Tag: defender

Unsung Hero of the Week: Notable Naughton in Chi Town

Posted on by RJ Allen

In this weekly series, I will be highlighting a player from the weekend who was their respective team’s unsung hero, win, lose or draw. A player who does the dirty work, does the little but important things in a game, and someone who didn’t exactly fill up the stat sheet but found other ways to contribute.

This week I’ve chosen Chicago Red Star defender Katie Naughton.

The Elk Grove Village native was selected in the 2016 NWSL College Draft in the second round, going 19th overall to Chicago. She was one of seven players selected to join Rory Dames’ squad that year, and one of the three local players selected by the team. The 23-year-old center back played her college ball at Notre Dame, appearing 87 times while scoring 11 goals in her four-year career. In her rookie season, she played in 17 matches and quickly became an important building piece for Chicago. So far in 2017 Naughton has played in 14 games, and has become one of the five defenders Dames can rely upon to rotate in and out of the starting XI on a game-to-game basis.

Chicago 2-1 Orlando:

Chicago is undefeated at home and they don’t get scored on very often. In fact, the Red Stars have only allowed 13 goals (second-best) and just five goals at Toyota Park, also second-best. But heading into this game, Chicago were without their two regular starters: Julie Ertz and Sam Johnson (Ertz would enter the game in the second half). Orlando, on the other hand, were coming off an explosive 4-1 win over Kansas City, surely taking the field with a bit of confidence. I had thought that the game would be a little more even, to be honest, especially considering that Sermanni had moved Marta into the middle, the spot where Ertz would’ve been. And initially, Orlando took advantage of that mismatch, dominating and controlling 70 percent possession in the first 20 minutes.

Naughton had the challenge of handling not one world class player, but two; international-level competitors Marta and Alex Morgan. It was certainly an adjustment period for the Red Stars with Ertz and Johnson not around, but like I discussed in an earlier piece centered around Arin Gilliland, this group is capable of rotating players on the backline and being successful no matter who is lined up. Wave after wave of Orlando attacks came, but Naughton and her teammates held on, not getting down or panicking for even a second.

In the 22nd minute, Orlando had a nice spell of possession, switching fields and finding Marta to distribute from her central role. Pride midfielder Dani Weatherholt attempted to speed the play up, wanting to slip a pass to the cutting Morgan. Naughton read the intention just in time, stepping in front to escape the possibility of Morgan receiving it and turning for a 1v1 with Chicago goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.

Throughout the first half, Naughton and her backline were clearly doing some extra communication, realizing that Orlando were building confidence after each run into the final third. Leading the way for the Red Stars defense were Casey Short and Naughton, working to make sure the outside backs Gilliland and Taylor Comeau were on the same page positioning-wise.  And while the Pride continued to put pressure, no matter how much knocking they did, Chicago answered the door every time.

Chicago would find a goal in that first half, courtesy of Sofia Huerta and Christen Press (of course). This partnership has certainly been profitable for the Red Stars side; the team is 5-0-2 this season when these two link up for a goal or assist.

Just before halftime, though, Naughton was called upon again. This time it was Marta who attempted to take her to the end line on the left side. The Brazilian and five-time FIFA Player of the Year was doing her dance, hoping to shake Naughton to get into the box. Access completely denied, Naughton waited patiently, not diving in for one second. I enjoyed this play because the Red Star showed off her footwork. She contained the forward long enough and won the ball; not many defenders that go up against Marta wouldn’t have already been on the ground at this point. Chicago went into the locker room with a 1-o lead.

The second half was a different story for Chicago. To reduce the amount of time and space they were giving Orlando in the middle, they brought Ertz to shape things up. Immediately Orlando pressured once again on the left side, with Marta sliding over to make it to the end line of Chicago but Naughton once again stood her ground and won the encounter. The presence of Ertz was clearly helpful, as she took on some of the defensive duties, while Naughton and Casey switched the attack more to try and get Orlando unbalanced.

In the 88th minute, Naughton would make one more play to beat Morgan’s attempt at scoring, beating the USWNT star to header, clearing it to squash the chance of Morgan turning in Chicago’s own 18.

