PBP: NWSL Week 8 discussion

I am very happy to see Tobin Heath back in action. I thought she was excellent despite the loss to Orlando (I didn't agree with Morgan's post game saying Orlando "dominated"). Halfway through the first half and beyond it was pretty much all Thorns. Heath adds the flair and creativity that is fun to watch.

 

You just had to list the ref assignments. Looks like this match is a write-off.

I'll guess I'll have to post my spectacularly low-effort, minimal-information Google screenshot thread-starter a little earlier next time.

 

Please, I can't stand the royal wedding!!! I just can't understand the appeal it has for some people. Monarchy feels so disgustingly XVIII century to me.

The only "Royal" for me tonight is "Utah Royals", but I don't actually have the time to watch the game: I am just looking at updates from time to time.

 

[UTA-HOU]
53' 1-0 Jónsdóttir spins away from LB Keever at own 26m right touch, counters hard into Keever's void -- all the way to arc top box right. Rodriguez drifts through right post lane to box top, Tymrak through left post lane to arc tangent left. Jónsdóttir bounces a ground pass flat across box top, Rodriguez lets it go untouched to 15m left post, Chapman is caught ceding too much cushion between them, marking neither. Tymrak spots up, shoots right instep one-touch pull, rolls it just past Campbell's dive, just inside left post low.

.@eTYMrak finds her first goal at the RioT! @UtahRoyalsFC with the lead at home in the second half.#UTAvHOU | #NWSLonLifetime pic.twitter.com/OuOsyd1Lms

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 19, 2018

 

The British monarchy is quaint, but it's their quaint There's a great deal of history wrapped up in it, and they can't just drop it for anything more mundane.

Among other things, he's now the Duke of Essex. In bygone days, a duke was a duke because he commanded the fealty of enough men in his geographical vicinity that he could, at need, call up enough of them and march and beat a marquess('s castle). And a marquess could beat an earl, and an earl could beat a viscount, and everybody can beat a baron. Nowadays, this remains relevant in many videogame genres

I thought it was charming that they both got to use the same carriage their parents used. Charlotte waved, thinking "I got next"

 

At Cornell University they have an incredible piece of scientific equipment known as the Tunneling Electron Microscope. Now, this microscope is so powerful that by firing electrons you can actually see images of the atom, the infinitesimally minute building blocks of our universe.

If I were using that microscope right now, I still wouldn't be able to locate my interest in the royal wedding.

(Credit to Dr. Frasier Crane)

 

Well, we're here because we're interested in the NWSL.
So already we're outliers

 

A well-executed goal by Tymrak and a very classy post-game interview emphasizing the team effort by Utah to earn the win. Nice to see her get her chance to shine today. *Gator chomps*

 

Raining again in the New Brunswick area.

 

[WAS-POR]

Here's a peek at tonight's Starting XI!#WASvPOR // #WeWill pic.twitter.com/Uneb3ewLYH

— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) May 19, 2018

Today's lineup at @WashSpirit. 🌹⚽️ #BAONPDX #WASvPOR pic.twitter.com/nPXGOfkm24

— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) May 19, 2018

Portland: Q none / OUT Franch Geist Morris Raso
Washington: Q E.Johnson (not starting) / OUT Farquharson Lavelle Matthews Ship

 

[SkB-NC]

Experiencing some technical difficulties, so we are going to do this the old school way. #NJvNC

Tonight's Starting XI presented by @HMHNewJersey:

GK: Sheridan; DEF: Frisbie, Richardson, Freeman, Skroski; MID: Lloyd, Killion, Thaisa; FOR: Groom, Johnson, McCaskill

— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) May 19, 2018

997964029682421760 is not a valid tweet id

Sky Blue: Q Stott (not starting) / OUT Gibbons
North Carolina: Q none / OUT D’Angelo Doniak Kawamura King Williams

 

[SkB-NC]
16' 0-1 Groom dribbles backward under pressure to own circle back right, Debinha pokes ball off her foot, flicks-and-back-cuts past Killion, counters across midfield, rolls a pass up box right lane for McDonald, in a 2-v-3 sprint duel through 30m. McDonald dribbles to box top right, bends a perfect ground pass around Freeman to 7m left post. Dunn is the 2nd of the 2, lunges self down and taps left instep across mouth into back right low, with Sheridan frozen near post.

