Category: Articles

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.

Come What May: 5 Matches to Watch Next Month

Posted on by RJ Allen

April is coming to an end, my friends. And the first full month of NWSL action has not disappointed. We had some unlikely draws, a few sparks of magic, and an excessive amount of PKs in my opinion. Yes, April was a fine month, but looking ahead to May should get us all very excited as well. So this week I have outlined five matches coming up next month that you should tune in and watch. I challenged all you lovely NWSL fans earlier in the season to watch a game that you had no stake in. Most likely, one of these will fit that bill. So sit back, relax, and let’s see what we have to look forward to in the upcoming month.

  1. May 5: Seattle Reign FC at Portland Thorns

            Who doesn’t like to celebrate their Cinco de Mayo with a rivalry game? This match, held at Providence Park, is the Lifetime game of the week, being played at 3:30 ET. Seattle and Portland have a long history of confrontation, and probably the most well known rivalry in the league. Because of their close proximity, it is almost impossible for the two teams to not form a bit of gamesmanship between each other. And the fans? Oh, they love to talk a little smack to the opposing side. So get ready to see a packed house that may get a little loud and unruly. Also, this will be the first time Allie Long will be back in Providence Park since being traded to Seattle for the rights of Australian international, Caitlin Foord. How will her welcome back be? Tune in to see.

  1. May 5: Houston Dash at Sky Blue FC

            Once you are done with the Seattle/Portland match on the 5th, take another shot of tequila and turn your attention to go90 to watch what I am affectionately calling ‘The Battle at the Bottom.’ The Houston Dash travel to New Jersey to see if they can get the win over their former teammate, Carli Lloyd, and the women of Sky Blue. These two teams are currently camped out at the bottom of the table and definitely still have some kinks to work out. Both will undoubtedly be looking to have this game change their momentum and get them back to their winning ways.

  1. May 9: Orlando Pride at Utah Royals FC

            One thing is probably certain in this world. Utah, and Becky Sauerbrunn’s face, cannot wait to have a rematch against Orlando on May 9. After their season opener, which ended in a draw, and a very controversial hand ball call, Utah is looking to set the record straight and take their three points from the Pride. Orlando, on the other hand, is looking to gain some momentum with a full roster, including the Brazilian and Australian internationals they have been missing as of late.

  1. May 19: Chicago Red Stars at Seattle Reign FC

            Seattle has been looking good lately as a team. They look solid. And with the assistance of Megan Rapinoe, they are extremely creative with the ball. But what happens when that creativity is up against the likes of a dynamic offense that is looking to show what their offseason acquisition, Sam Kerr, can do? Well, the result could be exhilarating to behold. I am recommending this game as one to watch for the month of May because it will potentially give the viewers some great things to cheer for—fantastic midfield work, quick transitional attacks, and two of the greatest finishers currently playing the game. What wouldn’t a soccer fan like about this match?

  1. May 30: North Carolina Courage at Portland Thorns

            Rounding out the month we have a fantastic grudge match. A redo of week one, and of the 2017 NWSL Championship. The Thorns got to hang the banner after the final, but the Courage took the first match between the two this season. So what happens when the Courage travel to Providence Park? Does the momentum swing back in Portland’s favor? We can’t know for sure, but one thing we can probably bank on is that there is going to be a lot of heated physical play from the two teams, and a lot of world-class soccer on display. Is there a better way to end the month? I don’t think so.

So there you have it, my friends—five matches you should check out next month. No matter who you cheer for, these matches should be entertaining to watch. And who knows, you may just find yourself on the edge of your seat, shouting at your television over a couple teams that aren’t necessarily your favorite. But don’t worry, it doesn’t make you any less of a fan for your own team.

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances of Week 4

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL: Top Performances is a weekly series looking at the top three goalkeeping, defensive, and attacking performances each week. Week four of the NWSL was full of tight matchups, with only one match ending by more than a one goal differential. Ashlyn Harris, Alyssa Naeher, and Sabrina D’Angelo each added another clean sheet to their seasons, while North Carolina Courage and Sky Blue FC found late equalizers in their weekend matchups. In total, there were six games in week four, with a total of 13 goals scored.

