Hold?

Posted on June 14, 2017 by RJ Allen

We are now one-third of the way through the season, and things seem to be settling down a bit. While there have been plenty of surprises week-to-week, the league table points toward some broad stability. We’ve got one tier of clear frontrunners, a second group of playoff hopefuls, and a third group of teams just starting to drift away from the pack a bit.

Still, there is still plenty of time left for teams to shake things up and rearrange the playoff race. So this column will take the opportunity of the break to take the pulse of each team. I’ll also offer my best guess about whether each team is likely to rise, fall, or hold steady from this point out. Just remember: predictions are always something of a fool’s game, so don’t take the bottom line too seriously.

1. North Carolina Courage (18 points, GD +4): SELL

The Courage raced out to an early lead, and have managed to hold onto first place, but that grip is getting shaky. They dominated Portland in their first meeting, offering a great example of how their rambunctious style of play—high-pressing, with a powerful midfield supplemented by two aggressive and uncontainable forwards—can overwhelm even a very good team. However, that style is difficult to sustain over a full season, and teams are starting to figure out how to exploit it. Even when they were playing well the backline was exploitable, and that will be only more true with Kawamura now out for the season. Further, they rely heavily on getting rock solid performances from Mewis and Zerboni. A bad (or even just lackluster) game from either, and their high pressure will get split too often and the whole system could implode.

Still, there is a ton of talent on this team—and they’ve got a coach who seems to be able to get a real commitment from top to bottom. So my ‘sell’ recommendation is only grounded in a sense that they’ll most likely drop out of first place. But even with a bit of regression, this still looks like a solid playoff team.

2. Chicago Red Stars (16 points, GD +4): HOLD

Chicago started out slowly once again this year, but have found a solid groove in the past month. The heart and soul of this team is Christen Press, who has been the league’s MVP through the first third (by a country mile, if you ask me). Even if she wasn’t finding the net, her movement in between the midfield and forward line is world-class. Combined with top-notch dribbling ability and a keen creative sense, she’s been close to unplayable so far this year. Meanwhile, Sofia Huerta is settling in very well to her role of support striker, and the midfield is finally starting to play the sort of smooth-passing possession game that they have teased so much in the past couple years. And it should only improve once they add Yuki Nagasato into the mix.

So why are they only a ‘hold’? Two reasons.

First, for all the talk of flexibility and fluidity in the system, we’ve seen very little evidence that this team really has another look available. While Rory Dames has shifted the personnel around a bit, the vast majority of the time it’s the same classic midfield diamond. It’s a time-tested approach, and fits the players well. But too much predictability will allow other coaches to set their teams up to manage them. They have a target on their back now and it still remains to be seen if Dames will be able to adapt to what’s thrown at them.

Second, the defense remains stingy as ever, and they’ve been getting real value using Ertz higher up. But Johnson/Naughton is merely a good defensive pairing, not a great one. They’ve done well so far, but there is room to exploit them, if anyone is able to figure out a way of consistently piercing that midfield shield.

3. Portland Thorns (15 points, GD +6): BUY

Portland looked like the best team in the league going into the season, and even with some struggles early in the year, they’re still within shouting distance of first place. I don’t expect that gap to last much longer.

Their biggest problems have been, 1) weakness in possession, particularly in building from the back (as NC exposed so well), and 2) lack of width, especially in the back. But there’s clear signs of progress on both of those fronts. In the first case, it’s taken a while for them to get comfortable, but the midfield trio of Henry, Horan, and Long are starting to play up their ability. Meanwhile, the front three has found it much easier to get involved in possession, with Nadim in particular having her best games of the season in the past few weeks. And in the back, Franch seems to have settled down a bit. She’s still not great on the ball, but is no longer quite the same bundle of nerves. As for the problem in width, Klingenberg’s return has been huge. Her weaknesses are well known, but she is a solid player and has significantly improved their control over the left wing. Beyond that, the improvements in midfield possession have also helped here. With Henry and Long looking more confident, there’s been less need for bunching along the central spine, freeing up Horan and the attackers to spread out a bit more going forward—thereby helping to pin the opposing fullbacks back.

Oh, and Portland is about to add Ashleigh Sykes to the mix. And Savannah Jordan. And they’ve also got someone…Tobin something…who has been out with an injury all season but will be coming back at some point, too. I hear she’s pretty good.

Basically, the rest of the league is going to sorely regret not getting more out of Portland while they were stumbling a bit.

4. Sky Blue FC (13 points, GD -1): SELL

It’s been an odd season for Sky Blue, who have been hot and cold, but whose results often haven’t correlated very well with the performances.

They were pretty awful against FCKC but came away with a win. And then they earned six points from back-to-back matches against the tailspinning Houston Dash. Now, those nine points are real and they’re in the bank, but it’s not entirely clear how much those matches tell us about their chances going forward. However, on the flip side, Sky Blue played very well in the opening game, and against Portland in Week 8, but only managed a single point from those two efforts. So which is the real Sky Blue? As always, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

There is certainly plenty of talent on this roster. When Sam Kerr is on her game, she might just be the most impossible player to contain in the league. Sarah Killion has been a rock. Kailen Sheridan has had a standout rookie performance as the keeper. Christie Pearce is one of the best defenders in history, and has barely lost a step. And there are so many young players here who could very easily make that next step up to elite status.

If everything clicks, there’s no reason Sky Blue can’t make the playoffs. But I’m opting to ‘sell’ because it feels like a big ask for everything to click. As it stands, Raquel Rodriguez is a good but limited player, who can step up big at times but is wasteful in possession and a bit slow in her decisions. There’s plenty of skilled attackers here, but not much evidence that anyone knows what formation or structure is going to get them all moving together. And the backline is a ticking time bomb. Kayla Mills is a world-class talent, and (in my mind) a future national teamer. But she isn’t quite there yet. Mandy Freeman should grow into a great defender, but for now has far too many lapses in judgment. As she gets more used to the pace of play (and takes advantage of the chance to play next to Pearce), she’ll definitely improve. But for now, her tendency to step forward and force the rest of her backline to scramble to fill the gap has caused plenty of problems. With Pearce and Skroski, they’ve got two extremely dependable players, but beyond that there’s a persistent chance of serious mistakes.

Ultimately, I expect Sky Blue to play better going forward than they have so far. But I’m opting to ‘sell’ because I think they’re a bit lucky to be this high on the table given the underlying performance. That said, I wouldn’t really be shocked to see them finish anywhere from 3rd to 10th.

5. Seattle Reign (12 points, GD +6): SELL…BUY…HOLD?

Seattle’s goal difference of +6 (tied for first in league) hints at a team that ought to be primed to rocket up the table. And yet, a third of the way into the season, the Reign have only actually managed to beat Houston and Washington. So until we see some evidence that Laura Harvey’s adjustments are capable of allowing the Reign to flourish against good opposition, it’s going to be hard to avoid thinking of them as flat-track bullies.

Because at the end of the day, this is still a roster casting around a bit for a clear style of play. The bulldozer teams Harvey has built in the past were never based on responsiveness or adaptation. They were simply a reflection of the attitude that the best team can impose its will on a game. For the Reign, that option simply isn’t available anymore in most games. I do have a lot of faith that Harvey will develop methods for getting the most out of the talent that’s here, but so far it’s been very much a mixed bag.

If Katie Johnson can sustain her form and transition into more of a full-time role, that could make a big difference. There is still a ton of creative talent on this team, but they’ve lacked a real focal point. Bev Yanez has notched three goals, but just isn’t the sort of player that can be the fulcrum of an attack. If Seattle wants to score enough goals to compete against the playoff teams, they need someone to draw defensive attention in the center, who can then allow the creative supporting cast a bit more room in which to flourish.

6. FC Kansas City (11 points, GD +0): BUY

Mid-table, with a goal difference of 0. That about sums it up so far. With Amy Rodriguez at the tip of the spear, KC looked like a championship-contender in their first game. Since then, it’s been a slow process of keeping all the leaks plugged defensively and trying to build into a more viable attack. Things looked pretty grim for the first couple weeks, but lately there have been some definite signs of life. Shea Groom has been excellent (even as she’s played through a rib fracture), and the developing partnership between her, Leroux, and Ratcliffe has breathed some definite life into the KC attack.

From top to bottom, this doesn’t really look like the roster of a playoff team. But I’m opting to ‘buy’ because I have a lot of faith in Vlatko Andonovski’s ability to give his players the greatest chance to succeed. The roster is full of limited players, but limited players who always seem to find a way to get the absolute most out of their talents. The central midfield pairing of Scott and Labonta won’t set the world alight, but you can depend on them to get the job done. Ratcliffe was waived by Boston last year (ouch), but has thrived in a role where her work rate and commitment have been given productive outlets. Christina Gibbons is not (yet) a great defender, but she’s been relatively protected and given a chance to capitalize on her superb delivery from the wings.

