Reign 2018

Discussion in 'Seattle Reign FC' started by Blaze20, Oct 2, 2017.

  1. Reign Man

    Reign Man Member

    SEATTLE REIGN!
    Sep 28, 2016
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    #201 Reign Man, Apr 3, 2018
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2018
    Thanks for the overview -- i didn't really know anything about her. Sounds like she could be helpful. She was in the travel photos (as was Simon & Gay) and she was also at the fan events (Simon wasn't) so it seems she has been considered part of the team since late in pre-season.
     
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  2. Myrtle

    Myrtle Member

    Jan 13, 2015
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Any Line-up predictions vs Sky Blue? I know the Aussies and Japanese players prob won't be available but what about Fishlock, Taylor and Nielsen? Is Averbuch finally recovered from illness? I am hoping they are back.

    Kopmeyer

    Nielsen-Oyster-Bauer-Barnes

    Spencer-Fishlock-Long-Yanez-Rapinoe

    Taylor
     
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  3. Reign Man

    Reign Man Member

    SEATTLE REIGN!
    Sep 28, 2016
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    Yes, Fish, Jodes & Theresa are back in camp.
    From what i hear Yael's illness is quite serious and i think she won't be available for a while unfortunately.

    I think your prediction is probably a good one, except Kop won't be starting for the Reign in a purple Orlando jersey --- That will be Betos.
     
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  4. Reign Man

    Reign Man Member

    SEATTLE REIGN!
    Sep 28, 2016
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    Myrtle did you see Jaycie is listed on the injury report?
     
  5. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Is Jodes Jodie Taylor's nickname? I wasn't aware.

    Yes, this week of Euro-qualifiers is finished. Meanwhile, a draw between Japan and Australia on Friday saw them both advance to the semifinals of Asian Cup and earn a ticket for WWC 2019 in France. So Naho, Rumi, Lydia and Steph will play through to 20th of April (whatever happens: should they lose the semis, they would play for third-place that day anyway).

    I guess, whatever their final result is, our players will come back quite excited for World Cup qualification. And I've got the feeling that we will have two Asian Champions in the team, since I don't see Thailand's and China's chances very high (they are the two other semifinalists) so I guess Japan or Australia should come home with the trophy.
     
  6. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    I am really frightened by the notion that Megan Rapinoe had an injury in yesterday's match and had to be subbed-out. She is Seattle's key-player (as shown later in the game, we aren't even able to score a PK without her :x3:, while she brilliantly smashed her PK in earlier).

    Does anyone here know more about her injury and how serious it is? We have learnt last season that playing without Rapinoe can lead to missing vital points in the rankings. :unsure:
     
  7. Myrtle

    Myrtle Member

    Jan 13, 2015
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Yes, I did see that. Too bad, that girl just cannot seem to get healthy in the professional setting. Hopefully it's not too serious, anything involving knees makes me worry.
     
  8. Myrtle

    Myrtle Member

    Jan 13, 2015
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Yes I agree, this will be a tough road trip with or without Rapinoe. Hopefully, it was more precautionary than anything else. No point of trying to push it in that terrible weather. May have to rest her Wednesday and just hope it was a tweak and she will be available for 4/28.
     
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  9. Blaze20

    Blaze20 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Seattle Reign FC
    Sep 22, 2009
    Club:
    Philadelphia Independence
    So big derby game this weekend. For some reason I can't muster up the right level of excitement for this match. I blame my busy schedule which have prevented me in the last couple of weeks from being too involved but I also think there's a fundamental issue with how this club engage with fans online.

    I've always had issue with how responsive they are when it comes to injuries. For example, we've had no update from the club so far on Fishlock nor progress on Rapinoe. These are our two biggest stars that could potentially miss the game this week and the only update we might get from the club is a two word blurb in the injury report tomorrow. It's quite frustrating.

    In this day and age with so many other options that compete for our attention, it'll be good if the club made the extra effort to stay engage with the fans between games.

    OK that's my rant for now.
     
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  10. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Well, I can hear you, because missing Rapinoe and Fishlock means much more to us than missing "just two players".

    Let's hope our internationals can give their contribution to our team, now that they're back from NT duty, but for sure the game in Portland will be hard.

