52' 0-1 Killion left ck, inswings to 4m 4-left. Krieger backheads to clear but can't lift it enough, off own crossbar 1/4 right, Pickett sweeps it over endline right. .@SkyBlueFC is ramping up the pressure and creating danger. Still 👀 for the equalizer.0-1 | #NJvORL pic.twitter.com/Ll8fNUoESn— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 29, 2019 56' 0-1 Yellow card on Monaghan, for a foul on Emslie. 64' 0-1 Sky Blue subs in (1 of 3) #9 Nahomi Kawasumi for #7 Jennifer Hoy. 79' 0-1 Orlando subs in (1 of 3) #9 Camila for #7 Claire Emslie. 80' 0-1 Sky Blue subs in (2 of 3) #17 Dominique Richardson for #11 Raquel Rodríguez. 86' 0-1 Orlando subs in (2 of 3) #2 Sydney Leroux for #23 Marisa Viggiano. 86' | SUB: @sydneyleroux is back! 🙌#NJvORL | #VamosOrlando pic.twitter.com/kTsKMPUOzq— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) September 29, 2019
88' 1-1 Killion left ck, to 9m center. E.Johnson and Lloyd both cut right-to-center and actually pick/screen each other, Lloyd pulls up, E.Johnson continues to 7m center. Zadorsky and Pickett misread the flight and sag 2m off both, Kennedy reads it better and comes out from 6-top but can't get there. Lloyd reads it perfectly (that's the difference at this level), jumps right-to-center and pike-heads down to lower right 90, just past Harris's dive, bounces into back right edge 1/2 high. +3'. Hometown hero. Jersey girl @CarliLloyd nets the equalizer!1-1 | #NJvORL pic.twitter.com/0Krx4ORpPu— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 29, 2019 90+4' (of +3') 1-1 Orlando subs in (3 of 3) #20 Abby Elinsky for #15 Rachel Hill. 90+5' (of +3') 1-1 Lloyd chips over Orlando's scattered backline, sends Eddy alone through arc top mid-right. Eddy (over)touches to 11m 6-right, Harris comes out to 8m, Eddy shoots right instep dink across mouth, Harris sit-falls and blocks with right glove. Ball bounces right back into her lap, Eddy trips over her digging at it, Harris spins/throws Eddy down with a reversal and grabs ball. Foul on Eddy, for poking Harris in the ribs. How good was this to secure the point late on the road from @Ashlyn_Harris? 😲 pic.twitter.com/ZDPvlrMchk— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) September 29, 2019 FT 1-1. 8,314! Thank you to the 8,314 who made it to our Home Finale! pic.twitter.com/hg1jLMuAou— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) September 29, 2019
[#4.REI-POR.#3] Rapinoe for Balcer (and Jenkins => RF); Theresa for Jiménez Delgado. Our starting XI for #RFCvPOR, presented by @MultiCareHealth.Today's captain is @mPinoe.#ShePlaysHere #BeBold #RFC253Kickoff in 1 hour. pic.twitter.com/nntiqSRJ1e— Seattle Reign FC (@reignfc) September 29, 2019 Foord for Heath (not a sub ). Our starting XI. #RFCvPOR #BAONDPX pic.twitter.com/FPEj6Yi5c4— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) September 29, 2019 Reign FC: OK (Q <=) Balcer Oyster / Q none / OUT none / SEI (=) Betos Fishlock J.Johnson T.Smith Spencer Watson / (4YEL McNabb) Portland: OK (<= Q) Andressinha / Q (=) Boureille / OUT (OK =>) Hubly (=) Salem Seiler
first 10': Reign FC in Portland's 1/2, Rapinoe left ck dives just over Quinn's foot at 1m right post next 10': Portland attack Reign's left, Raso jump-blocks Barnes and flicks right outstep past Murphy's dive, just wide right 27' 0-0 Jenkins long diagonal pass bounces past Carpenter, Rapinoe chases it down through arc top mid-left. Franch is inexplicably tentative trotting out to 10m 6-left, Rapinoe touches around her going away through box left, Franch backpedals. Rapinoe turn-and-scoops right roundhouse over Franch, off crossbar(?), Reign recycle. 27' 1-0 Long settles without pressure at 33m box right, taps to Theresa overlapping to arc top right touch. Theresa's cross drops just over Menges' head, J.Taylor backshields Sonnett at 11m right post and traps perfectly into wheelhouse, spins ccw and shoots one-touch right roundhouse across goal past Franch's dive, just behind left post into left side netting 1/4 high. Jodie Taylor has been shining bright like a 💎Her finish has @ReignFC in the lead. 1-0 | #SEAvPOR on ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/VHBT7b1qq0— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 29, 2019
