NWSL Week 3

Here we are for the third week of the season. There are two games on Friday and three on Sunday. I will have a coverage gap as I move back home this weekend, so it should all be wrapped up on Monday afternoon. The first game is...

The Western New York Flash hosting the Washington Spirit. Stephanie Labbe and Sabrina D'Angelo protect the nets. Here is the game link. Washington began in the fourth minute with a Diana Matheson goal, set up with a ball into space by Crystal Dunn on the first really good look of the game. Western New York had their first shot in the eighth minute with a distance shot by Samantha Mewis, tipped over the bar by Spirit keeper Labbe. On the corner kick, Elizabeth Eddy shot over the bar as the Flash get a bit of pressure. Abby Dahlkemper broke up a run by Dunn with some solid defense in the tenth minute. The Flash cleared a Christine Nairn free kick with Abby Erceg's boot, after a missed clearance by Jaelene Hinkle. Washington has looked to be more dangerous so far, with a cross from Matheson during the seventeenth minute nearly finding Cheyna Williams. Western New York lost an opportunity when Taylor Smith didn't see the ball land near her, and Ali Krieger cleared things out for the Spirit. Smith looked dangerous again in the twenty-second minute on a Mewis pass, but Shelina Zadorsky and Megan Oyster cut off the center of the box after a heavy touch from Smith. The Spirit tried a slow build in the twenty-fifth minute, but eventually the right side of the Western New York defense finished it. A defensive break-up from Mewis led to Lynn Williams and Smith each getting a shot attempt, but without threatening Labbe. On the counter, Krieger's cross landed on top of D'Angelo's net with the play slightly off target. Washington put on a shooting gallery with the thirty-third minute on Matheson's corner kick, and Dunn, Nairn, Cheyna Williams, Krieger, and others all had shots disrupted in some manner in the chaos in front of D'Angelo. The Flash missed out again as a corner by Hinkle was cleared by Oyster, and then Halimatu Ayinde missed with a high shot while Labbe was out of the play. In the fortieth minute, Lynn Williams drew a foul by Joanna Lohman just outside of the box, a dangerous free kick for the Flash. Dahlkemper took the kick, but Labbe easily saved it. Williams outlasted Oyster a minute later to earn a corner kick for Western New York, and Hinkle had a wide shot after Dahlkemper's service. The Flash have had some strong play near the end of the first half. On another kick, there was a double dummy on Eddy's corner kick, but Dahlkemper's shot came up weak. The best performances of this half for the Flash include DM Mewis, CB Dahlkemper, and forwards Smith and Lynn Williams. The Spirit's best play has been from RB Krieger, CB Oyster, and forwards Dunn and Matheson, as well as their keeper Labbe. Smith came out flying for the Flash in the second half, with a low cross just cut out by the defense. Mewis kept the pressure high for Western New York with a shot deflected for a corner kick, and Dahlkemper's went long, but the ball went back in the box, and a foul on Adriana Leon creates a penalty kick. The Flash saw Mewis step up to take it, and she hit the post, narrowly missing the equalizer. Oyster had an arm-bar on Leon to create the spot kick. Smith went on a deep run in the fifty-first minute on a Dahlkemper outlet, but Smith hit the same post Mewis did earlier, and Labbe grabbed the second shot to preserve the lead again. Dunn had a run stopped pretty firmly by Eddy in the fifty-sixth minute. The Flash had more pressure with a corner kick that saw a shot by Hinkle get deflected by a teammate and out of bounds. Labbe has been particularly strong in this game. Washington saw a break by Matheson, but her chip went over the net in the sixty-fourth minute. The Flash have spent a lot of time in front of Labbe, but another pair of corners ended out-of-bounds, including a Lynn Williams cross that saw Erceg take a wide shot before the Spirit could clear the lines. In the seventieth minute, Hinkle fouled Cheyna Williams in the box, and now Washington has a penalty kick. Matheson converted the penalty kick, making it 2-0 for Washington with the right-middle shot. Smith tried to answer with a cross in the seventy-second minute, but Zadorsky blocked it and Alyssa Kleiner cleared it. The Spirit have taken to chewing up time on the clock at this point. In the eightieth minute, Eddy received a yellow card for a foul on Kleiner. This created a goal in the next minute, where Nairn swerved a ball in, and a Flash player bumped the ball into their own net under the pressure of Katie Stengel, giving the Spirit a 3-0 lead and essentially securing their win. On the other end, Labbe stopped Williams at point-blank range to turn a corner kick out. Washington isn't done yet, as Krieger rocketed an eighty-fifth minute shot just wide. Labbe kept another one out with a kick save against Kristen Hamilton, but the Flash eventually earned a corner kick. The game ended 3-0, with Matheson named Outsider Sports Woman of the Match for her brace, a strong effort from the left forward. Also impressing: RF Dunn, RB Krieger, and GK Labbe for the Spirit, and RB Eddy, CB Dahlkemper, DM Mewis, and forwards Williams and Smith.

