Sunday, July 21, 2019

NWSL 2019 - Week 14

We're up for a four-game weekend, beginning with...

The Utah Royals FC hosting the Portland Thorns FC. Adrianna Franch and Nicole Barnhart play in goal. Portland began in the 9th minute with a Christine Sinclair goal. Utah tied it in the 43rd minute on a Christen Press goal, set up by Gunny Jonsdottir. In the 83rd minute, Portland's Caitlin Foord received a yellow card for a foul. The Thorns retook the lead in the 87th minute on a Lindsey Horan goal. The Royals equalized in the 90th minute with a Rachel Corsie goal, via Kelley O'Hara. The final held at 2-2, with Corsie picked as woman of the match for a clutch equalizer.

On Saturday, the Orlando Pride welcome Sky Blue FC. Kailen Sheridan and Ashlyn Harris protects the nets. Orlando led off in the 23rd minute with a Marisa Viggiano goal, courtesy of Chioma Ubogagu. The Pride took yellow cards for fouls by Shelina Zadorsky in the 52nd minute and Ubogagu in the 78th minute. The final remained at 1-0, with Viggiano picked as woman of the match.

Also, the Washington Spirit bring in the Houston Dash. Jane Campbell and Aubrey Bledsoe are the young keepers. Washington got going in the 52nd minute with a Jordan DiBiasi goal. Houston tied it in the 56th minute on a Kristie Mewis goal, set up by Sofia Huerta and Rachel Daly. The Dash's Huerta took a yellow card in the 70th minute for a foul. Houston took the lead in the 72nd minute with an Amber Brooks goal, via Christine Nairn. The Spirit's Ashley Hatch received a yellow card for a 77th minute foul. In the 88th minute, the Dash's Nairn picked up a yellow card for illegally entering the field after coming off to receive treatment. The final was 2-1, with Brooks named woman of the match.

Finally, the Chicago Red Stars host the North Carolina Courage. Stephanie Labbe and Alyssa Naeher guard the woodwork. Katie Naughton of Chicago had a yellow card for a 14th minute foul. North Carolina struck first in the 30th minute on a Lynn Williams goal, set up by Debinha. The Red Stars tied it on a Vanessa DiBernardo goal, passed from Arin Wright in the 37th minute. Jessica McDonald of the Courage received a yellow card for a 51st minute handball. Chicago claimed the lead on a 58th minute Sam Kerr goal, made possible by Katie Johnson. The final stayed at 2-1, with DiBernardo as the woman of the match.

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Thursday, July 18, 2019

MLS Midweek - July 17, 2019

Six games on in midweek this time. The first of four Wednesday clashes sees...

Atlanta United FC hosting the Houston Dynamo. Tyler Deric and Brad Guzan are the keepers. Houston went down to ten men in the 6th minute as Alberth Elis received a straight red card for violent conduct and an additional yellow card for dissent. Atlanta began in the 27th minute on a Darlington Nagbe goal, assisted by Julian Gressel and Emerson Hyndman. The Five Stripes added on with a Brandon Vazquez goal in the 29th minute. Matias Vera of the Dynamo took a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. Atlanta extended the lead as Josef Martinez scored, thanks to Gressel. Houston's Romell Quioto had a yellow card for a 79th minute foul. The Five Stripes padded the lead on a Martinez goal, coming off of Eric Remedi in the same minute. Atlanta kept going with a Gressel goal in the 88th minute. The final was 5-0 with Martinez as the man of the match.

Up in New England, the Revolution welcome the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Maxime Crepeau and Matt Turner are set to start in goal. New England led off in first half stoppage time with a Gustavo Bou goal, assisted by Carles Gil. Vancouver had yellow cards for fouls by Erik Godoy and Derek Cornelius in the 49th and 58th minutes, respectively. The Revolution saw yellow cards for Luis Caicedo in the 71st minute and Andrew Farrell in the 77th minute both for fouls. New England added on in the 82nd minute with a Diego Fagundez goal, courtesy of Cristian Penilla. The Revolution extended the lead in the 86th minute as Gil scored, thanks to Fagundez. New England padded the lead on a 90th minute Teal Bunbury goal, via Penilla. The final was 4-0, with Gil selected as man of the match.

Further north, Toronto FC brings in the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Quentin Westberg draw the starts in goal. Toronto started in the 6th minute with a Jozy Altidore goal, via Tsubasa Endoh. New York had yellow cards for Michael Murillo in the 23rd minute and Kemar Lawrence in the 25th minute, both for fouls. The Reds added on in the 26th minute with an Alejandro Pozuelo penalty kick goal. Toronto's Endoh received a yellow card for a 51st minute foul. The Red Bulls got on the board with a Tom Barlow goal in the 63rd minute, coming off of Derrick Etienne. New York's Marc Rzatkowski picked up a yellow card for a 69th minute foul. The Reds replied with a 72nd minute Ashtone Morgan goal. In the 86th minute, Bradley Wright-Phillips of the Red Bulls had a yellow card for his foul. The final was 3-1 Toronto, with Westberg (six for seven in saves) taking man of the match honors.

