rankprev.teampointsgameswinslossesdrawsgoals forgoals againstgoals diff. 11Seattle Reign FC39151203311120 22FC Kansas City301694225178 36Western New York Flash231778230228 45Washington Spirit23167722633-7 53Chicago Red Stars211566320173 64Portland Thorns FC211566321210 77Skyblue FC16163671625-9 88Houston Dash131641011728-11 99Boston Breakers111531022032-12 Western New York has climbed up to 3rd place and with their goal differential now have an edge over many of the other clubs fighting for playoff spots. And more importantly, almost every other club now has made up the match differential that Kansas City had over them and now every club is within one match of each other. With Kansas City's lead of 7 points over the 3rd place team, the Blues are in strong position heading to the 3rd part of the season. FC Kansas City projected roster: Goalkeepers: Nicole Barnhart, Sara Keane Defenders: Becky Saurbrunn, Nikki Phillips, Leigh Ann Robinson, Nia Williams, Amy LePeilbet Midfielders: Lauren Holiday, Jen Buczkowski, Jenna Richmond, Frances Silva, Erika Tymrak, Katrina Gorry, Mandy Laddish Forwards: Liz Bogus, Melissa Henderson, Amy Rodriguez, Morgan Marlborough, Sarah Hagen NWSL injury report: OUT: None DOUBTFUL: None QUESTIONABLE: None PROBABLE: Nicole Barnhart (right ankle sprain) Skyblue projected roster for match: Goalkeepers: Brittany Cameron, Jill Loyden Defenders: Christie Rampone, CoCo Goodson, Cami Levin, Lindsi Cutshall, Kendall Johnson, Maddie Thompson, Caitlin Foord, Kelley O’Hara, Cami Levin Midfielders: Ashley Nick, Katy Freels, Sophie Schmidt, Nanase Kiryu Forwards: Maya Hayes, Monica Ocampo, Jonelle Filigno NWSL injury report: OUT: Haley Haagsma (left knee acl tear), Taylor Lytle (left tibia fracture and lateral meniscus tear) DOUBTFUL: None QUESTIONABLE: None PROBABLE: None Projected Starting XI for FC Kansas City (4-2-3-1) Probably not the line up that I think will happen since Amy Rodriguez will probably start up top, but I want to highlight that the Blues have not been scoring many goals lately so a change is needed up top. Hopefully the coaching staff will think ahead about the issues that have been cropping up for the Blues lately. Projected starting XI for the Skyblue FC (4-3-2-1 Christmas Tree) This may look an odd formation for Skyblue since they usually play in their traditional 4-4-2, but against Seattle, this is the formation they used. One forward up top and 5 midfielders arrayed in a christmas tree. Since they pulled off a draw against Seattle, I don't see why they don't stay with this formation since they did a good job bottling up the middle with their 5 midfielders. Match Overview: This will be the second time Kansas City and Skyblue face off against each other, the first time was the season opener which Skyblue drew against the Blues. Back then, the Blues were experimenting with a 4-4-2 which was problematic. The Blues now are playing much better, in their traditional 4-2-3-1 formation and now sit comfortably in second place in the league standings. Skyblue on the other hand has struggled to score and to even keep goals out of the net. A toxic combination when it comes to the league standings where they sit in 8th place. Skyblue has looked better in recent games, the return to full match fitness of Christie Rampone has solidified the defense and Britanny Cameron has seized goal keeping duties with her steady goal keeping. Skyblue still struggles to find goals, but the defense has looked much improved. Kansas City is a much improved club since the first few games and with most of the clubs in the league now catching up to the Blues in matches played. The Blues still retain a healthy 7 point lead over 3rd place. The only worry is goals. The Blues have been struggling to score more then one goal in a match. The last two matches against Chicago and Portland, Kansas City only scored one goal but that was good enough, against Houston, the Blues would need a miracle header from Frances Silva deep into stoppage time to get the winner. And this is with having our whole line up in action. Amy Rodriguez may have scored 9 goals, but she is not helping our club provide more offense. We need our midfield to be more into the attack and we desperately need a forward willing to hold up and play off with the midfielder. Creating a 1-2 passing to create space. Seattle is very good at doing this. Kansas City was good at doing this last year, this year its been very different, we haven't had that dynamic ball movement that we need from our attack. This match is still in the Blues hands, their ball movement, their strength of the midfield and solid defense should more then handle Skyblue. But if Skyblue can clog the middle of the pitch, like they did against Seattle, then the Blues could find themselves in the same quagmire that Skyblue created and this could frustrate the Blue's offense if that happens. My hope is for Sarah Hagen to be starting up top. She proved in her last outing how important she was with her technical skill with the ball in small spaces, allowing her to turn, which Rodriguez rarely ever does. Rodriguez very much prefers to send a back pass back to the midfield, wanting the ball sent over the top so she can run on. But with Hagen, Hagen was able to hold it because her size allowed her to shield the opposing player off the ball and she was able to pass to a running player or turn on her defender to move up the pitch and then create space by moving through the defender and creating lanes to pass to. Hagen is a vastly superior holding forward and this offense desperately needs her. The only question is whether Coach Andonovski will be brave enough to move Rodriguez to another role or to sit her. Tomorrow we should find out.
