soccer news lately, is that Osborne turned down a deal from the Freedom. If that truly is the case, I wonder how much that affects the Freedom’s plans. On one hand, the team has plenty of midfielders and could really use another forward or defender. On the other hand, Osborne was one of the best players still available on the market and is a solid addition for any team.
With the big domestic names now all locked up, what is the Freedom’s next move. Will the team relinquish its hold on one of its international players to add a top free agent? Will the team make a smaller signing like Christie Welsh and focus more on the draft? Will the team just sit back and wait until January before deciding to do anything?
One thing’s for sure, this is a big signing for Boston and I wonder if the Breakers increased their pursuit of Osborne in reaction to Angela Hucles retiring. As it is, we will just have to imagine what it would have been like to have Osborne in D.C.
If you haven’t checked out the audio from last night’s conference call with Abby Wambach and Cat Whitehill, do so now. The team has made the audio available for those who couldn’t listen last night.
For those who just want a quick recap, here you go:
- Both players got on and gave a brief update of what they’ve been doing. Besides training for the game in Germany, Abby talked about her new puppy and Cat talked about doing color commentary for SEC soccer games for ESPN.
- Fan question about Germany game in relation to bragging rights and what it would mean to win the match. Abby said it would be a good test as to where the USWNT stands right now but not necessarily how things will shake out at the World Cup because US players haven’t been playing since WPS season ended while the Germans are in midseason form. Cat added that it was a great opportunity to play in this type of environment, something some of the players don’t have a lot of experience with.
- Fan question about how league has helped USWNT. Cat talked about Lori Lindsey and how she deserved to be with team, then about how USWNT coach Pia Sundhage could scout so many more players. She said it is also important for the team to play more regularly. Abby added that being a product of pro league and getting her national team chance because of it is important to her. She said WPS allows players to develop and that is important to the national team.
- Fan question about having the USMNT qualify for 2010 World Cup and how the women’s team benefits. Abby said that as a national team member she is proud to see the men qualify and thinks the current team will put a good product on the field. In terms of the men helping the women, Abby added that anything that can grow soccer in the U.S. is a benefit. Cat is also proud of the team and how it rallied. Cat said anytime the word soccer is mentioned on ESPN it gets her excited.
- Mark Washo wished Abby and Cat well on their trip to Germany and plugged the Select-A-Seat event. Food provided by Fuddruckers and Jim Gabarra will be there but no players because they are on loan all over the place.
- Fan question about players on loan. Players had an e-mail chain going for a while to keep in touch. Cat has been following Alex Singer on Twitter and is excited that so many teammates are out there learning new styles and playing soccer. Abby adds that it’s crucial for players to keep playing because of how short the WPS season is.
- Fan question about injuries. Abby let Cat handle the question as it was specific to an ACL injury. Cat said don’t get discouraged, especially since it is a long process.
- Fan question about being role models. Abby said the responsibility of being a role model helps her push through the tough times and it’s one of the most important aspects of why she plays.
- Fan question about impact of WPS on younger soccer players. Cat said WPS has done a good job trying to appeal to all age groups and she thinks it will inspire a new generation of soccer players.
- Fan question about Abby’s dog – he will be coming back to Maryland with Abby next season and is currently being taken care of by Abby’s roommate while she is away.
- Fan question for Cat about working as a reporter and how many UNC players will be playing. The next games Cat will do will be the SEC championship. Cat thinks 3-4 UNC players will be taken in the draft.
- Fan question about who Cat would want as a teammate. Cat said Tim Tebow would be her “non-soccer player teammate” but if it had to be a soccer player, Cat said she has always wanted to play with Michelle Akers.
- Fan question for Abby about a non-soccer playing woman teammate. Abby thought Ellen DeGeneres would be fun and feels the team would spend all day laughing with her around.
- Fan question about why Freedom kept most of the team while every other team seemed to be cutting a lot of players. Cat felt the previous foundation really helped the team and made sense in keeping as many players as the team did. Cat said the team felt more like a family. Abby said the resignings speak to the kind of program Gabarra is running and that many of the other teams are still going through growing pains. Mark added that the team is actively talking to free agents and one in particular.
- Fan question for Abby about a village called Wambach in Germany. Abby didn’t know about the place but did know her last name was German. Abby said if it’s close enough she will try to make her way there.
- Final question about what question people should stop asking about and what question should people be asking. Abby said that even if you answer the same question many times, you just have to answer it to get people to become fans. Abby said women’s soccer players make themselves more available than any other sport and that is key to helping promote themselves. Cat agreed with Abby and said that it is part of the territory. Cat’s most annoying is how she can cheer for both the University of Florida and University of Georgia in football.
One thing worth discussing further is the free agent Mark has been in talks with. Any guess as to who it might be? Wish I had more info for you but I am just as in the dark as everyone else at this point.
And finally, I have made a couple of updates to the blog – mainly there will be links to videos, photos and such. Let me know if you like or hate the updates, or if there is anything else you would like to see.
While most of the league remains silent, the Philadelphia Independence seem determined to challenge for the WPS title right away.
Just a couple of weeks after trading for last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick, Philly added to its defense by trading for LA Sol defender Allison Falk and backup goalkeeper Val Henderson. And according to The Equalizer, the team expects to announce the signing of Heather Mitts and is in pursuit of Carli Lloyd and Tina DiMartino. The moves leave Philly without any first round picks, but that is another discussion for another blog.
The only thing going on with the Freedom right now is a promise from the GM that the team is in talks with free agents. No one has any idea when/if any announcement will be made but Mark Washo has given Freedom fans something to speculate about now just by making a simple statement on Twitter.
So while we wait to see what will go down with the Freedom at the pro level, check out this article on how the Freedom are impacting the collegiate game (and yes, that was a pretty crappy transition). And once something does happen, we will have a response to it here.
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