MLS Midweek 7/13/16

Six games were on the schedule for midweek, although the weather in places threatened some of these events. We begin with one such game, as...

The Columbus Crew SC host Toronto FC. Alex Bono and Steve Clark man the nets. Mark Bloom of Toronto had a yellow card for his thirty-second minute foul. Columbus got going in the fifty-fourth minute with a Harrison Afful goal. Toronto tied it on a Jordan Hamilton goal in the sixty-fourth minute, thanks to Jay Chapman and Benoit Cheyrou. The game ended at 1-1, with the man of the match being Hamilton for the equalizer.

East to the New York Red Bulls welcoming Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Luis Robles are in goal. New York started with a thirty-seventh minute goal by Connor Lade, set up by Bradley Wright-Phillips and Alex Muyl. The Red Bulls' Muyl took a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. Orlando City had yellow cards given to David Mateos in the forty-ninth minute and Brek Shea in the fifty-second minute, the first for a foul and the second for dissent. New York added on with a fifty-ninth minute goal by Felipe. Orlando City's Cristian Higuita took a yellow card for dissent in the sixty-eighth minute. The game ended 2-0 for the Red Bulls, with Lade the man of the match for his winner.

In the only game delayed from the start by weather, the Chicago Fire kicked off about two hours later as they brought in Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Sean Johnson play goal. Chicago opened in the nineteenth minute with a Michael de Leeuw goal, made possible by Razvan Cocis and Brandon Vincent. The Fire had a yellow card for a Khaly Thiam foul in the twenty-sixth minute. Soni Mustivar of Kansas City had a yellow card for his twenty-ninth minute foul. Chicago's Alturo Alvarez had a yellow card in the sixty-eighth minute for a foul. Sporting's Dominic Dwyer received a yellow card for a seventy-first minute foul. Joao Meira of the Fire took a yellow card for a seventy-ninth minute foul. Kansas City saw a yellow card for Jimmy Medranda in the eighty-fifth minute for his foul. The game ended 1-0, with the man of the match being de Leeuw for his winner.

Westward to Portland, with the Timbers hosting the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Jake Gleeson protect the nets. Portland led off with a fourteenth minute goal by Jack McInerney, via Jack Jewsbury. Montreal saw a yellow card for an eighteenth minute Ignacio Piatti foul. The Impact tied it on a forty-fourth minute Piatti goal. In the sixty-eighth minute, Harry Shipp took a yellow card for his foul for Montreal. The Timbers' Fanendo Adi and the Impact's Hassoun Camara each had yellow cards in the seventieth minute, one for a foul and the other for dissent. The game ended 1-1, with Piatti the man of the match for his equalizer.

Up to Seattle, as the Sounders FC welcome FC Dallas. Chris Seitz and Stefan Frei are the gloved men. Dallas went down to ten men after Maynor Figueroa took a red card for a handball in the penalty area in the fourth minute. Seattle began with a sixth minute Clint Dempsey penalty kick goal. The Sounders added on with an eighteenth minute Andreas Ivanschitz goal, courtesy of Osvaldo Alonso. Seattle extended the lead as Jordan Morris scored in the twenty-second minute, with the help of Dempsey and Alonso. Juan Esteban Ortiz of Dallas had a yellow card for his thirty-third minute foul, but Dempsey of the Sounders took a straight red card at the same time for violent conduct, leveling the field at ten players each. Seattle padded the lead with a sixty-first minute goal by Joevin Jones, coming off of Oniel Fisher. The Sounders continued with a seventy-third minute Cristian Roldan goal, assisted by Ivanschitz. Seattle cruised to a 5-0 with, with Ivanschitz awarded the man of the match honors for his goal and assist.

Finally, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC bring in Real Salt Lake. Jeff Attinella and David Ousted are the reliable keepers. Jordan Allen of Salt Lake had a yellow card for a thirteenth minute foul. Vancouver's Andrew Jacobson had a yellow card for his twenty-fifth minute foul. Real's Tony Beltran received a yellow card for his twenty-eighth minute foul. Salt Lake saw a miscue in the thirty-fourth minute by Justen Glad lead to the Whitecaps' first goal. Vancouver added on in the thirty-seventh minute with a Cristian Techera goal, courtesy of Christian Bolanos. Kendall Waston of the Whitecaps took a yellow card in the fifty-fourth minute for his foul. Real had yellow cards given to Luke Mulholland in the fifty-ninth minute and Olmes Garcia in the seventy-fourth minute. Marcel de Jong of Vancouver took a yellow card for an eighty-ninth minute foul. The game ended at 2-0, with Techera the man of the match for his clincher.

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Major League Soccer 2016 - Week 18

The weekend is full with ten games, beginning with two on Friday. The first sees...

Orlando City SC and the Houston Dynamo face off. Tyler Deric and Joe Bendik man the nets. The game went without a card or a goal, ending 0-0. Bendik's three-save clean sheet made him the man of the match.

The other Friday game saw the San Jose Earthquakes host FC Dallas. Chris Seitz and David Bingham play goal. In the twenty-ninth minute, Alberto Quintero of San Jose had a yellow card for his foul. Dallas saw a yellow card for a thirty-first minute Matt Hedges foul. Dallas got going with a Maximiliano Urruti goal in the fifty-first minute. In the fifty-ninth minute, the Earthquakes saw a yellow card for an Anibal Godoy foul. Dallas had a yellow card assessed to Mauro Diaz for his sixty-first minute foul. In the seventy-second minute, Atiba Harris of Dallas took a yellow card for his seventy-second minute foul. The game ended 1-0, with Urruti the man of the match for his winner.

On Saturday, the first of six games sees the Seattle Sounders FC welcome the Los Angeles Galaxy. Brian Rowe and Stefan Frei are the reliable keepers. Los Angeles began in the fifteenth minute on a Robbie Keane goal set up by Gyasi Zardes and Dave Romney. In the sixty-ninth minute, the Galaxy's Romney took a yellow card for his foul. The game ended 1-0, with the man of the match being Keane for his winner.

East to Philadelphia, where the Union bring in DC United. Bill Hamid and Andre Blake are the quality keepers. Kofi Opare of DC had a yellow card for his nineteenth minute foul. Philadelphia led off in the twentieth minute with a Roland Alberg penalty kick goal. The Union added on in the thirty-seventh minute with an Ilsinho penalty kick goal. Philadelphia extended the lead in the forty-seventh minute as Ilsinho scored again, thanks to C.J. Sapong and Alberg. Opare took a second yellow card in the sixty-fifth minute, putting United down to ten men. The Union won 3-0, with Ilsinho the man of the match with the brace.

Along to New England, with the Revolution hosting the Columbus Crew SC. Steve Clark and Brad Knighton man the nets. New England opened in the third minute with a Lee Nguyen goal. London Woodberry of the Revolution had a yellow card for a nineteenth minute foul. Columbus' Tony Tchani took a yellow card for his foul in the twenty-seventh minute. The Revolution's Andrew Farrell took a yellow card for a thirtieth minute foul. New England went up 2-0 when the Crew's Wil Trapp committed an own goal in the thirty-fourth minute. In the forty-second minute, Columbus got on the board with an Ola Kamara goal, assisted by Tchani. In the sixty-seventh minute, New England keeper Knighton had a yellow card for time wasting. The Revolution added on in the seventy-first minute with a Kei Kamara goal, passed from Teal Bunbury. New England's Kelyn Rowe had a yellow card for a seventy-ninth minute foul. The game ended 3-1, with the man of the match being Nguyen for his early goal.

Up in Canada, Toronto FC welcomes the Chicago Fire. Sean Johnson and Alex Bono draw the starts in goal. Toronto started with a ninth minute Justin Morrow goal, via Sebastian Giovinco and Jonathan Osorio. This stood for a 1-0 win, and made Morrow the man of the match.

Back stateside, Real Salt Lake bring in the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Nick Rimando are the goalies. Montreal was first to score in the eighth minute with a Harry Shipp goal. Victor Cabrera of the Impact took a yellow card for a sixteenth minute foul. Chris Wingert of Salt Lake had a yellow card for a sixty-second minute foul. Justen Glad of Real took a yellow card for his seventieth minute foul. In the seventy-sixth minute, Kyle Beckerman of Salt Lake had a yellow card for a foul. Real tied it on a seventy-ninth minute Yura Movsisyan penalty kick goal. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, thanks to the man of the match Movsisyan.

Saturday's last game sees the Vancouver Whitecaps FC host the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and David Ousted protect the nets. Vancouver struck first in the tenth minute with a Kendall Waston goal, assisted by Christian Bolanos and Pedro Morales. Colorado had a yellow card for Jared Watts in the thirty-seventh minute for his foul. Shkelzen Gashi of the Rapids had a yellow card in the fifty-sixth minute for his foul. Colorado tied it in the fifty-ninth minute on a Kevin Doyle goal, coming off of Gashi and Marco Pappa. The Rapids went down to ten men in the seventy-first minute as Eric Miller took a straight red card for his foul. Pappa had a yellow card for Colorado for time wasting in the seventy-fourth minute. The Whitecaps took the lead back with a Cristian Techera penalty kick goal in the eighty-seventh minute. The Rapids tied it with a stoppage time goal by Axel Sjoberg, set up by Doyle. The game ended 2-2, with Doyle being the man of the match for his goal, assist, and save.

On Sunday, the New York Red Bulls welcome the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and Luis Robles guard the woodwork. Portland saw a yellow card in the fourteenth minute for Diego Chara for his foul. Felipe of New York had a yellow card for a fortieth minute foul. Alvas Powell took a yellow card for his sixty-fourth minute foul for the Timbers. The game ended 0-0, with Gleeson the man of the match on his four-save clean sheet under heavy pressure.

Finally, Sporting Kansas City brings in New York City FC. Josh Saunders and Tim Melia are the keepers. Kansas City drew first blood in the eighth minute on a Benny Feilhaber goal. New York City tied it on a fourteenth minute goal by Frank Lampard, courtesy of Ronald Matarrita and Andrea Pirlo. Sporting took the lead back with a Jimmy Medranda goal in the sixteenth minute. Kansas City added on in the fifty-first minute with an Ike Opara goal. In the eighty-third minute, David Villa of New York City had a yellow card for his foul. The game ended 3-1 for Sporting, with Medranda the man of the match.

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NWSL Week 12

The schedule structure shifts to weekends only for the rest of this month. We begin with four Saturday games, the first one listed being...

