Ok, 2-0 Orlando after just 5 minutes of 2nd half: I officially messed it all up with my predictions on predictions' thread! Edit: and it's already 2-1 after another minute: this game is crazy!!! Edit 2: and just when things get interesting, the game starts freezing again!
Wow, I rewound to watch the first goal, and came back to 2-1 [ORL-NC] 49' 1-0 Camila pings down wide right for Krieger outpacing Witteman to 6m. Krieger rolls a fast low cross through 6-top right, D'Angelo stays back, it rolls untouched to 5m 6-left. Ubogagu arrives unmarked from the left, one-touch left foot shot near-post under D'Angelo's kick-save try. 50' 2-0 Dahlkemper right throw-in just past midfield, tap back to Dahlkemper but strands her in a 50-50. Camila bumps her off ball and takes off into the void behind her, Fields touches across midfield to circle top left and passes into Camila's stride. Camila dribbles to 12m 3-left, pulls D'Angelo out, floats a shot up off D'Angelo's right fingertips, ball deflects down but continues goalward and bounces in ahead of the pack. 51' 2-1 RB(-ish) Kennedy quacks a terrible pass directly to L.Williams at arc top wide left. Williams promptly counters to 15m box left, taps square to Debinha unmarked through box top arc left. Debihna touches to 14m 3-left, opens hips and snipes right instep across mouth, past Harris's dive into back right low. OK, I'm going to click the "Live" button now, and it'll be 4-3
82' 2-1 North Carolina subs in (3 of 3) #25 Meredith Speck for #3 Makenzy Doniak. 82' 3-1 Edmond fk, square pass right to Krieger, forward pass to Marta backshielding Kawamura at 21m mid-right. Marta drives centerward under close pressure to arc top, snipes a diagonal pass to Spencer front-cutting T.Smith (who doesn't have a defender's positional instinct). Spencer spins and outraces S.Mewis to 9m left post, shoots under D'Angelo's left foot into back right low.
Very disappointing performance from the Courage. But at least they didn't lose by BS reffing like the last time they were in Orlando. The Pride were just better today.
- Orlando is now only 2 points away from the 4th place team (playoff spot). - Orlando has 5 points, the 4th place team has 7 points. - There is still only a 3 point difference between the 2nd place and the 9th place teams. - There is only a 4 point difference between the 2nd place and 10th place teams. - Excluding Carolina, the other 9 teams have no more than 2 victories in 5 matches. PARITY (2nd - 10 place) And the 1st place team lost today by multiple goals (3-1 loss).
a few random comments: Why was Denise O'Sullivan not at the Dash game? I don't think the Dash gave up. I think they were lost. I think Aly Wagner pointed out that they did not know what they should be doing, particularly in reference to Van Wyk looking to distribute. I think the Dash have good players; Why is Randy Waldrum still coaching this team? I think it is good that Orlando won that game.... at home, especially. I think it is good that Chicago did not lose and that Press scored. I just watched the highlights.....Rose Lavelle..... as per Shocking Blue: "She's Got It!" I am back to my original assessment of NC's defensive play - it is poor and not well coached. If they can't force the turnover in the attacking half, the defense amounts to McCall Zerboni fouling anything that moves, and the back four scrambling around as individuals. Must be driving Kawamura nuts. I know it happened ping-ping, but Smith should have realized she could not pick the ball up off of Chapman's foot, or Smith should have called Chapman off in the first place. And my maniac keeper mindset tells me that Huerta's cross to Press was coming into the 6 yard box, and even though curving away, that ball is mine. I'm happy that KC still can keep Portland from having the upper hand.
Injury apparently, although she was not on the injury report. She's been disappointing this season, capable of much better. Granted, the presence of Janine Beckie as a midfielder has not been good for her. Denise is an attacking midfielder. Beckie is not a midfielder at all, but let's call her an attacking midfielder as well. The two haven't co-existed very well.
I hope when Brian and Andressa are fully fit, not to mention the return of Lloyd, that we never see Beckie in the Dash midfield again.