11' 0-0 E.Johnson's clearance is deflected at box top mid-right, Groom reflex-heads toward spot. Sheridan races out and slides as Balcer tries to round K.Wright, K.Wright boxes her out and stumbles, inadvertently shins Sheridan in the face. Stoppage, trainers check Sheridan. 13' 0-0 Sheridan resumes. 14' 0-0 Catley crosses from ~30m wide left to box top center, White clangs to spot and follows, opens hips and snipes rightward -- deflected by E.Johnson reaching across, takes all the speed off and ball bounces meekly to Sheridan. 15' 0-0 Groom jumps leftward facing away and looking up, Lloyd comes across and jumps, Long(?) bumps Lloyd into Groom's left flank. Groom lands heavily on heels-then-buttocks, stays down in immense pain. Stoppage. Foul on Long? 17' 0-0 Backboard for Groom
19' 0-0 Groom is stretchered off, strapped to the backboard. 19' 0-0 Reign FC subs in (1 of 3) #25 Ifeoma Onumonu for #2 Shea Groom. 20' 0-0 Killion fk at 40m center, sailed to 10m center, Murphy comes out and catches high. 31' 0-0 1H hydration break. 90°F = 32°C, 59% humidity, UV Index 7/10, feels like 101°F = 38°C. 34' 0-0 Resume.
35' 0-0 Monaghan passes to Lloyd through 25m arc left. Lloyd cuts upfield through box top, splits the backline to 14m left post, opens hips and chips right instep past Murphy's dive, wide right. 36' 1-0 K.Wright serves from 35m wide right to 14m mid-right, Eddy cuts past Long and enters box alone. Murphy races her out to 12m, Eddy hop-volleys one-touch right foot over Murphy, it bounces perfectly at 1m 1/4 right and into back left low. That touch over the top by @elizabetheddy2 😯👏#NJvRFC #NWSL pic.twitter.com/0hj241qqfp— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 18, 2019 38' 1-1 Onumonu fires a ground pass from 35m wide right to Long at 25m mid-right. Long turns alongside ball, follows to 14m mid-right, drives a ground cross to 7m 1/4 right. J.Taylor reaches right foot past Skroski, one-touch shot off Sheridan's left palm low, pops up and drops into back right low. 👌 cross by @ALLIE_LONG💪 finish by Taylor!@ReignFC have leveled this at 1️⃣ here @RedBullArena. #NJvRFC #NWSL pic.twitter.com/IyiH60qrG6— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 18, 2019
43' 1-1 Theresa roams up mid-right lane to arc top, square pass left to arc center. White runs on, shoots one-touch right instep through legs, it swerves wide left low. 44' 1-1 Balcer counters 2-v-2 from circle left to arc top, J.Taylor runs ahead of her and veers out to 10m 6-left. Balcer passes inside-out toward her zone, but Skroski and E.Johnson step up and bag her offside. +6' (for Groom and hydration). 45+2' (of +6') 1-1 Onumonu drives a ground cross from 10m mid-right to 4m center, J.Taylor reaches back and spinning-backheels just wide left low, Skroski(?) collects at 0.5m left post and clears. Offside on J.Taylor anyways -- that's why she was so far ahead of the pass 45+3' (of +6') 1-1 Scramble at Sky Blue's arc top, Yanez shoots one-touch left instep bend, too far left. HT 1-1. Sky Blue's Cloud 9 finish their 45-minute jam session, rehydrate before their 2nd set.
HT interview with Andonovski: Groom is in the hospital with a rib injury. (Broken?) SEI her later 46' 1-1 Sky Blue subs in (1 of 3) #9 Nahomi Kawasumi for #2 Jennifer Hoy. 46' 1-1 Onumonu does a dump-and-chase down box right, Dydasco wins ball but loses it, E.Johnson clears, Oyster backpasses to Murphy at own arc top. 47' 1-1 Balcer crosses from 4m box left, blocked. Catley crosses from 12m box left, cleared, Long shields and backpasses. Soon thereafter, J.Taylor dribbles to arc top left, dances between 2 defenders to arc center, shoots right instep bend past Sheridan's dive, off right post low, deflects over endline right. 49' 1-1 All Reign FC('s high press) so far, as Sky Blue are feeling their 3rd match in a week. Long crosses from ~box top wide right to White at 5m center, she scuffs ball off both legs (and Skroski's back?), it trickles toward right post low, Sheridan replants feet and dives left upon it.
53' 1-1 Balcer crosses from 4m box left to 10m 1/4 left, Yanez twist-heads wide right -- directly to Onumonu facing away at 6-top right post. Onumonu settle-and-spins ccw, shoots right roundhouse low past Dydasco, Sheridan dives left and blocks over endline right. 55' 1-1 Oyster serves from circle top to 8m center, Long gets past Skroski(?) and hop-heads over bar onto roof. Sheridan's fingers probably had the crossbar covered. 58' 1-1 Balcer shoots right instep from 17m mid-left to left post low, Sheridan dives and catches.
