NWSL news is trickling in (a phrase we’ve used far too often for a league kicking off in just over two months), but the news is coming in unofficial batches via social media.
We know now that midfielder McCall Zerboni will return to play for the Western New York Flash, a side she captained last year and won two-straight titles with (one in WPS and one in WPSL).
We already knew that Leslie Osborne was headed to Chicago, that Allie Long is Portland-bound and that Melissa Henderson will play in Kansas City. Add unsung midfield workhorse Jen Buczkowski to the mix in Kansas City:
“Good job girl!” – the joys of training with guys. Can’t wait for march. @fckansascity
— Jen Buczkowski (@jenbuczkowski) January 25, 2013
Buczkowski was considered by many to be the MVP of the 2009 WPS title game, although Heather O’Reilly won the award for scoring the lone tally in a 1-0 upset over the heavily favored Los Angeles Sol.
So why are we not getting, you know, real news, the old fashioned way?
Portland owner Merritt Paulson provides some insight:
@richardfarley fa deals are largely done for most teams (certainly long done for us) but nothing can be announced until jan deadline expires
— Merritt Paulson (@MerrittPaulson) January 28, 2013
That’s truly disappointing if true (and given the source, it is probably true). The fact is that terms have been agreed to for just about every free agent slot available in the NWSL (34 in all, following Monday’s news out of Chicago that the Red Stars would get a fifth, like Western New York, due to Amy LePeilbet’s likely season-ending ACL surgery). To not be releasing that information and showing that things are moving forward is baffling, but it comes down to the usual: paperwork, logistics…all that fun stuff.
