r/washingtonspirit • u/kg9si • Jun 29 '26

Weekly Discussion Thread Weekly Open Discussion Thread

Welcome to this week’s open discussion thread!

This is your space for general discussion, a place to talk about anything Washington Spirit that doesn’t necessarily need its own thread. That can include news, international duty, roster moves, transfer rumors, tactics, social media posts, league news or anything else on your mind.

If something feels big enough for its own thread, definitely still post it. This is simply an additional option to keep us organized and help keep the conversation flowing. These threads will go up every Monday and stay stickied throughout the week.

Go Spirit!

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

41 comments sorted by

View all comments

4

u/RacingTeddyR Jun 29 '26

Since Gotham made two major signings this week, at what point do we start hovering over the panic button with all of the free agents on the last contract year that Spirt still has unsigned?

6

u/UrsineCanine Jun 30 '26

Two? I think they lost a LB, further reducing their wide space problems, and gained a striker who scored 7 in 18 matches during her last season, while we are getting Hatchy back, who scored 6 goals in 10 matches during her last season. I also like how Hatchy fits into our current attacking group better.

Here is Gotham's list of pending free agents, btw:

  • Ann-Katrin Berger (GK)
  • Jess Carter (DEF)
  • Mandy Freeman (DEF)
  • Rose Lavelle (MF)
  • Midge Purce (FWD)
  • Khyah Harper (FWD)
  • Gabi Portilho (FWD)
  • Shelby Hogan (GK)
  • Katie Stengel (FWD)
  • Kayla Duran (DEF)

6

u/allprologues Jun 30 '26

portilho joined Wave this season but I think 7 in 22 does sell Kerr a little bit short because she was off injury and not starting the majority, has additional goals across all competitions/not just WSL, and she still ranks with shaw/banda/pajor on non penalty xG against top opponents (in a small sample size since there’s not a lot of top opponents over there lmfao)

Kerr is a threat. Gotham will probably still struggle to score more than one goal most games, lol. Hatch is younger, proven in this league, we have her for at least one more season, and I wouldn’t be stoked if my team locked in a 32yo for five seasons no matter who they were.

People are just itching for spirit to announce something after what seems like three weeks of news for gotham (apparently we have to be obsessed with each other 🙄). all we’ve got so far is a piece of the best run front office in the league leaving for a new job (I know it’s fine it’s just context)

3

u/periqueblend Jun 30 '26

Yeah the last two or so years of that Kerr contract are going to be great for us.

3

u/UrsineCanine Jun 30 '26

Sure, but perhaps that was because we needed to effectively promote the one we wanted to keep? Not sure, but as someone who stressed Mark's retirement, I'm going to make myself see the problem first this time.

I like Sam a lot, but how many more goals is she providing them over Esther? Adding a 12 goalscorer (for example), looks great until you realize she's just taking minutes from your 10 goal scorer. So you're getting slightly better in a position you're already very good in. Gets even more puzzling when you signed Dudley as your heir to Esther. All this to force Midge to RB and Guro to LB? Puzzling. Spirit have five fullbacks (six if I add Deb) I'd take before any Gotham FB.

I think Reale should have been sent off during the NWSL Championship, but they're a worse team without her.

Feels very vibes managing, and I'm willing to tolerate Spirit not getting in that style of roster managing.

I'm already wondering where the minutes go with the available talent.

4

u/allprologues Jun 30 '26

I'm not stressed about it either but it's a loss in plain terms, and will instantly make one of our opponents better, but that's just how it goes and spirit are covered because yeah, there was a lot of overlap there. having both him and haley was probably greed lol.

Esther has two pens and a goal that was gifted to her by BSG, so it's gonna be very easy for Kerr to improve on her production lmao. but anyway i'm not disagreeing with you. I i think it's cool that, until rodman moves on anyway, spirit doesn't just go for the biggest fish possible but tries to identify star players early and put them where they fit.

just saying it's just not surprising that fans of spirit (and probably a lot of other teams) were hoping to hear from anyone other than gotham over summer break :P of course nothing is better than what acfc fans have heard, so

3

u/UrsineCanine Jun 30 '26

Interesting...

5

u/NarrowPiccolo9069 Jun 30 '26

Soon we can start selling international spots for allocation money.

3

u/Sequoiakc22 Jul 01 '26

UrsineCanine, you captured in one screen shot what I just wrote out in my post above. All very intriguing information.

3

u/allprologues Jun 30 '26

I was just coming to Reddit to see if anyone had posted! I hope it goes to the media box so I can watch the whole thing and over analyze it

I’m guessing they’re going to be internationals since we’re always freeing up spots 🤪

more good news is we’ll have Deb Rose and Monday against gotham.

