11' 0-0 Barnes fk at 27m right touch, to arc right, headed leftward across box top. Nagasato clears into far touch. 12' 0-0 Balcer left throw-in, bounced high to 6-top center. J.Taylor chases the bounce, but offside. 13' 1-0 Johnson switches to Nagasato at circle top right. Nagasato dribbles to 28m arc right, taps to Short unmarked through box top right to 15m. Short chips right foot mini-lob over Ld.Williams stranded at right post, drops it perfectly through left 90 into back left edge 1/4 high. .@CaseyShort3 from long!1-0 | #CHIvSEA | https://t.co/Pqi6r5bddn pic.twitter.com/8q2765BSCK— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 28, 2019
20' 1-0 Ertz dribbles away past Balcer at circle top box right, they're momentarily 1-v-1 -- and Balcer is up for it, pokes at ball Chicago lose it forward, Reign go up box right past circle top, Groom misses a pass down wide right to nobody. 21' 1-0 Long gets bumped off ball at circle top left, Nagasato counters 4-v-2, as Barnes/Oyster backpedal with both fullbacks not even in sight. Nagasato cuts across box top to arc right, pass across box top poked away by Oyster. Davidson chips into box, directly to Williams. 23' 1-0 Groom crosses from ~8m wide right to 5m left post, Balcer jumps but ball skims off her head. Utsugi stops ball at 3m mid-left, swings left roundhouse but slices it high behind goal.
26' 1-0 Balcer gets to 2m box left, ground cross intercepted. Balcer regains at wide left, high cross goes way over entire box and bounces too far for Groom to catch, into near touch. 27' 1-0 Reign regain at circle top, resume patient probing. Chicago can smoothly drop back into a shell when they need to, so perhaps some of this is by design, inviting Reign to run around. 27' 1-0 Groom challenges for a high bounce at box top wide right. Ball bounces across to box top left post. Yanez steps in front of Balcer, slices left foot shot wide left. 28' 1-0 Balcer left throw-in at arc top, Ertz heads it back into far touch. Balcer and Naeher are both going to get 50 touches today
31' 1-0 Kerr is dispossessed (by Utsugi?) at midfield. Chicago regain at circle back, ping several times. Short chips forward to K.Johnson, Oyster or Barnes wins header duel but Kerr collects. Entry pass to box top arc right is directly to Gorden. 32' 1-0 Celia right throw-in at own 30m, directly into K.Johnson's stride Johnson drives to 15m mid-left, shot deflects off Barnes(?)'s foot, bloops upward and Ld.Williams catches. 33' 1-0 Kerr turns at circle top, attacks alone. Barnes reads her touch at 27m center, steps forth and blocks ball away, Kerr runs into her. 34' 1-0 Colaprico pass toward 25m mid-left, Oyster intercepts. Both teams are showing very good control, but they're also actively disrupting each others' entry passes.
35' 1-0 Long loses a shinguard at circle top right. Brief stoppage, as she holds her right jaw and retreats. Foul on her? Chicago fk at circle back left. 35' 1-0 Chicago pass down wide right to Short overlapping unmarked, to 4m box right. Cross to right post, Williams catches. 36' 1-0 Groom hoofs a long forward pass from circle top left, J.Taylor is alone through arc left -- way offside .@Jodes_14 cutting it close, but just offside. 1-0 | #CHIvSEA | https://t.co/Pqi6r5bddn pic.twitter.com/zVBGkuORcU— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 28, 2019 38' 1-0 Celia crosses from 30m wide right to 15m right post, ball inswings behind Taylor facing away, she reaches back and toe-flicks across. 39' 1-0 Groom dispossessed at 12m mid-right by Davidson, Chicago clears. Oyster passes to J.Taylor at arc top box right, quick shot slices high and wide right.
40' 1-0 Groom caught at midfield wide right, hip-bumped just as she passes upfield -- directly to Naughton. 41' 1-0 Utsugi passes up wide left, Short wins ball, Balcer pokes it out. 41' 1-0 Short right throw-in at own 12m, heaved way up wide right to Kerr near midfield. Kerr promptly spin-and-chips deep into Seattle's 1/3 -- nobody there, Ld.Williams trots way out to own 30m(!) to settle. 42' 1-0 Groom right throw-in at arc top, into box, cleared. Celia pokes ball back in, Chicago volley it away past her -- to Kerr at midfield mid-left. Kerr is 1-v-1 on Barnes, we've seen this before -- Kerr dribbles hard and cuts back side to side, forcing Barnes to track over her shoulder. Kerr gets to box top right post, Ld.Williams comes way up to 9m(!). Kerr shoots right foot toward right post, Ld.Williams blocks with left hand reaching back, Barnes clears. On a tear... @samkerr1 with only @lydsaussie to beat. Big time stop for @ReignFC. 1-0 | #CHIvSEA | https://t.co/Pqi6r5bddn pic.twitter.com/btDuvsYG0p— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 28, 2019 44' 1-0 Chicago cross from the right twice, both cleared.
