Chicago Red Stars, Racing Louisville strike up big commerce involving Savannah McCaskill, Yuki Nagasato

Racing Louisville FC announced a commerce with Chicago Red Stars on Monday ahead of the 2020 expansion draft.

Chicago Red Stars traded forwards Savannah McCaskill and Japanese international Yuki Nagasato to Louisville in exchange for full roster protection in the upcoming draft in November. The commerce marks a first of its type in NWSL, a public agreement of trading assets for roster protection in an expansion draft. Louisville will also receive an additional international slot for the 2021 and 2022 seasons in addition to the Red Stars’ first-round pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft, No. 5 overall. 

“We are proud to have Savannah and Yūki sign up for our club,” Racing Louisville FC coach Christy Holly said in a observation. “Both players bring a wealth of talent to our association and will be influential off and on the field. We feel that they both possess a combination of starvation and experience that’s instrumental as we lay the foundation to what we feel will be a very exciting and talented team for the 2021 NWSL season and beyond.”

The move will reunite McCaskill with Holly, whom she played for back with Sky Blue FC back in 2018 after being selected via Dispersal Draft from now defunct Boston Breakers. It’ll be only the second one NWSL club for Nagasato who joined the Red Stars back in 2017. 

The announcement gives Louisville a look at its first new players ahead of 2021. Two attacking playmakers being able to create and generate offense. Nagasato, a 2011 World Cup winner with her local Japan and the 2019 NWSL assist leader, played three seasons for the Red Stars. Since 2004, she has suited up for her home country in three World Cups and two Olympic Games, tallying 132 caps and 58 goals for the team.

The 24-year-old McCaskill from Chapin, South Carolina, made 28 appearances for Chicago over the last two years after being acquired back in 2019. She scored two goals and assisted three more all the way through her time in Chicago, including a goal in the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup semifinal. She made her national team debut in January of 2018 all the way through a friendly against Denmark and went on to seem in all three of america’ SheBelieves Cup games. McCaskill has also starred in Australia’s W-League, scoring twice in the championship game while on loan as Sydney FC won the 2019 title. 

The commerce, completed inside the commerce window but revealed days after the NWSL commerce announcement deadline, raises questions approximately future expansion drafts, and the rules ahead of this year’s draft — which have yet to be formally announced. In prior years, expansions drafts allowed teams to give protection to up to two allocated players. A looming task for a Chicago squad that currently has five USWNT allocated players. On a media call, owner Arnim Whisler confirmed there were more than one reasons for the move, some of which included finances among others.

“I think one of the most hardest things to give an explanation for is the number of things that were being traded off,” Whisler said.

“What is the correct mix of players? So, you look at the depth chart. Where we’re strong, where we’re weak — you need to look at the financials, correct? Salaries. You realize salaries matter. Allocated players matter — not just because they are one of the best players on the earth, and they have won World Cups, but because their salary is lower than other players on the roster.

“At the end of the day [we] have to balance a large number of things and commerce off a large number of things to be sure that we retain our fans happy, are in a position to win on the field, stay sustainable, and in a position to administer the losses in women’s pro sports.”

Red Stars coach Rory Dames discussed the move, mentioning the unique details of inquiring approximately protecting the rest of his current squad. By inquiring for protections for larger parts of Chicago’s roster, which currently has several allocated players, Dames used to be in a position to insure their tenure with the Red Stars moving forward.

“We had a conversation with Louisville for probably for two days, then it roughly died down, then it picks back up on Tuesday. And, yeah, when we sent that into the league, we were told it used to be something we could do though, [so] we did.

“Trades are never easy … We certainly did not wish to lose Savannah or Yuki. They have got both been big parts of what we’ve done in the final year and a half. Yuki’s connection to the city, the fan base. Her professionalism has raised standards in our team that I don’t even knew that they existed prior to her being here. So it, it is a loss that will ripple through the group, I’m certain. And then you realize Savannah, particularly after the year she had. It’s tough to to move her on as a result of the growth she showed this year.”

Expansion draft is set to take place on Nov. 12 this year. NWSL commerce window closed on Oct. 22, and safe roster lists are because of the league on Nov. 4, and to be revealed to the public on Nov. 5. 

Sports outline

Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.