NWSL 2017: Week 20

We're ready to go on another full weekend of games. We begin in...

Portland, as the Thorns FC host the Washington Spirit. Didi Haracic is mismatched with Adrianna Franch in goal. Washington's keeper Haracic took a yellow card for a foul in the twenty-first minute. Portland's Nadia Nadim took the penalty kick, which Haracic saved, but Nadim scored on the rebound. The Thorns added on in the twenty-fifth minute with a Christine Sinclair goal, via Nadim. Katherine Reynolds of Portland had a yellow card for a thirty-sixth minute foul. The Thorns extended the lead as Emily Sonnett scored on a free kick goal in the fortieth minute, set up by Meghan Klingenberg. Portland padded the lead in the eighty-first minute with a Sinclair goal, her second of the game, made possible by Sonnett. The final stood at 4-0, with the woman of the match being Sinclair. Other strong performances for the Thorns came from Sonnett, Klingenberg, and Nadim, while the Spirit's best were Cheyna Williams, Mallory Pugh, and Tori Huster.

Also on Saturday, the Orlando Pride welcome the Boston Breakers. Abby Smtih and Ashlyn Harris protect the nets. Orlando led off in the eighth minute with a Rachel Hill goal, after Smith lightly patted away a cross from Chioma Ubogagu that Alex Morgan had turned toward goal. In the fifteenth minute, the Pride added on with a Hill goal, passed from Morgan. Boston got on the board in the forty-ninth minute with a Rosie White goal, coming off of Amanda Frisbie and Midge Purce. In the sixty-third minute, Brooke Elby of the Breakers had a yellow card for fouling Orlando's Camila. The Pride replied with a Marta goal in the sixty-seventh minute, set up by Ubogagu. Orlando extended the lead as Ubogagu scored in the seventy-seventh minute after a turnover by Boston. The Breakers pulled one back with an eighty-eighth minute Julie King goal, made possible by Adriana Leon on a corner kick. The final held at 4-2, with the woman of the match being Hill. Ubogagu, Morgan, Monica, and Steph Catley also impressed fro the Pride, while King, Angela Salem, Leon, and White were the best for the Breakers.

On Sunday, FC Kansas City hosts Sky Blue FC. Kailen Sheridan and Nicole Barnhart are in goal. In the thirty-ninth minute, Kansas City began with a Lo'eau LaBonta goal, set up by Shea Groom. Kansas City added on in the forty-fourth minute with a Groom goal, assisted by LaBonta with an overhead pass. Kansas City extended the lead in the sixty-fourth minute with another Groom goal, created by a Desiree Scott cross. The initial shot was saved, but the rebound went in. Sky Blue got on the board in the eighty-third minute with a corner kick goal by Madison Tiernan, via Taylor Lytle's service. Kansas City iced it at 4-1 with a Sydney Leroux goal in stoppage time, courtesy of Maegan Kelly. The woman of the match was Groom, while other stars for Kansas City were Becky Sauerbrunn, Becca Moros, LaBonta, and Scott. Sky Blue's best were Erica Skroski, Kelley O'Hara, and Lytle.

Up in Chicago, the Red Stars bring in the North Carolina Courage. Katelyn Rowland and Alyssa Naeher guard the nets. North Carolina opened in the fifteenth minute with a Lynn Williams goal, made possible by Jessica McDonald. In the fortieth minute, Danielle Colaprico of Chicago had a yellow card for her foul against McCall Zerboni. The Red Stars tied it in the fifty-second minute with a Yuki Nagasato goal, coming off of Christen Press. Chicago's Julie Ertz took a yellow card for a seventy-third minute foul. The Courage's Zerboni had a yellow card of her own in the seventy-seventh minute for a foul. The Red Stars took the lead in the eighty-fourth minute with an Ertz goal, set up by Nagasato. The final held at 2-1, with the woman of the match being Ertz. Also strong for the Red Stars were Arin Gilliland, Press, and Nagasato, while the Courage's best efforts came from Jaelene Hinkle, Zerboni, McDonald, and Williams.

Finally, the Seattle Reign FC host the Houston Dash. Jane Campbell faces her former mentor Lydia Williams in goal. Seattle started in the fiftieth minute on a Merritt Mathias goal, helped along by Beverly Yanez. The Reign saw yellow cards for fouls by Lauren Barnes in the seventy-seventh minute and Jess Fishlock in the eightieth minute. Houston's Bruna took a yellow card for her eighty-eighth minute foul. The final stood at 1-0, with the woman of the match being Mathias. Other strong performances for the Reign came from Williams (three-save clean sheet), Rebekah Stott, and Yanez, while the Dash got their best efforts from Kristie Mewis, Janine Beckie, and Nichelle Prince.

NWSL Team of the Week
GK Lydia Williams
RB Arin Gilliland
CB Emily Sonnett
CB Julie King
LB Meghan Klingenberg
DM Julie Ertz
AM Christine Sinclair
AM Shea Groom
AM Lo'eau LaBonta
FW Rachel Hill
FW Alex Morgan