6 Takeaways from NWSL: Week 18

Posted on by RJ Allen

Week 18 has come and gone. As we head into the final stretch of games, the mad dash for the NWSL playoffs continues in what aims to be a season for the record books. This week involved four games, three identical score lines, a team trying to stop a freefall, and a natural disaster that could have long-lasting, devastating implications moving forward.

Chicago Slows Down the Bleeding But Still Needs Stitches – Alyssa Zajac

If you are a Red Stars fan, you probably went into Saturday’s game hoping and wishing for a vital three points and a snapped losing streak. Wish granted! Chicago escaped the Spirit’s home turf with the win and their first three points since Aug. 5. And yes, I did use the word “escaped”- if Christen Press hadn’t done Christen Press things in the 87th minute after Cheyna Williams scored the equalizer in the 81st minute, the game would have ended in a draw and two points lost for Chicago. Which leads me to my take.

Chicago’s weakness is their inability to close out games.

Looking back at Chicago’s season, they have given up nine goals in the 80th minute or later of games. Out of the 24 goals Chicago has allowed, 37.5% of them came in the waning minutes of matches. Which … is not a great thing. I dove into the impact of  these goals, and this is how it broke down:

  • Houston (Daly 80’) – goal differential. Result: 2-0 Loss
  • North Carolina (Debinha 82’) – goal differential. Result: 3-2 Win
  • Seattle (Rapinoe 84’ [P]) – goal differential, one point. Result: 2-1 Loss
  • Sky Blue FC (Kerr 90’) – goal differential, two points. Result: 2-2 Draw
  • Orlando (Kennedy 93’) – goal differential, loss of clean sheet. Result: 2-1 Win
  • Seattle (Kawasumi 90’, Johnson 92’) – goal differential, three points, loss of clean sheet. Result: 1-2 Loss
  • FC Kansas City (Kelly 80’) – goal differential. Result: 1-3 Loss
  • Washington (Williams 81’) –  goal differential, loss of clean sheet. Result: 1-2 Win

Basing ‘what could have been’ results on what the scores were before the late goals were conceded, Chicago has directly given up at least six points in the last minutes of games. If the Red Stars had managed to close out these games, they would currently be at 38 points, just one point shy of first place. What also needs to be taken into consideration is goal differential. Should the final standings come to the goal differential tiebreaker, the Red Stars have made things very difficult on themselves.

There may be nothing that Chicago can do about the past, but the final four games of the season are going to be key. Losing games and conceding goals in the final minutes is no longer an option for the Red Stars, and they need to figure out how to close out games. In my eyes, it’s do or die time. I really hope they come out on the side of “do.”

An End of an Era Approaches FC Kansas City, and They May Not Be Prepared – Alyssa Zajac

Nicole Barnhart isn’t going to play forever.

Our hearts may not want it to be true, but our heads acknowledge reality. There will come a day when FC Kansas City exists without Barnhart in goal. But the team may not fully be prepared for that eventuality.

Let me explain. Throughout FCKC’s existence, Barnhart has been the go-to starting goalkeeper. However, the position of backup keeper has had a seemingly endless turnover. From Bianca Henninger in 2013,  Sara Keane and Cecilia Santiago in 2014, Katelyn Rowland in 2015, and Cat Parkhill in 2016 and 2017, there really hasn’t been a chance for a goalkeeper to extensively learn from and train with one of the best goalkeepers in the game.

In comparison, the Seattle Reign initially drafted Haley Kopmeyer in 2013, re-signed her in 2014, and had her train with and learn from Hope Solo – arguably the greatest goalkeeper to ever play the game – consistently over the next two years. When Solo took an indefinite leave of absence in 2016, Kopmeyer was well equipped and prepared to take over the starting role.

Kansas City doesn’t really have that luxury. That’s not to say Cat Parkhill isn’t capable of being the starting goalkeeper. I’m sure she could be, I’m just not sold on how well the team and defense are prepared to play without Barnhart in goal.

As the off season approaches, FCKC should be looking to potential goalkeepers to invest in – whether they be potential draftees or goalkeepers who are already in the playing pool. Just in case, because the future comes whether we’re ready for it or not.

Let’s Talk Six, Baby – Elizabeth Wawrzyniak

With a scant few weeks left in the “historic fifth season,” it’s time to start thinking about the even more historic sixth season.

I’ve been thinking all week about this, and there are a few areas I think the NWSL needs to address as it moves into the second half of their first decade.

First, stop using the word “historic.”

Okay, that one’s a joke.

First, stop hiding behind artificially inflated “maximum NWSL salary” lies. RJ Allen wrote a great piece earlier this season about how despite the fact that the minimum and maximum were raised for the 2017 season, in actuality, if one player makes the maximum, the rest can earn only slightly more than the minimum. And this is because of the NWSL team salary cap. In reality, the league needs to expand salary caps as well as their minimums because almost all non-Federation players are hovering around the poverty line unless they have some other source of income. 