Thanks for all you do with these match-previews. Sorry if this is picky but I haven't seen Nia Williams on the bench for the last 2 home games...and the club hasn't made an announcement i'm guessing she was waved now that Gorry and Hagen have arrived and LePeilbet is healthy/Mathias has proven her worth on the defensive end. I would replace Williams with Kallman in the projected roster section. Also, I hope you are right about the line-up, KC has a decent sized lead on the 3rd place team and not that I want us to go crazy with changes, I think this is an opportunity to give the Hagen/Arod combo a try. However, KC seems to struggle with Sky Blue...so who knows, but IMO getting some experimenting out of the way before we travel to Portland next week could be benefical. Although, I wouldn't be overly upset if the coaching staff just stuck with what has been successful to get another 3 points.
i am as anxious as you are to see hagen up top with or without arod on the pitch. i'm also itching to see a defense pairing becky and amy in the middle...but.... what problems? they've won 5 straight or something like that. winning is the key. there are no points for scoring goals per se. there are points for winning. and one of the reasons they are winning, is their more rounded game. last year they were all about offense, and they kept losing games because their defense could not close out the game. this year arod and matthias are important cogs in team defense. so seeing hagen help close down the game was good. but it is not proof of how she would play before the opposition's defense was stretched and pushing forward seeking the tying goal. it doesn't provide us enough information about if she can score better than arod against a regular defense. to know that you would have to see what she did in practice - where andonovski has the advantage over us. so, unless sarah is outplaying arod in practice in fckc's particular scheme, sarah will be a sub. if she's better, she'll start, altho, even then, coaches do not normally change a winning team. don't fix what ain't broke.
I would be surprised if they waived Nia Williams, that would be interesting if they did that. Katrina Gorry is not a player I would be seeing with the FCKC every year since they keep drafting stellar midfielders. They need to give them more time on the field and Gorry is a full time player. She can only come in mid season which is a problem. She is still listed on the NWSL page but then again teams have listed more then 20 players, players that they have called up. So you may be right since you actually have been to the games.
Its just last year, FCKC I think blew 6 leads. Either 1 or 2 goal leads. Chicago and Portland in the playoffs, the Blues blew 2 goal leads. Without those the Blues would of lead the league standings. The defense has been steady, but I still would like to see more goals to ensure the win.
...but that's the problem. last year that push for more goals lead to the blowing of all those leads. this year they are a more rounded team, which leads to a greater ability to close out the games - and that's the most important thing, not just the scoring of goals. now, if they lose today - and they can in this league, they might install one or two of those changes you're talking about, and move on from there. but if things keep going well, i don't expect andonovski to alter his lineup.
#SBFC Starting XI: Cameron, Rampone (C), Foord, Johnson, Cutshall, Levin, Freels, Schmidt, O'Hara, Kiryu, Ocampo #SBFCvFCKC— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) July 6, 2014
#FCKC Starting XI: Barnhart, Sauerbrunn, Robinson, Kallman, Phillips, Buczkowski, Richmond, Holiday, Tymrak, Rodriguez, Hagen #SBFCvFCKC— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) July 6, 2014
So Hagen and Rodriguez are both starting. 4-2-3-1 formation with Buczkowski and Richmond, means Rodriguez will be starting wing today. Good move by Andonovski
Wow, 2 minutes in Leigh Ann Robinson sends a cross in and it bounces twice in the box to a running Erika Tymrak on the end post who would take a touch and then slot it in for goal. Nice goal, but probably a defensive lapse by Skyblue to let that bounce inside the box.
Wow a beauty of a goal by Lauren Holiday, took a corner kick and it just bent in for goal. Wow, 9 minute in the match.
Wow, I am saying this again. But Hagen chests a long ball and just dribbles into the box and beats Cameron for a beautiful goal for her first of the season. Hagen what a stud. 20th minute.
23' almost burns Cameron when she came out to boot a ball out and Holiday fires a long range shot that just misses the net. Cameron can be burnt with her high lines.
32' nice tackle to turn around a bad turn over by Holiday that allowed Skyblue to make a run but Richmond comes back and defends it very well.
36' Hagen with a beautiful pass to Richmond into the box. Cutshall cuts it out in time to knock it out but Hagen is impressing me with her passing.
40' A good solid minute of offense inside the box by Skyblue. Good defending to keep any chances outside the box.
42' OMG! Like as soon as I typed that FCKC attack. Holiday sends a shot, hits the post and Hagen get the rebound that would bounce up and head its in. Giant in the box Hagen.