I've been ... vacuuming six years' worth of dust bunnies. They breed [CHI-ORL] Heatin’ Up pic.twitter.com/NXYBxiQwZm— Chicago Red Stars (@chicagoredstars) May 26, 2018 How we’re lining up in Chicago! #CHIvORL | #VamosOrlando pic.twitter.com/rZY1Fd2LfR— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) May 26, 2018 Chicago: Q none / OUT DiBernardo McCaffrey Short Orlando: Q Leroux Monica / OUT Camila Pressley Chicago still tweets a flat list instead of a field map, but I think it's back-to-front, right-to-left. Can't tell a 4-2-3-1 from a 4-4-2, tho
02' 0-1 Poliana delivers a high cross from 38m wide left to 12m 6-right. Hill jumps in front of Gilliland, ball bounces off both their shoulders, drops straight down behind Gilliland's back as she twists away from it. Hill pounces on it first, one-touch right foot shot toe-poked(??) by S.Johnson lunging down -- wrong-foots Naeher leaning centerward, bounces just inside right post low. The @ORLPride are off to an early start at Toyota Park. Hill opens up the scoring for the Pride!#CHIvORL | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/mF2zX0wR08— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 26, 2018 05' 0-2 Kennedy dribbles to circle back left touch, rolls a pass to Marta across midfield wide left. Marta roams uncontested to 31m box left, Morgan has 1/2 step on S.Johnson at 24m arc left and fights centerward across her front, which opens some separation. Marta crosses to 14m left post, Morgan pulls away from Johnson, lunge-heads perfectly just inside left post 1/h high, past Naeher's dive. Marta ➡️ Morgan. They're cooking in Chicago and a second early goal for the @ORLPride, who are up 2–0.#CHIvORL | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/ARYy582410— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 26, 2018
21' 1-2 Ertz(?) long ground pass up centerline springs Kerr through the high back line, 5m ahead from 40m to arc top right post. Kerr dribbles to 13m right post, stutter-fakes (Harris does not bite), veers right to 10m 5-right, chips centerward into Harris. Zadorsky clears to arc top box left, Nagasato settles and passes to Vasconcelos at 16m left post -- meanwhile, Kerr lurks at spot. Vasconcelos taps back to Nagasato at 11m box left, one-touch scoop cross to 8m 1/3 right. Ball drops juuust over Zadorsky's jumping header try, Kerr is free to lunge-and-snap down toward right post, ball bounces perfectly past Harris's dive. Maybe body up to Kerr instead of playing space If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Kerr pulls one back for the @chiredstarsPR!#CHIvORL | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/9pPDbWYFqb— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 26, 2018 60' 2-2 Krieger long outlet pass from arc top wide (her) right to Morgan coming back to ball at midfield box right. Morgan one-touch square pass left hoping for van Egmond, but it goes directly to Ertz. One-touch to Comeau past circle top box left, Krieger comes forward and leaves Kerr lurking behind her, now 1-v-1 on Mônica at arc top mid-left. Comeau passes to Nagasato facing away at 32m arc left -- as ball arrives, Kerr makes a hard backcut. Nagasato makes a perfect two-touch through ball to 10m 6-left, Kerr wins the race past Mônica. One-touch right instep mini-chips Harris's left glove, drops perfectly into right side netting low. I think Chicago has practiced this idea of everybody look-for-a-Kerr-breakaway Kerr ❌ 2️⃣! #CHIvORL | #NWSLonLifetime pic.twitter.com/FkzISHKJze— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 26, 2018