Dunn deal on that finish. @TheNCCourage strike first thanks to @crysdunn_19.#NJvNC | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/eQetx7NXTw

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 19, 2018

 

27' 0-2 Zerboni dribbles center-to-right at 30m arc right, pulls a diagonal pass between Killion and Thaysa to Dunn unmarked at 25m arc left. Dunn turns vs. no pressure and dribbles to arc top left, RB Skroski pinches way in to double-team her, nobody has Debinha cutting through mid-left (nor Hinkle 15m alone down wide left). Dunn passes to 15m mid-left into Debinha's stride, McDonald holds up through spot as Debinha continues to 7m 7-left. Richardson leaves McDonald to challenge ball, Debinha flicks right outstep to 4m center -- wrong angle, misses McDonald. LB Frisbie leaves S.Mewis to cover mouth, Sheridan sprawls forward just as Frisbie lunges back, ball rattles off both of them and sits at 3m right post. Mewis is unmarked coming from 3m 3-right, beats Frisbie's recovery and sweeps in. North Carolina's ruthless multi-pronged counterattack beat Sky Blue's help rotation about four separate times in one play

Sam Mewis adds a second for @TheNCCourage, poking this goal home at the post.#NJvNC | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/GXzObWojw5

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 19, 2018

 

46+2' (of +1') 0-2 S.Mewis turns vs. no pressure at 25m mid-right, blasts left foot low to 1/3 left. Sheridan dives and blocks but doesn't catch, ball bounces out to 5m 1-left. Debinha is right there, opens hips and right foot and hop-volleys a stuff-block -- wrong angle, way wide right Immediately thereafter --

HT 0-2.

 

Wrong side of the Thames. He’s now the Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton, and Baron of Kilkeel.

The Essex gig now has a job opening.

So if he played a genre game with himself, no telling who’d win.

 

[WAS-POR]
64' 0-0 Portland subs in ( of 3) #15 Ellie Carpenter (18 yrs!) for #23 Margaret Purce.

68' 0-1 Dougherty Howard(?) spins ccw past Horan at midfield box (her) right. Sinclair pounces back to ball, slide-pokes it loose to Carpenter at circle back wide (her) left. One-touch square pass right to Horan, and Carpenter starts her own run, 1-v-1 on RB T.Smith. Horan turns and kicks a long diagonal switch to Heath past circle top right, in behind LB Dydasco caught way up. Heath leads Dydasco to 10m mid-right, bounces a fast ground cross to 6m center -- meanwhile, Carpenter back-cuts unwary Smith. Crnogorčević is blocked by Quinn sliding down in front of her, back-sweeps a dink pass to 4m 1-left. Carpenter wins the race on the outside, half-volleys just inside left post 1/2 high over T.Smith's late slide.

.@CarpenterEllie opens her account for @ThornsFC! #WASvPOR | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/vE2EDVnvFd

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 20, 2018

OK, Dydasco getting beat might be Washington's systemic vulnerability after a bad turnover, but Smith losing that race is a blunderful loss of concentration. She had one job, starting from midfield --

 

[SkB-NC]
70' 0-2 McCaskill dribbles to arc top right, Sheridan comes out and makes contact. Foul juuuust above box top. Yellow card on Sheridan.

71' 0-2 Sky Blue fk at arc right, Rodriguez stands with sole on ball, does a Lucy-fake-hike as Groom runs over ball, then rolls it 0.5m square right into Lloyd's stride -- and Lloyd touches it to(ward) 8m mid-right and chases it, then trips over Zerboni's extended foot. Foul, pk. Nobody expects Lloyd to dribble!

72' 0-2 Lloyd pk, right instep pull to left post low, Rowland dives and saves with right hand. Ball bounces out to 6-top 3-left, R.Rodriguez runs on and shoots one-touch left instep low, off Rowland's right knee on ground, bounces wide left and over.

Another penalty denied! @rowland_katelyn denies Lloyd on the PK, then Rodriguez on the follow-up!#NJvNC | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/QmmsOTL4z8

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 20, 2018

 

The Thorns finally snap their winless streak thanks to a piece of NWSL history from 18-year-old Ellie Carpenter - the youngest player ever to score a goal in the league's six seasons.

With all due credit to Rowland for her saves to keep NJ out of the match, my initial reaction was that Lloyd didn't make the best PK attempt. That closing free kick goal was impressive though. Too bad it was basically just a consolation prize for the team.

 

90+4' (of +3') 1-2 Sky Blue fk at arc top mid-left, R.Rodriguez taps left to Killion, who stops ball like a tee. Lloyd runs on, shoots right instep inswinging into right 90, ball rolls along right side netting high into back right high. Hamilton charged ball and nearly jump-blocked it with her back turned, but the rest of the wall was irrelevant (guarding near post low), and Rowland didn't even have time to reach right post.

Perfect Placement™ by @CarliLloyd to pull one back for @SkyBlueFC in the final moments.#NJvNC | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/1JlNZOqxW3

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 20, 2018

FT 1-2. North Carolina tie the 2014 Reign on 23 points in the first 9 matches (shakes a fist)