Part of the problem for Orlando was they were not willing to have patience in the final third. Too many times they rushed passes, tried to force themselves forward, and just did not get into the box enough. For Chicago, they were opportunistic, making a few passes before all the sudden they were off to the races, with Press leading the way. While Orlando did manage to score, it was in the 93rd minute and too late. While it wasn’t a perfect defensive game for Chicago, Naughton and the backline got the job done well enough to grab all three points.

With the loss, Orlando slipped to seventh place with 19 points while Chicago pushed past North Carolina into first place with 28 points.

Unsung Hero of the Week: Boston’s own Iron Woman

Posted on by RJ Allen

In this weekly series, I will be highlighting a player from the weekend who was their respective team’s unsung hero, win, lose or draw. A player who does the dirty work, does the little but important things in a game and someone who didn’t exactly fill up the stat sheet but found other ways to contribute.

This week I’ve chosen Boston Breaker defender Julie King.

King (like myself) is a Saint Louis native who has quietly become an iron woman of the NWSL. Since she signed with the Breakers in 2012 back in the league’s infancy, she has played in 101 games in a Boston jersey. This now puts her just one shy of Kristine Lilly, the United States legend who also played her club ball for Boston in its WUSA and WPS iterations. It’s been tough first five seasons in the NWSL for Boston, who have yet to make the playoffs and have gone through three different head coaches. Yet, they’ve had some incredible talent suit up for them. A few of those names include Lilly, Kelly Smith, Lauren Holiday, and Amy LePeilbet in the WPS years, as well as Heather O’Reilly, Heather Mitts, Adriana Leon, and Sydney Leroux in the NWSL years.

But through it all, the now 27-year-old King has been a steady presence on the roster, and has grown up tremendously in this league. And now she captains the Breakers as they attempt to change their history and make a play for the post-season.

Boston 1-1 Seattle:

The Breakers had their work cut out for them heading into this game with the Reign, who have a  13-game unbeaten streak at home in Memorial Stadium. Containing Seattle was no easy task, especially with Megan Rapinoe in fabulous form this year with nine goals, and sitting in fifth on the table, but King and the Breakers were more than up for the task. Seattle is also the league-leaders in goals scored this season (25), different goal-scorers (nine) and draws (six). But Boston has been on an impressive run of their own, recording three shutouts with rookie goalkeeper Sammy Jo Prudhomme getting the job done until Abby Smith returned for this game.

King made her first appearance on the radar in the 17th minute when she slowed down Seattle’s Rebekah Stott as she raced towards the Breakers’ goal. The veteran slid in to cover her and didn’t let Stott get off a shot or pass. Just a minute later she had to deal with Merritt Mathias in the middle of the Breakers’ defensive end at the top of the 18. She faced Mathias up and managed to get a toe-poke in, showing she isn’t afraid to approach opposing forwards to attempt to win the ball.

Both teams had important players missing for them, which affected their respective game plans. Seattle’s creative midfielder Jess Fishlock was out with a knee injury, while Boston’s Allysha Chapman, who always provides a strong presence on the backline, was out due to yellow card accumulation. Thanks to the absence of Chapman, the backline was a bit different than usual, with King, Amanda Frisbie, Megan Oyster, Christen Westphal. So, communication was vital throughout the first half and King was seen pointing and giving direction to her teammates, putting them in a better position to defend. Little things like that are reasons why she has succeeded in this league.

It was a quite a chess match between King and Mathias, as the two players were willing to take on each other all night, whenever the opportunity presented itself. King challenged the forward again in the 22nd minute, shaking the ball loose and winning possession for her team. Just before halftime she offered her hand in the offensive third, taking a long throw-in deep in Seattle’s half. It almost created something out of nothing as it went off a Reign defender amid confusion, which nearly resulted in an own goal in the Breakers’ favor.

In the 65th minute King sacrificed her body to take away a chance for Seattle’s Christine Nairn, who blasted a shot right off the right leg of King 20 yards from goal. King didn’t even flinch as she stood in front of it, standing her ground long enough to absorb the lethal shot that looked like it would’ve been on target and put the Reign ahead.

