Here's some trivia: if the current scoreline stands, CHI will have the highest points total and highest PPG they've ever hand in NWSL.
[UTA-NC] 29' 0-0 Hamilton chases a serve to 14m mid-right, Sauerbrunn stretch-lunges self down at ball but misses, Hamilton trips over her ribs and outstretch leg. Foul, pk. 30' 0-1 S.Mewis pk, right instep pull just inside left post low hard, past Barnhart's dive. That's probably unsaveable anyways, a diving gk needs some height on the ball to meet it halfway down. Cool as you like from the penalty spot. @sammymewy puts @TheNCCourage in front. 0-1 | #UTAvNC pic.twitter.com/4N5YO7qf6B— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 22, 2019 35' 0-1 Yellow card on O'Sullivan, for a foul on Jónsdóttir. HT 0-1.
[CHI-WAS] 76' 3-0 Washington subs in (3 of 3) #2 Arielle Ship for #20 Cheyna Matthews. 80' 3-1 Staab longball from own 40m mid-left bounces at 27m mid-left, perfectly in stride for Pugh outrunning Ertz and Davidson. Pugh follows ball to 9m 3-left, Naeher dives at ball thereat, Pugh drags ball perfectly past Naeher, to 6-top 4-left. Left instep shot to left post skips off Davidson's right thigh as she slip-and-slides on back, ball bounces into goal 1/5 right, Davidson goes to back left support pole. Pinpoint pass like a lightning bolt, and just as rare. Wow, that's a lot of stars on one play .@MalPugh flashes composure in front of goal and pulls one back for @WashSpirit. 3-1 | #CHIvWAS pic.twitter.com/hM9jJyr6Px— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 22, 2019 81' 3-1 Chicago subs in (2 of 3) #32 Zoey Goralski for #12 Yuki Nagasato. 86' 3-1 Chicago subs in (3 of 3) #23 Brooke Elby for #33 Katlyn Johnson. +3'. FT 3-1. Chicago clinches on 41 pts, Washington are still 5 points back with only 4 to play.
[#5.REI-NJ.#8] Rapinoe for J.Taylor (and Jenkins => RF); Barnes for McNabb; Quinn for Oyster. Our starting XI for tonight's #RFCvNJ match.Tonight's captain is #Pinoe. #ShePlaysHere #BeBold pic.twitter.com/sd3ArpGqtR— Seattle Reign FC (@reignfc) September 22, 2019 Hoy for Lewandowski (and Lloyd => MF, Dydasco => RB). The squad is ready for tonight! #RFCvNJ #SBFC pic.twitter.com/ekoTd7hTTc— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) September 22, 2019 Reign FC: OK (Q <=, starting) White (OUT <=, not a sub) Groom / Q (=, starting) Long / OUT none / SEI (=) Betos Fishlock J.Johnson T.Smith Spencer Watson Sky Blue: Q none / OUT (=) Freeman Tiernan / (4YEL James Doyle)
[UTA-NC] 54' 0-1 Utah subs in (1 of 3) #21 Veronica Boquete for #24 Katie Stengel. 59' 0-1 North Carolina subs in (1 of 3) #19 Crystal Dunn for #7 McCall Zerboni. 64' 0-1 North Carolina subs in (2 of 3) #9 Lynn Williams for #23 Kristen Hamilton. 65' 0-2 Hinkle dribbles to box top wide left, shross floats to crossbar 1/4 left. Barnhart jumps for a routine catch, ball squirts through her index fingers , continues into back right low. A ball played towards the net by @JaeHinkle_15 started as a cross, but ended as a goal. 0-2 | #UTAvNC pic.twitter.com/lZzqHwZGHE— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 22, 2019 70' 0-3 Utah bad pass out of the back, Dunn intercepts at 24m arc right. Quick pass to Debinha at box top center, she spins ccw to 12m 1/3 right, shoots right instep slice into bottom right low, with Barnhart frozen. The stream missed the build-up because it was showing a relay of Hinkle's goal .@Debinha7 tacks on another goal for @TheNCCourage.0-3 | #UTAvNC pic.twitter.com/qcpD3DKtTe— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 22, 2019
[#3.POR-HOU.#7] Sonnett for Reynolds. Our Starting XI vs. @HoustonDash.#PORvHOU | #BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/A2DlqlDLc4— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) September 22, 2019 Identical (but back to ascending numerical order, boo). Tonight's Starting XI vs Portland.Kickoff is at 9:30 p.m. CDT on Yahoo! Sports: https://t.co/fpIaC9TBn4#PORvHOU | #DashOn pic.twitter.com/7rNmmjcL0w— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) September 22, 2019 Portland: Q none / OK (OUT <=) Andressinha Boureille / OUT (=) Salem Seiler Houston: Q (=) Simon / OUT none / SEI (=) Latsko McCoy Prince
Slightly crazy now, with 3 NWSL streams and a home football game [UTA-NC] 78' 0-3 Utah subs in (2 of 3) #15 Erika Tymrak for #9 Lo’eau LaBonta. 79' 0-3 North Carolina subs in (3 of 3) #21 Cari Roccaro for #10 Debinha. 88' 0-3 Utah subs in (3 of 3) #42 Raisa Strom-Okimoto for #23 Christen Press. +4'. FT 0-3. North Carolina clinches the 2019 Shield. [REI-NJ] Reign are being a tad wasteful around Sky Blue's box. Theresa is getting up wide right for several crosses, evidently the game plan. Sky Blue have created 2 scrambles in Reign's box, and 2-3 other long shots. Rapinoe takes Reign's left cks, 5 of them so far This stream is kind of low-res, about 240p HT 0-0. Reign FC 11(1)-(1)5 shots(sog), 7-0 corners, 18-3 crosses (4-12 clearances), 1-0 offside, 4-5 fouls, 61% possession. Sky Blue have absorbed the pressure.
