Two NWSL games left to play in this crazy year of 2020! Saturday, Oct 17 at 4:00 pm ET: Orlando Pride vs NC Courage at Exploria Stadium (on CBS) Saturday, Oct 17 at 8:00 pm ET: OL Reign vs Utah Royals at Cheney Stadium (on CBS All-Access)
[ORL-NC] Harris for Wilson; Elinsky for Lawrence (and Edmonds => RB, Blackwood => DM); Pressley for Plummer; Listro for Washington. The starting XI taking on Carolina today! @orlandohealth | #ORLvNC— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) October 17, 2020 Solaun for Baisden. 1317546584616427520 is not a valid tweet id
15' 0-0 Yellow card on Krieger, for a foul on Ln.Williams. 19' 0-1 Orlando turnover, RB Edmonds is caught above circle back right touch, out of the play, which isolates Debinha and Ln.Williams on Krieger and Pressley Milliet turns at circle half-front left, Debinha starts her run past circle top left, using the 5m of cushion in front of Krieger as a runway. Milliet chips into space up arc left, Debinha cruises right past Krieger wrong-footed at 30m mid-left, Krieger never even accelerates. Debinha chases alone to box top mid-left, touches to 8m 3-left, snipes right instep under Harris's left hand, into center back low. Giving @Debinha7 this much space is only going to have one result ⚽️🥅0-1 | #ORLvNCTune in now on @CBS and @Twitch. #NWSLFallSeries | #VerizonCommunityShield pic.twitter.com/NvQKupfncj— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 17, 2020
40' 0-1 Solaun dribbles through arc top mid-left, rolls a vertical pass down mid-right for Debinha -- and continues her own run through spot. Debinha passes back to Solaun at 7m center, Solaun chips one-touch right instep and floats it just over bar 42' 0-1 Harris punts(?) to circle back right, Elinsky jumps and inadvertently drives left elbow into teammate Leroux's forehead. Ball bounces over both, Orlando lose it into far touch? Stoppage, Leroux is leaking blood from split skin in her forehead. Trainers emerge, sit her down and turban-wrap a wad of gauze, then administer an eye-tracking test. 45' 0-1 Leroux trots into near touch and awaits re-entry as trainers adjust the wrap to keep it out of her eyes. Orlando resumes with 10. +6'. 45+1' (of +6') 0-1 Leroux returns.
45+5' (of +6') 0-2 Milliet leads a breakout through circle back left, passes through midfield box left into Debinha's stride. Ln.Williams veers centerward through circle top to stay inside Petersen, stays on Pressley's heels. Debinha bends a pass from circle top box left to arc top left post, Ln.Williams easily turbos past Pressley and Petersen, touches alone to 15m 1/4 right, shoots right foot past Harris's dive, bounces into back right low. .@lynnraenie. Free on goal. Trouble for @ORLPride. 0-2 | #ORLvNCTune in now on @CBS and @Twitch.#NWSLFallSeries | #VerizonCommunityShield pic.twitter.com/xEXIJImZcI— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 17, 2020 45+6' (of +6') 0-3 Harris(?) strands Krieger with a heavy outlet to midfield box right. Milliet arrives just-in-time to challenge, stuff-blocks ball off Krieger's foot, chases it through circle top left, to 27m mid-left. Pressley must rotate over, Debinha veers inside Petersen through 25m mid-right. Petersen overcompensates to stay inside Debinha but sheds speed, Debinha veers outside. Milliet sees the closure rate, bends early-enough cross around Pressley, to 9m 3-right. Debinha pulls away from Petersen, taps one-touch right instep past Harris's right foot, into back left low. NC must train these patterns, it's like they have an unfair advantage in knowing where each other will be. .@TheNCCourage are just rolling. @Debinha7 grabs a second just before the halftime whistle. 0-3 | #ORLvNCTune in now on @CBS and @Twitch. #NWSLFallSeries | #VerizonCommunityShield pic.twitter.com/QjfzQbCmJl— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 17, 2020 HT 0-3. Orlando 4(0)-(5)11 shots(sog), 1-1 corners, 8-10 crosses vs. 6-3 clearances, 1-2 offsides, 4-6 fouls, 57% possession. NC has no possession because the net swiftly gets in the way
54' 1-3 Perea mis-hits a pass behind Debinha to circle right, Blackwood reflects ball to Marta at circle top (Orlando's) left. Marta rides off Perea's hip-challenge to arc top mid-left, fires a ground pass to Leroux at 14m center. Leroux one-touches a sidestep past Roccaro, to 14m left post, turns and fires left roundhouse across mouth, to 2m 1/3 left. Rowland dives and scoop-slaps with left hand, but pushes ball too far away, to 5m 1/3 right. Viggiano overtakes 3 defenders from 16m right post, slides and pokes ball under Rowland's dive, into center back low. Marisa Viggiano with a swift reaction to score for @ORLPride 🏃♀️💨1-3 | #ORLvNCTune in now on @CBS and @Twitch. #NWSLFallSeries | #VerizonCommunityShield pic.twitter.com/ayVf2wljM0— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 17, 2020 60' 1-3 Orlando subs in { 1st of 3 }: - (1 of 5) #17 Carrie Lawrence for #8 Deneisha Blackwood. 60' 1-3 North Carolina subs in { 1st of 3 }: - (1 of 5) #22 Hailey Harbison for #32 Havana Solaun.