In the 73rd minute the defender showed off her skills on the offensive end once again, this time with her feet. She won a loose ball just inside the 18, wove around Stott to slip a pass to Natasha Dowie, who was unfortunately offside. King isn’t usually the kind of player who gets that deep into the offense but it was a wonderful reminder that she can be more than just a central defender. She was smooth on the ball, working well in a tight space to show her mobility as a player.

In the end, the Reign scored a wonder goal courtesy of Nahomi Kawasumi and the Breakers scored the tying goal through the combined efforts of Westphal and Adriana Leon. The hard-fought game ended with a 1-1 draw, and while the result certainly was disappointing for Seattle supporters, I believe it was an encouraging one for Boston to come from behind and earn a point on the road.

For the past five years King has been Boston’s iron woman, a player who does everything she’s asked, who gives everything each and every game. She’s been a consistent player on a team that’s been unfortunately inconsistent over the years. But despite it all, King holds her own against the best forwards in the league. She keeps the flame of hope alive in Boston, and if she and the team can continue to put in this kind of effort, I think the Breakers could climb a few spots and finally make it to the next level this year.

What time is it? Arin Gilliland Time: Making a Case for the USWNT

Posted on by RJ Allen

Since the United States Women’s National team’s 2015 World Cup win, a lot of new faces have put on the coveted shirt for the first time. A few of those names include 19-year-old Mallory Pugh, Casey Short, Rose Lavelle, Lynn Williams, and Andi Sullivan. Another common denominator with these players is how young they are, the oldest being 26 and the youngest being 19. I could name a handful more but instead here is a player who I believe deserves a call-up this year: Arin Gilliland.

The 24-year-old defender plays her club ball for the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL. Gilliland was drafted out of Kentucky in the 2015 NWSL College Draft, taken eighth overall. The 2015 College Draft is actually my favorite of each that the NWSL has hosted since the league started. It saw players like Morgan Brian, Lynn Williams, and Samantha Mewis enter the league. Players who are all now very important pieces of their NWSL teams as well as the senior national team.

As a rookie in 2015, Gilliland played in 17 games with Chicago, helping to lead them into the playoffs, and was named to the NWSL’s second-best XI. Her second season proved to be even better; she started in 21 games and was a big contributor to the 2016 Red Stars’ 1.0 goals against average. 

This season Gilliland has played in 11 games, starting 10 of those. She has been a huge part of the Red Stars’ success this season, quietly doing her part as usual. She has helped Chicago to a 7-3-3 record, which is good for 24 points, second on the table and within striking distance of first. In her third season, Gilliland has been steady as ever, working well with a rotation of players that include Short, Julie Ertz, Katie Naughton, and Sam Johnson. Gilliland is well known in the league for her lock-down defense, her ability to contain just about every player she goes up against.

The current USWNT list of defenders does include another Red Star–Casey Short, who has accumulated 10 caps since debuting in 2016. And Gilliland has been called into national team camp, getting her first call-up in October of 2016. But somehow this capable, steady, and superb defender doesn’t have a cap to her name. She rarely gets beaten down the right side, but in the rare event that she does, her recovery speed reminds me of a certain USWNT veteran who is universally known for her incredible speed when tracking back (if you guessed Ali Krieger, you are correct).

In their 13 games so far this season, Chicago has scored 16 goals while only giving up 11. Gilliland has been doing her part exceptionally well. The team relies on her strength and positioning each game, and her willingness to do whatever it takes to win. When you see her play, there is passion in her eyes, fight in her tackles, and her domination on the backline is evident in the lack of opponent’s goals on the scoreboard. Gilliland is what the NFL would refer to as a “shut-down-corner.” She is one of the best in the league, certainly a top-five type of player and, in my opinion, sorely underrated.

Arin Gilliland player is the kind of player who is consistently great across the back.  With her quality possession, her eagle-eye vision, her crunching tackles, and the way she handles opposing threats, she would be a welcome and reliable presence on the USWNT backline, a defense that feels more like a merry-go-round these days.

