"Finals Week" starts (started ) tonight, for those who play all summer long. It's the big finish.#NWSL pic.twitter.com/9pH0WnGTLU— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 4, 2018
[CHI-NJ] Gorden for Ertz; Elby for Short; Stanton for Brian; Boyd for Naeher. Time to put on for the city.Inside the 18 | https://t.co/JUyqhoaZM6#CHIvNJ | #MKOT pic.twitter.com/Y17X9KYyD7— Chicago Red Stars (@chicagoredstars) September 4, 2018 Hoy for Rodriguez. Tonight's Starting XI presented by @HMHNewJersey.#CHIvNJ pic.twitter.com/o6O10ujSJm— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) September 4, 2018 Chicago: Q none / OUT McCaffrey / INTL (USA) Brian Ertz Naeher Short; (USA U-23) Green; (MEX) Murillo Sky Blue: Q Meehan Stott / OUT none / INTL (USA) Lloyd; (USA U-23) Dorsey McCaskill; (MEX) K.Johnson Verrrrrry short turn-around for Sky Blue, after they played Sun 09/02 morning in D.C. Unprecedented, really.
18' 1-0 Colaprico dribbles past midfield wide left to 40m, taps square right to DiBernardo, gets hooked down by Groom's shoe. DiBernardo passes to Kerr coming back to 30m mid-left, she passes to Gilliland sneaking down wide left to 4m. High cross to 4m 3-right, Mautz reads it better and outjumps behind Frisbie's back, bloops a soft header that perfectly lobs Sheridan's fingertips, just under crossbar 1/3 left. Mautz cleverly used her forearm to disrupt Frisbie's jump at exactly the right moment, but that's textbook. And @Alyssa_Mautz gets the Red Stars on the board first!#CHIvNJ | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/mCaOK6bzTB— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 4, 2018 46' 2-0 Gilliland plays a give-and-go with DiBernardo at own box top wide left, spins past gassed Hoy and runs unchecked past circle back box left. Pass ahead to Nagasato, another quick -and-go return pass, Gilliland continues her run to box top left. Mautz trails Frisbie through box top right post, with zero defensive support in Sky Blue's box. Gilliland bends a good cross around Frisbie to 6-top right post, Mautz slide-volleys across mouth into back left low. Hoy had absolutely no legs left, it's a tad depressing watching her laboring a good 8m behind Gilliland and falling further behind. 🗣 MAUTZ MAUTZ MAUTZ. It's a brace for @Alyssa_Mautz!#CHIvNJ | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/W4e02IdC4z— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 5, 2018
64' 3-0 Mautz taps back to RB "LB" at 26m wide right -- meanwhile, Kerr lurks 1-v-1 on Freeman at box top center. Elby cuts upfield past Gibbons lunging -- and Kerr makes her cut, as if they've practiced this before or something. Elby promptly steps into a cross to 7m right post, Kerr gets there exactly on time, jumps and glance-heads to 1/4 right 1/2 high. Sheridan reflex-slaps with left hand, but can't push it wide, it drives her hand back and pops up into goal right. Kerr's 15th goal Mark it down. Goal #⃣1⃣5⃣ for @samkerr1 to make it 3–0 for the @chiredstarsPR!#CHIvNJ | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/QGmzMA3GCK— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 5, 2018 79' 3-0 Chicago subs in (2 of 3) #22 Rosie White for #12 Yuki Nagasato. 80' 4-0 Gilliland crosses from 23m wide left to spot -- meanwhile, White runs a curl around Skroski caught ballwatching at box top mid-left as ball sails over both. Kerr back-cuts Richardson, has no shot -- chests ball down to 7m left post. White is in behind Skroski, first touch of game left foottop rising past Sheridan, into center back high. Kerr could have stooped for her own header, or tried chest-juggling to self, but she saw White unmarked. .@rosiewhite13 subs in and immediately grabs a goal, finishing off a @samkerr1 assist. @chiredstarsPR up 4–0.#CHIvNJ | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/2IkIS7lHx0— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 5, 2018
90+7' (of +7') 5-0 Sky Blue right throw-in at circle top, they come up for one last try. Ball poked away, Colaprico collects at own 30m mid-left. Colaprico dribbles past circle back arc left, passes ahead to Vasconcelos at circle left. Vasconcelos one-touch tap back to White at circle center, and begins her own sprint upfield, back-cutting Richardson caught way up at circle (their) half back right, using the gap between them as a runway to accelerate. White sees the same thing, one-touch ground pass into space, dying in stride. Vasconcelos catches up at arc tangent right, leads Skroski to 15m 3-right, shoots right foot past Sheridan's right shoe, into 1/4 left back low. Sky Blue was brave to play their trap line that high (all 2018 long ), and they've been beaten for pace up the gut over and over again. Right before stoppage time wraps up, @murph_vas7 finds her first #NWSL goal and puts the @chiredstarsPR up 5–0 at home.#CHIvNJ | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/EyPRJ7eShX— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 5, 2018 FT 5-0. Chicago clinches the playoffs on 37 pts = 4th, with one more to play to sneak past Portland on 39 = 3rd.
