Major League Soccer 2016 - Week 22

It's another weekend full of games for MLS. We begin with one game on Friday, as...

The San Jose Earthquakes host New York City FC. Josh Saunders and David Bingham protect the nets. The game ended 0-0, with no discipline and no scoring. Saunders was the man of the match for his four-save clean sheet.

The first of five Saturday games has DC United welcoming the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Bill Hamid are the acclaimed keepers. Richie Marquez of Philadelphia had a fifth minute yellow card for his foul. DC led off with a sixteenth minute goal by Taylor Kemp. The Union tied it in first half stoppage time with a Tranquillo Barnetta goal. Philadelphia took the lead in the fifty-seventh minute with a Chris Pontius goal, via Ilsinho. Luciano Acosta of United took a yellow card for a fifty-eighth minute foul. The Union's Ken Tribbett had a yellow card for a sixty-third minute foul. DC retied it in second half stoppage time on a Steve Birnbaum goal, courtesy of Patrick Nyarko. The game ended 2-2, with Birnbaum the man of the match for the late equalizer.

In Canada, the Montreal Impact bring in the Houston Dynamo. Joe Willis and Evan Bush are the gloved men. Houston's David Horst took a yellow card for a forty-first minute foul. The Dynamo had a yellow card for a Sheanon Williams foul in the sixty-first minute. Montreal got going with a seventy-sixth minute Matteo Moncosu goal, assisted by Marco Donadel. Hernan Bernardello of the Impact took a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-sixth minute. The game ended 1-0, with Moncosu the man of the match for the winner.

Over in Ontario, Toronto FC hosts the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth faces a lesser foe in Alex Bono in goal. Toronto began in the twentieth minute with a Sebastian Giovinco goal. Toronto added on in the twenty-ninth minute with another Giovinco goal, coming off of Mark Bloom. New England's Gershon Koffie had a yellow card for a fifty-fourth minute foul. Toronto extended the lead as Giovinco finished his hat trick on a seventy-sixth minute penalty kick goal. The Revolution got on the board with a Teal Bunbury goal in the eighty-eighth minute, via Kelyn Rowe. Toronto iced it at 4-1 with a stoppage time goal by Jozy Altidore, passed from Michael Bradley. Giovinco was the man of the match after recording another hat trick.

Southwest to Colorado, where the Rapids welcome the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Tim Howard are in the six-yard boxes. Vancouver's David Edgar took a twenty-ninth minute yellow card for a foul. Colorado opened in the forty-fourth minute on a Marlon Hairston goal, assisted by Marc Burch. The Rapids added on with a Dominique Badji goal in the sixtieth minute, set up by Hairston and Eric Miller. The Whitecaps had a yellow card assessed to Christian Bolanos in the sixty-fourth minute for his foul. Kendall Waston of Vancouver took a yellow card for an eighty-ninth minute foul. The game ended at 2-0, with the man of the match being Hairston for his goal and assist.

Saturday ends with Real Salt Lake bringing in the Chicago Fire. Matt Lampson and Nick Rimando are in goal. Salt Lake struck first in the fourteenth minute with an Olmes Garcia goal, assisted by Javier Morales and Joao Plata, but he also took a yellow card for delaying the restart of play. In the twenty-eighth minutes, Morales added to the Real lead with a penalty kick goal. Nick LaBrocca of Chicago had a yellow card for a thirty-fifth minute foul. The Fire got on the board with a fifty-eighth minute Arturo Alvarez goal, passed from LaBrocca and Michael Stephens. Salt Lake answered in the sixty-fourth minute with another Morales goal, coming off of Plata and Demar Phillips. The game ended at 3-1 for Real, with Morales the man of the match for contributing on all three goals.

On Sunday, the first game of three sees the Portland Timbers host Sporting Kansas City. Alec Kann and Jake Gleeson are the goalies. Portland went down to ten men as Diego Chara took a straight red card for violent conduct in the twelfth minute. Seth Sinovic of Kansas City had a yellow card for his foul in the nineteenth minute. Sporting also went to ten men as Soni Mustivar took a straight red card for his foul in the thirty-ninth minute. Roger Espinoza of Kansas City had a yellow card for a forty-seventh minute foul. The Timbers dented the scoreboard with a sixty-fifth minute Diego Valeri goal. Portland added on with an eighty-seventh minute goal from Jack Jewsbury, assisted by Darlington Nagbe. The Timbers extended the lead in stoppage time with a Fanendo Adi goal. The final stood at 3-0, with the man of the match being Valeri.

Next up, Orlando City SC welcomes the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Joe Bendik play goal. Orlando City started in the seventh minute on a Seb Hines goal, via Kaka. Seattle tied it in the fourteenth minute on a Clint Dempsey goal, courtesy of Tyrone Mears and Nicolas Lodeiro. Orlando City's Antonio Nocerino took a yellow card for a thirty-third minute foul. The Sounders added on with another Dempsey goal in the thirty-seventh minute, made possible by Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan. Seattle extended the lead as Dempsey finished his hat trick in the forty-eighth minute, with the help of Morris and Lodeiro. Orlando City saw a fifty-eighth minute yellow card for Hines' foul. The Sounders had yellow cards assessed to Roldan for persistent infringement in the sixty-fourth minute, Osvaldo Alonso in the seventy-third minute for a foul, Lodeiro for dissent in the seventy-fourth minute, and Zach Scott for his seventy-sixth minute foul. Orlando City received a yellow card for a David Mateos foul in the eighty-fourth minute. The game ended 3-1, with the man of the match being Dempsey.

Finally, the Los Angeles Galaxy bring in the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Brian Rowe are the solid goalies. New York saw a yellow card for an Alex Muyl foul in the sixty-first minute. The Red Bulls were first to score on a sixty-eighth minute Gonzalo Veron goal, assisted by Sacha Kljestan and Felipe. New York added on with a Sean Davis goal in the seventy-fourth minute, coming off of Felipe and Mike Grella. Los Angeles got on the board with an eightieth minute goal by Mike Magee, set up by Steven Gerrard and Giovani dos Santos. The Galaxy tied it in the eighty-ninth minute on an Ashley Cole goal. Kemar Lawrence of the Red Bulls had a yellow card for time wasting in stoppage time. Los Angeles' Baggio Husidic took a yellow card for a foul a minute later. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with the man of the match being Felipe for helping set up both Red Bulls goals in a road draw.

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Toronto FC VS. Real Salt Lake - August 3, 2016

This game sees Nick Rimando of Salt Lake and Alex Bono of Toronto in goal. Toronto began with a sixty-eighth minute Tosaint Ricketts goal, assisted by Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore. Salt Lake had a yellow card for an eighty-eighth minute foul by Aaron Maund. The game ended 1-0, with the man of the match being Ricketts for that winner.

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NWSL Week 15

This is the final set of games for awhile, as the Olympic Break keeps the league out of action until August 18, when the Houston Dash get their makeup game against the Washington Spirit. Speaking of makeup games, this week's Spirit match against Sky Blue is now the fourth game in the post, being rescheduled for 11 AM EDT. I will have to recap these after my trip to watch the Seattle Sounders of MLS tomorrow afternoon, so expect the games to be fully recapped tomorrow night around 10 PM PDT. Thus, this week leads off with...

The Chicago Red Stars hosting FC Kansas City. Nicole Barnhart and Michele Dalton protect the nets. The game can be found here. This game also featured a number retirement for #17 Lori Chalupny of the Red Stars, which came after the game. Sam Johnson of Chicago had a through ball go too long and into the hands of Kansas City keeper Barnhart. Sofia Huerta of the Red Stars made a run into the box in the fourth minute, but Yael Averbuch of the Blues shut her down. Chicago soon earned a corner kick, with Vanessa DiBernardo serving it in where Kansas City's Shea Groom cleared it away. A stoppage after the second error happened as Katie Naughton got hit in the face by Red Stars teammate Danielle Colaprico's shot. Arin Gilliland couldn't get a cross off with Molly Menchel and Erika Tymrak stopping her for the Blues in the seventh minute. Stephanie McCaffrey made a long run for the Red Stars in the ninth minute before a crafty steal by Brittany Taylor of Kansas City. Chicago has appeared to have the better of possession in the first ten minutes, but neither team has created a truly dangerous chance yet. Frances Silva threaded a ball through to Tiffany McCarty in the eleventh minute, which Dalton just clipped and sent out for a corner kick for the Blues. Huerta headed out the service from Tymrak, but it fell to Lo'eau LaBonta, who boomed a shot low that Dalton scrambled down to save. Cara Walls had an errant cross in the thirteenth minute, sending it well out of bounds for the Red Stars. Groom tried a long ball for McCarty, but the Kansas City winger had to foul Chicago's Casey Short to win the ball. Huerta tried a fifteenth minute cross that got blocked. Taylor Comeau nearly had a shot as Johnson sent the ball forward off of a one-touch pass from Walls. A corner kick resulted, with DiBernardo serving in towards Comeau and Short. The Blues sent it back out for another corner kick on the opposite side. DiBernardo's service went short for Colaprico, who flicked it to McCaffrey, but Kansas City's Brienne Reed disrupted the play. Huerta tried a cross for McCaffrey in the eighteenth minute, but Barnhart got there first. Katie Naughton had a free kick for the Red Stars in the nineteenth minute, which Walls flicked on but into Barnhart's hands. McCarty won a corner kick off of Short in the twentieth minute for the Blues. Menchel served this one for Groom, who collided with the Red Stars keeper Dalton, who ultimately grabbed the ball. Gilliland blocked a shot by Mandy Laddish after a McCarty cross. The play started with a Reed flip throw-in, which is quickly becoming her mark on the league. McCarty couldn't manage a cross against Johnson and Short in the twenty-seventh minute. The pace of the game has slowed a bit in the middle of the first half. Huerta found DiBernardo for a twenty-eighth minute shot saved by Barnhart. Walls tried to lay one off for McCaffrey, but LaBonta put it out for a corner kick. DiBernardo sent this one in short for Colaprico and then McCaffrey, poked out for another corner kick. DiBernardo put this one to Short, whose shot was blocked. Gilliland had a chance as well, and then the Red Stars earned another corner kick. This time, DiBernardo went for Naughton, and then it fell to Gilliland, who shot wide right to end the Chicago attack. Gilliland's cross in the thirty-first minute went around LaBonta and was caught by Blues keeper Barnhart. Reed had a cross that Gilliland sent out and Laddish sent a shot over the bar for Kansas City. DiBernardo just sent a shot wide in the thirty-fourth minute after receiving a pass from Huerta. Johnson blocked a McCarty cross after Silva fed her in the thirty-seventh minute. Laddish had a cross to Silva blocked, and then LaBonta fired a shot wide right. Walls took a pass from Huerta in the thirty-ninth minute and shot on goal where Barnhart again made the save. McCarty countered and fired wide left on an open goal that Dalton had gotten out of position for, after a pass from Tymrak. Kansas City had a couple more chances off of a Laddish service, but Gilliland cleared it. Naughton blocked a McCarty cross after Johnson and Short failed to make a block. Groom was the intended target for the forty-second minute attack. Walls made a big run in the forty-third minute, going out wide for McCaffrey, whose low cross was sent away by LaBonta. Chicago maintained a flurry of chances late in the half, working from side to side but without a real shot. Short managed a cross in the forty-fifth minute that Walls sent over the bar. The game went into halftime tied 0-0. Starring for the Blues in the first half were the GK Barnhart, DMs Laddish and LaBonta, RW McCarty, and striker Groom. For the Red Stars, the top players were RB Gilliland, CB Johnson, LB Short, DM DiBernardo, RW Huerta, RF Walls, and LF McCaffrey. Huerta dropped a ball off for McCaffrey in the forty-seventh minute, and she shot on goal, forcing Barnhart into a save. McCaffrey had a shot got high in the forty-ninth minute, as the Red Stars continue their stronger play early in the second half. Johnson headed away a McCarty flick forward for the Blues in the fiftieth minute. Gilliland got a ball on the wing, going to Walls in the six-yard box, dropping it back to DiBernardo, whose shot was palmed over the bar by Barnhart. DiBernardo's corner kick came to Walls off a teammate's head, but Barnhart was in the right spot to halt that shot. Johnson made a big run after catching McCarty off guard, and then she went for Walls, to sent another ball to DiBernardo, whose shot was once again deflected out for a corner kick. Barnhart caught the service this time in the fifty-third minute. Walls played a ball into Huerta in the fifty-fourth minute, and Huerta had two shots saved by Barnhart, but the second rebound went out to an open McCaffrey, who buried it through three defenders to make it 1-0 Red Stars. Averbuch was close to getting a block. Tymrak and Menchel combined to steal the ball from Gilliland in the fifty-sixth minute. McCarty's fifty-seventh minute cross for the Blues was harmless, as Dalton caught it easily. Kansas City earned a dangerous free kick chance after Colaprico fouled Tymrak. Averbuch took the free kick, going for a shot that sailed right. The Blues got another one after Groom was fouled. This one came from farther back in the fifty-ninth minute, and Averbuch sent it well over the goal. Johnson got in the way of Silva's flick after a Reed cross in the sixty-first minute, as the Blues have gained a bit more offense since falling behind. McCaffrey couldn't quite win a corner kick off of Averbuch in the sixty-second minute. The two met again on another Chicago attack, and Averbuch prevailed once more. McCarty earned a corner kick off of Short in the sixty-fourth minute, giving Kansas City a corner kick. Menchel's service went straight to Dalton. Colaprico and Naughton combined to clear a Menchel cross away from Groom. Reed blocked a Walls run with a heavy hit in the sixty-seventh minute after a spell of Chicago possession. Reed then covered Short on the wing to prevent a cross for the Red Stars. DiBernardo, Alyssa Mautz, and McCaffrey all combined for a chance before Taylor made a steal. The Blues eventually put it out for a corner kick for the Red Stars. DiBernardo served it in for Mautz, but Barnhart caught it first. Caroline Kastor of Kansas City put in a high cross that Groom headed, and Silva managed a shot over the bar in the seventy-first minute. Laddish had a shot after another Kastor cross fell to Tymrak, who laid it off for the chance. DiBernardo had a cross picked off by Taylor. Walls had an errant cross go out in the seventy-fifth minute, as the Red Stars keep the pressure on entering the final fifteen minutes. Short and Colaprico sandwiched Silva's run centrally for Kansas City in the seventy-eighth minute. Colaprico cleared a Reed cross in the seventy-ninth minute as the Red Stars preserve their defensive form. The game got a bit slow in its late stages. Tymrak made a run into the box for the Blues in the eighty-sixth minute, but Kastor's foul killed their attack and gave Chicago possession again. Jen Hoy lost the ball on an eighty-seventh minute attack, and when the Blues countered, Mautz shut down Kastor. Mautz took a shot wide right in the eighty-eighth minute for the Red Stars. Silva found Groom, who crossed to Kastor in the eighty-ninth minute, but Gilliland made the block for Chicago. Taylor had a cross that DiBernardo sent away for the Red Stars in the ninetieth minute. Johnson blocked a Groom cross, which Dalton grabbed before it crossed the end line. The game ended 1-0 for the Red Stars, with McCaffrey named the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. Also impressing in the second half were a pair of Blues, CB Averbuch and RB Reed.