Back stateside, the Chicago Fire host the Columbus Crew SC. Joe Bendik and Kenneth Kronholm are between the sticks. Chicago opened in the 28th minute with a Djordje Mihailovic goal, via Przemyslaw Frankowski. Columbus tied it on a 47th minute Gyasi Zardes goal, courtesy of Luis Argudo and Eduardo Sosa. The Fire's Bastian Schweinsteiger took a yellow card for a 52nd minute foul. Chicago retook the lead on a C.J. Sapong goal in the 63rd minute. The Crew equalized in the 90th minute with a Romario Williams goal, coming off of Luis Diaz. The man of the 2-2 match was Zardes.

On Thursday, FC Cincinnati welcomes DC United. Chris Seitz and Spencer Richey are in the six-yard boxes. Kendall Waston of Cincinnati had a yellow card for a 15th minute foul. Steven Birnbaum of DC picked up a yellow card for a 32nd minute foul. The Black and Red struck first in the 42nd minute with a Lucas Rodriguez goal, assisted by Wayne Rooney. In the 54th minute, DC had yellow cards for dissent by Paul Arriola and Rooney. The Orange and Blue tied it with a penalty kick goal by Emmanuel Ledesma. The Black and Red reclaimed the lead on a Rodriguez goal in the 59th minute, helped along by Arriola. Leonardo Bertone of Cincinnati took a yellow card for a 61st minute foul. DC added on in the 64th minute with a Rooney goal, set up by Leonardo Jara. The Black and Red's Russell Canouse received a yellow card in the 70th minute for a foul. DC extended the lead as Rodriguez scored, thanks to Rodriguez. The final was 4-1, with the man of the match being Rodriguez. 

Finally, midweek wraps up with the Portland Timbers bringing in Orlando City SC. Greg Ranjitsingh and Steve Clark make the starts in goal. Brian Fernandez of Portland took a yellow card for his 9th minute foul. Orlando City was first to score in the 44th minute with a Santiago Patino goal. The Lions' Oriol Rosell had a yellow card for a foul in the 50th minute. Larrys Mabiala of the Timbers took a yellow card for a 67th minute foul. Patino of Orlando City picked up a yellow card for a 77th minute foul. Portland tied it in the 82nd minute on a Jeremy Ebobisse goal, via Fernandez and Jorge Moreira. Sebastian Mendez of the Lions took a yellow card for an 86th minute foul. In the 89th minute, the Timbers' Claude Dielna was booked for his foul. The final held at 1-1, with Patino as the man of the match.

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Sunday, July 14, 2019

MLS 2019 - Week 19

A full slate of games is up this weekend, beginning with three Friday night events. First up...

DC United hosts the New England Revolution. Matt Turner and Bill Hamid draw the starts in goal. New England opened in the 4th minute with a Teal Bunbury goal, via Juan Fernando Caicedo and Jalil Anibaba. The Revolution's Caicedo took a yellow card for a 23rd minute foul. New England added on with a Carles Gil goal in the 32nd minute. DC had yellow cards for dissent be Leonardo Jara in the 37th minute and Paul Arriola's foul in the 40th minute. The Black and Red got on the board in the 43rd minute as Jara scored with an assist from Arriola. The Revolution went down to ten men when Wilfried Zahibo received yellow cards for fouls in the 49th and 63rd minutes, the pair of bookings earning him an ejection. Steven Birnbaum of DC picked up a yellow card for persistent infringement in the 67th minute. New England saw yellow cards for a Luis Caicedo foul in the 81st minute and time wasting by Turner in the 83rd minute. The Black and Red tied it in the 86th minute on a Quiny Amarikwa goal, passed from Wayne Rooney. The final remained at 2-2, with the man of the match being Gil.

Southwest to Houston, as the Dynamo welcome Los Angeles FC. Tyler Miller and Joe Willis are the keepers. Houston started in the 3rd minute with a Romell Quioto goal, assisted by Tomas Martinez. Los Angeles tied it in first half stoppage time with an Adama Diomande goal, via Lee Nguyen and Peter-Lee Vassell. The Black and Gold took the lead in the 49th minute on another Diomande goal, set up by Nguyen again. Dejan Jakovic of Los Angeles had a yellow card for a 71st minute foul. In the 83rd minute, Maynor Figueroa of the Dynamo received a yellow card for his foul. The Black and Gold added to their lead in the 88th minute with a Diego Rossi goal, coming off of Josh Perez and Diomande. The final was 3-1, and Diomande was selected man of the match.

