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acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 7

Interesting. Didn’t they also get to pick up the LA Sol pieces after that team folded. Marta, for example

acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 7

That’s if they care to think it through

The golden balloon seems a UEFA award with whatever other players Europe happen to notice

For woso, FIFA’s the Best award has a track record of being a global award and valuing woso

Golden balloon first ignored then disrespected and only now care about woso

acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 5

Ahh, release clause!

That makes sense

I hope they backloaded any raise so her 2026 salary doesn’t increase much and only increases meaningfully in 2027

We need the salary cap for prime-age players that want to come here

Gisele might stay but AngelCity can’t structure salary cap around her, imho

acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 5

Or just trying to increase their leverage against Chelsea when Gisele wants to go there to join Alyssa soon enough

AngelCity won’t trust Thompson family anymore, imho

acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 5

At least grants AngelCity marginally better negotiating leverage against Chelsea when Gisele’s ready to move and Chelsea want her

Kind of the Thompson family to help out AngelCity like that

Maybe they’ll also choose to not undermine AngelCity in public next time out of the goodness of their hearts

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acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 5

Can’t build around Gisele. She’ll leave once she locks into USWNT rosters, or sooner, whatever she thinks now

I hope new contract’s just for greater negotiating leverage against Chelsea when the time comes

Besides, need to rebuild most of the roster this offseason with big salary prime-age players

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acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 5

Granting AngelCity marginally better negotiating leverage against Chelsea when Gisele is ready to move and Chelsea wants her

Kind of the Thompson family to help out AngelCity like that

Maybe they’ll also choose to not undermine AngelCity in public next time, out of the goodness of their hearts

acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 5

Granting AngelCity marginally better negotiating leverage against Chelsea when Gisele is ready to move and Chelsea wants her

Kind of the Thompson family to help out AngelCity like that

Maybe they’ll also choose to not undermine AngelCity in public next time, out of the goodness of their hearts

acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

That guy has zero influence at AngelCity

acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

As a personal investment for Willow Bay and Bob Iger, and with the potential for Iger being accused of a conflict of interest in his role with Disney, the firewall between AngelCity and Disney would be absolute for Iger, imho

And money wise, I don’t see how Disney money could ever flow to AngelCity

acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

5-year contract…

Betting on a UEFA-based career

Not seeing value playing in NWSL?

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acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

Lynn Biyendolo talked about AngelCity’s plans and vision to improve, new coach, etc. being great, but too late

acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

I’m telling myself the urgency to move now is about the AngelCity rebuild timeline vs Alyssa’s need to impress Emma now before Emma sets her core starters ahead of next year

The quality of the daily training environment at AngelCity vs Chelsea vs USWNT

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acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

For the me the pain comes if NWSL becomes a *USWNT* development league and USWNT rosters/starters/stars are a bunch of UEFA players

acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

No connection to Disney

Willow Bay and Bob Iger bought AngelCity personally

They’re not billionaires

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acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

This would have gone above Parsons’ pay grade, imho

Carmen Bona, Pres of Business for AngelCity, was an exec at United Talent Agency developing their soccer/sports talent business

Bob Iger is Bob Iger

NWSL got involved

This was business

They didn’t need Parsons and wouldn’t need to entrust him

acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

Willow Bay and Bob Iger bought AngelCity personally

They are not billionaires. Net worth closer to $500M than $1B. I think

Disney has no connection to AngelCity

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acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

I think this went above Parsons’ pay grade

AngelCity hired Carmen Bona as their President of Business Operations. Recruited from United Talent Agency where she helped develop their soccer/sport talent arm

Bob Iger is Bob Iger

NWSL got involved, too

acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

That’s the point they all wanted more and would have stepped in to try to get more

This was a negotiation, business

Carmen Bona a literal sport talent executive

Bob Iger is Bob Iger

They didn’t need Parsons, whatever his title

acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

Project has both quality and timeline components

I expect AngelCity being impressive this next transfer window with a coach like Straus, the training center, ownership like Bob Iger

But, I could see Iger observing Chelsea in action and resetting his expectations for his team’s staff and leadership

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acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

Critical to business plans and NWSL business plans

I would guess went to President of Business, Carmen Bona who can from the massive United Talent Agency after developing their soccer/sports talent arm

NWSL also got involved from reports

Fundamentally about entertainment talent, so Iger, too imho

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acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

GM rebuilding a roster and all of soccer operations for 8-9 months

New coach of 3 months

The loss of Alyssa an indictment of the timeline to rebuild, no?

Although yes also a vote of no confidence. but could easily be a decision to not wait, imho

Idk

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acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

I think this went far above Parsons pay grade

acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

And on that level I would say is what about the AngelCity’s rebuild timeline being too late/slow for Alyssa

And in terms of timelines, the current AngelCity FO came in in January, a coach for 3 months, and the next transfer window in January

On the other hand, Alyssa has the January USWNT camp

acdcla.bsky.social @acdcla.bsky.social · Sep 4

True. But structurally it’s because Michelle would not want to leave Current

This was an NWSL-level negotiation, from reporting, with a player who demanded to leave

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