Down in Houston, the Dash welcome the Western New York Flash. Katelyn Rowland and Bianca Henninger protect the nets. Here's the game. Houston's Melissa Henderson was caught offside in the first minute. Cami Privett cleared a Lynn Williams cross for Western New York, and Lianne Sanderson couldn't muster a shot on the second effort. The Flash won a corner kick in the second minute, which Jaelene Hinkle served too long, allowing the Dash to break the pressure. The ball came back into Sanderson, who scored in the third minute with a low shot that bounced off Henninger's hands after Williams passed it centrally. Western New York leads 1-0. Jessica McDonald had a long throw-in for Williams in the fourth minute, but Amber Brooks cleared the initial threat and Houston eventually gained a goal kick. Becca Moros sent a cross to Rachel Daly for Houston, whose return was sent off of Hinkle of the Flash. Taylor Smith of Western New York sent a cross out of bounds in the sixth minute. Williams had a cross in the six-yard box that McDonald got stuffed on, and Henninger collected it just in time to prevent a goal in the seventh minute as the Flash look extremely dangerous. Cari Roccaro prevented Williams from taking a shot after McDonald flicked on an Abby Dahlkemper free kick. McCall Zerboni fouled Henderson just outside the box in the tenth minute, giving the Dash a good free kick after the Stephanie Ochs service was cleared by Courtney Niemiec. Daly took the Houston free kick, shooting it off of Zerboni. Ochs of Houston stole a ball from Hinkle, but lost it in the corner. Sanderson fired a shot wide right in the thirteenth minute for the Flash. Privett poked a ball away from McDonald after a pass from Williams. Roccaro made a steal on a Sanderson pass forward. Privett's eighteenth minute cross was caught by Rowland cleanly. Kealia Ohai had a pass to Daly and Denise O'Sullivan in the nineteenth minute, but one or both of them were called offside, and the shot went wide right anyway. Brooks released a deep shot that went over the bar as Houston gets their legs under them. O'Sullivan lost the ball to Hinkle on the next Houston attack. Daly and Niemiec collided in the twenty-first minute, with Daly needing some time to shake it off. Eddy had a cross in for Makenzy Doniak, which Privett covered and Ochs cleared. Brooks cleared a twenty-fifth minute McDonald throw-in. Houston has had trouble clearing their lines at times. Hinkle picked off Daly's pass intended for Henderson in the twenty-sixth minute. McDonald nearly disrupted a catch for Henninger, who has looked shaky in goal. Houston countered with Ohai passing for Henderson, and Hinkle just broke up the play. The Flash shot back as McDonald played a ball in the twenty-eighth minute to Williams that Henninger grabbed first. Ellie Brush and O'Sullivan cleared out a Dahlkemper free kick in the twenty-ninth minute. Ochs put a cross harmlessly through the box that Doniak collected. Moros tried to find O'Sullivan but it went off-target. Daly rocketed a thirty-first minute shot with acres of space to run into the top left corner, shooting around Dahlkemper to tie the game at 1 for the Dash. This triggered the hydration break. Moros nearly found O'Sullivan in the thirty-sixth minute, but Niemiec picked it off for Western New York. Sanderson tried to put a ball into the box in the thirty-eighth minute, but Henninger had no trouble with it. Ochs threaded a forty-first minute pass to O'Sullivan, whose shot went wide left across goal, going beyond Niemiec and Dahlkemper. Eddy crossed to McDonald, but Moros cleared the flick. Sanderson then sent the ball wide of goal to return it to Houston in the form of a goal kick. Daly made a big run, passing toward Henderson, but Niemiec intercepted it in the forty-fourth minute. Daly ran down a ball that Dahlkemper mishandled, but Daly sent it across goal and wide right. Western New York had a decent attack in first half stoppage time, ending with Eddy's long cross that ended up with Henninger. Ohai sent a cross into the box that Ochs took a shot on but Niemiec blocked again. Ochs, Daly, and Brooks all helped to clear the results of a McDonald throw-in. Brush cleared away a ball from Williams. Hinkle took down Ochs in the box, but nothing was called except for the halftime whistle, sending the teams to the locker rooms tied at 1. The best players for the Flash have been RB Eddy, CB Niemiec, ACM Sanderson, RF Williams, and LF McDonald, while the Dash have seen impressive efforts from RB Privett, DCM Brooks, LW Ohai, RW Ochs, and LF Daly. Roccaro made a big block on a shot by Smith of the Flash in the forty-sixth minute. Hinkle took the Western New York corner kick, cleared by Daly. Moros sent it out for Ohai, who went coast to coast and danced around Eddy and Rowland in the Flash box, sending it on the ground for a big goal to give the Dash a 2-1 lead. Eddy and Smith shut down another Houston attack that featured Ohai and Daly. McDonald had a long throw-in in the fifty-first minute that Dahlkemper headed out wide left of goal for the Flash. Doniak cleaned up a McDonald leave with a shot for Western New York in the fifty-second minute, but Henninger made the save. Williams sent a shot over the goal in the fifty-third minute. Henderson sent a strong cross into the box for the Dash in the fifty-fourth minute, catching Daly offside as she made an athletic kick on the ball. Ochs and Daly nearly connected in the sixty-sixth minute, but the play was again ruled offside. Doniak sent a ball into Williams in the fifty-seventh minute, whose weak shot was taken up by Henninger for Houston. Ohai went right around Eddy in the fifty-eighth minute and sent a ball in for Daly, who lost a bit of control to Niemiec and Rowland covered for Western New York. Hinkle swerved a ball in on one hop for Henninger to control in the sixty-first minute. In the sixty-third minute, Ochs sent a cross that went long and landed with Ohai, whose shot bounced off of Eddy and into the goal, giving Ohai the brace and Houston the 3-1 lead. Brooks fouled Zerboni in the sixty-fifth minute, creating a decent Western New York free kick. Hinkle took the set piece and Daly cleared it the first time. Doniak sent in a cross, and Dahlkemper returned it, where Brooks cleared to Smith. The Flash lost the control for a bit, but Privett surrendered a corner kick to Western New York in the sixty-seventh minute as Hinkle pressured. Dahlkemper's service was cleared by Daly. Smith's return went to McDonald, who headed it wide right. Brush and Brooks blocked a Williams shot in the sixty-ninth minute. The Flash put together a signature goal in the seventieth minute as Eddy went with a long ball for Williams, who crossed it low from the touch line into McDonald, who roofed it under the bar to cut the deficit to 3-2. Privett made a big stop on a Hinkle attack in the seventy-second minute. Ohai, Daly, and Henderson all combined for a chance that Niemiec ultimately cleared, and Rowland caught the Moros second effort. Hinkle had a cross in the seventy-fifth minute for Zerboni, but it went a bit long and out of bounds, triggering another hydration break. McDonald had a seventy-ninth minute long throw-in that Niemiec bounced off of Brush in the box. The Flash wanted a handball called, but none was given. The Dash constructed a good sequence with Daly, O'Sullivan, Tessa Florio, and then the shot by Ochs going just over the bar in the eightieth minute. O'Sullivan and Daly had a combination that ended with Rowland out of position but Daly falling down. O'Sullivan and Ohai tried to connect immediately after, but that was broken up by the Flash. Roccaro blocked an eighty-fifth minute Williams cross. The second effort went out of bounds. Roccaro cleared a cross by Hinkle away in the eighty-seventh minute. Brooks and Brush had to combine again in the eighty-eighth minute to clear a Williams cross. The Flash seem to be increasing their pressure late in the game as they try to tie it. Western New York earned a corner kick in the eighty-ninth minute, with Hinkle serving in and Roccaro and Moros clearing before Caity Heap of the Dash got fouled by the Flash's Michaela Hahn. In the ninetieth minute, Heap took a yellow card after kicking the ball away after fouling Western New York's Kristen Hamilton. Dahlkemper fouled Daly in stoppage time, marking a bit of late chippiness. In the third minute of added time, Williams buried a goal on a pass from McDonald to tie the game at 3 for the Flash. Dahlkemper keyed the initial pass to McDonald on the long ball. McDonald nearly got a winner but Henninger shut her down. Dahlkemper fouled Daly in the fifth minute of stoppage time, drawing a yellow card for the Western New York defender. Houston's Daly took the free kick, going short for Ohai, who fired a shot that Rowland knocked out for a corner kick. Megan Crosson of Houston found Florio, who headed it wide right. The game ended in a 3-3 tie, with Ohai the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match for her impressive brace. Also impressing in the second half were Dash CBs Roccaro and Brush, while the Flash had a good performance out of CB Dahlkemper.

