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Around the World in...One Day?
With training camps beginning for many teams this week, it's a good time to take a look at how international signings are progressing.
Five spots are earmarked for foreign players.
Players Officially Signed: Fabiana (Brazil), Candace Chapman (Canada), Christine Latham (Canada), Alex Scott (England), Kelly Smith (England)
Unsigned Players Listed on Roster: Shinobu Ohno (Japan)
Clearly, Ohno is the odd player out, unless one of the Canadians (both of whom played their college ball in the USA) has dual citizenship, which I see no evidence of.
Players Officially Signed: Christiane (Brazil), Karen Carney (England), Heather Garriock (Australia), Caroline Jonsson (Sweden), Frida Ostberg (Sweden)
Ifeoma Dieke is listed as USA/Scotland on the roster page, so she presumably will not count against Chicago's limit.
Christiane is the big name and the last to sign. This team will score, score, score.
Players Officially Signed: Adriane (Brazil), Erika (Brazil), Formiga (Brazil), Eriko Arakawa (Japan), Christine Sinclair (Canada)
With three Brazilians plus the Afro-puffed Arakawa, FCGP's internationals won't be short on flair.
Sinclair, in my opinion, is pushing Wambach for the title of best forward in North America. She'll get goals by the bushel.
Players Officially Signed: Marta (Brazil), Camile Abily (France), Han Duan (China), Johanna Frisk (Sweden), Aya Miyama (Japan)
LA went young with their signings, highlighted of course by Marta and the Beckham of the Far East, Miyama. I would think that, especially early in the season, set pieces are going to be big, and Miyama delivers the goods.
Players Officially Signed: Yeah...about that....
Unsigned Players Listed on Roster: Francielle (Brazil), Eniola Aluko (England), Daniela Alves (Brazil), Renata Costa (Brazil), Sara Larsson (Sweden), Melissa Tancredi (Canada)
Athletica have made a mess of this so far...rumors of signings abound, but no actual word from the team. Aluko's first name isn't even spelled correctly on the roster page.
Not the best way to sell tickets and endear yourself to fans.
Players Officially Signed: Anita Asante (England), Karen Bardsley (England), Collette McCallum (Australia), Mary Therese McConnell (Ireland), Kelly Parker (Canada), Sophie Perez (Mexico), Rosana (Brazil), Sarah Walsh (Australia)
By my count, that's eight players for five spots. Clearly some of these players must have dual citizenship. There's also Chinese forward Ouying Zhang, who has an American husband.
Players Officially Signed: Sonia Bompastor (France), Homare Sawa (Japan)
Unsigned Players Listed on Roster: Lisa De Vanna (Australia), Erin McLeod (Canada), Lene Mykjaland (Norway), Louisa Necib (France)
Four pegs for three holes, unless there's some sort of injured reserve that the Freedom can stash McLeod on until she recovers from the knee injury she suffered last summer. Necib and Mykjaland are unlikely to sign. So there may be another free spot here.
So basically, everyone has signed their five internationals with the exception of Washington and (of course) St. Louis. Very curious to see how Sky Blue is getting all their players in under the line.