The NWSL is back with a short week after last week's longer offering. We begin with...
The Western New York Flash hosting the Chicago Red Stars. Michele Dalton and Katelyn Rowland are the keepers, both in part due to the absence of all the international and USWNT players for this month. There seemed to be a bit of a weather issue in Rochester, but you can find the game here for your viewing needs. The weather delay took over an hour. Chicago had a shot in the first minute, with Sofia Huerta putting it right across the face of goal. In the second minute, Makenzy Doniak tried a cross to McCall Zerboni, who headed it over the goal. In the fourth minute, the Flash's Abby Dahlkemper took a ball away from Vanessa DiBernardo. The Red Stars kept going with a shot by Alyssa Mautz from outside the box, forcing Rowland into a save. Alanna Kennedy tried to help defend on the play for Western New York. In the fifth minute, Amanda Da Costa struck the crossbar on a long-range shot. DiBernardo sailed another shot over the bar in the sixth minute. Chicago is really owning possession early on. Elizabeth Eddy saw a cross blocked away by Katie Naughton. Arin Gilliland also did some defense in the seventh minute. Lianne Sanderson's ninth minute cross for Western New York was sent away by Sam Johnson, and Chicago took over. Doniak sent a cross into McDonald for the Flash in the tenth minute, but Dalton punched it away. Zerboni also lost the punch to Danielle Colaprico. Meredith Speck went long for Lynn Williams in the twelfth minute, but Naughton got there first for the Red Stars. The Flash had a lot of pressure along the right wing with McDonald, Doniak, Abby Erceg, Dahlkemper, and Eddy all working on the ball. In the seventeenth minute, Gilliland broke up a pass from McDonald toward Zerboni. In the eighteenth minute, Zerboni put a ball in to Williams, and then dropped to Sanderson, who poked it wide right. Zerboni's moves around DiBernardo and Gilliland helped create the chance. DiBernardo had a cross blocked by Dahlkemper out to Chicago's Casey Short, who found Mautz, but she shot it wide right. Williams took a long ball from Kennedy in the twenty-first minute, going around Naughton and shooting, forcing Dalton into the save and Johnson cleared it out. McDonald's long throw in for Western New York went to Speck and was cleared by Da Costa and Mautz. McDonald had a couple more of these result in nothing. Naughton cleared the first one of those and Mautz did the second after McDonald served it in on a second effort. Williams charged Dalton in the twenty-third minute as the keeper tried to clear, and it bounced off of the Western New York striker and out of bounds. Dahlkemper had a free kick into the box in the twenty-sixth minute, finding Erceg but eventually cleared by Short. Zerboni also had a shot on the next Flash sequence, but it went wide. Eddy put a cross in for McDonald in the twenty-ninth minute, which was blocked on the header. Western New York earned a corner kick, and Dahlkemper came on to take it. Williams and Erceg both had chances, but the defense held, with Da Costa clearing the trouble. Short had to break up a Sanderson run in the thirtieth minute, as the Flash take a greater share of possession at this stage. Kennedy had a shot run wide left and long in the thirty-first minute. The crosses and long balls dried up a bit, as the game was contested in the midfield for awhile. In the thirty-seventh minute, Williams charged forward with the ball, passing out to Doniak, who then crossed to McDonald. Her header went off the post, and Sanderson struck the rebound into the goal for a 1-0 Western New York lead. Chicago had a good spot for a free kick, taken by DiBernardo in the thirty-ninth minute, and blocked by the wall. Sanderson and Williams had efforts blocked by Gilliland and Johnson in the fortieth minute as the Flash occupy the Red Stars box again. There was another lull for a bit after the goal. McDonald's long throw got cleared to Speck, who took a long and curling shot that Dalton caught safely. McDonald had a shot immediately following for the Flash, but Dalton caught that one too, with Naughton preventing her from going out wide. Huerta put the ball in for Jen Hoy in the forty-fourth minute, and Kennedy slid in to disrupt Hoy's shot, which went wide left as Rowland watched it out, marking the Red Stars best chance so far. The first half ended with Western New York ahead 1-0. The best players of the half for the Red Stars were RB Gilliland, CB Johnson, DM DiBernardo, RW Mautz, and LF Huerta. For the Flash, the best performances came from RB Eddy, CB Dahlkemper, RW Doniak, ACM Sanderson, LW Zerboni, and RF McDonald. Williams had the first cross for Western New York in the forty-seventh minute, going