Two matches tonight + 3 this weekend. Bizarrely, Orlando Pride have the bye for this week and next week. Injury + disciplinary reports have not yet been updated, boo. Hey! You! There's @NWSL tonight!Watch LIVE on the @YahooSports app and desktop, or the league site/app for international viewers 👊@SkyBlueFC vs. @WashSpirit, 7:30 p.m. ET📽️ https://t.co/lROjlwIMNi@ThornsFC vs. @HoustonDash, 10:30 p.m. ET📽️ https://t.co/ZHVWExv1su pic.twitter.com/OlSvvCQtH2— Yahoo Soccer (@FCYahoo) July 24, 2019 Closing up shop on #NWSL Week 1️⃣4️⃣ with @ThornsFC holding down the top spot again. How's everyone feeling about their squad? pic.twitter.com/me2KNO8qlg— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 22, 2019
After some surprises early in the season the top teams in the NWSL standings are now the usual gang of four: Portland, NC, Chicago, and the Reign. As I recall, I predicted Houston to break into the top four-- but Houston with Ohai, Huerta, and Mewis playing during the World Cup hasn't met my expectations.
Yeah, I expected Houston to do much better this season with Mewis and Nairn in the midfield. Was hoping Ohai would rediscover her 2016 form.
[#9.NJ-WAS.#5] CF Lloyd for RM Eddy; 4-1-4-1 for 4-3-3. Locked in 🔒 #NJvWAS pic.twitter.com/AAhrWhumQK— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) July 24, 2019 Logarzo for Matthews; Lavelle for Dougherty Howard. The XI for our match against Sky Blue FC. #NJvWAS // #CatchTheSpirit pic.twitter.com/9m00eqqLPr— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) July 24, 2019 NWSL still hasn't posted this week's injury report. Obviously, Lloyd and Lavelle are back Rodríguez is also still present, and will stay through NJ's 2nd match this Sun 07/28 at Houston, then travel from there directly to the Pan Am Games with Costa Rica.
Weirdly nice weather 79°F = 26°C, 47% humidity, low sun, some clouds. 1' - Kickoff from Yurcak Field!#NJvWAS // #CatchTheSpirit pic.twitter.com/gRyesHIzpQ— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) July 24, 2019
14' 0-0 Lloyd turns ccw away to 35m 6-right, crosses to Rodríguez not marked through arc top box right. Harrison closes outward, Rodríguez cuts inside to 12m 6-left and spins her, shoots left instep high over bar. .@CarliLloyd ➡️ @raque_rocky nearly produced the game's first goal.0-0 | #NJvWAS pic.twitter.com/3Ifk5RXld6— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 24, 2019 21' 0-0 Pugh does a drag-left and reverses course to 33m box right, crosses inswinging over Logarzo's head in arc center. Ball continues down to 3m 6-left, Lavelle runs on and shoots one-touch left instep to left post low, Sheridan kick-saves along 1m wide right, Hatch runs it down. Pugh to Lavelle .@Kailen_Sheridan doing @Kailen_Sheridan things. 0-0 | #NJvWAS pic.twitter.com/EZEwGnsSHo— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 25, 2019
35' 0-0 Washington longball up wide right, Dydasco falls down at circle top, Pugh collects alone. Pugh backs E.Johnson down through box top mid-right, cuts inside to 16m arc right, shoots left instep bend just wide left low past Sheridan's dive. Soooooo close from @MalPugh. 0-0 | #NJvWAS pic.twitter.com/gmGLZBj6qQ— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 25, 2019
5,003! It’s officially official - S E L L O U T. THANK YOU FOR ALL WHO ARE IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT AT YURCAK FIELD! #NJvWAS #NWSL pic.twitter.com/v48i4lFfUq— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) July 25, 2019 54' 0-1 Washington longball(?) from ~midfield left (neither shown nor mentioned ), bad camera close-up shows Lavelle at ~circle left watching over left shoulder as ball sails past her (not shown). Hatch outruns Lewandowski to it through arc tangent left, touches to 12m left post, shoots left instep across mouth under Sheridan's left foot stepping forward, into back right edge. .@ash_hatch33 finds plenty of space and doesn't make a mistake with a cool finish to give @WashSpirit the lead!0-1 | #NJvWAS pic.twitter.com/yZ3YkBIjof— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 25, 2019 FT 0-1. I hope the fans persist.