Friday's finale is a Cali Clasico with the Los Angeles Galaxy bringing in the San Jose Earthquakes. Daniel Vega and David Bingham are set to start in goal. Los Angeles led off in the 2nd minute with a Rolf Feltscher goal, courtesy of Jonathan dos Santos. Tommy Thompson of San Jose earned a yellow card for a foul in the 7th minute. The Galaxy saw yellow cards for a Joe Corona foul in the 31st minute and persistent infringement by Jorgen Skjelvik in the 32nd minute. The Earthquakes' Judson took a yellow card for persistent infringement in the 56th minute. San Jose tied it in the 61st minute with a Valeri Qazaishvili goal, assisted by Jackson Yueill. The Earthquakes took the lead in the 64th minute with a Danny Hoesen goal, via Qazaishvili. Marcos Lopez of San Jose received a yellow card for a foul in the 68th minute. The Earthquakes extended the lead as Yueill scored in the 85th minute. Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Los Angeles earned a yellow card for an 89th minute foul. The final was 3-1, with the man of the match being Qazaishvili.

On Saturday, the Montreal Impact host Toronto FC. Quentin Westberg and Evan Bush are between the sticks. Toronto's Chris Mavinga had a yellow card for a 25th minute foul. Montreal's Daniel Lovitz received a yellow card for dissent in the 60th minute. The Reds got going in the 61st minute with an Alejandro Pozuelo goal, assisted by Marco Delgado. Toronto added on in stoppage time with a Jozy Altidore goal to seal a 2-0 win. The man of the match was Pozuelo.

Down in Florida, Orlando City SC welcomes the Columbus Crew SC. Joe Bendik faces his former team and Brian Rowe in goal. Orlando City saw yellow cards for fouls by Kamal Miller in the 56th minute, Lamine Sane in the 58th minute, and Carlos Ascues in the 81st minute. The Lions dented the scoreboard in the 84th minute on a Benji Michel goal, via Ruan and Sane. Orlando City's Sebastian Mendez took a yellow card for dissent in stoppage time. The Lions went down to ten men a minute later as Dom Dwyer received a straight red card for violent conduct. They held on for the 1-0 win, with Michel chosen as man of the match.

Back north, the Chicago Fire bring in FC Cincinnati. Spencer Richey and Kenneth Kronholm receive the starts in goal. Cincinnati began in the 1st minute with an Allan Cruz goal. Chicago tied it in first half stoppage time with a Nicolas Gaitan goal. The Orange and Blue saw yellow cards for time wasting by Richey in the 48th minute, a 52nd minute foul by Emmanuel Ledesma, and dissent from Leonardo Bertone in the 59th minute. The Fire had yellow cards for fouls by Jorge Corrales in the 73rd minute and Djordje Mihailovic in the 79th minute. Cincinnati reclaimed the lead on a Fanendo Adi goal in the 83rd minute, made possible by Kekuta Manneh. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the man of the match being Richey, who went six for seven in saves.

Further north, Minnesota United FC hosts FC Dallas. Jesse Gonzalez and Vito Mannone tend the twines. Dallas received yellow cards for a foul by Brandon Servania in the 35th minute and dissent from Bryan Acosta in first half stoppage time. Minnesota picked up yellow cards for dissent by Chase Gasper in the 59th minute and a Mason Toye foul in the 80th minute. The Loons cracked the scoresheet in second half stoppage time on a Toye goal. Toros keeper Gonzalez took a yellow card for dissent four minutes after the goal. The final held at 1-0, with Mannone's six-save clean sheet making him man of the match.

Southwest to Utah, where Real Salt Lake welcomes the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Nick Rimando patrol the penalty areas. Salt Lake's Sebastian Saucedo took a yellow card for not retreating in the 17th minute. Real struck first in the 23rd minute with a Jefferson Savarino goal, courtesy of Aaron Herrera. Salt Lake received yellow cards for fouls by Damir Kreilach in the 24th minute and Kyle Beckerman in the 28th minute. Philadelphia saw a yellow card for a Brenden Aaronson foul in the 35th minute. Real's Herrera picked up a yellow card for a 61st minute foul. Salt Lake added on in the 71st minute with a Savarino goal, made possible by Beckerman. Real extended the lead as Albert Rusnak scored in the 81st minute, thanks to Savarino. Salt Lake padded the lead in the 89th minute with a Kreilach goal, set up by Everton Luiz. This made it 4-0, the final, with Savarino named man of the match.

Back in Canada, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC bring in Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Zac MacMath are the veterans in goal. Kansas City was gifted an early lead in the 24th minute as Ali Adnan of Vancouver committed an own goal. Victor Giro of the Whitecaps took a yellow card for a 48th minute foul. Sporting added on in the 56th minute with a Felipe Gutierrez goal, passed from Gerso. Kansas City had yellow cards for fouls by Ilie Sanchez in the 68th minute and Seth Sinovic in the 75th minute. Vancouver's Doneil Henry and Erik Godoy received yellow cards for fouls in the 81st and 90th minutes, respectively. Sporting extended the lead as Gerso scored in the 90th minute, thanks to Krisztian Nemeth and Johnny Russell. Adnan of the Whitecaps had a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The final was 3-0, with the man of the match being Gerso.

