NWSL Week 9

It's the last normal week for the league for awhile. In news, the Houston Dash's game against the Washington Spirit was rescheduled for August 18, during the Olympic break. For this week, we begin with...

The Western New York Flash hosting the Portland Thorns FC. Adrianna Franch and Britt Eckerstrom protect the nets. Watch the game here. Portland had a good effort in the third minute with Katherine Reynolds throwing in long to Dagny Brynjarsdottir, who sent it back to Lindsey Horan for a rocket shot saved by Eckerstrom. In the fifth minute, Emily Sonnett danced out of trouble around Western New York's Lynn Williams. The Flash's Abby Dahlkemper made a good steal off of Horan of the Thorns in the sixth minute, but Jessica McDonald got shut down by Sonnett on the counterattack. Nadia Nadim crossed in during the ninth minute, bounced out by Western New York's Alanna Kennedy. Tobin Heath took it for Portland, getting it to Christine Sinclair for two efforts, one blocked by Jaelene Hinkle. Samantha Mewis cleared it as far as Sonnett, who fired a shot that Eckerstrom saved to end the sequence. Western New York had a free kick from Dahlkemper, but Lynn Williams headed it out wide of Franch's net. Dagny had a deep rocket in the twelfth minute going just over the bar for Portland. Elizabeth Eddy had a cross caught by Franch in the fifteenth minute. Dahlkemper broke up a Sinclair cross toward Dagny in the sixteenth minute, and the rest of the Flash held on to prevent another dangerous ball from coming. Emily Menges had to make a clear for the Thorns when Meg Morris got overwhelmed by the right side of the Flash attack. Abby Erceg went long looking for McDonald, but Menges knocked it away in the eighteenth minute. Morris had to go out injured after a previous collision with Makenzy Doniak. Mallory Weber replaced her. Heath burned Eddy on the Thorns left wing side, getting a low cross in directly to Eckerstrom. On the counterattack in the twenty-second minute, Williams settled the ball and crossed against Sonnett. Hinkle made the second cross, finding Mewis, who shot off the crossbar, and then McDonald had a chance blocked by Horan. Doniak won a corner kick off of Weber in the twenty-fourth minute for Western New York, and Hinkle's service found Dahlkemper, who headed just wide. Allie Long had a good steal from Hinkle, but play stopped for Kennedy's hit on Heath, causing a delay. Kennedy stole the ball from Nadim in the twenty-eighth minute after the delay. Menges broke up a long throw by McDonald in the twenty-ninth minute. On the next effort, Doniak got around Reynolds and crossed, but Horan took it out. McDonald passed to Mewis in the thirtieth minute, but the Flash midfielder shot a bit weak and Franch hauled it in. Nadim had a cross for Portland in the thirty-second minute, finding Sinclair, whose header fell to Eckerstrom. In the thirty-third minute, Heath did everything but score, dancing around Eddy and Erceg to shoot an angled shot that ended on a diving save by Eckerstrom. McDonald and Mewis had a good combination in the thirty-sixth minute, but Mewis' shot went high, bailing out Long who had flubbed the defensive play. Hinkle had a shot after a long throw-in by McDonald after a pass from Michaela Hahn, but Nadim made the block. Horan headed away a cross by Eddy for Western New York in the fortieth minute. Portland got lazy in the forty-fourth minute, and Mewis made a steal to feed into Doniak, who fired on goal against Franch. The game went into halftime scoreless, with the best players for the Thorns being GK Franch, CBs Sonnett and Menges, RB Reynolds, DM Horan, RW Nadim, and LW Heath, while the Flash's top players are GK Eckerstrom, CB Dahlkemper, LB Hinkle, RW Mewis, and forwards McDonald and Williams. In the forty-seventh minute, Mewis earned a yellow card for the Flash for fouling Portland's Horan. Heath's free kick was knocked away by McDonald. In the forty-eighth minute, Sinclair scored for the Thorns on a series of passes from Long and Dagny, after the Western New York center backs failed to close her down. Portland leads 1-0. Western New York had a free kick after a Horan foul. Hinkle served it in toward Erceg, earning a Flash corner kick, taken by Dahlkemper in the fifty-first minute. This went long and out of bounds. Doniak made a run against Sonnett and Reynolds, which netted another Flash corner kick in the fifty-third minute. Dahlkemper had a poor service again. Hinkle had a serve into the box, where Franch poked it away just in time. Kennedy tripped Sinclair in the fifty-fifth minute, earning herself a yellow card and giving the Thorns another dangerous free kick chance. Heath took it on goal, forcing Eckerstrom into a save to create a corner kick, eventually resulting in Weber getting a shot on goal, again saved by Eckerstrom. Doniak earned Western New York a sixtieth minute corner kick, taken by Hinkle and served in to McDonald, who sent it wide left. Sonnett did well to block Williams on a long ball play from Erceg in the sixty-second minute. Things have calmed a bit as the Thorns play solid defense and most of the game is getting stuck in the midfield without many shots or dangerous crosses involved. Doniak forced Amandine Henry into a foul in the sixty-eighth minute. Western New York's free kick came from Kennedy, who banged it off the crossbar. Erceg had a second effort, heading off frame. In the seventy-first minute, Doniak had a cross through the box, but Heath picked it up and cleared it away for Portland. In the seventy-second minute, Eddy and Heath battled in the box, with Eddy interfering with Heath. This drew a penalty kick, and Nadim took it and scored down the middle as Eckerstrom froze, putting Portland ahead 2-0. The whole situation was a bit of a soft call. Sonnett blocked a Mewis cross to give Western New York the corner kick. They didn't get a good attempt, but Taylor Smith earned another one in the seventy-sixth minute. Hinkle's service was cleared by Nadim back out to Smith. Eddy's cross was stopped by Franch. In the eighty-first minute, Portland sub Hayley Raso took a yellow card for fouling Hinkle. The free kick that followed from McCall Zerboni was punched by Franch, and Hinkle couldn't get a shot off on the second try. Zerboni had a feed into Doniak, but Franch just got there in time to cover it in the eighty-third minute. Henry had a cross in the box off a free kick, but Dahlkemper cleared it out cleanly. Doniak settled a ball in the box for the Flash in the eighty-sixth minute, but Kristen Hamilton couldn't settle it in front of Menges. Mewis had a try also blocked by Menges. In the eighty-eighth minute, Eddy won a corner kick off of Heath. Hinkle's service for the Flash didn't work out well, allowing the Thorns to chew up more time. In the eighty-ninth minute, Doniak fouled Heath and took a yellow card for the play after tripping on her foot. Williams got control of the ball in the box but took a heavy touch around Franch and it rolled just long out of bounds. Dahlkemper's free kick went out for a corner kick. This led to Hinkle's cross into Williams, who forced Franch into a remarkable save. Williams had a rebound off the post, all in stoppage time. Doniak laid off to Mewis, whose shot was blocked by Horan. The game ended 2-0 for the Thorns, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being the ACM Sinclair, who joined the ranks of the impressive for her second half work. The Flash winger Doniak impressed as well in the second half, as well as DM Zerboni in her substitute appearance for her old new team.

On Saturday, the Washington Spirit welcome the Orlando Pride in the first of two games. Ashlyn Harris faces her former team and Stephanie Labbe in goal. Here's the game. Washington's Ali Krieger had a cross blocked by Jasmyne Spencer in the third minute, as the game has started slow but in the Spirit's favor. Spencer for around Krieger in the fourth minute, but couldn't get anything on the cross, and had no Orlando teammates in the area anyway. Crystal Dunn had a steal from Josee Belanger in the fifth minute, but Maddy Evans stole it right back for the Pride to shut down the Washington attack. Shelina Zadorsky finally cleared after a frenzy from the Pride, working along the right wing with Sam Witteman and Spencer getting blocked. Toni Pressley broke up a Diana Matheson cross toward Francisca Ordega in the eighth minute. Megan Oyster made a steal on a Monica through ball, a good move for the Spirit defender to start a counterattack. The Spirit struck first with an Estefania Banini goal off a pass from Alyssa Kleiner in the ninth minute, dancing around Pressley to strike the goal. Dunn had a good dummy to let that ball get through. In the tenth minute, Zadorsky fouled Witteman hard on the right wing, giving Orlando a dangerous free kick chance. Steph Catley had the chance, but Dunn blocked and cleared. Dunn was harassed by Pressley and Laura Alleway on a Christine Nairn through ball in the twelfth minute. Nairn got caught offside in the thirteenth minute after combining with Banini and Krieger. Alex Morgan was fouled in the fourteenth minute as Zadorsky challenged her, another dangerous chance for Orlando. Zadorsky took a yellow card at this point for her persistent infringement. Catley did the free kick again, bending it just left of the goal. Nairn had consecutive corner kicks for Washington, one cleared by Kristen Edmonds and the other running high over Oyster's head. The Spirit had a series of unfortunate misses, as Dunn's pass back to Ordega was a bit heavy, and then Nairn's shot was saved by Harris. The rebound was taken by Ordega but wide, and Catley made the block, causing a Nairn corner kick in the twenty-fourth minute. The service came up short and went out of bounds. In the twenty-fifth minute, Witteman blocked a cross by Dunn for another corner kick. Nairn's service was too high for Tori Huster this time. Oyster had a good defensive shield on Spencer to allow Labbe to get to the through ball first. Banini had a cross toward Ordega just stopped by Pressley in the twenty-eighth minute. Matheson had a shot from the top of the box at the 28 minute mark, with Harris diving to her right to save it and create a corner kick. Nairn's service this time was punched out by Harris. Dunn found Matheson, who had another shot, sliding in to get the touch, but Harris' slide stopped the opportunity in the thirtieth minute. On the counterattack, Krieger fouled Spencer in a dangerous position, giving the Pride another good free kick position. Alleway took the shot but straight at Labbe for a save. In the thirty-second minute, a deep ball from Alleway to Morgan forced Oyster into a shield. The Spirit had some efforts on the counterattack, all blocked, until Banini shot high and wide in the thirty-third minute. Ordega went straight around her defender and found Harris out of position, but Ordega only managed a pass into the center of the box toward Banini and Nairn. Dunn then had a shot, blocked by Pressley. Spencer had a cross for the Pride in the thirty-seventh minute, blocked by Krieger. Ordega had been hurt earlier, but did an unassisted goal in the fortieth minute, as Ordega shoved Alleway down, and then navigated around Monica and Pressley before chipping Harris to make it 2-0 for the Spirit. In the forty-fourth minute, Evans crossed in toward Morgan, who flicked toward the goal but was blocked for a corner kick by Zadorsky. Witteman's through ball got just a bit too close to Labbe, ahead of Morgan and knocked out harmlessly by the Spirit keeper. Pressley had a stoppage time pass into Morgan, who took a shot off the right post behind Labbe, and then sent the second shot wide right. The first half ends 2-0 for Washington. Orlando's best players are the LB Catley, RF Witteman, and CF Morgan, while the Spirit have seen excellence out of CB Oyster, LB Kleiner, RW Matheson, RF Banini, CF Dunn, and LF Ordega. Matheston had a cross in the forty-sixth minute to Nairn, but she shot wide left. In the fifty-first minute, Catley took a ball from Spencer and crossed, but Oyster blocked it and gave Orlando a corner kick. Edmonds served in, but Kleiner sent it out. In the fifty-second minute, Ordega had a long through ball knocked out by the Pride's Pressley. Dunn had a fifty-fourth minute cross right in front of Harris but too far away from Ordega to get a shot attempt off for the Spirit. Catley tried to find Morgan in the fifty-seventh minute, and Zadorsky just got ahead of the ball instead for the defensive stop for Washington. Dunn had a cross in the sixtieth minute that went long. Spencer, Morgan, and Catley had a sequence of passes, with Catley then crossing in front of goal, missing both Spencer and Witteman with the cross in the sixty-fifth minute. Catley had a strong long ball in the sixty-sixth minute, but just out of the reach of Sarah Hagen, as Orlando missed another chance to get their offense going. Nairn made a steal from Kyle and nearly chipped Harris in the sixty-seventh minute, with the Spirit looking to put the dagger in. Nairn's sixty-ninth minute corner was blocked by Edmonds and Witteman of Orlando. Zadorsky halted a Pride break through Spencer with a savvy poke. Kleiner had a cross into Dunn in the seventy-fourth minute, touching around Monica to give Cheyna Williams a chance to shoot, but the Spirit sub's shot sailed high. In the seventy-fifth minute, the Pride had a corner kick from Catley that Huster cleared after some scuffling in the box. Dunn nearly found Williams in the seventy-ninth minute, but Evans made a good interception. Dunn and Krieger nearly connected on the next Spirit foray forward, but it ran long into the arms of the keeper Harris. Dunn continued to be a crossing machine, with an eighty-first minute offering blocked by Monica. Witteman took a shot on goal in the eighty-fourth minute for Orlando, but she fell as she shot and Labbe had no trouble with the save. An eighty-sixth minute Edmonds cross was headed away by Oyster as the Spirit have entered shut-down mode. Harris took a free kick in the eighty-eighth minute, flicked on by Hagen and then to Morgan, who got knocked down by Zadorsky before Labbe grabbed the ball to end the Orlando chance. Krieger had a steal in the eighty-ninth minute and Dunn got around Pressley again, but Monica blocked the cross out to prevent Washington from getting another goal. Katie Stengel had a shot on goal against Harris, and then Williams was called for a handball, diffusing another late Spirit attack in the ninetieth minute. The game ended 2-0 for Washington, with Oyster being the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. No players made an extra impression in the second half to warrant specific mention.