34' 1-0 Portland cross from box top ~wide left to 6-top left for Foord looking back over left shoulder, Quinn and Barnes jump with her. Murphy comes out and jumps into the pile, collides with Foord's right hip and rotates into a Fosbury, lands upon Barnes prone (oof). Stoppage, Barnes resumes inhalation. Yellow card on Foord -- that's kind of harsh, she was watching ball. 36' 1-0 Purce turns inside through 5m box left, Theresa trips her into box. Foul called just outside box left, yellow card on Theresa. 42' 1-0 Unintended comedy: Catley left throw-in at 25m, back to Rapinoe at 29m wide left -- off her left shin and back into near touch. 44' 1-0 Carpenter right throw-in at arc top, Sinclair volleys it leftward across box, Jenkins clears up (Reign's) right touch. Klingenberg passes to Foord at 27m mid-left, Yanez slide-pokes and rips ball away. Reign switch to Rapinoe, she passes to box top center for J.Taylor, Sonnett(?) clears. Reign send a couple more crosses in, Portland intercept, Horan bicycles away.
45+2' (of +2') 1-0 Raso darts through box top right post, emerges clear at 3m mid-right, shross blocked over by McNabb. 45+2' (of +2') 1-0 Klingenberg right ck, scramble ensues. Reign clear past arc top right, but a tricky bounce backspins past McNabb's chest, Raso(?) passes down wide right for Klingenberg. Quinn blocks cross over endline right, can't juggle it back in. 45+3' (of +2') 1-0 Klingenberg right ck, Murphy catches. HT 1-0. Reign 8(2)-(1)3 shots(sog), 4-2 corners, 16-8 crosses vs. 6-12 clearances (this is Reign's game plan du jour), 1-1 offsides, 3-6 fouls, 53% possession. Andonovski always cooks up something that gums up Portland's flow.
46 1-0 Portland subs in (1 of 3) #2 Katherine Reynolds for #23 Margaret Purce. 46' 1-0 Yanez slide-tackles Horan and both stay down, wincing. Jenkins takes ball to 1m wide right, lifts a cross to 7m mid-left. Rapinoe one-touch volleys a mini-lob to 4m right post, J.Taylor runs under it and heads over right 90. 48' 1-0 Yanez jumps facing own endline at midfield mid-left for a header, Brynjarsdóttir jumps forward from behind her. Yanez swings left elbow back for balance and clouts Brynjarsdóttir's head -- and then the ball drops untouched and bonks Brynjarsdóttir in the nose? Stoppage for a head blow. 51' 1-0 Yellow card on Yanez, for the elbow.
52' 1-0 Brynjarsdóttir resumes, with a tube of tissue inserted in right nostril, like a snorkel. 56' 1-0 Portland sustain heavy pressure in Reign's 1/3. Carpenter crosses from 15m wide right, headed out, McNabb passes to Yanez. Yanez passes up wide left for Rapinoe (it rolls too far), Brynjarsdóttir slide-stretches just late and intecepts Yanez's foot? Foul, yellow card on Brynjarsdóttir. 60' 1-0 Portland left ck, short, cross headed over endline right. Right ck, bounces around box top, Brynjarsdóttir dumps ball in twice and Foord is offside -- bagged by Reign's backline stepping up. 61' 1-0 Yanez stoops at circle top mid-right and heads ball upfield, takes Brynjarsdóttir's ribs into her left shoulder/ear. 65' 1-0 Reign short-pass backward, long pass up left touch lost but rebounds directly to Rapinoe. Rapinoe counters to 30m mid-left, passes down wide left to Catley, her cross blocked and cleared. Rapinoe chips over the backline for Jenkins, it bounces to Franch at 12m right post. Off that gk, Yanez and Horan go head-on and knock shins, both limp a bit.
