The Wait Is Over

The Fleecing Of A Champion

The North Carolina Courage took a late-morning flight to Washington rather than their normal mid-afternoon one because the six-player trade with the Spirit needed to be finalize by 5pm in order for both teams to have access to their new players for their match on Saturday evening. Lori Lindsey and Becky Sauerbrunn, along with Kelsey, Tori, and Kassey, met the flight at Reagan National Airport. As the Courage entered the terminal, Michaela Hahn saw her former teammates with the Spirit leadership and inquired as to why they were here.

Michaela: Is this a new thing for Spirit opponents, that part of the home team comes to welcome them to town?

Kassey: Not exactly. You see, Paul and Lori have been working on a deal all week and in order to have all the players available for tomorrow's game, the paperwork has to be in to the league office by the close of business today.

Michaela gave Kassey and Kelsey hugs, happy to see the two of them. Tori walked over to Michaela and offered a hug, which was accepted. Lori, Becky, and Paul walked over to one of the open conference rooms to dot the i's and cross the t's on their transaction. Once that was completed, they came out and asked a person at the information desk where the nearest fax machine was located. Having been pointed in the right direction, Riley went to send the paperwork off to the NWSL offices in Chicago. Becky and Lori returned to their now-former players and waited for Riley to return. No one besides the players in question knew who is going for who. Taylor Smith walked over to Lori and started a conversation with her.

Taylor: Does Jaelene know I'm coming?

Lori: No. Until Paul and I got the paperwork completed, the only people that could know about it were the players involved and the front offices. I'm sure she's going to be surprised to find out you're coming here.

Taylor: I have to really thank you for this. We both have struggled a bit being apart, but never wanted to make it an issue with either of our clubs, believing that our time in National Team camp and the two matches we'd play against one another in NWSL would provide enough together time to get through the season.

Lori: We thought you'd like to be reunited with Jaelene, and since we were playing Cupid by sending a group of players to the Courage who wanted to go together, our position was to see if we could find someone who could help with chemistry on this team. Since almost all of the UCLA girls have been thrown around to the four winds over the past two or three seasons, I'm guessing losing Jae was a huge blow for you.

Taylor: Yes, but it was also losing Katelyn in that deal, since she was my last link in Cary to the rest of our national championship squad. I hope to make a good impression with my new teammates and prove my worth on the field.

Outside of the three Courage players switching teams today, the rest of the travel party headed down to baggage claim. When Paul returned from taking care of business, the two GMs explained to their new players what assistance they'd be given getting re-located to their new cities, knowing that two of the three former Courage players would be leaving for US National Team camp in Portland on Sunday morning. As that was going on, Becky pulled Christina aside to inform her of her new address

Becky: We couldn't pass up getting you in this deal, but having Jaelene already meant we needed to find a place for you that would bring us back a player we could use as well as be somewhere you might want to go. After talking with Gavin Wilkinson in Portland, we were able to make a deal that will send you to the Thorns after tomorrow's games.

Christina: Why Portland? I mean, I like the city and have some fantastic friends there, but what made them the best place?

Becky: They have a long-term need for players at your two positions given their current roster and I thought that having a former college teammate already in Portland would also be a positive for you.