long and out of bounds. On the next foray forward, Williams took a pass from Zerboni and fired a shot off target. Zerboni broke up a through ball from Cara Walls, allowing Rowland to pick it up as Western New York takes over. Eddy crossed after a pass from Doniak, but Short was able to send it out for a corner kick. Dahlkemper took the set piece and served to Zerboni, who chipped it into McDonald, and she put it on top of the net. Eddy tried to go long for Sanderson in the fifty-first minute, but it ran into Dalton's arms. Gilliland, Mautz, and Short combined for a play, but Rowland eventually picked it up. On the counterattack, Sanderson's pass caught Williams in an offside position. Dahlkemper's free kick was partially blocked by Naughton, going out to Sanderson in the fifty-third minute. Eddy served back in, and then Mautz settled for a Red Stars attack. Mautz and Da Costa tried a combination that Kennedy sent away. Naughton shut down Williams as the Flash countered back in the fifty-fourth minute as the game goes into a back-and-forth spell. Eddy broke up a DiBernardo pass intended for Huerta. Sanderson went long for McDonald, who dove to head it on goal, and Dalton robbed her of a brilliant chance with an equally brilliant save. In the fifty-eighth minute, Doniak won a corner kick for the Flash. Dahlkemper served it in and Kennedy and McDonald worked to pop it up, where Dalton caught it above Williams. Short blocked a cross attempt by Taylor Smith, giving the Flash another corner kick chance in the sixty-second minute. Dahlkemper sent it to Sanderson, who got a weak shot off. Another corner kick a minute later saw Dahlkemper going to the middle, where it was sent out. Zerboni took a shot and Huerta blocked it. The Flash earned another corner kick in the sixty-fourth minute. Dahlkemper's attempt this time went to Erceg, who had her attempt saved off the line by Da Costa, and then another shot from a Western New York bounced off the post before being cleared out. Dahlkemper teed up another one in the sixty-fifth minute that Kennedy corralled. The ball worked back around to Dahlkemper, who crossed out of bounds, finally allowing Chicago to clear out. In the sixty-seventh minute, Johnson slid to surrender a corner kick to the Flash with Eddy pressuring. Dahlkemper continued the service from the near side, and Erceg headed it out wide left. Eddy stood up Huerta in the sixty-eighth minute as the Red Stars pressed forward. McDonald had a cross in the seventieth minute that Williams couldn't quite poke toward Dalton. Colaprico took a low shot for Chicago in the seventy-first minute, harmlessly grabbed by Rowland. Sanderson's long ball toward Smith got taken away by Johnson. McDonald did the long throw in for the Flash, down to Eddy, and McDonald crossed it but Gilliland cleared it away from Williams. Johnson continued to play well, breaking up Zerboni's pass fro McDonald in the seventy-fourth minute. McDonald took a ball from Sanderson out wide, and then crossed to Williams, who scored on a deflection off Dalton's hands after shooting around Naughton. The Flash lead 2-0, and are showing no signs of letting this game go. Chicago got a corner kick in the seventy-sixth minute, and DiBernardo went low for Gilliland, cleared by Kennedy. Gilliland had to defend against Smith as Western New York tried to counter. The Flash had a shot by Williams go over the bar in the seventy-eighth minute. Zerboni took a yellow card for her foul on Gilliland in the same minute. Huerta fired a shot that Rowland saved in the seventy-ninth minute. Sanderson fired a ball in for Williams, and she managed to get a corner kick after failing to control it. Dahlkemper served it in straight at Dalton. Mautz had a shot in the eighty-first minute, but Rowland was far enough out of the goal to block it, and the Flash didn't give up another on the play. Short took a shot in the eighty-second minute that Dahlkemper blocked after Erceg blocked a pass partially by DiBernardo. McDonald got a ball behind the back line, and Williams just poked it wide right. Naughton was a step behind Williams when she shot it. Gilliland had a cross for Chicago on the other side, but Rowland picked it out of the air. In the eighty-sixth minute, Williams ran down a ball and crossed to McDonald, who turned and shot around her defender, hitting the post. Erceg blocked a DiBernardo shot after Huerta's cross toward Gilliland went over the latter's head. Gilliland took a shot after Huerta found her in stoppage time, but Rowland was there once again. The game ended 2-0, and the RF McDonald was the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. Improved in the second half were the Red Stars LB Short and the Flash's GK Rowland, DM Erceg, and LF Williams.