Plus, I make it a general rule to never bet against any defense with Sauerbrunn, Averbuch, and Barnhart at its base.

7. Orlando Pride (8 points, GD -1): BUY

This was maybe the toughest call for me. I think Orlando has made great strides in the past few weeks, and the return of Alex Morgan really should make a big difference. The underlying problems with this roster aren’t going to get fixed (absent another huge new signing), but—as I wrote a couple weeks ago—Tom Sermanni does seem to have a clear understanding of those problems and is working to address them. And while Marta has been quite good (which has, strangely, flown a bit under the radar), I think she still has another gear which should be engaged as the rest of the team grows more comfortable and aware of her expectations. For all those reasons, I’m opting to ‘buy’ despite not having a clear sense of which team further up the table I expect to fall below them.

8. Boston Breakers (8 points, GD -3): HOLD

They burst out of the gate, to the joy of anyone with a soul, earning six points from the opening three games. Since then, it’s been a different story, with only two lonely points out of the next five games. More worrying, their last two performances have looked a lot more like the 2016 Breakers, as opposed to the high-flying, smooth-passing, confident team that we saw in the previous matches. To some extent, this is simply regression to the mean. To some extent, it’s a matter of teams getting a chance to observe and respond to their style of play, with Operation Don’t Give Rose Space to Run at the Defense now starting to pay dividends. And partly it’s simply a problem of depth. With Oyster out to injury and Chapman out with a red card, Boston’s backline went from surprisingly sturdy to disaster area. It’s also not a coincidence that their other awful performance on the season (week 1 against KC) came with Julie King out. There simply isn’t margin for error in this backline, and anytime they lose a starter, it’s going to cause big problems. I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see Christen Westphal mostly work as a center back this year, despite my loud objections to the idea at the start of the season. But there are limits to that success. Westphal supported by Oyster, King, and Chapman—and shielded by the effervescent energy of Angela Salem—has mostly worked. But she can’t keep the defense afloat by herself.

If they can get a healthy backline together again, and avoid any other injuries to key players, the high-flying Breakers that routed Seattle early in the season might well return. But the more likely result is a series of modest results as they settle back into the ‘optimistic rebuilding’ narrative that they started the season with. That might feel like a disappointment after the start, but would still be a huge step forward compared to last year.

9. Washington Spirit (7 points, GD -5): HOLD

Things looked grim for the Spirit to start the season, when a team already expected to do poorly was then battered by injuries. But things have picked up since then, with their recent victory over Houston even lifting them out from the cellar. As I wrote in my analysis of that match, Washington clearly lacks the talent to seriously challenge for a playoff spot, but they appear to be settling into a coherent and workable game plan. Defend deep, stay solid, put pressure on the ball, and then hit hard and fast on the counter.

In fact, if I felt confident that Washington could stay disciplined and really invest in this plan, I’d even be tempted to make this a ‘buy.’ Despite a couple obvious disasters this year, I think this is one of the more solid defensive units in the league (especially once they get Tori Huster and Caprice Dydasco back from injury). I just have a hard time seeing the discipline sticking quite that well. It is exceptionally hard to commit to this sort of approach over the long haul, and there will almost certainly be some backsliding. But if they can avoid it, I genuinely wouldn’t be shocked to see them earn enough 1-0 type results to keep themselves in the playoff conversation through the summer.

10. Houston Dash (6 points, -10 GD): BUY, WITH RESERVATIONS

Houston are a ‘buy’ simply because there is a lot of talent on this roster, and for all of her foibles Carli Lloyd really is the sort of player who can make a big difference. Probably more than any team in the league, the Dash are desperately in need of a coach who can instill some team cohesion and structure. The defense is weak, certainly, but it shouldn’t be this bad. A good coach ought to be able to get them organized and close off the tap a bit. And with the wealth of attacking quality here, that really ought to be enough to keep them mid-table.

We didn’t see much evidence of progress in new coach Omar Morales’s first bite of the apple against Washington. But the international break came at a good time, and may offer a real chance to reset. So the big test will be over the next few weeks. If Houston continues to spin their wheels, continues the cycle of players moving through the defense, and continues to miss good chances, things could really start to spiral out of control. But if they settle on a consistent backline, start to look a little bit better organized, and accept that they don’t have the roster to win the midfield battle, there’s still plenty of time to turn the season around.

And if you want to tell an optimistic story, there is something there to hang your hat on. Even when they’ve been playing terribly, they still have enough creative firepower to generate quite a few good chances. The finishing has been lacking but it’s still a good sign that this team has the ability to hang in games even when things aren’t going well.

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 8

Posted on June 2, 2017 by RJ Allen

Image Credits to Leanne Keator.

Welcome to Week 8 of Off the Bench!

Backline Soccer Recap:

The View from the Sideline: North Carolina vs. Sky Blue FC: Check out Guillermo Delgado’s amazing images from the game.
View from the Sideline: Sky Blue FC vs Orlando Pride – 5/27: Leanne Keator was at the Sky Blue and Orlando Pride game last weekend. Check out her amazing images from the game.
6 Takeaways from NWSL: Week 7: Jordan Small, Luis Hernandez, and Elizabeth Wawrzyniak take you through the latest 6 Takeaways. This week they tackle the heat issues in Houston, the probable return to form for Sydney Leroux and more.
The Excused Absence: Elizabeth Wawrzyniak delves into the reasoning behind the excused absence, introduced this year in the NWSL for non-injury game absences. She’ll take you through some NWSL examples plus more professional sports examples. She ends with what she believes the excused absence can be boiled down to and why it might matter for the future of progress.
When is a Goal not a Goal? NWSL Power Rankings, Week 7 Edition: Jenn Hayes dives into her power rankings for Week 7. This week we see a new number one and a new number ten.
Route Two Soccer: Orlando is Making Progress: Charles Olney is back with another edition of Route Two. This week he takes a look a the progression of the Orlando Pride this season and looks at the improvements they are making.
Unsung Hero of the Week: Reliable Raso in the Rose City: Jacqui Porters takes you through her latest Unsung Hero piece highlighting a certain Australian playing in Rose City.
The Unused Sub: Actually, The Dash Can Figure This Out: Jacob Cristobal takes you through his latest Unused sub. This week he has some takes on the Dash situation, the rookies in the league, and makes his predictions for Week 8.
The Furt and the Fabulous: Episode 2: In our newest piece, RJ Allen takes you through another set of her Furt and Fabulous piece. This week she hits on the inconsistent officiating and highlights some amazing NWSL play.

Quick Fire Week 8 Game Previews:

We have arrived at Week 8 of the NWSL season. North Carolina is still holding on to the top of the league, but Chicago has a hit their stride and is creeping up very quickly. This week’s games will be the final matches until June 17th as the USWNT will travel during the FIFA break for two friendlies against Sweden and Norway.

Game 1: North Carolina Courage vs. FC Kansas City

North Carolina Courage record: 5-3-0
Position: 1st
Total Points: 15

FC Kansas City record: 3-2-2
Position: 6th
Total Points: 11

This week the Courage are looking to bounce back from losing two of their last three games. The early signs of the season saw them sitting pretty healthy on top of the standings but that has changed quite a bit in the last 2-3 weeks. North Carolina’s attack continues to be strong but they are having trouble getting past certain defenses they should be getting through. This week, that will be their biggest challenge. The FCKC defense has held their team together, so the Courage will have to continually attack. Lynn Williams works better with a partner up top, so expect the Courage to have that for her this week.

FCKC is coming off a hot game from Player of the Week, Sydney Leroux. She scored twice last week to lead them to victory. I have been talking throughout my Off the Bench pieces of Leroux either needing to find her next level or get some help up top. She was finally able to find her groove last week. FCKC will depend on her a lot this week to continue to find the chances and put the ball in the net. FCKC will also need their defense to stay in-form as they look to stave off the Courage attack.

Game 2: Washington Spirit vs. Houston Dash

Washington Spirit record: 1-5-1
Position: 10th
Total Points: 4

Houston Dash record: 2-5-0
Position: 9th
Total Points: 6

The Spirit are looking for their second win of the season this week and may just get it with the Dash in a bit of limbo. Washington has to find a way to get their complete package to show on the field. Their defense continues to have some problems leaving Steph Labbé out to dry but this may not get highlighted as much this weekend if the Dash continue to play poorly. The Spirit will need to see more production from their attack in counters and capitalize on their chances if they hope to take the three points.

The Dash will be with a new (interim) head coach this week, as previous Head Coach, Randy Waldrum, has been let go. One of the biggest problems Houston has continued to struggle with is what product they are putting on the field at any given moment. It has been hard to tell exactly what they were trying to accomplish with their personnel choices. Many of those were questionable choices from Waldrum, so we will see if Omar Morales, the interim coach, changes anything. The Dash will need to work a lot more on their defense and its formation as the Spirit are hungry for a win and will look to attack early and often.