Second, the bar for refs needs to be raised.  This season has seen everything from referees choosing not to intervene after flagrant, card-worthy offenses to illogical cards for imaginary fouls. The refs need to be held to a higher standard, and their interventions need to be consistent. I’m a sports-fan, so of course, I’m going to scream at my television now and then, disagreeing with a call. But this season’s PRO performance has been appalling, and the complaints and concerns being raised are far more credible than the usual armchair quarterbacking that goes on in sports. Coaches, players, and fans are all concerned not only with the quality of the game but the safety of the players on the field. 

Third, the NWSL needs to make improvements to its streaming. 2017 has been an inconsistent (and sometimes downright ridiculous) mess. The deal with Go90 was thrown together and implemented with no coherent structure or support. Go90 is clunky–both in terms of watching and navigating. I don’t know anyone who really watches via that platform, most choose to use a VPN and watch on the NWSL site itself with the international viewers. It’s only sheer laziness that’s kept me from doing the same. When watching, and especially as someone who sometimes needs to watch a particular play over and over again in order to write about it, the ability to pause, rewind, fast-forward, etc., is frequently absent. Or maybe others have figured it out and I’m just dumb–that is always a possibility.

And last, advertising. Every Go90 game has that “in commercial” screen, except the event is not taking a commercial break. But what a great opportunity to sell some ads during the non-Lifetime games. You’ve got a few designated times of known length. You’re a young league that should always be looking for steady income streams. Get out there and find some sponsors to fill that blank space. Please. Because I’m tired of hearing the chatter as the announcers forget to turn their mics off during those designated break segments. 

#1, #1, #1 – Elizabeth Wawrzyniak

Watching the games this past weekend, all I can think about is the 2018 NWSL College Draft. Who will go #1? 

Last year was a no-brainer. Rose Lavelle was going first. This year, I’m a little less confident, but I know most people think it’ll be Andi Sullivan, and I can definitely see that. Right now Boston and Washington are both falling over themselves to see who can play worse, and I’m honestly pretty sure it’ll end up being Washington in the end. They might have Mallory Pugh, but their bench is just too thin these days, with Arielle Ship’s recent ACL injury the latest in a long line of Washington’s SEIs this year. Can you imagine an Andi Sullivan-Mallory Pugh connection? 

But then, if it’s Boston, they’d be crazy not to take Sullivan. Putting her in the midfield with Lavelle–listen, I’m drooling just as much at that possibility as any other. Either way, if Sullivan is the #1, and if either Boston or Washington draft her, they’ll have made the move that could see them finding the success next year that has eluded them this season. 

Tom Sermanni Makes a Case for Coach of the Year – Luis Hernandez

The start of the season was rough for the Pride, who were at the bottom of the league standings for the first month. In fact, even though Orlando had added Marta, the team was one of the bottom three teams until Week Nine. Coach Sermanni was adjusting and reevaluating every aspect of his roster. Making position changes with Ali Krieger and Alanna Kennedy while changing up the shape of the squad, he was able to orchestrate a five-match unbeaten streak for his squad, which actually included a four-game winning streak in the month of August.

This past weekend, Sermanni shifted his tactics on the road to give his side the full three points. He subbed in Rachel Hill for Kristen Edmonds in minute 69 and then just ten minutes later inserted Toni Pressley for Chioma Ubogagu. Of course, the players on the pitch have to execute, and Alex Morgan put away Marta’s service from a free kick which went through Nicole Barnhart’s hands. There is a lot to expect from Orlando with the talent on the roster, but Sermanni has kept the team loose and had had his adjustments work out. He could certainly see himself picking up coach of the year as well.

Houston (and All Areas Affected by Harvey) You’re in Our Thoughts – Luis Hernandez

Sometimes, there are things bigger than soccer. Friday the league announced the postponement of the Houston Dash match against the North Carolina Courage, just before Hurricane Harvey began its reign over Texas which caused catastrophic and life-threatening flooding. Our thoughts are with those people affected by Hurricane Harvey. The impact of this storm will be felt for a long time to come.

The View from the Sideline: Sky Blue FC vs Boston Breakers

Posted on by RJ Allen

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Leanne Keator was at the Sky Blue FC vs the Boston Breakers game to take some photos for us. Check them out below.

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3 Things Sky Blue Needs to Address Before the End of the Season

Posted on by RJ Allen

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The door has not shut on Sky Blue making the playoffs in 2017. Even with 41 goals given up, the historic season Sam Kerr has put together has kept Sky Blue in the picture far longer than some predicted.

While it is not totally under their control–they would have to make up 4 points as they own neither the tiebreaker with Chicago or Orlando who both sit ahead of them–there are some factors they can control.

With both Christy Holly and Christie Pearce gone for this year the team here are three things Sky Blue needs to do if they want to not only make the playoffs but have a chance at winning a title.

Find an Identity

Figuring out who they are as a team is something Sky Blue must do if they want to find a way into the playoffs.

Are they the underdog? Are they the team that always comes up a dollar short and a minute late? Are they overachieving? Underachieving? Are they peaking at the right time? 

Depending on who you are, or who you ask, you might ask any of these questions, and get any number of answers.

Even with the awe inspiring season that Sky Blue has had, they have never really had a coherent identity other than “Sam Kerr is magic and will fix everything.” And while yes, Sam Kerr is 100% magic, that isn’t really an identity that a team can rally around.

