RD Welch

U-20 USWNT: A Review of their May 2012 Camp

On May 19th, the United States Under-20 Women’s National Team wrapped up its latest camp with a solid 5:0 win over New Zealand. Also, during this camp, the team scrimmaged the U-23 USWNT twice, resulting in a 4:4 draw and a 3:1 win.

During the camp, Vanessa DiBernardo and newcomer Makenzy Doniak had standout performances, while Julie Johnston played as a centerback for two additional matches, which seems to signify that a position switch is in the works for her. Continue reading “U-20 USWNT: A Review of their May 2012 Camp”

Olympics: Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, and Others to Participate in a Friendly Tournament in Early July

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) released preliminary details of a friendly tournament that will take place from July 8th to the 17th in Savièse, Switzerland, between London-bound teams Brazil, Canada, and New Zealand, plus Russia and two other teams that have yet to be confirmed. The CBF news item uses the phrase “Copa Feminina da Suíça 2012” which translates to “Swiss Women’s Cup 2012,” but there is no word on whether Switerland’s WNT will participate in this six team tournament.

Source: CBF.com.br

Slot Allocations for the 2015 Women’s World Cup and 2014 Youth WWCs Announced

Today or yesterday, FIFA uploaded a circular (PDF) with the details of the slot allocations per confederation for the 2015 Women’s World Cup, the 2014 Under-17 Women’s World Cup, and the 2014 Under-20 Women’s World Cup.

As the 2015 WWC will be the first with 24 teams, up from 16 teams, that allocation decision was of extra interest. CONCACAF had the biggest relative gain, going from 2.5 slots up to 4.5 slots (including host Canada), which means that the USA should have a lot less trouble qualifying this time around. Continue reading “Slot Allocations for the 2015 Women’s World Cup and 2014 Youth WWCs Announced”

Olympics: Brazil’s June Training Camp Roster

Earlier today, Jorge Barcellos announced Brazil’s June training camp roster (CBF.com.br). From the 25 players called into the camp, 18 will make the official Olympic roster, while up to 4 will be included as alternates. The official roster should be announced at the end of June. Continue reading “Olympics: Brazil’s June Training Camp Roster”

USWNT Olympic Opponent: France’s Semi-Official Final Roster, Plus Training Schedule

Earlier today, French WNT head coach Bruno Bini announced his team’s roster for the 2012 Summer Olympics, along with their training schedule. The most notable roster change from the 2011 Women’s World Cup is the inclusion of goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi, who is generally regarded as France’s best ‘keeper, but has had issues on and off the pitch , which led to her exclusion in 2011. Continue reading “USWNT Olympic Opponent: France’s Semi-Official Final Roster, Plus Training Schedule”

U-20 WWC: Thoughts on the Probable Draw Procedure

[Edit, 1-June-2012: Based on new information, the below predicted procedure will probably not be used. Please see this newer post for a more likely procedure.]

With the Under-20 Women’s World Cup field of sixteen teams fully settled, it is time to look at the draw procedure, which will determine how the four groups in the group stage of the tournament are populated. The actual draw procedure will most likely not be announced until the day before the draw is held. As the draw is scheduled for Monday, June 4th* in Tokyo, Japan, that leaves two weeks of speculation. However, based on past U-20 WWC draws and other draws conducted by FIFA, the most likely draw procedure can be reasonably predicted. Continue reading “U-20 WWC: Thoughts on the Probable Draw Procedure”

WPS League Officially Folds

Earlier today (Friday, May 18th), the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league released two press statements announcing that (1) the lawsuit between Dan Borislow and the league had been settled, and (2) that the league was permanently suspending operations and would proceed with a dissolvement of the league (e.g., winding down).

The two press releases, in their entirety: Continue reading “WPS League Officially Folds”

USWNT Olympic Opponent Watch: Colombia – Updated May Camp Roster

ColFutbol.org has posted a news item with a slightly different roster for its current camp. From the previous roster, three players were added, Liana Salazar and Ingrid Vidal, who both play collegiately for the University of Kansas Jayhawks (Salazar’s profile, Vidal’s profile), plus Florida native Catalina Perez (Team Boca; Boca Raton), who was a back-up goalkeeper for Colombia at the 2010 U-20 Women’s World Cup. Not included on the roster were ~~Nataly Arias (U. of Maryland, 2004-2008)~~ and the hard-to-find-info-on Kena Romero. (Edit, 5-June-2012: Nataly Arias is still on the roster, while Alexis Hermosa was removed from the roster.) Continue reading “USWNT Olympic Opponent Watch: Colombia – Updated May Camp Roster”

U-17 USWNT: A Review of the 2012 CONCACAF Under-17 Women’s Championship Final

Last weekend, the United States Under-17 Women’s National Team defeated their northern neighbors, Canada, 1:0 in a tight match that saw the USA defense being tested seriously for the first time in the tournament. The USA held onto a 1:0 lead for over 70 minutes, in a staunch defensive effort which was made all the more challenging due to the USA’s inability to maintain possession and to control the match’s tempo. Continue reading “U-17 USWNT: A Review of the 2012 CONCACAF Under-17 Women’s Championship Final”

CONCACAF WU-17: Preview Notes For USA-Canada Championship Final

Later today, at 6:30 p.m. EDT, the United States Under-17 Women’s National Team will face off versus its northern cohorts, Canada, in the final of the CONCACAF Under-17 Women’s Championship final. Both teams have already qualified for the Under-17 Women’s World Cup, so not too much is at stake. But, a win by the USA should help guarantee it a seeded slot in the U-17 WWC as one of the top three teams. However, even if the USA loses, they could still get a seeded position. (Compare the 2008 women’s U-20 cycle: The USA lost to Canada 1:0 in the CONCACAF Championship final, but was still seeded.)

Here are some quick notes about the match’s format, the teams (including updated minutes played tables and maps of goals scored), and highlights of Canada’s matches. Continue reading “CONCACAF WU-17: Preview Notes For USA-Canada Championship Final”