NWSL Week 5

We're back with another week of NWSL action. The games begin with two Friday matches, beginning with...

Sky Blue FC hosting the Boston Breakers. Libby Stout and Caroline Stanley are in goal. In goalie news, Erin Nayler has replaced Caroline Casey on the Sky Blue roster, while Abby Smith is out for the year for Boston, and Jami Kranich will be the backup now. You can find the game here. Sky Blue made the first penetrating run in the third minute after Boston held midfield possession as Kelley O'Hara set up a cross for Maya Hayes, earning a corner kick. Sarah Killion had a bit on O'Hara's corner kick, and another one went out for a throw in for the Breakers. Boston's Stephanie McCaffrey picked up a loose ball cleared poorly by Stanley, and then Louise Schillgard tried to dance on the end line but took the ball out for Stanley to distribute a goal kick. Stout misplayed a Hayes cross on the other end in the fifth minute, making a scary moment for each keeper. Boston tried to work around the back, but McCall Zerboni's through ball to Julie King didn't work. When the Breakers got the ball back, Kyah Simon had a threatening attack. Erica Skroski broke up Simon's through ball in the ninth minute, as the Breakers have retained possession through good passing and giveaways by Sky Blue. On the other end, Taylor Lytle couldn't get around King, neutralizing another Sky Blue attack. Sky Blue's Natasha Kai settled a ball, but O'Hara's cross ran long. Lytle returned the ball, and Stout grabbed it. Boston nearly got one as McCaffrey and Kristie Mewis tried a give-and-go that got too close to Stanley in the eleventh minute. O'Hara made a good cross that went a bit long away from Lytle, making Stout's job easy as she shielded it out. McCaffrey had a shot in the eighteenth minute that went straight to Stanley after Mollie Pathman served it in and deflected off of O'Hara. Erin Simon has had problems keeping control on the left defensive side for Sky Blue. Pathman had another cross in the twentieth minute, caught by Stanley over the heads of two Breakers players. Kai and King had a collision that left Kai injured in the twenty-third minute, hurting the Sky Blue attack. A cross in from Killion did not find a Sky Blue teammate, namely Kelly Conheeney coming forward toward the Breakers net. Kai did return to the game. O'Hara blocked Kyah Simon off the ball in the box, but no foul was given, and Stanley was allowed to do a goal kick in the twenty-seventh minute. This was a close non-call, but the right decision. Schillgard had a soft shot after Zerboni won the ball from Raquel Rodriguez, and Kyah Simon got the ball to Schillgard at the top left side of the box. Sky Blue countered with Conheeney setting up Kai on the through ball, with Whitney Engen providing pressure and Stout gobbling up the soft shot from Kai. Hayes made a run on her weak side as Sky Blue continues to find their best chances on the counterattack, but Kassey Kallman closed her off cleanly enough to regain possession for the Breakers. In the thirty-fourth minute, Hayes passed to an offside O'Hara, continuing Sky Blue's burst of possession. Erin Simon crossed into Kai in the thirty-fourth minute, but the header wasn't on target. Kai had another chance blocked by the resilient Boston back line. On her next through ball, Hayes was intercepted by Engen. Killion switched fields to find O'Hara in the thirty-seventh minute, and she cut inside to shoot through the defense, which Stout saved. Boston had some good play with McCaffrey, Mewis, and Angela Salem all getting pieces of the play, which was well-defended by Christie Rampone and Skroski. In the forty-first minute, O'Hara's cross deflected off of Kallman, and the bounce went into the Breakers net, giving Sky Blue the 1-0 lead on an own goal. McCaffrey had a shot go over the bar at the end of the forty-second minute after Mewis got it to her. The score was 1-0 at halftime. Impressing for Boston are LB Pathman, LW Schillgard, RW