Category: Analysis

QuickLook Week 6: The Golden Boot for a Six Goal Season?

Posted on by RJ Allen

Chicago Red Stars v. Orlando Pride
2-1-3/1-2-2
Wednesday May 2 7:30PM ET

I love when the games aren’t all clustered in a narrow block, but it’s a pain to try to turn out a column when injury reports and player notes are trickling in. So fortunately we start with a game featuring a ton of marquee stars that even casual fans know about and are anxiously awaiting news. So I’ll just make stuff up. Just kidding. There’s enough of that going on in the non-sports news.

McCaffrey and Ertz both have thier injury woes continue, which is sad. Alex Morgan and Ashlyn Harris are both maybes for Orlando, but Haley Kopmeyer is more than solid if Harris can’t go and Leroux/Marta/Edmonds are a solid group.

Portland Thorns v. Seattle Reign FC
2-1-2/2-1-1
Saturday May 5 3:30PM ET (Lifetime Game of the Week)

Okay, I’m done making up things, even if there’s not much to report this far out. Portland has talent and depth that belies their record, so it’s always a safe bet that Horan/Sinclair/Purce will put chances together. Britt Eckerstrom should get the start again and has had some good saves and some bad gaffes. Michele Betos will face her former team for the first time and will probably get a lot of work. Seattle’s offense has been pretty solely Rapinoe-based but a Long score last week and a slight decapitation for Jodie Taylor might help them build going forward. Steph Catley returning to help shore up the defense will also lend some flex to their forward press.

Sky Blue (Association) Football Club of the State of New Jersey, Inc., Co, LTD v. Houston Dash
0-2-1/0-3-2
Saturday May 5, 7:30PM ET

One of these teams should walk away with a first win. In theory, that should be Sky Blue, who has actual offensive players, a passable defense and an up-and-coming international GK. Once they hit the field? Who knows. Houston’s Kealia Ohai should be returning to form and the young Hanson/Keever midfield has potential to keep the ball moving to their star or Nichelle Prince. Kyah Simon’s return will also provide depth up front. The backline that looked solid against Orlando was torched against North Carolina, so Jeanine Van Wyk and crew are probably hoping to face the disorganized rabble version of SBFC. Sky Blue still has Carli Lloyd, Raquel Rodriguez, Janine Beckie, Shea Groom…basically, in any other year, what would look like the starting forward lineup for an all-star game and they’ve scored 1 entire goal in three games.

Utah Royals FC v. Washington Spirit
0-1-4/1-1-2
Saturday May 5, 9:00 PM ET

Remember Ashley Hatch? 1 goal, 1 assist, 12 shots in five games so far. After her rookie season, I thought she might be a feature forward in a Pugh/Sullivan/Lavelle service-fest. With the lack of any other information to back it up, I’ll declare this her break out game. Utah’s Becky Sauerbrunn and Rachel Corsie have been carrying the team to draws all season and eventually there will be an error. Last week’s goal by Portland’s Tobin Heath, largely unguarded, hints at slight flaws that can be worked in the absence of a scoring punch. Washington has much greater potential on offense than defense, but Utah hasn’t been putting enough talent forward to require anything beyond capable marking from a veteran cast.

North Carolina Courage v. Chicago Red Stars
5-0-1/2-1-3
Sunday May 6, 3:00PM ET

Chicago must be so happy to have a second game this week against a resting and rehabbing North Carolina team. If Chicago can get their offense together against an Orlando team they should beat, enough may carry over to give some pushback against the North Carolina arsenal. Huerta and Mautz have scored legitimate goals this season and Kerr is basically the most super-powered Australian outside a Marvel movie. North Carolina isn’t unstoppable or flawless, but they certainly have more top-flight depth at each area than the competition so far this season. Sam Mewis provides a field general presence and scoring threat behind two other giants in Jessica McDonald and Lynn Williams and the Abby Erceg/Abby Dahlkemper central duo. It’s hard to do more than look at roster comparison this far out, but the edge goes to North Carolina unless they all get food poisoning from the truffles fed to them by the pool while the rest of the league grinds it out leading into Sunday.

How Well Did the NWSL Internationals Do in Week 5?

Posted on by RJ Allen

If you missed the games this week, we’ve got you covered! Now, a lot of internationals did not play this weekend, most of it due to the fact they just came off of World Cup Qualifiers. But here is a wrap up of how all your favorite international players did:

The Australians:

Kyah Simon (Houston Dash)
Rating: 8/10
Simon made her debut for Houston and played a full 90. She didn’t receive the ball very much in the first half as a striker, but she moved into the #10 role in the second half and got more touches on the ball. She did make a beautiful dribble and got a clear shot, but it went over the crossbar.  She also made a few good passes, but other than that nothing too spectacular.

Sam Kerr (Chicago Red Stars)
Rating: 9/10
Kerr was an impact player even in her debut, which is no surprise. She was on the same page as her teammates which made things a lot easier for everyone. Kerr made a wonderful opportunity late in the game in which she flicked the ball to herself over the defender and ripped a shot, but it was just over the bar.