Building a stronger defense and being the team that will stifle you like a North Carolina, who has given up only 14 goals all season, is an identity. If Sky Blue can find a solid identity it can go a long way toward them being able to build on their past success. 

 

Find Some Midfield Personality

The Sky Blue midfield is the white bread of the NWSL. Unoffensive but lacking a depth that you only realize you’ve been craving when you see midfields with more zest.

Raquel Rodriguez has been forced to give up her better position in the attack to play farther and farther back, plugging up this season’s defensive holes. Not only does it render her best qualities mute but she has struggled at times to be able to battle with more experienced players in this new role.

Sky Blue would do well to push Rodriguez higher into the attack so her natural nose for goal and playmaking skills can be work to their advantage in the forefront of the attack. She can be one of the truly great playmakers in the league if allowed to shed some of the defensive duties and moved into a more attacking role more often.

Corboz, Stanton, and Galton all have some flair built into their games, though they each have very different styles, but what they often lack are other players on the field with them who are on the same page at the same time. Sky Blue has frequently had to rely upon moving the ball up the field from the back, over the midfield to the feet of Sam Kerr. While this has worked for them so far, it becomes the type of predictable play that allows teams like Orlando to beat them 5-0, easily countering Kerr’s attack.

If Sky Blue can find a way to get the whole midfield not only on the same page but working in tandem, they have a shot at controlling more games and helping the forwards get better chances overall. We’ve seen what they can do when the midfield clicks, it’s a matter of having it click more often. 

 

Find Some Veteran Presence

Without Christie Pearce no longer active with the club it falls to the more senior players on the team to lead. Sky Blue does have a host of players who have spent four or five years with the club. Taylor Lytle has been at Sky Blue since 2013, Maya Hayes and Nikki Stanton have been there since 2014.

This core of players, along with newly minted dual captains Kelley O’Hara and Sam Kerr, is tasked with leading a team that has previously only ever known one player to take the title of Captain in the NWSL era. A team that features only three players not born in the 90s on the active roster and only eight players 24 or older.

It’s a tall order to expect relative rookies to step up, and taller still for the current leadership pairing to have to take the reins this late in the season, and with little prior experience at captaining a team, but if Sky Blue wants to find themselves in the post-season, they’re all going to need to out-perform themselves. The balancing of guiding the team while handling their own duties on the field is going to be a test as they head into the last handful of games of the season.

Irreplaceable: 5 Reasons Christie Pearce Should Stick Around

Posted on by RJ Allen
Leanne Keator

Earlier this year Christie Pearce stated that this would be her last season playing professionally. So when it was reported that she was finished for the season because of an accumulation of injuries I felt my heart drop to my stomach. I wasn’t ready for it. In my mind, she was always that constant on the pitch. She has always been around. Ever since I was a kid watching the ’99 World Cup. And then she was just gone. In a second. And I didn’t like it one bit. I still don’t. I thought I had at least six more matches to watch her play. And now it looks like that won’t be the case. But there is a slim chance that she returns next season. In what capacity? I don’t know. And what are the chances of that happening? It’s hard to say. But all I know is that the sport needs her to stick around. Whether that is as a player, a coach, a commentator, or an ambassador for the sport, it doesn’t matter. We still need her…And maybe some of us still aren’t ready to let her go.

Regardless, here are the five reasons Christie Pearce should stick around:

She’s Still Good At Her Job

It’s easy to say that Christie Pearce was still a competitor in the league this year. She was the fastest defender in the league, she was tough to beat in a one-v-one on the back line, and she could help be that steady, calming force for Sky Blue FC. But her job wasn’t simply to be a center back. It hasn’t been for a long time. She is Captain America. She is a leader, and an on-field player-coach when she needs to be. She is a mentor to younger players, and a role model for the league veterans to idolize. She inspires the next generation by being the living legend of the sport. It’s a lot of responsibility. And sure, someone else would step up if she walked away from the sport for a while. But it wouldn’t be the same. No one else could juggle so many roles so effortlessly.

 

Her Soccer IQ Is Off The Charts

There isn’t anyone in the league that has a higher Soccer IQ than Pearce. She simply knows how to win, and how to innovate, and how to inspire a team. So even if her insanely good skillset isn’t utilized on the pitch, it could definitely be taken advantage of off of it. Because I think she still has more to give to the game. She has coached Sky Blue to a championship before while she was playing in 2009. Why not use that knowledge of the sport as a full-time coach? She will succeed in it. And I guarantee it will be much less stressful than the last time she coached. Why not make a run at being the next Alex Ferguson?

 

The League (and Everyone Else) Respects Her

No one speaks a bad word about Christie Pearce. She holds herself to a standard that all athletes should. She is poised and humble, but still commands respect from her peers. And through the years her prior peers have become ambassadors for the league, commentators, or coaches. Now her peers are twenty-somethings that look at her as if she walked on water. Everyone, including the fans, will support her in whatever decision she decides to make for her future. Because she has made some pretty great choices in her career this far. I mean, I don’t see any other 42-year-old players on the pitch with two World Cup wins, three Olympic Gold Medals, and a Women’s Professional Soccer Championship, so she must be doing something right. So if she decides to hang up her boots and call it a day, everyone will respect her choice. And if she decides to stick around, in whatever capacity that is, her choice will be welcomed with open arms.