Saturday's finale sees the Portland Timbers host the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and Steve Clark man the nets. Portland's Diego Valeri had a yellow card for a 21st minute foul. Tommy Smith of Colorado took a yellow card for a foul in the 22nd minute. The Timbers drew first blood with a Smith own goal in the 27th minute. The Rapids quickly tied it on a Jonathan Lewis goal in the 28th minute. Portland went down to ten men in the 55th minute as Julio Cascante received a straight red card for a foul. Colorado saw a yellow card for a Diego Rubio foul in the 59th minute. The Timbers retook the lead on a Valeri penalty kick goal in the 63rd minute. The Rapids retied it in the 76th minute on a Sam Nicholson goal, courtesy of Danny Wilson. Renzo Zambrano of Portland received a yellow card for a 77th minute foul, as did teammate Jeremy Ebobisse in the 89th minute. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with Valeri tabbed as man of the match.

On Sunday, the Seattle Sounders FC welcome Atlanta United FC. Brad Guzan and Stefan Frei are the gloved men. Atlanta saw yellow cards for fouls by Miles Robinson in the 22nd minute and Michael Parkhurst in the 41st minute. Seattle kicked off the scoring in the 58th minute with a Raul Ruidiaz goal, set up by Cristian Roldan. The Five Stripes tied it on a Josef Martinez goal in the 65th minute, courtesy of Gonzalo Martinez. The Sounders reclaimed the lead on a Harry Shipp goal in the 71st minute, passed from Jordan Morris and Nicolas Lodeiro. Franco Escobar of Atlanta received a yellow card for an 82nd minute foul. The Sounders held on for a 2-1 win, with Ruidiaz named man of the match.

Finally, the New York Derby sees the Red Bulls bring in NYCFC. Sean Johnson and Luis Robles protect the nets. NYCFC was first to score in the 7th minute with a Heber goal, via Anton Tinnerholm and Maximiliano Moralez. Amro Tarek of the Red Bulls had a yellow card for a 30th minute foul. Maxime Chanot of the Pigeons had a yellow card for a foul in the 45th minute. NYRB tied it in first half stoppage time with a Daniel Royer penalty kick goal. NYCFC's Heber received a yellow card for a foul in the 48th minute. The Red Bulls took the lead on a Royer goal in the 60th minute, made possible by Cristian Casseres Jr and Marc Rzatkowski. Brian White of NYRB had a yellow card for dissent in the 75th minute. The Pigeons took yellow cards for Alexander Ring's foul in the 83rd minute and dissent by Tinnerholm in second half stoppage time. The Red Bulls' Kemar Lawrence also had a yellow card in stoppage time for time wasting. The final stayed at 2-1, with Royer selected as man of the match.

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NWSL 2019 - Week 13

Another four-game weekend starts on Friday with...

Sky Blue FC hosting the Utah Royals FC. Nicole Barnhart and Kailen Sheridan protect the nets. In the 42nd minute, Julie James of Sky Blue had a yellow card for a foul. Sky Blue's Sabrina Flores picked up a yellow card for a foul in the 77th minute. In the 88th minute, Sky Blue's Amandine Pierre-Louis received a yellow card for her foul. Sky Blue got going in stoppage time with a Jennifer Hoy goal, via Sarah Killion. The final held at 1-0, with Killion selected as woman of the match.

On Saturday, the North Carolina Courage welcome Reign FC. Casey Murphy and Stephanie Labbe draw the starts in goal. North Carolina opened in the 22nd minute with a Lynn Williams goal, set up by Kristen Hamilton. The Courage added on in the 55th minute with a Debinha goal, courtesy of Merritt Mathias. In the 70th minute, North Carolina's Denise O'Sullivan received a yellow card for persistent infringement. Bethany Balcer of Reign picked up a yellow card for a foul in the 87th minute. The final remained at 2-0, with Williams named woman of the match.

Out west, the Houston Dash bring in the Chicago Red Stars. Emily Boyd and Jane Campbell are the keepers. Chicago started in the 7th minute with a Katie Johnson goal, made possible by Vanessa DiBernardo. The Red Stars' Nikki Stanton received a yellow card for a 66th minute foul. Houston's Haley Hanson took a yellow card for a 77th minute foul. The final stayed at 1-0, with the woman of the match being Johnson for her early tally.

Finally, the Portland Thorns FC host the Orlando Pride. Portland struck first in the 3rd minute with a Hayley Raso goal. Orlando's Rachel Hill took a yellow card for a 36th minute foul. The Thorns added on in the 58th minute on a Midge Purce goal. The Pride got on the board with a Marta goal in the 61st minute. Portland replied with a 66th minute Christine Sinclair goal, set up by Caitlin Foord. Orlando chipped back in the 68th minute as the Thorns' Emily Menges committed an own goal. The Pride's Erin Greening took a yellow card for a 69th minute foul. Portland had a yellow card for a Gabby Seiler foul in the 83rd minute. Orlando tied it in the 90th minute with a Greening goal. In stoppage time, the Pride's Abby Elinsky received a yellow card for her foul. The Thorns surged ahead at the death with a Tyler Lussi goal, coming off of Meghan Klingenberg. This made it 4-3, the final, with Raso being the woman of the match.

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Sunday, July 7, 2019

MLS 2019 - Week 18

Just nine games at the weekend this time, with six on Saturday after weather changed the schedule. First up...