The Washington Spirit hosting the Chicago Red Stars. Michele Dalton and Kelsey Wys are the backups in goal. Here's the game. Christine Nairn tried a ball toward Francisca Ordega in the third minute for Washington, but Sam Johnson picked it off for Chicago. The Red Stars' Casey Short took a shot after going around the Spirit's Alyssa Kleiner, but Wys was there in the fourth minute for a save. Cali Farquharson took a cross in the fifth minute, which deflected out for a Spirit corner kick thanks to Chicago's Katie Naughton. Nairn's service for Washington dropped to Ordega, whose shot was deflected out for another corner kick. Nairn tried again in the sixth minute and the low service was cleared by Vanessa DiBernardo. Tori Huster made a good block on a Short pass in the eighth minute to give the Spirit possession in the midfield. Arin Gilliland of Chicago took the ball out wide but lost it to Caprice Dydasco of Washington in the tenth minute. Alyssa Mautz tried to pick out Short in the eleventh minute, but the ball ran too close to Wys, who picked it up. Megan Oyster blocked a shot by Gilliland in the thirteenth minute, giving Chicago a corner kick. DiBernardo handled the service on this set piece, going short for Danielle Colaprico, and then Estefania Banini blocked it. Gilliland put it into the mix, but the Red Stars got caught offside in the cluster. Short stole a pass from Kleiner to Farquharson on the left wing of the Washington formation. Sam Johnson fouled Ordega just outside the box in the fifteenth minute, and Nairn served up the free kick. DiBernardo made the clear on the play. Ordega had a cross blocked by Sam Johnson in the sixteenth minute as Washington shows some pressure. A Chicago attack in the seventeenth minute died as Sofia Huerta was called for a handball. Huerta got called offside on a deep ball from Naughton in the nineteenth minute. Washington made it 1-0 with a give-and-go between Ordega and Banini, with the latter getting the goal on a low shot that got around the hand of Dalton after the return pass. Nairn helped earlier in the play from the midfield as the left flank took control of the play. DiBernardo took a pass from Amanda Da Costa in the twenty-second minute before crossing it in, with Wys making the grab as Estelle Johnson shielded it. Huerta tracked down a ball from Naughton and won a corner kick off of Oyster in the twenty-fifth minute. DiBernardo did the service, going to Mautz, who headed it right at Wys. Taylor Comeau made an attack against Dydasco in the twenty-sixth minute, but the Spirit defender guarded it out for a goal kick. Huerta got around Dydasco in the twenty-seventh minute, but her pass went to Huster, who cleared for Washington out to Ordega. Farquharson had a cross toward Banini, but it was sent away and the Red Stars took over in the twenty-seventh minute. Kleiner got the ball and crossed into Ordega, who ran a bit too hard at Naughton and committed a foul. Dalton would have saved it anyway in the twenty-ninth minute. Kleiner made a block on a pass from Da Costa toward Mautz. Dydasco blocked the throw-in away from Huerta to give Washington possession. The heat in the region caused a water break in the thirty-first minute. Ordega made a good steal on DiBernardo, and then passed to Banini to break pressure. Gilliland had a nice cross in the thirty-fifth minute, which DiBernardo headed wide right for Chicago as they search for a goal. Short's cross ran too long for Mautz or Huerta to get to, and Dydasco tracked it down in the thirty-seventh minute for the Spirit. Estelle Johnson cleaned up a heavy touch from Short as she went against Kleiner again in the thirty-eighth minute. Short had another shot, and Wys made the save on the the right post as one faces goal. In the forty-first minute, Mautz fouled Banini as the Washington forward tried a nutmeg, and Mautz took a yellow card for it. Mautz took a shot after Gilliland and Comeau strung passes together in the forty-fifth minute for Chicago. Wys made the save even as DiBernardo charged near her around Estelle Johnson. Colaprico's pass to Mautz was cleared away by Kleiner in stoppage time. Colaprico and Ordega battled a bit, with Colaprico eventually making the steal. The game went into halftime at 1-0. The Red Stars' top players were CB Johnson, RB Short, DM DiBernardo, RW Mautz, and LF Huerta, while the Spirit's best efforts came from GK Wys, CB Oyster, DCM Huster, LW Nairn, CF Ordega, and LF Banini. In the forty-seventh minute, Ordega took a yellow card for her foul on Sam Johnson. Short got the best of Kleiner in the forty-eighth minute as the Spirit have looked like the stronger team early in the second half. DiBernardo lost control of Short's cross, and Nairn charged for Washington. Gilliland made a block on the other side in the fiftieth minute as Ordega looked to cross, creating a Spirit corner kick. Nairn served it in where DiBernardo cleared it. Nairn sent it back in, and it went over Huster's head and out to turn it over to Chicago. Banini tried to flick a ball over Jen Hoy after it bounced to her from Huster after a free kick by Nairn. Joanna Lohman finally had a shot in the fifty-third minute for the Spirit, but Red Stars keeper Dalton made the save. Ordega went head-to-head against Naughton in the fifty-fifth minute, and then dropped back to Lohman, who fired wide right as the Spirit buzz around the net. Farquharson did her defensive duty against Gilliland and DiBernardo on Chicago's left wing side. Ordega won a corner kick in the fifty-eighth minute, and Nairn took the service, which went over Lohman's head and out of bounds. Huerta made a big run before laying off to Jannelle Flaws, who crossed it in for Gilliland. Wys just parried it away, and then Estelle Johnson's clearance bounced off of DiBernardo, who went down shaken up. Ordega lost a ball to Johnson and Naughton in the sixty-third minute after the injury delay. Flaws couldn't quite get to a service in the sixty-third minute. Naughton deflected a cross from Cheyna Williams toward Lohman and Banini as Washington remains strong in the attack in the sixty-fifth minute. Dydasco took a shot from deep, and Dalton made a leaping punch for the save and a Spirit corner kick. Nairn's service went to Lohman before Naughton gained it. Ordega and Williams tried to keep it onside, but couldn't and the Red Stars took the ball. Williams crossed into the box in the sixty-eighth minute, and Dalton bobbled it, but Gilliland got it out safely for the Red Stars to deny Lohman a shooting chance. Naughton surrendered a corner kick on a Banini run in the sixty-eighth minute. Nairn did the service again, going for Lohman but punched by Dalton out wide. Flaws sent a Banini cross away. Nairn took a deep shot in the seventieth minute that went wide left. On the other side, Oyster blocked a shot from Comeau. Williams and Ordega combined in the seventy-first minute, with the latter also shooting wide left. Williams knocked a cross off of Gilliland in the seventy-third minute, giving the Spirit another corner kick. Nairn took the service in the seventy-fourth minute, and the substitute Katie Stengel put the ball in the net on her first touch, giving Washington a 2-0 lead. The water break came in the seventy-sixth minute. Kleiner's seventy-ninth minute cross was caught by Dalton, and the Spirit look to clamp down to see this game out. In the eightieth minute, Stengel sent one in for Williams, who headed it wide right. Comeau made a good disruption against Williams in the eighty-second minute. DiBernardo ripped a shot wide left in the eighty-fourth minute after Huerta lost the ball against Estelle Johnson. In the eighty-fifth minute, DiBernardo's free kick fell harmlessly to Wys as the Red Stars are probing for a goal. Huster headed out a Gilliland cross in the eighty-sixth minute. Banini got the ball in the box but lost control for the Spirit, allowing Dalton to grab it up. Dydasco blocked out Gilliland's cross, giving the Red Stars a corner kick. DiBernardo served it in for Huerta, but Estelle Johnson got it away. She was hurt on the play, and had to come out, leaving the Spirit to play a plethora of stoppage time shorthanded. DiBernardo's corner kick fell to Johnson, who ripped a shot into a mass of players as the Red Stars are running out of time. Gilliland had a through ball to Flaws blocked away be Whitney Church deep into stoppage time. Dydasco broke up Gilliland's run but gave Chicago a corner kick, which DiBernardo put in for Gilliland. It fell to Flaws, whose shot was deflected. Church finally cleared it, securing the 2-0 win for the Spirit. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match is Banini for her goal. Also impressing in the second half for the Spirit were the RW Lohman and sub CF Stengel, while the Red Stars saw better efforts from the LB Gilliland.

Kicking off at the same time, the Western New York Flash welcome the Seattle Reign to Frontier Field, a baseball stadium in Rochester. Haley Kopmeyer and Katelyn Rowland protect the nets. The game can be found at the link. Seattle's Kim Little had a dangerous chance in the second minute, crossing in front of goal, but Manon Melis couldn't get a touch on it. The camera angle and quality makes it difficult to pick out player numbers. Makenzy Doniak had a cross bounce off of a Reign player for a corner kick. Abby Dahlkemper went short for Lianne Sanderson, who sent it in and the Western New York Flash had dangerous chances. Elli Reed made the first clearance, and the crossbar saved the second effort. Nahomi Kawasumi tried a cross in the fifth minute for the Reign, who tried to find Beverly Yanez. Doniak and Abby Erceg tried a few balls toward goal in the sixth minute. Reed tried to find Melis in the seventh minute, but Rowland grabbed it. Jess Fishlock went long in the ninth minute, but again Rowland was there for the Flash. Keelin Winters couldn't connect with Melis in the tenth minute, as the Reign have had more dangerous chances so far. Jaelene Hinkle, Sanderson, Jessica McDonald, and Lynn Williams strung passes together, but the last one was offside for the Flash. Doniak saw a cross run long and out of bounds for Western New York in the thirteenth minute. Kendall Fletcher's fourteenth minute long ball was sent away by Dahlkemper, but Melis had a shot on the rebound and went wide right. Lauren Barnes of Seattle saw Western New York's Courtney Niemiec block a cross. Fishlock and Reed cleared a McDonald long throw in the nineteenth minute. Yanez tried to cross into the box, but Dahlkemper was there, and the Flash defender cleared another effort from Little soon after. McCall Zerboni saw a twentieth minute cross caught by Kopmeyer. Sanderson and Barnes collided in the box, allowing the ball to harmlessly roll to Kopmeyer in the twenty-first minute. Fishlock rocked a shot for Seattle on the other side, but Rowland caught it cleanly for the save. In the twenty-second minute, the Reign scored as Melis sent the ball across goal, where Kawasumi got past Hinkle and scored to make it 1-0. Dahlkemper and Niemiec also failed to disrupt the play for Western New York. Barnes cleared Sanderson's twenty-fourth minute was blocked by Barnes. The Reign broke out with Fishlock passing to Little, who didn't shoot, and Elizabeth Eddy shut it down defensively for the Flash. Rachel Corsie broke up McDonald's flick in the twenty-sixth minute. Doniak had a pair of crosses in the thirtieth minute fail to find a teammate. Barnes and Sanderson had a battle at the top of the box, with Seattle's Barnes getting the best of it. Barnes had a through ball blocked by Doniak in the thirty-fourth minute. Doniak capitalized on Barnes' trip, passing into Williams, who shot just wide left of the goal in the thirty-sixth minute. Zerboni got around Winters in the thirty-seventh minute, but Williams was offside. McDonald had a thirty-eighth minute long throw toward Erceg that saw Kopmeyer go down with an injury. She stayed down for a significant period of time. The call on the play was initially no goal, but the ruling was reversed in the forty-fifth minute after Kopmeyer was replaced by Andi Tostanoski, the backup goalie. The goal was officially credited in the thirty-ninth minute, making it 1-1. The injury to Kopmeyer appears to be a left ankle. Ultimately, nine minutes of stoppage time were put on the board. Williams crossed into Doniak in stoppage time, and Sanderson eventually got a shot blocked. McDonald had another long throw, and Erceg popped up again, this one with her foot as Tostanoski missed the punch. Western New York now leads 2-1. Barnes had a shot-cross land in Rowland's arms. Kawasumi had a corner kick that was deflected to Melis, who shot way high. Tostanoski grabbed a through ball from Zerboni. Kawasumi got caught offside as Seattle played forward. The game went into halftime at 2-1, with the Flash's top players being CB Dahlkemper, DMs Erceg and Sanderson, RW Doniak, and LF McDonald, while the Reign's best were the LB Barnes, RB Reed, RW Fishlock, RF Kawasumi, and CF Melis. McDonald's forty-seventh minute shot for Western New York was saved by Tostanoski as the forward danced around Reed and Rachel Corsie. Dahlkemper cleared Fishlock's offering for Melis in the forty-eighth minute. Hinkle got a ball up to McDonald, but Tostanoski and Corsie combined to break up the play. McDonald went down with a knock. Tostanoski failed her clearance, but McDonald did nothing more than deflect it. Corsie broke up a long ball from Zerboni to McDonald in the fifty-first minute. Sanderson fired a shot that Tostanoski saved. Niemiec made two stops on Little in the box in the fifty-second minute. Kawasumi flicked a ball to Yanez, who tried to find Melis, but it went over her head. Little's pass to Yanez got broken up by Niemiec in the fifty-fifth minute. Hinkle disrupted Reed well on the next Reign attack. Yanez sent away the short corner service from Sanderson after the restart by Dahlkemper in the fifty-seventh minute. Williams fired a shot after a Zerboni cross. The rebound off of Tostanoski bounced off of Williams and out for a goal kick for Seattle. Sanderson sent a shot wide left across goal in the sixty-first minute for Western New York after Zerboni broke around Reed and Winters. Sanderson went around Barnes and Fletcher before her narrowly missed shot. Fishlock's shot was blocked by Dahlkemper in the sixty-second minute. Kawasumi's free kick in the sixty-third minute was cleared by McDonald. In the sixty-fourth minute, Winters received a yellow card. Hinkle had a cross caught by Tostanoski in the sixty-fifth minute. Doniak took a shot in the sixty-seventh minute under duress from Seattle sub Merritt Mathias, allowing Tostanoski to make the save. Williams put one into the box, and then Barnes cleared it out in the sixty-eighth minute. Hinkle defended Kawasumi well in the sixty-ninth minute after a cross fell to her. Williams tried to go against Fletcher in the seventy-first minute, but it didn't work. Doniak fired a shot wide left. Kawasumi's seventy-second minute chip-cross into the box was caught by Rowland. Reed had a ball trying to find Mathias that Rowland snagged out of the air. Rumi Utsugi sent one in for Little in the seventy-seventh minute, but it was deflected favorably for the Flash. McDonald crossed into Williams, who shot on goal but Tostanoski made the save again. Sanderson had a shot off-target in the eightieth minute for Western New York. Hinkle took a shot on the free kick in the eighty-first minute, and Tostanoski caught it. After a battle between Hinkle and Mathias left the Reign's forward aggrieved, she received a yellow card for dissent. Erceg flicked a ball up to Williams in the eighty-third minute, as she burned around Tostanoski, and then threaded the shot between the keeper and Fletcher, scoring to make it 3-1 for the Flash. Williams ripped a ball wide right on a pass by McDonald. Little forced Rowland into a stop in the eighty-fifth minute. The Flash had a corner kick in the eighty-seventh minute, going short as they begin to kill the clock. Seattle got one back in stoppage time as Utsugi scored on a header from Yanez after a cross by Kawasumi. This cut it to 3-2. Utsugi and Kawasumi nearly combined again after a Fishlock pass, but it went over the bar. Fletcher kept McDonald away from the ball in stoppage time, after Tostanoski got out of position. The game ended 3-2, with DM Erceg named Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. Also impressing in the second half for the Flash were the LW Zerboni and LF Williams, while sub Utsugi showed well for the Reign in a difficult game. NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush released a statement after the game, acknowledging the issues with the field and vowing to hold the league to a higher standard in the future for alternate venues.