 

Soccer Mom/Mentor

After the news broke of the end of Pearce’s season, Lifetime reported on it before their Match of the Week. And during their report, they stated that the young players of Sky Blue FC call Christie Pearce ‘Mom.’ And I get it. She is that person that they can always call on for reassurance or advice or a swift kick in the ass. But it isn’t just the Sky Blue women that see her in the mentoring role. It’s almost hard to not see her as that. She has seen more games and more situations than anyone else in the league. And going back to the second reason, she is great at knowing what to do and how to advise these women on the game. So if she hangs around, regardless of her position, she is still going to be looked to for the answers. Because she has seen it all – three separate professional leagues, pay disparities, and a bunch of FIFA politics. To put it simply, her input for these women and this league is invaluable.

 

We Don’t Want To Let Her Go

I get it if she wishes to walk away. She deserves a break. She deserves a happy retirement. She has been playing professionally for longer than any other active player. Think about the players that came and went during her career; how many of her friends she watched retire while she kept going. But then I think about her not being around to mold and shape the future of the sport and I have a difficult time thinking that anyone else wouldn’t want her to stick around. The players, the coaches, the fans, and the league hold her to a higher standard. And it is a standard that no one else has reached yet (and maybe never will). But the real question is if we are ready to let her go. I don’t think that we are. We can if we have to, but like that first Sky Blue match without her, it will be a strange experience.

At the end of the day, the choice is Christie’s. And we will all respect it no matter what, whether she stays or takes her much deserved retirement to be with her family. And maybe this article is a selfish plea to get her to stick around. I recognize that. I also recognize that my opinion undoubtedly holds zero weight in Christie Pearce’s mind. The whole point of this article is to highlight how she still holds a very meaningful place in the sport. One that cannot be filled by anyone else. And it doesn’t matter how she would decide to fill that place if she does. We will take anything that she is willing to give us. Because for us, she is irreplaceable.

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 18

Posted on by RJ Allen

[media-credit name=”Leanne Keator” align=”aligncenter” width=”300″][/media-credit]

Backline Soccer Recap:

Quick Fire Week 16 Game Previews:

The playoff picture is getting tighter and tighter but as evidenced by last weeks results, anything can happen! Let’s dive in to this weekend’s games. 

Game 1: FC Kansas City vs. Orlando Pride

FC Kansas City record: 6-8-5
Position: 7th
Total Points: 23

Orlando Pride record: 8-6-5
Position: 4th
Total Points: 29

A month ago this match would not have had many implications but it has some pretty serious ones now. 

Let’s just imagine where FCKC would be with a healthy Amy Rodriguez and a few more games left the schedule….ok are we there? Now let us come back to the present. KC don’t have Rodriguez but they’re starting to put it together anything. If FCKC can continue their path, they will make it tough for Orlando. While we have seen some miscues from Becky Sauerbrunn this season, she is still their best option in the back to clean up a lot of mess. Sydney Leroux has seemed to hit herself a bit of a streak. Their focus this week will be to find a way to shut down the firing duo of Alex Morgan and Marta. Nicole Barnhart can expect to see a lot of work unless the FCKC defense can compact themselves a little better. 

Orlando is playing some of their best soccer in their short team history and that is a good thing. They are in the middle of the playoff hunt, and going strong. Their early season struggles with finishing made a bit of a reappearance in their match last week against the Breakers, and without Alex Morgan, the game would have been much different. But they do have Morgan and Orlando fans everywhere should be rejoicing. With her and Marta working well together, they’ll put some real pressure on KC. The defense will also need to hold strong against KC’s renewed attack. But this is Orlando’s game to lose. If Morgan and Marta can continue on the same path, they’ll be in good shape. 

Game 2: Seattle Reign vs. Portland Thorns

Seattle Reign record: 7-6-6
Position: 5th
Total Points: 27

Portland Thorns record: 10-5-4
Position: 2nd
Total Points: 34

The Reign will be out for revenge this week, against their old rivals. After blowing a 3-0 lead to Sky Blue, they really need to pick up all 3 points here. Their defense once again let them down and it will be put to the test again, with Portland coming to town. It will be a tough few weeks for the Reign without Megan Rapinoe, but they should be able to get through it if they can just figure out the defense issue.  

The Thorns have hit their stride, and have some good news on the horizon with Tobin Heath close to a return. But will she fit in right now? And should she? They may try to ease her in slowly, but we can save further speculation for when she’s actually back. For now, it’s about Seattle, where the Thorns will hope to capitalize on their defensive woes. Expect them to keep up constant pressure as they push the ball up and keep it on throughout the final third. The Thorns are still not playing at their fullest potential to me, especially some of their bigger players, but it goes to show how deep they are that even playing below their potential they’re still solidly in second place. 