Alanna Kennedy (Orlando Pride)
Rating: 7/10
Kennedy had great moments, but she didn’t seem completely in-sync with everyone. Of course, that should come with time. She still had an okay game. She took a few knocks during the game which isn’t exactly an ideal welcome, but she seemed to shake them off and kept playing. Kennedy had a clear opportunity on goal, but her first touch let her down and took the angle off. She did make up for it with a beautiful backheel that got Ali Krieger in a great crossing position.

Emily Van Egmond (Orlando Pride)
Rating: 8/10
Van Egmond was subbed on late in the match but inserted herself well. Got on the ball, seemed confident, and combined with her teammates well. She also had a few nice through balls to Alex Morgan.

Steph Catley (Seattle Reign)
Rating: 7.5/10
Catley is always great at getting in the attack, but also getting back to defend. She had a solid performance for her new club. Great crosses and passes down the flank. She also closed down the attack of Orlando, which isn’t an easy job. Great night for Catley!

Katrina Gorry (Utah Royals)
Rating: 9/10
“Mini” came in late as a sub and had a great showing. She was the player for Utah that could switch the point of attack, which got them in on goal a few times. She also showed us that she is very dynamic in her passing, dribbling, and just her comfortableness in possession.

 

The Brazilians:

Debinha (North Carolina Courage)
Rating: 7/10
Came on as a sub late in the match. She did take a few shots, one was off target and the other one was handled easily by Campbell. She combined with her teammates well and gave them some good looks.

Marta (Orlando Pride)
Rating: 9.5/10
Marta was a magician as usual. Obviously, she had the stunning free-kick goal. She also did great at hustling to make something out of bad passes. She was calm on the ball and had lots of great combinations with the frontline of Orlando.

Mônica (Orlando Pride)
Rating: 7.5/10
Solid defending from Monica. There were several plays where she really stood her ground and got her team the ball back. Also, great play out of the back; she found the pocket of space and got it to the player every time.

Andressinha (Portland Thorns)
Rating: 6.5/10
Andressinha came on as a sub in the second half but just seemed to play simple tonight. We only saw one magical pass from her, whereas we are used to seeing lots of them from her. She got on the ball and seemed comfortable, now it’s just about being a little more creative.

 

The Canadians:

Nichelle Prince (Houston Dash)
Rating: 8.5/10
Outstanding match for Prince. She knew when to dribble, when to pass, and even when to shoot. Created plenty of opportunities for her teammates but they couldn’t get them on frame. Had a few key dribbles where she took on 2 or 3 players and came out of it still obtaining possession. Brilliant day for Prince!

 

Sabrina D’Angelo (North Carolina Courage)
Rating: 8/10
She played a full 90 and kept a clean sheet. Was not called upon very often in the match, but she did make a few good saves. A normal day for her.

Shelina Zadorsky (Orlando Pride)
Rating: 8/10
Great play out of the back for Zadorsky, kept the Seattle attack locked down as well as giving Orlando a boost on the offensive side too. She did cover well when the outside backs got higher up the pitch, didn’t let anything get past her. Decent game from her.

Diana Matheson (Utah Royals)
Rating: 7/10
Not the usual performance from Matheson, but it was decent. Passed the ball well and knew when to go at defenses or calm the play down and pass it back. Got subbed out in the second half. She just didn’t make the impact she usually does.

Desiree Scott (Utah Royals)
Rating: 8.5/10
Scott is always so calm on the ball, she’s able to hold up the ball for Utah which they certainly needed. She did well to compensate for getting played the ball when her teammates weren’t open to receiving the ball. She did have the turnover that led to the Portland goal, but again that was due to her teammates not being open.

Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns)
Rating: 9/10
Got an assist that got Portland the point away from home. She was able to hold the ball in the attack and play make after calming down the play. She was all over the pitch for Portland, dropped back in the midfield at times, then she’d be making runs in behind. Great energy!

 

The Japanese:

Yuki Nagasato (Chicago Red Stars)
Rating: 7/10
Nagasato played in a lower role than what she usually plays. She didn’t have quite the impact she usually does, probably due to being in a new position. If she was to be played at striker with Sam Kerr, they’d likely produce some lovely football.

Rumi Utsugi (Seattle Reign)
Rating: 9/10
Phenomenal game for Utsugi, she kept the ball for Seattle and allowed players to get forward. She was strong on the ball and confident. Utsugi had a great opportunity when the ball dropped perfectly for her off a cross, she hit it with the outside of her foot forcing a great save from Ashlyn Harris. She stamped her spot in a Seattle midfield with lots of depth.

Nahomi Kawasumi (Seattle Reign)
Rating: 8.5/10
Kawasumi always provides a great presence out wide and tonight she showed us that. She was unpredictable in her services. She’d play a lobbed cross, then she’d play a driven ground ball across which really asked a lot of Orlando’s defense to stop them. Great game for Naho.

