Category: Analysis

The Game Changers: Week 23

Posted on by Backline Soccer

The Game Changers is a weekly series looking at the most important results each week. Each section will look at one team and how its win, loss, or draw impacts the season.

As we enter the final weeks of the NWSL season, the playoffs are starting to take shape. Two teams have already clinched playoff spots: the North Carolina Courage (who also clinched the NWSL Shield) and the Chicago Red Stars. The Portland Thorns haven’t clinched yet, but they sit in the No. 3 spot, eight points ahead of the No. 4 Utah Royals and the No. 5 Seattle Reign. The Utah Royals and Reign FC continue to battle it out for that final spot; the two teams are currently tied on points, with the Utah Royals currently sitting in the final playoff spot due to goal differential. These two teams still have everything left to fight for. Here is a full breakdown of this week’s results. 

North Carolina Courage vs. Houston Dash (1-0)

Chicago Red Stars vs. Washington Spirit (3-1)

Utah Royals vs. North Carolina Courage (0-3)

Reign FC vs. Sky Blue FC (0-1)

Portland Thorns vs. Houston Dash (1-0)

North Carolina Courage clinch the NWSL Shield.

The North Carolina Courage earned two wins in Week 23, but it was their 3-0 victory over the Utah Royals where they clinched the NWSL Shield for the third year in a row. The two teams were relatively even in terms of shots and shots on goal. But it was the Courage who found the back of the net three times, starting with a goal from Samantha Mewis in the 30th minute. Mewis stepped up to take a penalty for her side after Kristen Hamilton was taken down in the box. She slotted the ball into the left corner to give the Courage the lead. Jaelene Hinkle and Debinha scored back-to-back goals in the 65th and 70th minute to put the game away for North Carolina. 

The Courage haven’t looked as strong in 2019 as they did in 2018, but they still managed to come out as the strongest team in the NWSL regular season. And they certainly look strong heading into the NWSL playoffs. They’ve won their last six games in a row. Can anyone stop them?

The Chicago Red Stars dominate Washington to clinch a playoff spot.

The Chicago Red Stars clinched a playoff spot this week, dominating the Washington Spirit in a 3-1 defeat. Sam Kerr opened up scoring in the 9th minute, launching her shot over the outstretched arms of Aubrey Bledsoe for her 17th goal of the season. Yuki Nagasato made it 2-0 less than fifteen minutes later, finishing off a pass from Kerr. In the 32nd minute, it looked like the Spirit might get an opportunity to get a goal back, but Alyssa Naeher stopped a penalty kick from Chloe Logarzo. Kerr sealed the game for the Red Stars in the 49th minute with her 18th goal of the season, finishing off a beautiful pass from Yuki Nagasato and beating both the Spirit defenders and goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe. The Spirit got a late goal from Mallory Pugh, but it didn’t have much of an impact on the match.

Sam Kerr has now scored 18 goals this season, beating her own record for the most goals scored in an NWSL season. Yuki Nagasto leads the league in assists, with eight on the year. And the Red Stars have won their last four games, scoring at least three goals in three out of those four matches. Could this be the year they finally make it to the NWSL Final? 

The Portland Thorns are one step closer to clinching.

The Portland Thorns didn’t clinch a playoff spot this week. But they came one step closer with a 1-0 win over the Houston Dash. Even though the Thorns appeared to dominate in nearly every statistical category, it was the lone goal from Tobin Heath that lifted them above the Dash. In the 48th minute, Horan was able to slide a pass to the feet of Tobin Heath, who directed the ball into the left corner to give Portland the lead. With that goal, Portland took one more step towards the postseason.

With Reign FC and the Utah Royals losing their games this week, Portland appears to be in a solid position to make it to the playoffs. Which really just leaves one more question mark. Will it be Reign FC or the Utah Royals who have a chance to compete for the title? 

 

FIFA, Iran, and the death of the “Blue Girl”

Posted on by Backline Soccer

Last week, Iranian football made global headlines when Sahar Khodayari, known as the “Blue Girl,” died. The 29-year-old fan of Tehranian club Esteghlal appeared in court on September 2nd and told she could face up to six months in prison. 

Her crime? Attending a soccer match.

In March, Khodayari was arrested when she attempted to enter Tehran’s Azadi stadium to watch Esteghlal, but was caught by officials. In Iran, women are banned from attending men’s soccer matches. After Khodayari appeared in court and was told of her possible sentence, she set herself on fire outside of the courthouse. She died from her injuries last week. 

Iran’s policy and the activism challenging it 

Women have been banned from attending soccer matches in Iran since the country became an Islamic Republic following the 1979 revolution. The message from Iran’s government is that soccer matches are not pure spaces and women should not be exposed to those environments. 

Activists fighting against this ban came to global attention during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, although their battle has been going on much longer than that. Iran qualified for the 2018 tournament and women from Iran traveled to the games in Russia. Their mere presence was a statement, but the women also spoke to media and flew banners highlighting their plight. 

Women are regularly detained for attempting to go to matches in Iran. In fact, when FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended the Tehran Derby at Azadi Stadium, 35 women and girls were detained for attempting to enter the stadium. These women have protested inside and outside of prisons, desperately trying to make their voices heard. And in 2018, many of those voices were heard all over the world.

