NWSL 2018 Week 5

All four games this weekend are on Saturday, beginning in...

Houston, as the Dash host the North Carolina Courage. Sabrina D'Angelo and Jane Campbell are the keepers. North Carolina opened in the third minute on a Crystal Dunn goal, helped along by Jessica McDonald on a long throw-in. Merritt Mathias of the Courage had a yellow card for her forty-fourth minute foul. North Carolina added on in the forty-eighth minute with a Kristen Hamilton goal, passed from Denise O'Sullivan. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the woman of the match being Hamilton. Also starring for the Courage were Dunn, O'Sullivan, and D'Angelo (three save clean sheet), while Kristie Mewis, Janine van Wyk, and Nichelle Prince did best for the Dash.

Next up, the Washington Spirit welcome the Chicago Red Stars. Alyssa Naeher and Aubrey Bledsoe protect the nets. Washington started in the fourth minute with a Francisca Ordega goal, set up by Mallory Pugh and Estelle Johnson. Chicago tied it in the twentieth minute with an Alyssa Mautz goal, coming on a rebound after a Sam Kerr shot, set up by Taylor Comeau, was saved by Bledsore. The Red Stars saw yellow cards for fouls by Mautz in the fifty-sixth minute, Yuki Nagasato and in the eighty-third minute, and Kerr in stoppage time. The final was 1-1, with the woman of the match being Bledsoe, while the Spirit also saw good games from Johnson, Ordega, and Pugh. The Red Stars' best were Comeau, Mautz, Kerr, and Danielle Colaprico.

Down in Florida, the Orlando Pride bring in the Seattle Reign FC. Michelle Betos and Ashlyn Harris are the veterans in goal. Seattle struck first in the thirty-third minute with an Allie Long goal, set up by Megan Oyster. Orlando tied it with a Marta free kick goal in the sixty-first minute. In the eighty-ninth minute, Reign keeper Betos took a yellow card for time wasting. The final held at 1-1, with the woman of the match being Betos (four for five in saves), while the Reign also got good efforts from Long, Kristen McNabb, and Rumi Utsugi. The Pride's best were Marta, Ali Krieger, and Alanna Kennedy.

Finally, the Utah Royals FC host the Portland Thorns FC. Britt Eckerstrom is mismatched with Abby Smith in goal. Portland saw a yellow card for Midge Purce in the thirty-sixth minute for her foul. Gunnhildur Jonsdottir of Utah took a yellow card for a foul in the forty-ninth minute. The Royal got going in the fifty-third minute with an Amy Rodriguez goal after a steal off of Kelli Hubly. The Thorns tied it on a sixty-seventh minute goal by Tobin Heath, set up by Christine Sinclair after stealing the ball from Desiree Scott. In the eighty-fifth minute, Utah's Scott had a yellow card for a foul. The final stood at 1-1, with the woman of the match being Rodriguez. Other strong Royals were Becky Sauerbrunn, Jonsdottir, Kelley O'Hara, and Diana Matheson, while the Thorns' best were Purce, Ana Crnogorcevic, Sinclair, and Heath.

NWSL Team of the Week
GK Michelle Betos
LB Kristie Mewis
CB Becky Sauerbrunn
CB Janine van Wyk
RB Ali Krieger
DM Allie Long
AM Kristen Hamilton
AM Crystal Dunn
AM Christine Sinclair
FW Francisca Ordega
FW Marta