The South Africans:

Janine Van Wyk (Houston Dash)
Rating: 9/10
A vital player in Houston’s backline, she blocked several shots that would’ve hit the back of the net if she wasn’t there to intervene. Provided cover for her teammates, as well as performing outstandingly in her own area. Amazing performance from Van Wyk.

Linda Motlhalo (Houston Dash)
Rating: 7/10
Started for Houston but taken off in the second half due to an apparent injury. She was the box to box midfielder today, she was found in the attack several times while also covering back in Houston’s own 18. Motlhalo plays way beyond her years. In my opinion she’s Houston’s best midfielder. She’s only going to get better from here!

The English:

Rachel Daly (Houston Dash)
Rating: 8.5/10
Excellent work as always from Daly, she plays extremely well wherever she’s needed. She looked very comfortable today, had some nice dribbles as well as great defensive moments.

Jodie Taylor (Seattle Reign)
Rating: 7/10
Great opportunity missed. It was a clear shot on goal inside the 6-yard box, she got it on target but not enough power or placement, Harris got an easy save. Other than that she didn’t have much support in the attack so she had a tall task to do. She’s had better games.

The New Zealanders:

Abby Erceg (North Carolina Courage)
Rating: 6.5/10
Not Erceg’s best day on the pitch. Had several times she was beaten, and her teammates had to recover for her. Not a standout in today’s match, but hopefully she will return to her usual form next week.

 

The Irish:

Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage)
Rating: 9/10
O’Sullivan had quite a game. She was the link between the defense and the attack, which created lots of opportunities for North Carolina. Her ability to transition so quickly is something special. She had a few shots on target that she could’ve done better with, but other than that she was top quality.

The Nigerian: 

Francisca Ordega (Washington Spirit)
Rating: 7.5/10
She scored a goal early in the game, due to her pace allowing her to get in front of the defender at the back post when the ball was played to her, and she tapped it in. She hustles day in and day out. Her pace is something Washington could definitely utilize in the long run. Other than that, she created some opportunities and got a few more shots off.

 

The Welsh:

Jess Fishlock (Seattle Reign)
Rating: 8/10
Also missed a great opportunity, she was in on goal with only Harris to beat and she put it over the bar. She did have a heck of a game in the midfield though. Lots of pressure on her but she was calm and composed on the ball. Had to exit early due to a hard knock on her leg, but hopefully, it’s not too serious.

The Dane:

Theresa Nielsen (Seattle Reign)
Rating: 7/10
Nielsen was subbed in way late in the game so she didn’t get a lot of touches. But the few she did have were completed passes. Didn’t get enough playing time to write more about.

The Norwegian:

Elise Thorsnes (Utah Royals)
Rating: 9/10
Outstanding game! Brilliant footwork and pace to get behind Portland’s backline. One instance in the game she had 2 defenders on her and she got out of the challenge with a brilliant move and got a cross off. An impact player for sure if they can feed her the ball more, but she made the most of her opportunities when she got them.

The Icelandic:

Gunny Jonsdottir (Utah Royals)
Rating: 9.5/10
The energy Gunny brings to a game is a thing of beauty. She is a pure box to box midfielder. You’d see her in the opposing box to get on the end of a cross, then back in her own box to block a cross. She really put in the work this game and it sometimes goes unrecognized. She’s a good passer on top of all that, and she’s a link up player so when she gets the ball you know she’s going to do something with it! She’s in top form right now!

The Swiss:

Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic (Portland Thorns)
Rating: 8/10
Only played in the first half for Portland, but she had bright moments. She didn’t receive the ball as much as she should, being the quality player she is. As Portland get all their starters in I’m sure she will get the ball more. But she did do well when she got on the ball, like the brilliant backheel pass to Sinclair!

The Scottish:

Rachel Corsie (Utah Royals)
Rating: 9/10
Solid performance from Corsie, solid passing and defending, all you ask from a defender. She goes unnoticed most of the time but she is a brilliant player. She makes defending look easy with the way she goes about her tackles and just everything she does. Consistent player!

QuickCap: Week Five is Alive

Posted on by RJ Allen

Houston 0-2 North Carolina
0-3-2/5-0-1

In the 132nd Mewis Derby (caused, not by longevity, but by Kristie Mewis playing for 15 teams per season), North Carolina prevailed. Crystal A. Dunn scored at 3’ with an assist to Jessica McDonald and at 3’ into the second half (48’) Kristen Hamilton scored with an assist from former Dash castoff Denise O’Sullivan. Samantha Mewis came on as a sub at 61’, working back cautiously from injury in a way that is so totally not normal for USWNT/NWSL stars, and Debhina made her return (which is unfortunately still less newsworthy than her departure) at 62’. Kristie Mewis led the Dash in shots, playing from the defender role, which may also tie with the 64% Courage possession stat to give the tale of this game.

