After many offseason moves, NWSL preseason starts February 1, according to a league press release. Per reports, players will not show up for preseason without a signed CBA. A few days ago, the NWSLPA released a statement stating they gave a final proposal to the league.
While the actual start date for preseason is up in the air, many players found themselves with a new home in 2022. As the offseason comes to a close, let’s break down some major offseason moves from the offseason.
Portland Thorns sign Hina Sugita
The Portland midfield took some hits this offseason. Crystal Dunn announced her pregnancy and will miss much of the season. The Thorns agreed on a loan for Lindsey Horan to Lyon until June 2023. Reliable depth piece Celeste Bourielle also left the club. She may be in negotiations with AC Milan.
Even though the Thorns have upcoming talent in the midfield, they will be rotational pieces. The team needed another starting-caliber midfielder to pair with Angela Salem and Raquel Rodríguez. Sugita can be that player. The Thorns signed the 24 year-old Japanese international to a three year deal to complete one of the best offseason moves. The club used allocation money in the transfer from top Japanese WE League side INAC Kobe Leonessa. Sugita won numerous club titles, youth international titles, and individual honors while playing for INAC Kobe Leonessa and Japan.
On the field, Sugita fits Portland’s style of a versatile midfielder. Fans may not be familiar with her, so here is a video of some of her touches against the USA in the 2019 SheBelieves Cup.
In this match, she played a semi-withdrawn role, which is how she projects to play for Portland. She often won the ball in her own half then either combined with other midfielders or sprung an attack. Sugita always seems to know what she will do with the ball before she receives it. Many of her touches are one-touch or no-look passes in tight spaces. She can also body up on a player to shield or win the ball. This ability will help ease her transition to the NWSL. If the Thorns keep the same formation, expect her to slot in where Horan would play, on a side of the diamond midfield.
Racing Louisville sign Jessica McDonald
Jessica McDonald is no secret to the NWSL. After being traded from the North Carolina Courage, Louisville signed the forward to a two-year deal. This will be her seventh NWSL club, a league record. She leads the league in all-time assists (27) and is fourth in all-time goals (51).
Off the field, her qualities of leadership and camaraderie are apparent. However, what makes this one of the most interesting offseason moves is figuring out how she will fit on the field. The problem is that her best fit in Racing’s current formation is as the central striker. Louisville already have one of the best young talents in the position in Ebony Salmon. Either player could play out wide, but both are more dangerous closer to goal.
After signing a new coach, the formation could change to a traditional two-front system to solve this issue. Playing in a two-front with a pair of forwards is when McDonald is at her best. She saw the most success playing next to Kristen Hamilton or Lynn Williams at North Carolina. A two-front prevents isolation against a pair of center backs and allows more flexibility in off the ball runs. With less defined lanes, the two forwards can overlap or drift out wide to create chaos and open up space.
With McDonald and Salmon, Louisville could surprise teams in 2022. Having the potential of about 15 goals between the pair, acquiring McDonald could be one of the best offseason moves.
Orlando Pride acquire Megan Montefusco
Megan Montefusco, previously Megan Oyster, is a talented, reliable, starting-caliber center back. Teams do not let players like this go easily. This is why her acquisition by the Pride is so eye-catching. The Houston Dash traded her playing rights along with allocation money and a draft pick to Orlando for the playing rights of Marisa Viggiano. This is not the first seemingly lopsided trade to occur among these offseason moves. Although unclear if this is the case, often accommodating player wishes causes this imbalance. While her exact contract status is unclear, Montefusco took to social media to share her excitement to play for Orlando in 2022.
The Dash previously exercised her option for the 2022 season, so Orlando likely assumes her contract. Montefusco has the bargaining power to re-negotiate. She played a key role in Houston’s 2020 Challenge Cup victory where she famously played the final with a broken rib. After winning the College Cup with UCLA and new Orlando head coach Amanda Cromwell, she has 133 NWSL appearances. Montefusco also appeared for the USWNT twice in 2017.
Montefusco is an immediate starter. Orlando lost several key defensive pieces to offseason moves. Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris departed for Gotham. The club traded Ali Riley‘s playing rights to her hometown club, Angel City. Phoebe McClernon left for OL Reign via trade. Orlando’s center back pool now includes Montefusco, Amy Turner, Toni Pressley, and draftee Caitlin Cosme. Montefusco can also play right back in a pinch but is better-suited centrally. While Cromwell’s defensive formation is not yet known, expect Turner and Oyster to often start with Pressley contributing regular minutes.
North Carolina Courage trade for Brianna Pinto
Ever since Crystal Dunn left North Carolina for Portland, the Courage have been unable to replace her offensive explosiveness from the midfield. North Carolina have one of the best attacking midfielders in the game with Debinha, but she needs a “partner in crime.”
Beginning a flurry of offseason moves, the Courage traded for midfielder Brianna Pinto from NJ/NY Gotham FC. The former UNC standout and US Soccer Young Female Player of the Year returns to her hometown to play for new head coach Sean Nahas. Pinto is familiar with Nahas from her time with the youth national teams. Pinto was called-up to the senior national team but played no game time.
As one of the best young midfield prospects in the NWSL, Pinto’s lack of playing time in 2021 puzzled the women’s soccer community. Expect that to change in 2022. Due to many offseason departures and her level of talent, Pinto has the potential to be a regular starter for the club. At a minimum she projects to be an every-game contributor.