Along to Houston, where the Dash welcome Sky Blue FC. Caroline Stanley and Lydia Williams are the keepers. Watch the game here. Houston had a good look in the fourth minute with a Kealia Ohai run, but Erin Simon of Sky Blue shut it down before Ohai could shoot. Sky Blue's first shot came on a Kelley O'Hara strike, but it went wide right from her perspective. The dangerous chances haven't really come quite yet, but the two teams are exchanging chances in the first ten minutes. The Dash saw a cross from Poliana come in, but Rachel Daly couldn't connect, and Stanley put it back in play. Raquel Rodriguez took a shot for Sky Blue in the twelfth minute, but Williams covered it easily. Sky Blue had to use mob defense to stop Chioma Ubogagu in the seventeenth minute. Ohai followed up on the next attack to earn a corner kick off of Erica Skroski. The service in found Daly's head, but Rodriguez got it out of danger. On the following press from Houston, Ohai outran an impressive Christie Rampone to earn another corner kick. Ohai served in the rebound of Andressa's corner, but Poliana just sent it over after Rodriguez again cleared the first attempt. Rodriguez nearly made magic at the other end, but a good stop from Cami Privett kept the Dash out of trouble. In the twenty-second minute, Andressa sent a shot wide as Houston seem to have the upper hand so far. In the twenty-eighth minute, Ubogagu took a shot wide for the Dash after Sky Blue had made forays forward. Andressa made a huge slide tackle stop on O'Hara in the thirtieth minute just outside the box. In the thirty-second minute, Rodriguez fouled Andressa (and not for the first time), and this drew out a yellow card. In the thirty-sixth minute, an Ubogagu cross found Daly, who poked it just wide of Stanley's net on a near moment of brilliance for Houston. Daly tried to return the favor with a through ball to Ubogagu, but the play was ruled rightfully offside and Sky Blue took over to try and apply pressure late in the first half. The first half ended at 0-0. Impressive players mostly came from the Houston side, particularly the outside backs Poliana and Allysha Chapman, the DM Privett, and the attacking trio of forwards of Daly, Ohai, and Ubogagu. On the Sky Blue side, Rampone and Rodriguez did most of the damage, while Ashley Nick and Skroski have contributed decently for a team that's lacked much in attack. In the forty-eighth minute, Ohai put the ball in the net on a rebound from a Daly shot, but the play was called offside and the game remained scoreless after a good Stanley save. The Dash possessed the ball a lot in the early going of the second half. In the fifty-second minute, Ubogagu took a free kick but shot it high after Nick fouled Denise O'Sullivan. Ohai had another shot attempt blocked by Skroski in the fifty-fifth minute. On the counter, Ellie Brush stuffed an O'Hara surge forward. In the fifty-ninth minute, Ohai served one in to Daly, but she missed wide right as the goals have yet to come. On the next attack, O'Sullivan received the ball but shot high. Andressa took a shot in the sixty-first minute from distance, which Stanley bobbled but stopped. In the seventieth minute, Daly had another brilliant shot, passed from Poliana, stopped by Stanley as the game remains scoreless. The ensuing corner was grabbed by Stanley. Sky Blue has pressed forward a bit more since the seventy-fifth minute, but the Dash's back line has held solid, with CB Brush being particularly impressive in breaking things up. Houston had another attempt on a Poliana cross to Ubogagu, but Simon threw Ubogagu off the ball cleanly. In the eighty-sixth minute, O'Sullivan