On Saturday, the first of three games saw the Washington Spirit welcome FC Kansas City. Nicole Barnhart and Kelsey Wys protect the nets. You can find the game here. Estefania Banini tried to find Katie Stengel in the third minute for Washington, but Yael Averbuch broke it up for Kansas City. In the fifth minute, Shea Groom tried to pick out Tiffany McCarty for the Blues, but the latter was offside. Katie Bowen took one away from Banini in the sixth minute as the Spirit forward made a rush forward. Brienne Reed and Alyssa Kleiner got tangled up evenly in the box, and it rolled out away from Reed of Kansas City got a Washington goal kick. Joanna Lohman made a good pass to Cali Farquharson, but Reed stole it away for the Blues. Stengel's tenth minute cross for the Spirit was cleared away by Averbuch. Bowen received a ball in space for Kansas City, and she tried to feed into Fran Silva, but she was caught offside. Caprice Dydasco had a cross into Lohman that got on to Stengel, but the Blues stood tall and Averbuch finished the clearance. Mandy Laddish of Kansas City beat Kleiner but couldn't make her cross get around Tori Huster in the thirteenth minute. McCarty earned a corner kick off Kleiner in the fourteenth minute. The service came from Erika Tymrak, who went for McCarty, and she headed it wide left but not by much. Lo'eau LaBonta had a chip into the box, which Wys grabbed easily to give the Spirit possession back. Stengel and Farquharson couldn't create a chance on the other end. In the seventeenth minute, McCarty's cross was blocked out by Kleiner for a corner kick. Tymrak's service went for McCarty again, but fell to Groom. She got a shot off through traffic, but Wys snagged it. Reed's kick for Groom was disrupted by Estelle Johnson, but Kansas City kept possession. Reed tried a cross that Megan Oyster blocked out to LaBonta, who then shot wide right. The Spirit got a corner kick thanks to Lohman's work in the twenty-first minute. Christine Nairn served it in for Lohman, who headed it on goal but Tymrak sent it out for the Blues. The Spirit retained possession for a bit. Nairn got the wrong side of the ball on her twenty-third minute shot for Washington. Stengel won a corner kick in the twenty-seventh minute for the Spirit, which Nairn served in and Reed headed out for another one. Nairn's service this time went to Lohman, who headed wide left with some disturbance by Oyster as the teammates crashed into each other a bit. Laddish, Groom, and Reed had a sequence of passes, but Reed's chip into the box went right at Wys. Countering, the Spirit went Lohman, Banini, and Farquharson before losing the ball to Averbuch and Barnhart. Banini and Stengel couldn't keep it alive in the box as Washington keeps attacking in the thirty-second minute. Averbuch again made a disruption. Kansas City broke out in the thirty-third minute through Silva, and Tymrak's pass went long to Wys. In the thirty-fourth minute, Nairn passed into Farquharson, who took a wide-open shot and sent it wide right. Groom escaped a tackle from the Spirit's Lohman in the thirty-fifth minute, and then shot over the bar. Silva tried to find McCarty, but Kleiner poked it away just in time to save Washington. Tymrak got fouled on a break, with Huster doing the dirty work, although no foul was called. Averbuch took the free kick for the Blues, and put it on goal but also right at Wys on the low shot in the thirty-eighth minute. Tymrak took a shot that Oyster blocked in the thirty-ninth minute as Kansas City has taken a bit more control. Lohman passed toward Kleiner, but Reed made a falling interception. The game calmed down near the end of the half, mostly with the battles in the midfield instead of crosses. Banini broke up a Blues attack by Tymrak and Laddish. Johnson took over when McCarty had a heavy touch in the forty-fifth minute, shepherding the game into halftime at a scoreless tie. For the Spirit, the GK Wys, CB Oyster, RW Nairn, and LW Lohman have played best, while the Blues have seen strong efforts from RB Reed, CB Averbuch, LB Bowen, DM Laddish, LW Tymrak, RW McCarty, and striker Groom. In the forty-seventh minute, Dydasco's cross went over Stengel and straight to Barnhart. Huster lost the ball to Bowen and Averbuch on her foray forward. Kansas City's McCarty was fouled by Kleiner, allowing Averbuch a fiftieth minute free kick in a decent spot. Averbuch's kick went too close to Wys, who caught it cleanly. Oyster took one away from Tymrak with the help of Dydasco