NWSL Week 18

It's a midweek session of games, with all five on Wednesday. We begin with...

The Boston Breakers hosting the Western New York Flash. Sabrina D'Angelo and Libby Stout play goal. You can find the game here. Western New York had the first attack, with a through ball for Jessica McDonald, but Stout was there first. The Flash saw a McCall Zerboni shot after another possession in the third minute, saved by Stout. On the other side, Boston's Eunice Beckmann had a chance on goal, but Western New York's goalie D'Angelo handled it. The Breakers made it 1-0 in the fourth minute on a Kyah Simon goal, passed from Julie King, with other passes early from Angela Salem and Kristie Mewis. Samantha Mewis had a shot in the sixth minute after Lynn Williams had a shot blocked. In the ninth minute, Natasha received a yellow card for her dissent on Simon's foul on Zerboni. Kassey Kallman of the Breakers disrupted a Williams attack for the Flash in the twelfth minute. McDonald saw a chance wasted in the fifteenth minute, as she corralled a cross with her arm and the Western New York attack was stalled. Elizabeth Eddy had a long cross in the seventeenth minute, falling to King, who cleared it. Whitney Engen blocked a Lianne Sanderson shot in the twentieth minute after McDonald's long throw for the Flash. Williams had a shot over the bar seconds later. King headed a McDonald throw in the twenty-third minute, and Stout grabbed the second offering into the box. Boston's Louise Schillgard blocked a Jaelene Hinkle cross in the twenty-fourth minute. Williams won the Flash a corner kick against Kallman. Abby Dahlkemper went for Abby Erceg, but she sent it wide left in the twenty-fifth minute. Dowie pressed D'Angelo after a mistake from Dahlkemper in the twenty-sixth minute. Dowie tried to find Kristie Mewis in the twenty-seventh minute, but it was intercepted by the Flash. Salem cleared an Eddy cross in the twenty-ninth minute. Engen had to make a second clearance for Boston. King went for Simon, but Alanna Kennedy cleared it for Western New York. Williams tried to find McDonald in the thirtieth minute, but it went too high. Samantha Mewis passed to Williams, but her touch was heavy and Stout grabbed it before she could recover, springing a Boston attack. King sent a free kick straight at D'Angelo in the thirty-third minute. Zerboni tried to pick out Sanderson in the thirty-seventh minute as Western New York has sustained some pressure, but Stout was up to the task on the deflected cross. King's thirty-eighth minute cross for Boston was caught by D'Angelo. On the counterattack, McDonald finally capitalized for the Flash, burying a rebound off of Stout into the net to make it 1-1 after Samantha Mewis' long ball. Eddy tried a through ball in the fortieth minute, making its way fully to Stout. Erceg made a steal from Dowie to stall a Breakers attack in the forty-second minute. Dahlkemper blocked a Dowie shot on a Brooke Elby throw-in in the forty-third minute. Erceg headed a McDonald throw wide right in the forty-fourth minute. Williams intercepted a Simon pass to Engen and nearly got a shot attempt in the forty-fifth minute, but the heavy touch allowed Stout to get there first. Erceg cleared Elby's cross to Beckmann in stoppage time. A second effort saw Beckmann head it wide, and the game went into halftime at 1-1. Impressing for the Flash so far are RB Eddy, CB Dahlkemper, DCM Erceg, RW Mewis, RF Williams, and LF McDonald. For the Breakers, the top performance have come from GK Stout, CB Kallman, RB King, DM Salem, LW Simon, and LF Dowie. In the forty-eighth minute, the Flash finally established an attack through Williams and Samantha Mewis, but Engen cleared it away from McDonald. On the throw-in, King took a knock after a header to defend. The Flash had a corner kick, which went a bit long for Kennedy. Mewis volleyed a McDonald cross in the forty-ninth minute, stopped by Stout to give Boston some