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I was going to do a conventional season preview of my local team but quickly realized I had so many questions that I’d be hard put to say anything coherent. So instead I’m going to ask the questions I’m wondering about, figuring that probably most other people are wondering the same.

1. Where’s the scoring going to come from?

The Spirit have some very promising young forwards in Tiffany McCarty, Caroline Miller, Stephanie Ochs, and Colleen Williams. But are they going to be competitive in a league where other teams have proven forwards like Sydney Leroux, Ella Masar, Lauren Cheney, Christine Sinclair, Alex Morgan, Liz Bogus, Lisa De Vanna, and Abby Wambach? For Washington to succeed, someone’s going to have to have a breakout, Rookie of the Year season along the lines of Wambach in 2002.

2. Does the back line have enough depth?

The Spirit have one of the best defenders in the world in Ali Krieger and arguably the best non-allocated defender in Candace Chapman. Add Robyn Gayle, and you’ve got a solid threesome. But after that you have Kika Toulouse, who despite being a U-23 national teamer couldn’t catch on in WPS. so it remains to be seen whether she can perform at this level. Behind them in the depth chart, there’s only one other defender, rookie Domenica Hodak. After that they have to go to midfielder Tori Huster, who put in significant time on the back line in the preseason due to the absence of the allocated players. So the Spirit are liable to be shorthanded during national team callups or if any of these get injured.

3. Who’s the mystery Europe-based player they have dibs on?

General Manager Chris Hummer says that they have dibs on signing a player currently in a European league, who’ll become available once that season is over. Since he can’t talk to her until she’s out of contract, there are no guarantees, and he’s not naming names, just saying she’s “very very good.” Given the lack of depth on the back line, I’m figuring she’s a defender. But we’ll see. And this leads to a more general question….

4. What is this team going to look like at the end of the season?

This actually encapsulates a whole lot of questions along the lines of #3. Is Natasha Kai going to play for the Spirit? When will Jordan Angeli join them, and what position will she play? Will the allocated Mexican players, Alina Garciamendez and Teresa Worbis, be joining the team eventually? (Worbis is already listed on the roster, which is rather amusing given that she hasn’t been within a thousand miles of the Soccerplex this year.) Will there be some surprise signings once the European leagues are done for the summer?

All in all, the team could look very different at the end of the year than it does now. Imagine a back line of Angeli, Garciamendez, Chapman, and Krieger, backed by 2011 WPS Goalkeeper of the Year Ashlyn Harris. Not a lot of balls are going to get through that.

5. How good a coach is Mike Jorden?

Jorden has an illustrious record as a youth coach, winning 10 Virginia State Cup championships, with at least one at every age group that participates in the competition. But he’s unproven at the senior level, with just two seasons as head coach of the W-League DC United Women. In their first season, a team with some solid names but put together at the last minute failed to make the playoffs. With an improved 2012 roster, they made it to the W-League Final Four but couldn’t muster a win in either of their two matches, coming out ahead on PKs in the consolation match to finish third in the league. Can he come up with defensive schemes to contend with a front line of Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair? Is he going to be as capable as coaches like 99er Cindy (Parlow) Cone, Aaran Lines (3 consecutive championships in three different leagues), or Jim Gabarra (two championships)?

All of this questioning may seem kind of negative, but the bottom line is that it’s going to be a lot of fun finding out. Despite a sometimes frustrating preseason, the team has been entertaining to watch. And even if worse comes to worst, and the team finishes last in the league, that just means they get to take Crystal Dunn in the 2014 draft. Talk about a defensive upgrade!

See you at the ‘plex!

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