Solidarity for Sahar

Women’s and men’s soccer teams within Iran and around the world have expressed their sorrow over Khodayari’s death and their solidarity with Iranian women. Esteghlal and their main rivals, Persepolis, held a minute’s silence following Iran’s death. Esteghlal issued a statement, which read in part, “She supported us despite the politics made it illegal for her, but what can we do to support her? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. We are cowards.” 

The sentiment was echoed by the Iran football captain, Masoud Shojaei, who said, “Shame on me for not having been able to do anything and shame on those who took away the most obvious right from Sahar and all Sahars.” 

It is likely that Masoud and the Tehranian clubs took great personal risk to make these statements.

Scrolling through social media feeds for OpenStadiums, the campaign of Iranian women fighting for their right to attend matches, you can see some of the support pouring out from women’s teams. Hedvig Lindhal, Hope Solo, and others reposted a petition intended to put pressure on Iran. Clubs from Norway, Italy, and elsewhere wore blue armbands or held up blue pieces of paper. 

For many in the women’s soccer world, this tragedy was a reminder of how strong misogyny still is and how much there still is to fight for.

FIFA’s inaction is wrong. And it’s costing lives. 

In the wake of Khodayari’s death, FIFA has faced a lot of criticism. This criticism is, in my opinion, completely warranted. 

FIFA has been working with Iran to try to get women into stadiums. But Khodayari’s death makes it clear that FIFA isn’t doing enough. FIFA laws state that “Discrimination of any kind… is strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.” The tools are there for them to use more than words to put pressure on Iran, but instead, they have allowed the country to slowly and vaguely move towards progress.

And why didn’t FIFA do more to get women who had been arrested out of prison? Masoud Shojaei’s sister, Maryam, wrote eight letters to FIFA since Khodayari was charged, begging them to lift the ban. When she didn’t get a response, she presented a 200,000-signature petition to FIFA at their headquarters. But Maryam says no one took her seriously. 

FIFA’s course of action should be clear. If Iran does not allow women to attend their matches, FIFA should bar them from participating in the 2022 World Cup qualifications and prohibit them from receiving other benefits that come from FIFA membership. 

Iran appears to be moving towards allowing women in stadiums as soon as the first qualifiers in October. But they have promised this before. How many other women must die before FIFA will take a stand? 

The world is watching. 

If you want to support the women of Iran, you can follow the OpenStadiums movement on Twitter at the handle @OpenStadiums. 

 

The Game Changers: Week 22

Posted on by Backline Soccer

The Game Changers is a weekly series looking at the most important results each week. Each section will look at one team and how its win, loss, or draw impacts the season.

With only a few games left in the NWSL regular season, the race for the final spot in the playoffs is heating up. The North Carolina Courage, Chicago Red Stars, and Portland Thorns have separated themselves from the rest, with five points separating No. 3 Portland from No. 4 Utah Royals. But Utah and Reign FC are currently tied on points, with only goal differential lifting Utah into the playoffs at the moment. The race for the Supporters’ Shield also remains competitive, with North Carolina launching themselves into the No. 1 spot this weekend. Here is a full breakdown of the matches from Week 22. 

Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Red Stars (0-1)

Portland Thorns vs. North Carolina Courage (0-6)

Houston Dash vs. Utah Royals (2-1)

North Carolina Courage vs. Orlando Pride (6-1)

Washington Spirit vs. Reign FC (2-2)

Sky Blue FC vs. Chicago Red Stars (0-3)

North Carolina scores 12 goals in two games. 

North Carolina had a very impressive Week 22. But even more impressive than a 6-1 win over the lowest ranked team in the NWSL was North Carolina’s 6-0 victory over the Portland Thorns at Providence Park. Not only did North Carolina manage to get this result on the road, but they did it against one of the top teams in the league.

As North Carolina often does, this game was highlighted by two bursts of goals. The first happened when the Courage scored three goals between the 15th minute and the 24th minute, including two goals from Lynn Williams. Two more goals came between the 61st and the 68th minutes, including the goal that completed Williams’ hat trick. And Kristen Hamilton topped things off with a goal of her own in the 89th minute.

North Carolina hasn’t been as good this season as they were last year. But this looks like a team that can win a Supporters’ Shield and maybe add another championship to their collection of accolades.

 Chicago Red Stars extend to three-game win streak.

The Chicago Red Stars have been hit-and-miss this season. But they’ve managed to get hot at just the right time, extending to a three-game win streak after victories over the Orlando Pride and Sky Blue. They currently sit in the No. 2 spot in the NWSL Standings, two points behind the North Carolina Courage. They also have two fewer games left to play.  But, if the Chicago Red Stars continue playing like this, they could also be looking at adding a trophy or two to their collection. 

In their match against Sky Blue, Chicago got a goal apiece from Morgan Brian (her first NWSL goal) and Sam Kerr in the first half. Sky Blue actually had more shots and more shots on goal, but six critical saves from Alyssa Naeher and a second-half insurance goal from Yuki Nagasato gave Chicago the win. 

Washington Spirit hold Reign FC to a draw at Audi Field.