62' 1-1 Kawasumi(?) passes down wide left for Monaghan in behind Theresa. Monaghan veers into 7m box left, ground pass intercepted by Oyster. 63' 1-1 K.Wright chases a too-wide pass to right touch, plants awkwardly and kicks upfield, twists own legs ... stays down in near touch with left calf pain. Reign play ball into touch. 64' 1-1 Stoppage, trainer stretches out K.Wright's right leg. All others get water. That's not the official 2H hydration break. Sky Blue resume with 10 ... 67' 1-1 Kawasumi to Monaghan in behind Theresa again. Monaghan jukes to endline, cross blocked by Oyster. Ball bounces out to 6m mid-left, Monaghan comes back to it, Theresa stuff-blocks ball off her foot, Monaghan stays down -- no call. 67' 1-1 Kawasumi to Monaghan in behind Theresa through box top left , to 8m mid-left. Monaghan shoots to left post, Murphy catches on knees. Monaghan us three times in a row, shame on us 68' 1-1 J.Taylor dribbles to 30m mid-left, passes down box left into Balcer's stride. Balcer cuts inside through 6m box left, continues to 11m 1/4 left in search of a window, shoots right instep no bend, just wide right. 68' 1-1 Reign FC subs in (2 of 3) #11 Darian Jenkins for #24 Bethany Balcer.
72' 1-1 Sky Blue subs in (2 of 3) #29 Amandine Pierre-Louis for #4 Paige Monaghan. 73' 1-1 Reign FC subs in (3 of 3) #5 Rebecca Quinn for #17 Beverly Yanez. 74' 1-1 Catley crosses from ~box top wide left to 6-top 1/4 left, Sheridan jumps over J.Taylor(?) and slaps ball out to 14m 6-left. White chests ball down, waits for 2nd bounce, shoots delicate half-volley over heads, just over bar. 75' 1-1 Sky Blue subs in (3 of 3) #12 Gina Lewandowski for #14 Kenie Wright.
78' 1-1 2H hydration break. 80' 1-1 Resume. 83' 1-1 Jenkins shoots from ~27m arc left, slices it wide right and way high. 84' 1-1 Rodríguez dribbles up arc right lane, jukes leftward at 25m, Long comes left-to-right and body-checks her down from the right flank. Foul, yellow card on Long. 85' 1-1 Lloyd fk at 25m right post, driven low into wall('s ankles), deflects wide left through 6-left foot and over. Sideline reporter confirms (via Reign FC PR) that Groom has a broken rib.
89' 1-1 All Sky Blue now. Lloyd hops over Quinn's foot at midfield mid-right, roams unchecked up arc left lane to 27m, lifts a cross to 3m box right for Skroski(!) way up. Skroski's cross blocked, she lets it bounce into near touch. Sky Blue promptly muff the throw-in, over endline right. 90' 1-1 Sky Blue bounce a ground pass to 7m 7-left for Pierre-Louis, Murphy comes out and catches just before she arrives. 90' 1-1 Pierre-Louis shoots left instep from 25m 1/4 right(?) to right post low, Murphy dives and pushes it wide left with left palm. +4'. 90+1' (of +4') 1-1 Off the right ck, Dydasco(!) shoots from ~arc top left across mouth, just wide right low as Murphy dives but pulls hands back just in time. You get a shot, you get a shot, every Sky Blue defender gets a shot! 9,415! 9,415 in attendance for today’s match at @RedBullArena! We’ve set an all time Sky Blue FC club attendance record today! Thank you fans!— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) August 18, 2019
90+4' (of +4') 1-1 Lloyd receives at 25m arc right, hops over two tackle tries to 15m mid-right, shoots just over bar. FT 1-1. Sky Blue 9(3)-(6)18 shots(sog), 3-2 corners, 7-10 crosses, 13-14 tackles, 8-8 fouls, 38% possession Reign dominated much of the build-ups except the last 10', but shot straight when they needed bend, and vice versa The Kawasumi-Monaghan connection looked dangerous. Reign creep up to #5, trailing Utah on GD (yes, really). 17 matches played, 27+4 (+19-15), 3=0 (+3-3) vs. Reign: #4.Utah 17 matches played, 27-3 (+16-19), 3=0 (+3-3) vs. Utah: #5.Reign FC They play their 3rd head-to-head match on 09/18.
Utah has been on a tear lately. Rodriguez and Press have finally found chemistry on the field, and whatever was affecting Corsie post-WC has seemingly gone away. She and Sauerbrunn are back to the rock-solid pair they were before the WC. They have a favorable end of season schedule, so barring any unforeseen hiccups, they should make the playoffs if they can keep up their good run of form. Weber has been a bit of a revelation filling in at left back for O'Hara. It's good for them that not having a healthy O'Hara isn't hurting their defense.