The third and final Saturday game has the Portland Thorns FC hosting the Seattle Reign FC. Haley Kopmeyer and Michelle Betos are the keepers. Find the game here. Hayley Raso made a run for Portland in the first minute, with Jess Fishlock of Seattle sending it out for a corner kick. Elli Reed headed out the Nadia Nadim corner kick, and Dagny Brynjarsdottir couldn't flick a ball on goal. Raso's pass for Meleana Shim in the third minute ran long and straight to Reign goalie Kopmeyer. Nahomi Kawasumi had a long ball for Merritt Mathias as Seattle tried to build an attack, but Emily Menges of the Thorns shielded it out. Kawasumi saw a cross blocked by Portland's Celeste Boureille. Nadim lost the ball to Kim Little of the Reign on the counterattack in the seventh minute. Keelin Winters tried to pick out Mathias in the ninth minute, but Betos jumped on it and cleared it away for the Thorns. Boureille just broke up a ball from Little to Melis in the tenth minute. The game has gone fairly back and forth so far. Boureille did well to head away a Fishlock chip in the twelfth minute after Menges blocked Little's path forward. Kawasumi sent a cross into Melis, who was just offside. Carson Pickett of the Reign tried to find Melis in the fourteenth minute, but the cross was high and Betos caught it with ease. Melis put in a seventeenth minute cross from the end line that Betos caught for the Thorns. Portland's Menges blocked a cross from Seattle's Mathias in the eighteenth minute. Fishlock stole the ball away from Raso in the twentieth minute to stall a Thorns attack. Kawasumi had a cross that Winters redirected on goal with a header, and Betos caught it for the save. Lauren Barnes of the Reign helped corral a long ball from Maureen Fitzgerald of the Thorns in the twenty-third minute. At this stage, Seattle has had more possession. Little took a shot in the twenty-fourth minute, but Katherine Reynolds blocked the attempt after the Kawasumi cross. Little's chip over the back line was too long for Mathias to get to, and Betos took it for the Thorns in the twenty-sixth minute. Nadim tried to take a shot in the twenty-seventh minute, but Seattle's Kendall Fletcher shut it down. Shim had a second effort, getting a shot on goal that Kopmeyer saved. Menges made a good defensive play against Little in the twenty-ninth minute. Fitzgerald fouled Winters in the thirty-first minute, giving the Reign a good free kick. Kawasumi took the free kick for Seattle, going for Fletcher, but it ran too long and out of bounds for a goal kick from Betos. Raso had a cross in the thirty-second minute for the Thorns, which Reed and Fishlock both deflected out for a corner kick. Nadim's first chance went toward Boureille, but it bounced off Mathias for another corner kick by Nadim. This one went to Dagny and off Fletcher and out for a third corner kick. Nadim put this one in for Dagny but it came up short and Reed headed it out, finally allowing Seattle to clear their lines. Kawasumi's cross was cleared by Dagny, intended for Winters in the thirty-fourth minute. Mathias tried a low shot in the thirty-sixth minute, easily scooped up by Betos, and all after a good move by Fishlock against Nadim. Raso's cross to Nadim on the counterattack bounced off of her and was collected by Little. Dagny blocked a Fishlock effort in the thirty-ninth minute. Fletcher and Nadim battled in the fortieth minute, with Fletcher winning out and finding Winters to spring a Seattle attack. Kawasumi just lost the ball to Reynolds and Betos in the forty-first minute in culmination of the play. Shim got a head on a Fishlock ball intended for Mathias in the forty-second minute. Shim tried to go long for Nadim, but Kopmeyer got there first. Fletcher blocked a Raso shot in the forty-third minute as the Thorns made a good string of plays. Reed took a shot after Mathias threw in to Pickett and Winters had an intermediate touch before Reed's shot, which was over the bar. Pickett found Mathias in the box in the forty-fifth minute, but she hooked the shot wide right from a wider angle. The game went into halftime at 0-0. The Reign's top players have been the LB Pickett, CB Fletcher, RW Winters, LW Little, RF Kawasumi, CF Melis, and LF Mathias. For the Thorns, the top players were GK Betos, CBs Reynolds and Menges, DMs Boureille and Shim, LW Raso, and striker Nadim. Raso tried to find Nadim in the forty-sixth minute, but Fletcher's touch and Dagny's pass created an offside situation called against the Thorns. Little had a heavy touch on her forty-eighth minute run, and Menges booted it away. Pickett won the ball away from Fitzgerald as Nadim sent a ball forward in the fifty-first minute. Reed had a long ball in for Little, but Reynolds cleared it in time in the fifty-third minute. Jennifer Skogerboe stole the ball from Little on the edge of the box as the Reign continue to build offense. Mallory Weber sent a ball up for Raso, who found Nadim, but she lost control of the ball with Fishlock pressuring in the fifty-fifth minute. Nadim and Fletcher had a big battle in the fifty-sixth minute, and Fletcher let it roll out for a goal kick. Boureille shut down Little in the box after Fishlock had chipped it in for Seattle. Fishlock found Melis in the fifty-eighth minute, but Betos slid in and grabbed the ball for a big save. Boureille broke up a pass from Kawasumi to Mathias in the fifty-ninth minute. Menges and Boureille combined for a clearance of a Pickett ball, and then Fishlock's foul in the sixty-first minute on Dagny drew a yellow card for the Seattle midfielder. Fishlock unleashed a sixty-second minute shot that grazed the top of the net. Pickett had a good steal in the sixty-third minute, finding Melis, who was just a touch offside and saw her goal taken off the board. Dagny flicked a ball into the box from Weber's long ball in the sixty-fourth minute, which Kopmeyer grabbed. Fishlock and Little tried to connect in the sixty-eighth minute as the chances started to slow down a bit. Reed, Kawasumi, and Little all had touches before Dagny sent it out for a Seattle corner kick. Barnes took the set piece, going for Fletcher, who collided with Betos before it was cleared by Boureille. Little got around Menges in the seventieth minute, and Betos covered it just before Beverly Yanez could poke at it. Shim fouled Little after she battled through the likes of Boureille and Fitzgerald. This created a dangerous free kick in the seventy-second minute for the Reign. Fishlock fired it on goal, forcing Betos into a big save. Barnes took the corner kick for Seattle, going for Winters, who popped it up for Little, but Betos made the catch and settled things down for the Thorns. Raso sent a ball on the Portland counterattack, which Barnes cleared out. Shim found Nadim in the seventy-fourth minute, and her header finally found the back of the net, giving the Thorns a 1-0 lead. Nadim and Raso combined, but Fletcher disrupted this sequence in the seventy-seventh minute. Winters poked a ball forward for Melis, who nearly caught Betos sleeping, but the Portland keeper regained control. Menges just got a ball away from Kawasumi in the eighty-second minute as Seattle created more chaos in the box. Boureille cleared a Winters through ball in the eighty-third minute. Menges dove down to make a stop on Little's through ball for Melis. Fishlock's ball just went a bit long for Pickett, allowing Betos to make the grab. Pickett's cross went out of bounds in the eighty-sixth minute after a Kawasumi pass. Yanez picked out Melis on a long run, with Menges pressuring, and Melis managed a shot to the near post that Betos caught for a save. Fishlock's through ball nearly caught Kawasumi offside, allowing Portland to kill more time. Raso fired an eighty-ninth minute shot wide right. Shim fouled Little in the ninetieth minute. The Reign's free kick came from Barnes, and then Yanez won a corner kick out wide off Skogerboe. Kawasumi's corner kick went for Kopmeyer, who had come up, and Barnes had a half-shot blocked. Betos had a punch in there as well. Boureille cleared a Yanez cross after Kiersten Dallstream made a big run through the Thorns defense. Portland held on for a 1-0 win, with Betos the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match.

On Sunday, the Washington Spirit bring in Sky Blue FC early in the day to make up the postponement from Saturday. Caroline Casey and Kelsey Wys are the goalies. Here's the game. The early morning game started off slowly. Taylor Lytle tried a ball for Leah Galton for Sky Blue in the third minute, but Caprice Dydasco of Washington stepped in the way for the interception. Cheyna Williams of the Spirit battled with Christie Rampone of Sky Blue to earn a Spirit corner kick in the fifth minute. Christine Nairn went for Estelle Johnson, but Natasha Kai and Casey combined to save it off the line for Sky Blue. Galton and Catherine Zimmerman had a miscommunication on offense in the sixth minute, and Dydasco made the break. Williams was caught offside in the eighth minute on a Nairn pass as Washington lost an attacking chance. Galton's cross in the ninth minute was punched by Wys and cleared by Johnson for the Spirit. Wys needed a bit of medical attention, but stayed on the field. Nikki Stanton of Sky Blue surrendered a corner kick to Washington off of a throw-in. Nairn served it in during the thirteenth minute, picking out Whitney Church and forcing Rampone into a block and clear. Estefania Banini crossed one in the fourteenth minute, and Katie Stengel took it but left it behind Williams. Sky Blue cleared, but the Spirit quickly regained control. Church's cross for Williams in the fifteenth minute went too far and into Casey's hands. Stengel tried to find Nairn in the seventeenth minute, but Rampone cleared it. Banini tried a nineteenth minute cross to Stengel that was just over her head and grabbed by Casey. Raquel Rodriguez had a long ball go too long for Galton and fell to Wys in the twenty-second minute. Williams won a corner kick off of Sky Blue's Erin Simon in the twenty-third minute. Nairn served it in for Lohman, who flicked to Tori Huster, and it went back into Rodriguez and Rampone. On the second effort, Huster and Williams had chances before Sky Blue finally cleared it fully. Galton took a shot on a pass from Lytle in the twenty-fifth minute, Sky Blue's cleanest look yet. Church, Lohman, and Banini strung passes together, but Banini's cross found Sky Blue keeper Casey before Nairn could get to it. Rampone cleared a Stengel and Banini give-and-go sequence. Church found Stengel in the twenty-seventh minute, who worked against Kristin Grubka and found Lohman, who passed it along to Banini, and she shot low and tucked it in the left corner for a goal, making it 1-0 for the Spirit. Banini and Stengel tried the give-and-go again in the twenty-ninth minute, but Casey picked the ball up. A hydration break occurred in the thirtieth minute despite the early hour. In the thirty-third minute, Kai tied it for Sky Blue with her goal after the restart. Casey booted the ball up to Galton, who flicked on to Kai and she got around Megan Oyster before firing the shot in to tie it at 1. Banini saw a cross in the thirty-fourth minute picked off by Lytle after Lohman had an earlier shot blocked by Grubka. Stanton lost a ball out for a corner kick in the thirty-fifth minute, with Nairn serving this in low and cleared by Galton. She got a second chance in the thirty-sixth minute, going for Johnson, who flicked to Huster, and she shot it over the goal. Nairn had a free kick cleared by Rodriguez and Galton. Galton later found Lytle but lost the ball to a strong Spirit defense in the thirty-eighth minute. Nairn put a ball out wide for Dydasco, and she found Williams in the box, with Williams turning and shooting, scoring to put Washington ahead 2-1. Nairn put a free kick on goal from deep, taking one bounce straight at Casey. Maya Hayes had a pair of crosses, going too low for Rodriguez and too high for Kai in the forty-second minute for Sky Blue. Kai stayed down a bit, and stoppage time can be expected to be quite extensive to end this half. Johnson fouled Galton on her stoppage time burst forward for Sky Blue. Rodriguez took the dangerous free kick chance, going for goal and caught by Spirit keeper Wys. Williams won a corner kick off of Simon about four minutes into the added time. Nairn served this one, and Stanton sent it back out. Sky Blue surrendered another corner kick, which Nairn put in for Stengel, but Casey punched it. Huster's second effort cross was cleared out by Sky Blue. The game went into halftime at 2-1. Sky Blue's top players were CB Rampone, DM Rodriguez, LW Galton, LF Lytle, and RF Kai. Washington's best efforts came from RB Dydasco, CB Johnson, RW Nairn, LW Lohman, RF Williams, and LF Banini. In the forty-seventh minute, Banini put a cross in for Lohman, who poked a shot on goal that Casey saved. Williams had a cross deflected for the Spirit in the forty-eighth minute, creating a corner kick. Nairn booted this one in, but Casey bobbled and then grabbed it to end the Washington threat. Banini put up a nice series of plays with her fellow forwards and midfielders, but Lytle eventually stole it away from Huster in the fiftieth minute. Washington is swarming. Dydasco and Williams nearly connected on a second effort. Dydasco put a ball forward for Stengel that Rampone tracked down faster for Sky Blue. Hayes had a low cross for Sky Blue in the fifty-third minute which Oyster intercepted. Kai was caught offside on the next service in from Rodriguez. Lohman battled with Rampone and Grubka, winning a corner kick for Washington in the fifty-fifth minute. Nairn went for Lohman, who shot around Rodriguez, but Casey was in the right spot to make the save. Nairn won a corner kick off of Simon in the fifty-sixth minute, and then served in the set piece for Oyster, but it was too high. Williams got caught offside in the fifty-ninth minute on a Nairn through ball. Williams made a steal, but Domi Richardson of Sky Blue took it back. Kai charged back in the sixty-first minute for Sky Blue, firing a shot, but Wys kicked it away. Erica Skroski had a cross in for Kai, who headed it wide. Kai got alone in the box, sending Oyster the wrong way and then firing a shot that Wys saved at short range. Dydasco kicked the ball out just wide of her own goal in a dangerous play. Galton's corner kick landed on top of the net. Nairn put a sixty-fourth minute free kick in from deep to Stengel, but Grubka popped it up for Casey to catch. Kai had a sixty-fifth minute cross graze the top of the Washington net. Richardson cleared a Nairn free kick in the sixty-ninth minute, as the game has lulled a bit. Cali Farquharson sent a cross into Stengel in the seventy-first minute, whose shot appeared to graze off of Grubka, but no corner kick was given, and Casey sent the goal kick forward for Sky Blue. Rodriguez took a free kick after a Nairn foul in the seventy-second minute, shooting it over the bar. Lytle chipped a ball over the goal in the seventy-third minute in another decent chance for Sky Blue, with Oyster failing to make a defensive play to prevent a shot in an uncharacteristically iffy game for her. In the seventy-fifth minute, they took the second half cooling break. Skroski blocked a Banini shot after Farquharson and Dydasco covered the right wing for Washington in the seventy-eighth minute. Stengel had a deflected cross intended for Farquharson, but Nairn tracked it down and fired it wide right. Rodriguez's heavy touch in the eighty-first minute allowed Huster to clear it for Washington. Francisca Ordega managed a weak shot under heavy pressure after Lohman's pass, and Casey made the save. Galton crossed in on the counterattack in the eighty-second minute, going for Hayes but with Wys just getting there in time. Hayes won a corner kick off of Church in the eighty-sixth minute, giving Sky Blue a valuable set piece. Galton put it in over Rodriguez, and Oyster and Church cleared for the Spirit. Galton found Rodriguez on a cross in the eighty-eighth minute, and her header went straight to Wys. Dydasco had a cross go long in the eighty-ninth minute. Richardson sent a ball over the goal for Sky Blue in the ninetieth minute. Church put a ball forward in stoppage time for Alyssa Kleiner, but it ran too long for the Spirit sub to reach. Hayes won a corner kick off of Church in the third minute of stoppage time. Ordega blocked a Lytle shot, and Hayes lost it out of bounds. Banini and Farquharson collected the ball forward in the final minute, and a deflected shot from Farquharson fell to Kleiner, who blasted it into the goal to make it 3-1, the final, for Washington. Banini was the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match, with Kleiner getting a mention for that late goal as a sub.

