by CHRIS HENDERSON

NWSL Beat Writer

Sky Blue FC will open their third National Women’s Soccer League season on April 12 away to champions FC Kansas City, looking to build on the last season’s late charge that nearly saw them steal the final playoff spot.

A slew of trades, draft picks and retirements have significantly altered the roster, but it appears more than likely that the key move of the off-season will be the return of the player that sparked 2014’s renaissance: Nadia Nadim.

The chances of the team landing Nadim, who totaled seven goals and three assists in just six games on loan from Denmark’s Fortuna Hjørring, took a step forward last week when the Danish team announced a partnership with the Sky Blue. Although the New Jersey club has yet to confirm the partnership, Head Coach Jim Gabarra released a statement on just how close he is to bringing his star back, “We enjoyed having Nadia Nadim join Sky Blue FC for the end of the 2014 season, as she made a positive impact both on and off the field. We have been in negotiations with both Nadia and her club, Fortuna Hjørring; however, we still have to work out the final details to bring her back to New Jersey for the 2015 season.”

Nadim, a Danish international, who is also in the midst of completing medical school, would provide the team with an additional attacking threat alongside Kelley O’Hara and newcomer Samantha Kerr. Perhaps as importantly, she can play through the World Cup in June when O’Hara (US), Kerr (Australia), captain Christine Rampone (US), O’Hara (US), first-teamers Jonelle Filigno (Canada), Caitlin Foord (Australia) and Monica Ocampo (Mexico) will likely be called in for their respective national teams. Denmark did not qualify for the competition in Canada this summer.

Arrivals

While Nadim’s return remains in limbo, Kerr leads the list of new arrivals. In November, Sky Blue traded a first round draft pick and the rights to midfielder Elizabeth Eddy for the striker Gabarra called, “one of the most promising young players in the world.” The 21-year-old led the Western New York Flash with 9 goals in 2014. She added 11 more for the W-League’s Perth Glory in the fall, playing alongside Foord. The Australian Football Federation named her the 2014 U20 Footballer of the Year.

In addition to Kerr, the team’s picked up six new players in January’s college draft in Philadelphia. Sky Blue used its first two selections on holding midfielder Sarah Killion of UCLA and defender Kristin Grubka of Florida State. Killion received her first full US national team call-up in last March’s Algarve Cup after featuring for each of U-23s, U-20s and U-18s. She led the Bruins to a national title in 2013 over Grubka’s Seminoles. Grubka, who split time between the midfield and the back line, started every game as FSU won a title of its own last year.

Sky Blue picked Georgetown playmaker Daphne Corboz in the Third Round. Corboz scored 47 goals and 41 assists for the Hoyas after playing her high school soccer in Watchung Hills, NJ. Sky Blue rounded out its draft with Shade Pratt of Maryland, known as a pacey two-way defender, and the Stanford tandem of winger Chioma Ubogagu and forward Lo’eau LoBanta, who both won a national title with the Cardinal as Freshmen in 2011. Corboz’s parents are French and Ubogagu was born in England, providing both players with the option of playing in Europe, the NWSL or both.

In addition to the rookies, Gabarra signed two veterans. Shawna Gordon, last played for the Boston Breakers, Australia’s West Sydney Wanderers, and Umeå in Sweden, will provide depth in the midfield. Goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe has played with the US U-23s and for Idrettsklubben Grand Bodø in Norway. She is expected to compete with returnee Brittany Cameron to replace the retired Jillian Loyden as the starter in goal.

Departures

Alongside midfielder Sophie Schmidt, Loyden is one of two starters who will not be back with Sky Blue in 2015. Loyden served as Hope Solo’s back-up for the US national team and started 17 games in 2014 for Sky Blue. She retired in October at the age of 29 to focus her youth goalkeeper training business and her foundation, which provides educational programs and raises awareness about domestic violence. She made the announcement the day after writing an editorial calling on Solo to be benched because of her arrest on domestic violence charges. Loyden’s sister Britton was murdered and the father of her nephew, Ismael Pierce, charged with the crime. On her retirement, Gabarra said, “In league play, Jill had been performing very well and had really been finding her rhythm. She has done so much for our club over the past two seasons, and that makes it tough to see her retire.”

Canadian national Schmidt started 22 games in 2014 and organized the team lip-syncing competition. She will take the year off to focus on the World Cup. The arrangement allows her to sign with the team of her choice if she returns to the league in 2016.

In addition to Loyden and Schmidt, several role players will not be back with the club in 2015. Fullback Kendall Johnson, who lost her starting spot at the end of last year, was traded for draft picks, as was midfielder Ashley Nick. Midfielder Madeline Thompson retired and Japanese midfielder Nanase Kiryu was waived in order to free up an international slot.

Year Three of the NWSL

The roster changes come as the team and the league enter a year in which the World Cup looms as both a potential boon and an overwhelming distraction. The league will take a break in early June during the group stage of the tournament, but many of the league’s stars will be away for considerably longer for national team training ahead of the cup and potential deep runs through the knockout stages. The Canadian and Mexican federations, which pay the salaries of their top players in the league, have already announced that none of their players will be available at any time before the cup. The Mexicans have added that their players, including Sky Blue’s Ocampo, will not return until after the Pan American Games in July. In order to deal with the vagaries of this schedule, the league has added a fourth spot for international player just for 2015.

The break also means that play will extend into September despite the season will be shortened from 24 games to 20. The semi-finals will be played on the weekend of September 12 and 13 with the final taking place two weeks later. The extension potentially muddles the plans of the numerous players who begin teaching and coaching jobs in September to supplement their NWSL salaries.

Despite the disruption, the World Cup could provide additional attention to the league as it embarks on its third year. The two previous American women’s soccer leagues (Women’s Professional Soccer and the Women’s United Soccer Association) folded after their respective third years. NWSL has shown fewer of the financial warning signs of WPS and WUSA and has welcomed steady crowds in Portland and Houston. But a team like Sky Blue, which finished last in attendance in 2013 and 2014, needs to draw a larger gate to remain sustainable long-term. However, there is little indication that the league is considering dropping teams, rather expansion appears more likely. Reports of potential interest surfaced in Atlanta and Salt Lake City this off-season.

In order to lead the league through its next stage of development, NWSL hired Jeff Plush, the former managing director of MLS’s Colorado Rapids, as its first commissioner. Plush essentially replaces Cheryl Bailey who has held the title of executive director since the league’s founding in 2011. Bailey will continue to serve as a consultant. Plush served on the board of governors for MLS and its promotional wing Soccer United Marketing. Most recently he served as the managing partner for Helium Sports Group which “manages and analyzes media rights across television, digital and in-venue platforms.”

Plush’s hiring provides another link between NWSL and Major League Soccer. By adding the Houston Dash in 2014, the league now has two franchises, along with the Portland Thorns that share ownership groups with MLS teams. FC Kansas City will use Sporting Kansas City’s training facility as it home ground in 2015. Most relevant locally, Sky Blue CEO Thomas Hofstetter reportedly held preliminary discussions in September with New York City FC about potential partnerships. This comes after negotiations with the New York Red Bulls in 2013 broke down.

Try-outs

As the new season approaches Sky Blue has organized an open tryout at Soccer Centers in Somerset, NJ on March 3 and 4. The clinic costs $100 to attend and players must be over 18. More information is available on the team’s website.