as Washington holds strong defensively. Bowen split the defense to get a shot off, but she was heading away from goal and it curled to Wys in the fifty-first minute as the Blues continue strong play. Lohman had a shot on a pass from Stengel in the fifty-second minute, forcing Barnhart to dive for a save. Nairn's corner kick found Kleiner, who sent it out wide left, although it appeared to deflect off of Bowen. The announcers have voiced their dissent about the refereeing, and they're not completely wrong in this instance. McCarty took a pass from Laddish and crossed it into Silva, who headed it toward goal. Groom got a second header on it in front of Wys, but it went off the crossbar in the fifty-fourth minute. The Blues got a corner kick in the fifty-fifth minute, taken by Tymrak, who served in near Silva, but Wys caught it for the Spirit. Dydasco and Lohman broke up the run on the left wing from Bowen, who had no help centrally in the fifty-eighth minute. In the sixty-first minute, Tymrak tried to find McCarty, but it went too close to Wys. In the sixty-second minute, Nairn took a free kick for Washington, serving it into the box where Averbuch headed it clear. Dydasco and Francisca Ordega just missed a connection in the sixty-fourth minute for Washington. Tymrak took a shot from distance in the sixty-fourth minute, sending it just wide right on the dangerous chance. Lohman crossed toward Banini but Bowen got there first. A second effort in the sixty-fifth minute ended with Lohman shooting and Barnhart getting a save on the play after a Farquharson cross. Tymrak danced around Dydasco to take a shot in the sixty-eighth minute, but it was a bit too weak and didn't challenge Wys. Ordega had a cross in close to Nairn after a dummy, and Nairn mishit the shot, going weakly on goal for Barnhart to save it. McCarty and Kleiner battled hard in the seventy-first minute, ending with McCarty's third crossing attempt caught by Wys after a deflection by Farquharson. On the next Blues attack, Groom got in on a break straight at Wys, losing controlling and colliding with the keeper, which was a foul to end the play, although the ball would have dribbled wide anyway. Nairn tried a cross in the seventy-third minute, and it went too long for Lohman or Banini to corral. Ordega's through ball intended for Cheyna Williams ran long in the seventy-fifth minute. Averbuch blocked Ordega from turning to shoot after Kleiner's cross to her. Dydasco had a cross blocked by Reed in the seventy-seventh minute. Caroline Kastor broke up a Williams cross in, and the Spirit are producing a flurry of activity now. Groom played in Kastor for Kansas City in the seventy-eighth minute, but Oyster shut it down. Nairn had a cross into the box for Ordega in the seventy-ninth minute, who failed on her bicycle kick attempt. Lohman fell down on the second attempt after her shot, but this allowed Ordega enough time to get up and collect the ball, shooting to the left side of the goal and in behind Barnhart. Washington leads 1-0. In the eightieth minute, the Blues made their comeback attempt start with a Groom shot from wide, saved by Wys. Ordega got caught offside in the eighty-first minute, although Barnhart saved the invalid shot anyway. Groom couldn't get on a botched clearance by Dydasco, and Wys got there in time to save the Spirit. Washington had a corner kick thanks to Lohman's bounce off Averbuch, and the eighty-fifth minute Nairn crossed it in for Lohman, who flicked it to Ordega. It was blocked by LaBonta but fell to Huster, who absolutely roofed it and gave the Spirit a 2-0 lead. Huster then blocked a shot on the other side, as Tymrak's offering went wide left after Groom passed it to her. The Blues had their corner kick by Tymrak, who served it in the middle, where Wys punched it. Kastor had a second chance that went high. Johnson cleared a ball away from Groom as Oyster slowed her down. Lohman had a cheeky back heel and then received the ball back before feeding Williams, whose shot was hard but right at Barnhart, and then cleared out by Averbuch. Silva had a shot for Kansas City in stoppage time that went wide right. The Spirit did well after that to kill off the game, winning 2-0. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match was LW Lohman, who had critical plays during both goals to create the opportunities, as well as numerous close chances. Also impressing for the Spirit were the DCM Huster and sub forward Ordega as well as RF Banini and LB Kleiner.
