We're back! Busy days, also watching FIVB mvb World League, and wvb Pan Am Cup starts this afternoon. Injuries: http://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/injuries
I recently experienced anormal slowness in uploading article pages from NWSL website: it's just my PC, or anyone else had the same problem? (By the way, a lot of players coming back injured from National Team's duties, especially from USWNT ).
So have the non Lifetime games gone back to just on Go90 or r they still availble on the NWSL site for people in the US?
#NWSL matches not on Lifetime will be back exclusively on go90 and https://t.co/IvJqRBjUSQ for domestic viewers effective immediately— Dan Lauletta (@TheDanLauletta) June 17, 2017 Cue Emily Litella
This is a terrible lineup. The maybe 1.5 people in that front and middle 6 that have any defensive instincts.
15', a goal scored, yet according to go90 the Courage-Breakers game still hasn't started...interesting.
[KC-SEA] 15' 0-0 Mostly it's KC launching many quick attacks to Groom at box top right. Seattle's methodical play is wilting in this muggy(?) heat. 23' 1-0 B.Taylor(?) passes from ~circle top wide right to Newfield at 35m arc right, she stabs ball forward and drives to 25m, rolls a diagonal pass through box top left post. Tymrak chases through box to 6m mid-left, rides off Stott's sliding attempt to shield her off, stops ball and faces centerward. Newfield roams unnoticed past spot and calls her shot, Tymrak scoops a cross to 6-top center, Newfield outjumps 1 and heads toward right 90. Kopmeyer jump-twists and punches it up but not off-line, it drops and bounces into back right high. More to the point, KC have been running downhill all game, Seattle look lethargic.
31' 1-1 Seattle left ck? cleared away. Rapinoe stops ball at 25m left touch vs no pressure, launches a wistful ball high into heavy traffic. Ball bounces untouched at 4m 1/5 left under Barnhart sliding out, squirts under her and into 1/4 back left. Seattle have been sending in aimless crosses from both sides like Bad Germany -- and they lost possession again
[HOU-ORL] 16' 0-1 Camila from 5.5 mowed stripes = 30m, golaaaaaaaazo off L.Williams' fingertips into right 90 22' 0-2 Marta dribbles from 30m mid-left toward arc top left, jukes north through box top arc left to 10m 6-left, shoots left instep across mouth into right side pipe. BTW, I'm following KC-SEA and NC-BOS on go90's web page (not their emulated app), but HOU-ORL is showing on the NWSL page (and the others might also be there). Maybe they flipped the switch back on when the NC-BOS go90 stream had issues in 1Q.
[NC-BOS] 73' 3-1 Leon 1-v-1 on Hinkle at 12m wide right, fakes centerward, spins endline, chips from 8m box right -- over some traffic distracting Rowland at near post, drops perfectly into left side netting. That's a canonical shot pattern, surely trained by every winger
[KC-SEA] 74' 1-1 Seattle longball sends K.Johnson behind Averbuch through box top mid-right, Barnhart charges out and blocks shot with her chest. Ball bounces back to K.Johnson, she shields off Barnhart, retreats a couple of steps, flicks right outstep past Barnhart stranded way out, on-frame -- Sauerbrunn twist-heads away at 6m center. Kawasumi runs on at 9m 6-left, shoots through legs to goalline center, Averbuch clears it away. 82' 1-2 Seattle backpass, Kopmeyer clears to midfield box right. Rapinoe jumps facing ball, flick-header bounces upfield, Ka.Johnson collects and sprints fast to 24m mid-right, pulls a pass to Nairn overlapping at box top wide right. Nairn snipes a diagonal ground pass to 6m 3-left. Kawasumi runs on and -- decides not to one-touch, stops ball and cuts back past B.Taylor to 7m 2-left, calmly shoots right instep into 1/3 back left, splitting Taylor and Barnhart. 84' 2-2 KC probe across Seattle's box top, Averbuch touches to 15m mid-right, pulls a hard cross to 4m 1/4 left. Maegan Kelly lunges across somebody, blasts a header in. FT 2-2.
[POR-NJ] on NWSL's page: you can pause, rewind, fast forward 00'25" 0-1 Kerr drives through box mid-right to box right foot, floats a cross to endline 5-right, Sonnett heads it back out to Kerr. Kerr lays off one-touch to 14m center, Rodríguez steps up and shoots through traffic past Franch's dive, into back left low. The pre-game hype talked up Kerr's form, and they weren't kidding --
[HOU-ORL] 57' 0-3 Spencer diagonal pass springs Marta sprinting through arc top, slight stumble to spot, shoots past L.Williams into right back low. Marta looks as fresh as a relay sprinter, pulling away from defenders with the g-force of her acceleration. Mismatch. 68' 0-4 Orlando right ck, inswings to 4m 2/5 left, Kennedy towers over somebody and spikes a header into back left. 73' 0-4 Houston subs in Nichelle Prince for Carli Lloyd, who looks ... fatigued. Maybe we're overtraining. 89' 1-4 Andressinha fk at 30m box left, chip to 6m left post. Poliana cuts through traffic, nods (or micro-flicks) a header down past Bledsoe, into 1/3 left back. pbp notes that it's been three Brasilians and an Aussie scoring today. 90+6' (of +5') 2-4 Brooks picks out Andressinha at 24m mid-right, she spins cw and drives to 22m arc right amidst 4, lags a perfect soft pass through them to 8m 6-right. Prince lurks in almost a track start at box top center, pounces alone and one-touches a roller past Bledsoe into left side netting. Brasil to Canada, eh FT 2-4.
