Some of these late afternoon games in Orlando and Houston are going to be absolutely brutal (you can throw NC in the mix too). It was mid-80s last week in Houston, and today in Orlando is projected to be high 80s. And it is only April! Both teams have multiple Lifetime games on the schedule, and due to the TV window, they must play at 4 pm ET. Orlando for example is on TV June 24, August 12, and September 2, all at home. Like I said, absolutely brutal. Energy sapping conditions. I doubt we'll see the teams at their best during those times, which is unfortunate as Lifetime is by far the most accessible platform to view NWSL now with YouTube gone. We want the best product possible on display to appeal to new fans. Having players trudge around in 95 degree heat isn't ideal for that. I checked Orlando's schedule. In addition to the Lifetime games, they have some non-televised home games at 5 pm for some reason. In my opinion all summer games in hot regions should be scheduled for 7:30 pm. If the teams share a stadium with MLS, it should be factored into the schedule making process.
I subscribed to a VPN service this week. Will see if the games appear live on the NWSL website as promised for "international viewers."
Lineup observations: Orlando fans will have to wait to see Marta. She starts today on the bench. Tymrak must really be in the doghouse. Even with FCKC's depleted depth due to injury, she is still stuck on the bench. JJ/Ertz is in midfield for Chicago, with Naughton and Sam Johnson as centerbacks.
Yet another knee injury for Washington, this time Stengel who had to be stretchered off. Unbelievable. Replaced by Agnew.
They need to fix that. Only talk about other scores around the league at halftime and post-game, when viewers can intentionally tune out if they don't want spoilers.
That was a good game between Orlando and Washington. I thought Washington was gritty, playing to win until the last second. Washington's rookies showed up pretty well. I'm surprised that both teams didn't wilt in the heat. Orlando squandered its many chances. Three times Marta was open on the left and an Orlando player took a shot instead of passing it to Marta. Some a---chewing in the locker room is in order. Spencer is perhaps the quickest player in the league but she couldn't find the goal with a seeing eye dog. I anticipate that Danica Evans may replace her as a starter. Evans looked good.
With Marta in the line-up, they want need Spencer's speed so much, so I see Evans getting more time. Too many wasted opportunities to score by Spencer.
Did Julie Johnston, oops Ertz, move from center back to midfield? Might have been a smart move, cause she got beat badly last week -- and Katie Naughton is a good center back. From the clip, it looks like a great combo between Huerta and Ertz for the goal. Go Broncos!
I take back all the nasty things I've said about go90 and the NWSL. The Chicago/KC game has been posted on the NWSL website. Gotta watch it now.
Clicking on the Chicago/KC game on NWSL website directs me to Go90. The game feed starts just fine, but I can't see a way to navigate around the game, i.e. fast forward through pre-game or halftime, or rewind. In addition, this tweet implies game streams will be available LIVE on the Go90 website, not just the app. Meaning we can view live on a computer. Great news if true. Just announced: For our fans in the U.S., @go90 live streams are now avalable online too at 💻 https://t.co/UEKQQjiSbr! https://t.co/lh83X9tHNP— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 22, 2017 P.S. It looks to be true. There is a link on Go90 website for Portland-NCC, if you click it says "the event hasn't started, please check back soon." But it sure looks like a working, live feed.
I think, for fast forward and so on, that there's a gizmo you can download, but you have to pay for it.
Portland just looks slow next to a really fast team like Carolina. And it's very telling that Portland avoided passing back to Franch whenever they could, while Carolina had no problems passing back to D'Angelo.
[SEA-HOU] 27' 2-0 Fishlock chips long from circle center to arc top mid-left, high bounce leads Rapinoe 1 step past Roccaro(?) to 16m mid-left. Rapinoe measures the drop, one-touch left foot volley across mouth, bounces under Campbell into back right pipe low. IIRC, that was roughly the same angle Lloyd found in Beijing '08. Camera pans back to Smiling Rapinoe -- and many available seats in the stands 31' 3-0 Seattle left ck inswings to 6-top center, Poliana volleys it straight up to 6m 1/3 left. McNabb waits under it amidst many defenders, jumps straight up and nods a soft header into back left low, past Campbell stranded in center. There's something about this go90 stream, it has mastered the black pixels ...
37' 3-0 Beckie fk at arc top right, she lifts a cross to 8m left post. Bruna stoop-heads straight rightward -- because she heads Mathias sharply on the left forehead. Both go down, brief stoppage. Bruna pops back up, Mathias stays on back, stomping feet -- more from the tingly itch than the pain? The impact raises a goose egg on Mathias's forehead -- like a fast-rising dough in the oven. That means it expended energy into the soft tissues? 39' 3-0 After 2 minutes, Mathias is up and laughing, but must leave the field for a protocol test. 43' 3-0 Seattle subs in (1 of 3) Stott for Mathias. Surely not worth the risk for her to stay in, and with this scoreline it may have been a half-planned sub anyways. HT 3-0.
51' 3-0 Seattle counter and catch Houston scrambling back, Fishlock long forward cross to 9m 1/3 left almost into Rapinoe's stride. Campbell comes out, runs into Rapinoe's left hip and gets knocked back into a sit-down. Ball leaks rightward to 12m 1/3 right, Yanez runs on and pokes it up centerline, Poliana(?) backpedals at 1m and clears it off line, wide left. Rapinoe tries to give five to Campbell, but the rookie wasn't watching for it, and leaves her hanging. 55' 4-0 Pickett chases to arc top left, Beckie on knees scythes ball away to 22m mid-right. Kawasumi taps back into the stride of Fishlock, one-touch right foot blast toward back left low, Campbell sprawls horizontal at 4m and blocks ball down and right -- but it sits forlornly at 5m right post with Campbell down. Yanez arrives first and taps in. Bad luck on that stop, anywhere else would have worked.
69' 4-0 Seattle subs in (2 of 3) Katlyn Johnson for Yanez. 74' 5-0 Rapinoe does her fake-inside-drive-endline to box left foot again, wins race and snaps another hard low cross to 2m left post -- at least her 4th tonight. Campbell blocks a soft pop-up to 6-top 2/5 left, Johnson trails and hops into it, heads a blooper up centerline past Campbell's hand-stab. Kawasumi was already in the goal back netting, but she's passive offside because she's out of the field of play. Houston just doesn't have 4 years of stable foundation in their backline, and so their playmakers are seeing solid walls, while Seattle is running amok in holes they regularly create.
84' 5-1 Houston fk at 30m arc left, Brooks(?) serves over everybody to 7m center. Hagen cuts past Johnson alone (welcome to the league, kid), hop-flicks a slow mini-lob toward left 90, but it hangs long enough for Kopmeyer to lunge-slap it away. Corsie, facing own goal, heads it further to 9m 6-left, but to a clump of 2 Dash. Poliana volleys rising across mouth, off crossbar 1/5 right, bounces down hard into back right. Good finish on a scramble not cleared. FT 5-1.