The Washington Spirit played their second game of the 2019 season at Audi Field on Saturday night. The crowd of over 17,000 was treated to some late drama — the game was 1-1 going into stoppage time, but a 90th minute goal from Chloe Logarzo gave Washington the lead. But Ifeoma Onumonu snatched away the Spirit’s dreams of a second win in the District when she equalized just two minutes later. In doing so, she also earned her team a critical point in the playoff race. 

The Spirit attracted over 19,000 fans to their first match at Audi Field and over 17,000 to their second match a few weeks later. They treated fans to a win over the Orlando Pride in their first match and a draw against Reign FC in their second. Surely, this team has made their case for playing full-time at Audi Field. If those dreams come to fruition, it would be massive for both the Spirit organization and the NWSL as a whole. 

 

Route Two Soccer: Chicago’s Win Over Houston Bodes Well for Their End-of-Season Hopes

Posted on by Backline Soccer

It’s been a puzzling season for the Chicago Red Stars. They were supposed to dominate during the World Cup break, when they held onto most of their key players even as all the other top teams were decimated. But they struggled mightily during that period. Then they came out of the World Cup break on fire, reeling off five consecutive wins, only to turn around and lose back-to-back games to the two worst teams in the league.

Looking at the roster, they should easily make the playoffs. And yet here they are, right in the thick of a tough race over the final month.

It’s always hard to make predictions about this team, but on the evidence of this weekend’s performance against Houston, they might just have kicked things back into gear at the key time. It was an accomplished, comprehensive, and thoroughly dominant result, and a demonstration of just how good this Red Stars team has the potential to be.

As I flagged last week, Chicago has faced significant problems this year in the central defense, and that was addressed directly by coach Rory Dames’s lineup as the two best center backs on the roster were finally moved back into the central defense. Julie Ertz and Tierna Davidson bring a huge amount of value in their other roles, so it’s certainly not an easy choice to place them at center back. But for a team struggling to keep a tight ship, it made sense.

To some extent, the change was informed by the opponent. The Dash are one of the league’s weakest teams at building play through the middle, making it far easier for Chicago to get by without Ertz in the holding role to break up possession. Where they do pose a threat is in quick counters and out wide. Dames countered this by matching the ever-adaptable Casey Short up against Kealia Ohai, and by using the lightning-fast Sarah Gorden on the opposite flank. This arrangement shored up the middle by removing the shaky Katie Naughton, and strengthened the wide defense.

It also had an additional advantage: with Ertz and Davidson at center back, Chicago were ideally suited to pass through and around a scurrying Houston press. Few, if any, central defenders in the league are as comfortable on the ball as this pair. If the Dash are closing down Morgan Brian or Dani Colaprico coming for the ball, it was very easy for Davidson or Ertz to simply dribble forward to create new angles.

The only real danger here was overconfidence. At times, Chicago seemed to double down so much on beating the press that they played themselves into danger. But once they found their rhythm, it was extremely comfortable for the Red Stars to build from the back.

And this set the tone for the whole game. Chicago didn’t dominate possession, nor did they play a tiki-taka style. Instead, they held possession comfortably while drawing the Dash forward, and then pounced, moving the ball quickly into space. You can see it from the goals.

For the first, Morgan Brian received the ball around the halfway line, picked her head up and saw a clear, direct vertical line. One beautifully weighted pass, a single touch from Kerr, and Chicago scored. The whole move took 8 seconds.

For the second, Davidson intercepted a pass, found Nagasato in tons of space, who passed to Kerr, who dropped the ball back to DiBernardo. In those few seconds, Nagasato had raced forward and was now ready to receive another simple, lovely vertical pass from DiBernardo. She then slid the ball between two converging defenders to Kerr, who let it roll and then unleashed a shot. Five passes in about 12 seconds. 2-0.

For the third, Naeher gathered the ball, passed to Brian, who advanced it to Colaprico, who sent it back to Davidson, who found Short out wide. Short received the ball well behind the halfway line, had time to watch the forward runs, and launched a ball over the top. McCaskill ran it down, beating Amber Brooks who inexplicably let it roll, and shinned it past the keeper and into the net. Five passes in 15 seconds. 3-0.

This is what we’ve been expecting from Chicago for so long. They have the personnel to attack with lightning speed and precision. Not because their players are particularly pacey, but because of their collective ability to pick out passes, isolate defenders, and capitalize on space.

Obviously, it doesn’t hurt to have Sam Kerr leading the attack. We all know how good she is, and yet her conversion rates continue to astound.

But this is by no means a one-woman show. After a poor start to the season, Yuki Nagasato is back in good form. Dani Colaprico also seems to have righted the ship and found some of the precision that usually defines her game. But perhaps the most important cog in the machine is Morgan Brian. After several lost years between 2016 and 2018, it’s now been roughly a year that she’s been mostly fit and very good. But her performances over the past few weeks are another step above. She still might never get back to where she was at the end of 2015, but for the first time in a very long time, it feels like she’s back in the conversation for being one of the best midfielders in the league. Her calm possession and incredible field vision are critical to this style of play, and if she can keep it up, it could be the difference that finally earns Chicago that playoff victory they’ve been seeking for so long.

Nothing is set in stone. Chicago have looked great before, only to fall away just as they seemed to be poised to grab hold of the league. And while they could afford to live without Ertz against the relatively frail Houston midfield, they might not have that luxury against a team like Portland or North Carolina. And for all the great performances lately, they haven’t been getting the best from Vanessa DiBernardo, another key player who looks like she’s carrying some significant nagging injuries.