The other Saturday game saw the Chicago Red Stars host the Boston Breakers. Libby Stout and Alyssa Naeher are the goalies. The game can be found at this link. Chicago tried to get to an Amanda Da Costa through ball, but Christen Press was offside in the second minute. Arin Gilliland found Press on the next Red Stars attack, and Press dropped back to Vanessa DiBernardo, who then found the goal scorer, Sofia Huerta, on the deflection shot for a goal in the third minute, giving the Red Stars a 1-0 lead. Boston's Kyah Simon tried a long shot in the fourth minute, shooting high over Naeher's net. Whitney Engen just beat Press to a Da Costa through ball in the sixth minute. Louise Schillgard tried a chip to Simon in the eighth minute, but Sam Johnson headed back to Naeher to halt Boston's attack. On the other side, the Red Stars saw Alyssa Mautz cross in near Press, but Stout got there first to grab it out of the air. Chicago continued to have luck crossing to Press, with Casey Short creating a chance that Stout saved and the Breakers' Mollie Pathman cleared away. Schillgard's shot for Boston was blocked by Julie Johnston, and lack of a clock is making it tough to know when this all is happening. Gilliland finished the clearance. Press had another shot for Chicago skim off the top of the net, and the traffic has been virtually all directed at the Breakers net. Boston's Stephanie McCaffrey had a shot-cross that Naeher easily got to before Simon. In the fifteenth minute, Gilliland almost picked out Huerta, but the Red Stars forward was offside. Huerta tried a cross to Mautz in the seventeenth minute, picked off by Pathman. Johnston's free kick went straight to Press, who controlled it and battled with Kassey Kallman before losing possession in the eighteenth minute. DiBernardo had a corner kick for the Red Stars, with Huerta getting a head on it and Stout catching the deflection. Schillgard did a free kick for the Breakers, cleared first by Johnston, and Kristie Mewis put it back in where Naeher caught it. Things got a bit stale in the middle of the half, with no real chances either way for a few minutes. Schillgard had a funny moment, down on the ground with the ball between her feet, and she pivoted 180 degrees but the ball floated out while she carried it. On the next Boston attack, Johnston and Gilliland stalled a McCaffrey run. Mautz got a cross into the box in the twenty-ninth minute, but Stout just tipped it away from Da Costa. Mautz tried a thirtieth minute cross, but Pathman knocked it out for a DiBernardo corner kick. The play was cut short by a quick foul whistle, giving the Breakers a free kick. Danielle Colaprico took the ball off Schillgard's foot just before she shot in the thirty-first minute. Boston maintained possession with McCaffrey, but she couldn't get out of the defensive swarm. Colaprico made a big run in the thirty-second minute before dishing off to Short, who was just offside. She did take a shot and would have scored had the flag not gone up. Chicago kept their foot on the gas in the thirty-third minute, as Press took another high shot. King found Simon on a deep ball, but Johnston made the block. Naeher had to handle the strange spin with a punch and grab to give the Red Stars possession again. Press took another shot in the thirty-fifth minute, shooting wide left. Pathman had a bad turnover to Da Costa, but Gilliland's cross was blocked by Kallman. Gilliland did get another shot, caught by Stout. Mautz took a Short cross and deflected it toward Da Costa, who tried a two-touch shot but whiffed on the second one, allowing Stout to pick it up for the Breakers. Simon took a cross from King in the forty-third minute, popping the ball over the net. In the forty-fifth minute, Simon took a Schillgard pass and shot on goal, but the shot around Johnson was stopped by Naeher. Chicago got a corner kick in first half stoppage time off of King's block of Press' cross. Colaprico had the service right back out of bounds. DiBernardo had a high shot after Press lost control of Mautz's cross. The game went into halftime with the Red Stars leading 1-0. Impressing for the Breakers are LW Schillgard and RF Simon, while the Red Stars have seen good play from RB Gilliland, CBs Johnston and Johnson, LB Short, DMs Colaprico and DiBernardo, RW Mautz, LW Da Costa, RF Huerta, and LF Press (everyone but Naeher, who has been mostly unchallenged). Chicago added on in the forty-seventh minute with another Huerta goal, set up by Mautz after a failed challenge from Pathman, making it 2-0. Brooke Elby had a shot off a Schillgard free kick in the forty-eighth minute, cleared by Johnson. Press got onto a long Da Costa offering, but lost control to Engen as Boston takes over. The Red Stars are still owning possession in the second half early on. In the fifty-fifth minute, Schillgard fouled Da Costa and earned a yellow card for the play. DiBernardo had the free kick, and Huerta took a yellow card for colliding with the goalie Stout in the fifty-sixth minute. Stout was shaken up a bit on the play. Press had another run in the fifty-eighth minute, but lost the ball to King before getting to the back line. In the sixtieth minute, Boston sub Eunice Beckmann fouled Colaprico with a heavy shove, earning a yellow card for the foul. Johnston did the free kick for Chicago, with the service in to Huerta. Gilliland had an effort, and Beckmann nearly got sent off with a high kick on the defender. In the sixty-second minute, Chicago had a free kick taken by Press. Stout just saved it, but Huerta got it to DiBernardo, and then Short poked it home off DiBernardo's pass, making it 3-0 for the Red Stars. Mewis tried to play one through in the sixty-fifth minute, but Colaprico stopped it. Boston looks deflated at this point. DiBernardo had one shot blocked by Engen and another saved by Stout in the sixty-sixth minute, as the Red Stars continue to push forward relentlessly. Press took a shot in the sixty-seventh minute from the right wing side, and Stout got mitts on it before King sent it out of danger for the Breakers. Johnson had an errant clearance off of Beckmann, but she handled the ball to ruin the chance for Boston. Mautz tried a cross that Kallman deflected up for Stout to catch. Da Costa went out wide to Jen Hoy in the seventieth minute, and the cross came into Press, who headed wide left. Short had a cross blocked out by Kallman in the seventy-first minute, with Chicago continuing the one-directional traffic. Christen Westphal had a pass to Simon on a Breakers counterattack, but Colaprico and Johnston quickly shut it down. Westphal had a cross into the box after a free kick was punched out by Naeher, which saw Mautz do the defensive duty of clearing it away in the seventy-fourth minute. Boston's Rachel Wood took a high shot in the seventy-fifth minute. Chicago poured it on with a cross from Mautz toward Press, caught by Stout in between. Elby saw her cross on the left side cleared out by the Red Stars' Colaprico in the seventy-seventh minute. Boston's Beckmann tried a shot in the eighty-fourth minute, with Johnston blocking the shot. Simon tried a shot on Beckmann's next pass, but it went wide left of the Red Stars net. In the eighty-seventh minute, Mautz and Taylor Comeau tried for a weak attempt on goal that Stout had no trouble saving. Press went one-on-one against Stout, but Engen protected the near post and Press shot wide right in the eighty-eighth minute. Chicago had a couple of late corner kicks that didn't produce anything off services from Colaprico. Both were in toward Short. Simon took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The Red Stars finished off a very dominant 3-0 win, and the RF Huerta was the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. Getting a mention for her work in the second half is the LB Kallman.

