The cross-group games, and last games before the quarters: (all times in local time, MDT; all matches on CBS All-Access or Twitch nwsloffiical2) July 12 10:30 am: Washington Spirit vs Houston Dash 8:00 pm: Chicago Red Stars vs Utah Royals July 13 10:30 am: OL Reign vs Portland Thorns 8:00 pm: Sky Blue FC vs North Carolina Courage No updated injury report yet.
It varies throughout the sports world and sometimes in some leagues/sports the injury reports are so vague as to be nearly worthless except for those players that truly will not play. A "day to day" player can be actually out for weeks or they can be just a little sore and able to play most of the time. There is also the "match time decision" player that is really an unknown. There are also the cases where the level of a player's injury is hidden to make it harder for other teams to prepare for a match. Throughout sports injury reports can be some of the closest guarded secrets a team has. The betting industry has tried to reduce the secretive nature of injury reports with varying degrees of success. In hokey a bruised big toe and a compound fracture of the lower leg are both reported as a "lower body injury." In the case of the NWSL, however. I believe that the league is simply immature and they have no enforced policy. To be honest I do not really care much as I watch to be entertained and the teams will start who they start and it really matters very little to me except when coaches make dumb choices that hurt the team and that rarely has much to do with injuries. It is good to know but the matches do not overlap so there is no decision for me to make based on injuries and the desire to see certain players play. I guess any time before game time is a good time to release an injury report.
I think generally you get it the day before during the regular season (although sometimes day of). But, as we all know, this isn't a regular season, so it doesn't seem to be following any schedule. The one on the website still hasn't been updated since July 4, and obviously we've had games since then. But, I guess there hasn't been any injuries to report since then either? I guess in these games we should also be watching yellow card accumulation. They're not cleared until after the quarterfinals.
I most probably wouldn't care either, if it wasn't for our little prediction-competition here on this very forum. We're much more important than some stupid betting side: we put nothing at stake, bragging rights only!
We touched on indvidual speed in another thread. FIFA's WWC Physical Analysis Report was released this past week: https://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup...ce-2019-shows-increase-in-speed-and-intensity It showed that there was a significant step up in distance covered at the highest running speed ranges during the 2019 WC compared to the 2015 WC. 2015 was more than 2011, but not by nearly as much. It also showed that the 4 semifinalists were the 4 teams with the top distances at the top speeds in 2019. [England ran farther distrance at the top speed range than USA] Mike Young is the Performance Driector for the NC Courage and reported the following on twitter today (@MikeYoung): "Speed is only part of the game (soccer) but @TheNCCourage ladies are flying! Six new lifetime top speed marks in today's sprint sesh." "That pushes @TheNCCourage to 12 players between 31-34.5 km/hr top speed and team top speed average to 32 km/hr. These ladies are the springboks of the women's game."
OL Reign - The game changed when Momiki came in and Balcer came in at the 10. Balcer said afterward she liked the 10 because that is what she played in college. Benstiti said afterward specifically that Balcer is not a 10, she is a "second forward." I think Vero (or maybe Kim Little) is the kind of 10 Benstiti envisions; what I call a European 10. Balcer is certainly not that. She is an American 10, the attacking center midfielder. Methinks if Benstiti had had a complete 2020 season, he would have floundered on the same path that Marc Skinner did in his first year at Orlando. I don't think this tournament will have enough games for him to learn how to win in this league.
Well, I am here ready for what's "the evening match" for me in Europe. I'll probably had the time to watch it entirely and I hope it will be a good one! (At least better than the later match that I'll be forced to miss because in the night for me ).
Decent chance for Yokoyama from a CK action at 2': she beats Campbell, but Rachel Daly (!) saves on the goal-line. She's everywhere for Houston, apparently.
We are starting the last four warmup games. After the four final practice games the tournament actually starts. The first 5 minutes of Houston vs Washington looks to have a bit more action than the earlier rounds.
[WAS-HOU] Huster for Jacobs; Bailey for DiBiasi; Hatch for Collins. Here's how the team shapes up for #WASvHOU!#NWSLChallengeCup pic.twitter.com/KQWllDcWln— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) July 12, 2020 Chapman for Oyster (and Prisock => CB); Schmidt for Hanson; Latsko for Privett; Stengel for Nairn. Here's how we line up 🤩 #HoldItDown— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) July 12, 2020
It's a shame they didn't give this FK to Yokoyama at 13': she scored some excellent FKs with Nadeshiko Japan NT. YC for Naughton, anyway: it could impact the game, being awarded so early.
Power wise and height wise the free kick was near perfect. The direction sucked as the keeper made an easy catch right over her head.
And Washington scored at 15' from a neat action. Also good since I predicted a Washington win. Incidentally, Jane Campbell looks more and more mediocre to me everytime I see her play: the fact that she recently was in the conversation for a USWNT spot speaks volume about the general level of goalkeeping these days, in my opinion...
The only real weakness the USWNT has shown is at goalkeeper. We have a number of almost good keepers but they all have shown rather glaring weaknesses.
13' 0-0 Chapman(?) reaches for a waist-high bounce while getting boxed off ball, pokes it to 24m center. Hatch runs on, and turns toward arc top right and interposes body between ball and Naughton, who hauls her away from the ball. Foul, yellow card on Naughton. 14' 0-0 McGrady fk at arc top right, hard over the wall to 2/5 right, Campbell catches face-high, didn't need to move. 16' 1-0 Huster passes from 27m mid-right to Yokoyama at arc top wide right. Washington has no runs deep in box, Yokoyama quick square pass left to Hatch at 17m mid-right, just in front of Houston's line. Hatch can't shoot but draws 3 defenders to step toward her. Quick square pass to Feist at 17m center, 1-v-1 on #_. Feist takes one touch to box top right post, shoots right instep pull across mouth into left side netting low, Campbell is partially screened and can't dive. 🤩 that @yoko10_official pass🔥 that @Baysfeist11 finish@WashSpirit are in front!1-0 | #WASvHOUTune in now on @CBSAllAccess and @Twitch.#NWSLChallengeCup pic.twitter.com/EIEpEAir34— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 12, 2020
Houston seems unable to mount anything resembling an attack. They are defending OK but they lose the ball before the center line most every time. We have reached the height of excitement, the first half water break.
28' 1-0 Stoppage for McGrady becomes the 1H hydration break. This is Houston's 3rd match in 8 days, hence the odd Sat => Sun shift to squeeze in 1 more rest day. Washington are toasting Houston's tired corners and backline with speed, hence the dominance in stats: Washington 6(5!)-(0)1 shots(sog), 3-0 corners, 5-1 crosses vs. 0-5 clearances, 3-2 offsides, 0-1 fouls, 67%(!) possession.