*According to the NWSL, not @Gilmoy [with whom I agree, incidentally]. I just decided to comply with the official count going forward to avoid confusion. As previously discussed, it appears that a single isolated game counted as a separate week. To quote an unfortunately unsuccessful recent Star Wars movie, "I don't like it. I don't agree with it. But I accept it."
As a stepping off spot for Week 14, this post has some comments about last week and some about current season-to-date player stats. Part 1: Hatch in Gabarra’s 4-4-2 Last Saturday – WAS 0 and ORL 1 I watched Ashley Hatch quite a bit during the game, being a fan of hers. She didn’t score much in Australia, and hasn’t lit up the scoreboard in Washington (3 goals in 13 games) as a primary striker, unlike her supporting role at NC, so I’ve been concerned about her success. To me it seemed like she did not know where to go/what runs to make and I mentally compared Riley to Gabarra for coaching strikers. As the game went on I watched both Ordega and Hatch. I decided that part of Hatch’s problem was she had no idea where Ordega was going to go or what she was going to do. My cursory understanding of play in a 4-4-2 is that the strikers absolutely must work in concert – if they are not connected, it will not work in the attack. Thinking about this led me to the idea that if the midfield is not doing its job, then the strikers cannot do theirs. Given the bad midfield play in the first half, it is no wonder that Ordega and Hatch were torn apart. Even when midfield play improved in the second half, I felt Hatch and Ordega were disconnected. Part 2: Season-to-date Stats Hatch has 3 goals. Right now three players have 5 goals and eight players have 4 goals and eight have 3 goals. I was surprised (but should not have been) to see Hatch leads the league in total shots. Then I looked at shots on goal and the percent of SOG compared to total shots. Hatch is last in the group at 35%. Williams, notorious as a scattergun, is just under 50% SOG/Shots. TOP TEN PLAYERS IN SOG AS OF 6/27/18 PLAYERGP GOALSASSISTSSHOTSSOG SOG/SHOTS Taylor 1231221882 % Sinclair 1374191474 % Rapinoe 851392564 % Leroux 1241211257 % Dunn 1363362056 % Horan 1251271556 % Kerr 951321753 % McDonald 1443381847 % Williams 1143381847 % Hatch1331401435 % I have claimed that Daly is doing much more for HOU than Taylor is doing for SEA – here are some numbers. PLAYERGP GOALSASSSISTSSHOTSSOG SOG/SHOTS Taylor 1231221882 % Daly 134023939 %
Sinclair's percentages are stunning: 74% of shots, on goal 37% of shots, in goal No other player is remotely close on % of shots, in goal.
Sobering thought for Seattle fans: The Reign haven't beaten anyone (except Sky Blue) in almost two months, a 3-2 win over Portland on 5/5. In fact, of their record thus far (5W4D3L, 19pts), their record against teams aside from the bottom two (i.e. NJ and DC) is just 1W3D3L (6pts) - they've earned more twice as many points against the bottom two (4W1D, 13pts) in fewer games than they've earned against everyone else. That rivalry win was also the only time they've put multiple goals against a team not named DC or NJ.
Eh, it's a rebuilding multi-year phase for Seattle. This is their level, unless Rapinoe goes nuts in one game or Evil Taylor finally shows up. Seattle can't outrun teams in midfield any more, and are starting to fall behind against other teams' fast attacks. Team-wide, they've lost speed or skill in most match-ups across the field, and all of the vets are a couple years older. Low-scoring draws or losses feel kind of inevitable as I watch them unfold: they're already giving max effort, and there are no more hidden gears to unlock. Maybe it takes 1+ full seasons to fully transition to Vlatko's system. Taylor puts the ball on frame; that's never been her problem. If there were a stat for shot on keeper, she'd lead that, too Sinclair has the opposite "problem". Her high goal rate surely comes because she's so fussy about choosing good shots to take. Simply having her shoot more is the statician's fallacy
I had thought exactly the same as I was reading the previous post. A case of "Great minds think alike"?
[ORL-HOU] Huerta is still up in midfield, with Comeau as RB. The squad for tonight’s match at home! #ORLvHOU | #VamosOrlando pic.twitter.com/ca5C4dzBai— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) June 27, 2018 Dash Starting XI: Campbell; Comeau, Brooks, Van Wyk, Chapman; Polkinghorne; Motlhalo, Huerta; Prince, Daly, OhaiAvailable substitutes: Henninger, Hanson, Agnew, Kgatlana, Latsko, Jordan, Simon pic.twitter.com/QLtiRY6axY— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) June 27, 2018 Houston: Q Simon / OUT K.Mewis Orlando: Q Krieger / OUT none
To supplement this; I disregard North Carolina and NJNY because they don't play themselves and their own points so far as so different than the others'.