On Sunday, Sky Blue FC brings in the Seattle Reign FC. Hope Solo and her former understudy Caroline Stanley are the goalies. Watch the game. Seattle had a lot of early possession, and in the third minute, Jess Fishlock tried to find Beverly Yanez, but Sky Blue's Christie Rampone disrupted the play. Leah Galton had a pass into Kelley O'Hara for Sky Blue in the eighth minute, earning a corner kick. O'Hara's effort found Kristin Grubka, but she went the wrong way and the Reign took possession. In the ninth minute, Fishlock received a Havana Solaun pass and fired wide right for Seattle. Erica Skroski managed to outrun Solaun in the tenth minute to give Sky Blue possession. Sky Blue attacked, but Rachel Corsie cleared it out for the Reign. In the twelfth minute, Taylor Lytle had a pair of shots, one off the cross bar and the other saved by Solo as Sky Blue was very close to opening the scoring. O'Hara tried a long ball toward Kelly Conheeney in the thirteenth minute, running long into Solo's hands. Galton's cross in the fifteenth minute got blocked before Conheeney could get there, as Sky Blue has taken the edge in possession in recent minutes. In the seventeenth minute, Lauren Barnes took a Solaun pass and gave it to Kim Little. The Seattle midfielder found Fishlock, who flipped a shot off the post, and then Yanez had a shot blocked by Grubka. A further attempt ended without danger as Seattle had a flurry of opportunities go to waste. Outside of the two plays involving the crossbars, there has been little in the way of dangerous chances. Conheeney's steal from Yanez in the twenty-fourth minute ultimately earned a corner kick for Sky Blue thanks to O'Hara's work against Elli Reed. The corner kick didn't produce anything. Fishlock had a big through ball to Yanez in the twenty-fifth minute, and the Sky Blue keeper Stanley just covered it in time. Merritt Mathias had a cross in the twenty-eighth minute that went by both Fishlock and Solaun. Galton defensively broke things up on a Little pass, as Seattle went without a shot again. Stanley had a misplay on the next Reign foray, but Fishlock couldn't find it in the sun, and the Sky Blue defense cleaned it up. Galton had a cross for Sky Blue in the thirty-first minute that went by everyone and out for a Reign throw-in. Galton burned Reed in the thirty-fifth minute, but Conheeney whiffed on the shot. Raquel Rodriguez failed to get a second effort off, and then committed a foul to turn possession back to Seattle. O'Hara had a shot in the thirty-seventh minute as Sky Blue continues the solid play, saved by Reign keeper Solo. Sarah Killion chipped forward to Galton, who got a cross around Corsie. Sky Blue kept the ball with Lytle, Skroski, and Kim DeCesare, but lacked another crossing chance. Lytle then crossed to Conheeney in the fortieth minute, but she headed it over the bar. Rampone blocked a Mathias cross in the forty-second minute, and Barnes did the corner kick for Seattle. The service went toward Corsie, but Rodriguez cleared it, and Solaun made nothing of the second try. Fishlock served a through ball headed out by Grubka. Barnes had a stoppage time free kick, finding Kendall Fletcher, who headed just wide left. The game went into halftime scoreless. Impressing for Sky Blue are CBs Rampone and Grubka, LB O'Hara, LW Galton, RW Conheeney, and RF Lytle, while Seattle's best have been GK Solo, LB Barnes, RW Fishlock, RF Solaun, and CF Mathias. DeCesare had a forty-sixth minute shot blocked by Fletcher as the Reign start the second half on the defensive. Fishlock had a cross in the forty-eighth minute, blocked out for a corner kick by Grubka. Later, Solaun sent a shot just wide left. Galton tried a cross in the fifty-second minute, but Mathias made the block for Seattle. Sky Blue's corner kick from O'Hara found Grubka, who shot wide. Natasha Kai got pushed by Fishlock and Corsie on the play, but no call was made. Galton had another cross right in front of Solo, but Conheeney was caught offside, saving the Reign's effort. Galton turned Reed inside out in the fifty-fourth minute, shooting on goal to force Solo into the save. Kai had the rebound shot, but put it over the goal, and Sky Blue is now swarming the net. Lytle crossed toward Conheeney, but it bounced out off of the midfielder for a Solo goal kick. Grubka broke up a pass intended for Fishlock, but Little had the shot sailing wide left of Stanley's goal. Yanez and Little countered on a fast break, with Little's precise shot causing Stanley to parry it over for a corner kick. Barnes' service in the fifty-ninth minute went toward Corsie, who sent it wide left. Little tried a sixtieth minute cross, with Rampone clearing for Sky Blue. Galton and O'Hara took down Fishlock and Mathias on consecutive Reign attacks, both clean. Fishlock made a big takeaway in the midfield, passing forward to Little, who danced around a falling Grubka and Rampone applied pressure before Little shot. Stanley kicked it out for a corner kick. Kai cleared the Barnes service out of the box. Galton saw a cross in the sixty-fifth minute get tangled in Kai's feet, and then cleared by Reed. Erin Simon crossed in for Sky Blue, and Solo grabbed it. In the sixty-eighth minute, Simon crossed into Kai, who shot off O'Hara's head, and then she was offside, so when she buried the pass from Kai, it was not a valid goal, and the game remained scoreless. Corsie followed up with a header out of bounds on a Skroski cross, creating a Sky Blue corner kick. O'Hara's service went toward Rampone in the box. Solo blocked it, and the ball dribbled out for another O'Hara corner kick. This one found Grubka in the box. The ball went high, and Rampone sent it out wide of the goal, ending the pressure against the Reign. Seattle subs Carson Pickett and Kiersten Dallstream nearly combined in the Sky Blue box in the seventy-first minute. On the other side, Kai had a heavy touch for Sky Blue, allowing Solo to grab it. Reed finally stalled Galton in the seventy-fourth minute, forcing a corner kick. O'Hara served this one into Galton, but it was low, and she fouled Reed. Dallstream and Little sequenced passes to Pickett, who had her shot blocked by Grubka. Dallstream took a shot across goal going wide left. Rampone stole the ball from Little in the box in the seventy-seventh minute, preventing a shot from Seattle's star. Pickett laid off for a Fishlock shot in the seventy-eighth minute, but Stanley was up to task for the save. On the other side, Sky Blue saw Galton cross toward Kai, with Fletcher making the clearance. Yanez had a cross for the Reign in the eighty-third minute, caught by Stanley. Lindsay Elston had to make a strong defensive play against O'Hara in the box, after Lytle bumped a ball away from Fishlock. Fletcher just cleared away from Kai in the eighty-ninth minute as Sky Blue continues to look dangerous late in the game. Grubka had a header on a free kick later on, but Solo made the block. Dallstream stole from Simon in stoppage time, but Grubka headed the cross out for a corner kick. Barnes served in toward Pickett, but it was cleared out. O'Hara saw a shot in stoppage time blocked by Reed, and then Rodriguez dribbled a ball to Solo. Pickett took a shot wide right on the Reign counterattack. Corsie deflected a Shawna Gordon shot out for a corner kick, but the final whistle blew to end the match at 0-0. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match is CB Grubka, while Sky Blue also saw the LF sub Kai do well, while CB Fletcher earned a mention for the Reign in the effort.

Finally, the Houston Dash host FC Kansas City. Nicole Barnhart and Lydia Williams are the gloved women. The game can be found here. Houston saw a passing sequence end with a high shot by Chioma Ubogagu in the third minute after passes from Denise O'Sullivan, Poliana, and Kealia Ohai. Cari Roccaro knocked a ball away from Katie Bowen on a Kansas City attack. Ubogagu had a cross in the sixth minute toward Morgan Brian, but the Blues keeper Barnhart got there first. Ohai had a cross in the seventh minute for the Dash, with Desiree Scott knocking it out for a corner kick ahead of O'Sullivan. Ubogagu got around Yael Averbuch in the ninth minute after a pass from Allysha Chapman, but Becky Sauerbrunn shut down the Houston attack. On the other side, Roccaro got burned by Shea Groom, but got her back for a corner kick by Heather O'Reilly for the Blues. Brittany Taylor couldn't get good contact on the service, and Brian sent it away. Another Ubogagu cross toward Brian went too close to Barnhart once again in the tenth minute. O'Reilly had a shot in the twelfth minute blocked by Ellie Brush. Alex Arlitt had a steal against Ohai to give the Blues possession again. Ohai and Ubogagu tried a connection in the box in the thirteenth minute, but it was errant. Ubogagu had a shot, saved by Barnhart. Roccaro did well in the fifteenth minute to keep Groom facing away from the Dash goal before the Dash got clear. Ohai crossed in, with Taylor blocking off O'Sullivan and watching Janine Beckie getting knocked over in the sixteenth minute in another lost chance for Houston. The Dash had many passes before Erika Tymrak came back to break it up for Kansas City. Ohai got a cross off in front of Sauerbrunn, but O'Sullivan couldn't get a shot off in the nineteenth minute. On the next attack, Scott stole it away from O'Sullivan. Beckie had a long pass to Ohai, broken up Sauerbrunn to give Houston a corner kick. Brian's service went toward Poliana, who hit it out wide right of Barnhart's goal. Sauerbrunn tried a pass to Arlitt, but Poliana kept the chance outside, and Arlitt lost control for a goal kick by Dash keeper Williams. Tymrak tried to set up Mandy Laddish in the twenty-fifth minute, but Roccaro got away. On the Houston counterattack, Barnhart came out to stop Ubogagu. Laddish had a cross for Kansas City caught by Williams. Arlitt tried to break up Ohai's cross, and did enough to make it weak, allowing Sauerbrunn to clear it out. Groom tried to nutmeg Chapman in the thirtieth minute, but Chapman got to the ball first in a strong defensive play. Tymrak laid off to Laddish for a shot that went wide right. Bowen tried a shot in the thirty-first minute blocked by O'Sullivan, with Poliana clearing. O'Reilly went to Arlitt on a cross, and Brian blocked it out for a corner kick. O'Reilly's service for the Blues went toward Taylor, but Brian was again there first. Beckie twice tried to find Brian, but Taylor and Sauerbrunn got in the way in the thirty-sixth minute. O'Sullivan, Beckie, and Brian all had a string of passes end with a Tymrak steal to give the Blues possession. Ubogagu saw a shot in the thirty-ninth minute blocked by Scott in the box. Houston continued to press with Ohai just off the mark on her pass to Ubogagu. Errant passing destroyed a Houston effort in the forty-third minute, as Beckie took a heavy touch thanks to O'Reilly of the Blues, and then Ohai missed Chapman. Chapman did eventually send it in, straight to Barnhart. Taylor had a steal from Ohai, passing to Groom, Bowen, and then O'Reilly had the shot on goal, saved by Williams. The game went to halftime scoreless. Kansas City's best players were GK Barnhart, CB Sauerbrunn, RB Taylor, DM Scott, and LW O'Reilly, while the Dash's top players are CB Roccaro, RB Poliana, RW Brian, ACM O'Sullivan, and forwards Beckie and Ohai. Ohai had two crosses in the forty-ninth minute blocked quickly by Sauerbrunn of Kansas City. Poliana had a swerving cross in the fiftieth minute for the Dash, but O'Reilly got to it first for the Blues. Ohai worked around Arlitt to get a cross into the box, going behind Ubogagu. Ohai went at Arlitt again, earning a corner kick for Houston this time. Brian's fifty-second minute service went to Arlitt, who cleared as far as Andressa. Beckie had another cross in to Brian. Taylor turned it out, and Brian had another corner kick, cleared by Sauerbrunn. Chapman unleashed a rocket off the crossbar after a pass from Beckie. O'Reilly managed to head around Brush in the fifty-fifth minute, but Williams knocked it away from the charging Kansas City midfielder. Scott managed a steal from Poliana after Ubogagu tripped over the ball under the pressure of Arlitt. Ubogagu made a steal from Arlitt, but Taylor stole it back, and Beckie couldn't avoid fouling Arlitt in the fifty-eighth minute. Ohai's cross in the fifty-ninth minute found O'Sullivan, but Barnhart was in good position to deflect it away from goal. Beckie lost the ball to Averbuch in the sixtieth minute as Houston continues a foray. Poliana took a shot at Barnhart that was saved on the second effort. Groom and Roccaro battled for the ball in the sixty-first minute, with Groom shooting low and Williams stopping the chance. In the sixty-fifth minute, O'Sullivan and Beckie combined for heavy pressure for the Dash, earning an Andressa corner kick. Rachel Daly headed it down, but without a shot. Both Daly and Ohai had shots, with passes also from Beckie, O'Sullivan, and Brian. Daly's was off the post, and Ohai's went high in the sixty-sixth minute, with the Dash pouring on all the shots. Bowen had a knockdown to Groom in the box in the sixty-seventh minute, but Roccaro knocked it out wide. In the seventy-second minute, O'Reilly took a shot off the crossbar that Williams sloppily managed to clear. Sauerbrunn's long throw-in nearly caused trouble with Taylor and Averbuch crashing, and Brush put it out for a corner kick by O'Reilly. This went in to Averbuch, who sent it over the net in the seventy-third minute. O'Sullivan tried a ball to Daly in the seventy-sixth minute, but Barnhart got there first. Beckie tried to get one around Sauerbrunn as the Dash continue a fervent attack. O'Reilly drew a foul in the seventy-eighth minute, giving the Blues a good free kick chance. Taylor took the kick, bouncing off Roccaro and out for a corner kick by O'Reilly. The eightieth minute service went to Groom, who got it back to Averbuch. Her attempt was blocked out by Daly, and went to Sauerbrun, who headed it in for a goal. Kansas City leads 1-0 late in the game after a tremendous effort by Houston so far. Fran Silva earned a corner kick off of Poliana, and O'Reilly served another in the eighty-second minute toward Brian, who combined with Daly for a half-clearance. Laddish fired the shot and sent it wide, and O'Reilly tried again from the other side on a corner kick. This one went to ran long to Roccaro, and Chapman finished the clearance. O'Sullivan had a cross in the eighty-fourth minute, and Daly got a shot, but Averbuch made the block. Andressa took a shot in the eighty-fifth minute, and Silva had the block for the Blues. Poliana had a cross toward Melissa Henderson, but Sauerbrunn blocked it. A Chapman cross found the hands of Barnhart. Alexa Newfield of Kansas City had a shot on goal after getting around Amber Brooks, and Williams was up to task to make the save. Roccaro took an eighty-ninth minute yellow card for a foul, happening previously in the play. Averbuch stood up Beckie as she wanted to shoot in the ninetieth minute, after a string of quick Dash passes. Poliana's cross went over Brian and beyond Chapman, with Averbuch putting it out for a corner kick. Andressa did the set piece in stoppage time, and it went long off Barnhart. Brian took the corner kick on the other side, but Sauerbrunn got it out. O'Sullivan had the shot on the second try, but it went wide left. Scott took the ball away from Daly to help the Blues kill the clock. Brooks teed up a shot over the bar deep in stoppage time, the last chance for the Dash. The game ended 1-0 for Kansas City. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match is the CB Sauerbrunn for her brilliant goal and solid defensive play in arguably her best game of the year. Also impressing for the Blues in the second half were the CB Averbuch and LB Arlitt, while Houston LB Chapman also gets a mention.