if New Jersey do not win their next match, they could possibly be rated as the worst women's club soccer team ever on paper. Right now, all they can possibly do is tie with the horrible WPS's Atlanta Beat circa 2011. Even the Boston Breakers in 2016 did better and they were another horrible team.
Talk about hyperboles! You should really see some of the bottom-feeder teams that appeared in various women's leagues in Europe throughout the years...
Hyperbole, plus you're misusing the term "on paper"... Remember, the difference is contrasting how a roster looks "on paper" and how the team performs on the field. Sky Blue is low-quality but by no means looks like a winless squad on paper; on the field, however....
If you do not have cable and do not get Lifetime, is there any other live feed to get the Thorns-Reign game tonight? Anyone know?
Here's a free live streaming link I found. Although I cannot guaranty it will work. http://wiz1.net/channel14
I don't know if it's just me or what but all I hear is the stadium sound (crowd chanting, players yelling, etc). No commentators at all. This is glorious!
Beautiful goals in the Portland-Seattle game. Portland peaking at the perfect time, and Seattle is a different team without Rapinoe and Long.
I was at home wvb, which takes precedence [POR-SEA] Purce for Raso; Foord for Crnogorčević. Ready to rock @ProvidencePark_. 💪 #PORvSEA #BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/JzE1wCo8XG— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) September 8, 2018 Utsugi for McNabb; Westphal for Nielsen. Available substitutes tonight are Betos, Johnson, Kawasumi, Kleiner, McNabb, Nielsen, and Yanez. pic.twitter.com/RVUMWb9YsN— Seattle Reign FC (@reignfc) September 8, 2018 Portland: Q Klingenberg (starting) / OUT Raso Reynolds / SEI Morris Seattle: Q Long Rapinoe Yanez / OUT Leon / SEI Averbuch Dallstream
04' 0-1 Addo receives at 30m mid-right, does a step-upon-drag-back to shake both Horan and Heath, kicks past J.Taylor at arc top to box top left post, Sonnett clears it. Ball clangs off Purce's shins, Addo regains and threads a pass to Fishlock facing away at 22m right post. Fishlock curls rightward away from Menges on her back, to arc top mid-right, shoots right instep across mouth, over Franch's fingertips, into left 90 The finishing touch from @JessFishlock to get Seattle up early in Providence Park. 0–1, @ReignFC!#PORvSEA | #NWSLonLifetime pic.twitter.com/ryVXD1TQzW— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 8, 2018 30' 1-1 Klingenberg outlets to Heath at circle back wide left. Sinclair makes a run up mid-left, taking RB Westphal with her. Heath dribbles through circle back left, Seattle have 4 inside center circle like lawn darts. Heath rolls a pass to circle top mid-right for RB Carpenter storming up into vast open spaces. Carpenter roams unchallenged to box top mid-right, pins LB Catley in a fork -- Catley must face up to stop ball, leaving Purce unmarked down wide right. Carpenter rolls a pass to 2m box right, Purce one-touch ground cross to 8m 1/4 left. Sinclair front-cuts Nielsen, their shoes entangle and both sprawl, ball bounces out to 16m left post. Horan runs on, one-touch right foot blast rising across mouth into right 90. Seattle's centralized shape was completely dismantled by Carpenter's run. 𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏. @Lindseyhoran11 and the @ThornsFC even it up, and Providence Park explodes.#PORvSEA | #NWSLonLifetime pic.twitter.com/yYhsAWEKWB— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 8, 2018 HT 1-1.
