NWSL 2017: Week 16

The league is back after an international break, with two games on Friday and three more on Saturday. First up...

The Boston Breakers host FC Kansas City. Nicole Barnhart and Sammy Jo Prudhomme play in goal. Kansas City opened in the twenty-first minute with a Maegan Kelly goal, assisted by Christina Gibbons and Desiree Scott. Boston tied it in the twenty-sixth minute with a long-distance shot from Rosie White, set up by Katie Stengel. The Breakers took the lead in the thirtieth minute with another goal by White, coming off a corner kick executed by Adriana Leon and Morgan Andrews. Kansas City tied it in the eighty-first minute on an Erika Tymrak goal through traffic. The game ended 2-2, with White named woman of the match. The Breakers also got good games out of Julie King, Andrews, and Leon, while Kansas City's best were Kelly, Scott, and Gibbons.

In New Jersey, Sky Blue FC welcomes the Washington Spirit. Stephanie Labbe and Kailen Sheridan are the Canadian goalies. Sky Blue started in the second minute with a Maya Hayes goal, via Daphne Corboz, who touched a cross from McKenzie Meehan. Washington tied it in the fifty-first minute with am Arielle Ship goal, set up by Havana Solaun. The Spirit's Whitney Church took a yellow card for a fifty-seventh minute foul. Washington took the lead on a Cheyna Williams goal in the sixty-first minute, coming off of Ship and the keeper Labbe on a broken defensive play from Sky Blue. The Spirit added on in the seventy-third minute with a Meggie Dougherty Howard goal, passed from Ship. In the eighty-seventh minute, Sky Blue's Sarah Killion fouled Dougherty Howard in the box, and Solaun made the penalty kick to extend the Washington lead. This made it 4-1, the final, with the woman of the match being Ship. Other Spirit stars were Williams, Dougherty Howard, Whitney Church, and Estelle Johnson, while Sky Blue's best were Hayes, Meehan, and Corboz.

On Saturday, the first game sees the Portland Thorns FC host the Houston Dash. Jane Campbell and Adrianna Franch protect the nets. Portland led off in the twelfth minute with an Emily Sonnett goal, set up by Tyler Lussi and Meghan Klingenberg from a free kick. Houston's Caity Heap took a yellow card for a twenty-second minute foul. The Dash tied it in the thirty-third minute on a Carli Lloyd penalty kick, after Heap was taken down by Lindsey Horan in the box. The Thorns retook the lead with a Lussi goal in the thirty-ninth minute after Klingenberg made a run into the offensive third. Lloyd of Houston had a yellow card for her foul in the fortieth minute. The game ended at 2-1, with the woman of the match being Klingenberg. Sonnett, Lussi, and Christine Sinclair also did well for the Thorns, while Cami Levin, Heap, and Lloyd were best for the Dash.

Back east, the North Carolina Courage bring in the Seattle Reign FC. Haley Kopmeyer and Katelyn Rowland are the keepers. Seattle saw a yellow card for a twenty-fourth minute Rebekah Stott foul. North Carolina began in the thirty-second minute with a Lynn Williams goal, via Makenzy Doniak. The Reign's Lauren Barnes took a yellow card for her eighty-sixth minute foul. The game ended 1-0 for the Courage, with Williams the woman of the match, while Abby Erceg and McCall Zerboni also played well for the Courage. Seattle's best were Barnes, Merritt Mathias, and Jess Fishlock.

Finally, the Orlando Pride host the Chicago Red Stars. Alyssa Naeher and Aubrey Bledsoe guard the woodwork. Orlando struck first in the twenty-fourth minute with an Alex Morgan goal, passed from Jasmyne Spencer. Sam Johnson of Chicago had a yellow card for her fifty-first minute foul. The Red Stars tied it in the fifty-third minute with a Sofia Huerta goal, made possible by Jen Hoy. Alanna Kennedy of the Pride took a yellow card for a sixty-ninth minute foul. The final held at 1-1, with the woman of the match being Huerta, while Naeher, Alyssa Mautz, and Hoy did well for Chicago and Morgan, Spencer, Jamia Fields, and Ali Krieger led the way for Orlando.

NWSL Team of the Week
GK Alyssa Naeher
RB Estelle Johnson
CB Emily Sonnett
CB Abby Erceg
LB Meghan Klingenberg
DM Desiree Scott
DM Meggie Dougherty Howard
AM Rosie White
FW Arielle Ship
FW Sofia Huerta
FW Lynn Williams