Game 3: Washington Spirit vs. Chicago Red Stars

Washington Spirit record: 4-10-4
Position: 10th
Total Points: 16

Chicago Red Stars record: 8-6-5
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 29

The Spirit just traded away Kristie Mewis, but got a nice deal in return. A top pick next year will help set them up, and they also picked up Morgan Proffitt who might be able to contribute now, maybe shoring up a defense suffering from some injuries.  The Spirit backline has been their best hope for salvaging some points this season, but it will depend on formation. Last weeks lineup was able to hold the Courage pretty tough for a while before the breakaway and an own goal. But there is just not much happening with the Spirit attack. And while we all praise a good defense, you still need to score goals to win. Look for the Spirit to try to hold their own against Chicago, who is also having its struggles. If we see a similar defensive lineup this week, they may just be able to hold Chicago. 

Chicago, what can we say? After a very successful run through the middle of the season, the Red Stars are sputtering. The biggest issues seem to stem from personnel choices, which have been compounded by some nagging injuries to star players. Christen Press, after admitting to having ankle issues since the early season match against Portland, has not been herself for a few games. Alyssa Naeher is also dealing with a groin strain from the Tournament of Nations and has had her struggles in goal.We have seen a drop off from the otherwise stalwart defense and Casey Short can only take on so much herself without someone else stepping up to help. Overall, Chicago needs to keep stringing their passes together and find their attack again. Look for them to try to right the ship this week and get back to their winning ways. 

Game 4: Sky Blue FC vs. Boston Breakers 

Sky Blue FC record: 8-9-2
Position: 6th
Total Points: 26

Boston Breakers  record: 3-9-7
Position: 9th
Total Points: 16

Seriously, where would Sky Blue be without Sam Kerr? Nowhere close to contention, certainly. It showed in the pure dominant performance she put in last week to bring Sky Blue out of a hole to win. But she will not always be able to score three or four goals every single game to dig her team out. No player can produce at that level every game. So we will see which Kerr comes out this week. And even with Kerr, Sky Blue can’t survive if they keep conceding four or five goals a game. They’ll have to do something about their defensive problems and the goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan’s struggles, too. But if they’re looking for a confidence boost, a struggling Boston side might be a good place to look.

After starting strong, Boston have drifted down the table over the season. Their biggest hope now is to just try to salvage a bit of this season and maybe play spoiler to a few playoff hopeful teams. Maybe they could have been more with Rose Lavelle all season.  She’s finally ready to return, but they will probably be careful with their young star as she eases her way back. This week, they need to capitalize on Sky Blue’s defense and figure out a way to shut down Sam Kerr. Orlando did a good job of it a few weeks ago, so the template is there. If they can follow it, Boston may be able to salvage some points in this match.

Game 5: Houston Dash vs. North Carolina

Houston Dash record: 7-10-2
Position: 8th
Total Points: 23

North Carolina record: 13-5-0
Position: 1st
Total Points: 39

This game has been postponed, due to Hurricane Harvey bearing down on the Texas coast.No official date has been set for the game to be played.

The Scouting Report:

We went live on Monday night with our weekly TSR. A reminder that you can catch TSR live every Monday night at 8pm EST on our YouTube channel. Make sure to follow the podcast on Twitter @ScoutingPodcast.

In case you missed the episode, catch up here:

Route Two Soccer – Handicapping the Playoff Run-in

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL season is entering its squeaky-bum period, with five weeks to go and very little settled. North Carolina are as close to a lock as you can get at this point, with a five point lead over second place and a game in hand (against last place Washington) to boot. But outside of the Courage, the table is full of questions.

So let’s take a run through the teams still in the playoff hunt, and assess their chances for making the postseason.

Portland Thorns (34 points, GD +9)

  • Seattle Reign (away)
  • Washington Spirit (home)
  • Boston Breakers (away)
  • Orlando Pride (away)
  • Chicago Red Stars (home)

Portland have finally hit a decent vein of form. It’s taken a lot longer than expected, and their recent loss against Kansas City shows that there are still some gaps here. But the Thorns of late have looked much closer to the dominant possession-based team that we all expected. This team has a lot of attacking talent but has struggled to get everyone working together. In recent weeks Sinclair has been the fulcrum around which everyone has moved, and things have looked much better. It still remains to be seen if those improvements can be preserved as the squad returns to full strength.

With a seven point cushion on fifth place, they are close to a lock to make the playoffs. The real question is whether they can hold off Orlando and Chicago to secure a home match in the semifinals. And there’s still an outside chance that they could catch North Carolina for first place. But realistically, the final month is more about settling in for the playoffs than anything else.

Chicago Red Stars (29 points, GD +2)

  • Washington Spirit (away)
  • NC Courage (home)
  • FCKC (away)
  • Houston Dash (away)
  • Portland Thorns (away)

It seems like just a few weeks ago that Chicago were riding high—even briefly sneaking into first place. The offense was starting to click and the defense was solid. Since then, coach Rory Dames has tinkered a bit and found absolutely nothing working. The past three weeks have seen them lose three consecutive home matches, looking worse and worse each game. Some of it has been injuries. Despite a generally great bill of health on the season, they’ve picked up a few nagging injuries recently and have had trouble sorting things out. But ultimately, the Red Stars’ recent struggles are a bit part to sort out.