Outsider Sports NWSL Best XI for Week 9

GK Hope Solo
RB Arin Gilliland
CB Becky Sauerbrunn
CB Kristin Grubka
LB Casey Short
DCM Desiree Scott
RW Jess Fishlock
LW Leah Galton
RF Sofia Huerta
CF Christine Sinclair
LF Christen Press

This was a tough one to compile this week. I'd like to give an honorable mention to Megan Oyster of the Spirit, as she shut down Alex Morgan for the most part. Her play just didn't beat the work of Grubka against Seattle or the presumptive player of the week Sauerbrunn against a potent Dash attack. Huerta also played well this week with a brace, but it was a bit of a short appearance for her as she propelled the Red Stars to a win over the Breakers in dominant form.

Major League Soccer 2016 - Week 15

We're back in full as the Copa America continues in the knockout stages and MLS teams have enough players back to compete. Saturday holds eight games, beginning with a matinee from...

The Bronx, as New York City FC hosts the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Josh Saunders protect the nets. New York City opened with an eighth minute Frank Lampard goal, assisted by Thomas McNamara and RJ Allen. New York City added on with a twenty-first minute David Villa goal, via Jack Harrison. Philadelphia's Tranquillo Barnetta had a yellow card for his thirty-first minute foul. New York City took yellow cards for fouls by Lampard in the forty-third minute and Allen in the forty-fifth minute. Raymon Gaddis of the Union had a yellow card for his forty-ninth minute foul. New York City extended the lead as Andrea Pirlo scored in the fiftieth minute. In the fifty-fourth minute, Jason Hernandez of New York City took a yellow card for his foul, and Philadelphia got on the board with a Roland Alberg penalty kick goal a minute later. In the eighty-fifth minute, Hernandez took a second yellow card for another foul, putting New York City at ten men. New York City's Frederic Brillant committed an own goal in the eighty-eighth minute to get the Union even closer. Ronald Matarrita of New York City had a yellow card for dissent in stoppage time, but his team held on for the 3-2 win. Pirlo was the man of the match for his winner.

Out west, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC welcomes the New England Revolution. Brad Knighton and David Ousted are in goal. New England started in the thirty-first minute on a London Woodberry goal, via Lee Nguyen. Vancouver had yellow cards for Jordan Smith in the thirty-fifth minute and Andrew Jacobson in the thirty-sixth minute, both for fouls. In the fortieth minute, the Revolution's Woodberry took a yellow card for a handball. The Whitecaps tied it with a Nicolas Mezquida goal in the forty-first minute. New England took the lead back on a fifty-fifth minute Kelyn Rowe goal, assisted by Teal Bunbury. Vancouver saw a yellow card for an eighty-second minute foul by Matias Laba. The Revolution's Jose Goncalves had a yellow card for his foul in the eighty-eighth minute. The final stood at 2-1 for New England, with Rowe the man of the match.

Back east, the Columbus Crew SC brings in the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Steve Clark are the goalies. In the fourteenth minute, Corey Ashe of Columbus took a yellow card for his foul. Montreal had a yellow card for Didier Drogba not retreating in the fifty-ninth minute. In the sixty-eighth minute, Tyson Wahl had a yellow card for his foul, and Tony Tchani had another for dissent for the Crew. Hassoun Camara of the Impact took a yellow card for a stoppage time foul. The game ended 0-0, with the man of the match being Clark for his three-save clean sheet.

Southeast to Florida, where Orlando City SC hosts the San Jose Earthquakes. David Bingham and Joe Bendik man the nets. San Jose had yellow cards for Fatai Alashe in the thirty-seventh minute and Shaun Francis in the thirty-ninth minute, both for fouls. Victor Bernardez of the Earthquakes took a yellow card for a forty-sixth minute foul. In the forty-ninth minute, Seb Hines of Orlando City took a yellow card for a foul. Orlando City got going with a sixty-sixth minute Hines goal, passed from Adrian Winter. Orlando City's Cristian Higuita took a yellow card for a sixty-ninth minute foul. San Jose tied it on an eighty-fifth minute goal from Chad Barrett, assisted by Shea Salinas. Orlando City took the lead back as Julio Baptista scored in stoppage time, via Carlos Rivas. Baptista received a yellow card for delaying the restart of play. The tactic failed anyway, as the Earthquakes tied it with a Salinas goal three minutes later, resulting in a 2-2 draw. The man of the match was Salinas for the goal and assist.

North to Canada, as Toronto FC welcomes the Los Angeles Galaxy. Brian Rowe and Clint Irwin are the gloved men. Los Angeles had a yellow card for a twenty-eighth minute foul by A.J. DeLaGarza. Toronto dented the scoreboard with a Drew Moor goal in the seventy-sixth minute, passed from Eriq Zavaleta and Benoit Cheyrou. This held for a 1-0 win, with Moor the man of the match for his stunning goal.

Back stateside, the Colorado Rapids bring in the Chicago Fire. Sean Johnson and Zac MacMath are the overrated goalies. Colorado was first to score in the fifty-seventh minute with a Kevin Doyle goal, passed from Dillon Powers. Rodrigo Ramos of Chicago had a yellow card for a sixty-seventh minute foul. The Fire tied it on a Joey Calistri goal in the eighty-first minute, coming off of Ramos and David Accam. The Rapids took the lead back on an eighty-ninth minute Marco Pappa goal, courtesy of Sam Cronin. Colorado's Marc Burch had a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The Rapids won 2-1, and the scorer Doyle was the man of the match.

Down in Texas, the Houston Dynamo host DC United, although the start was delayed for weather. Bill Hamid and Tyler Deric played in the six-yard boxes once things started. DC had yellow cards given to Nick DeLeon in the ninth minute and Bobby Boswell in the twenty-eighth minute, both for fouls. Raul Rodriguez of Houston took a yellow card for a forty-second minute foul. Jared Jeffrey of United took a yellow card for delaying the restart of play in the eighty-seventh minute. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, with the man of the match being Hamid for his four-save clean sheet.

Saturday's eight-pack ends with Real Salt Lake welcoming the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and Nick Rimando are between the posts. Salt Lake struck first in the seventeenth minute with a Juan Manuel Martinez goal, via Javier Morales. Portland tied it on a twenty-ninth minute Fanendo Adi goal, courtesy of Jermaine Taylor. The Timbers had yellow cards for thirty-third minute fouls by Diego Chara and Ben Zemanski. Portland took the lead with a forty-fourth minute goal by Lucas Melano. Real saw yellow cards for Tony Beltran in the fifty-sixth minute and Justen Glad in the sixty-sixth minute, both for fouls. Salt Lake tied it on a seventieth minute penalty kick goal by Yura Movsisyan. The Timbers took a yellow card for a Zarek Valentin foul in the eighty-fourth minute. The final stood at 2-2, with Movsisyan the man of the match for his equalizer.

On Sunday, Sporting Kansas City brings in FC Dallas. Chris Seitz and Tim Melia guard the woodwork. Kansas City had a yellow card for a Lawrence Olum foul in the twenty-eighth minute. Sporting led off in the forty-third minute with an Olum goal, set up by Benny Feilhaber. Kansas City added on in first half stoppage time with a Feilhaber penalty kick goal. Sporting took yellow cards for Dominic Dwyer in the seventy-sixth minute and the keeper Melia in the eightieth minute, both for time wasting. The game ended 2-0 for Sporting, with Feilhaber named man of the match for his goal and assist.

Finally, the New York Red Bulls host the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Luis Robles are the stalwart keepers. In the fourth minute, Seattle's Osvaldo Alonso and New York's Felipe had yellow cards for fouls. Bradley Wright-Phillips had a yellow card for his seventh minute foul for the Red Bulls. New York began with an eighteenth minute goal by Mike Grella. The Red Bulls added on with a Grella goal in the fifty-ninth minute. New York had yellow cards for Connor Lade in the seventy-ninth minute and Aurelien Collin in the eighty-second minute, both for fouls. The Sounders saw Erik Friberg take a yellow card in the eighty-sixth minute for a foul. The game ended 2-0, and Grella's brace made him the man of the match.

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Hockey and Soccer are equals, at least for now

Anyone who reads Outsider Sports cannot help but know that hockey and soccer are my two favorite sports. Looking in my closet would indicate differently, but my heart knows the truth.

Like many hockey fans my age, I grew up watching games. My parents had a satellite by the time I turned 3, and NHL Center Ice was a key component of the package. Having that around helped me learn the league from a young age, so much so that it's ingrained so firmly in my mind. While I love sports as a whole, I have no other deep knowledge of a sport like I do with hockey. Not baseball, not football, and not even soccer.

I'm a Seattle area native, and getting the Sounders back in 2009 really turned a soccer city up to 11. At that point, the Mariners were bad as they've often been, and the Seahawks were between the Matt Hasselbeck and Russell Wilson eras. The Sonics were gone, and Seattle fans, while passionate, were frustrated. Enter the Sounders: an instant success story, one of the best starts over the course of years in expansion history. It took awhile to build the market, but by the time I got to my first game, they were already setting attendance records for MLS, helped greatly by playing at what is now CenturyLink Field. In terms of attendance, the Sounders keep up with big-name European teams regularly, and without even opening up the whole stadium. When the Timbers or Galaxy come to town, you can see over 50,000 people show up to support the Rave Green.

This leads to a crossroads for my sports fandom. My first love, hockey, will always be there. My new love, soccer, is thrilling and exciting every bit as much as hockey, and so much broader in scale. If you ask Colin Cowherd, soccer is now bigger than hockey in the United States. As Greg Wyshynski pointed out yesterday, defining the terms is critical. Soccer is more than just league play. Hockey, as we know it, is the NHL and the biannual tournaments, with the occasional attention paid for World Championships or World Juniors. To say that one is bigger than the other can be proven, but I don't see it that way. I consider the popularity of hockey and soccer to be on level terms, but with different approaches to getting there.

Consider hockey for a second. Every team plays 82 games a year at a minimum. The TV rights deal is well-established, so exposure is not an issue. The NHL has a number of marquee events, with the Winter Classic and a handful of other outdoor games. No matter how watered down the All-Star Game gets, it still grabs the attention of fans at least in the build-up to the actual game. The Stanley Cup Playoffs, which just finished for this year, last two months and feature some of the most dramatic moments in all sports. The on-ice intensity and off-ice anticipation make the Stanley Cup Playoffs must-watch hockey. Beyond that, the sport of hockey has very little foothold in the United States. We'll see what happens with the World Cup of Hockey, but with it on ESPN, don't expect too much from it.