68' 1-3 Debinha fk at 25m box right, simple bending serve to 5m 1/4 left. Ln.Williams ghosts right through Orlando's soft scrum unmarked, volleys left instep low rising off crossbar 1/3 left, it reflects away to the right. Somebody blew a coverage. 71' 2-3 Leroux and Elinsky hold at arc top wide right, seem to look for a trap-breaking pass down wide right that never emerges. Leroux turns away and backpasses to Listro. One-touch entry pass to Lawrence facing away at arc top wide right, Milliet leaves Edmonds and joins 2 other defenders to converge on her. Lawrence quickly taps right outstep between Milliet and Harbison, to Edmonds no longer marked at arc top box right. Dahlkemper rotates over but drops back into coverage, Edmonds creeps inside to 15m mid-right, shoots left instep bend around Rowland's dive, perfectly into back left low. Defense is at a premium in this one. @Kris10edmonds nets the fifth goal in the contest to pull @ORLPride within a goal. 2-3 | #ORLvNCTune in now on @CBS and @Twitch.#NWSLFallSeries | #VerizonCommunityShield pic.twitter.com/Vc0REhYhc7— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 17, 2020
72' 2-3 Orlando subs in { 2nd of 3 }: - (2 of 5) #31 Chelsee Washington for #20 Abby Elinsky. 82' 2-3 North Carolina subs in { 2nd of 3 }: - (2 of 5) #29 Rylee Baisden for #25 Meredith Speck. 85' 2-3 Yellow card on Listro, for reflex-lunging late into Debinha's left shin. 85' 2-3 Orlando subs in { 3rd of 3 }: - (3 of 5) #32 Ally Haran for #19 Jordyn Listro. 87' 2-3 Marta shoots from ~arc top left, just wide right low. After the play, Milliet is down with left calf cramp. Stoppage, trainer, she walks off. 88' 2-3 North Carolina subs in { 3rd of 3 }: - (3 of 5) #3 Kaleigh Kurtz for #2 Lauren Milliet - (4 of 5) #28 Danica Evans for #27 Addisyn Merrick.
In the race for 3rd, we have: 7+1 (+5-4) Washington 4-2 (+5-7) North Carolina So NC needs any 3-goal win to tie on points and GD, and claim 3rd on goals scored. At halftime, they were in 3rd, but Orlando's goals have toppled them off. 90+1' (of +4') 2-3 Kurtz fouls Edmonds at 30m box right. 90+2' (of +4') 3-3 Marta fk at 30m box right, left instep inswing to 6-top left post. Haran runs amidst 3 but reads it better than anybody, carries Debinha(?) along like wave under a surfboard, jumps alone and heads a soft bloop across mouth into back right low, with Rowland stranded. DO YOU BELIEVE IT?! 🤯@allyharan25 heads home the equalizer from a Marta set piece. 3-3 | #ORLvNCTune in now on @CBS and @Twitch. #NWSLFallSeries | #VerizonCommunityShield pic.twitter.com/32NQmqSWYN— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 17, 2020 FT 3-3. Orlando finishes on 2 points, by holding North Carolina to two draws Washington takes 3rd, North Carolina finishes 5th, behind Sky Blue. All eyes on Louisville now. Orlando 11(4)-(6)16 shots(sog), 3-4 corners, 18-30 crosses vs. 20-9 clearances, 1-4 offsides, 8-10 fouls, 54% possession.