Washington 1-1 Chicago
1-2-2/2-1-3

GK Aubrey Bledsoe, despite last week’s game, returned to Platinum Glove contention with some quality work to preserve a tie. Francesca Ordega continued the early-in-the-half trend from the afternoon game with a 4’ marker (Pugh Pugh Pugh assist) and Chicago’s leading scorer Alyssa Mautz equalized in the twentieth minute. Mautz ended the day with a yellow at 86’ but no assist so no McCall Zerboni hat trick for her, but a good effort. The biggest Chicago news was the returns, with Sam Kerr starting after returning from a backpacking tour of Asia to find herself and Julie Ertz finally coming back from the Superbowl parade to enter at 74’. Kerr makes the box score for a yellow at 90+1’ but did not rain fire upon the unsuspecting Spirit.

Orlando 1-1 Seattle
1-2-2/2-1-1

Maybe Seattle can sign Rachel Rapinoe and a bottle of bleach to fake the rest of the team into scoring some goals. Allie Long scored at 33’ from Megan Oyster for Seattle and that held up until Marta did a Marta-level play off a set piece at 61’. Michele Betos earned a yellow at 89’ and I’m so glad she’s back in the league with her combination of skill and attitude. Emily Van Egmond returned from six months in a Tibetan monastery with a 46’ entry for her Orlando season debut, both teams had five SOG and, overall, this one surprised no one.

Utah 1-1 Portland
0-1-4/2-1-2

From the warm and accepting shores of Utah, we feature Amy Rodriguez scoring at 53’ after her first start of the season and Tobin Heath coming in at 57’ to tie the game at 67’ with a Sinclair assist. Midge Purce took a yellow card like some kind of common Yalie ruffian, which will no doubt be discussed (quietly, out of the presence of the servants) at Harvard this coming week. Portland started GK Britt Eckerstrom again, with Franch injured, and Utah had key saves from Becky Sauerbrunn, who is probably about five minutes from either going to Portland to work at Powell’s or dribbling the entire length of the field to set up her own goals.

Sky Blue did not play, because the other kids took their ball and went home.

Hot or Not: Week Five NWSL Powers Rankings

Posted on by RJ Allen

Warning:

This power ranking is not reactionary.

This power ranking takes outside factors like weather and injuries into account.

It has bias—yours when you read it and mine when I wrote it.

Enjoy it.

It will soon change.

Ranking note: With so many draws this week it was difficult to move teams all that much. As the season progresses we’ll see more movement.

QuickLook Week 5: Internationals Ahoy

Posted on by RJ Allen

Houston Dash v North Carolina Courage
0-2-2/4-0-1
3:30 PM EST
In the Lifetime Game of the Week, Houston GK Jane Campbell faces off against the league’s most potent offense, an eight-headed monster of variable scoring options (McCall Zerboni, Crystal Dunn and Jessica McDonald all have two goals, while Debhina, Lynn Williams and last week’s GOTW Merritt Mathias all have 1.) Houston hasn’t scored since their first game of the season, but will have former Golden Boot Kealia Ohai back for regular duty, who should help Nichelle Prince spread the defense’s attention.

Washington Spirit v Chicago Red Stars
1-2-1/2-1-2
7:00 PM EST
Washington GK Aubrey Bledsoe has twice as many saves as the #2 on the list. She’s been having a good year, but probably would appreciate either some defensive help or the team’s weighty roster of offensive stars to begin producing. Mallory Pugh and Francesca Ordega both have marked two goals for the Spirit, but the team hasn’t played to potential. Chicago’s Sofia Huerta is the current POTW and, in the ongoing absence of Julie Ertz, Casey Short, and Stephanie McCaffrey (at least from regular duty) there may be a slight bump when last year’s MVP Samantha Kerr, fresh from international duty, makes her Chicago debut.

Orlando Pride v Seattle Reign FC
1-2-1/2-1-0
7:30 PM EST
Orlando earned their first win of the season last week against an underpowered Dash. This week they host playoff contender Seattle. Orlando, even counting Kerr in Chicago, may get the most bump from returning internationals to fill in an unproductive midfield. Sydney Leroux has been running wild as a holding striker, playing a two-way game that often gets her pulled too far out. Seattle’s Jess Fishlock is always dangerous, and with Megan Rapinoe out, they’ll need her to be at the top of her game to put pressure on a physical Orlando defense. Their pace could be the doom of Orlando in this one.

Utah Royals FC v Portland Thorns FC
0-1-3/2-1-1
9:00 PM EST
Utah’s draw-heavy record shows what a defense alone will get you in today’s NWSL. They’ve lacked any counter to the inevitable goal every team will give up on occasion, especially in the year of post-Breakers loaded rosters. Portland looks like the most well-rounded team again this year, with solid players everywhere on the field and Christine Sinclair leading the league in goals (4). They will give up goals, but they’ll also score them. Coach Laura Harvey said Utah GK Abby Smith is her #1, but Smith might be willing to share with Nicole Barnhart as this one winds along. Portland should have the rest of their internationals back. Utah will once again rely on the passing game trying to spring a speedy forward and eventually Becky Saurebrunn will carry the ball ¾ of the field and make us wonder why she doesn’t try that more, but it’s an uphill battle for Utah unless someone can score.

