It's another day of six games, beginning with...
Traktor Chelyabinsk hosting Dinamo Minsk. Ben Scrivens and Vasily Demchenko guard the cages. Chelyabinsk got going in the second period on a Paul Szczechura goal, assisted by Maxim Yakutsenya. Minsk tied it on an Evgeny Lisovets goal, passed from Artyom Volkov and Alexander Materukhin. Traktor took the lead back in the third period on another Szczechura goal, courtesy of Alexei Kruchinin. Dinamo tied it again with a Nikita Komarov goal, guided in by Evgeny Kovyrshin and Materukhin. Minsk took the lead on a Rob Klinkhammer goal, made possible by Alexander Kulakov and Kovyrshin. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Szczechura, Kovyrshin, and Materukhin.
Along to Togliatti, with Lada welcoming Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Ilya Ezhov are the veterans in goal. Togliatti opened in the first period with an Alexander Bumagin goal, passed from Gleb Koryagin. Lada added on with a Semyon Valuisky goal in the second period, coming off of Yefim Gurkin. Togliatti extended the lead as Georgy Belousov scored, thanks to Anton Shenfeld. This produced the 3-0 final, with the three stars handed to Bumagin, Valuisky, and Belousov.
Next up, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk brings in Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Ville Kolppanen are the masked men. Nizhnekamsk started in the first period with a Richard Gynge power play goal, powered by Igor Polygalov and Evgeny Ryasensky. Khabarovsk tied it on a Vitaly Atyushov goal, courtesy of Vyacheslav Litovchenko and Danil Romantsev in the third period. The tie went to a shootout, where Sergei Konkov's pair of goals and one more from Gynge lifted Neftekhimik to a 2-1 win over Teemu Ramstedt and Vladislav Ushenin of Amur. The three stars were Gynge, Konkov, and Kolppanen (43 for 44 in saves).
South to Sochi, where the Leopards host Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Andrei Makarov and Konstantin Barulin are in the blue paint. Sochi led off in the first period with an Alexander Delnov goal, assisted by Pavel Padakin and Mikhail Mamkin. Beijing tied it on a power play goal by Chad Rau, powered by Max Warn and Miika Lahti. The Leopards retook the lead on an Ilya Krikunov power play goal in the second period, with assists from Andrei Kostitsyn and Oscar Fantenberg. Sochi added on with an Ivan Zakharchuk goal, with a lone assist by Ruslan Pedan. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Barulin (33 for 34 in saves), Krikunov, and Zakharchuk.
Back north, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Ivan Nalimov and Ilya Proskuryakov are between the pipes. Nizhny Novgorod began in the first period with a Maxim Potapov power play goal, powered by Kirill Rasskazov. Vladivostok tied it on a Robert Sabolic goal, guided in by Vladimir Tkachyov and Jonathon Blum on the power play. Torpedo took the lead back with a Carter Ashton goal, fueled by Nikolai Zherdev. Admiral tied it again with another Sabolic goal, with a lone assist from Tkachyov. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Rasskazov was topped by Tkachyov and Andrei Sigaryov for a 3-2 Admiral win. The three stars belonged to Sabolic, Tkachyov, and Rasskazov.
Finally, Ak Bars Kazan brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Emil Garipov tend the twines. Yaroslavl struck first in the first period with an Andrei Loktionov goal, assisted by Yegor Averin. Lokomotiv added on with a Petri Kontiola goal in the third period, made possible by Brandon Kozun and Rushan Rafikov. The final stayed at 2-0, with the three stars going to Murygin (27 save shutout), Loktionov, and Kontiola.
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Monday, September 12, 2016
Sunday, September 11, 2016
NWSL Week 19
It's the second to last batch of games for the season, and the conclusion of the hardest part of the season. There's still plenty to be determined, but none of it in Saturday's lone game, featuring...
The Orlando Pride hosting Sky Blue in one of three return matches from Wednesday. Caroline Casey and Ashlyn Harris protect the nets. Here's the game. Lisa de Vanna of Orlando had the first cross of the game, after Alex Morgan and Sarah Hagen got it deep in Sky Blue territory. Casey handled the cross without trouble. de Vanna did work to get in the box and pass around Sky Blue's Christie Rampone in the fifth minute, setting Jasmyne Spencer up for a high shot. In the seventh minute, Kaylyn Kyle went long for Spencer, whose cross deflected off of Rampone to give the Pride a corner kick. Kristen Edmonds served it in for Orlando, going for Monica, but Erica Skroski cleared it away for Sky Blue. de Vanna had a cross that fell to Dani Weatherholt, and her header was just long for Morgan, as Casey grabbed it up. Weatherholt and Morgan connected in the ninth minute, but Morgan lost control under pressure from Kristin Grubka of Sky Blue. Hagen tried to turn a de Vanna pass onto Morgan in the tenth minute, but the through ball was too strong. Sky Blue went long from Raquel Rodriguez to Maya Hayes in the eleventh minute, and her cross was blocked by Monica. Sky Blue's corner kick came from Kelley O'Hara, finding Rodriguez, but Spencer stole it away. In the twelfth minute, a Sam Kerr pass for Natasha Kai caught the Sky Blue forward offside. Rampone broke up a de Vanna pass for Spencer. Erin Simon of Sky Blue won a foul call against Josee Belanger, giving Sky Blue a good free kick in the fifteenth minute. O'Hara served it for Hayes, but Weatherholt headed it away for Orlando. Kyle fouled Kerr in the sixteenth minute, with Killion taking the free kick that went straight to Pride keeper Harris. Hayes and O'Hara had seventeenth minute crosses, but neither found a Sky Blue teammate and Orlando managed to clear. Edmonds took a twentieth minute free kick that Hagen headed down to de Vanna, who fired it on goal, where Casey saved it for Sky Blue. O'Hara made a nifty header to get around Kyle, but her pass was pounded out by Cami Levin of the Pride in the twenty-third minute. In the twenty-fourth minute, Morgan flicked a ball to Hagen, but Casey covered it first. Monica intercepted a free kick from Killion to O'Hara up the middle in the twenty-eighth minute as play has lulled recently. Kerr rifled a shot wide left in the twenty-eighth minute as Sky Blue regrouped their attack. Rampone headed a Morgan cross out for an Orlando corner kick in the thirty-first minute. Edmonds teed it up, going for Monica, who headed it over the goal. Kyle blocked a cross from Hayes in the thirty-second minute. Kerr looped a thirty-third minute cross out of bounds for Sky Blue. Hayes got behind the defense in the thirty-fourth minute, but her cross was cleared by Levin. It fell to Kai, and then Kerr passed it to O'Hara, who sent it wide right. Belanger went down hurt on the play, and had to come off, with Toni Pressley subbed in to replace her. Levin won a corner kick in the thirty-ninth minute for Orlando. Edmonds took it for Monica again, but Kai cleared it as far as Pressley, good enough to relieve the pressure for Sky Blue. Killion's forty-second minute free kick for Sky Blue went to Monica, who headed it out to Hayes, and her shot was caught by Harris. On the Orlando counterattack, Morgan drew a central free kick outside of the penalty area. Edmonds took it and buried it in the forty-third minute, going top right corner to make it 1-0 Pride. Kerr had a cross in the forty-fourth minute, which Kyle poked away. Kyle sent a long ball for Hagen in the forty-fifth minute, which Casey handled for Sky Blue. Pressley took a stoppage time free kick for Morgan, which came up a little short and Sky Blue carried it out. The game went into halftime at 1-0. The top Sky Blue players have been GK Casey, CB Rampone, DM Killion, LW Kerr, RW Hayes, and LF Kai, while the Pride's best efforts have come from outside back Levin, CBs Kyle and Monica, DMs Edmonds and Weatherholt, LW de Vanna, LF Morgan, and RF Hagen. Kerr, O'Hara, and Rodriguez made a sequence of passes in the forty-seventh minute, but couldn't produce a shot against the compact Pride defense. Kai had a shot around Kyle that Harris bobbled before grabbing. Kerr went through three players and then between two more in the forty-eighth minute, going one-on-one and beating Harris to tie it at 1 for Sky Blue after an impressive individual effort. Grubka of Sky Blue took a yellow card for a fiftieth minute foul on Hagen just outside the box. Orlando's free kick came from Pressley, going well over the target. Spencer and Morgan worked give-and-go for a fifty-third minute cross that Casey had no trouble guarding against for Sky Blue. Sky Blue made a huge counterattack in quick order, with Hayes getting behind Levin and Kyle. Harris saved the first shot but Hayes poked it free and scored to make it 2-1 for Sky Blue. Kai and Kyle had a one-on-one situation, but Kai lost the ball and then fouled Kyle to waste the fifty-fourth minute chance for Sky Blue. Killion sent a fifty-seventh minute long ball for Kerr, who made her way into the box but got too wide and shot wide left. Rampone out ran Hagen on a fifty-ninth minute long ball from Morgan. Killion had a free kick in the sixty-second minute, which Kai flicked straight at Harris. Rodriguez cleared a ball in the sixty-sixth minute after Edmonds went long for Morgan, but Hagen couldn't settle it. Pressley put a sixty-eighth minute free kick from deep on goal, saved by Casey. Simon of Sky Blue had a sixty-ninth minute cross right at Harris. In the seventieth minute, Pressley took a yellow card for a foul on Hayes. O'Hara had a good cross in the seventy-sixth minute, which Kerr headed onto goal and Harris punched out for a Sky Blue corner kick. O'Hara found Kerr again on the set piece, but she sent it wide left. Skroski cleared a seventy-ninth minute Edmonds free kick. Monica had a shot after Spencer got tripped by Killion in the eighty-first minute, but the shot was too high. Edmonds took an eighty-third minute free kick that Pressley headed wide left. Grubka headed a Levin cross away in the eighty-fourth minute as Sky Blue takes a defensive stance. Edmonds took an eighty-seventh minute shot wide right as the Pride continue to possess well. Monica sent a ball forward in the eighty-eighth minute that Spencer and Morgan both whiffed on, allowing the Sky Blue defense to clear. Coco Goodson of Sky Blue cleared a Levin cross out for a corner kick. Edmonds served it in, but Casey punched it, and Rampone got hit as she kept Spencer away from it in the ninetieth minute. Morgan had the cross after a lot of Orlando passes, finding Laura Alleway, whose header went a bit high over goal in stoppage time. O'Hara won a corner kick off of Pressley as Sky Blue looks to kill the clock. Kyle's long ball bounced over Hagen and into the hands of Casey. Kyle tried again, but Goodson's header ended the game with a 2-1 Sky Blue win. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match was Kerr for her spectacular goal to turn the tide in favor of Sky Blue.
For Sunday, we begin with FC Kansas City welcoming the Chicago Red Stars. Alyssa Naeher and Nicole Barnhart tend the nets. The game is at this link. Chicago earned an early corner kick on the far side, with Vanessa DiBernardo serving it in for the far post, but it curled out of bounds. Brittany Taylor earned a third minute corner kick for Kansas City, off of the Red Stars' Casey Short. Julie Johnston of Chicago cleared Heather O'Reilly's service. Sofia Huerta and Arin Gilliland of Chicago helped to shut down the Blues' Alex Arlitt before a crossing opportunity. The Blues earned a corner kick, which O'Reilly took short for Tiffany McCarty, going along to Caroline Kastor, and Taylor had a deflected chance out wide by Red Stars keeper Naeher. O'Reilly's second effort didn't produce a shot. Gilliland went down with an injury, and Sarah Gorden came on in relief of her. Johnston blocked an O'Reilly shot in the tenth minute after a Taylor pass. Short had a pass across goal that Becky Sauerbrunn blocked. This caused chaos in the box, and Walls had another chance blocked. Finally, Huerta headed it wide in the eleventh minute. Christen Press of Chicago put a ball into the box that Barnhart grabbed on one hop. Shea Groom of Kansas City deflected a cross off of the Red Stars' Katie Naughton in the thirteenth minute. O'Reilly took the corner kick to the top of the box, where Kastor laid it off for a long shot from Desiree Scott, who sent it over the bar for the Blues. DiBernardo had a shot blocked by Mandy Laddish after Sauerbrunn flicked up a cross from Stephanie McCaffrey of Chicago. Short's low sixteenth minute cross was picked up by Barnhart before Press got there. Chicago got a twentieth minute corner kick, taken by DiBernardo over all players. In the twenty-first minute, Sauerbrunn cleared a forward ball away from McCaffrey. Yael Averbuch of Kansas City blocked a shot from DiBernardo in the twenty-third minute. DiBernardo did a free kick that led to a corner kick, which she took and sent out of bounds. McCaffrey was subbed out due to Sauerbrunn's tackle causing an injury, and Alyssa Mautz came on for the Red Stars. DiBernardo tried to find Cara Walls in the twenty-seventh minute, but it went too long. Short found Huerta in the box, but Scott cleared it away for the Blues in the twenty-ninth minute. Averbuch had to block a Mautz cross on a break for the Red Stars including Walls and Press. Sauerbrunn then cleared a DiBernardo cross as Chicago starts to assert themselves a bit. Laddish and Scott cleared a thirty-first minute free kick from DiBernardo. Short stole a ball away from Kastor on the Kansas City counterattack. Huerta had a cross through traffic in the thirty-third minute, which Barnhart saw and grabbed. Averbuch and Taylor combined to break up a pair of Red Stars attacks between Short and Mautz. Taylor won a foul going against Short and Danielle Colaprico, giving the Blues a good free kick chance. O'Reilly took this one, which deflected in the box, but Walls cleared it for the Red Stars. Eventually, O'Reilly got a shot after a weak headed clearance, and she shot it over the bar. DiBernardo had a shot go off of Scott in the fortieth minute. Walls headed a DiBernardo free kick in the forty-first minute, but Laddish and Sauerbrunn combined to clear for the Blues. DiBernardo had another free kick go over everyone. Arlitt blocked a couple of crossing chances from the Red Stars in the forty-third minute. Scott intercepted a Walls pass as the Blues look to get out of the half without any trouble. McCarty managed a shot through traffic in stoppage time, but she sent it over the goal as Johnston cut the angle. The game went into halftime at 0-0. The Red Stars top performances belong to CB Johnston, LB Short, DM DiBernardo, RW Huerta, LW Walls, and LF Press. For the Blues, the best efforts have come from GK Barnhart, CB Sauerbrunn, RB Taylor, DM Scott, ACM O'Reilly, and LW McCarty. O'Reilly had a forty-sixth minute free kick go too long and into the hands of Naeher. Gorden's cross was too high for Mautz in the forty-ninth minute as the Red Stars have mostly come out as strong as they left. Taylor's cross got away from Groom and was cleared by Johnston in the fiftieth minute. Colaprico blocked a Groom shot, and then Arlitt's cross went straight to Naeher. Huerta tried a through ball for Walls, but it was heavy and Barnhart had it. Johnston knocked Kastor down just outside the box, but no free kick was given in the fifty-fourth minute. Lo'eau LaBonta came on for the Blues to replace Kastor. Taylor made a run forward in the fifty-sixth minute, which DiBernardo defended effectively. O'Reilly cut into the box and then left a pass for Groom, who dummied along to McCarty, and her shot for Kansas City went wide right and high. Johnston and Short cleared a McCarty cross in the fifty-ninth minute. Averbuch blocked out a Walls shooting attempt, surrendering a corner kick to the Red Stars. DiBernardo served it in, but Groom knocked it away. Naughton poked a ball away from Groom in the sixty-fourth minute to halt a Blues attack. Naughton also blocked an O'Reilly shot in the sixty-fifth minute. Arlitt won a corner kick shortly after. O'Reilly put it in, but Naeher was first to it. O'Reilly's long ball went over Kansas City sub Fran Silva, and Naeher covered it. Colaprico finally cleared a seventy-second minute Blues attack featuring heavily with O'Reilly and Groom. Johnston broke up Silva's run into the box and the Red Stars ultimately cleared in the seventy-sixth minute after a threatening cross from Taylor nearly led to a good chance. Laddish set up LaBonta for a shot that went wide left in the seventy-seventh minute. O'Reilly won a corner kick off of Short in the eightieth minute. O'Reilly put it in for Silva, but Naeher grabbed it away. O'Reilly had a cross settled by Groom, and then Laddish and Silva had touches before LaBonta shot wide right. Bowen had a cross for Groom, which Naughton shielded her away from to allow Naeher to pick it up in the eighty-third minute. In the eighty-fifth minute, Groom had a shot blocked by Johnston. The Blues appear more interested in going for the win. O'Reilly's eighty-seventh minute deflected off of Short and straight at Naeher. Groom crossed to Bowen in the eighty-ninth minute, but Johnston blocked it, and Laddish had her second try shot blocked as well. LaBonta cracked a ninetieth minute shot on goal that Naeher saved. O'Reilly sent a cross into the box in stoppage time, falling to Groom, who never got a shot against Short. Silva put in a cross after Taylor worked the end line, and Naeher caught it, ending the game at 0-0. The Red Stars clinched their playoff spot on the back of the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match, GK Naeher, who survived a barrage of chances in the second half to maintain the critical draw. Impressing in the second half were the subs for the Blues, Silva and LaBonta.
Next up, the Houston Dash host the Boston Breakers. Jami Kranich and Lydia Williams are in the six-yard boxes. Find the game here. Cari Roccaro of Houston kept a ball away from Natasha Dowie of Boston, but a second effort in the second minute saw Kyah Simon find Eunice Beckmann for a shit just wide. In the fifth minute, Andressa sent a ball forward for Carli Lloyd in a Dash attack, but it was too long, and the Breakers' keeper Kranich grabbed it. Andressa had a shot off of Boston's Kassey Kallman, and that earned a corner kick for Houston. Andressa served it in for Cami Privett, who headed it wide left in the sixth minute, going against Kallman for the ball. Kealia Ohai had a low cross in the seventh minute, but Kranich made the grab. Ohai had an eighth minute shot saved by Kranich, coming after the Breakers had miscommunication at the top of their box defensively. The Breakers' ninth minute free kick from Louise Schillgard went for Simon, but the Dash were able to eventually clear. Lloyd fired a shot on the Houston counterattack after Kylie Strom slowed her but could not stop the Houston midfielder. Dowie had a tenth minute shot for Boston going wide right. Brooke Elby contained Ohai on a long ball from Lloyd. Poliana set up Lloyd for an eleventh minute shot, which Kranich saved. Ohai sent another in, and Kranich was there once again. Lloyd passed to Janine Beckie in the twelfth minute for a shot, and Beckie sent it low and just wide left of goal. Ohai had a thirteenth minute shot graze the top of the net but too high to count. Lloyd found Morgan Brian in the fifteenth minute, but she couldn't settle it, and Elby took it away for Boston. Strom kept a Brian ball away from Andressa. Denise O'Sullivan found Ohai, but she took a heavy touch and the Breakers' Angela Salem cleared it away in the twentieth minute. Elby gave up a corner kick in the twenty-second minute. Andressa served it for O'Sullivan short, and the shot was blocked by Elby. Lloyd received the next short corner, going for Ohai, who got swarmed while shooting, as the Breakers cleared. Strom surrendered a corner kick to Lloyd and the Dash in the twenty-fourth minute. Andressa put this one in for Lloyd, who headed it over the bar. Lloyd and Ohai tried to give and go, but the twenty-fifth minute attack ended with clearance from Rachel Wood of Boston. Lloyd found Beckie in the twenty-sixth minute on a run, who navigated into the box unchallenged and put one into the far side behind Kranich to make it 1-0 Dash. Beckie pulled a nutmeg on the shot against Kranich. Beckie had a twenty-eighth minute cross go over Ohai and O'Sullivan, and cleared by Simon of the Breakers. Ohai had a thirtieth minute cross just a bit too long for Lloyd to get a foot on. Privett blocked a ball from Schillgard to Simon. Strom also had a cross in the thirty-first minute, going out of bounds. Andressa's thirty-third minute through ball was just picked out by Kranich before Poliana could get there for Houston. In the thirty-fifth minute, Lloyd and Beckie connected to get Kranich out of position, before Beckie's pass across the goal found Ohai, who had no trouble scoring on an empty net, making it 2-0 for the Dash. Simon had a thirty-seventh minute shot go high and off-target. Dowie fell in the box in the forty-first minute, but it was a clean play from Roccaro and the Dash cleared. The game has slowed since the second goal. Dowie had a forty-second minute shot from distance that forced Williams to palm it aside for a corner kick. Kristie Mewis took the Breakers set piece, and O'Sullivan and Andressa cleared it. Beckmann had a forty-fifth minute shot that Williams saved. Lloyd set up Beckie for a shot in stoppage time that went over the bar. Dowie replied with a wide left shot for Boston. Kallman cleared an Andressa cross to end the half. Houston leads 2-0 at the half. The Breakers' best players have been LB Elby, CB Kallman, LW Simon, and RF Dowie, while the Dash's top efforts have come from GK Williams, CB Privett, RW Andressa, ACM Lloyd, LW O'Sullivan, RF Beckie, and LF Ohai. Beckmann and Schillgard combined for a try, which Beckmann sent high over the bar. Dowie sent a forty-eighth minute shot high and wide as the Breakers come out strong. Poliana put a cross in for O'Sullivan, but Wood cleared it for Boston in the fiftieth minute. Ohai had a fifty-third minute run resulting in a heavy touch, and she lost control. Andressa received a yellow card in the fifty-fifth minute for her foul on Salem. Simon cleared a Lloyd cross in the fifty-eighth minute. Ohai set up Lloyd in the box for a shot in the sixtieth minute, cleared by Wood on the errant shot. In the sixty-second minute, Ohai passed to Lloyd again, and Kranich made the save on this shot. O'Sullivan got Lloyd behind the defense and around Williams, but Kallman cleaned up the low cross. Strom surrendered a corner kick by working against Poliana to poke it away. Andressa's sixty-third minute service went to Brian, who headed it toward goal, but Simon and Dowie cleared it. Elby and Salem cleared another Andressa cross. Brian went out hurt, and Amber Brooks subbed in to replace her. Beckie had a cross in to Lloyd in the sixty-eighth minute, but Lloyd was called offside to nullify the play. Ohai won a corner kick for the Dash off of Elby in the sixty-ninth minute. Andressa went for Ohai, who had a shot blocked by Dowie, and then Brooks' shot was blocked by Elby for another corner kick. Andressa took the seventieth minute set piece, which Kranich punched away. Strom blocked away an Ohai cross in the seventy-third minute. Katie Schoepfer of Boston made an instant impact with a cross in toward Mewis, who fell in the box against Poliana in the seventy-fifth minute. Mewis ripped a shot off the post in the seventy-sixth minute, which fell to Roccaro, and she struggled with it, allowing Boston's Elise Krieghoff to make the steal and score the goal to cut the score to 2-1. In the seventy-eighth minute, Andressa went wide for Ohai, who brought it back in and set Lloyd up for a rocket shot to the top right corner to make it 3-1 for Houston. Lloyd wasn't done, firing on goal in the seventy-ninth minute straight from the kickoff, but Kranich saved this low shot. Andressa went over the top for Ohai, who couldn't shoot in the eightieth minute, so she dropped to O'Sullivan, who sent it wide left. At the eighty minute mark, Wood fouled O'Sullivan in the box, giving the Dash a penalty kick. Lloyd stepped up and fired this one to the right side of the net to make it 4-1. Ohai set up Lloyd in the eighty-third minute, which Kranich just got a hand on. Stephanie Ochs sent it back in, and Lloyd headed it off-target. Andressa put an eighty-fifth minute cross in that caught Poliana just a bit offside. Krieghoff couldn't get on a ball from Simon, as Privett headed it into the hands of Williams. Roccaro cleared an eighty-seventh minute cross from Simon to give the Breakers a corner kick. Mewis took the corner kick, and Salem's deflected cross was grabbed by Williams. Lloyd had an eighty-eighth minute shot get deflected wide right for a Dash corner kick. Andressa took this one for Brooks, which Elby blocked and cleared after the shot attempt. Mewis took a free kick that Williams caught. Kranich made a big save on an Ohai shot, with the rebound falling to Lloyd, who shot wide left. Elby stole an Andressa pass for O'Sullivan. The game ended at 4-1, with Lloyd the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. The Breakers saw good second half efforts from the sub Krieghoff and DM Salem.