So everything could very well still fall apart. But if anyone can disrupt the duopoly at the top of the league, Chicago is probably your best bet. If they can continue to play like this, they can beat anyone.

Route Two Soccer: Handicapping the NWSL Playoff Race

Posted on by Backline Soccer

The NWSL regular season concludes in a little over five weeks. That’s five more weeks for teams to sort themselves. Who will host home playoffs? Who will end up on the outside looking in?

A few weeks ago, it looked like things might end up finishing with more of a whimper than a bang, but thanks to some compelling results, we’re in for a bumpy ride, with every spot in the table still up for grabs. This column will assess the chances for each of the teams still in the race.

1. Portland Thorns (36 points) 

(at Utah, North Carolina, Houston, at Reign, Washington)

The Thorns are in the pole position, with a five point lead over North Carolina. The Courage do have two games in hand, and a head-to-head clash with the Thorns still on the calendar, so the lead certainly isn’t safe. But those points already in the bank are critical, and (with a 9 point lead over the fifth place Reign) they’re probably the only team in the league that’s effectively locked up a playoff spot.

The emergence of Midge Purce as a major goal-scoring threat has been the story of the season, but the fate of the Thorns ultimately still depends more on the old guard than anyone else. Can Christine Sinclair keep defying time, can Tobin Heath find her top level more consistently, can Emilys Sonnett and Menges continue to hold down the backline? Those are the key questions for the Thorns. Keep the engine running, and the goals will keep pouring in.

The only ‘problem’ for Portland is that they’re facing a pretty tough run-in. Four of their five remaining matches are against playoff contenders. Still, the way they’ve been playing, there’s no reason to expect them to falter. It’s hard to bet against North Carolina closing the gap, but I expect Portland to barely hold them off and take home the Shield.

2. North Carolina Courage (31 points)

(at Sky Blue, at Portland, Orlando, Houston, at Utah, at Washington, Sky Blue)

When everyone is at full strength, North Carolina is the best team in the league. We saw clear evidence of that last year, and even this year’s slightly-diminished version of the squad has still shown the ability to dominate the league. Still, they’ve dug themselves into a bit of a hole, and will have to work pretty quickly to get back out if they want to top the table once again. Their run-in isn’t especially tough in terms of opponents—with games against the four bottom teams on the list. But those first five games come at a breakneck pace—spaced out over just 15 days in mid-September.

If everyone can stay fresh, and if coach Paul Riley can work his secondary players into the lineup effectively, they should come out of that period with a playoff spot locked down. And they might even have retaken first place from the Thorns. But that’s a big if. This is a team that’s played a lot of soccer in the past year, and is facing a number of minor ailments.

The strike force should be fine. The only real problem is figuring out how to get enough minutes for all the options, with Lynn Williams, Jess McDonald, and Kristen Hamilton all deserving starters. The crunch of matches will simply allow for some necessary rotation.

The midfield, however, is a bigger question mark. Over the past two dominant years, Riley has shown a clear preference for a 4222 box midfield, which relies heavily on the high work rates of Sam Mewis and McCall Zerboni in the deeper positions. But Zerboni has recently seen more time as a substitute, and Denise O’Sullivan can’t cover quite the same ground as a replacement. Can Carolina continue to play the same way—in order to get as much time on the ball as possible for Crystal Dunn and Debinha—or will Riley be forced to tinker with his system?

It would be extremely surprising if North Carolina didn’t end up hosting a home playoff match. But given the issues they’ve faced trying to maintain the delicate balance of their system, you’d probably have to bet on them dropping some points between now and October. And that might put the Shield out of their reach.

3. Chicago Red Stars (29 points)

(Houston, at Orlando, at Sky Blue, Washington, Utah)

This team is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. Look at their roster, and it’s hard to understand how they’re not topping the table. Watch them when everything is clicking, and it’s hard to understand how they ever lose a game to anyone. With Sam Kerr and Yuki Nagasato, they have arguably the best strikeforce in the league. With Julie Ertz, Morgan Brian, Dani Colaprico, and Vanessa DiBernardo, they have arguably the best midfield in the league. Their goalkeeper is the number one for the US team. Casey Short has been the best defender in the league this year.

So why are they mired in third place? How did they win five in a row, and then fall to the two worst teams in the league? I see three plausible explanations.

First, injuries. Most of this team is banged up. While that midfield quartet are incredibly impressive, they have also faced some niggling problems that keep them from playing every game. And when they do play, they’re generally not 100%. The Red Stars haven’t faced the kind of devastating injury procession suffered by the Reign, but persistent low-grade problems take their toll.

Second, tactics. With a high-octane creative midfield, and with strikers capable of linking play, this team should be regularly out-passing the opposition. But with some limited exceptions, that hasn’t really been the case. Far too often, the team slows down and reverts to the strategy of kicking long balls to Kerr and hoping for some magic. Kerr is good enough that this sometimes works, but it’s far less than Chicago ought to have on offer, given the talent they can put out there.