67' 1-0 Klingenberg crosses waist-high into box, Foord stretches and just misses (or micro-glances) a poke, Murphy catches at 6-top. After the play, Horan sits down with left shin pain, mouths a few F-formulae and S-terms. 68' 1-0 Horan walks into near touch for tape. 69' 1-0 Horan returns. 70' 1-0 Portland subs in (2 of 3) #7 Ana-Maria Crnogorčević for #9 Caitlin Foord. 73' 1-0 Carpenter drives to 6m wide right, backpass skips to box top center. Horan half-volleys down into grass, ball bounces up toward right post, Murphy dives left and double-blocks away through 6-left, Reign clear. 74' 1-0 Reign FC subs in (1 of 3) #24 Bethany Balcer for #11 Darian Jenkins.
78' 1-0 Portland subs in (3 of 3) #38 Simone Charley for #21 Hayley Raso. 80' 1-0 Backpass to Franch up at 13m right post, J.Taylor rushes her, Franch dribbles around her. Balcer lunges and stretch-blocks ball over Franch's head, tries to round her on the inside, Franch boxes out and catches high. 82' 2-0 Theresa passes to Balcer facing away, curiously unmarked in a seam at 14m mid-right. Menges overpursues to mid-right, Balcer drags left across her, opens a huge window at 15m mid-right. Balcer shoots left instep pull, outswings away from Franch's dive just inside right post low. Triple clinch: Reign #4, Chicago #2, and ... RotY This rookie's on 🔥2-0 | #SEAvPOR on ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/rrqK9AAJuS— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 29, 2019 86' 2-0 Reign FC subs in (2 of 3) #33 Stephanie Cox for #9 Jodie Taylor.
88' 2-0 Long boxes out under a dropping ball, Sinclair kinda-sorta deliberately jumps hips-first into her right kidney. Foul, no card. 89' 2-0 Balcer passes to Rapinoe at 27m right touch, Rapinoe just keeps it in and taps back into a swarm. Balcer wrests ball away, passes square left, Sonnett scissors her plant foot down. Foul, yellow card on Sonnett. +7', for that stoppage on Brynjarsdóttir. 90+2' (of +7') 2-0 Portland fk at circle center, to 17m center. Horan backheads to 4m 4-right, Charley runs on and opens right instep a bit too much, one-touch just wide right low. 90+4' (of +7') 2-0 Reign FC subs in (3 of 3) #25 Ifeoma Onumonu for #15 Megan Rapinoe.
90+6' (of +7') 2-0 Crnogorčević whiffs at a high bounce, McNabb pokes ball past her and chases. Horan closes head-on near circle top left, McNabb flicks left outstep away, Horan ducks under the impending collision like a sliding QB -- then McNabb's thighs impact Horan's right side, increases her rotation and drives her forehead into the grass. Horan stays down, holding crown of head, Portland play on ahead of her -- some crosses cleared, finally Portland play out. Stoppage. 90+10' (of +7') 2-0 Horan is stretchered off Portland have used all 3 subs, resume with 10. FT 2-0. Reign FC clinch the playoffs on 37 pts, as Utah trail by 6 with 1 to play, and Washington trail by 7 with 2 remaining. Chicago clinches #2 and homefield in the semis. And actually Portland haven't clinched 3rd: they lead Reign by 2 with 1 to play (vs. Washington), and Reign (at Orlando) hold the tiebreaker on 3 wins If Reign win and Portland don't, then Portland travels to #1.NC.
Portland did not look good. Seattle did. Long had a great game and the double 6 combo of her and McNabb worked well. A star is born with Bethany Balcer. Ally Wagner is the best analyst around.
Yes, after the last goals that basically secured the play-off spot for Seattle, I can't see how she can fail to make the Rookie of the Year award!