NWSL QuickCap 4: It’s Been a Long Week

Posted on by RJ Allen

North Carolina 1-0 Seattle
4-0-0/2-1-0

North Carolina has a 4-0-0 record and seven goals and I’m still inclined to discuss underperformance. Four goals came when needed against a scoring Spirit team, but the other three have been one-goal games, with two of those being late and very late by undervalued Jessica McDonald. Now they’ve handed Seattle their first loss (2-1-0) to stand atop the table. In the first of their games this week, Sam Mewis returned to action, and Abby Dahlkemper’s consecutive minutes streak, stretching back to Ye Olde Women’s League of 1865 came to an end.

Seattle were a blasé pinot gris without Megan Rapinoe. They had chances by Yanez and Dallstream, but couldn’t solve the backline of Erceg and rookie Kaleigh “Colonel” Kurtz, much less goalkeeper Sabrina DeAngelo. Kristen Hamilton had an assist and a yellow, which is a goal short of the McCall Zerboni Hat Trick. Michele Betos had four saves for Seattle.

Chicago 3-0 Houston
2-1-1/0-1-2

I was prepared to write that Chicago has been anemic, but Stephanie McCaffrey’s return might be a needed boost. Once again she was a late-game sub, plus the Red Stars scored two and benefited from an early own goal, and my predictive powers are, as that more popular pundit show says, suboptimal. In the seventh minute, Kristie Mewis beat her own keeper. Four disorganized minutes later, Lauren Kaskie put the Red Stars up two, and last remaining flagship star Sofia Huerta made it 3-0 in the 74th minute on a Colaprico assist. Each team has two yellows, so at least Houston is keeping pace in one category, but no shots on goal is a scary stat for them. The odd part is this was their first loss, 0-1-2, while Chicago rises to 2-1-1.

Portland 1-1 Washington
2-1-1/1-1-2

The stan review: Tobin’s back. Squuuuuueeeeeeeee.

The official review: Britt Eckerstrom started in net with Franch on the injury list. The first Washington goal, credited to Francisca Ordega (37′), involved roughly 45 Thorns players standing in the box staring at an errant deflection until it ended in the net. The Thorns tied it in first-half stoppage time on a Christine Sinclair PK following a Caprice Dydasco foul on Ifeoma Onumonu, who was a pressuring presence most of the game. Midge (I’m so old I can remember when she was “Margaret”) Purce was a constant threat on the outside for the Thorns, but their plans never played out. Washington keeper Aubrey Bledsoe saved a PK by Lindsay Horan later in the game to cement her credentials as “former backup.” Emily Sonnett is probably still yelling.

North Carolina 2-2 Utah
4-0-1/0-1-3

The goalkeeper howlers in this game defy my limited ability to report. Wait for your coach to play this game as a tutorial in how not to defend if you’d like. In the sixth minute, Merritt Mathias scored on a legit strike from somewhere near downtown Chapel Hill. That ended the reputable goals portion of this game. Utah tied it in the 52nd (Katie Stengel), pulled ahead in the 66th (Brittany Ratcliffe, who also had a yellow card on her McCall Zerboni Hat Trick attempt), and Crystal Alyssia Dunn tied it in the 80th. Seriously, though…if I’m relying on the NWSL website to report players how they would like to be reported, there needs to be some attention to the site using the right names. Apparently, Crystal Dunn has decided to use her middle name and the Brazilians have all added to their names. In less ranty news, Samantha Mewis returned for North Carolina after a long injury layoff, Abby Dahlkemper had a pregame profile that made me scared of toe injuries and both keepers will remain unnamed for their protection.

Chicago 1-1 Sky Blue Football Club of New Jersey
2-1-2/0-2-1

It’s major news that Sky Blue got their first point of the season and it’s utterly confusing how Chicago, coming off a 3-0 win and with Sofia Huerta scoring in the first minute ,ended up tying. Savannah McCaskill scored for SBFCNJ in the 78th minute, assisted by Katlyn Johnson who may or may not be the Mexican national mainstay Katie Johnson, given the similarity of the NWSL website rosters to Witness Protection portfolios. Chicago’s Alyssa Mautz continued her playmaking streak, assisting on Huerta’s goal. CSI:SBFCNJ:SUV midfielder Carli Lloyd gets unofficial credit for drawing attention away from McCaskill, freeing her for the shot. Alyssa Naeher had three saves for Chicago and Kailen Sheridan saved five for Sky Blue.

Orlando 1-0 Houston
1-2-1/0-2-2

Orlando gets their first win of the season on a 65th-minute Chioma Ubogagu header off a Christine Nairn free kick. Orlando pressured hard all game, pushing the ball forward to the waiting Alex Morgan or a hard-running two way Sydney Leroux. Orlando repeatedly pressed Kristie Mewis’s side without success, which was okay by me as that’s where I sat in the first half. Houston keeper Jane Campbell had a strong save on Ali Krieger late in the second off a corner kick. In returning player news, Kealia Ohai made her season debut for the last thirty, shaking free from a tight checking defense a couple of times, but not connecting on any chances.

