NWSL Washington Spirit F Crystal Dunn yesterday signed with British club Chelsea LFC, and while it is a "big move for Dunn," it is a "bigger move for the NWSL," according to Caitlin Murray of FOXSPORTS.com. Dunn is the second USWNT star to leave the NWSL this season, joining Orlando Pride F Alex Morgan -- the "most marketable player in the league." While Morgan will "re-join the NWSL in the summer," Dunn "will not be splitting any time with the NWSL." For the NWSL, the "loss of any USWNT players, especially high-profile goal-scorers like Morgan and Dunn, is poised to put at least some pressure on the league’s clubs." The NWSL has "often been somewhat dependent on the star power of USWNT players," who play in the league as part of their U.S. Soccer Federation contracts. While Morgan is an "established superstar, Dunn is more of a rising star and a better representation of the USWNT’s future." She may "not garner the attention of Morgan, but she is exactly the kind of player who has helped the NWSL be the destination for top club play in women’s soccer" (FOXSPORTS.com, 1/3). In DC, Steven Goff notes Dunn was "free to pursue other opportunities after the expiration of her contract" with the USSF, which underwrites the NWSL and "allocates national team members to the 10 teams." Dunn is the first "high-profile American to sign a major deal with a team in the English league, which is a step below the NWSL but, with increased backing from traditional clubs such as Chelsea, is beginning to grow." Her departure is a "setback for both the Spirit and NWSL." Dunn is "not the only American eyeing England." Sources said that FC K.C. MF Heather O’Reilly has "spoken with London-based Arsenal" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/4).