The third game kicking off in the first wave is Sky Blue FC hosting the Houston Dash. Bianca Henninger and Caroline Casey are the gloved women. You can find the game here. Kristin Grubka of Sky Blue fouled Melissa Henderson in the first minute, giving Houston an early free kick. Stephanie Ochs couldn't make anything of it for the Dash. Rachel Daly couldn't find Denise O'Sullivan in the second minute, and Christie Rampone shut it down for Sky Blue. A ball from Becca Moros was just too long for Henderson, and Rampone sent it away. Daly was caught offside in the fourth minute on a pass from O'Sullivan. Sam Kerr had a shot in the sixth minute go over the bar for Sky Blue. Daly and Kealia Ohai connected for the Dash, who got into the box but shot over the frame. Daly got around Rampone in the eighth minute, going give-and-go with Henderson, but Daly whiffed on the shot. Moros tried a ball for Henderson, but it ran long to Casey in the tenth minute. Leah Galton got around Moros and tried to feed Natasha Kai, but Sky Blue's forward was caught offside. Erin Simon had a good steal from O'Sullivan in the twelfth minute for Sky Blue. Ohai just missed getting the ball away from Rampone in the thirteenth minute as Houston has seen most of the offensive possession today. Henderson received a pass from Amber Brooks and crossed across goal in the fifteenth minute, although nothing dangerous happened. On the other side, Kerr couldn't control a cross in from Taylor Lytle for Sky Blue. Lytle saw another cross run long and out of bounds in the sixteenth minute for Sky Blue. Daly tried to loop a ball to Henderson up top, but Grubka sent it out just in time in the seventeenth minute. Ochs made a block against Kerr on a crossing attempt in the nineteenth minute. Lytle and Kai reconnected. Kai's shot went over the goal as Sky Blue had a couple of chances. Erica Skroski put a cross into Kai in the twentieth minute, but Kai was offside and Henninger made the save anyway. O'Sullivan nearly found Ohai, but Skroski got there. Rampone then cleared a Brooks effort going forward. The Dash are still looking like the better team. Kerr made a great effort to keep a ball in bounds and find Lytle, who crossed to Kai, who then dove and sent it wide right for Sky Blue's best effort. Ohai blocked a cross from Kerr and then took the ball for Houston after Sky Blue's Lytle sent it out to the flank. Ochs cleared a free kick that started with Simon. In the twenty-sixth minute, Brooks fouled Raquel Rodriguez, giving Sky Blue a dangerous free kick. Rodriguez took the set piece with a shot that sailed high. Ellie Brush and Galton crashed into each other in the twenty-eighth minute, but nothing was called and the Dash took possession. Ochs flubbed a clearance off of Kerr, but Cari Roccaro sent it away after Lytle got the ball out wide. Ochs won a corner kick off of Skroski in the thirtieth minute, and she took it herself, going for Daly, but picked off by Kai. Ohai battled with Rodriguez in the thirty-second minute, with Ohai whistled for the foul that gave Sky Blue more possession. Kerr's cross went over Galton and Kai on the other end. Rampone nearly turned it over to Daly, but she kept control. Kai was offside for Sky Blue on the ball forward. Ohai worked around Simon to cross into the box, where Sarah Killion of Sky Blue headed it back to Simon for a clearance. Houston then earned a corner kick, taken by Ochs in the thirty-seventh minute for Brooks, who couldn't direct it. Kai was bumped and went down. Kerr made a huge break down the wing before crossing into Galton, who couldn't catch it as it went out of bounds. Killion lobbed a ball forward to Kai in the thirty-ninth minute, and she fired just wide left after running straight at the keeper Henninger. Daly's ball for O'Sullivan in the forty-first minute was steered away by Rampone. Brooks ripped a shot in the forty-second minute for Houston, bouncing it off post. Daly lost the ball to Grubka on the second effort. Roccaro just headed Rampone's cross after a give-and-go with Galton. Ochs then lost the ball out for a corner kick for Sky Blue after Kerr lost it. Killion's corner kick went to Grubka and bounced for a shot by Rampone that she sent wide right. The game went into halftime tied 0-0. The best players for the visiting Dash have been CBs Brush and Roccaro, LB Ochs, LW O'Sullivan, LF Daly, and RF Henderson. Sky Blue's top efforts have come from CB Rampone, DMs Rodriguez and Killion, RW Kerr, ACM Lytle, and striker Kai. Killion tried to lob a ball forward for Sky Blue in the forty-sixth minute, but Kai didn't run onto it. Lytle's forty-eighth minute cross produced a corner kick when Ochs headed it out. Killion served it in but Sky Blue couldn't keep it. O'Sullivan tried a pass for Henderson that Grubka broke up to kill the counterattack. Rodriguez took a shot on a pass from Simon go far wide left. Kerr had a cross in the fifty-first minute that went deflected over the bar by Henninger for a corner kick for Sky Blue. Killion's service went to Kai, which Henninger caught quite easily. Ochs fouled Rodriguez in the fifty-second minute, giving Sky Blue a good free kick. They took it quickly and owned possession. Galton had a shot in the fifty-third minute that Brush blocked after Kai had flicked it onto her. Lytle scored with a deep shot in the fifty-fourth minute after a pass from Killion, making it 1-0 for Sky Blue. In the fifty-fifth minute, Kai received a yellow card for a collision with Roccaro of the Dash. Daly couldn't quite pick out O'Sullivan in the fifty-seventh minute, as Simon intercepted it. Simon saw her fifty-ninth minute cross blocked out by Ochs as the Dash are holding onto a decent defensive shape. Ochs sent another one out for a corner kick for Sky Blue. Killion's sixtieth minute service went to Grubka, but Daly sent it forward. Henderson sent it farther forward, but Casey just beat Ohai to the ball, stemming the danger away for Sky Blue. Daly and O'Sullivan had a weak connection with Simon getting in the way for Sky Blue. Ochs got around Kerr in the sixty-fifth minute and found Daly with a pass, but Daly sent it wide left on the redirect for Houston. Kerr got the ball out wide and found Kai, who left it for Rodriguez, whose shot was blocked by Moros in the box. It looked like a potential handball but wasn't called. Kai had the second effort go weak and picked up by Henninger. Grubka blocked Brooks' flick in the sixty-seventh minute, allowing Casey an easy grab. Galton's sixty-eighth minute cross was caught by Henninger. Ohai saw a free kick in the sixty-ninth minute run just a bit long for Cami Privett, and Casey grabbed it. Daly and Chioma Ubogagu tried to spring a Houston attack before Simon cleared for Sky Blue in the seventieth minute. Killion laid off for a deep shot from Rodriguez that Henninger deflected out for a corner kick in the seventy-first minute. Killion's service went toward Kai but was cleared by Privett. Lytle ripped a shot in the seventy-second minute after Rodriguez lost the ball to Roccaro. Killion served the corner kick for Grubka, who never got a head on it. Kai and Henninger collided and went down in the seventy-third minute on a 50/50 ball. Ubogagu went through Simon and Killion on a seventy-seventh minute run, firing a shot almost too hot to handle for Casey. Lytle put in a through ball for the seventy-eighth minute, which Kerr sent just wide left. Galton's cross to Maya Hayes was broken up by Roccaro in the eightieth minute. Rodriguez saw a through ball to Hayes in the eighty-first minute, and Hayes went around Brush before seeing her shot deflect off Roccaro for a corner kick. Killion's service was eventually cleared by Daly. O'Sullivan passed it on to Ubogagu, who shot on goal and Casey saved it. Moros just intercepted a pass from Hayes looking for Kerr in the eighty-fifth minute. The Dash turned it back up the field and earned a corner kick, which Megan Crosson put into the box and Casey caught. Moros and Rodriguez collided in the eighty-fifth minute, and she had to be helped off, but came back on to keep the Dash at full strength. Roccaro tried to build offense for Houston in stoppage time, seeing two shots blocked. Ubogagu also had a shot blocked. Deep in stoppage time, Rodriguez and Caity Heap got tangled up, giving Houston a free kick despite Heap getting the yellow card. Ubogagu shot on the free kick, and went over the goal. The game ended 1-0 for Sky Blue, with ACM Lytle named Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. No one stood out in the second half.

