Defenders Niki Cross and Alex Singer joined the Washington Spirit in mid June and both have made an immediate impact for their NWSL club after appearing in the Starting XI just days after arriving back in the US.
Both Cross and Singer came to the Spirit following the conclusion of the 2013-2014 Frauen-Bundesliga season. Cross played for Bayern Munich, while Singer played for Turbine Potsdam.
Cross and Singer left the US to play abroad in 2011. Both played for Scandinavian clubs–Cross with Medkila IL in Norway and Singer with Dalsjöfors GoIF in Sweden. “I just wasn’t playing in WPS so for me it was either try a new experience and do something different with my career or sit in the position I was in,” explained Cross. “As an individual and as a player it was probably the best decision for me at the time.”
Singer and Cross both managed to secure contracts with clubs in the prestigious and highly competitive Bundesliga in 2012. Cross signed with Bayern Munich and Singer signed with Turbine Potsdam.
Cross had a successful two year stint with Bayern Munich including a fourth place finish in the league in May. Singer’s club, Turbine Potsdam, finished 10 points ahead of Bayern in third place and narrowly missed out on a Champions League berth.
Despite enjoying their time in the Bundesliga, both Cross and Singer decided to return to the US to play for the Spirit.
“For me I just wanted to come back and be closer to my family and be on the East Coast,” said Cross. “That was something that really persuaded me. It wasn’t that I didn’t like Bayern, it was more of an individual choice to come back. I wanted to play out the end of my career in the US.”
“My contract was ending and I was in a little bit of weird situation because I was injured for so long,” explained Singer. “I actually thought I was getting surgery. It was a revelation when that didn’t happen because I feel so much better. I thought that I wanted to come back here even though I loved playing in Germany and in the Bundesliga. There was a sense of familiarity for me since I played here before and I went to Virginia.”
When asked about differences between the NWSL and the Bundesliga, aside from the obvious differences in technical skill and speed, Cross and Singer noted three primary differences: playing surface, season length, and professionalism.
“All the fields are grass. It is kind of a rule in the Bundesliga that you play on grass,” said Cross. “That is the standard. Also, the season is so much longer. It has its pros and cons. It is a long season and you are training year round, which is great. But you also don’t have the breaks you need sometimes for your body. Spending all year, 11 months, doing this. You put so much time and effort into it, it becomes more and more serious.”
Regarding the professionalism of the league Singer mentioned that “the overall set up and professionalism of the league is there because it works hand in hand with the men’s league–the Bundesliga, the DFB Cup, and even Champions League. So you have that structural stability there.”
Off the pitch both players noted that the composition of the fan base was quite different in Germany. For Bayern Munich, “it was different because the men’s team has immense support,” explained Cross. “There were so many fan clubs that just supported the club in general, not necessarily our team [in particular].”
In contrast, supporters of Turbine Potsdam were focused exclusively on one team. “We had a huge fan base that traveled to every single game with us,” said Singer. “Most games we had more fans than the other team, whether we were home or away. They have such a rich women’s soccer history in Germany. They have been so successful so over the past 40 years and they have gained so many fans that have been there a long time.”
One common element between the supporters of both clubs is the distinctly older demographic attending games. Unlike the crowds in the NWSL that are often dominated by youth soccer players, the fans of both Bayern and Turbine are generally more likely to be older.
When asked about what she thought of the NWSL, Singer said “I am still forming my opinion. From being away for so long, I was so curious as to how I would fit in after playing in other leagues.” Singer also highlighted one aspect where the NWSL may eclipse the Bundesliga–league wide competitiveness. “Any team can win. There have been so many close games or surprises…except Seattle.”
Meanwhile Cross said she thinks the league is doing well for only its second year and has plenty of opportunity to improve. “ I think it has been good so far–and a little crazy. You get very different situations in each club. It is interesting testing out what each team has to offer, what they are good at, and what needs to be improved for the second year. In comparison to Germany where teams have been there for 20 or 30 years, they [the NWSL] aren’t far off and experience is the only way to improve. The nature of beginning something is trial and error.”
Cross and Singer bring a considerable amount of experience to the Spirit back line, which has been shaky at times over the season. Both players noted that their experience in the Bundesliga and the pressure associated with playing in high level matches including Champions League will benefit their new team.
Professionalism, a trait closely associated with the Bundesliga and her club Turbine, is another quality Singer believes she brings to the Spirit. “Over the years, I have learned how to take care of myself, how to prepare on and off the field. I think I am pretty serious, but it’s just because I take what I do seriously even though I love it so much. I think that is because I have been traveling.”
Despite playing abroad for the last three years, Cross and Singer still have a high degree of familiarity with many players on their own team as well as teams across the league, which both note is helpful in preparing for games. “I think that was one of the things I missed most while playing in Germany,” explained Cross. “You weren’t running into old teammates or anything like that. It was always playing a bunch of people you don’t know. It is nice here because you know how players here play because you know them from growing up and playing in previous leagues.”
Looking forward, both players are confident that the team will continue to improve as new players have time to work together than integrate themselves with the team. “The first game was tough,” said Cross. “We had a rough start and a rough formation change and that really killed us against Portland. I think we are learning and coming together as a team. We have Lisa and Kerstin. We have had a lot of things to shake up the team, which is good and bad because it takes time. It is kind of exciting that way for us to come into something different.”
Cross also noted she has been impressed with the second year improvement by her new club. “It is great to come to a team in its second year where there has been such a turnaround,” she pointed out. “It is good to see what Mark has changed with the team. Small changes have made a huge difference.”
As the Spirit battle for a playoff spot both Cross and Singer will play an essential role in helping shut down powerful forwards like Kealia Ohai who the Spirit will face this Thursday and Kelley O’Hara who they will face on Sunday. There is no doubt that the Spirit and their supporters are happy to see both players come back to America and play in the NWSL.