Mewis, and RF McCaffrey. On Sky Blue's side, GK Stanley, RB O'Hara, CB Rampone, DM Killion, AM Hayes, and striker Kai. In the forty-seventh minute, McCaffrey got around Erin Simon but didn't take a good shot, and was saved by Stanley. The Breakers maintained good pressure early in the second half. Rodriguez and King crashed into each other in the fiftieth minute, and Rodriguez did take the worst of it. In the fifty-second minute, Hayes held up play outside the Breakers box, then set up O'Hara for a booming shot going over the bar protected by Stout. Sky Blue kept their attack going with O'Hara crossing in against Pathman, which Stout punched to an open Hayes, who shot high as well. Boston's Mewis took a shot in the fifty-fifth minute that went high. Kyah Simon had a laser shot in the fifty-sixth minute that landed on the top of the net, marking the Breakers' best chance so far. Kyah Simon tracked down a Zerboni through ball in the fifty-eighth minute, but the cross didn't do anything as Simon nutmegged O'Hara to get the ball in the box. In the sixtieth minute, Kai received a yellow card for a foul on Kallman. Erin Simon went one-on-one with McCaffrey and won the ball in the sixty-second minute to keep Sky Blue's goal safe. In the sixty-eighth minute, Mewis charged forward and took a shot, but it was another one going high. Boston kept going with a Katie Schoepfer shot that deflected off both O'Hara and Stanley out for a corner kick. Erin Simon made a save off the line off of Kyah Simon's shot from Mewis' corner kick. Sky Blue fired back with Conheeney shooting just wide in the seventy-first minute, but earning a corner kick as it hit off Stout. O'Hara's corner found Skroski, who headed it to Stout for the save. In the seventy-second minute, Conheeney fouled Kyah Simon, giving the Breakers a dangerous free kick, which Mewis shot wide right on the low shot. Kai had a headed shot go high off of Erin Simon's cross in the seventy-fourth minute. Nikki Stanton, a Sky Blue sub, took a yellow card in the seventy-fifth minute for her foul. Schoepfer took another shot in the seventy-seventh minute, bobbled a bit by Stanley but held. In the eightieth minute, Skroski's clearance landed at the feet of Zerboni, who got tangled with Erin Simon and never got a shot off. Boston's Mewis had a shot again go wide right in the eighty-third minute. Boston will spend much of the rest of the game attacking, as Sky Blue has backed off into a defensive shell. That said, the Breakers didn't get a lot of good shots off. A Breaker went down in the box at the end of the game, but no penalty was called, and Sky Blue earned the 1-0 win. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match is O'Hara, whose cross bounced off of Kallman for the goal. In addition to those mentioned at halftime, LB Erin Simon and AM Schoepfer played well during their second half appearances.

Next up, FC Kansas City welcomes the Chicago Red Stars for a Midwest brawl that doubles as Jen Buczkowski's last professional game. Alyssa Naeher and Nicole Barnhart are the reliable keepers. The game can be viewed here. Kansas City had the first shot of the game, building up the left side through Alex Arlitt, Shea Groom, and then the shot by Brittany Taylor. The game has seen a lot of exchanging in the midfield, but neither team has broken forward well. In the ninth minute, Sam Johnson broke up a Kansas City attack. Danielle Colaprico had a corner kick served in to Amanda Da Costa in the tenth minute. Following that, Chicago's Christen Press challenged Barnhart, and she needed Arlitt to fully clear the ball in the eleventh minute. The Red Stars saw good defense from Casey Short against Heather O'Reilly after Desiree Scott carried the ball forward for the Blues in the fourteenth minute. In the seventeenth minute, Naeher just got a save on Jen Buczkowski after Mandy Laddish had a shot blocked. Groom had a shot go across the face of goal in the eighteenth minute as Kansas City has had the