Finally, the Boston Breakers host the Orlando Pride. Kaitlyn Savage and Jami Kranich are in goal. You can find the game at this link. Boston's Angela Salem made a steal against Orlando's Jasmyne Spencer in the third minute to break up the first real Pride attack. Spencer couldn't stay in bound in the fifth minute, going against Christen Westphal of the Breakers. Things started fairly slowly in this game, with few chances being produced. Brooke Elby of Boston just broke up a pass from Maddy Evans for Cami Levin of Orlando. Julie King of the Breakers outran Jamia Fields of the Pride to get onto a Kristen Edmonds long ball. In the tenth minute, Natasha Dowie scored for Boston after an errant back pass from Edmonds to Toni Pressley. The Breakers lead 1-0. Brittany Ratcliffe put a shot over the bar after a pass from Louise Schillgard in the fourteenth minute for Boston. Edmonds put a long ball into the box for the Pride, looking for Sam Witteman, but Kranich was there first for Boston. On the next Pride attack, Witteman nearly got the ball to Fields, but King shut it down for the Breakers enough to let Kranich grab it. In the seventeenth minute, Kaylyn Kyle stole the ball away from Dowie to give Orlando some possession. Fields got caught offside in the eighteenth minute, ending a Pride attack. Edmonds tried to work around Salem in the nineteenth minute, but couldn't keep control of the ball. Katie Schoepfer of Boston made a clear on an Evans through ball in the twentieth minute. Orlando got a free kick after King fouled Spencer in the twenty-first minute. Pressley took the free kick, going low. Pressley got a second ball into the box, but Kyle was offside, even as she poked it in the net. The goal didn't count, and the score remained 1-0. Kassey Kallman cleaned up a forward ball for the Breakers, with Orlando's Levin putting it into the box. Becky Edwards fouled Verdoia in the twenty-fifth minute near midfield, but Kallman took the free kick short to restart the Breakers possession. Schillgard had a cross in the box that Savage grabbed on one hop in the twenty-sixth minute. Elby blocked and cleared a Dani Weatherholt cross for Orlando in the twenty-seventh minute. Schillgard's long ball for Verdoia got taken by Pressley instead in the twenty-ninth minute. King just poked a ball away from Spencer before she could tee up a shot in the thirty-second minute. King and Schoepfer then blocked another Spencer try in the thirty-third minute after Fields and Witteman were well-defended by Kallman and Elby. Kallman cleared up a Witteman touch in the thirty-seventh minute. Spencer got fouled trying to regain the ball for Orlando, with Schillgard called for the violation, which drew a yellow card for the Breakers forward. The Pride's free kick came from Edmonds, with Edwards hitting the post on the chance, and the second effort was cleared by Ratcliffe and then Dowie managed a shot that Savage saved. Fields made a steal on Salem, and King had to clear it away in the thirty-ninth minute. Spencer curled a shot in the fortieth minute, but the effort was caught by Kranich to keep the Breakers in fine form. Levin found Weatherholt on a forty-first minute cross, and she left it for Edwards, but her shot went wide with a lot of Breakers crashing around her. Schoepfer's long ball for Dowie went a bit too long, and Savage picked it up for Orlando. Ratcliffe had a chance that she just missed on, whiffing on her shot attempt and allowing Savage to grab the ball again. Edmonds took a ball away on a through ball from Schoepfer for Dowie in stoppage time. The game went into halftime at 1-0 with a mostly uneventful game in the books. Impressing for the Pride are RB Levin, DCM Edwards, RW Evans, and LF Spencer. For the Breakers, the best efforts have come from GK Kranich, CB King, LB Elby, DM Salem, LW Ratcliffe, LF Dowie, and RF Schillgard. Weatherholt flicked a ball to Spencer outside of the box, and she was quickly fouled by King. The dangerous free kick in the forty-eighth minute came from Edmonds, who went for goal and saw King clear it out for a corner kick. Pressley took this set piece, but sent it long and out of bounds. Fields couldn't get around Kallman in the fiftieth minute. Levin had a cross blocked in the fifty-first minute after Elby had prevented Fields from working toward the box. Levin, Weatherholt, and Spencer connected, but King made another block and clear play for the Breakers in the fifty-second minute. Kyle cleared a ball from Verdoia to Dowie on the Boston counterattack. King blocked a Fields shot for the Pride in the fifty-fourth minute. Westphal and Spencer collided, but Westphal got the ball away for the Breakers first. The game is being played very direct, and currently quite back-and-forth. Schillgard was fouled by Kyle in the fifty-sixth minute after receiving a Verdoia pass just outside the box. Boston's free kick chance went out for a goal kick after a quick take. Pressley cleaned up a Verdoia through ball for Dowie in the fifty-eighth minute. Pressley headed a King throw-in out for a corner kick. Schillgard took this in the fifty-ninth minute, which Savage punched away for Orlando. Elby put in the second effort, but Savage beat Ratcliffe to the ball. Westphal headed a Weatherholt through ball in the sixty-first minute, and Boston countered through Schillgard. Spencer was offside as she chased down a Weatherholt ball in the sixty-second minute. Salem fired a shot high and wide for Boston after Ratcliffe put a ball in the box. Westphal and King shut down an Orlando attack in the sixty-fifth minute. The game has returned to a slower pace now. Elise Krieghoff sent a ball for Dowie in the sixty-ninth minute, and Dowie sent the shot over the Pride goal. Pressley and Verdoia had a run in during the seventieth minute, but only a corner kick was ruled for the Breakers. Schillgard's corner kick found King's head, and Savage got a punch to clear it before the whistle signaled a foul on the play. Elby won a battle with Spencer on the other end in the seventy-first minute. Edmonds had a free kick for the Pride in the seventy-second minute, going for Pressley, but Elby kept it away from the goal. King blocked Edmonds' next effort at a through ball. Boston took over as Kyle touched the ball offside on Witteman's pass to her. Fields was offside in the seventy-fifth minute after Elby held up Spencer well. In the seventy-sixth minute, Elby and Spencer both needed medical attention after a collision. Levin's long ball for Orlando in the eighty-second minute caught Christina Burkenroad offside. Westphal won a corner kick off of Burkenroad in the eighty-fourth minute. Schillgard served the Breakers set piece for King, but Pressley was there first. The second effort also came to King, but Pressley broke this up as well. Schillgard tried to get another corner kick to Rachel Wood, but Fields led the Pride counterattack in the eighty-fifth minute. Spencer's through ball ended up with Kranich, and the Breakers regain control to try to see this game out. Kyle beat Wood to a Schillgard free kick in the eighty-sixth minute for Boston. Wood put a shot wide left in the eighty-eighth minute for the Breakers on a Verdoia pass. Kyle just came in to disrupt Wood's shot, and Pressley had Verdoia pressured as well. Westphal defended against Burkenroad in the ninetieth minute after a long ball from Pressley. Schillgard had a free kick for Boston in stoppage time, going over Wood and caught by Savage. Ratcliffe and Wood tried to do a give-and-go, but Wood was offside. Spencer flicked a ball to Fields, whose shot went a bit wide and was handled by Kranich. King cleared a ball away from Burkenroad's heavy touch, and Verdoia took it to the corner to kill some time. Edmonds sent a ball up for Spencer, but King and Westphal combined to stop her progress cleanly. Boston earned a corner kick for Burkenroad losing the ball out of bounds. Kyle had a yellow card for a foul in the stoppage time, just moments before the final whistle. The game ended 1-0, with Dowie the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match for the game-winner in her first NWSL game. Also impressing for the Pride in the second half were CB Pressley and CF Fields. For the Breakers, the RB Westphal also improved.

Outsider Sports NWSL Best XI - Week 15

GK Michelle Betos
RB Cami Privett
CB Courtney Niemiec
CB Estelle Johnson
LB Caprice Dydasco
DCM Celeste Boureille
RW Stephanie McCaffrey
LW Kealia Ohai
RF Cheyna Williams
CF Nadia Nadim
LF Natasha Dowie

Major League Soccer 2016 - Week 21

We're back after the All-Star Game festivities with a unique structure this week. There's just one game on Saturday, but nine on Sunday to fill out the schedule. First up...

New York City FC hosts the Colorado Rapids on Saturday. Tim Howard and Josh Saunders are in goal. Colorado had yellow cards given to Micheal Azira in the twenty-first minute and Jared Watts in the twenty-third minute, both for fouls. New York City opened with a twenty-eighth minute Frank Lampard goal, assisted by Thomas McNamara and Diego Martinez. Play was suspended due to lightning in the Bronx around the thirtieth minute. New York City's Lampard and Martinez each received yellow cards for fouls in the thirty-second minute. Azira of the Rapids took a second yellow card in the thirty-seventh minute, leaving the visitors with ten men. New York City added on in the forty-second minute with a Tony Taylor goal. New York City extended the lead as Steven Mendoza scored in the seventy-fifth minute. New York City padded the lead with an eighty-first minute Lampard goal, courtesy of Jack Harrison. New York City kept going as Lampard made a penalty kick in the eighty-fourth minute to complete his hat trick. Colorado got on the board with a Shkelzen Gashi goal in stoppage time. The game ended at 5-1, with the man of the match being Lampard for leading the offensive outburst.