[#1.POR-HOU.#7] Sonnett for Carpenter (and Ball => RB?); Heath for Reynolds (and Klingenberg => LB?). Pre-game graphic shows ... a 5-3-2, with Purce at LB, Klingenberg RB, and Ball-Sonnett-Menges as CBs. Ignore that: it's a 4-3-3 with RB Ball and LB Klingenberg. Our Starting XI vs. @HoustonDash.#PORvHOU | #BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/ygRyHnYSc1— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) July 25, 2019 Simon for Ohai. Tonight's Starting XI vs Portland. Kick off is at 9:30 p.m. on Yahoo! Sports: https://t.co/LCI8XAH2P2#DashOn pic.twitter.com/2xzZTIs3iA— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) July 25, 2019 Houston are in the 2nd of a 3-game triangle (at WAS, at POR, back to HOU) in 7 days, so some rotation is needed. That's almost as nuts as a WWC group stage
07' 1-0 Houston ping in own deep left corner, calm possession but ... decline to boot long, can't find any short lane. Huerta holds at own 25m left touch, Seiler bumps her off ball and Huerta underhits a backpass, oh no. Seiler pounces and taps it to Heath, she counters to box top mid-right. Brooks blocks ball to box top 1/3 left, Horan follows and shoots one-touch left instep across mouth, into back right low. Portland's truly madly early high press pays off Welcome 🏡, @LindseyHoran! She nets the opening goal for @ThornsFC. 1-0 | #PORvHOU pic.twitter.com/sp8L8akUC4— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 25, 2019 12' 2-0 Menges vertical ground pass to Heath facing away at 30m wide left. Heath instantly pings a give-and-go square left to Klingenberg, splits Nairn(?) and Hanson down wide left, receives return pass to 15m wide left. Houston's backline are completely right-shifted, with LB Chapman at 15m center tracking Purce's run through box top center, LCB Brooks at arc left, RCB Prisock at box top mid-left. Heath fast cross skips through 6-top 1/5 left, Purce makes a hard run-and-lunge slide down, Chapman and Campbell both lunge/dive for it and go down. All 3 miss ball, it continues untouched to 4m 2-right, Raso is unmarked thereat and taps in. Can't leave @HayleyRaso unmarked at the back post, she'll make ya pay. 2-0 | #PORvHOU pic.twitter.com/e5E9ZJLMDc— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 25, 2019
16' 2-0 Purce turns away from Brooks at 27m center, Brooks swings left foot and whacks Purce in the right calf, Purce goes down. Brooks chases ball and steps wrong(?), twists right ankle? Brief stoppage, both resume. 18' 2-0 Sinclair outheights Chapman way up at circle right, heads upfield past her, Purce is 1-v-1 on Brooks (oh, no) at circle top box right. Purce kicks ball ahead and veers inward through 7m box right, Brooks runs the shorter path inside her curve and slide-tackles at ball -- but Purce stretches left foot and pokes ball away first, Brooks scissors that foot as Purce plants on it, dumps Purce down hard rolling. Foul, pk, Purce resumes. 19' 3-0 Sinclair pk, right instep just inside left post 1/4 high, past Campbell's dive. Campbell guessed right, but that's unsaveable. .@sincy12 scores from the penalty spot for the third @ThornsFC goal of the game in less than 20 minutes! 😳3-0 | #PORvHOU pic.twitter.com/7SWWeq1mrE— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 25, 2019
23' 4-0 Menges from own box top left, to Horan, square left to Klingenberg at circle back left touch. Klingenberg passes up left touch to Heath coming back, Sinclair makes a hard decoy run up wide left past her. Heath turns inside to circle half-front wide left -- and Purce starts her run from 40m center (seeing Prisock 4m behind the line at wide left), already back-cutting Brooks caught high, while Raso trails Chapman through circle top right. Heath fires a pinpoint 25m ground pass to box top 6-left, Purce receives behind Brooks, Campbell charges way up to 15m but doesn't get close. Purce touches to 14m mid-left, Campbell stays up, Brooks and Chapman both go to goalline to cover behind her. Purce hooks a cross past Campbell to Raso unmarked to 8m 1/4 right, Chapman comes up to 6-top, Raso shoots one-touch right instep past her into 1/4 right back low. ✌️ for @HayleyRaso4-0 | #PORvHOU pic.twitter.com/cfN61WvNGT— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 25, 2019 30' 4-0 Houston subs in: - (1 of 3) #7 Kealia Ohai for #10 Christine Nairn - (2 of 3) #15 Cecelia Kizer for #17 Kyah Simon.