FC Cincinnati hosts the Houston Dynamo. Joe Willis and Spencer Richey draw the starts in goal. Alberth Elis and Juan Cabezas of Houston had yellow cards for fouls in the 19th and 25th minutes, respectively. Cincinnati began in the 29th minute with a Kekuta Manneh goal, via Emmanuel Ledesma and Allan Cruz. Frankie Amaya of the Orange and Blue took a yellow card for a 32nd minute foul. Cincinnati added on with a Rashawn Dally goal in the 38th minute, courtesy of Mathieu Deplagne. The Orange and Blue extended the lead as Victor Ulloa scored in the 61st minute, thanks to Ledesma. Aljaz Struna of the Dynamo took a yellow card for a 74th minute foul. Houston got on the board in the 79th minute with a Romell Quioto penalty kick goal. The Dynamo pulled closer as Cincinnati's Nick Hagglund committed an own goal in the 81st minute. This only made it 3-2, the final, with Ledesma being the man of the match.

Across Ohio, the Columbus Crew SC welcomes the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Joe Bendik are the veterans in goal. Columbus opened in the 13th minute with a Pedro Santos penalty kick goal. The Crew saw yellow cards for a David Guzman foul in the 29th minute and persistent infringement by Santos in the 42nd minute. Seattle got on the board with a 56th minute Nicolas Lodeiro penalty kick goal. In the 70th minute, the Sounders' Danny Leyva received a yellow card for persistent infringement. Columbus saw a yellow card given to Artur in the 79th minute for persistent infringement. In the 85th minute, Harrison Afful of the Crew and Lodeiro of Seattle took yellow cards after an argument. In stoppage time, Columbus' Luis Argudo picked up a yellow card for a foul. Three minutes later, Lodeiro scored again to put the Sounders ahead, which stood for a 2-1 win. Lodeiro was man of the match on the strength of his brace.

Up in Canada, the Montreal Impact bring in Minnesota United FC. Vito Mannone and Evan Bush are in the six-yard boxes. Montreal led off in the 1st minute with an Anthony Jackson-Hamel goal, via Zakaria Diallo. Minnesota tied it on a 9th minute goal by Mason Toye, coming off of Kevin Molino. The Impact retook the lead with a 13th minute goal by Rudy Camacho, courtesy of Saphir Taider. In first half stoppage time, Montreal's Bush had a yellow card for a foul, and the Loons tied it on an Ethan Finlay penalty kick goal. Minnesota pulled ahead with another Toye goal in the 47th minute, assisted by Molino. This held up for a 3-2 win, with Toye selected as the man of the match.

Back stateside, Sporting Kansas City hosts the Chicago Fire. Kenneth Kronholm and Tim Melia guard the nets. Kansas City started in the 14th minute with a Yohan Croizet goal, via Felipe Gutierrez. Chicago saw a yellow card for a Fabian Herbers foul in the 44th minute. Sporting's Gutierrez took a yellow card for his 67th minute foul. The Fire received yellow cards for fouls by Dax McCarty in the 69th minute and Diego Campos in the 83rd minute. Botond Barath of Kansas City earned a yellow card for his 88th minute foul. Chicago's Bastian Schweinsteiger was booked for a 90th minute foul. Sporting picked up the 1-0 with with Croizet as the man of the match.

On the west coast, the San Jose Earthquakes welcome Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Daniel Vega protect the nets. Salt Lake saw yellow cards for fouls by Sebastian Saucedo in the 86th minute and Corey Baird in the 89th minute. San Jose dented the scoreboard in stoppage time on a Danny Hoesen goal, via Paul Marie and Cristian Espinoza. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the man of the match being Vega for his five-save clean sheet.

Saturday ends with Los Angeles FC bringing in the Vancouver Whitecaps. Maxime Crepeau and Pablo Sisniega are the lesser-known keepers. Vancouver struck first in the 5th minute with a Yordy Reyna goal, set up by Jon Erice. Erik Godoy of the Whitecaps took a yellow card for a 7th minute foul. Los Angeles got on the board when Vancouver's Andy Rose committed an own goal in the 35th minute. The Black and Gold took the lead with a 41st minute Adama Diomande goal, assisted by Carlos Vela. Los Angeles added on in the 46th minute with a Mark-Anthony Kaye goal, courtesy of Tristan Blackmon. The Whitecaps' Reyna saw a yellow card for a 48th minute foul. The Black and Gold extended the lead on a 54th minute Vela goal, coming off of Eduard Atuesta. Los Angeles padded the lead as Vela scored again in the 70th minute. The Black and Gold kept going with a 72nd minute Diego Rossi goal. Atuesta of Los Angeles had a yellow card for an 80th minute foul. Vancouver went down to ten men in the 85th minute as Fredy Montero received a straight red card for a foul. The final was 6-1, with Vela awarded man of the match honors.

