There r two problems with the Daly effort, which I support her in and would love to see on England's WC roster. First Neville brought her on twice as a late game attacker and she nearly got the winner against Germany so Neville obviously sees her as a utility player more than a backup defender. Second, England's starting right back is Lucy Bronze who IMO is the best RB in the world and a 90 minute player. So if Im Neville Im looking to use the backup spot for Bronze as a place for a player who can help me in lots of places as Bronze won't come off much. For this reason, if Im Pauw, who has been totally on board with Daly's efforts, I play Daly in different spots to show off how versatile she is.
It certainly was. Two weeks in a row a late goal from NC which was made more glorious by the assist. And McDonald having ice water in the box, so she just juked by the keeper while staying totally under control, made it a very sweet goal.
The most positive thing I can say about Houston's inability to connect passes and possess the ball in the offensive third is Im seeing the same thing from every other team Ive watched. The next big step for league owners is to open camps earlier so that the first month of the season isn't just extended preseason.
[CHI-POR] 08' 1-0 Klingenberg right ck, just over a jumping scrum to 10 1/4 left. Ball drops and bounces off Mautz's left hipbone as she falls, deflects out to 14m center. Horan spins off her defender, settles ball facing away, turn-scoop-shoots rising into back right high, over the far-post defender. When the opportunity presents itself, @Lindseyhoran11 takes it.#CHIvPOR | #NWSL | @go90Sports pic.twitter.com/M3384qPCnA— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 1, 2018 31' 1-1 Gilliland left throw-in at 27m, to Green backshielding Sonnett at 22m box left. Green wrests free, runs centerward, nutmegs(?) Boureille at 25m arc left, chases ball to arc top left and slides to challenge Hubly. Green wins that from the seated position , pokes ball through Sonnett's wickett, to Huerta inside arc left post. Huerta darts to box top center, threads a diagonal pass between Klingenberg way inside and Horan crashing back, to Mautz unmarked at 10m mid-right. Mautz touches to 8m 7-right, slide-pokes a shot low -- ball deflects off Klingenberg sliding, soft pop-up perfectly lobs Franch, into back left edge. Your l33t soccer be no match for Green's MMA croquet We've got ourselves a game going at Toyota Park now. @Alyssa_Mautz with the equalizer for the Red Stars.#CHIvPOR | #NWSL | @go90sports pic.twitter.com/xA7FAnHcIe— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 1, 2018
40' 1-2 Klingenberg(?) one-touch high dump from circle back left touch over everybody congested at midfield, ball bounces at circle top box left as Sinclair chases between 2. S.Johnson leads Sinclair by 2m, pokes a backpass but underweights it. Sinclair blows past and races Naeher to 15m mid-left. Naeher wins race, but muffs her clearance kick, kicks up a big divot and only glances ball off Sinclair's shin, into her stride. Sinclair touches twice to a tight angle at 3m 6-left, calmly threads needle past LB Gorden, just inside left post to back right low. Cool, calm, collected. Christine Sinclair.#CHIvPOR | #NWSL | @go90sports pic.twitter.com/20HQTVuTSW— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 1, 2018 HT 1-2. That Zlatan guy had a good start today, too
64' 1-2 Colaprico fouls in own box, yellow card. 65' 1-3 Sinclair pk, right instep pull to left back low. Christine Sinclair with her second of the night for @thornsfc on a PK conversion.#CHIvPOR | #NWSL | @go90sports pic.twitter.com/oGSajAcDJU— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 1, 2018 67' 2-3 S.Johnson, way up in attack, tightropes at 30m left touch, pokes ball up wide left for Green overlapping. Green curls away to 10m left touch, hooks a cross toward 14m center. Klingenberg outjumps Mautz, heads ball across box. Huerta collects at 15m mid-right, drives past Hubly to 4m mid-right, hard low cross bounces between K.Reynolds and Horan, into a collapsing pocket at 10m 2/5 right. Mautz runs on, hop-volleys off right post 1/5 high, and in. Battle of the braces. @Alyssa_Mautz bags her second to keep Chicago within one at Toyota Park.#CHIvNC | #NWSL | @go90Sports pic.twitter.com/xH8EW2jFYs— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 1, 2018 78' 2-3 Green cramps up, limps off. Mautz also scored two against Portland in 2013!
