Heath free kick, and Horan scores. 2-0. And before I finished typing that, Portland scores again. Crnogorcevic. 3-0.
This is not the Utah team I'm used to watching. They look very rattled. And Portland 3 up and in control is a bit odd, too, tbh.
[POR-UTA] Menges for Reynolds; Purce for Klingenberg; Heath for Andressinha. Tonight's lineup for #PORvUTA. Kickoff vs. @UtahRoyalsFC is 8PM PT. #BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/VEeH426a6l— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) July 7, 2018 Rodriguez for Stengel; Matheson for Tymrak; Corsie for Bowen (and S.Johnson => RB). Tonight’s Starting XI for #PORvUTA pic.twitter.com/RLbMzhyCp3— Utah Royals FC (@UtahRoyalsFC) July 7, 2018 Portland: Q none / OUT Andressinha Foord Morris Reynolds Utah: Q none / OUT Arlitt Bowen Doniak Laddish O’Hara
01' 1-0 Franch gk, Utah ping around in their 1/2 on the left. Gorry tries a long switch toward Matheson, but slips on planting and kicks up a divot, pass dies short at circle center. Purce collects and counters through circle top, simple pass left to Heath at 32m box left. Heath veers inside to box top 6-left, taps a pass to Crnogorčević facing away at 13m left post -- and continues her own run. Crnogorčević clangs ball off her knees, into Heath's stride. Heath reflex-snipes a mini-chip over Jónsdóttir's shins -- over A.Smith's fingertips, just under crossbar 1/5 left. No time to waste. @TobinHeath gets @ThornsFC on the board one minute in!#PORvUTA | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/ZKkAQnD6CU— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 7, 2018 32' 2-0 Heath fk at 30m left touch, right instep cross to 8m center. Horan starts out lurking on Sauerbrunn's back at 14m left post, simply peels away from her and opens separation, outjumps Moros and heads against ball's flight, into left side netting. It's @Lindseyhoran11's turn for a @ThornsFC with the header off the set piece! 2–0 to Portland in the first half now.#PORvUTA | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/3spYwj0jcv— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 7, 2018
34' 3-0 Jónsdóttir taps a very slow square pass(?) from wide left toward Scott at circle back left. Scott slips and faceplants as Horan darts in and takes her ball, counters up right post lane to 21m. Horan taps a diagonal pass to 12m 6-right, Crnogorčević has inside position on Moros, calmly snipes one-touch left instep bend across mouth, under A.Smith's dive, into back left low. Make it three. @AnaCrnogorcevic and @ThornsFC are rocking and rolling, up 3–0. #PORvUTA | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/s4altfFrvt— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 7, 2018 Corsie probably should have stayed in her zone and picked up Crnogorčević, but she saw Heath toasting S.Johnson through box top center and went across to intercept, and Crnogorčević cleverly attacked the space right behind her. HT 3-0.
46' 3-0 Portland subs in (1 of 3) #26 Mallory Weber for #23 Margaret Purce, for a foul not shown due to technical difficulties 62' 3-0 Portland subs in (2 of 3) #34 Tyler Lussi for #17 Tobin Heath. 62' 4-0 Horan lags a vertical pass from 40m right post to box top right post, Lussi back-cuts off Sauerbrunn and times it well-enough -- held onside by RB Miramontez dropping back too far behind her own line. Lussi chases alone to box top, first-touch-of-game right instep beats A.Smith under her left hand, rolls into 1/4 right back low. Thirty-two seconds, somebody timed it Welcome to the match, @tyler_lussi. Step on as a sub, immediately score. Make it four for @ThornsFC.#PORvUTA | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/rbDSluHPof— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 7, 2018 Kind of lucky: Lussi could see she was behind wrt. Corsie in front of her, and had no idea that Miramontez in the mid-left lane was even further behind her.
Press trying to make something happen, but then misses a sitter... This Utah team can be well and truly frustrating.
FT 4-0. 17,930. Portland vaults from 6th on 20=0 (+20-20) to clear 2nd on 23+4 (+24-20), one goal ahead of Seattle on 23+3 (+15-12).