The first of nine MLS Sunday games has Sporting Kansas City welcoming the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and Alec Kann are the goalies. Portland's Fanendo Adi took a tenth minute yellow card for his foul. Kansas City got going in the fiftieth minute with a Jacob Peterson goal, via Benny Feilhaber. Jimmy Medranda of Sporting received a yellow card for his seventy-second minute foul. The Timbers saw yellow cards for Jermaine Taylor in the seventy-fourth minute and Diego Chara in the eighty-sixth minute, both for fouls. Roger Espinoza of Kansas City had a yellow card in the eighty-seventh minute for his foul. The game ended 1-0, with the man of the match being Peterson for his goal.

Northwest to Seattle, the Sounders FC bring in the Los Angeles Galaxy. Brian Rowe and Stefan Frei guard the woodwork. Seattle dented the scoreboard on a forty-ninth minute Cristian Roldan goal, assisted by Nelson Valdez. In the sixty-fifth minute, Jelle Van Damme of Los Angeles took a yellow card for dissent. The Galaxy tied it in the seventy-eighth minute with a Sebastian Lletget goal, coming off of Steven Gerrard and Giovani dos Santos. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with Rowe the man of the match for five saves on six shots.

In Texas, FC Dallas hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Chris Seitz are in goal. Dallas started in the fifty-sixth minute with a Kellyn Acosta goal, via Michael Barrios and Mauro Diaz. Dallas added on with a fifty-ninth minute goal by Maximiliano Urruti, courtesy of Atiba Harris. The game ended at 2-0, with Acosta the man of the match for the winner.

On the east coast, DC United welcomes the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Bill Hamid are the keepers. DC struck first with a twentieth minute goal by Patrick Mullins, via Taylor Kemp. In the twenty-fifth minute, United took a yellow card for a Marcelo Sarvas foul. Montreal's Kyle Bekker had a yellow card for a fifty-fourth minute foul. Mullins of DC took a yellow card for a seventy-seventh minute foul. The Impact went down to ten men in the eighty-first minute as Didier Drogba took a straight red card for his foul. Montreal tied it in the eighty-sixth minute on a Hernan Bernardello goal, coming off of Matteo Mancosu. The Impact's Bernardello took a yellow card in stoppage time for a foul. The game ended 1-1, and despite his late foul, Bernardello was the man of the match for his shorthanded equalizer.

Back west, the Chicago Fire bring in the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Sean Johnson are the gloved men. New York's Felipe had a yellow card for a fifteenth minute foul. The Red Bulls were first to score thanks to Chicago's Matt Polster committing an own goal in the sixteenth minute. The Fire tied it with a thirty-fifth minute goal by David Accam, made possible by Michael de Leeuw. Khaly Thiam of Chicago received a yellow card for a thirty-eighth minute foul. In first half stoppage time, the Fire took the lead as Polster put the ball in the proper net, thanks to John Goossens. Mike Grella of New York had a yellow card for a fifty-seventh minute foul. Razvan Cocis of Chicago had a yellow card for his seventy-sixth minute foul. Bradley Wright-Phillips of the Red Bulls retied it with a goal in the ninetieth minute, with the help of Connor Lade. New York's Ronald Zubar took a yellow card for time wasting in second half stoppage time. The game ended 2-2, with the man of the match being Wright-Phillips for the equalizer.

East again to Philadelphia, where the Union host Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Andre Blake are the solid keepers. Philadelphia's Fabinho took a yellow card for a twenty-first minute foul. Aaron Maund of Salt Lake had a yellow card for dissent in the forty-second minute. Roland Alberg led off for the Union with a forty-fourth minute penalty kick goal. Real tied it on a Joao Plata forty-eighth minute goal, made possible by Demar Phillips. Javier Morales gave Salt Lake the lead with a fifty-fourth minute goal, assisted by Olmes Garcia, and then took a yellow card for time wasting afterwards. Brian Carroll of Philadelphia took a ninetieth minute yellow card for a foul.

Down to Florida, where Orlando City SC welcome the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Joe Bendik are in the six-yard boxes. New England's Scott Caldwell had a yellow card for an eighteenth minute foul. The Revolution began in the nineteenth minute with a Kei Kamara goal, assisted by Kelyn Rowe. Orlando City tied it on a Cyle Larin goal in the forty-sixth minute, coming off of Kevin Molino. Orlando City took the lead with a Molino goal in the sixty-fourth minute, set up by Brek Shea. Orlando City had a yellow card for Cristian Higuita in the eightieth minute for a foul. Orlando City added on with a Molino goal in the eighty-third minute, made possible by Kaka and Luke Boden. The game ended at 3-1, with the man of the match being Molino with his brace and assist.

Up in Canada, Toronto FC bring in the Columbus Crew SC. Steve Clark and Alex Bono man the nets. Toronto drew first blood in the eighth minute with a Tsubasa Endoh goal, assisted by Sebastian Giovinco. Toronto added on in the twenty-fourth minute with a Giovinco goal, guided in by Jay Chapman. Toronto extended the lead in the eighty-seventh minute as Jozy Altidore scored, thanks to Giovinco. Columbus had yellow cards for Tony Tchani in the eighty-ninth minute and Michael Parkhurst in stoppage time, both for fouls. The game ended 3-0, with Giovinco the man of the match for his role in all the goals.

Finally, the Houston Dynamo host the San Jose Earthquakes. David Bingham and Joe Willis are the goalies. Houston had yellow cards for Abdoulie Mansally in the seventeenth minute and Alex in the fortieth minute, both for fouls. The Dynamo cracked the scoresheet with an Alex goal in first half stoppage time. San Jose tied it on a fifty-ninth minute Chris Wondolowski goal, assisted by Cordell Cato. The Earthquakes had a yellow card given to Jordan Stewart in the ninetieth minute for his foul. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with the man of the match being Wondolowski for his equalizer.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NWSL Week 14

I apologize for the significant delay on this post. I have a very good reason though, as I attended the Seattle Reign VS. Orlando Pride game live last night at Memorial Stadium. The standard recap will be the last game in this post, but the experience was wonderful. It was my first time out to an NWSL game, and it was so much fun. I can't wait to go again. With that, let's begin with...

The Western New York Flash hosting FC Kansas City in the first of four games. Nicole Barnhart faces former backup Katelyn Rowland in goal. Here's the game. Molly Menchel tried to find Tiffany McCarty in the second minute for Kansas City, but the timing was a bit off and offside was called. Yael Averbuch of the Blues cleared Jessica McDonald's first long throw-in around the third minute, and the second one was cleared out to Elizabeth Eddy, who found McCall Zerboni offside. Lianne Sanderson's pass for Lynn Williams in the fifth minute went too long and got cleared by Barnhart of Kansas City. Brienne Reed surrendered a corner kick to the Blues in the fifth minute after McDonald and Zerboni couldn't produce from an Abby Dahlkemper pass. Dahlkemper served the corner kick, but McDonald sent it high and wide. Makenzy Doniak sent a ball in for Williams in the eighth minute, who shot wide left under pressure from the Blues' Brittany Taylor. Janice Cayman's cross in the ninth minute was cleared by Averbuch, and then Doniak's second effort went too long out of bounds for the Flash. Taylor of Kansas City blocked McDonald's eleventh minute cross. Rowland grabbed a McCarty cross in the twelfth minute, as the Blues winger got around Cayman. Eddy's pass for Doniak in the fourteenth minute was taken away by Averbuch, and her pass to Erika Tymrak led to the Blues' player getting fouled by Eddy, giving Kansas City more possession. Averbuch sent it in, but Rowland punched it out. Michaela Hahn tried to find Sanderson for Western New York, but the Blues cleared in the fifteenth minute. Taylor had a free kick in the seventeenth minute for the Blues, blocked by Zerboni. Averbuch had a free kick in the nineteenth minute caught by Rowland. Doniak crossed low and Barnhart grabbed it. Cayman took a yellow card in the twenty-first minute for fouling McCarty. Lo'eau LaBonta broke up a Williams breakaway after Taylor's free kick. Cayman flicked a ball on from McDonald's long throw-in in the twenty-third minute, but Barnhart made the catch. Eddy's twenty-fourth minute cross for Western New York went out of bounds. McCarty put a ball in front of Shea Groom in the twenty-fifth minute, but she chipped it over the bar on Kansas City's best chance so far. Williams sent a twenty-seventh minute shot across goal, under heavy pressure from Averbuch of the Blues. Reed had a cross for Kansas City in the twenty-eighth minute, with Courtney Niemiec sending it out. McDonald received a pass from Hahn and tried to crosses, with Taylor finally clearing it. Zerboni had a shot saved by Barnhart in the twenty-ninth minute as the Flash create a flurry of offense. McCarty's thirtieth minute shot went wide right as Dahlkemper closed her down. The hydration break was called after the shot. Dahlkemper blocked a Frances Silva shot in the thirty-third minute after Groom got shut down. Dahlkemper took a long shot that Barnhart saved in the thirty-fourth minute. Mandy Laddish of Kansas City sent one for Silva, but Eddy poked it away in the thirty-sixth minute. Barnhart made a save on Williams on the other end after she took a pass from Sanderson on a potent Flash counterattack. McCarty's thirty-seventh minute shot went wide left for the Blues. Eddy won a free kick due to Averbuch's foul, and Sanderson's thirty-ninth minute free kick went to McDonald, who shot wide right off the outside of the net. Menchel and Taylor provided the best defense here. Dahlkemper connected with Zerboni on the free kick in the fortieth minute, but Barnhart caught the high ball. McCarty, Tymrak, and Groom all strung passes together, but Groom got caught offside in the forty-first minute to end the Kansas City attack. Groom took a ball from Menchel and got around Rowland but sent a thin angled shot across the face of goal and out. Williams got around Taylor in the forty-third minute, but Barnhart stood tall for the save. Zerboni and McDonald combined for a play halted by Averbuch's steal for the Blues. Tymrak danced around about three Flash players (Sanderson, Eddy, and Dahlkemper) before shooting and forcing Rowland into a strong save. Averbuch blocked two offerings from Western New York, a shot by Williams after a cross from Cayman, and then Sanderson got caught offside on the third attempt. Cayman and Laddish had a battle, ending with the Blues' Laddish fouling Western New York's Cayman in stoppage time. Sanderson went to Cayman for the free kick, and Zerboni deflected it into Barnhart's hands. Hahn fouled Silva in stoppage time, earning a yellow card. Rowland caught Reed's cross, ending the half. The game is 0-0 at halftime, and the best players for the visiting Blues have been GK Barnhart, LB Menchel, CBs Averbuch and Taylor, DM LaBonta, LW Tymrak, RW McCarty, and striker Groom. For the Flash, the best efforts came from GK Rowland, LB Cayman, CB Dahlkemper, LW Zerboni, RW Doniak, LF McDonald and RF Williams. Niemiec broke up a McCarty cross, and Reed's second effort went out of bounds in the forty-sixth minute. Silva and Zerboni collided in the forty-eighth minute, but only a Flash corner kick came out of it. Dahlkemper's corner kick went to McDonald in the forty-ninth minute, who headed it firmly on goal, and Barnhart palmed it off the bar and then she caught it on the way down after Zerboni put it back on goal. Reed had a flip throw-in during the fiftieth minute, and while it didn't lead to anything for the Blues, it was a funny moment. Kansas City had a fifty-first minute corner kick from Tymrak which Williams cleared. Williams also had a cross on the other side, but it fell harmlessly to Barnhart. Doniak won a corner kick in the fifty-second minute for Western New York. Dahlkemper put it in for McDonald, but Groom cleared it. Zerboni and McDonald had a sequence of passes off of Niemiec's second effort, but Sanderson was called offside. Groom had acres of space in the fifty-third minute on a ball from LaBonta, but she glanced it just off the crossbar. Niemiec's deflection wasn't seen, so it was a goal kick for Kansas City. Tymrak had the next shot on a similar play in the fifty-fourth minute, but Rowland saved it. Doniak earned a free kick after Menchel's fifty-fifth minute foul, earning the Blues defender a yellow card. Western New York's free kick went from Sanderson to Williams on the low service, and Williams put it over the bar after a deflection off of LaBonta. Sanderson's free kick in the fifty-eighth minute was short for Niemiec, and cleared by LaBonta eventually. Cayman ripped a shot in the fifty-ninth minute, saved by Barnhart. Groom made it 1-0 for the Blues in the sixtieth minute after taking the ball from McCarty and running around Niemiec. Dahlkemper flicked a ball over the bar in the sixty-first minute for the Flash. Zerboni skimmed a shot over the top of the goal in the sixty-second minute. The Flash stole a corner kick as Barnhart made a bad touch out of bounds. The service went off the side netting, losing the gift. Reed pulled off another flip throw in the sixty-fourth minute, but Doniak won a free kick seconds later after Laddish's foul. Averbuch broke up a Zerboni chip in the sixty-fifth minute. McDonald's cross was grabbed by Barnhart in the sixty-sixth minute. McDonald tried again in the sixty-eighth minute, but it ended up on the top of the goal. Barnhart tipped a cross from Cayman to give Western New York a corner kick. Nothing came from the set piece beyond Williams fouling Reed with a high kick. Taylor shut down Williams in the seventy-first minute. Zerboni tried to go long, but Taylor was there again. Doniak ran into the box, but Taylor cleared it in the seventy-second minute. McDonald fired a shot on the next Flash effort, but Barnhart caught it. Taylor blocked a cross from Western New York's Kristen Hamilton. Eddy had a cross tipped by Barnhart and cleared by LaBonta in the seventy-fourth minute. Taylor continued her defensive flurry with a poke on Williams' cross in the seventy-fifth minute. LaBonta cleared a Taylor Smith cross. The Flash are pouring on a thick attack. The second hydration break came in the seventy-sixth minute. Smith's cross went for McDonald, but she couldn't turn on it, and Adriana Leon was too far ahead of it in the eightieth minute. Caroline Kastor cleared a Sanderson cross. McDonald did the long throw into traffic, with Leon trying to corral the Niemiec flick. Barnhart landed on it safely. Smith earned a corner kick off of Averbuch in the eighty-first minute, with Dahlkemper serving it short to Sanderson, who found Williams. The Flash earned a free kick just outside the box, where Sanderson fired it on goal, caught by Barnhart after one hop. Williams fell in the box in the eighty-fourth minute after colliding with Averbuch. Eddy's deflected cross was scooped up by Barnhart in the eighty-fifth minute. The Flash had a flurry in the eighty-sixth minute. McDonald headed a ball off Barnhart's face, which then fell to Hamilton, who was blocked by Taylor off the line, and then Sanderson's rocket third shot was saved by Barnhart. Dahlkemper's corner kick created another flurry eventually cleared by Menchel. Zerboni and Smith had the best effort, while Niemiec missed a shot. Dahlkemper had another corner kick, going for Niemiec, who sent it just wide left in the eighty-eighth minute. Sanderson had a free kick in the eighty-ninth minute, taken on goal on a curve that Barnhart grabbed just ahead of McDonald. Averbuch poked a Smith cross away to Silva. McDonald's stoppage time throw-in went to Niemiec, who sent it out wide right. Taylor shut down Williams in the box, allowing Barnhart to make the grab. The game ended 1-0 for the Blues, with Barnhart the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match for maintaining a clean sheet against a massive barrage of Flash shots.

