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The Boston Breakers have hired Matt Beard, formerly of Liverpool in the FA WSL, as their new head coach. This comes after Tom Durkin stepped down as head coach of the Breakers less than two weeks ago.
News of the hiring first broke on twitter, where it was later confirmed by Jeff Kassouf at The Equalizer.
Hearing strong rumours that Matt Beard, #lfc Liverpool ladies coach, and two-time #WSL winner, is to join Boston Breakers
— Glenn Moore (@GlennMoore7) September 22, 2015
I can confirm this report: Breakers hire coach Matt Beard from Liverpool, 2-time FAWSL champion. Announcement today. https://t.co/Mju678nl40
— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) September 22, 2015
The Breakers are sorely in need of someone who can rebuild the team into one that can at least contend for a playoff spot after two losing seasons in a row. Beard may be that person, even though Liverpool currently sit sixth of eight teams in the FA WSL 1 table.
Beard took over at Liverpool in 2012 after leaving Chelsea. He massively overhauled the squad and took them from the bottom of the table to winning the league two years in a row. That kind of restructuring mindset could be exactly what the Breakers need.
Beard also has some familiarity with American players, as he imported players like Whitney Engen and Amanda DaCosta and currently has Americans Libby Stout and Satara Murray in his squad.
The bar for success is low (current goal: don't finish last), but that's no reason not to be ambitious. If Beard can draft well and perhaps help engineer a few good trades in the offseason, as well as protect key players in the expansion draft when Orlando is added to the league, he would already be three steps ahead of his predecessor.
UPDATE: Beard's hiring is now confirmed by the Breakers.
CLUB ANNOUNCEMENT: Boston Breakers name Matt Beard head coach http://t.co/NpEiK58iQP pic.twitter.com/cHqiVasDdt
— BostonBreakers (@BostonBreakers) September 22, 2015
According to Liverpool's news release, Beard will finish the remainder of the season with Liverpool, including their Champions League campaign.