Saturday, August 5, 2017

NWSL 2017: Week 16

The league is back after an international break, with two games on Friday and three more on Saturday. First up...

The Boston Breakers host FC Kansas City. Nicole Barnhart and Sammy Jo Prudhomme play in goal. Kansas City opened in the twenty-first minute with a Maegan Kelly goal, assisted by Christina Gibbons and Desiree Scott. Boston tied it in the twenty-sixth minute with a long-distance shot from Rosie White, set up by Katie Stengel. The Breakers took the lead in the thirtieth minute with another goal by White, coming off a corner kick executed by Adriana Leon and Morgan Andrews. Kansas City tied it in the eighty-first minute on an Erika Tymrak goal through traffic. The game ended 2-2, with White named woman of the match. The Breakers also got good games out of Julie King, Andrews, and Leon, while Kansas City's best were Kelly, Scott, and Gibbons.

In New Jersey, Sky Blue FC welcomes the Washington Spirit. Stephanie Labbe and Kailen Sheridan are the Canadian goalies. Sky Blue started in the second minute with a Maya Hayes goal, via Daphne Corboz, who touched a cross from McKenzie Meehan. Washington tied it in the fifty-first minute with am Arielle Ship goal, set up by Havana Solaun. The Spirit's Whitney Church took a yellow card for a fifty-seventh minute foul. Washington took the lead on a Cheyna Williams goal in the sixty-first minute, coming off of Ship and the keeper Labbe on a broken defensive play from Sky Blue. The Spirit added on in the seventy-third minute with a Meggie Dougherty Howard goal, passed from Ship. In the eighty-seventh minute, Sky Blue's Sarah Killion fouled Dougherty Howard in the box, and Solaun made the penalty kick to extend the Washington lead. This made it 4-1, the final, with the woman of the match being Ship. Other Spirit stars were Williams, Dougherty Howard, Whitney Church, and Estelle Johnson, while Sky Blue's best were Hayes, Meehan, and Corboz.

On Saturday, the first game sees the Portland Thorns FC host the Houston Dash. Jane Campbell and Adrianna Franch protect the nets. Portland led off in the twelfth minute with an Emily Sonnett goal, set up by Tyler Lussi and Meghan Klingenberg from a free kick. Houston's Caity Heap took a yellow card for a twenty-second minute foul. The Dash tied it in the thirty-third minute on a Carli Lloyd penalty kick, after Heap was taken down by Lindsey Horan in the box. The Thorns retook the lead with a Lussi goal in the thirty-ninth minute after Klingenberg made a run into the offensive third. Lloyd of Houston had a yellow card for her foul in the fortieth minute. The game ended at 2-1, with the woman of the match being Klingenberg. Sonnett, Lussi, and Christine Sinclair also did well for the Thorns, while Cami Levin, Heap, and Lloyd were best for the Dash.

Back east, the North Carolina Courage bring in the Seattle Reign FC. Haley Kopmeyer and Katelyn Rowland are the keepers. Seattle saw a yellow card for a twenty-fourth minute Rebekah Stott foul. North Carolina began in the thirty-second minute with a Lynn Williams goal, via Makenzy Doniak. The Reign's Lauren Barnes took a yellow card for her eighty-sixth minute foul. The game ended 1-0 for the Courage, with Williams the woman of the match, while Abby Erceg and McCall Zerboni also played well for the Courage. Seattle's best were Barnes, Merritt Mathias, and Jess Fishlock.

Finally, the Orlando Pride host the Chicago Red Stars. Alyssa Naeher and Aubrey Bledsoe guard the woodwork. Orlando struck first in the twenty-fourth minute with an Alex Morgan goal, passed from Jasmyne Spencer. Sam Johnson of Chicago had a yellow card for her fifty-first minute foul. The Red Stars tied it in the fifty-third minute with a Sofia Huerta goal, made possible by Jen Hoy. Alanna Kennedy of the Pride took a yellow card for a sixty-ninth minute foul. The final held at 1-1, with the woman of the match being Huerta, while Naeher, Alyssa Mautz, and Hoy did well for Chicago and Morgan, Spencer, Jamia Fields, and Ali Krieger led the way for Orlando.

NWSL Team of the Week
GK Alyssa Naeher
RB Estelle Johnson
CB Emily Sonnett
CB Abby Erceg
LB Meghan Klingenberg
DM Desiree Scott
DM Meggie Dougherty Howard
AM Rosie White
FW Arielle Ship
FW Sofia Huerta
FW Lynn Williams

Sunday, July 30, 2017

MLS 2017: Week 21

All teams are in action after the Gold Cup, with ten games on Saturday and one more on Sunday. We begin in...

