15
Apr, 2020
It’s an incredible honor for a club when a player makes it to the next level. It is even more special when two players end up at the same professional club in arguably the world’s top women’s league.
This is exactly what happened with Emily Ogle and Christen Westphal, who currently are teammates at Portland Thorns FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
Ogle was selected by Thorns FC in the third round of the 2019 NWSL College Draft after a decorated career at Penn State University. In four seasons at Penn State, Ogle appeared in 100 career matches (all starts), recording 20 goals and 21 assists, while helping lead the team to a national championship in 2015. As a senior in 2018, Ogle started and played 25 games for the Nittany Lions, registering six goals and five assists while earning United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-America, Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, and First Team All-Big Ten accolades. During her career, Ogle was a three-time All-Big Ten pick, was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2014, and earned United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors every season.
As a youth international, Ogle was a nominee for the U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year in 2016, starting in all six matches for the U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Ogle also gained experience with the U.S. U-18s, U-19s, and U-23s.
Thorns FC exercised the 2020 contract option for Ogle back in November.
“I think it's one of the best, if not the best, places for women soccer players to play so I'm excited to be back,” Ogle said. “Hopefully the season will get kicked off soon. The city is great. I love my teammates here. I love the people here. It's always exciting to get back.”
The 2020 campaign will mark Westphal’s fifth season in the NWSL. Westphal was the third overall pick in the 2016 NWSL College Draft selected by the Boston Breakers out of the University of Florida.
Westphal was a standout for the Gators, earning SEC All-Freshman Team (2012), All-SEC Second Team (2012), Soccer America All-Freshman Second Team (2012), All-SEC First Team (2013-2015), SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2015), and All-American (2013 and 2015) honors.
In two seasons with Boston, Westphal made 26 appearances and tallied one goal.
“My first two years in Boston, I would say, I learned the most about style of play, and getting my foot in the door that way, just how it was different from college,” Westphal said.
In 2018, Reign FC selected Westphal in the NWSL Dispersal Draft. During the 2018 and 2019 seasons with Reign FC, Westphal played in a total of 16 matches.
“When I went out to Seattle, I was coming off an injury,” Westphal said. “And I never really had an injury before, even in college, I was pretty lucky. I think learning that and how to be professional about that was important. Then my last year, I would say I just had a very different role than what I would have wanted to have. I learned how to be professional in that sense, always putting the team first and being a good teammate. And knowing the value of that and how much that's crucial in the league as well.”
Thorns FC acquired the rights to Westphal in a trade in January. While their paths to the pro ranks have certainly been different, the duo share something in common. That would be their Northeast Ohio roots and Internationals SC.
“It all started with Internationals,” Ogle said. “I think that's really where things took off, where I really found by myself as a player, and I really learned to love the game. I'm so thankful for Keri Sarver, Zdravko (Popovic), and all of my coaches that I had there because they challenged me as not only as a player but also as a person. I kind of grew into the person that I am today there. And that was really my foundation to then move on to the next level.”
Westphal was quick to praise the influence of Popovic on her career.
“I got to Internationals at a pretty young age and Zdravko just honestly invested in me in a way that I'm beyond grateful for,” Westphal said. “I remember when I was in high school, I would go before school at like 6:00 am and he would be there. My best friend from high school and I would go and train with him. He just wanted me to be the best player and person that I could be. And he did that consistently and he just pushed us. He's easily one of the most influential people in my soccer career. It's hard to honestly just put in a small little sentence, but he just went above and beyond and invested in me as a person and my career and that's been huge.”
The pair are a few years apart in age, but they still found opportunities to train and play together at ISC.
“I first met Christen when I was maybe 13 or 14,” Ogle said. “She was a couple years older, and I got to play on their team a few times. And so ever since I first met her, I have admired her as a person and a player. And so being able to get to know her and having that familiar face as someone that I grew up with is awesome. She's still the same, the same great person that she is right now. Just being around her and having that sense of home has been really awesome.”