Next up, the Seattle Reign FC bring in the Boston Breakers. Jami Kranich and Haley Kopmeyer are the little known goalies. Here's the game. Kendall Fletcher broke up a Boston counterattack by picking off Stephanie McCaffrey's pass intended for Eunice Beckmann in the third minute. Kyah Simon tracked down McCaffrey's ball and crossed in to Beckmann, who turned it out wide right. Nahomi Kawasumi tried to find Manon Melis in the fourth minute for Seattle, but it went to Kassey Kallman of the Breakers. Kawasumi's sixth minute cross was sent out for a corner kick by Boston's Christen Westphal. The Reign saw the kick taken by Kawasumi, served into Fletcher who shot high after a deflection. Simon and Rachel Corsie of Seattle stumbled over each other, with Corsie called for a retaliatory foul, giving Boston a good free kick. In the ninth minute, Beckmann took the free kick and forced Kopmeyer into a save that she put out for a corner kick. The Breakers corner kick was cleared by Jess Fishlock. Kim Little led the counterattack and won a corner kick off Boston's Mollie Pathman. The eleventh minute service from Lauren Barnes went low and Westphal cleared back to Barnes, who got it to Keelin Winters. She tried a give-and-go with Fishlock, but Kranich covered it. Barnes and Corsie shut down a break by McCaffrey in the twelfth minute. Westphal stole the ball from Little in the thirteenth minute as Seattle gets quite a bit of possession right now. The Reign struck first with a goal in the fifteenth minute by Kawasumi as Melis cut a cross off Julie King, allowing Kawasumi to score under the pressure of two Breakers defenders. Seattle leads 1-0. In the eighteenth minute, Kallman fouled Kawasumi on the right wing as Elli Reed passed it up. The Seattle free kick allowed Kawasumi to serve it in low and Westphal cleared it. McCaffrey had a weak cross in the twenty-third minute, grabbed by Kopmeyer. Fishlock went long for Beverly Yanez in the twenty-fifth minute, but Kranich took it first. McCaffrey won a corner kick for the Breakers against Winters. Kopmeyer punched the service from Louise Schillgard away. Boston held possession with another corner kick after Fishlock put it out. Schillgard served it in where Fishlock cleared it to Simon, who shot off of Corsie and produced another corner kick. Schillgard came over to the other side for another corner kick, going toward Fishlock again, who helped with Fletcher to relieve pressure. Kopmeyer grabbed it and Seattle takes over. Yanez had a cross in the thirtieth minute blocked by Westphal after significant buildup by the Reign. Kawasumi's cross in the thirty-first minute was sent out by King, although the Reign maintained possession. Kawasumi put a cross into Yanez in the thirty-second minute, who flicked it on into the hands of the Boston keeper Kranich. Simon tried a cross in the thirty-fourth minute that Barnes got a back on to clear. Fletcher's ball intended for Little was kneed out by Kallman for a corner kick. Kawasumi served the ball in for Yanez, but Kallman got the clearance. Barnes blocked McCaffrey but surrendered a corner kick for Schillgard in the thirty-seventh minute. Her service went to Fishlock's head, who cleared it once again. Fishlock tried a shot that King blocked in the thirty-eighth minute, and Melis couldn't quite get on it for Seattle. In the thirty-ninth minute, Yanez tried to feed Melis, who fell but King received a yellow card as it appeared to be a trip. Seattle's Kawasumi did the free kick and sent it to Fletcher, who headed wide right. Fishlock saw her cross hit Melis but go wide in the forty-second minute. The Reign continue to hold the bulk of possession. Melis tried a cross in the forty-fourth minute toward Kawasumi, but it ran long and out of bounds. Little had a header