Category: NWSL

Ex-San Diego Wave employee accuses Jill Ellis of ‘devastating’ abusive behavior

The former USWNT boss allegedly “compromised countless lives to advance her narcissistic personal agenda”

A former employee of the San Diego Wave has publicly accused club president Jill Ellis of “life-altering and devastating” abuse.

In a lengthy post on X, former Wave video and creative manager Brittany Alvarado also said Ellis has fostered an abusive environment at the NWSL team, adding that the former U.S. women’s national team head coach has “no place” in the sport.

In a statement, the Wave categorically denied the accusations, calling them “inaccurate and defamatory,” while adding that the club would be pursuing all legal avenues.

After a successful run with the USWNT that included World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, Ellis stepped down as head coach. The Englishwoman took some time away from the game before she announced in 2021 that she would take over as Wave president ahead of its expansion NWSL season of 2022.

In her statement on X, Alvarado said she moved across the country to take her “dream job” with the Wave last year. But she quickly grew disillusioned by the behavior of Ellis, whom she said “has been nothing short of life-altering and devastating to our mental health.”

“She has compromised countless lives to advance her narcissistic personal agenda, fostering an environment where abusive behaviors among her subordinates was allowed to flourish,” Alvarado added.

Alvarado said the Wave’s culture has led to over 30 employees being fired or quitting since the team’s inception, with nearly 75 percent of those employees women.

Alvarado also turned her ire on the NWSL, saying that the league was notified of Ellis’s behaviors and “consistently failed to take meaningful action and has instead turned a blind eye to a pattern of profoundly damaging behaviors.”

She continued: “The NWSL must take immediate action to remove Jill Ellis from both the San Diego Wave and the league entirely to finally protect the staff and players they have neglected and ignored for far too long.”

Alvarado also said the NWSL has “failed to fully address and implement” the recommendations from both the Yates report and the joint NWSL/NWSLPA investigations into misconduct in the league.

Those investigations were conducted in 2022 after a series of allegations of abuse and sexual misconduct against multiple NWSL coaches in 2021.

Pro Soccer Wire reached out to the NWSL, and a spokesperson provided the following response:

“The safety, health, and well-being of everyone associated with our league is our highest priority. We take serious any and every report of potential misconduct, hire qualified independent investigators to review those allegations thoroughly, and act when allegations are supported by the facts uncovered. We have mandated corrective action in every instance where reports have been corroborated, up to and including the removal of individuals who do not live up to our values and standards.

“We encourage anyone with information of potential wrongdoing to report that misconduct to the League Safety Officer. Alternatively, individuals may report anonymously via Real Response, by texting 872-259-6975.”

Another ex-Wave employee responded to Alvarado’s social media post saying she was placed on suicide watch when she worked for the team in 2022.

Alvarado said she resigned from her position in June and received an email from a senior leadership member 10 days later. She posted the email on her X account, with the sender’s name obscured.

“You are the most pathetic person I’ve ever met,” the email said. “You must have no sense of work ethics or integrity. We are ecstatic you are no longer with the club.”

In the club’s statement, the Wave accused Alvarado of fabricating the email that she posted.

“San Diego Wave FC has been made aware of a recent social media post by a former employee that contains inaccurate and defamatory statements about the club. Not only does the post contain a fabricated email, but the claims made therein are categorically false, including the ones directed at our President Jill Ellis,” the statement said.

“San Diego Wave FC is currently reviewing this situation and intends to pursue all legal avenues available to appropriately address this matter.”

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Tampa Bay Sun FC defends signing controversial ex-NWSL draft pick Nasello

The Portland Thorns didn’t sign the forward in 2022 after a firestorm surrounding her social media activity

Tampa Bay Sun FC has signed former Portland Thorns draft pick Sydny Nasello, who did not play in the NWSL after controversy erupted over her social media activity.

Nasello was selected 13th overall in the 2022 NWSL Draft, but fans quickly raised concerns over her sharing several tweets that were alleged to be xenophobic, transphobic, and misogynistic.