[REI-UTA] White for Long; Pruitt for Spencer. Our last Starting XI of 2020. Let’s go! pic.twitter.com/1LGSy5ivdp— Seattle Reign FC (@reignfc) October 17, 2020 Lytle for Vero. One more time for 2020 🤘#URFC | #NWSLFallSeries pic.twitter.com/G4oNhyxVne— Utah Royals FC (@UtahRoyalsFC) October 17, 2020 OL Reign: Q Hammond (starting), T.Smith (not) / OUT Hedge, Ashley, Betos Utah: Q nil / OUT Barnhart, Vero, Del Fava
02' 0-0 Pruitt counters to arc top mid-left, shoots right instep to 1/4 left high, A.Smith tips it off crossbar and over. 07' 0-0 Bowen backpasses to Ball at circle back box right. Ball pokes a forward pass, Pruitt lunges just late and kicks Ball's right heel/Achilles. Stoppage, Ball stays down, eventually limps into far touch. 10' 0-0 White shoots from ~arc top mid-left to center high, A.Smith catches above her head. Ball returns.
14' 0-0 Huerta bends a cross from arc top wide right to 8m center. Ball boxes out Balcer and hop-heads straight up to goalline center, A.Smith catches high. 16' 0-0 Balcer harasses at circle top mid-left, forces a bad square pass directly to Huerta at circle top right. Huerta counters 2-v-3 up centerline, passes diagonal right to White at 14m mid-right. White's plant foot slips(?) and she leans back on her shot, slices it high and wide right. 18' 0-0 T.King counters 3-v-5 and slips a pass to Rodriguez at box top mid-left, she holds up. Diallo underhits a long switch right, Hammond heads it upfield. Reign counter the other way, Balcer dribbles through box top mid-left to 6m, shoots to left 90(?), A.Smith palms it over bar. End to end!
20' 0-0 Huerta slips a pass to Cruz at 15m center -- and continues her own run. Cruz turns and passes to Balcer at 12m mid-right, Balcer passes to Huerta coming through box top center. Huerta cuts left, shoots to 1/4 left, A.Smith blocks ball down to 4m 1/4 left. Cruz darts in, Leach clears ball and they collide, both go down. Brief stoppage, all resume. 22' 0-0 Huerta crosses from 5m mid-right to 6m center, Ball(?) heads away. Reign are getting a lot of touches in Utah's box. 23' 0-0 Lytle left ck, Brooks heads away. Utah dump ball back into box mid-left, Weatherholt(?) heads to Cox, ... 24' 1-0 ... quick touch to Cruz cruising through circle back box right, and Reign have a 4-v-2 break the other way, with Huerta unmarked down mid-right lane from midfield to 12m. Cruz passes to Huerta, Huerta touches to 7m mid-right, shoots hard to right post low -- and it sneaks between A.Smith's legs, into 1/4 left back low. This pace is kind of fun, and Utah are contributing to it by frequently sending LB Weber and RB Bowen up to midfield. Sprinkling some nutmeg in this one 👩🍳@schuerta's shot finds its way through the legs of Abby Smith to open the scoring. 1-0 | #RGNvUTATune in now on @CBSAllAccess and @Twitch. #NWSLFallSeries | #VerizonCommunityShield pic.twitter.com/nDWxCufwvR— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 18, 2020
39' 1-0 Ratcliffe spins through Reign's backline to arc top 1/4 right, shoots toward 1/3 left low, Murphy dives and pushes ball through 6-left. 41' 1-0 A.Smith clears to 25m mid-left, directly to Cruz. Cruz touches to 22m mid-left and draws a small crowd, passes square right to White at arc top. White turns and shoots just wide left as A.Smith dives. 45' 1-0 White fk at 35m left touch, sailed to 5m mid-right. Cruz chases it down behind the scrum, Bowen pokes ball over just as Cruz swings right foot at ball and impales self upon Bowen's cleats. Stoppage, Cruz stays down, grasping right foot. +4'. 45+2' (of +4') 1-0 Trainer, Cruz has scooted self into right endzone and taken off her right shoe. 45+3' (of +4') 1-0 Cox right ck, Reign resume with 10. Ratcliffe collects and dribbles to circle top mid-left, passes square left behind T.King's momentum, forcing King to stop and collect. King returns the favor and passes behind Ratcliffe, Weatherholt steals.
