Thursday, June 29, 2017

NWSL 2017: Week 11

It's a midweek edition of NWSL action, with four games on Wednesday, June 28. We begin in...

New Jersey, as Sky Blue FC hosts the Orlando Pride. Aubrey Bledsoe and Kailen Sheridan make the starts in goal. Orlando opened in the eleventh minute with a Chioma Ubogagu goal. Sky Blue tied it in the forty-fifth minute with a Kelley O'Hara penalty kick goal, drawn after the Pride's Steph Catley fouled Sky Blue's Sam Kerr in the penalty area. Sky Blue took the lead in the forty-sixth minute on a bicycle kick goal by Kerr, set up by Maya Hayes. In the seventy-fifth minute, Orlando's Jasmyne Spencer had a yellow card for a foul. The Pride retied it in the seventy-seventh minute on a Marta goal after a poor clearance from Sky Blue's Mandy Freeman. Orlando gained the lead in the eighty-sixth minute with a Rachel Hill goal, via Catley and Marta after a crafty passing sequence. In stoppage time, Sky Blue's Nikki Stanton took a yellow card for her foul. The game ended 3-2 for the Pride, with Marta the woman of the match. Also impressing were center forward Jamia Fields, center back Ali Krieger, and right wing Ubogagu. For Sky Blue, center back Christie Pearce, right back O'Hara, and forward Kerr were the best players.

Down in Houston, the Dash welcome the Boston Breakers. Sammy Jo Prudhomme and Jane Campbell are the backups in goal. Boston's Morgan Andrews took a yellow card for a twenty-fifth minute foul against Houston's Rachel Daly. The Breakers' Allysha Chapman had a yellow card for a late foul in the fifty-eighth minute against the Dash's Poliana. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, with the Breakers' Megan Oyster being the woman of the match. Also good for the Breakers were the goalie Prudhomme and defensive midfielder Angela Salem. For the Dash, defensive midfielder Morgan Brian, and forwards Carli Lloyd and Daly had the best efforts.

To the Northwest, where the Portland Thorns FC bring in FC Kansas City. Nicole Barnhart and Adrianna Franch are in goal. Portland started in the fifteenth minute with a Christine Sinclair goal, a rebound off the post from an Allie Long shot. The Thorns added on in the thirty-second minute with a Hayley Raso goal, assisted by Lindsey Horan on an angled shot from outside the box. In the fifty-second minute, Portland's Horan took a yellow card for her foul on Kansas City's Desiree Scott. Alexa Newfield of Kansas City received a yellow card in the fifty-fourth minute for fouling the Thorns' Long. Portland's Raso took a yellow card in the sixty-sixth minute for a foul on Kansas City's Christina Gibbons. Sinclair took a yellow card for dissent in the seventy-first minute after a goal was called back for a hand ball. The Thorns extended the lead as Sinclair scored in the seventy-fifth minute, with the help of Raso. In the eighty-third minute, Kansas City saw a yellow card for a Brittany Ratcliffe foul against Raso. Maegan Kelly of Kansas City took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The game ended at 3-0, with the woman of the match being Sinclair. Also impressing for the Thorns were Raso and Long, while Kansas City's best were right back Brittany Taylor, defensive midfielder Scott, and right wing Shea Groom.

Finally, the Seattle Reign FC hosts the Chicago Red Stars. Alyssa Naeher and Haley Kopmeyer are the gloved women. Chicago struck first in the forty-first minute on an Alyssa Mautz goal, coming off of Julie Ertz. Seattle tied it in the fifty-eighth minute with a Megan Rapinoe penalty kick goal, after the Red Stars' Taylor Comeau committed a hand ball in the box. Sam Johnson of Chicago received a yellow card for her foul in the sixty-ninth minute. The Reign took the lead in the eighty-fourth minute with a Rapinoe penalty kick goal, which she earned herself after being fouled by the Red Stars' Casey Short in the box. The Reign won 2-1, with Rapinoe the woman of the match, aided by standout performances from the outside backs Carson Pickett and Merritt Mathias. Chicago's top players were right wing Mautz, defensive midfielder Ertz, and attacking midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo.

NWSL Midweek Best XI
GK Sammy Jo Prudhomme
RB Merritt Mathias
CB Megan Oyster
CB Ali Krieger
LB Carson Pickett
DM Morgan Brian
AM Hayley Raso
AM Shea Groom
RF Marta
CF Christine Sinclair
LF Megan Rapinoe

Sunday, June 25, 2017

NWSL 2017: Week 10

All teams are in action this weekend, beginning with four games on Saturday. We begin in...

Orlando, as the Pride host the Houston Dash. Jane Campbell and Aubrey Bledsoe are the backups in goal. Houston had a yellow card for a forty-third minute foul by Janine Van Wyk. The Dash led off in first half stoppage time on a Carli Lloyd goal, set up by Poliana. Houston added on in the sixty-second minute with a Rachel Daly goal, also assisted by Poliana. The game ended at 2-0, with Poliana the woman of the match for her two assists. Also impressing for the Dash were Lloyd, Daly, and Janine Beckie, while the Pride's best were left-back Steph Catley, and midfielders Camila and Marta.