To the northwest, the Portland Thorns FC bring in the Western New York Flash. Sabrina D'Angelo and Michelle Betos protect the nets. Here's the link of the Fox Sports 1 broadcast of the game. In the third minute, Samathna Mewis of Western New York had a shot blocked by Portland's Emily Menges. Mewis flicked on a header from Jessica McDonald's throw-in that Emily Sonnett blocked, and then McDonald had a cross for Lynn Williams as the Flash had a huge stretch of attacking soccer. Betos made the save on Williams for the Thorns. In the sixth minute, Abby Dahlkemper of Western New York put a free kick in that Meghan Klingenberg cleared for the Thorns. McCall Zerboni had a second effort for the Flash that Betos covered up. Williams had a seventh minute shot over the bar. Makenzy Doniak sent a ball in for McDonald in the eighth minute, but Betos made the grab in time. Mewis had a tenth minute shot wide right for Western New York, on a counterattack after Nadim Nadim couldn't get a shot off from Katherine Reynolds' throw-in for the Thorns. The Flash's Elizabeth Eddy cleared away an Amandine Henry cross for Tobin Heath in the eleventh minute in Portland's most organized attack so far. Williams had a cross blocked by Klingenberg in the thirteenth minute, and then a weak shot that Betos handled. In the fifteenth minute, McDonald blocked a clearing attempt by Sonnett, and then crossed in for Williams, but Betos dove to catch it. In the sixteenth minute, Heath had a free kick that Henry sent wide right with her header for Portland. Klingenberg's eighteenth minute long ball caught Nadim offside to end a spell of Thorns possession. Zerboni won a corner kick for the Flash off of Zerboni. Dahlkemper took the set piece in the nineteenth minute for Williams, but Christine Sinclair cleared it away for Portland. Eddy and Zerboni each had crosses that got jumbled in the box, with Allie Long finally giving the Thorns control enough to clear it away in the twentieth minute. Zerboni and Williams both got shut down after an Eddy cross in the twenty-first minute, eventually earning the Flash a corner kick. Dahlkemper tried for McDonald on this one, but Lindsey Horan cleared for the Thorns. McDonald had a twenty-third minute cross that ended up on top of the net for Western New York. Eddy went for Williams on a twenty-fifth minute cross, followed by Hinkle for McDonald, which was shut down by the Thorns. Doniak sent a third ball in, but again no shot was produced. In the twenty-sixth minute, Horan sent a ball forward for Nadim, who couldn't quite track it down, but Hinkle and the Flash keeper D'Angelo combined to foul her to give the Thorns a penalty kick. Nadim took it and scored to make it 1-0, going to the left side of the goal with D'Angelo frozen. Hinkle also took a yellow card for her foul. Abby Erceg of Western New York fouled Long in the thirtieth minute, producing a good free kick just outside the box for Portland. Nadim took the set piece, but put it on top of the net just a bit off-target. Heath put in a thirty-third minute ball that bounced once and D'Angelo grabbed it with no Thorns hovering around. Henry intercepted a McDonald pass for Williams on the Flash counterattack. Menges blocked a thirty-fifth minute Zerboni cross intended for McDonald. Erceg had a header on a McDonald throw in the thirty-sixth minute, which Reynolds cleared for the Thorns. Portland made a quick counterattack in the thirty-seventh minute, with Nadim crossing the ball in. Eddy poked it out, but Sinclair pounced on it and shot it off the left post and in for a 2-0 Portland lead. It took Mewis giving up a throw-in in the thirty-ninth minute after Nadim embarrassed Hinkle and Alanna Kennedy on the wing. Nadim's forty-first minute pass for Heath caught her offside to end a Thorns possession. Henry's foul on Mewis gave the Flash a good free kick chance in the forty-third minute. Horan cleared Dahlkemper's free kick away. Sinclair's forty-fourth minute cross just went over Nadim's head. Heath took a low shot on the second effort for the Thorns, which D'Angelo saved. Menges blocked a Doniak cross in stoppage time. Doniak won a corner kick off of Klingenberg for Western New York. Dahlkemper took it centrally, and Betos caught it, ending the half with a 2-0 Thorns lead. Impressing for the Flash are the CB Dahlkemper, RB Eddy, DM Mewis, LW Zerboni, LF Williams, and RF McDonald. For the Thorns, the top efforts came from GK Betos, RB Reynolds, CB Sonnett, LB Klingenberg, DM Henry, RW Nadim, ACM Horan, and striker Sinclair. Long produced a shot in the forty-eighth minute after Heath cleaned up Reynolds' long cross, stringing passes together before the attempt. Mewis found Williams for a forty-ninth minute shot that went just wide left. Kennedy dropped Horan to the turf in the fiftieth minute, disrupting a Portland counterattack stemming from Henry stealing the ball from Erceg and finding Sinclair going forward. Horan made a forward pass to Sinclair in the fifty-second minute, but Dahlkemper stole it away. Henry put a ball in the box that Kennedy headed toward the net, and D'Angelo saved Western New York with a quick grab. Sinclair knocked a ball ahead for Heath in the fifty-fifth minute, forcing D'Angelo to come off her line and stop the Thorns attack. Henry put a fifty-sixth minute ball in the box for Long, but she was offside. Heath received a yellow card for a fifty-seventh minute foul on Eddy. Betos got a ball just ahead of Mewis in the fifty-eighth minute after the free kick. Nadim fired a fifty-ninth minute shot wide left after a switching pass from Long. Hayley Raso of Portland crossed a ball to Heath in the sixty-second minute, winning a corner kick when Eddy knocked it away. Heath served it in, but D'Angelo punched it far away from danger. Horan cleared a McDonald long throw in the sixty-third minute. In the sixty-fifth minute, Williams set up Flash sub Lianne Sanderson for a shot that went wide right and a bit high. Reynolds had a sixty-sixth minute cross into Sinclair, who went two touches and passed to Horan, who shot straight at D'Angelo as the Flash keeper made a huge save. Eddy, Mewis, and then Taylor Smith of Western New York combined for a shot attempt that went wide left. Menges intercepted an Eddy long ball for McDonald in the sixty-ninth minute. Sinclair saw her shot blocked by Erceg on the Thorns counterattack. Portland finally capitalized as Dagny Brynjarsdottir scored on the next foray forward, after passes from Sonnett, Long, Sinclair, and Heath strung the passes together to get back in the attacking third, making it 3-0 Thorns. Smith of the Flash earned a corner kick off of Klingenberg in the seventy-third minute. Dahlkemper went near post, which Long cleared. Eddy's second service was caught by Betos. D'Angelo beat Heath to the ball in the seventy-fourth minute as the Thorns look for more. Sonnett had to clear a seventy-fifth minute cross by Eddy. Henry cleared the next cross from Smith moments later. In the seventy-seventh minute, the Thorns defense finally fell as Eddy crossed to McDonald, who headed it in just under the bar to cut the score to 3-1. Long had a through ball for Dagny in the seventy-ninth minute, but D'Angelo covered it first. In the eightieth minute, Long's pass for Sonnett got intercepted by Williams, who went give-and-go with McDonald, and it was Williams burying the shot from a wide angle to get the Flash within one at a score of 3-2. Eddy had an eighty-second minute shot attempt, and then Sanderson's shot was blocked as well by Henry. Finally, Smith had a cross blocked out of bounds with Henry down in the box. Dagny cleared McDonald's eighty-third minute throw. Sanderson tried to get a ball for Williams in the eighty-fifth minute, but it ran a bit long. McDonald received a pass in the eighty-eighth minute and turned to shoot, but went high and wide left. Heath had an eighty-ninth minute free kick taken for Dagny, but she couldn't get turned in the box and lost it to the Flash. Heath won a corner kick in the ninetieth minute, taken short for Klingenberg as the Thorns attempt to kill the clock. They repeated the process in stoppage time. Heath finally crossed to Dagny, who couldn't quite direct the header on goal, and D'Angelo grabbed it to start the Western New York attack. Smith just kept one away from Raso after Dagny and Heath passes. Sonnett cleared away a Smith through ball. Long won a free kick on a run against Eddy. Late in the added time, Williams fired a shot that Betos had to palm away for a corner kick. Dahlkemper took the kick for D'Angelo, who had come up, but Betos caught it in front of her fellow keeper. The game ended 3-2 for the Thorns, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being Sinclair. Dagny made a good impact in the second half for the Thorns.
Finally, the Seattle Reign FC host the Washington Spirit. Kelsey Wys and Haley Kopmeyer draw the starts in goal. The game is at this link. Seattle's Megan Rapinoe sent a third minute ball forward for Manon Melis behind the defense, which Wys saved as Whitney Church provided pressure for Washington. Most of the game early on has been a quick-changing battle in the midfield. Rumi Utsugi crossed a ball to Rapinoe, which nearly came to Melis, but the Reign forward lost control in the fifth minute. Estelle Johnson made a steal from Melis in the seventh minute. The Spirit's Caprice Dydasco blocked a Rapinoe shot after a long pass from the Reign's Kim Little in the tenth minute. Rapinoe had a shot after Little's pass in the twelfth minute, and Melis flicked it back for a second chance that went wide after an initial save by Wys. Yanez managed a thirteenth minute cross for Utsugi, who shot a bit high. Dydasco did a fifteenth minute free kick for Washington, which fell to Alyssa Kleiner. Jess Fishlock of Seattle cleared as far as the Spirit's Ali Krieger, who shot on goal and was saved by Kopmeyer for the Reign. Merritt Mathias of Seattle blocked a Kleiner cross out for a corner kick for the Spirit. Krieger took this one for Katie Stengel, and then got it back before Lauren Barnes blocked the cross out for a corner kick. Krieger went for longer this time before the ball went from Kendall Fletcher of Seattle centrally to Tori Huster of Washington, whose shot in the seventeenth minute was over the goal. Yanez had an eighteenth minute shot saved by Wys. The Reign's Keelin Winters set up Melis on the wing, and she crossed it in for Yanez, who was way off target with her shot. Stengel won a twentieth minute corner kick off of Fletcher. Krieger went for goal, which Kopmeyer palmed over the bar. Krieger took another one in the twenty-first minute for Johnson, who sent it wide and allowed Seattle to relieve the pressure. Dydasco cleared a dangerous ball from Melis for Rapinoe after Little's initial pass to the top of the box. Melis put a ball in front of Wys in the twenty-fifth minute, with Yanez pressing, but Church and Dydasco were able to stem off the danger from Seattle. Rapinoe switched fields for Melis, who dropped it back to Little, and her shot went high in the twenty-sixth minute. In the twenty-seventh minute, Fishlock found Rapinoe out wide, drawing Wys out of position and placing the ball well enough for Yanez to bury it ahead of the onrushing Johnson, giving Seattle a 1-0 lead. Yanez had a thirtieth minute shot saved Wys from a long distance. Mathias broke up a counterattack with Kleiner for the Spirit, and then cleared a return pass from Fletcher to get the Reign going forward again. Melis put in a thirty-third minute cross on a pass from Litrle, which Wys smothered. In the thirty-fourth minute, Melis gathered a ball and spread a pass out to Utsugi, but she was offside, so her goal was invalid. Barnes broke up a play with Line Sigvardsen Jensen and Huster of Washington in the middle, leading the Reign attack the other way. Johnson blocked a long Melis cross in the thirty-seventh minute. Fishlock had a drop to Melis in the thirty-ninth minute, but her pass to Rapinoe was too strong and high. In the forty-first minute, a Krieger free kick caused a massive chaos in the box right in front of Kopmeyer. Little cleared the first one, but Kleiner put a ball in that Kopmeyer saved, and then Francisca Ordega's return into the box caused five Reign and a couple of Spirit players to fight for the ball before it was cleared. Rapinoe had a cross too strong in the forty-fourth minute. Yanez had a point-blank shot saved by Wys and cleared by Church. Rapinoe put a cross in front of goal in the forty-fifth minute, but Yanez couldn't quite poke it. The game went into halftime at 1-0, with the best players for the Spirit being GK Wys, RB Krieger, LB Dydasco, DM Huster, and CF Stengel. The Reign's best players (long list warning) have been GK Kopmeyer, LB Utsugi, CBs Barnes and Fletcher, DM Fishlock, ACM Little, LF Rapinoe, CF Yanez, and RF Melis. Rapinoe put a cross in the forty-sixth minute that Huster cleared. Fletcher sent a shot over the bar on the second effort for Seattle. Barnes cleared a Krieger cross out in the forty-seventh minute. Christine Nairn, the Washington sub, took the corner kick, and Barnes knocked it out for another corner kick. Nairn switched sides to take this one, and Barnes cleared it away again. Johnson took a high shot on the clearance. Fishlock gave up a corner kick to Ordega in the forty-ninth minute. Nairn served it in, but Yanez cleared this one for the Reign. Melis put a cross in the fifty-second minute for Mathias, who had a shot that Wys knocked out for a corner kick for Seattle. Barnes took the set piece, with Yanez firing a shot after a deflection, but Huster blocked it from goal. Rapinoe ripped a fifty-fifth minute shot on goal for Wys to save. Johnson blocked Rapinoe's fifty-sixth minute cross after Utsugi's forward ball, giving Seattle a corner kick. Rapinoe mishit the shot after Barnes' initial service. Melis looped a fifty-seventh minute cross into Wys' hands. Melis got a shot from outside the box, after Rapinoe's cross was a bit long. Yanez tried a pass for Fishlock to the center of the box in the fifty-ninth minute. Fishlock later got fouled by Huster to create a good chance on a free kick for the Reign. Little took the set piece for goal, but Wys caught it for the save. Washington earned a sixty-second minute corner kick, which Nairn put in and Seattle blocked away. Krieger had a seventy-first minute cross that Kopmeyer caught. Little made a charge on Wys, making her drop the ball but after Little overran her in the seventy-third minute, all on a Nahomi Kawasumi pass for Seattle. Dydasco made an interception on a Rapinoe pass for Utsugi. Little won a corner kick off of Krieger in the seventy-seventh minute. Kawasumi served it in short, where the cross went out of bounds. Mathias won a corner kick off of Dydasco in the seventy-eighth minute. Barnes put this one in short, going to Kawasumi, whose cross found Winters, and she buried it to make it 2-0 for the Reign. Mathias sent in an eighty-first minute cross for Little, who headed it right at Wys. Johnson broke up Little's eighty-second minute pass for Yanez. Barnes blocked two shots from Spirit subs Cheyna Williams and Diana Matheson. Kawasumi saw a shot blocked by Dydasco on the eighty-fourth minute counterattack for the Reign. Krieger's eighty-ninth minute free kick was punched away by Kopmeyer. Ordega had a shot off the bar. Dydasco had another effort, as did Williams, and Kopmeyer finally killed the danger. In the ninetieth minute, Kawasumi had a cross that Utsugi shot wide left on the fly. Little couldn't quite get around Wys in stoppage time on a through ball from Kiersten Dallstream. Krieger went for Ordega, who won a corner kick for Washington. Nairn served it for Dydasco, but Mathias cleared it and Kawasumi finished the clearance. Johnson had a shot on the second effort that was saved off the line but Carson Pickett of the Reign. This ended the game at 2-0, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being Winters.
Outsider Sports NWSL Best XI - Week 19
GK Alyssa Naeher
RB Elizabeth Eddy
CB Emily Sonnett
CB Lauren Barnes
LB Cami Levin
DCM Keelin Winters
RW Carli Lloyd
LW Sam Kerr
RF Janine Beckie
CF Christine Sinclair
LF Kealia Ohai
The Orlando Pride hosting Sky Blue in one of three return matches from Wednesday. Caroline Casey and Ashlyn Harris protect the nets. Here's the game. Lisa de Vanna of Orlando had the first cross of the game, after Alex Morgan and Sarah Hagen got it deep in Sky Blue territory. Casey handled the cross without trouble. de Vanna did work to get in the box and pass around Sky Blue's Christie Rampone in the fifth minute, setting Jasmyne Spencer up for a high shot. In the seventh minute, Kaylyn Kyle went long for Spencer, whose cross deflected off of Rampone to give the Pride a corner kick. Kristen Edmonds served it in for Orlando, going for Monica, but Erica Skroski cleared it away for Sky Blue. de Vanna had a cross that fell to Dani Weatherholt, and her header was just long for Morgan, as Casey grabbed it up. Weatherholt and Morgan connected in the ninth minute, but Morgan lost control under pressure from Kristin Grubka of Sky Blue. Hagen tried to turn a de Vanna pass onto Morgan in the tenth minute, but the through ball was too strong. Sky Blue went long from Raquel Rodriguez to Maya Hayes in the eleventh minute, and her cross was blocked by Monica. Sky Blue's corner kick came from Kelley O'Hara, finding Rodriguez, but Spencer stole it away. In the twelfth minute, a Sam Kerr pass for Natasha Kai caught the Sky Blue forward offside. Rampone broke up a de Vanna pass for Spencer. Erin Simon of Sky Blue won a foul call against Josee Belanger, giving Sky Blue a good free kick in the fifteenth minute. O'Hara served it for Hayes, but Weatherholt headed it away for Orlando. Kyle fouled Kerr in the sixteenth minute, with Killion taking the free kick that went straight to Pride keeper Harris. Hayes and O'Hara had seventeenth minute crosses, but neither found a Sky Blue teammate and Orlando managed to clear. Edmonds took a twentieth minute free kick that Hagen headed down to de Vanna, who fired it on goal, where Casey saved it for Sky Blue. O'Hara made a nifty header to get around Kyle, but her pass was pounded out by Cami Levin of the Pride in the twenty-third minute. In the twenty-fourth minute, Morgan flicked a ball to Hagen, but Casey covered it first. Monica intercepted a free kick from Killion to O'Hara up the middle in the twenty-eighth minute as play has lulled recently. Kerr rifled a shot wide left in the twenty-eighth minute as Sky Blue regrouped their attack. Rampone headed a Morgan cross out for an Orlando corner kick in the thirty-first minute. Edmonds teed it up, going for Monica, who headed it over the goal. Kyle blocked a cross from Hayes in the thirty-second minute. Kerr looped a thirty-third minute cross out of bounds for Sky Blue. Hayes got behind the defense in the thirty-fourth minute, but her cross was cleared by Levin. It fell to Kai, and then Kerr passed it to O'Hara, who sent it wide right. Belanger went down hurt on the play, and had to come off, with Toni Pressley subbed in to replace her. Levin won a corner kick in the thirty-ninth minute for Orlando. Edmonds took it for Monica again, but Kai cleared it as far as Pressley, good enough to relieve the pressure for Sky Blue. Killion's forty-second minute free kick for Sky Blue went to Monica, who headed it out to Hayes, and her shot was caught by Harris. On the Orlando counterattack, Morgan drew a central free kick outside of the penalty area. Edmonds took it and buried it in the forty-third minute, going top right corner to make it 1-0 Pride. Kerr had a cross in the forty-fourth minute, which Kyle poked away. Kyle sent a long ball for Hagen in the forty-fifth minute, which Casey handled for Sky Blue. Pressley took a stoppage time free kick for Morgan, which came up a little short and Sky Blue carried it out. The game went into halftime at 1-0. The top Sky Blue players have been GK Casey, CB Rampone, DM Killion, LW Kerr, RW Hayes, and LF Kai, while the Pride's best efforts have come from outside back Levin, CBs Kyle and Monica, DMs Edmonds and Weatherholt, LW de Vanna, LF Morgan, and RF Hagen. Kerr, O'Hara, and Rodriguez made a sequence of passes in the forty-seventh minute, but couldn't produce a shot against the compact Pride defense. Kai had a shot around Kyle that Harris bobbled before grabbing. Kerr went through three players and then between two more in the forty-eighth minute, going one-on-one and beating Harris to tie it at 1 for Sky Blue after an impressive individual effort. Grubka of Sky Blue took a yellow card for a fiftieth minute foul on Hagen just outside the box. Orlando's free kick came from Pressley, going well over the target. Spencer and Morgan worked give-and-go for a fifty-third minute cross that Casey had no trouble guarding against for Sky Blue. Sky Blue made a huge counterattack in quick order, with Hayes getting behind Levin and Kyle. Harris saved the first shot but Hayes poked it free and scored to make it 2-1 for Sky Blue. Kai and Kyle had a one-on-one situation, but Kai lost the ball and then fouled Kyle to waste the fifty-fourth minute chance for Sky Blue. Killion sent a fifty-seventh minute long ball for Kerr, who made her way into the box but got too wide and shot wide left. Rampone out ran Hagen on a fifty-ninth minute long ball from Morgan. Killion had a free kick in the sixty-second minute, which Kai flicked straight at Harris. Rodriguez cleared a ball in the sixty-sixth minute after Edmonds went long for Morgan, but Hagen couldn't settle it. Pressley put a sixty-eighth minute free kick from deep on goal, saved by Casey. Simon of Sky Blue had a sixty-ninth minute cross right at Harris. In the seventieth minute, Pressley took a yellow card for a foul on Hayes. O'Hara had a good cross in the seventy-sixth minute, which Kerr headed onto goal and Harris punched out for a Sky Blue corner kick. O'Hara found Kerr again on the set piece, but she sent it wide left. Skroski cleared a seventy-ninth minute Edmonds free kick. Monica had a shot after Spencer got tripped by Killion in the eighty-first minute, but the shot was too high. Edmonds took an eighty-third minute free kick that Pressley headed wide left. Grubka headed a Levin cross away in the eighty-fourth minute as Sky Blue takes a defensive stance. Edmonds took an eighty-seventh minute shot wide right as the Pride continue to possess well. Monica sent a ball forward in the eighty-eighth minute that Spencer and Morgan both whiffed on, allowing the Sky Blue defense to clear. Coco Goodson of Sky Blue cleared a Levin cross out for a corner kick. Edmonds served it in, but Casey punched it, and Rampone got hit as she kept Spencer away from it in the ninetieth minute. Morgan had the cross after a lot of Orlando passes, finding Laura Alleway, whose header went a bit high over goal in stoppage time. O'Hara won a corner kick off of Pressley as Sky Blue looks to kill the clock. Kyle's long ball bounced over Hagen and into the hands of Casey. Kyle tried again, but Goodson's header ended the game with a 2-1 Sky Blue win. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match was Kerr for her spectacular goal to turn the tide in favor of Sky Blue.
