There is nothing to do: when on the road, we are the ghost of the team we are at home in Seattle. Ok, NC is a strong side, but we didn't play as we should anyway and it would really be time to change this trend that sees us so often succombing in away matches. By the way, was it really Barnes with that give-away in the box that led to first NC's goal?
My favorite Reign player lived in a senior living community in MD and wore a Pikachu suit in Seattle. I hope she rehabs quickly!
I am not sure I understood what happened: where did Matheson play? Any chance she's going to walk on the pitch for Seattle Reign before the end of the season?
Some interesting insight about Keelin Winters' (now Pattillo) retirement, and other sensible subjects: http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/...-as-womens-pro-soccer-player-is-no-easy-task/
It seems that no one responded to your question. The announcer mistakenly said Matheson was subbing out, instead of Mathias, who actually was the player that subbed out in the 80th minute +/-. Matheson heard the error and tweeted about it: "I think the announcer just said I'm subbing in." More proof that many of the announcers have no clue about players in the NWSL. Given that it was an ACL, I doubt Matheson will be back at all this season. The Reign said she would not be back in 2017. It could just have been a slip of the tongue for the announcer, who knows?
Thank you, CoachJon: now I understand the whole thing! It's a shame a player like Matheson couldn't see the pitch with Reign this year. Meanwhile, any news about the extent of Fishlock's injury?
Sigh, we can't even win home anymore. And vs Boston! If we keep on this way, play-offs will remain a mirage. At least, Naho had a great goal.
Yeah this was a chance to make up ground and we whiff again. I've been busy the last couple of weeks and most saturday nights I'm busy during the time of the game so I haven't had the chance to watch in great detail. The only bright side is that NCFC, Chicago and SBFC did not get maximum points. Also, I'm glad we have played Houston twice already because they are getting good and who knows what will happen when we meet again.
What. Can. We. Say? Seriously, we're a team that stops playing on 4-0 at about 60', thinking "ok, this game is finished", and manage to let the opponent equalize on 4-4, before waking up with a stir of dignity and deciding it couldn't end this way. Did you see our defenders * still as statues * as SBFC's players were having their way, with two or three of them constantly free and unmarked during those 15 minutes of lunacy??? What can I say: we are clinging on Rapinoe, but can it last? It's important that we caught 4th place again, and still with a game in hand over direct rivals of Sky Blue, but we have to raise our game-play a lot if we want to keep that position. I wonder what Harvey said in the locker-room after this game: some screams, I hope? I underline a fact: do you remember how Sky Blue's incredible comeback did start? Yes, with an awakward foul by Mathias in the box. Can we just take her out, please?
Two additional observations: 1) the assist for the final goal was by Katlyn Johnson, so why not starting her over "horror-show" Mathias (yes, I know they're different position, but just re-arrange the team accordingly; I am also aware that the "super-sub" value of Johnson as a late addition is high, but she looks so good to me that I would make her a starter anyway). 2) I am not good yet at reading lips in Japanese, but go rewatch Rumi Ustugi walking towards the center of the pitch after Sky Blue's third goal: don't you have the feeling too that you can very accurately get what she's saying?
Quite unsurprisingly, Megan Rapinoe wins Player of the Week award. Not much less unsurprisingly, she's also named Player of the Month, dethroning double-winner from May and June Sam Kerr.
With a Kerr-less Sky Blue FC unexpectedly losing at home to Washington, it could have been a good opportunity to leave them behind, but we didn't manage to exploit that! Utsugi and Rapinoe have been (understably) rested, just two days after ToN, but our attacking line is quite anemic without Megan: Kawasumi was delivering the crosses, but no-one was converting them into goals. Barnes celebrated her 100th match in NWSL with a fantastic sliding tackle on Lynn Williams, but our defese in general left a lot to be desired. Next week we're going to take on North Carolina again, but this time at home. I hope for a different result with Utsugi and Rapinoe on the pitch, but this season is a constant suffering!
I'm back (for a little while)! At home, we're so impressive but on the road? Yikes! We'll have a very short playoff run, if we make it, if we don't fix our away game issues asap.
