Breakers Acquire Midfielders McCall Zerboni and Sinead Farrelly
In second trade, Breakers sign and trade Dagný Brynjarsdóttir in exchange for No. 20 overall and No. 35 overall picks in the 2016 NWSL College Draft.
Soccer News: The Boston Breakers announced the club has acquired midfielders McCall Zerboni and Sinead Farrelly from Portland Thorns FC in exchange for their first-round (No. 2 overall) and second-round (No. 20 overall) picks in the 2016 National Women’s Soccer League College Draft.
The Breakers also announced the signing of Icelandic international Dagný Brynjarsdóttir and subsequent trade that will send Brynjarsdóttir to Portland. In exchange, Boston receives Portland’s second-round (No. 20 overall) and fourth-round (No. 35 overall) picks in the 2016 NWSL College Draft.
“I am delighted to bring players of such quality to the Breakers,” Boston Breakers general manager Lee Billiard said. “Both McCall and Sinead bring an immediate impact to our roster, not only through their playing ability but also through their professionalism and experience. We are very excited about these additions and welcome them to the Breakers family.”
Zerboni, recently named Portland’s Newcomer of the Year for 2015, started all 18 matches she appeared in this past season, tallying two goals in 1,459 minutes. The 28-year-old San Clemente, California native spent the previous four seasons with the Western New York Flash, where she captained the team for three years and helped guide the Flash to the 2011 Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) title and the 2012 WPSL Elite championship.
“McCall is someone I am very much looking forward to working with,” Boston Breakers head coach Matt Beard said. “She is a box-to-box midfielder who also plays a very important role for the team defensively. She will bring some steel, security, and experience into our midfield.”
Prior to arriving at Western New York, Zerboni played for WPS clubs Atlanta Beat and the Los Angeles Sol, who selected Zerboni with the 47th overall pick in the 2009 WPS Draft after a stellar career at UCLA.
In her seven seasons of professional soccer, Zerboni has started 106 of the 122 games she’s appeared in and has scored 19 goals to go along with seven assists.
Farrelly, 25, was a member of Portland Thorns FC in both 2014 and 2015. In two seasons with the Thorns, Farrelly started 35 of the 36 games she appeared in. She had a breakout year in 2015, scoring two goals and tallying two assists. She was named NWSL Player of the Week in Week 12 after scoring the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory July 3 against Sky Blue FC.
The Havertown, PA native made her NWSL debut in 2013 for FC Kansas City. There, she appeared in 16 games (10 starts) and scored one goal for the Blues. In three NWSL seasons combined, Farrelly has 52 appearances, 45 starts, three goals, and two assists, and has logged 3,851 minutes.
“Sinead is an exciting attacking addition to our roster,” Beard said. “She is an intelligent footballer and will improve our options in midfield and attack.”
Prior to the NWSL, Farrelly played for the WPSL Elite’s New York Fury in 2012. She was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 WPS Draft, selected by the Philadelphia Independence. She scored one goal in 14 games during her rookie season with Philadelphia.
The 2011 University of Virginia grad had a remarkable college career, netting 30 goals and registering 22 assists for the Cavaliers. Farrelly also has experience in the U.S. national team system, having spent time with the U15 through U23 teams.
Brynjarsdóttir, a 5-11 midfielder from Hella, Iceland, won the NCAA Division 1 national championship with Florida State in 2014. She then went on to play for Icelandic club UMF Selfoss in 2014 and with FC Bayern Munich in Germany’s Frauen Bundesliga in 2015.
“She’s a very good player. Unfortunately we could not come to an agreement to bring her to Boston,” Billiard said. “I am glad she is playing in the NWSL.”
With the acquisition of the two selections from Portland, the Breakers now hold the Nos. 12, 20, 22, 32, and 35 picks in the 2016 NWSL College Draft.
Season tickets for 2016 are now on sale and can be purchased by calling 617-945-1704 or by visiting www.breakerstickets.com