control. In the fifty-first minute, Dowie struck with a goal after a Schillgard flip behind the defense, working around Dahlkemper to strike across goal and beat D'Angelo. This gave Boston a 2-1 lead. Beckmann found Simon centrally in the fifty-third minute, and her shot glanced wide left with a deflection to give Boston a corner kick. Kristie Mewis' service was caught by D'Angelo. King and Kallman shut down Williams in the fifty-fourth minute after McDonald's pass. McDonald then headed a ball wide. Engen headed a fifty-sixth minute cross from Eddy away, and Kristie Mewis completed the clearance. Dowie had a long shot in a Boston counterattack, going wide right, all after Kallman blocked a Hinkle cross. Dowie shot another one from a closer range but wider angle, and this also went wide right. King had a long free kick that D'Angelo bobbled under pressure from Kristie Mewis, but D'Angelo handled it. King took a yellow card for a foul on Western New York's Makenzy Doniak in the sixtieth minute. Stout punched away Kennedy's free kick. Schillgard and King helped to clear a Doniak cross in the sixty-second minute. Boston relieved the pressure after Hinkle's errant cross for Western New York. Hinkle did a free kick in the sixty-fifth minute, going for Doniak, but her header was over the bar. Doniak won a corner kick off of King, which the Flash's Dahlkemper took. It bounced to Kennedy, who flicked it back into the hands of Stout. Dahlkemper had a free kick in the sixty-sixth minute for Erceg, who sent it wide right. In the sixty-eighth minute, Beckmann fouled Samantha Mewis, earning the Breakers forward a yellow card. Salem cleared the free kick, and Hinkle's second effort found Zerboni, but the Breakers cleared it out for a corner kick. Dahlkemper went long and over all the players in the box. Salem cleared Eddy's return service in the sixty-ninth minute. Doniak managed a seventieth minute shot off of a McDonald throw, going wide left. Doniak started another attack that ended with Samantha Mewis' deflected shot for another Flash corner kick. Stout caught the set piece from Dahlkemper. Engen kept McDonald's flicked header away from Doniak in the seventy-second minute. Simon rifled a shot into the box in the seventy-sixth minute, grabbed by D'Angelo. Later in the minute, Doniak corralled a ball, and found Williams, who fired a shot just under the bar and in to tie the game at 2 for Western New York. In the seventy-seventh minute, Kristie Mewis served a Boston corner kick in, and King knocked it back to Salem, who shanked her shot. Kristie Mewis served it back in, and D'Angelo grabbed it. Dahlkemper's seventy-ninth minute free kick was caught by Stout. Simon tried to set up Dowie or Brittany Ratcliffe on the counterattack, but the Flash recovered and cleared it. King cleared a McDonald throw, and Zerboni had an off-target shot in the eighty-fourth minute. King surrendered a corner kick after Hinkle's cross in the eighty-seventh minute. Dahlkemper served it in, but King cleared it, and Schillgard completed the clearance. Doniak got into space on an Eddy long ball, and crossed it into Williams, whose header was just in range of Stout, and she held it just in front of the line in the ninetieth minute. Doniak then took a long shot that Stout palmed over the bar. The Flash took the corner kick from Dahlkemper to Samantha Mewis, who sent it wide right. Kallman cleared a Hinkle cross in stoppage time. Doniak put another ball in that was cleared. Hinkle's third service was caught by Stout as the Breakers are just trying to hold on. Eddy tried a shot on a McDonald throw that was blocked. Simon headed a late free kick away, and Hinkle put it back in, but Stout grabbed it while colliding with McDonald. The game ended at 2-2, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being Dowie. Impressing in the second half for the Flash was the sub winger Doniak, and for the Breakers, RW Kristie Mewis.

