It's a full slate this week, beginning with...
Friday's game, as the Los Angeles Galaxy host the Houston Dynamo. Joe Willis and Brian Rowe are in goal. Collen Warner of Houston took a yellow card for his twenty-fourth minute foul. Giovani dos Santos of Los Angeles took a yellow card for his fifty-fifth minute foul. In the sixty-fourth minute, Jeff Larentowicz took a yellow card for the Galaxy for his foul. Los Angeles got going in the sixty-sixth minute with a Steven Gerrard goal. The game ended 1-0 for the Galaxy, and Gerrard was the man of the match for his winner.
On Saturday, the first of six games has the Columbus Crew SC welcoming DC United. Bill Hamid and Steve Clark are the talented keepers. Wil Trapp of Columbus took a yellow card for his twenty-first minute foul. The Crew dented the scoreboard with a sixty-third minute goal by Ola Kamara, set up by Harrison Afful and Tony Tchani. Columbus went down to ten men as Afful took a straight red card for a seventy-fourth minute foul. The Crew's keeper Clark had a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-eighth minute, but the tactic failed as DC tied it with an eighty-ninth minute Fabian Espindola goal. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with Espindola the man of the match for equalizing late.
Out in Colorado, the Rapids bring in Sporting Kansas City. Tims Melia and Howard protect the nets. Lawrence Olum of Kansas City had a yellow card for a forty-third minute foul. Colorado saw a yellow card for a Sam Cronin foul in the forty-fourth minute. Ike Opara of Sporting had a sixty-third minute yellow card for a foul. The Rapids drew first blood in the seventy-eighth minute with a Marlon Hairston goal, coming off of Dillon Powers in the seventy-eighth minute. The game ended 1-0, with Opara the man of the match for his winner.
Southeast to Texas, where FC Dallas hosts the Chicago Fire. Matt Lampson and Jesse Gonzalez are in the six-yard boxes. Dallas started in the twenty-third minute with a Maximiliano Urruti goal, via Fabian Castillo. Dallas added on with a Mauro Diaz goal in the forty-first minute, courtesy of Kellyn Acosta. Chicago got on the board in stoppage time with an Arturo Alvarez goal. Dallas replied a minute later as Mauro Rosales scored, thanks to Castillo. This sealed a 3-1 win, with the man of the match being Castillo for his two assists.
Back to the Rockies, where Real Salt Lake welcomes the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Nick Rimando are the veteran goalies. Salt Lake had a yellow card for an Aaron Maund foul in the thirty-fourth minute. Lee Nguyen of New England took a yellow card for dissent in the forty-fourth minute. The Revolution's London Woodberry received a yellow card for a forty-sixth minute foul, as did teammate Kei Kamara in the seventy-second minute. The game ended 0-0, with the man of the match being Shuttleworth for a two-save clean sheet.
In Canada, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC bring in Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and David Ousted are between the posts. Orlando City opened in the fourteenth minute on a Julio Baptista goal, via Luke Boden. Vancouver tied it on a thirty-fifth minute from Nicolas Mezquida. In the forty-third minute, the Whitecaps added on with a Masato Kudo goal, courtesy of Pedro Morales. Orlando City tied it again in the fiftieth minute on a Cyle Larin goal, made possible by Kevin Molino and Darwin Ceren. Orlando City's Servando Carrasco took a yellow card for a sixty-eighth minute foul. Vancouver's Andrew Jacobson had a yellow card for his foul in stoppage time. The game ended 2-2, with the man of the match being Larin for equalizing and scraping a point for Orlando City on the road.
Saturday ends in California, as the San Jose Earthquakes host Toronto FC. Alex Bono and David Bingham handle the goalie duties. San Jose led off in the thirtieth minute with a Quincy Amarikwa goal, passed from Fatai Alashe. The Earthquakes saw a yellow card for a thirty-third minute foul by Alashe. San Jose went down to ten men in the forty-second minute as Anibal Godoy took a straight red card for his foul. Toronto tied it on a Justin Morrow goal in the forty-fourth minute, assisted by Jordan Hamilton and Steven Beitashour. The Earthquakes went down to nine men in the fifty-third minute as Alberto Quintero received a straight red card for a foul. Still, San Jose pulled ahead on a seventieth minute Simon Dawkins goal, courtesy of Cordell Cato. This stood for a 2-1 win, with Dawkins the man of the match.
On Sunday, the first game is a Cascadia Cup Rivalry match between the Portland Thorns and Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Jake Gleeson man the nets. Jack Jewsbury of Portland had an eleventh minute yellow card for a foul. Joevin Jones in the thirty-seventh minute took a yellow card for his foul for Seattle. The Timbers began in the forty-fourth minute with a Diego Valeri goal, via Lucas Melano. Portland added on with a fiftieth minute Valeri goal, assisted by Jermaine Taylor. The Sounders got one back with a Chad Marshall goal in the fifty-ninth minute, coming off of Andreas Ivanschitz. The Timbers replied with a sixty-fourth minute Fanendo Adi goal, passed from Melano. Seattle's Osvaldo Alonso had a yellow card for a sixty-sixth minute foul. The game ended 3-1, with Valeri the man of the match with his brace.
Eastward to Montreal, with the Impact welcoming New York City FC. Josh Saunders and Evan Bush are in goal. New York City struck first in the thirty-fifth minute with a David Villa goal, assisted by Thomas McNamara. New York City added on in first half stoppage time with a Jack Harrison goal, via McNamara. Hassoun Camara of Montreal took a yellow card for a fiftieth minute foul. The Impact tied it in the fifty-fifth minute with a Harry Shipp goal, made possible by Ambroise Oyongo. New York City had a yellow card in the seventy-second minute for a Mikey Lopez foul. Montreal's Victor Cabrera received a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-fourth minute. New York City replied with an eighty-fifth minute Frank Lampard goal. Saunders, the New York City keeper, took a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-eighth minute. The game ended 3-1, with McNamara the man of the match for his two assists.
Finally, the Philadelphia Union bring in the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Andre Blake are the gloved men. New York was first to score in the twenty-seventh minute with a Sacha Kljestan goal, via Bradley Wright-Phillips. Philadelphia had yellow cards for Brian Carroll in the thirty-sixth minute and Ilsinho in the forty-third minute, both for fouls. The Red Bulls added on in the forty-fourth minute as Kljestan scored again. New York's Sal Zizzo took a yellow card for his sixty-sixth minute foul. On the ensuing penalty kick, the Union got on the board as C.J. Sapong converted. Philadelphia tied it on a Chris Pontius goal in the sixty-eighth minute, assisted by Fabian Herbers. In the seventy-second minute, the Union went down to ten men as Ilsinho took a straight red card for violent conduct. The Red Bulls had a yellow card for a Connor Lade foul in the seventy-third minute. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with Kljestan the man of the match for his brace.
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Sunday, July 17, 2016
NWSL Week 13
We're back with a schedule similar to last week's, although with 100% less poor pitch structures. We begin with...
FC Kansas City hosting the Washington Spirit. Kelsey Wys and Nicole Barnhart are in goal. The game can be found here. The game started a bit slowly, contested in the midfield, with Kansas City holding a lot of possession in their defensive areas. Tiffany McCarty tried to dribble into the box for the Blues, but Tori Huster broke that up. On another attack, Lo'eau LaBonta's pass caught McCarty offside as the Blues continue to pace the game. Mandy Laddish worked into the attack for Kansas City in the sixth minute, and McCarty got a cross off that Wys caught at the post. The Spirit had a free kick after Yael Averbuch fouled Francisca Ordega in the seventh minute. Christine Nairn's service for Washington went to Joanna Lohman, who shot wide right. Estefania Banini took a shot on a pass from Huster in the ninth minute, but Barnhart made the save. Katie Bowen picked out Shea Groom for Kansas City in the ninth minute on the counterattack, which Wys saved on the low shot. Frances Silva tried to slip one in for Groom in the eleventh minute, but Wys arrived first. Estelle Johnson broke up a run by McCarty with a hard foul in the twelfth minute, giving the Blues a free kick. Averbuch did the service, which went long and out of bounds. Erika Tymrak and Bowen combined, but Bowen's cross was blocked by the Spirit's Whitney Church. Ordega and Banini tried a give-and-go, but Brittany Taylor intercepted it for Kansas City in the sixteenth minute. Taylor fouled Ordega on the next Washington attack in the seventeenth minute. Nairn took the free kick in a dangerous position, going out wide for Church, whose cross just missed Cheyna Williams. Tymrak fouled Lohman in the eighteenth minute, and the Spirit had another offensive free kick chance. Nairn served it for Megan Oyster, but her header went harmlessly wide of goal. Taylor's service in the twentieth minute was covered by Lohman. Kansas City kept possession with a long cross from Brienne Reed before Washington took over. Reed made a stop as Nairn tried to find Banini in the twenty-first minute. McCarty won a corner kick off of Caprice Dydasco in the twenty-second minute for the Blues, stringing passes from Averbuch and Silva. Tymrak's service landed as a foul was called against the Blues' Taylor in the box. Averbuch, Silva, and McCarty combined again, resulting in another Blues corner kick in the twenty-fifth minute. Tymrak served this one for McCarty, and Williams cleared it for Washington. Kansas City kept control until McCarty was caught offside on the second effort. Bowen made a steal from Church in the twenty-sixth minute to keep the ball with Kansas City. Tymrak got a cross off to McCarty, but Dydasco cleared it over the crossbar for a corner kick. Tymrak took the service low to McCarty, who tried a couple times but with Ordega and Wys among other Washington players in the way. Dydasco sent Reed flipping on a steal in the twenty-eighth minute. On the counterattack, Banini was fouled by LaBonta, who took a yellow card for the Blues. Ordega of Washington went down hurt in the thirtieth minute, requiring medical attention. She returned without issue. Groom challenged Wys' clearance in the thirty-second minute, but it didn't deflect into a dangerous spot. Tymrak managed to get around Church but had to drop back to Taylor, who couldn't find Laddish in the thirty-fourth minute. Nairn's free kick in the thirty-sixth minute led to Huster playing it out off Laddish for a Spirit corner kick. Nairn took this as well, but the whistle blew quickly for a foul and Kansas City took possession. A thirty-seventh minute cross by Banini was caught by Barnhart ahead of Nairn's run. Williams had a shot that Barnhart kept out as it went wide. Williams had another shot go wide right, as the Spirit have taken a bit of control in the thirty-eighth minute. LaBonta took a deep shot off target for the Blues in the thirty-ninth minute. Silva had a chip for Tymrak that went too long. Tymrak put a ball in for McCarty, which Dydasco headed out. Silva and Tymrak tried to combine in the forty-second minute, but Wys grabbed Silva's shot, all after Johnson headed down a LaBonta long ball. Bowen took a pass from McCarty and tried to cross it back into her, but Wys made a leaping catch to end the Kansas City threat. Nairn's forty-fifth minute cross failed after Ordega's play was blocked by Averbuch. Bowen fouled Williams in stoppage time, giving Washington a late free kick. Nairn's service went to Lohman, who knocked it down. Banini did the rest, dancing through a pair of defenders to score for a 1-0 Spirit lead that they took into halftime. The best players for the Spirit were the GK Wys, LB Dydasco, CB Oyster, DCM Huster, RW Nairn, LW Lohman, and LF Banini. For Kansas City, the top players have been CB Averbuch, RW McCarty, ACM Silva, LW Tymrak, and striker Groom. Tymrak had a great cross in the forty-sixth minute, finding Silva, who nearly scored had it not been for a stunning save by Wys. Johnson broke up a pass from Groom to McCarty, giving the Spirit some relief. McCarty made a steal from Lohman on the Washington attack, and the Blues took over. Taylor took a free kick for Silva in the forty-eighth minute, but Church sent it away. Tymrak got a cross around Church in the forty-ninth minute, which Wys then grabbed. Tymrak sent a ball over the bar after taking the ball from Silva's pass after Reed's throw-in. The Blues have settled in nicely to start the second half. Nairn's free kick in the fifty-first minute was dropped by Barnhart and hit by Huster, which Silva saved. Ordega played it off Bowen for the corner kick. Nairn served it to Johnson, but it was defended and cleared by Laddish. Groom got crunched by Church in the fifty-second minute, with advantage played for Laddish to take a shot on goal saved by Wys. Groom required