And, yes, I get it. Head coach Jill Ellis is working out a lot of things, experimenting in just about every position to find what works in anticipation of the next tournament cycle. But, given the resume Gilliland has along with her talent, this Chicago Red Star deserves a chance to take the pitch in a US jersey.

If the USWNT want a chance at another WWC trophy in 2019, we need to build another Department of Defense. Arin Gilliland could be one of the pieces we need to make our backline great once again.

It’s time for a call-up, Jill.

Unsung Hero of the Week: So Calm, So Cool, So Catley

Posted on by RJ Allen

In this weekly series, I will be highlighting a player from the weekend who was their respective team’s unsung hero, win or lose. A player who does the dirty work, does the little but important things in a game and someone who didn’t exactly fill up the stat sheet but found other ways to contribute.

This week I’ve chosen Orlando Pride defender Steph Catley.

The 23-year-old Australian international has appeared in 23 games for Orlando, already making a place for herself in women’s soccer history. Catley scored the first ever goal for the Pride in its inaugural season on April 21st, 2016. Sometimes I forget just how young she is but then I remember this young talent has already made 57 appearances for the National team. But I also need to give some credit to Australia’s coaches, as they are known for young talent and putting them into the squad as teenagers and finding success (Sam Kerr, Kyah Simon, Caitlin Foord and Hayley Raso to name a few).

Orlando 0-1 Chicago

While Orlando may have lost this game, (thanks to a penalty by Christen Press in the 68th minute) I do think it was one of their best efforts on the year. Steph Catley was a player who stood out on the night, starting the game strong in her left back position. Her first call to action was in the third minute as she raced down the sideline to receive a beautiful ball from Toni Pressley, splitting the two defenders who tracked her down (Alyssa Mautz and Taylor Comeau). She found fellow Australian Alanna Kennedy for the trailing ball a few yards from the Pride’s 18, takes a shot at serving up Rachel Hill in the box but her effort was a bit strong over the top.

Right off the bat, we see Catley attempting to put pressure on the Red Stars outside backs, showing not only her aggressiveness but her ability to get forward and find that space on the left side. I am an avid supporter of defenders who want to get involved in the attack and Catley is just one example who can do that on a consistent basis.

I thought Catley and Jasmyne Spencer worked well together, combining down in the offensive third (in the form of give-n-go or overlapping) for the Pride on several occasions and earning Orlando corners which they totaled six in the first half alone. With the awareness of Catley and the speed of Spencer, they could spread out Chicago for a period of stretches in the first half by exploiting the space once again on the left side.

In the first half, Orlando controlled possession nicely (70%), building an attack from the back significantly better than Chicago, which allowed them to dictate the pace of the game early on. The start of that success was the backline of Orlando, consisting of Catley, Ali Krieger, Kristen Edmonds and Toni Pressley. The organization allowed Catley to venture up as far as she wanted, knowing she had the capability to ignite the offense and it could pay off at some point.

In the second half, we finally saw Catley make a play in Pride’s end, showing her defensive prowess. The first major one being in the 58th minute when she read a sneaky seam pass from Vanessa DiBernardo in the middle of the park. By recovering to make a sliding tackle just outside the 18 on a ball that was on its way to Press, Catley prevented a dangerous 1V1 with Orlando keeper Audrey Bledsoe. It was a beautiful pass and if Catley hadn’t stretched out for it, surely Press would’ve made the backline pay for letting her slip through the cracks. It was really the first time in the run of play that Catley was called upon after spending most of the first 45 on the offensive end for the Pride.

Just a few minutes later in the 62nd minute, Catley was busy breaking up a play in a 1V1 situation on the right side of the box. Again, it was DiBernardo with the ball, this time looking to switch it to her left for potential service, Catley got a foot on it just in time to clear it another 10 yards from goal. A play that momentarily gave Orlando a breather as Chicago had been pressuring relentlessly for the last few minutes.

Catley was the best player on the field for Orlando in my opinion, her versatility clearly being showcased all throughout the game, doing a little bit of everything to help her team. She created just about every corner for Orlando, her service into the box showed promise, she worked tirelessly all game down the left side to find space and did her defensive duties to a tee all night. She was absolutely outstanding and a joy to watch against a tough Chicago team.

