Actually, now I think I'm remembering that the Thorns' Emily Sonnett was the victim of the second incident.
The first was Allysha Chapman. And I think it might have been the combination of both incidents and her shoving Shea Groom's face in the ground last year that got Mathias 3 games this year.
cpthomas, I consider you a friend and always will. We have watched games together and you are a gentle voice of reason on these threads. I was still HOT this morning about last night when I woke up and wrote the above comment. I also want to be clear, I am not blaming the loss on this incident. The Thorns won fair and square. The Red Stars defense which is normally very reliable stunk to high heaven, especially in the first 18 minutes. Short couldn't trap a ball, Johnson couldn't clear a ball and Naughton was confused as to who's responsibility was who's. Gilliland was pretty much the only one on that defensive line that knew what her job was. If it wasn't for Julie pretty much taking over and Huerta's work rate, the Red Stars may never have tied this game at one point. Danielle Colaprico is a very popular player among Red Stars fans. She is a real sweetheart, literally. So when she was on the ground for a very long time, crying her eyes out and no card was given, our blood boiled as you can imagine. The good part: VERY NICE CROWD. Not a Portland crowd but one of the best we have had recently, and getting better. And that is good for the WHOLE league. A successful team in Chicago is a Win-Win for every team in the NWSL For the first time in a while, I gave up on the beer line at half time because IT WAS TOO LONG.
[HOU-KC] 25' 0-0 Andressinha(?) plays Poliana down wide right to 4m, Poliana floats a cross to 8m left post. Lloyd jump-and-leans behind Scott, heads just wide left -- and lands poorly with left knee kind of locked the wrong way instead of bending. Lloyd instantly goes down, clutching left ankle. Stoppage, trainer does a ... stability test? 28' 0-0 Trainer hauls Lloyd to feet, Lloyd limps gingerly into end zone and begins the long walk around. Houston have indicated a sub, regardless of Lloyd's recovery? Houston resume with 10. At least it's not an instant-stretcher kind of thing ... 33' 0-0 Houston (finally) subs in (1 of 3) #5 Cari Roccaro for #10 Carli Lloyd ... 34' 0-0 ... and 1H hydration break. It's >100ºF on the field.
[SEA-NC] Pre-match pbp (him): It's a great opportunity to really get a look at the underbelly of Seattle's roster ... (Eastern hog-nosed snake playing dead)
Seattle are actually in a 4-2-3-1: K.Johnson Yanez, Kawasumi, Elston McNabb, Utsugi Corsie, Stott, Barnes, Mathias Kopmeyer Pretty good line-up, about the best Seattle has left. We'll lose a track meet, but we could create through precision. 08' 0-0 Utsugi scoops a pass to Yanez facing away at 30m arc right, twist-header over her left shoulder springs K.Johnson through box top mid-right to 14m. Half-volley on the up-bounce starts out toward left 90, but sidespins wide left.
15' 0-0 Seattle backpass to Mathias at 24m mid-right. Quick chip to 8m left post, Yanez backpedals away from Dahlkemper too easily, uncontested twist-header down to 1/4 left low, Rowland catches. 16' 0-0 Kawasumi follows ball bouncing to box top mid-right, one-touch ground cross to 6-top 3-left for Yanez getting behind T.Smith. Smith reaches out right hand, gives a gentle shove to Yanez's shoulder, Yanez overshoots ball and slides onto knees. Ball gets stuck under her, Rowland smothers. No call.
24' 0-1 Hinkle hoofs up wide left to McDonald chasing down wide left to 8m. McDonald creeps 1-v-1 on Stott, turns away to 12m mid-left. Ground pass to 16m right post is not quite to either teammate, L.Williams lunges back and blocks ball to box top 2/5 left. S.Mewis waits unmarked thereat, one-touch half-volley right roundhouse rocket into 1/4 right 1/2 high, past Kopmeyer's dive. That's the difference in team speed: NC can do whatever and clang their way to an accidental goal that even they didn't see coming. 24' @sammymewy with a "beautiful strike" for @TheNCCourage, who score the first goal of the game. #SEAvNC 0-1 pic.twitter.com/GsRkBsyyca— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 14, 2017
40' 1-1 Mathias dribbles upfield from midfield wide right, jukes past Hatch to arc top wide right and draws Hinkle up, flicks ahead to Elston left unattended at 8m wide right. Elston one-touch fast cross to 7m center, nobody acquires Utsugi's lunge-fu left foot full volley into back right low, with S.Mewis way behind her at spot and Rowland still turning. Nobody picks up the holding mid coming from even deeper. 40' “Beautiful finish” by Utsugi, who scores her first goal of the season for the @ReignFC and ties things up, 1-1. #SEAvNC pic.twitter.com/R8lUMzkaNf— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 14, 2017
45' 1-1 McDonald long throw-in from 11m left touch, heaved to 9m 6-left. Hatch comes to ball, stoop-back-heads across mouth to 6m center, Corsie heads away to 7m 3-right. Barnes turn-and-pokes ball away just as Hamilton lunges to it -- and Hamilton's parabola takes her right knee hard into Barnes' left ribs. Barnes stays down in discomfort. Stoppage, trainer ... 45+1' (of +1'?) 1-1 ... hauls her upright. Barnes trots into far touch. HT 1-1.