In the aftermath of the selection, Thorns supporters group Rose City Riveters posted: “Fascism, racism, homophobia, transphobia- we are against these. We don’t support anyone who represents/espouses these views, full stop.”

Though Nasello apologized, the Thorns eventually opted to not sign the forward. The team’s head coach at the time, Rhian Wilkinson, admitted that the club didn’t do enough due diligence before selecting Nasello.

“As a first year head coach and — yeah, these are these are gonna come across as excuses — but I do need to hold my hand up and be responsible for not doing the work needed on the social media side,” Wilkinson said, per The Athletic.

Nasello wound up signing for Spanish side Tenerife, before playing for Cypriot side Apollon Limassol and most recently Turkish club Fatih Vatan Spor Kulübü.

Sun defends Nasello signing

On Monday, the Sun announced it had landed Nasello ahead of the club’s first season in the brand-new USL Super League.

After announcing the 24-year-old’s signing, Tampa Bay released a statement saying that the ex-U.S. youth international had changed after spending two years abroad.

“Sydny is a talented and experienced athlete, and we look forward to seeing her contributions on the field,” the club said.

“We understand that today’s announcement may generate discussion. However, we believe in Sydny’s growth and the experiences that have contributed to her perspectives today.

“Sydny’s career has taken her worldwide, fostering a deep appreciation for diversity and understanding, values that the Tampa Bay Sun Football Club holds dear.

“We celebrate our city’s rich tapestry and the opportunity for all members of our community to learn, grow and make positive change.”

The USL Super League’s inaugural season will begin in August, as the league — which has been granted Division One sanctioning by U.S. Soccer — gets set to launch with eight clubs across the country.

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New Spirit coach Giraldez to take full control in July

Interim coach Adrián González will lead the team in its next two matches, with a transition to conclude during a break in the schedule

Jonatan Giráldez has joined up with the Washington Spirit, but his debut as an NWSL head coach won’t come until well into July.

Interim head coach Adrián González, who has overseen 10 wins in 14 NWSL matches, will continue as the team’s manager of record in Saturday’s home clash against the North Carolina Courage, as well as for the team’s trip to face Bay FC on July 6.

“We want to do the transition as smooth as possible,” González told reporters during a Friday press conference. “We’ve been talking with players, with different departments of course, with [Spirit GM Mark Krikorian], with [owner Michele Kang].

“I’m gonna be on the bench tomorrow [versus North Carolina], against Bay FC, and after that, we have that CBA break and summer, so we thought that it was the best option to to make that transition.”

Giráldez, who arrived in the U.S. last week, is set to fully assume the head coach role in a NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup clash against Chivas, which is set for July 21 in Philadelphia.

Washington plans to use that 15-day gap between games, as mandated by the NWSL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NWSL Players’ Association, as a sort of brief preseason to further its adaptation under Giráldez.

González said that Giráldez has been involved in training sessions and will play a part in matchday coaching, and emphasized the desire to keep the changes small and manageable for all parties.

“It’s been pretty smooth,” explained González. “We’ve been working to make that transition easy, and the team culture that we have right now, it’s unbelievable…we have the same intensity during the training sessions. We have the same routines, the trainings are similar. So, we are not changing a lot of things.”

The Spanish manager’s first league match in charge may be a massive one, though, with the Spirit resuming its NWSL campaign on August 25 with a home game against the league-leading Kansas City Current.

Spirit looking to minimize disruption

Speaking with Pro Soccer Wire on Friday, Krikorian explained that the decision has been in place for several weeks.

“All of us were involved: Jona, myself, a sports psychologist, Michele [Kang] was part of it,” explained Krikorian, who noted that Giráldez is involved with training sessions already and will “to a certain extent” be involved during these next two matches.

“We’ve taken a good look at all of the circumstances surrounding the transition with Jona arriving, and thought that probably the best approach for us to take is a slow integration…trying to create a situation that’s the least disruptive to the team,” said Krikorian.

In an interview with Pro Soccer Wire on Tuesday, Giráldez underlined the delicate balance of bringing a coach in midseason while a team is already thriving.