On Sunday, Atlanta United FC hosts the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Brad Guzan are the gloved men. Atlanta cracked the scoresheet in the 10th minute on a Justin Meram goal, via Gonzalo Martinez. New York tied it with a Daniel Royer goal in the 37th minute, helped along by Marc Rzatkowski and Alex Muyl. In first half stoppage time, the Five Stripes' Franco Escobar had a yellow card for dissent and the Red Bulls' Amro Tarek was booked for a foul. Kyle Duncan of New York had a yellow card for a 51st minute foul. The Red Bulls gained the lead in the 60th minute with a Brian White goal, courtesy of Muyl and Royer. Atlanta retied it on a Josef Martinez penalty kick goal. The Five Stripes took the lead as Josef Martinez scored in second half stoppage time, with the help of Escobar. Atlanta's Josef Martinez received a yellow card for delay of game after celebrating. New York equalized a minute later on a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, made possible by Cristian Casseres Jr. The final was 3-3, with the man of the match being Josef Martinez.

A rescheduled game in Philadelphia is next, as the Union welcome Orlando City SC. Brian Rowe and Andre Blake are between the sticks. Philadelphia was first to score in the 4th minute with a Marco Fabian goal, via Fabrice-Jean Picault. Orlando City tied it in the 67th minute with a Dom Dwyer goal, assisted by Nani. The Lions took the lead with a Santiago Patino goal in the 81st minute. The Union tied it on a Kacper Przybylko goal in the 90th minute, set up by Matt Real and Anthony Fontana. Philadelphia's Real took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The final stayed at 2-2, with Przybylko selected as man of the match.

Finally, New York City FC bring in the Portland Timbers. Steve Clark and Brad Stuver are set to start in goal. Portland got going in the 14th minute with a Sebastian Blanco goal. The Timbers had a run of yellow cards to end the first half, with Claude Dielna in the 40th minute getting booked for a foul, followed by Blanco for dissent and Marco Farfan for a foul in the 44th minute, and Dairon Asprilla and Zarek Valentin's fouls in stoppage time. New York City saw yellow cards for fouls by Ben Sweat in the 81st minute and Ebenezer Ofori in the 88th minute. The final was 1-0, with Clark's five-save clean sheet earning him man of the match honors.

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Saturday, July 6, 2019

NWSL 2019 - Week 12

We've got a four-game weekend ahead of Sunday's Women's World Cup Final. First up on Friday...

The North Carolina Courage host the Houston Dash. Jane Campbell and Katelyn Rowland protect the nets. On the 5-minute mark, North Carolina opened with a Kristen Hamilton goal, helped along by Merritt Mathias. The Courage added on in the 18th minute with another Hamilton goal, passed from Jaelene Hinkle. In the 24th minute, Houston got on the board with a Kristie Mewis goal, assisted by Kyah Simon on the give-and-go. North Carolina replied in the 31st minute on a Lynn Williams goal, set up by Denise O'Sullivan. The Dash countered with a Simon goal, courtesy of Sophie Schmidt in the 43rd minute. Houston's Schmidt received a yellow card for a 53rd minute foul. In the 54th minute, the Courage shot back with a Hamilton goal, completing her hat trick on the tally fueled by Williams. The Dash's Haley Hanson earned a yellow card for a foul in the 69th minute. North Carolina extended the lead as Hamilton scored in the 71st minute, thanks to Debinha. The final was 5-2, with Hamilton's four-goal effort making her woman of the match.

Also on Friday, the Portland Thorns FC welcome Reign FC. Casey Murphy and Britt Eckerstrom make the starts in goal. In the 22nd minute, Reign's Lauren Barnes took a yellow card for a foul. In the 52nd minute, Shea Groom of Reign picked up a yellow card for a foul. Portland's Dagny Brynjarsdottir received a yellow card in the 54th minute for her foul. Reign got going in the 55th minute with a Celia Jimenez Delgado goal on a rebound, assisted by Ifeoma Onumonu. In the 64th minute, Jimenez Delgado had a yellow card for a foul. The final held at 1-0, with the woman of the match being Jimenez Delgado.

On Saturday, the Orlando Pride bring in the Washington Spirit. Aubrey Bledsoe and Haley Kopmeyer draw the starts in goal. Washington started in the 7th minute with a Bayley Feist goal, via Cheyna Matthews. Orlando tied it with a Chioma Ubogagu goal in the 21st minute, assisted by Joanna Boyles. The Pride took the lead on a Rachel Hill goal in the 26th minute, set up by Emily van Egmond. The Spirit retied it in the 30th minute on a Matthews goal, courtesy of Tori Huster. Orlando regained the lead in the 48th minute with a Marta goal. Samantha Staab of Washington had a yellow card for a 59th minute foul. In the 62nd minute, the Pride's Toni Pressley received a yellow card for a foul. The Spirit saw a yellow card for a Meggie Dougherty Howard foul in the 73rd minute. Orlando added on in the 78th minute with Marta's second goal of the game. Washington pulled one back in stoppage time on a Jordan DiBiasi goal, passed from Ashley Hatch. This only made it 4-3, with Marta's brace earning her woman of the match honors.