Georgia, as Atlanta United FC hosts Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Brad Guzan man the nets. Yamil Asad of Atlanta had a yellow card for a foul in the twenty-fourth minute. Orlando City opened in the fortieth minute with a Kaka goal, made possible by Cyle Larin. Cristian Higuita took a yellow card for Orlando City for his fifty-sixth minute foul, as did Atlanta's Hector Villalba. Orlando City's Will Johnson took a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-sixth minute. Atlanta tied it on a Villalba goal in stoppage time, via Asad and Miguel Almiron. The game ended at 1-1, with the man of the match being Villalba.

Up in New England, the Revolution welcome the Philadelphia Union. John McCarthy and Cody Cropper draw the starts in goal. Philadelphia had a yellow card for a foul by Oguchi Onyewu in the twenty-ninth minute. New England saw a yellow card for Gershon Koffie's foul in the thirty-fourth minute. The Revolution started in the thirty-eighth minute with a Kei Kamara goal, helped along by Kelyn Rowe and Scott Caldwell. Giliano Wijnaldum of the Union took a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-sixth minute. New England added on in the eighty-fifth minute with a Kamara goal, passed from Andrew Farrell and Lee Nguyen. The Revolution extended the lead in the eighty-ninth minute as Juan Agudelo scored, thanks to Caldwell and Nguyen. This produced the 3-0 final, with Kamara named man of the match for his brace.

Over to the New York Red Bulls bringing in the Montreal Impact. Maxime Crepeau and Luis Robles play goal. New York led off in the twenty-third minute with a Daniel Royer penalty kick goal. The Red Bulls had a yellow card for a fifty-seventh minute foul by Aaron Long. New York added on with a fifty-eighth minute goal by Michael Murillo. The Red Bulls extended the lead as Bradley Wright-Phillips scored in the eighty-fifth minute, thanks to Alex Muyl and Sacha Kljestan. New York padded the lead in the eighty-ninth minute with another Royer goal, via Derrick Etienne. Montreal had a yellow card for a Laurent Ciman foul in stoppage time. The game ended 4-0, with Royer's brace making him the man of the match.

In Texas, FC Dallas hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Jesse Gonzalez are between the posts. Vancouver began in the eighteenth minute with a Bernie Ibini-Isei goal, assisted by Fredy Montero. The Whitecaps added on in the forty-ninth minute with a Montero penalty kick goal. Dallas went down to ten men in the fifty-ninth minute with a straight red card for violent conduct by Carlos Gruezo. Vancouver extended the lead in the sixty-seventh minute with a Montero goal, with the help of Tony Tchani and Matias Laba. In the seventy-ninth minute, Yordy Reyna of the Whitecaps had a yellow card for a foul. Vancouver padded the lead on an eighty-third minute Nicolas Mezquida goal, guided in by Sheanon Williams. Atiba Harris of Dallas had a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-ninth minute. The game stayed at 4-0, with Montero the man of the match for his brace and assist.

In the same state, the Houston Dynamo welcome the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and Tyler Deric are the gloved men. Portland struck first in the thirteenth minute with a Diego Valeri goal, passed from Zarek Valentin and Darlington Nagbe. Houston tied it in the thirty-seventh minute with a Mauro Manotas goal. The Timbers took the lead back in the forty-third minute with a Sebastian Blanco goal, coming off of Valeri. Portland had yellow cards for fouls by Roy Miller in the sixty-fifth minute and Diego Chara in the sixty-eighth minute. The Dynamo tied it on a Juan Cabezas goal in the eighty-first minute, made possible by Memo Rodriguez. In the eighty-fifth minute, Houston's Cabezas took a yellow card for persistent infringement. The result was a 2-2 draw, with the man of the match being Valeri.

Back north, Sporting Kansas City brings in the Chicago Fire. Matt Lampson and Tim Melia are the gloved men. Kansas City was first to score in the twenty-third minute with a Daniel Salloi goal. Chicago tied it in the twenty-eighth minute when Sporting's Matt Besler committed an own goal. Sporting took the lead back with a Benny Feilhaber goal in first half stoppage time. Kansas City added on with a Latif Blessing goal, via Diego Rubio and Salloi in the fifty-first minute. In the seventy-sixth minute, the Fire's Juninho took a yellow card for a foul. Chicago got a goal back with a seventy-eighth minute David Accam goal, assisted by Patrick Doody and Dax McCarty. The Fire's Joao Meira took a yellow card for a ninetieth minute foul. Sporting won 3-2, with Salloi the man of the match.