Up in Boston, the Breakers welcome the North Carolina Courage. Katelyn Rowland and Sammy Jo Prudhomme make the starts in goal. Boston had a yellow card for a sixteenth minute foul by Megan Oyster. North Carolina opened in the forty-fourth minute with an Ashley Hatch goal, via Samantha Mewis. Tiffany Weimer of the Breakers had a yellow card for an eighty-fourth minute foul. The game ended 1-0, with the woman of the match being Hatch. The Courage also got good games from center-back Abby Dahlkemper, defensive midfielder Mewis, and attacking midfielder Debinha, while the Breakers' best were center-back Christen Westphal, defensive midfielder Angela Salem, and forward Emilie Haavi.

In Maryland, the Washington Spirit host the Portland Thorns FC. Adrianna Franch and Stephanie Labbe protect the nets. Washington began in the nineteenth minute with a Francisca Ordega goal. This held up for a 1-0 win, and Ordega was the woman of the match, while Labbe and Tori Huster also played well for the Spirit. Leading the Thorns were defensive midfielder Allie Long, left winger Hayley Raso, and attacking midfielder Lindsey Horan.

Saturday ends in Seattle, where the Reign FC bring in FC Kansas City. Nicole Barnhart and Haley Kopmeyer are the gloved women. In the fourth minute, Seattle went down to ten women when Lauren Barnes took a straight red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity for Kansas City's Shea Groom. Kansas City started in the sixteenth minute with a Brittany Ratcliffe goal, via Alexa Newfield. Kansas City saw yellow cards for Newfield in the thirtieth minute and Groom in the thirty-fourth minute, both for fouls. The Reign tied it on a Nahomi Kawasumi goal in the fifty-eighth minute. This made it 1-1, the eventual final, with the woman of the match being Kawasumi for the shorthanded equalizer. Also impressing for the Reign were right-back Rebekah Stott, midfielder Lindsay Elston, and forward Megan Rapinoe. Kansas City saw good games from center-back Becky Sauerbrunn, attacking midfielder Newfield, and forwards Ratcliffe and Groom.

Finally, on Sunday, the Chicago Red Stars host Sky Blue FC. Kailen Sheridan and Alyssa Naeher are the keepers. Sky Blue struck first in the third minute with a Madison Tiernan goal, assisted by Taylor Lytle. Chicago tied it on a sixty-third minute goal by Vanessa DiBernardo. The Red Stars took the lead in the sixty-seventh minute with a Sofia Huerta goal, via Casey Short. This made it 2-1, the final, with the woman of the match being Huerta. Also good for the Red Stars were Sam Johnson and DiBernardo, while Sky Blue's best were Tiernan, McKenzie Meehan, and Lytle.

NWSL Team of the Week
GK Stephanie Labbe
RB Poliana
CB Becky Sauerbrunn
CB Sam Johnson
LB Steph Catley
DM Samantha Mewis
RW Sofia Huerta
LW Brittany Ratcliffe
RF Nahomi Kawasumi
CF Francisca Ordega
LF Ashley Hatch

MLS 2017: Week 17

We're just about halfway through the MLS season at this point. All teams are in action this weekend, beginning with a pair of games on Friday night. The first is...

Toronto FC hosting the New England Revolution. Cody Cropper and Alexander Bono draw the starts in goal. Toronto led off in the eleventh minute with a Drew Moor goal, via Tsubasa Endoh and Armando Cooper. In the twenty-second minute, Toronto's Sebastian Giovinco took a yellow card for a foul. Antonio Mlinar Delamea of New England had a yellow card for a foul in the fiftieth minute. Toronto saw a yellow card for a Jozy Altidore foul in the fifty-second minute. Toronto iced it at 2-0 with a Giovinco goal in stoppage time, set up by Victor Vazquez. The man of the match was Moor for his early winner.

Down in Texas, the Houston Dynamo welcome their in-state rivals, FC Dallas. Jesse Gonzalez and Tyler Deric play goal. Houston began in the nineteenth minute with an Erick Torres goal, helped along by Adolfo Machado. Atiba Harris of Dallas took a yellow card for his fifty-fifth minute foul. Dallas tied it on a fifty-ninth minute goal by Maximiliano Urruti, assisted by Michael Barrios and Mauro Diaz. The Dynamo's Alex and Dallas' Hernan Grana each took a yellow card for fouls in the eightieth minute. Houston's Torres had a yellow card for an eighty-fourth minute foul. The game ended at 1-1, with the man of the match being Urruti.

