Let’s just put it out there: Monday is going to be one heck of a busy day in women’s soccer.
The known quantity is that the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year will be revealed — along with the Ballon d’ Or winner on the men’s side, of course. The three female finalists are Germany goalkeeper Nadine Angerer, Brazil midfielder Marta and United States forward Abby Wambach, the reigning FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year.
After that, things get a bit unpredictable.
Angerer will reveal which NWSL club she has signed for — something she has teased since August — with all signs pointing toward Portland Thorns FC, who protected an unnamed discovery player after losing Mana Shim with the No. 4 pick. But, we wait for official word from Zurich…
(On a related note, if you missed it Friday, there are two key NWSL rule changes for 2014: Allocated players do not need to be traded for allocated players anymore, and each team can now have up to three international players each, up from two. Expect those to come into play immediately.)
That’s likely not the end of the Thorns’ movement on Monday, as owner Merritt Paulson teased:
Just cause you all have been so patient, we will front load a busy player news week: Thorns tomorrow…Timbers Tuesday. #rctid #baon
— Merritt Paulson (@MerrittPaulson) January 13, 2014
And Houston Dash president Chris Canetti teased that there are moves coming Monday, just hours after reports that FC Kansas City will move goalkeeper Bianca Henninger to Houston (a report that also very loosely links Sinead Farrelly to Portland to reunite with Paul Riley):
A few @houstondash moves expected tomorrow. Stay tuned.
— Chris Canetti (@ChrisCanetti) January 13, 2014
Don’t be fooled into thinking that is all that is going on behind the scenes. Several teams are in the market to make moves ahead of this Friday’s NWSL College Draft, but there’s nothing firm enough to responsibly report as of yet.
Just wait a few hours.
