Also in today’s roundup, Spirit Girls DA plans to move forward without key partner clubs, Lifetime Canada announces it will not air NWSL games, Matheson and Brynjarsdottir battle injury ahead of NWSL season, and Goteborg signs former Troject Savannah Levin
Chicago Red Stars release new brand identity with logo re-vamp ahead of 2017 season.
On Tuesday morning, the Chicago Red Stars released a new brand identity that encompasses a new primary logo, a secondary logo, and a new hashtag. According to the club’s press release, they feel the re-brand embodies the city of Chicago.
The new crest brings in elements from the iconic Chicago flag- the overarching city emblem. The new shape of the logo resembles the traditional soccer crest, which “allows the club to pay tribute to all the women that have worn the previous crest with pride and have paved the way for where the Chicago Red Stars are today in the NWSL,” said owner Arnim Whisler.
In addition to the re-vamped primary logo, the club also introduced a secondary logo that emphasizes the “C” that’s said to tie the club back to the strong tradition of sporting excellence in the city with a six-point star at its center.
Complementary to the re-branded logo toolkit, a new hashtag has also been rolled out today. It is inspired from the popular Frank Sinatra song “My Kind of Town” that pays tribute to the unique yet extraordinary city of Chicago. The new hashtag is #MKOT and it will be utilized across all of the club’s social media channels.
A whole new look.
A whole new feel.This is Chicago.
This is My Kind of Town.#MKOT pic.twitter.com/v7BvZUO615— Chicago Red Stars (@chicagoredstars) February 7, 2017
{MORE NWSL News: Engen out at least for 2017}
Spirit Girls Development Academy plans to move forward in spite of loss of key partner clubs
The U.S. Soccer Girls Development Academy begins this fall with 74 clubs across six regional divisions.
The Washington Spirit still plan to create their Virginia-based Girls Development Academy team in 2017 even though three of the four clubs they announced as partners back in July have since pulled out. Braddock Road Youth Club (BRYC), Loudon Soccer, and Arlington Soccer Association are not planning to partner with the Spirit’s Development Academy anymore for the fall 2017 season. The fourth team, Southwestern Youth Association (SYA) and their partnership with the Spirit, remains uncertain at this point.
Instead of partnering with the Spirit DA, Braddock Road will join the ECNL and Loudon Soccer will partner with FC Virginia’s Girls DA, and Arlington chose not to be a Development Academy partner. SYA’s partnership status is uncertain as their board did not approve the planned partnership although they have not announced alternative plans.
In March, the Spirit announced that Larry Best would head up the academy program for the Washington Spirit as “managing director” of the youth academy as they looked towards a U.S. Soccer Girls DA bid. According to SB Nation “Black & Red United,” Chris Hummer, President of the Washington Spirit, stated that Best is “no longer involved with the Spirit in any technical capacity.”
In face of the loss of these partnering clubs, the Spirit are still committed to a DA. Hummer told SB Nation that the Spirit is “absolutely fielding a DA [team] and believe it will be very strong with many top youth international players.”
The U.S. Soccer Girls’ Development Academy will begin play in the fall of 2017 for its inaugural season with 74 clubs in six regional divisions.
Lifetime-NWSL TV deal won’t include Canada; limited to U.S.
A + E Networks are taking an equity stake in NWSL and will air a game of the week every Saturday on Lifetime (graphic by NWSL)
Lifetime Canada announced on Wednesday, via Twitter, that it will not be airing NWSL games this season. On Thursday, the NWSL and Lifetime announced a historic partnership wherein Lifetime becomes an official sponsor and broadcast partner of the league starting this April. The NWSL will have weekly matches nationally televised on Lifetime every Saturday during the season for the next three years as part of the deal. The announcement, however, made no mention of international extensions and many critiqued the deal for that reason- lack of accessibility to the international audience. Fans in Canada may have to rely on the pending streaming announcement to access NWSL games.
@Mattakingabreak Lifetime Canada will not be airing this
— Lifetime Canada (@lifetimetvca) February 2, 2017
NWSL Injury News: Matheson and Brynjarsdottir battle setbacks
Diana Matheson was left out of Canada’s friendly against Mexico this past Saturday due to injury (photo copyright EriMac Photo for The Equalizer)
Canadian international and Seattle Reign midfielder Diana Matheson was left out of Canada’s most recent friendly with Mexico this past weekend as a precautionary measure due to injury. According to Metro News, Herdmann is awaiting word on her status ahead of the Algarve Cup. The team reunites in camp on Feb 24, one week before they begin the Algarve Cup in Portugal.
After Algarve, Matheson is set to head to Seattle for her first preseason with the Reign as she was traded to the Reign from the Washington Spirit a few weeks ago. She was the Spirit’s all-time leading attacker in both goals and assists during her 63 games through four seasons with the club. Matheson has been part of four World Cup teams and three Olympics- winning bronze medals in 2012 and 2016.
Yesterday, Portland Thorns forward Dagný Brynjarsdóttir took to Instagram to lament her most recent injury troubles: disc protrusions in her back. The Icelandic international signed with the Thorns in 2016 and appeared 15 times for the club, scoring five goals this past year. The former Florida State standout and MAC Hermann Trophy finalist played with UMF Selfoss and Bayern Munich before heading to the NWSL. At the international level, Brynjarsdóttir has earned 61 caps and scored 15 goals for the Iceland women’s national team. She was part of the team that qualified Iceland for the upcoming EURO championships this summer where she scored three goals in qualification as Iceland won their group.
Goteborg signs former USC midfielder Savannah Levin
Kopparbergs Göteborg FC announced the signing of American midfielder Savannah Levin on Tuesday. Levin, who went undrafted in the 2017 NWSL College Draft, just recently came off a NCAA title winning season at the University of Southern California. At USC, Levin started in 18 of 22 games including all NCAA games and the championship winning match. The Irvine, California native hopes to gain some valuable playing experience at a high level in Sweden specifically she stated “I want to win the Damallsvenskan and play in the Champions League, then I hope that they get their eyes opened to me with the U.S. national team,” according to the club’s release.
Göteborg signs Savannah Levin, df and captain in USC, 2016 College Cup winners. https://t.co/ZUtQZa1am5
— Daniel (@DandalBs) February 7, 2017