Third, the central defense. The Red Stars have three world class centerbacks, neither of whom have spent much time in the position. There’s a good reason for that. Ertz is also a world-class midfielder and arguably better used in that position. While Tierna Davidson has increasingly looked like a long-term fit at left back, and Casey Short is one of the world’s best right backs. But while there are good reasons for the choice, there’s no denying that Chicago have looked mighty fragile in the critical central positions. Sarah Gorden has had an excellent year there, and is a serviceable replacement. But she’s also not quite at the level of the world’s very best. And Katie Naughton has had a very tough year, after some excellent work in previous seasons. Put it all together, and you have a team that’s conceded 26 goals—third-most in the league.

Can Chicago fix these problems? I really have no idea. It wouldn’t surprise me if they reel off another run of wins to shoot up the table. And it also wouldn’t surprise me if they struggle enough to put playoff qualification in doubt. But they only have five games left, which doesn’t leave them a lot of margin for error.

4. Utah Royals (28 points)

(Portland, at Houston, at Reign, North Carolina, at Chicago, Houston)

It’s been a tale of two halves for Utah this year. Of the eight games with Christen Press, they’ve won five and drawn two, accounting for 17 of their 28 total points. In ten games without her, they’ve only managed 11 points. Basically, without Press they’re a contender for the bottom of the table. With her, they’re a contender for the Shield. That’s just how good she’s been this year.

Fortunately for Utah, Press appears to be healthy and ready to go for the final month. That’s going to be crucial for a team with only six goal-scorers on the whole season. They’ll need Press and Amy Rodriguez to continue working together well, and will also need some of the secondary attackers to provide a bit more.

The other key for Utah is their defensive core. The Royals have the best defense in the league, even in a year when Rachel Corsie hasn’t looked her best and Becky Sauerbrunn is starting to wear down a bit. That’s a testament to the organization instilled by coach Laura Harvey, and to the tireless efforts of Desiree Scott patrolling the midfield.

Utah have a tough schedule, with matches against the other four top playoff challengers, but in some sense that’s an advantage. At a minimum, it puts their chances in their own hands. Win a few of those games, and they’ll not only get the points they need, they’ll deny critical points to their competitors.

5. Reign FC (27 points)

(Orlando, at Washington, Utah, Sky Blue, Portland, at Orlando)

It’s astonishing that the Reign are still hanging around the playoff race given the absurd injury list they’ve suffered this year. Coach Vlatko Andonovski deserves a lot of credit for holding this team together with bubble gum and some bits of string, for aggressively working the transfer market to bring in replacements, and for getting the absolute most from a series of useful-but-limited players.

The big question mark here is Megan Rapinoe. If she can come back, and play like she did in 2018, that might well be enough to muscle the Reign into the playoffs. But if she can’t return, or if she struggles to work back to form, it’s hard to tell where the goals are going to come from.

The Reign have—out of necessity—adopted a bunch of tactical innovations this year. The most recent iteration came against North Carolina, with the Reign choosing a 4321 Christmas tree formation. It was an interesting idea, but more a matter of desperation than desirability. In this formation, Rosie White and Bethany Balcer operated as the two attacking mids. And while they did their best, it’s simply not a position where either is likely to find much success. It made for a toothless attack, and a defensive core that worked hard but were never going to be able to withstand the relentless pressure.

Will we see further innovations as the Reign move on to face some weaker opponents? Most likely. Will it be enough to secure some critical victories? It’s very hard to say. Far be it for me to bet against Vlatko, but it will most likely take some additional wizardry for them to sneak one of those final playoff spots.

Keep a close eye on that September 18 match against Utah. These could easily end up being the two teams vying for that final playoff spot, and the head-to-head record is dead-even right now. A win their could be the key to a Reign playoff appearance. Anything less, and they might end up on the outside looking in.

6. Washington Spirit (25 points)

(Reign, at Chicago, at Houston, North Carolina, at Orlando, at Portland)

Washington sit three points out of the playoff spots, trailing two teams. With six games left, that’s plenty of time to make up the gap. But it’s going to be mighty tough to implement in practice. The Spirit have a very tough run-in, with away matches against Portland and Chicago, in addition to games against the Reign and North Carolina. They’ll probably need to get at least six points from those four games if they’ll have any hope of making the playoffs, and that’s a big ask.

At the same time, this is a team that’s managed to stick around in the playoff race all season despite getting a mere combined eight appearances from Rose Lavelle and Mallory Pugh. If they can get their young playmakers back, and see them work with fellow young standout Andi Sullivan, there’s no reason to think the Spirit can’t hang offensively with anyone in the league.

The big question, then, is whether the defense can continue to hold together. It’s astonishing that they’ve held up as well as they have—given a backline filled with rookies in a league where even very talented young defenders have generally struggled to adapt. If Sam Staab and Paige Nielsen can continue to hold the line, and if Aubrey Bledsoe can continue her excellent form, the Spirit might just be able to give themselves a chance to sneak that final playoff spot.

I wouldn’t bet on it, and they really don’t have much margin for error. But it’s a great sign that they’re still within shouting distance at this point.

The rest

In seventh place, the Houston Dash aren’t technically out of the running. But they have an exceptionally tough set of remaining fixtures (with five of the six matches against teams currently in the playoff spots), and would probably need at least four wins from those matches. Given their current form, it’s far more likely that they’ll get further away from the playoff spots than that they’ll close the gap.