On Saturday, the first of eight games has the New York Red Bulls bringing in New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Luis Robles are the veteran keepers. Michael Amir Murillo of New York had a yellow card for an eleventh minute foul. New York City saw yellow cards for Maxime Chanot in the twentieth minute and Thomas McNamara in the twenty-eighth minute, both for fouls. New York City opened in the thirty-third minute with a Jack Harrison goal, passed from Ben Sweat and Rodney Wallace. New York City added on in the sixty-fifth minute with a Sweat goal, via Alexander Ring. Alex Muyl of the Red Bulls took a yellow card for a dive in the seventy-seventh minute. Ring of New York City received a yellow card for his eighty-fourth minute foul. Kemar Lawrence of New York had a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. New York City won 2-0, with Sweat named man of the match.

Next up, Atlanta United hosts the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and Alec Kann are in the six-yard boxes. Colorado had a yellow card for a thirty-fifth minute Dennis Castillo foul. Joshua Gatt of the Rapids took a yellow card for a forty-eighth minute foul. Atlanta got going in the sixty-seventh minute with a Josef Martinez goal, assisted by Brandon Vazquez and Miguel Almiron. Colorado saw yellow cards for Dillon Powers in the seventy-second minute and Micheal Azira in the eighty-first minute, both for fouls. In the eighty-fourth minute, Atlanta's Almiron had a yellow card for dissent. The final stood at 1-0, with the man of the match being Martinez for his goal.

Up in Philadelphia, the Union welcome DC United. Bill Hamid and Andre Blake are the talented keepers. All the action came in the thirty-first minute, when Philadelphia's Fabrice-Jean Picault scored with the help of Alejandro Bedoya and Raymon Gaddis, and DC's Jose Guillermo Ortiz took a yellow card for a foul. The 1-0 final saw Picault named man of the match.

West to Columbus, where the Crew SC brings in the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Zack Steffen draw the starts in goal. Kyle Fisher of Montreal had a yellow card for a sixteenth minute foul. Columbus started in the seventeenth minute on a Federico Higuain goal. The Impact tied it on a nineteenth minute goal by Anthony Jackson-Hamel. Hassoun Camara of Montreal had a yellow card for a thirty-fourth minute foul. Justin Meram of the Crew took a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. Columbus took the lead in the seventieth minute on a Kekuta Manneh goal, passed from Ola Kamara. The Crew added on with a seventy-second minute Kamara goal, set up by Manneh. Harrison Afful of Columbus took a yellow card for his seventy-eighth minute foul. The Crew extended the lead as Higuain scored in the eighty-eighth minute, thanks to Adam Jahn and the keeper Steffen. The man of the 4-1 match was Higuain for his brace.

Up to Minnesota United FC hosting the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Bobby Shuttleworth are the veterans in goal. Minnesota's keeper Shuttleworth had a yellow card for a sixteenth minute foul, leading to Vancouver striking first on a Cristian Techera penalty kick goal a minute later. Tony Tchani of the Whitecaps had a yellow card in the twenty-sixth minute for his foul. Brent Kallman of Minnesota had a yellow card in first half stoppage time for a foul, leading to a Tchani goal a minute later to extend the Vancouver lead with an assist from Techera. Minnesota got on the board in the fiftieth minute with a Francisco Calvo goal, helped along by Kevin Molino. Minnesota had yellow cards for Jerome Thiesson's handball in the fifty-fourth minute and an Ibson foul in the fifty-ninth minute. Minnesota tied it on a Thiesson goal in the sixty-third minute, coming off of Miguel Ibarra. Techera of the Whitecaps had a yellow card for his sixty-fifth minute foul. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with the man of the match being Techera for his goal and assist.

Back down to Chicago, where the Fire welcome Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Matt Lampson are between the posts. Chicago was first to score in the third minute with a David Accam goal, via Matt Polster. The Fire added on with an Accam goal in the eighth minute, his second of the night set up by Bastian Schweinsteiger. Orlando City saw yellow cards for a twenty-second minute Will Johnson foul and persistent infringement by Cristian Higuita in the thirty-third minute. Chicago extended the lead in the fifty-second minute on a Nemanja Nikolic goal, with the help of Accam. The Fire had yellow cards for a fifty-third minute Schweinsteiger foul and a fifty-sixth minute foul by Michael de Leeuw. Kaka of Orlando City took a yellow card in the fifty-eighth minute for his foul. Chicago padded the lead as Accam completed his hat trick on a sixty-third minute penalty kick goal. Nikolic of the Fire had a yellow card for a sixty-ninth minute foul. Victor Pagliari Giro of Orlando City was booked on a yellow card for his eighty-fourth minute foul. The final was 4-0, with Accam the obvious man of the match, and likely player of the week.

In California, the Los Angeles Galaxy bring in Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Clement Diop guard the woodwork. Kansas City drew first blood in the twenty-second minute with a Roger Espinoza goal, via Gerso Fernandes. Jaime Villarreal of Los Angeles had a yellow card for a thirty-third minute foul. Sporting added on in the thirty-fifth minute with an Ike Opara goal, passed from Matt Besler. Nathan Smith of the Galaxy took a yellow card for a fifty-ninth minute foul. Kansas City's Fernandes had a yellow card for his seventy-third minute foul. Los Angeles got on the board in the seventy-seventh minute with a Dave Romney goal. Jelle Van Damme of the Galaxy took a yellow card for his eighty-first minute foul. The final held at 2-1, with the man of the match being Opara for his winner.