Catley is a key player that needs to continue her form if Orlando want to stay alive in the playoff hunt. The Pride are currently sitting in sixth place with four wins, five losses, and three draws on the season.

Unsung Hero of the Week: Fantastic Freeman on Display

Posted on by RJ Allen

In this weekly series, I will be highlighting a player from the weekend who was their respective team’s unsung hero, win or lose. A player who does the dirty work, does the little but important things in a game and someone who didn’t exactly fill up the stat sheet but found other ways to contribute.

This week I’ve chosen Sky Blue FC defender Mandy Freeman.

The 22-year-old was taken 10th overall in the first round of the 2017 College Draft by Sky Blue. Fresh off a NCAA Championship with USC, Freeman jumped right into the NWSL, so far starting in all 10 games for the New Jersey side. In her first season, she has the opportunity of a lifetime: to be paired next to Christie Pearce. What a mentor to have, huh? Going into the season I wasn’t sure if Sky Blue would be able to start strong, but 10 games into the year we find them in third place and really starting to find a groove.

Sky Blue 3-1 Portland

Sky Blue got off to a perfect start, scoring the opening goal just 24 seconds in. Officially it was given to Raquel Rodriguez (after a lovely pass from Sam Kerr) 25 seconds in, but I have watched it several times and it’s clearly in the back of the net at the 24 second mark–which would make it the fastest goal in NWSL history.

But I’ll move on from that and get down to specifics.

The first play worth talking about from Freeman was in the 11th minute. #22 had darted forward to intercept a pass intended for a Thorn player at the halfway line. Freeman got it to Kerr, who charged forward and put herself in a dangerous position in the middle of the park. Emily Sonnett eventually won a tackle, stopping Kerr just before she entered the 18-yard box. But it was a wonderful attacking move which started with Freeman winning possession and then quickly finding Kerr moving forward.

Now, it’s certainly no easy task to rattle to Portland … at Providence Park … in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 16,736. Also add in the fact that the Thorns had not lost at home since July of 2016. Quite an impressive feat, but in the first half Sky Blue were playing like they were the home team, executing their game plan to a tee.

Freeman wasn’t only doing her defensive duties, she wanted in on the action at the other end too. She awaited the service of a Kelley O’Hara corner in the 17th minute, volleying it towards goal where forward McKenzie Meehan sent it just just over the crossbar.  Obviously, Sky Blue drafted her for her defensive abilities but at 5’8″ Freeman could sneak onto the scoring sheet eventually. In her college days at USC, Freeman did find the net twice and earned eight assists as well, so it’s not a completely foreign land to her.

The next big play came in the very next minute. Portland patiently strung together a series of passes, working their way deep into the Sky Blue end. At the end of it, Sinclair turned Mills away with a cute stop-and-go on the right side of the 18 and found Raso, who was in the middle, with a point-blank shot. Or so she thought. But instead, Freeman comes lunging forward with such graceful desperation, putting her body in front of a ball that was on its way to being blasted upper 90 for the equalizer. Freeman once again read the play, reacted in the right way and preserved the lead for Sky Blue. It was a crucial moment. With Portland’s pressure growing and the game moving at a frantic pace, an equalizer could easily have turned the tide on the night and shifted the momentum. Freeman’s clutch stop gave Sky Blue some refuge and let them restore some order to their game plan.

As every team in the NWSL knows, containing Portland is extremely difficult to do. With the likes of Nadia Nadim, Christine Sinclair, Allie Long, Amandine Henry, and Lindsey Horan, Sky Blue and their balanced defense managed to do just that. Balanced meaning two veterans and two rookies keeping the line very organized. Freeman deserves individual plaudits for her containment of Sinclair–a player who has proven capable of escaping from the world’s best defenders. In maybe her best game of the season so far, Freeman kept Canada’s legendary forward in check and off the score sheet.

