ACC player of the week with two goals over FSU in Florida in a game which Castellanos also scored 2 but ND triumphed.
I agree with Rapinoe there are lots of better women players than this college player. Also Lloyd was hurt too much to be really considered so definitely the process is flawed.
I've watched lots of wpmen's soccer this year both live (several Thorns games) and on TV (US team matches, many Euro cup matches, NWSL, and ND games). Martens is not a bad choice to win but I would have given it to Kerr (as mentioned in the article) who won the NWSL MVP and she also is Australia's best player. Others should ahve been in the final group. As for US team members I'd go for Horan and Mewis being the best players this year also given their performances on the Thorns and Courage, the best two teams in the NWSL. Ernst and Morgan also had fine years for their NWSL club and USA team. As for international players club and country I'd add Taylor from England (mentioned in the article), Nadim from Netherlands (mentioned by a post below), and two who have won it before: Marta from Brazil/Orlando and Henry (France/Thorns). Hopefully they improve the process.
I'm sad the Thorns are losing Nadim and Henry given the NWSL salary cap, but I hope we replace them with soem other great international women who might find it fun to play in front of 16K-20K fans for every home game. I'll take this Marten's, this years FIFA POY. We need to keep beating Rapinoe's Seattle team.
It makes it look like there is a dearth of top talent in womens soccer around the globe, which there is NOT. Honestly Carli Lloyd shouldn't have been on the short list either, but I do agree with giving the award to Lieke Martens. She led her team against Denmark in what was easily one of the best international games of the year (guys or ladies), a back and forth match 4-2 in the Euros finals.
What is surprising is that Castellanos didn't do anything...at all. She was best remembered for a half-line goal in a tournament where Venezuela finished 4th. And indeed she plays well for FSU women's soccer, but hardly worth a POY nominee. That would be like if Jimmy Clausen was on the short list for the Heisman in 2007 for his high school efforts.
Rapinoe is right, it is belittling, but not because Rapinoe thinks she was more deserving. But instead, it seems like a wonder goal is all it takes to be the best women's player of the year. IMHO I thought Nadia Nadim would be a POY candidate for sure for leading minnows Denmark to the champs in Euros and then dominating NWSL all year for the Thorns.
Lots of things to complain about in regards to FIFA and its treatment/view of the women's game. Picking on a U17 kid because she happened to get a nod was a stupid thing to do. Not the first time she's put her foot in her mouth, though.
She said that she's never heard of her and that she's not a senior player. Her target was FIFA. I think that her criticism was justified.
I'm putting a lot of faith in the article, but it doesn't look like FIFA picks the finalists or the winner. If that is correct, her criticism was misplaced. Her "old, white, and stale" line may also be off, but it's a great for a soundbite!
EDIT: I messed up the quote. It was "old, male and stale".
by the captains, coaches, and media, this matter looks like more of geography issue than anything else.
FIFA created the process for the award. I would assume that they also drive whatever recognition some random girl would have received to get her on the list and apparently get some votes.
The OWS line was over the top. But I've never really seen Rapinoe to be particularly articulate - or I suppose diplomatic would be better.
At any rate, I don't think that she's picking on the girl at all.
Her beef should be with the people that did the voting.
Also, I had to fix the quote. Switch out "white" for "male".
Again, they created the process for the award. Somehow a girl that hasn't even played a U-20 match was allowed to be nominated. Whatever their weighting system was, it clearly allowed for U-17 coaches or Venezuelan influence to be focused on one relatively unknown player, while other internationals were splitting votes.
What is she supposed to say? Voters are stupid/bias? Fine, but the system should recognize inherent bias and now allow for something like this.
This would be like Freddy Addu being a finalist because American voters didn't have anyone else to vote for.
overrule the actual voters. That has a downside, too.