bulk of the play so far. Chicago's Colaprico took a high shot in the twenty-first minute. Press took a shot at Barnhart in the twenty-third minute, as the Red Stars have seen a few shots taken but not much possession. Johnson knocked aside the ball away from Groom as she pressed for the Blues. Kansas City nearly had one with Arlitt crossing into Laddish in the twenty-eighth minute, but Naeher was able to grab it safely. In the twenty-ninth minute, Groom shot wide left as the Blues are back in control. In the thirty-first minute, Katie Naughton and Arin Gilliland tracked back to stop Frances Silva from taking a shot. Press and Sofia Huerta tried to connect in the thirty-third minute, but Becky Sauerbrunn turned the through ball out for a corner kick, which Colaprico sent a bit too long. Press had a shot go long and on goal toward Barnhart in the thirty-fifth minute. O'Reilly made a foray forward, but Naughton shielded her off the ball to earn a goal kick for the Red Stars. Naughton defended well against O'Reilly in the thirty-seventh minute as well, after the Blues made a break that saw Da Costa swing and miss on a shot attempt, shut down by Yael Averbuch. Averbuch also made a good hold-up in the defensive corner, keeping Huerta off the ball. In the thirty-eighth minute, Johnson took a yellow card for a massive hit on Groom. In the forty-fourth minute, Buczkowski had a shot sail wide right. The lack of dangerous shots and fast breaks has created a calm first half. The best players of the half for the Red Stars have been GK Naeher, CB Naughton, LW Da Costa, and LF Press, while the Blues have seen strong efforts out of CB Averbuch, LB Arlitt, DM Buczkowski, LW Silva, and striker Groom. The second half started a bit cagey as well. In the forty-ninth minute, Arlitt's header back into the box hit Alyssa Mautz in the face, causing a delay for a pretty brutal contact. Averbuch had a through ball in on goal that Groom nearly got to, but Naeher covered it before a shot could be taken. In the fifty-third minute, the Red Stars had a couple of shots blocked, including a final rip from Press blocked aside by Averbuch off a cross from Short. A corner kick saw Barnhart fight for it, drop it, and then have Averbuch clear it away from danger in Chicago's best flurry of play. On the other side, Buczkowski had a cross blocked by Mautz, who is alright after the knock she took. Chicago countered with a shot by Press, tipped by Barnhart and then sent out by Taylor. In the fifty-eighth minute, Huerta had a shot go just high after Averbuch pressured her closely. Chicago continued to be strong, seeing Mautz put one on Barnhart's goal but saved. Arlitt and Groom connected in the sixty-second minute, giving the Blues a wonderful scoring chance that just went high on Groom's shot. Mautz looked to have a cross in during the sixty-sixth minute, but Averbuch again turned it away, the latest in a line of great plays from the veteran. In the seventy-first minute, Silva took a shot off the crossbar, set up by Buczkowski and going out, keeping the game scoreless in the closest shot so far. On the next attack, Groom tried a shot-cross and it went over the bar. In the seventy-fourth minute, the Blues nearly had another, as Laddish crossed in to Groom, whose diving header was blocked away by Naeher. Kansas City has been dangerous in recent minutes. In the eightieth minute, Groom charged from box to box, only to get shoved down by Johnson in the box with no foul given. In the eighty-fifth minute, Blues sub Katie Bowen was denied by Naeher's foot on her first professional shot. In the ninetieth minute, Press carved up the Kansas City midfield and back line to shoot toward Barnhart, who made the save on a less-than full power shot. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, with Naeher named the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match for her multiple game-saving stops. No one set themselves apart in the second half relative to the first half.