hit the post in the forty-fourth minute after a Kawasumi cross. The game went into halftime with the Reign leading 1-0. Impressive for the Breakers are the RB Westphal, CB King, and RW McCaffrey, while the Reign's top players have been CB Fletcher, LB Barnes, DCM Winters, RW Fishlock, LW Little, RF Kawasumi, and CF Melis. The second half was a bit slow in developing, with not many forays into either box in the first five minutes. Fletcher guided a King free kick out of bounds in the fiftieth minute. Yanez had a cross blocked by King in the fifty-first minute, and Kawasumi couldn't get on to the end of another service. Kawasumi's next cross was knocked away by Boston's Angela Salem. King just shielded Little away from a Fishlock through ball, allowing Kranich to pick it up. Kawasumi's pass intended for Yanez ricocheted to Kranich in the fifty-fourth minute. Beckmann took a shot after McCaffrey, Salem, and Schillgard all got touches, and it deflected out for Schillgard's corner kick in the fifty-sixth minute, caught by Kopmeyer. Fletcher stole it away from Beckmann in the fifty-seventh minute, and Salem later got a shot that Kopmeyer saved. Kawasumi brought down a switching ball from Yanez, but she couldn't quite pick out Melis from the Breakers back line, and Kranich took the ball. Kawasumi shanked a shot after a give-and-go with Melis, and Kranich kept it in play despite it being off target. In the sixty-second minute, Kawasumi danced around at the top of the box and caught Kranich off her line, going down the middle for her second goal of the game to make it 2-0 Reign. She made Pathman look bad on the play with her juke. Simon crossed into the box in the sixty-third minute, and Kopmeyer dove to catch it. Reed made a brilliant tackle and steal against McCaffrey in the sixty-fourth minute. Reed went forward to Melis, but King did well to poke it away. Melis had a ball fall to her in the sixty-seventh minute, but her shot was blocked by Kranich after Barnes sent it across from the left side of the attacking formation. Fishlock went long for Melis in the sixty-eighth minute after stealing it from Breakers sub Brittany Ratcliffe. Melis and Kranich collided hard, and Melis took the worst of it while also being called for the foul. On the other end in the seventy-first minute, Ratcliffe shoved Fletcher into Kopmeyer, and this drew a yellow card for Ratcliffe. The game has taken a turn for the ugly side. In the seventy-third minute, Little got the ball in a dangerous space but King did just enough to stall Little long enough for Kranich to put it out for a corner kick on the save. Barnes served the corner kick in for Fletcher but the Reign couldn't hold possession as it rolled out. Winters made the initial pass to Little. In the seventy-seventh minute, Kawasumi was just caught offside even as she passed to Yanez, who would have scored had the flag not gone up. In the eightieth minute, Winters went long for Kawasumi, who was again offside. Little got the ball again in the eighty-second minute, and Kranich again stole it away from her feet after the midfielder got behind the defense. Simon took a very long shot in the eighty-second minute for the Breakers, but it soared well high and out for a goal kick. Reed shut down a nutmeg move McCaffrey tried in the eighty-sixth minute as the Reign are bunkering in now. Corsie and Lindsay Elston shut down Katie Schoepfer of of Boston after Schillgard made the steal. Fishlock unleashed a rip of a shot in stoppage time that Kranich had to punch down before catching on the bounce as Michelle Cruz made a few plays against the Breakers defense. The game ended at 2-0, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being the RF Kawasumi. Also impressing in the second half for the Reign was RB Reed.
