Except it has a typo: Dydasco's first name is Caprice, not Caprise (by the way, it's not just a person's name: it's a French word, with the same meaning and etymology of Italian "capriccio"). Oh, congratulations to North Carolina Courage for clinching the first play-off spot!
They do delay throw-ins and free kicks. And Debinha and Mewis both tried (poorly) to kill time at the corner flag. I guess the theory is to keep the ball as far downfield as possible. But they do invite counter-attacks. There's a difference between bunkering and possession.
a good team could bite them in the playoffs. but that one off wouldn't necessarily be proof that riley is wrong. his system seems to be working for these many games. their press starts the defense in their attacking third, using the offense as the best defense.
You don't want to be in the habit of giving up the first goal, but it was a relief to see them actually come from behind. In their five losses, they only managed to tie things up for 9 minutes total after giving up the first goal (in Chicago Erceg scored at the end of the first half to tie it 1-1 then Chicago retook the lead for good in the 54th). In 13 games, they've scored the first goal 13 times to 6, and they've only been shutout twice.
Full weekend! After MNT laid many eggs last night (but kept missing the ... nest), we need some gols. NCAA D1 carnage is in full swing Eggball already has a ... free kick blocked and countered Next weekend is a full Week 20, then the mid-September FIFA window for friendlies. New http://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/injuries: (WAS) Estelle Johnson (left IT band tear ) OUT, Stephanie Labbé (excused absence) OUT, Francisca Ordega (left hamstring strain) OUT. At least it's a new injury, not a re-aggravation of the right knee chondral defect. But maybe ... she was over-compensating? (ORL) Kristen Edmonds (right calf strain) OUT, Jordan O’Brien (excused absence) OUT. No longer listed: Rachel Hill (right ankle sprain) from PROBABLE. (BOS) Morgan Andrews (excused absence) OUT. No longer listed: Rose Lavelle (left hamstring strain) from QUESTIONABLE; Allysha Chapman (groin strain) from PROBABLE. (NJ) Natasha Kai (right calf strain) downgraded from QUESTIONABLE to OUT. No longer listed: Kelley O'Hara (right adductor strain) from QUESTIONABLE. (CHI) Vanessa DiBernardo (concussion) downgraded from PROBABLE to QUESTIONABLE. (Alyssa Naeher (right groin strain) still PROBABLE) (NC) Nora Holstad (left hamstring strain) QUESTIONABLE, Lynn Williams (right groin strain) QUESTIONABLE; Sabrina D’Angelo (Illness) PROBABLE. (HOU) Kelly Conheeney (whiplash) DOUBTFUL (SEA) Megan Rapinoe (left knee meniscus tear) upgraded from OUT to QUESTIONABLE
Seen this happen before with other players, so it's definitely possible. Although I seem to remember that Ordega had suffered a contact in the action of Spirit's goal, last game. No doubt that Seattle DO NEED Rapinoe at all costs. I anyway hope that they aren't rushing out things. Seattle's door for play-offs is shutting down: if there is anyone who could re-open it someway, this is Megan. I cross fingers and wait at the window.
Washington is pathetic -- and it seems to be because of an owner who caused some of its best players to want to play elsewhere. Tant pis. Same problem the Washington Redskins have had for decades now. Bad owner. Re Rapinoe, yeah, Seattle needs her to have a chance to make the playoffs -- but it'll be a miracle if she can return to form so quickly. But I hope to see her -- and not to see her hurt again.