cranked out a shot, but Stanley pulled it in with a small jump to preserve a scoreless line. In the eighty-eighth minute, a foul by Sarah Killion on Daly allowed Andressa to take a free kick, but it went high as well. The Dash have totally dominated this game. In the ninetieth minute, Brush shot off a corner kick by Andressa, and Simon chested it away off the line. In stoppage time, Brush got called for a foul just outside the box, giving Sky Blue one more chance, which O'Hara shot high and wide, allowing the game to end 0-0. Impressing in the second half, Sky Blue GK Stanley, and Dash ACM O'Sullivan and CB Brush, to complement the first half starring players. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match is Daly for having two of the best shots in the game.

On Sunday, the first of three games sees the Boston Breakers host the Portland Thorns. Adrianna Franch and Abby Smith are the keepers. Watch the game here. The first five minutes or so were played almost exclusively in the midfield, a battle of the wingers and outside backs mostly. The first half-chance came on a cross by Dagny Brynjarsdottir, but that was blocked partially by Mollie Pathman and picked up by Smith. Louise Schillgard had a counter cross for Kyah Simon in the eighth minute, but Meghan Klingenberg cleared it up. Boston saw Kristie Mewis pass to an offside Stephanie McCaffrey in the ninth minute as the offenses warmed to the game a bit. Tobin Heath had a long shot in the tenth minute, grabbed out of the air by Smith even as it might have gone wide. In the thirteenth minute, Allie Long fouled McCall Zerboni, but the free kick from Angela Salem went a bit long, and the Breakers couldn't produce anything. On the next attack, McCaffrey had a shot go wide of Franch as Boston currently has a bit of an advantage in possession. In the sixteenth minute, the Thorns had a play offside that looked to be developing pretty well up to that point. McCaffrey crossed in to Simon a minute later, but the header didn't quite connect. In the twentieth minute, a Klingenberg cross was stopped by Smith before Nadia Nadim could strike as Portland made an attack forward. The Breakers had Julie King block a Nadim attempt on the Thorns' next effort in the twenty-second minute. In the twenty-fourth minute, Heath and Zerboni met up, with the Breakers defensive midfielder stifling the Thorns attack. A bad Franch clearance nearly allowed something for Boston, but McCaffrey didn't have anything big on her service. Mewis has gotten a bit chippy around the half-hour mark. The score remains 0-0 at this point. In the thirty-fourth minute, Meleana Shim had a tough foul against Salem, but avoided a card. A foul in the thirty-seventh minute from Schillgard on Heath eventually earned a yellow card in the midfield. Still, the game has settled in with a lot of exchanges in the midfield. Neither goalie has been tested, and technically, Lindsey Horan's shot stopped by Smith didn't count when the play was ruled offside after the free kick. In the thirty-ninth minute, a cross from Klingenberg saw Dagny get hit by Smith in the air on the challenge. Mewis just missed over the crossbar in the forty-first minute as the Breakers look to open things up. Nadim almost had a chance in the forty-fourth minute, but Smith covered the heavy touch. The game stood at a scoreless mark at halftime, with the Breakers seeing good efforts from GK Smith, LB Pathman, DM Zerboni, LW Schillgard, and RF McCaffrey, while the Thorns have seen the best from LB Klingenberg, RB Katherine Reynolds (she's advanced forward well and shut down a potent left side from Boston), DCM