medical attention, creating a bit of a stoppage. She was able to return. Williams put a cross in for Lohman in the fifty-fifth minute, and Lohman headed it onto the top of the net after a slight deflection by Averbuch. Nairn couldn't quite connect with Ordega in the fifty-seventh minute. Ordega's cross on the next Washington attack led to a corner kick when Averbuch bumped it out. Nairn booted it in, where it bounced around the box before Lohman eventually put it in. Ordega initially headed it out to Church and Oyster, and then Ordega and Johnson took multiple shots blocked before Lohman finished for a 2-0 Spirit lead. Silva made a run straight at the Washington defense before slipping a ball just too far ahead of Groom. In the sixty-second minute, Dydasco took a yellow card for a foul on Reed as the Blues defender sent the ball forward. Tymrak found Silva in the box in the sixty-fourth minute, but Wys was able to cover the weak redirection. Nairn had a sixty-fifth minute free kick for Lohman, who popped it up, allowing Blues keeper Barnhart to catch it. Taylor made a long run through the center of the park for Kansas City in the sixty-sixth minute, shooting over the bar against Dydasco's coverage. Tymrak had a ball for McCarty that Dydasco had to send out for a corner kick. The Blues' service came in the sixty-ninth minute from Tymrak, and was headed in by Silva to cut the deficit to 2-1, with Washington still in the lead. Dydasco's cross from Katie Stengel in the seventy-first minute was headed out by Taylor. Lohman then received a yellow card for fouling Silva as the Blues tried to counterattack. Tymrak put a ball in front of goal after going around Church. Huster cleared it just away from Laddish. Tymrak's corner kick ran long and found Bowen, who sent it back in for Taylor. It went out for a Washington goal kick. Huster fouled Groom in the seventy-fourth minute, setting up Averbuch for a free kick from a distance. She took it as a shot, but it was short and caught by Wys just outside her six-yard box. Oyster got the best of Laddish in a battle in the seventy-fifth minute. The Spirit have had to be defensively sound with the Blues attacking after their goal. Tymrak sent a ball to McCarty that Dydasco made a block on. Bowen and Tymrak combined to clear Nairn's free kick in the seventy-seventh minute. Groom and Laddish supported the counterattack, but Johnson defended and drew a foul to give Washington the ball again. Lohman had a cross go way long in the seventy-ninth minute. Averbuch just broke up a through ball from Ordega to Stengel, giving away a corner kick to the Spirit. Nairn's service in the eighty-first minute went for Lohman, but Groom headed it out. Johnson took a shot that got deflected by a Blues defender for another Washington corner kick. This time, Nairn's service was punched over by Barnhart. Nairn came back to the near side for a third corner kick in the eighty-second minute. Averbuch cleared it only as far as Banini, who struck with her second goal on the volley in the eighty-third minute, going to the left post to score it for a 3-1 Washington lead. Bowen made a good run in the eighty-fourth minute, going against Washington's Alyssa Kleiner, but she couldn't get a shot off. Nairn and Stengel combined to make a steal from LaBonta in the eighty-sixth minute. Huster kept Tymrak out of the box as Kansas City continued to pour the attack forward. Laddish ripped a shot in the ninetieth minute that Wys caught on the line drive. Lohman deflected it slightly. Seconds into stoppage time, Groom took a ball from Reed's throw-in, shooting across her body to get the goal and send Wys the wrong way. The game is at 3-2, with Kansas City pushing in stoppage time. LaBonta had a shot just trickle to Wys. Averbuch went deep to Caroline Kastor as part of the urgency, but Kastor sent it to Wys on two hops. Groom won a corner kick off Dydasco, with Tymrak taking it for the Blues. She sent it for Groom, who put it wide left. Kleiner made a defensive stop on Tymrak after an Averbuch serve forward. Taylor took a low shot that Wys grabbed, marking the last chance for the Blues. The game ended 3-2 for the Spirit, with Banini the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match with her brace. The CF Ordega of the Spirit looked well in retrospect, while the Blues saw good work from LB Bowen and DM Laddish in the second half.
In the night's second game, the Orlando Pride welcome the Chicago Red Stars. Michele Dalton and Kaitlyn Savage receive the starting nods in goal. Here's the game. Jamia Fields of Orlando sent a ball off Sam Johnson of Chicago for a corner kick in the second minute. Toni Pressley took the corner kick for the Pride, but Katie Naughton cleared it, and then Becky Edwards lost it out to end Orlando's possession. Sam Witteman played strong against Sofia Huerta of the Red Stars in the third minute. The Pride have had the better of possession, including a series of passes starting with Levin, then Pressley, Witteman, Jasmyne Spencer, Sarah Hagen, and Edwards before Levin missed it in the seventh minute. Danielle Colaprico broke up a Maddy Evans effort after Kaylyn Kyle went long for Fields in another Orlando attack. Spencer nearly got to a ball from Fields that Evans left, but Arin Gilliland broke it up for Chicago. Vanessa DiBernardo made an attack forward in the eleventh minute, but couldn't find a teammate under pressure from the Pride's Edwards. Naughton headed away a Levin cross after passes from Fields, Spencer, and Edmonds, who made a steal on pass between Chicago's Taylor Comeau and Cara Walls. The Red Stars have looked disorganized so far. Pressley had to come up big to deny Jen Hoy of a shot, creating a Chicago corner kick. DiBernardo did the corner kick, which wasn't all that dangerous for the Red Stars in the thirteenth minute. DiBernardo tried to get Walls, but the latter Chicago player was offside, and Savage had it covered for Orlando anyway. Edwards defended well enough to limit Walls to a weak shot on a pass from Huerta in the fourteenth minute. Hoy won a corner kick off Kyle, with DiBernardo serving to Naughton, with Hagen just deflecting it away. A shot from outside the box went over the bar, coming from Comeau. Spencer took a shot in the nineteenth minute that Dalton saved, going against Naughton and two other Red Stars in defense. Colaprico, Naughton, and Johnson disrupted another Spencer run into the box in the twentieth minute. Walls tried to feed DiBernardo in the twenty-second minute, and got fouled for her trouble after the long ball came from Naughton. Walls got the ball on the right side in the twenty-third minute, and she laid off for Huerta, who crossed to Comeau, who got in front of Levin and headed it past Savage with pace to give the Red Stars a 1-0 lead. Levin sent a cross into the outside of the side netting in the twenty-fourth minute, disassembling a good Pride foray. Walls put a weak shot on goal in the twenty-seventh minute for Chicago, which Savage picked up easily. Kyle made a big tackle on Walls after Comeau passed to her. Huerta got the ball, but her cross went out of bounds. A hydration break was called in the thirty-first minute. Fields took a ball from Levin, and Fields crossed it toward Hagen, but it didn't work, and Chicago took over in the thirty-fourth minute. Kyle managed to shut down Hoy after a pass on the left wing from Casey Short. DiBernardo took a shot in the thirty-fifth minute, but Savage made the save. Fields got to a ball from Evans, but a double-deflection off of Short and then Fields led to a Chicago goal kick. DiBernardo took a shot that went off the post, and this caught Hoy offside when she tried a second effort, with Kyle there to cover it anyway in the thirty-ninth minute. Hoy fed Walls in the forty-first minute for a shot on a big counterattack chance. This came after Spencer made Gilliland look bad. DiBernardo took another shot on foal in the forty-third minute. In the forty-fourth minute, Gilliland took a yellow card for fouling Spencer on her next foray forward for the Pride. Edmonds did the free kick in the forty-fifth minute, forcing Dalton into the punch. Gilliland cleared a cross in from Levin. Huerta's cross, going against Witteman and Edwards was blocked by Pressley in stoppage time. Kyle just poked the ball away from Hoy in the box on the next Chicago attack. Levin crossed in for Evans, who put it on goal but without much threat to Dalton. Witteman made a good steal from DiBernardo near the end of the stoppage time. The game went into halftime 1-0 for the Red Stars. Impressing for Chicago were the CB Naughton, DM DiBernardo, RW Huerta, LW Comeau, and RF Hoy. For the Pride, their best efforts have come from LB Witteman, CB Kyle, DCM Edwards, LW Edmonds, RW Evans, and LF Spencer. In the forty-seventh minute, Comeau made a run forward for Chicago, but lost it out to Levin. Spencer couldn't quite get around Naughton on the counterattack for Orlando. Fields had a low cross in the forty-eighth minute, but deflected it off Short for a corner kick. Edmonds served it to Kyle, but Dalton just caught it in time. Comeau found Huerta with a cross, but her header took one bounce and Savage made the grab. Hoy's shot was blocked by Pressley in the fiftieth minute, forcing Savage to dive to prevent the corner kick. Fields got around both Comeau and Short before sending it back to Evans, and then Edwards' pass was errant and Gilliland took it away. Colaprico fouled Witteman on the next Pride attack, giving them a free kick in a decent spot. In the fifty-second minute, Edmonds couldn't serve it past Naughton to pick out Hagen, and Kyle was offside on the second effort. Orlando continued the dangerous chances, with Spencer crossing in front of goal to no avail. Colaprico just broke up a ball from Fields, and then Levin put it in again and Dalton caught it before Hagen or Kyle could get there. Spencer couldn't get around Gilliland in the fifty-sixth minute. DiBernardo couldn't quite get to Walls as the Red Stars made a counterattack, with Savage stepping up for the stop. Dani Weatherholt made a strong steal against Comeau in the sixtieth minute to disrupt a Chicago attack. Levin took a ball away from Comeau on a cross by DiBernardo in the sixty-second minute. The Pride got a free kick in the sixty-fourth minute that Edmonds sent in, going for Hagen, but it landed to Weatherholt, and then Kyle was close, but Naughton sent it out for a corner kick. Edmonds served it for Kyle, whose header was cleared off the line by Gilliland and right to the arms of Dalton. Naughton made a poke away from Edmonds after a Witteman pass. Spencer had a cross sent off target by Gilliland in the sixty-fifth minute as well, as Orlando is make a flurry of attacks. Johnson blocked a Levin cross in the sixty-sixth minute in an effort to clear it out for Chicago. DiBernardo tried for Comeau in the seventy-first minute, but the header went at Savage. Leah Fortune took a long shot for the Pride, which Dalton grabbed with ease. Christina Burkenroad went one on many in the seventy-third minute, losing out to Johnson. Dalton made a critical error in the seventy-fourth minute, turning over to Edmonds, who shot right on goal. At that moment, thunder and lightning started, creating a fifty-five minute weather delay. Kyle picked off Huerta's pass for Walls in the seventy-sixth minute. Burkenroad managed a cross, trying to get Spencer, but Dalton made the punch in the seventy-seventh minute. Fortune and Edmonds combined for a give-and-go, but Fortune's cross ended in Dalton's arms. Naughton cleared Witteman's cross in the eighty-first minute, and Evans had the second effort well over the crossbar. Orlando began to have trouble retaining the ball in their search for an equalizer. Witteman put a cross into the eighty-fifth minute after Edmonds' pass, but Dalton made the grab again as the steady Chicago keeper is doing everything she can for the team. Naughton made a good disruption on Burkenroad's through ball, shielding it out for a goal kick by Dalton. In the eighty-sixth minute, Alyssa Mautz of Chicago chipped it over the goal. Burkenroad went hard at Dalton, who cleared it just in time. In the eighty-eighth minute, Spencer flicked on to Burkenroad after a Levin through ball, who was offside, meaning her goal didn't count. Pressley had a free kick in the eighty-ninth minute, cleared by Naughton initially. Fortune, Kyle, and Spencer all had touches, but Dalton grabbed it as the end grows nearer. Naughton and Gilliland turned a Levin cross away. DiBernardo stole the ball from Evans in stoppage time and took it to the corner to kill the clock. Kyle started the counterattack for the Pride, but they lost it out of bounds. Naughton blocked a pair of Weatherholt crosses. Evans took a yellow card for fouling Colaprico deep in stoppage time. Short put the ball out for an Orlando corner kick. Edmonds took it after earning it, sending it in where Mautz headed it away. Burkenroad lost it out, and the flurry ends with Chicago taking the 1-0 win. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match is Huerta, who had many strong services during the game, including the assist for the winner. Also impressing for the Red Stars were the RB Gilliland and GK Dalton. The RB Levin impressed for the Pride.