Onward to Saturday, with the Washington Spirit hosting the Houston Dash. Lydia Williams and Stephanie Labbe guard the woodwork. Here's the link. Alyssa Kleiner made two early runs up the left flank for Washington. Washington had the first shot in the sixth minute from a long range by Christine Nairn, going long. The early part of the game has favored the Spirit so far. Andressa tried a through ball for Houston, but Shelina Zadorsky stopped it. Poliana had a pretty hard foul on Diana Matheson in the twelfth minute, but no booking occurred. Washington had a flurry of activity with passes from Crystal Dunn to Matheson to Nairn and then Ali Krieger, finally broken up by the Dash's Morgan Brian. Dunn wrestled with Becca Moros just outside of the box in the fourteenth minute, but she couldn't put the shot on target. On the next attack, Matheson's cross in was blocked by Brian. Twenty minutes in, the game has calmed down as the Dash have kept the Spirit pretty well pinned in their own half, but Houston has also failed to produce any real crosses or shots. On a counterattack, Nairn chipped in toward goal, but Matheson couldn't catch it, allowing Williams to grab it up. In the twenty-second minute, Andressa set up Brian, who shot over the center of Labbe's goal. Poliana had a good attack in the twenty-fourth minute, standing up Kleiner before feeding in Kealia Ohai, who was offside after a threatening attack. Joanna Lohman had a foul on Andressa in the twenty-fifth minute, allowing a free kick by Andressa that went over Rachel Daly's head. Megan Oyster did well to get Ohai to run just a bit too far on another Houston attack that led to nothing. Nairn had a giveaway in the twenty-ninth minute, leading to a break by Daly, but Oyster again shielded her attacker, Chioma Ubogagu, off the ball to let it roll out for a goal kick by Labbe. Dunn earned a free kick in the thirty-first minute from Brian, allowing a Spirit free kick by Nairn, which was blocked by the wall. Dunn had a cross into Matheson as Washington has regained control, but the touch was heavy, and Allysha Chapman cleared. The Spirit stayed strong, but Poliana made a pair of good blocks as Washington has passed around the top of the box. Nairn had a free kick headed away by Amber Brooks as Houston has done well to weather the attacks. Williams punched out a Krieger cross. Lohman knocked Andressa of the ball, but had it stolen away in turn by Brooks. Chapman served in a thirty-seventh minute cross to Daly, but she headed it wide left. In the thirty-ninth minute, Washington got things started with a Lohman goal, headed in off a Nairn cross, with the secondary assist given to Krieger. Williams had no chance to get to this one, as Lohman knocked it in off the crossbar toward the top left. A ball came in toward Lohman again in the forty-first minute, and this time Poliana cleared out for a corner kick by Matheson, which ran long. Washington saw Cali Farquharson try to get a ball to Dunn, but it was blocked by Cari Roccaro. Roccaro also stalled the last Spirit attack of the half, poking it off of Dunn. The score was 1-0 Washington at the half. Houston's best players of the half are RB Poliana, DCM Brooks, RW Brian, and LW Andressa, while Washington's best are CB Oyster, LB Kleiner, LW Lohman, and RW Nairn. Washington had a shot from Estefania Banini in the forty-eighth minute, going wide right. On the other end, Chapman crossed into an offside Poliana as Houston couldn't quite connect after the corner kick. Banini sent a scoop ball into Nairn, but Chapman was there defensively. Poliana was twice stopped, with a cross knocked out by Oyster and a dribble stalled by Lohman. Kleiner turned away one of Andressa's through ball toward Ohai. Chapman made a block on a fifty-eighth minute shot by Nairn. Krieger passed across to Matheson, whose shot was blocked but fell directly to Lohman, who shot high as the Spirit look to build up on their lead. Kleiner sent a cross in front of the goal in the sixty-second minute, as the Spirit are again controlling possession pretty strongly. Denise O'Sullivan took a shot in the sixty-third minute, with Tori Huster blocking part of it and Labbe taking care of the rest. In the sixty-fifth minute, Kleiner received a yellow card for her foul. Ubogagu had the free kick from that foul, but Labbe caught it over Daly's head. Chapman crossed in a ball in the sixty-seventh minute, with Huster heading out straight at Daly, who shot just wide left. The Dash are now carrying the better of possession in search of an equalizer. On the other side, Banini was just stopped by Roccaro before she could shoot. In the seventy-third minute, Dunn got on a break and took a shot, but was saved by Williams. In the seventy-fourth minute, Dunn got an even better chance, shooting off a Banini through ball that Williams punched over the bar from the close-range shot. Nairn's corner kick was punched over again by Williams, and then Matheson took a corner kick from the other side, who didn't have great service. Huster powered a shot wide right after an exchange with Banini, providing the Spirit with another bit of pressure as they are trying to see this game out. The Dash got a shot from Janine Beckie in the seventy-eighth minute, curling just outside of the right post. Dunn fed one into Matheson in the seventy-ninth minute, but Chapman put it out for a corner kick. Moros twice stopped Dunn after the eightieth minute, keeping the Spirit from establishing a strong shooting position. Lohman had a cross into the box in the eighty-fifth minute, but O'Sullivan sent it forward to Ohai. Washington continued to attack with a Dunn shot in the eighty-sixth minute, going left of the goal. Banini's shot followed, and Williams tipped it out for a corner kick. Krieger took a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-ninth minute. Beckie and O'Sullivan both had their attempts in the ninetieth minute blocked as Houston is pouring numbers forward. Daly came up hurt in stoppage time, killing the Dash's chances of avoiding what ultimately was a 1-0 win for the Spirit. Moros had a chance late in the game caught by Labbe. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match was Nairn, who played well throughout including her assist. In the second half, GK Williams and LB Chapman of the Dash and RB Krieger and CF Banini joined the first half stars on the positive side of the ledger.

