For the last time, Press is not a wide player. She is a #9 striker, or a forward who sits just behind the #9 striker. Either way she is central. I would think Harvey is a smart enough coach to realize this. Move Gunny back, move Press to the attacking mid/second forward, and play Tymrak or somebody wide left.
[CHI-SEA] 1018273130530398210 is not a valid tweet id Available substitutes tonight are Andrews, Kleiner, Leon, McNabb, Spencer, Westphal, and Williams pic.twitter.com/lEmMo6MQyV— Seattle Reign FC (@reignfc) July 14, 2018 Chicago: Q none / OUT McCaffrey Seattle: Q Addo Utsugi / OUT Averbuch Dallstream
Well, considering the team won and is still in the thick of the playoff hunt, I don't think picking either half of your question is entirely fair. From my last post, though, I'd say that Sermanni is an average (maybe slightly above average) coach and his team has a fair number of players who have been underperforming this year.
Still have one more game to play this weekend, but worth pointing out now that the six-team bunch in the middle of the table is finally starting to separate. HOU has definitely been trailing the other five, but at the moment we have a (relatively) big five-point gap between #4 and #5 in the table. Unless POR, UTA, or HOU can kick off a good run soon, I think we might be able to say we have our four playoff teams now - especially considering we're basically 75% through the season at this point.
Let's not forget though that, if we include tomorrow's game, Portland and Houston have two games in hand to Orlando and Chicago: at least one of the two teams (most likely Portland) could make that count! This season's chart is tricky to read, with so many teams having a different number of games played.
The different number of games was certainly a problem earlier in the season, but I would argue it's much less so now. We're deep enough that PPG order almost perfectly matches Pts order, and is in agreement to within a point. POR and HOU may have two games in hand, but neither has shown the consistency to suggest that pulling more than 3pts from those two games in hand is likely.
Our lineup tonight vs. @HoustonDash. #PORvHOU kicks at 8PM (PT). #BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/3AufmS45pH— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) July 16, 2018
Klingenberg for Purce (out). Agnew for Van Wyk (questionable). Tonight's starting XI: Campbell; Chapman, Brooks, Agnew, Comeau; Motlhalo, Polkinghorne; Simon, Huerta, Ohai; Daly #PORvHOU pic.twitter.com/v16V1L3EHK— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) July 16, 2018 Portland: Q none / OUT Andressinha Foord Morris Purce Houston: Q Van Wyk / OUT K.Mewis
Archiving: [UTA-ORL] 08' 1-0 Bowen(?) longball from circle center to arc top wide right. Corsie(!?) is up that high, chests ball away, half-volley dink pass to 10m right post, over Mônica. Rodriguez turns through arc right and arrives first, audacious waist-high left foot stretch volley dink lob drops over Harris, into right 90. .@AmyRodriguez8 gives @UtahRoyalsFC the 1-0 lead with her second goal of the season!#UTAvORL | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/E3fqeYacRB— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 14, 2018 44' 1-0 Krieger left ck, inswings over 4m right post. Kennedy starts at 11m right post with inside position and height advantage on Jónsdóttir, drives to 6-top right post and plants to jump, seriously impeded by Jónsdóttir bear-hugging her with left arm wrapped around. Foul, pk. 45+2' (of +5') 1-1 Morgan pk, left instep rising across mouth into back right high, leaving A.Smith frozen. All even in Utah as @alexmorgan13 converts the penalty kick for the @ORLPride #UTAvORL | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/GfQcfZSalt— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 14, 2018 52' 1-2 Weatherholt chases back past midfield wide right, taps back to Krieger. Krieger steps into a one-touch longball to 30m box right for Edmonds splitting LaBonta and Bowen. Ball backspins perfectly into Edmonds' stride, A.Smith comes waaaay out to box top mid-right and gets stuck on an island. Edmonds follows to 22m box right, one-touch half-volley perfectly lobs her, drops just under crossbar and bounces into center back high. .@Kris10edmonds gives the @ORLPride the lead on the road in the second half!#UTAvORL | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/VoIXK8Qbg9— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 15, 2018 FT 1-2.