The third Saturday game had the Houston Dash hosting the Portland Thorns FC. Michelle Betos and Bianca Henninger play goal. The game can be found at the link. Houston started with the pressure, as Becca Moros saw a cross blocked by Kat Williamson. Hayley Raso had Portland's first shot in the fourth minute as the Dash's Amber Brooks made a giveaway. Maureen Fitzgerald and Mallory Weber had touches for the Thorns as well on the play. Melissa Henderson tried to find Chioma Ubogagu in the fifth minute, but Katherine Reynolds was there first to shut it down. Williamson had a sloppy pass that Houston's Denise O'Sullivan picked off, but her through ball caught Ubogagu offside. In the seventh minute, Daly put a ball in off the bottom of the crossbar behind Betos, after a sequence saw her spring Kealia Ohai, who crossed it in. Henderson dummied the ball, and Daly struck to make it 1-0. Raso went against Ohai and nearly found Nadia Nadim, but Cari Roccaro cleared it for Houston. as the Thorns failed to produce a shot on the tenth minute attack. Celeste Boureille had a weak giveaway to Cami Privett on the second effort for Portland. Ohai made a steal in the eleventh minute and passed to Daly, who managed a shot that Betos got down to save. Ubogagu took a shot that went wide right in the thirteenth minute after receiving the ball from Privett. Emily Menges cleared away a Moros through ball for Ubogagu. O'Sullivan sent a shot wide left in the fifteenth minute, as the Dash continue to dominate the offense. Ellie Brush nearly caused trouble, as the Houston defender's pass back to Henninger allowed Raso a shot that went wide left. Daly made a steal against Boureille in the sixteenth minute, and Ohai took it out wide, passing into O'Sullivan, who sent the shot high. O'Sullivan stole the ball from Nadim in the eighteenth minute to start another Houston attack. Ohai saw a pass from Williamson briefly taken away, intended for Henderson, but the Dash got the ball back quickly in the twentieth minute. Henderson and Ubogagu combined for a chance, with Menges sending it out for a Houston corner kick. Henderson served it in, where Williamson headed it up and Betos caught it safely. Weber gave Portland a decent chance, going against Henderson and Moros before passing to Nadim, who laid it off for Boureille, and her shot went over the bar in the twenty-fifth minute. Williamson fouled Ubogagu in the twenty-sixth minute, giving the Dash a very dangerous free kick on the edge of the penalty area. Daly took the free kick, forcing Betos into a diving save as she punched it over the bar. The corner kick was taken by Henderson in the twenty-eighth minute, going harmlessly to Nadim, who headed it forward. Brooks blocked it and got it to Daly, who won a corner kick off of Williamson. Henderson served another one in for Privett and Daly, but neither got onto it. Moros broke up a counterattack against Weber and Meleana Shim. Privett found Ubogagu, who sent it along for Henderson, but her cross was sent out for a throw-in. The hydration break came around the thirty-first minute. Raso just missed Nadim on a pass after a long ball, and Brooks was there to take over for Houston in the thirty-fourth minute. Ubogagu won a corner kick off of Reynolds in the thirty-seventh minute, after Henderson's pass forward. Henderson served in the corner kick for Privett, who put it into the six-yard box, and Betos fell on it just before Roccaro could hit it, as Raso helped defend. Jennifer Skogerboe found Raso, but she lost it to Privett and fouled her. Shim had a shot for the Thorns in the thirty-ninth minute which Roccaro blocked for Houston. Shim then took a yellow card for a foul on Brush. Raso and Daly collided in the fortieth minute, earning the Dash a free kick. Ohai took this one, floating it in to Betos' hands. Portland had some pressure after a Shim shot in the forty-first minute, but Houston did well to hold possession. Raso had two center balls blocked by Privett and Brush before the Dash took over. Williamson's long ball in the forty-third minute was taken by Brooks to spring a Houston attack. Weber disrupted this with a tackle on Henderson. Henderson finally blocked a Shim shot in the forty-fifth minute after a long sequence of passes for the Thorns. Ohai and Menges had a battle in stoppage time, ending with a foul by Ohai in the offensive zone for the Dash. Moros had a free kick go to Ubogagu and then Ohai in the box, but without a shot as Sam Lofton cleared for Portland. Houston took the 1-0 lead into halftime. Impressing for the Thorns are CBs Reynolds and Menges, DMs Shim and Boureille, LW Raso, and striker Nadim. For the Dash, the top player have been CB Roccaro, DM Brooks, RW Ohai, ACM O'Sullivan, LW Henderson, RF Daly, and LF Ubogagu. This isn't a knock on the Dash's defense, but more a statement of how few challenges they've faced to be judged on. Portland had a free kick in the forty-sixth minute. Nadim's service went over Raso, as well as Brush and Roccaro, for a goal kick. Daly did a lot of work to get the ball, and Ohai sent a cross into Betos' hands. Boureille fouled Daly in the forty-eighth minute, giving Houston a decent free kick chance. Ohai couldn't find Henderson, and Raso took it away. Moros sent a cross in for Ohai in the forty-ninth minute, who forced Lofton to give up a corner kick. Henderson put the ball in for Brooks, who flicked it just over the bar after a low service. Menges made a good stop on Ubogagu's pass toward Daly. Ohai had a cross in the fifty-third minute that Henderson couldn't get to due to Skogerboe's defense. Ohai went around a statue resembling Lofton, and then won a corner kick off Menges. Henderson's fifty-fourth minute service was sent to O'Sullivan, who sent it across the box and out wide. Daly managed to get it back after Boureille whiffed the service, and O'Sullivan sent a shot wide left. Nadim won a ball off of Roccaro, but Brush cleared it. In the fifty-sixth minute, Menges again blocked an Ohai cross. Brooks had a free kick that got out to Ohai, and she sent it in, but Betos covered it in the fifty-seventh minute. Ubogagu won a corner kick off of Skogerboe in the fifty-eighth minute, and Henderson served another set piece in, and Ohai couldn't get a shot off. The Thorns tried to counter but couldn't meander down the field fast enough. Privett shut down Raso in the sixtieth minute on the Thorns attack, surrendering a corner kick. Nadim served this one, going over Skogerboe and Shade Pratt. The game seemed to slow a bit after the hour mark. The Thorns had a bit more time with the ball, as O'Sullivan stole from Weber in the sixty-fourth minute. Nadim sent a ball out on a flubbed cross in the sixty-fifth minute. Ubogagu found Ohai after Lofton failed to clear, and she put it in for O'Sullivan, who couldn't shoot against Menges and Reynolds. Ohai then had a shot that Betos had to poke over the bar. Henderson took the corner kick in the sixty-eighth minute, serving in, where Menges cleared. Ohai's shot popped out for Moros, whose cross found Brooks, who put it in to make it 2-0 for the Dash in the sixty-ninth minute. Privett shut down Raso for a corner kick in the seventieth minute. Nadim served it in long, missing Skogerboe. Portland had a seventy-second minute free kick taken by Reynolds and going for Pratt, cleared by Roccaro. Weber got a shot off, and Henninger sent it over the bar for a corner kick. Shim's service went to Skogerboe and Reynolds, but Ohai cleared it away. Moros blocked a Shim cross in the seventy-third minute. Ubogagu went between Skogerboe and Menges, but Betos saved the shot off her legs. Stephanie Ochs saw a shot blocked by Pratt as Houston breaks a bit of the pressure with counterattacks. Raso's pass to Nadim was broken up by Moros after Raso outran Privett. The hydration break came in the seventy-fifth minute. Privett had a cross in the eightieth minute that was cleared. Moros took a shot that went wide left. Raso took a yellow card for an eighty-first minute foul, or a persistent infringement. Lofton sent a ball forward for the Thorns in the eighty-second minute, which Henninger picked up. In the eighty-third minute, Ohai took a shot off the right post and in to make it 3-0 for the Dash. In the eighty-fifth minute, Ochs just sent a ball over the bar. Pratt couldn't get through three Dash defenders. Roccaro blocked a Boureille through ball and then a Shim effort forward as well. Ochs made a steal in stoppage time from Weber after Raso's pass into the box. McKenzie Berryhill had a cross that Henninger punched out and a corner kick resulted from the second effort. Nadim took the service to Berryhill, who headed it wide, and the game was called at 3-0 for the Dash. Ohai was the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match with a goal and assist. Other impressive efforts include RB Privett and LB Ochs for the Dash, and outside back Skogerboe for the Thorns.