The talent is obviously still here, and you probably wouldn’t go wrong expecting some mean reversion. But the slide has been worrisome, turning what looked to be an easy playoff coronation into a genuine fight. They’re now tied with surging Orlando, only two points ahead of Seattle. With four away games out of their five remaining fixtures, Chicago is in a precarious position, and will need some good results soon to right the ship. They’re not yet in crisis, but anything less than three points this weekend against Washington and things really will start to get dangerous.

Tiebreakers: Chicago would win a tiebreaker against Orlando (which is why they’re currently in 3rd despite equal points and a worse goal difference) and Sky Blue, but would lose against Seattle.

Orlando Pride (29 points, GD +10)

  • FCKC (away)
  • Boston Breakers (home)
  • Seattle Reign (home)
  • Portland Thorns (home)
  • NC Courage (away)

It took them awhile, but Orlando have finally hit their stride, scoring 10 goals in their past three games while only conceding one, on their way to a fairly easy nine points. The return of Alex Morgan has been everything that Pride fans hoped it would be. She’s provided that clinical finishing and intelligent movement that was so missing in the early season, and given Marta more freedom to play a flexible role. Orlando still doesn’t really have much of a midfield, but coach Tom Sermanni has done an excellent job of finding ways around that problem. It also helps that a number of players have excelled in new roles this season. The ability to move players like Kennedy, Edmonds, and Camila in and out of the midfield has given Sermanni a great deal of tactical flexibility—allowing him to structure the team to best facilitate his world-class attackers given what opponent and game situation demand.

At this point, the big question is whether Orlando’s form is the new normal, or if this is just high tide from which things will inevitably recede a bit. The way the Pride have been playing, it’s getting harder to see them not taking a playoff spot, but there are still some reasons for caution. They have looked great, certainly, but these three big performances came against Washington, Sky Blue, and Boston—three of the weakest teams in the league. And we’re still not that far removed from them getting comprehensively outplayed by Chicago last month.

The Pride have two more ‘easy’ games coming up—though anyone who’s watched KC recently might question that designation, before they close out the year with matches against playoff contenders. If they can earn four or six points from these next two weekends, that will put them in good position. But if they slip up against KC or Boston, they could very easily find that final playoff spot slipping just out of their grasp.

Tiebreakers: Orland would win a tiebreaker against Sky Blue and lose against Chicago. They’re currently tied with Seattle, so that game will be even more important than it would normally – a ‘seven pointer’ rather than a ‘six pointer.’

Seattle Reign (27 points, GD +6)

  • Portland Thorns (home)
  • Houston Dash (away)
  • Orlando Pride (away)
  • FCKC (home)
  • Washington Spirit (away)

Oh, Seattle. You could be 3rd in the table right now, in poll position to reach the playoffs. But you fell victim to one of the classic blunders: never go in against Sam Kerr when death is on the line. So instead you’re in fifth place, needing to make up some ground, with time running out and Megan Rapinoe still unavailable.

Still, things aren’t all grim for Seattle. Even without Rapinoe, they’ve been playing well, with the players settling into the team’s new rhythm—lots of movement, lots of dangerous runs, and one intense Welsh dragon keeping it all together in the middle. Beyond that, they have a reasonably friendly run-in. This weekend’s match against Portland will be tough, certainly, but after that they’ve got some slightly less threatening matches. And while they do need to play Orlando, that is also a huge opportunity to take points from one of their main competitors. That game is actually even more important than it seems, because Seattle and Orlando are currently tied in head-to-head, which means if Seattle can win it will effectively a ‘seven pointer’ rather than just a ‘six pointer,’ since it will give them the points as well as the advantage in the tiebreaker. All of which means Seattle’s season is still very much in their own hands. It’s just a matter of executing. And staying away from any Australians.

Tiebreakers: Seattle would win a tiebreaker against Chicago. They’re tied in head to head against Sky Blue, so it would revert to goal difference, where Seattle is way ahead. The tiebreaker with Orlando is still up in the air.

Sky Blue (26 points, GD -7)

  • Boston Breakers (home)
  • FCKC (away)
  • Washington Spirit (home)
  • NC Courage (home)
  • Boston Breakers (away)

Halfway through their match on Saturday night, Sky Blue’s season was effectively over. Then, they executed an astonishing comeback to earn the three points and resuscitate their chances. It’s still a difficult lift, given their defensive frailty and other issues. I wrote about Sky Blue at length last week so won’t belabor the point much here. This team really has no business making the playoffs, but they’re only three points out, and you would have to be nuts to bet against Sam Kerr right now. Beyond that, they have (by a pretty big margin) the easiest run-in of the teams in the playoff hunt, with three home matches, two games against Boston, another against Washington, and one against KC. There are no gimme games in this league, and all of those teams could easily beat Sky Blue. But the opportunity is there, if they can hold it together and seize it.

Tiebreakers: Sky Blue would lose the tiebreaker against all the teams. Technically they’re tied with Seattle in head-to-head games, but there’s no chance of them recovering from the gap in goal difference.

Still alive with a hope and a prayer: FCKC and Houston

FC Kansas City and Houston are both sitting on 23 points, which puts them six points out of a playoff spot. With only 15 points left on the table, it’s very hard to see either doing enough to make up that difference (and leapfrog) all the teams in between. But it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility. KC, in particular, seems to have finally settled in a bit (three straight wins, including results over Portland and Chicago), and their run-in is basically all against the other teams in the playoff hunt—and four of those games are at home, too. Pick up 12 points from those games and they really could make it.

