Sunday, July 15, 2018

NWSL 2018 Week 16

Four games again this weekend, beginning with...

Sky Blue FC hosting the North Carolina Courage. Katelyn Rowland and Kailen Sheridan are the goalies. North Carolina opened in the fifteenth minute with an Abby Erceg goal, assisted by Kristen Hamilton and Merritt Mathias on recycled service after a corner kick. The Courage added on in the fifty-sixth minute with a Lynn Williams goal, helped along by Hamilton. North Carolina extended the lead as Williams scored again in the seventy-second minute, thanks to Debinha. Sky Blue's Carli Lloyd took a yellow card for her eighty-fifth minute foul. The Courage iced it at 4-0 in the eighty-ninth minute when Williams capitalized on an error by Sky Blue keeper Sheridan to complete her hat trick into a virtually empty net. Williams was the woman of the match, with the Courage also getting great showings from Erceg, Hamilton, Debinha, and McCall Zerboni. Sky Blue's best were Mandy Freeman, Sarah Killion, Carli Lloyd, and Savannah McCaskill.

West to Utah, where the Royals FC welcome the Orlando Pride. Ashlyn Harris and Abby Smith are the American keepers. Utah started in the eighth minute with an Amy Rodriguez goal, assisted by Rachel Corsie and Katie Bowen. Orlando saw a yellow card for a twenty-fourth minute foul by Rachel Hill. The Pride tied it in first half stoppage time on an Alex Morgan penalty kick goal after Gunnhildur Jonsdottir fouled Alanna Kennedy in the box. Orlando pulled ahead in the fifty-second minute with a Kristen Edmonds goal, set up by Ali Krieger after bad goalkeeping by Smith. The Pride's Kennedy received a sixty-eighth minute yellow card for fouling Smith, forcing the Royals keeper from the game. Nicole Barnhart relieved Smith in goal. Orlando's Chioma Ubogagu received a yellow card for not retreating in the seventy-fifth minute. At the eighty-nine minute mark, Camila of the Pride took a yellow card for a foul. The final held at 2-1 for Orlando, with the woman of the match being Hill. Also strong for the Pride were Shelina Zadorsky, Krieger, Kennedy, and Edmonds. The Royals' best were Katie Bowen, Corsie, and Rodriguez.

Saturday's last game has the Chicago Red Stars bringing in the Seattle Reign FC. Michelle Betos and Alyssa Naeher protect the nets. Seattle saw a yellow card for a thirty-fifth minute foul by Jess Fishlock. Chicago got going in the eighty-seventh minute with a Sam Kerr goal after bad distribution by Betos, with an assist from Yuki Nagasato. This made it 1-0, with Kerr as the woman of the match. Also strong for the Red Stars were Casey Short, Julie Ertz, Morgan Brian, and Nagasato, while the Reign's best were Theresa Nielsen, Fishlock, Rapinoe, and Betos (five for six in saves).

Finally, the Portland Thorns FC host the Houston Dash on Sunday night. Jane Campbell and Adrianna Franch are the young keepers. Portland began in the sixteenth minute with a Lindsey Horan goal, set up by Emily Sonnett. The Thorns added on in the thirty-first minute with another Horan goal, on a rebound from an Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic header initially saved by Campbell. Houston got on the board with a Kealia Ohai goal in the thirty-seventh minute on a second attempt created by Taylor Comeau's cross that Franch couldn't handle. Portland replied with a Crnogorcevic goal in the forty-eighth minute, made possible by Hayley Raso. This produced the 3-1 final score, with the woman of the match being Horan. Also strong for the Thorns were Ellie Carpenter, Sonnett, Celeste Boureille, Tobin Heath, and Crnogorcevic. For the Dash, the best performances came from Comeau, Linda Motlhalo, Ohai, and Rachel Daly.

NWSL Team of the Week
GK Katelyn Rowland
LB Taylor Comeau
CB Abby Erceg
CB Emily Sonnett
RB Katie Bowen
DM Lindsey Horan
AM Debinha
AM Kealia Ohai
AM Carli Lloyd
FW Lynn Williams
FW Rachel Daly

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