espnW Blog: NWSL
Courtesy of Erin McLeod With three games in the past week and a half, the Chicago Red Stars have been traveling a lot lately. And there are challenges that come with such a schedule. We do all the old tricks to help our bodies recover during the crazy travel calendar: compression pants and compression tights on the plane, ice baths after workouts and games, and hydrating like it's our job, which I guess it pretty much is.
AP Photo/Sergey PonomarevBoston Breakers forward Sydney Leroux turns 23 today, and she’s already packed a bunch of goals into her years. Leroux made her U.S. women's national team debut on Jan. 21, 2011, and in just her second appearance, on Jan.
Courtesy of Christie Rampone I'll be honest -- it's not easy to take a seven-hour bus trip to games instead of hopping on a plane. But it does give my team, Sky Blue FC, valuable time to get to know one another! I've been playing on different pro teams and for various leagues for more than 10 years, so I definitely understand the circumstances of a start-up league -- and I'm so excited to be playing for the National Women's Soccer League.
AP Photo/Armando FrancaThe new National Women’s Soccer League has brought a fresh start for me, on and off the field. A new squad (Red Stars), new city (Chicago) and new teammates too. Our season opener on April 14 against the Seattle Reign had some parts that were great and some that, well, weren’t.
Chicago Red Stars I just got back from a trip with the Canadian national team for friendly games against France and England, and I am psyched to join my new club, the Chicago Red Stars, for our first game Sunday. The National Women’s Soccer League and the Red Stars have been on my mind since last fall, but there were still a lot of question marks about the new league.
Boris Streubel/Getty ImagesPortland Thorns FC kicks off the NWSL season at FC Kansas City on Saturday. It may be the league's inaugural match, but the players are no rookies. The five allocated U.S. women's national team players -- Rachel Buehler and Alex Morgan for Portland and Lauren Cheney, Becky Sauerbrunn and Nicole Barnhart for Kansas City -- have a combined 343 caps at the international level.
Michael Chang/Getty ImagesStarting a season with an injury is never the way you want it to go. I’ve been shut down for four weeks now since breaking a bone in my shoulder playing with the U.S. national team against Iceland in the opening game at the Algarve Cup.
Brendon Thorne/Getty ImagesThe inaugural National Women's Soccer League College Draft, part of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Convention, will be held Friday in Indianapolis. Each of the eight teams will select four stars, one each round, for their 20-player rosters.