Next up, the Orlando Pride bring in the Western New York Flash. Sabrina D'Angelo and Ashlyn Harris protect the nets. The game is at this link. Orlando's Sarah Hagen had a cross in the second minute, but Abby Dahlkemper of Western New York made a solid defensive effort. The Flash's Samantha Mewis crossed one into the box that got tangled in the feet of Lynn Williams. A long throw from Western New York's Jessica McDonald was carried out by the Pride's Josee Belanger. Jaelene Hinkle disrupted a move forward by Sam Witteman on the Orlando right flank. Hinkle had two corner kicks for the Flash, with the second headed over by Michaela Hahn. Jasmyne Spencer rallied up the left flank, crossing over to Witteman, who sent it back in for Alex Morgan, getting stopped by D'Angelo as Orlando is seeking for a goal. The game has hit a bit of a lull around the fifteen minute mark. McDonald had a cross come in, bouncing off of Orlando's Laura Alleway but into the arms of Harris without danger. The Flash had a pass from Mewis go into Williams, but it was drawn offside as Western New York hasn't established much of an attacking presence. Mewis had to foul Kaylyn Kyle in the twenty-first minute, but the Pride don't have a direct shot. Witteman's service off of the Steph Catley kick went into D'Angelo's hands, as the kick was a bit long. Spencer tried to get a ball through to Morgan in the twenty-fourth minute, but Elizabeth Eddy cleared it away. Kristen Edmonds sent another Pride attack forward, but D'Angelo just beat Morgan to it. Mewis sent in a cross to Williams, who banged it off the bar. The Flash had two more shots on the play, but couldn't quite collect. Orlando earned a free kick when Eddy held Hagen, and Catley's kick deflected toward D'Angelo. Morgan had a second attempt, which was also saved. Orlando's taken a bit of a push forward, with Kyle earning a free kick from McDonald's foul. In the thirty-first minute, Hagen had a shot-cross going against Abby Erceg of the Flash. Orlando's Edmonds took a yellow card for a foul on Eddy in the thirty-second minute. Mewis connected with McDonald's long throw, but Harris was able to scoop it up safely. Dahlkemper took a shot after Hinkle's corner kick in the thirty-fourth minute, but the long-range drive was taken by Harris. McDonald tracked down a long ball, but Monica poked it out as Western New York can't produce a shot on the counterattack in the thirty-seventh minute. McDonald had a shot tangled up in Alleway's feet, which Harris was able to pluck out as she's been busy later in the half. In the thirty-ninth minute, Mewis had a shot on a pass from Makenzy Doniak, with the shot going wide left for the Flash. Alanna Kennedy looked to have fouled Edmonds in the forty-first minute. In the forty-third minute, Belanger shot a bit wide, smothered by D'Angelo. Doniak had a cross in for McDonald in the forty-fourth minute, but she couldn't make anything of it, keeping Western New York strong as the half wraps up. Eddy made a good stop on Edmonds, and then Hagen went down hard as Erceg and Eddy both collided with her as she tried a shot toward the unguarded net that D'Angelo had left out of position. The whistle for halftime blew with the game tied 0-0. Impressing for the Flash are RB Eddy, RW Mewis, and CF McDonald, while the Pride's best efforts have come from GK Harris, LW Spencer, RW Witteman, and RF Hagen. Orlando's Morgan couldn't find a ball, cleared out by D'Angelo. Mewis and Alleway collided in the forty-seventh minute, with the former called for a foul to kill the Flash attack. Eddy was able to knock away a Lianne Sanderson cross, and then Dahlkemper got it fully cleared. Williams made a charge forward for the Flash, running into the Pride's Catley. In the fiftieth minute, Erceg took a yellow card for obstructing Harris' clearance. Spencer replied on the counter, but Witteman couldn't make anything happen and D'Angelo snatched it. Williams crossed to Doniak in the fifty-second minute, and there wasn't a shot. Dahlkemper just kept one away from a breaking Spencer as the game has turned into a bit of an end-to-end affair. In the fifty-fifth minute, Spencer went through about half of the Flash defense, before Erceg