At the same time, the Washington Spirit welcome the Seattle Reign FC. Haley Kopmeyer and Kelsey Wys are in the six-yard boxes. The game can be found here. Seattle's Beverly Yanez tried to pick out Nahomi Kawasumi with a first minute cross, but it didn't work out. Shelina Zadorsky of Washington blocked a Kawasumi shot in the second minute, followed by a wide Merritt Mathias half-shot for the Reign. Cali Farquharson went down hurt earlier in the play, and was replaced by Crystal Dunn after what appeared to be a leg injury. Caprice Dydasco tried to find Francisca Ordega in the seventh minute caught her offside to nullify a fledgling Spirit attack. Kendall Fletcher of Seattle headed a Dunn cross out to give Washington a corner kick. Christine Nairn served it in for Estelle Johnson, but the Reign's Jess Fichlock did enough defensively. The Spirit saw some trouble with staying onside, as Nairn's pass was too late for Cheyna Williams, catching her offside. Dunn fouled Seattle's Kim Little for a good eleventh minute free kick. Kawasumi took it, and Dydasco cleared for the Spirit. A twelfth minute Keelin Winters ball didn't find Kawasumi, ending a Seattle attack. Yanez had a low cross that Manon Melis flipped up over the bar for the Reign in the fourteenth minute. Zadorsky blocked a cross from Rumi Utsugi to Fishlock in the fifteenth minute. Winters cleared a Dunn shot in the twenty-first minute. Nairn had a long shot that Kopmeyer saved as the Spirit build some offense. Fishlock made a steal from Nairn in the twenty-fourth and shot wide right after a bit of a run. Diana Matheson sent a ball to Dunn in the box in the twenty-sixth minute after a long series of Washington passes, winning a corner kick off of Dunn's deflected shot. Nairn took it for Johnson, who collided with Yanez, who remained down after the play. Fishlock knocked a ball away from Williams in the twenty-ninth minute for another Spirit corner kick. Nairn's service this time went for Zadorsky, but Yanez headed it back out. Nairn tried again, going for Dunn short, and she got it back for a cross that Kopmeyer caught. Lauren Barnes blocked a Dunn shot in the thirtieth minute, with Washington holding Seattle under siege. Fletcher blocked a Dunn shot in the thirty-first minute. Alyssa Kleiner stole a pass from Winters to Yanez in the thirty-third minute. Johnson of the Spirit blocked a Little through ball. Kleiner surrendered a corner kick to keep the ball away from Melis in the thirty-sixth minute. Seattle's set piece came from Kawasumi, who went give and go with Barnes but Williams blocked and cleared for the Spirit. Dydasco cleared a Yanez through ball in the thirty-ninth minute. Ordega saw a shot blocked by her teammate Nairn, killing Washington's attack after Dunn managed to get it to Ordega past Utsugi. Mathias fouled Williams in the box in the forty-first minute, creating a penalty kick for Washington. Nairn took it but shot wide right of goal, wasting the chance. Utsugi got a cross in the forty-fourth minute, but it went through everyone and Dydasco cleared it for the Spirit. Zadorsky headed away another Utsugi cross in the forty-fifth minute. Kawasumi's stoppage time cross was blocked by Zadorsky. Williams went around many Reign defenders to produce a shot, but Kopmeyer made a diving grab after the Spirit strung many passes together. Winters found Little on the other side, who got around Dydasco, but Wys picked it up safely for Washington. Fishlock sent a shot wide left on the next Reign attack. Nairn found Dunn on a free kick, and she rocketed a long shot into the top left corner to make it 1-0 Spirit right before the half. This was the last kick of the half. The best Reign performances have come from GK Kopmeyer, LB Utsugi, CB Fletcher, DM Winters, RW Fishlock, LW Little, and LF Yanez. For the Spirit, RB Dydasco, CBs Johnson and Zadorsky, LW Nairn, RF Dunn, and CF Williams have done the best work. Utsugi's cross was blocked out by Zadorsky, and Kawasumi's effort was blocked in the forty-seventh minute after trying for Melis. Yanez and Fishlock combined in the forty-eighth minute, with Fishlock's odd-angle shot saved by Wys. Zadorsky twice blocked Kawasumi's efforts for Fishlock in the forty-ninth minute. Yanez deflected a Kleiner cross in the fifty-first minute, giving Washington a corner kick. Nairn took this one for Williams, whose header was well off the mark. Melis allowed Fishlock to send one forward, falling to Yanez before a foul by Seattle ended the play in the fifty-third minute. Barnes headed away a Nairn free kick in the fifty-fourth minute, and Fishlock's long ball was too much for Melis. A fifty-sixth minute shot from Dydasco was handled by Kopmeyer. Utsugi found Zadorsky on a free kick, but Zadorsky shut it down for Washington. Megan Rapinoe saw a cross deflected in the fifty-ninth minute. Little found Kawasumi on a cross in the sixtieth minute, but the header went straight to Wys after a nice buildup with Fishlock and Rapinoe. Dunn got around Utsugi in a sixty-first minute battle, shooting on goal. Kopmeyer couldn't keep hold on the ball, and Williams put it away to make it 2-0 for the Spirit. Rapinoe had a sixty-fourth minute shot for Seattle, going