The last Saturday game saw the Seattle Reign FC bring in the Western New York Flash. Katelyn Rowland faces a lesser foe in Andi Tostanoski in goal. You can find the game by following the link. Seattle saw Jess Fishlock send a ball forward for Beverly Yanez, but Elizabeth Eddy sent it back to Rowland safely in the first minute. Lynn Williams of Western New York countered and earned a corner kick off of Lauren Barnes of the Reign. Jaelene Hinkle served it in for Abby Dahlkemper, who didn't produce a shot. Fishlock blocked it. The Flash had a defensive breakdown in the middle of the park, allowing Manon Melis to slip through Dahlkemper and Abby Erceg, shooting low and past Rowland for a 1-0 Reign lead in the third minute. Western New York's Makenzy Doniak's cross in the fifty minute was picked off by Seattle's Kim Little. Rumi Utsugi's cross found Nahomi Kawasumi, who left off for Fishlock. Her shot in the seventh minute went over the bar. Seattle earned a corner kick in the eighth minute, with the game being fairly open so far. Kawasumi served it in, but Dahlkemper sent it away. Melis had a cross in the ninth minute to Yanez, but Rowland got it first and the Flash tried to build from the back. Barnes blocked a couple of Jessica McDonald crosses, eventually losing it out for a Flash corner kick. Hinkle served it short to Lianne Sanderson, but the cross was not dangerous. McDonald had a shot after her own long throw-in, and Barnes had block. McCall Zerboni also had a shot blocked by Kawasumi in the twelfth minute. Fishlock cleared a McDonald long throw. Melis and Yanez combined after Fishlock chipped in, with Yanez' shot deflected by Rowland out for a corner kick. Seattle didn't produce a shot on the effort. Doniak's cross was blocked by Barnes in the sixteenth minute as the Flash finally started another attack after some midfield time. Melis was caught offside on the counterattack for the Reign. Dahlkemper saw a cross go over McDonald and headed by Elli Reed. Fishlock then blocked a Hinkle cross. Keelin Winters headed out Sanderson's chip after Fishlock's clearance from McDonald's throw-in in the eighteenth minute came to her. Hinkle made a cross that Fishlock slid to knock down in the nineteenth minute. Winters did well to break up Sanderson and Hinkle's passing sequence in the twentieth minute. Williams had a cross along the goal line that Tostanoski covered in the twenty-second minute. Little's cross to Kawasumi was covered by Hinkle, but a turnover allowed Melis to take a shot that Rowland saved after Reed's pass in the twenty-third minute. Zerboni earned a free kick just outside the box after a foul by Reed, which earned a twenty-fifth minute yellow card. Sanderson took the free kick for McDonald, who put the ball in the net with her header, but she was offside thanks to Winters and Kawasumi stepping up for the Reign, as the Flash miss a chance for an equalizer. Melis had a heavy touch on a cross from Kawasumi in the twenty-seventh minute as Seattle broke pressure for awhile. Kawasumi found Little, and then Yanez went to Melis, who shot a bit high over the goal in the twenty-eighth minute. Dahlkemper flipped a Kawasumi cross out. Dahlkemper had a couple of pokes before Reed cleared a long throw-in by McDonald in the thirty-first minute. Kawasumi took a shot off the bar in the thirty-second minute after Melis flicked it to her on the pass. Doniak got fouled by Winters from behind in the thirty-third minute, giving Winters a yellow card. Kendall Fletcher got up over McDonald on the Hinkle free kick. Fishlock sent a ball long for Melis, but Rowland cleared it away in the thirty-fifth minute. Barnes cleared an Eddy cross in the thirty-sixth minute. Fletcher intercepted Sanderson's through ball for Williams in the thirty-eighth minute. Kawasumi took a cross in the fortieth minute, just missing Melis' running header attempt, allowing Rowland to grab it for Western New York. Little intercepted the ball from Williams after Reed and Fletcher did some work in the corner defensively for Seattle. Hinkle's cross in the forty-second minute was deflected by Fletcher. Yanez blocked Eddy's cross attempt in the forty-fourth minute, but fouled Erceg later. Hinkle served it in, and Yanez sent it out this time. Zerboni's cross got past McDonald and bounced out for a corner kick off Utsugi. Hinkle's forty-fifth minute corner kick went to Dahlkemper, who put it back across goal, and McDonald headed it home for the Flash, tying the game at 1. This was the score at halftime. Playing well for the Flash were the CB Dahlkemper, LB Hinkle, DM Erceg, RW Doniak, and RF McDonald. For the Reign, their top efforts came from RB Reed, CB Barnes, DMs Winters and Fishlock, RF Kawasumi, and LF Melis. Zerboni had a yellow card in the forty-seventh minute for her foul on Little. Little tried to pick out Melis in the forty-eighth minute, and Dahlkemper sent it away. Fletcher shut down Williams and McDonald in the forty-ninth minute, allowing Tostanoski to make a grab. Eddy's cross in the fiftieth minute was cleared by Fletcher, but Western New York stayed high in attack. Hinkle had a cross go out of bounds to ultimately end the attack. The Flash were denied a goal after McDonald's long throw-in was outed by Fishlock. Dahlkemper took the shot, which Erceg deflected into the goal, but she did so from an offside position and the score remained 1-1. McDonald made a run with the ball from Sanderson against Barnes, firing a shot that Tostanoski covered for the save in the fifty-third minute. Fletcher blocked a Williams shot and sent it to Zerboni, blocked by Kawasumi on the second effort as Western New York has found a new gear. Dahlkemper did a corner kick in the fifty-fifth minute, going for McDonald. Winters and Fletcher blocked this, and Barnes blocked another one in the mob, and then Williams got a shot off as well going over the bar. Fishlock fed Kawasumi for a chip shot in the fifty-eighth minute, but Rowland tracked back to make the same for Western New York. Barnes blocked a McDonald long throw-in, and then blocked Hinkle's pass out to Sanderson, who ultimately shot wide in the fifty-ninth minute. On the Seattle counterattack, Yanez's cross went straight to Rowland. Hinkle had a free kick in the sixty-second minute that Erceg headed wide right with the Flash still pressuring for a tiebreaker. McDonald's sixty-third minute throw-in was headed out by Fishlock for a corner kick, which Hinkle took. This went short to Sanderson, who faked Barnes and Kawasumi, but couldn't beat Fletcher, and McDonald's shot went wide right. The Flash got another corner kick in the sixty-fifth minute, going from Hinkle straight to Barnes at the near post. Hinkle broke up a Kawasumi run on a pass from Little. Fletcher kept Williams and McDonald at bay, and then Fishlock broke up Sanderson's through ball in the sixty-eighth minute. Kawasumi tried to find Yanez, but the latter was offside in the seventieth minute as the Reign pushed forward for a bit. Fletcher blocked a McDonald shot in the seventy-first minute and Tostanoski grabbed the second effort from Sanderson. Taylor Smith, Sanderson, and McDonald combined for a shot attempt saved by Tostanoski in the seventy-sixth minute. Zerboni had a seventy-ninth minute cross land out of bounds behind Tostanoski's goal. Fletcher headed away Eddy's cross, and then Winters shut down Williams in the eightieth minute. Reed put one in for Lindsay Elston of Seattle, but Rowland grabbed it in time. Elston put a ball in for Fishlock in the eighty-first minute, forcing Western New York's Courtney Niemiec to put it out for a corner kick. Kawasumi went low, and Dahlkemper cleared it out. Merritt Mathias deflected it back in, falling to Fishlock, who shot wide left on the second try. Elston fed Little in the eighty-third minute, and she got tripped up by Niemiec cleanly, and Rowland sent it away. Fletcher cleaned up a Williams cross in the eighty-fifth minute after Barnes misplayed it a bit in the corner. Fishlock fouled Sanderson in the eighty-sixth minute, producing a good free kick chance for the Flash. Hinkle took it on goal, and Tostanoski caught it over Hinkle. In the eighty-eighth minute, the Flash had a corner kick, which Hinkle took and Tostanoski caught over McDonald. Winters found Little in the eighty-ninth minute, and Hinkle put it out for a Reign corner kick. Barnes took it and went to Utsugi, but it was headed out by Western New York. Fishlock took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time against Sanderson. Dahlkemper's free kick went to Smith, who went to the corner, signalling happiness with the scoreline. The game ended as such, tied 1-1, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being Barnes, whose defense kept the game under control even as the Flash dominated the second half. Impressing for the Reign in the second half were GK Tostanoski and CB Fletcher, while the Flash saw good effort from DM Sanderson in the second half.
Finally, Sunday's game sees the Boston Breakers host Sky Blue FC. Caroline Casey and Jami Kranich protect the nets. This game can be found here. This is also the last game of Mollie Pathman's career for the Breakers, as she announced her retirement earlier this week. Leah Galton tried to flick a ball onto Natasha Kai in the first minute, but the Sky Blue forward was caught offside. Sky Blue tried to go forward again, with Erin Simon finding Galton just offside again. Boston struck first in the third with an Angela Salem goal on the third shot. The play began with Stephanie McCaffrey's cross from the left wing, after Eunice Beckmann had shots blocked by Simon and Casey after Stephanie Verdoia's flick, giving the Breakers a 1-0 lead. Sarah Killion saw her free kick in the seventh minute for Sky Blue cleared by Verdoia for Boston. Louise Schillgard had a cross in the eighth minute going for Verdoia, who headed wide left of Casey's net. Kristin Grubka cleared out a Julie King throw-in in the tenth minute, and Boston had to chase it down in their own end after the initial attack failed. McCaffrey had a cross in the twelfth minute that Casey dove on to prevent any chaos in the penalty area. Beckmann did well to steal the ball from Sky Blue's Taylor Lytle in the midfield. Kassey Kallman headed a ball out under pressure from Kai of Sky Blue, creating a corner kick. Killion stepped up for the service, going over Raquel Rodriguez of Sky Blue and cleared by Kallman for the Breakers. Galton saw a cross in the seventeenth minute for Sky Blue bounce off Kallman for a corner kick. Killion served this one in for Kai, but Beckmann headed it away. Lytle tried to find Kai, but she was offside. Christie Rampone just managed to keep Beckmann away from the ball in the offensive zone for Boston. Mollie Pathman of the Breakers put in some work against Catherine Zimmerman of Sky Blue in the nineteenth minute. Pathman had a cross in that Casey punched out, and McCaffrey's second effort bounced off of a Sky Blue defender for a corner kick. The Breakers' set piece came from Schillgard to King, going around to Christen Westphal and Salem. Verdoia got knocked down in the box and Schillgard got into the mix, but no shot came in the twenty-third minute. Grubka headed out a King long throw-in for another one by King. Katie Schoepfer got onto this one, sending it wide left of the goal after she got open around Sky Blue's Simon. Galton won a corner kick off of King in the twenty-sixth minute. Killion served it into a crowd, and the whistle killed the play as King was fouled in the mess. Grubka was the closest Sky Blue player to the ball. Galton and Westphal went at each other again in the twenty-seventh minute, and Westphal fouled Galton in the box, giving Sky Blue a penalty kick. Killion took the penalty kick, and slotted it in the right side of the net. Kranich had the right idea but Killion's placement was better, and the game is now tied at 1. Galton put a cross in for Sky Blue in the thirtieth minute, and Kallman sent it out for another corner kick. Killion's service went toward Kai, going over her and off of Kallman out for another corner kick. Galton took this one, which went in front of Kranich and Lytle had contact but sent it over the net. At the end of the play, a hydration break was called in the thirty-first minute. Pathman blocked a Zimmerman cross in the thirty-fifth minute. Galton took a pass from Rodriguez and tried to center the ball, but King and Westphal cleared it. Kai took a ball from Rodriguez in the thirty-eighth minute and crossed in where Galton headed it down and in for a goal, making it 2-1 Sky Blue. Galton had a cross in the thirty-ninth minute for Sky Blue, but this went out of bounds. Sky Blue has grown into the game as it has gotten late in the first half. Kallman cleared a Galton cross in the forty-first minute. Grubka and Simon each had a block on McCaffrey in the forty-second minute, and then Schillgard's cross to Beckmann ended in a header saved by Casey. Beckmann initially got it to McCaffrey as well, and Rampone provided defensive support for Sky Blue on the flurry of activity. Lytle poked a ball into Kai, who danced around a couple of defenders and fired a low shot that Kranich dived to save in the forty-fourth minute. The game ended with Sky Blue ahead 2-1, and their best players were CB Grubka, LB Simon, DMs Killion and Rodriguez, LW Galton, and LF Kai. The Breakers' best players were CB Kallman, DM Salem, LW Verdoia, RF Beckmann, and LF McCaffrey. Verdoia's forty-sixth minute through ball for Boston missed Beckmann and landed with Simon of Sky Blue instead. Pathman cross in the forty-ninth minute was intercepted by Simon and Sky Blue pushed forward. Galton had a fiftieth minute cross corralled by the Breakers. Schillgard's long ball caught Beckmann offside in the fifty-first minute for Boston. Kallman threaded the needle between Zimmerman and Lytle to Pathman, who just couldn't run down the ball after a deflection. Beckmann won a corner kick for the Breakers in the fifty-fourth minute, giving Schillgard a chance to serve a ball in, but Casey caught the ball unchallenged. Erica Skroski of Sky Blue did a good poke to keep the ball away from Beckmann on Salem's long try in the fifty-seventh minute for Boston. Kai corralled a ball from Galton, and then sent out wide for Zimmermand and back to Lytle, who curled a shot wide left of Kranich's net in the fifty-ninth minute. McCaffrey's cross fell to Schillgard on the counterattack, but she lost it to Rampone and Simon. Pathman won a corner kick off of Grubka in the sixtieth minute. Casey caught the Schillgard corner kick in the sixty-first minute. Galton had a shot in the sixty-third minute that Kranich poked away, and then Rodriguez forced Kranich into another save. Brittany Ratcliffe sent a cross in for the Breakers in the sixty-fifth minute, which Casey caught. McCaffrey couldn't run down a bouncing ball in the box, allowing Casey to grab it in the sixty-sixth minute. Boston continued to add pressure with McCaffrey in the sixty-seventh minute sending a ball forward for Beckmann, but too long and into the hands of Casey. The chances slowed a bit as the game got caught in the midfield a bit more prior to the second half hydration break. Galton made a big run in the seventy-third minute to earn a corner kick as she outran King and deflected the ball off Kallman. Killion's set piece went to Lytle, who sent it out wide to Grubka, and that came back to Skroski, who headed it past Kranich to make it 3-1 for Sky Blue. The hydration break came shortly after the restart of play. Zimmerman had a seventy-eighth minute cross to Maya Hayes for Sky Blue, but King got there first to clear it. Galton put a ball into the box that went wide of Hayes in the eightieth minute, as Sky Blue should have no trouble holding on for this game. Hayes tried to weave through the Breakers defense in the eighty-second minute, but Kylie Strom cleared it away. McCaffrey got the worst of a collision with Grubka after a foray forward, but popped right up as Sky Blue took over possession in the eighty-third minute. Schillgard had a free kick in the eighty-fifth minute for Boston, sending it in perfectly for King to head in and cut the deficit to 3-2 for the Breakers. Kallman had a free kick hop once and caught by Casey before Elise Krieghoff could take a chance at it. Strom cleared a Galton cross away in the eighty-ninth minute. Verdoia pushed forward for the Breakers, and Killion took over with a rough steal for Sky Blue. Lytle made a run in the ninetieth minute to find Hayes, who had a shot saved by Kranich. Kallman poked it away from Kelly Conheeney, and then Galton served it in for Hayes, and Kranich dove onto it for a great sequence from the keeper. Schillgard and Salem combined for a chance that Grubka tipped away in stoppage time. The Breakers are putting everything into their effort in stoppage time. McCaffrey received a pass from Schillgard and ran at Grubka before shooting high. Galton fouled Ratcliffe to give the Breakers a free kick. Schillgard served it in for King, but Galton headed it out. Ratcliffe sent one for Krieghoff, but she couldn't get it, and Sky Blue won 3-2. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match was Galton, for a goal and drawing the foul that led to the penalty kick, as well as some vicious left wing runs. Impressing in the second half for the Breakers were RW Schillgard and CB King, while the Sky Blue RB Skroski and RW Lytle also improved.