finally poked the ball away from her. Catley had a service in on the next try, and D'Angelo covered the weak shot. In the fifty-seventh minute, Kyle crossed into Morgan, and she just barely missed getting a shot off. Sanderson set up Morgan for a fifty-eighth minute shot, but D'Angelo saved it as well, staying strong in her net. Sanderson had three services from a corner kick, and the third found Kyle, who hit it out of bounds. Spencer continued to be threatening for the Pride, getting another shot off in the sixty-second minute. Orlando had a counterattack broken up by Dahlkemper in the sixty-third minute, as she took Morgan off the ball. Hahn challenged Monica in the sixty-seventh minute, earning a free kick for Orlando. Taylor Smith took a shot on Harris in the sixty-eighth minute minute, but the keeper was strong. In the seventy-first minute, Belanger took a yellow card for fouling Smith, but it was a questionable call in a game littered with them. In the seventy-eighth minute, Mewis had a shot that Harris handled pretty easily. In the seventy-ninth minute, Morgan chipped D'Angelo on a through ball from Edmonds. Spencer and Morgan pushed forward again for Orlando in the eightieth minute, but Erceg got it out, and D'Angelo covered the ball as it was sent back in. Orlando has done well to shut things down since gaining the lead. In the eighty-eighth minute, Adriana Leon of the Flash had a yellow card for her foul on Edmonds. Belanger made a good individual effort, but she couldn't make anything of it as she lost control in the box. In the ninetieth minute, Erceg took a second yellow card for her foul on Sanderson, putting the Flash down to ten women. Toni Pressley had a shot in stoppage time going wide of D'Angelo's net. Smith had a shot driven toward Harris' goal, but saved. The game ended 1-0, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being Morgan, who had a number of good shots before finally getting a goal. The LF was joined by DMs Kyle and Edmonds as strong players for the Pride, while the Flash's CB Dahlkemper also earned a mention.

Finally, the Seattle Reign FC host the Portland Thorns FC. Adrianna Franch and Hope Solo tend the nets. The final game of the week is here. Seattle's Manon Melis stepped on her own ankle in the second minute, causing a delay before any real chances were created. She was substituted out, with Carson Pickett coming into the team. Portland's Allie Long had a good free kick in the sixth minute, with Lindsey Horan forcing Solo into a save and a corner kick. The Reign's Kim Little made a run up the left flank, but the cross went long in the direction of Kiersten Dallstream. The Thorns' Meghan Klingenberg took a shot in the fourteenth minute, but it went directly to Solo for the save. Meg Morris nearly got her header on target, but she was defended well by Lauren Barnes as the Reign defender stood strong. The game hasn't seen a lot of really strong shots yet, with a lot of interruptions occurring the midfield. Little had a cross in toward Beverly Yanez in the twentieth minute, and Franch was finally called into action, grabbing the service out of the air. Both teams have been very strong defensively when challenged, and a bit physical in the midfield with the rivalry game, leaving very little to be talked about. Keelin Winters got a ball forward to Dallstream, but Klingenberg broke it up and Franch booted it out. On the other side, Morris was called offside on her run up the center to the left of the box. Little served in a ball on a free kick, but Dagny Brynjarsdottir cleared it in the thirty-second minute. On the next Seattle attack, Merritt Mathias won a corner kick. The play saw Yanez try to get a shot off after Pickett managed to corral the ball on the left side. Dagny tried a through ball that Rachel Corsie stopped as the Reign have had an edge recently. Seattle had good pressure, with Mathias challenging Franch outside of her box, and Elli Reed got a weak shot off while Franch was still out of position. Reed also got fouled in the thirty-ninth minute, with Barnes serving the free kick and Winters unable to get the header down before it went high and wide. In the forty-first minute, Nadia Nadim broke