The nightcap saw the Portland Thorns FC bring in FC Kansas City. Nicole Barnhart and Michelle Betos protect the nets. The game can be found here. Tiffany McCarty had a cross toward Erika Tymrak in the second minute, but couldn't quite find her, and Portland's Shade Pratt cleared. Nadia Nadim tried to flip a ball over Yael Averbuch, but the Thorns striker couldn't prevent Brittany Taylor from getting to it. McKenzie Berryhill had two tries for Portland, with Taylor blocking both, and in the third minute, Taylor kept Hayley Raso away from it after a Dagny Brynjarsdottir through ball. Frances Silva took a shot for the Blues in the fifth minute after Shea Groom left the McCarty cross for her. Mandy Laddish carried from defense to offense to create the chance. Raso's cross for the Thorns in the sixth minute just missed Dagny. Taylor tried to go long for Katie Bowen, but Mallory Weber broke it up for Portland. Brienne Reed had a cross for Kansas City in the eighth minute, with Emily Menges clearing for the Thorns. Berryhill held off Shea Groom just long enough for Betos to grab the ball. Dagny lost the ball to Groom, but Menges got it back from McCarty. Nadim poked a low cross around Taylor in the tenth minute, with Barnhart harmlessly grabbing and giving the Blues possession. Reed got a cross off for Kansas City, which McCarty flicked on and Groom bicycle-kicked wide left. Katherine Reynolds just poked one away from Groom, which caught Tymrak in the hand for a handball. Portland took over in the twelfth minute. Lo'eau LaBonta blocked a Meleana Shim shot after a pass from Raso was poked out by Averbuch. Kansas City won a corner kick thanks to McCarty's work in the thirteenth minute. Tymrak did the service, going for Averbuch but just out of her reach. Pratt cleared a cross from Averbuch on the second effort for the Blues. Tymrak had a cross in the fifteenth minute after going around Weber, but Reynolds and Celeste Boureille cleared. Tymrak got it back and took a shot on goal in the sixteenth minute, which Betos punched out for a corner kick. Boureille failed on defense against Tymrak. Berryhill deflected Tymrak's service, falling to Averbuch who set Laddish up for a wide shot. Kansas City is dominating the offensive chances. Menges made a steal against McCarty in the seventeenth minute. Dagny fouled Laddish in the nineteenth minute, resulting in a good free kick chance for the Blues. Averbuch took the free kick, serving it toward Taylor, but Dagny blocked it and the whistle blew for a foul. Weber couldn't find Nadim or Pratt as LaBonta cleared it. Laddish pounced on Reynolds' mistake, and took a shot, but Betos made the kick save in the twenty-first minute to keep the score level. Kansas City built from the back in the twenty-third minute. McCarty sent in two crosses, one to Tymrak, who hit the post, and then McCarty's second cross around Berryhill found Groom, who headed it down and in past Betos. Kansas City leads 1-0. Averbuch took the ball away from Pratt and Shim in the twenty-sixth minute. Groom and Silva combined for a give-and-go, with Groom firing wide left on the low shot. Kansas City has slowed to a possession game since scoring. Dagny put a header softly into the box, with Barnhart falling on it as Raso charged in the thirty-first minute. Weber made a steal against Tymrak to slow a Blues attack in the thirty-second minute. The Blues had a good play with Reed and McCarty on the right flank of the Kansas City attack, but Laddish's return to that side evaded Reed, giving the Thorns the ball. McCarty fired a shot that Menges blocked out for a corner kick. Tymrak did the set piece in the thirty-fifth minute, and Dagny cleared it. Laddish finally got a shot off for the Blues, which Betos caught cleanly. Pratt got around Bowen in the thirty-seventh minute, shooting on goal and forcing Barnhart to parry it up for a corner kick. Nadim served it toward Berryhill, but Laddish cleared it. Taylor deflected a Raso shot in the fortieth minute as the Thorns have taken some possession recently. Nadim flicked on to Shim, who found Dagny and then dropped back to Boureille. The Thorns never got off a true shot in the forty-first minute. McCarty got around Raso, who stayed down, but Menges mopped up for Portland to prevent the Blues from making the attack dangerous. LaBonta made a good steal from Pratt, also drawing a foul to give Kansas City control. Portland spent some time late in the half in the Blues' defensive third. Raso tried to find Shim, but it didn't work, bouncing out to Dagny, who fired on goal and Barnhart came up with the save. A lazy back pass from Taylor saw Barnhart caught out of position against a charging Nadim, but Averbuch cleaned it up. Kansas City took a 1-0 lead into halftime, with their best performers being GK Barnhart, CBs Averbuch and Taylor, DM Laddish, LW Tymrak, RW McCarty, and striker Groom in a fairly comprehensive performance. For the Thorns, the top players were LB Berryhill, CB Menges, DM Dagny, and striker Nadim. Raso's cross in the forty-seventh minute was cleared by Laddish. Reed couldn't win the ball from Raso, giving the Thorns a goal kick. Reynolds did a free kick in the forty-ninth minute, which Dagny flicked on into the path of Barnhart. Tymrak sent a ball forward in the fiftieth minute, and Silva got a poke on it, sending it just wide left of Betos' net. Silva, Groom, and McCarty combined for a shot that Betos left sitting in the box, and then it was cleared away by Menges. On the counterattack, Reed fouled Raso, and the Blues defender took a yellow card. Nadim served up the free kick for Portland, with Groom heading it away from Berryhill and clear for Kansas City. Averbuch broke up Weber's ball for Dagny, putting McCarty and Raso in a battle for the ball that the Blues came out with. McCarty had two crosses in the fifty-fourth minute, the first blocked by Berryhill and the second find a flying Groom, who headed it to the top left corner to make it 2-0 for Kansas City. LaBonta made a steal from Boureille in the fifty-fifth minute. Groom's cross in the fifty-eighth minute went long, with McCarty bouncing it off of Berryhill for a corner kick. Tymrak served it into Taylor, who headed it wide right. Weber couldn't quite get onto the ball in the sixtieth minute, as Barnhart grabbed up the through ball. Nadim took a yellow card for her sixty-second minute foul on LaBonta. The Blues' free kick came from Bowen and went over the head of Reed. Reed had trouble clearing the ball in the sixty-fourth minute, with Raso being her primary nemesis. This led to the Thorns getting a cross from Dagny to Nadim, but it was caught by Barnhart. LaBonta made a challenge on Raso and won the ball, with a free kick eventually awarded to Kansas City as the game turns physical. Shim took a big shot after Weber beat Bowen to the ball, which Barnhart had to parry out for a corner kick. Nadim went too close to Groom, who cleared it. Nadim had a shot blocked on a pass from Jennifer Skogerboe, and then Boureille lost it out of bounds. Tymrak saw a cross deflected back to her hand, giving the Thorns possession in the sixty-ninth minute. Taylor and Laddish combined to shut down an effort from Raso in the seventy-first minute. Bowen and Silva worked a ball to McCarty, who fired a shot that Betos stopped in the seventy-second minute. LaBonta and Taylor combined to shut down Nadim and then with the help of a mass of Blues teammates, block Boureille's shot. The Thorns had a massive stretch of passes, with nearly every field player getting a touch before Raso's cross bounced off of Reed. Portland got a free kick in the seventy sixth minute, which Nadim served in to Dagny, who tripped and saw Barnhart and Taylor fall out of position. As the ball dribbled toward the end line, Kat Williamson came in and poked it home to cut the game to 2-1. Groom shanked a shot after Silva laid it off for her in the seventy-seventh minute. Portland had a corner kick in the seventy-ninth minute, with Nadim crossing it in, and LaBonta and Laddish clearing before Dagny committed a foul to kill the Thorns attack. Reynolds sent a ball into the box for Nadim in the eighty-second minute, but Barnhart grabbed it. Once again, Portland is making a big late game press after being behind for most of the game. Boureille put Dagny in against Taylor, who cleared it for the Blues. Tymrak and McCarty had an exchange ruined by Menges, who started the eighty-fourth minute Thorns counter. Weber had a weak cross into Barnhart as the Thorns pour crosses and shots on. Sam Lofton of the Thorns lost the ball to McCarty, who worked with Groom a bit before losing it out when Bowen couldn't run it down. Shim took an eighty-seventh minute Portland free kick, which Barnhart punched over Dagny. Lofton rocked a shot right at Barnhart, shooting past Groom. Lofton's cross was headed wide left by Boureille. Nadim found Raso in stoppage time, who went around Bowen and got fouled at the top of the box by Averbuch. The Thorns get one last dangerous free kick that Nadim will take from the left side of the arc. Nadim put it way over the goal. Nadim fed Weber with a flick, and Barnhart just palmed it down. The Blues took the 2-1 victory. The striker Groom was the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. The Thorns saw growth from ACM Boureille and LW Raso in the second half.

Finally, the Orlando Pride host the Boston Breakers to end the week. Jami Kranich and Kaitlyn Savage are the little-known goalies. You can find the game at this link. Boston's Eunice Beckmann wasted no time in taking a first minute shot well wide left. Mollie Pathman cleared a ball in the box intended for Orlando's Jasmyne Spencer from Becky Edwards. Sam Witteman put a cross in for the Pride in the third minute, which the Breakers' Kassey Kallman cleared easily. Jamia Fields tried to pick out Sarah Hagen, but Kallman blocked it again in the fourth minute as Boston looks good. On the other side in the fifth minute, Orlando had a defensive breakdown. Cami Levin and Savage couldn't corral the through ball Louise Schillgard sent in for Boston, and Pathman scored easily into an empty net for a 1-0 lead. Spencer had a shot blocked by Julie King, and a second effort went out for a goal kick by Boston keeper Kranich. Christen Westphal fouled Fields, giving the Pride a free kick. Kristen Edmonds took the set piece, and Hagen headed it on goal, where Kranich saved it. Maddy Evans made a good interception for Orlando, but Hagen lost control in the tenth minute. Toni Pressley disrupted the run of Boston's Beckmann with a good shove to make the steal. Schillgard had a free kick for the Breakers in the thirteenth minute punched out by Savage. King picked off a pass from Spencer as Orlando looked to build an attack. In the fourteenth minute, Stephanie McCaffrey of Boston fouled Witteman, and the Breakers forward was lucky to avoid a booking. Edmonds put in a quick ball for Spencer, who couldn't get there before Kranich in the fifteenth minute. Evans went too long for Edwards in the eighteenth minute and Kranich sent it back for Boston. Witteman put a ball forward for Edmonds, but Kranich was there again for the Breakers. Evans and Edmonds connected, with the latter shooting and Kranich making the save. Edwards blocked a shot from Schillgard in the twenty-third minute. Spencer won a corner kick for Orlando off of Westphal in the twenty-sixth minute. Edmonds served it for Kaylyn Kyle and missed, and Pressley couldn't track it down. Beckmann countered with a cross in the twenty-seventh minute for Pathman, who just missed poking it on goal. Schillgard then earned a corner kick for the Breakers in the twenty-eighth minute. Schillgard also did the service, going for Kallman, but the Pride stood tall defensively. Pressley nearly lost the ball to Schillgard in the thirtieth minute, but managed to get it back to Savage. Katie Schoepfer's pass to Pathman was picked off by Fields and the Pride gained possession. A lot of the game has been a battle in the midfield. Edmonds had a cross in the thirty-second minute which Kranich caught cleanly. Spencer got tripped by Elby in the thirty-fourth minute, and the Breakers' Elby received a yellow card. The Pride saw a free kick in a good spot for Edmonds, but it got through everyone, and Kranich guarded the net well, with Schoepfer clearing it. Also, Westphal went off injured (unclear how it happened), and Elisa Krieghoff is in the game. Spencer received a ball from Fields, but the Breakers cleared it in the thirty-sixth minute. Pressley made a good steal against McCaffrey in the thirty-seventh minute to break up a Boston attack. Kyle finished the clearance. Edwards put a ball in for Edmonds, and she fired a rocket off the right post, the Pride's best chance to tie it so far. Spencer got around Elby but couldn't do the same to King and lost it, with Kranich taking the goal kick for Boston. Evans got a ball to Fields, but she put the ball way over the goal in the forty-first minute. Edwards passed to Hagen in the forty-second minute but couldn't leave it for a Pride teammate, allowing Boston to clear through King. Krieghoff countered well for the Breakers, giving them some possession in the attacking third. Pathman broke Edmonds' pass for Fields in the forty-fourth minute as the game opened up late in the half. Schillgard made a run in stoppage time that Edmonds disrupted. The game went into halftime with the rarity of a 1-0 Breakers lead. Boston's top players were the GK Kranich, CBs King and Kallman, LB/LW Pathman, LW/LF Beckmann, and RF Schillgard, while the Pride have seen strong play from LB Witteman, CB Kyle, DCM Edwards, RW Edmonds, LW Evans, and outside forwards Spencer and Fields. Orlando got a free kick in the forty-sixth minute, with Edmonds taking the service short for Pressley, who fired wide left. Schillgard sent one for Beckmann, but Levin stepped up to it in the forty-seventh minute. Schillgard's cross was caught by Savage in the forty-eighth minute. Schillgard's cross in deflected off Pressley and dropped to Beckmann, who ripped a ball just slightly high in the forty-ninth minute as the Breakers make a push. In the forty-ninth minute, Schillgard received a yellow card for her foul on Evans. Elby did well to break up a run from Spencer in the fifty-first minute. Evans found Edmonds on a weaving run, and Edmonds fired a shot that Kranich dropped down to save in the fifty-second minute. Schillgard sent a ball into the box in the fifty-third minute, catching King offside as the Breakers were close again. McCaffrey had a bad shot in the fifty-fourth minute after going against Levin of Orlando. McCaffrey and Levin battled again, with the cross cleared by Evans. Boston got a corner kick in the fifty-fifth minute, taken by Schillgard to Kallman. The ball bounced out to Rachel Wood, who shot over the bar. Angela Salem broke up a Fields cross, and a second offering went off Elby and cleared further in due time. King cleared an Edmonds free kick in the fifty-eighth minute for Orlando. King then disrupted a pass from Edwards to Hagen. The Pride saw another free kick in the fifty-ninth minute that saw one Witteman cross cleared by King and the second catching Kyle offside. Fields saw her cross cleared by King in the sixty-first minute, as the Breakers CB is weathering most of this Orlando flurry of action. Witteman cleared a sixty-second minute Kallman free kick, and then Salem took a shot on the second try for Boston, going over the goal. Wood and Evans battled as Boston knocked the ball around starting with Salem, but Wood was called for the foul in the sixty-fourth minute. Spencer countered with a shot for Orlando, but it was too soft and Kranich saved it. Schillgard crossed to McCaffrey in the sixty-fifth minute, and McCaffrey centered it for Beckmann, but she put it way too high. McCaffrey, Krieghoff, and Salem all got touches before Schillgard got around Evans and fired a shot wide left in the sixty-seventh minute. Beckmann quickly won a corner kick off Pressley in the sixty-eighth minute, giving Schillgard a chance to serve in, but Pressley sent it away. Beckmann stole one from Kyle but her pass was too strong for Krieghoff, and Witteman took it for the Pride. Elby fed Beckmann, but Witteman drew a foul in the seventy-fourth minute to give Orlando control. Fields went around King in the seventy-fifth minute, but Kallman and Elby shut it down for the Breakers, who are holding onto the 1-0 lead with about fifteen minutes to go. McCaffrey went out wide for Schillgard, who stayed onside very well, and the cross split between Pride keeper Savage and Beckmann of the Breakers. Dani Weatherholt got a shot after Fields was blocked by Elby on the cross by Levin in the seventy-eighth minute. Kallman did well to block a ball out and keep it away from Spencer in the eightieth minute. Brittany Ratcliffe's pass into the box was a bit too strong for McCaffrey and Savage was there first for the Pride. Wood fouled Weatherholt in the eighty-third minute, giving Orlando a free kick in a dangerous spot as the Breakers are trying to hold on. Pressley took the shot on the set piece, shooting high. Evans had a shot for Orlando in the eighty-fifth minute, which Kranich caught, all after Edmonds tried to get to Spencer and didn't fully succeed on the play. Kyle tried to find Spencer, but King intercepted the pass. Leah Fortune fed Spencer but lost control in the eighty-sixth minute. Orlando is sustaining significant pressure on the Boston defense. Pathman cleared Weatherholt's, springing McCaffrey, who went against Pressley, getting one shot blocked and a second one saved by Savage. Schillgard took the corner kick short to McCaffrey. Ratcliffe put the ball out wide for McCaffrey and she sent it in weakly. On the counterattack, Elby had to foul Edmonds on a break, and it was Elby's second yellow card of the game, earning her an ejection and giving the Breakers a disadvantage with only ten players on the field. The free kick for Orlando in the ninetieth minute belonged to Edmonds, and she scored into the side netting, a perfect free kick to tie the game at 1. Edmonds sprung Spencer, and King fouled her, producing a free kick for Orlando on the other side as King took a yellow card this time. Fortune took the free kick, and she sent it just over the bar. Edmonds set up Pressley for a massive shot saved by Kranich, and then the ball came back and Spencer nearly missed it. On the next foray, the Pride took a 2-1 lead as Fortune flicked a ball in for Edmonds, who chipped it in but collided hard with Kranich, and the keeper took a yellow card. The game ended 2-1, and Edmonds was the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match for her brace in the ninetieth minute and stoppage time.