Further north, Minnesota United FC hosts DC United. Bill Hamid and Bobby Shuttleworth are in the six-yard boxes. Minnesota opened in the seventh minute with a Christian Ramirez goal, via Kevin Molino. DC had a yellow card for a thirty-sixth minute foul by Taylor Kemp. Minnesota added on in the fortieth minute with an Abu Danladi goal, helped along by Molino. In the fifty-eighth minute, DC's Jared Jeffrey committed an own goal to extend the Minnesota lead. Minnesota had yellow cards for time wasting by Shuttleworth in the seventy-ninth minute and Sam Cronin's eighty-sixth minute foul. Minnesota iced it at 4-0 in stoppage time with a Miguel Ibarra goal, created by Johan Venegas. the man of the match was Molino for his two assists.

West to Utah, where Real Salt Lake welcomes the Columbus Crew SC. Zack Steffen and Nick Rimando guard the woodwork. Columbus started in the fifteenth minute with an Ola Kamara goal, guided in by Connor Maloney. Salt Lake tied it on a fiftieth minute Joao Plata penalty kick goal. Real took the lead with a fifty-third minute Jefferson Savarino goal, courtesy of Luis Silva. The Crew retied it on a Kamara goal in the sixtieth minute. Sebastian Saucedo of Salt Lake had a yellow card in the eighty-eighth minute for a dive. The final held at 2-2, with the man of the match being Kamara for his brace.

In California, the San Jose Earthquakes bring in the Colorado Rapids. Zac MacMath and David Bingham are set to start in goal. Mike da Fonte of Colorado had a yellow card for his foul in the thirty-seventh minute. San Jose got going in the fifty-ninth minute with a Nick Lima goal, fueled by Darwin Ceren and Shea Salinas. The Earthquakes had a yellow card for a seventy-seventh minute foul by Andres Imperiale. The final stood at 1-0, with Lima the man of the match.

Saturday ends with the Los Angeles Galaxy hosting the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Brian Rowe protect the nets. Los Angeles saw yellow cards for fouls by Jermaine Jones in the forty-second minute and Jelle Van Damme in first half stoppage time. The Galaxy's Bradley Diallo had a yellow card for a foul in the eightieth minute. Seattle had a yellow card for a Joevin Jones foul in the eighty-third minute. Los Angeles' Romain Alessandrini received a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-fifth minute. The Galaxy went down to ten men in the eighty-sixth minute with a second yellow card to Van Damme for a foul. The score held at a 0-0 draw, with Chad Marshall of the Sounders named man of the match.

On Sunday, Toronto FC hosts New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Alexander Bono are the keepers. Toronto dented the scoreboard in the thirty-second minute with a Sebastian Giovinco goal, assisted by Marco Delgado. Toronto added on in the sixty-seventh minute with a Giovinco goal. Alexander Callens of New York City took a yellow card for a seventy-fourth minute foul. Toronto extended the lead as Jozy Altidore buried the ensuing penalty kick in the seventy-fifth minute. Toronto's Raheem Edwards received a yellow card for his eightieth minute foul. Toronto padded the lead as Edwards made amends with a goal in the eighty-second minute, set up by Giovinco. This made it 4-0, the final, with the man of the match being Giovinco.

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Wednesday, July 26, 2017

MLS Midweek: July 26, 2017

Just one midweek game this time, as the Philadelphia Union host the Columbus Crew SC. Zack Steffen and John McCarthy draw the starts in goal. Philadelphia opened in the twentieth minute with an Ilsinho goal, passed from C.J. Sapong. In the thirty-first minute, Giliano Wijnaldum of the Union had a yellow card for his foul. Columbus went down to ten men in the thirty-fifth minute with a straight red card for Jonathan Mensah's denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. The Crew saw a yellow card for dissent given to Lalas Abubakar in the thirty-sixth minute. Philadelphia's Raymon Gaddis had a yellow card for a thirty-ninth minute foul. The Union added on in the sixty-sixth minute with a Sapong goal. Columbus went down to nine men in the seventy-sixth minute when Abubakar took a second yellow card for a foul. Philadelphia extended the lead in the eighty-first minute with a Marcus Epps goal, made possible by Sapong and Ilsinho. This made it 3-0, the final, with the man of the match being Sapong.

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Sunday, July 23, 2017

MLS 2017: Week 20

We've got a big weekend ahead, as play fully resumes from the Gold Cup break. We begin on Friday with...

Orlando City SC hosting Atlanta United FC. Brad Guzan and Joe Bendik draw the starts in goal. Orlando City's Kaka took a yellow card for a foul in the sixth minute. Atlanta had a yellow card for a Leandro Gonzalez Pirez foul in the thirty-eighth minute. Orlando City saw a yellow card for a sixtieth minute foul by Will Johnson. Atlanta saw a yellow card for time wasting by Julian Gressel as he was subbed out in the sixty-seventh minute. Atlanta's Michael Parkhurst had a yellow card for a foul in the eightieth minute. Atlanta got going in the eighty-sixth minute on a Hector Villalba goal, passed from Greg Garza. The final stood at 1-0, with the man of the match being Villalba for his winner.