61' 2-3 Krieger, annoyed, chips a cross from 30m box right (past Comeau) to 10m left post, ball drops just over Naughton's jumping header try. Leroux has inside position on Gorden, leans down to horizontal and dive-heads just inside left post, past Naeher's dive. And before we could take a breath, @sydneyleroux earns back the lead for the @ORLPride with a diving header!#CHIvORL | #NWSLonLifetime pic.twitter.com/sjpg87OqKb— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 26, 2018 063' 2-4 Krieger, having fun, dribbles up box right to 38m, flicks ahead to van Egmond at 23m right touch. Morgan accelerates through arc top mid-right and back-cuts S.Johnson, van Egmond sees that and fires a diagonal ground pass outside-in to 9m mid-right. Morgan touches to 5m mid-right, cross deflects off Naughton('s ribs?), back to 9m 1/3 left. Leroux comes back to ball just ahead of Gorden, touches centerward to 10m center, shoots right foot hard chip over Gorden's low kick-save try -- rising anyways, past Naeher frozen into back right high. And @sydneyleroux strikes again! Two goals in two minutes! @OrlPride are now up 4–2 in Chicago.#CHIvORL | #NWSLonLifetime pic.twitter.com/jMEUAjqp0c— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 26, 2018
83' 2-5 Orlando outlets up wide left to Morgan running an out-route at 40m wide left. Morgan stops ball, square pass right to Nairn, and Morgan instantly spins-and-goes up left touch past Naughton stepping up rashly, thereafter no match for the pace. Nairn rolls a return pass through 25m wide left in Morgan's stride, Gorden veers outward to chase -- nobody has Weatherholt absurdly 20m unmarked through 30m arc right. Morgan dribbles to 9m box left, square pass to 10m center. Weatherholt measures it, right instep grasstop volley beats Naeher's dive, bounces just inside left post low. Make it 🖐! @daniweatherholt finishes off the @alexmorgan13 pass. @ORLPride up 5–2 now.#CHIvORL | #NWSLonLifetime pic.twitter.com/C7PCDKebJZ— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 26, 2018 Orlando has some pace, still. Morgan is pretty deadly when she drives-and-dishes.
I logged in to watch the Reign ... and spent 1 hour rewinding non-Reign tweets [SkB-SEA] Tonight's Starting XI presented by @HMHNewJersey. Catch #NJvSEA at the top of the hour on @go90! pic.twitter.com/Pu36CzaOSW— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) May 26, 2018 Available substitutes tonight are Andrews, Bauer, Betos, Kawasumi, Kleiner, Spencer, and Yanez #LetItReign #NJvSEA pic.twitter.com/buaIaHpeMY— Seattle Reign FC (@reignfc) May 26, 2018 Sky Blue: Q none / OUT Skroski Stott Seattle: Q none / OUT Averbuch J.Johnson Oyster
1H 0-0 Sky Blue (seem to) have many, many restarts in Seattle's 1/3. 64' 0-1 Utsugi passes to Westphal at arc top left touch. Westphal waits until Gibbons makes a move outward, cuts inside past her. First flick cross (toward Spencer) rattles through Groom's two feet, bounces down box left. Westphal follows it to 8m just inside box left, flicks right outstep past Freeman, to 10m center. Rapinoe steps forward, opens (a) hip and shoots right instep inside-out, past Frisbie's slide-block try. Ball skitters to goalline 1/3 right, past or off Sheridan's sitting kick-save try, into back right low. .@mPinoe puts it away to give @ReignFC the lead in the second half!#NJvSEA | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/Pg4TBjhzxB— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 27, 2018 Huh -- all of the attacks both ways, and that's the one that scores?
81' 0-1 Yanez dribbles through circle top left, rolls a long through-ball toward arc top left. Rapinoe breaks the high trap line at 28m, even she thinks the AR-will-raise-flag (not that she's offside ), momentarily pauses before gleefully pouncing -- in fact, held onside by Frisbie across the field at LB. Rapinoe follows ball to 12m 6-left, shoots right instep across mouth. Sheridan is onto that, dives out to 6m and double-blocks ball down. Ball bounces behind her toward left post low. Stott outraces Spencer, reaches bouncing ball at 0.5m and volleys it into far touch. Teamwork for the save from @stotty_13 and @Kailen_Sheridan. #NJvSEA | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/Pn2eBkeMCC— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 27, 2018 FT 0-1. Sky Blue created much pressure in 1H. Some of that might have been Seattle rope-a-doping to save energy on the East Coast, but I think Seattle just got outplayed for stretches.
