A Season Of Rebirth

NWSL Matchday One

An off-season that seemed to last forever has ended, with the NWSL just one day away from starting its sixth season. Following their appearance on Lifetime's season preview show filmed at Providence Park, Lindsey Horan and Emily Sonnett met up for dinner with Stephanie McCaffrey of the Chicago Red Stars at Jackrabbit. Lindsey and Steph felt it was necessary for the two of them plus Emily to see one another prior to tomorrow's game so cooler heads may be made to prevail after off-field actions by a a few members of the latter's team and inner circle caused a sizable rift between Lindsey, Emily, and them. Steph chose to bring Sam Johnson with her as both an impartial party and to test-run in front of the other two the new developments in their friendship.

Lindsey (to Steph): Since you are the one who suggested tonight's "clearing of the air", I guess you have a place you wish to start.

Steph: Lindsey, Emily, whatever you may think was behind Sammy (Mewis)'s decision to race to City Hall with Patrick before the end of 2017, it was DEFINITELY not to hurt you or Abby (Dahlkemper) or Kristie (Mewis). Truth was, after seeing what happened at Moe (Brian)'s wedding, she knew if the three or four of you had the opportunity to do that to her, she would first never be able to forgive you and second not be able to go through with marrying her man.

Lindsey: The second part is what we would have wanted ALL ALONG, for her to openly acknowledge what she and Abby had together and walk away from Patrick to pursue it.

Steph: That wasn't going to happen. When Kristie and I went official, rumors began to fly about Sam and Abby and whether they were party to our relationship, with Sam and I engaging on the side as well as Kristie and Abby. You know how media-shy Stretch is, and the constancy of questions in that direction would have been the death of her. Therefore, she kept Abby on the down-low and played up publicly her with Patrick. When you, Emily, Kelley (O'Hara), Danny (Colaprico), Christen (Press), and Cari (Roccaro) went ahead and objected to Moe and Fabrice's being married, it struck Sam as being wrong, that the six of you chose to make a scene on what was supposed to be the happiest day of Morgan's life. Even though EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU, her, and others warned Moe the night before that you'd do so if push came to shove, in that moment she couldn't go ahead and join you. When she saw Julie (Johnston) hadn't joined in either, it gave her a slight bit of backbone to take control of the situation she was in with Patrick and Abby and end the confusion once and for all, believing that she could patch things up with Abby after the fact.

Emily: She was wrong about that, and your desire to back Sam over Kristie's feeling betrayed cost you her. I'm sure Bob and Melissa (Sam and Kristie's parents) will eventually get the two to speak and reconcile, but with K-Mew in Texas away from all three of them, it might not be for a bit. The bigger heart wrench of the off-season was Danny losing Arin (Gilliland), then Moe, before falling for and then being duped by Sofia (Huerta). Thankfully she got out of Chicago and can make a fresh start of her on and off-field life in Seattle.

Steph: Sorry to say this, but Danny NEVER had a chance to win any of those women. Sofia was NOT going to go against her own people and their culture to leave Matt for her, and both Arin and Moe's public spirituality wouldn't allow them to turn back on their decisions to "stay the straight and narrow path" and go through with the weddings. Do I feel bad for her? I do, but a lot of it was her own doing to chase after women she couldn't catch. Having said that, Julie's 180 on Christen was cold, but I get her point that there was too much to risk in leaving Zach and harming her public image in the process.

Emily: You may want to warn your teammates that what happens in the darkness shall be brought to the light, and tomorrow afternoon might be a good time to do so.

Sam Johnson: You're not serious about taking out your anger on them on the field, are you?

Emily: Can't say what will happen, but if an opportunity to deliver a little vigilante justice is available, don't be shocked if I choose to take advantage of it.