high over the bar. At the sixty-six minute mark, lightning struck in the area, delaying the rest of the game. The delay lasted approximately the minimum thirty minutes. Nairn had a deep sixty-seventh minute shot go wide left. Fishlock caught Rapinoe offside with a through ball in the sixty-ninth minute. Utsugi had a cross catch Nairn in the hand in the box, giving the Reign a penalty kick in the seventieth minute. Little stepped up for the spot kick, roofing it to the top left to cut the deficit to 2-1, still favoring Washington. Yanez had a looping seventy-second minute shot caught by Wys. Rapinoe tracked down a Fishlock ball in the seventy-third minute but her ensuing cross was too long for sub Kiersten Dallstream. Fletcher of the Reign received a yellow card for a foul on Ordega in the seventy-fourth minute. Nairn's free kick proved a bit weak and the Reign cleared. Utsugi was fouled by Joanna Lohman in the seventy-fifth minute, giving Seattle a good free kick chance. Rapinoe went for goal, but Wys saved it. Little had a cross for Kawasumi, but Dydasco headed it away in the seventy-eighth minute. Johnson and Lohman stopped Rapinoe and Utsugi on the next Seattle attack. An eightieth minute Dydasco cross was cleared by Fletcher. Barnes blocked a Williams shot in the eighty-first minute, giving the Spirit a corner kick as it went out. Nairn took this corner Sigvardsen, but Fishlock cleared it out. Utsugi's cross was cleared by Dydasco as far as Fishlock, whose shot deflected out for a corner kick. Barnes took this one for Rapinoe, but Sigvardsen and Johnson combined to clear it. Dunn's eighty-sixth minute shot was punched away by Kopmeyer. In the eighty-eighth minute, Little won a corner kick off of Johnson after some official interference. Rapinoe went for Fishlock low, but it got through to Wys. Utsugi won a corner kick off of Dydasco. In the ninetieth minute, Barnes served in the set piece for Elli Reed of Seattle, but Ali Krieger cleared it for the Spirit. Rapinoe took a free kick from way out in stoppage time, saved by Wys. The game ended at 2-1, with Dunn the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match for her goal and assist.

The third game in the early kickoffs features Sky Blue FC hosting the Orlando Pride. Ashlyn Harris and Caroline Casey draw the starts in goal. This is the game link. Alex Morgan of Orlando took a long ball from Monica in the third minute, but Christie Rampone of Sky Blue cut out the play. Natasha Kai headed a ball for Sam Kerr on a Sky Blue attack, but Kaylyn Kyle and Josee Belanger of the Pride covered it in the fourth minute. Maddy Evans of Orlando produced a cross off a pass from Jamia Fields in the seventh minute, and Casey caught it over Morgan's head to start the Sky Blue attack. Fields, Evans, and Morgan combined again for Orlando, with Morgan's shot blocked by Kristin Grubka, and Casey pounced on the ball in the eighth minute. Sarah Killion of Sky Blue had a ninth minute free kick for Maya Hayes, who nearly got it to Leah Galton, but Cami Levin of the Pride cleared it. Erica Skroski made a steal from Witteman to disrupt an Orlando attack in the eleventh minute. Skroski blocked a Morgan cross in the twelfth minute. Sky Blue's Kerr made a steal from Evans, but her pass to Kai was poor, and Harris picked it up for Orlando. Kai continued to press Kyle on the next play, with the ball coming to Kerr, whose shot was wide left. Grubka and Rampone made blocks on forward balls from Monica and Kristen Edmonds of Orlando. The Pride continued to control the pace of play in the nineteenth minute, ending with Skroski fouling Witteman out wide for a free kick. Edmonds served this one in for Morgan, but Hayes got there first. The ball bounced around in front of Casey on a second service, with Evans poking at it before Casey finally covered it. Edmonds set up Morgan for a shot, but Rampone blocked it. Edmonds then had a shot, which Casey knocked down and Simon cleared in the twenty-first minute. In the twenty-third minute, Evans went long for Morgan, who blazed past Sky Blue's Grubka and fired it into the lower right corner for a 1-0 Pride lead. Galton led a Sky Blue attack in the twenty-fourth minute, cutting back to pass to Kerr, whose shot went high. Galton sent a ball forward for Kerr in the twenty-fifth minute, but it ran long and into the hands of Harris. Killion blocked an Edmonds free kick in the twenty-eighth minute. Hayes sent a cross into the box that nearly proved dangerous as Kyle and Harris had a minor run-in, but Harris lunged and covered it before Kerr got there. Morgan kept a ball in bounds with a lot of hustle against Simon after Dani Weatherholt's long ball for Orlando. Kai and Grubka combined to clear a Fields cross in the thirty-fourth minute. Kerr tried a long shot in the thirty-sixth minute, which didn't challenge Harris. Levin fouled Hayes on the next Sky Blue attack, producing a thirty-seventh minute free kick. Killion went for Kai, which Harris punched away just in time, and Kerr's second effort was also blocked by Evans of the Pride. Hayes had a cross off of Monica in the thirty-eighth minute, earning a corner kick for Sky Blue. Galton went to Grubka, who popped it up