These were the week four matches:

North Carolina Courage vs. Seattle Reign (1-0)

Chicago Red Stars vs. Houston Dash (3-0)

Portland Thorns vs. Washington Spirit (1-1)

North Carolina Courage vs. Utah Royals (2-2)

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

Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash (1-0)

Top Three Goalkeepers:

  1. Alyssa Naeher— A late goal from Savannah McCaskill stopped Naeher from getting a clean sheet in both her matches this week, but her performances proved why she is one of the best goalkeepers in this league. She made three saves in the match against Sky Blue, including one that earned her an NWSL Save of the Week nomination. Naeher was ultimately unable to stop McCaskill’s shot that deflected off one of her defenders, but her saves in the second-half of the match against Sky Blue may have kept her team from dropping more points.
  2. Abby Smith— Smith made some questionable decisions in Utah’s match against the North Carolina Courage, but she was ultimately able to make up for it with some fantastic saves. In the 48th minute, Smith came out to take a free kick near midfield. The ball was intercepted by North Carolina, and Smith had to run back to her net and blocked a shot from Jessica McDonald. Ten minutes later, Smith had another brilliant save off a strong shot from Kristen Hamilton. A costly mistake towards the end of the game led to a goal from Crystal Dunn and a draw for the Royals, but Smith definitely had many strong moments in this match.
  3. Aubrey Bledsoe—Bledsoe had a few good moments in Friday night’s match against the Portland Thorns, but it was her penalty save in the 87th minute that earns her the number three slot this week. When going after the ball, Bledsoe slid into Emily Sonnett and the referee awarded Sonnett a penalty kick. Bledsoe had already allowed a penalty by Christine Sinclair earlier in the game, but this time Bledsoe saved the shot off her foot and helped her team earn a point on the road.

Top Three Defenders: 

  1. Taylor Comeau— Comeau played the full 90 minutes in both matches for the Chicago Red Stars this week.  She played a critical role in those two matches, shutting down offensive chances for both Houston and Sky Blue. Her best moment of the week came towards the end of the match against the Houston Dash, when she slid to stop Nichelle Prince from going one-on-one against Naeher.
  2. Estelle Johnson—The Portland Thorns are not an easy offense to keep at bay, but the Washington Spirit sent the message early on that they weren’t going to let the Thorns run away with this match. Johnson played a critical role in getting that point across when she made a massive stop in the 12th minute. Ifeoma Onumonu made a run down the pitch, but Johnson chased her down and made an excellent slide tackle that stripped Onumonu of the ball. The Spirit defense wasn’t perfect that match, but they did shut down the likes of Lindsey Horan and Christine Sinclair.
  3. Erica Skroski—In the 48th minute of Sky Blue’s match against Chicago, the Red Stars had an opportunity to go up 2-0. Michele Vasconcelos tried to break away with the ball, looking to go one-on-one with Kailen Sheridan, but a nice slide tackle from Skroski kept Vasconcelos from taking her shot.

Top Three Attackers:

  1. Merritt Mathias—Mathias’s goal for the North Carolina Courage in the match against the Utah Royals was enough to make SportsCenter’s Top 10. In the sixth minute of the match, Mathias opened up scoring with a beautiful shot from about 30 yards out. After a corner kick was cleared out of the 18-yard box, the ball rolled to Mathias’ feet and she launched the ball into the top corner. The goal was the best offensive play of the week, and set the Courage up for a draw against the Utah Royals.
  2. Sofia Huerta—Huerta also played the full 90 minutes of both matches for the Chicago Red Stars this week and walked away with two goals and ten total shots on goal. Her goal in the 6th minute of the match against Sky Blue was a beauty. She launched her shot from outside the 18-yard box and beat Kailen Sheridan at the far post. Her goal against the Houston Dash in the 74th minute sealed their victory and gave her some satisfaction after multiple close shots.
  3. Savannah McCaskill— McCaskill scored her first NWSL goal over the weekend and it came at a critical time. Chicago went up 1-0 early in that match thanks to an impressive goal from Sofia Huerta. But McCaskill equalized in the 78th minute for Sky Blue. Kaitlyn Johnson sent the ball to her just outside of the 18-yard box and she took a moment to settle the ball before taking her shot. The ball bounced off Taylor Comeau and past Alyssa Naeher. It was McCaskill’s first goal in her NWSL career and the first goal for Sky Blue FC this season.

 

 

Interviews with Emma: McKenzie Meehan

Posted on by RJ Allen

Emma Bayer is an 11-year-old who does a recurring interview series for Backline Soccer. You can find more out about how Emma got into soccer here.

McKenzie Meehan is in her second season with Sky Blue FC. She was the 23rd overall pick in the 2017 draft.

Birthdate: 12/25/1994… My twin sister and I were born a month early on Christmas morning!

Nickname from teammates: Kenz or Kenzie

Hometown: Glocester, RI

Age started playing: I started playing with my sister in Smithfield, RI when we were six.

College/major: Boston College; majored in economics for my undergraduate degree and finance for my MBA

Career aspirations after soccer: I’m definitely still undecided, but I think it would be cool to work within the business side of the sports industry.

Why did you pick your particular uniform #: My dad wore #2 when he played college hockey at Yale University. He passed away while I was in college, so when I had the opportunity to be #2 for Sky Blue FC, I thought it would be a great honor.