For Sunday, we begin with FC Kansas City welcoming the Chicago Red Stars. Alyssa Naeher and Nicole Barnhart tend the nets. The game is at this link. Chicago earned an early corner kick on the far side, with Vanessa DiBernardo serving it in for the far post, but it curled out of bounds. Brittany Taylor earned a third minute corner kick for Kansas City, off of the Red Stars' Casey Short. Julie Johnston of Chicago cleared Heather O'Reilly's service. Sofia Huerta and Arin Gilliland of Chicago helped to shut down the Blues' Alex Arlitt before a crossing opportunity. The Blues earned a corner kick, which O'Reilly took short for Tiffany McCarty, going along to Caroline Kastor, and Taylor had a deflected chance out wide by Red Stars keeper Naeher. O'Reilly's second effort didn't produce a shot. Gilliland went down with an injury, and Sarah Gorden came on in relief of her. Johnston blocked an O'Reilly shot in the tenth minute after a Taylor pass. Short had a pass across goal that Becky Sauerbrunn blocked. This caused chaos in the box, and Walls had another chance blocked. Finally, Huerta headed it wide in the eleventh minute. Christen Press of Chicago put a ball into the box that Barnhart grabbed on one hop. Shea Groom of Kansas City deflected a cross off of the Red Stars' Katie Naughton in the thirteenth minute. O'Reilly took the corner kick to the top of the box, where Kastor laid it off for a long shot from Desiree Scott, who sent it over the bar for the Blues. DiBernardo had a shot blocked by Mandy Laddish after Sauerbrunn flicked up a cross from Stephanie McCaffrey of Chicago. Short's low sixteenth minute cross was picked up by Barnhart before Press got there. Chicago got a twentieth minute corner kick, taken by DiBernardo over all players. In the twenty-first minute, Sauerbrunn cleared a forward ball away from McCaffrey. Yael Averbuch of Kansas City blocked a shot from DiBernardo in the twenty-third minute. DiBernardo did a free kick that led to a corner kick, which she took and sent out of bounds. McCaffrey was subbed out due to Sauerbrunn's tackle causing an injury, and Alyssa Mautz came on for the Red Stars. DiBernardo tried to find Cara Walls in the twenty-seventh minute, but it went too long. Short found Huerta in the box, but Scott cleared it away for the Blues in the twenty-ninth minute. Averbuch had to block a Mautz cross on a break for the Red Stars including Walls and Press. Sauerbrunn then cleared a DiBernardo cross as Chicago starts to assert themselves a bit. Laddish and Scott cleared a thirty-first minute free kick from DiBernardo. Short stole a ball away from Kastor on the Kansas City counterattack. Huerta had a cross through traffic in the thirty-third minute, which Barnhart saw and grabbed. Averbuch and Taylor combined to break up a pair of Red Stars attacks between Short and Mautz. Taylor won a foul going against Short and Danielle Colaprico, giving the Blues a good free kick chance. O'Reilly took this one, which deflected in the box, but Walls cleared it for the Red Stars. Eventually, O'Reilly got a shot after a weak headed clearance, and she shot it over the bar. DiBernardo had a shot go off of Scott in the fortieth minute. Walls headed a DiBernardo free kick in the forty-first minute, but Laddish and Sauerbrunn combined to clear for the Blues. DiBernardo had another free kick go over everyone. Arlitt blocked a couple of crossing chances from the Red Stars in the forty-third minute. Scott intercepted a Walls pass as the Blues look to get out of the half without any trouble. McCarty managed a shot through traffic in stoppage time, but she sent it over the goal as Johnston cut the angle. The game went into halftime at 0-0. The Red Stars top performances belong to CB Johnston, LB Short, DM DiBernardo, RW Huerta, LW Walls, and LF Press. For the Blues, the best efforts have come from GK Barnhart, CB Sauerbrunn, RB Taylor, DM Scott, ACM O'Reilly, and LW McCarty. O'Reilly had a forty-sixth minute free kick go too long and into the hands of Naeher. Gorden's cross was too high for Mautz in the forty-ninth minute as the Red Stars have mostly come out as strong as they left. Taylor's cross got away from Groom and was cleared by Johnston in the fiftieth minute. Colaprico blocked a Groom shot, and then Arlitt's cross went straight to Naeher. Huerta tried a through ball for Walls, but it was heavy and Barnhart had it. Johnston knocked Kastor down just outside the box, but no free kick was given in the fifty-fourth minute. Lo'eau LaBonta came on for the Blues to replace Kastor. Taylor made a run forward in the fifty-sixth minute, which DiBernardo defended effectively. O'Reilly cut into the box and then left a pass for Groom, who dummied along to McCarty, and her shot for Kansas City went wide right and high. Johnston and Short cleared a McCarty cross in the fifty-ninth minute. Averbuch blocked out a Walls shooting attempt, surrendering a corner kick to the Red Stars. DiBernardo served it in, but Groom knocked it away. Naughton poked a ball away from Groom in the sixty-fourth minute to halt a Blues attack. Naughton also blocked an O'Reilly shot in the sixty-fifth minute. Arlitt won a corner kick shortly after. O'Reilly put it in, but Naeher was first to it. O'Reilly's long ball went over Kansas City sub Fran Silva, and Naeher covered it. Colaprico finally cleared a seventy-second minute Blues attack featuring heavily with O'Reilly and Groom. Johnston broke up Silva's run into the box and the Red Stars ultimately cleared in the seventy-sixth minute after a threatening cross from Taylor nearly led to a good chance. Laddish set up LaBonta for a shot that went wide left in the seventy-seventh minute. O'Reilly won a corner kick off of Short in the eightieth minute. O'Reilly put it in for Silva, but Naeher grabbed it away. O'Reilly had a cross settled by Groom, and then Laddish and Silva had touches before LaBonta shot wide right. Bowen had a cross for Groom, which Naughton shielded her away from to allow Naeher to pick it up in the eighty-third minute. In the eighty-fifth minute, Groom had a shot blocked by Johnston. The Blues appear more interested in going for the win. O'Reilly's eighty-seventh minute deflected off of Short and straight at Naeher. Groom crossed to Bowen in the eighty-ninth minute, but Johnston blocked it, and Laddish had her second try shot blocked as well. LaBonta cracked a ninetieth minute shot on goal that Naeher saved. O'Reilly sent a cross into the box in stoppage time, falling to Groom, who never got a shot against Short. Silva put in a cross after Taylor worked the end line, and Naeher caught it, ending the game at 0-0. The Red Stars clinched their playoff spot on the back of the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match, GK Naeher, who survived a barrage of chances in the second half to maintain the critical draw. Impressing in the second half were the subs for the Blues, Silva and LaBonta.
Next up, the Houston Dash host the Boston Breakers. Jami Kranich and Lydia Williams are in the six-yard boxes. Find the game here. Cari Roccaro of Houston kept a ball away from Natasha Dowie of Boston, but a second effort in the second minute saw Kyah Simon find Eunice Beckmann for a shit just wide. In the fifth minute, Andressa sent a ball forward for Carli Lloyd in a Dash attack, but it was too long, and the Breakers' keeper Kranich grabbed it. Andressa had a shot off of Boston's Kassey Kallman, and that earned a corner kick for Houston. Andressa served it in for Cami Privett, who headed it wide left in the sixth minute, going against Kallman for the ball. Kealia Ohai had a low cross in the seventh minute, but Kranich made the grab. Ohai had an eighth minute shot saved by Kranich, coming after the Breakers had miscommunication at the top of their box defensively. The Breakers' ninth minute free kick from Louise Schillgard went for Simon, but the Dash were able to eventually clear. Lloyd fired a shot on the Houston counterattack after Kylie Strom slowed her but could not stop the Houston midfielder. Dowie had a tenth minute shot for Boston going wide right. Brooke Elby contained Ohai on a long ball from Lloyd. Poliana set up Lloyd for an eleventh minute shot, which Kranich saved. Ohai sent another in, and Kranich was there once again. Lloyd passed to Janine Beckie in the twelfth minute for a shot, and Beckie sent it low and just wide left of goal. Ohai had a thirteenth minute shot graze the top of the net but too high to count. Lloyd found Morgan Brian in the fifteenth minute, but she couldn't settle it, and Elby took it away for Boston. Strom kept a Brian ball away from Andressa. Denise O'Sullivan found Ohai, but she took a heavy touch and the Breakers' Angela Salem cleared it away in the twentieth minute. Elby gave up a corner kick in the twenty-second minute. Andressa served it for O'Sullivan short, and the shot was blocked by Elby. Lloyd received the next short corner, going for Ohai, who got swarmed while shooting, as the Breakers cleared. Strom surrendered a corner kick to Lloyd and the Dash in the twenty-fourth minute. Andressa put this one in for Lloyd, who headed it over the bar. Lloyd and Ohai tried to give and go, but the twenty-fifth minute attack ended with clearance from Rachel Wood of Boston. Lloyd found Beckie in the twenty-sixth minute on a run, who navigated into the box unchallenged and put one into the far side behind Kranich to make it 1-0 Dash. Beckie pulled a nutmeg on the shot against Kranich. Beckie had a twenty-eighth minute cross go over Ohai and O'Sullivan, and cleared by Simon of the Breakers. Ohai had a thirtieth minute cross just a bit too long for Lloyd to get a foot on. Privett blocked a ball from Schillgard to Simon. Strom also had a cross in the thirty-first minute, going out of bounds. Andressa's thirty-third minute through ball was just picked out by Kranich before Poliana could get there for Houston. In the thirty-fifth minute, Lloyd and Beckie connected to get Kranich out of position, before Beckie's pass across the goal found Ohai, who had no trouble scoring on an empty net, making it 2-0 for the Dash. Simon had a thirty-seventh minute shot go high and off-target. Dowie fell in the box in the forty-first minute, but it was a clean play from Roccaro and the Dash cleared. The game has slowed since the second goal. Dowie had a forty-second minute shot from distance that forced Williams to palm it aside for a corner kick. Kristie Mewis took the Breakers set piece, and O'Sullivan and Andressa cleared it. Beckmann had a forty-fifth minute shot that Williams saved. Lloyd set up Beckie for a shot in stoppage time that went over the bar. Dowie replied with a wide left shot for Boston. Kallman cleared an Andressa cross to end the half. Houston leads 2-0 at the half. The Breakers' best players have been LB Elby, CB Kallman, LW Simon, and RF Dowie, while the Dash's top efforts have come from GK Williams, CB Privett, RW Andressa, ACM Lloyd, LW O'Sullivan, RF Beckie, and LF Ohai. Beckmann and Schillgard combined for a try, which Beckmann sent high over the bar. Dowie sent a forty-eighth minute shot high and wide as the Breakers come out strong. Poliana put a cross in for O'Sullivan, but Wood cleared it for Boston in the fiftieth minute. Ohai had a fifty-third minute run resulting in a heavy touch, and she lost control. Andressa received a yellow card in the fifty-fifth minute for her foul on Salem. Simon cleared a Lloyd cross in the fifty-eighth minute. Ohai set up Lloyd in the box for a shot in the sixtieth minute, cleared by Wood on the errant shot. In the sixty-second minute, Ohai passed to Lloyd again, and Kranich made the save on this shot. O'Sullivan got Lloyd behind the defense and around Williams, but Kallman cleaned up the low cross. Strom surrendered a corner kick by working against Poliana to poke it away. Andressa's sixty-third minute service went to Brian, who headed it toward goal, but Simon and Dowie cleared it. Elby and Salem cleared another Andressa cross. Brian went out hurt, and Amber Brooks subbed in to replace her. Beckie had a cross in to Lloyd in the sixty-eighth minute, but Lloyd was called offside to nullify the play. Ohai won a corner kick for the Dash off of Elby in the sixty-ninth minute. Andressa went for Ohai, who had a shot blocked by Dowie, and then Brooks' shot was blocked by Elby for another corner kick. Andressa took the seventieth minute set piece, which Kranich punched away. Strom blocked away an Ohai cross in the seventy-third minute. Katie Schoepfer of Boston made an instant impact with a cross in toward Mewis, who fell in the box against Poliana in the seventy-fifth minute. Mewis ripped a shot off the post in the seventy-sixth minute, which fell to Roccaro, and she struggled with it, allowing Boston's Elise Krieghoff to make the steal and score the goal to cut the score to 2-1. In the seventy-eighth minute, Andressa went wide for Ohai, who brought it back in and set Lloyd up for a rocket shot to the top right corner to make it 3-1 for Houston. Lloyd wasn't done, firing on goal in the seventy-ninth minute straight from the kickoff, but Kranich saved this low shot. Andressa went over the top for Ohai, who couldn't shoot in the eightieth minute, so she dropped to O'Sullivan, who sent it wide left. At the eighty minute mark, Wood fouled O'Sullivan in the box, giving the Dash a penalty kick. Lloyd stepped up and fired this one to the right side of the net to make it 4-1. Ohai set up Lloyd in the eighty-third minute, which Kranich just got a hand on. Stephanie Ochs sent it back in, and Lloyd headed it off-target. Andressa put an eighty-fifth minute cross in that caught Poliana just a bit offside. Krieghoff couldn't get on a ball from Simon, as Privett headed it into the hands of Williams. Roccaro cleared an eighty-seventh minute cross from Simon to give the Breakers a corner kick. Mewis took the corner kick, and Salem's deflected cross was grabbed by Williams. Lloyd had an eighty-eighth minute shot get deflected wide right for a Dash corner kick. Andressa took this one for Brooks, which Elby blocked and cleared after the shot attempt. Mewis took a free kick that Williams caught. Kranich made a big save on an Ohai shot, with the rebound falling to Lloyd, who shot wide left. Elby stole an Andressa pass for O'Sullivan. The game ended at 4-1, with Lloyd the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. The Breakers saw good second half efforts from the sub Krieghoff and DM Salem.
To the northwest, the Portland Thorns FC bring in the Western New York Flash. Sabrina D'Angelo and Michelle Betos protect the nets. Here's the link of the Fox Sports 1 broadcast of the game. In the third minute, Samathna Mewis of Western New York had a shot blocked by Portland's Emily Menges. Mewis flicked on a header from Jessica McDonald's throw-in that Emily Sonnett blocked, and then McDonald had a cross for Lynn Williams as the Flash had a huge stretch of attacking soccer. Betos made the save on Williams for the Thorns. In the sixth minute, Abby Dahlkemper of Western New York put a free kick in that Meghan Klingenberg cleared for the Thorns. McCall Zerboni had a second effort for the Flash that Betos covered up. Williams had a seventh minute shot over the bar. Makenzy Doniak sent a ball in for McDonald in the eighth minute, but Betos made the grab in time. Mewis had a tenth minute shot wide right for Western New York, on a counterattack after Nadim Nadim couldn't get a shot off from Katherine Reynolds' throw-in for the Thorns. The Flash's Elizabeth Eddy cleared away an Amandine Henry cross for Tobin Heath in the eleventh minute in Portland's most organized attack so far. Williams had a cross blocked by Klingenberg in the thirteenth minute, and then a weak shot that Betos handled. In the fifteenth minute, McDonald blocked a clearing attempt by Sonnett, and then crossed in for Williams, but Betos dove to catch it. In the sixteenth minute, Heath had a free kick that Henry sent wide right with her header for Portland. Klingenberg's eighteenth minute long ball caught Nadim offside to end a spell of Thorns possession. Zerboni won a corner kick for the Flash off of Zerboni. Dahlkemper took the set piece in the nineteenth minute for Williams, but Christine Sinclair cleared it away for Portland. Eddy and Zerboni each had crosses that got jumbled in the box, with Allie Long finally giving the Thorns control enough to clear it away in the twentieth minute. Zerboni and Williams both got shut down after an Eddy cross in the twenty-first minute, eventually earning the Flash a corner kick. Dahlkemper tried for McDonald on this one, but Lindsey Horan cleared for the Thorns. McDonald had a twenty-third minute cross that ended up on top of the net for Western New York. Eddy went for Williams on a twenty-fifth minute cross, followed by Hinkle for McDonald, which was shut down by the Thorns. Doniak sent a third ball in, but again no shot was produced. In the twenty-sixth minute, Horan sent a ball forward for Nadim, who couldn't quite track it down, but Hinkle and the Flash keeper D'Angelo combined to foul her to give the Thorns a penalty kick. Nadim took it and scored to make it 1-0, going to the left side of the goal with D'Angelo frozen. Hinkle also took a yellow card for her foul. Abby Erceg of Western New York fouled Long in the thirtieth minute, producing a good free kick just outside the box for Portland. Nadim took the set piece, but put it on top of the net just a bit off-target. Heath put in a thirty-third minute ball that bounced once and D'Angelo grabbed it with no Thorns hovering around. Henry intercepted a McDonald pass for Williams on the Flash counterattack. Menges blocked a thirty-fifth minute Zerboni cross intended for McDonald. Erceg had a header on a McDonald throw in the thirty-sixth minute, which Reynolds cleared for the Thorns. Portland made a quick counterattack in the thirty-seventh minute, with Nadim crossing the ball in. Eddy poked it out, but Sinclair pounced on it and shot it off the left post and in for a 2-0 Portland lead. It took Mewis giving up a throw-in in the thirty-ninth minute after Nadim embarrassed Hinkle and Alanna Kennedy on the wing. Nadim's forty-first minute pass for Heath caught her offside to end a Thorns possession. Henry's foul on Mewis gave the Flash a good free kick chance in the forty-third minute. Horan cleared Dahlkemper's free kick away. Sinclair's forty-fourth minute cross just went over Nadim's head. Heath took a low shot on the second effort for the Thorns, which D'Angelo saved. Menges blocked a Doniak cross in stoppage time. Doniak won a corner kick off of Klingenberg for Western New York. Dahlkemper took it centrally, and Betos caught it, ending the half with a 2-0 Thorns lead. Impressing for the Flash are the CB Dahlkemper, RB Eddy, DM Mewis, LW Zerboni, LF Williams, and RF McDonald. For the Thorns, the top efforts came from GK Betos, RB Reynolds, CB Sonnett, LB Klingenberg, DM Henry, RW Nadim, ACM Horan, and striker Sinclair. Long produced a shot in the forty-eighth minute after Heath cleaned up Reynolds' long cross, stringing passes together before the attempt. Mewis found Williams for a forty-ninth minute shot that went just wide left. Kennedy dropped Horan to the turf in the fiftieth minute, disrupting a Portland counterattack stemming from Henry stealing the ball from Erceg and finding Sinclair going forward. Horan made a forward pass to Sinclair in the fifty-second minute, but Dahlkemper stole it away. Henry put a ball in the box that Kennedy headed toward the net, and D'Angelo saved Western New York with a quick grab. Sinclair knocked a ball ahead for Heath in the fifty-fifth minute, forcing D'Angelo to come off her line and stop the Thorns attack. Henry put a fifty-sixth minute ball in the box for Long, but she was offside. Heath received a yellow card for a fifty-seventh minute foul on Eddy. Betos got a ball just ahead of Mewis in the fifty-eighth minute after the free kick. Nadim fired a fifty-ninth minute shot wide left after a switching pass from Long. Hayley Raso of Portland crossed a ball to Heath in the sixty-second minute, winning a corner kick when Eddy knocked it away. Heath served it in, but D'Angelo punched it far away from danger. Horan cleared a McDonald long throw in the sixty-third minute. In the sixty-fifth minute, Williams set up Flash sub Lianne Sanderson for a shot that went wide right and a bit high. Reynolds had a sixty-sixth minute cross into Sinclair, who went two touches and passed to Horan, who shot straight at D'Angelo as the Flash keeper made a huge save. Eddy, Mewis, and then Taylor Smith of Western New York combined for a shot attempt that went wide left. Menges intercepted an Eddy long ball for McDonald in the sixty-ninth minute. Sinclair saw her shot blocked by Erceg on the Thorns counterattack. Portland finally capitalized as Dagny Brynjarsdottir scored on the next foray forward, after passes from Sonnett, Long, Sinclair, and Heath strung the passes together to get back in the attacking third, making it 3-0 Thorns. Smith of the Flash earned a corner kick off of Klingenberg in the seventy-third minute. Dahlkemper went near post, which Long cleared. Eddy's second service was caught by Betos. D'Angelo beat Heath to the ball in the seventy-fourth minute as the Thorns look for more. Sonnett had to clear a seventy-fifth minute cross by Eddy. Henry cleared the next cross from Smith moments later. In the seventy-seventh minute, the Thorns defense finally fell as Eddy crossed to McDonald, who headed it in just under the bar to cut the score to 3-1. Long had a through ball for Dagny in the seventy-ninth minute, but D'Angelo covered it first. In the eightieth minute, Long's pass for Sonnett got intercepted by Williams, who went give-and-go with McDonald, and it was Williams burying the shot from a wide angle to get the Flash within one at a score of 3-2. Eddy had an eighty-second minute shot attempt, and then Sanderson's shot was blocked as well by Henry. Finally, Smith had a cross blocked out of bounds with Henry down in the box. Dagny cleared McDonald's eighty-third minute throw. Sanderson tried to get a ball for Williams in the eighty-fifth minute, but it ran a bit long. McDonald received a pass in the eighty-eighth minute and turned to shoot, but went high and wide left. Heath had an eighty-ninth minute free kick taken for Dagny, but she couldn't get turned in the box and lost it to the Flash. Heath won a corner kick in the ninetieth minute, taken short for Klingenberg as the Thorns attempt to kill the clock. They repeated the process in stoppage time. Heath finally crossed to Dagny, who couldn't quite direct the header on goal, and D'Angelo grabbed it to start the Western New York attack. Smith just kept one away from Raso after Dagny and Heath passes. Sonnett cleared away a Smith through ball. Long won a free kick on a run against Eddy. Late in the added time, Williams fired a shot that Betos had to palm away for a corner kick. Dahlkemper took the kick for D'Angelo, who had come up, but Betos caught it in front of her fellow keeper. The game ended 3-2 for the Thorns, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being Sinclair. Dagny made a good impact in the second half for the Thorns.