Soccer, on the other hand, is accessible. Teams play only 34 league games per year, but they are pretty predictable. You get about one every week. On top of that, all the United States MLS teams compete in the US Open Cup. The Sounders have won four of those, giving fans something to point to when Galaxy fans point out a lack of MLS Cup titles. For the successful teams, a bid in the CONCACAF Champions League adds more games to the schedule. MLS unnecessarily adds playoffs, but those also draw far more attention. On top of league action, international play is big. The Copa America has routinely drawn massive crowds in each city, and with the US men playing at CenturyLink Field on June 16, you can expect another capacity effort from the fans. Twenty years ago, you don't see this kind of support for soccer, but with the growth of MLS, it's been possible for soccer to gain attention and exposure. The fan environment in soccer is unlike any other. Passionate supporters groups make every home game loud and fun, and many tend to travel well to bring a piece of home to their teams as they travel. Having been in the building for USA versus Panama in their 2013 World Cup qualifier, the national team can bring even more excitement than regular league games.

All this goes without saying how much more accessible soccer is to women. I've seen plenty of women show up to Sounders games with the Emerald City Supporters. Hockey can get the support of women (my mother really got me started with watching hockey), but the arena environment and itchy trigger finger to pin every female hockey fan as a "puck bunny" can be a massive turnoff for women. In soccer, there is less gender animosity. Helping that is the massive success of the multiple World Cup and Olympics champion US women. At the league level, the NWSL has inspired a new generation of fans, male and female, to embrace the sport of soccer. While hockey has two women's leagues in the NWHL and CWHL, neither has enough of a grip outside of the eastern half of the continent to be a true outlet for women. As time progresses, those leagues will likely grow, but catching up to the NWSL or WNBA will prove difficult.

The main reason why I view hockey and soccer on level terms is my equal amount of love for both sports. I spend much more time with soccer, but I also know so much less about it than I do with hockey. In hockey, the NHL is all you have to know to get by. Soccer is much broader than that, and Americans, myself included, have a tough time coming to grips with not being the best at something. Not having the best soccer league in the world necessarily makes us see players rise through us instead of to us. Hockey had a head start of eighty or more years over MLS in the United States. It was bound to be bigger. In many ways, it still is. The one key component is growth. The NHL has saturated its markets to virtually the full extent they can. They try to appeal to casual fans and bring in new ones, but that only works when teams go from bad to good. MLS is still expanding. Last year, they added two teams in New York and Orlando. Plans for a second Los Angeles team and Atlanta team are moving along. Other destinations, too many to mention specifically, are in the loop. The NWSL is going at a slower pace to protect growth, but they've already added two teams in four years of existence. Soccer has picked the right markets to grow into. Many are big cities, but tapping into Portland, San Jose, Salt Lake, and Columbus in MLS, areas where other leagues aren't as well-established, has helped soccer fill its niche well.

Soccer will continue to grow, and years down the line, this discussion looks far different. Five to ten years from now, MLS may be as big as the NHL on its own. International soccer will always bring attention. No matter how bad the men's team can be at times, people will still root for them. The women's team has taken great strides to appeal to everyone, and they're continually setting attendance records with friendlies. Hockey is more stagnant, but that's alright. Hockey knows its audience, and knows, generally, how to appeal to that audience. I'll leave with one final thought. I can guarantee that in my three years in college so far, I've seen well over 20 of the 30 NHL teams represented among the students. For soccer, I've seen more foreign league teams have support than I have MLS teams or NWSL teams. Hockey doesn't need to be insecure about its position. It's no worse than level with soccer in terms of popularity. Instead of thinking about a big four, it might be time to admit that it's really a big five, or a big three with a second tier for hockey and soccer. One thing's for certain, and that's neither sport is hurting in any significant way.

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NWSL Week 8

After a pair of friendlies with Japan that produced mixed results, the NWSL is back with US national team players in action. We begin the week on Friday with a single game, as...

The Boston Breakers host the Washington Spirit. Kelsey Wys and Libby Stout are in goal. Watch the game here. Boston's Stephanie McCaffrey put in a cross in the second minute, knocked out by Washington's Megan Oyster for a corner kick. This was cleared by the Spirit's Tori Huster. Angela Salem's third minute offering toward McCaffrey was broken up by Oyster. The Breakers saw Mollie Pathman go long for Eunice Beckmann, but the play was offside. On the other side in the seventh minute, Joanna Lohman was fouled by McCall Zerboni just outside the penalty area. Washington's Christine Nairn curled the ball out wide to her left. In the ninth minute, Katie Stengel returned the ball to Crystal Dunn, and the Spirit star shot wide right. Ali Krieger and Dunn combined well, but the pass into Katie Stengel was offside, although it was good to get around Boston's Kassey Kallman. Washington earned a corner kick in the twelfth minute. Nairn's service found Huster, who passed into the center of the box, but the Breakers were able to clear. In the thirteenth minute, Washington opened the scoring with a Stengel goal, coming after service from Dunn found Cali Farquharson, who laid off to Lohman. Her shot was blocked, but Stengel was there for the rebound, making it 1-0. In the fourteenth minute, Brooke Elby got fouled in the box by Farquharson, earning a penalty kick. Louise Schillgard stepped up for the penalty kick, and she buried it in the fifteenth minute, sending Wys the wrong way to tie the game at 1. Beckmann tried a long shot in the seventeenth minute, going high and wide. Oyster dispossessed McCaffrey later on another Boston attack. Stengel got around a stumbling Kallman, but Stengel shot high in the eighteenth minute. Schillgard tried find McCaffrey on the counter attack for Boston, but Krieger intercepted the pass. Zerboni fouled Krieger in the twentieth minute as the Spirit pushed forward, drawing the ire of Washington coach Jim Gabarra. Nairn's free kick was blocked by Whitney Engen for Boston, and the second effort in went out of bounds. In the twenty-fourth minute, Schillgard had a dangerous cross into Zerboni, but Wys made the block to prevent a play. Nairn saw a shot blocked for Washington in the twenty-fifth minute, and Alyssa Kleiner bounced another off a Breaker for a corner kick. Nairn's service was punched by Stout, but Huster settled things to try to create more possession for Washington. Zerboni made a nice interception of a Farquharson pass in the twenty-seventh minute. Nairn found Lohman in the twenty-eighth minute off a corner kick, but her half-bicycle kick and Stout picked it up. In the thirtieth minute, Stengel got caught offside, although the whistle was a bit late and Washington thought she was onside. Mollie Pathman found Beckmann in the thirty-third minute, but the Boston forward was shut down by Oyster. In the thirty-fifth minute, Julie King took a yellow card for her foul on Nairn. Beckmann played a ball off of Shelina Zadorsky to earn a corner kick for the Breakers in the thirty-seventh minute. Schillgard had the service, but it was cleared out. Zerboni passed one into Beckmann in the thirty-eighth minute, and her shot was mostly blocked by Dunn, and then cleared by Zadorsky. On the other side, Krieger had a long cross grabbed out of the air by Stout. In the thirty-ninth minute, McCaffrey curled a shot wide left as Boston opens up a bit more. Engen had a free kick in the fortieth minute, shot extremely high by King, although she did well to get in position to shoot at all. Boston saw a string of passes end with Pathman finding Schillgard, who sent it back across goal toward McCaffrey, but she never got a shot off, and Krieger cleared it out for the Spirit. McCaffrey went straight on against Zadorsky and earned a Breakers corner kick. Schillgard served in the set piece toward Zerboni and Salem, but they couldn't put it on goal. Schillgard and Elby overlapped in the forty-fourth minute, and Beckman was taken down in the box cleanly by Oyster to prevent a shot. Nairn had a good corner kick in stoppage time, but Stout was better, snagging it out of the air before Lohman could take a header or shot. The game went into halftime tied at 1. Impressing for the Spirit are RB Krieger, CB Oyster, DCM Huster, LW Nairn, CF Stengel, and RF Dunn, while the Breakers have had their best efforts from CB Engen, DM Zerboni, RW Elby, LW Schillgard, and LF McCaffrey. Boston had an early surge in the second half, but offside on Schillgard and a foul by McCaffrey against Zadorsky shuttered the first two attacks. Salem had a header on to Schillgard, who couldn't get much on the attempt, and Wys grabbed it for Washington. The Spirit refocused, and Elby put a ball out for the Breakers to give the Spirit a corner kick. Nairn served in toward Lohman, and Zerboni stopped it, allowing Pathman to clear it. Elby had a bad cross cleared by Zadorsky, and Washington broke free. Stengel had one shot blocked and another attempt knocked out by Nairn in the fifty-second minute. McCaffrey played cleverly with her back to goal, forcing Washington's Oyster into a foul. Engen took the free kick, but Wys grabbed it and booted it out for the Spirit. Zadorsky crossed one in, cleared by Kallman out to Nairn, who shot wide in the fifty-fifth minute as Washington has taken a step back since their surge. Beckmann was called for the foul after knocking down Nairn in a dangerous area. Nairn took the free kick for the Spirit in the fifty-seventh minute, shooting a laser at Stout, who bobbled it but covered before the Spirit could take a second try. Dunn went up the left flank, working around Engen, Salem, and Elby before losing he ball out of bounds in the fifty-eighth minute. King's deep throw went off Zadorsky, and Wys had to catch it. In the sixty-second minute, a run by McCaffrey earned a corner kick off of Zadorsky. Schillgard's service was short, cleared out by Oyster. Washington had a corner kick in the sixty-fourth minute after passing from left to right around their formation. King headed this one away from Nairn, and the Spirit midfielder tried from the other side on another corner kick. This one bounced off of Huster and the left post of Stout's goal. Estefania Banini took a shot, saved by Stout to end the attack. Washington had another corner kick in the sixty-eighth minute. Nairn's service was blocked out by Zerboni out to Kyah Simon, who charged up the left win to find King, who laid off to Schillgard. The play ended when Schillgard couldn't find King with her return pass. Engen cleared a through ball from Nairn toward Dunn as Boston continues to weather a hefty Spirit attack. Oyster had to knock one out for a corner kick after McCaffrey nearly got around her. Schillgard's kick in the seventy-third minute went off a Spirit played and out for another corner kick. Schillgard's second try went to Kallman, but bounced out to Simon, who was turfed by Francisca Ordega as the Breakers come up empty handed. Dunn went around Elby again on the left wing, but Engen kicked it clear to prevent the Spirit striker a shot. Lohman had a shot blocked by King in the seventy-sixth minute as Washington swarms forward again. Banini had two crosses in the seventy-eighth minute with no shot coming from either one. Nairn fired a shot in the eightieth minute, blocked hard by Salem, and then offside was called on the next kick. Boston wants to hold on against Washington in the last ten minutes. In the eighty-first minute, Dunn got free on the left side and shot wide right on a beautiful pass by Ordega between Engen and Kallman. Simon, Elby, and Salem all tried shots in the eighty-second minute, but the Spirit defense held. On the other side, Kallman blocked a try from Ordega. Cheyna Williams worked against King to get a corner kick for Washington. Nairn's eighty-fourth minute effort was headed away by King. Schillgard tried to pass into Simon, who nearly got her pass on to Zerboni, but the Spirit held strong on a good Boston chance in the eighty-sixth minute. Christen Westphal had her effort blocked by Huster, and then Schillgard was stopped by Kleiner. Kallman broke up Dunn's pass toward Banini, keeping the ball in the Spirit's defensive half. In the ninetieth minute, Cheyna Williams took a yellow card for her foul on Zerboni. Engen took the free kick in stoppage time, going long for Zerboni and Schillgard, both of whom fell to the turf in the box. Nairn took a long shot after Ordega's pass into Dunn was blocked out. Banini couldn't get through Westphal and King as the Spirit make one more push. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with the LW Schillgard named Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. The RB King of the Breakers and the CB Zadorsky of the Spirit looked more impressive in the second half.

