NWSL 2018 Week 15

We begin late a four-game weekend late on Friday with...

The Portland Thorns FC hosting the Utah Royals FC. Abby Smith and Adrianna Franch are the young goalies. Portland began at the one-minute mark with a Tobin Heath goal, after a back-and-forth with Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic. Sam Johnson of Utah took a yellow card for a thirty-first minute foul. The Thorns added on in the thirty-second minute when Lindsey Horan scored on the ensuing free kick, set up by Heath. Portland extended the lead as Crnogorcevic scored in the thirty-fourth minute after a favorable deflection off of a Horan pass. Diana Matheson of the Royals received a yellow card in the forty-fifth minute for a foul. The Thorns padded the lead in the sixty-second minute with a Tyler Lussi goal, fueled by Horan. The final remained at 4-0, with the woman of the match being Crnogorcevic. Also good for the Thorns were Heath, Horan, Celeste Boureille, and Emily Sonnett, while the Royals' best were Desiree Scott and Katrina Gorry.

On Saturday, Sky Blue FC welcomes the Chicago Red Stars. Alyssa Naeher and Kailen Sheridan protect the nets. Chicago opened in the fortieth minute with a Sam Kerr goal, set up by Alyssa Mautz. The Red Stars added on in the forty-sixth minute with another Kerr goal, via Yuki Nagasato. Chicago extended the lead in the sixty-third minute as Kerr scored to complete her hat trick, with the help of Nagasato. Sky Blue got on the board with an Imani Dorsey goal in the seventy-third minute, courtesy of Savannah McCaskill. This made it a 3-1 Red Stars win, with the woman of the match being Kerr. Also strong for Chicago were Nagasato, Mautz, Nikki Stanton, Danielle Colaprico, and Julie Ertz, while Sky Blue's best were Mandy Freeman, Dorsey, Janine Beckie, and Carli Lloyd.

Down in Orlando, the Pride bring in the Washington Spirit. Aubrey Bledsoe and Ashlyn Harris are between the sticks. At the twenty-five minute mark, Washington started the scoring on an Ashley Hatch goal, assisted by Whitney Church on a corner kick. Orlando tied it in first half stoppage time with a Sydney Leroux goal, passed from Alanna Kennedy. The Pride took the lead in the eighty-sixth minute on a Marta goal, set up by Leroux. In second half stoppage time, Marta took a yellow card for a foul. The final held at 2-1 for the Pride, with Marta as the woman of the match. Also strong for the Pride were Leroux, Chioma Ubogagu, Kennedy, and Carson Pickett, while the Spirit's best were Bledsoe (ten for twelve in saves), Estelle Johnson, Taylor Smith, Tori Huster, and Hatch.

Finally, the Seattle Reign FC host the Houston Dash. Jane Campbell faces former teammate Lydia Williams in goal. Houston led off in the twelfth minute with an Amber Brooks goal, passed from Sofia Huerta on the corner kick. Seattle tied it in the thirty-seventh minute with a Jodie Taylor goal, via Megan Rapinoe's throw-in. The Reign took the lead in the fifty-sixth minute with a Rapinoe penalty kick goal. In the fifty-eighth minute, Allysha Chapman took a yellow card for a foul. Seattle added on in the eighty-fifth minute with an Allie Long goal, set up by Rapinoe. In stoppage time, Rapinoe received a yellow card for time wasting. The final held at 3-1, with the woman of the match being Rapinoe. Also strong for the Reign were Taylor, Long, Beverly Yanez, Theresa Nielsen, and Megan Oyster. The Dash's best were Brooks, Janine van Wyk, and Huerta.

NWSL Team of the Week
GK Aubrey Bledsoe
RB Theresa Nielsen
CB Julie Ertz
CB Amber Brooks
LB Carson Pickett
DM Lindsey Horan
AM Tobin Heath
AM Marta
FW Sam Kerr
FW Megan Rapinoe
FW Lynn Williams