Very happy for "mama Leroux" coming back to goal: she's back. On the other hand, what else should happen to persuade Rory Dames that Yuki Nagasato is the best offensive partner for Kerr and should always start? She had the assists for the two goals and, by watching highlights, it looks like she had at least another pair awesome through balls for the Australian player, that were only waiting to be converted into goals. In other words, Nagasato is the perfect set up for Kerr's goals. Now, if Chicago defense could work... But that's another story: most of the times, in this league, a team scoring two goals has won, or at least tied the game (with notable exceptions, yeah, as Portland-Seattle 2-3), but Nagasato-Kerr duo seems useless if the team takes 5.
Sunday at the park! Originally scheduled for 15:00 PDT, but pushed back 2 hours? Still hot enough (~= 94°F with humidity) to require hydration breaks. [HOU-WAS] Agnew for LB Keever (and Chapman flips from RB to LB). Dash Starting XI: Campbell; Agnew, Van Wyk, Brooks, Chapman; Motlhalo, Mewis, Simon; Prince, Daly, OhaiAvailable substitutes: Henninger, Keever, Jordan, Latsko, Kgatlana, Hanson, Shim#HOUvWAS pic.twitter.com/LLgucXSAAw— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) May 27, 2018 but a late scrub: #6 Meleana Shim for #17 Kyah Simon. Simon will not play due to a right groin injury, Shim will take her spot in the Starting XI. #HOUvWAS https://t.co/9FXkf9uhOl— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) May 27, 2018 As we count down to kickoff, here's a look at our Starting XI!🇺🇸💻 | go90 | https://t.co/R0iSMFs60J 🌍💻 | #NWSL | https://t.co/cOfvsp090f #WeWill // #HOUvWAS pic.twitter.com/0gQFSF9YKj— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) May 27, 2018 Eubanks for Pugh at RF; Dougherty Howard for Dydasco at LB. Houston: Q none / OUT Simon (during warm-ups) Washington: same. (Q none / OUT Farquharson Matthews Ship)
02' 0-0 Houston through-ball to ~8m left post, Ohai trips over Bledsoe! Offside, though. 11' 0-0 K.Mewis lunges at Banini dribbling, plants cleats awkwardly(?) in grass, sits down at midfield wide left with no (real) contact as Banini turned away. Washington switches way (their) left -- behind the play, Mewis stays down on side, holding back of left knee. Eventually, stoppage. 13' 0-0 Daly, Ohai, trainer, +1 huddle around Mewis now lying on back, squeezing her hand. 14' 0-0 Mewis walks unassisted into near touch. Houston resume with 10: they think she can return?
15' 0-0 Daly goes down at own arc top right touch. Brief stoppage, Daly does a three-point get-up, keeping weight off right foot -- ankle? calf? She resumes. K.Mewis returns? 16' 0-0 Washington dribbles facing away around arc top mid-right. K.Mewis goes to ball again, plants left foot and swings right foot -- collapses leftward, writhing on grass. Stoppage again, teammates immediately motion for a sub. 17' 0-0 K.Mewis stretchered off. 19' 0-0 Houston subs in (1 of 3) #9 Haley Hanson for #19 Kristie Mewis (left knee). That's deflating.
31' 0-0 1h hydration break. Washington seems to have had more of the build-ups and patient sieging at the top of Houston's 1/3. Houston have gotten several quick-strike raids and early cross-and-misses. Ohai and Daly have been bagged offside at least once each -- pressing a tad much against Washington's coordinated back line. I think Pauw has Houston attacking too quickly -- or their midfield can't hold the ball, so it looks like their possessions are shorter. 34' 0-0 Resume. 37' 0-0 Ohai drives 1-v-1 past box top wide right, backpass, receives return pass, drives to 5m wide right but crosses behind goal. 38' 0-0 Daly counters to arc top box right, taps down wide right to Ohai unmarked. One-touch cross balloons over goal, lands just behind endline left. Ohai's been out for a while ...