Game 3: Sky Blue vs. Portland Thorns

Sky Blue FC record: 4-3-1
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 13

Portland Thorns record: 3-1-3
Position: 5th
Total Points: 12

Sky Blue is coming in after a last-minute win against Orlando last week. Sky Blue will hope to see Kelley O’Hara back and will need her to help create opportunities for them to get ahead of Portland. Sky Blue has seemed to struggle a bit with consistency and the Thorns will make them pay if they are not careful. One of their biggest assets right now is surprisingly their rookie starting keeper, Kailen Sheridan. She has been key for them so far this season and has kept them ahead of level in many games already. The Thorns will attack but she should be up for the challenge.

Portland will be hoping to see the return of Tobin Heath this week, as she was upgraded from “out” to “doubtful” last week on the injury report, but it is unlikely she will play. With her timeline still uncertain, they will need more production from their forwards. Christine Sinclair has been quiet this season for Portland, and they will need her to start finding her form in order to push for a better spot in the standings. Additionally, they will need every player to step up in order to get past a very in-form rookie in Kailen Sheridan.

Game 4: Orlando Pride vs. Boston Breakers

Orlando Pride record: 1-3-3
Position: 8th
Total Points: 6

Boston Breakers record: 2-3-2
Position: 7th
Total Points: 8

Orlando seems to know what their issues are but they have yet to fully solve said issues. As we saw last week against Sky Blue, Orlando’s biggest enemy right now seems to be themselves. The pieces are there, the plan seems to be there, but they are struggling to see out games. In order to be successful this week against the Breakers, they must get on the board early but continue to play until the final whistle at full force to see the game through. The Pride were always going to struggle in the midfield this season, but they need more production from individual players like Kristen Edmonds, who may need to be rotated out for someone like Nickolette Driesse, to see if she can help. The surprising defensive struggles most likely stem from the lack of a quality midfield that is continuing to get hammered. The Pride attack has seemed to start leveling off but they still have work to do, particularly finishing their good chances. They are capable of beating the Breakers, but they must curb their small, dumb, mistakes, and see out the game.

The Breakers will be looking for just their third win of the season, after starting out surprisingly good. Boston has a similar struggle to Orlando, in the sense of having trouble finishing out games when they are ahead. Goalkeeper Abby Smith has been a saving grace for their team but one person is not enough to right this ship. Boston needs more and better production from both their attack and defense, to stave off Orlando’s (coming together) attack.

Game 5: Chicago Red Stars vs. Seattle Reign

Chicago Red Stars record: 4-2-1
Position: 2nd
Total Points: 13

Seattle Reign record: 3-1-3
Position: 4th
Total Points: 12

The red-hot Red Stars will be looking to potentially take over the first spot this week if the results go their way, which is incentive to play steady against an also strong Seattle side. The Red Stars will be looking to do much of the same this week, and may potentially be able to get newly signed Yuki Nagasato some minutes. The variety of Red Stars connecting and producing goals this season will be their key in getting through Seattle’s midfield. The Chicago defense also continues to be a strength. While Seattle will prove an attacking challenge, the Red Stars should be up to the test.

Seattle, coming off a very hard-fought match against the Dash last week will have to get ahead of the Red Stars early in order to be able to compete with a strong Chicago side. Seattle has one of the best midfield and has also seemed to settle on a starting backline as well. The Reign will also see the return of Merritt Mathias this week from suspension, but I am unsure where she fits in the currently starting lineup. Laura Harvey seems to have her starting squad set and gelling in order to be quality competitors. Ultimately, the Seattle attack will need a lot of production to get past the Red Stars defense. And the defense will also have its work cut out with the Chicago attack hitting their stride as well.

The Scouting Report:

We went live on Monday night with our Week 7 TSR, recapping all of the NWSL games from the weekend. A reminder that you can catch TSR live every Monday night at 8pm EST on our YouTube channel. And make sure to follow the podcast on Twitter @ScoutingPodcast.

In case you missed this week’s episode, catch up here:

https://www.spreaker.com/user/brewsports/the-scouting-report-season-5-week-7

As always, comments and feedback are appreciated. You can also find me on Twitter. Come back next week for the next edition of Off the Bench!

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 7

Posted on May 26, 2017 by RJ Allen

Welcome to Week 7 of Off the Bench!

Backline Soccer Recap:

The 123rd Minute: Parity, this league has it, and an interview with Yael Averbuch: Last week, RJ Allen and Charles Olney welcomed FC Kansas City’s Yael Averbuch to the 123rd minute podcast. She talked about the newly created NWSL players association and more.
Finding the Beauty in the Beautiful Game Again: RJ Allen wrote a great piece this week inviting us all to take a step back from the craziness that can sometimes surround the NWSL, USWNT, and women’s soccer in general, and remember why we all started following this game that we love.
The HeartBreak Kids are Running the Show: NWSL Power Rankings, Week 6 Edition: Jenn Hayes takes you through her latest NWSL power rankings. This week she names a new number one. Click the link to find out who!
Unsung Hero of the Week: Rapinoe Brings Purple Reign: Jacqui Porter’s latest unsung hero this weeks comes from a USWNT player and an original Seattle fan favorite.
6 Takeaways from NWSL: Week 6: Jordan Small, Leigh Nieves, and Luis Hernandez are back with another six takeaways. This week sees takeaways about the 3-back formation, player consistency, and more.
The Great Debate: YouTube vs. go90: Chantelle DeRose takes a look at the go90 vs YouTube debate.
The Unused Sub: We Are In This Together: Jacob Cristobal takes on a more serious tone in the wake of the Manchester Arena tragedy from earlier this week. He reminds us all that we are in this, together, following the game we love.

Quick Fire Week 7 Game Previews:

Week 7 of the NWSL is upon us. We were graced Wednesday with a midweek matchup but we will still see five total games as well, all on Saturday, May 27th. Let’s dive in.

Game 1: North Carolina Courage 2 vs. Sky Blue 0

North Carolina Courage record: 5-2-0
Position: 1st
Total Points: 15

Sky Blue FC record: 3-3-1
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 10

A midweek game saw a showdown between the first place Courage and (before the game) second place Sky Blue. Sky Blue ended up resting some players in preparation for their match this weekend against the Pride. Both teams saw some great opportunities, but in the end, it was a huge shot from Lynn Williams and a goal from Sam Mewis that saw the Courage keep possession of first place. Kailen Sheridan, however, had herself one heck of a game in goal for Sky Blue, and without some of her stellar saves, North Carolina may have very well had more than two goals.

Game 2: Houston Dash vs. Seattle Reign

Houston Dash record: 2-4-0
Position: 9th
Total Points: 6

Seattle Reign record: 2-1-3
Position: 4th
Total Points: 9

The Dash are coming off quite an abysmal showing last week and will be looking to start connecting their pieces more. They just really seem to lack cohesion and a well thought out plan, as well as a way to implement it on the field. Many are speculating whether this has to do with coaching techniques or individual players. I believe it is mainly due to coaching techniques. The Dash will need to figure out their defensive woes very quickly as they will be facing a strong attack from the Reign. Lydia Williams, for the most part, has been holding steady but can only do so much with the current backline. The Dash will need to move away from the hope of Kealia Ohai pulling goals out of thin air if they want to get back to winning ways.

The Reign, while drawing with the Pride last week, will look to continue to get back to their dominant ways and pull out three points. The Reign are coming in with a very in-form Megan Rapinoe as well as a strong offensive presence who will look to make the Dash pay early. The Dash will also need to get past Haley Kopmeyer, who, in her first full starting season after backing up Hope Solo, has been strong and consistent, save for the major Marta error last week.

Game 3: Chicago Red Stars vs. North Carolina Courage

Chicago Red Stars record: 3-2-1
Position: 2nd
Total Points: 10

North Carolina Courage record: 5-2-0
Position: 1st
Total Points: 15

Chicago is coming into this game after playing arguably their best game of the season last week against the Courage. Christen Press is off and running and Chicago will benefit greatly from her as long as she remains consistent. Newly signed Japanese International, Yuki Nagasato will not be in Chicago in time for this match. Alyssa Naeher, after a slower-than-usual start, has been getting more consistent in goal for the Red Stars and will look to work with the backline to stop the strong attack the Courage will be putting forth.

Though coming off a solid win, the Courage are also coming in with a bit of a disadvantage, having played the midweek game on Wednesday. The attack will need to get behind the Red Stars early in order to see success.

Game 4: Sky Blue vs. Orlando Pride

Sky Blue FC record: 3-3-1
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 10

Orlando Pride record: 1-2-3
Position: 8th
Total Points: 6

Sky Blue rested key players on Wednesday but will still be coming in with minimal recovery days against the Pride. Sky Blue will want to see a better end product than they had Wednesday, but with Kailen Sheridan having a stellar game, the Pride will need to find creative ways to get passed her as well as the backline of Sky Blue, who will be back at full force.