Meanwhile, after the horrible race to the bottom between Sky Blue and Washington last year, it’s nice to see the two trailing teams playing some decent soccer. Orlando and Sky Blue could each easily play spoiler to some of the playoff hopefuls, and (given that tough Houston run-in) could conceivably shoot for 7th place. Given how horribly they both started the season, that’s real progress.

Kristen Hamilton Is Not Throwing Away Her Shot

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Not many people have quite the auspicious start to their professional career like Hamilton. Orphaned as a child in the Caribbean – wait wrong Hamilton.

Let me start over.

Her name is Kristen Hamilton and just like her team, she’s lean, mean with high esteem.

Hamilton was a star forward at University of Denver, starting almost every game. She earned a number of accolades, including NSCAA First Team All-American, Summit League Offensive Player of the Year and a MAC Hermann Semifinalist. She left Denver as the all-time leader in goals with a staggering 51. She entered the 2014 NWSL draft and was picked dead last by the Flash, but you know what they say.

In New York, you can be a new woman.

Hamilton didn’t have the smooth start to her professional career that she hoped. In a preseason game in March, she tore her ACL and MCL, beginning the first of a series of setbacks. Tearing your ACL is almost every athlete’s worse nightmare. You can either make a full recovery or fall short and have to make some serious decisions you weren’t prepared for. In interview given to the YouTube channel ‘theACLclub’ in 2016, Hamilton talks about her injury and what her recovery process was like, mentioning how the hardest part was not being able to walk six weeks before and after her surgery.

In the eye of a hurricane, there is quiet. And in that quiet, Hamilton found the strength to go through her recovery, trusting the process and her faith in God. She made a full recovery, impressing Flash Head Coach Aaran Lines, who was all too happy to have Hamilton back on the squad. She would come on as a sub in extra time during the 2016 NWSL Championship and exit as a Champion.

Hard work and determination – they get the job done.

After working her back up to full fitness and biding her time on the bench, Hamilton would get her first start in June 2017 against the Boston Breaker. With both Lynn Williams and Jess McDonald out due to injury, new head coach Paul Riley had to pick a new right-hand man. Looking over his bench, thinking to himself he needed someone who would know what to do in the trench, someone who had such resilience and would match his tactical brilliance. And who better…. than Kristen Hamilton.

Hamilton stepped onto the pitch and scored a brace within 13 minutes. The first of many. Though she would continue to be a super sub, she would get another chance and replace the injured Debinha in the 2017 NWSL Semifinal game. She earned the start for the following Championship game before facing yet another setback in the form of an injury in the 39thminute. It was reported to be an MCL tear, something she know had experience in.

Playing her way out of her injury, Hamilton would have a quiet 2018, starting 8 games and super subbing for 15. She would sub on in the second of the NWSL final, gaining another Championship ring.

But in 2019, Kristen Hamilton would finally rise above her station. With the World Cup about to begin, she wouldn’t take a break or say no to this. Knowing that Jess McDonald would be gone, and Williams needed a strike partner, Hamilton was not throwing away her shot.

June would prove to be HER month as she piled the pain on the Orlando Pride and scored her first hat trick. Even though it hurt to watch Hamilton dismantle my team single handily, it was hard to deny how beautiful her goals were. A month later in July, Hamilton tied an NWSL record and scored four goals against the Houston Dash.

Man, the woman is nonstop.

As the World Cup raged on, Kristen Hamilton began collecting NWSL awards, winning Player of the Week three games in seven games. At the end of July, she was named Player of the Month after the way she destroyed Houston’s will to live and scored a breathtaking half volley against Utah.

Hamilton is now a powerhouse player in her own right, showing the world just who is she and overcoming injury after injury. As it stands right now, Hamilton has 8 goals, 3 assists and 17 shots on goal.

And now, a very well deserved spot on the senior squad for their friendly against Portugal. Granted it is only because of injuries, but even still… history now has its eye on her. 

Hamilton is truly a dynamic player to watch. The way she’s able to get behind any backline, outplay any defender and stay with the ball is a site to behold. Hamilton is one of those rare players who actually stay with a play and find a way to score, when some other forwards to give up. And not only can she score, but she’s a team player in every sense of the word, setting her teammates up and creating chance after chance to secure the win.

Kristen Hamilton may not have had the greatest start as a professional soccer player, but she never backed down, she took her time and believe it or not, there’s a million things she hasn’t done.

Just you wait  

When Soccer Meets Politics: How Portland Missed the Point

Posted on by Backline Soccer

On Monday night, the Portland Timbers released a statement on their website and social media addressing the use of the “Iron Front” image on banners and flags in the stadium.

I think they managed to get just about everything wrong. 

What did Portland ban? What is the Iron Front and who are Antifa?

In order to explain just how badly they dealt with this, we should first define a few of the terms.

For those who do not know, the “Iron Front” is an anti-fascist symbol dating back to World War II. With fascist language and actions increasing in the United States and around the world, MLS supporters in Portland across the league have used the Iron Front symbol to express their opposition to an ideology that is fundamentally racist, bigoted, and undemocratic. Those seem like good things to be against, and the Portland Timbers claim to think so as well. But it’s hard to tell that from reading their statement.