and it eventually game to Rampone, who sent it wide left among many Orlando players. Kyle cleaned up Taylor Lytle's cross for Sky Blue, sending it away from the Pride net. Hayes poked a ball off of Monica on a shot in the fortieth minute, earning another corner kick. Galton went for Kai, who headed it over the bar. Edmonds tried to pick out Morgan, but Grubka made one tackle cleanly and a second illegal one on Evans to give Orlando a dangerous free kick in the forty-third minute. Edmonds took the kick for Monica, but Hayes stole it away and started the counterattack. Hayes flicked a ball for Galton, but Harris got there first in stoppage time. Hayes had one more cross that Harris grabbed to end the half with a 1-0 Pride lead. Impressing for Orlando are the CB Monica, DM Evans, ACM Edmonds, LF Witteman, and CF Morgan. For Sky Blue, the top players have been LB Simon, CB Rampone, DM Killion, RW Hayes, and RF Kerr. Belanger took out a Grubka through ball for Galton in the forty-seventh minute. Killion put a free kick in for Kai in the forty-eighth minute, but a foul was called in the scrum. Kyle blocked a Kai cross in the forty-ninth minute. Kai had a second try for Galton, who missed on the header attempt. Galton got a ball and ran into the box, forcing Harris into a save, and Kai's shot on the rebound went wide left in the fiftieth minute. Edmonds set up Fields in the fifty-fourth minute for a long shot that went wide right. Kerr tried to work a give-and-go with Hayes, but Kyle interrupted the return pass in the fifty-sixth minute. Sky Blue had a spurt of possession, with Kerr, Galton, and Hayes combining on a series of crossing tries disrupted by Belanger and Monica. Edmonds had a fifty-ninth minute free kick, going for Kyle, but it didn't work. Fields brought it back in for the Pride, drawing another free kick closer to goal. Morgan went for goal on this one, firing it over the goal. Skroski made a big tackle on Jasmyne Spencer of Orlando as she worked into the box. Fields sent the header wide as the cross came to her. Skroski's sixty-fourth minute pass to Kai caught her offside. Kai set up Hayes for a great chance, as Hayes went through many Pride defenders, shooting just over the bar between two other players. Hayes passed to Kerr in the seventieth minute, and Kerr's shot was caught by Harris. Spencer's seventy-first minute shot was caught by Casey after a give-and-go with Morgan to build the Orlando offense. Kyle blocked a Skroski cross in the seventy-second minute, and Sky Blue couldn't recover for a cross afterward on that attack. Weatherholt surrendered a corner kick to Sky Blue in the seventy-third minute. Galton's service went to Kai, but she sent it wide left. Galton's deflected cross was cleared by Evans in the seventy-fourth minute, followed by Killion's through ball that Harris covered to protect Orlando's net. Kai then fired a long shot that Harris saved. Belanger sent a ball in for Orlando's Sarah Hagen, who headed it on top of the net in the seventy-sixth minute. Fields fed Morgan for a seventy-seventh minute shot, but Morgan went wide left despite it getting beyond Casey. Galton found Kai for a shot, which Monica blocked in the seventy-eighth minute as the pace picks up again. Skroski's cross for Sky Blue was caught by Harris without a teammate around. Edmonds took a free kick to Spencer, who crossed it in a position where Casey had to palm it away. Sky Blue tied it in the eighty-first minute after Kerr flipped a ball to Hayes, who went one-on-one with Harris, who saved the first shot that produced a rebound for Kerr to put away for the equalizer. Simon gave up an eighty-second minute corner kick to the Pride. Edmonds took this near to the goal, which Casey palmed on top of the goal. Edmonds took it from the other side in the eighty-third minute, serving it in where Casey punched it out and Nikki Stanton of Sky Blue cleared it. Grubka got just enough in the way of a Morgan shot in the eighty-fourth minute, giving Orlando another corner kick. Edmonds went short and it was out for another try, which was sent toward Kyle but punched out by Casey. Weatherholt tried a shot from range, but that went over the goal. Kerr nearly had a steal in the midfield, and then nearly capitalized on a slow back pass from Monica to Harris. Monica blocked one Kai pass in the eighty-seventh minute, and Galton's cross was sent away by Monica as well. Rampone made a big run in the eighty-ninth minute, broken up by Kyle. Spencer had a ninetieth minute shot bounce off of teammate Lisa de Vanna to nullify a Pride attack. Skroski blocked Edmonds' free kick in stoppage time. Kerr sent a shot wide left in the ninety-second minute. Spencer got free for a shot that Casey saved off her face and Grubka went full bicycle-kick to clear it out. Raquel Rodriguez nearly got a shot off, but Levin broke it up well enough for the Pride. Edmonds tried to find Hagen, with a rebound falling to de Vanna, who sent it wide right. Kerr had a shot deflected and a cross out of bounds in the final play of the game, with the game ending at 1-1. Kerr was the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. Impressing in the second half was the LF Kai of Sky Blue.