32' 4-0 Sonnett right throw-in at box top, Schmidt heads out to Ohai at 12m box right. Sonnett stays up, chests ball past Ohai, touches down to 9m box right. Cross deflected by Schmidt, out to 15m mid-right. Sinclair shoots left foottop full volley, Chapman blocks off her turned back, high dropping to 14m center. Horan backpedals under it, full bicycle kick, Campbell pushes it off crossbar center, to 4m center. Heath is right there (offside ), grasstop half-volley up centerline, Campbell kick-saves lying flat on back. THIS GAME. @LindseyHoran went for the 🚲 and somehow @jane_campbell1 kept it out! 4-0 | #PORvHOU pic.twitter.com/vSTcaWpurr— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 25, 2019 39' 4-0 Heath receives facing away at box top 1/4 left, plays a give-and-go off Purce at 15m 1/4 right, receives behind Brooks at 7m 3 left, Campbell comes out and blocks. Heath regains at 2m 6-left, stands over ball (ahem ... it's WWC Heath ), fakes a step away to 3m, shoots toward left post low, Campbell blocks it over. Tobin Heath comes close to a homecoming goal of her own, but @jane_campbell1 is up to the task. 4-0 | #PORvHOU pic.twitter.com/iBcmOpClhd— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 25, 2019
43' 4-0 Heath fk at ~arc top box left, to 4m center. Horan jumps backward through the line and sideheads up centerline, Campbell double-blocks over bar. Offside on Horan. HT 4-0. Houston seem to have overplanned their defense for this match, and it backfired. - The 1st goal came from not hoofing long out of pressure (admirable, until that happened). - On the 2nd goal, Houston's entire defense was right-shifted to swarm the Heath/Sinclair constellation of star power, which led to some stargazing, and two passes beat about seven players. N.B. Despite the attention, Heath still got free with a simple back-cut. - Houston doggedly play the high line with Brooks up, and Portland ruthlessly target her with passes behind. That's the 3rd, 4th, and almost Heath's.
22,329! Portland's new record, and NWSL's 2nd-highest all-time! Tonight's attendance: 22,329.The largest crowd for a Thorns game in club history. Forever grateful for you, Rose City. #BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/xJsUTbZIWh— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) July 25, 2019 The renovated stadium goes to 25k, so there's still work to do
48' 4-0 Daly receives through box top mid-left, shoots right instep to left post 1/4 high, Franch dives right and catches it. 56' 4-0 Ohai turns down wide left to 15m as Sonnett cedes space, crosses high to 3m right post. Huerta sneaks up on Klingenberg backpedaling, heads down off Franch's hands or torso, over endline right. In a different universe, Houston might target Sonnett 58' 4-0 Klingenberg long cross from 30m wide left inswings past Brooks, off Purce's right arm at 13m center. Ball clangs toward 6m center, Campbell steps up to it and hesitates, Brooks(?) touches it rightward but not far enough -- whistles sound as ball rolls just inside right post. No goal, handball on Purce. Replay (from left side only) does seem to show the ball going past Purce's chest and getting partially occluded before it reflects, ergo it hit something beyond the chest. 62' 4-0 Portland subs in: - (1 of 3) #34 Tyler Lussi for #21 Hayley Raso - (2 of 3) #9 Caitlin Foord for #23 Margaret Purce.
67' 4-0 Sinclair settles a high drop at 25m box left, instantly dinks a through-ball past Hanson at box top, to Heath at 14m mid-left. Prisock steps up, Heath one-touch nutmegs her, follows to 7m 7-left, shoots right instep rising across mouth, Campbell double-blocks across. 68' 4-0 Portland subs in (3 of 3) #8 Andressinha for #35 Gabby Seiler. 70' 4-0 Lussi spins past Chapman through 30m right touch, sprints to box top right, Chapman catches up and gives her a hard right forearm shove in the back, planting her face-first. Foul, yellow card on Chapman. 71' 5-0 Heath fk at 17m box right, to 3m 2-right, for Sonnett on a near-post run. Campbell comes out and punches off Sonnett, ball ricochets out to 7m 1/4 right. Horan and Lussi bump off each other, K.Mewis swings to clear and gets a touch, ball rolls up Lussi's left leg and stays in her wheelhouse. Lussi turns at 8m right post and shoots right instep going wide right, off Campbell's hands raised over her head, it deflects across into 1/3 left back low. Later, it's correctly revised to an own-goal on Campbell, since Lussi's contribution was not on-frame. .@tyler_lussi cleans things up in the box to tack on another goal for @ThornsFC. 5-0 | #PORvHOU pic.twitter.com/WsxdGvFwRq— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 25, 2019
With a 4-0 score in the first half-hour, the sensation was that Portland-Houston could have easy ended Thailand-like... Anyway, an impressive result by the Thorns, who now lead the rankings with an attitude like: "Come on, who's going to challenge us next?". In the Sky Blue-Washington match, I noticed that the Spirit had a crest in the lower back part of the jersey: they always had it and I hadn't noticed or is it something new?