[POR-HOU] HT 0-0. Portland 12(0)-(0)3 shots(sog), 9-1 corners, 25-6 crosses (twenty-five!) vs. 8-29 clearances, 3-0 offsides ... and 8-0 fouls [REI-NJ] 50' 0-0 Yellow card on Lloyd, for a foul on White. 52' 0-0 Rapinoe left ck, cleared back to 15m wide left. Rapinoe flicks right outstep through 3 defenders, Balcer turns alone to 14m mid-left, shoots right instep to 1/5 left. Sheridan blocks ball out to 5m left post, Yanez stumbles over her and reflex-volleys off her right knee, over endline left.
[POR-HOU] 48' 1-0 Carpenter right throw-in at box top. Horan goes to arc top right touch, then back-cuts K.Mewis(?) letting her go, Carpenter throws into her stride to 5m mid-right. Brooks must rotate down from box top mid-right, not in time. Horan backpass under/through Brooks' feet, to 9m center. Heath steps forth from spot unmarked, opens left instep and redirects ball into back left low, past Campbell stranded. .@LindseyHoran ➡️ @TobinHeath No more deadlock in Portland.1-0 | #PORvHOU pic.twitter.com/SBERNK6mTB— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 22, 2019 Come for the Tobin goal, stay for the hugs. 🤗#PORvHOU | #BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/rnpCGri3pl— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) September 22, 2019 53' 1-0 Daly square pass left to Nairn at 25m arc right. Nairn passes through arc left for K.Mewis unmarked through box top mid-left to 8m, left foot shot rises to left post, Franch blocks it wide left. .@ADizzle23 with a 🙅♀️ on this @HoustonDash shot. 1-0 | #PORvHOU pic.twitter.com/mt92UY9Vzf— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 22, 2019 57' 1-0 Houston subs in (1 of 3) #24 Jamia Fields for #7 Kealia Ohai. 70' 1-0 Houston subs in (2 of 3) #15 Cecelia Kizer for #10 Christine Nairn.
[REI-NJ] 62' 0-0 Sky Blue subs in (1 of 3) #9 Nahomi Kawasumi for #7 Jennifer Hoy. 66' 0-0 Reign FC subs in (1 of 3) #19 Kristen McNabb for #31 Rosie White. 72' 0-0 Rapinoe left throw-in at 9m, into Balcer's stride to 13m mid-left. Balcer shoots one-touch right instep bend to center high, Sheridan pushes it over bar. Saves like this have become an expectation from @Kailen_Sheridan, but doesn't mean we will appreciate it any less.0-0 | #SEAvNJ pic.twitter.com/3K4jSyVlDu— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 22, 2019 77' 0-1 Rodríguez passes from circle center to Kawasumi at circle top box left. Kawasumi threads a ground pass through arc top 6-left, Quinn slides-pokes and gets a micro-touch but doesn't deflect ball. Lloyd waits for ball, touches to 12m 6-left, Murphy charges out to 10m, Lloyd shoots right outstep past Murphy, rolls into center back low. Welp, if you're last defender and you go to ground, don't miss. .@CarliLloyd with a chance. No mistake. 0-1 | #SEAvNJ pic.twitter.com/Q8ZG9WetS0— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 22, 2019 83' 0-1 Reign FC subs in (2 of 3) #9 Jodie Taylor for #8 Theresa Nielsen. 85' 0-1 Reign FC subs in (3 of 3) #25 Ifeoma Onumonu for #11 Darian Jenkins. 6,189! Thank you to all 6,189 who attended tonight's match.— Seattle Reign FC (@reignfc) September 22, 2019
90' 0-1 Rapinoe left ck, to 6-top 1/3 left. Long gets knocked down and rolls backward at 6-top 3-left, ball drops untouched and bounces off Balcer's shin, wide left low. +3'. 90+1' (of +3') 0-1 Balcer shoots from ~10m mid-right to right post low, Sheridan dives and blocks it off her chest(?), over endline right. FT 0-1. #4 Utah, #5 Reign, and #6 Washington all lost today, resolving nothing. The postponed Reign-Utah match becomes almost a play-in game now.
[POR-HOU] 79' 1-0 Portland subs in (1 of 3) #7 Ana-Maria Crnogorčević for #21 Hayley Raso. 87' 1-0 Portland subs in (2 of 3) #9 Caitlin Foord for #23 Margaret Purce. 87' 1-0 Houston subs in (3 of 3) #28 Cami Privett for #19 Kristie Mewis. +4'. 90+3' (of +4') 1-0 Portland subs in (3 of 3) #2 Katherine Reynolds for #15 Ellie Carpenter. 90+5' (of +4') 1-0 Houston cross from box top wide right pings around at 8m center, comes back to Kizer momentarily open at 7m 6-right -- and clangs off her thighs too far ahead, rolls harmlessly to Franch. Off that punt -- FT 1-0. And 21,022! 21,022 wonderful supporters here tonight. Thank you, Rose City. You remain the best. 🌹#PORvHOU | #BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/piXirOhzyv— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) September 22, 2019
It's so frustrating to see a team like Sky Blue FC all of a sudden play good and become a spoiler when if they played this good during the season, they wouldn't be a bottom feeder.
You should've seen Sky Blue finish the 2014 season with five straight wins (six of their last seven) and still finish 6th/9