Finishing the day, the San Jose Earthquakes host Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and David Bingham are the gloved men. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the thirteenth minute on a Danny Hoesen goal. The Earthquakes saw yellow cards for Andres Imperiale in the fiftieth minute and Nick Lima in the sixty-seventh minute. San Jose added on in the sixty-eighth minute with a Marco Urena goal, assisted by Hoesen. Lima of the Earthquakes took a second yellow card in the seventy-first minute, putting them at ten men. Sebastian Saucedo of Salt Lake took a yellow card for an eighty-ninth minute foul. Real got on the board in stoppage time with a Jose Hernandez goal, via Saucedo and Luke Mulholland. The game ended at 2-1, with Hoesen the man of the match for his goal and assist.

Finally, on Sunday, the Portland Timbers host the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Jake Gleeson are between the posts. Portland's Alvas Powell took a yellow card for a tenth minute foul. Seattle dented the scoreboard in the twenty-seventh minute with a Joevin Jones goal. The Sounders went down to ten men when Brad Evans took a straight red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity. The Timbers tied it on a Fanendo Adi penalty kick goal. Portland took the lead in first half stoppage time with a Dairon Asprilla goal, passed from David Guzman. In the ninetieth minute, the Timbers' Guzman had a yellow card for a foul. Seattle retied it in second half stoppage time with a Clint Dempsey goal, assisted by Roman Torres and Osvaldo Alonso. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with the man of the match being Dempsey for the late equalizer.

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Wednesday, June 21, 2017

MLS Midweek: June 21, 2017

Four league games on at midweek this week, beginning with...

DC United hosting Atlanta United. Alec Kann and Bill Hamid protect the nets. Atlanta began in the seventeenth minute with a Julian Gressel goal, passed from Miguel Almiron and Yamil Asad. DC tied it on a twenty-third minute goal by Luciano Acosta. DC took the lead with a sixtieth minute goal by Patrick Nyarko via, Ian Harkes and Chris Korb. Jeff Larentowicz of Atlanta had a yellow card for his foul in the sixty-second minute. DC's Lamar Neagle had a yellow card in the seventy-third minute for a foul. Atlanta saw a yellow card for a seventy-ninth minute foul by Brandon Vazquez. The game ended at 2-1, with Nyarko the man of the match.

West to Minnesota United welcoming the Portland Timbers. Jeff Attinella and Bobby Shuttleworth draw the starts in goal. Minnesota led off in the seventh minute with Portland's Amobi Okugo committing an own goal. The Timbers tied it on a Diego Valeri penalty kick goal in the thirty-seventh minute. Minnesota took the lead back in the forty-seventh minute with a Christian Ramirez goal, made possible by Kevin Molino. Portland pulled level again when Minnesota's Francisco Calvo committed an own goal in the fiftieth minute. Minnesota took the lead back with an Abu Danladi goal in the sixty-fourth minute. Each team went down to ten men when Danladi of Minnesota and Sebastian Blanco of the Timbers engaged in a bit of a fight around the seventieth minute. Portland's Roy Miller had a yellow card for an eighty-fifth minute foul. The man of the match was Ramirez in Minnesota's 3-2 win.

Further along, the Colorado Rapids bring in the Los Angeles Galaxy. Clement Diop and Tim Howard are the gloved men. Los Angeles opened in the fifth minute with a Jack McBean goal. Mike da Fonte of Colorado had a yellow card for his twenty-fourth minute foul. The Galaxy had yellow cards for Nathan Smith's persistent infringement in the twenty-ninth minute and Joao Pedro's foul in the thirty-fourth minute. The Rapids tied it on a thirty-seventh minute goal by Dillon Serna, assisted by Dominique Badji and Joshua Gatt. Los Angeles retook the lead in the sixty-third minute on a McBean goal, via Pedro. The Galaxy added on with a Romain Alessandrini penalty kick goal in the seventy-first minute. This made it a 3-1 final, with the man of the match being McBean for his brace.

Finally, in Seattle, the Sounders FC host Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Stefan Frei protect the nets. Seattle started in the nineteenth minute with a Will Bruin goal. The Sounders saw a yellow card for a Clint Dempsey foul in the seventy-fifth minute. Orlando City's Will Johnson and Jonathan Spector took yellow cards for fouls in the seventy-eighth and seventy-ninth minutes, respectively. Seattle's Roman Torres had a yellow card for his foul in stoppage time, leading to an equalizer by Orlando City's Scott Sutter, with the help of Kaka on the free kick. The final stood at 1-1, with the man of the match being Bruin.