The Pride will be without Captain and starting goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris for approximately eight weeks, after staving off the Reign mostly without her last week. This is a huge loss for the Pride, not only on the field but off as well. With backup keeper Aubrey Bledsoe also out with a concussion, Caroline Stanley was signed as an injury replacement. This is a huge opportunity for her, as she will be the one to likely face her former club. The Pride backline, while getting more consistent over the last few weeks, will need to communicate early and often with Stanley to make sure they are together. The Pride also need much more production from their midfield. Marta has been playing quite selflessly, going where she feels she is needed, but the Pride could benefit more from her playing a bit more selfishly sometimes. Alanna Kennedy is also coming off her best game of the season, so if she remains consistent, she will be a threat for Sky Blue.

Game 5: FC Kansas City vs. Washington Spirit

FC Kansas City record: 2-2-2
Position: 6th
Total Points: 8

Washington Spirit record: 1-4-1
Position: 10th
Total Points: 4

FC Kansas City has a strong backline led by Becky Sauerbrunn, but since the loss of Amy Rodriguez to a torn ACL at the start of the season, FCKC has not figured out how to match with Sydney Leroux up top to garner more goals. Leroux still has work to do after missing so many matches after the birth of her son, but FCKC needs to find someone that can help her up top. Nicole Barnhart will be a major barrier, as usual, for the somewhat weaker Spirit attack to get through.

The Washington Spirit, now with Mal Pugh, will look for revenge this week. Pugh will likely see more minutes but cannot be the sole player the Spirit depend on. Kristie Mewis had a few almost goals last week, which the Spirit will need more of from her. The Spirit are struggling offensively, but recently defensively as well, despite Steph Labbé continuing her great season in goal. FCKC, already struggling offensively, will have a hard time getting through her.

Game 6: Portland Thorns vs. Boston Breakers

Portland Thorns record: 2-1-3
Position: 5th
Total Points: 9

Boston Breakers record: 2-2-2
Position: 7th
Total Points: 8

Last week the Breakers, ahead 2-0 seemed to almost have the game in the bag, but the Thorns fought back hard and ended up equalizing late for the draw. The Breakers will focus this week on making sure – while scoring – they hold defensively to stave off the Thorns and not blow any lead that they may build. The Breakers will look to players such as Angela Salem and Adriana Leon, who are having great seasons thus far, to continue to create opportunities. With Abby Smith in goal for the Breakers, the Thorns will need to find creative ways to get past her to score.

The Thorns will again be without Tobin Heath, Katherine Reynolds, Mana Shim, and Dagny Brynjarsdottir. Heath is a continued loss for the Thorns, and her skill is sorely missed. The Thorns, however, still seem to be hanging around each game and will look dangerous when everyone is fully healthy. Their key this week is to continue to create opportunities and goals. Adrianna Franch is having a good season statistically speaking, but she still needs to work on her distribution and overall decision and play making. The Thorns have not really paid for those weaknesses yet but it is only a matter of time.

The Scouting Report:

We went live on Monday night with our Week 6 TSR, recapping all of the NWSL games from the weekend. A reminder that you can catch TSR live every Monday night at 8pm EST on our YouTube channel. And make sure to follow the podcast on Twitter @ScoutingPodcast.

In case you missed this week’s episode, catch up here:

https://www.spreaker.com/user/brewsports/the-scouting-report-season-5-week-6

Come back next week for the next edition of Off the Bench!

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 6

Posted on May 19, 2017 by RJ Allen

Welcome to Week 6 of Off the Bench!

Backline Soccer Recap:

This week we introduced a new series created by RJ Allen, The Furt & the Fabulous.

6 Takeaways From NWSL: Week Five: This week Jordan Small, Leigh Nieves, and Luis Hernandez take you through their six takeaways from week five. Houston has a (coaching?) problem, attendance issues, and more await you in this week’s takeaways.
The Furt & the Fabulous, Episode 1: RJ Allen takes you through our latest series in which she picks some of the good and not-so-good each week to talk about.
It’s Official: Mallory Pugh Plays with Spirit: Jordan Small attended the press conference for the official welcome of Mallory Pugh to the Washington Spirit and wrote a recap of the event.
Perfection is Overrated: NWSL Power Rankings, Week 5 Edition: Jenn Hayes takes you through another week of power rankings. This week, the top 2 stays the same but the rest of the table shifts.
Unsung Hero of the Week: Broon the Broom: Each week Jacqui Porter chooses a player who was their team’s unsung hero, win or lose. This week she chose a strong, sometimes under appreciated, Department of Defense member.
Route Two Soccer: Updating Our Priors: This week Charles Olney takes a different approach and rather than looking at a specific team this week, he delves into the NWSL season thus far, a season of the unexpected.
The Unused Sub: The Power of Words: This week Jacob Cristobal takes you through the Pugh announcement, Merritt Mathias’ suspension, and gives his predictions for Week 6.
Orlando Pride: Sticking to the Plan Will Earn a Result: This week Luis Hernandez takes a week at how Orlando might build on their Week 5 success.

Quick Fire Week 6 Game Previews:

We are now six weeks into the season and suffice to say, we can expect almost anything to happen moving forward. Another exciting week of games ahead!

Game 1: Boston Breakers vs. Portland Thorns

Boston Breakers record: 2-2-1
Position: 4th
Total Points: 7

Portland Thorns record: 2-1-2
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 8

This week we will have our first Friday night game as the Boston Breakers host the Portland Thorns. Both teams are coming off of Week 5 ties and will be looking to pull out a win in Week 6. Rose Lavelle was the lone scorer for Boston last week and they will be looking for much of the same or more from her this week. Adriana Leon has also been quite the workhorse for Boston this season, so look for her to get involved as well.

Portland seems to be stifled and suffering due to the injuries sustained to Tobin Heath, Dagny Brynjarsdottir, Mana Shim, and Katherine Reynolds, who do not look to be coming back for at least another week. Adrianna Franch has been doing surprisingly well to avoid her weaknesses catching up with her, but Boston, with the likes of Lavelle, Leon, and Natasha Dowie may give her a run. Portland need a lot more production this week from Christine Sinclair and Nadia Nadim who have been a bit invisible the last few weeks. And with Portland historically having trouble playing the Breakers in Boston, the team will need to come together and figure out a way to score some goals.

Game 2: Sky Blue FC vs. Houston Dash

Sky Blue FC record: 2-2-1
Position: 6th
Total Points: 6

Houston Dash record: 2-3-0
Position: 7th
Total Points: 4

In a repeat of Lifetime’s Game of the Week matchup, we will see the same matchup as last week, except this week, Sky Blue is the home team.

Sky Blue won last week’s matchup 3-1, capitalizing on some disappointing play from Houston. Sky Blue looked much better with Captain America finally back in defense and seemed to be playing with a bit more confidence. They will look to continue that this week. Now that Sam Kerr has officially gotten her first 2017 NWSL goal, she should be off and running. Houston will need to find a way to contain her, especially with Kelley O’Hara returning back to the lineup after being gone last week with an excused absence.

The Dash seem to have the pieces, for the most part, but some terrible coaching decisions are not helping field the best team at any given point like they should. Poliana, the sole scorer for the Dash last week, has been a bit of a surprising light for the Dash, so she should hopefully start to see more minutes. Janine Van Wyk also took a bit of a beating last week, so she will be looking to be more involved this week as well.

Game 3: Washington Spirit vs. FC Kansas City

Washington Spirit record: 1-3-1
Position: 10th
Total Points: 4

FC Kansas City record: 1-2-2
Position: 8th
Total Points: 5

The Washington Spirit, wanting to erase last week’s abysmal game against the Reign from their memories, will want to come out strong and score early against FCKC this week.

After coming off of such a great win against Sky Blue in Week 4, they got pummeled 6-2 last week by the Reign. The Spirit, for the most part this season, seemed to have their defense locked down, but have had trouble on the attack. Last week, the defense seemed to be in shambles. The 3-back system deployed was not working against the strong Reign attack. This week though, the Spirit may be more evenly matched with FCKC, especially since Mallory Pugh is expected to see her first minutes. FCKC are still struggling to score, and Sydney Leroux, unfortunately, cannot be their only answer this season. Granted, the team had expected to have Amy Rodriguez this year, but they just don’t seem to have the answer yet to their attack that has not been stifled. FCKC will need to find a way to start scoring goals. Becky Sauerbrunn and the backline of FCKC are steady, along with Nicole Barnhart in goal. But in the end, if they are not scoring goals at this point, they are not winning games.

The Spirit will need more from their attack but expect their defense to be better. Mallory Pugh will not solve their problems, as her full value against top teams and the competitiveness of this league has not been tested or honed, but expect her to at least get her feet wet this week.

