NWSL news: Staab suffers season-ending injury, Singer out as Dash GM, and more

NWSL news: Three-time Iron Woman Sam Staab sees season cut short, placed on SEI list for a torn Achilles tendon

When the former fourth overall selection in the 2019 NWSL College Draft Sam Staab needed help to get off the pitch over the weekend in the Summer Cup opener, many of us feared the worst. It's never a good sign when someone goes down with a non-contact injury. The Chicago Red Stars broke the news on Thursday. And it wasn't good. The 27-year-old, who had propelled herself into the USWNT conversation this season, is now out for the remainder of the campaign due to a torn Achilles tendon. She will be placed on the National Women’s Soccer League season-ending injury list.

Chicago dealt for Staab on draft night in January for the third overall selection before inking a three year extension in March, following a five-year tenure with the Washington Spirit. During her time in the nation's capital, the defender earned the prestigious Iron Woman title on three occasions, making her only the fourth player in the league's history to accomplish the feat.

True fans of the NWSL knew she deserved a USWNT call-up long before she actually received one. Staab made her debut off the bench for the Stars and Stripes on June 1 and played all 90 minutes in the second friendly against the Korea Republic three days later.

She also holds the NWSL record for consecutive starts at 105. Nothing was stopping her from making her second successive appearance on the NWSL Best XI First Team. 101 clearances. 90 long passes completed. Both are top two among non-goalkeepers in the NWSL this season.

Her dependability and proficiency in distribution out of the back are unmatched by anyone in the NWSL today. It's a devasting blow for Lorne Donaldson's Red Stars with the club fighting to remain above the playoff cut line. Chicago is currently seventh (7-7-2, 23 points) in the NWSL table, five points above Bay FC in eighth place with 10 matches left.

“We are disheartened to learn the extent of Sam’s injury,” said Richard Feuz, Chicago's GM. “Over her short time with the club, Sam has fully committed herself to her teammates and been a wonderful leader on and off the pitch. As Sam begins the recovery process, we will ensure that we provide the support she needs so she can rest and focus on her health.”

Hannah Anderson and Natalia Kuikka are right now the only healthy center backs on Chicago's roster.

NWSL news: Amid a brutal stretch, the Houston Dash part ways with general manager Alex Singer after nearly two years in the role

Consistency and the Houston Dash have never been synonymous with one another. That statement continued to ring true as Alex Singer was sacked by the club on Thursday - 703 days after taking the job at Octagon, a global agency in sports, entertainment, and culture.

The question remains: who is next to clean up a mess that has been present even before Singer took the job?

Per the club, "the search for a new general manager will begin immediately."

The drama off the pitch has been a constant this season. In April, Maria Sanchez demanded a trade just months after signing an extension with the Dash through 2026. More recently, head coach Fran Alonso has been missing from the sidelines for what the club says is an "illness" since June 27. Is it an "illness" or much more? Who knows but what we do know is that this club desperately needs some stability.

Singer did some positive things, most significantly when it came to hitting on her draft picks and bringing in Tarciane, but the results under her hand-picked coaches speak for themselves. Ahead of 2023, we all had Houston as a postseason contender. Now, all you can say is this club has moved in the wrong direction.

Other than that Challenge Cup triumph in 2020, success has been hard to come by for the Houston Dash. Since Juan Carlos Amorós' successful stint in charge, Houston has looked toothless going forward, scoring 27 goals across the last 38 regular season contests. For context, Kansas City has scored 70 goals over that same stretch.

NWSL news: Noteworthy national and local investors join Portland Thorns FC with its focus on ensuring "strong integration and representation of local voices in club leadership"

The list of well-known investors around the league continues to expand. Less than seven months after the ownership of Portland Thorns FC changed hands, Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal have added six current and former athletes as new investors in the club. Four of these athletes are either residents or natives of the Portland area.

Bryce Young, the current Carolina Panthers quarterback, is among the group put together by Revitate, "an alternative investment platform led by the Bhathals focused on transformative investments into sports, real estate, and consumer brands."

The other investors include Joey Harrington, the ex-Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and Oregon alumnus; the current Cowboy wideout Brandin Cooks; Ashton Eaton and Brianne Theisen-Eaton, two Olympic medalists who both went to Oregon; and Jeremy Ebobisse, the forward for the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer.

“We are thrilled to welcome such an accomplished group of athletes into the Thorns investor group,” said Bhathal Merage. “This is truly a group of champions – both in their respective sports and as leaders in the Portland community.  We are excited and honored to access their talents, insights, and passion as we continue the work needed to build the best women’s soccer club in the world.”

Additional present and former sports figures with ownership stakes in NWSL outfits consist of Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka, Matthew Stafford, Serena Williams, Billie Jean King, Abby Wambach, Tim Howard, and James Harden, to name just a few.