Gotham also added Allie Long back this year after her pregnancy and signed Kristen Edmonds. Both have been big pick ups for Gotham. Kelly O'Hara was also a good signing. As good as those three have been, they won without them yesterday (other than Edmonds playing the second half). But all three have played most of the minutes all season besides yesterday. Oh and I almost forgot Abby Smith. She has been a huge upgrade from last season's goalkeepers.
New-to-me players. Given the overlapping game start times, I have watched a number of ½ games this season so far and lean to watching GOT, NC, KC, and LOU rather than other teams. I do not follow D1 College woso, either, so there are players I have enjoyed watching play this year who may be well known, but are new to me. I have enjoyed #4 pick Jenna Nighswonger and 2021 #33 pick Delanie Sheehan at Gotham, #7 pick Penelope Hocking and #23 pick Ally Schlegel at Chicago, #21 pick Messiah Bright and veteran (from Atletico Madrid) Kylie Strom at Orlando, and also 2022 #43 pick Izzy Rodriguez at Kansas City.
I see only one un-interesting matchup this week: ORL at CHI. Six games and the Table stays in balance; I love it. Times are ET and P+ is Paramount+, as usual. Fri May 26 8:00 HOU at KC - P+ - KC really needs this win, probably another big crowd. 10:00 POR at SD- P+ - SD is home on a 2-game bump and POR needs to affirm the heirarchy. Sat May 27 3:30 AC at SEA - P+ - AC needs a win and SEA won't be having it. 8:00 NC at LOU - CBSSN - NC's new look is very nice and LOU is rounding into form. 8:00 ORL at CHI - P+ - ORL is better than many expected and CHI worse. Sun May 28 5:00 GOT at WAS - P+ - If teams are on form, this should be the best game of the weekend. Statistically I have to pick two draws, so I am going with POR-SD and NC-LOU. Wins for KC, SEA, ORL, and WAS.
Just shy of 10k yesterday, which is probably damn good for a Friday game. Shame their season is continuing downhill. (But I am happy for HOU!)
Also, I guess if we're talking good Friday attendance numbers: over 18k in San Diego last night too! 6th highest across the league YTD, which again is quite impressive for a Friday
GOT at WAS- The handball call to call back the goal was VAR in action. I can’t fault that decision because the call was within the (lack of) consistent handball parameters, I guess. However, the shirt pull on Lynn Williams should have been called back after the shot and a yellow card given. I understand she took a shot, but it was long range and over the bar, so Advantage was never realized. Without the shirt pull, Williams may have made a very different play. What she did was akin to a basketball player taking a wild shot, knowing they were going to get fouled. In this soccer game, she took the shot knowing she had already been fouled.
NC at LOU: I just watched the replay. The audio was behind the video by a least a beat and by the 80th minute, it was two beats or more behind – a little annoying. I think that is what comes from calling the games remotely using a monitor. During the livestream it is often not noticeable, but I guess the recording process somewhat divorces the audio from the video. NC is still playing pretty soccer. LOU wasted two chances in the first half. The Kerolin-Milliet battle was entertaining all game. Rikke Madsen’s back flip was fun and Kerolin’s goal was ice cold. I see Jaelin Howell has been assigned to be a stay-at-home 6 and has been brilliant in that role. Now that she and Savannah DeMelo are not competing for pitch space in the attack, DeMelo has been able to shine. …..I still will never forgive Howell for the injuries she gave Mikayla Colohan Cluff in the 2021 NCAA championship game, and for getting away with a second yellow card foul that the ref did not have the guts to sanction…… -CJ
Sorry for my almost exclusive interest for Nadeshiko players , but does anyone know more about Jun Endo's injury? She's been seen in crutches after the game and Japanese fans are worried for the World Cup.