[HOU-KC] 68' 0-0 Ratcliffe dribbles to arc top box left, bends a cross to 9m center. Groom hop-dummies ball through her own wicket, it inswings to Leroux facing away at 8m 1/4 right. Levin pulls her over from behind -- foul, penalty. But first -- ref trots over to far touch, confers with AR with flag up: Leroux was 1/2 step offside before Ratcliffe's cross. That kind of year
[SEA-NC] 47' 1-1 McNabb spins away from S.Mewis at circle tangent back left as Barnes steps up to clear ball. S.Mewis steps toward ball, McNabb shields her as Barnes hoofs upfield -- S.Mewis gently shoves McNabb down-and-away -- and wouldn't you know it, ball just misses McNabb and unerringly seeks out Mewis's beak. Mewis sits down at circle center, brief stoppage for a head injury. We envision another nostril plug -- but not needed this week, a ding but no leak. S.Mewis jogs into near touch, quickly returns. 50' 1-1 Utsugi juggles ball to 25m wide left, flicks down box left for Yanez lurking behind the line. Yanez one-touch cross from 8m box left, blocked and cleared.
[HOU-KC] 83' 0-1 Averbuch right ck, high outswinger headed out to Gibbons at arc top left. Backpasses, forward pass to Gibbons, left diagonal pass to Sauerbrunn unmarked down wide left to 8m. Sauerbrunn crosses to 7m center, Groom way out-leaps Levin, FTD-logo header to left 90, off crossbar 1/6 left, deflects down into left side netting, with Campbell frozen in center. +4'. 83' @sheabayy2 with a "big smile" after a big header into the back of the net for @FCKansasCity. #HOUvKC 0-1 pic.twitter.com/K8r0ocaVzB— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 14, 2017
[SEA-NC] 61' 1-1 Seattle subs in (1 of 3) #5 Kiersten Dallstream for #33 Katlyn Johnson. 65' 1-1 Utsugi passes left to Barnes way up at 30m box left. Barnes chips a low cross to 10m 1/3 left, just past McNabb's nodding header try. Ball bounces through to 2m 3-right, Kawasumi slide-volleys near post, Rowland gets across and stuff-blocks it over endline right. 67' 1-1 North Carolina subs in (1 of 3) #3 Makenzie Doniak for #14 Jessica McDonald. [HOU-KC] 90+2' (of +4') 0-1 Kansas City subs in (_ of 3) #15 Erika Tymrak for #2 Shea Groom. FT 0-1.
68' 1-1 Seattle play out of the back, switch wide right to Mathias going to 23m wide right. Mathias drives a fast low cross to 8m right post, Yanez stretch-pokes waist-high but not goalward, Rowland sprawls on it at 5m left post and Elston pokes toes into Rowland's arms/left hand. Foul on Elston. [HOU-KC] Leroux places Cassius on the field. Groom wanders over and drapes her towel over Cassius's head -- no response, he thinks it's a game. Bowen picks up Cassius, uses him to counterbalance her post-game stretching. 74' 1-2 Hatch right throw-in at box top, heaved high to 9m mid-right. S.Mewis comes away and twist-heads centerward to 6-top 2-right, McNabb lifts waist-high left knee and muffs a weak volley clearance to 9m 6-right. Mewis pounces first, right outstep bends away from Kopmeyer's dive, off her left hand into back right low. Ball comes right to her foot 74' @sammymewy shoots her own rebound for the brace and the 2-1 @TheNCCourage lead. #SEAvNC pic.twitter.com/dWFE62MfOM— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 14, 2017 76' 1-2 Seattle subs in (2 of 3) #18 Larissa Crummer for #6 Lindsay Elston. 82' 1-2 Seattle subs in (3 of 3) #2 Christine Nairn for #19 Kristen McNabb.
85' 1-2 Mathias is down with ... cramp? Trainer comes out. 86' 1-2 Mathias walks into far touch. Seattle resume with 10 ... 87' 1-2 North Carolina subs in (2 of 3) #10 Debinha for #23 Kristen Hamilton. 88' 1-2 Mathias returns. Nairn (he calls her "Nairn" she calls herself "narin") inside-out diagonal pass to Dallstream at box top wide right. Dallstream stops ball, right instep inswinging cross to 15m 1/4 left, Yanez stoop-heads but no power, easy bounce to Rowland. +5'.
90+2' (of +5') 1-2 Seattle left throw-in at 6m, quickly heaved to endline mid-left. S.Mewis shields off Utsugi, takes a light shove in the shoulders, sprawls forward and bounces off Kawasumi's legs. S.Mewis stays down, brief stoppage. Then -- she ties her shoe, springs up and sprints back into play. Crowd boos her vigorously 90+5' (of +5') 1-2 Seattle trying short passes from right touch, can't construct any possession upfield against NC's disruption. 90+6' (of +5') 1-2 Nairn right throw-in up right touch, Crummer loses it. 90+6' (of +5') 1-2 Seattle regain, Nairn crosses from 30m right touch to 8m 6-left, Dallstream's leaping header goes wide left. Kerr, she isn't. FT 1-2. Not good enough anywhere, probably not a playoff roster like this.
I am afraid you're right. I can't see Settle climbing back, especially if they start losing even at home.
Holy XXXX, you gave up on the beer line? But, of vastly more importance, how is Colaprico? I'm hoping, big time, that she's fine -- her arm seeming to be the concern. Although NC is at the top of the table, I"m thinking about Red Stars v Thorns as the competition I value most. I've thought that for a couple of years. I"m actually sorry the championship game won't be in Chicago or Portland, I wouldn't care which. You'd likely be in Portland if it were here, and I'd be in Chicago if it were there, and we could hoist some good beers together.
They're also way off the end statistically in that through 17 games they have no ties, and the team that has scored first has won all 17 games. They run rampant and when they get the lead, that opens space up as the opponents have to take chances to score. On the other hand, when they fall behind, they don't appear to have the ability to possess the ball and break down defenses, they're left bombing the ball into the attack which plays in the favor of organized defenses.