    Also, the fact we have just 5 games played to 6, 7 or even 8 (Chicago) from other teams makes our current placement look miserable, although I am aware that it actually isn't. But, no matter how the mind tries to chime in and to say we've 2-3 games in hand, the eye keeps seeing us in 5th position, alas! :unsure:
     
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  11. Blaze20

    Blaze20 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Seattle Reign FC
    Sep 22, 2009
    Club:
    Philadelphia Independence
    I wasn't even concerned about the league position to be frank. It's just that 2 or 3 years ago when we had a game with Portland there was always quite some excitement in the days leading up to the match. Fast forward this week and I wasn't even sure we had a game this weekend let alone a nationally televised game against our rivals. All I see on the team social media is promotion for tickets for the next home match.

    Maybe it's just me who haven't been plugged in but I feel like the social media presence could be better.
     
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  12. Reign Man

    Reign Man Member

    SEATTLE REIGN!
    Sep 28, 2016
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    I share both of your frustrations! And i'm sitting here 3/4 of a mile from the stadium with a few connections. The radio silence is something we have been talking about a lot at away game watchings and other gatherings. Social Media, Press Release, website. SOMETHING PLEASE.

    My suspicion about Pinoe is that it's moderately long term -- however they have not put her on the 45 day list.

    And now this is like a third level rumor and i don't present it as at all certain: I'm going to Portland for the match and someone i barely know who's riding the train with me said she spoke to Fishlock and Fish said "i'm looking forward to playing in Portland". I hope that's good news. Sad that it's the best i have.
     
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  13. Reign Man

    Reign Man Member

    SEATTLE REIGN!
    Sep 28, 2016
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    The signing this week of Alyssa Kleiner was pretty quiet, and i have not heard who would've been dropped from the roster (maybe Pinoe will show up on the D45 this week?). Also has anyone heard any more on the saga with Elise Kellond-Knight?
     
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  14. Blaze20

    Blaze20 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Seattle Reign FC
    Sep 22, 2009
    Club:
    Philadelphia Independence
    This signing remains a mystery to me unless he intends on using her in the midfield or up top.
     
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  15. Blaze20

    Blaze20 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Seattle Reign FC
    Sep 22, 2009
    Club:
    Philadelphia Independence
    So the injury report is out. The good news is that Fishlock will be available for the game. Bad news is that Rapinoe is still out as well as a host of offensive players been out.

    I'll like for Vlatko to give Addo another run out. I liked her tenacity in the game against NCFC and at the very least she's an unknown quantity that could work in our favor.

    OUT: Yael Averbuch (illness), Kiersten Dallstream (right hamstring strain), Jaycie Johnson (right knee sprain), Megan Rapinoe (left hamstring strain), Jasmyne Spencer (excused absence)

    QUESTIONABLE: None

    INTERNATIONAL DUTY: None
     
  16. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Oh, ok: I had looked for the injury report just about an hour ago or such and it wasn't out yet (I was a little obsessed, because I wanted to give a look at it before making my predictions for the predction thread; @Blaze20, did you already make yours? :p).

    The fact that at least Fishlock is ok is very good: the game in Portland would have been really hard if we had missed her also.
    It's a shame that Jasmyne Spencer asked for an excused absence: it's true that she's not an actual Rapinoe-replacement, but she's a very energetic player (if maybe sometimes a little chaotic) and I quite liked her when she got playing time so far.

    I somehow have faith that it will be difficult for the Thorns to score goals against us: now Rumi Utsugi is back, and I can assure you that at AFC Asian Cup she was Japan's most reliable holding midfielder, a veritable wall. :ninja: She had to do double-duty, because she also had to cover for Sakaguchi (who doesn't look like she can fullfill her defensive role as much as in the past, these days), but she did it so well that I dare to say that she was a key-player in Japan's run for the Asian Champions title.

    On the other hand, I am a little worried about our offensive power, that's severely dowgraded both by the absence of Rapinoe and by the fact that our options on the bench are quite limited. o_O

    Everything seems to have "draw" written on the wall, and actually it wouldn't be a so bad result away in Portland, but on the other hand we'd need to move up a little in the rankings to lift up our spirits, especially vs a direct contender for a potential play-off spot.
     
