I was up early for FIVB mvb World League on Srbija time. Then this, MNT friendly vs. VEN tonight, a star party, and WC-20 QF vs. VEN late night. Tomorrow, more Injury report: http://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/injuries
Missed most of the last two weeks besides the Seattle game I was at. Won't be able to watch today's games besides maybe a little of the lifetime game, can't attend any of this month's SB home games. Likely to miss all of August. And Sept I'd rather see Por @ Bos than Was @ NJ. So basically I'm looking at only being able to make 3-4 total SB home games [emoji29] Meaning I'll see more games in other stadiums than the one I have the season tickets for
I am continually shocked by how often onside players are whistled for offside. Even with the last defender is ONSIDE. How on earth is this so hard for referees, and TV commentators for that matter, to understand.
Gripes about the reffing aside, it was a good performance from North Carolina, and a disappointing one from Kansas City. I never once felt like KC was going to score, and it was the usual atrocious finishing from NC that kept that game scoreless until the 60th minute. But the one thing that KC does that is impressive is how quickly they can jam up the box to limit their opposition's chances on goal.
[WAS-HOU] 03' 1-0 Labbé gk, Brian heads down to Beckie at circle top. Church steps up and pokes ball free behind Beckie, taps soft pass to Solaun at circle right. Solaun lags a perfect ground pass to arc top mid-right for Ch.Williams sprinting through the high line. Williams touches to 7m 6-right, rolls right instep mini-bend past Williams planted at near post, slight outswing into left side netting just behind left post. [NJ-POR] 18' 0-0 Mills slide-tackles ball away, Nadim jams a toe against Mills' shoe and flips over her. Foul on Mills. Yellow card on Nadim -- for dissent? 19' 0-1 Nadim fk at circle top wide right, sailed to 8m 3-left, drops just over Rodríguez's head. Horan dive-heads across mouth, golaaaazo into upper back right.
42' 0-2 Nadim holds at 27m center, diagonal pass springs Klingenberg overlapping alone down box left to 6m, forcing Killion to shift over. Klingenberg runs around forehand, one-touch ground cross to 4m 2-left. Horan has outside position on Pearce, stabs right outstep or foottop and flicks ball over Sheridan sprawling. +1'. HT 0-2.
84' 1-0 4R subs in #EE for ... (Jen Hoy alerts him, he sheepishly rotates substitution board right-side up) 84' 1-0 Seattle subs in: - (2 of 3) #9 Merritt Mathias for #33 Katlyn Johnson - (3 of 3) #5 Kiersten Dallstream for #2 Christine Nairn. 85' 1-0 Chicago subs in (1 of 3) #2 Jennifer Hoy for #4 Alyssa Mautz.
Chicago looked the better team to me. Huerta and Press cooperated beautifully. Clearly they are Chicago's best forwards -- so, Dames, quit playing Huerta in the midfield and put her up top with Press. Chicago's defense and midfield were super solid. Rapinoe and Kawasumi could not often get free down the flanks and Katie Johnson was mobbed every time she touched the ball. I guess that the unsung Comeau played a big part in keeping Rapinoe and Kawasumi under control. I'm a bit confused as to why Harvey pulled Kawasumi for McNabb in minute 66. True, Kawasumi wasn't having a great game but McNabb is mostly a defensive player -- and Seattle was behind.
The first 10 minutes were horrendous wrt the no calls on players getting tripped, tangled up and being sent to the ground. The NC pressure by the forwards and mids was up to their high expectations, even with the 86 degree heat. I was especially pleased that Hatch seemed to be very comfortable pressing and was in tune with what her teammates were doing. In her post-game she said something like 'I just needed to do what Jess does;' and I think in the press, she succeeded. The appearance of total domination by NC over KC makes me think about about what Chicago has that KC does not: Julie Ertz in the middle of the park for one; Huerta and Press > Leroux and Groom; however, based on experience alone KC' s, Sauerbrunn, Taylor and Averbuch ought to be more productive under pressure than CHI's Johnson, Naughton, and Short. There were 3700+ at WakeMed. I really liked the energy and organized cheers. I keep hoping for more. Sadly, 3700 in Rochester would have seemed like a bunch of golf spectators.
People call me the team photographer, but in reality I work for the league. I shoot for both teams. Typically I pick one end each game (based on a variety of factors) and shoot both halves from the same end. I was in front of the supporters, the first half KC attacking end. If I had not brought the extender for my big lens, I would've had almost no photos. I ended up with maybe two usable photos of Leroux. I've never seen their attack that anemic. The schedule does no favors to the Courage. All four July/August games, and 7 of 12 are 4pm starts. Those four games in July and August are going to be brutal. It'll be interesting to see what the 7:30 game against Boston does in two weeks. The one nice thing is that the attendance is pretty solid. I've not seen any indication of freebies or papering the house efforts. EDIT: Fixed the tags
I don't think Cristina is a terrible ref. It's just that she lets a lot of rough stuffs go uncalled ... for both sides. I'd rather she call more fouls. You don't want the players hurt and you want to give the offensive players chances to make plays, that's how you get to see beautiful soccer.