49' 2-1 Purce accelerates away from Andrews through circle top left, clangs ball too far ahead, Westphal slide-volleys away through circle (their) back. Fishlock comes back, pokes ball back to Andrews. Purce chases back to harass, Andrews hooks a backpass leftward toward Westphal. Heath reads that, jumps the route from the outside, steals and dribbles to arc tangent left post. Oyster is caught in two minds, finally leaves Foord's run to step up to Heath -- too late. Heath shoots right instep bend on the run, perfect bend rising into back right edge 3/4 high, far above Ld.Williams's dive. It is good to see open shots converted with precision, so that adoring young fans actually can use this as reference material. Doing it all. @TobinHeath with the steal and the strike. @ThornsFC with a 2–1 lead early in the second half!#PORvSEA | #NWSLonLifetime pic.twitter.com/fej7fdmpyz— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 8, 2018 69' 2-1 Seattle subs in (1 of 3) #8 Theresa Nielsen for #21 Christen Westphal. 82' 3-1 Heath right ck. Horan (bold is bad ) sets up at 12m left post, tight against Sonnett's right shoulder, forcing her defender Oyster to choose a route around Sonnett's screen. Horan makes her cut in front of Sonnett, Oyster ducks under. Heath delivers a simple high inswinger to 5m right post, Horan arrives on the straighter line and outjumps Oyster, glances a side-header down across mouth, bouncing into back left edge 1/3 high. Ld.Williams was stranded near-post, helpless against a close header. Nielsen as far post defender wandered center-ward, not entirely a bad reflex when the GK leaves the center gaping. Horan probably did see both data, and knew to put the ball away from silhouettes. The dagger. @Lindseyhoran11, her head, a corner kick, you know how this one ends. 3–1.#PORvSEA | #NWSLonLifetime pic.twitter.com/WJeQYHSQ2a— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 8, 2018 FT 3-1. 21,144 tongues applauded, as they rubbed our face in dirt
And that clinches both 2nd for Portland, and 3rd for Seattle (whom Chicago cannot catch). Sat 09/15 15:00 EDT SF1 #2.Portland - Seattle.#3 (Lifetime) Sun 09/16 15:00 EDT SF2 #1.North Carolina - Chicago.#4 (ESPN2!) SF1 shall see another 21k+ for the national TV audience. I actually kind of prefer that to a home game at Memorial.
I was hoping we might see it at CenturyLink. But I guess once it was decided the game was to be on the 15th, it wouldn't have been possible since there's an event scheduled there for that night (Could've been at the Clink on the 16th, though). So better (for the league in general, not for the Reign though) that it's at Providence Park than Memorial, I guess.
Well, as a Seattle's fan too, I am unsure about my feelings... We repeatedly said that oddly, this season, the home advantage didn't seem to change the course of the games, since there was an higher than average number of away wins. But if there is a team who definitely could have an actual home advantage this is Portland, with their 20.000+ crowd chanting and encouraging the team all the time! Sure, Providence Park is an excellent pitch to play football, but I am afraid the crowd could be the veritable 12th player for Thorns! Anyway, I am happy that Seattle gave playing time to important players coming back from injuries (Utsugi, Yanez), because we'll need all of the team in full force to somehow crack the Portland nut, at their home! Edit: and, on the bright side, we had least managed to avoid a clash with Chicago in the semi-final, since Red Stars spell "red danger" in this moment of the season!
Well their 2018 schedule doesn't really show it: 6-3-3 at home, 6-3-3 away. So there is hope for Seattle! Seattle on the other hand is 7-1-4 at home, 4-4-4 away... so um... then again, maybe not...