Game 4: North Carolina Courage vs. Chicago Red Stars

North Carolina Courage record: 4-1-0
Position: 1st
Total Points: 12

Chicago Red Stars record: 2-2-1
Position: 5th
Total Points: 7

The Courage, coming off of their first season loss to the Orlando Pride last week, are out for redemption this week.

Chicago is continuing to have some issues with their attack and finishing their chances. But with Christen Press netting her first goal (a header no less!) she will most likely be off and running. She has been working hard to get goals but has not been successful in finishing her chances before this week. After all, she leads the league in shots and shots on goal this season. Now that she has netted her first one, we can expect to see, as our own Sandra Herrera has dubbed her, Primetime Press in full force. The backline of the Red Stars will be tested against the star power that is the Courage attack.

But the Courage will also be feeling much of the same. As I’ve mentioned before, the Courage backline seems to be their struggling spot this season and Christen Press may do major damage this week. The Courage will also be without Abby Erceg this week as she will be suspended from her red card from last week’s loss to Orlando. Chicago will want to and need to capitalize on that absence.

Game 5: Seattle Reign vs. Orlando Pride

Seattle Reign record: 2-1-2
Position: 2nd
Total Points: 8

Orlando Pride record: 1-2-2
Position: 9th
Total Points: 5

Orlando is coming off of their first win of the season against the top team in the league, a huge, much-needed win for the players and team as a whole.

Orlando played, for the most part, their best soccer game this season. While starting off in typical fashion in the first half, the Pride came alive in the second. This week against the Reign, they will need to replicate their second half from last week and carry it throughout this game. The Reign are coming off a commanding 6-2 win over the Spirit last week and will look to continue their strong attack at home against the Pride.

The Pride has seemed to finally settle on a backline that surprisingly includes Toni Pressley. Last season she had a lot of trouble with speed and overall ball handling and field positioning. This season she seems to have worked on a lot of that and has improved quite a bit.

The Pride have also found a star in Camila, who has been consistently good all season. Look for the Pride backline to be tested early and often against the Reign. The Pride will have to contain the Reign attack. They will also need to get on a goal or two in early, definitely before halftime. The frontline has not been set quite but we may see the same three from last week.

The Reign this season have seemed to either score a lot of goals or struggle to score any, so for the Pride, they will hope for the latter. The Reign, however, will be looking to continue their strong attack and come out much like last week’s Spirit game.

The Scouting Report:

We went live on Monday night with our Week 5 TSR, recapping all of the NWSL games from the weekend. A reminder that you can catch TSR live every Monday night at 8pm EST on our YouTube channel. And make sure to follow the podcast on Twitter @ScoutingPodcast.

In case you missed this week’s episode, catch up here:

Come back next week for the next edition of Off the Bench!

6 Takeaways From NWSL: Week Five

Posted on May 15, 2017 by RJ Allen

After five weeks of play in the NWSL, we’ve seen that anyone can beat anyone. Just look at Orlando beating North Carolina. How many of you called that one? But perhaps the biggest news of the weekend was Washington adding Mallory Pugh to their roster. Now we could go on all day, but we know you’re here for our takeaways. Here’s what we took away from week 5 of the NWSL.

Where has Adriana Leon been all this time? – Leigh Nieves

Leon has been an undeniable stand out for the Boston Breakers in their first 5 games coming away with 2 assists and 1 goal thus far. Which may not seem like an impressive number, but a simple eye test would tell you that she is a completely different player from the one we saw for the Western New York Flash in 2016. She seems to be a part of every attack, her passing is much more precise, and her connections with Rose Lavelle and Natasha Dowie seem to be flourishing. Although most of the attention this season has (rightly so) been on Lavelle, the rise of Leon has been interesting to witness.

FCKC needs to score more – Leigh Nieves

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but FC Kansas City hasn’t scored much since they unexpectedly lost Amy Rodriguez from their starting line up in the first game. In fact, they’ve only scored one goal in their last four match-ups bringing their season total to a whopping 3 goals. Fortunately though, they’ve also only allowed 3 goals. FCKC’s defense actually is having a vintage season. Nicole Barnhart is playing strong, Broon is Broon, and with the talent of newcomer Christina Gibbons, their backline is seeming pretty solid. Their attack is another story. It’s problematic that even with the addition of Sydney Leroux, they can’t seem get anything in the back of the net when they need it most… Is this a sad time that I bring up how much we miss Heather O’Reilly?

Nahomi Kawasumi is the real deal – Jordan Small

We’ve seen Nahomi Kawasumi play for the Seattle Reign off and on for years now. But Saturday’s performance vs. the Washington Spirit was unlike any we’ve seen before. With four assists and a goal of her own, Kawasumi helped the Reign offense explode for six goals. Kawasumi and midfielder Christine Nairn worked well together this week, combining for the opening goal this weekend. Teams should be afraid to play the Reign in the next few weeks as the partnership of Megan Rapinoe and Kawasumi on the wings has started to heat up.

Lost in it all, a streak is over – Jordan Small

It has been a quite a while since we saw Kassey Kallman sitting on the bench. Since 2014, Kallman had played 4,018 minutes straight in the NWSL. That streak came to an end on Saturday when she was subbed out in the 59th minute. If she was not hurt, this sub seems wrong. The Spirit were torched down the left side after Kallman came out. Spirit head coach Jim Gabarra will have a difficult decision to make next week when Kansas City comes to town.

Attendance still an issue – Luis Hernandez

It’s hard to pinpoint the cause for the drop in attendance this year. Critics will point the finger to the change in match time to accommodate the broadcast on Lifetime, and it’s true that plays a factor into the numbers; however, that’s not the sole reason. The schedule has run into Easter and Mother’s Day and surely within each individual team market there are extenuating circumstances. Take both Orlando’s week five attendance of 5,260 and the best of the week Houston at 5,369. In both markets, the men’s side hosted an MLS match the day before the women’s side took to the field. Mother’s Day certainly affected people going to these matches, especially for the Pride playing on Sunday. Additionally, it’s blazing hot in the stands. Bottom line, attendance is lower than last season, but it isn’t going to be fixed this year. Hopefully, the league has been and will continue studying the problem and make corrections to boost numbers.

Randy Waldrum might be what’s wrong with Houston – Luis Hernandez

19-37-14. Take it in because that’s the record Randy Waldrum has since being appointed coach of the Houston Dash since leaving Notre Dame to take the job. Known as a successful college coach, Waldrum hasn’t been able to translate that success at the professional level. Additionally, as he was coaching the Dash, Waldrum also took the unpaid position as national team coach for Trinidad and Tobago in 2014 and was let go in early 2016. The Dash haven’t developed and progressed under his leadership even as the team talent level grows. Talent can only take you so far in this league, a quality manager makes those adjustments to get the most from the players on the roster. Waldrum’s post match comments after the lose to Sky Blue FC started to indicate he may be losing the locker room. I think he makes it to the end of the year, but perhaps Dash fans this is as good as it gets until Houston decides to go a different direction.

Well, those are our takeaways from week five of the NWSL. Can this league get any crazier? Will they finally figure out how to work these streams? Tune in for week 6 of the NWSL to find out. What did you think about week five? We would love to hear from you in the comments below or find us on twitter @backlinesoccer.

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 5

Posted on May 12, 2017 by RJ Allen

Image Credits to Kelley Piper.

Welcome to Week 5 of Off the Bench!

Backline Soccer Recap:

6 Takeaways from NWSL: Week Four: This week, Jordan Small, Luis Hernandez, and Elizabeth Wawrzyniak take you through the latest 6 Takeaways piece. They go through the empty seat situation in Chicago, the competitiveness of the league, Captain America, and more.
Own Goal for Player of the Week: NWSL Power Ranking, Week 4 Edition: Jenn Hayes takes you through her power rankings from Week 4. First and last place see no change, but the middle shifted, as this seems to be anyone’s season.
Unsung Hero of the Week: Gilliland’s Island: Jacqui Porter takes you through her pick for this week’s Unsung Hero. If the clever title doesn’t give it away, her pick is a certain amazing player for the Chicago Red Stars.
Four Star Takeaways from Chicago Red Stars: Week 4: Sandra Herrera was at the Chicago and Houston game last weekend and walks you through her takeaways and player quotes from the match.
Don’t Be Surprised When the Orlando Pride Beat The Courage: Luis Hernandez is back with another piece on the Pride. He takes a stroll down the path to solve just why the Pride have not won in twelve matches, and some thoughts on what they could do to get back a strong Courage side this weekend.
The Unused Sub: When Silly Soccer Boys Tweet: Jacob Cristobal, the silly soccer boy, is back with another edition of the Unused Sub. This week he has some thoughts on the drama from Thorns owner Merritt Paulson and Olympique Lyonnais owner, Jean-Michel Aulas, hits you with his predictions, and graces you with your song of the week.
Washington Spirit vs Sky Blue FC Photo’s From the Field: Our senior site photographer Kelley Piper was at the game last weekend and provided us some awesome shots to share.
Route Two Soccer – Chicago 2-0 Houston: How to Control a Midfield: This week Charles Olney runs through Chicago’s tactical performance against Houston.
Labbé Saves the Day in Washington: Jordan Small had the opportunity to go to the Washington Spirit practice this week and interview Stephanie Labbé.