[POR-NJ] 32' 0-1 Galton chases through box top left, Boureille collides with her and they both go down. Foul for obstruction? Penal ... 33' 0-1 Killion pk, right instep pulls just wide left low. Like you-know-who in the WWC
70' 0-2 Sonnett fk at circle back box right, sailed upfield, volleyed away to circle center. Hayes back-flicks a header over circle top, Kerr nods it into her own stride and is 5m behind the trap line. Kerr slows down at box top center, pulls Franch out, drives around her to 7m 6-right and passes ball just inside right post -- then does a cartwheel to backflip. 71' 0-2 Klingenberg left throw-in at arc top, back to Long. Long dribbles centerward to 30m box left, bends a cross to 7m right post. Horan drifts behind Mills, twist-snaps a header down to center low, Sheridan sprawls and blocks but doesn't stop the topspin -- AR's flag goes up -- ball trickles over the line to short left. Offside on Horan, starting her cut 1/2 step too soon?
88' 0-3 Henry dribbles left-to-center near arc top, Mills pokes away to Tiernan at circle back left. Tiernan lifts head, sails a long switch toward 24m arc right for Kerr breaking the high trap line from midfield. Franch comes way out above box top to sweep away, but Kerr taps ball past her, chases to 16m mid-right, passes ball just inside right post low. +4'. 90+4' (of +4') 0-3 Raso chases down wide left, O'Hara wins ball and hoofs it upfield. Klingenberg settles at 35m box left, serves to 12m left post. Henry backshields Mills, gets her feet swept out and sit-sprawls backward. Foul, pk. 90+5' (of +4') 1-3 Sinclair pk, right instep to 1/5 right low, Sheridan dives correctly and blocks but doesn't squeeze, ball trickles out to 4m. Sinclair arrives first, pulls one-touch across mouth into back left high. FT 1-3. Theme of the day: Costa Rican, Aussie, Aussie, Canadian. I blame Killion
Can it really be a coincidence that, when Lloyd was subbed out, Houston suddenly climbed back by two goals?
Yes. I'd hardly classify a 15 minute gap between the sub and the first goal as sudden, and I don't think taking out Lloyd was the reason for the goals.
This was Brazilian week in the NWSL Marta, Camila, Andressina, etc. I thought Marta was under-utilized in the first couple of games she played, but I think Orlando's strategy is now clear, "Give the f-----g ball to Marta" (Okay, a bit of hyperbole there) If I recall correctly I picked Orlando for last in the NWSL -- but that was before Marta. In my observation two of the most unpopular players in the NWSL are Merritt Mathias of Seattle and Shea Groom of KC. Mathias is often the initiator of rough play; Groom goes both ways -- but she's not very big or strong and she gets taken down frequently. I think Seattle got two yellow cards knocking her flat, and she got one for what didn't look like much of a foul to me. Groom is a good forward, by the way and I've always enjoyed watching Mathias, Ms. Blue Collar, tough as a old boot. . Goal of the week is between Rapinoe and Camila. Rapinoe's 40 yard shot from the sideline was downright impossible. I'm not sure how the ball found its way into the goal. That goal by Leon of Boston was pretty impossible also. Katie Johnson from Seattle continued her good play as a super-sub. Save of the week is undoubtedly that triple-save by Kansas City to deny Seattle. Goalie, Sauerbrunn, and Averbuch. One of those magical moments that makes soccer worth seeing. ..
I went to the UWS game between the WNY Flash and Rochester Lancers last night, and so I did not see any NWSL games until today. As a Courage fan, I found the NC-BOS game very enjoyable. Without Williams and McDonald, they kept on playing the way they play. Mewis’ pass to Hamilton for the first goal was perfect. Hatch was great. She played freely and with confidence. She had a handful of very clever moments with the ball at her feet. Her goal was “heady” and executed left-footed with perfection. Her defensive pressure when BOS had the ball was pretty much the same as what Williams does. One particular moment occurred right from the BOS second half kickoff. Hatch bolted in and snatched a weak BOS back pass (à la Williams’ first WNT goal). Unfortunately, Hatch could not finish her chance. I thought Hatch probably should have been given the assist on Hamilton’s second goal. An example of the team play that made be happy was the play starting at about 4:55 on the game clock -Goal Kick by Abby Smith. -Mewis wins the header about half way into the Courage side of the center circle. -Ball goes to Hamilton’s legs, who is just outside the top of the center circle in BOS’s half. -Facing away from goal, Hamilton makes an awesome first touch and then dribbles the ball in the direction she was facing. -Smith makes an overlapping run to the outside of Hamilton. -Under pressure from two defenders, Hamilton manages to slip a pass to Smith. -Smith dribbles down the right, and is intercepted by a BOS defender. -Ball ricochets and ends up with Ashley Hatch, who is facing away from goal about 8 yards out from the penalty area. -Facing Smith, Hatch heel passes to Debinha, who is on the inside, much to the disappointment of Smith who has continued her run down the right side. -Debinha makes a pass back to Hatch, who has made the roll and is headed to goal. -It gets past Hatch and on to Smith, who IMO has run in way too close to the space Hatch is playing in. -Smith tries to slip the ball ahead to Hatch, who is inside the area on Smith’s left. -The Defense finally breaks up the attack. I thought Margaret Purce made a great positive change for BOS when she came in.