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Monday, June 19, 2017

NWSL 2017: Week 9

After the international break, the NWSL is back in action. All games took place on June 17; my publishing delay is due to technological difficulties on my end. We begin with...

The Chicago Red Stars hosting the Washington Spirit. Stephanie Labbe and Alyssa Naeher are the strong keepers. Chicago had a yellow card for a thirty-first minute foul by Katie Naughton. Washington led off in the forty-second minute with a Francisca Ordega goal, via Cheyna Williams. The Spirit's Meggie Dougherty Howard had a yellow card for her foul in the sixty-second minute. Washington's Shelina Zadorsky took a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-first minute, leading to a penalty kick goal by the Red Stars' Christen Press to tie the game. This made it a 1-1 draw in the end, with the woman of the match being Labbe, who stopped three of four shots on goal against her, including a pair of strong saves. Also impressing were right back Estelle Johnson and the forward Ordega for the Spirit, while Press, Julie Johnston Ertz, and Danielle Colaprico played well for the Red Stars.

East to North Carolina, where the Courage welcome the Boston Breakers. Abby Smith and Katelyn Rowland are in goal. North Carolina began in the third minute with a Kristen Hamilton goal, assisted by Samantha Mewis. The Courage added on with a Hamilton goal in the fifteenth minute, her second of the game passed from McCall Zerboni. North Carolina extended the lead as Ashley Hatch scored in the thirty-eighth minute, thanks to Makenzy Doniak. Boston got on the board with a seventy-third minute goal by Adriana Leon, made possible by Natasha Dowie. Rosie White of the Breakers had a yellow card for a foul in the eightieth minute. The game ended at 3-1, with the woman of the match named as Hamilton, for her brace. Also showing well were Hatch and center back Abby Erceg for the Courage, while White and Leon had the better of the efforts for the Breakers.

Back west, FC Kansas City hosts the Seattle Reign FC. Haley Kopmeyer and Nicole Barnhart protect the nets. Kansas City opened in the twenty-third minute with an Alexa Newfield goal, assisted by Erika Tymrak. Seattle tied it on a Megan Rapinoe goal in the thirty-first minute, courtesy of Nahomi Kawasumi. The Reign saw yellow cards for fouls by Lindsay Elston in the seventy-third minute and Carson Pickett in the seventy-fourth minute. Kansas City's Shea Groom had a yellow card for her seventy-sixth minute foul. Seattle retook the lead on a Kawasumi goal in the eighty-first minute, set up by Christine Nairn after a frenzy in front of the goal. Kansas City retied it on a Maegan Kelly goal in the eighty-fourth minute, helped along by Yael Averbuch. Sydney Leroux of Kansas City had a yellow card for a ninetieth minute foul. The game ended at 2-2, with the woman of the match being Kawasumi with her goal and assist. The Reign also saw good games from Rapinoe and Elston, while Kansas City got good efforts from center backs Averbuch and Becky Sauerbrunn and Lo'Eau Labonta and Newfield.

Down in Texas, the Houston Dash bring in the Orlando Pride. Aubrey Bledsoe and Lydia Williams play in goal. Orlando started in the sixteenth minute with a long-distance goal by Camila, set up by Marta. The Pride added on with a Marta goal in the twenty-second minute. Orlando extended the lead as Marta scored again in the fifty-seventh minute, thanks to Jasmyne Spencer. Houston's Janine Beckie took a yellow card for a sixty-fourth minute foul. The Pride saw a yellow card for Camila's time wasting in the sixty-fifth minute. Orlando padded the lead with an Alanna Kennedy goal, coming off of Marta in the sixty-eighth minute. In the eightieth minute, Janine Van Wyk of the Dash had a yellow card for her foul. Houston got on the board in the eighty-ninth minute with a Poliana goal, guided in by Andressa. The Dash pulled closer at the end of the game with a last-second goal by Nichelle Prince in stoppage time, again passed from Andressa. The final stood at 4-2, with the woman of the match being Marta for her brace and pair of assists. The Pride also saw good games from center back Ali Krieger, right back Kristen Edmonds, and midfielder Camila, while the Dash got their best games out of midfield substitute Andressa, center back Van Wyk, and right back Poliana.

Finally, the Portland Thorns host Sky Blue FC. Kailen Sheridan and Adrianna Franch are between the posts. Sky Blue struck first in the first minute as Raquel Rodriguez's goal at the twenty-five second mark matched the fastest goal to start a game in league history, on a pass from Sam Kerr. Sky Blue added on with a Kerr goal in the seventieth minute, courtesy of Maya Hayes. In the seventy-fourth minute, Kelley O'Hara of Sky Blue took a yellow card for dissent. Sky Blue extended the lead in the eighty-eighth minute with a Kerr goal, coming off of Madison Tiernan. Nikki Stanton of Sky Blue had a yellow card for a foul in the ninetieth minute, as did Portland's Amandine Henry a minute later. The Thorns avoided the shutout with a last-second goal by Christine Sinclair, who followed up her own penalty kick in stoppage time to bury the rebound. This was small consolation, as the final rested at 3-1, and Sky Blue's Kerr was the woman of the match. Helping her were center back Mandy Freeman, and the midfielder Rodriguez, while the staunchest opposition came from Sinclair and Henry.