On Saturday, the first of eight games has New York City FC welcoming the Chicago Fire. Matt Lampson and Sean Johnson protect the nets. New York City went down to ten men in the twelfth minute after Yangel Herrera took a second yellow card for a foul, his first offense being in the eighth minute. Joao Meira of Chicago had a yellow card for a forty-fourth minute foul. New York City dented the scoreboard in the forty-seventh minute with a David Villa goal, via Jonathan Lewis. New York City added on in the fiftieth minute with a Frederic Brillant goal. The Fire got on the board in the fifty-fourth minute with a David Accam goal. Chicago's Johan Kappelhof took a yellow card for his foul in the sixty-first minute. New York City saw yellow cards for Jack Harrison's eighty-third minute foul and time wasting by Brillant in the eighty-seventh minute. Despite the disadvantage in manpower, New York City won 2-1, with Brillant the man of the match.

West to Minnesota United FC bringing in the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Bobby Shuttleworth are in goal. New York began in the sixteenth minute with a Daniel Royer goal, via Felipe. The Red Bulls saw a yellow card for a thirty-seventh minute Tyler Adams foul. Brent Kallman of Minnesota had a yellow card for a fifty-third minute foul. In the sixty-seventh minute, Ibson of Minnesota took a yellow card for dissent, and the Red Bulls added on with a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, made possible by Royer. New York extended the lead in the ninetieth minute with an Alex Muyl goal, passed from Sacha Kljestan and Sean Davis. This made it 3-0, the final, with the man of the match being Royer.

Back east, DC United host the Houston Dynamo. Tyler Deric and Travis Worra are the keepers. Houston led off in the sixth minute with an Andrew Wenger goal, via Alex. In the thirteenth minute, the Dynamo's Alex took a yellow card for his foul. Houston added on in the fifteenth minute with a Mauro Manotas goal, coming off of Alex. The Dynamo extended the lead as Memo Rodriguez scored in the seventeenth minute, with the help of Wenger and Alex. DC got on the board in the sixty-second minute with a Bobby Boswell goal, guided in by Lloyd sam and Jared Jeffrey. DC had yellow cards for fouls by Nick DeLeon in the sixty-third minute and Jeffrey in the seventy-second minute. Houston saw yellow cards for Deric's time wasting and Wenger's foul in stoppage time. They still won 3-1, with the man of the match being Wenger.

Up in Canada, Toronto FC welcomes the Colorado Rapids. Zac MacMath and Clint Irwin draw the starts in goal. Toronto opened in the fifth minute with a Jay Chapman goal. Chris Mavinga of Toronto had a yellow card for a twenty-sixth minute foul. Colorado saw a yellow card for a forty-fourth minute foul by Axel Sjoberg. The Rapids tied it on a seventy-sixth minute goal by Dominique Badji, coming off of Alan Gordon. Marlon Hairston of Colorado took a yellow card for his foul in stoppage time. The final stood at 1-1, with the man of the match being Badji.

Back stateside, the Columbus Crew SC bring in the Philadelphia Union. John McCarthy and Zack Steffen are in the six-yard boxes. Columbus drew first blood in the sixty-fifth minute with a Justin Meram goal, set up by Artur. Philadelphia saw a yellow card for a sixty-eighth minute foul by Jack Elliott. The game ended at 1-0, with the man of the match being Meram.

In Canada again, the Montreal Impact host FC Dallas. Chris Seitz and Evan Bush are the goalies. Montreal started in the twenty-third minute with a Michael Salazar goal, passed from Matteo Mancosu. In the forty-third minute, the Impact's Mancosu took a yellow card for a foul. Dallas' Maynor Figueroa had a yellow card for his forty-fourth minute foul. Dallas got on the board in the fifty-second minute with a Cristian Colman goal, fueled by Maximiliano Urruti and Roland Lamah. Hernan Grana of Dallas took a yellow card for a fifty-fifth minute foul. Dallas took the lead with a Colman goal in the sixty-second minute, assisted by Carlos Gruezo. Victor Ulloa of Dallas had a yellow card in the sixty-sixth minute for a foul. The final stood at 2-1, with Colman's brace making him the man of the match.