Injury reports for the weekend: Royals: OUT – Mandy Laddish, Taylor Lytle, Becca Moros, Brittany Ratcliffe; QUE – NONE. Courage: OUT – Hailey Harbison, Ryan Williams; QUE – Leah Pruitt, Lynn Williams Reign: OUT – Michelle Betos, Stephanie Cox, Jessica Fishlock, Darian Jenkins, Jaycie Johnson, Megan Rapinoe, Taylor Smith, Jasmyne Spencer, Rumi Utsugi, Scout Watson; QUE – Celia Jimenez Delgado Red Stars: OUT – Danielle Colaprico, AJ Jahansouz, Alyssa Mautz, Michele Vasconcelos; QUE – Tierna Davidson, Vanessa DiBernardo Dash: OUT – Veronica Latsko, Kayla McCoy, Clare Polkinghorne, Nichelle Prince; QUE – Allysha Chapman Sky Blue: OUT – Mandy Freeman, Domi Richardson, Madison Tiernan; QUE – NONE. I saw on twitter that Megan Rapinoe's is a left achilles injury.
Oh, my! Now I feel uneasy about my prediction of a Seattle's win. But, I'll stick with it anyway: when you make a prediction you don't change it around or you could regret it. I should learn to always wait for the injury report before making my predictions, though!
Did the Reign wander by mistake into some sort of virtual Iwo Jima? 10 players out with injuries? That's one-half of the team. It's hard to imagine the Reign can continue to compete for a playoff spot, but...
[#6.UTA-NC.#2] Boquete for Laddish. Here! We! Go! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Wu4nj0hlkJ— Utah Royals FC (@UtahRoyalsFC) July 28, 2019 Hamilton for Ln.Williams; Dunn for Zerboni (sub). 1155285492398612480 is not a valid tweet id Utah: OK (<= Q, starting) Boquete / Q none / OUT (OK =>) Laddish Moros (=) Nolf Strom-Okimoto / SEI (=) Lytle Ratcliffe North Carolina: (OK <= Q, both starting) Dunn Hamilton / (OK => Q) (sub) Pruitt (not) Ln.Williams / OUT (=) Harbison Rn.Williams
06' 0-0 NC through-ball pierces Utah's high line, McDonald chases through 25m 1/3 right. Corsie slides inside-out and pokes ball away, follows through and nicks McDonald's left calf, McDonald sprawls headfirst and slides through box top, gets up appealing for DOGSO. Barnhart comes up through spot and falls on ball. Ref initially calls nothing on the touch -- then calls illegal handling of backpass on Barnhart, indirect fk at 14m center 07' 0-0 S.Mewis fk thereat, into Utah's wall lined up across 5m, deflects over endline right. 09' 0-0 O'Hara veers outward through circle top mid-left, Mathias pancakes her with chest-to-back body lean and takes ball away, no call 10' 0-0 LaBonta lags a soft backpass to own 6m center. Hamilton reads it, backcuts somebody from box top center and races Barnhart for it, Barnhart slide and clears into near touch. 11' 0-0 O'Sullivan stomp-steals off LaBonta, quick pass to Debinha. Debinha touches to arc top right, shoots left instep bend wide left low as Barnhart dove. Brief stoppage, LaBonta stays down with leg pain.
13' 1-0 Utah fk at circle back, Corsie dinks it to Boquete at circle center, she jukes past Hamilton and dribbles through circle top left. Boquete fires a vertical ground pass to Press threatening the Mathias/Dahlkemper seam to 23m arc left, Dahlkemper backpedals to box top and cedes a soft cushion, fearing Press's speed move. Labbé is inexplicably shifted way over to 1/4 left, Press sees that and does a simple cut-inside, 2nd-touch right instep bend perfectly into back right low. .@ChristenPress with a 💎to open the scoring in the 13th minute at the RioT. 1-0 | #UTAvNC on ESPNews pic.twitter.com/Be2fR1XtpH— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 28, 2019 22' 1-0 Press fakes a turn-inside on Dahlkemper at arc top mid-left, cuts upfield past her through box top with a 1-step lead, dribbles ahead of her to 9m. Erceg comes across and clears ball away, Press trips over Labbé. That one match-up favors Utah.