In the second half, Portland didn’t start well but in the 64th minute, they could’ve had a quality chance on goal if not for Freeman. Building from the back, the Thorns found Meghan Klingenberg out wide, looking to serve the ball toward Long in the box. Once again, Portland were inches away from a goal, but somehow Freeman burst in to steal the header from Long and deny a golden scoring chance.

One last play to highlight Freeman came in the 88th minute with Portland desperately searching for a bit of pride back and a consolation goal. Henry won the ball near the midfield and surged forward, leaving two Sky Blue players in the dust on her way to goal. Freeman came over to support, stood tall against the French playmaker and took it away from her. Then she had the awareness to slot it to Madison Tiernan in the midfield, who sent a long searching ball to a certain Aussie (who beat the entire Portland backline) and raced 15 yards before faking out Adrianna Franch for the cool finish and a brace.

Freeman had to deal with some incredible talent on the night and taking the ball away from Henry and starting the final goal-scoring sequence had to feel good for the rookie as it capped off a fantastic game for her. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this game, it was end-to-end action. And in my opinion, Freeman made the difference for her club on the night.

Sky Blue are currently sitting in third place with five wins, four losses, and one draw. If Freeman and this backline can continue this type of electric play, we could see this team back in the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

Unsung Hero of the Week: Abby Road

Posted on by RJ Allen

In this weekly series, I will be highlighting a player from the weekend who was their respective team’s unsung hero, win or lose. A player who does the dirty work, does the little but important things in a game and someone who didn’t exactly fill up the stat sheet but found other ways to contribute.

This week I’ve chosen North Carolina Courage defender Abby Dahlkemper.

The 24-year-old American was the third overall pick in the 2015 College Draft, selected by the Western New York Flash out of UCLA. Dahlkemper appeared in 40 games for the Flash, winning the NWSL Championship with them in 2016. So far this year for the re-branded and re-located North Carolina Courage she has started all nine games. The Courage head into the break with a 6-3-0 record and are now first in the league standings.

North Carolina 2-0 Kansas City

Leading into this game, I was curious how the Courage would handle FCKC forward Sydney Leroux, who just last week had a two-goal performance against Washington to earn her Player of the Week honors. My curiosity was quickly washed away in the eighth minute when Dahlkemper first made her presence in the game known to Leroux. Kansas City had managed to clear the ball out of their half to Leroux but Dahlkemper out-muscled her for several steps near the midway line. The Courage defender read the situation perfectly to steal the ball away from Leroux and gain possession for her team. In turn, Dahlkemper glided a pass to Jaelene Hinkle who gave it up to Sam Mewis for North Carolina to regroup.

Dahlkemper establishing her presence early was vital to stopping Leroux from gaining any kind of confidence early on, and her work paid off.

One example of Dahlkemper dipping her toes in the offensive end for North Carolina came in the 24th minute. A big part of her game is her ability to provide set pieces that are not only quality but dangerous. Dahlkemper sent in a high-arching corner that found her fellow centerback Abby Erceg. The former New Zealand international sent it towards goal where Mewis redirected it on frame. It surely was going in, but FCKC defender Brittany Taylor got in the way of the header and saved the day for the Blues.

After that play, Commentator Aly Wagner expressed her opinion that she doesn’t think there’s a better set-piece taker in the women’s game. After thinking about it, I would have to agree with Wagner’s sentiments. The Courage have great service and height in their ranks, which has equaled success. Along with Dahlkemper, they have Erceg, who stands in at 5’10 and Mewis who is 5’11. These three combined provide enough evidence to claim the Courage are the most dangerous team when it comes to set pieces so far this season.

In the 44th minute, the roles were reversed for a change. This time it was Mewis taking the corner and Dahlkemper waiting for it. Mewis sent it to the back post and Dahlkemper was right on cue, sending a powerful header just wide of Kansas City’s goal.

Dahlkemper had a busy and productive first half but she didn’t stop there. On the other side in the 60th minute, North Carolina finally capitalized on a chance. The Courage earned another corner and Dahlkemper was up to the task of providing pin-point service. Once again, she found Erceg at the top of the 18, who sent it back into the mix. This time it found veteran midfielder McCall Zerboni near the six-yard box who flicked it in for the 1-0 lead. It was a well-deserved goal and one that had been brewing for some time.