“I think it's awesome because she would come train with us,” Westphal said. “She's a few years younger and she always did so well. And even though I was older, I always was inspired by who she was at such a young age and by her dedication. We even used to go to this futsal class together and she was so good with her feet. She is someone that I looked up to as well even though she was younger than me. I think it's pretty cool that we've had these completely separate journeys, but have ended back on the same team and we'll have an opportunity to play together.”
Internationals SC Club and ECNL Director Keri Sarver has been quite impressed with what both players have accomplished at the next level.
"Ogle and Westphal both had the ‘IT’ factor which was apparent during their years with our club,” Sarver said. “Their competitiveness, training habits, daily pursuit of excellence, coupled with raw talent and nurtured in a competitive development-focused club environment, elevated them above and beyond their peers.”
“We have enjoyed following their soccer journeys and have been able to take our teams to see both of them play in the NWSL during the past couple years,” Sarver continued. “What amazing role models they are for our current generation of players! Two great examples of how hard work, perseverance, commitment to individual goals, and being a good person can make such a positive impact. Our players were thrilled when Emily addressed our club through social media a few weeks ago. For our young players to see and hear a professional, and one of our own, who is experiencing same challenges that they are living through during the suspension of sport was highly inspirational.”
Both players had impressive collegiate careers and benefited from the experience at the Division I level.
“At Penn State I had some of the greatest coaches that I've ever met,” Ogle said. “I had Erica Dambach, Ann Cook, and Tim Wassell. They are all phenomenal coaches and people. And so that was kind of just a building block upon Internationals where they helped me grow my game and understand the game more. They helped challenge me as a player and as a person. I loved my time at Penn State. It was some of my best years, being able to meet the people that I did, be teammates with the people that I did, and just learn life lessons with these amazing people. I definitely would not be the player or person that I am today without Internationals and Penn State.”
“My coaches always held me to a really high standard, which allowed me to hold myself to a really high standard. And they always found different ways to push me. They always challenged me to get better at something and always had me striving for more. I think instilling that in me was something that definitely helped me going into the league, having that mentality of always wanting to get better and being coachable and being adaptable. I would definitely credit a lot of that to my coaches down at UF.”
Both were willing to share some advice for the next generation, knowing that younger players can benefit from their experiences.
“I would tell them to keep working hard,” Ogle said. “That you have to put in the work, you have to put in the hours, and to keep enjoying and growing their love for the game. It's something that can be difficult and challenging at times. But when you love the game, it's all worth it in the end. Keep studying the game, keep learning, trying to learn new things, study players in your position and put in that work to try to help better your weaknesses and continue to improve your strengths.”
“I think it's crucial what you do outside of practice when nobody's watching, and also to always make sure that you love the game, and that that's the reason you're doing it and not from like outside pressure, that it's something that you want to do,” Westphal said. “And if you can put your whole heart into it, then you really can get to where you want to go. I would just say make sure you do it for the love of the game and put in the hard work off the field.”
In the end, both Ogle and Westphal have put in the hard work and are now enjoying their time as professional players. Many people believe that the future is very bright for the duo, including Thorns FC head coach Mark Parsons.
“Emily was really committed to the process last year in her first season, and as a result the growth was significant,” Parsons said. “At the end of the season, she was pushing in to the starting lineup and was rewarded with a start in the last regular-season game. I am positive that Emily can continue her development and as a result help the team on and off the field. I am excited to welcome Christen to Portland and believe her mindset is in a great place with wanting to give everything for herself and for the team. First step this year is to get Christen back to doing the things she is very good and she is very committed to that process.”
Parsons also praised the pair’s skill set and ability.
“Emily and Christen both are similar in the sense they are intelligent players that know how to read the game and help others around them,” Parsons added. “Both are very technical, have good positional and spatial awareness, which leads to effective decision making. I see Emily being a midfielder that can help a team dictate the tempo of a game when in possession. Christen is a very versatile player that can bring a calmness and ability when playing out of the back.”
It’s special to see Emily Ogle and Christen Westphal both playing on the same team at the highest level of the game, training with and playing against the world’s best players. It’s a great story that will provide inspiration to players from their hometowns of Strongsville and Brecksville and beyond.
Photo Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer, Sam Ortega, and Mike Gridley/ISI Photos