2018/07/07 Sat: my car tabs expire today on a weekend, boo [SkB-CHI] McCaskill for Frisbie (and Tiernan => LB!); Lloyd LF <=> CAM Beckie. Tonight's Starting XI presented by @HMHNewJersey.#NJvCHI | #PushForward pic.twitter.com/o2gip1Wqa3— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) July 7, 2018 Short for Elby; Stanton for Gorden (and Ertz => RCB?); Nagasato for Brian; Vasconcelos for DiBernardo; Mautz for White. 1015723603000733696 is not a valid tweet id Sky Blue: Q Abam K.Johnson Meehan / OUT Hoy Pierre-Louis Rodríguez Stott Chicago: Q none / OUT McCaffrey
[ORL-WAS] 4-3-3; Ubogagu for Morgan; Nairn for Hill; Pickett for Poliana. The squad fighting for O-Town tonight. 😈#ORLvWAS | #VamosOrlando pic.twitter.com/8EgIYyLypo— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) July 7, 2018 Banini for Dougherty Howard. Here’s how we’ll line up for tonight’s #NWSL Game of the Week! #ORLvWAS pic.twitter.com/hN92jYbkDB— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) July 7, 2018 Orlando: Q Morgan / OUT Evans Washington: Q Banini (starting) Eubanks Lavelle / OUT Farquharson Matthews Pugh Ship Weimer
ORL-WAS is in a 30-minute weather delay, will kick off at 20:00 EDT. Due to weather in the area tonight's kickoff has been delayed to 8:00pm ET. We'll have further updates here. #ORLvWAS— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) July 7, 2018 weather.com shows scattered showers throughout C.Florida. There's one red blob (rain?) just W of the "Orlando" city pin, which looks very close to Orlando City Stadium. Wind is blowing E at 9 mph, so in 30 minutes it'll be 4+ miles past.
[NJ-CHI] I shall call them by what they call themselves, hereafter 31' 0-0 Groom races Naeher head-on at full sprints to 25m arc right for a 49-51. Naeher wins race and pokes ball away, Groom jump-tucks and they collide ribs-upon-ribs. Naeher bounces down, Groom bounces up -- then down. Groom stays on back. Stoppage ... Groom eventually walks into near touch, awaits return. Naeher will win that collision. 35' 0-0 Kerr spins past Tiernan(?) at arc top box right, goes down box right to 10m. Ground cross to Vasconcelos splitting the CBs to 8m 1/3 left, but Vasconcelos uses her right instep and never stops the cross's leftward momentum, one-touch shot drags wide left low. She should have done McDonald's right-foot-to-right-foot hop and shot with the left ...
40' 0-1 Naeher fk at own 40m center, sailed long over box top right. Mautz times her run better, chases alone to 10m wide right. Cross outswings to box right post, Kerr comes back to ball past Killion overpursuing to spot. Kerr touches to arc right, shoots right instep pull -- ball deflects through(?) Killion's legs across mouth, wrong-foots Sheridan into a late dive, bounces into back left edge. Chicago are too tired to celebrate -- it's July. She's scored here before. @samkerr1 gives @chiredstarsPR the lead before this first half ends!#NJvCHI | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/RehOeoPz1I— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 7, 2018 45' 0-1 Lloyd blasts long from circle back left, drops it in behind Short at 27m box right. McCaskill overtakes her on the outside, touches to box top mid-right, snipes a ground pass through spot to 8m 5-left. Dorsey runs on through box top left, shoots one-touch left instep to left post, Naeher blocks ball through 2m 6-right. McCaskill collects again and creeps to 6-right foot, Short slide-pokes ball over endline right. Naeher denies Dorsey a second time before the break!#NJvCHI | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/FwescakMT5— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 7, 2018 HT 0-1.
46' 0-2 Nagasato chips long from circle top mid-left to arc top right. Kerr has a 2-step lead on Tiernan, chests/shoulders ball rightward into own stride veering right to 9m 6-top right. Tiernan overtakes on the inside and interposes body -- thereby reducing the problem to one already solved. Kerr waits for the high bounce to drop to knee-height, shoots right foot pull across mouth -- happens to nutmeg Tiernan on the run, under Sheridan's dive, into back left low. .@samkerr1 with her second of the game and the 5️⃣0️⃣th of her NWSL career! @chiredstarsPR up 2–0 early in the second half.#NJvCHI | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/hhshhPFHen— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 8, 2018 Kerr's 50th NWSL goal -- she's the 1st NWSL player to get there? HC Dames won the race to 50 (wins) by 1 game 47' 0-2 Nagasato through-ball sends Kerr to 14m 1/3 right, she shoots over the bar. She chews her eraser! She's human!
[ORL-WAS] 02' 0-0 Ordega chases to 3m 3-right, Harris comes out and clears, Ordega bounces off Harris's torso or shoulder. Ordega spins away and stays upright -- but then goes down to one knee. Stoppage ... 03' 0-0 Ordega walks off field with trainers. Washington resume with 10. 09' 0-0 Orlando make endless runs into Washington's box for about five crosses and shots. 10' 0-0 Washington subs in (1 of 3) #8 Meggie Dougherty Howard for #14 Francisca Ordega.