Finally, the Seattle Reign FC host the Washington Spirit. Kelsey Wys and Haley Kopmeyer draw the starts in goal. The game is at this link. Seattle's Megan Rapinoe sent a third minute ball forward for Manon Melis behind the defense, which Wys saved as Whitney Church provided pressure for Washington. Most of the game early on has been a quick-changing battle in the midfield. Rumi Utsugi crossed a ball to Rapinoe, which nearly came to Melis, but the Reign forward lost control in the fifth minute. Estelle Johnson made a steal from Melis in the seventh minute. The Spirit's Caprice Dydasco blocked a Rapinoe shot after a long pass from the Reign's Kim Little in the tenth minute. Rapinoe had a shot after Little's pass in the twelfth minute, and Melis flicked it back for a second chance that went wide after an initial save by Wys. Yanez managed a thirteenth minute cross for Utsugi, who shot a bit high. Dydasco did a fifteenth minute free kick for Washington, which fell to Alyssa Kleiner. Jess Fishlock of Seattle cleared as far as the Spirit's Ali Krieger, who shot on goal and was saved by Kopmeyer for the Reign. Merritt Mathias of Seattle blocked a Kleiner cross out for a corner kick for the Spirit. Krieger took this one for Katie Stengel, and then got it back before Lauren Barnes blocked the cross out for a corner kick. Krieger went for longer this time before the ball went from Kendall Fletcher of Seattle centrally to Tori Huster of Washington, whose shot in the seventeenth minute was over the goal. Yanez had an eighteenth minute shot saved by Wys. The Reign's Keelin Winters set up Melis on the wing, and she crossed it in for Yanez, who was way off target with her shot. Stengel won a twentieth minute corner kick off of Fletcher. Krieger went for goal, which Kopmeyer palmed over the bar. Krieger took another one in the twenty-first minute for Johnson, who sent it wide and allowed Seattle to relieve the pressure. Dydasco cleared a dangerous ball from Melis for Rapinoe after Little's initial pass to the top of the box. Melis put a ball in front of Wys in the twenty-fifth minute, with Yanez pressing, but Church and Dydasco were able to stem off the danger from Seattle. Rapinoe switched fields for Melis, who dropped it back to Little, and her shot went high in the twenty-sixth minute. In the twenty-seventh minute, Fishlock found Rapinoe out wide, drawing Wys out of position and placing the ball well enough for Yanez to bury it ahead of the onrushing Johnson, giving Seattle a 1-0 lead. Yanez had a thirtieth minute shot saved Wys from a long distance. Mathias broke up a counterattack with Kleiner for the Spirit, and then cleared a return pass from Fletcher to get the Reign going forward again. Melis put in a thirty-third minute cross on a pass from Litrle, which Wys smothered. In the thirty-fourth minute, Melis gathered a ball and spread a pass out to Utsugi, but she was offside, so her goal was invalid. Barnes broke up a play with Line Sigvardsen Jensen and Huster of Washington in the middle, leading the Reign attack the other way. Johnson blocked a long Melis cross in the thirty-seventh minute. Fishlock had a drop to Melis in the thirty-ninth minute, but her pass to Rapinoe was too strong and high. In the forty-first minute, a Krieger free kick caused a massive chaos in the box right in front of Kopmeyer. Little cleared the first one, but Kleiner put a ball in that Kopmeyer saved, and then Francisca Ordega's return into the box caused five Reign and a couple of Spirit players to fight for the ball before it was cleared. Rapinoe had a cross too strong in the forty-fourth minute. Yanez had a point-blank shot saved by Wys and cleared by Church. Rapinoe put a cross in front of goal in the forty-fifth minute, but Yanez couldn't quite poke it. The game went into halftime at 1-0, with the best players for the Spirit being GK Wys, RB Krieger, LB Dydasco, DM Huster, and CF Stengel. The Reign's best players (long list warning) have been GK Kopmeyer, LB Utsugi, CBs Barnes and Fletcher, DM Fishlock, ACM Little, LF Rapinoe, CF Yanez, and RF Melis. Rapinoe put a cross in the forty-sixth minute that Huster cleared. Fletcher sent a shot over the bar on the second effort for Seattle. Barnes cleared a Krieger cross out in the forty-seventh minute. Christine Nairn, the Washington sub, took the corner kick, and Barnes knocked it out for another corner kick. Nairn switched sides to take this one, and Barnes cleared it away again. Johnson took a high shot on the clearance. Fishlock gave up a corner kick to Ordega in the forty-ninth minute. Nairn served it in, but Yanez cleared this one for the Reign. Melis put a cross in the fifty-second minute for Mathias, who had a shot that Wys knocked out for a corner kick for Seattle. Barnes took the set piece, with Yanez firing a shot after a deflection, but Huster blocked it from goal. Rapinoe ripped a fifty-fifth minute shot on goal for Wys to save. Johnson blocked Rapinoe's fifty-sixth minute cross after Utsugi's forward ball, giving Seattle a corner kick. Rapinoe mishit the shot after Barnes' initial service. Melis looped a fifty-seventh minute cross into Wys' hands. Melis got a shot from outside the box, after Rapinoe's cross was a bit long. Yanez tried a pass for Fishlock to the center of the box in the fifty-ninth minute. Fishlock later got fouled by Huster to create a good chance on a free kick for the Reign. Little took the set piece for goal, but Wys caught it for the save. Washington earned a sixty-second minute corner kick, which Nairn put in and Seattle blocked away. Krieger had a seventy-first minute cross that Kopmeyer caught. Little made a charge on Wys, making her drop the ball but after Little overran her in the seventy-third minute, all on a Nahomi Kawasumi pass for Seattle. Dydasco made an interception on a Rapinoe pass for Utsugi. Little won a corner kick off of Krieger in the seventy-seventh minute. Kawasumi served it in short, where the cross went out of bounds. Mathias won a corner kick off of Dydasco in the seventy-eighth minute. Barnes put this one in short, going to Kawasumi, whose cross found Winters, and she buried it to make it 2-0 for the Reign. Mathias sent in an eighty-first minute cross for Little, who headed it right at Wys. Johnson broke up Little's eighty-second minute pass for Yanez. Barnes blocked two shots from Spirit subs Cheyna Williams and Diana Matheson. Kawasumi saw a shot blocked by Dydasco on the eighty-fourth minute counterattack for the Reign. Krieger's eighty-ninth minute free kick was punched away by Kopmeyer. Ordega had a shot off the bar. Dydasco had another effort, as did Williams, and Kopmeyer finally killed the danger. In the ninetieth minute, Kawasumi had a cross that Utsugi shot wide left on the fly. Little couldn't quite get around Wys in stoppage time on a through ball from Kiersten Dallstream. Krieger went for Ordega, who won a corner kick for Washington. Nairn served it for Dydasco, but Mathias cleared it and Kawasumi finished the clearance. Johnson had a shot on the second effort that was saved off the line but Carson Pickett of the Reign. This ended the game at 2-0, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being Winters.
Outsider Sports NWSL Best XI - Week 19
GK Alyssa Naeher
RB Elizabeth Eddy
CB Emily Sonnett
CB Lauren Barnes
LB Cami Levin
DCM Keelin Winters
RW Carli Lloyd
LW Sam Kerr
RF Janine Beckie
CF Christine Sinclair
LF Kealia Ohai
Major League Soccer 2016 - Week 27
All teams are in action after last week's mild schedule. We begin with Friday's lone game with...
Sporting Kansas City hosting the Houston Dynamo. Joe Willis and Alec Kann draw the starts in goal. Kansas City led off in the fourteenth minute with a Jacob Peterson goal. Roger Espinoza of Sporting took a yellow card for an eighteenth minute foul. Kansas City added on in the twenty-sixth minute with a goal by Espinoza. Houston got on the board in the thirtieth minute with a Mauro Manotas goal, assisted by Boniek Garcia. The Dynamo tied it on a fifty-ninth minute Alex goal. Houston's Collen Warner took a yellow card for a sixty-fifth minute foul. Sporting took the lead back in the eighty-first minute on a Dominic Dwyer goal, passed from Espinoza and Benny Feilhaber. Alex of the Dynamo took a yellow card for his eighty-third minute foul. Houston tied it in stoppage time on a Raul Rodriguez goal, set up by Garcia. This made it a 3-3 final, with the man of the match being Espinoza for his goal and assist.
On Saturday, the first of seven games has the Columbus Crew SC welcoming the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Steve Clark are the solid keepers. The game suffered a long weather delay due to a storm in Ohio. Once it got going, Columbus opened in the eleventh minute on an Ola Kamara goal, passed from Mohammed Saeid. Vancouver got on the board as the Crew's Gaston Sauro committed an own goal in the thirteenth minute. The Whitecaps saw a yellow card for a nineteenth minute Cristian Techera foul. Vancouver took the lead with an Andrew Jacobson goal, set up by Christian Bolanos. The Whitecaps added on with an Erik Hurtado goal in the eighty-second minute. Vancouver's Nicolas Mezquida received a yellow card for his eighty-fifth minute foul. Columbus went down to ten men as Tony Tchani took a straight red card for violent conduct in the eighty-sixth minute. The game ended at 3-1, with the man of the match being Jacobson for his winner.
To the east, the Philadelphia Union bring in the Montreal Impact. Eric Kronberg is mismatched with Andre Blake in goal. Chris Pontius of Philadelphia had a thirty-fourth minute yellow card. Philadelphia began in the forty-fifth minute with a Tranquillo Barnetta goal, assisted by Fabian Herbers and Alejandro Bedoya. Montreal's Laurent Ciman took a yellow card for a forty-eighth minute foul. C.J. Sapong of Philadelphia had a yellow card for his fifty-fourth minute foul. The Impact had a yellow card given to Hassoun Camara in the sixtieth minute for a foul. Montreal tied it in the eighty-eighth minute on a Matteo Mancosu goal, set up by Donny Toia and Hernan Bernardello. The final stood at 1-1, with the man of the match being Mancosu for his equalizer.
Northeast to New England, where the Revolution host New York City FC. Josh Saunders and Brad Knighton man the nets. New York City's Jefferson Mena took a twentieth minute yellow card for a foul. New England started in the twenty-first minute on a Juan Agudelo goal, assisted by Diego Fagundez. The Revolution added on in the forty-second minute with a Lee Nguyen goal, coming off of Kelyn Rowe and Andrew Farrell. New York City got on the board with a forty-ninth minute Frank Lampard goal. New England replied with a fifty-eighth minute Fagundez goal, made possible by Agudelo. Gershon Koffie of the Revolution had a yellow card for his sixty-ninth minute foul. In the seventy-second minute, RJ Allen of New York City took a yellow card for a foul. In the eighty-sixth minute, New York City went down to ten men as Federico Bravo took a straight red card for his foul, and Steven Mendoza took a yellow card for dissent on the call. The game ended at 3-1, with the man of the match being Fagundez.
Westward to Chicago, with the Fire welcoming Toronto FC. Alex Bono and Sean Johnson are in the six-yard boxes. Toronto was first to score in the thirty-third minute with a Jozy Altidore goal, assisted by Justin Morrow and Will Johnson. Toronto added on with a fifty-second minute goal by Jonathan Osorio, passed from Altidore. Chicago got on the board with a fifty-eighth minute goal from Michael de Leeuw, made possible by John Goossens. The game ended at 2-1, with the man of the match being Altidore for his goal and assist.
Down in Texas, FC Dallas brings in the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and Chris Seitz are between the posts. Axel Sjoberg of Colorado had a thirtieth minute yellow card for his foul. Marc Burch of the Rapids took a yellow card for a fifty-first minute foul. Colorado got going with a fifty-second minute Dominique Badji goal, passed from Sebastien Le Toux. The Rapids saw yellow cards for Micheal Azira in the sixty-eighth minute and Marlon Hairston in the eighty-first minute, both for fouls. Dallas had a yellow card given to Maximiliano Urruti in stoppage time for his foul. The game ended at 1-0, with Badji the man of the match for the winning goal.
In the northwest, the Portland Timbers host Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Jake Gleeson are the gloved men. Portland struck first in the twelfth minute with a Fanendo Adi goal. Salt Lake had a yellow card go to Sunny for his fortieth minute foul. The Timbers' Liam Ridgewell took a yellow card for a foul in the fiftieth minute. Real had yellow cards for Javier Morales in the fifty-fourth minute and Demar Phillips in the seventy-fifth minute, both for fouls. Portland's goalie Gleeson took a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-sixth minute. Salt Lake had a ninetieth minute yellow card issued to Joao Plata for dissent. The game ended 1-0, with Adi the man of the match.
Saturday ends just to the north in Seattle, with the Sounders FC welcoming the San Jose Earthquakes. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the twentieth minute with a Chris Wondolowski goal, assisted by Jordan Stewart. In the forty-fourth minute, Stewart of the Earthquakes took a yellow card for his foul. Seattle's Osvaldo Alonso had a yellow card for a fifty-fourth minute foul. In the fifty-eighth minute, Simon Dawkins of San Jose took a yellow card for his foul. Marvell Wynne of the Earthquakes had a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-ninth minute. The Sounders tied it in the eightieth minute on a Nicolas Lodeiro goal. Alberto Quintero of San Jose took a yellow card in the eighty-fourth minute for his dive. The game ended at 1-1, with Lodeiro the man of the match for his equalizer.
The first of two Sunday games sees the New York Red Bulls bring in DC United. Bill Hamid and Luis Robles protect the nets. DC had yellow cards for fouls by Rob Vincent in the twenty-fourth minute and Lloyd Sam in the thirty-fourth minute. New York drew first blood in the thirty-fifth minute on a Gonzalo Veron goal. The Red Bulls added on in the fifty-fourth minute with a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, set up by Daniel Royer. Julian Buescher of United took a sixty-eighth minute yellow card for a foul. DC got on the board in the eighty-ninth minute with a Steve Birnbaum goal. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, United tied it with a Lamar Neagle goal, earning him the man of the match honors in the 2-2 draw.
Finally, the Los Angeles Galaxy host Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Brian Rowe are the keepers. Orlando City cracked the scoresheet in the twentieth minute on a Kevin Molino goal. Los Angeles tied it in the thirty-fifth minute with a Giovani dos Santos goal, assisted by Emmanuel Boateng and Jelle Van Damme. The Galaxy took the lead on a thirty-eighth minute goal from Alan Gordon, via Van Damme and dos Santos. Los Angeles added on with a dos Santos penalty kick goal in the forty-fifth minute. Rafael Garcia of the Galaxy had a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. Tony Rocha of Orlando City had a yellow card for a forty-eighth minute foul. Ashley Cole of Los Angeles took a yellow card for a fifty-fifth minute foul. David Mateos of Orlando City had a sixtieth minute yellow card for a foul. The Galaxy extended the lead as Robbie Keane scored, thanks to dos Santos and Sebastian Lletget. Los Angeles' Raul Mendiola took a yellow card for a seventy-fifth minute foul. Orlando City got one back with a Brek Shea goal in second half stoppage time. This made it 4-2, the final, with dos Santos the man of the match for having a role in all four Galaxy goals.
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Sporting Kansas City hosting the Houston Dynamo. Joe Willis and Alec Kann draw the starts in goal. Kansas City led off in the fourteenth minute with a Jacob Peterson goal. Roger Espinoza of Sporting took a yellow card for an eighteenth minute foul. Kansas City added on in the twenty-sixth minute with a goal by Espinoza. Houston got on the board in the thirtieth minute with a Mauro Manotas goal, assisted by Boniek Garcia. The Dynamo tied it on a fifty-ninth minute Alex goal. Houston's Collen Warner took a yellow card for a sixty-fifth minute foul. Sporting took the lead back in the eighty-first minute on a Dominic Dwyer goal, passed from Espinoza and Benny Feilhaber. Alex of the Dynamo took a yellow card for his eighty-third minute foul. Houston tied it in stoppage time on a Raul Rodriguez goal, set up by Garcia. This made it a 3-3 final, with the man of the match being Espinoza for his goal and assist.
On Saturday, the first of seven games has the Columbus Crew SC welcoming the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Steve Clark are the solid keepers. The game suffered a long weather delay due to a storm in Ohio. Once it got going, Columbus opened in the eleventh minute on an Ola Kamara goal, passed from Mohammed Saeid. Vancouver got on the board as the Crew's Gaston Sauro committed an own goal in the thirteenth minute. The Whitecaps saw a yellow card for a nineteenth minute Cristian Techera foul. Vancouver took the lead with an Andrew Jacobson goal, set up by Christian Bolanos. The Whitecaps added on with an Erik Hurtado goal in the eighty-second minute. Vancouver's Nicolas Mezquida received a yellow card for his eighty-fifth minute foul. Columbus went down to ten men as Tony Tchani took a straight red card for violent conduct in the eighty-sixth minute. The game ended at 3-1, with the man of the match being Jacobson for his winner.
To the east, the Philadelphia Union bring in the Montreal Impact. Eric Kronberg is mismatched with Andre Blake in goal. Chris Pontius of Philadelphia had a thirty-fourth minute yellow card. Philadelphia began in the forty-fifth minute with a Tranquillo Barnetta goal, assisted by Fabian Herbers and Alejandro Bedoya. Montreal's Laurent Ciman took a yellow card for a forty-eighth minute foul. C.J. Sapong of Philadelphia had a yellow card for his fifty-fourth minute foul. The Impact had a yellow card given to Hassoun Camara in the sixtieth minute for a foul. Montreal tied it in the eighty-eighth minute on a Matteo Mancosu goal, set up by Donny Toia and Hernan Bernardello. The final stood at 1-1, with the man of the match being Mancosu for his equalizer.
Northeast to New England, where the Revolution host New York City FC. Josh Saunders and Brad Knighton man the nets. New York City's Jefferson Mena took a twentieth minute yellow card for a foul. New England started in the twenty-first minute on a Juan Agudelo goal, assisted by Diego Fagundez. The Revolution added on in the forty-second minute with a Lee Nguyen goal, coming off of Kelyn Rowe and Andrew Farrell. New York City got on the board with a forty-ninth minute Frank Lampard goal. New England replied with a fifty-eighth minute Fagundez goal, made possible by Agudelo. Gershon Koffie of the Revolution had a yellow card for his sixty-ninth minute foul. In the seventy-second minute, RJ Allen of New York City took a yellow card for a foul. In the eighty-sixth minute, New York City went down to ten men as Federico Bravo took a straight red card for his foul, and Steven Mendoza took a yellow card for dissent on the call. The game ended at 3-1, with the man of the match being Fagundez.
Westward to Chicago, with the Fire welcoming Toronto FC. Alex Bono and Sean Johnson are in the six-yard boxes. Toronto was first to score in the thirty-third minute with a Jozy Altidore goal, assisted by Justin Morrow and Will Johnson. Toronto added on with a fifty-second minute goal by Jonathan Osorio, passed from Altidore. Chicago got on the board with a fifty-eighth minute goal from Michael de Leeuw, made possible by John Goossens. The game ended at 2-1, with the man of the match being Altidore for his goal and assist.