Outsider Sports NWSL Best XI - Week 12

GK Kelsey Wys
DF Christie Rampone
DF Julie King
DF Stephanie Ochs
DCM Abby Erceg
RW Kristen Edmonds
ACM Taylor Lytle
LW Tiffany McCarty (out of position
RF Estefania Banini
CF Shea Groom
LF Jessica McDonald

New England Revolution VS. New York City FC: MLS 7/6/16

Just the one game tonight which sees Josh Saunders and Bobby Shuttleworth man the nets. New York City got going in the fifty-eighth minute with a Frank Lampard goal, assisted by Thomas McNamara and Andrea Pirlo. New England's Je-Vaughn Watson took a yellow card for a seventieth minute foul. The Revolution went down to ten men as Shuttleworth took a straight red card for obvious denial of a goal-scoring chance. The penalty kick didn't score, and the game ended 1-0 for New York City, with Lampard the man of the match.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Major League Soccer 2016 - Week 17

It's a short week this week with only seven games on. We begin with a pair on Friday, with the first one being...

The Chicago Fire hosting the San Jose Earthquakes. David Bingham and Sean Johnson are the keepers. San Jose's Simon Dawkins had a yellow card for a foul in the tenth minute. In the forty-ninth minute, the Earthquakes' Shaun Francis took a yellow card for his foul. Chicago saw a yellow card for a Michael Stephens foul in the fifty-third minute. The Fire got going with a John Goossens goal in the fifty-eighth minute. Fatai Alashe of San Jose saw a yellow card for his sixty-sixth minute foul. Chicago's Nick LaBrocca received a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The game ended 1-0, with Goossens the man of the match for his winner.

The other Friday game sees Real Salt Lake welcome DC United. Bill Hamid and Nick Rimando protect the nets. Taylor Kemp of DC had a yellow card for a third minute foul. Salt Lake took yellow cards for a nineteenth minute Tony Beltran foul and dissent by Kyle Beckerman in the forty-second minute. Real dented the scoreboard in the fifty-seventh minute with a Juan Manuel Martinez goal, assisted by Yura Movsisyan. United saw a yellow card go to Bobby Boswell in the eighty-first minute for a foul. DC tied it on a stoppage time goal by Jared Jeffrey, passed from Fabian Espindola. The game ended 1-1, with Hamid the man of the match for making seven of eight saves to keep his team in it for the draw.

On Saturday, the first of three games features the Montreal Impact bringing in the New England Revolution. Brad Knighton and Evan Bush are in goal. New England opened in the eighteenth minute with a goal by Kei Kamara, passed from Kelyn Rowe. The Revolution added on with a Kamara goal in the thirty-third minute, via Chris Tierney. Montreal got on the board with a fortieth minute goal from Michael Salazar. The Impact tied it in the forty-eighth minute with a Salazar goal, helped along by Hassoun Camara. Knighton took a yellow card for a fifty-third minute foul for New England, and that led to a fifty-fourth minute Ignacio Piatti penalty kick goal against him. The Revolution's Scott Caldwell had a yellow card for his fifty-fifth minute foul. The game ended 3-2, with Salazar the man of the match for his response brace.

In Ontario, Toronto FC hosts the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei faces a lesser foe in Alex Bono in goal. Toronto had a yellow card for a forty-fourth minute foul by Marco Delgado. Toronto drew first blood in the sixtieth minute on a Jordan Hamilton goal. Seattle tied it in the sixty-first minute as Jordan Morris scored, thanks to Joevin Jones. Toronto's Steven Beitashour took a yellow card for his foul in stoppage time. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with Morris the man of the match for his quick equalizer.

Saturday's last game is the Houston Dynamo bringing in the Philadelphia Union. Philadelphia's Joshua Yaro took a yellow card for a foul in the second minute. In the eighty-seventh minute, Yaro took a second yellow card for the Union and was ejected. Warren Creavalle took a yellow card in stoppage time for Philadelphia for his foul. Houston's Cristian Maidana scored a minute later to give them a 1-0 lead. Maidana was the man of the match for his winner.

On Sunday, the first game is a New York Derby, as New York City FC welcome the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Josh Saunders man the nets. NYCFC started with an eighth minute goal by Jack Harrison, via Andrea Pirlo. The Red Bulls took a yellow card for a foul by Felipe in the thirtieth minute. NYCFC saw a yellow card in the forty-fifth minute for RJ Allen's foul. NYCFC added on in the sixty-sixth minute with a David Villa goal, assisted by Harrison and Frank Lampard. NYCFC's Pirlo had a seventy-sixth minute yellow card for a foul. The Red Bulls saw a yellow card for Bradley Wright-Phillips in the seventy-eighth minute. The Red Bulls went down to ten men in the seventy-ninth minute as Chris Duvall took a straight red card for a foul. In stoppage time, Aurelien Collin took a yellow card for a foul. The game ended 2-0, with the man of the match being Harrison for his goal and assist.

Finally, Sporting Kansas City hosts the Columbus Crew SC. Steve Clark and Tim Melia are the reliable keepers. Kansas City had a yellow card for Benny Feilhaber in the thirteenth minute for his foul. Columbus began in the twenty-second minute on an Ola Kamara goal, via Harrison Afful and Ethan Finlay. The Crew went down to ten men as Tyson Wahl took away a goal scoring chance in the box and received a straight red card. Sporting tied it on a Feilhaber penalty kick goal. In the fifty-first minute, Dominic Dwyer of Kansas City took a yellow card for persistent infringement. Graham Zusi put Sporting ahead with his fifty-sixth minute goal, coming off of Roger Espinoza. Matt Besler of Kansas City had a yellow card for a sixty-sixth minute foul. Columbus retied it on a Kamara goal in the seventy-fifth minute, made possible by Tony Tchani. The Crew's Afful had a yellow card for his eighty-second minute foul. In the eighty-fourth minute, Jimmy Medranda of Sporting took a yellow card for a foul. Kansas City gained the lead on a Besler stoppage time goal, fueled by Ike Opara and Medranda. This stood for a 3-2 win and made Besler the man of the match.

Due to my own failure to check the appropriate sources, there's actually three more games to fill the week on Monday, July 4. The first of those is...

The Colorado Rapids welcoming the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and Tim Howard protect the nets. Eric Miller of Colorado had a yellow card for his fifteenth minute foul. Portland's Diego Chara took a yellow card for a foul in the fiftieth minute. The game ended at 0-0, with the man of the match being Gleeson for his four-save clean sheet.

Next, FC Dallas brings in Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Chris Seitz are in goal. Dallas led off in the eleventh minute with a Walker Zimmerman goal, via Mauro Diaz. Dallas added on in the twenty-first minute with a Michael Barrios goal, coming off of Maximiliano Urruti. Barrios of Dallas had a yellow card for his twenty-ninth minute foul. Tommy Redding of Orlando took a yellow card for a thirty-ninth minute foul. In the fifty-fifth minute, Orlando's David Mateos had a yellow card for his foul. Dallas extended the lead as Matt Hedges scored a sixty-first minute goal, thanks to Diaz. Carlos Gruezo and Atiba Harris of Dallas received yellow cards for fouls in the sixty-eighth and seventieth minutes, respectively. Dallas iced it at 4-0 with a stoppage time goal by Fabian Castillo, assisted by Tesho Akindele and Kellyn Acosta. The man of the match was Diaz for his two assists.

Finally, and I mean it this time, the Los Angeles Galaxy host the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Brian Rowe protect the nets. Los Angeles struck first in the twelfth minute with a Robbie Keane goal, via Steven Gerrard. The Galaxy added on with a forty-seventh minute goal by Jeff Larentowicz, courtesy of Gerrard. Matias Laba of Vancouver took a yellow card for a sixty-seventh minute foul. Los Angeles' Nigel de Jong took a straight red card for his seventy-fourth minute foul. The game ended 2-0, with the man of the match being Gerrard for his two assists.

NWSL Week 11

The NWSL is back with a short week after last week's longer offering. We begin with...