  17. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Line-up has been announced. Reign will play with:

    Betos
    Catley McNabb Oyster Westphal
    Utsugi Long Fishlock
    Yanez Taylor Kawasumi

    Game starts in about 15-20 minutes. :ninja:
     
  18. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    We managed to win an incredible game in Portland, despite our defense-line being an atrocious horror-show for most of the game :x3: (apart from Betos, who saved the day multiple times, sometimes with the help of the woodwork).

    The return of the Japanese contingent was sure key, since Kawasumi assisted Yanez's goal from CK in 1st half, while Utsugi slammed the winner in towards the end of the game.

    At the beginning of 2nd half, the announcer mentioned a very re-assuring detail: Rapinoe did train with the team, was almost ok (although not enough for this game) and will most probably get back into the starting 11 for our game vs Sky Blue FC the next week-end!!! :geek::geek::geek:
     
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  19. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Well, now that signing should look less mysterious, shouldn't it? When she was subbed-in in yesterday's game Kleiner brought some much needed grit and accuracy, after all of the blunders from McNabb and Westphal had given me goose bumps for half the game (seriously, how many times in this game our defense headed a supposed clearance on the feet of an opponent player in front of the box? :x3:).

    Also, not only Rapinoe is not joining the D45 list, but, as I mentioned above, announcers said that she should be ok for next week-end's game. I've heard that it's Jaycie Johnson who should be D-45ed instead.

    Talking about "Johnsons", can't help being happy for Katie Johnson, who scored a brace yesterday (despite the fact that her team lost the home game to Houston anyway). Also, the first win for Laura Harvey in Utah can't just leave me unimpressed. :)
     
  20. Blaze20

    Blaze20 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Seattle Reign FC
    Sep 22, 2009
    Club:
    Philadelphia Independence
    Good points @blissett I watched the game yesterday and on one hand I was glad we finally scored more than 1 goal and it was not a draw. One the other hand I’m not sure what is going on with the defense. The signing of Kleiner is questionable because you got Barnes, Averbuch, Nielsen, etc still on the bench? Why are we not playing some combinations of those players. Our full backs yesterday was simply atrocious and made Purce look like a world beater.

    And yes Kliener did make a big difference when she subbed in but that should have happened at least 10 minutes prior when Heath and Klingenburg had free Reign on the right side. That second goal was preventable if the sub had happened earlier.

    Also Jodie Taylor is incredibly wasteful. Either she tires easily or have a very weak foot. All of her end product so far has been powderpuff shots after working hard to get in scoring position. It’s really wierd.

    Back to the defense and something that have bugged me since that opening match against Washington. Our midfield and forwards have to do a better job of applying pressure up the pitch instead of inviting the pressure on the back line. This is the main reason why our defense appears to be in shambles. Too much defending in the final third.

    And lastly I’ll like to mention that Allie Long is very underrated as a US midfielder. When she is played in the right position like she is being played right now, she’s really great. She has really impressed me so far.
     
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  21. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Well, in fact, apart from Averbuch, who wasn't available yesterday if I remember well, I can't understand why we shouldn't play Barnes (who, despite her age, has always looked brilliant, including the off-season in Australia) or Nielsen (we used up an international slot for her and she's a vice-Euro Champion: and we sit her on the bench? :confused:). This situation is really weird, especially because, with the personnel we had on the pitch, the defending was appalling, as both you and me did mention.

    Things that you should never see on a football pitch 101:
    - clearing a ball with your head just in front of your box, at the feet of an opponent (happened twice, resulting in two crossbars; the blunder were by McNabb the first time and I guess by Westphal in 2nd half).
    - When your GK is coming out to collect the ball, you anticipate her under the pressure of an opponent behind you, putting so much strength into the ball that you actually make a square-pass to a team-mate on the opposite side of your box: yes, that square pass is basically a cross that pass through your whole box :x3: (that one was really comical: I couldn't read the number of the genius who did that, but it was a blonde ponytail, that's not saying much, since three quarters of our defense from yesterday were ponytailed blondes, so they were very easy to confuse: I anyway suspect Westphal, given the position :cautious:).
    - You're under no particular pressure, and a long pass from the opponent backline is vaguely directed towards a forward: you never try to play the ball and you just always randomly sweep it in touch, so basically giving the opponent a free offensive chance from an harmless ball.
    - On the contrary, when you're in your own box, with the whole darn world around you (in particular two or three drooling opponent forwards) and it would be better to play it safe and to sweep the ball as far as possible just now, you decide that it's a case of being a smart-ass and dribbling some opponents in your box, resulting in losing the ball and creating crazy scrambles.