Down in Texas, FC Dallas brings in the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and Chris Seitz are between the posts. Axel Sjoberg of Colorado had a thirtieth minute yellow card for his foul. Marc Burch of the Rapids took a yellow card for a fifty-first minute foul. Colorado got going with a fifty-second minute Dominique Badji goal, passed from Sebastien Le Toux. The Rapids saw yellow cards for Micheal Azira in the sixty-eighth minute and Marlon Hairston in the eighty-first minute, both for fouls. Dallas had a yellow card given to Maximiliano Urruti in stoppage time for his foul. The game ended at 1-0, with Badji the man of the match for the winning goal.
In the northwest, the Portland Timbers host Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Jake Gleeson are the gloved men. Portland struck first in the twelfth minute with a Fanendo Adi goal. Salt Lake had a yellow card go to Sunny for his fortieth minute foul. The Timbers' Liam Ridgewell took a yellow card for a foul in the fiftieth minute. Real had yellow cards for Javier Morales in the fifty-fourth minute and Demar Phillips in the seventy-fifth minute, both for fouls. Portland's goalie Gleeson took a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-sixth minute. Salt Lake had a ninetieth minute yellow card issued to Joao Plata for dissent. The game ended 1-0, with Adi the man of the match.
Saturday ends just to the north in Seattle, with the Sounders FC welcoming the San Jose Earthquakes. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the twentieth minute with a Chris Wondolowski goal, assisted by Jordan Stewart. In the forty-fourth minute, Stewart of the Earthquakes took a yellow card for his foul. Seattle's Osvaldo Alonso had a yellow card for a fifty-fourth minute foul. In the fifty-eighth minute, Simon Dawkins of San Jose took a yellow card for his foul. Marvell Wynne of the Earthquakes had a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-ninth minute. The Sounders tied it in the eightieth minute on a Nicolas Lodeiro goal. Alberto Quintero of San Jose took a yellow card in the eighty-fourth minute for his dive. The game ended at 1-1, with Lodeiro the man of the match for his equalizer.
The first of two Sunday games sees the New York Red Bulls bring in DC United. Bill Hamid and Luis Robles protect the nets. DC had yellow cards for fouls by Rob Vincent in the twenty-fourth minute and Lloyd Sam in the thirty-fourth minute. New York drew first blood in the thirty-fifth minute on a Gonzalo Veron goal. The Red Bulls added on in the fifty-fourth minute with a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, set up by Daniel Royer. Julian Buescher of United took a sixty-eighth minute yellow card for a foul. DC got on the board in the eighty-ninth minute with a Steve Birnbaum goal. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, United tied it with a Lamar Neagle goal, earning him the man of the match honors in the 2-2 draw.
Finally, the Los Angeles Galaxy host Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Brian Rowe are the keepers. Orlando City cracked the scoresheet in the twentieth minute on a Kevin Molino goal. Los Angeles tied it in the thirty-fifth minute with a Giovani dos Santos goal, assisted by Emmanuel Boateng and Jelle Van Damme. The Galaxy took the lead on a thirty-eighth minute goal from Alan Gordon, via Van Damme and dos Santos. Los Angeles added on with a dos Santos penalty kick goal in the forty-fifth minute. Rafael Garcia of the Galaxy had a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. Tony Rocha of Orlando City had a yellow card for a forty-eighth minute foul. Ashley Cole of Los Angeles took a yellow card for a fifty-fifth minute foul. David Mateos of Orlando City had a sixtieth minute yellow card for a foul. The Galaxy extended the lead as Robbie Keane scored, thanks to dos Santos and Sebastian Lletget. Los Angeles' Raul Mendiola took a yellow card for a seventy-fifth minute foul. Orlando City got one back with a Brek Shea goal in second half stoppage time. This made it 4-2, the final, with dos Santos the man of the match for having a role in all four Galaxy goals.
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KHL 2016/17 - Day 20
Six games on today, but a return of more high-scoring games that had been absent most of the week. We begin with...
Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Vladislav Fokin and Alexander Salak guard the cages. Novosibirsk led off in the first period with a Sergei Shumakov goal, helped along by Maxim Shalunov. Sibir added on with a Stepan Sannikov goal, going in unassisted. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board in the second period with a Vitaly Shulakov goal, courtesy of Pavel Valentenko and Pavel Medvedev. Novosibirsk replied on a Konstantin Okulov goal, assisted by Alexei Skabelka and Igor Fefelov. Sibir extended the lead on a Sannikov power play goal, powered by Eero Elo and Shumakov. Novosibirsk padded the lead as Ivan Vereshchagin scored a third period power play goal, thanks to Elo and Evgeny Artyukhin. Sibir kept going with a Skabelka goal, with assists provided by Dmitry Lukin and Damir Zhafyarov. Novosibirsk iced it at 7-1 with a Joonas Kemppainen goal, fueled by Okulov and Artyom Artyomov. The three stars went to Sannikov, Skabelka, and Shumakov, while Okulov and Elo get the honorable mentions.
Nearby in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes Medvescak Zagreb. Danny Taylor and Mikhail Biryukov are the goalies. Zagreb started in the first period with a Colby Genoway goal, assisted by Tomas Mertl and Brandon McMillan. Novokuznetsk tied it on an Ignat Zemchenko goal, passed from Alexander Komaristy. Medvescak answered with an Alexandre Giroux power play goal, powered by Gilbert Brule. Metallurg tied it again in the second period on a Nikita Yazkov goal, helped along by Komaristy. Zagreb took the lead back with an unassisted Brule goal in the third period. Novokuznetsk tied it again when Denis Vikharev scored an unassisted goal. Medvescak retook the lead on Brule's second goal of the game, fueled by Blake Parlett and Francis Pare. Zagreb iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal from Giroux, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Brule, Giroux, and Komaristy.
West to Chelyabinsk, with Traktor bringing in Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Vasily Demchenko guard the cages. Chelyabinsk got going with a Nikolai Belov power play goal in the second period, powered by Igor Mirnov and Maxim Yakutsenya. Traktor added on in the third period with a Yakutsenya goal, with a lone assist by Paul Szczechura. Chelyabinsk extended the lead as Yakutsenya scored again, thanks to Kirill Koltsov. The game ended at 3-0, with the three stars given to Yakutsenya, Demchenko (21 save shutout), and Belov.
Backtracking to Omsk, where Avangard hosts Slovan Bratislava. Barry Brust and Dominik Furch are the solid goalies. Bratislava began in the first period with a Patrik Luza goal, via Jeff Taffe. Slovan added on with a Vaclav Nedorost goal, coming off of Nick Plastino and Ivan Svarny. Omsk got on the board with a power play goal in the second period from Anton Burdasov, powered by Andrei Kuteikin. Bratislava answered with a Lukas Vopelka goal, helped along by Taffe. Avangard got it back with a Burdasov goal, going in unassisted in the third period. Omsk tied it as Alexander Perezhogin scored, thanks to Evgeny Medvedev. Slovan took the lead right back with a Taffe goal, set up by Jonathan Cheechoo. The game ended at 4-3, with the three stars given to Taffe, Burdasov, and Vopelka.
In Kazakhstan, Barys Astana welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Henrik Karlsson draw the starts. Yekaterinburg opened in the first period with a Dmitry Monya goal, guided in by Yegor Zhuravlyov and Denis Mingaleyev. Astana tied it on a Kevin Dallman goal, fueled by Maxim Semyonov. Barys took the lead with a Dmitry Grents goal, assisted by Roman Savchenko and Cam Barker. Avtomobilist retied it in the second period with an unassisted Jan Buchtele goal. Yekaterinburg took the lead back with a Rok Ticar goal, coming off of Niclas Andersen. Avtomobilist added on with a power play goal by Alexander Torchenyuk, powered by Nikolai Timashov and Andrei Gareyev. Astana got one back in the third period with a Nigel Dawes goal, with a lone assist from Brandon Bochenski. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Torchenyuk, Ticar, and Buchtele.
Finally, CSKA Moscow brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Ilya Sorokin tend the twines. Moscow struck first in the first period with a Mikhail Naumenkov goal, assisted by Gennady Stolyarov and Danila Kvartnalov. Cherepovets tied it on a Pavel Chernov power play goal, powered by Adam Masuhr and Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Severstal took the lead with an Igor Skorokhodov goal, fueled by Alexander Yevseyenkov and Vitaly Sitnikov. CSKA tied it on a Greg Scott goal, guided in by Dmitry Kugryshev and Jonas Enlund. Moscow took the lead with a second period Bud Holloway power play goal, with assists provided by Stephane Da Costa and Bogdan Kiselevich. CSKA added on with an Enlund goal, helped along by Kugryshev and Scott. Moscow extended the lead as Artyom Blazhiyevsky scored on the power play, with the help of Kugryshev, who got a sock trick, and Scott. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars awarded to Scott, Kugryshev, and Enlund.
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Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Vladislav Fokin and Alexander Salak guard the cages. Novosibirsk led off in the first period with a Sergei Shumakov goal, helped along by Maxim Shalunov. Sibir added on with a Stepan Sannikov goal, going in unassisted. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board in the second period with a Vitaly Shulakov goal, courtesy of Pavel Valentenko and Pavel Medvedev. Novosibirsk replied on a Konstantin Okulov goal, assisted by Alexei Skabelka and Igor Fefelov. Sibir extended the lead on a Sannikov power play goal, powered by Eero Elo and Shumakov. Novosibirsk padded the lead as Ivan Vereshchagin scored a third period power play goal, thanks to Elo and Evgeny Artyukhin. Sibir kept going with a Skabelka goal, with assists provided by Dmitry Lukin and Damir Zhafyarov. Novosibirsk iced it at 7-1 with a Joonas Kemppainen goal, fueled by Okulov and Artyom Artyomov. The three stars went to Sannikov, Skabelka, and Shumakov, while Okulov and Elo get the honorable mentions.
Nearby in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes Medvescak Zagreb. Danny Taylor and Mikhail Biryukov are the goalies. Zagreb started in the first period with a Colby Genoway goal, assisted by Tomas Mertl and Brandon McMillan. Novokuznetsk tied it on an Ignat Zemchenko goal, passed from Alexander Komaristy. Medvescak answered with an Alexandre Giroux power play goal, powered by Gilbert Brule. Metallurg tied it again in the second period on a Nikita Yazkov goal, helped along by Komaristy. Zagreb took the lead back with an unassisted Brule goal in the third period. Novokuznetsk tied it again when Denis Vikharev scored an unassisted goal. Medvescak retook the lead on Brule's second goal of the game, fueled by Blake Parlett and Francis Pare. Zagreb iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal from Giroux, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Brule, Giroux, and Komaristy.
West to Chelyabinsk, with Traktor bringing in Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Vasily Demchenko guard the cages. Chelyabinsk got going with a Nikolai Belov power play goal in the second period, powered by Igor Mirnov and Maxim Yakutsenya. Traktor added on in the third period with a Yakutsenya goal, with a lone assist by Paul Szczechura. Chelyabinsk extended the lead as Yakutsenya scored again, thanks to Kirill Koltsov. The game ended at 3-0, with the three stars given to Yakutsenya, Demchenko (21 save shutout), and Belov.
Backtracking to Omsk, where Avangard hosts Slovan Bratislava. Barry Brust and Dominik Furch are the solid goalies. Bratislava began in the first period with a Patrik Luza goal, via Jeff Taffe. Slovan added on with a Vaclav Nedorost goal, coming off of Nick Plastino and Ivan Svarny. Omsk got on the board with a power play goal in the second period from Anton Burdasov, powered by Andrei Kuteikin. Bratislava answered with a Lukas Vopelka goal, helped along by Taffe. Avangard got it back with a Burdasov goal, going in unassisted in the third period. Omsk tied it as Alexander Perezhogin scored, thanks to Evgeny Medvedev. Slovan took the lead right back with a Taffe goal, set up by Jonathan Cheechoo. The game ended at 4-3, with the three stars given to Taffe, Burdasov, and Vopelka.
In Kazakhstan, Barys Astana welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Henrik Karlsson draw the starts. Yekaterinburg opened in the first period with a Dmitry Monya goal, guided in by Yegor Zhuravlyov and Denis Mingaleyev. Astana tied it on a Kevin Dallman goal, fueled by Maxim Semyonov. Barys took the lead with a Dmitry Grents goal, assisted by Roman Savchenko and Cam Barker. Avtomobilist retied it in the second period with an unassisted Jan Buchtele goal. Yekaterinburg took the lead back with a Rok Ticar goal, coming off of Niclas Andersen. Avtomobilist added on with a power play goal by Alexander Torchenyuk, powered by Nikolai Timashov and Andrei Gareyev. Astana got one back in the third period with a Nigel Dawes goal, with a lone assist from Brandon Bochenski. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Torchenyuk, Ticar, and Buchtele.
Finally, CSKA Moscow brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Ilya Sorokin tend the twines. Moscow struck first in the first period with a Mikhail Naumenkov goal, assisted by Gennady Stolyarov and Danila Kvartnalov. Cherepovets tied it on a Pavel Chernov power play goal, powered by Adam Masuhr and Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Severstal took the lead with an Igor Skorokhodov goal, fueled by Alexander Yevseyenkov and Vitaly Sitnikov. CSKA tied it on a Greg Scott goal, guided in by Dmitry Kugryshev and Jonas Enlund. Moscow took the lead with a second period Bud Holloway power play goal, with assists provided by Stephane Da Costa and Bogdan Kiselevich. CSKA added on with an Enlund goal, helped along by Kugryshev and Scott. Moscow extended the lead as Artyom Blazhiyevsky scored on the power play, with the help of Kugryshev, who got a sock trick, and Scott. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars awarded to Scott, Kugryshev, and Enlund.
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Saturday, September 10, 2016
KHL 2016/17 - Day 19
There's seven games on for today, beginning with...
Metallurg Magnitogorsk hosting Jokerit Helsinki. Ryan Zapolski and Vasily Koshechkin are in the blue paint. Magnitogorsk got going with a second period Wojtek Wolski power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Sergei Mozyakin. Helsinki tied it on a Roope Talaja goal in the third period, coming off of Peter Regin. Metallurg took the lead on a Denis Platonov goal, passed from Danis Zaripov and Oskar Osala. Magnitogorsk added on with a Mozyakin goal, assisted by Jan Kovar and Evgeny Biryukov. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars awarded to Mozyakin, Koshechkin (28 for 29 in saves), and Platonov.
Along to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev welcomes Dinamo Minsk. Ben Scrivens and Niklas Svedberg are the reliable goalies. Minsk dented the scoreboard in the second period on an Andrei Stepanov power play goal, powered by Sergei Kostitsyn and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Ufa tied it in the third period with an Evgeny Bodrov goal, guided in by Zakhar Arzamastsev and Igor Makarov. Dinamo took the lead right back on a Matt Ellison goal, made possible by Charles Linglet and Alexander Pavlovich. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Scrivens (34 for 35 in saves), Ellison, and Stepanov.
West to Nizhnekamsk, where Neftekhimik brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Ivan Lisutin are in the blue paint. Moscow started in the first period with a Maxim Karpov goal, fueled by Yegor Dugin and Mat Robinson. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a Maxim Berezin goal, coming off of Dan Sexton. Dynamo shot back on another Karpov goal, assisted by Martins Karsums and Alexei Maklyukov. Moscow added on with Karpov's power play goal in the second period, finishing his hat trick with a lone assist by Dugin. The scoring ended here at 3-1, with the three stars being Karpov, Yeryomenko (37 for 38 in saves), and Dugin.
Speaking of Moscow, Spartak hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Nikita Bespalov are the masked men. Moscow opened in the first period with an Alexander Vasilyev goal, courtesy of Anatoly Nikontsev and Vladislav Provolnev. This was the game's only goal for a 1-0 Spartak win. The three stars belonged to Bespalov (22 save shutout), Vasilyev, and Metsola (23 for 24 in saves).
Backtracking to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo brings in Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Andrei Makarov and Ilya Proskuryakov are between the pipes. Nizhny Novgorod led off in the first period with an Ivan Vishnevsky goal, passed from Vladimir Galuzin and Nikolai Zherdev on the power play. Torpedo added on in the second period with a Carter Ashton power play goal, powered by Galuzin and Zherdev. Nizhny Novgorod extended the lead as Galuzin scored, thanks to Ilya Kolganov and Zherdev, the latter earning a sock trick. Beijing got on the board in the third period with a Chad Rau power play goal, helped along by Max Warn and Anssi Salmela. This only made it 3-1, the final, with Galuzin, Zherdev, and Proskuryakov (22 for 23 in saves) earning the three stars.
Next up, Ak Bars Kazan welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Emil Garipov guard the cages. Podolsk struck first in the second period on an Alexei Makeyev goal, courtesy of Maxim Afinogenov. Kazan tied it on a Dmitry Obukhov goal, assisted by Alexander Svitov. Ak Bars took the lead with an Anton Glinkin goal, made possible by Mikhail Varnakov and Stepan Zakharchuk. Vityaz retied it on a Miro Aaltonen goal in the third period, fueled by Mario Kempe. The tie went to a shootout, where Vladimir Tkachyov and Glinkin scored to win the 3-2 game for Ak Bars. The three stars were Glinkin, Obukhov, and Sateri (36 for 38 in saves).
Finally, we head south for the Sochi Leopards hosting Admiral Vladivostok. Nikita Serebryakov is mismatched with Konstantin Barulin in goal. Sochi began in the first period with an Andre Petersson power play goal, powered by Oscar Fantenberg. The Leopards added on with an Igor Levitsky goal, helped along by Renat Mamashev and Ruslan Pedan. Vladivostok got on the board with a Vladimir Tkachyov goal, with helpers from Robert Sabolic and Jonathon Blum. Admiral tied it on a Dmitry Lugin goal, courtesy of Alexander Gorshkov in the second period. Sochi retook the lead on an Ilya Krikunov goal, assisted by Pedan and Andrei Kostitsyn. Vladivostok retied it on a Tkachyov goal, fueled by Sabolic. The Leopards pulled ahead again with a Petersson power play goal, with assists provided by Ilya Gorokhov and Krikunov. Sochi extended the lead as Ivan Zakharchuk scored, with the help of Eric O'Dell and Evgeny Skachkov. The Leopards padded the lead as Levitsky scored his second of the game in the third period, thanks to Petersson and Mamashev. Admiral got one back on a Samvel Mnatsyan goal, guided in by Ivan Gavrilenko and Sabolic, the latter getting a sock trick. Vladivostok edged closer on a Sergei Barbashev power play goal, with a lone assist by Gorshkov. This only made it 6-5, the final, with the three stars given to Petersson, Mamashev, and Krikunov, while Mamashev, Pedan, Sabolic, Gorshkov, and Tkachyov get the honorable mentions.
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Metallurg Magnitogorsk hosting Jokerit Helsinki. Ryan Zapolski and Vasily Koshechkin are in the blue paint. Magnitogorsk got going with a second period Wojtek Wolski power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Sergei Mozyakin. Helsinki tied it on a Roope Talaja goal in the third period, coming off of Peter Regin. Metallurg took the lead on a Denis Platonov goal, passed from Danis Zaripov and Oskar Osala. Magnitogorsk added on with a Mozyakin goal, assisted by Jan Kovar and Evgeny Biryukov. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars awarded to Mozyakin, Koshechkin (28 for 29 in saves), and Platonov.
Along to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev welcomes Dinamo Minsk. Ben Scrivens and Niklas Svedberg are the reliable goalies. Minsk dented the scoreboard in the second period on an Andrei Stepanov power play goal, powered by Sergei Kostitsyn and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Ufa tied it in the third period with an Evgeny Bodrov goal, guided in by Zakhar Arzamastsev and Igor Makarov. Dinamo took the lead right back on a Matt Ellison goal, made possible by Charles Linglet and Alexander Pavlovich. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Scrivens (34 for 35 in saves), Ellison, and Stepanov.
West to Nizhnekamsk, where Neftekhimik brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Ivan Lisutin are in the blue paint. Moscow started in the first period with a Maxim Karpov goal, fueled by Yegor Dugin and Mat Robinson. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a Maxim Berezin goal, coming off of Dan Sexton. Dynamo shot back on another Karpov goal, assisted by Martins Karsums and Alexei Maklyukov. Moscow added on with Karpov's power play goal in the second period, finishing his hat trick with a lone assist by Dugin. The scoring ended here at 3-1, with the three stars being Karpov, Yeryomenko (37 for 38 in saves), and Dugin.
Speaking of Moscow, Spartak hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Nikita Bespalov are the masked men. Moscow opened in the first period with an Alexander Vasilyev goal, courtesy of Anatoly Nikontsev and Vladislav Provolnev. This was the game's only goal for a 1-0 Spartak win. The three stars belonged to Bespalov (22 save shutout), Vasilyev, and Metsola (23 for 24 in saves).
Backtracking to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo brings in Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Andrei Makarov and Ilya Proskuryakov are between the pipes. Nizhny Novgorod led off in the first period with an Ivan Vishnevsky goal, passed from Vladimir Galuzin and Nikolai Zherdev on the power play. Torpedo added on in the second period with a Carter Ashton power play goal, powered by Galuzin and Zherdev. Nizhny Novgorod extended the lead as Galuzin scored, thanks to Ilya Kolganov and Zherdev, the latter earning a sock trick. Beijing got on the board in the third period with a Chad Rau power play goal, helped along by Max Warn and Anssi Salmela. This only made it 3-1, the final, with Galuzin, Zherdev, and Proskuryakov (22 for 23 in saves) earning the three stars.