Finally, the Chicago Red Stars host Sky Blue FC. Kailen Sheridan and Emily Boyd are between the sticks. Sky Blue struck first in the 23rd minute with a Raquel Rodriguez goal, set up by Paige Monaghan. Sky Blue added on in the 81st minute with a Jennifer Hoy goal. Chicago got on the board with a Danielle Colaprico goal in the 83rd minute. Sky Blue's Julie James received a yellow card in stoppage time for a foul. The final held at 2-1 Sky Blue, with the woman of the match being Sheridan, who went seven for eight in saves.

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Thursday, July 4, 2019

MLS Midweek - July 3-4, 2019

There's 10 games on at midweek over the Fourth of July holiday, beginning with seven on Wednesday. First up...

New York City FC hosts the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Brad Stuver are the goalies. Seattle's Nouhou took a yellow card for a foul in the 4th minute. New York City saw a yellow card for an Alexander Ring foul in the 42nd minute. The Pigeons got going in the 58th minute on a Maximiliano Moralez goal, via Jesus Medina. Kim Kee-hee of the Sounders picked up a yellow card for his 73rd minute foul. New York City added on in the 77th minute with a Medina goal, assisted by Valentin Castellanos. The Pigeons extended the lead as Ebenezer Ofori scored in the 87th minute, thanks to Ring. The final was 3-0, with Medina selected as man of the match.

Over in Chicago, the Fire welcome Atlanta United FC. Brad Guzan and Kenneth Kronholm are the keepers. Chicago led off in the 4th minute with a Francisco Calvo goal, via Nicolas Gaitan. The Fire added on with a C.J. Sapong goal in the 7th minute, guided in by Gaitan. Atlanta went down to ten men when Leandro Gonzalez Pirez took a straight red card for a handball in the box. Chicago extended the lead as Gaitan converted the penalty kick in the 13th minute. The Fire padded the lead as Sapong scored again in the 37th minute, thanks to Gaitan. Chicago kept going with a 44th minute goal by Fabian Herbers, fueled by Calvo. Przemyslaw Frankowski of the Fire had a yellow card for a 57th minute foul. The Five Stripes got on the board with a Brandon Vazquez penalty kick goal in the 58th minute. Miles Robinson of Atlanta had a yellow card for his 69th minute foul. Chicago had yellow cards for fouls by Jeremiah Gutjahr in the 87th minute and Nemanja Nikolic in stoppage time. The final stood at 5-1, with Gaitan as the man of the match.

Up to Minnesota United FC bringing in the San Jose Earthquakes. Daniel Vega and Vito Mannone protect the nets. Minnesota began in the 5th minute on a Darwin Quintero goal, set up by Ethan Finlay and Miguel Ibarra. San Jose's Marcos Lopez had a yellow card for a 30th minute foul. In first half stoppage time, Finlay of the Loons took a yellow card for a foul. The Earthquakes tied it on a Tommy Thompson goal a minute later. Minnesota reclaimed the lead on a Michael Boxall goal in the 52nd minute. Chris Wondolowski of San Jose earned a yellow card for a 55th minute foul. The Loons picked up yellow cards for a Jan Gregus foul in the 76th minute, Quintero's offense in the 78th minute, time wasting by Osvaldo Alonso in second half stoppage time, and delay of game by Kevin Molino after his insurance goal a minute later. The final was 3-1 for the Loons, and the man of the match was Boxall.

Way to the south, Orlando City SC hosts the Philadelphia Union. Matt Freese and Brian Rowe are in the six-yard boxes. Orlando City opened in the 8th minute with a Chris Mueller goal. Haris Medunjanin of Philadelphia had a yellow card for a 26th minute foul. The Union tied it in the 32nd minute on a Kacper Przybylko goal in the 32nd minute, via Jamiro Monteiro. The Lions went down to ten men in the 45th minute as Robin Jansson received a straight red card. Philadelphia took the lead on a Przybylko goal in the 47th minute, courtesy of Alejandro Bedoya and Medunjanin. The Union added on with a Fabrice-Jean Picault goal in the 52nd minute, helped along by Brenden Aaronson and Monteiro. Orlando City went down to nine men in the 67th minute with a Sacha Kljestan red card for a serious foul. Kai Wagner of Philadelphia took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The final held at 3-1, with Przybylko being the man of the match.

Northwest to Kansas City, where Sporting welcomes Los Angeles FC. Pablo Sisniega is mismatched with Tim Melia in goal. Matt Besler of Kansas City took a yellow card for a 14th minute foul. Los Angeles started in the 28th minute on a Christian Ramirez goal. Sporting had yellow cards for persistent infringement by Seth Sinovic in the 34th minute and an Ilie Sanchez foul in the 39th minute. The Black and Gold's Latif Blessing took a yellow card for a 45th minute foul. In the 48th minute, Felipe Gutierrez of Kansas City received a yellow card for a foul. Los Angeles added on with a Diego Rossi goal in the 50th minute, coming off of Ramirez. The Black and Gold saw a yellow card for a Mark-Anthony Kaye foul in the 57th minute. Los Angeles extended the lead in the 63rd minute as Carlos Vela scored, thanks to Rossi. Steven Beitashour of the Black and Gold picked up a yellow card for an 80th minute handball. Sporting got on the board in the 85th minute on a Yohan Croizet goal, set up by Sanchez. Los Angeles replied in the 89th minute with a Rodolfo Zelaya goal, courtesy of Vela and Rossi, which drew the ire of Kansas City's Melia, who earned a yellow card for dissent. The Black and Gold capped it at 5-1 with a Mohamed El-Munir goal in stoppage time, assisted by Lee Nguyen. The man of the match was Rossi.