I certainly wouldn’t be on it, but there’s plenty of quality in both of these teams. So it’s certainly worth keeping an eye on them.

Predicting the final table

With everything so close, it’s hard to draw clear distinctions. But for the sake of argument, I’ll make a guess. Accounting for quality, form, and schedule, I see the final results shaking out as follows:

  1. North Carolina
  2. Portland
  3. Orlando
  4. Chicago
  5. Sky Blue
  6. Seattle
  7. FCKC
  8. Houston
  9. Boston
  10. Washington

Agree? Disagree? Let us know your predicted final table in the comments.

The Unused Sub: The Home Stretch

Posted on by RJ Allen

THE TABLE IS SILLY, THE SEASON IS SILLY
Turnabout is fair play in the NWSL. Seattle beats Sky Blue in a bonkers 5-4 match because of a stoppage time winner, Sky Blue beats Seattle in a bonkers 5-4 match with a goal in stoppage time too. Look, can we just agree now that all regular season matches between the two just be scoreless draws in 2018? It will save a lot of aggravation for everyone, physically and mentally.

And yes I still miss the sharp-dressed man, Christy Holly.

Looking at every team’s position over the course of the season, a couple thoughts.

That moment in the sun where the Houston Dash were in first place. Also let’s pour some out for Boston Breakers and their two-week run of being in the top four.

No surprise that Seattle and Sky Blue have been hanging around the 4 to 6 neighborhoods all season long. That final spot in the playoffs is going to come down to the final week, I think so buckle the hell up for one crazy ride.

If the Chicago Red Stars keep this fall and finish level on points with Seattle, they are going to rue that midweek loss against Seattle. They should have closed the game out and for Seattle, if they get into the playoffs, that milestone win against Chicago is going to look back as the win that saved their season.

It’s spectacular that Orlando spent a month at the bottom, have been subpar for most of the season and are right in the mix for playoff spot. I can certainly understand why Tom Sermanni has a good case for Coach of the Year considerations.

WEEK 18 PREDICTIONS
Bottom line for this weekend’s predictions: nothing will get settled as far as painting a clearer picture of who is joining the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL Playoffs.

FC Kansas City OVER Orlando Pride.

The Fightin’ Vlatkos will continue their hot streak and jack up the road to the playoffs to make everyone think louder and stronger, “HMMM…. Could they?!”

Seattle Reign FC and Portland Thorns play to a DRAW.

A win gives either team their 50th in league history. Seattle needs it more than Portland does. For one weekend, both Seattle and Portland soccer teams on the NWSL and MLS will be in Seattle for big ol’ derpy rivalry weekend and yeah, the ladies will play to a draw. Seattle Reign FC fans will continue to live in anxiety as to if this team can claim a playoff spot with four games left to go.

Washington Spirit and Chicago Red Stars play to a DRAW.

Spirit get the lead and will carry the lead long enough to make us think yep Chicago is falling off the cliff but then will get some stoppage time equalizer and we’ll all go ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Boston Breakers OVER Sky Blue FC.

I hilariously called it right the first time at the start of the season and I’ll stick my neck out and say the Breakers do it again.

And honestly, with the forecast of Hurricane Harvey hitting land around Friday or Saturday, it’s probably fair to wonder if Houston Dash versus North Carolina Courage will even happen. Yes, the game is scheduled for Sunday. It’s hard to say at the time of writing this what the result of that match will be because we may not even get a match on Sunday. So for now, Houston Dash versus North Carolina Courage gets a ¯_(ツ)_/¯ prediction from me.

And here’s your tunes to send you into the weekend.

Song: “Shot At The Night” | Artist: The Killers

6 Takeaways from NWSL: Week 17

Posted on by RJ Allen

It’s not even December, but it still felt like Christmas as the National Women’s Soccer League Week 17 came to an end. As soccer fans, we have been treated to some fantastic matches so far. The word historic has been tossed around to describe this season, and honestly, that’s almost an understatement. As most teams have only a handful of games left for the 2017 season and the playoff race continues to heat up, we outline some of the takeaways for the week which saw eight matches played.

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Orlando Needs to Make Turnovers Count – Luis Hernandez

This past weekend the Orlando Pride traveled to Jordan Field, and took all three points from the Boston Breakers. The performance was marred by a late foul in the box by Jamia Fields leading to the penalty kick which allowed Amanda Da Costa–retiring from professional soccer after the match–to pull one back for the Breakers for a final score of 2-1. Once Head Coach Tom Sermanni views the tape of the match, he should note that the Pride caused Boston to turn the ball over multiple times, but Sermanni’s side could not make the Breakers pay for those takeaways.