On the field, her best position is as a box-to-box, traditional “number eight” midfielder. She also excels in a more advanced or wider role. While most of North Carolina’s midfielders are more attacking or defensive-minded, Pinto is well-balanced. Pinto is a midfielder who can rip off a rocket from outside the box or make a delayed run into the box to receive a cut back, on the ground cross. She also reads passing lanes well on both sides of the ball either in distribution or disruption.
Due to the coaching change, North Carolina’s formation may change. If the club continues to use it’s signature box midfield, expect Pinto to lay a strong claim on the starting attacking midfielder role next to Debinha. If the team uses a three-midfielder formation, Pinto projects to start next to Debinha and Denise O’Sullivan, but she will have competition.
San Diego Wave sign Sofia Jakobsson
In an unexpected, blockbuster move, the Wave strengthened their forward line with Swedish international Sofia Jakobsson. The club signed Jakobsson to a three-year deal. San Diego used allocation money to buy out her contract at Bayern Munich. CBS’s Sandra Herrera and Lisa Roman discussed the significance of the deal in this Attacking Third Podcast clip.
USWNT fans are familiar with Jakobsson. After drawing Sweden in many past major tournament group stages, the winger always gives the USWNT problems. She excels at dribbling with the ball at speed. Often she will drift wide to open up space then cut inside to create a goal scoring opportunity. Jakobsson used a variation of this move in back to back World Cups to score from both sides of the field.
For the Wave, Jakobsson could play anywhere across the front line. However, due to the trade for Alex Morgan, expect her to regularly start as a winger in a three-front system. San Diego will utilize her on both sides of the field switching mid-game depending on the best offensive matchup. At a minimum, Jakobsson has the ability to contribute six tor seven regular season goals for San Diego in 2022, making this one of the best offseason moves.
Houston Dash sign María Sánchez
The Houston Dash added forward María Sánchez in a move from Liga MX Femenil giant UANL Tigres Femenil. Sánchez previously played for the club last summer on a short-term loan. Due to injuries and overlap during the Olympics, fans never got to see the trio of Sánchez, Rachel Daly, and Nichelle Prince up top.
For the past few seasons, Houston searched for another winger-forward to complement the attack. This offseason they lost Jasmyne Spencer to Angel City via expansion and Veronica Latsko to OL Reign via trade. Other players the past few seasons such as Brianna Visalli and Katie Stengel played on the left in attempt to complement Daly and Prince. They had varying levels of success.
Sánchez fits Houston’s style perfectly. She fills the winger position but tends to play more centrally than a traditional winger. This will allow space for left back Allysha Chapman to make her typical forward runs. Sánchez is a hard-working player who does not give up on plays. The goals she creates come from her technical ability and speed, and the ball always seems to find her foot in a crowded box.
After the departure of Kristie Mewis to Gotham, Houston also lost a creative playmaker. While Mewis and Sánchez do not play the same position on paper, they have similar in-game tendencies. Mewis’ signature run as a left attacking midfielder split the opponent’s right back and right center back. This is a space where Sánchez also likes to operate. Similarly to Mewis, expect Sánchez to combine with Daly in tight spaces around the opponent’s box.
Sánchez scored one goal for Houston in her three games last summer after only a short time with the club. Between the Challenge Cup and regular season, each NWSL team will play at least 28 games. Dash fans doing the math will have smiles on their faces.
Angel City sign Vanessa Gilles
After playing with FC Girondins de Bordeaux in France, Canadian defender Vanessa Gilles transferred to Angel City. The team used allocation money for the transfer fee. The 25 year-old center back is entering the prime of her career. Gilles won Olympic gold with Canada this summer after playing a majority of the minutes. Gilles played every minute of every knockout match for her country.
Over the past year, Gilles developed a reputation as a defensive force, particularly against the USWNT. Against the USWNT in the 2021 SheBelieves Cup, she recorded 20 clearances in a single game. This was seven more than the entire USWNT combined. She repeated this performance in the Olympic semifinal with 19 clearances, six more than the entire USWNT. In the Olympics, Canada conceded two goals between the two games she did not play. In the four games she played, the team only conceded two goals. One was an own goal from another teammate.
Angel City already has two NWSL-tested center backs in Sarah Gorden and Paige Nielsen, but this will not keep Gilles off the field. The club paid a lot of money to bring her in, so she will start a majority of the season. She should also start due to merit. One option is to flex Sarah Gorden to right back. This is a position Gorden played much of her successful 2019 season with Chicago. Gilles quietly developed into one of the best center backs in the world over the past few years. Expect a huge defensive impact from her in Los Angeles.
Not all Offseason Moves could be Included
Many notable offseason moves were not included in this article for various reasons. For example, Angel City traded for Christen Press before the offseason. This article does not include offseason moves associated with the expansion draft. This included Angel City acquiring the playing rights for Gorden and Julie Ertz. Clubs could only be featured one time. We also thoroughly discussed the moves of Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams to Kansas City in a previous Beyond Women’s Sports article.
With the start of NWSL in question, more preseason moves will happen as teams fine-tune rosters for 2022. Continue to follow Beyond Women’s Sports online or on Twitter for more NWSL news and analysis. You can also interact with the author on Twitter.