“It’s my responsibility to be smart, to decide what I should do in the next days [and] coming weeks,” said Giráldez. “I am [becoming] part [of the team] in the middle of the season. That is not an easy situation, and we have to make a small transition to keep helping the players, because they are the protagonists.”

Giráldez, whose hiring was confirmed all the way back in January, arrived with two staffers brought over from Barcelona. Fitness coach Andres González will join Vice President of Performance, Medical and Innovation Dawn Scott’s staff, while analyst Toni Gordo will bolster the Spirit’s analytics team.

Once the transition is complete, González will join Mike Bristol, Mami Yamaguchi, and Morinao Imaizumi as an assistant coach.

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Jonatan Giraldez interview: New Spirit coach opens up on unusual transition

In an interview with Pro Soccer Wire, the new Washington Spirit coach explained how he plans to keep a winning team on course

The Washington Spirit are one of the most unusual projects in NWSL history, and the next step took place Tuesday, when new head coach Jonatan Giráldez addressed media for the first time.

Giráldez spoke with Pro Soccer Wire during a whirlwind day of media and other obligations for the Spanish coach, and quickly alluded to how part of his job at the moment is to simply not disrupt a positive first half of the season.

“It’s my responsibility to be smart, to decide what I should do in the next days [and] coming weeks,” explained Giráldez, who added that his focus was entirely on his new squad. “I am [becoming] part [of the team] in the middle of the season. That is not an easy situation, and we have to make a small transition to keep helping the players, because they are the protagonists.”

The former Barcelona head coach, who exactly one month ago won a second straight UEFA Women’s Champions League, has arrived in D.C. in a curious moment.

Normally coaching changes come after on-field turmoil or with the team’s previous manager leaving for another opportunity. The Spirit instead announced Giráldez would become its head coach over six months ago, with Adrián Gonzalez operating as interim coach while the 32-year-old manager finished his contract with Barça.

In the meantime, both have thrived. As the spring concluded, Giráldez lifted the UWCL trophy for a second time in his career and then celebrated a third Liga F crown.

The Spirit, meanwhile, recovered from the unexpected disappointment of the 2023 season to become one of the NWSL’s best sides. Washington sits third in the standings, just one point behind the Kansas City Current and Orlando Pride.

Giráldez, in fact, arrived just in time to see his new club surpass its 2023 points total, as Washington’s 2-0 win over NJ/NY Gotham FC gave the club 31 points on the season (one more than last year’s total of 30).

While the mood within the Spirit camp is understandably high, Giráldez is cognizant of the fact that his arrival — no matter how much of a coup it is for the Spirit, and indeed for the NWSL as a league — could destabilize a team that has won 10 of 14 matches.

“When you’re winning, people are happy. That is normal,” said Giráldez, reflecting on his first impressions of the group after their win at Red Bull Arena. “The position in the table is good. We won against one of the best teams in the league, Gotham. And now, what they want is to take advantage about all these feelings to keep improving, to keep moving forward.”

González, who will remain on the Spirit’s staff as an assistant coach, was selected because he and Giráldez were familiar with each other, and had similar ideas in terms of style of play and ways to lead a team. However, the incoming manager recognized that he and his compatriot will impact the Spirit in different ways.

“I have a kind of leadership, for sure [González and I] are different,” admitted Giráldez. “We are not the same person. But in the end, for me it’s like, show as you are.

“Being smart on that and understanding that when we are speaking football, is much easier for me, because we are seeing the same thing, and then try to have a good connection with [the team].”

Coaching one team, particularly one with all the expectations placed on Barcelona, is enough of a challenge. The idea of trying to get up to speed on the Spirit on top of that is daunting, but Giráldez said he was able to be “100% focused on Barça” while still using some down time to keep up with developments in Washington.

“You have time to speak sometimes with the staff and Adri,” said Giráldez, before explaining that those conversations largely focused on club structure and culture.

“For me, the beginning was trying to connect all the players, work in the same direction and have a professional culture,” explained the Galicia native. “And then, try to connect as well all the staff members, understand which is the role of each one, know as best as possible all the persons who are working around the staff, to give them the opportunity to show their skills.