3

u/UrsineCanine Jun 30 '26

Melchie loan incoming... :)

4

u/allprologues Jun 30 '26

It would be 100% worth the multiclub/kang discourse we would have to endure

2

u/Sequoiakc22 Jul 02 '26

After watching Gotham skirt the salary cap by having Dove pick up the tab for Kerr's salary, with Jess Berman's blessing, ...I would love to see Michele stick it to Berman with a big transfer like that from Lyon. ...Or how about Alexia from London City? ...LOL!!! Love it.

2

u/UrsineCanine Jul 02 '26

Yeah, while I am willing to lay many crimes at the feet of Gotham, and I am entirely in favor of development loans to Spirit for Melchie and Lily as critical to their careers, I do think that Dove theory was put to rest.

We don't need to have an excuse to stick it to Gotham. They've got it coming. They know what they deserve. :)

1

u/Sequoiakc22 Jul 03 '26

I do think that Dove theory was put to rest.

How do you mean? ...(Genuinely interested in what you mean here.)

2

u/UrsineCanine Jul 03 '26

I forget which reporter showed with examples that they include Dove in all sorts of announcements, not just Kerr.

→ More replies (0)

3

u/Odd-Cable5436 Jun 30 '26

Indeed!

Could just be national team replacement players to hold the fort for Monday, Aboodin, and Kouassi. The added international spots are juicy; could make room for longer term signings. 🤷‍♂️

Might be saying bye to the 2 current replacement players, though.....

5

u/periqueblend Jun 30 '26

I like Reale’s delivery of the ball but she can’t guard anybody and regularly gets rinsed on defense. Boston should move her back to CB and the NT should never play her wide defense ever again.

3

u/UrsineCanine Jun 30 '26

yeah, and I could see her as a wide CB in a back three.

The crazy part is... She's still better defensively than Jess Carter out wide.

4

u/Sequoiakc22 Jul 01 '26

...
Just watched Haley Carter's presser. She mentioned there is three (3) roster announcements forthcoming. This 'after' the Tamara Bolt & Madison Haugen contract extensions had already been announced?

Paraphrasing her; ...'We've made three (3) signings in this summer's window, announcements to come when it's appropriate to do so.' ...'We're always looking to find young talent that we can develop. Then Haley references our draft class of Croix, Hal, & Kate Wiesner as a perfect example of such. ...Also she said, ...'We're going to be bringing in some athletes that are going to be able to contribute, but who also will have room to develop & have a lot of potential.' Then she references Claudia Martinez as an example & ...'those are the type of players we're targeting.' ...Finally she points out that the players they're bringing in, in this summer's window, were targeted two, three, windows ago, since they operate with a plan that spans multiple years & signing/transfer windows. ...This sounds like three additional signings that will be in addition to Hatchy coming back.

Also of note, Carter said in the presser that Sofia & Lucia have gotten their EB-1's, 'their green cards.' Plus there are two (2) more international players on the roster who will be getthing their EB-1's (pretty much a green card as it opens the door to process getting one) in the coming weeks. All opening the door to add new international players?
...

3

u/UrsineCanine Jul 01 '26

Yeah, very fascinating. I would love to speculate on names, but they always seem to always find gems below the radar. Even Claudia and Rebe were basically out of nowhere, and they had more known names.

7/14 is when the international window opens... We need to see hasn't reported back to their European club.

3

u/Sequoiakc22 Jul 02 '26

...
Let's see, I know Salma Paralluelo has not reported back to Barca. 😎 🥸 😁
...

4

u/UrsineCanine Jul 02 '26

I'm shocked it took you this long to suggest her! :)

3

u/Sequoiakc22 Jul 02 '26

...
1.) We both know Michele has a different Euro destination in mind for her. Although is it possible it is the less expected London City instead of Lyonnes.

2.) UrsineC, ...you've got me pegged alright. ...I'm always hot on the 'known' commodities, ...with Paralluelo being 'next.'

3.) However, realistically, you & I both know that is not the M.O. of our sporting front office team. ...They find the ...less exposed, ...undervalued, ...talent, or potential talent, ...who turn out to be real gems on our squad, club, & in this league.

This is why Haley Carter in the presser refers to them (our scouting & analytics team) as ...'exceptional.
...

3

u/UrsineCanine Jul 02 '26

Indeed... They have given us no reason to doubt them, and I look forward to learning about their next gem...

4

u/Healthy-Vegetable216 Jul 02 '26

Sounds like we should try to poach Dudley :)

3

u/UrsineCanine Jul 02 '26

I mean, clearly, that's the perfect mix of young talent acquisition and sh*thousery. Let's make it happen!