Back south to Texas, as the Houston Dynamo bring in the New York Red Bulls. Houston struck first in the 39th minute with a Mauro Manotas goal, guided in by Alberth Elis. In the 41st minute, Romell Quioto of the Dynamo had a yellow card for dissent. Michael Murillo of New York received a yellow card for a 44th minute foul. Houston added on with a Tomas Martinez goal in the 56th minute. The Red Bulls saw yellow cards for fouls by Kyle Duncan in the 63rd minute and Cristian Casseres Jr. in the 68th minute. AJ DeLaGarza of the Dynamo picked up a yellow card for time wasting in the 70th minute. Houston extended the lead as Elis scored in the 72nd minute, thanks to Quioto. Murillo of New York took a second yellow card for an 83rd minute foul, putting his side at ten men. In stoppage time, the Dynamo padded the lead with another Elis goal, set up by Maynor Figueroa. A dust-up at the same time led to Figueroa being given a straight red card to put Houston at ten men, only for the Red Bulls to go down to nine men when Alejandro Romero Gamarra was given a straight red card for violent conduct. The final stayed at 4-0 Houston, with Elis named man of the match.

Wednesday ends with Real Salt Lake hosting the Columbus Crew SC. Joe Bendik and Nick Rimando are set to start in goal. Aaron Herrera of Salt Lake had a yellow card for a 31st minute foul. Eduardo Sosa of Columbus took a yellow card for a 32nd minute foul. Real was first to score in the 38th minute with a Sam Johnson goal, helped along by Herrera. Salt Lake's Corey Baird received a yellow card in the 55th minute for a foul, as did teammates Nick Besler in the 62nd minute and Sebastian Saucedo in the 80th minute, the latter's booking coming for dissent. Alex Crognale of the Crew received a yellow card for an 85th minute foul. The final remained 1-0, with the man of the match being Herrera.

On Thursday, FC Dallas welcomes DC United. Bill Hamid and Jesse Gonzalez are the strong keepers. Dallas drew first blood in the 6th minute with a Santiago Mosquera goal, assisted by Bressan and Ryan Hollingshead. Matt Hedges of the Toros had a yellow card for a 22nd minute foul. In the 33rd minute, DC's Wayne Rooney took a yellow card upon review. In the 35th minute, Dallas' Hollingshead had a yellow card for a foul. The Black and Red saw a yellow card for a 46th minute foul by Russell Canouse. The Toros added on in the 65th minute with a Dominique Badji goal. DC went down to ten men in the 73rd minute when Luciano Acosta took a straight red card upon review. Quincy Amarikwa of the Black and Red received a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The final was 2-0, with Mosquera as the man of the match.

In Colorado, the Rapids bring in the New England Revolution amid weather delays. Matt Turner and Tim Howard draw the starts in goal. New England cracked the scoresheet in the 8th minute on a Teal Bunbury goal, via Edgar Castillo. Danny Wilson of Colorado had a yellow card for a 36th minute foul. Brandon Bye of the Revolution picked up a yellow card for a foul in the 40th minute. New England added on in the 52nd minute with a Juan Fernando Caicedo goal, assisted by Carles Gil. Sam Vines of the Rapids took a yellow card for a 54th minute foul. In the 71st minute, Turner of the Revolution picked up a yellow card for a foul. Colorado got on the board in the same minute with a Diego Rubio goal, passed from Nicolas Mezquida. The Rapids' Tommy Smith received a yellow card for his 72nd minute foul. New England saw a yellow card for a foul by Antonio Mlinar Delamea in the 78th minute. Colorado's Lalas Abubakar earned a yellow card for dissent in the 81st minute. In stoppage time, Kellyn Acosta of the Rapids had two yellow cards -- one for a foul and one for dissent to put his side at ten men. The final stayed at 2-1, with Caicedo selected as man of the match.

Finally, midweek action ends with the Los Angeles Galaxy hosting Toronto FC. Quentin Westberg and David Bingham are between the sticks. Los Angeles had yellow cards for fouls by Daniel Steres in the 6th minute and Favio Alvarez in the 28th minute. Liam Fraser of Toronto took a yellow card for a 44th minute foul. The Galaxy dented the scoreboard in the 75th minute with a Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal, set up by Efrain Alvarez. Diego Polenta of Los Angeles took a yellow card for his 76th minute foul. The Galaxy added on in the 89th minute with an Ibrahimovic goal, courtesy of Emil Cuello and Joe Corona. The final was 2-0, with the man of the match being Ibrahimovic.