Burn it all down: NWSL revelations

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Surprised there's not already a thread on the unfolding revelations of abusive behaviour from coaches and subsequent cover-ups that have left the NWSL in crisis this week.

They mainly centre around Paul Riley - who was accused of a string of incidents of sexually abusive and inappropriate behaviour while at Portland Thorns, was sacked, reported to the league and subsequently hired by WNY Flash (now NC Courage).

It's also emerged that Farid Benstiti who resigned from OL Reign was quietly asked to leave after making inappropriate comments to his team. Benstiti was widely reported as having made inappropriate comments to players while coach of Lyon too.

Richie Burke was fired a week ago from the Washington Spirit for harassment, and Christly Holly was sacked by Racing Louisville for as yet unspecified reasons.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

https://twitter.com/DasGherkin/status/1443606770920816643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1443631361231777796%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffootball%2F2021%2Fsep%2F30%2Frapinoe-and-morgan-attack-nwsl-after-alleged-abuse-by-prominent-coach

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Probably important to state too that this is only coming out now cos of the organising of the NWSL players union over the last couple of years.

[Hot Pepsi]

Probably important to state too that this is only coming out now cos of the organising of the NWSL players union over the last couple of years.

That really should go without saying, but in the US, a lot of the people who are routinely shocked and appalled by this or that terrible thing in sports are virulently anti-union.

Leagues are a cartel. They kinda have to be to be a league. And as such, the only way to check that power is with unions.

Of course, youth, high school and college teams don't have unions. Their only recourse is to tell the college paper.

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/itsmeglinehan/status/1444065393165930501?s=20

The League has also postponed all matches for this weekend

[Hot Pepsi]

What a disaster

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Portland Thorns owner has released an open letter apologising for "not doing more" but saying he didn't publicly call out Paul Riley's behaviour out of concern for player privacy.

It appears to have gone down like a sack of shit - as others have pointed out the timescales suggest Portland were already intending not to renew Riley's contract, and the subsequent public palliness between the two men doesn't really demand the benefit of the doubt.

https://twitter.com/KatWilliamson7/status/1445077359409860615

[jefe]

It also doesn't really help that the lawyer the league has hired to investigate is the same one that as an AUSA didn't bother prosecuting Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislane Maxwell.

[jefe]

The Spirit owner said he's resigning as CEO and everything else, but didn't say he's selling. His players responded via their twitters, saying, not good enough, sell.

Portland's supporters groups are boycotting anything that makes the team money until a bunch of demands are met, the foremost of which is Gavin Wilkinson being fired, and a separate GM for their team.

Venezuelan and Argentine national team players also spoke up saying abuse of all sorts was rampant in their setups.

[CY_Boaby]

And now Lisa De Vanna is saying the set up in Australia was anything but safe when she was in the Young Matildas, and not just perpetuated by men.

[Janik]

Nothing has come out as yet in Britain,* which is somewhat surprising given we know men’s/boys Football over here was riddled with it. As is the culture in general. Both points made typically insightfully by Emma Hayes a few days ago.

* - apart from a former Bristol Academy manager, who was personae non grata in the Women’s game after the safeguarding revelations about him. Oh, wait, no, who was appointed England manager after the safeguarding revelations about him... and later sacked from that role over those self-same already public issues because that was less embarrassing for the FA than sacking him over their ignoring his racist behaviour.

[Janik]

And talking of other countries, has there been any progress over the Vancouver Whitecaps cases?

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

apart from a former Bristol Academy manager, who was personae non grata in the Women’s game after the safeguarding revelations about him. Oh, wait, no, who was appointed England manager after the safeguarding revelations about him... and later sacked from that role over those self-same already public issues because that was less embarrassing for the FA than sacking him over their ignoring his racist behaviour.

Who was then promptly reappointed as manager of a men's team and then also accused of using racist language by two other coaches (which the FA were unable to prove citing "collusion" among those giving evidence in the hearing).

[Janik]

And indeed is still employed by the same Men's club as First Team Coach, even now.

[ursus arctos]

And talking of other countries, has there been any progress over the Vancouver Whitecaps cases?

Biarada was arrested and charge last year, but I don't believe that there has been a verdict

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...nada-1.5835847

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/nwsl_players/status/1445890657667612678?s=21

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Rory Dames - who until last week was head coach of Chicago Red Stars - accused of manipulation and abuse dating back to 2014, which the NWSL and USSF were aware of.