An hour later, the Chicago Red Stars bring in FC Kansas City. Nicole Barnhart and Alyssa Naeher protect the nets. The game was broadcast live on Fox Sports 1. I'll attach a link here if/when it's published on YouTube.

Finally, the Portland Thorns FC host the Houston Dash. Lydia Williams and Michelle Betos protect the nets. Here's the game. Portland had an early chance in the first minute with a Katherine Reynolds cross into Christine Sinclair, who headed it over the bar. Emily Menges of the Thorns did well to hold off Janine Beckie of Houston in the second minute. Emily Sonnett of Portland blocked on cross from Kealia Ohai of the Dash, and the second one was too strong for Beckie to track down, ending the Dash attack. Becca Moros of Houston had a dangerous pass to Cari Roccaro, as Tobin Heath crashed for it but couldn't quite get there to produce a chance for the Thorns. Nadia Nadim's seventh minute cross was defended by Morgan Brian of Houston. Roccaro and Moros made some defensive mistakes in the tenth minute, with Portland's Nadim bearing down. Nadim managed a shot that Williams saved at the near post. Brian blocked a cross from the Thorns' Meghan Klingenberg in the twelfth minute. Reynolds, Sonnet, and Allie Long combined in defense for Portland to prevent Ohai from taking a shot. Andressa of the Dash took a thirteenth minute shot from range, going over the bar. Heath's fourteenth minute shot went straight to Dash keeper Williams. Cami Privett blocked Heath off the ball, springing Carli Lloyd for Houston's attack. Denise O'Sullivan eventually got a shot, saved by Betos in front of the Thorns goal. Andressa's through ball for Beckie was intercepted by Klingenberg. Sinclair received a long ball, going against Privett, who blocked it enough for Williams to clear. Beckie won a corner kick off of Klingenberg. The seventeenth minute service from Andressa went for Brian and then Poliana, but Nadim took it away for the Thorns to end the threat. Lloyd teed up an eighteenth minute shot that went high. The quality of chances has dropped a bit in recent minutes. Roccaro cleared a Reynolds cross in the twentieth minute. Beckie ripped a long shot that grazed the top of the net in the twenty-fourth minute. In the twenty-sixth minute, Long scored on a Heath free kick that Heath herself drew, making it 1-0 for Portland. Long scored on a floating header going over Williams and into the net. Klingenberg's twenty-seventh minute cross was caught by Williams. Andressa tried a through ball to Lloyd on the counter attack, which went too long as Sonnett covered Lloyd. Heath challenged Williams with a twenty-eighth minute cross, but Williams caught it. Brian's deflected cross in the thirtieth minute went to Betos, the Thorns keeper. Heath's thirty-first minute free kick went to Amandine Henry, but the Dash stayed strong to clear it. Horan set up Sinclair for a pair of shots, the first saved by Williams and the second dinging out off the post. Andressa passed out wide for Ohai, whose weak cross was cleared by Sonnett. Klingenberg won a corner kick off of Houston's Poliana. Heath's corner kick in the thirty-fourth minute went to low for Nadim, cleared by Poliana. Moros cleared a Heath cross in the thirty-fifth minute. Both teams began to slow the pace of play in their attacks later in the half. Ohai won a corner kick in the thirty-ninth minute, deflecting her cross out off of Menges. Andressa served it in for Privett, who headed it out wide. Lloyd tried a forty-first minute through ball for O'Sullivan, but it was too fast and Betos grabbed it. Privett cleared a Reynolds cross in the forty-third minute. O'Sullivan fouled Long, producing a Thorns free kick in the forty-fourth minute. Sinclair took this for goal, blocked by Lloyd in the wall and Poliana on the second shot, before hitting Horan's hand to end the Portland offense. Heath sent a forty-fifth minute cross just over Nadim's