Stateside again, as the New England Revolution welcome the Los Angeles Galaxy. Brian Rowe and Brad Knighton are between the posts. New England struck first in the sixteenth minute with a Lee Nguyen goal, via Diego Fagundez. Los Angeles tied it in the twenty-second minute on a Daniel Steres goal, fueled by Romain Alessandrini and Rafael Garcia. The Revolution took the lead back in the thirty-fourth minute on a Kei Kamara goal, courtesy of Fagundez. Andrew Farrell of New England had a yellow card for a thirty-eighth minute foul. The Galaxy saw yellow cards for fouls by Bradley Diallo and Jack McBean in the forty-second and forty-fourth minutes, respectively. Los Angeles retied it in the fifty-third minute on another Steres goal. The Revolution had yellow cards for fouls by Antonio Mlinar Delamea in the fifty-sixth minute, Chris Tierney in the sixty-sixth minute, and Fagundez in the sixty-ninth minute. New England retook the lead on a seventieth minute Teal Bunbury goal, helped along by Kelyn Rowe. The Revolution added on with a seventy-third minute Bunbury goal, made possible by Farrell and Kamara. The Galaxy got one back in the seventy-ninth minute with an Ariel Lassiter goal. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the man of the match being Fagundez.

Saturday ends with Real Salt Lake bringing in Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Nick Rimando are given the starts in goal. Roger Espinoza of Kansas City had a yellow card for a fortieth minute foul. Salt Lake was first to score in the forty-third minute with a Luis Silva goal, helped along by Joao Plata and Danilo Acosta. Ilie Sanchez of Sporting took a yellow card for a foul in the forty-seventh minute. Real had yellow cards for fouls by Sunny in the fifty-third minute and Acosta in the fifty-sixth minute. Kansas City tied it on a fifty-ninth minute Benny Feilhaber penalty kick goal. Tony Beltran of Salt Lake had a yellow card for a seventy-first minute foul. Gerso Fernandes of Sporting took a yellow card for his seventy-seventh minute foul. The game ended at 1-1, with the man of the match being Melia (five for six in saves).

On Sunday, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC host the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and David Ousted are the keepers. Portland got on the board first with a fourteenth minute Jeremy Ebobisse goal, set up by Dairon Asprilla and Sebastian Blanco. Vancouver tied it in the forty-fifth minute with an Andrew Jacobson goal, via Tim Parker and Christian Bolanos. Nicolas Mezquida of the Whitecaps took a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. The Timbers took the lead back in the forty-ninth minute with a Blanco goal, coming off of Ebobisse. In the seventy-seventh minute, Vancouver's Ousted had a yellow card for dissent. Portland saw yellow cards for persistent infringement by Roy Miller in the seventy-ninth minute, time wasting by Jack Barmby in the eighty-fourth minute, and a foul by Ben Zemanski in the ninetieth minute. The final held at 2-1, with the man of the match being Blanco.

Finally, the Seattle Sounders FC host the San Jose Earthquakes. David Bingham and Stefan Frei tend the nets. Seattle cracked the scoresheet in the fifty-fourth minute with a Cristian Roldan goal, via Gustav Svensson and Kelvin Leerdam. The Sounders added on in the fifty-sixth minute with a Roldan goal. San Jose had yellow cards for fouls by Jackson Yueill in the fifty-seventh minute and Anibal Godoy in the sixtieth minute. Seattle extended the lead in the sixty-fifth minute as Leerdam scored, thanks to Joevin Jones. Andres Imperiale of the Earthquakes had a yellow card for an eighty-seventh minute foul. The final was 3-0, with Roldan named man of the match for his quick brace.

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NWSL 2017: Week 15

Only four of the five scheduled games got completed this weekend, with FC Kansas City and the North Carolina Courage succumbing to some brutal Midwest weather. The other four begin with...

The Chicago Red Stars hosing the Orlando Pride. Aubrey Bledsoe and Alyssa Naeher make the starts in goal. Chicago led off in the twenty-ninth minute with a Christen Press goal, via Sofia Huerta. The Red Stars added on with a fifty-second minute Press goal, coming off of Jen Hoy. Orlando's Marta took a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-sixth minute. The Pride got on the board in stoppage time with an Alanna Kennedy goal, made possible by Rachel Hill. This only made it 2-1, the final, with Press named woman of the match. Huerta, Taylor Comeau, and Hoy also impressed for the Red Stars, while Orlando's best were Steph Catley, Kennedy, Dani Weatherholt, and Marta.

Down in Houston, the Dash welcome the Boston Breakers. Abby Smith and Jane Campbell protect the nets. Houston began in the twenty-third minute with a Nichelle Prince goal, set up by Andressinha. This stood for a 1-0 win for the Dash, led by the woman of the match, the keeper Campbell for her four-save clean sheet. Prince, Rachel Daly, Andressinha, and Cami Levin did well for Houston, while Boston's best were Brooke Elby, Morgan Andrews, Midge Purce, and Adriana Leon.