As potent as the Pride attack was prior to the match against Boston, the score line should have been worse from this past weekend. The top teams in the league force their opponents into turning the ball over and punish them by scoring. Case in point, the Chicago Red Stars have faced Orlando several times this season, and had been able to quickly pounce on the Pride to score once an Orlando player made a mistake. For the Pride to continue their push to the playoffs, the team will have to convert the mistakes into goals like Camila did versus Sky Blue when Kailen Sheridan misplayed a ball in their most recent meeting. As Orlando goes into Kansas City to face the Blues, both teams riding a three match winning streak, the team who takes advantage of the other errors will be the one to come out on top.

 

Roster Freeze Date Around the Corner – Luis Hernandez

As we have been focused on the action on the pitch and the excitement of the playoff race, everyone was quickly reminded by this Washington Spirit tweet that there was more going on behind the scenes.

Prior to the match, it was announced Kristie Mewis was not going to play for Washington due to an at the time pending trade. This wheeling and dealing is a good thing because it speaks to the level of competition in the league; as well as the pressure of the playoff push for teams to find any way to improve before the roster freeze date. This is what makes the offseason exciting, and during the season causes the fan base to buzz. The only negative on moves like this is the roster limit forces a team like Chicago, who carried a full roster, to cut a player like Morgan Proffitt who needed more time to develop since she wasn’t getting minutes on match day.

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Washington’s Starting Backline Could Be a Temporary Fix to a Major Problem – Jordan Small

Just when things seemed like they couldn’t get any worse for the Washington Spirit, they left North Carolina with zero points, a defender who has a possible illness and two more who have possible injuries from the match. While a team like Sky Blue has all the luck in the world right now, the Spirit definitely do not have any remaining. Despite all of that, the Spirit finally put together a backline that could possibly hold its own for the rest of the season.

With Whitney Church out with an injury sustained in practice this week, head coach Jim Gabarra was forced to put Kassey Kallman in alongside Shelina Zadorsky. Along with Caprice Dydasco and Estelle Johnson on the outside, the backline of Washington seemed to be doing a lot better. Against a very quick front line for North Carolina, Washington held their own in the first half. If Kallman does not have an injury from the own goal against the Courage and Johnson is able to recover from illness, the Spirit’s backline will see a major improvement going forward. The only question is: will Gabarra put Church back in the lineup once she is healthy again?

 

Zerboni Joins the 100 Appearance Club – Jordan Small

When talking about the North Carolina Courage midfield, Sam Mewis is usually the first name to come up. One of the players that does not get as much credit as she is due is McCall Zerboni. On Saturday, Zerboni became the fourth NWSL player to reach 100 appearances in the league. Whether it was in Portland, Western New York or North Carolina, Zerboni has always been a stud in the midfield. The tough nosed midfielder has an incredible soccer IQ that has really helped her team’s midfield. This season she has taken a leadership presence both on and off the field that has helped the rookies really grow. Courage head coach Paul Riley said after the game that she isn’t too old to make the national team. While Zerboni’s talent in the midfield could be a nice addition, it’s hard to see Jill Ellis calling up a 30-year-old into camp, especially with a major competition still two years away.

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An Elegy for Sky Blue – Elizabeth Wawrzyniak

We’ve all heard by now–Christy Holly is out as Sky Blue’s head coach and Christie Pearce is out for the rest of the season (and presumably has ended her career) with “accumulative injuries.”

In the end, we don’t know why Holly is gone. Whatever happened behind the scenes hasn’t been made public. In the end, doesn’t really matter since it’s done. He’s gone.

But what does matter is how the fuck Sky Blue is going to have any chance at the post-season now. Sure, they have Sam Kerr. But Sam Kerr cannot continue to drag this team kicking and screaming across the goal line each week. She is good, yes. No, she is great. But she is not yet consistent in a way that can guarantee Sky Blue’s continued success. 

Not only can they not rely on Kerr to win every game for them, but Sky Blue now has a leadership problem because the two guiding forces on the team are gone. Christy Holly and Christie Pearce, between the two of them, formed this team, molded it, and created the burgeoning positive culture that it had become over the past two seasons–a far cry from its initial “poor little sister” status of the league. The leadership on a backline that was already in dire need of support is gone.

As much as I can hope for SBFC to make that final miracle run to the playoffs, I don’t think it’s going to happen. And so I’m already thinking about next season and what the team needs to even have a chance. As always, it’s the backline that has me most concerned. First off, they need an experienced center back. Mandy Freeman, when paired with Pearce, has been doing okay, but she needs help. Second, I love me some Kayla Mills but she either needs to figure out how to defend or she needs to take her seat on the bench. Plus, she needs to stop looking like she’s ready to pass out in the last, crucial, ten minutes of the game. And, for real, either they need to play O’Hara as a winger or force her to stay in her defensive position because fast as she is, she has made some brutal, game-ending mistakes this past season tracking back.

Right now, they have four picks in the 2018 draft. They’re going to need to use them wisely. And they’re going to need to do some negotiating because this team can’t survive on Kerr’s nose for goal, O’Hara’s drive to win, and youthful energy alone. They need to explore some trade options and expand the depth of their bench.

I hate to admit it, but they need to start thinking like Washington now, and making next year their priority.

(Come on, Sky Blue, prove me wrong. Please?)

 

Sam Kerr – Elizabeth Wawrzyniak

Just. 

Sam Kerr. 

Edub is still recovering from that game. She practically had a heart attack that second-half.