Thursday, August 17, 2017

Midweek Soccer: August 16, 2017

Four games on today, split between MLS and NWSL action. The first is in the men's league, with...

The Montreal Impact hosting the Chicago Fire. Matt Lampson and Evan Bush protect the nets. Montreal led off with a sixth minute Ignacio Piatti goal. Victor Cabrera of the Impact had a yellow card for a twentieth minute foul. In the thirty-sixth minute, Chicago keeper Lampson took a yellow card for a foul, and Montreal added on with a Matteo Mancosu penalty kick goal a minute later. The Impact extended the lead as Piatti scored in the thirty-eighth minute, thanks to Blerim Dzemaili. Montreal saw yellow cards for Chris Duvall's forty-eighth minute foul and a Samuel Piette foul in the seventy-eighth minute. The final held at 3-0, with Piatti named man of the match.

In NWSL, the Boston Breakers welcome the Houston Dash. Jane Campbell and Abby Smith are in goal. Houston began in the tenth minute with a Sarah Hagen goal, helped along by Rachel Daly, who collided with the keeper Smith in the process of heading along a cross from Janine Beckie. Boston tied it in the twenty-sixth minute with a Natasha Dowie goal, passed from Midge Purce. In first half stoppage time, the Breakers' Smith received a yellow card for a foul on Nichelle Prince outside the box. The Dash took the lead back in the sixty-fourth minute with a Beckie goal, assisted by Prince. Houston added on in the seventy-ninth minute with another Hagen goal off a rebound from Smith's save on a cross by Poliana. In second half stoppage time, Boston's Megan Oyster took a yellow card for fouling Beckie. The game ended 3-1, with the woman of the match being Hagen. Also strong for the Dash were Beckie, Cami Levin, and Amber Brooks, while the Breakers' best were Dowie, Purce, and Amanda Frisbie.

West to Chicago, where the Red Stars bring in the Seattle Reign FC. Haley Kopmeyer and Michele Dalton draw the starts in goal. Chicago opened in the twenty-third minute with a Jen Hoy goal, via Taylor Comeau. In the seventy-fourth minute, Seattle's Christine Nairn took a yellow card for persistent infringement. The Reign tied it on a Nahomi Kawasumi goal, assisted by Rumi Utsugi in the ninetieth minute. Seattle took the lead in stoppage time with a Katie Johnson goal, coming off of Merritt Mathias. This made it 2-1, the final, with the woman of the match being Kawasumi. Other strong Reign efforts came from Kopmeyer (eight for nine in saves), Utsugi, and Johnson. The Red Stars' best were Julie Ertz, Comeau, and Hoy.

Finally, FC Kansas City hosts the Portland Thorns FC after a lengthy weather delay. Adrianna Franch and Nicole Barnhart are the goalies. In the forty-third minute, Kansas City's Becca Moros fouled Portland's Christine Sinclair in the box, leading to a penalty kick goal by Amandine Henry a minute later after the injury delay to put Portland ahead. Kansas City tied it in the sixty-fifth minute with a Yael Averbuch goal on a free kick drawn by Moros against the Thorns' Ashleigh Sykes. Kansas City pulled ahead in the sixty-ninth minute with a Sydney Leroux goal, set up by Brittany Ratcliffe. This made it 2-1, which stood for the final. The woman of the match was Averbuch, with other stars for Kansas City being Becky Sauerbrunn, Leroux, and Barnhart. The Thorns' top performances came from Emily Menges, Meghan Klingenberg, and Henry.

NWSL Team of Midweek
GK Haley Kopmeyer
RB Midge Purce
CB Yael Averbuch
CB Amber Brooks
LB Amanda Frisbie
DM Amandine Henry
DM Rumi Utsugi
AM Janine Beckie
FW Nahomi Kawasumi
FW Sarah Hagen
FW Sydney Leroux

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