In the northwest, the Portland Thorns FC bring in the Washington Spirit. Stephanie Labbe and Adrianna Franch play goal. Washington's Arielle Ship took a yellow card for a twelfth minute foul. Portland's Ashleigh Sykes received a yellow card for a thirtieth minute foul. The Spirit opened in the fifty-eighth minute with a Havana Solaun goal, who just tapped it in after a prior shot off the post from Mallory Pugh's service. The Thorns tied it in the sixty-second minute with an Allie Long, assisted by Tyler Lussi after an Emily Sonnett free kick. In the seventy-second minute, Caprice Dydasco took a yellow card for a foul for Washington. The Thorns took the lead in the eightieth minute with a Mallory Weber goal, via Sykes. The final remained at 2-1 for Portland, with Long the woman of the match, and other Thorns stars being Sonnett, Franch, and Lussi. The Spirit's best were Shelina Zadorsky, Tori Huster, Pugh, and Solaun.

Finally, the Seattle Reign FC host Sky Blue FC. Kailen Sheridan and Haley Kopmeyer are the gloved women. Seattle started in the twenty-seventh minute with a Megan Rapinoe free kick goal. The Reign's Merritt Mathias took a yellow card for a foul in the thirtieth minute. Seattle added on in the forty-seventh minute when Rapinoe scored again after Beverly Yanez earned a penalty kick. The Reign extended the lead as Yanez scored in the forty-ninth minute, thanks to Nahomi Kawasumi and Rapinoe. Seattle padded the lead in the fifty-sixth minute with an own goal by Sky Blue's Erica Skroski, off a cross from Rapinoe. Sky Blue got on the board when Leah Galton controversially won a penalty kick against Mathias, and Kelley O'Hara buried the spot kick. Sky Blue got closer with a sixty-fourth minute Galton goal on a rebound from a Kopmeyer save. Sky Blue chipped closer in the seventy-second minute with a Daphne Corboz goal. Sky Blue tied it on a seventy-sixth minute goal by Sam Kerr, assisted by Corboz. Rapinoe took a yellow card for the Reign in the eightieth minute for her foul. Seattle retook the lead with Rapinoe finishing her hat trick in the eighty-seventh minute, with an assist from Katie Johnson. Sky Blue's Madison Tiernan received a yellow card for an eighty-ninth minute foul. The final was a wild 5-4, with Rapinoe the woman of the match. Also strong for the Reign were Yanez, Kawasumi, and Carson Pickett, while Sky Blue's best were O'Hara, Galton, Kerr, and Corboz.

NWSL Best XI of the Week
GK Jane Campbell
RB Brooke Elby
CB Shelina Zadorsky
CB Emily Sonnett
LB Cami Levin
DM Allie Long
AM Leah Galton
AM Daphne Corboz
FW Christen Press
FW Megan Rapinoe
FW Beverly Yanez

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

MLS Midweek: July 19, 2017

Seven games on at midweek this time. We begin in...

Montreal, as the Impact host the Philadelphia Union. John McCarthy and Evan Bush draw the starts in goal. Montreal opened in the nineteenth minute with a Michael Salazar goal, via Chris Duvall. Roland Alberg of Philadelphia had a yellow card for a twenty-ninth minute foul. Louis Beland-Goyette of the Impact took a yellow card for his thirty-second minute foul. The Union tied it in the forty-third minute with a Fabrice-Jean Picault goal. Raymon Gaddis of Philadelphia received a yellow card for a forty-fifth minute foul. Montreal reclaimed the lead with a fifty-first minute goal by Blerim Dzemaili, assisted by Salazar. The Union saw yellow cards for fouls by Jack Elliott in the seventy-seventh minute and Oguchi Onyewu in stoppage time. Hernan Bernardello of the Impact took a yellow card four minutes into stoppage time for his foul. Montreal won 2-1, with Salazar the man of the match.

Down to the New York Red Bulls welcoming the San Jose Earthquakes. David Bingham and Luis Robles play goal. Daniel Royer of New York had a yellow card for a twenty-fourth minute foul. The Red Bulls started in the thirty-eighth minute on a Sean Davis goal, via Connor Lade and Sacha Kljestan. San Jose had a yellow card for a sixty-third minute foul by Andres Imperiale. New York added on in the seventy-third minute with a Kljestan goal. The Red Bulls extended the lead as Felipe scored in the seventy-fifth minute, thanks to Kljestan. The Earthquakes got on the board in the eighty-eighth minute with a Valeri Kazaishvili goal, passed from Jahmir Hyka. New York shot back on a ninetieth minute goal by Royer, helped along by Derrick Etienne. The Red Bulls capped it at 5-1 with another Royer goal a minute later, made possible by Gonzalo Veron. The man of the match was Royer for his late brace.