through between Corsie and Kendall Fletcher to get a shot off, but it went wide left and the Thorns have stemmed off some pressure. Dallstream made some noise in the forty-third minute, picking off a pass and then nearly getting around Emily Menges before the Thorns defender cleared it. Winters had a long cross toward Dallstream in the forty-fourth minute after Yanez dispossessed Meleana Shim. The game went into halftime scoreless, with the best players on the Thorns being DCM Long, LW Horan, and striker Nadim, while the Reign's best performance have been from GK Solo, CB Corsie, DCM Winters, ACM Yanez, and RF Dallstream. Portland struck first in the forty-sixth minute on a Nadim goal, set up by a headed pass from Morris, resulting in a miscommunication between Barnes and Solo. Pickett won a corner off of Katherine Reynolds in the forty-eighth minute, but it didn't produce. Dallstream won another corner kick, and Barnes served in toward Franch, creating another kick by Barnes. This was turned in by Yanez at the left post, headed in off the bar. Corsie took the ball off of Morris in the fiftieth minute. Seattle nearly had a defensive breakdown, as Little, Fletcher, and Corsie all missed the ball, but Dagny shot high for Portland, saving the Reign from embarrassment. Seattle had a flurry in front of Franch, as Pickett's shot-pass found Mathias, who twice hit Franch in the legs before the rest of the Thorns relieved the pressure. Long took a shot from distance in the fifty-seventh minute, bouncing off the crossbar, and then Solo drew a foul when Morris banged into her. Pickett had a good run around Reynolds, but her cross into the box was covered by Emily Sonnett. Seattle kept pressure up in the sixty-second minute, with Pickett going into Mathias. Morris and Winters collided on a Portland counterattack. The Thorns had a good chance in the sixty-ninth minute with Nadim's cross coming into Long, who headed narrowly over the bar in one of the best chances since the goals. Seattle built up the left wing with Barnes, Mathias, Pickett, and Little stringing passes before Long stole it away from her at the top of the box in a strong defensive play for Portland. Substitute Hayley Raso stole a ball from Winters in the seventy-fifth minute. Seattle's attack in the seventy-sixth minute saw Little kick the ball over the head of Klingenberg and then blast a laser shot over the bar. Dallstream did well to win possession from Nadim, and she passed to Pickett, who shot wide right. Raso made a steal for Portland, but Corsie got back to make the defensive stop. Portland has mostly been limited to counterattacks recently. Raso and Corsie collided in the eighty-fourth minute, and once again the Reign saw a player go down from a knock. Raso continued to look dangerous, earning a corner for the Thorns. Long's corner kick found Horan in the box, but the shot went wide right. In the eighty-seventh minute, Horan held Little's arm, earning a yellow card for the foul. On the free kick, Barnes went to Little, and then Lindsay Elston had a poor cross. On the next foray forward, Elston shot over the bar from far out. Little got around her defender, and Horan knocked it out, with the Reign looking very desperately for a tiebreaker. In the ninetieth minute, Morris had a yellow card for her foul on Reed, as they collided on a jump ball. Dallstream stole one from Klingenberg to create a counterattack for the Reign, ending with Franch scooping it up in front of Pickett. Fletcher cleared as Horan tried a through ball in the frenetic moments of stoppage time. Menges shouldered Yanez off the ball in the box to keep her away from Little's through ball. Franch cleared it forward for the Thorns. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being Yanez, who was all over the attacking half of the field in a highly successful outing. Impressing in the second half for the Thorns were CB Menges and sub AM Raso, while LF Pickett did well for the Reign, as did AM sub Elston.

Outsider Sports NWSL Week 5 Best XI
GK Alyssa Naeher 
RB Poliana
CB Yael Averbuch
CB Megan Oyster
LB Alex Arlitt
DCM Jen Buczkowski
RW Christine Nairn
LW Beverly Yanez
RF Kiersten Dallstream
CF Nadia Nadim
LF Alex Morgan