Next up, Ak Bars Kazan welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Emil Garipov guard the cages. Podolsk struck first in the second period on an Alexei Makeyev goal, courtesy of Maxim Afinogenov. Kazan tied it on a Dmitry Obukhov goal, assisted by Alexander Svitov. Ak Bars took the lead with an Anton Glinkin goal, made possible by Mikhail Varnakov and Stepan Zakharchuk. Vityaz retied it on a Miro Aaltonen goal in the third period, fueled by Mario Kempe. The tie went to a shootout, where Vladimir Tkachyov and Glinkin scored to win the 3-2 game for Ak Bars. The three stars were Glinkin, Obukhov, and Sateri (36 for 38 in saves).
Finally, we head south for the Sochi Leopards hosting Admiral Vladivostok. Nikita Serebryakov is mismatched with Konstantin Barulin in goal. Sochi began in the first period with an Andre Petersson power play goal, powered by Oscar Fantenberg. The Leopards added on with an Igor Levitsky goal, helped along by Renat Mamashev and Ruslan Pedan. Vladivostok got on the board with a Vladimir Tkachyov goal, with helpers from Robert Sabolic and Jonathon Blum. Admiral tied it on a Dmitry Lugin goal, courtesy of Alexander Gorshkov in the second period. Sochi retook the lead on an Ilya Krikunov goal, assisted by Pedan and Andrei Kostitsyn. Vladivostok retied it on a Tkachyov goal, fueled by Sabolic. The Leopards pulled ahead again with a Petersson power play goal, with assists provided by Ilya Gorokhov and Krikunov. Sochi extended the lead as Ivan Zakharchuk scored, with the help of Eric O'Dell and Evgeny Skachkov. The Leopards padded the lead as Levitsky scored his second of the game in the third period, thanks to Petersson and Mamashev. Admiral got one back on a Samvel Mnatsyan goal, guided in by Ivan Gavrilenko and Sabolic, the latter getting a sock trick. Vladivostok edged closer on a Sergei Barbashev power play goal, with a lone assist by Gorshkov. This only made it 6-5, the final, with the three stars given to Petersson, Mamashev, and Krikunov, while Mamashev, Pedan, Sabolic, Gorshkov, and Tkachyov get the honorable mentions.
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Friday, September 9, 2016
KHL 2016/17 - Day 18
Only four games on today, beginning in...
Novosibirsk, as Sibir hosts Medvescak Zagreb. Danny Taylor and Alexander Salak are in goal. Novosibirsk got going in the second period with a Joonas Kemppainen power play goal, powered by Konstantin Okulov. Sibir added on with an Eero Elo goal, passed from Evgeny Artyukhin. Novosibirsk extended the lead as Maxim Shalunov scored, thanks to Sergei Shumakov in the third period. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars going to Salak (33 save shutout), Kemppainen, and Elo.
Nearby, Metallurg Novokuznetsk welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Justin Pogge and Andrei Kareyev are the backups in goal. Novokuznetsk led off in the first period with an unassisted Kirill Semyonov goal. Metallurg added on with a Denis Vikharev goal, passed from Mikhail Anisin and Mikhail Kuklev in the second period. Bratislava got on the board with a third period power play goal by Vaclav Nedorost, powered by Jeff Taffe. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Kareyev (50 for 51 in saves), Vikharev, and Semyonov.
Into Kazakhstan, where Barys Astana brings in Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexander Sharychenkov and Henrik Karlsson are in the blue paint. Astana began in the first period with a Kevin Dallman goal, helped along by Roman Starchenko and Evgeny Rymarev. Khanty-Manisysk tied it on a Konstantin Panov goal, with a lone assist by Vitaly Shulakov. Barys took the lead back in the second period with a Brandon Bochenski goal, assisted by Roman Savchenko and Alexander Lipin. Ugra pulled back on a Shulakov goal, coming off of Pavel Varfolomeyev. Astana shot back with an Alexander Shin goal, courtesy of Savchenko. The game held from here at 3-2, with the three stars going to Savchenko, Shin, and Shulakov.
Finally, CSKA Moscow hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Igor Shestyorkin and Viktor Fasth man the nets. Moscow struck first with a Greg Scott goal in the first period, assisted by Jonas Enlund and Igor Ozhiganov. St. Petersburg tied it on a second period goal by Vyacheslav Voynov on the power play, guided in by Ilya Kovalchuk. CSKA took the lead back with a Stephane Da Costa power play goal, powered by Bogdan Kiselevich and Enlund. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Fasth (24 for 25 in saves), Enlund, and Da Costa.
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Novosibirsk, as Sibir hosts Medvescak Zagreb. Danny Taylor and Alexander Salak are in goal. Novosibirsk got going in the second period with a Joonas Kemppainen power play goal, powered by Konstantin Okulov. Sibir added on with an Eero Elo goal, passed from Evgeny Artyukhin. Novosibirsk extended the lead as Maxim Shalunov scored, thanks to Sergei Shumakov in the third period. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars going to Salak (33 save shutout), Kemppainen, and Elo.
Nearby, Metallurg Novokuznetsk welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Justin Pogge and Andrei Kareyev are the backups in goal. Novokuznetsk led off in the first period with an unassisted Kirill Semyonov goal. Metallurg added on with a Denis Vikharev goal, passed from Mikhail Anisin and Mikhail Kuklev in the second period. Bratislava got on the board with a third period power play goal by Vaclav Nedorost, powered by Jeff Taffe. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Kareyev (50 for 51 in saves), Vikharev, and Semyonov.
Into Kazakhstan, where Barys Astana brings in Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexander Sharychenkov and Henrik Karlsson are in the blue paint. Astana began in the first period with a Kevin Dallman goal, helped along by Roman Starchenko and Evgeny Rymarev. Khanty-Manisysk tied it on a Konstantin Panov goal, with a lone assist by Vitaly Shulakov. Barys took the lead back in the second period with a Brandon Bochenski goal, assisted by Roman Savchenko and Alexander Lipin. Ugra pulled back on a Shulakov goal, coming off of Pavel Varfolomeyev. Astana shot back with an Alexander Shin goal, courtesy of Savchenko. The game held from here at 3-2, with the three stars going to Savchenko, Shin, and Shulakov.
Finally, CSKA Moscow hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Igor Shestyorkin and Viktor Fasth man the nets. Moscow struck first with a Greg Scott goal in the first period, assisted by Jonas Enlund and Igor Ozhiganov. St. Petersburg tied it on a second period goal by Vyacheslav Voynov on the power play, guided in by Ilya Kovalchuk. CSKA took the lead back with a Stephane Da Costa power play goal, powered by Bogdan Kiselevich and Enlund. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Fasth (24 for 25 in saves), Enlund, and Da Costa.
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Thursday, September 8, 2016
NWSL Week 18
It's a midweek session of games, with all five on Wednesday. We begin with...
The Boston Breakers hosting the Western New York Flash. Sabrina D'Angelo and Libby Stout play goal. You can find the game here. Western New York had the first attack, with a through ball for Jessica McDonald, but Stout was there first. The Flash saw a McCall Zerboni shot after another possession in the third minute, saved by Stout. On the other side, Boston's Eunice Beckmann had a chance on goal, but Western New York's goalie D'Angelo handled it. The Breakers made it 1-0 in the fourth minute on a Kyah Simon goal, passed from Julie King, with other passes early from Angela Salem and Kristie Mewis. Samantha Mewis had a shot in the sixth minute after Lynn Williams had a shot blocked. In the ninth minute, Natasha received a yellow card for her dissent on Simon's foul on Zerboni. Kassey Kallman of the Breakers disrupted a Williams attack for the Flash in the twelfth minute. McDonald saw a chance wasted in the fifteenth minute, as she corralled a cross with her arm and the Western New York attack was stalled. Elizabeth Eddy had a long cross in the seventeenth minute, falling to King, who cleared it. Whitney Engen blocked a Lianne Sanderson shot in the twentieth minute after McDonald's long throw for the Flash. Williams had a shot over the bar seconds later. King headed a McDonald throw in the twenty-third minute, and Stout grabbed the second offering into the box. Boston's Louise Schillgard blocked a Jaelene Hinkle cross in the twenty-fourth minute. Williams won the Flash a corner kick against Kallman. Abby Dahlkemper went for Abby Erceg, but she sent it wide left in the twenty-fifth minute. Dowie pressed D'Angelo after a mistake from Dahlkemper in the twenty-sixth minute. Dowie tried to find Kristie Mewis in the twenty-seventh minute, but it was intercepted by the Flash. Salem cleared an Eddy cross in the twenty-ninth minute. Engen had to make a second clearance for Boston. King went for Simon, but Alanna Kennedy cleared it for Western New York. Williams tried to find McDonald in the thirtieth minute, but it went too high. Samantha Mewis passed to Williams, but her touch was heavy and Stout grabbed it before she could recover, springing a Boston attack. King sent a free kick straight at D'Angelo in the thirty-third minute. Zerboni tried to pick out Sanderson in the thirty-seventh minute as Western New York has sustained some pressure, but Stout was up to the task on the deflected cross. King's thirty-eighth minute cross for Boston was caught by D'Angelo. On the counterattack, McDonald finally capitalized for the Flash, burying a rebound off of Stout into the net to make it 1-1 after Samantha Mewis' long ball. Eddy tried a through ball in the fortieth minute, making its way fully to Stout. Erceg made a steal from Dowie to stall a Breakers attack in the forty-second minute. Dahlkemper blocked a Dowie shot on a Brooke Elby throw-in in the forty-third minute. Erceg headed a McDonald throw wide right in the forty-fourth minute. Williams intercepted a Simon pass to Engen and nearly got a shot attempt in the forty-fifth minute, but the heavy touch allowed Stout to get there first. Erceg cleared Elby's cross to Beckmann in stoppage time. A second effort saw Beckmann head it wide, and the game went into halftime at 1-1. Impressing for the Flash so far are RB Eddy, CB Dahlkemper, DCM Erceg, RW Mewis, RF Williams, and LF McDonald. For the Breakers, the top performance have come from GK Stout, CB Kallman, RB King, DM Salem, LW Simon, and LF Dowie. In the forty-eighth minute, the Flash finally established an attack through Williams and Samantha Mewis, but Engen cleared it away from McDonald. On the throw-in, King took a knock after a header to defend. The Flash had a corner kick, which went a bit long for Kennedy. Mewis volleyed a McDonald cross in the forty-ninth minute, stopped by Stout to give Boston some control. In the fifty-first minute, Dowie struck with a goal after a Schillgard flip behind the defense, working around Dahlkemper to strike across goal and beat D'Angelo. This gave Boston a 2-1 lead. Beckmann found Simon centrally in the fifty-third minute, and her shot glanced wide left with a deflection to give Boston a corner kick. Kristie Mewis' service was caught by D'Angelo. King and Kallman shut down Williams in the fifty-fourth minute after McDonald's pass. McDonald then headed a ball wide. Engen headed a fifty-sixth minute cross from Eddy away, and Kristie Mewis completed the clearance. Dowie had a long shot in a Boston counterattack, going wide right, all after Kallman blocked a Hinkle cross. Dowie shot another one from a closer range but wider angle, and this also went wide right. King had a long free kick that D'Angelo bobbled under pressure from Kristie Mewis, but D'Angelo handled it. King took a yellow card for a foul on Western New York's Makenzy Doniak in the sixtieth minute. Stout punched away Kennedy's free kick. Schillgard and King helped to clear a Doniak cross in the sixty-second minute. Boston relieved the pressure after Hinkle's errant cross for Western New York. Hinkle did a free kick in the sixty-fifth minute, going for Doniak, but her header was over the bar. Doniak won a corner kick off of King, which the Flash's Dahlkemper took. It bounced to Kennedy, who flicked it back into the hands of Stout. Dahlkemper had a free kick in the sixty-sixth minute for Erceg, who sent it wide right. In the sixty-eighth minute, Beckmann fouled Samantha Mewis, earning the Breakers forward a yellow card. Salem cleared the free kick, and Hinkle's second effort found Zerboni, but the Breakers cleared it out for a corner kick. Dahlkemper went long and over all the players in the box. Salem cleared Eddy's return service in the sixty-ninth minute. Doniak managed a seventieth minute shot off of a McDonald throw, going wide left. Doniak started another attack that ended with Samantha Mewis' deflected shot for another Flash corner kick. Stout caught the set piece from Dahlkemper. Engen kept McDonald's flicked header away from Doniak in the seventy-second minute. Simon rifled a shot into the box in the seventy-sixth minute, grabbed by D'Angelo. Later in the minute, Doniak corralled a ball, and found Williams, who fired a shot just under the bar and in to tie the game at 2 for Western New York. In the seventy-seventh minute, Kristie Mewis served a Boston corner kick in, and King knocked it back to Salem, who shanked her shot. Kristie Mewis served it back in, and D'Angelo grabbed it. Dahlkemper's seventy-ninth minute free kick was caught by Stout. Simon tried to set up Dowie or Brittany Ratcliffe on the counterattack, but the Flash recovered and cleared it. King cleared a McDonald throw, and Zerboni had an off-target shot in the eighty-fourth minute. King surrendered a corner kick after Hinkle's cross in the eighty-seventh minute. Dahlkemper served it in, but King cleared it, and Schillgard completed the clearance. Doniak got into space on an Eddy long ball, and crossed it into Williams, whose header was just in range of Stout, and she held it just in front of the line in the ninetieth minute. Doniak then took a long shot that Stout palmed over the bar. The Flash took the corner kick from Dahlkemper to Samantha Mewis, who sent it wide right. Kallman cleared a Hinkle cross in stoppage time. Doniak put another ball in that was cleared. Hinkle's third service was caught by Stout as the Breakers are just trying to hold on. Eddy tried a shot on a McDonald throw that was blocked. Simon headed a late free kick away, and Hinkle put it back in, but Stout grabbed it while colliding with McDonald. The game ended at 2-2, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being Dowie. Impressing in the second half for the Flash was the sub winger Doniak, and for the Breakers, RW Kristie Mewis.
At the same time, the Washington Spirit welcome the Seattle Reign FC. Haley Kopmeyer and Kelsey Wys are in the six-yard boxes. The game can be found here. Seattle's Beverly Yanez tried to pick out Nahomi Kawasumi with a first minute cross, but it didn't work out. Shelina Zadorsky of Washington blocked a Kawasumi shot in the second minute, followed by a wide Merritt Mathias half-shot for the Reign. Cali Farquharson went down hurt earlier in the play, and was replaced by Crystal Dunn after what appeared to be a leg injury. Caprice Dydasco tried to find Francisca Ordega in the seventh minute caught her offside to nullify a fledgling Spirit attack. Kendall Fletcher of Seattle headed a Dunn cross out to give Washington a corner kick. Christine Nairn served it in for Estelle Johnson, but the Reign's Jess Fichlock did enough defensively. The Spirit saw some trouble with staying onside, as Nairn's pass was too late for Cheyna Williams, catching her offside. Dunn fouled Seattle's Kim Little for a good eleventh minute free kick. Kawasumi took it, and Dydasco cleared for the Spirit. A twelfth minute Keelin Winters ball didn't find Kawasumi, ending a Seattle attack. Yanez had a low cross that Manon Melis flipped up over the bar for the Reign in the fourteenth minute. Zadorsky blocked a cross from Rumi Utsugi to Fishlock in the fifteenth minute. Winters cleared a Dunn shot in the twenty-first minute. Nairn had a long shot that Kopmeyer saved as the Spirit build some offense. Fishlock made a steal from Nairn in the twenty-fourth and shot wide right after a bit of a run. Diana Matheson sent a ball to Dunn in the box in the twenty-sixth minute after a long series of Washington passes, winning a corner kick off of Dunn's deflected shot. Nairn took it for Johnson, who collided with Yanez, who remained down after the play. Fishlock knocked a ball away from Williams in the twenty-ninth minute for another Spirit corner kick. Nairn's service this time went for Zadorsky, but Yanez headed it back out. Nairn tried again, going for Dunn short, and she got it back for a cross that Kopmeyer caught. Lauren Barnes blocked a Dunn shot in the thirtieth minute, with Washington holding Seattle under siege. Fletcher blocked a Dunn shot in the thirty-first minute. Alyssa Kleiner stole a pass from Winters to Yanez in the thirty-third minute. Johnson of the Spirit blocked a Little through ball. Kleiner surrendered a corner kick to keep the ball away from Melis in the thirty-sixth minute. Seattle's set piece came from Kawasumi, who went give and go with Barnes but Williams blocked and cleared for the Spirit. Dydasco cleared a Yanez through ball in the thirty-ninth minute. Ordega saw a shot blocked by her teammate Nairn, killing Washington's attack after Dunn managed to get it to Ordega past Utsugi. Mathias fouled Williams in the box in the forty-first minute, creating a penalty kick for Washington. Nairn took it but shot wide right of goal, wasting the chance. Utsugi got a cross in the forty-fourth minute, but it went through everyone and Dydasco cleared it for the Spirit. Zadorsky headed away another Utsugi cross in the forty-fifth minute. Kawasumi's stoppage time cross was blocked by Zadorsky. Williams went around many Reign defenders to produce a shot, but Kopmeyer made a diving grab after the Spirit strung many passes together. Winters found Little on the other side, who got around Dydasco, but Wys picked it up safely for Washington. Fishlock sent a shot wide left on the next Reign attack. Nairn found Dunn on a free kick, and she rocketed a long shot into the top left corner to make it 1-0 Spirit right before the half. This was the last kick of the half. The best Reign performances have come from GK Kopmeyer, LB Utsugi, CB Fletcher, DM Winters, RW Fishlock, LW Little, and LF Yanez. For the Spirit, RB Dydasco, CBs Johnson and Zadorsky, LW Nairn, RF Dunn, and CF Williams have done the best work. Utsugi's cross was blocked out by Zadorsky, and Kawasumi's effort was blocked in the forty-seventh minute after trying for Melis. Yanez and Fishlock combined in the forty-eighth minute, with Fishlock's odd-angle shot saved by Wys. Zadorsky twice blocked Kawasumi's efforts for Fishlock in the forty-ninth minute. Yanez deflected a Kleiner cross in the fifty-first minute, giving Washington a corner kick. Nairn took this one for Williams, whose header was well off the mark. Melis allowed Fishlock to send one forward, falling to Yanez before a foul by Seattle ended the play in the fifty-third minute. Barnes headed away a Nairn free kick in the fifty-fourth minute, and Fishlock's long ball was too much for Melis. A fifty-sixth minute shot from Dydasco was handled by Kopmeyer. Utsugi found Zadorsky on a free kick, but Zadorsky shut it down for Washington. Megan Rapinoe saw a cross deflected in the fifty-ninth minute. Little found Kawasumi on a cross in the sixtieth minute, but the header went straight to Wys after a nice buildup with Fishlock and Rapinoe. Dunn got around Utsugi in a sixty-first minute battle, shooting on goal. Kopmeyer couldn't keep hold on the ball, and Williams put it away to make it 2-0 for the Spirit. Rapinoe had a sixty-fourth minute shot for Seattle, going high over the bar. At the sixty-six minute mark, lightning struck in the area, delaying the rest of the game. The delay lasted approximately the minimum thirty minutes. Nairn had a deep sixty-seventh minute shot go wide left. Fishlock caught Rapinoe offside with a through ball in the sixty-ninth minute. Utsugi had a cross catch Nairn in the hand in the box, giving the Reign a penalty kick in the seventieth minute. Little stepped up for the spot kick, roofing it to the top left to cut the deficit to 2-1, still favoring Washington. Yanez had a looping seventy-second minute shot caught by Wys. Rapinoe tracked down a Fishlock ball in the seventy-third minute but her ensuing cross was too long for sub Kiersten Dallstream. Fletcher of the Reign received a yellow card for a foul on Ordega in the seventy-fourth minute. Nairn's free kick proved a bit weak and the Reign cleared. Utsugi was fouled by Joanna Lohman in the seventy-fifth minute, giving Seattle a good free kick chance. Rapinoe went for goal, but Wys saved it. Little had a cross for Kawasumi, but Dydasco headed it away in the seventy-eighth minute. Johnson and Lohman stopped Rapinoe and Utsugi on the next Seattle attack. An eightieth minute Dydasco cross was cleared by Fletcher. Barnes blocked a Williams shot in the eighty-first minute, giving the Spirit a corner kick as it went out. Nairn took this corner Sigvardsen, but Fishlock cleared it out. Utsugi's cross was cleared by Dydasco as far as Fishlock, whose shot deflected out for a corner kick. Barnes took this one for Rapinoe, but Sigvardsen and Johnson combined to clear it. Dunn's eighty-sixth minute shot was punched away by Kopmeyer. In the eighty-eighth minute, Little won a corner kick off of Johnson after some official interference. Rapinoe went for Fishlock low, but it got through to Wys. Utsugi won a corner kick off of Dydasco. In the ninetieth minute, Barnes served in the set piece for Elli Reed of Seattle, but Ali Krieger cleared it for the Spirit. Rapinoe took a free kick from way out in stoppage time, saved by Wys. The game ended at 2-1, with Dunn the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match for her goal and assist.
