The Reign announced today that they're bringing back forward Beverly Goebel for the 2015 season. That's another bit of promising news as the team builds up to Friday's amateur draft.

Amid the high profile signings in the lead-up to last season, Goebel slipped under the radar as a sort of bonus prize from INAC Kobe Leonessa, the team from which the Reign loaned Naho Kawasumi. But she wasn't under the radar long, as she brought size, skill, and versatility to the front line and would go on to the be the only player to appear in all 24 regular season matches. Goebel finished the season second on the team in shots taken and tied for third in goals with five.

She re-joins an attack that led the league in scoring by a mile and is expected to return at least Megan Rapinoe and Sydney Leroux as well.

Here's the full release from the team:

REIGN FC SIGN FORWARD BEVERLY YANEZ

SEATTLE (January 13, 2015) – Seattle Reign FC announced today that the club has signed forward Bev Yanez (née Goebel) for the 2015 season. Per team and league policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

“Bringing Bev back to Seattle was one of our primary goals of the offseason,” said Reign FC general manager and head coach Laura Harvey. “Bev was a critical part of our squad last season and we expect her to be a focal point of our attack in 2015.”

In December 2013, Yanez joined Reign FC on loan from INAC Kobe Leonessa for the second season of the National Women’s Soccer League. During the 2014 regular season Yanez played in 24 matches, starting 21. Bev played 1736 minutes in 2014, picking up five goals and four assists over that span.

"I want to thank INAC for the past two and a half seasons. It was a wonderful place for me to develop my technical and tactical side of the game. I am grateful for the opportunity to play for a world class organization with world class players,” Reign FC forward Bev Yanez said. “During my loan to Seattle, I thoroughly enjoyed myself on and off the field. The style of soccer Seattle implements is definitely something I want to be a part of. I am looking forward to moving from one world-class organization to another and continuing the next chapter of my career with Reign FC and the talented squad they have put together."

Reign FC will open the 2015 season at home on Sunday, April 12 against Abby Wambach and the Western New York Flash. Season ticket packages for Seattle's upcoming season start at just $195. Fans looking to purchase tickets can call (855) REIGN-FC or visit ReignFC.com today.

(sounderatheart.com)

The Reign make two moves in one day. . sending Liz Bogus to Kansas City for draft picks and signing an American attacker on loan from a Japanese powerhouse.

In the second move of the last few hours, the Reign have signed American attacking midfielder-slash-forward Beverly Goebel — who currentlyy plays for Japanese powerhouse INAC Kobe Leonessa — on loan. In WPS, Goebel played for Western New York during their 2011 championship year. After the league collapsed she joined Kobe, who are a dominant force in the Japanese league and international club play. They won the domestic Nadeshiko league in 2013 (for the third year in a row) by 10 points, with Goebel winning the league Golden Boot.

In international play, last season they were the runners-up in the IWCC (which is more or less an invitational Club World Cup for the women) and yesterday they beat Colo-Colo 3-0 in the semifinals of the 2013 edition with Goebel scoring their first goal. They face Chelsea in the final on Sunday.

Goebel will join the league at the same time as Kobe teammate and fellow American Rebecca Moros, after the Reign dealt Moros' rights to Portland (along with Jess McDonald) for Danielle Foxhoven last week (yeah, they've been that busy). So among other things it's good to see the diaspora of American players who left after the WPS collapse coming back to join NWSL after it's proven itself for a year.

On the field for Seattle, Goebel should be expected to play in the attacking midfield behind Sydney Leroux in a line with Kim Little and (eventually) Megan Rapinoe, which is. . yeah, it's good. It is an incredible transformation from the limited, cobbled together attack the team had in the 2013 season and coach and GM Laura Harvey should be commended for the relentless series of moves it took to get the team to this point.

That's an attack that doesn't have a lot of room for Liz Bogus, who played forward and winger for the team last season. So it's understandable that in the earlier move of the day she was dealt to Kansas City to move up two places in the draft (from 17th to 15th) and get KC's third round pick in the 2015 draft. That's not a huge amount of value for a player that played 20 games for Seattle last year (mostly as a sub), but it clears room on the roster and on the salary books for an attack that should be dramatically more dangerous than last year's.


(philly.com)

Beverly Goebel-Yanez and INAC Kobe have agreed to terms for her to play for the club in 2013 season. Goebel-Yanez played with the club in 2012 after the suspension of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league on January 30, 2012.

In her 2012 stint with INAC Kobe, Goebel-Yanez was a productive player. Primarily playing as a center-forward, Goebel-Yanez scored 13 goals in 17 competitive matches including 2 goals at the first International Women's Club Championship.

Prior to her time with INAC, Goebel-Yanez, played two seasons in the WPS league with the Washington Freedom in 2010 and Western New York Flash in 2011. Goebel-Yanez was a standout collegiate player for the University of Miami, starting 51 times in 53 games for the Hurricanes.

“I am very excited to re-sign with INAC Kobe for the 2013 season. I learned a lot from the club and players, and for that I am thankful. I not only enjoyed the possession style of soccer, but I have a huge amount of respect for the Japanese culture. It is difficult, at times, being so far away from family and friends, but I truly love the sport and I want to do all I can to continue to improve in as many different aspects of my game, as I can. I hope I am able to positively impact the team this year and I will work my hardest to do so.” said Goebel-Yanez

In regards to the signing, Faudlin Pierre, Goebel-Yanez’s agent said, “I am really proud of Beverly. She has really come a long way in her professional career. INAC Kobe is literally a top five club in women’s football. The team she played with last year boasted of seven Japanese Women National Team players who won the 2011 Women’s World Cup, including 2011 FIFA’s Women’s World Player of the Year, Homare Sawa. Beverly did not only play with some of the best in the world but she played very well. Her signing is a testament of her hard work.”


(womenssoccerunited.com)