Pregame meal: I like to eat chicken, pasta or rice, and fruit or a smoothie.

Workout music: Top 40/Pop but I like a bit of everything.

Favorite cartoon character: Tweety and Goofy

Fave movie: Pursuit of Happiness, The Blind Side

Fave actress: Jennifer Aniston

Hidden talent: Umm nothing really! I can do handstands

Mentor (in soccer or life): My mom

Fave charity/cause: Special Olympics and Make-A-Wish Foundation

Life motto: Enjoy the journey

Superstitions: I don’t really have many superstitions compared to when I was younger, but I like to juggle before warm-up to get focused and I like to do a few jumps before the game starts to loosen up.

Pets: None currently, but I grew up with two cats named Nora and Oreo.

If you were going on Amazing Race, which teammate would you want as a partner, and why? Hmm, I would probably choose Katie Johnson because even though we’re very competitive, I think we’d still be able to have a lot of fun!

If you had your own reality show, what would it be called? I have no idea because I would never want to have a reality tv show!

Q&A: Professor Jean Williams Discusses Women’s Football Conference

Posted on by RJ Allen

On March 8th and March 9th 2018, the National Football Museum in Manchester, England hosted a two-day conference on women’s soccer. “Upfront and Onside: The Women’s Football Conference” looked at the history of women’s soccer, the evolution of women’s participation around the world, and the state of the game today. The conference tackled issues such as gender roles, religion, sexual orientation, and culture, and sought to create an inclusive atmosphere that brought in voices from every region.

Jean Williams, a Professor of sport from the University of Wolverhampton and one of the leading scholars in the world on women’s sports, organized the event. We spoke to her about the conference, the history of women in soccer, and the state of women’s soccer today. 

Backline Soccer: What kind of topics were discussed at the Women’s Football Conference? How successful do you think it was? 

Jean Williams: We discussed women’s soccer from a variety of international perspectives and this included South and Central America, North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The overall quality of the papers was very high with several eminent Professors presenting new work. This was not just historical but related to contemporary debates about LGBTQ rights, how to digitise and collect women’s football research material, issues around the hijab and the forthcoming Women’s World Cup in France and so on. 

BS: What does it say about the change in football culture that the National Football Museum was interested in hosting an event like this? 

JW: The National Football Museum has always been supportive of women’s football and we had debates with the Director of the inaugural museum in Preston about integrating women’s football material through the collections. However, the accession of the Chris Ungar collection, with 25,000 items of women’s football memorabilia, has allowed us to revisit the ideas and current research trends in women’s football. 

BS: What do you think is the most significant moment or event in women’s football history? 

JW: There is no one moment. If there is one key defining aspect it has to be that women have always contested their right to play football since the modern codification of the game in 1863. It’s about a right to resources, a right to spectacle and a right to choose an athletic profession, as well as the freedom just to play.

BS: What do you think allowed women’s football to take off in countries like Germany and the United States? Do you think that success is duplicable around the world?

JW: The US is quite different than Germany, because soccer is still a minority sport compared with the big three and a half of American Football, Baseball, Basketball and Ice Hockey. Germany is a football country, so we can’t compare the two. But there are some strategies that link the two like playing double headers with women’s and men’s teams. You can begin to see Manchester City for instance with its ‘one club’ approach integrate the women across the brand. That’s the big message because having a women’s team can leverage sponsors that men’s teams don’t bring in. 

BS: It seems to be a time of growth and change for women’s football. Do you agree? If so, why do you think this is happening?

JW: These are not metaphors I would use. Change certainly, like China not now supporting its women’s team as much as in the past in search of hosting, and winning a men’s world cup in the next two decades. Growth depends how you measure the women’s game. Women are not a minority population in the world. Give the women’s game 51% of FIFA’s budget to match women’s place in the world, then we could see real growth. Similarly, we don’t need more leadership courses for women in football. Women are not the problem. The voting systems that protect male power are in need of change, to represent more women in the highest aspects of football administration. 

Having covered some serious topics in the women’s game, we wanted to give Professor Williams a chance to answer some fun questions about her favorite players and predictions for the NWSL season. 

BS: Who do you think is the best player in the world right now?

JW: Marta (still, probably always).

BS: Who is your favorite (current) player? 

JW: Nadia Nadim.

BS: Who is your favorite player of all time? 

JW: Mia Hamm, Nadine Angerer, Sun Wen, Mercy Akede, Shanice Van de Sanden, it’s an impossible choice. I could write an essay on Nadine Angerer’s hats. Next year at the World Cup it’ll change again. 

BS: Who do you think will win the NWSL this year?

JW: I think the Courage but I hope the Thorns. 

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.