The third game in the early kickoffs features Sky Blue FC hosting the Orlando Pride. Ashlyn Harris and Caroline Casey draw the starts in goal. This is the game link. Alex Morgan of Orlando took a long ball from Monica in the third minute, but Christie Rampone of Sky Blue cut out the play. Natasha Kai headed a ball for Sam Kerr on a Sky Blue attack, but Kaylyn Kyle and Josee Belanger of the Pride covered it in the fourth minute. Maddy Evans of Orlando produced a cross off a pass from Jamia Fields in the seventh minute, and Casey caught it over Morgan's head to start the Sky Blue attack. Fields, Evans, and Morgan combined again for Orlando, with Morgan's shot blocked by Kristin Grubka, and Casey pounced on the ball in the eighth minute. Sarah Killion of Sky Blue had a ninth minute free kick for Maya Hayes, who nearly got it to Leah Galton, but Cami Levin of the Pride cleared it. Erica Skroski made a steal from Witteman to disrupt an Orlando attack in the eleventh minute. Skroski blocked a Morgan cross in the twelfth minute. Sky Blue's Kerr made a steal from Evans, but her pass to Kai was poor, and Harris picked it up for Orlando. Kai continued to press Kyle on the next play, with the ball coming to Kerr, whose shot was wide left. Grubka and Rampone made blocks on forward balls from Monica and Kristen Edmonds of Orlando. The Pride continued to control the pace of play in the nineteenth minute, ending with Skroski fouling Witteman out wide for a free kick. Edmonds served this one in for Morgan, but Hayes got there first. The ball bounced around in front of Casey on a second service, with Evans poking at it before Casey finally covered it. Edmonds set up Morgan for a shot, but Rampone blocked it. Edmonds then had a shot, which Casey knocked down and Simon cleared in the twenty-first minute. In the twenty-third minute, Evans went long for Morgan, who blazed past Sky Blue's Grubka and fired it into the lower right corner for a 1-0 Pride lead. Galton led a Sky Blue attack in the twenty-fourth minute, cutting back to pass to Kerr, whose shot went high. Galton sent a ball forward for Kerr in the twenty-fifth minute, but it ran long and into the hands of Harris. Killion blocked an Edmonds free kick in the twenty-eighth minute. Hayes sent a cross into the box that nearly proved dangerous as Kyle and Harris had a minor run-in, but Harris lunged and covered it before Kerr got there. Morgan kept a ball in bounds with a lot of hustle against Simon after Dani Weatherholt's long ball for Orlando. Kai and Grubka combined to clear a Fields cross in the thirty-fourth minute. Kerr tried a long shot in the thirty-sixth minute, which didn't challenge Harris. Levin fouled Hayes on the next Sky Blue attack, producing a thirty-seventh minute free kick. Killion went for Kai, which Harris punched away just in time, and Kerr's second effort was also blocked by Evans of the Pride. Hayes had a cross off of Monica in the thirty-eighth minute, earning a corner kick for Sky Blue. Galton went to Grubka, who popped it up and it eventually game to Rampone, who sent it wide left among many Orlando players. Kyle cleaned up Taylor Lytle's cross for Sky Blue, sending it away from the Pride net. Hayes poked a ball off of Monica on a shot in the fortieth minute, earning another corner kick. Galton went for Kai, who headed it over the bar. Edmonds tried to pick out Morgan, but Grubka made one tackle cleanly and a second illegal one on Evans to give Orlando a dangerous free kick in the forty-third minute. Edmonds took the kick for Monica, but Hayes stole it away and started the counterattack. Hayes flicked a ball for Galton, but Harris got there first in stoppage time. Hayes had one more cross that Harris grabbed to end the half with a 1-0 Pride lead. Impressing for Orlando are the CB Monica, DM Evans, ACM Edmonds, LF Witteman, and CF Morgan. For Sky Blue, the top players have been LB Simon, CB Rampone, DM Killion, RW Hayes, and RF Kerr. Belanger took out a Grubka through ball for Galton in the forty-seventh minute. Killion put a free kick in for Kai in the forty-eighth minute, but a foul was called in the scrum. Kyle blocked a Kai cross in the forty-ninth minute. Kai had a second try for Galton, who missed on the header attempt. Galton got a ball and ran into the box, forcing Harris into a save, and Kai's shot on the rebound went wide left in the fiftieth minute. Edmonds set up Fields in the fifty-fourth minute for a long shot that went wide right. Kerr tried to work a give-and-go with Hayes, but Kyle interrupted the return pass in the fifty-sixth minute. Sky Blue had a spurt of possession, with Kerr, Galton, and Hayes combining on a series of crossing tries disrupted by Belanger and Monica. Edmonds had a fifty-ninth minute free kick, going for Kyle, but it didn't work. Fields brought it back in for the Pride, drawing another free kick closer to goal. Morgan went for goal on this one, firing it over the goal. Skroski made a big tackle on Jasmyne Spencer of Orlando as she worked into the box. Fields sent the header wide as the cross came to her. Skroski's sixty-fourth minute pass to Kai caught her offside. Kai set up Hayes for a great chance, as Hayes went through many Pride defenders, shooting just over the bar between two other players. Hayes passed to Kerr in the seventieth minute, and Kerr's shot was caught by Harris. Spencer's seventy-first minute shot was caught by Casey after a give-and-go with Morgan to build the Orlando offense. Kyle blocked a Skroski cross in the seventy-second minute, and Sky Blue couldn't recover for a cross afterward on that attack. Weatherholt surrendered a corner kick to Sky Blue in the seventy-third minute. Galton's service went to Kai, but she sent it wide left. Galton's deflected cross was cleared by Evans in the seventy-fourth minute, followed by Killion's through ball that Harris covered to protect Orlando's net. Kai then fired a long shot that Harris saved. Belanger sent a ball in for Orlando's Sarah Hagen, who headed it on top of the net in the seventy-sixth minute. Fields fed Morgan for a seventy-seventh minute shot, but Morgan went wide left despite it getting beyond Casey. Galton found Kai for a shot, which Monica blocked in the seventy-eighth minute as the pace picks up again. Skroski's cross for Sky Blue was caught by Harris without a teammate around. Edmonds took a free kick to Spencer, who crossed it in a position where Casey had to palm it away. Sky Blue tied it in the eighty-first minute after Kerr flipped a ball to Hayes, who went one-on-one with Harris, who saved the first shot that produced a rebound for Kerr to put away for the equalizer. Simon gave up an eighty-second minute corner kick to the Pride. Edmonds took this near to the goal, which Casey palmed on top of the goal. Edmonds took it from the other side in the eighty-third minute, serving it in where Casey punched it out and Nikki Stanton of Sky Blue cleared it. Grubka got just enough in the way of a Morgan shot in the eighty-fourth minute, giving Orlando another corner kick. Edmonds went short and it was out for another try, which was sent toward Kyle but punched out by Casey. Weatherholt tried a shot from range, but that went over the goal. Kerr nearly had a steal in the midfield, and then nearly capitalized on a slow back pass from Monica to Harris. Monica blocked one Kai pass in the eighty-seventh minute, and Galton's cross was sent away by Monica as well. Rampone made a big run in the eighty-ninth minute, broken up by Kyle. Spencer had a ninetieth minute shot bounce off of teammate Lisa de Vanna to nullify a Pride attack. Skroski blocked Edmonds' free kick in stoppage time. Kerr sent a shot wide left in the ninety-second minute. Spencer got free for a shot that Casey saved off her face and Grubka went full bicycle-kick to clear it out. Raquel Rodriguez nearly got a shot off, but Levin broke it up well enough for the Pride. Edmonds tried to find Hagen, with a rebound falling to de Vanna, who sent it wide right. Kerr had a shot deflected and a cross out of bounds in the final play of the game, with the game ending at 1-1. Kerr was the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. Impressing in the second half was the LF Kai of Sky Blue.
An hour later, the Chicago Red Stars bring in FC Kansas City. Nicole Barnhart and Alyssa Naeher protect the nets. The game was broadcast live on Fox Sports 1. I'll attach a link here if/when it's published on YouTube.
Finally, the Portland Thorns FC host the Houston Dash. Lydia Williams and Michelle Betos protect the nets. Here's the game. Portland had an early chance in the first minute with a Katherine Reynolds cross into Christine Sinclair, who headed it over the bar. Emily Menges of the Thorns did well to hold off Janine Beckie of Houston in the second minute. Emily Sonnett of Portland blocked on cross from Kealia Ohai of the Dash, and the second one was too strong for Beckie to track down, ending the Dash attack. Becca Moros of Houston had a dangerous pass to Cari Roccaro, as Tobin Heath crashed for it but couldn't quite get there to produce a chance for the Thorns. Nadia Nadim's seventh minute cross was defended by Morgan Brian of Houston. Roccaro and Moros made some defensive mistakes in the tenth minute, with Portland's Nadim bearing down. Nadim managed a shot that Williams saved at the near post. Brian blocked a cross from the Thorns' Meghan Klingenberg in the twelfth minute. Reynolds, Sonnet, and Allie Long combined in defense for Portland to prevent Ohai from taking a shot. Andressa of the Dash took a thirteenth minute shot from range, going over the bar. Heath's fourteenth minute shot went straight to Dash keeper Williams. Cami Privett blocked Heath off the ball, springing Carli Lloyd for Houston's attack. Denise O'Sullivan eventually got a shot, saved by Betos in front of the Thorns goal. Andressa's through ball for Beckie was intercepted by Klingenberg. Sinclair received a long ball, going against Privett, who blocked it enough for Williams to clear. Beckie won a corner kick off of Klingenberg. The seventeenth minute service from Andressa went for Brian and then Poliana, but Nadim took it away for the Thorns to end the threat. Lloyd teed up an eighteenth minute shot that went high. The quality of chances has dropped a bit in recent minutes. Roccaro cleared a Reynolds cross in the twentieth minute. Beckie ripped a long shot that grazed the top of the net in the twenty-fourth minute. In the twenty-sixth minute, Long scored on a Heath free kick that Heath herself drew, making it 1-0 for Portland. Long scored on a floating header going over Williams and into the net. Klingenberg's twenty-seventh minute cross was caught by Williams. Andressa tried a through ball to Lloyd on the counter attack, which went too long as Sonnett covered Lloyd. Heath challenged Williams with a twenty-eighth minute cross, but Williams caught it. Brian's deflected cross in the thirtieth minute went to Betos, the Thorns keeper. Heath's thirty-first minute free kick went to Amandine Henry, but the Dash stayed strong to clear it. Horan set up Sinclair for a pair of shots, the first saved by Williams and the second dinging out off the post. Andressa passed out wide for Ohai, whose weak cross was cleared by Sonnett. Klingenberg won a corner kick off of Houston's Poliana. Heath's corner kick in the thirty-fourth minute went to low for Nadim, cleared by Poliana. Moros cleared a Heath cross in the thirty-fifth minute. Both teams began to slow the pace of play in their attacks later in the half. Ohai won a corner kick in the thirty-ninth minute, deflecting her cross out off of Menges. Andressa served it in for Privett, who headed it out wide. Lloyd tried a forty-first minute through ball for O'Sullivan, but it was too fast and Betos grabbed it. Privett cleared a Reynolds cross in the forty-third minute. O'Sullivan fouled Long, producing a Thorns free kick in the forty-fourth minute. Sinclair took this for goal, blocked by Lloyd in the wall and Poliana on the second shot, before hitting Horan's hand to end the Portland offense. Heath sent a forty-fifth minute cross just over Nadim's head. Beckie made a bad pass, which went to Sinclair, and Long got free for a shot that Williams saved. This produced a corner kick, taken by Heath in stoppage time. The Dash cleared, and the score favored the Thorns 1-0 at halftime. Houston's best players were the GK Williams, CB Roccaro, DCM Brian, RW Andressa, and LF Ohai. Portland saw good efforts from RB Reynolds, CB Sonnett, DM Long, RW Nadim, LW Heath, and striker Sinclair. Andressa found Ohai in the forty-sixth minute, and she waltzed into the box, but the Thorns shut her down as a team. Ohai sent another cross in that Klingenberg had to clear. Nadim had a forty-eighth minute shot roll out wide right after the Thorns made a series of quick passes on a sharp counterattack. Ohai's forty-ninth minute cross went too long for any Dash teammates to track it down. Sinclair put a fifty-first minute cross in for Horan that Williams just got to in time. Nadim's fifty-second minute pass to Heath was intercepted by a diving Williams just in time. Lloyd took the free kick, going for goal and sending it way over the net. Lloyd saw a pass blocked by Menges and cleared by Klingenberg, all coming after a long run by Lloyd. Horan had two chances blocked, the first from Roccaro and the second from Moros in the fifty-fourth minute. In the fifty-sixth minute, Heath took a Thorns free kick for Sonnett, which popped up and was caught by Williams. Nadim and Sinclair started a fifty-seventh minute counterattack, ending on Horan's high shot. Horan ripped a fifty-eighth minute shot that Williams needed to dive to save. Moros found Rachel Daly in the sixtieth minute, but the Houston sub tripped and lost possession to the Thorns. A sixty-second minute Klingenberg cross went straight to Williams. Daly's sixty-third minute cross deflected straight to Betos. Roccaro and Brian combined to block a Nadim run in the sixty-fourth minute. Henry had a sixty-fifth minute shot wide right with a mishit. In the sixty-sixth minute, Heath crossed a ball in front of goal, and Sinclair's first shot was blocked by Williams, while the second was blocked out. Lloyd cleared Heath's corner kick. Long cleared a Beckie cross away from Lloyd in the sixty-ninth minute. Portland's Hayley Raso had a cross cleared by Privett on the counterattack. In the seventy-first minute, the Thorns went from back to front with Menges, Horan, Klingenberg, Heath, and then Long getting touches during the sequence. Long used a couple of touches to get set and bury the shot in the corner to make it 2-0 for Portland. The Thorns went right back at the Dash, but couldn't produce a shot in the seventy-third minute. Horan corralled a long ball from Long, finding Sinclair, whose shot was off target. Daly and Beckie combined for a shot attempt, with Beckie's hit going just wide left with a slight lack of curve. Heath won a corner kick off of Poliana in the seventy-fifth minute. Heath served it for Henry, but Beckie emerged with it. Privett just poked away a Raso header after Klingenberg's cross coming from Heath's mind games in the corner in the eightieth minute. Daly put a ball on goal, with Lloyd getting the ball and Betos tangled in her feet before Sonnett cleared it out for a corner kick. Meleana Shim cleared the Andressa corner kick. Shim just slid in to break up Daly's pass for Lloyd in the eighty-seventh minute. In the ninetieth minute, Klingenberg set up Sinclair with a free kick service that Williams misplayed and Sinclair poked home to make it 3-0 Thorns. Chioma Ubogagu of the Dash had a free kick in stoppage time, defended well by the Thorns. The game ended at this score after Lloyd's weak service into the box was grabbed by Betos. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match was Long. The LB Klingenberg of Portland and LW Lloyd of Houston earned honorable mentions for second half work.
I am awaiting an upload of Chicago v. Kansas City to finish this post.
The Boston Breakers hosting the Western New York Flash. Sabrina D'Angelo and Libby Stout play goal. You can find the game here. Western New York had the first attack, with a through ball for Jessica McDonald, but Stout was there first. The Flash saw a McCall Zerboni shot after another possession in the third minute, saved by Stout. On the other side, Boston's Eunice Beckmann had a chance on goal, but Western New York's goalie D'Angelo handled it. The Breakers made it 1-0 in the fourth minute on a Kyah Simon goal, passed from Julie King, with other passes early from Angela Salem and Kristie Mewis. Samantha Mewis had a shot in the sixth minute after Lynn Williams had a shot blocked. In the ninth minute, Natasha received a yellow card for her dissent on Simon's foul on Zerboni. Kassey Kallman of the Breakers disrupted a Williams attack for the Flash in the twelfth minute. McDonald saw a chance wasted in the fifteenth minute, as she corralled a cross with her arm and the Western New York attack was stalled. Elizabeth Eddy had a long cross in the seventeenth minute, falling to King, who cleared it. Whitney Engen blocked a Lianne Sanderson shot in the twentieth minute after McDonald's long throw for the Flash. Williams had a shot over the bar seconds later. King headed a McDonald throw in the twenty-third minute, and Stout grabbed the second offering into the box. Boston's Louise Schillgard blocked a Jaelene Hinkle cross in the twenty-fourth minute. Williams won the Flash a corner kick against Kallman. Abby Dahlkemper went for Abby Erceg, but she sent it wide left in the twenty-fifth minute. Dowie pressed D'Angelo after a mistake from Dahlkemper in the twenty-sixth minute. Dowie tried to find Kristie Mewis in the twenty-seventh minute, but it was intercepted by the Flash. Salem cleared an Eddy cross in the twenty-ninth minute. Engen had to make a second clearance for Boston. King went for Simon, but Alanna Kennedy cleared it for Western New York. Williams tried to find McDonald in the thirtieth minute, but it went too high. Samantha Mewis passed to Williams, but her touch was heavy and Stout grabbed it before she could recover, springing a Boston attack. King sent a free kick straight at D'Angelo in the thirty-third minute. Zerboni tried to pick out Sanderson in the thirty-seventh minute as Western New York has sustained some pressure, but Stout was up to the task on the deflected cross. King's thirty-eighth minute cross for Boston was caught by D'Angelo. On the counterattack, McDonald finally capitalized for the Flash, burying a rebound off of Stout into the net to make it 1-1 after Samantha Mewis' long ball. Eddy tried a through ball in the fortieth minute, making its way fully to Stout. Erceg made a steal from Dowie to stall a Breakers attack in the forty-second minute. Dahlkemper blocked a Dowie shot on a Brooke Elby throw-in in the forty-third minute. Erceg headed a McDonald throw wide right in the forty-fourth minute. Williams intercepted a Simon pass to Engen and nearly got a shot attempt in the forty-fifth minute, but the heavy touch allowed Stout to get there first. Erceg cleared Elby's cross to Beckmann in stoppage time. A second effort saw Beckmann head it wide, and the game went into halftime at 1-1. Impressing for the Flash so far are RB Eddy, CB Dahlkemper, DCM Erceg, RW Mewis, RF Williams, and LF McDonald. For the Breakers, the top performance have come from GK Stout, CB Kallman, RB King, DM Salem, LW Simon, and LF Dowie. In the forty-eighth minute, the Flash finally established an attack through Williams and Samantha Mewis, but Engen cleared it away from McDonald. On the throw-in, King took a knock after a header to defend. The Flash had a corner kick, which went a bit long for Kennedy. Mewis volleyed a McDonald cross in the forty-ninth minute, stopped by Stout to give Boston some control. In the fifty-first minute, Dowie struck with a goal after a Schillgard flip behind the defense, working around Dahlkemper to strike across goal and beat D'Angelo. This gave Boston a 2-1 lead. Beckmann found Simon centrally in the fifty-third minute, and her shot glanced wide left with a deflection to give Boston a corner kick. Kristie Mewis' service was caught by D'Angelo. King and Kallman shut down Williams in the fifty-fourth minute after McDonald's pass. McDonald then headed a ball wide. Engen headed a fifty-sixth minute cross from Eddy away, and Kristie Mewis completed the clearance. Dowie had a long shot in a Boston counterattack, going wide right, all after Kallman blocked a Hinkle cross. Dowie shot another one from a closer range but wider angle, and this also went wide right. King had a long free kick that D'Angelo bobbled under pressure from Kristie Mewis, but D'Angelo handled it. King took a yellow card for a foul on Western New York's Makenzy Doniak in the sixtieth minute. Stout punched away Kennedy's free kick. Schillgard and King helped to clear a Doniak cross in the sixty-second minute. Boston relieved the pressure after Hinkle's errant cross for Western New York. Hinkle did a free kick in the sixty-fifth minute, going for Doniak, but her header was over the bar. Doniak won a corner kick off of King, which the Flash's Dahlkemper took. It bounced to Kennedy, who flicked it back into the hands of Stout. Dahlkemper had a free kick in the sixty-sixth minute for Erceg, who sent it wide right. In the sixty-eighth minute, Beckmann fouled Samantha Mewis, earning the Breakers forward a yellow card. Salem cleared the free kick, and Hinkle's second effort found Zerboni, but the Breakers cleared it out for a corner kick. Dahlkemper went long and over all the players in the box. Salem cleared Eddy's return service in the sixty-ninth minute. Doniak managed a seventieth minute shot off of a McDonald throw, going wide left. Doniak started another attack that ended with Samantha Mewis' deflected shot for another Flash corner kick. Stout caught the set piece from Dahlkemper. Engen kept McDonald's flicked header away from Doniak in the seventy-second minute. Simon rifled a shot into the box in the seventy-sixth minute, grabbed by D'Angelo. Later in the minute, Doniak corralled a ball, and found Williams, who fired a shot just under the bar and in to tie the game at 2 for Western New York. In the seventy-seventh minute, Kristie Mewis served a Boston corner kick in, and King knocked it back to Salem, who shanked her shot. Kristie Mewis served it back in, and D'Angelo grabbed it. Dahlkemper's seventy-ninth minute free kick was caught by Stout. Simon tried to set up Dowie or Brittany Ratcliffe on the counterattack, but the Flash recovered and cleared it. King cleared a McDonald throw, and Zerboni had an off-target shot in the eighty-fourth minute. King surrendered a corner kick after Hinkle's cross in the eighty-seventh minute. Dahlkemper served it in, but King cleared it, and Schillgard completed the clearance. Doniak got into space on an Eddy long ball, and crossed it into Williams, whose header was just in range of Stout, and she held it just in front of the line in the ninetieth minute. Doniak then took a long shot that Stout palmed over the bar. The Flash took the corner kick from Dahlkemper to Samantha Mewis, who sent it wide right. Kallman cleared a Hinkle cross in stoppage time. Doniak put another ball in that was cleared. Hinkle's third service was caught by Stout as the Breakers are just trying to hold on. Eddy tried a shot on a McDonald throw that was blocked. Simon headed a late free kick away, and Hinkle put it back in, but Stout grabbed it while colliding with McDonald. The game ended at 2-2, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being Dowie. Impressing in the second half for the Flash was the sub winger Doniak, and for the Breakers, RW Kristie Mewis.
