USL Feature
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
One of the most important happenings for the W-League in 2012 is the news that longtime W-League coach Charlie Naimo will be back on the bench for the Pali Blues in 2012 after giving up the reigns last year to lead the LA Blues of USL PRO. 
Naimo is among the most accomplished coaches in North American women’s soccer. Between 2004 and 2010 he won three W-League Championships and three Regular Season Championships while leading his teams to an overall regular season record of 89-10-10 during stints with the New Jersey Wildcats, Sky Blue FC and Pali. During the same period, teams coached by Naimo never failed to qualify for the playoffs.
We took the time to get Charlie’s thoughts on a variety of topics as the 2012 W-League season quickly approaches.
USLsoccer.com: First and most important, welcome back to the W-League! Why did you decide to return to coaching the Pali Blues, in addition to your role with the LA Blues of USL PRO?
NAIMO: I look at the Blues as a complete club and wanted to oversee what was going on both sides. I relocated here for Pali, it is special to me, so getting back the trophy is important two years removed from the Final Four. At the same time, I felt we were incredibly close to a tremendous season last year with the men. The answer was to surround myself with great staff and go for it.
USLsoccer.com: Are you worried about the strain of double duty between the two teams? Will assistant coaches play a larger role for both teams?
NAIMO: As I said, I feel we have great staff in place, without them this would not be possible. I am more of a manager type with the men while Shayon Jalayer runs much of training. We train both teams the same way so using the same curriculum makes it easier.
USLsoccer.com: This is a huge season for the W-League, which will receive a greater amount of national attention following the suspension of the WPS season. What do you hope this added attention will do for the W-League?
NAIMO: I have been fortunate to get a look at women’s professional soccer from almost every angle. When I take what I have seen there and add what I know the USL can provide, I can see the potential for an extremely successful professional league. It is the only league out there that can have a turn-key Western Conference, in my opinion.
USLsoccer.com: Several current U.S. Women’s National team players have already signed with W-League teams for 2012. What makes the W-League a good fit for those players?
NAIMO: The league is a good fit because the teams can provide a flexible and additional platform for these players to promote the game and train on their breaks from the U.S. Women’s National Team.
USLsoccer.com: You’ve announced the signings of W-League and WPS veterans such as Sarah Huffman and Liz Bogus. Are you expecting to make any more high-profile signings before the season starts?
NAIMO: Yes, there will be more in the next couple days. And yes, we have been speaking closely with a handful of USWNT players in theory to devise a plan on how they will be used. Some of the players in that pool really want to play 90-minute games on the break because they may not get the minutes in camps, while others require more rest. While we want to create a great win-win situation for both club and player we also want to assist in capturing another gold for the United States.
USLsoccer.com: In your opinion, who are the teams to beat in the W-League this season?
NAIMO: Good question. You never know who will be the surprise teams this year, but I have to say as a conference I think the West looks extremely tough. Obviously Seattle has put the bullseye on its back and we are looking forward to playing them with all the USWNT players on June 20th but we will respect every opponent equally. I expect us to have a similar bullseye on our back in the next few weeks. We are focused on being the answer to that question as we were in our two championship years
USLsoccer.com: You’ve been around women’s soccer and the W-League for a number of years now, how has the league grown and improved in that time?
NAIMO: I would say the USL always adapts to what the game calls for. I can tell you this. I have seen a big swing in the strength in the West which is special to me because that is where we are and it has been the hardest to grow. Other leagues have lost momentum in the West.
USLsoccer.com: What’s a better season for you, winning the W-League title or helping several of your players progress with their respective college or national teams?
NAIMO: I like to measure our success by the growth of our players. I have been lucky enough to win the championship and regular season championship three times each, so having another trophy is great, but when a player tells us we made a difference it goes further to me nowadays. I have really enjoyed seeing players that have come through my W-League teams play at higher levels like the Women’s World Cup. I think between WPS and W-League I had like 28 players in last summer’s World Cup that I have been blessed to work with in some capacity. That was cool.
USLsoccer.com: The Blues open the season against the LA Strikers on May 13. How eager are you to get out on the field and get started?
NAIMO: I just cannot wait to start training every day with the team that we have built, and are still building. This team is close to being the most talented Pali team yet. I can tell you it will be extremely competitive in-house, but we try our best to make it fun.