Long, RW Dagny, and Striker Nadim. The second half started a lot like the first, although with a bit more range from both sides. Long did well to block out McCaffrey in a forty-seventh minute attack for the Breakers. For Boston's first corner kick in the forty-ninth minute, Salem served in a low ball, and McCaffrey took a shot off the bar to nearly make something out of nothing. On the counter, Whitney Engen broke up a Heath cross that was headed along by Horan. The game opened up a bit, with Mewis taken off the ball well by Emily Menges in the fifty-first minute. Franch cut off a cross from McCaffrey toward Simon in the fifty-second minute. In the fifty-sixth minute, Heath had a hard run and a back-heel chip effort both get stopped by Smith. The Thorns carried momentum around the hour mark. In the sixty-second minute, Portland's Shim had a decent shot go wide right. Klingenberg had a rocket shot saved by Smith in the sixty-fourth minute, and the corner from Heath went straight to Smith to relieve the pressure. In the sixty-eighth minute, Klingenberg's cross saw both Horan and Dagny take a try, but it went out with Smith holding strong in the box. Horan and Simon had a bit of physicality in the seventy-first minute, but no cards were assessed. Boston had a good chance on a Julie King header on a pass from Schillgard, but Franch made a strong save on the play. In the seventy-eighth minute, King took a yellow card for her foul on Klingenberg. On the free kick from Heath after the foul, Dagny scored on a header to Smith's right for a 1-0 Portland lead. Boston replied with immediate pressure to try for an equalizer. Zerboni and Kassey Kallman both had shots against Franch, but both were stopped. Heath nearly set up Raso, but Smtih got their first, sending Raso flying a bit. Zerboni had a long shot go high and wide in the eighty-third minute for the Breakers. In the eighty-seventh minute, Smith was tested again on Heath's sharp shot, and caught it for a solid save. In the ninetieth minute, Brittany Ratcliffe of the Breakers took a yellow card for her foul, coming after Mewis challenged Franch with the shot. The Thorns took the win at 1-0. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match was Dagny for her goal. Other strong efforts came from LW Heath, LB Klingenberg, and DCM Long for the Thorns, and DM Zerboni, LW Schillgard, and GK Smith.

An hour later, the Chicago Red Stars kicked off their game with the visiting Orlando Pride. Ashlyn Harris and Alyssa Naeher are the national team backups in goal. Find the game at the link. The first five minutes didn't produce any dangerous chances. In the ninth minute, Lianne Sanderson had an attempt turned away by Katie Naughton. A cross by Maddy Evans forced Naeher to step up and claim it as Orlando has had some pressure moving forward. Naughton again made a defensive play against Alex Morgan in the eleventh minute. In the thirteenth minute, Chicago had a good chance when Sofia Huerta played in to Christen Press at the top of the box, but Harris stopped it with a commanding save. The Red Stars maintained pressure to gain a corner kick, and the service from Danielle Colaprico didn't do anything. Morgan countered for the Pride, but Arin Gilliland stopped the rush to create a corner by Sanderson, cleared by Press. Casey Short tried to trigger the Red Stars attack, but Josee Belanger made a strong defensive stop in the fifteenth minute. Kristen Edmonds of Orlando turned the play into a shot that Naeher made a big stop on. Morgan and Gilliland had another meeting in the twenty-sixth minute, which Gilliland won as a corner that Sanderson couldn't make