On Saturday, the Western New York Flash welcome the Orlando Pride. Ashlyn Harris and Britt Eckerstrom play goal. Here's the game. Western New York had the first shot in the second minute with a Jessica McDonald pass to Lynn Williams, who shot from a wide angle across goal. Laura Alleway cut the angle down and Harris protected the Orlando net. In the third minute, Makenzy Doniak received a pass from McDonald in an even wider position, and she scored it off the post and in for a 1-0 lead for the Flash. McDonald beat Monica of the Pride to get the assist. Kristen Edmonds had a steal from a bad pass by Western New York's Alanna Kennedy, and Edmonds sent a pass to Jasmyne Spencer, who made a misplay and lost the ball in the sixth minute. Samantha Mewis took a ball from Meredith Speck after Doniak got it into a central location, shooting off target in the tenth minute. Elizabeth Eddy couldn't quite get around Steph Catley in the twelfth minute as the Western New York continue. Kennedy fouled Spencer in the thirteenth minute in a dangerous area, earning Orlando a free kick. Alleway took the kick, and Eckerstrom had to tip it over the bar for a Pride corner kick. Edmonds took a short corner, taking it out for another corner kick off a Flash player. On the second try, Spencer took a shot on goal caught by Eckerstrom. Orlando stayed in possession, with Catley crossing in and the ball got deflected out wide, relieving the pressure for Western New York. Abby Dahlkemper broke up a pass from Sam Witteman to Spencer in the sixteenth minute. The Flash's Williams had her cross blocked by Monica and cleared by Alleway in the eighteenth minute. Eddy found Doniak in the box in the nineteenth minute, but the goal-scorer for Western New York shot this one wide left. Catley had a free kick blocked by Hinkle in the twenty-first minute, and on the same sequence Alex Morgan had a shot blocked by Dahlkemper. On the next Orlando foray, Edmonds served in to Alleway, who crashed into Kennedy and the keeper Eckerstrom, allowing Spencer to put the ball in the net. However, Orlando lost this goal as the referee ruled the play illegal despite not whistling or signaling during the run of play. The Flash still have a 1-0 lead. Josee Belanger had a cross in blocked by Michaela Hahn as the Flash continue to absorb pressure. Maddy Evans tried a cross in for Orlando in the twenty-fifth minute. Morgan had one shot blocked in the twenty-sixth minute, with Dahlkemper doing the defensive work. Belanger fired a shot from distance over the bar to end the Pride attack. Spencer had a shot blocked by Kennedy, as the Flash show a strong defensive shell with the lead. McDonald made a fast break from a Mewis pass, getting around Alleway but bouncing it off Harris to earn a Western New York corner kick. Dahlkemper served in the thirty-second minute, but it flew high and back out of bounds harmlessly. Belanger and Catley both had clearances on a sequence where McDonald had a long throw and a cross for the Flash in the thirty-fourth minute. Hahn took a shot after a Jaelene Hinkle free kick, but it went wide, and Williams couldn't cross it back in. Dahlkemper fouled Edmonds in the thirty-sixth minute, and Toni Pressley passed to Witteman, who was fouled for another Pride free kick. Catley took this one, toward Morgan, but Hinkle got it clear for Western New York. Witteman tried two shots, one blocked by Dahlkemper and the other cleared by Dahlkemper. Eckerstrom had to make two saves in the thirty-eighth minute, on Evans and Spencer, and Kennedy cleared it off the line. Orlando is right on the doorstep late in the first half. Morgan crossed one in, caught by Eckerstrom in the thirty-ninth minute. The Flash defense has been excellent in keeping the ball out of the net. Pressley blocked a shot by McDonald in the forty-first minute as Western New York tries to tip the field the other way. Williams nearly had a chance, but she fouled Alleway, and the Pride earned a free kick. Morgan and Spencer combined after an Alleway pass. Spencer got around Hinkle, but Eckerstrom covered the shot after Eddy cut the angle down a bit. McDonald had to take a shot quickly in the forty-third minute with Pressley beaten in defense, but the shot went wide right. Mewis shot wide right on the followed Flash attack. Belanger's cross in the forty-fifth minute caused Dahlkemper to commit a handball, giving Orlando a free kick from a good position. Catley took the kick and Eckerstrom again made the save, allowing Hahn to clear it out. In stoppage time, Speck took a yellow card for a foul on Edmonds. Catley made nothing of the free kick. The score went 1-0 into the half. For the Pride, the impressive players have been LB Catley, CB Alleway, LW Edmonds, and RF Spencer, while the Flash have seen excellence from GK Eckerstrom, CBs Dahlkemper and Kennedy, DM Mewis, RW Doniak, and RF McDonald. Alleway fouled Mewis in the forty-seventh minute, earning a Flash free kick just outside the Orlando penalty area. Dahlkemper's free kick went just over the crossbar. Harris nearly lost the ball in her own six-yard box to McDonald, but managed to find a teammate just in time. Eddy had a low cross in the fiftieth minute, dummied by Doniak, and Edmonds put it out for a corner kick. Hinkle served it in, and McDonald put it over the bar. Hinkle crossed one in, cleared out by Catley and fired by Eddy straight at the keeper Harris. Edmonds ran centrally for Orlando in the fifty-fourth minute, but a pass was stolen and charged the other way by Western New York's Mewis. Hahn had a couple of weak shots in the fifty-fifth minute, blocked by Alleway. On the counter, Spencer crossed long, and Evans ended up with it, shooting and forcing Eckerstrom to make a big save. Williams had a low cross in the fifty-eighth minute, with Pressley sliding to get it away from McDonald. Morgan worked against Dahlkemper and Kennedy, but Dahlkemper made the block. Lianne Sanderson also got a shot in for Orlando, but Mewis made the block that time. McDonald charged forward for Western New York in the sixty-second minute, but when she passed, Doniak was offside. Pressley knocked a ball away from Abby Erceg at the top of the box, denying the Flash sub a shooting chance in the sixty-fifth minute. Western New York saw Mewis hammer a shot from distance, and Harris punched it away to Williams, who shot wide left in the sixty-sixth minute as the hosts miss a chance to double the lead. Morgan chipped over Eckerstrom and the goal in the sixty-seventh minute, with the game opening up end-to-end. For the Flash on the other end, Williams crossed into McDonald, who headed toward the far post, but Harris dove and stopped it. Williams had a cross in the seventy-third minute broken up by Pressley. Morgan took a long shot in the seventy-fourth minute, directly at the keeper Eckerstrom. In the seventy-sixth minute, Spencer fouled Hinkle and earned a yellow card on the play. In the seventy-seventh minute, Morgan fired wide left as the Pride swarm around looking for the equalizer. Another Orlando attack featured Evans getting the ball to Morgan, who couldn't get around Dahlkemper in the box. McDonald had a good shot against an even better Harris, who saved it in the eighty-second minute, with the rebound by Adriana Leon shot wide left. In the eighty-third minute, Sarah Hagen was fouled by Hahn, and the Flash midfielder took a yellow card for her challenge. The free kick saw Pressley shoot way over the goal. Mewis passed into Leon in the eighty-sixth minute, but Catley slid in to break it up. Leon had a second chance on the next Western New York attack, dancing over the ball and crossing out of bounds. Williams continued to attack the left flank, but Witteman, filling in as a right back, did well defensively to break it up. McDonald broke through Alleway and Pressley on a stoppage time charge, but Catley cleared it out for a corner kick. Western New York spent most of the rest of the game killing the clock. The game ended 1-0, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being Eckerstrom. In addition to the first half mentions, CB Pressley and CF Morgan of the Pride and RB Eddy, LB Hinkle, and LF Williams all joined the impressive play club after a well-contested game.