head. Beckie made a bad pass, which went to Sinclair, and Long got free for a shot that Williams saved. This produced a corner kick, taken by Heath in stoppage time. The Dash cleared, and the score favored the Thorns 1-0 at halftime. Houston's best players were the GK Williams, CB Roccaro, DCM Brian, RW Andressa, and LF Ohai. Portland saw good efforts from RB Reynolds, CB Sonnett, DM Long, RW Nadim, LW Heath, and striker Sinclair. Andressa found Ohai in the forty-sixth minute, and she waltzed into the box, but the Thorns shut her down as a team. Ohai sent another cross in that Klingenberg had to clear. Nadim had a forty-eighth minute shot roll out wide right after the Thorns made a series of quick passes on a sharp counterattack. Ohai's forty-ninth minute cross went too long for any Dash teammates to track it down. Sinclair put a fifty-first minute cross in for Horan that Williams just got to in time. Nadim's fifty-second minute pass to Heath was intercepted by a diving Williams just in time. Lloyd took the free kick, going for goal and sending it way over the net. Lloyd saw a pass blocked by Menges and cleared by Klingenberg, all coming after a long run by Lloyd. Horan had two chances blocked, the first from Roccaro and the second from Moros in the fifty-fourth minute. In the fifty-sixth minute, Heath took a Thorns free kick for Sonnett, which popped up and was caught by Williams. Nadim and Sinclair started a fifty-seventh minute counterattack, ending on Horan's high shot. Horan ripped a fifty-eighth minute shot that Williams needed to dive to save. Moros found Rachel Daly in the sixtieth minute, but the Houston sub tripped and lost possession to the Thorns. A sixty-second minute Klingenberg cross went straight to Williams. Daly's sixty-third minute cross deflected straight to Betos. Roccaro and Brian combined to block a Nadim run in the sixty-fourth minute. Henry had a sixty-fifth minute shot wide right with a mishit. In the sixty-sixth minute, Heath crossed a ball in front of goal, and Sinclair's first shot was blocked by Williams, while the second was blocked out. Lloyd cleared Heath's corner kick. Long cleared a Beckie cross away from Lloyd in the sixty-ninth minute. Portland's Hayley Raso had a cross cleared by Privett on the counterattack. In the seventy-first minute, the Thorns went from back to front with Menges, Horan, Klingenberg, Heath, and then Long getting touches during the sequence. Long used a couple of touches to get set and bury the shot in the corner to make it 2-0 for Portland. The Thorns went right back at the Dash, but couldn't produce a shot in the seventy-third minute. Horan corralled a long ball from Long, finding Sinclair, whose shot was off target. Daly and Beckie combined for a shot attempt, with Beckie's hit going just wide left with a slight lack of curve. Heath won a corner kick off of Poliana in the seventy-fifth minute. Heath served it for Henry, but Beckie emerged with it. Privett just poked away a Raso header after Klingenberg's cross coming from Heath's mind games in the corner in the eightieth minute. Daly put a ball on goal, with Lloyd getting the ball and Betos tangled in her feet before Sonnett cleared it out for a corner kick. Meleana Shim cleared the Andressa corner kick. Shim just slid in to break up Daly's pass for Lloyd in the eighty-seventh minute. In the ninetieth minute, Klingenberg set up Sinclair with a free kick service that Williams misplayed and Sinclair poked home to make it 3-0 Thorns. Chioma Ubogagu of the Dash had a free kick in stoppage time, defended well by the Thorns. The game ended at this score after Lloyd's weak service into the box was grabbed by Betos. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match was Long. The LB Klingenberg of Portland and LW Lloyd of Houston earned honorable mentions for second half work.

I am awaiting an upload of Chicago v. Kansas City to finish this post.