Futebol Feminino Internacional / Selecções 2019/2020

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Una Champions desvirtuada

La Champions se paralizó en cuartos de final y parece muy complicado retomarla este curso. La propuesta qes terminar la competición en una final a ocho en agosto, ya con plantilas nuevas



La Champions femenina se ha convertido en un dolor de cabeza para la UEFA. Con prácticamente todas las competiciones nacionales suspendidas, regresar esta temporada parece imposible y retomar la competición el próximo curso desvirtuaría por completo la competición que sería con nuevas plantillas. Los clubes quieren acabar, pero la solución parece complicada.

La idea inicial es acabar la Champions la próxima temporada. En una final a ocho, a partido único y en una sóla sede que sería Viena, la que iba a acoger la gran final. Una opción que se baraja como la más lógica, pero que tendría que jugarse la próxima temporada. La fecha marcada es agosto, mediados o finales, pero esa opción desvirtua por completo la competición. Los equipos se jugarían el título de la temporada 2019-20 con las plantillas de la 2020-21 ya que parece inviable que las jugadoras prolonguen sus contratos hasta finales de agosto y que, además, los fichajes, muchos ya confirmados no jugasen.

La opción disputar lo que queda de temporada antes del 30 de junio a día de hoy es imposible. España, Inglaterra, Francia y Escocia, que cuentan con representantes, han suspendido sus competiciones y sus equipos necesitarían al menos un mes de entrenamientos para poder disputarla con garantías. Sólo los representantes alemanes estarían a día de hoy preparados para jugar la Champions. A esto hay que sumar las medidas de seguridad que sus jugadoras tendrían que tomar a día de hoy para poder volver a trabajar en grupos sin riesgos de contagios.

Jugar en agosto implicaría nuevas plantillas. El presidente del Lyon, Aulas, ya están intentando retener a sus estrellas hasta agosto para intentar levantar su sexta Champions seguida ya que estrellas como Bouhaddi o Maroszan ya han avisado que dejaran el equipo, otro de sus pilares Bronze, aún no ha renovado. El equipo galo se tiene que reinventar. Algo que ya ha hecho el Bayern, con cuatro fichajes de renombre y que pretende hacer el Atlético tras una temporada en blanco y con el anuncio de dos salidas ya. Una Champions en dos temporadas, y dos Champions en la misma campaña...

La Bundesliga, en desventaja

La Bundesliga es la única competición femenina que participa en Champions que ha apostado por el regreso. En un ejemplo de solidaridad entre todos los equipos y de igualdad por parte de las autoridads, tanto la Bundesliga como la Copa se finalizarán esta temporada. De hecho, el próximo 29 de mayo regresa la competición y los equipos, con los mismo protocolos que los conjuntos femeninos, ya llevan semanas entrenándose.

Una situación que podría perjudicar a sus dos representantes en la Champions. Bayern y Wolfsburgo siguen vivos en la competición europea pero entre las seis jornadas de liga que les restan para terminar y las tres rondas de Copa, los equipos germanos no podrán irse de vacaciones hasta principios de julio. Si llegan a la final copera, sería el 4 de julio su último partido. Así que entre las merecidas vacaciones de las jugadoras y el regreso podría llegar a jugarse el título europeo en plena pretemporada, lo que físicamente le podría pasar factura. Si no paran, el desgaste podría ser aún más perjudicial.

Los equipos

Barcelona: Mantener el bloque. Pretende mantener el equipo que tan buenos resultados le ha dado. Hamraoui es la única baja segura, a la que se puede unir Van der Grart, pero no son importantes.

Atlético: Revolución. La mala temporada hará que el conjunto rojiblanco haga bastantes cambios. De momento, Van Veenendaal, títular en toda la Champions, y Olga ya han anunciado sus salidas.

Olympique Lyon: Nueva etapa. En el Lyon puede haber cambios. Bouhaddi y Maroszan parece que se irán, Bronze está en la cuerda floja. Tres jugadoras claves. Hegerberg, sin embargo, estaría disponible.

PSG: Apuesta. El PSG sigue apostando por el femenino y ha retenido a sus estrellas: Diani, Formiga o Nadim. Se fue la meta Kiedrzynek y se espera más de un fichaje de renombre.

Arsenal: Sin Champions. No jugará competición europea el próximo año, lo que le metería más presión y complica la continuidad de alguna de sus estrellas que quieren jugar en Europa.