Also on Saturday, Sky Blue FC hosts FC Kansas City. Nicole Barnhart and Caroline Stanley are the keepers. Find the game at this link. Kansas City had the first effort from Erika Tymrak, who passed to Heather O'Reilly for a shot on goal against Stanley, going against the left side of the Sky Blue defense. Sky Blue saw Taylor Lytle nearly keep a pass in bounds against Alex Arlitt after Kelly Conheeney battled Arlitt for it in the fifth minute. Sky Blue made a foray forward with Kelley O'Hara, but Becky Sauerbrunn shut her down in the seventh minute. Kim DeCesare tried a cross into the box toward Conheeney, but Yael Averbuch broke it up for the Blues. On the other side in tenth minute, Laddish had a shot for Kansas City that was blocked away. DeCesare had a high cross in the twelfth minute cleared partially by Desiree Scott, and then another effort from Erica Skroski that went out of bounds to defuse the Sky Blue attack. Arlitt tried a cross for the Blues in the thirteenth minute that was cleared by O'Hara, and then a shot from O'Reilly went straight to Stanley. Conheeney won a corner kick for Sky Blue off of Brittany Taylor. O'Hara had the cross cleared by Averbuch. Skroski had a cross into DeCesare who headed it onto the goal line, and arguably in, but it spun out and was punched away by Barnhart. Sky Blue continued to attack with Taylor Lytle nearly finding Conheeney in front of Barnhart in the seventeenth minute. Laddish made a big steal on Raquel Rodriguez in the nineteenth minute to take possession for the Blues. Taylor eventually had the cross for Kansas City, but it went long. In the twentieth minute, Conheeney and Sauerbrunn had a brutal collision in the Sky Blue attacking zone. Both players were ultimately okay. Taylor knocked a ball out for a Sky Blue corner kick by O'Hara. The service was cut short due to a collision involving the keeper Barnhart. DeCesare had a rip from distance for Sky Blue in the twenty-second minute, forcing Barnhart into a diving save. On the counter, the Blues saw Tymrak set up Shea Groom for a huge shot, but it went over the bar on the dangerous attempt. DeCesare earned a Sky Blue corner kick off of Arlitt in the twenty-fifth minute, and O'Hara's service went low and cleared by a Kansas City player as far as Lytle, who fired high on the long shot. Kansas City struck first on a goal by Groom, set up by Tymrak, who had received the ball from Groom in a give-and-go. The Blues lead 1-0 on the crafty play in the box. In the twenty-ninth minute, Sarah Killion had a free kick, and the ball bounced around, with O'Hara getting knocked down by a Kansas City player. This resulted in a penalty kick, which was scored by Killion in the thirtieth minute, tying the game at 1. Sauerbrunn kept the ball off of Conheeney's foot to create another Sky Blue corner kick in the thirty-fourth minute. Shawna Gordon directed it in front of net, and Sauerbrunn and O'Reilly combined to get it out of danger for Kansas City. O'Hara took a deep shot in the thirty-fifth minute, putting it just high as Sky Blue continues to dominate the attack, with Taylor shutting down the angle. O'Reilly set up Groom for a shot in the thirty-seventh minute that went over the bar. Groom had a pass into Tymrak, narrowly avoiding offside by Alexa Newfield, but the shot from Tymrak went wide left for the Blues. Tymrak and Skroski battled hard for the ball on the next Kansas City effort, allowing Stanley to cover the ball before another shot can be taken. O'Reilly was found by O'Hara in the fortieth minute just outside the box, giving Kansas City a dangerous free kick. Averbuch had the attempt, going low and right, but Stanley dove to make the save. Scott barely took the ball away on a cross into Gordon in the forty-first minute. Arlitt made a good stop on Conheeney in the forty-third minute. O'Hara's corner kick was picked up by Barnhart. DeCesare passed to Conheeney in the forty-fifth minute, taking a shot on goal caught by Barnhart. Newfield had a free kick in stoppage time, cleared by Skroski. The half ended tied at 1. Impressing for the visiting Kansas City side are CB Averbuch, RB Taylor, DM Laddish, LW Tymrak, ACM O'Reilly, and striker Groom, while Sky Blue has seen good play out of RB Skroski, LB O'Hara, DM Killion, and forwards Conheeney and DeCesare. In the forty-sixth minute, DeCesare tried to direct one on goal, but Averbuch knocked it away. O'Hara found Gordon in the forty-seventh minute, but Scott took it away, with Sky Blue pressing early in the second half. Groom had a steal for the Blues in the forty-ninth minute, but couldn't shake O'Hara as Sky Blue made the stop. O'Reilly's cross on the next try didn't work out either. O'Reilly continued to press well on the right side, but her cross was knocked down by Christie Rampone. Lytle had a cross in toward Conheeney in the fifty-second minute, but it went over her and her defender Taylor, after Rodriguez had set up Lytle. DeCesare had another good cross in the fifty-third minute, but Barnhart stopped it before Conheeney could strike. Kristin Grubka tried to find Conheeney with a long ball, with Taylor clearing again. In the fifty-fifth minute, Grubka fouled Groom, and the Blues striker was down for awhile but the play was clean. The Blues earned a corner kick after the play, and O'Reilly's service went short to Newfield and then Averbuch, but she couldn't reconnect with O'Reilly. Groom looked to get a breakaway against Grubka, but she fouled the Sky Blue defender. Arlitt went with a nutmeg against Lytle and nearly got around her, but poked the ball out of bounds to give Sky Blue possession back in the sixtieth minute. O'Reilly had a laser shot after getting around O'Hara, and her shot deflected hard off Rampone for a corner kick. O'Reilly's service was punched by Stanley and cleared by O'Hara in front of Averbuch. O'Reilly put another shot just a bit high in the sixty-third minute. Fran Silva saw her effort for Kansas City stopped by Rampone in the sixty-fourth minute. Arlitt had a cross to Silva on the next attempt, but Tymrak lost control centrally. Leah Galton had a cross in toward Conheeney for Sky Blue, but Sauerbrunn kept it away for the Blues. Rampone had a cross in the sixty-sixth minute, but Barnhart got to it before DeCesare. The Blues saw a good attack ruined by O'Reilly being offside in the seventieth minute. O'Reilly sent a long ball up to Groom, who was running behind the defense, and she crossed into Tymrak, who headed wide left to spare Stanley after the Sky Blue defensive breakdown. Kansas City had a pair of corner kicks in the seventy-fourth minute, with Tymrak serving and Grubka and Stanley doing the clearance work, with Rodriguez carrying it out. Sauerbrunn ended the Kansas City attack with a seventy-fifth minute cross that ended up on top of the net. Groom tried to go through Grubka on another Blues attack, but that was a foul, and Stanley took the free kick for Sky Blue. Sam Kerr had a long through ball too close to Barnhart as she tried to pick out Conheeney. Kerr had a chip shot as Sky Blue presses a bit in the eighty-second minute. Arlitt crossed to O'Reilly during a Kansas City counter, and O'Reilly headed it off of Skroski for a corner kick. O'Reilly served it in but Killion cleared it out, eventually earning another corner kick. O'Reilly earned another corner kick, but Tasha Kai cleared it out. Caroline Kastor had a good diagonal cross in the eighty-eighth minute, but it went through the Sky Blue box harmlessly. O'Reilly tried a cross for Kansas City in the ninetieth minute, deflected out by Skroski. The service went to Stanley. In stoppage time, Kerr got free on the right wing and shot high over Barnhart's net. The game ended in a 1-1 tie with not much urgency late in the game. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match was the DM Killion. Impressing in the second half was Sky Blue's CB Grubka to join the first half mentions.

On Sunday, the Chicago Red Stars bring in the Portland Thorns FC. Adrianna Franch and Alyssa Naeher protect the nets. The game can be found at this link. Tobin Heath had a cross in the second minute, and Chicago keeper Naeher left it on the top of the net. Heath's corner kick went into Naeher's hands. Vanessa DiBernardo had a through ball find Christen Press just offside as she crashed toward Portland's Franch. The Thorns' Meghan Klingenberg crossed in during the seventh minute, with Sam Johnson heading it back out. Katherine Reynolds served one in for Portland and the clearance out from Danielle Colaprico allowed Heath a corner kick in the ninth minute. It went out off a Thorns player, relieving the pressure for the Red Stars. Casey Short tired a long ball toward Jen Hoy for Chicago in the eleventh minute, but Emily Menges broke it up and Portland took over again. Heath tried to serve one into Nadia Nadim, where Short intercepted it and then recovered the ball for Chicago in the fourteenth minute. The game has been a bit lacking in dangerous shots, and decidedly tilted in favor of the Thorns. Heath took a long shot that bounced off of Julie Johnston of the Red Stars in the fifteenth minute. Nadim crossed into the box in the sixteenth minute, finding Christine Sinclair, who poked it on goal, with Naeher and Johnston combining to send it clear and out of danger. Heath then challenged Johnston on the next Thorns attack, firing on the wrong side of the netting. Nadim fired another long shot off of DiBernardo in the eighteenth minute, as Portland has done everything but score and Chicago is just holding on for dear life. Sofia Huerta tried a cross in the twenty-third minute toward Press, but Franch made the grab. Press continued to pressure Franch as the Red Stars have finally had a decent look at a chance. Portland pressured the keeper Naeher, and Naeher's clearance bounced off of Sinclair and rolled into the net to give the Thorns a deserved 1-0 lead in the twenty-fourth minute. The Thorns didn't stop, with Allie Long making an effort against Colaprico that saw her miss getting full contact on the ball about three times. The play didn't result in anything beyond a bit of threatening danger. Short's through ball to Hoy was well-defended by Emily Sonnett of the Thorns in the twenty-eighth minute. Sonnett had a twenty-ninth minute free kick headed by Dagny Brynjarsdottir, harmlessly caught by Naeher. DiBernardo won a foul in the attacking third, committed by Nadim. The free kick from Colaprico was headed out for a corner kick by Portland's Lindsey Horan. DiBernardo did the corner kick in the thirty-second minute, which saw a bicycle attempt and a loose ball both saved by Franch, who was slow to get up. It was unclear who had the scoring chances on the play for the Red Stars. Dagny sent the ball across the box for Portland, cleared out by DiBernardo. Press saw a cross deflected by Klingenberg, and then Horan took it away from Huerta in the thirty-fifth minute. Heath got through a double-team by Arin Gilliland and Colaprico, crossing into Dagny, and she headed it just over the bar in the thirty-sixth minute. Heath ran around Johnston and passed behind Johnson, but Horan was caught offside in the thirty-eighth minute for the Thorns. After lulling a bit from their goal, the Thorns have refocused in attack. Press worked out of a double-team by Menges and Heath, finding Huerta on the right wing, and she crossed in to Hoy, but Franch knocked it away safely. Gilliland managed to steal the ball and clear it from Heath in the forty-first minute, but the Red Stars couldn't hold possession long. Short managed a cross in the forty-second minute, and Klingenberg had to put it out for a corner kick. DiBernardo took the corner kick, finding Short, who headed just wide left. The game went into halftime with the Thorns leading 1-0, and their best players have been GK Franch, CBs Menges and Sonnett, ACM Sinclair, and LW Heath, while the Red Stars have had good efforts from LB Short, DM DiBernardo, and LW Hoy. Chicago's Huerta made the first challenge in the forty-seventh minute, charging right at the Thorns back like after DiBernardo got her the ball, but her pass after getting around Sonnett went too long for Press. In the forty-ninth minute, Press made an effort to keep the ball in, but DiBernardo couldn't shoot. Press got the ball back and fed Gilliland, who crossed right at Franch. Klingenberg took a ball from Nadim, but couldn't get around Johnston and Gilliland in the fifty-first minute as the Thorns have been a bit more on defense to start this half. In the fifty-second minute, Heath had a free kick that Johnson headed out. Long put it back in, but Naeher grabbed it cleanly. The game started to get congested in the midfield for awhile. Press danced over the ball in the fifty-eighth minute, passing centrally to Alyssa Mautz, who shot just wide right. In the sixty-first minute, Short found Mautz, who knocked it down to Press, and Press shot hard off the bar with the right amount of spin to get it to bounce back in before Franch could swat it away, tying the game at 1 for the Red Stars. In the sixty-second minute, Colaprico fouled Heath in the Portland attacking zone, and Heath's free kick rolled wide left. Menges almost got her goalie in trouble with a back pass to Franch, with Huerta crashing close to the ball as Franch returned it. Press continued for the Red Stars in the sixty-fourth minute, shooting a bit long. Klingenberg went short on a sixty-sixth minute free kick to Heath, but Johnston stood her up and gave the Thorns a corner kick. Heath's service was punched out by Naeher. Johnston made another breakup on Klingenberg's through ball to Nadim. Sinclair mishit a shot attempt in the seventieth minute, and Nadim served it back in, caught by Naeher to give Chicago possession again. On the next attack, Klingenberg put a cross into Naeher's arms as the goalie has improved in this half. In the seventy-fourth minute, Red Stars forward Huerta took a yellow card for delaying the restart of play. In the seventy-fifth minute, Mautz jumped over Heath and fouled the Thorns star, earning a yellow card for the play. Heath's free kick found Nadim, who headed it down but right at Naeher as the Thorns had a really good try. Press fired in a cross on the counterattack, and Huerta got a head on it but sent it wide right in the seventy-seventh minute. In the seventy-eighth minute, Sinclair fouled DiBernardo as she tried to shoot in a dangerous spot outside the box for Chicago, and the free kick from Press went high. Mautz turned Klingenberg and Heath inside out before Gilliland played a ball off Klingenberg for a corner kick. DiBernardo's eightieth minute service went low to Taylor Comeau but was blocked by Meg Morris. Morris eventually cleared as far as Johnson, and then the Thorns took over possession. Heath tried a cross, with the effort going off of Johnson and then to Naeher. Gilliland took a yellow card in the eighty-third minute, with the reason not totally clear on the broadcast. Sonnett just held off Press in the eighty-fifth minute, as the Red Stars make a rare counter against the Thorns. Chicago appears happy to take the tie, while Portland has pressed on looking to break the tie. Short got away with stealing a corner kick in the eighty-sixth minute, and Colaprico's service went over Mautz's head. Johnston and Nadim collided in the eighty-eighth minute, and the Thorns' Nadim took the yellow card for a foul. Short fired off a shot wide right after the referee called for advantage to be played. Klingenberg passed to Hayley Raso, who crossed into Naeher all after Long was knocked over outside the box. Chicago got a free kick in stoppage time, taken by DiBernardo but knocked out by Horan. This made a corner kick from Colaprico, going toward Johnston but knocked to Press by Horan, who shot wide on the one-time shot. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being ACM Press. Also impressing for the Red Stars were CBs Johnson and Johnston, and the RW Mautz. Nobody rose above for the Thorns as they played a weaker second half.