[POR-WAS] Out shopping during 1H, and I'm way behind! 21' 0-0 Sinclair drops all the way back to circle back left to collect, passes to Nadim at 30m mid-left. Huster chases back, bump-trips Nadim -- Nadim bounces up (with hand on ball), awaits whistle for a fk, as Sinclair never stopped running and overtakes her on the outside. Nadim quick restart low through arc tangent left for Sinclair bending her run inside -- but Long spins away from Zadorsky tugging on her left arm, has the better angle to it. Haracic slides out through 12m left post, Long toe-tips ball past her and tries to hop, tripped down. Foul, penalty, yellow card on Haracic. 22' 1-0 Nadim pk, right instep to 1/4 right 1/4 high, Haracic sprawls and double-blocks it out to 8m center. Nadim steps to it, reloads, right instep shot into 1/3 left low, before Haracic recovers. 22' - #PTFC Goal - @ThornsFC @ALLIE_LONG earns penalty & @nadia_nadim scores for a 1-0 lead off her own rebound. #PORvWAS #NWSLonLIFETIME pic.twitter.com/CoADwicfxO— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 2, 2017 25' 2-0 Menges distributes to Klingenberg at 35m left touch -- Long is in an offside position at 24m center. Nadim alertly comes back to 25m wide left to get onside, Klingenberg rolls a slow roller up wide left and Nadim turns alongside it to 12m wide left. Sinclair cleverly pulls up her run at arc top left as Zadorsky overpursues into the box, creating separation. Nadim backpass to 14m left post, Sinclair races Zadorsky to it and chips a small lob past her to 5m 4-left, races to that as Haracic steps up to 4m. One-touch left instep low half-volley touch leaks under Haracic, into 1/4 right back low. Washington did themselves no favors with the arc-top double-line trap mess, but that finish was equal parts lucky bounce and Sinclair doing what she does. 25' - #PTFC Goal - And @sincy12 gets a second goal for @ThornsFC with assist from @nadia_nadim. #PORvWAS 2 - 0 #NWSLonLIFETIME pic.twitter.com/WlxSAxrxha— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 2, 2017
I can't imagine Zadorsky or Labbé being back next year either. With Zadorsky you had her go from your captain to not starting or only getting a half. At least with Labbé the writing was on the wall after last year and everyone knows she was back only because of wys' injury
40' 3-0 Klingenberg left ck, Sonnett stands totally unmarked at 9m center, with Pugh not in contact at 8m 4-left -- while Nadim at 2m center is surrounded by 4 defenders in a box-and-1 As Klingenberg begins her approach, Sonnett back-cuts Pugh oblivious toward 6-top left, and nobody goes with her. Klingenberg's right instep ck inswings/dives to 5m 5-left, Sonnett jumps alone and twist-heads down to 1m 1/5 right, past Haracic fronting Nadim at left post. Huster comes back and gets an awkward hacky-sack touch, but is jammed inside by the odd bounce, shanks it into own left side netting. Not an og, since it was going in regardless. That's surely a ck pattern, which every team tries to construct if it's available. On the flip side, you must recognize and stop it when the other team is showing it! 40' - Off the cornerkick, @ThornsFC's @emilysonnett's header finds the back of the net for a 3-0 advantage. #PORvWAS #NWSLonLIFETIME pic.twitter.com/9XIF511ZuA— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 2, 2017 81' 4-0 Klingenbeg left ck -- Sonnett is unmarked again at 9m 1/3 left This ck is sent further to 6m 1/3 right, Long outjumps somebody and heads a lob across mouth -- off crossbar left 90, bounces straight down and skims off Dydasco's chest, bounces up and spins off Kallman's chest, across 6-box to 3m right post. Sinclair ran up from 12m and got stuck behind the scrum at 7m right post, stood and watched in amazement -- runs around the right edge of the pile and dunks. Sonnett and Long were both decoys on that one, uh huh 81' - @ThornsFC's @sincy12 scores her second goal on the day and 30th all-time goal in the NWSL. #PORvWAS 4 - 0 #NWSLonLIFETIME pic.twitter.com/YDoZrH1ipG— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 2, 2017 FT 4-0.
[ORL-BOS] Rainy day, ponchos in the stand. And speed, speed, speed on both flanks Rachel Hill returns from her right ankle sprain, and starts. Camila at RB, filling in for Edmonds. 02' 0-0 RB Camila overlaps to 8m wide right, kicks a high cross to 8m 1/3 left. Morgan somehow has no body-marker there, dinks a full volley lob, Smith lunges backward and slaps it off the crossbar(?). Ugh -- Boston knows she's there, and they still can't guard her and both flanks ... 08' 1-0 Marta switches across circle back to Catley at midfield left touch, she lags a long ground pass perfectly in the stride of Ubogagu racing Oyster to box top wide left. Catley continues her own run into the space left behind, Ubogagu turns away and backpasses to Catley at 22m box left -- then promptly back-cuts Oyster caught ball-watching. Catley sees that, two-touch ping down box left to 3m. Ubogagu one-touch low driven cross to 4m left post, Morgan one-touch redirection rising, Smith blocks with left hand. Ball pops up to 5m center, backspins straight up. Hill steps away from Elby at 6-right, arrives first and swings waist-high left roundhouse -- it deflects off Smith's left shoulder, drops across mouth into right side netting. Wow -- Orlando's non-Brasilians are explosive with the ping-ping play. 8' - #ORL Goal - Rachel Hill scores from close range to give @ORLPride a 1-0 lead. #ORLvBOS pic.twitter.com/hLPFjpkzbF— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 2, 2017
15' 2-0 Catley passes to Ubogagu at circle top box left, Ubogagu dribbles away from Oyster past circle top. Catley sees the void behind them, sprints up left touch, Ubogagu slips a diagonal pass that splits Oyster and Frisbie, up left touch to 35m. Morgan times her explosive sprint-start to back-cut Purce (that's not even fair), Catley lags a perfect long ground pass to 6m mid-left, with King (whose right leg is stripe-taped so heavily it looks like a knee brace) chasing -- that's not a fair match-up, either. Morgan one-touch left foot ground cross to 5m right post is too fast for Smith to pounce on from her goalline. Hill has beaten Elby on the far post run, one-touch right instep block across goal, nutmegs Smith into back left low. Ugh -- Oyster stranded self way upfield chasing Ubogagu, and Orlando's one-touch speed beat Boston on on all three help-rotations. 15' - And just like that rookie Rachel Hill has a brace off beautiful assist from @alexmorgan13. @ORLPride are up 2-0. #ORLvBOS pic.twitter.com/tFlShtkwHD— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 2, 2017 This pbp guy keeps calling GK Abby Smith "King"?