It was brought up in the commentary that North Carolina leads the league in crosses and completions in the box. This game against KC was yet another prime example of why they are atop the standings; they are being efficient and it’s setting them apart from the rest of the league so far.

This upcoming week the NWSL is on international break. So, no games until the weekend of June 17. The United States Women’s National team will be playing Sweden June 8 (ESPN 2 – 1:30 PM ET) and Norway on June 11 (FOX – 1:00 PM ET). One defender who I was glad to see get called up was, in fact, Dahlkemper. She made two appearances for the USWNT back in 2016 and now once again has the chance to show what she can do for the Senior team. I hope she sees some playing time because her play in the NWSL has absolutely been top notch.

If Dahlkemper can keep this pace for her club, don’t be surprised if the North Carolina squad earn another piece of hardware come October.

Unsung Hero of the Week: Gilliland’s Island

Posted on by RJ Allen

In this weekly series, I will be highlighting a player from the weekend who was their respective team’s unsung hero, win or lose. A player who does the dirty work, does the little but important things in a game and someone who didn’t exactly fill up the stat sheet but found other ways to contribute.

This week I’ve chosen Chicago Red Star defender Arin Gilliland.

The 24-year-old has been in the National Women’s Soccer League since 2015, when she was drafted fifth overall by FC Kansas City but was quickly acquired by Chicago. Gilliland has played in 45 games for the Red Stars, and has been a force to be reckoned with from the moment she joined the club.

Chicago 2-0 Houston

After losing to Houston 2-0 in the first week of the season, the Red Stars flipped the script on Saturday. This time Chicago were the dominant team and a big part of that was Gilliland. The third-year player once was tasked with containing Kealia Ohai, Rachel Daly and later on Morgan Brian. Despite the considerable talents of those players, none found the net or even produced any particularly dangerous moves. That is evidence of a strong defensive performance from Gilliland.

But she’s not just a good defender. Back in her college days, suiting up for Kentucky, she was a serious threat up top–scoring 30 goals in her time as a Wildcat. And with Chicago’s reliance on attacking fullbacks there’s room for her to get back to those roots with the Red Stars. Early on in the game against Houston, Gilliland worked the right flanks aggressively, combining with midfielder Alyssa Mautz to generate some dangerous chances. In the 15th minute she reached the Dash end line after combining with Mautz on a give-and-go and earned her team a deep throw-in. Throughout the first half, her efforts to push forward created space on the right and pinned Houston back, giving Chicago real momentum.

In the last two seasons, Gilliland has played with several different backlines and players. In her first year, she was lined up next to Abby Erceg, Taryn Hemmings, Michelle Lomnicki, Rachel Quon, Julie Johnston (now Ertz) and Sam Johnson. In 2016 Gilliland, Ertz, and Johnson were the mainstays while adding Katie Naughton, Sarah Gorden, Courtney Raetzman and Casey Short to the mix. In fact, with the emergence of Short at left back, Gilliland switched sides from left to right without missing a beat, demonstrating her adaptability.  Now, in 2017, Chicago is working with the same group, but has achieved a new balance after moving Ertz in the midfield and working with a backline of Gilliland, Naughton, Johnson and Short.

In a recent post-game mix zone session, Gilliland briefly talked about the merry-go-round of a defense in Chicago that seems to be working:

“I think all five of us, me, Julie, Katie, Sam, Casey, we’ve all got a great dynamic, you really move us anywhere in the backline and we’re all gonna work well off each other no matter where we are.”

Gilliland went on to explain how that helps her team and what to expect:

“I think that’s the best part about our team we can move people to different positions and we can still be dangerous that way, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we changed things up again.”

As the game went on, Gilliland settled in for her defensive duties, chasing down Ohai a handful of times to put a stop to a potential threat. In the last two years, Gilliland has become known for her strong tackles, and that was on display this weekend. Her timing is near perfect, but those flashy tackles are often only possible because she has the pace to match even the quickest forwards in the league–putting her in position to make the crucial interventions.