[NJ-NC] wherein home/road matters not 15' 0-1 NC left ck, cleared out to arc top right. Mathias stabs a pass down box right, Hamilton catches up half-over endline box right. Erceg lurks at 9m 4-left behind Killion, who leaves her early to go to left post -- fearing the shross? Hamilton one-touch cross outswings tight over goal mouth, strands Sheridan at goalline center, over Killion jumping to left post, to 1m 3-left. Erceg trails alone, stoop-heads down past Killion's legs, into 1/3 left back low. She does it all. @abbyerceg heads it home to give @TheNCCourage the lead in New Jersey!#NJvNC | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/iDTZxiu2iJ— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 14, 2018 56' 0-2 O'Sullivan(?) passes from circle right to Debinha past circle top right, with Sky Blue's backline way up at 27m+. Debinha turns and fires a pass between Richardson and Freeman, Hamilton touches through box top 6-right and outruns everybody to 9m. Sheridan comes out, L.Williams stays level with the ball at the instant of the pass -- square pass centerward trickles to 6-top center, L.Williams overruns, steps back to ball and chips right instep rising bend into 1/4 right back high. Assist #⃣2⃣ for @khamilton17 and this time @lynnraenie puts it away! 2-0 @TheNCCourage lead.#NJvNC | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/ufwI6jKjwt— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 15, 2018
72' 0-3 Mathias(?) left throw-in at own box top, heaved up wide left to L.Williams. Stoop side-head centerward to Debinha at circle back mid-left, and L.Williams and Dunn start their back-cut sprints past Sky Blue's backline backpedaling from midfield Debinha cuts back to circle half-front left, Dunn drifts momentarily offside behind Richardson -- but L.Williams, coming from deeper, is toasting Skroski on the inside, still 2m behind Freeman/Frisbie. Debinha chips into space to arc top mid-left, L.Williams pulls away and opens an 8m lead. Dunn veers centerward through 14m center (and has her own inside position -- that was on, too). L.Williams continues to 10m 6-left, shoots early right instep simple roller past Sheridan's right kick-save try, just inside left post low. .@lynnraenie ❌2⃣! @TheNCCourage now lead 3-0 at Yurcak!#NJvNC | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/IRLtyzoLas— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 15, 2018 89' 0-4 Dunn harasses Killion at 30m (North Carolina's) left touch, Killion taps back to Skroski. Skroski turns away from Dunn's pursuit to 22m wide left, rolls a long backpass through box top left to 7m 8-left. L.Williams backcuts Freeman watching ball, alone through box top mid-left and racing Sheridan coming out. Sheridan hesitates/pulls up, L.Williams extends foot and blocks ball past Sheridan, to 3m 7-left, follows and passes into back right low. Hello hat trick! @lynnraenie hits home her third of the night and @TheNCCourage extend their lead to 4-0. #NJvNC | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/YRGC51iMQv— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 15, 2018 FT 0-4.
[CHI-SEA] 35' 0-0 (rewind stream slider to 41:45) Naeher high punt(?) drops to circle back box right. Gilliland, facing 3/4 away, jumps and back-heads upfield as Catley jumps late and plows left thigh into Gilliland's right hip. Gilliland flexes like a bow(??), drives right side of head into Catley's head(?), recoils and goes down, holding right side of head. Ref gives advantage, Kerr weaves to arc top right and veers outward across Fishlock, who shoves her down with two hands on her shoulders. Foul, yellow card on Fishlock. Long stoppage, Gilliland is in serious pain. 38' 0-0 Trainers hold Gilliland's head immobile She's moving her arms, seems to have control of legs. Stretcher comes out, with neck brace and full stretcher-loading protocol. 44' 0-0 Chicago subs in (1 of 3) #14 Sarah Gorden for #3 Arin Gilliland. 87' 1-0 Betos gk, to 38m box right. As ball drops, Seattle's back 5 are totally awry: packed left of center, with RB Nielsen 4m ahead of Oyster/Barnes. Kerr correctly lurks wide of Nielsen's centerward shouder, gazes upon half the field of empty green to her own left. Nagasato sees that, too, lunges past McNabb and dumps a perfect header into that very space -- and Kerr back-cuts unwary/gassed Nielsen, opening up a vast 5m lead. Kerr touches through arc left to 11m 2-left, snipes right instep across mouth, under Betos's left glove, fast roller into 1/8 right back low. That entire sequence is basically ... a stuff-block in volleyball. With nobody covering the hitter, too. Who else, but @samkerr1 places it far post to give the @chiredstarsPR a 1-0 lead in the 87th minute!#CHIvSEA | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/GQhjISTdme— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 15, 2018 FT 1-0.