49' 2-1 Salem(?) backpass to circle top box right, Oyster(?) one-touch forward pass to Purce at arc top wide right. Purce pings square left to Leon, instantly back-cuts Catley and gets behind her, Leon one-touch return pass down to 15m wide right. Purce gets just inside 9m box right, chips a cross past Ubogagu defending in own box -- over 6-box to 6-top left. Frisbie runs on and half-volleys low to 4m 1/3 left, White pounces from 5m center and pokes right instep past Kennedy, under Harris's dive, into 1/5 left back low. 49' - @BostonBreakers' @rosiewhite13 scores her fourth goal of the season with assist by @Frizzbie. #ORLvBOS 2 - 1 pic.twitter.com/EvedxrfQtp— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 3, 2017
67' 3-1 Salem passes to White at circle back. White takes a bit too long to accelerate, is overtaken by Weatherholt, turns her back and turtles under too soon -- Weatherholt kicks ball right through White's wide wicket, to Morgan at 35m center. Morgan holds up, lays off leftward to Ubogagu trailing alone through circle top mid-left -- and Marta is creeping up past circle top right, level with White/Chapman and somehow unnoticed. Oyster is two steps behind everybody else at 24m mid-left, Marta starts her cut up centerline early, Ubogagu one-touch diagonal pass to arc top center. Marta collects alone, taps twice to 14m 1/4 left, snipes left instep past Smith's right hand, into back left low. Morgan drew so much attention that Marta went into stealth mode 67' - Marta scores her 12th goal of the season with assist by @ChiAlreadyKnow to give @ORLPride a 3-1 advantage. #ORLvBOS pic.twitter.com/OsXJriNvFg— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 3, 2017 72' 3-1 Boston subs in (3 of 3) #11 Rose Lavelle for LB #3 Brooke Elby. 77' 4-1 Smith passes to Chapman at own arc top. Chapman dribbles into pressure at own 30m center, swings a pass right toward Purce -- but Ubogagu blocks ball down at circle top mid-left. Ubogagu counters up mid-left, backing down Oyster and running away from White's pursuit, with Morgan flanked 1-v-2 toward arc top. At 22m, Oyster turns to face centerward, Ubogagu cuts outside and goes hard, half-spins Oyster around, blows past her on the left, opening up 2m separation to 11m mid-left. Left instep shot across mouth juuust beats Smith's dive, off right post low, bounces across goal into back left low. Both Elby and Oyster have had torrid nights. 77' - @ChiAlreadyKnow slots it home inside the far post for her 4th of the season to give @ORLPride a 4-1 lead. #ORLvBOS pic.twitter.com/x53JtOdSTt— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 3, 2017 84' 4-1 Orlando subs in (1 of 3) #8 Danica Evans for #6 Chioma Ubogagu.
88' 4-1 Boston put on a 30+ pass possession back and forth in Orlando's 1/2, with Orlando as willing (semi-)participants. Finally, Chapman sneaks up left touch on a fly route, Lavelle chips long from circle top mid-left over everybody, Chapman chases alone to 0.5m and hooks a cross to 6m left post. Mônica comes back across Krieger, clears ball over endline into the (somewhat emptied) end zone bucket seats. 88' 4-2 Leon left ck, high inswing dives to 8m center -- Mônica was on the left post, but steps away from it to 1m. King jumps behind 2, heads a mini-lob just over Mônica's header try, just inside left post 2/5 high. Uncanny! This, too, is Orlando Sermanni's hair was once full and dark -- 88' - @Julie_King8 scores her first goal of the season with assist from @LeonAdriana9 for the @BostsonBreakers. #ORLvBOS 4 - 2 pic.twitter.com/GghvOXLHMk— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 3, 2017 FT 4-2. Too much Hill and Ubogagu tonight
My Go90.com stream was alternately terrible and cutting out. I shoulda just switched to @Gilmoy play-by-play.
3 more matches today. The Dash (and Dynamo) have relocated 250 mi NNW to Frisco, just north of Dallas, due to Hurricane Harvey's toxic aftermath. Hence they play in FC Dallas's Toyota Stadium.
