FT 3-1. Reign FC slip back into 4th, but really it's 4 teams playing musical chairs for two spots: 19 matches, 31+5: #3.Utah (at Houston) 19 matches, 30-2: #4.Reign FC (at Washington) 19 matches, 29+3: #5.Chicago (vs. Houston) 18 matches, 25+3: #6.Washington (vs. Reign FC) Next Saturday's Washington-Reign match is almost a must-win for Washington, and it would still leave them 6th.
It was payback for Rodriguez totally idiotic and classless mouthing off towards Sonnett. Rodriguez' lucky she only got pushed. I'm not excusing Sonnett, who got what she deserved. Rodriguez, on the other hand, who I've always liked in the past, now is a jerk in my book.
I don't get how a team can have a fair reputation for dirty play but be one of the least penalized teams in the league. I know that Heath had a dumb assed bad foul against Taylor two years ago in the championship game, which caused her a significant injury that put her out for a couple of months. I also know that an NC player in that game had an intentional foul against Heath that put her out for about 9 months, and no one every posted about that other than me. My honest opinion is that Portland has a very successful franchise -- and I'm not talking about wins and losses -- and that's hard for people to accept when their favorite franchises are struggling to survive. I'm very tired of, and offended by, that. I won't post any more about this.
Was Camila, of course, unless Debinha was quickly flied to Tacoma from New Jersey, taking advantage of the weather delay. By the way, I wonder if, without that break, Seattle would have kept scoring at the same pace... They were 3-0 at 23'. This would have promised a 12-0 final score or, if they had slowed down a little in the 2nd half, a score similar to the one Barcelona inflicted to the "new Real Madrid" of CD Tacón in the first match-day of Spanish women's league (9-1, for those who aren't aware). Jenkins scored two, but the contribution from Bethany Balcer to at least two of Seattle's three goals makes me suspect that she's Seattle key-player in this moment of the season.
Because the officiating sucks. Refs let a lot go that should be punished. I think if they cracked down on overly physical play, and weren't afraid to card the stars, some teams would be down players every single game.
[#5.CHI-HOU.#7] Colaprico for Naughton (and Ertz => CB). 𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤Your #MKOT Starting XI for #CHIvHOU, presented by @MagellanCorp pic.twitter.com/J96hR1NWr9— Chicago Red Stars (@chicagoredstars) September 8, 2019 Agnew for Chapman; Murray for Fields. Your Dash starting XI from Chicago #DashOn pic.twitter.com/Nyemdktr35— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) September 8, 2019 Chicago: OK (<= Q, starting) Brian Colaprico DiBernardo Naeher / Q (=, starting) Davidson / OUT (=) Jahansouz Mautz Vasconcelos Houston: OK (<= Q) Jackmon / Q (OK =>) Nairn (=) Simon / OUT none / SEI (=) Latsko McCoy Prince
03' 0-0 Nagasato passes to Brian at 24m box left. Brian plays a lightning-quick give-and-backpass with DiBernardo facing away at box top left, repositions self to arc top mid-left. Right instep shross to 8m 1/4 left, Kerr hops over ball and dummies(?) it through her legs -- it deflects goalward, off right post low, bounces past Kerr to 10m 2-left. DiBernardo runs on and dunks, but waved off: Kerr is offside, screening Campbell. .@chiredstarsPR with an early chance, but the shot comes off the post. 0-0 | #CHIvHOU pic.twitter.com/t87nzbr1VI— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 8, 2019 07' 1-0 Short passes to Brian curling cw away from Hanson, just past midfield wide left. Kerr begins her track-start backcut at 38m box left past Murray caught backpedaling , held onside for 1 step by Brooks in centerline. Brian knows to fire the pass early enough to fit the timing window, lags it perfectly into Kerr's stride through box top left. Kerr touches to 12m mid-left, shoots right instep under Campbell's right hand, off left post low, glances into center back low. It's like an Air Raid offense, you know Kerr does these backcuts and she still does them to you Who else? @samkerr1 opens the scoring for @chiredstarsPR. 1-0 | #CHIvHOU pic.twitter.com/LYFVrZUzOW— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 8, 2019
33' 1-0 Huerta left ck, blocked out to 9m 3-left. Ball bounces in front of Daly backing up, she stops and swings right roundhouse half-volley to left 90, Naeher pushes it over. .@RachelDaly3's shot seemed destined for the top corner, until @AlyssaNaeher intervened.1-0 | #CHIvHOU pic.twitter.com/hmaJkPZLIN— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 8, 2019 40' 1-0 Houston backpass (or left throw-in) to Agnew at own 7m wide left. Kerr lopes to press, does a swim-move inside Agnew, Agnew grabs Kerr's torso and does a perfect judo pull-throw as she sits down, pulling Kerr down into a forward somersault. Foul, yellow card on Agnew, she complains that Kerr started it with her arms. 41' 1-0 Davidson fk at 5m just outside box right, low to 6-top center. Kerr lurks at 12m left post, 1-v-1 on Schmidt, front-cuts her a tad too easily, jumps alone and pike-heads down to goalline 1/4 left. Campbell blocks ball to 1m center, Daly swings right roundhouse to clear, Nagasato whiffs on a bicycle and slides into Daly's planted left foot? Daly rolls into own goal, stays down. Chicago dump ball back in, finally cleared. R1 checks on Daly, she resumes. Jane Rachel 🤝 goal line clearances #CHIvHOU | #DashNn pic.twitter.com/PL1Eap1FzD— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) September 8, 2019
Houston looks terrible. They were one of my favorite teams to watch last year. This year they've steadily gotten worse (and boring) as the season rolls on. (I say that hoping for the commentator's curse and that Houston will suddenly look great in the second half.)