Finally, the Portland Thorns FC host Sky Blue FC. Caroline Stanley and Michelle Betos are the keepers for this game. You can find the game here.In the first minute, Portland's Mallory Weber sent a ball up to Nadia Nadim, where she was cut down by Christie Rampone of Sky Blue with no call. Catherine Zimmerman sent a cross in that Betos caught shakily and had bumped out by a Sky Blue player. Nadim flicked on a deep ball from Meleana Shim in the fifth minute, but Stanley made the grab for Sky Blue. Leah Galton had a cross blocked by Katherine Reynolds of the Thorns in the fifth minute as they are holding their own well. Erica Skroski threw in to Natasha Kai, who settled, turn, and shot right on goal at Betos in the seventh minute. Raquel Rodriguez finally stole the ball away from Shim after Nadim's pass. Galton had a cross land to Kai, and Betos just got in front of it in time in the ninth minute. Kai shook McKenzie Berryhill of Portland in coverage. Galton had another cross in the tenth minute, and Berryhill was in better position this time to clear it away as Sky Blue continues their heavy pressure. Skroski went over the top for Taylor Lytle in the eleventh minute, and Reynolds put it out for a corner kick. Sky Blue's service came from Sarah Killion and was punched out by Betos. Rodriguez had a good takeaway from Amandine Henry, but the Thorns took it right back, and Reynolds fed Nadim, who waited too long to shoot and had it grabbed by Stanley in the thirteenth minute. Berryhill tackled away from Zimmerman to break up another Sky Blue attack. Weber shoved Kai down in the box as a pass from Kristin Grubka came in during the sixteenth minute. Weber had a botched clearance for Portland in the eighteenth minute, which fell to Galton. She shot just wide and a bit high. Emily Menges did well to keep Lytle from a ball passed up by Galton. After a long passing sequence for Portland, Henry dribbled forward and fired a shot high in the twentieth minute. Rampone did well to disrupt Shim's pass for Hayley Raso in the twenty-first minute. Skroski just lost control after Menges botched a clearance straight to Galton. Celeste Boureille forced Skroski into the heavy touch out of bounds in the twenty-second minute. Boureille sent one up for Raso, but Grubka and Simon kept the Thorns' Raso away and Sky Blue cleared. Nadim twice failed to get around Skroski and Rampone as she attacked the right side in the twenty-fourth minute. Simon then had a clearance when a ball came in from wide. Lytle mostly shut down Henry as Portland made an attack in the twenty-eighth minute. Shim went out wide to Raso in the twenty-ninth minute, and she crossed it around Simon toward Dagny Brynjarsdottir. She dummied it, and Nadim couldn't get there in time before it was cleared away by Sky Blue. In the twenty-ninth minute, Sky Blue struck back with Galton crossing for Zimmerman, who missed it under the pressure of Menges. Lytle picked it up on the other side, and Kai smashed it in past Betos to give Sky Blue a 1-0 lead. Rampone barely put it out for a corner kick after Nadim tried chasing down Weber's long ball in the thirty-first minute. Shim took the corner kick for the Thorns, going to Dagny, who didn't get anything. It came out to Berryhill, who chipped it in to Nadim, and she shot over the bar. Grubka got a block on Nadim's cross, surrendering a corner kick. The thirty-fourth minute service came from Nadim, and Rampone cleared. A foul was called, negating the play. Reynolds made a good stop against Galton in the thirty-sixth minute. Simon made a strong tackle on Raso in the thirty-eighth minute after a long ball by Berryhill. Nadim's corner kick for Portland went to Dagny in the thirty-ninth minute, as she headed it down to the bottom right corner of the goal, tying the game at 1. Stanley got collided with on the set piece and was hurt, and Caroline Casey had to replace her in goal for the remainder of the game. Rodriguez tried to make magic in the forty-fourth minute after a steal from Nadim, but it didn't last as she ran into traffic. Nadim and Raso did a give-and-go, with Nadim settling the return and shooting over the bar as she produced another dangerous chance in the forty-fourth minute. Much like the game started, stoppage time saw Rampone foul Nadim, and this time Sky Blue's Rampone took a yellow card for the foul. Reynolds nearly picked out Dagny on the free kick before Skroski could clear it. Rampone made a clean steal against Nadim right at the end of stoppage time. The game went into halftime tied 1-1. The best Sky Blue players have been LB Skroski, CB Rampone, DM Rodriguez, LW Galton, RW