Route Two Soccer: Bridging the Gap

Posted on by RJ Allen

Organizing a defense is hard, and the job gets even more difficult when you remember that preventing the other team from scoring is only half of the game. Today, I want to focus on the Washington Spirit, who got ripped apart by the North Carolina Courage last weekend. The problem for Washington is: there was no single actor at fault, no single point of contact to be addressed. Instead, their problems reflect a larger tactical dilemma.

Ultimately, the story is pretty simple. Having brought in a wealth of attacking talent, the team is overloaded up top without equivalent quality in the back. You can see from the back four against NC: Taylor Smith, Whitney Church, Estelle Johnson, and Caprice Dydasco. All quality players, but all players with severe limitations. In combination, this is a backline that can do a job but is never going to dominate the game. In particular, it’s a centerback pairing that is sorely lacking in pace.

Under those conditions, many teams will sit back, using their midfield as a secondary shield. The classic principle here is to establish ‘two banks of four’ spread across the field, with relatively little space in between the lines. The problem for Washington is: they don’t want to play a compact defensive game. Do so and you lose out on the value of those great attackers.

Unfortunately for them, there isn’t really a way to square this circle. Play your midfield further up, and you generate acres of space between the lines. That’s prime ground for the other team to attack. Observe:

Here, Sullivan is tracking a runner into that gap, but O’Sullivan, Dunn, and Mathias are all moving freely in open space. All it takes is one ball into that territory and the Spirit backline is put into an impossible decision. If a centerback steps forward to mark the ball carrier, she generates a gap behind her. If she drops back and tries to soak up the pressure, suddenly the whole team is trying to move backward at pace while holding their lines tight. That’s a tough job for anyone.

A few minutes later, we see another example of the problem. In this case, Washington is pushing high and its midfield has scattered. That’s fine if you have the ball, but once they lose possession, there’s no hope of resetting the defensive line. Therefore, in an effort to compress that open territory, the backline has also come high. The problem is: they are Not Fast—especially not the centerbacks. Meanwhile, the Carolina attackers have pace to burn. You can very much guess what happens next.

North Carolina breaks. A simple ball behind the defense, and everyone is off to the races. With most of the Spirit midfield effectively out of the equation, it’s now four Courage attackers against four defenders, with Sullivan hoping to catch up in time. NC is into the box within a few seconds, and attacking a defense that has not had time to set.

A nice touch from Williams takes Smith out of the equation. A slicing run from McDonald drags the centerbacks forward. Williams shoots, and the ball ricochets off Church (possibly a handball) right into the six-yard box. Sullivan has done her best to catch up to the play but is in no position to make a real clearance. Result: the ball falls to Dunn who buries her finish.

And this isn’t a one-time thing. Washington consistently faced this problem: big gaps that allowed Carolina to turn quickly and race into space—creating regular 4-on-4 breaks that were never going to end well.

Again, there’s no perfect solution to this problem. Washington doesn’t have the pace in back to sustain a high line, particularly not against a team like North Carolina. But if they sit back, they’ll concede possession and control, likely their best chance of turning the tables.

Ultimately, Washington is simply going to have to decide how they want to approach this topic. If they are committed to playing an expansive attacking game, they simply don’t have the personnel to fully cover their bases. That might be a sacrifice worth making, in which case the focus should be on developing techniques for limiting the damage.  One simple but necessary element: drilling the midfield to hold their lines more cleanly. That won’t resolve the problem, but could mitigate the effects.

At a deeper level, they should also seriously look into their team selection. Given the limitations of the backline, they would be best off using two true holding midfielders, whose job is to patrol that gap. In this game, they ostensibly played as a 4-3-3, which in reality was usually a 4-1-4-1. Committing more fully to the principle of a midfield shield and using a 4-2-3-1 would help a lot. That probably means using Tori Huster – who is a wizard at occupying space – but Rebecca Quinn could be another long-term solution, while Morgan Proffitt or Meggie Dougherty Howard might also fit the bill. Clearly, though, Joanna Lohman is not the answer. She is a national treasure, but was not well suited to this setup, and it showed on the night. Further back, Jim Gabarra has made very clear over the last several years that he trusts Church a great deal, and there are good reasons for that. Church is a smart player who extracts every possible measure of value out of her ability. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, her lack of pace is going to keep getting exposed unless they can find her a partner with the speed to cover those runs.

The Spirit have plenty of talent, but their naiveté showed against North Carolina. There’s no shame in losing to the Courage, of course, but they would do well to consider what went wrong, and to think seriously about how to organize this collection of excellent individual players into a sturdier defensive unit.

NWSL QuickCap 3: A Reign-y Weekend

Posted on by RJ Allen

Week three is in the books. Let’s get to it. 