Her individual effort to win the ball led to Chicago sealing the victory in front of 2,114 fans in the 61st minute. Gilliland went in for a crunching tackle with Ohai and the loose ball appeared at the feet of Christen Press who whipped in service that Danielle Colaprico couldn’t handle and it fell to Ertz for the powerful volley for the 2-0 lead and eventual win. Without Gilliland’s hustle, Chicago would’ve been racing back to defend their own goal as Ohai was on the verge of taking off down the sidelines with the advantage.

Gilliland would return to the game after the collision and played until the 90th minute, being subbed out for Gorden.

Chicago put in a strong team defensive performance on the night–with good organization and pressure that prevented Houston from getting the ball over the top.  Every time the Dash midfield looked for that ball, Gilliland and her teammates on the backline read the threat and shut it down, calling for double and triple teams for whoever possessed the ball in a dangerous area. She was composed in her decision making, knowing when to settle play down, or maintain shape again.

But that’s just who Gilliland is, the unsung hero who gladly does her part, and does it REALLY well on a consistent basis. She has been one of the main reasons Chicago has risen to the top of the NWSL over the last few years. If Gilliland can continue to play her part, Chicago could once again be in the playoff hunt in September.

The Way I See It: Unsung Hero of the Week

Posted on by RJ Allen

In my new weekly series, I will be highlighting a player each week from the National Women’s Soccer League who was their respective team’s unsung hero, win or lose. A player who does the dirty work, does the little but important things in a game and someone who didn’t exactly fill up the stat sheet but found other ways to contribute.

This week I’ve chosen Washington Spirit defender Estelle Johnson.

Johnson has been with the club since 2015 and has since become a crucial contributor not only to the backline, but to the team as a whole. In her two years, she has started 32 games out of 33 she appeared in. The 28-year-old was shown just how much she means to the Spirit when they signed her to a new contract in March of this year.

This past weekend, Washington played a hard-fought battle with Houston, ending in a 1-0 defeat. While some would see just another loss on the scoreboard, I saw a bounce back game from the team, and a quietly impressive performance from Johnson. She had the tall task of keeping three extremely dynamic players in check: Rachel Daly, Kealia Ohai, and Janine Beckie. Now, I’m not saying she was mistake-free, as Ohai did manage to grab a goal in the 28th minute for the win, but without a doubt Johnson was one of the biggest reasons her team stayed in the game for as long as they did. The goal certainly doesn’t take away the effort by Johnson.

Throughout the game, Johnson showed her veteran leadership by constantly communicating with her fellow defenders Shelina Zadorsky and Whitney Church in the suddenly-popular 3-5-2 formation. Her patience played a big role in dealing with the Houston attack, with one example coming in the 47th minute when Houston initiated a promising attack through Ohai, which was then squashed by one hell of a tackle from Johnson. It’s one thing just to track down Ohai, but Johnson did more, she closed down the window of opportunity and preventing her opponent from taking a shot or sending in service. Against a player like Ohai, getting beat occasionally is inevitable. Where Johnson shined was in her ability to make crucial recoveries down the right side, keeping the opponent contained while her team got organized.

Johnson also was working hard to get the ball for her team, forcing several turnovers throughout the game and earning key possession opportunities. A prime example of this came in the 52nd minute when Johnson managed to block a powerful shot by Daly just outside the eighteen. In doing so, Washington grabbed possession and stopped any serious momentum from Houston. Johnson was linking up well with her midfield, even taking the opportunity to get into the offensive third when she saw fit. She created a chance in the 62nd minute when she slotted a neat pass to Francisca Ordega who in turn found Arielle Ship which resulted in a corner for the Spirit. Creating out of the back is an underrated quality in this league and Johnson showed how good she was at it on the night. Washington had nine shots, with Johnson taking one of those. As a team, the Spirit put just one shot on target, showing that they’ll need all the help they can get from the back.

Johnson hustled all night and played one solid game in my opinion and while her team did lose (by a narrow margin at that), her individual performance shouldn’t be overlooked. Estelle Johnson is my unsung hero for Week 3 and if Washington want a chance at being near the top of the table come September, Johnson will need to play like this for much of the season.