Outsider Sports NWSL Best XI Week 13
GK Michele Dalton
RB Elli Reed
CB Lauren Barnes
CB Katie Naughton
LB Jaelene Hinkle
DCM Vanessa DiBernardo
RW Kealia Ohai
ACM Sofia Huerta
LW Leah Galton
RF Rachel Daly
LF Estefania Banini
FC Kansas City hosting the Washington Spirit. Kelsey Wys and Nicole Barnhart are in goal. The game can be found here. The game started a bit slowly, contested in the midfield, with Kansas City holding a lot of possession in their defensive areas. Tiffany McCarty tried to dribble into the box for the Blues, but Tori Huster broke that up. On another attack, Lo'eau LaBonta's pass caught McCarty offside as the Blues continue to pace the game. Mandy Laddish worked into the attack for Kansas City in the sixth minute, and McCarty got a cross off that Wys caught at the post. The Spirit had a free kick after Yael Averbuch fouled Francisca Ordega in the seventh minute. Christine Nairn's service for Washington went to Joanna Lohman, who shot wide right. Estefania Banini took a shot on a pass from Huster in the ninth minute, but Barnhart made the save. Katie Bowen picked out Shea Groom for Kansas City in the ninth minute on the counterattack, which Wys saved on the low shot. Frances Silva tried to slip one in for Groom in the eleventh minute, but Wys arrived first. Estelle Johnson broke up a run by McCarty with a hard foul in the twelfth minute, giving the Blues a free kick. Averbuch did the service, which went long and out of bounds. Erika Tymrak and Bowen combined, but Bowen's cross was blocked by the Spirit's Whitney Church. Ordega and Banini tried a give-and-go, but Brittany Taylor intercepted it for Kansas City in the sixteenth minute. Taylor fouled Ordega on the next Washington attack in the seventeenth minute. Nairn took the free kick in a dangerous position, going out wide for Church, whose cross just missed Cheyna Williams. Tymrak fouled Lohman in the eighteenth minute, and the Spirit had another offensive free kick chance. Nairn served it for Megan Oyster, but her header went harmlessly wide of goal. Taylor's service in the twentieth minute was covered by Lohman. Kansas City kept possession with a long cross from Brienne Reed before Washington took over. Reed made a stop as Nairn tried to find Banini in the twenty-first minute. McCarty won a corner kick off of Caprice Dydasco in the twenty-second minute for the Blues, stringing passes from Averbuch and Silva. Tymrak's service landed as a foul was called against the Blues' Taylor in the box. Averbuch, Silva, and McCarty combined again, resulting in another Blues corner kick in the twenty-fifth minute. Tymrak served this one for McCarty, and Williams cleared it for Washington. Kansas City kept control until McCarty was caught offside on the second effort. Bowen made a steal from Church in the twenty-sixth minute to keep the ball with Kansas City. Tymrak got a cross off to McCarty, but Dydasco cleared it over the crossbar for a corner kick. Tymrak took the service low to McCarty, who tried a couple times but with Ordega and Wys among other Washington players in the way. Dydasco sent Reed flipping on a steal in the twenty-eighth minute. On the counterattack, Banini was fouled by LaBonta, who took a yellow card for the Blues. Ordega of Washington went down hurt in the thirtieth minute, requiring medical attention. She returned without issue. Groom challenged Wys' clearance in the thirty-second minute, but it didn't deflect into a dangerous spot. Tymrak managed to get around Church but had to drop back to Taylor, who couldn't find Laddish in the thirty-fourth minute. Nairn's free kick in the thirty-sixth minute led to Huster playing it out off Laddish for a Spirit corner kick. Nairn took this as well, but the whistle blew quickly for a foul and Kansas City took possession. A thirty-seventh minute cross by Banini was caught by Barnhart ahead of Nairn's run. Williams had a shot that Barnhart kept out as it went wide. Williams had another shot go wide right, as the Spirit have taken a bit of control in the thirty-eighth minute. LaBonta took a deep shot off target for the Blues in the thirty-ninth minute. Silva had a chip for Tymrak that went too long. Tymrak put a ball in for McCarty, which Dydasco headed out. Silva and Tymrak tried to combine in the forty-second minute, but Wys grabbed Silva's shot, all after Johnson headed down a LaBonta long ball. Bowen took a pass from McCarty and tried to cross it back into her, but Wys made a leaping catch to end the Kansas City threat. Nairn's forty-fifth minute cross failed after Ordega's play was blocked by Averbuch. Bowen fouled Williams in stoppage time, giving Washington a late free kick. Nairn's service went to Lohman, who knocked it down. Banini did the rest, dancing through a pair of defenders to score for a 1-0 Spirit lead that they took into halftime. The best players for the Spirit were the GK Wys, LB Dydasco, CB Oyster, DCM Huster, RW Nairn, LW Lohman, and LF Banini. For Kansas City, the top players have been CB Averbuch, RW McCarty, ACM Silva, LW Tymrak, and striker Groom. Tymrak had a great cross in the forty-sixth minute, finding Silva, who nearly scored had it not been for a stunning save by Wys. Johnson broke up a pass from Groom to McCarty, giving the Spirit some relief. McCarty made a steal from Lohman on the Washington attack, and the Blues took over. Taylor took a free kick for Silva in the forty-eighth minute, but Church sent it away. Tymrak got a cross around Church in the forty-ninth minute, which Wys then grabbed. Tymrak sent a ball over the bar after taking the ball from Silva's pass after Reed's throw-in. The Blues have settled in nicely to start the second half. Nairn's free kick in the fifty-first minute was dropped by Barnhart and hit by Huster, which Silva saved. Ordega played it off Bowen for the corner kick. Nairn served it to Johnson, but it was defended and cleared by Laddish. Groom got crunched by Church in the fifty-second minute, with advantage played for Laddish to take a shot on goal saved by Wys. Groom required medical attention, creating a bit of a stoppage. She was able to return. Williams put a cross in for Lohman in the fifty-fifth minute, and Lohman headed it onto the top of the net after a slight deflection by Averbuch. Nairn couldn't quite connect with Ordega in the fifty-seventh minute. Ordega's cross on the next Washington attack led to a corner kick when Averbuch bumped it out. Nairn booted it in, where it bounced around the box before Lohman eventually put it in. Ordega initially headed it out to Church and Oyster, and then Ordega and Johnson took multiple shots blocked before Lohman finished for a 2-0 Spirit lead. Silva made a run straight at the Washington defense before slipping a ball just too far ahead of Groom. In the sixty-second minute, Dydasco took a yellow card for a foul on Reed as the Blues defender sent the ball forward. Tymrak found Silva in the box in the sixty-fourth minute, but Wys was able to cover the weak redirection. Nairn had a sixty-fifth minute free kick for Lohman, who popped it up, allowing Blues keeper Barnhart to catch it. Taylor made a long run through the center of the park for Kansas City in the sixty-sixth minute, shooting over the bar against Dydasco's coverage. Tymrak had a ball for McCarty that Dydasco had to send out for a corner kick. The Blues' service came in the sixty-ninth minute from Tymrak, and was headed in by Silva to cut the deficit to 2-1, with Washington still in the lead. Dydasco's cross from Katie Stengel in the seventy-first minute was headed out by Taylor. Lohman then received a yellow card for fouling Silva as the Blues tried to counterattack. Tymrak put a ball in front of goal after going around Church. Huster cleared it just away from Laddish. Tymrak's corner kick ran long and found Bowen, who sent it back in for Taylor. It went out for a Washington goal kick. Huster fouled Groom in the seventy-fourth minute, setting up Averbuch for a free kick from a distance. She took it as a shot, but it was short and caught by Wys just outside her six-yard box. Oyster got the best of Laddish in a battle in the seventy-fifth minute. The Spirit have had to be defensively sound with the Blues attacking after their goal. Tymrak sent a ball to McCarty that Dydasco made a block on. Bowen and Tymrak combined to clear Nairn's free kick in the seventy-seventh minute. Groom and Laddish supported the counterattack, but Johnson defended and drew a foul to give Washington the ball again. Lohman had a cross go way long in the seventy-ninth minute. Averbuch just broke up a through ball from Ordega to Stengel, giving away a corner kick to the Spirit. Nairn's service in the eighty-first minute went for Lohman, but Groom headed it out. Johnson took a shot that got deflected by a Blues defender for another Washington corner kick. This time, Nairn's service was punched over by Barnhart. Nairn came back to the near side for a third corner kick in the eighty-second minute. Averbuch cleared it only as far as Banini, who struck with her second goal on the volley in the eighty-third minute, going to the left post to score it for a 3-1 Washington lead. Bowen made a good run in the eighty-fourth minute, going against Washington's Alyssa Kleiner, but she couldn't get a shot off. Nairn and Stengel combined to make a steal from LaBonta in the eighty-sixth minute. Huster kept Tymrak out of the box as Kansas City continued to pour the attack forward. Laddish ripped a shot in the ninetieth minute that Wys caught on the line drive. Lohman deflected it slightly. Seconds into stoppage time, Groom took a ball from Reed's throw-in, shooting across her body to get the goal and send Wys the wrong way. The game is at 3-2, with Kansas City pushing in stoppage time. LaBonta had a shot just trickle to Wys. Averbuch went deep to Caroline Kastor as part of the urgency, but Kastor sent it to Wys on two hops. Groom won a corner kick off Dydasco, with Tymrak taking it for the Blues. She sent it for Groom, who put it wide left. Kleiner made a defensive stop on Tymrak after an Averbuch serve forward. Taylor took a low shot that Wys grabbed, marking the last chance for the Blues. The game ended 3-2 for the Spirit, with Banini the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match with her brace. The CF Ordega of the Spirit looked well in retrospect, while the Blues saw good work from LB Bowen and DM Laddish in the second half.