Over in the Bronx, New York City FC brings in Toronto FC. Alexander Bono and Sean Johnson are the keepers. Toronto led off in the eleventh minute with an Ashtone Morgan goal, coming off of Ben Spencer. New York City's Thomas McNamara took a yellow card for a twenty-third minute foul. Toronto saw yellow cards for a foul by Drew Moor in the twenty-sixth minute and time wasting by the keeper Bono in the thirty-fourth minute. New York City tied it in first half stoppage time on a David Villa goal, courtesy of Jack Harrison. New York City took the lead with a fifty-sixth minute Maximiliano Moralez goal, assisted by Villa. Yangel Herrera of New York City took a yellow card for a sixty-sixth minute foul. Toronto's Morgan had a yellow card for his seventieth minute foul. In second half stoppage time, RJ Allen of New York City had a yellow card for a foul, leading to Toronto's equalizing penalty kick goal by Victor Vazquez. The result was a 2-2 draw, with the man of the match being Villa.

West to Minnesota United FC hosting the Houston Dynamo. Tyler Deric and Bobby Shuttleworth are the veterans in goal. Ismaila Jome of Minnesota had a yellow card in the thirty-sixth minute for a foul. Houston's Ricardo Clark took a yellow card for a forty-fifth minute foul. Adolfo Machado of the Dynamo had a yellow card for a sixty-third minute foul. Minnesota saw yellow cards in stoppage time for fouls by Brent Kallman and Collin Martin. The final was 0-0, and Shuttleworth's four-save clean sheet made him the man of the match.

In California, the Los Angeles Galaxy welcome the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Brian Rowe are in the six-yard boxes. Vancouver's Tony Tchani had a yellow card for a twenty-third minute foul. Tchani made up for it by getting the Whitecaps going with his sixty-fourth minute goal, passed from Christian Bolanos. Los Angeles had a yellow card for a Joao Pedro foul in stoppage time. Vancouver won 1-0, with Tchani the man of the match.

Up in Portland, the Timbers bring in Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Jake Gleeson are the gloved men. Salt Lake began in the tenth minute with a Kyle Beckerman goal, via Tony Beltran. Lawrence Olum of Portland had a yellow card for a twenty-eighth minute foul, followed into the book by teammate Zarek Valentin in the forty-first minute for his foul. Real's Albert Rusnak took a yellow card for a forty-second minute foul. In first half stoppage time, the Timbers' Diego Valeri had a yellow card for dissent. Danilo Acosta of Salt Lake took a yellow card for a forty-sixth minute foul. Real added on in the fiftieth minute with a Joao Plata goal in the fiftieth minute. In the fifty-third minute, Portland went down to ten men when Victor Arboleda took a straight red card for his foul. Tensions remained high in the fifty-fifth minute, when the Timbers went to nine men and Salt Lake stayed just a man up at ten men as both Fanendo Adi and Beckerman received straight red cards for violent conduct. David Horst of Real had a yellow card for a fifty-seventh minute foul. Salt Lake extended the lead in the sixty-eighth minute as Rusnak scored, thanks to Jefferson Savarino. Real padded the lead as on a Plata goal, made possible by Acosta, in the eightieth minute. Jack Barmby of Portland had a yellow card for his eighty-first minute foul. The Timbers got on the board with a Barmby goal in second half stoppage time, coming off of Ben Zemanski. The final stood at 4-1, with the man of the match being Plata.

Finally, in Seattle, the Sounders FC host DC United. Travis Worra and Tyler Miller are the backups in goal. DC struck first in the eighth minute with a Deshorn Brown goal, via Patrick Nyarko. DC added on in the twenty-seventh minute with an Ian Harkes goal, courtesy of Sean Franklin. Marcelo Sarvas of DC had a yellow card for persistent infringement in the thirty-third minute. DC extended the lead in the fiftieth minute as Lloyd Sam scored, thanks to Luciano Acosta. Seattle got on the board in the fifty-first minute with a Will Bruin goal, coming off of Joevin Jones. The Sounders pulled closer with a sixty-second minute Brad Evans goal, passed from Jones and Nouhou Tolo. Seattle tied it in the seventy-fourth minute on a Gustav Svensson goal, made possible by Nicolas Lodeiro. The Sounders took the lead with a Cristian Roldan goal in the seventy-eighth minute, assisted by Bruin. In the eighty-ninth minute, Seattle went down to ten men as Lodeiro earned a straight red card for violent conduct. The Sounders held on to win 4-3, with Roldan the man of the match for the historic winner, as this marks the first time a team has overcome such a deficit to win in regulation.