44' 0-0 Sullivan weaves through 3 to arc top center, pass to box top left. Entry pass to Ordega turning back to ball at 15m 1/3 right, backpass to arc top center. Two Spirit players are there, Sullivan shoots from arc top left, just wide left. 45+1' (of +5') 1-0 Agnew challenges a backpass(?) at circle back right touch, creates a 50-50. Shim intercepts, turns to circle back right -- Washington is caught all scrambled, nobody has Prince flying north through circle left. Shim lofts a long switch to arc top box left, Prince is wide-open through box top left as E.Johnson chases her laterally -- with RB T.Smith caught way upfield and still 10m behind. Daly wins her race past Church through spot, Prince goes to 10m mid-left, bends a perfect ground cross outswinging to 6-top center. Daly runs on and hop-volleys right instep past Bledsoe, rising into back left high. Washington's methodical build-ups gets victimized by Houston's fast break. The connection from Prince, the finish from Daly. The @HoustonDash are up at the half thanks to this goal!#HOUvWAS | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/F4mTNz8bfl— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 28, 2018 HT 1-0.
If I had a soccer team I would want Rachel Daly on the field. More spirit that the Spirit. But, I fear, she's gonna get hurt. She's a daredevil. Morgan Conklin is a good analyst -- the rare one who actually analyzes. Bravo!
I really hope it's not, but Mewis' reaction to her injury really looked like the dreaded ACL... Daly is fire. She would have way more goals with a better supporting cast. She isn't fast, but I do like the composure Shim brings. She launched that attack leading to Daly's goal. Wow, both teams combining for 2 shots in the first half, 1 for each team. That lack of attacking action is not going to win over new fans. Let's pick it up!
46' 1-0 Washington subs in (1 of 3) #11 Mallory Pugh for #14 Francisca Ordega. 46' 2-0 Ohai dribbles to arc top right, pokes ball off Dougherty Howard (her poke-and-chase speed move?), ball reflects off Ohai and bounces centerward. Ohai touches to arc top mid-right, shoots left instep bend -- perfectly past Bledsoe's dive, just inside left post 1/2 high. Ohai has learned her lesson from 1H: don't cross with the right foot, shoot with the left O H A I. The @HoustonDash start out the second half with a bang. 2–0.#HOUvWAS | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/xCc1XRnp9M— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 28, 2018
What. A. Goal! That was vintage 2016 Ohai. You can't place a ball any better than that. Definitely GOTW.
51' 2-0 Eubanks(?) chases to 8m 7-right, Chapman slides and pokes ball away through her legs, to 15m center. Pugh collects, jukes right as Agnew lunge-slides from 2m away, leaves leg extended and trips Pugh flat. Foul, pk. Welp, don't commit to slide from that far out. Pugh steps to the spot, but Jane Campbell is ready with the stop.#HOUvWAS | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/lH9TOtvFoq— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 28, 2018 51' 2-0 Pugh pk, right instep to 2/5 left (basically no angle), Campbell bends at waist and topples rightward, blocks ball down through 6-top. Ball bounces around, Washington get another shot through traffic, blocked by legs, cleared rightward. Banini shoots from arc top, just wide right low.
Why do I get the strangest feeling that the odds of a player missing a PK spike whenever I happen to be watching? I expected better from Pugh.
54' 2-1 T.Smith chases ball down box right, outpaces Chapman to 4m box right, chips a cross to 6-top left. RB Agnew collides with Pugh back-cutting her at 9m left post, both go down. Banini chests ball to a stop, is weirdly 5m alone, has time to take a long look. Banini touches to 4m 3-left, snipes right instep flat across mouth, over Campbell's left hand, just behind right post 1/2 high. But @EstefiBanini_10 gets the @WashSpirit on the board at BBVA Compass Stadium! #HOUvWAS | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/yaHiAUHsos— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 28, 2018 54' 2-1 Houston subs in (2 of 3) #12 Veronica Latsko for #14 Nichelle Prince.
66' 2-1 Houston subs in (3 of 3) #11 Thembi Kgatlana for #7 Kealia Ohai. 66' 2-1 Washington subs in (2 of 3) #3 Caprice Dydasco for #22 Mallory Eubanks. Aha, pbp guy confirms: that was Ohai with J. J. Watt at the Houston-Golden State G5. He's not in big trouble 67' 2-1 Washington subs in (3 of 3) #16 Rose Lavelle for #4 Rebecca Quinn. A tale of two rehabs.