NWSL Team of the Week
GK Stephanie Labbe
CB Mandy Freeman
CB Yael Averbuch
RB Estelle Johnson
LB Kristen Edmonds (out of position)
DM Raquel Rodriguez
AM Camila
AM Marta
FW Nahomi Kawasumi
FW Sam Kerr
FW Kristen Hamilton

Sunday, June 18, 2017

MLS 2017: Week 16

All teams are in action this weekend, on Saturday (ten games) and Sunday (one game). We begin in...

Yankee Stadium, as New York City FC hosts the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Sean Johnson play goal. Seattle had yellow cards for fouls by Gustav Svensson in the twenty-eighth minute and Cristian Roldan in the twenty-ninth minute. Rodney Wallace of New York City took a yellow card for his foul in the thirty-fifth minute. The Sounders led off in the fortieth minute on a Roldan goal. In the forty-eighth minute, Seattle's Osvaldo Alonso took a yellow card for his foul. Chad Marshall of the Sounders took a yellow card for dissent in the fifty-second minute, protesting the penalty kick call that led to David Villa's tying goal for New York City. New York City took the lead in the seventy-seventh minute goal by Villa, passed from Jack Harrison. New York City had yellow cards for Ethan White in the eightieth minute and Sean Okoli in stoppage time. New York City won 2-1, with Villa the man of the match for his brace.

Down in Georgia, Atlanta United welcomes the Columbus Crew SC. Zack Steffen and Alec Kann are the keepers. Atlanta opened in the sixteenth minute with a Hector Villalba goal, via Yamil Asad. Carlos Carmona of Atlanta took a yellow card for his foul in the twenty-first minute. Federico Higuain tied it for Columbus in the twenty-sixth minute with his goal assisted by Ola Kamara and Harrison Afful. Afful of the Crew had a yellow card for fifty-third minute foul. Asad of Atlanta took a yellow card for his foul in the fifty-fourth minute. Atlanta took the lead back in the sixty-seventh minute on a Miguel Almiron goal, set up by Leandro Gonzalez Pirez. Atlanta iced it at 3-1 in the eighty-eighth minute on a Josef Martinez goal, courtesy of Kevin Kratz. The man of the match was Almiron for his winner.

Back north, the New England Revolution bring in the Chicago Fire. Matt Lampson and Cody Cropper are the inexperienced goalies. Chicago began in the eighteenth minute with a Nemanja Nikolic goal. Kelyn Rowe of New England had a yellow card for his twenty-first minute foul. The Fire added on with a Luis Solignac goal in the sixty-first minute, coming off of Michael de Leeuw. The Revolution got on the board with an Antonio Mlinar Delamea goal in the seventieth minute. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the man of the match being Nikolic for his goal and assist.

South again to Florida, where Orlando City SC hosts the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Joe Bendik play in the six-yard boxes. Orlando City started in the eighth minute with a Matias Perez Garcia goal, via Kaka and Giles Barnes. Montreal tied it in the sixteenth minute with a Blerim Dzemaili goal, courtesy of Ignacio Piatti. Laurent Ciman of the Impact had a yellow card for his foul in the eighteenth minute. Orlando City retook the lead with a Carlos Rivas goal in the twenty-third minute. In first half stoppage time, Dzemaili of Montreal had a yellow card for dissent. Daniel Lovitz of the Impact took a yellow card for his fifty-second minute foul. Montreal tied it again in the fifty-eighth minute on a Piatti goal, set up by Dzemaili and Matteo Mancosu. The Impact took the lead on a fifty-ninth minute goal by Piatti. Orlando City had yellow cards for Jose Aja in the sixtieth minute and Garcia in the eighty-ninth minute, both for fouls. Jonathan Spector of Orlando City tied it in second half stoppage time with his goal, passed from Garcia. The man of the 3-3 match was Piatti for his brace and assist.

In Canada, Toronto FC welcomes DC United. Bill Hamid and Alexander Bono are between the posts. Toronto's Victor Vazquez took a yellow card for his twenty-seventh minute foul. Toronto had a yellow card for Sebastian Giovinco's dissent in the fortieth minute. Toronto got going in the sixtieth minute with a Jozy Altidore goal, passed from Giovinco. In the sixty-fifth minute, Toronto's Altidore took a yellow card for a foul. DC had yellow cards given to Kofi Opare in the seventy-second minute and Ian Harkes in the eighty-third minute, both for fouls. Toronto added on in the eighty-fifth minute with a Jordan Hamilton goal, coming off of Giovinco. The man of the 2-0 match was Giovinco for his pair of assists.