“If you are committed and everyone is working 100%, it’s much better for the players because they will be 100% ready for them. So on that side for me the beginning, it was like ‘Okay, we need to create this connection. Players and staff, be committed, training 100%.’ [I needed to] know exactly what they can do.”

Giráldez said that in terms of on-field matters, the discussions only focused on some general points, with González and assistants Mike Bristol, Mami Yamaguchi, and Morinao Imaizumi entrusted to take it from there.

Giráldez plans to ‘keep continuing with the dynamic’

Washington made the choice to let González remain interim head coach for Saturday’s win at Red Bull Arena, and in a separate interview with Pro Soccer Wire, Spirit general manager Mark Krikorian emphasized that the club is in a position to take its time and get the transition right.

“It’s not, ‘you guys figure it out,'” said Krikorian. “It’s more a matter of, how is it that we want to arrange this so that it can make sense?

“As we’re sitting here today [with our record] it’s far easier to have some flexibility in slow-playing this, and making sure that everything that we do makes sense. If you’re [struggling], there’s going to be a whole lot more urgency to make sure things change quickly.”

Krikorian also pointed out that no matter how good the Spirit have been after 14 rounds this season, “everyone knows nothing has been accomplished yet.”

Washington has considered the possibility that the arrival of a new leader, even one with Giráldez’s demonstrated success, can be destabilizing. However, from the club’s perspective, the fact that the process started with positive results has gifted all parties with room to proceed smoothly rather than moving in a hurry.

“[What’s] in the best interest of the team and the players is a slow step, rather than some major intrusion,” asserted Krikorian. “I think that certainly up to this point, I think the strategy we came up with has worked.”

With that in mind, the young manager emphasized patience, as much for himself as for everyone at the club.

“I don’t want to force any kind of situation, because they are performing well. And the only thing I want is [to] keep helping them,” explained Giráldez. “Keep continuing with the dynamic, not make big changes…the transition, for me it’s not [that it] has to be so fast. We have to take the rhythm, a good base to be part of.

“When you’re arriving away [from home] you don’t know the people. You need time. You have to be patient…you need your time, they need their time.”

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USWNT, Thorns midfielder Moultrie ‘week to week’ with knee injury

The injury could end the teenager’s hopes of making the Olympic roster

Portland Thorns and U.S. women’s national team midfielder Olivia Moultrie is “week to week” with a knee injury, per a Thorns spokesperson.

Moultrie last played on June 8 against the North Carolina Courage, and has since missed two straight matches for the Thorns. On her X account, the 18-year-old said she also wouldn’t be traveling to Utah for this weekend’s match at the Royals.

She also posted a carousel of photos on Instagram over the weekend, including one of her in a large leg brace.

When contacted by Pro Soccer Wire, a Thorns spokesperson said Moultrie was “week to week,” and added that “it was not a major injury.”

Still, the timing is far from ideal for the teenager’s chances of making the USWNT’s Olympic roster.

Moultrie has been capped four times by the USWNT, most recently in March in the W Gold Cup. The playmaker was called into the roster for the SheBelieves Cup in April, but didn’t see the field in games against Japan and Canada.

The Thorns star was then called up as a training player for a pair of June friendlies against South Korea, meaning she was not eligible to participate in either match.

Given USWNT head coach Emma Hayes will name her 18-player Olympic roster on Wednesday, it appears Moultrie is unlikely to make the squad.

Moultrie is considered one of the rising stars in the USWNT program and at age 18, she is likely to have several major tournaments ahead of her even if she isn’t on the Olympic roster.

The midfielder has three goals and one assist in 12 appearances this season for the Thorns.

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San Diego Wave sacks head coach Casey Stoney in surprise move

Stoney was largely successful in two and a half years in charge

In a stunning move, the San Diego Wave fired head coach Casey Stoney on Monday.

Paul Buckle will serve as interim head coach while the club searches for a permanent successor to Stoney.

Stoney has been largely successful during her stint with San Diego, leading the team to the playoffs in its expansion season of 2022 while being named the NWSL Coach of the Year.