At the same time, the Washington Spirit welcome the Seattle Reign FC. Haley Kopmeyer and Kelsey Wys are in the six-yard boxes. The game can be found here. Seattle's Beverly Yanez tried to pick out Nahomi Kawasumi with a first minute cross, but it didn't work out. Shelina Zadorsky of Washington blocked a Kawasumi shot in the second minute, followed by a wide Merritt Mathias half-shot for the Reign. Cali Farquharson went down hurt earlier in the play, and was replaced by Crystal Dunn after what appeared to be a leg injury. Caprice Dydasco tried to find Francisca Ordega in the seventh minute caught her offside to nullify a fledgling Spirit attack. Kendall Fletcher of Seattle headed a Dunn cross out to give Washington a corner kick. Christine Nairn served it in for Estelle Johnson, but the Reign's Jess Fichlock did enough defensively. The Spirit saw some trouble with staying onside, as Nairn's pass was too late for Cheyna Williams, catching her offside. Dunn fouled Seattle's Kim Little for a good eleventh minute free kick. Kawasumi took it, and Dydasco cleared for the Spirit. A twelfth minute Keelin Winters ball didn't find Kawasumi, ending a Seattle attack. Yanez had a low cross that Manon Melis flipped up over the bar for the Reign in the fourteenth minute. Zadorsky blocked a cross from Rumi Utsugi to Fishlock in the fifteenth minute. Winters cleared a Dunn shot in the twenty-first minute. Nairn had a long shot that Kopmeyer saved as the Spirit build some offense. Fishlock made a steal from Nairn in the twenty-fourth and shot wide right after a bit of a run. Diana Matheson sent a ball to Dunn in the box in the twenty-sixth minute after a long series of Washington passes, winning a corner kick off of Dunn's deflected shot. Nairn took it for Johnson, who collided with Yanez, who remained down after the play. Fishlock knocked a ball away from Williams in the twenty-ninth minute for another Spirit corner kick. Nairn's service this time went for Zadorsky, but Yanez headed it back out. Nairn tried again, going for Dunn short, and she got it back for a cross that Kopmeyer caught. Lauren Barnes blocked a Dunn shot in the thirtieth minute, with Washington holding Seattle under siege. Fletcher blocked a Dunn shot in the thirty-first minute. Alyssa Kleiner stole a pass from Winters to Yanez in the thirty-third minute. Johnson of the Spirit blocked a Little through ball. Kleiner surrendered a corner kick to keep the ball away from Melis in the thirty-sixth minute. Seattle's set piece came from Kawasumi, who went give and go with Barnes but Williams blocked and cleared for the Spirit. Dydasco cleared a Yanez through ball in the thirty-ninth minute. Ordega saw a shot blocked by her teammate Nairn, killing Washington's attack after Dunn managed to get it to Ordega past Utsugi. Mathias fouled Williams in the box in the forty-first minute, creating a penalty kick for Washington. Nairn took it but shot wide right of goal, wasting the chance. Utsugi got a cross in the forty-fourth minute, but it went through everyone and Dydasco cleared it for the Spirit. Zadorsky headed away another Utsugi cross in the forty-fifth minute. Kawasumi's stoppage time cross was blocked by Zadorsky. Williams went around many Reign defenders to produce a shot, but Kopmeyer made a diving grab after the Spirit strung many passes together. Winters found Little on the other side, who got around Dydasco, but Wys picked it up safely for Washington. Fishlock sent a shot wide left on the next Reign attack. Nairn found Dunn on a free kick, and she rocketed a long shot into the top left corner to make it 1-0 Spirit right before the half. This was the last kick of the half. The best Reign performances have come from GK Kopmeyer, LB Utsugi, CB Fletcher, DM Winters, RW Fishlock, LW Little, and LF Yanez. For the Spirit, RB Dydasco, CBs Johnson and Zadorsky, LW Nairn, RF Dunn, and CF Williams have done the best work. Utsugi's cross was blocked out by Zadorsky, and Kawasumi's effort was blocked in the forty-seventh minute after trying for Melis. Yanez and Fishlock combined in the forty-eighth minute, with Fishlock's odd-angle shot saved by Wys. Zadorsky twice blocked Kawasumi's efforts for Fishlock in the forty-ninth minute. Yanez deflected a Kleiner cross in the fifty-first minute, giving Washington a corner kick. Nairn took this one for Williams, whose header was well off the mark. Melis allowed Fishlock to send one forward, falling to Yanez before a foul by Seattle ended the play in the fifty-third minute. Barnes headed away a Nairn free kick in the fifty-fourth minute, and Fishlock's long ball was too much for Melis. A fifty-sixth minute shot from Dydasco was handled by Kopmeyer. Utsugi found Zadorsky on a free kick, but Zadorsky shut it down for Washington. Megan Rapinoe saw a cross deflected in the fifty-ninth minute. Little found Kawasumi on a cross in the sixtieth minute, but the header went straight to Wys after a nice buildup with Fishlock and Rapinoe. Dunn got around Utsugi in a sixty-first minute battle, shooting on goal. Kopmeyer couldn't keep hold on the ball, and Williams put it away to make it 2-0 for the Spirit. Rapinoe had a sixty-fourth minute shot for Seattle, going high over the bar. At the sixty-six minute mark, lightning struck in the area, delaying the rest of the game. The delay lasted approximately the minimum thirty minutes. Nairn had a deep sixty-seventh minute shot go wide left. Fishlock caught Rapinoe offside with a through ball in the sixty-ninth minute. Utsugi had a cross catch Nairn in the hand in the box, giving the Reign a penalty kick in the seventieth minute. Little stepped up for the spot kick, roofing it to the top left to cut the deficit to 2-1, still favoring Washington. Yanez had a looping seventy-second minute shot caught by Wys. Rapinoe tracked down a Fishlock ball in the seventy-third minute but her ensuing cross was too long for sub Kiersten Dallstream. Fletcher of the Reign received a yellow card for a foul on Ordega in the seventy-fourth minute. Nairn's free kick proved a bit weak and the Reign cleared. Utsugi was fouled by Joanna Lohman in the seventy-fifth minute, giving Seattle a good free kick chance. Rapinoe went for goal, but Wys saved it. Little had a cross for Kawasumi, but Dydasco headed it away in the seventy-eighth minute. Johnson and Lohman stopped Rapinoe and Utsugi on the next Seattle attack. An eightieth minute Dydasco cross was cleared by Fletcher. Barnes blocked a Williams shot in the eighty-first minute, giving the Spirit a corner kick as it went out. Nairn took this corner Sigvardsen, but Fishlock cleared it out. Utsugi's cross was cleared by Dydasco as far as Fishlock, whose shot deflected out for a corner kick. Barnes took this one for Rapinoe, but Sigvardsen and Johnson combined to clear it. Dunn's eighty-sixth minute shot was punched away by Kopmeyer. In the eighty-eighth minute, Little won a corner kick off of Johnson after some official interference. Rapinoe went for Fishlock low, but it got through to Wys. Utsugi won a corner kick off of Dydasco. In the ninetieth minute, Barnes served in the set piece for Elli Reed of Seattle, but Ali Krieger cleared it for the Spirit. Rapinoe took a free kick from way out in stoppage time, saved by Wys. The game ended at 2-1, with Dunn the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match for her goal and assist.
The third game in the early kickoffs features Sky Blue FC hosting the Orlando Pride. Ashlyn Harris and Caroline Casey draw the starts in goal. This is the game link. Alex Morgan of Orlando took a long ball from Monica in the third minute, but Christie Rampone of Sky Blue cut out the play. Natasha Kai headed a ball for Sam Kerr on a Sky Blue attack, but Kaylyn Kyle and Josee Belanger of the Pride covered it in the fourth minute. Maddy Evans of Orlando produced a cross off a pass from Jamia Fields in the seventh minute, and Casey caught it over Morgan's head to start the Sky Blue attack. Fields, Evans, and Morgan combined again for Orlando, with Morgan's shot blocked by Kristin Grubka, and Casey pounced on the ball in the eighth minute. Sarah Killion of Sky Blue had a ninth minute free kick for Maya Hayes, who nearly got it to Leah Galton, but Cami Levin of the Pride cleared it. Erica Skroski made a steal from Witteman to disrupt an Orlando attack in the eleventh minute. Skroski blocked a Morgan cross in the twelfth minute. Sky Blue's Kerr made a steal from Evans, but her pass to Kai was poor, and Harris picked it up for Orlando. Kai continued to press Kyle on the next play, with the ball coming to Kerr, whose shot was wide left. Grubka and Rampone made blocks on forward balls from Monica and Kristen Edmonds of Orlando. The Pride continued to control the pace of play in the nineteenth minute, ending with Skroski fouling Witteman out wide for a free kick. Edmonds served this one in for Morgan, but Hayes got there first. The ball bounced around in front of Casey on a second service, with Evans poking at it before Casey finally covered it. Edmonds set up Morgan for a shot, but Rampone blocked it. Edmonds then had a shot, which Casey knocked down and Simon cleared in the twenty-first minute. In the twenty-third minute, Evans went long for Morgan, who blazed past Sky Blue's Grubka and fired it into the lower right corner for a 1-0 Pride lead. Galton led a Sky Blue attack in the twenty-fourth minute, cutting back to pass to Kerr, whose shot went high. Galton sent a ball forward for Kerr in the twenty-fifth minute, but it ran long and into the hands of Harris. Killion blocked an Edmonds free kick in the twenty-eighth minute. Hayes sent a cross into the box that nearly proved dangerous as Kyle and Harris had a minor run-in, but Harris lunged and covered it before Kerr got there. Morgan kept a ball in bounds with a lot of hustle against Simon after Dani Weatherholt's long ball for Orlando. Kai and Grubka combined to clear a Fields cross in the thirty-fourth minute. Kerr tried a long shot in the thirty-sixth minute, which didn't challenge Harris. Levin fouled Hayes on the next Sky Blue attack, producing a thirty-seventh minute free kick. Killion went for Kai, which Harris punched away just in time, and Kerr's second effort was also blocked by Evans of the Pride. Hayes had a cross off of Monica in the thirty-eighth minute, earning a corner kick for Sky Blue. Galton went to Grubka, who popped it up and it eventually game to Rampone, who sent it wide left among many Orlando players. Kyle cleaned up Taylor Lytle's cross for Sky Blue, sending it away from the Pride net. Hayes poked a ball off of Monica on a shot in the fortieth minute, earning another corner kick. Galton went for Kai, who headed it over the bar. Edmonds tried to pick out Morgan, but Grubka made one tackle cleanly and a second illegal one on Evans to give Orlando a dangerous free kick in the forty-third minute. Edmonds took the kick for Monica, but Hayes stole it away and started the counterattack. Hayes flicked a ball for Galton, but Harris got there first in stoppage time. Hayes had one more cross that Harris grabbed to end the half with a 1-0 Pride lead. Impressing for Orlando are the CB Monica, DM Evans, ACM Edmonds, LF Witteman, and CF Morgan. For Sky Blue, the top players have been LB Simon, CB Rampone, DM Killion, RW Hayes, and RF Kerr. Belanger took out a Grubka through ball for Galton in the forty-seventh minute. Killion put a free kick in for Kai in the forty-eighth minute, but a foul was called in the scrum. Kyle blocked a Kai cross in the forty-ninth minute. Kai had a second try for Galton, who missed on the header attempt. Galton got a ball and ran into the box, forcing Harris into a save, and Kai's shot on the rebound went wide left in the fiftieth minute. Edmonds set up Fields in the fifty-fourth minute for a long shot that went wide right. Kerr tried to work a give-and-go with Hayes, but Kyle interrupted the return pass in the fifty-sixth minute. Sky Blue had a spurt of possession, with Kerr, Galton, and Hayes combining on a series of crossing tries disrupted by Belanger and Monica. Edmonds had a fifty-ninth minute free kick, going for Kyle, but it didn't work. Fields brought it back in for the Pride, drawing another free kick closer to goal. Morgan went for goal on this one, firing it over the goal. Skroski made a big tackle on Jasmyne Spencer of Orlando as she worked into the box. Fields sent the header wide as the cross came to her. Skroski's sixty-fourth minute pass to Kai caught her offside. Kai set up Hayes for a great chance, as Hayes went through many Pride defenders, shooting just over the bar between two other players. Hayes passed to Kerr in the seventieth minute, and Kerr's shot was caught by Harris. Spencer's seventy-first minute shot was caught by Casey after a give-and-go with Morgan to build the Orlando offense. Kyle blocked a Skroski cross in the seventy-second minute, and Sky Blue couldn't recover for a cross afterward on that attack. Weatherholt surrendered a corner kick to Sky Blue in the seventy-third minute. Galton's service went to Kai, but she sent it wide left. Galton's deflected cross was cleared by Evans in the seventy-fourth minute, followed by Killion's through ball that Harris covered to protect Orlando's net. Kai then fired a long shot that Harris saved. Belanger sent a ball in for Orlando's Sarah Hagen, who headed it on top of the net in the seventy-sixth minute. Fields fed Morgan for a seventy-seventh minute shot, but Morgan went wide left despite it getting beyond Casey. Galton found Kai for a shot, which Monica blocked in the seventy-eighth minute as the pace picks up again. Skroski's cross for Sky Blue was caught by Harris without a teammate around. Edmonds took a free kick to Spencer, who crossed it in a position where Casey had to palm it away. Sky Blue tied it in the eighty-first minute after Kerr flipped a ball to Hayes, who went one-on-one with Harris, who saved the first shot that produced a rebound for Kerr to put away for the equalizer. Simon gave up an eighty-second minute corner kick to the Pride. Edmonds took this near to the goal, which Casey palmed on top of the goal. Edmonds took it from the other side in the eighty-third minute, serving it in where Casey punched it out and Nikki Stanton of Sky Blue cleared it. Grubka got just enough in the way of a Morgan shot in the eighty-fourth minute, giving Orlando another corner kick. Edmonds went short and it was out for another try, which was sent toward Kyle but punched out by Casey. Weatherholt tried a shot from range, but that went over the goal. Kerr nearly had a steal in the midfield, and then nearly capitalized on a slow back pass from Monica to Harris. Monica blocked one Kai pass in the eighty-seventh minute, and Galton's cross was sent away by Monica as well. Rampone made a big run in the eighty-ninth minute, broken up by Kyle. Spencer had a ninetieth minute shot bounce off of teammate Lisa de Vanna to nullify a Pride attack. Skroski blocked Edmonds' free kick in stoppage time. Kerr sent a shot wide left in the ninety-second minute. Spencer got free for a shot that Casey saved off her face and Grubka went full bicycle-kick to clear it out. Raquel Rodriguez nearly got a shot off, but Levin broke it up well enough for the Pride. Edmonds tried to find Hagen, with a rebound falling to de Vanna, who sent it wide right. Kerr had a shot deflected and a cross out of bounds in the final play of the game, with the game ending at 1-1. Kerr was the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. Impressing in the second half was the LF Kai of Sky Blue.
An hour later, the Chicago Red Stars bring in FC Kansas City. Nicole Barnhart and Alyssa Naeher protect the nets. The game was broadcast live on Fox Sports 1. I'll attach a link here if/when it's published on YouTube.
Finally, the Portland Thorns FC host the Houston Dash. Lydia Williams and Michelle Betos protect the nets. Here's the game. Portland had an early chance in the first minute with a Katherine Reynolds cross into Christine Sinclair, who headed it over the bar. Emily Menges of the Thorns did well to hold off Janine Beckie of Houston in the second minute. Emily Sonnett of Portland blocked on cross from Kealia Ohai of the Dash, and the second one was too strong for Beckie to track down, ending the Dash attack. Becca Moros of Houston had a dangerous pass to Cari Roccaro, as Tobin Heath crashed for it but couldn't quite get there to produce a chance for the Thorns. Nadia Nadim's seventh minute cross was defended by Morgan Brian of Houston. Roccaro and Moros made some defensive mistakes in the tenth minute, with Portland's Nadim bearing down. Nadim managed a shot that Williams saved at the near post. Brian blocked a cross from the Thorns' Meghan Klingenberg in the twelfth minute. Reynolds, Sonnet, and Allie Long combined in defense for Portland to prevent Ohai from taking a shot. Andressa of the Dash took a thirteenth minute shot from range, going over the bar. Heath's fourteenth minute shot went straight to Dash keeper Williams. Cami Privett blocked Heath off the ball, springing Carli Lloyd for Houston's attack. Denise O'Sullivan eventually got a shot, saved by Betos in front of the Thorns goal. Andressa's through ball for Beckie was intercepted by Klingenberg. Sinclair received a long ball, going against Privett, who blocked it enough for Williams to clear. Beckie won a corner kick off of Klingenberg. The seventeenth minute service from Andressa went for Brian and then Poliana, but Nadim took it away for the Thorns to end the threat. Lloyd teed up an eighteenth minute shot that went high. The quality of chances has dropped a bit in recent minutes. Roccaro cleared a Reynolds cross in the twentieth minute. Beckie ripped a long shot that grazed the top of the net in the twenty-fourth minute. In the twenty-sixth minute, Long scored on a Heath free kick that Heath herself drew, making it 1-0 for Portland. Long scored on a floating header going over Williams and into the net. Klingenberg's twenty-seventh minute cross was caught by Williams. Andressa tried a through ball to Lloyd on the counter attack, which went too long as Sonnett covered Lloyd. Heath challenged Williams with a twenty-eighth minute cross, but Williams caught it. Brian's deflected cross in the thirtieth minute went to Betos, the Thorns keeper. Heath's thirty-first minute free kick went to Amandine Henry, but the Dash stayed strong to clear it. Horan set up Sinclair for a pair of shots, the first saved by Williams and the second dinging out off the post. Andressa passed out wide for Ohai, whose weak cross was cleared by Sonnett. Klingenberg won a corner kick off of Houston's Poliana. Heath's corner kick in the thirty-fourth minute went to low for Nadim, cleared by Poliana. Moros cleared a Heath cross in the thirty-fifth minute. Both teams began to slow the pace of play in their attacks later in the half. Ohai won a corner kick in the thirty-ninth minute, deflecting her cross out off of Menges. Andressa served it in for Privett, who headed it out wide. Lloyd tried a forty-first minute through ball for O'Sullivan, but it was too fast and Betos grabbed it. Privett cleared a Reynolds cross in the forty-third minute. O'Sullivan fouled Long, producing a Thorns free kick in the forty-fourth minute. Sinclair took this for goal, blocked by Lloyd in the wall and Poliana on the second shot, before hitting Horan's hand to end the Portland offense. Heath sent a forty-fifth minute cross just over Nadim's head. Beckie made a bad pass, which went to Sinclair, and Long got free for a shot that Williams saved. This produced a corner kick, taken by Heath in stoppage time. The Dash cleared, and the score favored the Thorns 1-0 at halftime. Houston's best players were the GK Williams, CB Roccaro, DCM Brian, RW Andressa, and LF Ohai. Portland saw good efforts from RB Reynolds, CB Sonnett, DM Long, RW Nadim, LW Heath, and striker Sinclair. Andressa found Ohai in the forty-sixth minute, and she waltzed into the box, but the Thorns shut her down as a team. Ohai sent another cross in that Klingenberg had to clear. Nadim had a forty-eighth minute shot roll out wide right after the Thorns made a series of quick passes on a sharp counterattack. Ohai's forty-ninth minute cross went too long for any Dash teammates to track it down. Sinclair put a fifty-first minute cross in for Horan that Williams just got to in time. Nadim's fifty-second minute pass to Heath was intercepted by a diving Williams just in time. Lloyd took the free kick, going for goal and sending it way over the net. Lloyd saw a pass blocked by Menges and cleared by Klingenberg, all coming after a long run by Lloyd. Horan had two chances blocked, the first from Roccaro and the second from Moros in the fifty-fourth minute. In the fifty-sixth minute, Heath took a Thorns free kick for Sonnett, which popped up and was caught by Williams. Nadim and Sinclair started a fifty-seventh minute counterattack, ending on Horan's high shot. Horan ripped a fifty-eighth minute shot that Williams needed to dive to save. Moros found Rachel Daly in the sixtieth minute, but the Houston sub tripped and lost possession to the Thorns. A sixty-second minute Klingenberg cross went straight to Williams. Daly's sixty-third minute cross deflected straight to Betos. Roccaro and Brian combined to block a Nadim run in the sixty-fourth minute. Henry had a sixty-fifth minute shot wide right with a mishit. In the sixty-sixth minute, Heath crossed a ball in front of goal, and Sinclair's first shot was blocked by Williams, while the second was blocked out. Lloyd cleared Heath's corner kick. Long cleared a Beckie cross away from Lloyd in the sixty-ninth minute. Portland's Hayley Raso had a cross cleared by Privett on the counterattack. In the seventy-first minute, the Thorns went from back to front with Menges, Horan, Klingenberg, Heath, and then Long getting touches during the sequence. Long used a couple of touches to get set and bury the shot in the corner to make it 2-0 for Portland. The Thorns went right back at the Dash, but couldn't produce a shot in the seventy-third minute. Horan corralled a long ball from Long, finding Sinclair, whose shot was off target. Daly and Beckie combined for a shot attempt, with Beckie's hit going just wide left with a slight lack of curve. Heath won a corner kick off of Poliana in the seventy-fifth minute. Heath served it for Henry, but Beckie emerged with it. Privett just poked away a Raso header after Klingenberg's cross coming from Heath's mind games in the corner in the eightieth minute. Daly put a ball on goal, with Lloyd getting the ball and Betos tangled in her feet before Sonnett cleared it out for a corner kick. Meleana Shim cleared the Andressa corner kick. Shim just slid in to break up Daly's pass for Lloyd in the eighty-seventh minute. In the ninetieth minute, Klingenberg set up Sinclair with a free kick service that Williams misplayed and Sinclair poked home to make it 3-0 Thorns. Chioma Ubogagu of the Dash had a free kick in stoppage time, defended well by the Thorns. The game ended at this score after Lloyd's weak service into the box was grabbed by Betos. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match was Long. The LB Klingenberg of Portland and LW Lloyd of Houston earned honorable mentions for second half work.
I am awaiting an upload of Chicago v. Kansas City to finish this post.
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