Quick Fire Week 5 Game Previews:

Hard to believe we have arrived at Week 5 of the 2017 NWSL season already. Let’s dive right into this week’s previews.

Game 1: Houston Dash vs. Sky Blue FC

Houston Dash record: 2-2-0
Position: 4th
Total Points: 6

Sky Blue FC record: 1-2-1
Position: 8th
Total Points: 4

The Lifetime Game of the Week this week sees the Houston Dash finally return home for their first home game since opening day, to take on Sky Blue FC. Last week saw the Dash lose their first game to the Red Stars since July of 2015, while Sky Blue lost to the Spirit 4-3. Both teams will be looking to bounce back from their respective losses. Sky Blue was missing some big names last week with Christie Pearce, Daphne Corboz, and Raquel Rodriguez all missing from action. With only Pearce missing because of concussion protocol, Sky Blue can expect to see Corboz and Rodriguez back in action, but as of this writing, Pearce’s status is unknown for Week 5. The Dash will look to produce better results and some goals this week, as they scored none against the Red Stars last week. Amber Brooks will be the key for the Dash, so she will have to have a better game this week. The Dash are looking good as individuals but are still having cohesion issues that will bite them more, the further into the season we go. Hopefully with Morgan Brian seemingly back in action, and Andrea hopefully close, they can start to mesh a little better.

Game 2: Seattle Reign vs. Washington Spirit

Seattle Reign record: 1-1-2
Position: 6th
Total Points: 5

Washington Spirit record: 1-2-1
Position: 7th
Total Points: 4

The Reign are coming in this week after drawing with the Thorns last week after giving the Thorns a little aid from an own goal by Jess Fishlock. The Reign looked to be the better team but just couldn’t hold the lead. This week they will look to keep up the pressure from last week’s match and press early and often. The Spirit are coming off of a big first season win that saw them score four goals on Sky Blue last week. The Spirit looked their best last week and will look to continue that train of momentum into Week 5 against a strong Seattle side. Washington will look, again, to see a big performance from Stephanie Labbé, who has been dominating in goal through the first four weeks. If Player of the Week Francisca Ordega can pull off another big game this weekend, the Spirit just may have a shot to beat the Reign.

Game 3: FC Kansas City vs. Portland Thorns

FC Kansas City record: 1-2-1
Position: 9th
Total Points: 3

Portland Thorns record: 2-1-1
Position: 2nd
Total Points: 6

FC Kansas City and Portland will face off in the last game on Saturday. Both FCKC and Portland are coming off of hard-fought draws last week against the Pride and Reign, respectively. Portland, while suffering in the first half, had a strong showing in the second half. They will look to carry that momentum into this week. Seattle did a great job last week of making Christine Sinclair and Nadia Nadim almost invisible. Portland will need them more active. It was also reported by Jamie Goldberg that Portland would again be without Tobin Heath, Mana Shim, Katherine Reynolds, and Dagny Brynjarsdottir as they struggle to return from their injuries. Portland will need to figure out the struggles in the final third until Heath returns. FC Kansas City is going to need a lot more out of Sydney Leroux if they are going to start churning out wins. In addition, Shea Groom saw minutes last week, even with a broken rib, but she was looking to be in pain as the match progressed, which could be a factor against Portland. FCKC is strong defensively and with Portland struggling in the final third, this game could see some great action.

Game 4: Orlando Pride vs. NC Courage

Orlando Pride record: 0-2-2
Position: 10th
Total Points: 2

NC Courage record: 4-0-0
Position: 1st
Total Points: 12

The battle of the first and last place teams. Could this week be the week the Pride get their first win in twelve games? Crazier things have happened. The Pride, while drawing last week with FCKC, played some of the best soccer they have played all season. They are still struggling with finishing their chances and should have beaten FCKC had they done so. The Courage’s only weakness can be found in their defense at the moment and the Pride were able to break through them the last time they played, but just could not finish their chances. With Danica Evans and Marta both hopefully getting the start again, we could see a better output earlier from the Pride. Last week also saw Ali Krieger’s best game she has played for Orlando, and they will need everything she has for the front line of the Courage. Orlando continues to struggle with their midfield which is causing a lot more unnecessary work for their defense. The Pride starting lineup looked a lot better last week, but with Monica getting injured in the first few minutes of the match, Dani Weatherholt may end up with the start. The Courage just need to continue to play the way they have while shoring up their defensive efforts. If Orlando can finish their chances and work the backline of the Courage, they might just have a shot.

Game 5: Chicago Red Stars vs. Boston Breakers

Chicago Red Stars record: 2-2-0
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 3

Boston Breakers record: 2-2-0
Position: 5th
Total Points: 6

The final game of the weekend will see the Red Stars and Breakers face off at Toyota Park. The Red Stars will look to use the momentum of the shut out against Houston last week as they face a Breakers side who are a lot stronger than anyone expected them to be. A big question mark for the Red Stars is Christen Press who, while working hard this season so far, has yet to find the back of the net. She leads the league in shots but is also sitting on two yellow cards in four games, quite the unexpected stat. Once she unleashes her first goal, the season should progress nicely for her. In the meantime, Julie Ertz seems to have gotten this scoring thing down. Chicago continues to struggle in the final third, which may pose a bigger issue against the Breakers this weekend if they cannot correct it. The Breakers, on the other hand, have started this season quite strong. They lost to the Courage last week, but only by one goal. Boston proved last week that the Courage have some points where they can be beaten and they will look to carry that into Chicago this weekend. They mainly struggled with breaking out of pressure to get their runs in. That will be a priority this week against the tough defensive side of Chicago.

The Scouting Report:

We went live on Monday night with our Week 4 TSR, recapping all of the NWSL games.

6 Takeaways From NWSL: Week Four

Posted on May 8, 2017 by RJ Allen

Welcome to the second month of the NWSL season, where April golazos bring May own-goals. At least so far. Yes, indeed, this weekend was notable for the three OGs scored on Saturday; one per game, in fact.

But while the action this week was both entertaining and at times frustrating, the level of competition has never been higher, with all but one match decided by a single goal.

Still, there’s no need to be coy, you’re here for takeaways, so let’s see what we took away from this week.

Now That’s How You Play Three in the Back – Elizabeth Wawrzyniak

Seattle came out strong Saturday night, but what impressed me most was their initial formation. Many teams have tried a variation of the three-back form this season, as Jill Ellis has made it clear with her National Team formations that it’s something she wants players to have in their toolbox. But of all the teams to try it so far, Seattle–by leaps and bounds–has looked the best. A three-back isn’t just about crowding the attack, it’s about flexibility, and the only way it works out for a team is if there’s a midfield that can support it. And Seattle’s midfield, with talent and experience packed into every corner, was able to do just that. A bridging midfielder (making the backline feel a little like a 3-1/2 back formation at times) delicately balanced defensive duties and forward movement, and Seattle capitalized upon their powerful attacking talent in less than a minute of game-play. The Reign demonstrated just what a three-back can do, but also just what’s needed in order to make it work on the field. Hopefully Ellis caught the game.

That’s a Lot of White Space, Chicago – Elizabeth Wawrzyniak

The Windy City hosted their first Lifetime Game of the Week matchup this weekend against the Houston Dash, and to be honest, for all their efforts and success on the field, after the final whistle I was more focused on the image of the empty seats in the stands than anything any one player or team did. Don’t get me wrong, Chicago played a great game and came away with a solid three points that should keep them in the upper-half of the table this week. But their attendance was only 2,114 for the match, just slightly lower than their 2,153 home opener in Week 2 of the season. And this is a team with four popular National Team players on it! This is the team of Christen Press! Alyssa Naeher! Julie Ertz and Casey Short!

We’re all aware of just how much effort and time Chicago has poured into their rebranding and marketing campaigns this season–those player pics in the downtown are on fire!–but I don’t know that they’ve seen much gains in ticket sales yet. (I do know they’re calling previous attendees, because a lovely woman representing the team woke me up with a phone call one morning last week to ask if I’d bought tickets for the season yet–I have.) Either way, something needs to change because Chicago is one of the teams lucky enough to play in a professional-level stadium every week, but they’re pulling in fewer numbers than teams like Boston and Sky Blue, who call local college-level fields home. Chicago needs to figure out what they’re doing wrong–ticket prices, marketing campaigns, etc–and somehow put more fans into the stands.