    There were other moment like those, but it looks like luckily for me I somehow repressed them. :devilish:

    Yes, in the minutes before the subsitution, Westphal was completely gassed and I just can't understand why Vlatko waited for so long before making that obvious change! :eek:

    I was amazed too: both when she stole that ball in the midfield circle and run the whole Portland's half to their box, and when Kawasumi and Fishlock freed her in the box later, she definitely should have scored! :devilish:
    Luckily for us, it was from that last action, if I am not wrong, that came the CK leading to Rumi's rocket.

    What leaves me even more open-mouthed is that, when I saw Taylor play at Euro 2017 for England, she was looking so clinical and she had coolly converted a chance that was perfectly similar to the first one I described above.

    On one hand, Taylor's presence makes our front-line less one-dimensional than in the past: she runs to exhaustion and really works a lot. But then, when she has put herself in a scoring position, she wastes: as you mentioned, maybe she's tired (both physically and mentally) from all of the hard work and can't really have a clear head? :cautious:
    Anyway, this is a problem that needs to be solved and, at Vlatko's place, I'd have a conversation with Jodes about that.
     
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  22. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Oh, and about this last point, I was sure, as I mentioned above, that Rumi Utsugi would have taken care of that, after I had watched her rule the midfield at AFC Asian Cup, but apparently she didn't manage to filter enough balls. Of course it couldn't be all on her: our midfield can sure collectively do better that that!
     
  23. Blaze20

    Blaze20 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Seattle Reign FC
    Sep 22, 2009
    Club:
    Philadelphia Independence
    It can’t be just one person or else it won’t work. The forwards and midfielders all have to be that first line of defense.

    As for the Barnes situation, it’s really wierd because Vlatko spoke high of her during the preseason and played her all over the place. Now even a sick Westphal is starting over her??
     
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  24. Myrtle

    Myrtle Member

    Jan 13, 2015
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Yes I have been pretty shocked by Vlatko's defense this season. Saurbrunn has touted him as the best defensive coach she's ever played for. But what i've seen vs the Thorns and the Courage make me worry. Both offenses have carved us up. Oyster seems to be the only mainstay...and Saubrunn she is not. I do know that Vlatko operates more on chemistry than big name players examples being Nikki Phillips/Kassey Kallman starting over Amy Lepeilbet. I get the feeling he likes the chemistry of Oyster / Westphal (they seem to be close friends). But that's just a guess. Anyway he needs to get it straightened out ASAP. I thing the backline needs some veteran experience personally.

    Offensively....we need some reinforcements here. We have too many decent defenders...and just signed another (Kleiner). It doesn't have to be Christen Press but we need to be contacting Orlando (Evans,Hill) / Sky Blue (Leon or Groom) who have a glut of attackers and are short on defenders. Jodie Taylor doesn't have any competition and Yanez is not a winger....(though I do love her).
     
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  25. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Judging by this "Sounder at Heart"'s article, it looks like the one who made that horrendous square-pass wasn't McNabb nor Westphal, but it actually was Oyster. Of course, who wrote the article could have confused some ponytailed blondes too, but I am going to trust his competence. :cautious:

    And, after all, how can you not love the guy who wrote such a sentence? :laugh:
    "Seattle went back to being the operator of the ride five minutes later when midfielder Rumi Utsugi, the ice cold gangster that she is, sent in a surface-hugging strike to claim Seattle’s third and eventual match-winning goal".

    From now on, I am going to call Rumi "the ice cold gangster"! :cool::cool::cool:

    Totally agree: defense needs competence and experience. You can't just rely on chemistry, enthusiasm and some good impressions from training sessions. Too many times, on Saturday, our defenders seemed to lack the most obvious technical expertise.
    Please, start Barnes. :devilish:
     
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