The list of allocated players to the NWSL by the federations of the United States, Mexico, and 2015 Women’s World Cup hosts Canada was unveiled today. The “allocated” designation refers to national team players whose salaries are subsidized by their respective federations, and do not count against clubs’ salary caps, according to official NWSL roster rules.
Here are the allocations by NWSL club.
Boston Breakers (BOS)
Kristie Mewis (USA)
Alyssa Naeher (USA)
Nkem Ezurike (CAN)
Bianca Sierra (MEX)
Chicago Red Stars (CHI)
Shannon Boxx (USA)
Julie Johnston (USA)
Christen Press (USA)
Karina LeBlanc (CAN)
Adriana Leon (CAN)
Melissa Tancredo (CAN)
Rachel Quon (CAN)
Houston Dash (HOU)
Meghan Klingenberg (USA)
Carli Lloyd (USA)
Erin McLeod (CAN)
Lauren Sesselman (CAN)
FC Kansas City (FCKC)
Nicole Barnhart (USA)
Lauren Holiday (USA)
Heather O’Reilly (USA)
Amy Rodriguez (USA)
Becky Sauerbrunn (USA)
Portland Thorns FC (POR)
Tobin Heath (USA)
Alex Morgan (USA)
Rachel Van Hollebeke (USA)
Christine Sinclair (CAN)
Kaylyn Kyle (CAN)
Rhian Wilkinson (CAN)
Seattle Reign FC (SEA)
Sydney Leroux (USA)
Megan Rapinoe (USA)
Hope Solo (USA)
Sky Blue FC (SBFC)
Kelley O’Hara (USA)
Christie Rampone (USA)
Jonelle Filigno (CAN)
Monica Ocampo (MEX)
Washington Spirit (WAS)
Crystal Dunn (USA)
Ashlyn Harris (USA)
Ali Krieger (USA)
Diana Matheson (USA)
Veronica Perez (MEX)
Arianna Romero (MEX)
Western New York (WNY)
Whitney Engen (USA)
Abby Wambach (USA)
Skyscraper Blues
Julie Johnston (CHI), 2014’s Rookie of the Year, is now an allocated player for the US after successfully breaking into the senior team’s call-up pool in the midst of last season. Bianca Sierra (BOS) will be subsidized by Mexico for the first time, as will Allysha Chapman (HOU), Nkem Ezurike (BOS), and veteran Rhian Wilkinson (POR) by Canada. Wilkinson had previously played in the first season of the NWSL for Boston.
Kaylyn Kyle will be departing Houston for the Portland Thorns. According to SBFC head coach Jim Gabarra, Sophie Schmidt (SBFC) will be taking the year off from the NWSL to focus on the World Cup. Her rights are owned by Sky Blue until the end of the season, so if she returns to the NWSL in 2016, she may well appear for a different club. Robyn Gayle (WAS), Carmelina Moscato (SEA) and Adrianna Leon (HOU) will not be allocated by Canada to any team.
The CSA has not allocated @cmoscato4 - she will be pursuing opportunities outside the NWSL next season.
— OL Reign (@OLReign) January 14, 2015
Several players for the US also no longer appear as allocations, including Amy LePeilbet, Yael Averbuch (both FCKC), Stephanie Cox (SEA), and Jill Loyden (SBFC), the latter of whom announced her retirement after the end of last season.
Additionally, the number of Mexican players allocated has gone down a bit from 16 in 2013, 8 in 2014, and now to four in 2015. Missing are Jackie Acevedo (POR), Renae Cuellar (WAS), Alina Garciamendez (rights held by SEA), and Teresa Noyola (HOU). It’s unclear if any of those players will feature in the NWSL next season at all, but if not, this lends further credence to the rumors that Mexico is planning to start its own domestic league in the near future.
There had been some consternation that allocated players might not even be seen playing for their clubs until after the World Cup break, but the residency camps announced by Canada and the US seem to be taking the league’s schedule into account. According to the official statement, players will be available for the first 3-4 games of the season.
Mexico's return to NWSL was in question, but they're back w/4 subsidized. Canadians thought to be skipping pre-WC, will play 3-4 games.
— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) January 14, 2015
Additionally, in other breaking NWSL roster news, the Portland Thorns traded their last remaining picks (in the 3rd and 4th rounds) to Sky Blue for former University of Portland defender Kendall Johnson. Johnson had played the past two seasons as part of Sky Blue’s back four, and had previously played all four matches of 2010’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. As of this trade, Portland has no remaining picks in the draft.
Take a look at the official draft order, and remember to follow along with the NWSL Draft this Friday, January 16th, at 9:30am EST on NWSLsoccer.com.
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