45+5' (of +4') 1-0 Brooks chips from midfield wide right to 10m 6-right, Leach boxes out Balcer and A.Smith collects. Reign can afford to speculate a bit. 45+6' (of +4') 1-0 White settles at circle top left and counters up left post lane to 25m. Lytle overtakes her with a good recovery run, White passes to Huerta at 14m mid-right. Huerta shoots right foot toward right 90, slices it way high. 45+7' (of +4') 1-0 Reign send everybody up to attack, Pruitt chases ball down through 3m box left, crosses over mouth to endline mid-right. Brooks(!!) is way up there and hoofs ball back to box top left, McNabb(!!) watches as ball bounces right over her head. Ratcliffe breaks to midfield wide right, McNabb catches up and gives a professional hip-check. Foul, yellow card on McNabb. HT 1-0. OL Reign 15!(5)-(2)3 shots(sog), 3-1 corners, 10-1 crosses vs. 3-11 clearances, 2-0 offsides, 12-6 fouls, 47% possession. If this is a glimpse of Benstiti's master plan, it looks pretty good.
51' 2-0 Cox double-teams T.King at circle right, pokes ball loose. White collects and dribbles to 33m box right, quickly passes to Balcer at arc top right. Balcer clangs ball off left instep square left to Pruitt at box top center. Pruitt taps centerward to shield from Bowen overtaking her on the left, quickly shoots a standing right foottop bloop that perfectly mini-lobs A.Smith, into back left edge 1/2 high. Simply class from @leahpruitt44 ✨2-0 | #RGNvUTATune in now on @CBSAllAccess and @Twitch. #NWSLFallSeries | #VerizonCommunityShield pic.twitter.com/Yl5tCmU0FZ— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 18, 2020
63' 2-0 Utah subs in { 1st of 3 }: - (1 of 5) #14 Gabrielle Vincent for #38 Aminata Diallo. 65' 2-0 Lytle threads a pass down wide right for Ratcliffe sneaking behind Hammond. They arm-jostle down to 5m mid-right, Ratcliffe rolls a ground cross through 5m. Murphy comes out but pulls back, McNabb doesn't get a touch either, ball rolls to 5m 1/5 right, Murphy dive-twists like a cat and makes a fingertip catch. 66' 2-0 Utah subs in { 2nd of 3 }: - (2 of 5) #15 Michele Vasconcelos for #25 Brittany Ratcliffe. Vasconcelos's 1st cap for Utah. 70' 2-0 OL Reign subs in { 1st of 3 }: - (1 of 5) #12 Morgan Andrews for #31 Rosie White.
74' 2-0 T.King turns and dribbles to 23m left post, shoots a rocket toward left post 1/3 high, Murphy dives horizontally and double-blocks it wide left. 75' 2-0 Utah subs in { 3rd of 3 }: - (3 of 5) #17 Arielle Ship for #3 Tziarra King. 76' 2-0 2H hydration break.
79' 2-0 OL Reign subs in { 2nd of 3 }: - (2 of 5) #27 Samantha Hiatt (1st cap!) for #28 Shirley Cruz - (3 of 5) #18 Miranda Nild for #35 Leah Pruitt. 79' 2-0 Lytle threads a long pass through Reign's retreating backline to Vasconcelos at box top mid-right. Vasconcelos touches to 12m mid-right, shoots across mouth, Murphy kick-saves. 80' 2-0 Utah right restart (throw-in?), Bowen flicks it to Rodriguez's chest at 6m 7-right. Rodriguez spins and volleys the drop across mouth, too thin, just wide left. 82' 2-0 Andrews turns at 16m box right, shoots across mouth, A.Smith dives and pushes it wide left.
86' 2-0 OL Reign subs in { 3rd of 3 }: - (4 of 5) #22 Jasmyne Spencer for #24 Bethany Balcer. +3'. 90+1' (of +3') 2-0 Yellow card on Spencer, probably for delay. FT 2-0. OL Reign 23(11)-(5)10 shots(sog), 8-2 corners, 24-6 crosses vs. 10-30 clearances, 3-2 offsides, 18-11 fouls, 50% possession. Reign were the aggressors by a decisive margin. I give brevet-HC LePeilbet a partial pass because she's cleaning up Utah's previous ownership debacle. OL Reign finishes 7th at 4-2, trailing Chicago at 4=0. Utah finishes 9th at 2-5, behind Orlando at 2-3. NWSL's grand experiment of pro soccer in a bubble ends pretty smoothly. Congrats to all involved for pulling it off.