Last year, the Wave took home the NWSL Shield for the top regular-season record in the league, while the team started 2024 out by winning its first trophy, the Challenge Cup.

The ex-Manchester United boss has been less successful in 2024, with the Wave sitting ninth in the 14-team NWSL midway through the season.

Stoney’s last game in charge was on Saturday, as the Wave drew Houston 0-0 to extend their winless run to seven games.

Still, Monday’s move essentially came of the blue, especially because Stoney signed a new contract in January through 2027 with a mutual option for 2028.

“We are immensely grateful to Casey for her commitment to our club and the positive impact she has had both on and off the pitch.” said club president Jill Ellis in a statement.

“Over the past seasons, Casey has guided us to significant milestones, and her contributions have been instrumental in laying a strong foundation on which to build. The decision to part ways was very hard and not made in haste, but given the ambition of this club, and where we are in our season, we felt a change was necessary at this time.” 

The move to fire Stoney came just two weeks after San Diego hired Camille Ashton as the club’s new general manager and sporting director. Ashton joined after serving in a similar role with the Kansas City Current.

Ashton and Ellis will now be tasked with finding a long-term successor to Stoney.

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Coffey returns from injury in huge boost to USWNT ahead of Olympics

Emma Hayes will breathe a huge sigh of relief at the news

Thankfully for the Portland Thorns and the U.S. women’s national team, Sam Coffey’s injury absence was a short one.

Coffey returned to the field on Sunday night, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute in Portland’s 4-1 defeat against the Kansas City Current at Providence Park.

The midfielder was removed from a Thorns game two weeks earlier due to an ankle injury, and was spotted on the sideline in a walking boot.

Coffey missed the Thorns’ 0-0 draw with the Seattle Reign last weekend, but the 25-year-old returned on Sunday after just one full game out.

Coffey’s return will be a major boost for the USWNT and head coach Emma Hayes, who will name an 18-player roster for the Olympics at some point in the coming weeks.

The Thorns midfielder has become first choice at holding midfielder for the national team, starting eight of the USWNT’s 10 games thus far in 2024.

The USWNT will have its Olympic roster set when it faces Mexico on July 13 and Costa Rica on July 16 in a pair of warm-up friendlies.

The team will then travel to France, kicking off the Olympics on July 25 against Zambia. Hayes’ side will close out group play with games against Germany and Australia.

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Gorden overdue for USWNT cap, says Angel City coach Tweed

Tweed says Gorden is driven to be the best in the world, and can’t quite believe a USWNT call hasn’t come

Angel City FC defender Sarah Gorden has long been discussed as a possible U.S. women’s national team option, and her club boss says it’s past time to turn that speculation into a reality.

Speaking to reporters Friday, Angel City manager Becki Tweed endorsed her club captain as deserving more attention from the USWNT.

“The fact that she hasn’t played on the national team is something that I can’t quite wrap my head around,” said Tweed ahead of her side’s NWSL clash against Bay FC.

“She steps on the field, and she has this presence. I think she’s somebody that is still, for me, underrated.”

Gorden remains uncapped, but has received two USWNT call-ups in the past. Vlatko Andonovski brought her into camps in December 2019 and again in October 2020, but did not grant her a national team debut.

More recently, the 31-year-old made the 51-player preliminary squad for the Concacaf W Gold Cup, but was ultimately left off of Twila Kilgore’s final roster for the tournament.

Tweed: Gorden wants to be ‘best defender in the world’

In NWSL, however, Gorden has garnered consistent praise for her impact with Angel City and, previously, the Chicago Red Stars. The Illinois native has been on the NWSL Best XI twice (in 2021 and 2023), and has been named to the league’s Team of the Month four times in her career.

“She’s never done,” added Tweed. “Every week she comes in and she says, ‘How do I be better?’ Like, ‘Can I do film?’ [or] ‘I want to be the best defender in the world.’ She has that mentality. Never settling, she’s never comfortable.

“I can’t speak highly enough of her. I think she is an incredible player [and] person. She’s a mom. There’s just so many things that she has in her wheelhouse, that she just goes about kind of under the radar and silently.