I don't know why its so difficult for Chicago to figure this out. Until Kerr shows up, Chicago's offense will work best when Huerta plays forward. But Huerta seems to be buried on the right flank of the midfield for much of every game. Vasconceles looks to me like she should be starting for Chicago. Re Naeher, I don't have a great deal of confidence in her goalkeeping. She makes some bonehead plays both for Chicago and National Team. Note to Ellis: Franch is better. Not a very polished game by either Portland or Chicago, but, praise the Lord, we finally saw some goals scored. Hooray! Mautz of Chicago is maybe the player of the week, or Huerta who got both assists. Or maybe Pugh of Washington -- who's looking awfully good.
Player of the Week has to be Pugh Pugh Pugh. Moments after Aly Wagner said "Mallory Pugh has to go find the game," that is exactly what she did. Here is one 19-year old that punches above her weight, way above. GOW is Hinkle assisting and Jess McDonald rounding Sheridan like a boss.
I'm really hoping Vasconcelos continues to get chances to prove herself. At BYU, she was overshadowed by Hatch in terms of national perception. But anyone who watched entire matches - not just highlights - could see that Murphy (later Vasconcelos) was the player that made the machine tick.
As a Nadeshiko Japan supporter, it will be ok for me if USWNT won't bring their best GK at WWC 2019, but seriously, I agree that Franch looks so much better than Naher. Put it that way: Franch uses to be a game changer in quite every game, Naher doesn't. For instance, did you see how Franch punched away a dangerous cross at about 50' of yesterday's game? (By the way, am I the only one who has issues with this week highlights' videos? I have them freezing ). Some plays from Chicago were quite strange to see on a football pitch : Summer Green wrestling her way in the box in the action of Red Stars' first goal for instance. Or Colaprico's hand-ball: remember all the discussion from last week about "deliberate" handling in the box? Well, I guess Colaprico's hand-ball was as deliberate as it goes! And frankly quite silly: how did she think she could have got away with that? Did she think both central ref and AR were covered?
Fans might get a kick out of this video about the Timbers/Thorns joint trip to Chicago for last Saturday's double header: https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/980850072177983489/vid/1280x720/26oXCOlwOseaqj9g.mp4
After a couple of days, some reflections: Notwithstanding she was playing for the opposition, so long as the Thorns won I was happy to see Mautz get a couple of goals. I like the way she works really hard every game, she got her reward. And, Summer Green's really hard work in the box leading to the Red Stars' 2nd goal was impressive. I've thought she's always been overrated, but she really showed something there. Mal Pugh made her goal look easy. She had two defenders against her but managed to create about 3 yards of space. Some great GK saves. I liked Campbell's kick save on the Save of the Week nomination (but voted for Franch's save). Maybe the Dash can go through the entire season with draws. With all the players gone due to national team call ups, injuries, and whatever, we're seeing a real test of the coaches. Three teams left to play a home game: Sky Blue, Utah, and Portland. I'm really interested to see the Utah and Portland opening game attendance. The Utah attendance will be a marker in the "ownership" debate. And, I'm interested to see if Portland can top last year's opening game 16,145.
Is it just me? Both Campbell and Franch look better than Naher to me. It's anyway a way better strategy than losing them all. Although @Smallchief will get mad at all those 0-0s!
Sadly, I plead guilty as charged. My experience is that whenever I mention going to a soccer game to friends -- or my wife -- they suddenly recall that they have other commitments that day. So, I'm that lonely old guy sitting all by himself in the stands. I hasten to add that other than an unfathomable addiction to women's soccer, I am considered to be a normal, upstanding citizen of the United States.
So Uh This happened 981517510150418433 is not a valid tweet id (Quoting in case Tweet gets deleted) It's not an incredibly hot take, until you consider that it's coming from Chicago's rookie asst. coach. Remember that Rory threw an unnamed player (assumed to be Huerta) completely under the bus for Portland's goals.
I've heard from people that say that Rory coaches the CRS like he coaches his Eclipse Select Club, very little filter when words come out. I don't know. What I do believe is if the Red Stars don't get into the Final Four and make a good showing, many Season Ticket Holders will be asking for his dismissal.