Five storylines for the season to watch,
The Dash begin their third season in the National Women’s Soccer League on Saturday. United States National Team stars Carli Lloyd and Morgan Brian remain on the roster, but there are plenty of changes. The club’s biggest goal this season is to qualify for the playoffs for the first time. Here are five things to watch for the 2016 season.
Will the attack be good enough?
1 The biggest thing that limited the Dash last season was their lack of goal scorers. Jessica McDonald led the team with 7, but that was one-third of the club’s total in 20 matches. She is no longer with the team. Lloyd scored four goals but only played 12 games. She is likely to miss a few games this season because of international duty. The additions of Canadian Janine Beckie, U.S. Under-23 veteran Chioma Ubogagu and England’s Rachel Daly will give coach Randy Waldrum plenty of options to go with speedy Kealia Ohai. Most importantly, Waldrum finally feels like he has the type of roster he’s always wanted to play an attackminded style with speed being a major strength.
Will the defense continue to improve?
2 The Dash scored a league-worst 21 goals in 20 matches last season yet still finished fifth out of nine teams. It was all due to the defense, which was fourth best in goals allowed. Several players will return to the back line, including Canada’s Allysha Chapman and Brazil’s Poliana on the outside. But with question marks at the center back position, the club’s decision to use its last international spot on Irish midfielder Denise O’Sullivan instead of a defender was puzzling. Ellie Brush is likely to get a chance, and the team recently traded for veteran Becca Moros. Draft pick Cari Roccaro is a player for the future, but she is recovering from a knee injury.
Can the midfield carry the team?
3 In a perfect world, no one group of players will be depended on more than another, but there is no questioning how talented the Dash’s midfield is. Lloyd and Brian are among the best in the world. Andressa has made a mark for Brazil at a young age. The addition of Amber Brooks gives the team a true defensive midfielder, which will relieve the pressure that Lloyd, Brian and Andressa often shouldered last year, with one of them having to get back on defense.
Will attendance continue to rise?
4 The NWSL begins its fourth season, which makes it the first of three women’s pro soccer leagues to make it this far. Average attendance numbers rose from 4,139 in 2014 to 5,046 in 2015, marking the first time in any of the three leagues attendance has increased. The Dash averaged 4,650 in 2014 and 6,413 last year. Last year’s mark was more than 2,000 more fans per game than the third highest in the league.
Are the playoffs a possibility?
5 In a word, yes, but it will be far from easy and likely will require production from players who have not yet produced in the league. Lloyd is a sure thing, and Ohai could be in a better position to score goals this season. The other attacking players are all talented and have done well at lower levels, but carrying over that success to the highest level is not easy and rarely happens right away. With a month left last season, the Dash were talking about making the playoffs, but points were hard to come by after that. If they can position themselves near the red line for September, the Dash’s depth and talent could be on full display and give the club a realistic chance.