In the night's second game, the Orlando Pride welcome the Chicago Red Stars. Michele Dalton and Kaitlyn Savage receive the starting nods in goal. Here's the game. Jamia Fields of Orlando sent a ball off Sam Johnson of Chicago for a corner kick in the second minute. Toni Pressley took the corner kick for the Pride, but Katie Naughton cleared it, and then Becky Edwards lost it out to end Orlando's possession. Sam Witteman played strong against Sofia Huerta of the Red Stars in the third minute. The Pride have had the better of possession, including a series of passes starting with Levin, then Pressley, Witteman, Jasmyne Spencer, Sarah Hagen, and Edwards before Levin missed it in the seventh minute. Danielle Colaprico broke up a Maddy Evans effort after Kaylyn Kyle went long for Fields in another Orlando attack. Spencer nearly got to a ball from Fields that Evans left, but Arin Gilliland broke it up for Chicago. Vanessa DiBernardo made an attack forward in the eleventh minute, but couldn't find a teammate under pressure from the Pride's Edwards. Naughton headed away a Levin cross after passes from Fields, Spencer, and Edmonds, who made a steal on pass between Chicago's Taylor Comeau and Cara Walls. The Red Stars have looked disorganized so far. Pressley had to come up big to deny Jen Hoy of a shot, creating a Chicago corner kick. DiBernardo did the corner kick, which wasn't all that dangerous for the Red Stars in the thirteenth minute. DiBernardo tried to get Walls, but the latter Chicago player was offside, and Savage had it covered for Orlando anyway. Edwards defended well enough to limit Walls to a weak shot on a pass from Huerta in the fourteenth minute. Hoy won a corner kick off Kyle, with DiBernardo serving to Naughton, with Hagen just deflecting it away. A shot from outside the box went over the bar, coming from Comeau. Spencer took a shot in the nineteenth minute that Dalton saved, going against Naughton and two other Red Stars in defense. Colaprico, Naughton, and Johnson disrupted another Spencer run into the box in the twentieth minute. Walls tried to feed DiBernardo in the twenty-second minute, and got fouled for her trouble after the long ball came from Naughton. Walls got the ball on the right side in the twenty-third minute, and she laid off for Huerta, who crossed to Comeau, who got in front of Levin and headed it past Savage with pace to give the Red Stars a 1-0 lead. Levin sent a cross into the outside of the side netting in the twenty-fourth minute, disassembling a good Pride foray. Walls put a weak shot on goal in the twenty-seventh minute for Chicago, which Savage picked up easily. Kyle made a big tackle on Walls after Comeau passed to her. Huerta got the ball, but her cross went out of bounds. A hydration break was called in the thirty-first minute. Fields took a ball from Levin, and Fields crossed it toward Hagen, but it didn't work, and Chicago took over in the thirty-fourth minute. Kyle managed to shut down Hoy after a pass on the left wing from Casey Short. DiBernardo took a shot in the thirty-fifth minute, but Savage made the save. Fields got to a ball from Evans, but a double-deflection off of Short and then Fields led to a Chicago goal kick. DiBernardo took a shot that went off the post, and this caught Hoy offside when she tried a second effort, with Kyle there to cover it anyway in the thirty-ninth minute. Hoy fed Walls in the forty-first minute for a shot on a big counterattack chance. This came after Spencer made Gilliland look bad. DiBernardo took another shot on foal in the forty-third minute. In the forty-fourth minute, Gilliland took a yellow card for fouling Spencer on her next foray forward for the Pride. Edmonds did the free kick in the forty-fifth minute, forcing Dalton into the punch. Gilliland cleared a cross in from Levin. Huerta's cross, going against Witteman and Edwards was blocked by Pressley in stoppage time. Kyle just poked the ball away from Hoy in the box on the next Chicago attack. Levin crossed in for Evans, who put it on goal but without much threat to Dalton. Witteman made a good steal from DiBernardo near the end of the stoppage time. The game went into halftime 1-0 for the Red Stars. Impressing for Chicago were the CB Naughton, DM DiBernardo, RW Huerta, LW Comeau, and RF Hoy. For the Pride, their best efforts have come from LB Witteman, CB Kyle, DCM Edwards, LW Edmonds, RW Evans, and LF Spencer. In the forty-seventh minute, Comeau made a run forward for Chicago, but lost it out to Levin. Spencer couldn't quite get around Naughton on the counterattack for Orlando. Fields had a low cross in the forty-eighth minute, but deflected it off Short for a corner kick. Edmonds served it to Kyle, but Dalton just caught it in time. Comeau found Huerta with a cross, but her header took one bounce and Savage made the grab. Hoy's shot was blocked by Pressley in the fiftieth minute, forcing Savage to dive to prevent the corner kick. Fields got around both Comeau and Short before sending it back to Evans, and then Edwards' pass was errant and Gilliland took it away. Colaprico fouled Witteman on the next Pride attack, giving them a free kick in a decent spot. In the fifty-second minute, Edmonds couldn't serve it past Naughton to pick out Hagen, and Kyle was offside on the second effort. Orlando continued the dangerous chances, with Spencer crossing in front of goal to no avail. Colaprico just broke up a ball from Fields, and then Levin put it in again and Dalton caught it before Hagen or Kyle could get there. Spencer couldn't get around Gilliland in the fifty-sixth minute. DiBernardo couldn't quite get to Walls as the Red Stars made a counterattack, with Savage stepping up for the stop. Dani Weatherholt made a strong steal against Comeau in the sixtieth minute to disrupt a Chicago attack. Levin took a ball away from Comeau on a cross by DiBernardo in the sixty-second minute. The Pride got a free kick in the sixty-fourth minute that Edmonds sent in, going for Hagen, but it landed to Weatherholt, and then Kyle was close, but Naughton sent it out for a corner kick. Edmonds served it for Kyle, whose header was cleared off the line by Gilliland and right to the arms of Dalton. Naughton made a poke away from Edmonds after a Witteman pass. Spencer had a cross sent off target by Gilliland in the sixty-fifth minute as well, as Orlando is make a flurry of attacks. Johnson blocked a Levin cross in the sixty-sixth minute in an effort to clear it out for Chicago. DiBernardo tried for Comeau in the seventy-first minute, but the header went at Savage. Leah Fortune took a long shot for the Pride, which Dalton grabbed with ease. Christina Burkenroad went one on many in the seventy-third minute, losing out to Johnson. Dalton made a critical error in the seventy-fourth minute, turning over to Edmonds, who shot right on goal. At that moment, thunder and lightning started, creating a fifty-five minute weather delay. Kyle picked off Huerta's pass for Walls in the seventy-sixth minute. Burkenroad managed a cross, trying to get Spencer, but Dalton made the punch in the seventy-seventh minute. Fortune and Edmonds combined for a give-and-go, but Fortune's cross ended in Dalton's arms. Naughton cleared Witteman's cross in the eighty-first minute, and Evans had the second effort well over the crossbar. Orlando began to have trouble retaining the ball in their search for an equalizer. Witteman put a cross into the eighty-fifth minute after Edmonds' pass, but Dalton made the grab again as the steady Chicago keeper is doing everything she can for the team. Naughton made a good disruption on Burkenroad's through ball, shielding it out for a goal kick by Dalton. In the eighty-sixth minute, Alyssa Mautz of Chicago chipped it over the goal. Burkenroad went hard at Dalton, who cleared it just in time. In the eighty-eighth minute, Spencer flicked on to Burkenroad after a Levin through ball, who was offside, meaning her goal didn't count. Pressley had a free kick in the eighty-ninth minute, cleared by Naughton initially. Fortune, Kyle, and Spencer all had touches, but Dalton grabbed it as the end grows nearer. Naughton and Gilliland turned a Levin cross away. DiBernardo stole the ball from Evans in stoppage time and took it to the corner to kill the clock. Kyle started the counterattack for the Pride, but they lost it out of bounds. Naughton blocked a pair of Weatherholt crosses. Evans took a yellow card for fouling Colaprico deep in stoppage time. Short put the ball out for an Orlando corner kick. Edmonds took it after earning it, sending it in where Mautz headed it away. Burkenroad lost it out, and the flurry ends with Chicago taking the 1-0 win. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match is Huerta, who had many strong services during the game, including the assist for the winner. Also impressing for the Red Stars were the RB Gilliland and GK Dalton. The RB Levin impressed for the Pride.