anything of. Sarah Hagen had a decent cross attempt toward the left side, but it came up short of Edmonds, and Naeher received the ball from her defense to clear it. The Pride have had a lot of possession and pressure, but not many true attacking chances to show for it, opting to pass around much of the half so far. In the thirty-second minute, Belanger sent a cross into Hagen, but the header went at Naeher for the save to keep things scoreless. Hagen later had a cross in to Morgan, but the latter fouled Alyssa Mautz as the Red Stars defense continues to hold strong under the barrage. In the thirty-sixth minute, Mautz was caught offside when Huerta sent a ball her way in one of the few forays forward for Chicago. In the thirty-seventh minute, Jen Hoy did some work in the box before crossing to Mautz, but the cross went too high and over the midfielder's head. In the thirty-ninth minute, Press fired a shot high as Chicago has taken over a bit on offense. In the fortieth minute, Evans took a yellow card for her foul on Sam Johnson. Hoy made a run forward in the forty-third minute, but Laura Alleway shut down the break. Kaylyn Kyle cleared the ensuing corner kick from Colaprico after Short couldn't make anything of it. Chicago continued to pressure, with Gilliland connecting with Press, only to be saved by Harris. In the scoreless first half, the Pride had great performances from Belanger, Edmonds, Sanderson, and Morgan. The Red Stars had the best efforts from Naughton, Gilliland, Press, and Huerta. Hagen had the first good chance of the second half in the forty-seventh minute, but Naeher made the stop on the headed chance. In the fifty-sixth minute, Amanda DaCosta, with Harris again coming up with a big save to preserve the scoreless status of the game. Orlando had a bit of pressure as Sanderson took a shot, but Johnson turned it away for a corner, which created a flurry of activity and another Pride corner. Morgan pulled the shot wide right this time, allowing the Red Stars to turn up the field. Press had the ball, but Edmonds took it away from her to destroy a decent Chicago chance. Morgan tried to get a shot going for Orlando, but Johnson and Naughton shut it down. In the sixty-third minute, Sanderson's cross was turned up field by Gilliland, and later Gilliland blocked a Morgan shot. In the sixty-fourth minute, the Red Stars finally broke the Pride resistance, as a free kick from Colaprico found Press, who slotted it left of Harris for the 1-0 lead. Chicago had a shot from Gilliland in the seventieth minute swallowed up by Pride keeper Harris. Orlando's dangerous sub Jasmyne Spencer had a shot picked up by Naeher in the seventy-seventh minute, with the shot being a bit weak and wide. In the seventy-eighth minute, Chicago saw a good sequence shut down when Huerta's shot was blocked by Kyle. On the corner kick, Colaprico's service saw a Short header just punched out by Harris to keep it 1-0. Huerta made a late push forward in the eighty-third minute, but Alleway had the block to prevent a real shot. The Pride applied late pressure, but the Red Stars defense held strong in the final ten regulation minutes to keep their lead intact. In stoppage time, Edmonds had a big cross in front of Naeher's net, but Spencer couldn't connect with it. The Pride had the final kick, with Alleway serving the ball over the bar on a free kick. The final stood at 1-0 for the Red Stars, with Press named as Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. Other good efforts came from RB Gilliland, CB Naughton, DM Colaprico, and LF Huerta for Chicago, as well as Orlando's RB Belanger, RW Edmonds, and GK Harris.