Bayern: Cuatro fichajes. Han apostado fuerte y ya tienen cuatro cara nuevas: Buhl, Shuller, Glas y Hegering. Fichajes de renombre que darán otra cara al equipo.

Glasgow City: La cenicienta. Es su segundao presencia en cuartos de su historia. Un equipo. Lauder, la mejor del equipo, podría tener buenas ofertas para irse.

https://as.com/futbol/2020/05/24/femenino/1590353707_220228.html

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Obrigado, Citric.  Faço-o com todo o gosto.

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[Tradução Google.]

Série A feminina: hipótese recomeça em meados de julho



São horas decisivas para entender o futuro do futebol feminino . Nas últimas horas, voltamos a falar sobre profissionalismo e provável recuperação do campeonato .

Ontem, no TG3, o ministro do Esporte, Vincenzo Spadafora, disse: "Nenhum campeonato esquecido. O Presidente Gravina está fazendo um ótimo trabalho e eu já estou trabalhando em um pedido importante para o futebol feminino, que aconteceria no verão. O profissionalismo será um dos assuntos da lei de delegação do esporte "

A Gazzetta dello Sport informa hoje que Tommaso Nannicini , senador do PD signatário da famosa emenda incluída na Lei de Estabilidade que deu a possibilidade de iniciar o turno profissional em troca de uma isenção de impostos para os clubes pelos próximos três anos, anuncia um iniciativa: "Avalie positivamente a possível recuperação do campeonato feminino. Os recursos previstos pela emenda ainda estão lá, são 11 milhões. Vou propor que no decreto de "relançamento" esse dinheiro seja gasto tanto para ajudar jogadores e clubes em momentos de emergência quanto para iniciar o caminho profissional "

Hoje, a Divisão de Futebol Feminino encontra um roteiro a ser seguido entre agora e o próximo verão. A hipótese é recomeçar em meados de julho e completar as seis rodadas do campeonato que faltam na maior parte da recuperação entre Milão e Fiorentina, uma partida muito importante para a corrida se classificar para a Liga dos Campeões .

Também nas páginas do jornal rosa, há uma interessante entrevista com Ludovica Mantovani , presidente da divisão de futebol feminino da FIGC. Sobre a questão do profissionalismo, ele disse que, apesar de "a emergência não volta atrás. A linha também é marcada pela UEFA e pela FIFA ".

Sobre o tema dos fundos para o futebol feminino, Ludovica Mantovani disse: "Na Figc existe um fundo" salvar o esporte ". Está lá para todos os jogadores de futebol, incluindo mulheres. Além de recursos do governo. Depois, há um orçamento da FIFA para as mulheres. Você só precisa entender o tempo, quanto dinheiro podemos desembolsar em um tempo muito curto para reiniciar a Série A dentro do protocolo. Os fundos estão lá. Os clubes sabem que estão vindo ".

No que diz respeito aos protocolos, reitera-se que os da série A feminina não serão diferentes dos dos colegas do sexo masculino.

"Não existem protocolos diferentes . - diz o presidente Mantovani - Quando todos os atletas são chamados para treinar, eles devem ter a condição de ter as mesmas ferramentas que os homens, seja um suporte econômico ou um suprimento de saúde. Um atleta que está tentando entrar em campo - além de jogar um jogo e, portanto, com um dever - deve ter todas as garantias. Um cotonete a cada quatro dias ou um teste sorológico a cada doze, por exemplo. Os clubes devem estar em posição de fazê-lo. "

https://www.lfootball.it/2020/05/serie-a-femminile-ipotesi-ripartenza-meta-luglio

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Qualificação do UEFA Women's EURO 2021

Novas datas marcadas:

https://pt.uefa.com/womenseuro/matches/2021/qualifying/#/mt/2020/09

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Seleção A feminina retoma competição em setembro

Futebol Fem. - Seleção A

UEFA divulga calendário provisório da qualificação para o Campeonato da Europa feminino, cuja fase final foi adiada para 2022.

A Seleção Nacional Feminina A deverá voltar a competir em setembro, após paragem imposta pela Covid-19, desde que, em março, disputou a Algarve Cup. A revelação foi feita pela UEFA, que deu a conhecer o calendário provisório da fase de grupos de qualificação para o Campeonato da Europa feminino.

Recorde-se que a fase final do Europeu feminino, prevista para o período de 7 de julho a 1 de agosto do próximo ano, foi adiada para julho de 2022, mantendo-se a Inglaterra como anfitriã da prova. A nova fase final irá decorrer entre os dias 6 e 31 de julho desse ano.