45' 1-0 Celia chases a pass toward arc top wide right, K.Johnson boxes her out. That's how an LF can thwart an RB's overlaps An oddly subdued performance from Celia so far -- but mostly it's because everybody else on both sides are active and sharp. HT 1-0. Chicago must have been rope-a-doping for the first 10' or so. Maybe they cleverly played to showcase Naeher's saves and Short's runs
51' 1-0 Reign probe up wide right, Groom sends a long diagonal pass through 14m mid-right, J.Taylor wasn't making the same run, naeher collects. 52' 1-0 Brian passes to K.Johnson at arc top box left, long ground shot to 2m center smothered by Ld.Williams. 52' 1-0 Reign cross from the right, J.Taylor heads across 9m, just past Yanez's reach. 53' 2-0 Kerr receives at circle top mid-left, Barnes clears upfield, but Kerr cuts in front of her and blocks ball down -- and continues her run past her up centerline. K.Johnson one-touch pass up centerline springs Kerr alone from 33m. Ld.Williams wins race to 17m left post, slides out and clears as Kerr hops aside. Nagasato collects at 32m arc right, touches to 25m arc right, floats a fast lob over Ld.Williams scrambling back, drops it perfectly onto back center pipe. Na-GOAL-sato!2-0 | #CHIvSEA | https://t.co/Pqi6r5bddn pic.twitter.com/k0XGFevDES— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 28, 2019
55' 2-0 Kerr receives a long pass at 25m center, drives 1-v-1 around Barnes through box top mid-right. Barnes recovers and interposes hip at 12m mid-right, Kerr shoots off Barnes' back. 59' 2-0 Balcer crosses from 6-top wide left, J.Taylor misses a flick at 6-top center. Groom arrives at 5m mid-right, one-touch ground cross to J.Taylor at 4m right post. Naeher sits down trying to block, Taylor spins and lifts a delicate left foot scoop lob over Naeher, drops behind her at 0m 1/4. Naughton clears ball straight up off crossbar, it bounces down and Naeher catches it, still seated. AR had proper angle, never saw it fully over. How does this not go in for @ReignFC?!?!?2-0 | #CHIvSEA | https://t.co/Pqi6r5bddn pic.twitter.com/H45b6OBKiI— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 28, 2019 61' 2-0 Chicago subs in (1 of 3) #10 Vanessa DiBernardo for #13 Morgan Brian.
63' 2-0 Nagasato taps back to Ertz trailing to arc top mid-right, one-touch shot hard over bar. 64' 2-0 Balcer shoots from ~arc top mid-left, Naeher smothers at 1/3 left. 64' 2-0 DiBernardo slips a pass to 14m mid-right, Kerr outruns 1 and touches to 10m 6-right, shoots high.
68' 2-0 Ertz flattens Long at 30m center. Foul, yellow card on Ertz. 69' 2-0 Reign FC subs in: - (1 of 3) #16 Jaycie Johnson for #9 Jodie Taylor - (2 of 3) #8 Theresa Nielsen for #4 Megan Oyster - (3 of 3) #88 Elise Kellond-Knight for #17 Beverley Yanez. 74' 2-0 Chicago subs in (2 of 3) #7 Michele Vasconcelos for #14 Sarah Gorden.
74' 2-0 K.Johnson lags a perfect through-ball from 27m arc left to box top mid-right, Kerr wins a left-to-right race past Barnes(?), touches to 13m mid-right. Kerr tries to chip Ld.Williams way up at 7m into back left, Williams expects it and plucks ball high. 77' 2-0 Celia longball up box right, Ertz plays it into far touch. 77' 2-0 Groom right throw-in, cleared. Celia shoots from 30m right post, blocked by legs at box top. Vasconcelos plays a give-and-go to Kerr at midfield arc right, continues her own run behind Kerr, Kerr sees same pattern and promptly hooks a pass up mid-right into space. Vasconcelos races Celia to 27m box right, Celia pokes into near touch. 79' 2-0 Balcer (on the right now) fouls at own 3m wide right. Colaprico fk thereat, over 6-box to Naughton unmarked at 5m 6-right. Naughton low-volleys rising to right post, Ld.Williams double-blocks it wide right and over. Whoa nelly this was HUGE from @lydsaussie. 2-0 | #CHIvSEA | https://t.co/Pqi6r5bddn pic.twitter.com/7Imrou2uYB— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 28, 2019
82' 2-0 Nagasato passes out of a pile to 12m mid-right, Kerr chases alone. Kerr turns and crosses to 8m 1/3 right, Vasconcelos glances a header over DiBernardo, to 2m 6-left. K.Johnson swings left roundhouse, high and wide left. 84' 2-0 Colaprico right ck, way over mouth. Balcer collects at own wide right, clears up right touch and out. 86' 2-0 Chicago probe and dump passes to Reign's box top. Balcer curls upfield toward circle back left, misses a pass. Reign regain, but Kellond-Knight underhits a switch right, Davidson collects. Groom creeps to 27m wide right, misses a diagonal pass toward box, Chicago collect.