The final game of the week sees the Seattle Reign FC bring in FC Kansas City. Nicole Barnhart and Hope Solo tend the nets. After a long delay due to technical difficulties, the game was published and can be watched here. Kansas City had the first good attempt in the third minute, as Becky Sauerbrunn sent a free kick in to Caroline Kastor, who headed just wide of Solo's goal. The Blues did well early on to limit Seattle's break outs from the back, with the visitors' pressure driving play in their favor. In the eighth minute, a sliding tackle from Jen Buczkowski broke up an attack led by Kim Little of the Reign. In the tenth minute, Manon Melis got around Amanda Frisbie and sent in a cross, but Elli Reed couldn't control it and it went out. The game has lacked a lot of good opportunities on either side, as the defenses hold strong and the midfield has seen most of the ball. On a twenty-first minute free kick, Little served in to Kendall Fletcher, but Brittany Taylor defended well for Kansas City. Kansas City built up well with a pass from Desiree Scott toward Heather O'Reilly, but it went long and the Blues attack was thwarted. The Blues had the first corner kick of the game in the twenty-sixth minute, with service from O'Reilly punched out by Solo. In the twenty-ninth minute, Melis hit a shot pretty high on a one-touch after a clearance by Yael Averbuch. Merritt Mathias got fouled just outside the box by Scott, and Little shot it high to close out a stronger run of Reign possession. Seattle kept pressing with Little passing to Reed, who had a cross just a bit long that went out for a goal kick from Barnhart. Reed had another decent run after receiving the ball from Beverly Yanez, but she got taken down at the edge of the penalty area from a clean tackle. The Blues pressed a bit in the fortieth minute, with Laddish and O'Reilly challenging and getting stopped by Rachel Corsie and Lauren Barnes. Erika Tymrak sent in the first of two corner kicks, punched back over the bar by Solo, and the second one resulted in O'Reilly being called offside to relieve the pressure for Seattle. The game, featuring few chances, went into halftime at 0-0. The Reign had their best efforts from CB Corsie, AM Little, RF Melis, and LF Reed, while the Blues saw great efforts from RB Taylor, LW O'Reilly, and Striker Kastor. Melis had the first good chance of the second half, shooting into the wrong side of the side netting after being played in by Little. Seattle kept pressing as Keelin Winters sent Mathias out wide, and her cross deflected to earn a corner kick, which went long and out after a header attempt on the service from Little. In the fifty-sixth minute, Little scored on a buildup by Mathias, which forced Barnhart out of her position. Mathias sent the ball back in, and failed clearance by Frisbie allowed Little to strike and make it 1-0 for the Reign. Seattle kept the pressure high, including a corner by Barnes in the fifty-ninth minute that went over Yanez. They stayed in the zone, but Mathias was called offside, allowing Kansas City to break out. Mathias finally got a chance to shoot in the sixty-first minute, but it went high. Blues substitute Fran Silva had a press forward stopped by Little. In the sixty-sixth minute, Little had another good shot saved by Barnhart, and Little's corner kick was eventually cleared out. In the sixty-ninth minute, O'Reilly came up the right side and shot on goal, which Solo punched out for a corner. Frisbie's corner kick settled in the box but Seattle safely cleared. In the seventy-second minute, Alexa Newfield drew a foul by Melis outside of the Reign box, giving Kansas City a free kick from a dangerous spot. Melis was down injured, just minutes after Reed was injured previously as the Reign took a few knocks. Averbuch took the kick, and put it in the outside of the side netting, leaving the score at 1-0. Seattle had pressure in the seventy-sixth minute, where Carson Pickett tried to get one to Corsie, only to see Sauerbrunn break it up, and later clear it as the Reign tried one too many passes. An eightieth minute free kick by O'Reilly was cleared by Lindsay Elston as the Reign continue to bunker down. Little broke up a cross by Taylor in the eighty-third minute, showing her defensive skill. In the eighty-fourth minute, Yanez was fouled by Laddish in the attacking third. Little's free kick went out off of Corsie's head, returning the ball to Kansas City. In stoppage time, Elston had a yellow card for delaying the game. Kansas City didn't find a way to break the Seattle ranks, and the Reign won 1-0. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match was the AM Little, while CB Corsie and RF Melis also starred for the Reign. The Blues only saw good efforts from CB Averbuch, RB Taylor, and LW O'Reilly in a very tight, defensive game.

Outsider Sports Best XI - Week 3
GK Stephanie Labbe
RB Josee Belanger
CB Katie Naughton
CB Rachel Corsie
LB Meghan Klingenberg
DM Samantha Mewis
RW Dagny Brynjarsdottir
LW Kim Little
RF Rachel Daly
Striker Christen Press
LF Diana Matheson

Sorry about the delay in posting. I have no control over the technical difficulties that may arise in the broadcasts. While my coverage of other leagues is broad and general, I take a thorough look for these games, and without the footage to review, I had to delay. I try to watch as many live as possible, but for the Reign-FCKC game this week, I was unavailable. We'll be back on Saturday with four games. Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.