“When you really think about what she’s done for the game and who she is and her career and where she’s come from and where she is now, it’s an incredible story.”

Gorden recovered from a preseason ACL tear in 2022 to play every second of Angel City’s NWSL league schedule in 2023, a run of 90-minute outings that ran nine games into the 2024 season before an ankle sprain in May 18’s 4-2 loss against the Washington Spirit.

Gorden missed two matches before returning in last week’s scoreless draw with the Houston Dash.

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NWSL punishes Portland Thorns for ‘frivolous’ appeal of Smith red card

The Thorns are in hot water, but Smith isn’t after a convoluted series of appeals and punishment

Sophia Smith probably didn’t bargain for a playful moment on the touchline turning into such a kerfuffle.

The U.S. women’s national team star, after two appeals from different organizations, will be allowed to return for the Portland Thorns in Sunday’s NWSL match against the Kansas City Current.

However, the entire incident has ended with the Thorns losing a $10,000 bond and the right to appeal any further suspensions in the 2024 or 2025 seasons.

The convoluted issue began simply enough. In June 8’s 1-0 win over the North Carolina Courage, Smith — sitting on the bench minutes after being substituted — found herself near the ball as it rolled out of bounds for a Thorns throw-in.

Seemingly as a joke, Smith crawled over to the ball and slowly dragged it under her seat on Portland’s bench.

However, referee Danielle Chesky, who had booked Smith for a different moment of time-wasting in the 89th minute, was not in a mood for such goofery. Chesky presented Smith with a second yellow card, sending her off and triggering an automatic one-game ban.

Smith served her suspension in a scoreless draw with the Seattle Reign on Sunday, but in the meantime the drama was going on behind the scenes.

On Tuesday, the NWSL announced that Portland had appealed the suspension, which per league policy allowed the Thorns to make their case to an independent review panel.

The panel, per the league, “unanimously (i) denied the appeal, and (ii) determined the appeal was frivolous.”

This may sound like simple public shaming from the league, but the word “frivolous” is specifically in the league’s operations manual, and appeals that cross that line come with a significant punishment.

Portland will lose a $10,000 bond (something the league requires all clubs to post as a deterrent for appealing suspensions without cause), as well as the right to appeal any further suspensions for the remainder of the 2024 season as well as the entire 2025 season, all the way through the playoffs.

Additionally, the league rules require that frivolous appeals are met with a doubling of the discipline involved, meaning that the NWSL initially extended Smith’s suspension and increased her fine.

However, the NWSL Players Association has the right to appeal discipline on a player’s behalf, and in this case it intervened on Smith’s behalf.

Per the NWSL, a review committee unanimously agreed with the NWSLPA’s position, making Smith eligible to play this weekend and helping her keep a little more cash in her pocket.

However, that has nothing to do with the punishment doled out for the Thorns, whose lost bond and inability to appeal further disciplinary action remain in place.

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Spirit star Rodman slams NWSL referees in social media post

The USWNT forward appears to be in line for a fine from the league

Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman took to social media to voice her displeasure with the refereeing in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against the San Diego Wave.

The Wave took the lead in the first half through Jaedyn Shaw — who broke a record previously held by Rodman in the process — before the Spirit equalized in the dying moments through rookie star Croix Bethune.

The match at Audi Field turned physical on several occasions, with the Wave given four yellow cards and the Spirit shown two — including one for Rodman after she protested a call late in the match.

Those protests continued on Instagram two days after the game ended, as Rodman posted two pictures on her story of a clash with Wave defender Kristen McNabb.

The first showed Rodman going to ground under a challenge from McNabb featuring the caption: “This not being a foul” — with a pair of eyeball emojis thrown in for good measure.

The second picture was a zoomed-in version of the first that showed McNabb stepping on the U.S. women’s national team star’s foot.

Rodman was fouled a game-high four times against the Wave, but the forward clearly felt there should have been at least one more.

Last season, the NWSL fined Wave and USWNT striker Alex Morgan for similar criticism of officials on social media. Rodman appears likely to be next.

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