The Western New York Flash hosting the Chicago Red Stars. Michele Dalton and Katelyn Rowland are the keepers, both in part due to the absence of all the international and USWNT players for this month. There seemed to be a bit of a weather issue in Rochester, but you can find the game here for your viewing needs. The weather delay took over an hour. Chicago had a shot in the first minute, with Sofia Huerta putting it right across the face of goal. In the second minute, Makenzy Doniak tried a cross to McCall Zerboni, who headed it over the goal. In the fourth minute, the Flash's Abby Dahlkemper took a ball away from Vanessa DiBernardo. The Red Stars kept going with a shot by Alyssa Mautz from outside the box, forcing Rowland into a save. Alanna Kennedy tried to help defend on the play for Western New York. In the fifth minute, Amanda Da Costa struck the crossbar on a long-range shot. DiBernardo sailed another shot over the bar in the sixth minute. Chicago is really owning possession early on. Elizabeth Eddy saw a cross blocked away by Katie Naughton. Arin Gilliland also did some defense in the seventh minute. Lianne Sanderson's ninth minute cross for Western New York was sent away by Sam Johnson, and Chicago took over. Doniak sent a cross into McDonald for the Flash in the tenth minute, but Dalton punched it away. Zerboni also lost the punch to Danielle Colaprico. Meredith Speck went long for Lynn Williams in the twelfth minute, but Naughton got there first for the Red Stars. The Flash had a lot of pressure along the right wing with McDonald, Doniak, Abby Erceg, Dahlkemper, and Eddy all working on the ball. In the seventeenth minute, Gilliland broke up a pass from McDonald toward Zerboni. In the eighteenth minute, Zerboni put a ball in to Williams, and then dropped to Sanderson, who poked it wide right. Zerboni's moves around DiBernardo and Gilliland helped create the chance. DiBernardo had a cross blocked by Dahlkemper out to Chicago's Casey Short, who found Mautz, but she shot it wide right. Williams took a long ball from Kennedy in the twenty-first minute, going around Naughton and shooting, forcing Dalton into the save and Johnson cleared it out. McDonald's long throw in for Western New York went to Speck and was cleared by Da Costa and Mautz. McDonald had a couple more of these result in nothing. Naughton cleared the first one of those and Mautz did the second after McDonald served it in on a second effort. Williams charged Dalton in the twenty-third minute as the keeper tried to clear, and it bounced off of the Western New York striker and out of bounds. Dahlkemper had a free kick into the box in the twenty-sixth minute, finding Erceg but eventually cleared by Short. Zerboni also had a shot on the next Flash sequence, but it went wide. Eddy put a cross in for McDonald in the twenty-ninth minute, which was blocked on the header. Western New York earned a corner kick, and Dahlkemper came on to take it. Williams and Erceg both had chances, but the defense held, with Da Costa clearing the trouble. Short had to break up a Sanderson run in the thirtieth minute, as the Flash take a greater share of possession at this stage. Kennedy had a shot run wide left and long in the thirty-first minute. The crosses and long balls dried up a bit, as the game was contested in the midfield for awhile. In the thirty-seventh minute, Williams charged forward with the ball, passing out to Doniak, who then crossed to McDonald. Her header went off the post, and Sanderson struck the rebound into the goal for a 1-0 Western New York lead. Chicago had a good spot for a free kick, taken by DiBernardo in the thirty-ninth minute, and blocked by the wall. Sanderson and Williams had efforts blocked by Gilliland and Johnson in the fortieth minute as the Flash occupy the Red Stars box again. There was another lull for a bit after the goal. McDonald's long throw got cleared to Speck, who took a long and curling shot that Dalton caught safely. McDonald had a shot immediately following for the Flash, but Dalton caught that one too, with Naughton preventing her from going out wide. Huerta put the ball in for Jen Hoy in the forty-fourth minute, and Kennedy slid in to disrupt Hoy's shot, which went wide left as Rowland watched it out, marking the Red Stars best chance so far. The first half ended with Western New York ahead 1-0. The best players of the half for the Red Stars were RB Gilliland, CB Johnson, DM DiBernardo, RW Mautz, and LF Huerta. For the Flash, the best performances came from RB Eddy, CB Dahlkemper, RW Doniak, ACM Sanderson, LW Zerboni, and RF McDonald. Williams had the first cross for Western New York in the forty-seventh minute, going long and out of bounds. On the next foray forward, Williams took a pass from Zerboni and fired a shot off target. Zerboni broke up a through ball from Cara Walls, allowing Rowland to pick it up as Western New York takes over. Eddy crossed after a pass from Doniak, but Short was able to send it out for a corner kick. Dahlkemper took the set piece and served to Zerboni, who chipped it into McDonald, and she put it on top of the net. Eddy tried to go long for Sanderson in the fifty-first minute, but it ran into Dalton's arms. Gilliland, Mautz, and Short combined for a play, but Rowland eventually picked it up. On the counterattack, Sanderson's pass caught Williams in an offside position. Dahlkemper's free kick was partially blocked by Naughton, going out to Sanderson in the fifty-third minute. Eddy served back in, and then Mautz settled for a Red Stars attack. Mautz and Da Costa tried a combination that Kennedy sent away. Naughton shut down Williams as the Flash countered back in the fifty-fourth minute as the game goes into a back-and-forth spell. Eddy broke up a DiBernardo pass intended for Huerta. Sanderson went long for McDonald, who dove to head it on goal, and Dalton robbed her of a brilliant chance with an equally brilliant save. In the fifty-eighth minute, Doniak won a corner kick for the Flash. Dahlkemper served it in and Kennedy and McDonald worked to pop it up, where Dalton caught it above Williams. Short blocked a cross attempt by Taylor Smith, giving the Flash another corner kick chance in the sixty-second minute. Dahlkemper sent it to Sanderson, who got a weak shot off. Another corner kick a minute later saw Dahlkemper going to the middle, where it was sent out. Zerboni took a shot and Huerta blocked it. The Flash earned another corner kick in the sixty-fourth minute. Dahlkemper's attempt this time went to Erceg, who had her attempt saved off the line by Da Costa, and then another shot from a Western New York bounced off the post before being cleared out. Dahlkemper teed up another one in the sixty-fifth minute that Kennedy corralled. The ball worked back around to Dahlkemper, who crossed out of bounds, finally allowing Chicago to clear out. In the sixty-seventh minute, Johnson slid to surrender a corner kick to the Flash with Eddy pressuring. Dahlkemper continued the service from the near side, and Erceg headed it out wide left. Eddy stood up Huerta in the sixty-eighth minute as the Red Stars pressed forward. McDonald had a cross in the seventieth minute that Williams couldn't quite poke toward Dalton. Colaprico took a low shot for Chicago in the seventy-first minute, harmlessly grabbed by Rowland. Sanderson's long ball toward Smith got taken away by Johnson. McDonald did the long throw in for the Flash, down to Eddy, and McDonald crossed it but Gilliland cleared it away from Williams. Johnson continued to play well, breaking up Zerboni's pass fro McDonald in the seventy-fourth minute. McDonald took a ball from Sanderson out wide, and then crossed to Williams, who scored on a deflection off Dalton's hands after shooting around Naughton. The Flash lead 2-0, and are showing no signs of letting this game go. Chicago got a corner kick in the seventy-sixth minute, and DiBernardo went low for Gilliland, cleared by Kennedy. Gilliland had to defend against Smith as Western New York tried to counter. The Flash had a shot by Williams go over the bar in the seventy-eighth minute. Zerboni took a yellow card for her foul on Gilliland in the same minute. Huerta fired a shot that Rowland saved in the seventy-ninth minute. Sanderson fired a ball in for Williams, and she managed to get a corner kick after failing to control it. Dahlkemper served it in straight at Dalton. Mautz had a shot in the eighty-first minute, but Rowland was far enough out of the goal to block it, and the Flash didn't give up another on the play. Short took a shot in the eighty-second minute that Dahlkemper blocked after Erceg blocked a pass partially by DiBernardo. McDonald got a ball behind the back line, and Williams just poked it wide right. Naughton was a step behind Williams when she shot it. Gilliland had a cross for Chicago on the other side, but Rowland picked it out of the air. In the eighty-sixth minute, Williams ran down a ball and crossed to McDonald, who turned and shot around her defender, hitting the post. Erceg blocked a DiBernardo shot after Huerta's cross toward Gilliland went over the latter's head. Gilliland took a shot after Huerta found her in stoppage time, but Rowland was there once again. The game ended 2-0, and the RF McDonald was the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. Improved in the second half were the Red Stars LB Short and the Flash's GK Rowland, DM Erceg, and LF Williams.

On Saturday, the first of three games saw the Washington Spirit welcome FC Kansas City. Nicole Barnhart and Kelsey Wys protect the nets. You can find the game here. Estefania Banini tried to find Katie Stengel in the third minute for Washington, but Yael Averbuch broke it up for Kansas City. In the fifth minute, Shea Groom tried to pick out Tiffany McCarty for the Blues, but the latter was offside. Katie Bowen took one away from Banini in the sixth minute as the Spirit forward made a rush forward. Brienne Reed and Alyssa Kleiner got tangled up evenly in the box, and it rolled out away from Reed of Kansas City got a Washington goal kick. Joanna Lohman made a good pass to Cali Farquharson, but Reed stole it away for the Blues. Stengel's tenth minute cross for the Spirit was cleared away by Averbuch. Bowen received a ball in space for Kansas City, and she tried to feed into Fran Silva, but she was caught offside. Caprice Dydasco had a cross into Lohman that got on to Stengel, but the Blues stood tall and Averbuch finished the clearance. Mandy Laddish of Kansas City beat Kleiner but couldn't make her cross get around Tori Huster in the thirteenth minute. McCarty earned a corner kick off Kleiner in the fourteenth minute. The service came from Erika Tymrak, who went for McCarty, and she headed it wide left but not by much. Lo'eau LaBonta had a chip into the box, which Wys grabbed easily to give the Spirit possession back. Stengel and Farquharson couldn't create a chance on the other end. In the seventeenth minute, McCarty's cross was blocked out by Kleiner for a corner kick. Tymrak's service went for McCarty again, but fell to Groom. She got a shot off through traffic, but Wys snagged it. Reed's kick for Groom was disrupted by Estelle Johnson, but Kansas City kept possession. Reed tried a cross that Megan Oyster blocked out to LaBonta, who then shot wide right. The Spirit got a corner kick thanks to Lohman's work in the twenty-first minute. Christine Nairn served it in for Lohman, who headed it on goal but Tymrak sent it out for the Blues. The Spirit retained possession for a bit. Nairn got the wrong side of the ball on her twenty-third minute shot for Washington. Stengel won a corner kick in the twenty-seventh minute for the Spirit, which Nairn served in and Reed headed out for another one. Nairn's service this time went to Lohman, who headed wide left with some disturbance by Oyster as the teammates crashed into each other a bit. Laddish, Groom, and Reed had a sequence of passes, but Reed's chip into the box went right at Wys. Countering, the Spirit went Lohman, Banini, and Farquharson before losing the ball to Averbuch and Barnhart. Banini and Stengel couldn't keep it alive in the box as Washington keeps attacking in the thirty-second minute. Averbuch again made a disruption. Kansas City broke out in the thirty-third minute through Silva, and Tymrak's pass went long to Wys. In the thirty-fourth minute, Nairn passed into Farquharson, who took a wide-open shot and sent it wide right. Groom escaped a tackle from the Spirit's Lohman in the thirty-fifth minute, and then shot over the bar. Silva tried to find McCarty, but Kleiner poked it away just in time to save Washington. Tymrak got fouled on a break, with Huster doing the dirty work, although no foul was called. Averbuch took the free kick for the Blues, and put it on goal but also right at Wys on the low shot in the thirty-eighth minute. Tymrak took a shot that Oyster blocked in the thirty-ninth minute as Kansas City has taken a bit more control. Lohman passed toward Kleiner, but Reed made a falling interception. The game calmed down near the end of the half, mostly with the battles in the midfield instead of crosses. Banini broke up a Blues attack by Tymrak and Laddish. Johnson took over when McCarty had a heavy touch in the forty-fifth minute, shepherding the game into halftime at a scoreless tie. For the Spirit, the GK Wys, CB Oyster, RW Nairn, and LW Lohman have played best, while the Blues have seen strong efforts from RB Reed, CB Averbuch, LB Bowen, DM Laddish, LW Tymrak, RW McCarty, and striker Groom. In the forty-seventh minute, Dydasco's cross went over Stengel and straight to Barnhart. Huster lost the ball to Bowen and Averbuch on her foray forward. Kansas City's McCarty was fouled by Kleiner, allowing Averbuch a fiftieth minute free kick in a decent spot. Averbuch's kick went too close to Wys, who caught it cleanly. Oyster took one away from Tymrak with the help of Dydasco as Washington holds strong defensively. Bowen split the defense to get a shot off, but she was heading away from goal and it curled to Wys in the fifty-first minute as the Blues continue strong play. Lohman had a shot on a pass from Stengel in the fifty-second minute, forcing Barnhart to dive for a save. Nairn's corner kick found Kleiner, who sent it out wide left, although it appeared to deflect off of Bowen. The announcers have voiced their dissent about the refereeing, and they're not completely wrong in this instance. McCarty took a pass from Laddish and crossed it into Silva, who headed it toward goal. Groom got a second header on it in front of Wys, but it went off the crossbar in the fifty-fourth minute. The Blues got a corner kick in the fifty-fifth minute, taken by Tymrak, who served in near Silva, but Wys caught it for the Spirit. Dydasco and Lohman broke up the run on the left wing from Bowen, who had no help centrally in the fifty-eighth minute. In the sixty-first minute, Tymrak tried to find McCarty, but it went too close to Wys. In the sixty-second minute, Nairn took a free kick for Washington, serving it into the box where Averbuch headed it clear. Dydasco and Francisca Ordega just missed a connection in the sixty-fourth minute for Washington. Tymrak took a shot from distance in the sixty-fourth minute, sending it just wide right on the dangerous chance. Lohman crossed toward Banini but Bowen got there first. A second effort in the sixty-fifth minute ended with Lohman shooting and Barnhart getting a save on the play after a Farquharson cross. Tymrak danced around Dydasco to take a shot in the sixty-eighth minute, but it was a bit too weak and didn't challenge Wys. Ordega had a cross in close to Nairn after a dummy, and Nairn mishit the shot, going weakly on goal for Barnhart to save it. McCarty and Kleiner battled hard in the seventy-first minute, ending with McCarty's third crossing attempt caught by Wys after a deflection by Farquharson. On the next Blues attack, Groom got in on a break straight at Wys, losing controlling and colliding with the keeper, which was a foul to end the play, although the ball would have dribbled wide anyway. Nairn tried a cross in the seventy-third minute, and it went too long for Lohman or Banini to corral. Ordega's through ball intended for Cheyna Williams ran long in the seventy-fifth minute. Averbuch blocked Ordega from turning to shoot after Kleiner's cross to her. Dydasco had a cross blocked by Reed in the seventy-seventh minute. Caroline Kastor broke up a Williams cross in, and the Spirit are producing a flurry of activity now. Groom played in Kastor for Kansas City in the seventy-eighth minute, but Oyster shut it down. Nairn had a cross into the box for Ordega in the seventy-ninth minute, who failed on her bicycle kick attempt. Lohman fell down on the second attempt after her shot, but this allowed Ordega enough time to get up and collect the ball, shooting to the left side of the goal and in behind Barnhart. Washington leads 1-0. In the eightieth minute, the Blues made their comeback attempt start with a Groom shot from wide, saved by Wys. Ordega got caught offside in the eighty-first minute, although Barnhart saved the invalid shot anyway. Groom couldn't get on a botched clearance by Dydasco, and Wys got there in time to save the Spirit. Washington had a corner kick thanks to Lohman's bounce off Averbuch, and the eighty-fifth minute Nairn crossed it in for Lohman, who flicked it to Ordega. It was blocked by LaBonta but fell to Huster, who absolutely roofed it and gave the Spirit a 2-0 lead. Huster then blocked a shot on the other side, as Tymrak's offering went wide left after Groom passed it to her. The Blues had their corner kick by Tymrak, who served it in the middle, where Wys punched it. Kastor had a second chance that went high. Johnson cleared a ball away from Groom as Oyster slowed her down. Lohman had a cheeky back heel and then received the ball back before feeding Williams, whose shot was hard but right at Barnhart, and then cleared out by Averbuch. Silva had a shot for Kansas City in stoppage time that went wide right. The Spirit did well after that to kill off the game, winning 2-0. The Outsider Sports Woman of the Match was LW Lohman, who had critical plays during both goals to create the opportunities, as well as numerous close chances. Also impressing for the Spirit were the DCM Huster and sub forward Ordega as well as RF Banini and LB Kleiner.