The third Saturday game had the Houston Dash hosting the Portland Thorns FC. Michelle Betos and Bianca Henninger play goal. The game can be found at the link. Houston started with the pressure, as Becca Moros saw a cross blocked by Kat Williamson. Hayley Raso had Portland's first shot in the fourth minute as the Dash's Amber Brooks made a giveaway. Maureen Fitzgerald and Mallory Weber had touches for the Thorns as well on the play. Melissa Henderson tried to find Chioma Ubogagu in the fifth minute, but Katherine Reynolds was there first to shut it down. Williamson had a sloppy pass that Houston's Denise O'Sullivan picked off, but her through ball caught Ubogagu offside. In the seventh minute, Daly put a ball in off the bottom of the crossbar behind Betos, after a sequence saw her spring Kealia Ohai, who crossed it in. Henderson dummied the ball, and Daly struck to make it 1-0. Raso went against Ohai and nearly found Nadia Nadim, but Cari Roccaro cleared it for Houston. as the Thorns failed to produce a shot on the tenth minute attack. Celeste Boureille had a weak giveaway to Cami Privett on the second effort for Portland. Ohai made a steal in the eleventh minute and passed to Daly, who managed a shot that Betos got down to save. Ubogagu took a shot that went wide right in the thirteenth minute after receiving the ball from Privett. Emily Menges cleared away a Moros through ball for Ubogagu. O'Sullivan sent a shot wide left in the fifteenth minute, as the Dash continue to dominate the offense. Ellie Brush nearly caused trouble, as the Houston defender's pass back to Henninger allowed Raso a shot that went wide left. Daly made a steal against Boureille in the sixteenth minute, and Ohai took it out wide, passing into O'Sullivan, who sent the shot high. O'Sullivan stole the ball from Nadim in the eighteenth minute to start another Houston attack. Ohai saw a pass from Williamson briefly taken away, intended for Henderson, but the Dash got the ball back quickly in the twentieth minute. Henderson and Ubogagu combined for a chance, with Menges sending it out for a Houston corner kick. Henderson served it in, where Williamson headed it up and Betos caught it safely. Weber gave Portland a decent chance, going against Henderson and Moros before passing to Nadim, who laid it off for Boureille, and her shot went over the bar in the twenty-fifth minute. Williamson fouled Ubogagu in the twenty-sixth minute, giving the Dash a very dangerous free kick on the edge of the penalty area. Daly took the free kick, forcing Betos into a diving save as she punched it over the bar. The corner kick was taken by Henderson in the twenty-eighth minute, going harmlessly to Nadim, who headed it forward. Brooks blocked it and got it to Daly, who won a corner kick off of Williamson. Henderson served another one in for Privett and Daly, but neither got onto it. Moros broke up a counterattack against Weber and Meleana Shim. Privett found Ubogagu, who sent it along for Henderson, but her cross was sent out for a throw-in. The hydration break came around the thirty-first minute. Raso just missed Nadim on a pass after a long ball, and Brooks was there to take over for Houston in the thirty-fourth minute. Ubogagu won a corner kick off of Reynolds in the thirty-seventh minute, after Henderson's pass forward. Henderson served in the corner kick for Privett, who put it into the six-yard box, and Betos fell on it just before Roccaro could hit it, as Raso helped defend. Jennifer Skogerboe found Raso, but she lost it to Privett and fouled her. Shim had a shot for the Thorns in the thirty-ninth minute which Roccaro blocked for Houston. Shim then took a yellow card for a foul on Brush. Raso and Daly collided in the fortieth minute, earning the Dash a free kick. Ohai took this one, floating it in to Betos' hands. Portland had some pressure after a Shim shot in the forty-first minute, but Houston did well to hold possession. Raso had two center balls blocked by Privett and Brush before the Dash took over. Williamson's long ball in the forty-third minute was taken by Brooks to spring a Houston attack. Weber disrupted this with a tackle on Henderson. Henderson finally blocked a Shim shot in the forty-fifth minute after a long sequence of passes for the Thorns. Ohai and Menges had a battle in stoppage time, ending with a foul by Ohai in the offensive zone for the Dash. Moros had a free kick go to Ubogagu and then Ohai in the box, but without a shot as Sam Lofton cleared for Portland. Houston took the 1-0 lead into halftime. Impressing for the Thorns are CBs Reynolds and Menges, DMs Shim and Boureille, LW Raso, and striker Nadim. For the Dash, the top player have been CB Roccaro, DM Brooks, RW Ohai, ACM O'Sullivan, LW Henderson, RF Daly, and LF Ubogagu. This isn't a knock on the Dash's defense, but more a statement of how few challenges they've faced to be judged on. Portland had a free kick in the forty-sixth minute. Nadim's service went over Raso, as well as Brush and Roccaro, for a goal kick. Daly did a lot of work to get the ball, and Ohai sent a cross into Betos' hands. Boureille fouled Daly in the forty-eighth minute, giving Houston a decent free kick chance. Ohai couldn't find Henderson, and Raso took it away. Moros sent a cross in for Ohai in the forty-ninth minute, who forced Lofton to give up a corner kick. Henderson put the ball in for Brooks, who flicked it just over the bar after a low service. Menges made a good stop on Ubogagu's pass toward Daly. Ohai had a cross in the fifty-third minute that Henderson couldn't get to due to Skogerboe's defense. Ohai went around a statue resembling Lofton, and then won a corner kick off Menges. Henderson's fifty-fourth minute service was sent to O'Sullivan, who sent it across the box and out wide. Daly managed to get it back after Boureille whiffed the service, and O'Sullivan sent a shot wide left. Nadim won a ball off of Roccaro, but Brush cleared it. In the fifty-sixth minute, Menges again blocked an Ohai cross. Brooks had a free kick that got out to Ohai, and she sent it in, but Betos covered it in the fifty-seventh minute. Ubogagu won a corner kick off of Skogerboe in the fifty-eighth minute, and Henderson served another set piece in, and Ohai couldn't get a shot off. The Thorns tried to counter but couldn't meander down the field fast enough. Privett shut down Raso in the sixtieth minute on the Thorns attack, surrendering a corner kick. Nadim served this one, going over Skogerboe and Shade Pratt. The game seemed to slow a bit after the hour mark. The Thorns had a bit more time with the ball, as O'Sullivan stole from Weber in the sixty-fourth minute. Nadim sent a ball out on a flubbed cross in the sixty-fifth minute. Ubogagu found Ohai after Lofton failed to clear, and she put it in for O'Sullivan, who couldn't shoot against Menges and Reynolds. Ohai then had a shot that Betos had to poke over the bar. Henderson took the corner kick in the sixty-eighth minute, serving in, where Menges cleared. Ohai's shot popped out for Moros, whose cross found Brooks, who put it in to make it 2-0 for the Dash in the sixty-ninth minute. Privett shut down Raso for a corner kick in the seventieth minute. Nadim served it in long, missing Skogerboe. Portland had a seventy-second minute free kick taken by Reynolds and going for Pratt, cleared by Roccaro. Weber got a shot off, and Henninger sent it over the bar for a corner kick. Shim's service went to Skogerboe and Reynolds, but Ohai cleared it away. Moros blocked a Shim cross in the seventy-third minute. Ubogagu went between Skogerboe and Menges, but Betos saved the shot off her legs. Stephanie Ochs saw a shot blocked by Pratt as Houston breaks a bit of the pressure with counterattacks. Raso's pass to Nadim was broken up by Moros after Raso outran Privett. The hydration break came in the seventy-fifth minute. Privett had a cross in the eightieth minute that was cleared. Moros took a shot that went wide left. Raso took a yellow card for an eighty-first minute foul, or a persistent infringement. Lofton sent a ball forward for the Thorns in the eighty-second minute, which Henninger picked up. In the eighty-third minute, Ohai took a shot off the right post and in to make it 3-0 for the Dash. In the eighty-fifth minute, Ochs just sent a ball over the bar. Pratt couldn't get through three Dash defenders. Roccaro blocked a Boureille through ball and then a Shim effort forward as well. Ochs made a steal in stoppage time from Weber after Raso's pass into the box. McKenzie Berryhill had a cross that Henninger punched out and a corner kick resulted from the second effort. Nadim took the service to Berryhill, who headed it wide, and the game was called at 3-0 for the Dash. Ohai was the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match with a goal and assist. Other impressive efforts include RB Privett and LB Ochs for the Dash, and outside back Skogerboe for the Thorns.
The last Saturday game saw the Seattle Reign FC bring in the Western New York Flash. Katelyn Rowland faces a lesser foe in Andi Tostanoski in goal. You can find the game by following the link. Seattle saw Jess Fishlock send a ball forward for Beverly Yanez, but Elizabeth Eddy sent it back to Rowland safely in the first minute. Lynn Williams of Western New York countered and earned a corner kick off of Lauren Barnes of the Reign. Jaelene Hinkle served it in for Abby Dahlkemper, who didn't produce a shot. Fishlock blocked it. The Flash had a defensive breakdown in the middle of the park, allowing Manon Melis to slip through Dahlkemper and Abby Erceg, shooting low and past Rowland for a 1-0 Reign lead in the third minute. Western New York's Makenzy Doniak's cross in the fifty minute was picked off by Seattle's Kim Little. Rumi Utsugi's cross found Nahomi Kawasumi, who left off for Fishlock. Her shot in the seventh minute went over the bar. Seattle earned a corner kick in the eighth minute, with the game being fairly open so far. Kawasumi served it in, but Dahlkemper sent it away. Melis had a cross in the ninth minute to Yanez, but Rowland got it first and the Flash tried to build from the back. Barnes blocked a couple of Jessica McDonald crosses, eventually losing it out for a Flash corner kick. Hinkle served it short to Lianne Sanderson, but the cross was not dangerous. McDonald had a shot after her own long throw-in, and Barnes had block. McCall Zerboni also had a shot blocked by Kawasumi in the twelfth minute. Fishlock cleared a McDonald long throw. Melis and Yanez combined after Fishlock chipped in, with Yanez' shot deflected by Rowland out for a corner kick. Seattle didn't produce a shot on the effort. Doniak's cross was blocked by Barnes in the sixteenth minute as the Flash finally started another attack after some midfield time. Melis was caught offside on the counterattack for the Reign. Dahlkemper saw a cross go over McDonald and headed by Elli Reed. Fishlock then blocked a Hinkle cross. Keelin Winters headed out Sanderson's chip after Fishlock's clearance from McDonald's throw-in in the eighteenth minute came to her. Hinkle made a cross that Fishlock slid to knock down in the nineteenth minute. Winters did well to break up Sanderson and Hinkle's passing sequence in the twentieth minute. Williams had a cross along the goal line that Tostanoski covered in the twenty-second minute. Little's cross to Kawasumi was covered by Hinkle, but a turnover allowed Melis to take a shot that Rowland saved after Reed's pass in the twenty-third minute. Zerboni earned a free kick just outside the box after a foul by Reed, which earned a twenty-fifth minute yellow card. Sanderson took the free kick for McDonald, who put the ball in the net with her header, but she was offside thanks to Winters and Kawasumi stepping up for the Reign, as the Flash miss a chance for an equalizer. Melis had a heavy touch on a cross from Kawasumi in the twenty-seventh minute as Seattle broke pressure for awhile. Kawasumi found Little, and then Yanez went to Melis, who shot a bit high over the goal in the twenty-eighth minute. Dahlkemper flipped a Kawasumi cross out. Dahlkemper had a couple of pokes before Reed cleared a long throw-in by McDonald in the thirty-first minute. Kawasumi took a shot off the bar in the thirty-second minute after Melis flicked it to her on the pass. Doniak got fouled by Winters from behind in the thirty-third minute, giving Winters a yellow card. Kendall Fletcher got up over McDonald on the Hinkle free kick. Fishlock sent a ball long for Melis, but Rowland cleared it away in the thirty-fifth minute. Barnes cleared an Eddy cross in the thirty-sixth minute. Fletcher intercepted Sanderson's through ball for Williams in the thirty-eighth minute. Kawasumi took a cross in the fortieth minute, just missing Melis' running header attempt, allowing Rowland to grab it for Western New York. Little intercepted the ball from Williams after Reed and Fletcher did some work in the corner defensively for Seattle. Hinkle's cross in the forty-second minute was deflected by Fletcher. Yanez blocked Eddy's cross attempt in the forty-fourth minute, but fouled Erceg later. Hinkle served it in, and Yanez sent it out this time. Zerboni's cross got past McDonald and bounced out for a corner kick off Utsugi. Hinkle's forty-fifth minute corner kick went to Dahlkemper, who put it back across goal, and McDonald headed it home for the Flash, tying the game at 1. This was the score at halftime. Playing well for the Flash were the CB Dahlkemper, LB Hinkle, DM Erceg, RW Doniak, and RF McDonald. For the Reign, their top efforts came from RB Reed, CB Barnes, DMs Winters and Fishlock, RF Kawasumi, and LF Melis. Zerboni had a yellow card in the forty-seventh minute for her foul on Little. Little tried to pick out Melis in the forty-eighth minute, and Dahlkemper sent it away. Fletcher shut down Williams and McDonald in the forty-ninth minute, allowing Tostanoski to make a grab. Eddy's cross in the fiftieth minute was cleared by Fletcher, but Western New York stayed high in attack. Hinkle had a cross go out of bounds to ultimately end the attack. The Flash were denied a goal after McDonald's long throw-in was outed by Fishlock. Dahlkemper took the shot, which Erceg deflected into the goal, but she did so from an offside position and the score remained 1-1. McDonald made a run with the ball from Sanderson against Barnes, firing a shot that Tostanoski covered for the save in the fifty-third minute. Fletcher blocked a Williams shot and sent it to Zerboni, blocked by Kawasumi on the second effort as Western New York has found a new gear. Dahlkemper did a corner kick in the fifty-fifth minute, going for McDonald. Winters and Fletcher blocked this, and Barnes blocked another one in the mob, and then Williams got a shot off as well going over the bar. Fishlock fed Kawasumi for a chip shot in the fifty-eighth minute, but Rowland tracked back to make the same for Western New York. Barnes blocked a McDonald long throw-in, and then blocked Hinkle's pass out to Sanderson, who ultimately shot wide in the fifty-ninth minute. On the Seattle counterattack, Yanez's cross went straight to Rowland. Hinkle had a free kick in the sixty-second minute that Erceg headed wide right with the Flash still pressuring for a tiebreaker. McDonald's sixty-third minute throw-in was headed out by Fishlock for a corner kick, which Hinkle took. This went short to Sanderson, who faked Barnes and Kawasumi, but couldn't beat Fletcher, and McDonald's shot went wide right. The Flash got another corner kick in the sixty-fifth minute, going from Hinkle straight to Barnes at the near post. Hinkle broke up a Kawasumi run on a pass from Little. Fletcher kept Williams and McDonald at bay, and then Fishlock broke up Sanderson's through ball in the sixty-eighth minute. Kawasumi tried to find Yanez, but the latter was offside in the seventieth minute as the Reign pushed forward for a bit. Fletcher blocked a McDonald shot in the seventy-first minute and Tostanoski grabbed the second effort from Sanderson. Taylor Smith, Sanderson, and McDonald combined for a shot attempt saved by Tostanoski in the seventy-sixth minute. Zerboni had a seventy-ninth minute cross land out of bounds behind Tostanoski's goal. Fletcher headed away Eddy's cross, and then Winters shut down Williams in the eightieth minute. Reed put one in for Lindsay Elston of Seattle, but Rowland grabbed it in time. Elston put a ball in for Fishlock in the eighty-first minute, forcing Western New York's Courtney Niemiec to put it out for a corner kick. Kawasumi went low, and Dahlkemper cleared it out. Merritt Mathias deflected it back in, falling to Fishlock, who shot wide left on the second try. Elston fed Little in the eighty-third minute, and she got tripped up by Niemiec cleanly, and Rowland sent it away. Fletcher cleaned up a Williams cross in the eighty-fifth minute after Barnes misplayed it a bit in the corner. Fishlock fouled Sanderson in the eighty-sixth minute, producing a good free kick chance for the Flash. Hinkle took it on goal, and Tostanoski caught it over Hinkle. In the eighty-eighth minute, the Flash had a corner kick, which Hinkle took and Tostanoski caught over McDonald. Winters found Little in the eighty-ninth minute, and Hinkle put it out for a Reign corner kick. Barnes took it and went to Utsugi, but it was headed out by Western New York. Fishlock took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time against Sanderson. Dahlkemper's free kick went to Smith, who went to the corner, signalling happiness with the scoreline. The game ended as such, tied 1-1, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being Barnes, whose defense kept the game under control even as the Flash dominated the second half. Impressing for the Reign in the second half were GK Tostanoski and CB Fletcher, while the Flash saw good effort from DM Sanderson in the second half.