Finally, the Seattle Reign FC host the Houston Dash. Lydia Williams and Hope Solo are the gloved women. Find the game here. Elli Reed tried a cross for Seattle in the second minute, but Cari Roccaro shut it down for Houston. Roccaro broke up another play, a long ball from the Reign's Lauren Barnes toward Kim Little in the third minute. The Dash's Chioma Ubogagu tried a through ball, but Barnes was there where no other Houston player was. Havana Solaun had an iffy cross toward Jess Fishlock in the seventh minute, but Janine Beckie picked it off. A through ball from Beverly Yanez was grabbed by the keeper Williams to stem the danger away for Houston. Barnes tried a through ball toward Yanez, but Ellie Brush stopped it and gave Houston control in the ninth minute. Little went through to Fishlock, who was fouled by Brush, giving Seattle a dangerous free kick chance. Little went direct on the free kick, going high and a bit left. Amber Brooks gave one away and then took it back from Keelin Winters in the twelfth minute, as the former teammates battle closely. Soon after, the Dash's Andressa fired a shot on goal, saved by Solo. Poliana took one away from Kendall Fletcher, and Andressa's cross ran long. It eventually got in, but Barnes sent it far out. Houston continued to swarm, with Kealia Ohai going against Reed but losing out to the Reign defender. Little gave one away to Andressa with a no-look pass, which got along to Beckie, who missed the frame with her shot in the fourteenth minute. Little, Yanez, and Fishlock all combined for offense in the fifteenth minute, but Fishlock's shot was weak and wide right. Ohai took a shot on goal in the eighteenth minute. In the twentieth minute, Yanez had an errant cross that Brooks took over for Houston. Beckie went long for Ubogagu in the twenty-second minute, broken up by Corsie. On the other side, Fishlock bounced a shot off Brooks, and then Merritt Mathias got taken off the ball by Allysha Chapman. Beckie took a pass from Ohai and then laid off to Andressa in the twenty-third minute, fired straight at Solo by the Dash midfielder. Fishlock nutmegged Andressa in the twenty-fourth minute, and then Yanez won a corner kick off of Houston's Chapman. The Seattle corner kick came from Barnes, who served in to Fletcher, who got it on goal and saved by Williams, and then Corsie tried and failed as Williams saved it again on a near-brilliant sequence for the Reign. Corsie made a huge run, trying to get to Mathias, but Chapman broke up the pass in the twenty-sixth minute. Winters stole the ball from Ohai in the twenty-eighth minute, with Corsie and Reed helping shut down the Dash forward's run. Poliana had a cross nearly find Ohai, but Barnes swept it out for Seattle. Reed took a pass from Fishlock, crossing hard and ending up out of bounds wide of the goal. Little had a free kick for Seattle in the thirty-third minute, with Williams punching it over Fletcher. Ohai tried to find Morgan Brian in the thirty-fourth minute, but Corsie took it away for the Reign. Fishlock made a stunning slide tackle against Brian to steal the ball back for Seattle after Brooks took it off Yanez's foot. Ubogagu had a shot in the thirty-sixth minute, snagged up by Solo. On the next Houston effort, Ohai's cross was blocked by Fletcher. Fishlock and Little nearly combined for magic on the counterattack, but Williams fell on the ball to stop it. Barnes had a long-running cross in the fortieth minute, forcing Williams into a save as it got near the goal, earning Seattle a corner kick. Barnes took the service to Fletcher, and she sent it back across goal wide right. Poliana took care of a Fishlock cross in the forty-second minute, and Poliana did it again when Reed crossed toward Yanez. The Reign's corner kick was taken by Little, getting it near Fletcher yet again. The game went into the half scoreless. Impressing for the Dash are GK Williams, CB Roccaro, RB Poliana, RW Andressa, and RF Beckie, while the Reign's best play has come from GK Solo, CBs Corsie and Fletcher, LB Barnes, LW Fishlock, RW Little, and CF Mathias. In the forty-seventh minute, Beckie had a cross toward Ubogagu that the Reign put out for a Houston corner kick by Brian, who served into the middle of the box, cleared by Fishlock, and then again by Solaun. Little made a big run up the middle in the forty-ninth minute, broken up by Brooks for the Dash's defensive stop. Winters found Little for another series of moves, with Little battling Roccaro and her Houston teammates, and then Little just shot wide right. Little found Fishlock in the box, but the header dropped weakly to Williams. Mathias had a long cross over Solaun in the fifty-third minute, and Winters served it the other way straight to Williams, as the Reign are pushing back a bit now. Ohai made a run into the box in the fifty-fourth minute, but Fletcher defended well and earned a goal kick for Seattle. Fishlock's ball into the box was cleared by Brush, but Winters hammered a shot on the second try that went wide and high. Brooks fouled Yanez in a dangerous spot in the fifty-eighth minute, giving Seattle a good free kick chance. Ubogagu broke up the passing play instead of a shot. Fishlock had a try to wide left in the fifty-ninth minute. Mathias had a shot for the Reign in the sixty-first minute, but Williams made the catch cleanly. Barnes intercepted a Brian through ball, and then Little and Solaun had touches before winning a corner kick. Seattle's set piece went from Barnes to Winters, who headed right near the bar, and Williams had to palm it over, crashing into her own post as she fell. Another corner kick came from Barnes toward Corsie, but it wasn't directed on goal. Yanez's cross went to Chapman in the sixty-fifth minute as Seattle continues a plethora of offensive chances. Seattle finally cashed in on a Solaun goal in the sixty-seventh minute, with passes coming from Yanez, Little, and Fishlock to get the set up on a perfect set-up for the distance strike. The Reign lead 1-0. Fishlock, Little, and Mathias strung some passes together in the sixty-ninth minute, but Mathias was offside. Barnes dispossessed Ohai later on as Houston want to find an equalizer with more pressure now. Mathias had a low cross in the seventieth minute, but Fishlock missed it and Poliana cleared it away. Brian took a shot on target in the seventy-second minute after getting the ball on a Fishlock giveaway. Solo stopped it at the left post from the offensive view. Mathias ripped a long shot just high in the seventy-fourth minute, with the Reign looking solid in holding some possession to eat up the clock. Solaun found Little in the box, and Roccaro knocked her down as she shot, but Williams saved it and there was no call on the play. The Dash had a corner kick in the seventy-seventh minute, with Brian's service cleared by Yanez. The Reign had a corner kick in the seventy-ninth minute, and Barnes went short to Yanez. Barnes and Little combined a bit before Solaun shot wide right. Seattle has done well to limit Houston's efforts into the box. Ubogagu had a shot in the eighty-sixth minute, but Corsie blocked it and Solo settled it to chew up some more time. Ohai's cross after a spell of Dash possession was knocked out for a corner kick by Brian, which got close to the net but Solo watched it out in stoppage time. Seattle saw it out for a 2-0 win. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match was the RF Solaun, and joining her in second half mentions is the LF Yanez. For Houston, the LW Brian got better in the second half.

Outsider Sports NWSL Best XI - Week 8
It was an interesting week, with no team scoring more than one goal, but also only two shutouts. With most of the internationals back in play, reserves get less of the spotlight.

GK Britt Eckerstrom
RB Brittany Taylor
CB Megan Oyster
CB Abby Dahlkemper
LB Casey Short
DM Sarah Killion
RW Makenzy Doniak
LW Louise Schillgard
RF Havana Solaun
CF Christen Press
LF Lynn Williams

Stanley Cup Final 2016: 2) Pittsburgh Penguins VS. 3) San Jose Sharks

Here we are again, at the end of yet another NHL season. This season has seen me make a foray forward as a writer, adding content to my site to go along with the stalwart game recaps. This post has the final four to seven recaps of this season, and you can expect at least some pondering about offseason moves in this space as well during the summer. I'll be back with game recaps in the fall and I'll be looking to expand my content even more as well. Enjoy the series.

Game 1: CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In goal: Martin Jones for San Jose and Matt Murray for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Bryan Rust goal, his sixth of the postseason, coming off of Justin Schultz and Chris Kunitz. The Penguins added on with a Conor Sheary goal, his third of the playoffs, via Sidney Crosby and Olli Maatta. San Jose got on the board in the second period with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his sixth of the postseason, powered by Joonas Donskoi and Brent Burns. The Sharks tied it with a Patrick Marleau goal, his fifth of the playoffs, guided in by Burns and Logan Couture. Pittsburgh regained the lead in the third period with a Nick Bonino goal, his fourth of the postseason, helped along by Kris Letang and Carl Hagelin. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Bonino, Burns, and Murray (24 for 26 in saves). The Penguins have a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In goal: Martin Jones for San Jose and Matt Murray for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Phil Kessel goal, his tenth of the postseason, via Nick Bonino and Carl Hagelin. San Jose tied it in the third period with a Justin Braun goal, made possible by Logan Couture and Joel Ward. The Penguins won 2-1 in overtime with a Conor Sheary goal, his fourth of the playoffs, assisted by Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins head west with a comfortable 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: SAP Center, San Jose, California. In goal: Matt Murray for Pittsburgh and Martin Jones for San Jose. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Ben Lovejoy goal, his second of the postseason, going in unassisted. San Jose tied it on a Justin Braun goal, his second of the playoffs, coming off of Joe Thornton and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Penguins took the lead back in the second period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his eighth of the postseason, via Lovejoy and Olli Maatta. The Sharks tied it again in the third period as Joel Ward scored his seventh of the playoffs, thanks to Joonas Donskoi and Thornton. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime with a Donskoi goal, his sixth of the postseason, assisted by Chris Tierney. The three stars went to Donskoi, Lovejoy, and Thornton. Pittsburgh still leads the series 2-1.

Game 4: SAP Center, San Jose, California. In goal: Matt Murray for Pittsburgh and Martin Jones for San Jose. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with an Ian Cole goal, via Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins added on with a Malkin power play goal in the second period, his fifth of the postseason, powered by Kessel and Kris Letang. San Jose got on the board in the third period with a Melker Karlsson goal, his fourth of the playoffs, guided in by Chris Tierney and Brenden Dillon. Pittsburgh replied with an Eric Fehr goal, his third of the postseason, fueled by Carl Hagelin and Olli Maatta. The three stars of the 3-1 game were Murray (23 for 24 in saves), Malkin, and Kessel. The Penguins have a chance to lift the cup on home ice as they head home leading 3-1 in the series.

Game 5: CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In goal: Martin Jones for San Jose and Matt Murray for Pittsburgh. San Jose began in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, his seventh of the postseason, helped along by Melker Karlsson and Logan Couture. The Sharks added on with a Couture goal, his ninth of the playoffs, via Justin Braun. Pittsburgh got on the board with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his sixth of the postseason, powered by Phil Kessel and Kris Letang. The Penguins tied it as Carl Hagelin scored his sixth of the playoffs, thanks to Nick Bonino. San Jose took the lead with Karlsson's fifth of the postseason, passed from Couture and Brenden Dillon. The Sharks iced it at 4-2 with a Joe Pavelski empty net goal, his fourteenth of the playoffs, set up by Joe Thornton. The three stars went to Couture, Karlsson, and Jones (44 for 46 in saves). The series is now 3-2 for the Penguins, and headed back for California's last hockey game of the season. 

Game 6: SAP Center, San Jose, California. In goal: Matt Murray for Pittsburgh and Martin Jones for San Jose. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Brian Dumoulin power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Justin Schultz and Chris Kunitz. San Jose got on the board in the second period with a Logan Couture goal, his tenth of the playoffs, via Melker Karlsson and Brent Burns. The Penguins took the lead back with a Kris Letang goal, his third of the postseason, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Conor Sheary. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-1 with a Patric Hornqvist empty net goal, his ninth of the playoffs, set up by Crosby. The three stars were Crosby, Letang, and Kunitz. Crosby won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs MVP, and the Penguins took the Stanley Cup with a 4-2 series win.