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Sunday, July 16, 2017

NWSL 2017 - Week 14

We're back with a full week of games, all on Saturday. First up...

The Portland Thorns FC host the North Carolina Courage. Katelyn Rowland and Adrianna Franch play in goal. North Carolina saw a yellow card for Taylor Smith's fifty-eighth minute foul. Portland had a yellow card for a foul by Hayley Raso in the sixty-second minute. Raso made amends in the seventieth minute, getting the Thorns going with her goal, assisted by Meghan Klingenberg. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the woman of the match being Raso, while the Thorns also got good games from Klingenberg, Lindsey Horan, and Ashleigh Sykes. The Courage's best performances came from Smith, Abby Erceg, and McCall Zerboni.

In New Jersey, Sky Blue FC welcomes the Chicago Red Stars. Alyssa Naeher and Kailen Sheridan protect the nets. In the second minute, Sky Blue's Nikki Stanton took a yellow card for her foul. Chicago opened in the fourth minute with a Sofia Huerta goal, passed from Christen Press. The Red Stars added on in the twenty-sixth minute with a Press goal, set up by Vanessa DiBernardo. Sky Blue got on the board with a Maya Hayes goal, after Naeher made the initial save. In the thirty-eighth minute, Sky Blue's Sam Kerr received a yellow card for a foul. In the seventy-fourth minute, Sky Blue's Erica Skroski took a yellow card for her foul. In the seventy-ninth minute, Sky Blue's Kelley O'Hara received a yellow card for a foul. Sky Blue tied it in the ninetieth minute with a Kerr goal, fueled by Sarah Killion. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with the woman of the match being Press, while Huerta, Arin Gilliland, and Alyssa Mautz also played well for the Red Stars. Sky Blue's best were Kerr, O'Hara, Hayes, and Daphne Corboz.

Down in Florida, the Orlando Pride host FC Kansas City. Nicole Barnhart and Aubrey Bledsoe are the goalies. Orlando started in the twenty-second minute with an Alanna Kennedy goal, coming off of Marta. The Pride added on with a thirty-eighth minute Alex Morgan penalty kick goal, after drawing the opportunity against Kansas City's Katie Bowen on a prior free kick. In the forty-fifth minute, Orlando's Dani Weatherholt took a yellow card for a foul. Kansas City got on the board in the sixty-fifth minute with a Maegan Kelly goal, helped along by Bowen. The Pride fired back with a seventieth minute goal by Toni Pressley from distance, courtesy of Camila. Orlando extended the lead in the seventy-fifth minute as Kristen Edmonds stole the ball from Kansas City keeper Barnhart and deposited the ball in a vacated net for the goal. In the eighty-eighth minute, Christina Gibbons of Kansas City picked up a yellow card for a foul. The final stood at 4-1, with the woman of the match being Pressley. Also strong for the Pride were Bledsoe, Camila, Kennedy, and Marta. Kansas City's best were Becca Moros, Brittany Ratcliffe, and Kelly.

West to Houston, where the Dash bring in the Washington Spirit. Stephanie Labbe and Jane Campbell guard the woodwork. Houston led off in the twenty-fifth minute with a Poliana goal, made possible by Janine Beckie after a short corner from Andressinha. The Dash added on in the fifty-third minute with an Andressinha goal, passed from Rachel Daly. Houston's Janine Van Wyk took a yellow card for a fifty-ninth minute foul. Washington got on the board in the seventy-fifth minute with an Estelle Johnson goal, via Havana Solaun. The game ended 2-1, with the woman of the match being Campbell (eight for nine in saves), while other Dash stars were Poliana, Andressinha, Beckie, and Daly. The Spirit's best were Johnson, Estefania Banini, and Solaun.

Finally, the Seattle Reign FC host the Boston Breakers. Abby Smith and Haley Kopmeyer are in the six-yard boxes. Seattle began in the thirty-second minute with a Nahomi Kawasumi goal. Boston tied it in the forty-third minute on an Adriana Leon goal, made possible by Christen Westphal. The score held at 1-1 to the end, with the woman of the match being Kawasumi. Also good for the Reign were Lauren Barnes and Lindsay Elston, while the Breakers' best were Westphal, Angela Salem, and Leon.

NWSL Best XI of the Week
GK Jane Campbell
RB Poliana
CB Toni Pressley
CB Lauren Barnes
LB Becca Moros
DM Alanna Kennedy
AM Marta
AM Janine Beckie
RF Nahomi Kawasumi
CF Christen Press
LF Hayley Raso