Next up, the Seattle Reign FC bring in the Boston Breakers. Jami Kranich and Haley Kopmeyer are the little known goalies. Here's the game. Kendall Fletcher broke up a Boston counterattack by picking off Stephanie McCaffrey's pass intended for Eunice Beckmann in the third minute. Kyah Simon tracked down McCaffrey's ball and crossed in to Beckmann, who turned it out wide right. Nahomi Kawasumi tried to find Manon Melis in the fourth minute for Seattle, but it went to Kassey Kallman of the Breakers. Kawasumi's sixth minute cross was sent out for a corner kick by Boston's Christen Westphal. The Reign saw the kick taken by Kawasumi, served into Fletcher who shot high after a deflection. Simon and Rachel Corsie of Seattle stumbled over each other, with Corsie called for a retaliatory foul, giving Boston a good free kick. In the ninth minute, Beckmann took the free kick and forced Kopmeyer into a save that she put out for a corner kick. The Breakers corner kick was cleared by Jess Fishlock. Kim Little led the counterattack and won a corner kick off Boston's Mollie Pathman. The eleventh minute service from Lauren Barnes went low and Westphal cleared back to Barnes, who got it to Keelin Winters. She tried a give-and-go with Fishlock, but Kranich covered it. Barnes and Corsie shut down a break by McCaffrey in the twelfth minute. Westphal stole the ball from Little in the thirteenth minute as Seattle gets quite a bit of possession right now. The Reign struck first with a goal in the fifteenth minute by Kawasumi as Melis cut a cross off Julie King, allowing Kawasumi to score under the pressure of two Breakers defenders. Seattle leads 1-0. In the eighteenth minute, Kallman fouled Kawasumi on the right wing as Elli Reed passed it up. The Seattle free kick allowed Kawasumi to serve it in low and Westphal cleared it. McCaffrey had a weak cross in the twenty-third minute, grabbed by Kopmeyer. Fishlock went long for Beverly Yanez in the twenty-fifth minute, but Kranich took it first. McCaffrey won a corner kick for the Breakers against Winters. Kopmeyer punched the service from Louise Schillgard away. Boston held possession with another corner kick after Fishlock put it out. Schillgard served it in where Fishlock cleared it to Simon, who shot off of Corsie and produced another corner kick. Schillgard came over to the other side for another corner kick, going toward Fishlock again, who helped with Fletcher to relieve pressure. Kopmeyer grabbed it and Seattle takes over. Yanez had a cross in the thirtieth minute blocked by Westphal after significant buildup by the Reign. Kawasumi's cross in the thirty-first minute was sent out by King, although the Reign maintained possession. Kawasumi put a cross into Yanez in the thirty-second minute, who flicked it on into the hands of the Boston keeper Kranich. Simon tried a cross in the thirty-fourth minute that Barnes got a back on to clear. Fletcher's ball intended for Little was kneed out by Kallman for a corner kick. Kawasumi served the ball in for Yanez, but Kallman got the clearance. Barnes blocked McCaffrey but surrendered a corner kick for Schillgard in the thirty-seventh minute. Her service went to Fishlock's head, who cleared it once again. Fishlock tried a shot that King blocked in the thirty-eighth minute, and Melis couldn't quite get on it for Seattle. In the thirty-ninth minute, Yanez tried to feed Melis, who fell but King received a yellow card as it appeared to be a trip. Seattle's Kawasumi did the free kick and sent it to Fletcher, who headed wide right. Fishlock saw her cross hit Melis but go wide in the forty-second minute. The Reign continue to hold the bulk of possession. Melis tried a cross in the forty-fourth minute toward Kawasumi, but it ran long and out of bounds. Little had a header hit the post in the forty-fourth minute after a Kawasumi cross. The game went into halftime with the Reign leading 1-0. Impressive for the Breakers are the RB Westphal, CB King, and RW McCaffrey, while the Reign's top players have been CB Fletcher, LB Barnes, DCM Winters, RW Fishlock, LW Little, RF Kawasumi, and CF Melis. The second half was a bit slow in developing, with not many forays into either box in the first five minutes. Fletcher guided a King free kick out of bounds in the fiftieth minute. Yanez had a cross blocked by King in the fifty-first minute, and Kawasumi couldn't get on to the end of another service. Kawasumi's next cross was knocked away by Boston's Angela Salem. King just shielded Little away from a Fishlock through ball, allowing Kranich to pick it up. Kawasumi's pass intended for Yanez ricocheted to Kranich in the fifty-fourth minute. Beckmann took a shot after McCaffrey, Salem, and Schillgard all got touches, and it deflected out for Schillgard's corner kick in the fifty-sixth minute, caught by Kopmeyer. Fletcher stole it away from Beckmann in the fifty-seventh minute, and Salem later got a shot that Kopmeyer saved. Kawasumi brought down a switching ball from Yanez, but she couldn't quite pick out Melis from the Breakers back line, and Kranich took the ball. Kawasumi shanked a shot after a give-and-go with Melis, and Kranich kept it in play despite it being off target. In the sixty-second minute, Kawasumi danced around at the top of the box and caught Kranich off her line, going down the middle for her second goal of the game to make it 2-0 Reign. She made Pathman look bad on the play with her juke. Simon crossed into the box in the sixty-third minute, and Kopmeyer dove to catch it. Reed made a brilliant tackle and steal against McCaffrey in the sixty-fourth minute. Reed went forward to Melis, but King did well to poke it away. Melis had a ball fall to her in the sixty-seventh minute, but her shot was blocked by Kranich after Barnes sent it across from the left side of the attacking formation. Fishlock went long for Melis in the sixty-eighth minute after stealing it from Breakers sub Brittany Ratcliffe. Melis and Kranich collided hard, and Melis took the worst of it while also being called for the foul. On the other end in the seventy-first minute, Ratcliffe shoved Fletcher into Kopmeyer, and this drew a yellow card for Ratcliffe. The game has taken a turn for the ugly side. In the seventy-third minute, Little got the ball in a dangerous space but King did just enough to stall Little long enough for Kranich to put it out for a corner kick on the save. Barnes served the corner kick in for Fletcher but the Reign couldn't hold possession as it rolled out. Winters made the initial pass to Little. In the seventy-seventh minute, Kawasumi was just caught offside even as she passed to Yanez, who would have scored had the flag not gone up. In the eightieth minute, Winters went long for Kawasumi, who was again offside. Little got the ball again in the eighty-second minute, and Kranich again stole it away from her feet after the midfielder got behind the defense. Simon took a very long shot in the eighty-second minute for the Breakers, but it soared well high and out for a goal kick. Reed shut down a nutmeg move McCaffrey tried in the eighty-sixth minute as the Reign are bunkering in now. Corsie and Lindsay Elston shut down Katie Schoepfer of of Boston after Schillgard made the steal. Fishlock unleashed a rip of a shot in stoppage time that Kranich had to punch down before catching on the bounce as Michelle Cruz made a few plays against the Breakers defense. The game ended at 2-0, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being the RF Kawasumi. Also impressing in the second half for the Reign was RB Reed.