Lytle, and LF Kai. The top efforts from the Thorns have been GK Betos, RB Weber, CB Reynolds, DMs Henry and Dagny, ACM Shim, and striker Nadim. Kai burst around Weber and Dagny and crossed in, but Menges made the stop. Raso made a counterattack for Portland, and Simon cleared it out for a corner kick by Nadim in the forty-seventh minute. Rodriguez cleared it and Zimmerman pushed forward, until Dagny disrupted the play for the Thorns. Henry went out to Raso, and then Berryhill tried to send it in, but Grubka cleared away in the forty-ninth minute for Sky Blue. Skroski won a corner kick off Weber in the fiftieth minute, with service from Killion in to the mass of players. Menges cleared after a punch from Betos. Kai and Berryhill collided in the fifty-first minute, and Kai was down for awhile. Raso picked off a throw by Casey, but Raso's shot was high for Portland. Kai had returned but went down again and was subbed off for Sam Kerr. Grubka had to take Nadim down in the box after a pass from Boureille in the fifty-sixth minute. The Thorns corner kick came from Raso, and Nadim headed it off the crossbar. Grubka cleared out another through ball from Henry toward Nadim. Rodriguez blocked a shot from Raso after a drop from Shim in the fifty-ninth minute. Berryhill poked one away from Zimmerman after a Rodriguez pass. Sky Blue had a sixtieth minute flurry as Galton had a cross. Kerr, Rodriguez, Lytle, and Killion all had looks with many red Thorns jerseys in the way before Galton got a second chance, shooting wide left. Boureille had the pressure on both Galton plays. Simon fouled Raso from behind in the box, giving Portland a penalty kick. Nadim stepped up and buried the penalty kick to make it 2-1 for the Thorns. Casey went the right way but Nadim's shot was much better. Shim had the through ball to Raso. Boureille earned a corner kick off of Rampone in the sixty-fifth minute, and Shim's service was dropped by Casey in front of Reynolds, who pulled a quick shot off but Grubka blocked it. Weber took a yellow card in the sixty-sixth minute for a foul. Nadim served in to Henry, but the play was offside. Boureille lost control of the ball in the seventieth minute on a Thorns attack. Kerr tried a flip at the seventy minute mark, but Betos made the catch. Kerr flubbed a pass and Berryhill picked it off. Lytle's pass for Kerr was blocked out for a corner kick by Menges. Killion's service in the seventy-fifth minute went straight at Dagny, who cleared for Portland. Maya Hayes got a shot off for Sky Blue, but it went wide left. Weber saw a cross in the seventy-sixth minute blocked by Killion. In the seventy-eighth minute, Henry crossed to Nadim, but she headed it just wide left. Henry blocked a Rodriguez shot in the seventy-ninth minute as Sky Blue search for an equalizer. Menges blocked Killion's try to get to Hayes in the eightieth minute. Shade Pratt found Nadim, who nutmegged Simon and shot on goal, but Casey blocked it. Nadim rocked another shot in the eighty-first minute, but it went wide left and low. Boureille trued going through Rampone and Simon in the eighty-third minute, laying off for Nadim's shot going high and wide right. Kerr sent a shot just wide in the eighty-fifth minute after a chip from Rodriguez. Galton's pass for Hayes got picked off by Weber as the Thorns have had to take a defensive stance recently. Simon picked off a Nadim pass for Raso. Kerr got a cross into Rodriguez in the eighty-sixth minute, but Nadim came back to block it. Reynolds blocked a shot by Galton in the eighty-eighth minute. Lytle got a cross that dropped down from Kerr to Rodriguez, but Kerr was offside negating a shot by Rodriguez nearly on goal. Menges cleared a Killion offering into the box. There were seven minutes of stoppage time that Portland will try to weather. Galton and Hayes tried to work on the left wing, but Hayes got caught offside. Weber buckled under pressure but didn't break. Reynolds blocked a cross from Galton deep in stoppage time, as Portland has done well to limit the chances. Henry sent a rocket wide left. The game ended 2-1 for the Thorns, and the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match is Nadim for her goal and assist. Also impressing for the Thorns in the second half were the LW Raso and CB Menges. Sky Blue saw good efforts from DM Killion.
Outsider Sports NWSL Best XI - Week 11
GK Kelsey Wys
RB Christen Westphal
CB Yael Averbuch
CB Katherine Reynolds
LB Lauren Barnes
DCM Raquel Rodriguez
RW Dagny Brynjarsdottir (out of position)
LW Joanna Lohman
RF Nahomi Kawasumi
CF Nadia Nadim
LF Jessica McDonald
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