In the second game, Sky Blue FC welcomes the Washington Spirit. Kelsey Wys and Caroline Casey protect the nets. Watch the game here. Shawna Gordon had a shot for Sky Blue after Leah Galton sent a ball in, but Washington's Caprice Dydasco blocked it. Galton turned wrecking ball on Joanna Lohman, Megan Oyster, and Whitney Church all colliding with her in the third minute. Erin Simon of Sky Blue held off Cheyna Williams' run for Washington in the fifth minute. Taylor Lytle switched fields for Galton in the sixth minute, and the Sky Blue winger shot wide around Church but off target of Wys' Spirit net. The game so far has lacked many dangerous opportunities. Williams couldn't get to the ball in the twelfth minute, ending up fouling Simon of Sky Blue. Erica Skroski had a free kick in the thirteenth minute for Sky Blue, but she couldn't quite pick out Natasha Kai. Skorski sent a long ball in but without any teammate around in the fifteenth minute, giving the Spirit possession on a goal kick from Wys. Simon put a ball in the box for Sky Blue in the sixteenth minute, but Dydasco cleared it out for a corner kick. Catherine Zimmerman couldn't run it down. Galton took the corner kick, but it went through the box, and Christie Rampone got caught offside. Williams tried to make a break in the eighteenth minute for Washington, but Simon poked the ball away from her cleanly. Rampone intercepted Francisca Ordega's cross in the twentieth minute. Washington kept possession until Williams was offside in the box. Ordega poked one away from Skroski, but Rampone blocked the cross in the twenty-first minute. Tori Huster sent a ball forward for Washington, which Kristin Grubka sent away for Sky Blue. Dydasco cleared Lytle's twenty-third minute cross, allowing Washington a counterattack. Lohman's cross ran away from the Spirit and to Casey. In the twenty-fourth minute, Sky Blue started it at 1-0 with a Galton goal from a tough angle, coming after a pass from Simon. Galton got around Church, and Oyster was too late. Kai had a shot in the twenty-fifth minute that Wys just poked. Skroski was responsible for the through ball that beat Estelle Johnson of Washington. Lytle chipped a ball into a pack for Sky Blue in the twenty-sixth minute, with Lohman finishing the Washington clearance. Church just intercepted Lytle's return for Galton on a give-and-go in the twenty-eighth minute. Gordon's pass for Zimmerman got picked off by Dydasco as Sky Blue continues to dominate play. Lytle took a long shot in the twenty-ninth minute going off target. Galton sent a cross in that Church had to deflect out for a corner kick in the thirtieth minute. Gordon took the service for Grubka, who headed it off a Spirit player out for another corner kick. Gordon's second try also went to Grubka out wide right. The hydration break came in the thirty-first minute. Zimmerman put in a crisp cross in the thirty-fourth minute, and it proved too long for Galton. Simon put a ball out on Ordega's crossing attempt, giving Washington the corner kick. Christine Nairn, who has been quiet today, served in the set piece for Johnson, who found Lohman, but Casey saved it and Simon took it away. Grubka poked away Nairn's through ball in the thirty-seventh minute, but the Spirit got it back soon and built from the back again. Rampone made a block on a Nairn cross in the thirty-eighth minute. On the other side, Kai challenged Church but lost the ball out of bounds and Washington takes a goal kick. Kai found Lytle to establish the Sky Blue attack in the fortieth minute, but Zimmerman's pass to Kai found the forward offside, even as she took a diving header. Rampone blocked an Estefania Banini header for Washington on the other side. Johnson cleared away a Galton cross in the forty-third minute. Ordega flubbed a cross for the Spirit, which Grubka cleared, and Rampone cleared a second effort. Zimmerman finally sent Sky Blue forward again. Zimmermand tried for Lytle on a cross in the forty-fourth minute, but Wys caught it. Ordega came up injured just before the half, causing a slight delay. She was subbed out for Katie Stengel due to the injury. Banini put a shot on goal in stoppage time, which Casey saved. Church had the original service on the play. Simon got one away from Williams as Washington maintains an attack late in the half. Banini sent a ball for Nairn, who was offside on the play. The game went into halftime at 1-0. The best players for the Spirit have been LB Dydasco, CB Johnson, RW Lohman, and RF Williams. For Sky Blue, the top players have been LB Simon, CB Rampone, DM Gordon, RW Lytle, LW Galton, and LF Kai. Williams couldn't get around Rampone without fouling her in the forty-sixth minute. Simon's throw-in got headed away by Oyster in the forty-ninth minute. The second half started a bit slowly, much like the first half. Nairn's cross went over the goal and out of bounds in the fifty-fourth minute for the Spirit. Zimmerman had a shot that hit Lytle in the fifty-fourth minute. Stengel tried a shot on the other side for Washington after a Nairn pass, which Rampone blocked. Galton got around Johnson and passed beyond Oyster, with Dydasco sending it away from Zimmerman to prevent a dangerous shot in the fifty-sixth minute. Galton's corner kick went to Lytle, but Wys pounded it away. Stengel's fifty-seventh minute cross went behind the Sky Blue net. Lohman and Skroski bumped, but it didn't prevent Lohman's cross from coming in. It went over Williams, and Simon handled the defense. Lohman got a shot in the box that Skroski blocked from short distance Grubka previously block on Williams' shot, hitting the post to set up Lohman, marking a flurry of activity for Washington. Galton sent a shot just wide across goal as she ran at Wys and Johnson. Gordon put a ball long in the sixtieth minute, with Wys redistributing for the Spirit. Lytle couldn't get through Huster in the sixty-second minute, even as Sky Blue held the ball for awhile. Williams went to Stengel on the other side, and Stengel managed a shot that Casey caught. Lohman took a nice shot through Grubka, but Casey dove for the save. Banini had the pass to Lohman. Grubka blocked a hard shot from Nairn in the sixty-fourth minute. Grubka then headed away a cross by Banini. Oyster did well to disrupt Galton as Sky Blue made an attack. Things are moving a bit back-and-forth now. Grubka stole one from Banini in the box in the sixty-sixth minute. Gordon put Lytle through in the sixty-eighth minute, and Lytle tried to direct it toward goal, but it went out before it got there. Maya Hayes of Sky Blue went around Washington's Alyssa Kleiner in the sixty-ninth minute, passing to Lytle, who fired it high. Banini won a corner kick for the Spirit off of Grubka in the seventy-second minute. Nairn's set piece went for Williams and landed at Huster's feet. She put it in, but Kai sent it out for another corner kick from the other side. Nairn served this one to Oyster, who headed it out wide left. Lytle and Galton went with a pair of quick passes, although Oyster sent the cross from Lytle out for a corner kick by Sky Blue. In the seventy-fifth minute, Galton served the corner kick to to Kai, and Rampone put it in the mix. Williams finally cleared it for the Spirit. Oyster also contributed defensively. Skroski blocked Stengel's seventy-sixth minute cross. Kai and Dydasco crashed hard into one another in the seventy-seventh minute after running at the ball from Galton's clearance. While the players were injured, the rest of the teams took their hydration break. Kai was up before Dydasco, and received her medical treatment on the sideline. Both players returned to the game. Skroski and Hayes combined, but Dydasco cleared the cross from Hayes away cleanly in the eighty-second minute. Sky Blue earned a free kick as Hayes was fouled on the right wing just outside the box. Skroski served this one in, but Oyster headed it away. Nairn won a corner kick off of Grubka in the eighty-fourth minute, earning a Washington corner kick. Nairn put this one in, with Skroski knocking it out for another corner kick. The second one popped back out for Nairn, who shot a bit wide right. Grubka blocked a Nairn shot in the eighty-sixth minute, springing Kelly Conheeney, and then Oyster fouled Kai on the break. Sky Blue's free kick went from Domi Richardson directly on goal and caught by Wys. Richardson fouled Nairn in the eighty-ninth in a decent position. Nairn took the free kick, which got blocked by the firm Sky Blue defense. Richardson tried to pick out Hayes in stoppage time, but Wys sent it away from far out of her position. Sky Blue has begun to kill the clock, with Simon and Lytle on the left side. Lohman sent a shot wide about halfway through the added time, after a sequence with Stengel and Nairn passes. Sky Blue shut things down well, winning 1-0. Galton was the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match, with GK Casey and RB Skroski also garnering positive attention in the second half. The CB Oyster and LF sub Stengel earned honorable mentions for the Spirit in one of their weaker efforts of the season.

