I don’t believe it’s pushing the boat out too far to say that 2021 wasn’t a great year for the NWSL. The Washington Spirit’s spectacular Championship win was, however, overshadowed by allegations of abuse throughout the league. Meg Linehan first bought the seedy underbelly of abuse to light with her ground breaking piece in The Athletic.
It wasn’t a great time for anyone. And in a week where sexual abuse again dominates the global soccer landscape, with the stories surrounding Mason Greenwood and Raith Rovers, one could be forgiven for feeling thoroughly depressed by it all.
There is a glimmer of hope, however. Nay, a shining light; in the form of Mana Shim. Shim (alongside Sinead Farrelly) showcased her incredible bravery when speaking out about the heinous acts committed by her former coach, Paul Riley, in that Linehan piece. After taking a break from the game, Shim was a somewhat surprising inclusion as a NRI (non-roster invitee) player on San Diego Wave’s pre-season roster this week.
📸: Mana Shim for Portland Thorns
My god, it’s hard not to root for her, right? I can’t be alone in thinking that. Also this isn’t just a PR move. Shim, and the Wave, mean business.
It’d be rather easy to forget that Mana Shim is a bloody good footballer. Across 82 NWSL, the Honolulu born midfielder chalked up 9 goals and 9 assists for the Portland Thorns and the Houston Dash. So, if Casey Stoney can get the best out of her during this pre-season, there’s every chance we could see her suiting up for San Diego. And wouldn’t that be a marvelous thing?
I think, and here lies the main cusp of my point, women’s soccer needs a story like this. I realise I’m at risk of reducing Shim’s heroics to a narrative. That’s not my intention. But in a sporting world that remains far too ambivalent towards discrimination and misogyny, people need something to route for. That’s just my opinion.
Whilst scrolling through Twitter responses to the Mason Greenwood story this week, there seemed to be a rather disconcerting number of people concerned more about Greenwood’s career than the welfare of the alleged victim.
This has to change. I am self aware enough to realise that I speak from a position of relative privilege as a white male. But and I don’t mind being candid about this in a public forum, as an abuse survivor myself, I can certainly empathise. At least to a degree.
I think it’s important to normalise speaking about abuse and showcasing that there is a way back for victims. If Mana Shim were to re-establish herself in the NWSL, it would be nothing short of homeric.
She will undoubtedly be feeling a tremendous amount of pressure, but she can take comfort in the fact that her actions will provide hope and inspiration to those needing it. And that’s way more important than soccer.
The notion of abusive men working in women’s soccer is a story that has played out far too often, and it cannot be allowed to continue in the same vein. The NWSL lurched from one abuse crisis to another in 2021. We all know it’s time for that to change.
The announcement of a more suitable collective bargaining agreement is certainly a step in the right direction, even if it’s someway off being what it needs to be. In amongst all that the players, the very fabric of the league, continue to showcase their amazing talents.
Maybe, just maybe, Mana Shim can be an even bigger catalyst for positive change than she is even now.
Wouldn’t that be something?
Written by Dan Berridge
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