Depois de ter vencido por 1-0 na Albânia e empatado a um golo em casa com a Finlândia, Portugal prossegue a sua caminhada em setembro, com dois jogos fora: visita a Finlândia no dia 18 e a Escócia quatro dias depois. A fase de grupos de qualificação para o Europeu feminino será concluída até ao dia 1 de dezembro de 2020.

Apuram-se para a fase final os vencedores de cada grupo de qualificação mais os três segundos classificados com melhores resultados face ao primeiro, terceiro, quarto e quinto no seu grupo. Os restantes segundos classificados vão disputar um "play-off", em data a definir, para assegurar as últimas três vagas na fase final, que será disputada por 16 equipas.

A armada comandada por Francisco Neto encontra-se na terceira posição do Grupo E, com quatro pontos, atrás da Escócia, que tem seis, e da líder Finlândia, com dez pontos e mais dois jogos disputados.

Calendário provisório do Grupo E de qualificação para o EURO feminino*:

18 setembro 2020 | sexta-feira
Chipre x Escócia
Finlândia x PORTUGAL

22 setembro 2020 | terça-feira
Chipre x Finlândia
Escócia x PORTUGAL

23 outubro 2020 | sexta-feira
Escócia x Albânia
Chipre x PORTUGAL

27 outubro 2020 | terça-feira
Finlândia x Escócia
PORTUGAL x Chipre

27 novembro 2020 | sexta-feira
Albânia x Chipre
PORTUGAL x Escócia

01.12.2020 | terça-feira
Escócia x Finlândia
PORTUGAL x Albânia

*Calendário sujeito a alterações em função da evolução da pandemia Covid-19.

https://www.fpf.pt/pt/News/Todas-as-not%C3%ADcias/Not%C3%ADcia/news/26860

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NWSL to return on June 27 with monthlong tournament

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) will return on June 27 with a 25-game tournament near Salt Lake City, the league announced on Wednesday.

The start of the NWSL's eighth season has been on hold since the coronavirus pandemic effectively shut down professional sports in the United States in March. As it stands, the NWSL would be the first U.S. league in a team sport to resume play since that shutdown.

"The United States Women's National Team Players Association's (USWNTPA) top priority is player health and safety -- both physical and mental," a USWNTPA statement read.

"Consistent with that value, the USWNTPA and the USSF (United States Soccer Federation) have agreed that each WNT (Women's National Team) Player may choose for herself whether to participate in the NWSL 2020 Challenge Cup, and the USWNTPA and the USSF will provide support to each Player in whatever decision she makes.

"The USWNTPA will continue to work with the USSF, the NWSL, and the NWSLPA to minimize the risk of injury and exposure to COVID-19 for those Players participating in the tournament."

The new tournament, which the league is calling the NWSL Challenge Cup, will involve all nine of the league's teams. Each team will play four games in a preliminary round, with the top eight finishers advancing to a knockout round. The final will be played on July 26.

Games will be played at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah, and Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Rio Tinto Stadium is home to the NWSL's Utah Royals, as well as the MLS' Real Salt Lake.

Fans will not be allowed at any of the games.

"As our country begins to safely reopen and adjust to our collective new reality, and with the enthusiastic support of our players, owners, as well as our new and current commercial partners, the NWSL is thrilled to bring professional soccer back to the United States," NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird said in a statement.

The NWSL did not clarify whether the tournament would take the place of the 2020 season or serve as prelude to a modified regular season.

Among other questions unanswered is the participation of members of the United States women's national team. One source close to the national team players confirmed to ESPN multiple reports that there is a lack of unanimity among the players about participating.

Possible concerns, especially with the rescheduled Olympics in 2021, include playing a large number of games in a relatively short time after having little access to training for most of the past three months. Some of the games also would be on artificial turf.

"U.S. Soccer is supportive of the NWSL's decision to bring professional women's soccer back to the field," the federation said in a statement. "Throughout the collaborative planning process, U.S. Soccer has worked closely with the NWSL and the USWNT Players Association to focus on the health and safety of the players, both regarding COVID-19 and the physical aspects of the players returning to a preseason and tournament competition, and ensure that each player would have the option of participating in the event."

U.S. Soccer pays the NWSL salaries of national team players. A source connected with U.S. Soccer told ESPN on Wednesday that those players continue to be paid during the pandemic stoppage and nothing would change on that front, regardless of participation in the NWSL Challenge Cup.