Well, the NC-SEA match was more about the absence of Rapinoe (and Utsugi) than home/road delta. Seattle is toothless anywhere without one superstar: it exposes them as a team full of moderately-fast players who can't score golazos on the run, hence tend to not score at all. (When Rapinoe plays and doesn't create, it amounts to the same thing.) I am happy that Fishlock is back, even if she spent more time bent over sucking air than sprinting all-out. I actually thought Seattle played very well, given the team it fielded, with surprisingly many chances created. Kawasumi was effective as the lone chaser in the box, but it rotates her out of her best position into an area of need. Seattle's defense plan was, for the most part, good enough. NC's one goal was a fluke non-save, similar to how Norway beat Siri Mullinix in Sydney'00. NC did show they're simply faster in midfield (S.Mewis can dribble away from Yanez/Elston/gasping-Fishlock), but we knew that already. As for away-game in the playoffs, there might not be a "road problem" other than that playoff teams are, by definition, good teams, and this year the good teams tend to have a lot of team speed, which is Seattle's kryptonite. Maybe the secret weapon is to play like ... Good Sweden
People, what are we doing of this? Rapinoe out for 5 weeks! And she had seemed so brilliant in Tournament of Nations! But she suffered the injury there (or maybe was it a long-due stress injury?). The game today vs NC without Megan and Jessica Fishlock. What do we say, guys? Are we done for the season? Is there any hope we could make it without Megan?
I'd say we're done. Currently out of the play-offs, and I can't see how we can come back in, if we even start losing at home. First Utsugi's goal of the season is not enough. Without Rapinoe we're toothless.
Wow, it's been a long time. I lot have been happening (good things ) so I've not really been up to date with the NWSL. I also doesn't help that I'm out most weekends so it's difficult to watch the team play. I mostly just catch up on highlights. Good thing I decided to turn in today to watch the game again Chicago. A few scattered thoughts: When I saw the news of Rapinoe being hurt my heart sank. This team needed SOME changes either to the starting lineup or the formation. Just playing hard is not gonna cut it anymore as we saw twice against NCFC. We need some unpredictability. At some points during the NCFC I knew exactly were there ball was going to be played. That is not good. Yanez is having a disappointing season. She may be the player suffering most from the departure of Little. Elston has done well for herself and each game continues to impress. However Harvey got it wrong playing her as a forward. I liked that we attempted the 4-4-2 tonight as I think the 4-3-3 no longer suits the players we have with Rapinoe being out. While I give Harvey credit for switching to 4-4-2, I thought she got the personnel wrong. Though it is possible she wanted to rest players. Going forward I would like to see a back 4 with Pickett, Barnes, McNabb and Stott. A midfield diamond with Fishlock at the base and Elston at the top with Utsugi and Kawasumi on either flanks. A finally a front 2 with Mathias and either Johnson/Yanez/Crummer. Mathias for all her faults is our fastest player and we needed her up top to keep defenders honest. After being in the league for 86 years, Dallstream still does not know how to cross the ball. Nairn has been a disappointment this season. Corsie is a step slower than she was in previous years. For me McNabb is the better partner for Barnes. Finally, I'll try to catch the up coming games and remember to share my thoughts .
Other scattered thoughts: which side actually Kawasumi belongs to? At the beginning of the season she was played mostly on the right-side, in the latest matches she's been moved to the left-side. Historically, she's been able to play equally well on both sides and she covered these different positions both in INAC Kobe Leonessa and Japanese NT. But the question is: where can she be used at her best in this Rapinoe-less (*cringe* ) Seattle Reign Team? In the North Carolina matches, she didn't look at her best, although she delivered some of her usual neat crosses, basically to nobody (but I have to admit that i didn't watch the whole games). Yesterday she scored a beautiful goal, where she showcased all of her dribbling skills (equally effective on the left as well as on the right). Maybe the answer is making her switch from right to left, according to the different line-ups around her? Maybe she could switch from side to side even during games, to confuse opponent defenders? Anyway, @Blaze20, if you want the two Japanese on the flanks of your diamond-midfield, Utsugi is for sure more suited to play on the left than on the right, thus Naho should be probably moved on the right-side. I understand all of the smartness of putting Katlyn Johnson in later in the game, as the super-sub breaking tired defenses, but... are we sure there isn't a way to start, sometime, a player that revealed one of our best weapons this season???
Apparently Kim is in Seattle at the moment kimlittle1990Madison Park / Seattle, WA more View all 15 comments thesamephotoofhopesoloeverydayKeeeeeeeem Leeeeeeetle! gaherty175Welcome back Kim!! We've missed you naema.janoCome back to the Reign Kimmy!!! I hope you have a lovely stay in Seattle #OnceAReignAlwaysAReign☔️ mariahnogy 7 hours ago
I guess we'll never see the Reign's CB's playing in a Starbucks commercial! lol or blissett, you think it's time to start a Haley Raso appreciation threat?