Among the changes to the rules or guidelines, there's one which instructs a referee to NOT issue a yellow card for a "professional foul" (SPA or Stopping a Promising Attack) if the advantage is played. I saw some recent conversation about it in the Ref Forum. But what happens if, as you say, the advantage doesn't materialize? If someone can find a video clip, it could be worth asking in the Ref Forum in the thread for NWSL/USL/MLS-Next
An ordinary foul should and generally does get called back if advantage does not materialize. IMO a "professional foul" should follow the same rules. I can see a yellow card not being issued if advantage is played and the result is a goal in the attacker's favor. OTOH when the referee sees any foul and allows advantage, a goal is not required for avantage to materalize: it can be a promising attack with no goal. I think for Williams, the referee decided the long shot, while off-target was a promising enough attack to say advantage did materialize. I disagree with that decision.
I am curious too. From the stands where i sat it looked very concerning -- non-contact, off the ball, she pulled up and grimiced and went down and almost immediatly left the field and was subbed. We never want to see that.
You can ask in the Ref Forum (You don't want me to do it. I'm the wrong messenger) It's a fair question to get clarification from the refs. I remember some of them were speculating that a referee could have the discretion in similar situations to issue a yellow card, not for SPA (Stopping a Promising Attack) but for UB (Unsporting Behavior) but I don't recall if they cited precedence for it since the new laws/guidelines. (Sidenote — I'm surprised this made it to the highlights video since they didn't even bother to put the handball shout in the 90th minute of Friday's KC vs Houston match With so many defenders back, I'm guessing In the Opinion of the Referee, Williams' shot was about as good an advantage as they were likely to get, but... I dunno about the new rule/guideline. Seems to favor cynical play. *** ADD — FOUND THIS IN THE REF FORUM (Don't say I never do anything for y'all, tee-hee!) Check out the thread, there's several posts discussing it (You know you can click on the Little Arrow Thingie to take you to the quoted post and the thread it's in, yes?!_ From Everton/Tottenham 64th minute. This post has a video clip (Check it out fast, I don't know how long these things stay up and it's not in the official highlights)
Thanks; for me the no yellow for SPA when advantage is played rule is new to me and explains what happened. Thanks also for the reminder about clicking on the little arrow thingie - I went to the ref forum and read a string of posts there. This post by @MassachusettsRef states the new "rule" and IFAB's justification for it (which is weak IMO) and goes on to explain why it is probably a bad change in the Laws. https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/advantage-spa-yellow-lotg-change.2113401/ The post also explains that in a referee's mind, Williiams' long shot over the bar does indicate advantage has materialized, because that is a better chance than a free kick from the point of the foul with 10 or 11 defenders situated behind the ball. Assuming professional players are aware of this change in the Laws, I conclude Williams must have known no card would be given for the shirt pull and the ball was not going back for a free kick, and therefore Williams shot was more intentional than a hit-and-hope-for-a-foul-call-and-free-kick. Still I totally agree this change encourages 'professional' fouls because there is such a high chance of no yellow card sanction (unless you knock the player to the ground).
Interesting discussion, especially since I have considered the possibility the game would be improved if professional fouls automatically meant red cards. Perhaps the fear is that a rule like that would force teams to keep defenders largely out of the attack, since they no longer would be able to pull a player down on a quick counter threat.
in theory, they can only do it once so I dont think that is the fear. I feel a certain amount of gamesmanship has historically been allowed in the game and we are resistant to changing it. Stealing 10 yards on throw ins, diving, time wasting are all intentional acts that should be punished. They often aren't. A player makes an honest attempt at the ball, its nicked away at the last second and we see that as worse. Im with you. the game would change for the better if willful rule breaking was penalized. Referees often dont punish fouls early and then later in the game brandish cards for far less serious ones. It needs addressing imo
The only info I could find online is from the NWSL Availability report dated May 30th: National Women's Soccer League Official Site And all it says is she is out with "knee" listed. I hope she is OK too, as I really like her game; she is fun to watch. ANGEL CITY FC OUT: Simone Charley (SEI – achilles), Jun Endo (knee), Merritt Mathias (knee), Christen Press (SEI – knee), M.A. Vignola (Covid protocol) QUESTIONABLE: Julie Ertz (thigh), Sydney Leroux (ankle)