2015 NWSL Season Preview: Washington Spirit

Off-season Departures of Note

Aug 18, 2013; Boyds, MD, USA; Washington Spirit midfielder Lori Lindsey (6) protects the ball from Sky Blue FC midfielder Sophie Schmidt (16) during the first half at the Maryland Soccerplex Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Frederiksen-USA TODAY Sports

• Lori Lindsey (midfielder, Virginia), age 35, retired from professional soccer after a championship-winning campaign with the W-League’s Canberra United
• Jodie Taylor (forward, Oregon State, ENG), age 28, traded to Portland for the draft pick that became Megan Oyster (see below)
• Yael Averbuch (midfielder, North Carolina), age 28, lost US allocation status, went to FC Kansas City
• Toni Pressley (defender, Florida State), age 25, traded to WNY for Estelle Johnson (see next slide)
• Niki Cross (defender, Connecticut), age 29, traded to HOU for Ari Romero (see next slide)

The Spirit will probably miss no player more than Taylor, who led the team in scoring in 2014 with 11 goals. Averbuch only managed one goal all season despite appearing in all 22 games, Lindsey’s productivity had been dwindling, and the defensive work of Cross and Pressley (the latter of whom was hampered for much of the season by injury) wasn’t as solid as it needed to be. The team frequently depended upon the individual heroics of Ashlyn Harris to remain competitive in matches. Parsons clearly expects to benefit from the injection of youth into the back line, and the maturity of defensive-minded players like Huster and Alex Singer, as well as new additions Johnson and Reynolds (see next slide), should yield a bit more consistency in the defense.

Although not technically a departure, the Spirit lost out on acquiring Welsh international Natasha Harding, formerly of Bristol Academy and now signed to Manchester City Ladies, because of a visa issue. Both parties have expressed interest at revisiting the move in the future.

Next: Off-Season Acquisitions