At This Point, It’s Anyone’s League – Jordan Small

If we’ve learned anything from season five of the NWSL, it’s that the league is more competitive than ever before. Each week, it is very difficult to pick a winner for any game because anyone can beat anyone. Aside from North Carolina, every team has lost at least once, with all ten teams picking up at least a point through the first four weeks.

Last week, we saw the Breakers beat Seattle 3-0 in Boston. The week before that, Seattle beat Houston 5-1 in Seattle. That week, Boston beat Sky Blue 1-0, and Sky Blue and Seattle tied 1-1 on opening weekend. So like I said, anyone can beat anyone. At the end of Week 4, just five points separate the #2 and #10 in the league table. While it’s only Week 4, the parity of the league has made it fun and exciting for fans of the NWSL to tune in each week.

Christie Pearce is Even More Important to Sky Blue Than You Think – Jordan Small

Even at 41-years-old, Christie Pearce is still one of the top center backs in the NWSL. After being out with a concussion for two weeks, it’s become apparent just how important Pearce is to the Sky Blue backline. Without her in the lineup, all four players for Sky Blue were in just their first or second year in the NWSL, not to mention that the goalkeeper is a rookie drafted just this year.

Without Pearce, and with O’Hara playing an attacking role for the most part, the backline for Sky Blue has struggled to maintain a consistent shape. Washington Spirit forward Francisca Ordega really exposed the young backline in Week 4, penetrating the line twice to notch a brace for the home team. On top of her skills as a centerback, Sky Blue also misses her leadership on the field. Both fans and the team alike are hoping for a quick return to the lineup for our Captain America.

The Dash Can’t Figure Out Who They Are – Luis Hernandez

Of all the teams with two wins, the Houston Dash are the most enigmatic in the bunch. Houston has the talent to beat the likes of Chicago in Week 1 and then hold off the Washington Spirit in Week 3, but when they lose they lose badly. The offense can’t seem to put on a consistent performance, and defensively the goals conceded are kind of weak. The up-and-down nature of this team doesn’t seem to make sense. Since they host Sky Blue for only their second home game this season, is it a safe bet to predict a Dash win? Who knows! That’s just how up and down they are.

With players like Rachel Daly, Kealia Ohai, Denise O’Sullivan, and a returning Morgan Brian on the roster, perhaps the Dash are soon to be rounding a corner. The Dash have good players, obviously, but still, they felt the need to add players like Sarah Hagen and Cami Levin, frequent bench-warmers on Tom Sermanni’s Orlando Pride. If the Dash can figure it out, the team might be able to hang on as a playoff team in time for Carli Lloyd’s return.

Orlando Finds Ways to Drop Points Again – Luis Hernandez

And speaking of teams who can’t figure things out, Orlando seemed poised to earn the team’s first win of the season only to have a late and questionable free kick awarded to FC Kansas City. Ultimately, it was their inability to clear the ball out of danger that left the Pride with a 1-1 draw after Marta had scored her first NWSL goal to take the lead. But the team should focus on continuing to build chemistry with Marta and across the pitch, because for the most part, they played a good game.

However, good teams find ways to win. The North Carolina Courage make good things happen because they are a good team. Across the league, the talent level in the NWSL is pretty even. Our own Jordan Small talked about league parity, yet having just two points out of four matches for Orlando is mediocre. The Courage are coming to Orlando Sunday. The good teams find a way; what’s Orlando going to do?

Well, folks, there you have it, our most important takeaways from the Week Four matches. Did we miss anything? Do you want to argue or challenge one of our points? Or do you just have an opinion about Week 4 games or play? Go ahead and share it in the comments below or join the conversation in the Backline Soccer forums. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 4

Posted on May 5, 2017 by RJ Allen

Welcome to Week Four of Off the Bench!

This week, the format has shifted from game recaps to short game previews. Take a moment and let us know what you think by leaving a note in the comment section!

Backline Soccer Recap:

This week we welcomed four new people to our staff. So give a warm welcome to the three newest members of our social media team: Alyssa Zajac, Becca Kimble, and Caitlin de Souza. And we can’t forget our new writer, Chantelle DeRose. We’re excited to be working with these awesome soccer fans!

In addition to our new staff members, we introduced another new weekly series for our readers this past week, The Way I See It: Unsung Hero of the Week. As always, we invite you to let us know your thoughts on any of our pieces in the comments section!

The XI Commandments of the NWSL: RJ Allen takes you through the XI Commandments every fan or potential fan should follow.
6 Takeaways from NWSL Week 3: Jordan Small, Leigh Nieves, and Luis Hernandez walk you through their biggest takeaways from Week 3. This week they talk about the Spirit and FCKC woes, NC Courage and more.
Will the Real Seattle Please Stand Up? NWSL Power Rankings Week 3 Edition: Jenn Hayes ranks the NWSL teams for Week 3. The Courage stay number one, but the Pride fall to tenth.
Route Two Soccer – Sky Blue 1-0 FCKC: Vlatko Struggles to Compensate For the Loss of Rodriguez: Charles Olney takes a look at the struggles tactically that FCKC is facing without Amy Rodriguez in the mix, who is out for the season with a torn ACL.
Week Four Woes, Orlando Pride Face Must-Win Game: Luis Hernandez breaks down the woes the Pride are experiencing and what it will take to get them into winning form again.
The Way I See It: Unsung Hero of the Week: Jacqui Porter takes you through our newest series which will highlight a player each week that contributes, win or lose, even if the stat sheet doesn’t reflect the work. This week she chooses a certain Washington Spirit defender.
Four Star Takeaways from Chicago Red Stars: Week 3: Sandra Herrera breaks down Chicago during their Week 3 loss to Portland.
The Unused Sub: The Funny Thing About Making Matchup Predictions: Jacob Cristobal brings us another installment of his Unused Sub series. This week he eats his words on his predictions from last week but decides to make some more for this weekend! Read the ending of the piece for a special surprise.

Make sure to join us on our new Backline Soccer Forum. And don’t forget to check out our Backline Soccer Shop.

Quick Fire Week 4 Game Previews:

A reminder for U.S. fans that you can catch the Lifetime Game of the Week live and on demand either via TV, computer, or mobile, and all other games live and on demand at the go90 app and the go90 website. Additionally, after 48 hours, all go90 games will be archived and available to watch on demand on the NWSL app and website. And if you’re an international fan, you can catch every game, live and on demand, on the NWSL website.

Game 1: Chicago Red Stars vs. Houston Dash

Chicago Red Stars record: 1-2-0
Position: 7th
Total Points: 3

Houston Dash record: 2-1-0
Position: 4th
Total Points: 6

This week the Lifetime Game of the Week matchup will find the Dash taking on the Red Stars in Chicago. Coming off a bit of a slow start to the season, the Red Stars will be looking to pull out three points at home. The Dash have started off relatively well, notching two wins and six points so far despite a disappointing loss in Week 2 at Seattle. Lydia Williams found herself back in goal last week in the Dash’s 1-0 win over the Spirit but they were not really outstanding as a whole. The Dash did just enough on the defensive side to get by, but it will not continue to carry them further into the season. The Red Stars will look to counter on this when stepping up their attacking front. The Red Stars aren’t lacking in much and with a few key moves on the attacking front, they could very well pull out the win.

Game 2: Washington Spirit vs. Sky Blue FC

Washington Spirit record: 0-2-1
Position: 9th
Total Points: 1

Sky Blue FC record: 1-1-1
Position: 6th
Total Points: 4

Sky Blue will look to capitalize on their win against FCKC last week and the Spirit are going to want to bounce back from their disappointing loss to the Dash. Hopefully this week the backline for Sky Blue will see Christie Pearce rejoin the team from concussion protocol as she will be a key part of the team moving forward. On the Spirit side, Stephanie Labbé has had a lot of work to do in net this season but she has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is up for the task. The Spirit are going to need her at the top of her game this week, faced with the likes of Kelley O’Hara and Sam Kerr on the attacking front. Washington has taken hits on the attacking front, and they’re going to need to find a way to overcome their losses on the attacking front if they want to climb out of the basement this week.

Game 3: Portland Thorns vs. Seattle Reign

Portland Thorns record: 2-1-0
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 6

Seattle Reign record: 1-1-1
Position: 5th
Total Points: 4

The Portland Thorns will take on the Seattle Reign at home this week in the first of what essentially amounts to the NWSL’s own version of the Cascadia Cup. Several of Portland’s most exciting and game-changing players are still listed on the Injury Report and likely will not dress, including Tobin Heath, Mana Shim, Dagny Brynjarsdottir, and Katherine Reynolds, and this should ultimately favor Seattle’s chances. The Reign, of course, are looking to bounce back after being soundly defeated by the Boston Breakers last week 3-0. Seattle’s primary problem in Week 3 seemed to be in giving the Breakers too much space, which is something they will need to shut down this week in order to not let the Portland attack get by them. Portland, on the other hand, has been able to sneak out two wins this season, with last week’s victory accompanied by a bit of controversy regarding a penalty that wasn’t, and a penalty that probably shouldn’t have been. Even though Adrianna Franch has come up with some key saves for the Thorns, her distribution and work out of the back leaves a lot to be desired and eventually, will not be enough to keep other teams from capitalizing on her mistakes. But look for the Thorns to continue to take advantage of the Reign’s positioning errors if they continue from last week.

