Sunday, May 28, 2017

NWSL 2017: Week 7

All teams played on Saturday this weekend. This post is delayed so that I could watch all the games and get a feel on player performances. We begin in...

Houston, as the Dash host the Seattle Reign FC. Haley Kopmeyer and Lydia Williams are the gloved women. Seattle began in the thirtieth minute with an own goal by Houston's Cari Roccaro off a Megan Rapinoe shot. The Reign added on with a Katie Johnson goal in the sixty-fourth minute, via Nahomi Kawasumi. The final held at 2-0, with the woman of the match being Kopmeyer, who made eight saves in a clean sheet, while Johnson and Rapinoe were best for the Reign. Standouts for the Dash were Jannie Beckie, Andressinha, and Rachel Daly, who collapsed on the field at the end of the game due to heat exhaustion.

Up in Chicago, the Red Stars welcome the North Carolina Courage. Sabrina D'Angelo and Alyssa Naeher are the goalies. Chicago began in the twenty-seventh minute with a Danielle Colaprico goal, assisted by Vanessa DiBernardo. Colaprico also had a yellow card for her thirty-ninth minute foul for the Red Stars. North Carolina tied it in first half stoppage time on an Abby Erceg goal, coming off of a Samantha Mewis corner kick. Chicago regained the lead in the fifty-fourth minute on an Alyssa Mautz goal, passed from Christen Press. The Red Stars added on as DiBernardo scored in the fifty-ninth minute. The Courage got one back in the eighty-second minute on a free kick goal by Debinha. The final held at 3-2, with the woman of the match being DiBernardo, while Press and Colaprico also impressed for the Red Stars. For the Courage, Erceg, Mewis, and Taylor Smith were the top performers.

To the east, Sky Blue FC hosts the Orlando Pride. Aubrey Bledsoe and Kailen Sheridan are the inexperienced goalies. Orlando opened in the eighteenth minute with a Jasmyne Spencer goal, set up by Camila. Sky Blue tied it on a forty-third minute goal by Sam Kerr, courtesy of Daphne Corboz. Sky Blue took the lead in the eighty-second minute with a Maya Hayes goal, via Kerr. This made it 2-1, the final, with the woman of the match being Kerr. Sky Blue also saw great efforts from Sheridan and Hayes, while the Pride's best came from Steph Catley, Camila, and Spencer.

Back west, FC Kansas City brings in the Washington Spirit. Stephanie Labbe and Nicole Barnhart protect the nets. Washington started in the fifth minute with a Kristie Mewis goal after her own corner kick spilled back to her. Kansas City tied it in the ninth minute on a Sydney Leroux goal, via Brittany Ratcliffe. Alexa Newfield of Kansas City had a yellow card for a fifteenth minute foul. Kansas City took the lead with a twenty-seventh minute goal by Leroux, coming off of Shea Groom. Meggie Dougherty Howard of the Spirit received a yellow card for a thirty-ninth minute foul. Kansas City added on in the sixtieth minute when Becky Sauerbrunn headed a Ratcliffe corner kick in. Kansas City went down to ten women when Newfield took a second yellow card for her foul on the Washington keeper Labbe. The Spirit got one back with a Havana Solaun goal in the eighty-third minute, made possible by Francisca Ordega. In the eighty-sixth minute, Washington's Ordega took a yellow card for her foul. Brittany Taylor of Kansas City took a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-ninth minute. Kansas City held on for a 3-2 win, with the woman of the match being Leroux for her brace, while Sauerbrunn and Ratcliffe get honorable mentions. Washington's best efforts came from Mewis, Shelina Zadorsky, and Ordega.

Finally, in Portland, the Thorns host the Boston Breakers. Abby Smith and Adrianna Franch are in the six-yard boxes. Portland struck first in the first minute as a Nadia Nadim corner kick led to an Amandine Henry shot that deflected off of Boston's Julie King and in for a goal. The Thorns added on as Henry scored a goal herself in the fifth minute. Boston had a yellow card for an Emilie Haavi foul in the twenty-fourth minute. Nadim of Portland had a yellow card for a forty-ninth minute foul. In the seventy-first minute, the Breakers' Christen Westphal took a yellow card for her foul. Boston went down to ten women in stoppage time as Allysha Chapman committed a bad foul on Hayley Raso and received a straight red card. The final held at 2-0, with Henry the woman of the match. Raso and Lindsey Horan also get honorable mentions for the Thorns, while the Breakers saw Megan Oyster and Rosie White play well.

NWSL Team of the Week
GK Kailen Sheridan
RB Rachel Daly
CB Becky Sauerbrunn
CB Abby Erceg
LB Steph Catley
DM Amandine Henry
AM Vanessa DiBernardo
AM Brittany Ratcliffe
RF Sam Kerr
CF Katie Johnson
LF Sydney Leroux

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