The union representing the United States women's national team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ESPN.

The NWSL said Utah Royals and Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen would provide an "NWSL Village" for all teams and be responsible for housing and training needs, although it provided no specifics on procedures such as whether players and staff would be restricted solely to those spaces during the monthlong event.

The NWSL said Baird and Hansen met with Utah Governor Gary Herbert and other state and local officials while planning the tournament.

"Utah is home to strong health care systems and dedicated medical professionals -- and public health and safety are always a top priority for our communities," Herbert said in a statement. "Because of those factors, I believe our state will be a great location for the National Women's Soccer League to host its competition in 2020."

Testing protocols state that players will undergo testing for coronavirus before traveling to Utah and within 24-48 hours of games.

The protocols also lay out plans for quarantining of anyone who tests positive and contact tracing. Those deemed to have high-risk exposure to anyone who tests positive would be prohibited from training for 14 days. Interactions in the high-risk category include shared equipment or direct physical contact with the individual, contact of more than 10 minutes within 6 feet -- including meeting rooms, weight rooms and locker rooms, and living in the same housing unit.

Those deemed to have low-risk contact with anyone who tests positive would also be quarantined but could return to training if they test negative, show no symptoms and their temperature remains normal.

Germany's Bundesliga became the first major professional league in a team sport to return to competition on May 16. The Frauen-Bundesliga, the top women's professional league in Germany, will also resume its regular schedule this weekend without fans.

https://www.espn.com/football/united-states-nwsl-womens-league/story/4102582/nwsl-to-return-on-june-27-with-monthlong-tournament

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Germany rallied to save women's football – the FA should be embarrassed

Frauen Bundesliga is restarting and the NWSL will be back in June while conservatism has crippled the English game


Ewa Pajor (left) of Wolfsburg could feature against Cologne in the Frauen Bundesliga's first game following its shutdown.

On Monday the Women's Super League and Championship seasons were ended by the Football Association after weeks of waiting for what had become an inevitable announcement.

While women's football in England has become the latest sporting casualty of Covid-19, elsewhere the situation is being used to help fuel the growth of the game. On Wednesday details of a one-month 25-game Challenge Cup tournament in the US were unveiled, scheduling women's football as the first sport to return in the country. And on Friday the Frauen Bundesliga resumes with the league leaders, Wolfsburg, playing struggling Cologne.

Some will deem the restart of Germany's top women's league too great a risk. Not just from a public health point of view, but a personal one, too. A rapid turnaround means teams will have had only one week of full training before playing competitive games. That, it is felt, is not enough time.

According to the AI data analytics company Zone7, eight players picking up injuries in the opening six men's Bundesliga games was no accident. Men's teams had only nine days to switch from individual training to high-intensity group work.

Even when international tournaments cut into pre-season, clubs will more often than not find 30 days to prepare their squads. When Zone7 looked at the effect changes in preseason length may have on injury risks within teams, 75% of those that had two years of data available demonstrated higher injury rates in the first half of the season when the preparation period was shorter.

Regardless of whether they should be playing competitively now, or with more time to ease players back in, the Frauen Bundesliga's return alongside the men should be welcomed. It is also extremely embarrassing for the Football Association.

Many point to the cultural difference and the 51% ownership model in Germany that keeps sporting hearts and interests above economic forces. But the return of women's football and its growth is in the economic interests of clubs and leagues long term.

Additionally, just because the English game has decayed to a point where profit rules and all football outside the Premier League – men's and women's – is pushed aside, sacrificed supposedly for its own benefit but ultimately to protect short-term profits, does not mean we should accept it.

The Bundesliga is not a socialist paradise – clubs there have been hit financially amid this crisis, too. The Deutsche Fussbal Liga, which runs Germany's leagues,y was said to be facing a €770m (£691m) loss should this season not be seen out. Clubs will lose €91m (£81m) in match-day revenue with games played behind closed doors – in the 2018-19 that accounted for 12.9% of their total income. Werder Bremen have been forced into taking out a loan from a state-owned bank, and last month, Kicker magazine reported 13 of the 36 top clubs faced insolvency. Yet when discussing recovery, clubs dug deep.


Bayern Munich and Dortmund helped contribute funds to aid men's and women's professional football in Germany following the crisis.

Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen all contributed €7.5m (£6.93m) while also giving up €12.5m (£11.2m) in TV rights payments to help build a €20m solidarity fund for the whole of German professional football, benefitting men's Bundesliga 3 clubs and those in Frauen Bundesliga (clubs with parent teams in the men's Bundesliga and mBundesliga 2 waived their shares). The DFB, German football's governing body, unanimously agreed that the pot should be used to cover testing and its additional costs and lost income.

"We can only overcome this crisis together, when we act as one, because there is only one football," the DFB president, Fritz Keller, said in a statement. "The Bundesliga clubs exemplify this cohesion in a brilliant manner with their financial support. It shows that we are fighting together for the good of our football and that we won't give up on any club."

In England, the question put to professional football outside the Premier League is: can you afford to resume? The answer in the case of the Women's Super League and Women's Championship was no. There is no solidarity fund to assist with losses, let alone to cover the costs of restarting. The notion that you should help clubs equitably rather than equally, by financially assisting struggling clubs and not those with wealthy parent operations, on the assumption that it is good for the long-term health of the game, is seen as idealistic.

English football is crippledby conservatism, in sharp contrast to Germany, which has shown it values football beyond the elite, and the women's game in particular.

In the US, with the new commissioner, Lisa Baird, at the helm, the NWSL could cover the costs of running the Challenge Cup in Utah through sponsorship and TV deals. P&G and Secret are sponsoring the event; CBS All Access will show the games, and they will all be made available worldwide via Twitch. The semi-finals and final are also sponsored by Budweiser, and the league has a new multi-year partnership with Verizon.

By working with the Utah Royals owner, Dell Loy Hansen, who furloughed staff when the crisis hit, the NWSL is hosting the tournament in a state with a low Covid-19 count and Hansen is assisting with providing teams with accommodation, training facilities and competition needs. Even, according to Equalizer Soccer, allowing clubs to borrow planes to travel to the tournament.

The NWSL players' association has worked hard to have players' concerns made central to planning, with contracts to be honoured even if players choose not to take part. Mothers will also be able to bring their children to games.

In Germany and the US, governing bodies are showing that if you are bold women's football does not have to be a casualty of this crisis. Instead, it can be a pioneer.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/may/29/german-rallied-save-womens-football-fa-should-be-embarrassed

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Fútbol femenino: Suecia volverá el 27 de junio e Italia en julio

La liga femenina sueca también volverá a competir tras el visto bueno de sanidad. Mientras, en Italia esperan que se reanude la temporada en julio.



La Federación sueca de fútbol ya tiene el visto bueno para volver a competir. La luz verde de la Autoridad de Salud Pública de Suecia junto con la ministra de cultura y deporte de Suecia, Amanda Lind se dio el viernes por la mañana y ambas competiciones, masculina y femenina, volverán para terminar la temporada. Aunque las autoridades dejan volver a jugar a partir del 14 de junio, la OBOS Damallsvenskan no volverá hasta el 27 de junio, fecha que tenían marcada en su hoja de ruta para el regreso.

La competición sueca será la segunda liga europea femenina en regresar tras la vuelta de la Bundesliga. Annika Grälls, presidenta de fútbol profesional para mujeres en Suecia, explicó: "Es un mensaje anhelado para los clubes, jugadoras, líderes, nuestros seguidores y socios que el equipo de fútbol femenino ahora puede comenzar. Por supuesto, es importante para el fútbol que podamos jugar OBOS Damallsvenskan, pero con los ajustes que se hacen debido a las crisis de Covid-19 ". Entre esos ajustes estará que se jugará a puerta cerrada.

La OBOS Damallsvenskan se iniciaba a principios de abril y ya no se pudo poner en marcha por la pandemia del coronavirus, por lo que la competición empezará desde cero con 22 jornadas por disputarse pero con más de dos meses de retraso. El Rosengård parte como actual campeón tras levantar el título el pasado año después de tres temporadas de sequía. A partir de ahora, los equipos empezarán a trabajar en su puesta a punto para empezar el campeonato, ya que seguían de vacaciones y necesitarán de una pretemporada. De ahí que no se inicie hasta el 27 a pesar de que el permiso es a partir del 14 de junio, pero los clubes han pedido al menos tres semanas de preaviso antes de comenzar.

La Serie A italiana espera volver en julio

Con el regreso de la Serie A masculina, el fútbol femenino en Italia también espera reanudar la temporada. Según indican medios italianos, las autoridades tienen previsto reunirse en los próximos días para determinar la vuelta de la competición femenina. Todo apunta a que podría volver en julio, con seis jornadas por disputarse para el final de temporada. Por ahora, la Juventus es líder con 44 puntos.