Chicago in the first half was outclassed by NC -- and very lucky that the score is only 1-0. I like Denise O'Sullivan for NC. I liked her at Houston too -- and Houston, being Houston, benched her. About the only good thing I can say about Chicago is that Gilliland looks good, although she's been mediocre most of the season. Other than that -- ehhh.
[CHI-NC] 15' 0-1 Press receives off chest facing away in circle back, Zerboni sit-pokes off Press's foot -- into McDonald's stride at 40m arc left. Chicago's backline is jagged: three across own 38m, except Naughton alone back at 31m. McDonald dribbles to 30m center, L.Williams accelerates up mid-right lane and blows by 2 -- Colaprico jogging on the inside, S.Johnson outpaced on the outside. McDonald rolls a diagonal pass to 11m 7-right, Naeher comes out and slides with feet, L.Williams shoots one-touch right instep mini-chip over her legs, across the mouth into back left low. 15' - @TheNCCourage are off to a good start as @lynnraenie scores off a nice assist from @J_Mac1422 for a 1-0 lead. #CHIvNC pic.twitter.com/IUdc0L7tQ1— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 3, 2017 52' 1-1 Rowland distributes to Erceg at own 24m mid-left. Forward pass to S.Mewis, Ertz anticipates her receive-and-curl, jumps the route and lunge-pokes ahead off S.Mewis's foot -- through box top mid-left, Press chases for an instant counter. Dahlkemper overpursues past center, leaves Nagasato unmarked trailing through box top left post. Press touches to 9m 6-right, ground cross bisects S.Mewis's slide from behind and Rowland at 5m, to 6-top 1-left, Nagasato one-touch left instep chip off(?) Dahlkemper's thighs, up into back left edge 1/2 high. 52' - @ChristenPress slips a great pass to @yuki_ogimi, who scores for @chicagoredstars to tie the game at 1-1. #CHIvNC pic.twitter.com/eAbaTcp3Mo— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 3, 2017
84' 2-1 Nagasato collects just past midfield wide right, dribbles to 40m box right, passes to Huerta at 22m right touch -- then drifts across box away from pressure. Huerta backpass to Colaprico, square pass right to Gilliland at 35m wide right. Gilliland touches to 32m, launches a long cross over Ertz at spot, to 7m 2-left, T.Smith twist-heads across. Nagasato collects at 9m mid-left, chips a low cross to 5m 1/4 right. Ertz overruns ball, steps back to it and dolphin-dives down to sternum-height, twist-heads a gentle mini-lob across Rowland and mouth, drops softly into back left edge 1/3 high. Wow -- a back-shoulder fade header 84' - @julieertz finishes the header off cross from @Yuki_Ogimi to give @chicagoredstars a 2-1 lead. #CHIvNC pic.twitter.com/ye1Rdaqnmn— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 3, 2017 FT 2-1.
The reffing for the Chicago-NC game was pretty good overall.... but how was that takedown by Naeher on Hatch not called a penalty?
Pretty clear penalty. Naeher mishandled the ball multiple times this game, similar to her recent ToN performances. I'm beginning to lose confidence as her being the USWNT #1.
[KC-NJ] 39' 1-0 Barnhart drop-kicks to circle top right, Leroux back-heads over the high line -- Grom has gotten inside position 1m past Skroski and Freeman, even with Richardson guarding LaBonta. Ball pops flat and fast beyond them all, Groom wins the track-start race, collects at arc top mid-right. Richardson leaves LaBonta to chase left-to-right, LaBonta drifts wide to the left-post lane. Groom runs to 8m 6-right, rolls a slow pass to 2m 1/6 left as Sheridan scrambles across and sprawls -- LaBonta slides and volleys in. 39' - Now that was quick...@nbarnhart to @sydneyleroux to @sheabayy2 to @L0momma for the @FCKansasCity goal. #KCvNJ 1 - 0 pic.twitter.com/6iLnezFIC3— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 3, 2017 44' 2-0 Barnhart fk at own box top right post, Corboz(?) leaps onto/gets undercut by Gibbons' flat back like a tabletop -- no call. LaBonta chests ball upward at circle half-front right facing away, bicycles it low and fast to 30m center -- and again Groom has beaten Skroski on the inside, 1/2 step ahead. Groom outruns her to 9m 4-right, shoots right instep outswinging away from Sheridan, into left side netting center. Groom is a match-up nightmare for NJ's high line -- none of them can accelerate like she does. 44' - And now it is @l0momma's turn to provide the assist as @sheabayy2 scores to give @FCKansasCity a 2-0 advantage. #KCvNJ pic.twitter.com/IyLIVJxY57— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 3, 2017