Utah Royals 0-1 Chicago Red Stars

I thought about becoming a Utah fan, but then I remembered we can never be royals.

This game featured great defense by Utah, other than giving up a single goal to Danielle Colaprico in the 27th minute. It also featured no offense from Utah, meaning Chicago probably could have had at least a draw if they hadn’t shown up. Utah lead in fouls (10-6) and more notably in offsides (6-1).

Kelley O’Hara played the first half and Amy Rodriguez returned to the field in the 77th minute. Stephanie McCaffrey returned for Chicago, very late, which is something of note, I guess. I said a couple weeks ago that A-Rod couldn’t take over a game and I stand by that only because she didn’t, but with five more minutes I think she would have tied this one.

Washington Spirit 2-4 North Carolina Courage

Mallory Pugh opened the scoring at 3’ for Washington, then Crystal Dunn responded at 20’ and McCall Zerboni at 24’ and then everyone took a break on the scoring until the second half, just to toy with my prediction that this would be a high-scoring affair.

Zerboni scored again at 48’, Washington’s Francisca Ordega closed the gap in the 58th, and then Lynn Williams put it away at 66’. I think both teams could have scored more, but didn’t want to make the other franchises feel bad. I would have expected Zerboni to go for the Gordie Howe hat trick late in the second half.

Sky Blue FC 0-1 Seattle Reign

Seattle remained undefeated and very visible in uniforms that should have a sponsorship deal with Mountain Dew or toxic waste.

Megan Rapinoe converted a PK on an inexplicable hand ball in the early part of the first (6’ for the purists) but Kailen Sheridan saved a Jodie Taylor penalty in the 86th, plus a stunning stop on the follow up by Seattle’s Dallstream.

The majority of the stream, when not obscured by rain, featured Seattle possessing the ball and pounding away but never breaking through for a run-of-play goal. New Jersey put together some offense in streaky spurts but seems to be lacking cohesion at all areas of the pitch.

Portland Thorns 2-1 Orlando Pride

Chioma Ubogagu for the Pride at 20’, The Great Horan for the Thorns at 28’ and the ageless Christine Sinclair with the final scoring at 39’. Then they did a second half which featured the lack of an Orlando midfield, a lot of Thorns rolling around holding ankles (and laughing, if you’re Emily Sonnett), plus Sydney Leroux making a case for the Selke Trophy as best defensive forward.

Post-game stats say 54% possession for Portland but that is why statistics lie, because I watched the game and don’t think Orlando ever had the ball, apart from rebounding shots and passing them back out to Thorns players.

NWSL QuickLook Week 3

Posted on by RJ Allen

I’m starting to think Australians aren’t ever coming back.

Utah Royals vs. Chicago Red Stars – 4/14 @ 3:30pm ET

Utah: 0-0-2

Chicago: 0-1-1

The Lifetime Game of the Week Sandwiched Between Less Appealing Movies will feature perennial contender FCKC-Plus-O’Hara vs No-Really-We’re-Contenders-This-Time-Chicago.

Perhaps no game would benefit more from the return of Australians than this one, as Utah looks forward to improving markedly with the addition of Katrina Gorry. Chicago, meanwhile, is missing former savior of New Jersey Sam Kerr, too, I guess, if you’re into that sort of thing. ARod, Kelley O’Hara, Casey Short, and Julie Ertz, if they are still out, will have a majority of the payroll and the star power as spectators, but both teams have had unexpected scoring.

Chicago’s Sofia Huerta leads the league in assists (2) and Alyssa Mautz is tied for the league lead in goals (2).

Washington Spirit vs. NC Courage – 4/14 @ 7pm ET

Washington: 1-1-0

North Carolina: 2-0-0

Samantha Mewis and Rose Lavelle are still on the injury report, but if any team can survive a marquee player’s absence, it’s the Courage.

Washington’s Ashley Hatch is only one of two players in the league with a goal and an assist, and Washington is the only team with three different goal scorers. The young and balanced attack may balance a less notable defense, which has keeper Aubrey Bledsoe leading the league in saves with 14 (six more than the next.) North Carolina has two 1-0 wins but really should be putting more on frame from towers of power McDonald and Williams. This could be an offensive shootout that puts players from both teams ahead on the league leaders list, or Bledsoe and Sabrina D’Angelo could set saves records.

Sky Blue FC vs. Seattle Reign – 4/15 @ 5pm ET

Sky Blue: 0-1-0

Seattle: 1-0-0

Megan Rapinoe leads the league in shots at 11, with the rest of the Reign adding eight more. Are they relying too much on her or is she a powerhouse that’s making a case for MVP again this year? Sky Blue only appears on the League Leaders list for yellow cards, but their young cast has to click and produce at some point, right? Keeper Michelle Betos has looked to be in standard form in her return to the NWSL, while Kailen Sheridan remains in the mix as one of Canada’s best young players.