Por su parte, las jugadoras de los diferentes equipos de la Serie A femenina llevan varias semanas entrenándose de manera individual. Todo está pendiente de saber qué medidas se tomarán para el regreso de la competición. Si finalmente se reanudara, la Liga italiana se sumaría a la Bundesliga, que ha vuelto al trabajo este viernes. Cabe recordar que países como España, Alemania y Francia han suspendido sus Ligas femeninas.

https://as.com/futbol/2020/05/29/femenino/1590753219_634701.html

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Campeonato alemão - 17ª Jornada

Resultados/Classificação

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-tFxPf4Yu4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC1c7ELE1m4

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Japan to launch new 'Women's Empowerment' top-flight league in 2021

TOKYO (Reuters) - The Japan Football Association (JFA) announced plans on Wednesday for a new women's club competition known as the WE League, with the acronym standing for 'Women's Empowerment'.

The JFA, who are bidding to host the 2023 Women's World Cup, said the round robin competition will begin in autumn 2021 with the participating teams to be announced later this year.

There will be between 6-10 teams competing with no relegation from the top tier for 'several years' but there will be promotion from lower levels, the JFA added in a statement.

The WE League will become Japan's top-flight, above the already established Nadeshiko League.

"The purpose of the launch of the new league is not just the development of women's football in Japan," JFA President Kozo Tashima said in a statement.

"Our aim is to contribute to build a sustainable society through promoting female social participation and enhancing diversities and choices."

"How we contribute to the society through sports is an important mission for all of us in the sports world," he added.

"We will work on to establish the career of women's professional football, which is the dream of many girls, and further promote women's empowerment and solve social issues."

The JFA also stipulated that at least one executive per club must be a woman, while females must account for at least half the employees at each team within three years.

Japan is competing to host the 2023 Women's World Cup against bids from Australia/New Zealand, Brazil and Colombia.

FIFA will announce the tournament hosts on June 25.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-japan-womens/japan-to-launch-new-womens-empowerment-top-flight-league-in-2021-idUKKBN23A1WU

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Taça da Alemanha:

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USWNT's Rapinoe won't compete in NWSL tournament

Megan Rapinoe will not participate in the upcoming NWSL Challenge Cup, according to OL Reign coach Farid Benstiti.

Benstiti told the French publication Le Progres that Rapinoe will not be part of the Reign roster for the tournament.

Her absence leaves the NWSL without one of its biggest stars as it attempts to become the first team sports league in the United States to resume games.

"It's a shame," Benstiti told Le Progres. "I understand her motivations but I'm disappointed and frustrated that she won't be with us to take part in the tournament. Megan is important for the group and we would've been able to create something really important with the club if she joined the group.

"The team and women's football are going to miss her a lot."

OL Reign plays its first game in the tournament on June 30 against Sky Blue FC.

The NWSL announced at the end of May that it will return to competition with the monthlong tournament in Utah. All games will be played in the Salt Lake City area, with players and staff housed in what the league described as a self-contained "village" of hotels and apartments near the facilities.

The league stressed that the decision whether to participate is each individual player's, and those who do not participate will be paid their full salaries. U.S. Soccer also confirmed the same was true for national team players whose NWSL salaries are paid directly by the federation.

While most coaches and owners who have spoken publicly have expressed full support for players, Benstiti's comments are among the first to express any displeasure with a player electing not to participate. Benstiti is in his first year as OL Reign coach after taking over for new U.S. women's national team coach Vlatko Andonovski. He previously coached in Europe, most notably with Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain.

Reign CEO Bill Predmore said last week that the organization would try to answer any questions players had about the tournament setup.

"Every player has a choice to make for herself; we're not forcing a timeline on that," Predmore said. "If for whatever reason they're not comfortable, we'll be supportive of their decision."

In addition to concerns about the coronavirus, almost all of the tournament's games will be played on artificial turf. A team could play as many as seven games in the span of a month in Utah despite players being largely unable to train under game conditions since March.

Specifically with regard to Rapinoe, Predmore said last week that the two had been in communication as details of the tournament were worked out.

"If she chooses not to play, that's her right to do so," he said.

Rapinoe, 34, is the reigning Ballon d'Or winner and won the Golden Ball as the best player in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.

She will co-host a virtual edition of The ESPYS on June 21 along with Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/ol-reign/story/4106308/uswnts-rapinoe-wont-compete-in-nwsl-tournament