88' 2-0 Reign backpass to Celia at own arc top box right. Kerr charges from 5m+ away, arrives in time and blocks Celia's clearance, into far touch. 88' 2-0 Chicago subs in (3 of 3) #23 Brooke Elby for #33 Katlyn Johnson. 89' 3-0 Vasconcelos dribbles fast to 27m arc right, passes to Kerr at arc top, in a semi-circle of 3 defenders -- who all get sucked centerward. Kerr goes down to one knee, hooks ball out to arc tangent right. Vasconcelos steps back to ball, snipes a flat diagonal pass through Reign's scattered line to Elby lurking unmarked behind them all, at 15m 6-left. Elby touches to 9m left post, Ld.Williams charges her, Elby pokes right foot under Ld.Williams' left hand, into center back low. Elby's 1st-ever NWSL goal Vasconcelos has some serious turbo speed, nobody can keep up with her over short distances when she runs. .@BrookeLB93 for three! @chiredstarsPR on a roll. 3-0 | #CHIvSEA | https://t.co/Pqi6r5bddn pic.twitter.com/YPrluL6640— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 28, 2019
90+1' (of +3') 3-0 Nielsen crosses from box right to a 3-v-3 at 8m 1/4 left. Balcer hop-volleys just wide left, off the back left support pole. 90+3' (of +3') 3-0 Utsugi passes to Balcer at arc top mid-left, Balcer shoots right foot but slices it wide right, no bend. 90+4' (of +3') 3-0 Naughton longball is headed by Barnes(?) way up at circle top right. Kerr is alone at 30m centerline, way offside -- but she's onside after a defender's deflection! Kerr waits for ball, collects, drives 1-v-0 into the shade at 14m mid-right, shoots across mouth -- and Ld.Williams saves it again Ball skitters to 2m 6-left, Nagasato shoots left roundhouse, Nielsen blocks it over endline left. FT 3-0, no ck.
Balcer led the Reign with 6(2) shots(sog). Kerr had 5(3), for half of Ld.Williams's 6 saves I think the cold weather sapped Celia's legs, which neutralized her forward threat. Sometimes she's very active, sometimes she's pressured. Overall, this Reign line-up lacks some speed, resulting in even-numbers runs around Chicago's box without any clear opportunities. Taylor had some half-chances, but she's not ruthless enough to finish. Hence most of the shots and crosses were long ones. Other than Kerr, Chicago also has Ertz, K.Johnson, and Vasconcelos to stretch defenses. Short chose a few times to go on runs. Defenses have a tendency to Kerr-watch, which makes them vulnerable to everybody else, and Chicago are quite experienced at exploiting (and creating) those breakdowns.
Something I found odd in the Orlando-Utah game - perhaps from not watching Orlando enough - as that in the final ten minutes plus stoppage time, Orlando earned several throw-ins in good positions. And Marta went over to take them. It seems odd to have one of the most creative players of all time in a position where she could not collect the ball and make something happen. (Though as a Royals fan, I appreciated it. )
Good team effort on that Thorns goal. Heath to Sinc to Sonnett to put it away. Looks like Crnogorčević might have even gotten a piece. And while posting this I missed another Thorns goal. A Tobin Heath goal, at that.
[HOU-NC] Ohai for Latsko, Murray for Agnew. Today's XI: Campbell; Murray, Polkinghorne, Brooks, Chapman; Schmidt, Huerta, Nairn; Prince, Daly, Ohai ©#HOUvNCC #DashOn pic.twitter.com/TxekrOAbAT— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) April 28, 2019 Identical. 1122612050365243396 is not a valid tweet id Houston: Q (<= OUT, starting) Ohai (=, not starting) K.Mewis Simon / OUT (OK =>) Comeau (=) Shim North Carolina: (OK <= Q) King / Q none / OUT (=) Harbison Rowland
Dang that backheel goal was sick. I'll just tell myself that if I'd been watching at the time Heath wouldn't have scored it.
[NJ-POR] James for Hoy (and Rodriguez => LF), Monaghan for Richardson (and Skroski => RCB). Our Starting XI for tonight! #NJvPOR pic.twitter.com/6fz39LbRcp— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) April 28, 2019 Brynjarsdóttir for Horan; Crnogorčević just in case I need to paste it again Our Starting XI today at @SkyBlueFC.Watch live on @YahooSports; kickoff is 3PM (PT). #BAONPDX #NJvPOR pic.twitter.com/jZqCmNYGZm— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) April 28, 2019 Sky Blue: (OK <= Q) McCaskill / Q none / OUT(=) Freeman Tiernan Portland: Q (<= OUT) Menges / OUT (OK =>) Horan (=) Bixby
NC vs Houston is like the Western Front in WW I. North Carolina is bombarding the goal. The Houston offense has been Daly, Daly, and Daly who has already run the equivalent of a marathon.