Out in California, the San Jose Earthquakes bring in Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and David Bingham are the gloved men. San Jose had yellow cards for an Anibal Godoy foul in the seventy-third minute and dissent by Chris Wondolowski in the seventy-fourth minute. Kansas City saw yellow cards for Matt Besler in the seventy-eighth minute and Roger Espinoza in the eighty-sixth minute, both for fouls. The final held at 0-0, with the man of the match being Melia for his three-save clean sheet.

Backtracking to Colorado, where the Rapids host the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and Tim Howard guard the woodwork. Portland struck first in the eighteenth minute with a Sebastian Blanco goal, made possible by Diego Valeri. Colorado tied it in the fifty-first minute with a Dominque Badji goal, courtesy of Kevin Doyle. Valeri took a yellow card for his foul in the sixty-first minute for the Timbers. The Rapids pulled ahead on an eighty-ninth minute Alan Gordon goal, passed from Mohammed Saeid and Caleb Calvert. Colorado's Gordon took a yellow card for delaying the game in the ninetieth minute through his celebration. The Rapids won 2-1, and Badji was the man of the match.

Over in Utah, Real Salt Lake welcomes Minnesota United FC. Bobby Shuttleworth and Nick Rimando are the goalies. Minnesota's Brent Kallman took a yellow card for a foul in the twenty-first minute. Salt Lake had a yellow card for Kyle Beckerman's foul in the seventy-fourth minute. Real dented the scoreboard in the eighty-fourth minute with a Yura Movsisyan goal. Ibson of Minnesota took a yellow card for dissent in the eighty-sixth minute. The game ended at 1-0, with Movsisyan the man of the match.

Northwest to Vancouver, where the Whitecaps FC bring in FC Dallas. Jesse Gonzalez and David Ousted man the nets. Matias Laba of Vancouver took a yellow card for a handball in the forty-ninth minute. Dallas drew first blood in the fifty-second minute with a Maximiliano Urruti. The Whitecaps tied it on a seventy-fourth minute goal by Cristian Techera. Dallas' Atiba Harris took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The game ended 1-1, with the man of the match being Techera for the equalizer.

Saturday ends with the Los Angeles Galaxy hosting the Houston Dynamo. Tyler Deric and Clement Diop are called on to start in goal. Houston was first to score in the twenty-second minute with a Mauro Manotas goal. Los Angeles tied it in the thirty-fifth minute with an Emmanuel Boateng goal, helped along by Romain Alessandrini. The Dynamo took yellow cards for Alberth Elis in the fifty-eighth minute, Leonardo in the sixty-ninth minute, and Manotas in the seventy-third minute, all for fouls. Houston retook the lead in the seventy-fourth minute on an Elis goal, set up by Boniek Garcia. A.J. DeLaGarza of the Dynamo had a yellow card for dissent in stoppage time. The Galaxy tied it three minutes later with an Alessandrini goal, made possible by Bradford Jamieson and Jose Villarreal. Los Angeles' Nathan Smith had a yellow card for his foul three minutes after that. The man of the 2-2 match was Alessandrini for his equalizer and assist.

Finally, on Sunday, the Philadelphia Union host the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Andre Blake are the keepers. Philadelphia went down to ten men when Derrick Jones took a straight red card for violent conduct. Warren Creavalle of the Union had a yellow card for dissent in the sixty-seventh minute. New York saw yellow cards for fouls by Damien Perrinelle in the seventy-first minute and Aurelien Collin in the eighty-fourth minute. The Red Bulls cracked the scoresheet in the eighty-seventh minute on a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, assisted by Kemar Lawrence and Gonzalo Veron. New York iced it at 2-0 with a Wright-Phillips goal in stoppage time, made possible by Sal Zizzo and Veron. The man of the match was Wright-Phillips for his brace.

I'm currently having some technological issues, resulting in late publication for the MLS and NWSL action this week. I plan to have the NWSL fully covered by tomorrow night, and I apologize for the delay. I hope my issues will be resolved by the midweek games for MLS.

Sunday, June 11, 2017

2017 Stanley Cup Final: Pittsburgh Penguins VS. Nashville Predators

This is it for the NHL season this year. At the end of this post, the Stanley Cup Champions are crowned.

