The zoo that is the 2017 NCAA season ... is upon us. Also, Hurricane Harvey ate Texas like Pac-Man eating dots Sun 08/27's HOU-NC match is postponed, hence no longer listed below. Many TX universities wisely cancelled weekend wvb tourneys and soccer matches. They don't get those dates back. New http://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/injuries: (ORL) Jasmyne Spencer (right hamstring strain) OUT. (Rachel Hill (right ankle sprain) still PROBABLE) (SEA)(POR) no new entries (WAS) Kassey Kallman (concussion) OUT, Shelina Zadorsky (right knee bone bruise) OUT. In the good news department, Kelsey Wys (right ACL) upgraded to DOUBTFUL, Francisca Ordega (right knee chondral defect) upgraded to PROBABLE. (CHI) Vanessa DiBernardo (concussion) PROBABLE. (Alyssa Naeher (right groin strain) still PROBABLE) (NJ) Raquel Rodríguez (left hamstring strain) QUESTIONABLE. (Kelley O'Hara (right adductor strain), Natasha Kai (right calf strain) both still QUESTIONABLE) (BOS) Rose Lavelle (left hamstring strain) upgraded to QUESTIONABLE. (Allysha Chapman (groin strain) still PROBABLE) (HOU)(NC) not reporting this week -- be safe, wherever you are
[KC-ORL] 16' 0-1 Marta right ck, to 4m left post, Leroux back-heads it away to arc top center. Catley heads ball high to 8m 1/3 left, Sauerbrunn heads away to box top center. Mônica collects, shoots left foot low -- hard off Sauerbrunn's leg, spins out to 6-top 2-left. Ubogagu pounces to it, blasts left foot under Barnhart, into 1/5 right back low. 16' - #ORL Goal - Following the cornerkick, @ChiAlreadyKnow is in the right place at the right time. Nice Finish! #KCvORL #NWSLonLifetime pic.twitter.com/dS8NbZR0yL— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 26, 2017
[SEA-POR] Dallstream, K.Johnson, Kawasumi Utsugi, Nairn, Fishlock Barnes, McNabb, Corsie, Mathias Kopmeyer I guess this is Seattle's frenetic-speed line-up. Portland seem to be launching many counters. Large contingent of Portland fans in the near-side seats! They're in the shade ...
[KC-ORL] 42' 1-1 Groom whips a left-foot cross from 24m left touch to 8m. LaBonta starts at 15m arc right, is just-late on her front-cut as Mônica steps up past her -- but Edmonds-on-Leroux at 15m arc left holds her onside. LaBonta meets ball at 8m 5-right, scythes one-touch right roundhouse under Harris, into 1/3 left back low. 42' - @L0momma scores to tie the game for FC Kansas City at 1-1 with assist from @sheabayy2. #KCvORL pic.twitter.com/pnx5jAKIM5— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 26, 2017 [SEA-POR] 49' 0-1 Kopmeyer ground pass to McNabb at own arc top left, Raso charges to close from 5m away. McNabb rushed one-touch backpass, quacks a mini-chip upward, it bounces to 12m 3-right as Raso runs onto it. Kopmeyer lunges out to 10m right post, Raso one-touch poke under her, into center back low. 49' - @HayleyRaso with the steal and quick strike to give @ThornsFC a 1-0 lead. #SEAvPOR pic.twitter.com/orhY3Bo20p— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 26, 2017
[KC-ORL] 87' 1-2 Marta fk at 15m right touch, facing away to get left foot crossbody inswinging -- to 6-top 3-right. Morgan runs away from Sauerbrunn toward ball, back-cuts and jumps past Averbuch, flying left outstep back-flick goalward surprises Barnhart coming out -- rises up off her hands, just inside right post 2/3 high. Unconscious brilliance from Morgan -- it was the only way she could get a body part to the ball. 87' - @alexmorgan13 with a brilliant flick to find the back of the net and put @ORLPride up 2-1. #KCvORL pic.twitter.com/KC7TcnVg8t— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 26, 2017 Like Sawa's outstep flick past Solo in WWC'11 somebody will probably rep this painful memory FT 1-2.