This season, MLS introduced a ban on political displays around the league. The policy allows for some flexibility to decide what counts as “political” and what doesn’t, but as you can imagine, opinions vary widely. In this case, the Timbers claim “We didn’t make the rule banning the Iron Front on signs but we understand it and support it.” But shouldn’t a club that claims to be firmly anti-fascist support the right of supporters to display an anti-fascist symbol? 

The controversy traces back to the use of the Iron Front symbol by “antifa,” a loosely-defined anti-fascist movement in the United States. The problem, according to Portland and MLS, is that some people flying the Iron Front symbol have committed acts of violence. In their eyes, this association with violent antifa activists makes the image too political to appear on flags and banners at their games. 

But Portland doesn’t seem to understand what antifa actually is, and how it works. Antifa is not an organization, but a loose affiliation shared by many different groups. The entirety of antifa can’t be reduced to the violence of some specific protestors any more than the entirety of Timbers fandom could be reduced to the actions of a few specific individuals. 

Portland want to treat ‘human rights’ and ‘politics’ as opposites. But there is nothing more political than human rights.

While I think Portland get things terribly wrong in this case, I want to start by noting their legitimate bona fides on this subject. Part of the reason why this whole adventure is so disheartening is because I truly do believe that Portland has been an example to the world when it comes to embracing their role as human rights defenders. I have admired them for this for a long time and hope to continue doing so. But I think they got it wrong here. 

Human rights is a broad term that can encompass a lot of different things. People have been arguing about what, if anything, should count as an inherent human right for pretty much all of recorded history, and rarely have found much agreement. But in the modern era, we’ve generally narrowed the scope a bit and agreed to treat human rights primarily as the guarantees laid out in a series of international treaties and agreements. These still leave some room for disagreement, but the general outline is pretty clear. 

So, when Portland talked about MLS allowing “discretion locally over what is deemed broader human rights in their respective markets,” I had some questions. Maybe this is all just a misunderstanding caused by poor writing, but it seems like Portland is suggesting that people in different MLS markets have different inherent rights. And I’d like to know which specific rights are up for local interpretation. Admittedly there is some debate within the human rights world about whether rights are relative to individual cultures or are universal, so maybe Portland takes a relativist approach to the argument.

But more realistically, they were probably trying to make a simpler (and much worse) argument. Basically, I think they’re just trying to say that what is deemed “political” in one market might not be “political” in another market. But they’re co-opting the language of human rights to make this argument. And that’s the heart of the problem.

Which brings me to my least favorite line in this entire poorly written statement: “What comes into question is what is considered political and what is more broadly a human rights issue?” Aside from the fact that the language makes this sound like the musings of a philosophy undergrad, it also completely misses the point: that human rights and the people who defend them have always been and will always be political. It is impossible to separate the rights people are afforded from the day-to-day politics that surrounds them. Just look at the masses of people having their human rights violated under the Trump administration. Or frankly, any society in the world. Human rights are always reliant on who has power and who doesn’t, which always comes down to politics. 

To say that someone has a human right, but isn’t allowed to speak about the right because it would be ‘political’ is really just to say that the right doesn’t actually exist.

Why do fans insist on using the Iron Front? Because it communicates that they are not okay with what is happening in the country and the world. Because even in the luxury of a professional sporting event, they think it’s important to make it clear where they stand.

People cannot have human rights without fighting for them. If Portland and MLS are going to claim that they are “a stage for support of human rights causes,” then they need to protect their supporters’ ability to use that stage regardless of the political climate of the day.

These are not normal times, and we need to stop pretending that they are.

In all the debate about politics in sports, people seem to forget that these are not “normal” political times. Human beings are in cages, being denied basic human dignity because they are fleeing terror in their own countries. Families are being torn apart and white supremacists are marching down our streets. And by the way, the white supremacists are at our football clubs too, but I haven’t seen too many club statements about that.

Would you have gone to the Olympics in Berlin in 1934 because “sports should stay out of politics?” Would you feel good about that decision? Every day in this country and in the world sports organizations turn their backs on the issues that matter in the name of staying apolitical, something that can never be achieved. And to see it come from Portland, a place that has always dared to make that connection and have that conversation, is not only shameful: it’s dangerous. 

We are in the middle of something really scary right now. If we plan on stopping atrocities, all our institutions need to be standing against fascism. That includes soccer clubs, especially the most progressive soccer club in the country.

Portland, you claim to stand against fascism. Show it with your actions. I understand that much of this came from the league. But push back. Now is the time to push back. 

A couple of weeks ago, a video emerged on Twitter of a group of Atlanta United fans singing. Their words carry a simple message that should be the message of the entire league.

“If you’re a Nazi, get up and f*cking go.” 

The Game Changers: Week 18

Posted on by Backline Soccer

The Game Changers is a weekly series looking at the most important results each week. Each section will look at one team and how its win, loss, or draw impacts the season.

We are approaching the final month of the regular season and the race for the top four spots in the NWSL table is still a game of inches. The Portland Thorns sit at the No. 1 spot and created a four-point gap between themselves and the Chicago Red Stars with another win this week. Meanwhile, Chicago’s winning streak came to an end with a 2-1 loss to Sky Blue. The North Carolina Courage were off playing in the International Champions Cup, but they still sit in the No. 3 spot. And the Utah Royals jumped into the final playoff spot this week with a 2-0 victory over the Orlando Pride, knocking Reign FC out of the top four. Here is a full breakdown of this week’s results: 

Sky Blue FC vs. Chicago Red Stars (2-1)

Orlando Pride vs. Utah Royals (0-2)

Portland Thorns vs. Washington Spirit (3-1)

Sky Blue FC vs. Reign FC (1-1)

Chicago Red Stars win streak ends. 