Portland Thorns vs. Orlando Pride – 4/15 @ 6pm ET

Portland: 1-1-0

Orlando: 0-1-1

I have tickets to the Orlando game next week, so naturally, this game will be the one where everyone gets hurt and the league contracts the team. Ashlyn Harris and the defense have fueled stan attention (that puppy, though) and looked solid, but the Alex Morgan/Marta/Sydney Leroux powerhouse Cerberus of scoring has yet to melt other teams (and Marta is still on international duty, anyway). Portland, in front of future Best XI keeper Adrianna Franch, is still a massive collection of talent, with ageless Christine Sinclair tied for the league lead in goals—yet this roster needs more than Sinclair and Horan scoring.

Great Moments In the NWSL: The Flash Face The Thorns in the 2016 Playoffs

Posted on by RJ Allen

It was destined to be a great match in Portland. With over 20,000 fans stuffed into Providence Park, the Portland Thorns were hoping for a smooth road to the championship match. They had won the Supporters Shield with 12 wins and 41 points, just edging out the Washington Spirit. No NWSL team had yet won the Shield and the championship in the same season; the Thorns were looking to be the first. 

Meanwhile, the Western New York Flash came into the match as the underdog. They finished the season fourth on the table with 32 points, barely holding off the Seattle Reign to qualify for the playoffs. While they had looked good at various times throughout the season, and had remained within the playoff bracket for most of the year, it was going to be a tough task to take down the Shield winners.

As soon as the match kicked off, fan predictions started to fall into place. The Thorns had an excellent chance within the first minute of the match. Sabrina D’Angelo—the goalkeeper for the Flash—came out to clear the ball and botched it. Thankfully for the Flash, Mewis ran in and provided the clearance. It was a close call for Western New York. The message was clear: these teams weren’t fooling around.

The game broke open in the 16th minute. After a long throw-in from Jess McDonald, the ball bounced around in the 18-yard box before finding the foot of Sam Mewis. She slammed the ball into the back of the net and much to everyone’s surprise, the Flash took an early 1-0 lead.

But the scoring was far from over. The Flash found their second goal of the match when Jess McDonald crossed the ball into the 18-yard box. She connected with Makenzy Doniak, who headed the ball into the back of the net for Western New York’s second goal. 

The Flash didn’t have long to celebrate. One minute later, the Thorns sent a long ball down field. Christine Sinclair turned with the ball, beating her defender, and with one step shot the ball into the corner of the net. To make matters worse for the Flash, head coach Paul Riley made physical contact with the fourth official after the Thorns’ goal and was ejected from the game. With their ringmaster sent off and their clean sheet forfeited, the Flash finished the half with a 2-1 lead and a determination to hold on. 

The Flash had a couple of good shots early in the second half, but Thorns keeper Michelle Betos kept them off the scoreboard. She made a couple of incredible saves, showing why she was considered one of the best in the league. Still, it wasn’t enough to just keep the Flash out; Portland still needed at least one goal to force extra time—two if they wanted to win in regulation. 

In the 78th minute, the Thorns got what they needed. Tobin Heath sent a long ball into the box on a free kick for the Thorns. D’Angelo came out to get the ball, but she didn’t get control. The ball bounced around in the box before falling at the feet of Emily Sonnett, who gave Portland their equalizer. 

At the 90th minute, the match was still tied 2-2. That meant 30 more minutes of play. And regulation was nothing compared to what was waiting in extra time.

In the 98th minute, the Flash found their third goal of the match. Similar to their first goal, the ball came off of a long throw-in from Jess McDonald. Mewis then flicked the ball over to Lynn Williams. The 2016 Golden Boot winner kept the ball on the ground, but got enough power to slide it past a few defenders and past the fingertips of Michelle Betos. The Flash now had a 3-2 lead. 

But that wasn’t the last time we saw the Mewis-Williams combination. Six minutes later, the Flash came charging down the field with Sam Mewis in the middle. She passed the ball to Williams in the box, who was quicker than her defender. She sent the ball into the back of the net for her second goal of the match and the Flash’s fourth. Providence Park was silent. 

Once again, the Thorns bounced back quickly. Just a few minutes later, Portland defender Meghan Klingenberg sent the ball into the 18-yard box. It bounced off the head of Dagny Brynjarsdottir and landed in front of Horan, who slotted the ball back for Portland’s third goal of the match. Horan immediately picked up the ball and ran back to the line. The Thorns still had a lot of work to do.

In one of the final plays of the game, the Thorns nearly found their equalizer. Sonnett sent a desperate long ball towards the Flash goal.  D’Angelo tried to punch it out, but she missed. Horan got her head on the ball, and nearly put it away, but Abby Dalhkemper cleared it off the line. A few seconds later, the final whistle blew. 

Seven goals. Six yellow cards. A head coach ejected from the match. The Western New York Flash defeated the regular season champs 4-3 and went on to win the 2016 NWSL Championship. In the offseason, they would be sold to an ownership group in North Carolina and transformed into the North Carolina Courage.

In 2017, the tables would turn, when the Courage made it back to the championship only to lose to—you guessed it—the Portland Thorns.