Next up, the Chicago Red Stars bring in the Houston Dash. Bianca Henninger and Michele Dalton protect the nets. You can find the game here. Taylor Comeau had a cross in the second minute for Chicago that Stephanie Ochs cleared for Houston. The Red Stars quickly earned a corner kick, taken by Vanessa DiBernardo and going short for Danielle Colaprico, who buried it in the second minute as she traveled into the box before her shot deflected in. Originally, the goal was credited to Sofia Huerta, but review proved it bounced off of Cari Roccaro, and the goal was credited for Colaprico in the end. Huerta helped to take a Rachel Daly pass for Chioma Ubogagu away as the Dash tried to make something happen in the fifth minute. Kealia Ohai had a ball into the box in the sixth minute for Houston, but Colaprico sent it away to the other side. Ellie Brush cleared away a dangerous ball from Huerta toward Cara Walls in the ninth minute. Chicago did earn a corner kick, which DiBernardo served in for Short, but Ochs and Cami Privett managed the clearance. DiBernardo's long pass ran long for Jen Hoy in the eleventh minute for the Red Stars. Hoy just lost the ball on a Walls through ball as Ochs passed back to Henninger. Chicago still looks like the more organized team so far. Megan Crosson of the Dash had to head Short's cross away from Huerta and out for a corner kick. DiBernardo's service went to Short and deflected off a Houston player for another corner kick from DiBernardo in the fourteenth minute. This one went on top of the goal, which Henninger had covered had it dipped at all. Crosson tried a cross in the fifteenth minute, but it went out of bounds. Privett of Houston stopped Short of Chicago pretty well in the seventeenth minute. Arin Gilliland of the Red Stars came forward and won a corner kick off of Roccaro in the eighteenth minute, allowing another service by DiBernardo. She crossed it in and it came back out to her at the top of the box, where DiBernardo left the shot on top of the net again. Colaprico gave one away to Ubogagu, but blocked the first effort to Daly and then the cross in for Denise O'Sullivan to atone for her mistake. Ohai had a twentieth minute shot go wide right for the Dash. Hoy was taken down in the box in the twenty-first minute, but it was ruled clean. DiBernardo rocketed another one off the crossbar soon after. Ubogagu's cross went long and behind Daly, allowing Short to mop it up in the twenty-third minute. Ohai earned a corner kick for Houston soon after, allowing Crosson to serve one in. Amber Brooks had a look, but the Red Stars stayed strong in defense. Crosson's free kick in the twenty-sixth minute eventually came to O'Sullivan, and then Brooks, and she lost it out as Chicago took over for the goal kick. Ubogagu drew a foul in a decent spot for Houston, earning the free kick. Daly took this one, going for Privett, but Brooks fouled Johnson to kill the Dash attack. Daly and Katie Naughton had a battle in the corner. Ubogagu then tried a thirtieth minute shot and sent it over the bar. Privett saw a deflected cross almost find Daly, but a heavy touch ended up going out of bounds. Ochs put in a cross that Dalton caught in the thirty-first minute. Walls tried to battle with Privett but couldn't get around the Houston defender in the thirty-third minute. Heurta eventually got a shot to go wide right for the Red Stars. Ohai won a corner kick off of Short in the thirty-fourth minute, which Crosson took and Dalton caught. Huerta got a ball to Walls in the thirty-fifth minute, and Walls sent it too far in front of Hoy and out for a Henninger goal kick for Houston. O'Sullivan had a cross in the thirty-sixth minute cleared by Gilliland and then a Crosson through ball was caught by Dalton. Ubogagu ran down a ball ahead of Sam Johnson of the Red Stars in the thirty-seventh minute, but Daly dummied it and no one was behind her. Naughton's long ball nearly found Hoy, but Roccaro cleared for the Dash. Daly nearly caused Dalton problems on the long boot from the Red Stars keeper. Ochs had a cross blocked in the fortieth minute as Houston has seen more crosses and offense later in the half. Ohai's forty-first minute cross went too long for Ochs to track down on the other side. Gilliland sent a cross into the center of the box as DiBernardo shot wide left with Hoy nearly blocking it. On the other side, O'Sullivan hooked a shot wide left in the forty-third minute for the Dash. Daly's free kick was blocked out by Short. Ohai saw her cross flicked by Naughton into the corner. The game went into halftime at 1-0. The top Dash performers have been LB Crosson, RB Privett, RW Ohai, LF Daly, and RF Ubogagu. For the Red Stars, the top players are LB Short, RB Gilliland, DMs Colaprico and DiBernardo, and RW Huerta. Gilliland tried to poke one in, but Henninger grabbed it up for Houston in the forty-sixth minute. Gilliland's forty-seventh minute cross went over Hoy, but the Red Stars do look to be back into form early in the half. Chicago earned a free kick as Ohai fouled Short in the forty-ninth minute. Colaprico took it, looking for Naughton but finding Privett with the block for the Dash instead. Huerta couldn't control the ball in the box, and Roccaro cleared it away for Houston the fifty-first minute. After that free kick, the game went a bit stagnant for awhile. Daly fed Ohai out wide in the fifty-fifth minute, with Johnson deflecting it out for a corner kick. Crosson's service deflected off of Colaprico and she got a second chance. This one was better, going short to O'Sullivan, then taking it back and putting a cross in Dalton's arms. Dalton went long for Huerta, and then passed along to Hoy, but nothing came of it for Chicago. Ubogagu's fifty-ninth minute cross was picked up by Dalton without another Dash player in range. Walls saw a pass picked off by Privett in the sixty-second minute. DiBernardo was fouled by Crosson in the sixty-third minute, and the Dash's Crosson took a yellow card, likely for persistent infringement or the foul itself. The free kick went Colaprico to DiBernardo, and her cross bounced off Ubogagu for a corner kick. DiBernardo found Huerta, and Walls kept it in, but the Red Stars' chance ended when Daly got fouled. Privett went very long in the sixty-sixth minute, going out of bounds for a Dalton goal kick. Ochs did just enough to keep Alyssa Mautz of Chicago off the ball in the sixty-eighth minute, giving up a corner kick in the process. DiBernardo's service went to Colaprico on the short play, and DiBernardo got it back for a rocket shot saved off the line by O'Sullivan. Mautz didn't get a shot off in the seventy-first minute, but Comeau had a try from distance go over the bar. Daly nutmegged Short but her pass into the box was poked away by Gilliland in the seventy-second minute. Gilliland gave Houston a corner kick in the seventy-fourth minute, and Crosson did the service, going off of Colaprico for a second try as it went out again. The second one was again better, but ran long and flew over Privett's head. Colaprico made a block on an Ohai cross in the seventy-sixth minute, with the Dash appearing to pick up the pace again later in the half. A second chance from Ohai went into the outside of the netting. Gilliland found Huerta on a high cross, but Huerta headed it straight down to Henninger. Ohai won a corner kick off of Gilliland in the seventy-eighth minute. Ochs put this one in, but it was headed out, and Crosson took the next corner kick from the other side. DiBernardo knocked this one out, and Crosson tried again, but couldn't keep it in bounds. Melissa Henderson of Houston and DiBernardo battled quite a bit in the eightieth minute in the midfield. Mautz knocked an eighty-first minute cross off of Roccaro. In the eighty-second minute, Ohai fed Daly in the box, and Daly turned to shoot, putting it between Short's legs and into the bottom left corner past Dalton, tying the game at 1 for the Dash. Daly found Ohai, causing Johnson to dive to block it, and she tried a couple more times to find Henderson in the eighty-fourth minute. Chicago earned a corner kick in the eighty-sixth minute, with DiBernardo going for Comeau, but Naughton was called for a foul, halting the play. Mautz and Huerta got a couple of touches before trying to pick out the newest Red Star Stephanie McCaffrey, who was just offside. Houston got a free kick in the eighty-eighth minute, taken by Ohai and caught after a bobble by Dalton. Roccaro broke up the counterattack by taking it away from McCaffrey. Gilliland's long ball went beyond McCaffrey to Henninger. Huerta's cross in the ninetieth minute was cleared by Brush. McCaffrey had a stoppage time cross to DiBernardo, and the latter sent it just wide left of goal. Mautz took a shot over the bar for the Red Stars. Gilliland picked out Mautz on the next Chicago attack, but the sub sent it wide right. The game ended 1-1, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being Colaprico. Other players impressing in the second half were the Dash's ACM O'Sullivan and the Red Stars' sub Mautz.