Early match on the last Saturday! [NJ-ORL] Lloyd for Meehan; Dorsey for Hoy; Rodriguez for Freeman (and Gibbons => RB, Skroski => RCB); McCaskill for Frisbie (and Tiernan => LB). This afternoon's Starting XI presented by @HMHNewJersey.#NJvORL pic.twitter.com/pQc31bOx66— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) September 8, 2018 Leroux for Marta; Nairn for Camila; Mônica for Edmonds (and Krieger => RB). Let's go get three points. #NJvORL pic.twitter.com/NV7JOOWhyg— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) September 8, 2018 Sky Blue: Q Meehan / OUT Freeman Stott Orlando: Q none / OUT Marta
07' 0-0 Dorsey hits crossbar! 42' 0-0 Ubogagu does Heath's steal, feeds Leroux, Sheridan kick-save! 66' 0-0 K.Johnson hits the crossbar! 74' 1-0 Groom blazes past jogging Nairn from circle top box right to 22m mid-right, Nairn lets her go. Groom draws 3 to self, taps a short diagonal pass between them to Lloyd at arc top, not-marked with 4m+ cushions. Lloyd shoots one-touch right instep bend, beats Harris's dive, into 1/5 right back low. Smile of the Year! Think we've seen this before from @CarliLloyd. @SkyBlueFC now leads. #NJvORL | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/gyk0pIye7N— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 8, 2018 FT 1-0. Twenty-fourth time pays for all Sky Blue still finishes bottom, but they're not the ... Browns.
I had called this last win! (Check on the prediction thread: I had a 2-1 win instead of a 1-0 one, but I even had goal difference correct ). Good for Sky Blue: they weren't a so bad team to deserve finishing this year's league without a win. Edit: after watching highlights, Sheridan's heroic saves and the two crossbars hit by Sky Blue in this game (that add up to the ton of woodwork they had hit already in this season), I'd say their final win is even more deserved!
[UTA-CHI] O'Hara for Lytle. Final showdown at the RioT! Audio breakdown: https://t.co/N2pZhJmrct pic.twitter.com/RcPWTnimPB— Utah Royals FC (@UtahRoyalsFC) September 8, 2018 Naeher for Boyd; White for Colaprico; Vasconcelos for DiBernardo. Back to Business.Inside the 18 ➡️ https://t.co/wj4evlpjA3#UTAvCHI | #MKOT pic.twitter.com/5Se7r6sTIX— Chicago Red Stars (@chicagoredstars) September 8, 2018 Utah: Q none / OUT none / SEI Arlitt Doniak Laddish Chicago: Q Colaprico Ertz; Elby (starting) / OUT DiBernardo McCaffrey Murillo Short
39' 0-1 Mautz floats a cross from 10m wide right to 16m right post, White turns away to receive, heads back to Vasconcelos at arc top left. RB Bowen steps up to stop Vasconcelos, LB Gilliland sees that and makes a run from 30m+ toward box left. Vasconcelos dribbles side-to-side with Bowen, rolls a pass to 10m box left. Kerr is weirdly unmarked amidst the scrum at 10m right post, she drifts toward 6-top. Nagasato alertly makes a near-post run, dragging Scott with her. Gilliland one-touch cross to 6-top right post, Kerr jumps alone and floats a header into right 90, over Barnhart's dive. Somehow, Scott was stuck marking both Nagasato and Kerr, and everybody else played zone. A header in close for @samkerr1? You know how this story ends. @chiredstarsPR grabs the lead in Utah. #UTAvCHI | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/VTSw1nG3A4— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 8, 2018 55' 1-1 Jónsdóttir taps square right to Press at 25m right post. Press dribbles rightward away from tight pressure, passes to Bowen at 26m box right. Rodriguez back-cuts unwary Naughton from arc tangent left, drifts away toward left post and opens up 5m lateral separation. Bowen chips a cross to 7m 2-left, Rodriguez drag-volleys right instep off left post low, beats Naeher's dive, bounces across goal into right side netting 1/3 back. .@AmyRodriguez8's shot kisses the post and finds the back of the net. All square at the RioT!#UTAvCHI | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/xxUHnKiEmg— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 8, 2018
64' 2-1 Lytle passes from 22m wide left to Rodriguez facing away at box top mid-left. Rodriguez holds up, backpasses to Moros. RB Elby steps up to Moros, Moros passes inside-out to Lytle at 11m wide left. One-touch cross to 4m 1/3 left, Stengel maintains 1/3 step lead ahead of Gorden, lunge-heads and deflects ball over Naeher already getting low, into 1/3 right back low. Down at the half, @UtahRoyalsFC now holds a 2-1 lead. #UTAvCHI | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/npIIds79pK— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 8, 2018 FT 2-1.