NWSL players ready to play games again after NC Courage coach fired, commissioner ousted
After a weekend with no games as the sport dealt with a wide-ranging abuse scandal, professional women’s soccer players are ready to get back on the pitch.
Acknowledging that more time is needed to heal and more action should occur, the National Women’s Soccer Association Players Association announced Tuesday morning that games should resume beginning Wednesday night.
“We have taken the weekend’s pause to evaluate,” an emailed statement said. “We acknowledge that we will not process the pain of the last several days in one weekend or one week.
“We have made the decision to proceed with Wednesday night’s scheduled competition, but our demands will be forthcoming.“
The NWSL and its players decided last Friday to not play any scheduled games over last weekend. That included the NC Courage’s home game with the Washington Spirit, which had been scheduled for Friday night at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.
The Courage is scheduled to play a home game Wednesday night with Racing Louisville at 7:30 p.m. The team told the News & Observer that it is planning to resume play then.
The weekend without games followed the dismissal of Courage head coach Paul Riley after two players who he coached a previous coaching stops accused him of sexual coercion and misconduct. The players said the incidents occurred when Riley coached the NWSL’s Portland Thorns in 2014 and 2015 and in two of his previous coaching stops.
The Thorns fired Riley but he was hired the following year by the Western New York Flash, who in 2017 were purchased by Stephen Malik and relocated to the Triangle where they became the NC Courage.
Riley’s dismissal was the latest in a series of incidents involving coaches around the league.
Two days prior, the Washington Spirit fired coach Richie Burke “for cause” after an independent NWSL investigation verified accusations he created a toxic and abusive environment for his players.
In August, Racing Louisville fired coach Christy Holly for cause following player complaints. He had previously coached in the NWSL with New Jersey-based Sky Blue FC, which is now NY/NJ Gotham.
NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird resigned under pressure last Friday and the league installed a new three-person executive committee to run the league until a new commissioner is chosen. The league also announced it is reopening the investigation into Riley’s departure from Portland and his subsequent hiring by the Western New York Flash and NC Courage.
This story was originally published October 5, 2021 at 10:01 AM with the headline "NWSL players ready to play games again after NC Courage coach fired, commissioner ousted."