The final game of the week had the Seattle Reign FC hosting the Orlando Pride. Kaitlyn Savage and Haley Kopmeyer are between the posts. The game can be found here. Seattle's Jess Fishlock had a first minute shot go wide left. Jamia Fields of Orlando made a steal against Kim Little of the Reign in the third minute. Sam Witteman went a bit too long for Christina Burkenroad in the fourth minute as the Pride start making moves forward. Fishlock blocked a crossing attempt from Fields in the fifth minute. Nahomi Kawasumi and Manon Melis tried to combine for Seattle in the sixth minute, but nothing came of this attack. Little went out wide for Melis in the seventh minute, but Toni Pressley of Orlando blocked the cross. Kawasumi took a long ball from Little in the ninth minute, but Witteman just poked it out in time to surrender the corner kick. Lauren Barnes took the set piece for the Reign, going for Kendall Fletcher, who collided hard with Maddy Evans of the Pride and both players stayed down for awhile. Barnes stopped Fields in the twelfth minute as the Orlando forward made a strong run on the right side of the offensive formation. On the next foray forward, it was Carson Pickett of Seattle shutting down Fields in the thirteenth minute. Burkenroad fed Jasmyne Spencer with a long ball, and she got a shot off, but Kopmeyer saved it out for a corner kick. Kristen Edmonds' corner kick for Orlando was punched weakly by Kopmeyer, but the Reign were able to prevent any dangerous shooting attempts. Kawasumi left one for Melis, who made a swerving run and fired a long shot on goal, which Savage saved for the Pride in the sixteenth minute. Keelin Winters and Little nearly connected for Seattle on the next attack, but Winters was fouled while passing, giving the Reign a free kick in a good spot. The seventeenth minute free kick was taken by Barnes directly on goal, with Savage collecting the ball on one hop for the save. Fields put in a cross in the eighteenth minute that Spencer couldn't quite get to. Fletcher later cleared a second effort as Orlando puts some pressure on. Elli Reed blocked a Witteman cross in the nineteenth minute. Merritt Mathias put one for Kawasumi on the wing, and this cross was blocked out for a corner kick from Barnes toward Fletcher. It was sent back into the area and Dani Weatherholt fouled Fletcher in the box, drawing a penalty kick for the Reign. Little took it and sent Savage the wrong way as Little buried it in the left side for a 1-0 Seattle lead. Mathias couldn't get a pass to Kawasumi after an interception from Witteman for the Pride. Kawasumi got the ball back and took a shot in the twenty-third minute, shooting high on the pass from Little. Weatherholt stole a ball from Winters to stop a Seattle attack in the twenty-fourth minute. Kaylyn Kyle finally made a steal after a spell of possession by the Reign, giving the Pride time to settle back into shape in the twenty-fifth minute. Little had a shot in the twenty-sixth minute shot deflected, and Mathias tried a rebound that Pressley put out for a Barnes corner kick. Her service went across goal and off an Orlando player for a corner kick from the other side, taken by Kawasumi and punched out by Savage. Cami Levin broke up a play keyed by Melis in the twenty-seventh minute. Kawasumi had a cross blocked by Evans in the twenty-eighth minute, but they maintained pressure in their offensive third. Little chipped in for Winters in the twenty-ninth minute, which Savage saved and knocked back off of Winters to give Orlando a goal kick. Pressley fouled Mathias in a dangerous area for Seattle, with Kawasumi taking it for Winters. It dropped to Fishlock, who buried the thirtieth minute shot to make it 2-0 Reign. Fishlock made a steal in the thirty-second minute against Spencer of the Pride. Melis got a through ball from Kawasumi in the thirty-third minute, but Savage came out to save it point-blank. Reed fouled Spencer in the thirty-fourth minute, giving the Pride a free kick a few yards outside the box. Edmonds went direct but hit Pickett in the wall as the Reign cleared easily. Evans picked out Spencer going forward, which Fletcher disrupted to get possession back for Seattle. Little went long for Kawasumi in the thirty-eighth minute, trying to chip her but getting distracted by Burkenroad tracking back defensively. Burkenroad took the ball from Edmonds, drawing Kopmeyer out. Burkenroad kept possession and fired a shot on goal, but Fletcher headed it away, and Winters completed the clear. Edmonds had a corner kick in the thirty-ninth minute, going for Kyle, and she sent it wide left. Mathias had a long cross go out of bounds in the forty-second minute, as the Reign spent a lot of time with the ball in the midfield. Melis took a shot in the forty-third minute, straight at Savage. Evans fell as she managed a shot that Kopmeyer had no trouble with. Burkenroad couldn't corral the ball in the box, and she fouled Reed in trying to get it back after a pass from Edmonds. Melis and Little tried to do a give-and-go, with Kyle poking it just quickly enough away to prevent a shot. Little won a corner kick off of Pressley in stoppage time, which Barnes took for Winters but cleared by the Pride. Melis put one in that Witteman took and the half ended with the Reign up 2-0. The Pride's best players have been FB Witteman, CB Pressley, RW Evans, LF Burkenroad, and RF Fields. The Reign's best efforts came from CBs Fletcher and Barnes, DCM Fishlock, RW Winters, LW Little, RF Kawasumi, and CF Melis. Little put a ball in the box in the forty-seventh minute, causing the Pride to break down defensively as Savage and Levin failed to clear it, and Melis buried it into an empty net to make it 3-0 Reign. Mathias tried a low shot in the forty-ninth minute, which was no trouble for Savage. Kawasumi had a pass intercepted by Kyle in the fiftieth minute as she looked for Little. Evans went long for Spencer, who managed a weak cross in the fifty-second minute that Kopmeyer picked up. Fields sent a ball central for Spencer in the fifty-second minute, with Spencer getting in front of Fletcher and poking it in the right post as Kopmeyer froze, cutting it to 3-1. Kawasumi found Melis, who made a deep run and Witteman just poked it out for a corner kick in the fifty-sixth minute. Barnes took the corner kick for Fletcher, who flicked it into the net in the fifty-seventh minute to make it 4-1 Seattle. Fletcher then broke out into a cartwheel and backflip for her celebration for the goal. Kawasumi couldn't get through three Orlando players in the sixty-first minute as the game seemed to hit a lull after the Reign's fourth goal. Melis had a ball in for Kawasumi that Levin flicked up in the sixty-second minute. Pressley then put the ball out for a Seattle corner kick, coming from Barnes and served in toward Winters and Fletcher, but cleared out by Evans when it went too high. Fletcher then had a shot blocked in the sixty-third minute. Barnes blocked an Evans cross in the sixty-fourth minute. Kawasumi went around Levin and fired a shot off of Kyle. Melis tracked it down and tried to find Mathias, but it went a little over her head and Orlando avoided danger. Evans tried to find Weatherholt in the sixty-sixth minute but her cross was long. Pickett blocked an Edmonds cross out for a corner kick in the sixty-eighth minute, and she took it short. Witteman served in to no results. Pickett had a cross on the other side that Savage grabbed. Orlando earned a corner kick through Spencer's attack in the sixty-ninth minute. Edmonds served it in for Kyle, but Kopmeyer punched it away. Spencer fouled Barnes in the seventieth minute after being unable to corral a ball served into the box. Pickett surrendered another corner kick as Spencer pressured her clearing effort. Edmonds served this one in the seventy-first minute, with Kyle getting the ball on the second effort before Barnes put it out for another corner kick. Edmonds' service this time went to Pressley, and Fishlock dribbled it out. Witteman fouled Mathias in the seventy-third minute, giving the Reign a good free kick chance. Little went short and then had a swerving ball caught by Savage as she sent the return pass from Pickett forward. Mathias had a shot go just wide left after Levin headed a ball away from Kawasumi in the seventy-fifth minute. Pressley blocked a through ball from Kawasumi to Mathias in the seventy-sixth minute. Melis found Kawasumi after an initial pass from Mathias, with Levin just poking it away for a corner kick. Barnes went short, and Little ended up with the ball. Levin blocked the first shot, and then carried it away as Kyle poked it away from Little. Kawasumi's cross was blocked by Levin, but Spencer made a steal. Kiersten Dallstream fouled Spencer on the breakaway, and the Seattle sub took a yellow card for it. Becky Edwards had a half-shot in the eighty-third minute for Orlando, going well wide right. Beverly Yanez of the Reign fired back with a shot on goal that Savage saved. Pressley blocked an eighty-fourth minute Fishlock shot, but the Reign kept possession. Levin just stole the ball from Reed as she couldn't fire a shot from a Little pass. Mathias lost a ball to Pressley on a through ball attempt. Dallstream sprung Elston down low, who looked to be out of bounds. Her first effort went off of Kyle, but right back at Elston, and the second effort bounced off of Pressley and behind Savage, making it 5-1 for the Reign on the hustle play by Elston. Sarah Hagen of the Pride quickly sprung Edmonds in the eighty-ninth minute, and she went just under Kopmeyer's knee to make it back to 5-2. Mathias tried to track back defensively. The Reign had a free kick in stoppage time, from Kawasumi over the wall and off the crossbar. Mathias volleyed the rebound wide right. The game ended at 5-2 for the Reign, with the CB Fletcher named Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. Also impressing for the Reign was the sub midfielder Elston, while the Pride's FB Levin, DCM Edmonds, and CF Spencer made better efforts in the second half.

Outsider Sports NWSL Best XI - Week 14

GK Nicole Barnhart
LB Erin Simon
CB Kendall Fletcher (my pick for Player of the Week, and it shouldn't even be close)
CB Brittany Taylor
RB Cami Privett
DM Jess Fishlock
DM Danielle Colaprico
LW Leah Galton
RW Kealia Ohai
LF Rachel Daly
RF Shea Groom

Major League Soccer 2016 - Week 20

Full weekend once again for MLS, beginning on Friday with...

Real Salt Lake hosting the San Jose Earthquakes. David Bingham and Nick Rimando are in goal. San Jose began in the ninth minute with a Chris Wondolowski goal. Salt Lake's Tony Beltran had a yellow card for a thirtieth minute foul. Real tied it on a sixty-fourth minute goal by Luke Mulholland, passed from Javier Morales and Joao Plata. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with Mulholland the man of the match for his equalizer.

The first of Saturday's seven saw the Portland Timbers welcome the Los Angeles Galaxy. Brian Rowe and Jake Gleeson protect the nets. Los Angeles led off in the seventh minute with a Robbie Keane goal in the seventh minute, via Giovani dos Santos and Jeff Larentowicz. The Galaxy added on with a Gyasi Zardes goal in the eleventh minute, courtesy of Emmanuel Boateng and Jelle Van Damme. Portland got on the board in the forty-first minute with a Zarek Valentin goal, assisted by Darlington Nagbe. The game ended 2-1, with the man of the match being Zardes for his game-winner.

Next up, the Columbus Crew SC bring in Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Steve Clark are the goalies. Columbus started in the twentieth minute with a Tony Tchani goal, via Justin Meram. Orlando City's Bendik and Kevin Molino both had yellow cards for fouls in first half stoppage time. This led to the Crew's Ola Kamara converting a penalty kick. Luke Boden of Orlando City had a yellow card for a sixty-second minute foul. Orlando City got on the board with a Molino goal in the sixty-fifth minute. Orlando City tied it in the seventieth minute with a Cyle Larin goal, set up by Molino. The game ended 2-2, with Molino named man of the match for his goal and assist to battle back for the draw.

In Canada, the Montreal Impact host the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Evan Bush are the keepers. Montreal opened in the nineteenth minute on a Didier Drogba goal, via Ambroise Oyongo and Ignacio Piatti. Michael Salazar of the Impact took a yellow card for his foul in the twenty-sixth minute. Philadelphia's Tranquillo Barnetta had a yellow card for a twenty-seventh minute foul. Montreal added on with a forty-second minute goal by Drogba. Calum Mallace of the Impact had a fiftieth minute yellow card for his foul. Montreal extended the lead as Drogba completed his hat trick in the fifty-second minute, courtesy of Piatti. The Union got on the board with a seventy-second minute goal from Chris Pontius, assisted by Walter Restrepo and Fabian Herbers. Raymon Gaddis of Philadelphia took a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-sixth minute. Patrice Bernier of the Impact received a yellow card for an eighty-third minute handball. Montreal replied with a Piatti goal in the eighty-seventh minute, helped along by Oyongo. The Impact padded the lead as Matteo Mancosu scored, thanks to Bernier. The game ended at 5-1, with Drogba the man of the match for his hat trick.

Back stateside, the New England Revolution welcome the Chicago Fire. Sean Johnson and Bobby Shuttleworth are the gloved men. Michael de Leeuw took a yellow card for Chicago for his thirtieth minute foul. In the seventy-seventh minute, Teal Bunbury of New England received a yellow card for a foul. The Revolution got going in the eighty-fifth minute with a Je-Vaughn Watson goal, assisted by Chris Tierney. David Accam of the Fire had a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The Revolution won 1-0, with Watson the man of the match for his winner.

Into Canada again, with Toronto FC bringing in DC United. Travis Worra and Alex Bono are the inexperienced goalies. Jay Chapman of Toronto had a yellow card for a seventeenth minute foul. Toronto struck first in the twenty-first minute on a Sebastian Giovinco goal. DC tied it on a Jared Jeffrey goal in the twenty-fourth minute, coming off of Lloyd Sam and Sean Franklin. Marcelo Sarvas of United had a yellow card for his twenty-eighth minute foul. Toronto retook the lead with a twenty-ninth minute Marco Delgado goal. Jeffrey took a yellow card for DC in the thirty-eighth minute for his foul. Toronto added on with a Giovinco goal in the thirty-ninth minute. Toronto saw yellow cards for fouls by Drew Moor in the fifty-fourth minute and Delgado in the sixtieth minute. Toronto iced it at 4-1 with Giovinco goal in stoppage time, helped along by Mark Bloom. Giovinco's hat trick made him the man of the match.

Along to Colorado, with the Rapids hosting FC Dallas. Chris Seitz and Tim Howard protect the nets. Sam Cronin of Colorado took a yellow card for a twenty-fourth minute foul. The Rapids were first to score with a forty-fourth minute goal by Marlon Hairston. Dallas tied it on an eighty-second minute Victor Ulloa goal. Ulloa was the man of the 1-1 match for his equalizer.

Ending Saturday, the Houston Dynamo welcome the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Joe Willis play goal. Andrew Wenger of Houston had a yellow card for a sixty-second minute foul. Vancouver's Erik Hurtado had a yellow card for an eighty-fourth minute handball. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, with Willis the man of the match for his four-save clean sheet on the road.

The first Sunday game has the New York Red Bulls bringing in New York City FC. Josh Saunders and Luis Robles are in the six-yard boxes. NYCFC's Ethan White had a yellow card for a foul in the thirteenth minute. The Red Bulls drew first blood with a twentieth minute Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, assisted by Sacha Kljestan and Felipe. The Red Bulls added on in the twenty-third minute with a Ronald Zubar goal, passed from Kljestan. The Red Bulls extended the lead as Kljestan scored a penalty kick in the forty-first minute. NYCFC got on the board with a forty-third minute Thomas McNamara goal, passed from RJ Allen and Andrea Pirlo. Zubar of the Red Bulls had a fifty-fifth minute yellow card for his foul, as did Mike Grella in the fifty-eighth minute. In the sixty-fifth minute, NYCFC saw a yellow card for Allen's foul. The Red Bulls shot back with a seventieth minute Wright-Phillips goal. NYCFC had a spate of disciplinary action go against them, as yellow cards were issued for Frank Lampard in the eighty-fifth minute, Federico Bravo in the eighty-eighth minute, and a second yellow card for White in the eighty-ninth minute putting his team at ten men. All were for fouls. The game ended 4-1 for the Red Bulls, with the man of the match being Kljestan.

Finally, Sporting Kansas City hosts the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Tim Melia are between the posts. Kansas City dented the scoreboard on a twenty-first minute goal by Dominic Dwyer, assisted by Roger Espinoza and Graham Zusi. Sporting's Espinoza took a yellow card for a foul in the twenty-third minute. Herculez Gomez of Seattle had a forty-third minute yellow card for his foul. Kansas City added on in first half stoppage time with a Jacob Peterson goal, helped along by Saad Abdul-Salaam and Ike Opara. In the fifty-seventh minute, the Sounders' Joevin Jones had a yellow card for a foul. Soni Mustivar of Sporting took a yellow card for his sixty-fifth minute foul. Kansas City extended the lead as Dwyer scored in the seventy-ninth minute. The game ended 3-0, with Dwyer's brace making him the man of the match.

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