12' 0-0 Morgan cuts past Polkinghorne to 15m mid-left, Polkinghorne falls down upon Morgan's calves. Foul, pk. Polkinghorne gets up pantomining hook with elbow, but replay disagrees for this one play. 13' 0-0 Morgan pk, left instep off left post low, bounces wide (Campbell dove wrong). Alex Morgan earns the penalty, but her attempt hits the post. Still scoreless in Orlando.#ORLvHOU | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/mouqWPoa2k— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 27, 2018
I Don't know, but it is her deadlier boot. The outside of her left boot is magical. This is only one example (Morgan in Black): And yes, Morgan, Marta, and Harris all played on the 2011 WNY Flash.
21' 1-0 Orlando right ck, headed around, cleared away. Edmonds dumps it back in, Chapman clears it to Nairn. Nairn bends a flat cross from 25m wide right to 12m 1/3 left, Van Wyk heads it across. At the instant Nairn hit it, everybody on Orlando looks onside, correctly lurking just behind a line through Daly(?)'s back foot. Zadorsky steps past Houston's line and stops ball with shins at 7m mid-left, came from onside but they all think she's off -- and Houston's entire backline stops playing, raising one arm each. Daly inexplicably goes directly to own 4m left post, ostensibly to reinforce Campbell against a cross -- but Morgan lurks and follows her to 6-top center, drifting away from Van Wyk. Zadorsky kicks a ground cross through traffic cones to 4m right post, Morgan is 3m unmarked and putts in with left instep. I guess the near-touch AR raised flag for offside, and Houston saw that? Video replay confirms: everybody was onside on Nairn's cross, and Morgan was onside behind Daly goal stands. Count it. Alex Morgan taps this one in and (eventually) puts @ORLPride up at home!#ORLvHOU | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/ZkgANVqxPu— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 28, 2018 Ob. joke: Germany sit all over the pitch, looking shocked
Talk about stealing 3 points. A smash-and-grab at its best. Houston's passing decisions were poor all game and their passing execution was abysmal. In past years the Dash would not have had the guts to equalize so late or to play out the last 15 minutes of the game.
Houston has some fight in them. Goal of the week for Ohai. and POTM also. IIRC, Amber Brooks started the game in the midfield and went to Center Back in the second half. Maybe that had something to do with Houston's better play in the second half. Or Maybe Orlando was just tired. Or maybe Houston was just lucky....
79' 1-1 Motlhalo switches from circle top right to Ohai at box top wide left, with Poliana ceding a generous 5m of cushion. Ohai spots Huerta lurking 1-v-1 near right post, chips a high cross -- and it drops over Harris's fingers, off inside of right post just inside right post 4/5 high, and bounces along right side netting into back right low. She threads seven needles with one blow! This is one way to find an equalizer. @KealiaOhai strikes from distance! @HoustonDash ties it up at 1–1.#ORLvHOU | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/rHFUYa0CSQ— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 28, 2018
82' 1-1 Chapman taps to Ohai coming back to ball at 30m right touch, with Poliana ceding no cushion at all. Alas, that's too far the other way: Ohai reels her in, does a spin-ccw-flick as ball arrives, levers herself past Poliana and sprints into the void behind her, with Hill gamely taking over pursuit on the inside. Ohai holds off Hill with right hand, through 13m box left to 8m. Cross deflects down off hapless Mônica's right forearm sticking out perpendicular to body, blatant handball. 83' 1-2 Huerta pk, right instep chip into back left high. Harris dove wrong, but she's not saving that regardless. The late comeback for the @HoustonDash is officially underway. Hand ball in the box, and @schuerta converts the PK to give the Dash a 2–1 lead!#ORLvHOU | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/K399OIauNT— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 28, 2018 FT 1-2 We are all props on Ohai's stage
[UTA-SEA] 22:00 EDT Press for Ratcliffe, and a cyclic rotation: Matheson RF => LM, Jonsdottir LM => CAM, Gorry CAM => RF. Tonight's starting XI for #UTAvSEAAudio Breakdown: https://t.co/Gr3FHYSr0V pic.twitter.com/BBmrGDD52g— Utah Royals FC (@UtahRoyalsFC) June 28, 2018 Kawasumi for Yanez; Andrews for Addo; Nielsen for Kleiner; Betos for L.Williams. Available substitutes for tonight are Bauer, Kleiner, Leon, Spencer, Westphal, Williams, and Yanez pic.twitter.com/Aevig8D6Uv— Seattle Reign FC (@reignfc) June 28, 2018 Utah: Q none / OUT Arlitt Laddish O’Hara Seattle: Q none / OUT Averbuch Barnes Dallstream Fishlock J.Johnson
02' 0-0 Rodriguez, facing away, taps square right to Matheson at 24m center. Matheson shoots one-touch, over Betos, off crossbar 1/5 left, bounces down behind Betos (missing her back and all protrusions), and she catches the bounce. 04' 0-0 Utah's high press flusters Seattle, McNabb harassed into a 20m+ backpass over own endline right. 05' 0-0 Utah backpass to Sauerbrunn, and the midfield stripe pans into view 05' 0-0 Matheson runs on at arc top right, one-time right foottop blast sidespins wide right and high.