Game 1: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In goal: Pekka Rinne for the Predators and Matt Murray for the Penguins. Pittsburgh began in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his eighth of the postseason, powered by Trevor Daley and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins added on with a Conor Sheary goal, passed from Chris Kunitz and Crosby. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Nick Bonino scored his third of the playoffs, thanks to Brian Dumoulin. Nashville got on the board with a Ryan Ellis power play goal in the second period, his fifth of the postseason, with assists provided by P.K. Subban and Mike Fisher. The Predators got closer in the third period with a Colton Sissons power play goal, his sixth of the playoffs, made possible by Roman Josi and Calle Jarnkrok. Nashville tied it on a Frederick Gaudreau goal, assisted by Austin Watson and Fisher. The Penguins reclaimed the lead on a Jake Guentzel goal, his tenth of the postseason, helped along by Matt Cullen and Justin Schultz. Pittsburgh won 5-3 with an empty net goal by Bonino, his fourth of the playoffs, set up by Kunitz. The three stars went to Bonino, Kunitz, and Crosby, while Fisher gets an honorable mention. The Penguins have a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In goal: Pekka Rinne for the Predators and Matt Murray for the Penguins. Nashville led off in the first period with a Pontus Aberg goal, his second of the postseason, passed from Viktor Arvidsson and Mike Fisher. Pittsburgh tied it on a Jake Guentzel goal, his eleventh of the playoffs, guided in by Conor Sheary and Chris Kunitz. The Penguins took the lead in the third period with Guentzel's second of the game and twelfth of the postseason, fueled by Bryan Rust and Ron Hainsey. Pittsburgh added on with a Scott Wilson goal, his third of the playoffs, assisted by Phil Kessel and Matt Cullen. The Penguins extended the lead as Evgeni Malkin scored his ninth of the postseason, helepd along by Kunitz and Ian Cole. Juuse Saros replaced Rinne in goal. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Guentzel, Murray (37 for 38 in saves), and Kunitz. The Penguins leave home with a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee. In goal: Matt Murray for the Penguins and Pekka Rinne for the Predators. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his thirteenth of the postseason, coming off of Ian Cole and Sidney Crosby. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Roman Josi power play goal, his sixth of the playoffs, powered by Calle Jarnkrok and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators took the lead on a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his second of the postseason, fueled by Austin Watson and Josi. Nashville added on with a James Neal goal, his sixth of the playoffs, helped along by Viktor Arvidsson and Josi. The Predators extended the lead as Craig Smith scored an unassisted goal in the third period. Nashville padded the lead with an Ekholm power play goal, with helpers from Jarnkrok and Colton Sissons. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Josi, Ekholm, and Rinne (27 for 28 in saves), while Jarnkrok gets an honorable mention. The series is now favoring the Penguins by a 2-1 margin.

Game 4: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee. In goal: Matt Murray for the Penguins and Pekka Rinne for the Predators. Nashville started in the first period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his second of the postseason, via Craig Smith and Austin Watson. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby goal, his eighth of the playoffs, coming off of Brian Dumoulin. The Predators retook the lead in the second period with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his third of the postseason, assisted by Ryan Ellis and Harry Zolnierczyk. Nashville added on with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his third of the playoffs, passed from Mike Fisher and James Neal. The Predators iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal in the third period by Filip Forsberg, his ninth of the postseason, set up by Mattias Ekholm and P.K. Subban. The three stars were Gaudreau, Rinne (23 for 24 in saves), and Arvidsson. The series heads north again tied at 2.

Game 5: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In goal: Pekka Rinne for the Predators and Matt Murray for the Penguins. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Justin Schultz power play goal, his fourth of the postseason, powered by Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins added on with a Bryan Rust goal, his seventh of the playoffs, passed from Chris Kunitz and Trevor Daley. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Evgeni Malkin scored his tenth of the postseason, thanks to Phil Kessel and Ron Hainsey. Juuse Saros replaced Rinne to start the second period. The Penguins padded the lead on a Conor Sheary goal, his second of the playoffs, helped along by Crosby and Jake Guentzel. Pittsburgh continued on a Kessel goal, his eighth of the postseason, made possible by Olli Maatta and Crosby, who earned a sock trick. The Penguins struck again with a Hainsey goal, his second of the playoffs, fueled by Malkin and Kessel. This produced the 6-0 final, with the three stars given to Kessel, Malkin, and Crosby, while Hainsey gets an honorable mention. The Penguins will get up to two chances to win the Cup, leading the series 3-2 as they leave home. 

Game 6: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee. In goal: Matt Murray for the Penguins and Pekka Rinne for the Predators. Pittsburgh got going in the third period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his fifth of the postseason, coming off of Justin Schultz and Chris Kunitz. The Penguins iced it at 2-0 with a Carl Hagelin empty net goal, his second of the playoffs, set up by Brian Dumoulin. The three stars were Murray (27 save shutout), Hornqvist, and Rinne (27 for 28 in saves). The Penguins won the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive year by a 4-2 series margin. Sidney Crosby earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP for the second year in a row as well.

That's it for hockey on this blog until October. Viewership has been down recently, and with only soccer occasionally over the next four months, I expect that trend to continue. I should be able to return to NHL coverage in the fall, but many things will change in my life between now and then. I hope to be employed as a writer for another site at some point, at which time I will let you know where you can follow my work going forward. If not writing, I will be doing a retail job of some variety, and I may not have the time to keep up with the blog. If this occurs, that will be the end of my self-driven publishing career. I hope it doesn't come to that, but there's a chance it could. If you enjoy MLS or NWSL action, continue to follow along as I work through their respective seasons. Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0, and I enjoy returning in the fall if I can.