Also in today’s roundup, Denmark WNT signs new TV deal through 2023, Brynjarsdottir to miss entire NWSL season due to pregnancy and Klepp signs McKenzie Berryhill and Lindsey Burke Harris
Lisa Cole joins Pauw’s staff as an assistant for the upcoming NWSL season.
Dash announce Lisa Cole as assistant coach
The Houston Dash announced today the hiring of veteran coach Lisa Cole to join head coach Vera Pauw’s staff as assistant coach for the upcoming 2018 NWSL Season. Cole is set to start immediately.
Cole is no stranger to the professional women’s soccer in the U.S. as she spent five years with the Boston Breakers as an assistant and head coach there. Most recently, she spent two years with the Papua New Guinea U-20 WNT. She also served as the head of the FIFA technical study group during the 2016 U-20 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea during her time as head coach.
Pauw is excited to add Cole to the staff and really feels like she will be able to bring a lot, starting with the 2018 NWSL College Draft. “I am delighted to have found an experienced coach with an extensive network in America. I know that many coaches bring their own assistants, but so far I have always chosen to work with a local assistant. An assistant should fill the gaps that a coach brings with him or her; only then can an assistant truly add value to the team,” she said in the Dash’s official release. “Lisa is an expert in college soccer and knows the NWSL really well. She will bring a lot to our team beginning with the draft.”
Cole first began coaching in 1997 at the University of Mississippi and helped the team reach the SEC Tournament final for the first time in program history in 1999. She then spent three seasons at the helm at UCONN before moving over t the University of Rhode Island. In 2004, she joined the staff at Florida State University and helped lead the team to the NCAA College Cup Final Four.
“I am thrilled to join Vera in Houston” said Cole. “It’s an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. To be able to work with a coach at her level is very exciting. I am also looking forward to being back in the league and on the field with professionals every day in an organization that is committed to growing the game.”
Denmark WNT signs new TV agreement with DR through 2023
Last year, the 2017 EURO runners-up reached a historic agreement with their federation. (photo courtesy of UEFA)
Today, the DBU announced that they’ve signed a new TV agreement with DR, Danish Broadcasting Cooperation, which means that fans across Denmark will have access to watch all Denmark WNT home matches on their TV through 2023, inclusive of FIFA World Cup Qualifying for France 2019.
The DBU and the DR have had a deal in place since fall of 2016 and DR has been an integral part of the growth of women’s soccer throughout the country in recent years. Talent development manager at the DBU, Lene Terp, said,”DR has a great deal of credit for the exposure of the women’s team. Their coverage is a contributing reason why the women’s football has come on the Danish map,” according to the DBU’s official release. The new agreement will guarantee the women’s side consistent and far reaching exposure over the next five years which has the chance to be a monumental time for the WNT.
According to WNT captain Pernille Harder, the prospect of more playing time and exposure across DR’s platforms is very significant for her team and for women’s football overall. “DR has been a catalyst for the women’s team to come to our fans, and we are please that they, and hopefully many more, can keep up with our performance in the future,” she said.
The new agreement starts in 2019 and will run through the end of the year in 2023. The current agreement will last through 2018 before the new one kicks in.
Brynjarsdottir to miss entire NWSL season due to pregnancy
It was reported that Dagný Brynjarsdóttir, Portland Thorns and Iceland Women’s national team midfielder, is pregnant and expecting a child in July.
Iceland head coach Freyr Alexandersson announced the news at a press conference, alluding to her exclusion from the first national team of the year, noting she will not be playing any more qualifiers with Iceland for the World Cup.
This news also means that the 26-year old will miss the entire NWSL season with the Portland Thorns.
Iceland #10 and #NWSL winner, Dagny Brynjarsdottir, will take a short break from football, & plans to be back at the end of 2018. Dagny & Omar are expecting a child. Great news, and we want to send a lots of love to Dagny and her family ❤️⚽️ #TeamNeverlandMGMT #CongratsDagny pic.twitter.com/gvXrQDeXyO
— Neverland | MGMT (@NeverlandMGMT) January 5, 2018
Klepp sign Americans Lindsey Burke Harris and McKenzie Berryhill
Klepp of Norway’s Toppserien have signed american goalkeeper Lindsey Burke Harris and defender McKenzie Berryhill to their roster.
Berryhill, a standout at Arizona State University, was drafted by the Portland Thorns in the third round of the 2016 NWSL College Draft. In Portland, she saw time in five games before being waived at the end of August that year. The Arizona native was then claimed off waivers by Orlando Pride where she stayed through the 2017 season. Berryhill suffered a season-ending injury and did not play at all in 2017. At the end of the season, she was not offered a new contract by the Pride and was placed on the league’s re-entry wire where she was not selected by a team.
Harris, a UNC Tar Heel alumni, most recently played her professional soccer with the club FHingar in Iceland.
?Next stop: Norway? Excited to announce I have signed with #kleppelite for the upcoming season. Games will be live streamed, let’s go to work?? https://t.co/E1ark8uimm
— Lindsey Harris (@lindseyBharris) January 5, 2018