44' 2-0 Nagasato slides onto back and passes to Kerr coming back to 28m left post, pops back up and makes a run toward box top left, already in behind Murray. Kerr taps back to DiBernardo at 35m arc left, turns and makes her own run to arc left. DiBernardo passes diagonally to Nagasato at box top mid-left, she taps one-touch square left to 17m arc left for Kerr 1-v-1 on Brooks. Kerr turns alongside ball, touches to 17m left post, shoots right instep pull just inside Brooks' foot, past Campbell's dive, into 1/8 left back low. *𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚*@Yuki_Ogimi → @samkerr1: The International Connection#CHIvHOU | #MKOT pic.twitter.com/CV19Ey8EIJ— Chicago Red Stars (@chicagoredstars) September 8, 2019 HT 2-0. Houston's larger concern is that they're not generating much of their own offense, and so they watch Chicago do things, over and over again.
46' 2-0 Houston subs in: - (1 of 3) #10 Christine Nairn for #20 Lindsay Agnew - (2 of 3) #2 Ariana Catrina Calderón Valdez for #44 Satara Murray. 57' 2-0 Kerr receives at box top left post, shoots right instep pull again, Campbell dives right and blocks it wide. Stay hungry #CHIvHOU | #MKOT pic.twitter.com/izyyzTT4Vq— Chicago Red Stars (@chicagoredstars) September 8, 2019 65' 3-0 Short longball from midfield left touch to 27m mid-left, McCaskill chases Brooks and ball from 3m behind. Ball bounces ahead, Brooks slows up and tries to box out instead but doesn't get across, McCaskill overtakes her on the inside to 16m 6-left. Campbell comes way up to 12m, McCaskill flicks right outstep half-volley and nutmegs Campbell, rolls it perfectly into 2/5 left back low. .@smccaskill_21 chases down a long ball from @CaseyShort3 and finishes the attacking move off with a little nutmeg.3-0 | #CHIvHOU pic.twitter.com/D0zChLAc0g— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 8, 2019 68' 3-0 Houston subs in (3 of 3) #15 Cecelia Kizer for #7 Kealia Ohai. 69' 3-0 Chicago subs in (1 of 3) #23 Brooke Elby for #20 Sam Kerr. 74' 3-0 Chicago subs in (2 of 3) #2 Nikki Stanton (6YEL ) for #13 Morgan Brian. It's OK, she's safe until her 10th yellow card 79' 3-0 Chicago subs in (3 of 3) #33 Katlyn Johnson for #9 Savannah McCaskill.
80' 3-0 Romero plays Kizer into box top left. Kizer cuts inside to 14m mid-right, shoots right instep rising off left 90, ball bounces over. 80' Been that kinda afternoon 🤷♀️Kizer does well to create space but her strike hits the bar.#CHIvHOU | #DashOn pic.twitter.com/Ph7aKg7WeJ— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) September 8, 2019 84' 3-0 Chicago swarm around Houston's box, with numerous defenders up in the attack. Gorden(!) knocks ball down at 6m mid-right to K.Johnson at 9m 6-right. K.Johnson turns inside, Brooks stomps at ball and misses, trips Johnson down. Foul, penalty, that kind of year. 84' 3-0 Nagasato pk, right instep to 1/8 left 1/4 high, Campbell dives and saves, Prisock clears over endline left. Campbell has saved 4 of 5 pks this year , which is the single-season record. .@jane_campbell1 with a big 🛑 on a @chiredstarsPR penalty-kick attempt.3-0 | #CHIvHOU pic.twitter.com/5Eoa249x0x— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 8, 2019 90' 3-0 Naeher punts to circle top box left, Nagasato slides and submarines Schmidt. Foul, yellow card on Nagasato (only her 3rd). +3'. 89' Nagasaton is issued a yellow card3-0 #CHIvHOU | #MKOT— Chicago Red Stars (@chicagoredstars) September 8, 2019 She is a giant robot in disguise
It's too late, @Smallchief: your official ladder-prediction in the 2019 prediction thread had Houston at 3rd place!
It has to be said, though, that both Utah and Seattle have a game in hand to Chicago (and Washington, although quite far behind right now, has two).
Actually that wouldn't have been bad at all two years ago: Sky Blue was 6th in 2017, 1pt behind 5th-place Seattle and 2pts ahead of 7th-place KC.
Maybe? Yes, that's certainly a big game in terms of the teams fighting for a playoff spot, but it's not unreasonable to think Chicago wins all three games before that match (ORL-NJ-DC), which all but guarantees them a playoff spot (99.6% chance) - likely 3rd place (~61% chance).
Rory has changed the line-up AGAIN! and not due to injuries. He has Ertz and Davidson as middle backs and Short and Wright as outside backs. (Gordon played there yesterday because Wright was sick). I guess he didn't like the tandem of Naughton and Gorden in the middle. Yes, he has made a solid wall of the defense, but I am a believer that Ertz is needed in midfield. We'll see, it is doable to win the rest of their games, unlikely but doable.