85' 0-2 Corsie kicks ball high upfield, Menges heads(?) to Sinclair behind circle left. Sinclair thigh-juggles, turn-and-boot long switch to 25m box left, Barnes slide-hooks ball -- off Raso's shin, bounces into her stride, alone through box top mid-right. Raso creeps to 10m 7-right, snipes across mouth, Kopmeyer blocks face-high at 6-top 1-right. Ball bounces down to 5m 8-right, Raso pounces first and one-touch right instep between Kopmeyer and near post, bounces twice into back left low. Australians following their own shots 85' - And it is @HayleyRaso scoring her second goal of the game to give @ThornsFC a 2-0 advantage. #SEAvPOR pic.twitter.com/VaLlcz7WTk— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 26, 2017 89' 0-2 Scramble in Portland's box, cleared away. Mathias chips high to 7m mid-right, Franch runs out to collect at 5m. Corsie chases late from center -- Klingenberg delivers a shoulder strike//forearm shove to Corsie's front left, knocks her spinning off Franch's back. Foul, penalty, yellow card on Klingenberg. 90' 1-2 Fishlock pk, right instep rising hard to 1/3 left 2/3 high, over Franch's stretch-and-topple. +2'. 90' - @JessFishlock converts from the spot for @ReignFC to pull back a goal. #SEAvPOR 1 - 2 pic.twitter.com/OnrIlYdlXh— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 26, 2017 FT 1-2. Seattle launch a couple more surges, but can't connect. Raso collects a yellow card ... to go with two goals and 3 points
A dominating performance by Portland -- and answers the question for me as to who has the best midfield in the league: Portland. By a mile. When Beowulfsdottir (pun intended) and Long are not starters you know you've got a great midfield. I love to watch Hayley Raso. For me she's replaced Rachel Daly as the most energetic player in the league.. Perhaps a bit too energetic.....5 yellow cards.
Ok, this is officially the end. Considering Orlando's result also, Seattle virtually out of play-offs.
I'm starting to wonder if Long has fallen out of favor a bit. Missed two matches with an excused absence, came off the bench in the last two.
[NJ-BOS] 05' 1-0 Stanton turns at own 27m mid-left, hoofs long upfield past circle top left -- perfectly in stride for Kerr breaking Boston's high line at circle top, running past Oyster on the inside, with King chasing up centerline on the outside but no match for the pace. A.Smith runs out to her 27m arc right, swings right foot but is distracted by simultaneously jump-tucking to avoid Kerr's torso -- and whiffs clean with foot passing under the ball at its peak. Kerr touches into own stride to box top mid-left, passes ball into 1/4 left back low. 5' And here it is! @samkerr1's 16th goal of the year for @SkyBlueFC, tying Kim Little's record for a single-season, set in 2014. pic.twitter.com/ISxW9LutFC— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 26, 2017 FT 1-0. It was surely part of Sky Blue's game plan: everybody knows Boston likes that high line and sometimes further commits LB Chapman and RB Purce upfield in attack. Kerr is already dogging the back edge of the high line. On any deep turnover, take a peek and see if it's on. For training tapes, study Sky Blue-Seattle
[WAS-CHI] 22' 0-1 Colaprico chases Dydasco to 12m left touch, Dydasco turns to shield ball out -- Colaprico reaches around on the outside, pokes ball down to 1m wide left, AR rules ball not out! Backpass to K.Mewis unmarked at box top mid-left, she touches to 11m 8-right, jukes endline-ward past E.Johnson stepping up, finds a tiny seam between E.Johnson and Church at 9m 6-left. Quick left instep shot across mouth, sneaks under Haracic's left hand, into right side pipe back. 23' @KristieMewie scores on her first shot since being acquired by the @chicagoredstars from the @WashSpirit earlier this week. #WASvCHI pic.twitter.com/e6tpaMNFTJ— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 26, 2017 81' 1-1 Pugh fk at 32m arc right. Ch.Williams walks along the front of the wall to arc tangent left -- then times her track-start and sprints a curl past the scrum up 1/3 left. Pugh drives right foot driven inswinging to 7m 1/4 left, Ch.Williams gets inside position and 1/2 step on Naughton, turns back to goal like a Fosbury, nods a top-header over own shoulders -- over Naeher's lunge-stretch, into left side netting high. Excellent near-trick-play set-up, hiding Cheyna deep in the scrum so that nobody knew she was the target -- and then the serve and the run had to be accurate to within ~1m. It probably never works in practice (and it never will again --) 81' @MalPugh's free kick sets up @cheynalee_ for the game-tying header for the @WashSpirit. #WASvCHI 1-1 pic.twitter.com/X3R2uxvGYT— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 27, 2017 87' 1-2 Ertz chips diagonally from circle back right to 24m arc left, drops it perfectly over Dydasco to Press 2m past her on the outside. Perfect chest-trap into own stride, Press shin-touches through box top 6-left to 15m, strands Haracic way out at 12m left post. Hard hook cut to 6-top 7-left, Haracic dives and grazes ball but doesn't disrupt. Press stays upright and shoots left foot across mouth into back right low. See above re: Kerr and the back line: Chicago's entire midfield nods. 87' @ChristenPress scores her 10th goal of the season and 34th of her #NWSL career (2nd all-time) to put Chicago back on top. #WASvCHI 1-2 pic.twitter.com/gq7Y5Ht6PE— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 27, 2017 FT 1-2. More training tapes for kids bouncing on the couch: they say yes, we think we see how to do it now --