Sunday, July 23, 2017

NWSL 2017: Week 15

Only four of the five scheduled games got completed this weekend, with FC Kansas City and the North Carolina Courage succumbing to some brutal Midwest weather. The other four begin with...

The Chicago Red Stars hosing the Orlando Pride. Aubrey Bledsoe and Alyssa Naeher make the starts in goal. Chicago led off in the twenty-ninth minute with a Christen Press goal, via Sofia Huerta. The Red Stars added on with a fifty-second minute Press goal, coming off of Jen Hoy. Orlando's Marta took a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-sixth minute. The Pride got on the board in stoppage time with an Alanna Kennedy goal, made possible by Rachel Hill. This only made it 2-1, the final, with Press named woman of the match. Huerta, Taylor Comeau, and Hoy also impressed for the Red Stars, while Orlando's best were Steph Catley, Kennedy, Dani Weatherholt, and Marta.

Down in Houston, the Dash welcome the Boston Breakers. Abby Smith and Jane Campbell protect the nets. Houston began in the twenty-third minute with a Nichelle Prince goal, set up by Andressinha. This stood for a 1-0 win for the Dash, led by the woman of the match, the keeper Campbell for her four-save clean sheet. Prince, Rachel Daly, Andressinha, and Cami Levin did well for Houston, while Boston's best were Brooke Elby, Morgan Andrews, Midge Purce, and Adriana Leon.

In the northwest, the Portland Thorns FC bring in the Washington Spirit. Stephanie Labbe and Adrianna Franch play goal. Washington's Arielle Ship took a yellow card for a twelfth minute foul. Portland's Ashleigh Sykes received a yellow card for a thirtieth minute foul. The Spirit opened in the fifty-eighth minute with a Havana Solaun goal, who just tapped it in after a prior shot off the post from Mallory Pugh's service. The Thorns tied it in the sixty-second minute with an Allie Long, assisted by Tyler Lussi after an Emily Sonnett free kick. In the seventy-second minute, Caprice Dydasco took a yellow card for a foul for Washington. The Thorns took the lead in the eightieth minute with a Mallory Weber goal, via Sykes. The final remained at 2-1 for Portland, with Long the woman of the match, and other Thorns stars being Sonnett, Franch, and Lussi. The Spirit's best were Shelina Zadorsky, Tori Huster, Pugh, and Solaun.

Finally, the Seattle Reign FC host Sky Blue FC. Kailen Sheridan and Haley Kopmeyer are the gloved women. Seattle started in the twenty-seventh minute with a Megan Rapinoe free kick goal. The Reign's Merritt Mathias took a yellow card for a foul in the thirtieth minute. Seattle added on in the forty-seventh minute when Rapinoe scored again after Beverly Yanez earned a penalty kick. The Reign extended the lead as Yanez scored in the forty-ninth minute, thanks to Nahomi Kawasumi and Rapinoe. Seattle padded the lead in the fifty-sixth minute with an own goal by Sky Blue's Erica Skroski, off a cross from Rapinoe. Sky Blue got on the board when Leah Galton controversially won a penalty kick against Mathias, and Kelley O'Hara buried the spot kick. Sky Blue got closer with a sixty-fourth minute Galton goal on a rebound from a Kopmeyer save. Sky Blue chipped closer in the seventy-second minute with a Daphne Corboz goal. Sky Blue tied it on a seventy-sixth minute goal by Sam Kerr, assisted by Corboz. Rapinoe took a yellow card for the Reign in the eightieth minute for her foul. Seattle retook the lead with Rapinoe finishing her hat trick in the eighty-seventh minute, with an assist from Katie Johnson. Sky Blue's Madison Tiernan received a yellow card for an eighty-ninth minute foul. The final was a wild 5-4, with Rapinoe the woman of the match. Also strong for the Reign were Yanez, Kawasumi, and Carson Pickett, while Sky Blue's best were O'Hara, Galton, Kerr, and Corboz.

NWSL Best XI of the Week
GK Jane Campbell
RB Brooke Elby
CB Shelina Zadorsky
CB Emily Sonnett
LB Cami Levin
DM Allie Long
AM Leah Galton
AM Daphne Corboz
FW Christen Press
FW Megan Rapinoe
FW Beverly Yanez

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