[POR-HOU] 16' 1-0 Carpenter right throw-in, back to Sonnett at 40m wide right. Horan leads young Motlhalo to arc top right, then backpedals past her and back-cuts toward spot. Sonnett drives a fast cross inswinging to spot, Motlhalo lets Horan go, nobody else can pick her up. Campbell dives out but can't get that far, Horan jump-tucks and heads a mini-lob over Campbell, bounces in behind her to 1/3 right back low. This time @Lindseyhoran11 gets her goal! #PORvHOU | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/NMBfhK7i7M— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 16, 2018 31' 2-0 Heath fk at arc top box left, another trick/scripted play: left instep inswings to 7m right post, as Portland send Crnogorčević and Carpenter on hard rightward slants toward ball, and Horan lurks up centerline behind the ensuing scrum. Polkinghorne leave Horan and veers ball-ward. Crnogorčević has outside position on Brooks, jump-tucks and side-heads a high lob to crossbar center. Campbell jumps turning ccw and tries to push it back over, but misses, ball trickles off her fingertips and drops behind her at goalline 1/3 left. Horan is right there, half-volleys in. Polkinghorne might have boxed her out, but never reacquired her. Make it ✌️ for @Lindseyhoran11! #PORvHOU | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/cK9rmByWOY— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 16, 2018
37' 2-1 Huerta dribbles to 27m mid-right, passes wide right to Comeau overlapping past box top. Comeau cuts inside through 12m box right to mid-right, snipes left instep mini-chip across mouth. Ohai is 1-v-1 on Carpenter stepping up to her at 8m left post, Ohai levers self past her with a two-handed shove-self/swim-move. Franch dives right and slaps with right hand, but directly off Ohai's legs. Ball bounces to 0.5m center, Ohai follows and kicks it in. Nobody went with Comeau? Portland's midfield played as if they did not expect Huerta to have that inside-out pass option. Game on in Portland. @KealiaOhai taps it in to pull @HoustonDash to within a goal. #PORvHOU | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/6n3GLVZHdq— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 16, 2018 48' 3-1 Boureille taps square left to Raso at 22m mid-right. Raso dribbles to arc top 6-right, Agnew races out just past own box top to challenge. Crnogorčević promptly posts up at 15m 3-right and signals with left hand low: pass into the void where Agnew isn't, just as hapless Brooks steps up tight against her back. Raso flicks right outstep past Agnew to 9m 6-right, Crnogorčević spins past Brooks and shoots right foot one-touch low across mouth, past Campbell at 4m right post, into left bottom pipe. That's the new-fangled empty-box defense, and it defends naught. Quick start to the second half! @AnaCrnogorcevic's fourth goal of the season has @ThornsFC up 3-1.#PORvHOU | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/kXNPzosEY6— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 16, 2018 FT 3-1.
I could agree about Houston, but I'd say Portland keeps being in contention, especially after this last win.
Here's an updated table showing how the teams stand, per game, through this past weekend's games. This one includes goal differential: And some additional details for this season and the latter part of last season (a total of 98 games): Maybe home field advantage finally is showing up?
I went to NC at SkyBlue. It was really nice seeing the game in person. It could have been miserably hot, but the humidity was quite low and the temps got down to the lower 80's afer sunset. Even so, I was a bit surprised at no water break in the first half. I did not see any Courage fans near me, but apparently Meredith Speck had family in the stands. I usually write about things 'you might not see on the live stream' when I go to games. But I don't have anything notable to say in that regard. I'll give my self blockhead of the night award. I was up high enough so I couldn't read names on jerseys, So when I saw NC #17 waiting to sub in, I wondered to myself "Who is our #17?" I didn't recognize HAO from the back, while she was standing still; if she was charging up and down the right flank, I think I would have known. One more thing - I put Lynn Williams’ third goal into what I call the Scott Schweitzer zone. Schweitzer was a defender on the U.S. Open Cup winning Rochester Rhinos team (1999) and later managed the Carolina Railhawks ( 2008-2009). In a pre-game interview once, he said: “I don’t just want to win tonight. Tonight I want to beat them FOREVER.”
It's becoming hard to remember the last time I watched an NWSL match and the ref didn't make himself/herself a talking point.