Finally, Sunday's game sees the Boston Breakers host Sky Blue FC. Caroline Casey and Jami Kranich protect the nets. This game can be found here. This is also the last game of Mollie Pathman's career for the Breakers, as she announced her retirement earlier this week. Leah Galton tried to flick a ball onto Natasha Kai in the first minute, but the Sky Blue forward was caught offside. Sky Blue tried to go forward again, with Erin Simon finding Galton just offside again. Boston struck first in the third with an Angela Salem goal on the third shot. The play began with Stephanie McCaffrey's cross from the left wing, after Eunice Beckmann had shots blocked by Simon and Casey after Stephanie Verdoia's flick, giving the Breakers a 1-0 lead. Sarah Killion saw her free kick in the seventh minute for Sky Blue cleared by Verdoia for Boston. Louise Schillgard had a cross in the eighth minute going for Verdoia, who headed wide left of Casey's net. Kristin Grubka cleared out a Julie King throw-in in the tenth minute, and Boston had to chase it down in their own end after the initial attack failed. McCaffrey had a cross in the twelfth minute that Casey dove on to prevent any chaos in the penalty area. Beckmann did well to steal the ball from Sky Blue's Taylor Lytle in the midfield. Kassey Kallman headed a ball out under pressure from Kai of Sky Blue, creating a corner kick. Killion stepped up for the service, going over Raquel Rodriguez of Sky Blue and cleared by Kallman for the Breakers. Galton saw a cross in the seventeenth minute for Sky Blue bounce off Kallman for a corner kick. Killion served this one in for Kai, but Beckmann headed it away. Lytle tried to find Kai, but she was offside. Christie Rampone just managed to keep Beckmann away from the ball in the offensive zone for Boston. Mollie Pathman of the Breakers put in some work against Catherine Zimmerman of Sky Blue in the nineteenth minute. Pathman had a cross in that Casey punched out, and McCaffrey's second effort bounced off of a Sky Blue defender for a corner kick. The Breakers' set piece came from Schillgard to King, going around to Christen Westphal and Salem. Verdoia got knocked down in the box and Schillgard got into the mix, but no shot came in the twenty-third minute. Grubka headed out a King long throw-in for another one by King. Katie Schoepfer got onto this one, sending it wide left of the goal after she got open around Sky Blue's Simon. Galton won a corner kick off of King in the twenty-sixth minute. Killion served it into a crowd, and the whistle killed the play as King was fouled in the mess. Grubka was the closest Sky Blue player to the ball. Galton and Westphal went at each other again in the twenty-seventh minute, and Westphal fouled Galton in the box, giving Sky Blue a penalty kick. Killion took the penalty kick, and slotted it in the right side of the net. Kranich had the right idea but Killion's placement was better, and the game is now tied at 1. Galton put a cross in for Sky Blue in the thirtieth minute, and Kallman sent it out for another corner kick. Killion's service went toward Kai, going over her and off of Kallman out for another corner kick. Galton took this one, which went in front of Kranich and Lytle had contact but sent it over the net. At the end of the play, a hydration break was called in the thirty-first minute. Pathman blocked a Zimmerman cross in the thirty-fifth minute. Galton took a pass from Rodriguez and tried to center the ball, but King and Westphal cleared it. Kai took a ball from Rodriguez in the thirty-eighth minute and crossed in where Galton headed it down and in for a goal, making it 2-1 Sky Blue. Galton had a cross in the thirty-ninth minute for Sky Blue, but this went out of bounds. Sky Blue has grown into the game as it has gotten late in the first half. Kallman cleared a Galton cross in the forty-first minute. Grubka and Simon each had a block on McCaffrey in the forty-second minute, and then Schillgard's cross to Beckmann ended in a header saved by Casey. Beckmann initially got it to McCaffrey as well, and Rampone provided defensive support for Sky Blue on the flurry of activity. Lytle poked a ball into Kai, who danced around a couple of defenders and fired a low shot that Kranich dived to save in the forty-fourth minute. The game ended with Sky Blue ahead 2-1, and their best players were CB Grubka, LB Simon, DMs Killion and Rodriguez, LW Galton, and LF Kai. The Breakers' best players were CB Kallman, DM Salem, LW Verdoia, RF Beckmann, and LF McCaffrey. Verdoia's forty-sixth minute through ball for Boston missed Beckmann and landed with Simon of Sky Blue instead. Pathman cross in the forty-ninth minute was intercepted by Simon and Sky Blue pushed forward. Galton had a fiftieth minute cross corralled by the Breakers. Schillgard's long ball caught Beckmann offside in the fifty-first minute for Boston. Kallman threaded the needle between Zimmerman and Lytle to Pathman, who just couldn't run down the ball after a deflection. Beckmann won a corner kick for the Breakers in the fifty-fourth minute, giving Schillgard a chance to serve a ball in, but Casey caught the ball unchallenged. Erica Skroski of Sky Blue did a good poke to keep the ball away from Beckmann on Salem's long try in the fifty-seventh minute for Boston. Kai corralled a ball from Galton, and then sent out wide for Zimmermand and back to Lytle, who curled a shot wide left of Kranich's net in the fifty-ninth minute. McCaffrey's cross fell to Schillgard on the counterattack, but she lost it to Rampone and Simon. Pathman won a corner kick off of Grubka in the sixtieth minute. Casey caught the Schillgard corner kick in the sixty-first minute. Galton had a shot in the sixty-third minute that Kranich poked away, and then Rodriguez forced Kranich into another save. Brittany Ratcliffe sent a cross in for the Breakers in the sixty-fifth minute, which Casey caught. McCaffrey couldn't run down a bouncing ball in the box, allowing Casey to grab it in the sixty-sixth minute. Boston continued to add pressure with McCaffrey in the sixty-seventh minute sending a ball forward for Beckmann, but too long and into the hands of Casey. The chances slowed a bit as the game got caught in the midfield a bit more prior to the second half hydration break. Galton made a big run in the seventy-third minute to earn a corner kick as she outran King and deflected the ball off Kallman. Killion's set piece went to Lytle, who sent it out wide to Grubka, and that came back to Skroski, who headed it past Kranich to make it 3-1 for Sky Blue. The hydration break came shortly after the restart of play. Zimmerman had a seventy-eighth minute cross to Maya Hayes for Sky Blue, but King got there first to clear it. Galton put a ball into the box that went wide of Hayes in the eightieth minute, as Sky Blue should have no trouble holding on for this game. Hayes tried to weave through the Breakers defense in the eighty-second minute, but Kylie Strom cleared it away. McCaffrey got the worst of a collision with Grubka after a foray forward, but popped right up as Sky Blue took over possession in the eighty-third minute. Schillgard had a free kick in the eighty-fifth minute for Boston, sending it in perfectly for King to head in and cut the deficit to 3-2 for the Breakers. Kallman had a free kick hop once and caught by Casey before Elise Krieghoff could take a chance at it. Strom cleared a Galton cross away in the eighty-ninth minute. Verdoia pushed forward for the Breakers, and Killion took over with a rough steal for Sky Blue. Lytle made a run in the ninetieth minute to find Hayes, who had a shot saved by Kranich. Kallman poked it away from Kelly Conheeney, and then Galton served it in for Hayes, and Kranich dove onto it for a great sequence from the keeper. Schillgard and Salem combined for a chance that Grubka tipped away in stoppage time. The Breakers are putting everything into their effort in stoppage time. McCaffrey received a pass from Schillgard and ran at Grubka before shooting high. Galton fouled Ratcliffe to give the Breakers a free kick. Schillgard served it in for King, but Galton headed it out. Ratcliffe sent one for Krieghoff, but she couldn't get it, and Sky Blue won 3-2. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match was Galton, for a goal and drawing the foul that led to the penalty kick, as well as some vicious left wing runs. Impressing in the second half for the Breakers were RW Schillgard and CB King, while the Sky Blue RB Skroski and RW Lytle also improved.
Outsider Sports NWSL Best XI Week 13
GK Michele Dalton
RB Elli Reed
CB Lauren Barnes
CB Katie Naughton
LB Jaelene Hinkle
DCM Vanessa DiBernardo
RW Kealia Ohai
ACM Sofia Huerta
LW Leah Galton
RF Rachel Daly
LF Estefania Banini
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