The Chicago Red Stars five-game win streak came to an last week with a 2-1 loss to Sky Blue FC. The Red Stars were arguably the better team on the night — they had 17 shots compared to 11 from Sky Blue and they won the possession battle. Sky Blue relied on goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, who made five saves, to keep them in the game. Sky Blue scored first in the 71st minute — Carli Lloyd passed the ball to rookie Paige Monaghan, who cut back against her defender and sent the ball into the far corner past Alyssa Naeher. In stoppage time, Sam Kerr created some late drama with a goal of her own, but Monaghan– in the first start of her career– scored a late winner from the edge of the 18-yard box. Sky Blue walked away with three points and the Red Stars went home empty-handed.

This loss is significant to the Red Stars because it creates a gap between them and the No. 1 ranked Portland Thorns. While the Red Stars stayed at 29 points this week, with a win the Portland Thorns jumped to 33 points. Chicago has six games left compared to Portland’s five, but if they want to jump into that No. 1 spot, Chicago needs to be getting points out of every match. 

The Utah Royals continue their strong run.

The Utah Royals are on a win streak of their own now, winning their third match in a row Saturday against the Orlando Pride. Both teams created plenty of chances, but it was the Utah Royals who were able to capitalize. Christen Press opened scoring in the 60th minute. Lo’eau Labonta sent a beautiful high ball into the box and Press was able to finish it off, sending it into the far corner of the net. In the 77th minute, Amy Rodriguez doubled the Royals’ tally with a goal of her own. Vero Boquete slid a ball through the Orlando defense and to the feet of Rodriguez, who chipped goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris and sent the ball into the back of the net. Harris had to make eight saves, but her defensive work wasn’t enough. The Pride had no answers on the other end of the field. 

After a really rough stretch through June and July, the Royals are back to their winning ways. Press has scored in two of the Royals’ last three matches and has six goals on the season. Rodriguez has eight goals this season and has scored in each of their last three matches. They sit just two points away from the No. 2 Chicago Red Stars, but they also are tied on points with No. 5 Reign FC. The win this week lifted Utah into a playoff spot, but they’ll need to fight some worthy opponents to keep it. 

Reign FC drop points on the road.

Reign FC traveled to Red Bull Arena this weekend to face off against Sky Blue FC. It was one of the most important games of the year, testing whether a team that has dealt with so many shortcomings could perform in an MLS stadium. The game had a certain electricity and attracted over 11,000 fans. But for Reign FC, the result on the field was disappointing. Both goals in the 1-1 draw came within two minutes of each other. Sky Blue scored first when Elizabeth Eddy sent the ball soaring over Casey Murphy. But just two minutes later, Jodie Taylor finished off a cross that bounced into the back of the net. The two teams both left Red Bull Arena with a point in hand.

With the Utah Royals win over Orlando, Reign FC are now on the outside of the playoff picture. They’re tied with Utah for points, and they sit just one point behind the North Carolina Courage and two points behind the Chicago Red Stars. But they also haven’t been able to find a rhythm — Chicago just ended a five-game winning streak and Utah is on a three-game winning streak. But Reign FC’s results have been more of a mixed bag, with two wins, two losses, and a draw in their last five matches. They need to pick up all the points they can if they want to make the playoffs — making matches like this one critical. 

 

Allie Long: Players Have “Done Everything We Can”

Posted on by Backline Soccer

Allie Long, as well as every player that took part in Sunday’s record-breaking game at Red Bull Arena, had the same message to US Soccer, the fan and investors. They have held up their end of the bargain and now it’s time for everyone else to do the same.

“Now it’s up to people that have the money to market it,” said Long when speaking about the growth of the women’s game in the United States. “People with money who want to invest need to come up. I feel like we, as players, have done everything we can.”

Long, now in her 10th year as a professional player and 15th as a national team player, has seen the ebbs and flows that come with World Cup victories. Carli Lloyd expressed a similar view citing the rise in attendance four years prior but no investment to retain interest.

Money seems to be prevalent in the men’s game as MLS signed a lucrative deal to bring an expansion team to St. Louis. All of this despite the massive failures of the men’s national team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. On the women’s side the US has raised the top trophy twice in a row and won the competition four times, yet there still lacks an investment to push the game forward.

“We won the World Cup back-to-back,” said Long. “If you’re not coming to games now… We can’t physically give more than what we have on the field. We’re trying to promote it, trying to grow this league. And I’ve been saying, if anyone was inspired by the World Cup, if you’re a kid that wants to play on the women’s national team, the NWSL is crucial for any player that wishes to ever play at that level.”

Whether the investment will follow remains to be seen. Red Bull has been hovering over Sky Blue FC for many years but has yet to either invest in the team or partner on a long term basis. ESPN as well could play a significant role if an expanded TV rights deal is negotiated. 

Long is correct that the players have done everything physically possible to put a marketable product on the field. Now it’s up to the businesses to help them take it to the next level.