Finally, the Portland Thorns FC host Sky Blue FC. Caroline Stanley and Michelle Betos are the keepers for this game. You can find the game here.In the first minute, Portland's Mallory Weber sent a ball up to Nadia Nadim, where she was cut down by Christie Rampone of Sky Blue with no call. Catherine Zimmerman sent a cross in that Betos caught shakily and had bumped out by a Sky Blue player. Nadim flicked on a deep ball from Meleana Shim in the fifth minute, but Stanley made the grab for Sky Blue. Leah Galton had a cross blocked by Katherine Reynolds of the Thorns in the fifth minute as they are holding their own well. Erica Skroski threw in to Natasha Kai, who settled, turn, and shot right on goal at Betos in the seventh minute. Raquel Rodriguez finally stole the ball away from Shim after Nadim's pass. Galton had a cross land to Kai, and Betos just got in front of it in time in the ninth minute. Kai shook McKenzie Berryhill of Portland in coverage. Galton had another cross in the tenth minute, and Berryhill was in better position this time to clear it away as Sky Blue continues their heavy pressure. Skroski went over the top for Taylor Lytle in the eleventh minute, and Reynolds put it out for a corner kick. Sky Blue's service came from Sarah Killion and was punched out by Betos. Rodriguez had a good takeaway from Amandine Henry, but the Thorns took it right back, and Reynolds fed Nadim, who waited too long to shoot and had it grabbed by Stanley in the thirteenth minute. Berryhill tackled away from Zimmerman to break up another Sky Blue attack. Weber shoved Kai down in the box as a pass from Kristin Grubka came in during the sixteenth minute. Weber had a botched clearance for Portland in the eighteenth minute, which fell to Galton. She shot just wide and a bit high. Emily Menges did well to keep Lytle from a ball passed up by Galton. After a long passing sequence for Portland, Henry dribbled forward and fired a shot high in the twentieth minute. Rampone did well to disrupt Shim's pass for Hayley Raso in the twenty-first minute. Skroski just lost control after Menges botched a clearance straight to Galton. Celeste Boureille forced Skroski into the heavy touch out of bounds in the twenty-second minute. Boureille sent one up for Raso, but Grubka and Simon kept the Thorns' Raso away and Sky Blue cleared. Nadim twice failed to get around Skroski and Rampone as she attacked the right side in the twenty-fourth minute. Simon then had a clearance when a ball came in from wide. Lytle mostly shut down Henry as Portland made an attack in the twenty-eighth minute. Shim went out wide to Raso in the twenty-ninth minute, and she crossed it around Simon toward Dagny Brynjarsdottir. She dummied it, and Nadim couldn't get there in time before it was cleared away by Sky Blue. In the twenty-ninth minute, Sky Blue struck back with Galton crossing for Zimmerman, who missed it under the pressure of Menges. Lytle picked it up on the other side, and Kai smashed it in past Betos to give Sky Blue a 1-0 lead. Rampone barely put it out for a corner kick after Nadim tried chasing down Weber's long ball in the thirty-first minute. Shim took the corner kick for the Thorns, going to Dagny, who didn't get anything. It came out to Berryhill, who chipped it in to Nadim, and she shot over the bar. Grubka got a block on Nadim's cross, surrendering a corner kick. The thirty-fourth minute service came from Nadim, and Rampone cleared. A foul was called, negating the play. Reynolds made a good stop against Galton in the thirty-sixth minute. Simon made a strong tackle on Raso in the thirty-eighth minute after a long ball by Berryhill. Nadim's corner kick for Portland went to Dagny in the thirty-ninth minute, as she headed it down to the bottom right corner of the goal, tying the game at 1. Stanley got collided with on the set piece and was hurt, and Caroline Casey had to replace her in goal for the remainder of the game. Rodriguez tried to make magic in the forty-fourth minute after a steal from Nadim, but it didn't last as she ran into traffic. Nadim and Raso did a give-and-go, with Nadim settling the return and shooting over the bar as she produced another dangerous chance in the forty-fourth minute. Much like the game started, stoppage time saw Rampone foul Nadim, and this time Sky Blue's Rampone took a yellow card for the foul. Reynolds nearly picked out Dagny on the free kick before Skroski could clear it. Rampone made a clean steal against Nadim right at the end of stoppage time. The game went into halftime tied 1-1. The best Sky Blue players have been LB Skroski, CB Rampone, DM Rodriguez, LW Galton, RW Lytle, and LF Kai. The top efforts from the Thorns have been GK Betos, RB Weber, CB Reynolds, DMs Henry and Dagny, ACM Shim, and striker Nadim. Kai burst around Weber and Dagny and crossed in, but Menges made the stop. Raso made a counterattack for Portland, and Simon cleared it out for a corner kick by Nadim in the forty-seventh minute. Rodriguez cleared it and Zimmerman pushed forward, until Dagny disrupted the play for the Thorns. Henry went out to Raso, and then Berryhill tried to send it in, but Grubka cleared away in the forty-ninth minute for Sky Blue. Skroski won a corner kick off Weber in the fiftieth minute, with service from Killion in to the mass of players. Menges cleared after a punch from Betos. Kai and Berryhill collided in the fifty-first minute, and Kai was down for awhile. Raso picked off a throw by Casey, but Raso's shot was high for Portland. Kai had returned but went down again and was subbed off for Sam Kerr. Grubka had to take Nadim down in the box after a pass from Boureille in the fifty-sixth minute. The Thorns corner kick came from Raso, and Nadim headed it off the crossbar. Grubka cleared out another through ball from Henry toward Nadim. Rodriguez blocked a shot from Raso after a drop from Shim in the fifty-ninth minute. Berryhill poked one away from Zimmerman after a Rodriguez pass. Sky Blue had a sixtieth minute flurry as Galton had a cross. Kerr, Rodriguez, Lytle, and Killion all had looks with many red Thorns jerseys in the way before Galton got a second chance, shooting wide left. Boureille had the pressure on both Galton plays. Simon fouled Raso from behind in the box, giving Portland a penalty kick. Nadim stepped up and buried the penalty kick to make it 2-1 for the Thorns. Casey went the right way but Nadim's shot was much better. Shim had the through ball to Raso. Boureille earned a corner kick off of Rampone in the sixty-fifth minute, and Shim's service was dropped by Casey in front of Reynolds, who pulled a quick shot off but Grubka blocked it. Weber took a yellow card in the sixty-sixth minute for a foul. Nadim served in to Henry, but the play was offside. Boureille lost control of the ball in the seventieth minute on a Thorns attack. Kerr tried a flip at the seventy minute mark, but Betos made the catch. Kerr flubbed a pass and Berryhill picked it off. Lytle's pass for Kerr was blocked out for a corner kick by Menges. Killion's service in the seventy-fifth minute went straight at Dagny, who cleared for Portland. Maya Hayes got a shot off for Sky Blue, but it went wide left. Weber saw a cross in the seventy-sixth minute blocked by Killion. In the seventy-eighth minute, Henry crossed to Nadim, but she headed it just wide left. Henry blocked a Rodriguez shot in the seventy-ninth minute as Sky Blue search for an equalizer. Menges blocked Killion's try to get to Hayes in the eightieth minute. Shade Pratt found Nadim, who nutmegged Simon and shot on goal, but Casey blocked it. Nadim rocked another shot in the eighty-first minute, but it went wide left and low. Boureille trued going through Rampone and Simon in the eighty-third minute, laying off for Nadim's shot going high and wide right. Kerr sent a shot just wide in the eighty-fifth minute after a chip from Rodriguez. Galton's pass for Hayes got picked off by Weber as the Thorns have had to take a defensive stance recently. Simon picked off a Nadim pass for Raso. Kerr got a cross into Rodriguez in the eighty-sixth minute, but Nadim came back to block it. Reynolds blocked a shot by Galton in the eighty-eighth minute. Lytle got a cross that dropped down from Kerr to Rodriguez, but Kerr was offside negating a shot by Rodriguez nearly on goal. Menges cleared a Killion offering into the box. There were seven minutes of stoppage time that Portland will try to weather. Galton and Hayes tried to work on the left wing, but Hayes got caught offside. Weber buckled under pressure but didn't break. Reynolds blocked a cross from Galton deep in stoppage time, as Portland has done well to limit the chances. Henry sent a rocket wide left. The game ended 2-1 for the Thorns, and the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match is Nadim for her goal and assist. Also impressing for the Thorns in the second half were the LW Raso and CB Menges. Sky Blue saw good efforts from DM Killion.

Outsider Sports NWSL Best XI - Week 11

GK Kelsey Wys
RB Christen Westphal
CB Yael Averbuch
CB Katherine Reynolds
LB Lauren Barnes
DCM Raquel Rodriguez
RW Dagny Brynjarsdottir (out of position)
LW Joanna Lohman
RF Nahomi Kawasumi
CF Nadia Nadim
LF Jessica McDonald

Major League Soccer 2016 - Week 16

There's eight games on Saturday and one more for Sunday, beginning with...

The Seattle Sounders FC hosting New York City FC. Josh Saunders and Stefan Frei are the gloved men. New York City led off in the thirty-eighth minute with a Frank Lampard goal, assisted by RJ Allen. In the forty-second minute, Thomas McNamara of New York City had a yellow card for his foul. New York City saw a yellow card for an Andoni Iraola foul in the seventy-fifth minute. New York City added on with a Ronald Matarrita goal in the eighty-seventh minute, set up by Mikey Lopez. The man of the match in the 2-0 game was Matarrita for his goal.

Out in DC, United welcomes the New England Revolution. Brad Knighton and Bill Hamid are in goal. DC opened with a twentieth minute Lamar Neagle goal, via Luciano Acosta. United saw Kofi Opare take a yellow card in the twenty-second minute for his foul. DC added on with a Sean Franklin goal in the twenty-seventh minute, courtesy of Neagle and Alvaro Saborio. United had yellow cards for fouls by Fabian Espindola in the fifty-seventh minute and Acosta in the sixty-seventh minute. The game ended 2-0, and Neagle was the man of the match with a goal and assist.

Along to Philadelphia, where the Union bring in the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Andre Blake guard the woodwork. Philadelphia began in the fourteenth minute with a Ronald Alberg goal, via Sebastien Le Toux. Vancouver tied it on a nineteenth minute goal from Andrew Jacobson. Tranquillo Barnetta of the Union took a yellow card for a foul in the thirty-sixth minute. The Whitecaps took the lead with a forty-first minute goal by Kekuta Manneh, coming off of Pedro Morales. In the fifty-first minute, Manneh took a yellow card for his foul for Vancouver. The Whitecaps added on with an eighty-fourth minute Christian Bolanos goal, set up by Erik Hurtado. Philadelphia got one back with a Chris Pontius stoppage time goal. The man of the match was Bolanos for his late winner.

West to Columbus, as the Crew SC host the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Steve Clark are the veterans in goal. New York had yellow cards for Connor Lade in the thirty-second minute, Alex Muyl in the thirty-third minute, and Sacha Kljestan in the thirty-ninth minute, the first two for fouls and the third for diving. The Red Bulls struck first in the fifty-second minute with a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, guided in by Muyl and Dax McCarty. Tony Tchani of Columbus took a yellow card for a sixtieth minute foul. In the eighty-fifth minute, New York's Robles had a yellow card for time wasting. To make matters worse, the tactic ultimately failed, as the Crew tied it in stoppage time with an Ola Kamara goal, passed from Waylon Francis and Ethan Finlay. The game ended 1-1, and Kamara was the man of the match for salvaging a point.

Into Canada, as the Montreal Impact welcome Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Evan Bush are between the posts. Montreal started in the sixteenth minute with a Lucas Ontivero goal, via Hassoun Camara and Didier Drogba. Kansas City tied it on a twenty-first minute Dominic Dwyer goal, fueled by Roger Espinoza. The Impact's Ontivero had a yellow card for a twenty-fourth minute foul. Sporting saw a yellow card for a thirty-eighth minute foul by Jimmy Medranda that led to Montreal taking the lead with an Ignacio Piatti penalty kick goal. Ambroise Oyongo of the Impact took a yellow card for his forty-third minute foul. Drogba of Montreal had a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-fifth minute. Dwyer retied it for Kansas City with his second goal of the game, assisted by Benny Feilhaber. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with Dwyer the man of the match on his brace.

South to Florida, where Orlando City SC brings in Toronto FC. Clint Irwin and Joe Bendik man the nets. Orlando City was first to score in the fifth minute on a Cyle Larin goal, coming off of Kevin Molino and Adrian Winter. David Mateos of Orlando City had a yellow card for his foul in the thirty-second minute. Toronto tied it in the forty-seventh minute with a Jordan Hamilton goal, made possible by Jonathan Osorio and Justin Morrow. In the sixty-sixth minute, Osorio had a yellow card for his foul for Toronto. Irwin had to be subbed out with an injury in the seventieth minute, forcing Alex Bono into action. Orlando City retook the lead with a Winter goal, passed from Molino in the eighty-third minute. Toronto tied it with a Morrow goal in the ninetieth minute, thanks to Sebastian Giovinco and Osorio. The long delay from earlier led to a massive amount of stoppage time, and nine minutes in, Josh Williams of Toronto took a straight red card for his foul and abusive language. The foul was in the box, giving Orlando City a penalty kick, and in the one hundredth minute, Kaka converted the penalty kick, sending Orlando City to a 3-2 win. The man of the match was Molino for the two assists.

West to Texas, with FC Dallas hosting Real Salt Lake. Jeff Attinella and Chris Seitz are in the six-yard boxes. Dallas dented the scoreboard with a Kellyn Acosta goal in the nineteenth minute, via Michael Barrios and Mauro Diaz. Dallas had yellow cards given to Matt Hedges for a forty-ninth minute foul and Diaz for dissent in the fifty-first minute. Dallas added on with a fifty-eighth minute Fabian Castillo goal, set up by Diaz. Salt Lake's Omar Holness had a yellow card for an eighty-first minute foul. The game ended 2-0 for Dallas, with the man of the match being Diaz, who had a hand in both goals.

Saturday ends with the San Jose Earthquakes welcoming the Los Angeles Galaxy. Brian Rowe and David Bingham play goal. Los Angeles took a yellow card in first half stoppage time for a Jelle Van Damme foul. The Galaxy got going in the sixty-ninth minute on a Giovani dos Santos goal, passed from Steven Gerrard. dos Santos had a yellow card in the eighty-ninth minute for not retreating. San Jose made him pay as Chad Barrett scored in the ninetieth minute to tie the game, with the help of Shea Salinas. Ashley Cole had a yellow card for the Galaxy in stoppage time. He later had a straight red card for violent conduct a minute later. The game ended 1-1, with Barrett the man of the match.

On Sunday, the Portland Timbers brought in the Houston Dynamo. Tyler Deric and Jake Gleeson are the keepers. Houston drew first blood in the twenty-eighth minute on an Andrew Wenger goal, via Boniek Garcia. The Dynamo added on in the thirtieth minute as Will Bruin scored, thanks to Garcia. Houston's David Horst took a yellow card for a forty-second minute foul. At halftime, Joe Willis replaced Deric in goal. Portland got on the board in the sixty-fourth minute on a Lucas Melano goal, courtesy of Diego Valeri. In the eighty-second minute, the Timbers tied it on a Valeri penalty kick goal. Portland took the lead with a Valeri penalty kick goal in stoppage time. A minute later, Alex of the Dynamo had a yellow card for a foul. Two minutes after that, Fanendo Adi took a yellow card for his foul for the Timbers. Portland went on to win 3-2, with Valeri the man of the match for his brace and assist.

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