63' 0-3 Nagasato turns-and-chips from circle center, Kerr toasts Richardson and Freeman way high at 35m, already 2m behind and pulling away. Kerr outpaces both to 12m right post, pulls Sheridan out to 8m, shoots right foot across mouth over her right knee, into back left low. Hats off to Sam Kerr. It's a hat trick at Yurcak, and @chiredstarsPR are up 3–0.#NJvCHI | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/sCBPl4PEcu— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 8, 2018 65' 0-3 And while the pbp pair are trying to describe that, Nagasato through-ball springs Kerr behind Freeman and Skroski down mid-left to 5m Kerr turn-and-shoots to left post, Sheridan blocks this one out to 8m and Freeman clears. That wasn't a replay, that was live!
[ORL-WAS] 26' 0-1 Church left ck, inswings to 6m 5-right. Hatch is alone amidst the scrum, jumps facing the ball and nods a header flat across mouth, past Harris stranded, bounces into left side netting 1/3 high. Canonical shot pattern, and it should be the first thing the defense takes away. .@ash_hatch33 rises above the rest and gives @WashSpirit the lead on the road!#ORLvWAS | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/2szYwJtUId— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 8, 2018
[NJ-CHI] 73' 1-3 Tiernan rounds Mautz centerward to circle left, passes upfield to McCaskill just past circle top left. McCaskill, coming back to ball, flicks one-touch right outstep pass inside-out to Lloyd at 27m mid-left -- and continues her own run up centerline, while Dorsey trails unmarked at 35m box left. Lloyd holds up at 25m arc left, passes square right to 23m center. McCaskill one-touch diagonal pass to 7m 5-left, Dorsey back-cuts Gilliland and wins that race, slides down as Naeher comes out to 6m and slide-squats to block. Right outstep poke beats Naeher to her left, rolls softly across goalline center. Then Naeher slides into Dorsey, and Gilliland trips over them both. .@Imdorsey96 gets @SkyBlueFC on the board at home, finishing off a solid team effort.#NJvCHI | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/7rkq75BK44— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 8, 2018 McCaskill really, really likes to make diagonal passes
[NJ-CHI] 80' 1-3 Groom and Short race head-on at (New Jersey's) arc top box right, both jump for a header -- and collide head-to-head, hooking each other into backward rotation and landing on backs. No, it was -- shoulder-to-shoulder? Groom stays down a bit (she loses every collision on mass), gets up and gingerly does right shoulder circles -- not interested in treatment or sub. Short also nurses her right shoulder. Whew -- that was close to being temple-to-temple. FT 1-3. Kerr vaults self into the NWSL scoring lead, on 8 goals. They come in bunches because she finds one pattern that works, and keeps working it. And now Chicago floats above Seattle and Portland into clear 2nd, on 25 points
[ORL-WAS] 46+2' (of +2') 1-1 Church clears awkwardly from arc top mid-(her) right to 35m. Dougherty Howard comes back and sole-blocks ball toward Quinn, but it dies in between them. Kennedy darts in, collects ball and dribbles to arc top wide left, with Quinn facing up. Kennedy passes outside-in to 4m mid-left, Leroux chases from box top mid-left past Church. Leroux does a hard stop-and-spin ccw to shake Church, touches back to 6m 7-left. Hard right instep pull to left post nutmegs Church's lunge, squeezes past Bledsoe leaning wrong way, deflects off her and into 1/8 left back low. .@sydneyleroux equalizes for @ORLPride right before the break. All evened up at 1–1 heading into halftime!#ORLvWAS | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/FV2KGwWYWM— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 8, 2018 HT 1-1.
63' 1-1 Dougherty Howard dribbles to arc top left, taps through box top mid-left for Banini surging to 7m 7-left. Zadorsky pokes ball away, Banini turns back to it, scoops a shot across mouth past Harris stranded near post -- off right post 1/2 high, bounces out to 8m center. Dougherty Howard one-touch shot blocked, Orlando clears. End-to-end stuff in Orlando, and Banini sends this one off the post!#ORLvWAS | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/dsRmJ9T4KA— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 8, 2018
[SEA-HOU] Identical! Available substitutes tonight are Andrews, Betos, Kawasumi, Kleiner, Leon, McNabb, and Spencer pic.twitter.com/3tmtidzllM— Seattle Reign FC (@reignfc) July 8, 2018 Simon for Prince. Tonight’s starting XI: Campbell; Comeau, Brooks, Van Wyk, Chapman; Polkinghorne; Daly, Huerta, Motlhalo, Ohai©️; Simon Substitutes: Henninger, Agnew, Prince, Hanson, Kgatlana, Jordan, Latsko#SEAvHOU pic.twitter.com/ewz2sQExxV— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) July 8, 2018 Seattle: Q none / OUT Averbuch Dallstream Fishlock J.Johnson Houston: Q none / OUT K.Mewis