Game 4: Boston Breakers vs. North Carolina Courage

Boston Breakers record: 2-1-0
Position: 2nd
Total Points: 6

North Carolina Courage record: 3-0-0
Position: 1st
Total Points: 9

Who knew coming into Week 4 of the NWSL we would be seeing a match up between the number one team (NC Courage,) and the number TWO team (Boston Breakers?!?) The Breakers will take the pitch this week after a strong 3-0 win over the Seattle Reign while the Courage are coming in hot from their game against the Pride where they won 3-1. Boston could be the team to figure out how to beat the Courage, as the #1 team’s only real weakness might be its defense. The attacking front is covered but if the teams they have faced in the first three weeks had been able to capitalize when they needed to, the Courage might not be sitting undefeated at the top. Boston will look to attack this backline of the Courage consistently and get ahead early. This matchup should be a fun one to watch.

Game 5: FC Kansas City vs. Orlando Pride

FC Kansas City record: 1-2-0
Position: 8th
Total Points: 3

Orlando Pride record: 0-2-1
Position: 10th
Total Points: 1

The final game of the weekend features FCKC and the Pride, and both teams are struggling to overcome disappointing losses in Week 3. FCKC is clearly missing Amy Rodriguez, their attack has suffered since the moment she went down in Week 1. In addition to Rodriguez, Shea Groom was out last week with a broken rib, and her status for Week 4 is unknown at the time of this writing. Leroux, coming back from maternity leave and doing a great job, needs some help up top with ARod no longer in the picture. FCKC will look to hold more of the possession this week, something that has been one of the Pride’s strong suits this so far this season, though they don’t have much to show for it.

The Pride have had a very lackluster start to their season after some promising moves in the offseason. They have held a good amount of possession the first three weeks of action but big mistakes, mental and positioning wise, have cost them in each meeting. The backline has a lot of talent but an almost non-existent midfield has seen them have to do a lot more to get the ball up the field to the attack. Once it makes it there, the Pride’s finishing has been abysmal. Danica Evans has been an energetic and creative spark in the minutes she has played, so starting her will help the Pride out a lot this week. In addition, Marta had some great moments last week; look for her to capitalize this week and get her potential first NWSL goal. Pride Head Coach Tom Sermanni will need to make some changes to his lineup and put the best XI on the field in order to pull the three points out against FCKC. And FCKC needs to work quickly on figuring out how to move their attack forward without Amy Rodriguez.

The Scouting Report:

Huge news on the TSR front. We have joined Brew Sports Network!

We are thrilled to announce TSR is joining the @BrewSportsNet Network. Check them out at https://t.co/ztORspMPyM. pic.twitter.com/miIck849y3

— Backline Soccer (@BacklineSoccer) May 4, 2017

The Scouting Report went live this past Monday with our NWSL Week 3 TSR recap. Make sure to tune in every Monday at 8pm EST to catch our weekly series!

You can find Monday night’s TSR here:

Come back next week for the next edition of Off the Bench! And don’t forget to check out the rest of our great content created weekly on the Backline Soccer website!

Route Two Soccer – Sky Blue 1 – 0 FCKC: Vlatko Struggles to Compensate For the Loss of Rodriguez

Posted on May 3, 2017 by RJ Allen

FC Kansas City entered 2017 with high hopes. With both Amy Rodriguez and Sydney Leroux returning from pregnancy, the biggest problem with the 2016 squad—a lack of goals—looked settled. And for the first hour, everything seemed to be going according to plan. But from the moment Rodriguez went down with an ACL injury, KC’s 2017 success was put in doubt.

There are few players in the league more crucial to their team’s chances than Rodriguez, whose ability to play the central striker in a front three was the linchpin of the team’s whole setup. Without her, the goals have dried up as Vlatko Andonovski has struggled to pull together the pieces into a viable lineup.

The problem isn’t necessarily a lack of attacking talent. While Sydney Leroux does not seem fully back to match fitness after her own return from pregnancy, she’s looked lively enough. And although Shea Groom missed this weekend’s match against Sky Blue due to a rib injury, she should be back soon. The deeper problem, though, is that for all that Leroux and Groom are excellent strikers, both do better in a supporting role, as a slashing attacker arriving from the wings or from a deeper-lying position. Without a player like Rodriguez to lead the line, neither will flourish to their full potential.

This problem is compounded by a deep weakness in the midfield, with Mandy Laddish out for the first several months due to injury and Erica Tymrak either injured or out-of-favor. Those absences combine to produce an enormous hole in the attacking spine.

A forced return to the 4-2-3-1

The weakness in the central midfield wouldn’t have been a huge problem if KC could play in their preferred 4-3-3—which uses Rodriguez as the fulcrum of buildup through the center, while pushing much of the attacking movement out toward the wingers and fullbacks. But having lost that player who could link the lines, Andonovski moved back to last year’s 4-2-3-1 against Sky Blue this weekend.

Your Starting XI for today's match against @SkyBlueFC! Watch live at 6pm ET on @go90 #WeRepKC #NJvKC pic.twitter.com/xC6rD2N8rD

— FC Kansas City (@FCKansasCity) April 30, 2017

The shift makes sense, particularly given the absence of Groom and the return of Desiree Scott. Anticipating a lack of goals, Vlatko wisely chose to bolster the midfield, deploying Scott and LaBonta to disrupt play and hold possession against the press. Using two holding players would also help to fill gaps and prevent the defense from being broken apart by Sky Blue’s fluid attacking structure (with Kelley O’Hara’s movement producing constant micro-tactical shifts throughout the match).

And it basically worked. Sky Blue found little space in the final third, and were mostly stifled on the night. For all the possession they held, there were very few genuinely dangerous attacking moves.

But the move didn’t come without costs. And the problem with their 4-2-3-1 is as simple as it is unsolvable: Sydney Leroux simply isn’t well-utilized as a lone forward. Her best qualities are her slashing runs, her physicality, and her intelligent movement off the ball. In those departments, she is world class. But with her back to goal, attempting to link up with an understaffed attacking midfield behind her, not so much. She certainly put in the work last night, but just isn’t a consistent enough player to really excel in the role.

And while the two holding midfielders both performed well, the same can’t be said about the attacking trio. On the right, Katie Bowen was good at times, demonstrating an awareness of space and anticipation of movement, but looked a bit sluggish in transition. The quality is there, but she’ll need more support around her. In the center, Maegan Kelly did her best but simply looked outclassed. She is a useful player, but simply doesn’t have enough skill on the ball to orchestrate the central midfield of a playoff hopeful. And on the left, Brittany Ratcliffe was tireless and aggressive and managed to get behind the defense a few times in nice slashing runs. But (as with Kelly) the final quality was simply a cut below what is needed to sustain a viable attack from such a short-staffed unit.

Both Kelly and Ratcliffe are good players and certainly can contribute for KC this season in supporting roles. But neither made the initial roster—each being added only a few days before the season to cover for injuries—and there’s a reason for that. That also means that (in just the third week of the season) fully 50% of KC’s attacking quartet started the season off the roster. That’s not a recipe for many goals.

Sky Blue’s weak backline, and KC’s difficulties exploiting it

With Christie Pearce out, the oldest player in Sky Blue’s back five Sunday night was Erica Skroski, who just turned 23 and was being played out of position as a center back. While there is enormous talent there, it’s also a unit that was ripe for exploitation. And in fact, under modest pressure, they lost the ball far more often than Christy Holly will have liked to see (including a misplaced pass from Sheridan that Ratcliffe pounced on and sent forward to Leroux who put the ball in the net—only to be called offside). But given their setup, and the need to keep numbers back in defense, KC simply couldn’t afford to press aggressively.

Moreover, given Leroux’s limitations in transition, they also found little success in quick transitional counterattacks—another missed opportunity.

Still, KC’s attack wasn’t completely helpless. They seem to have diagnosed two other potential weaknesses in the Sky Blue defense and targeted them aggressively.

First, a tendency to get drawn forward and lose defensive structure. Mandy Freeman in particular likes to step forward to close down the ball, creating space behind her into which an attacker can run to receive a through ball or dinked pass over the top. With Pearce, or a player of her quality, on the backline, that space might have been less exploitable, but Skroski has several decades less experience and (understandably) failed to provide cover in every case. And KC certainly sought to attack this vulnerability. Leroux earned herself a golden chance in the opening minutes this way, but failed to get her foot through it, and her shot was easily saved. Then in the 36^th minute, a lovely through ball from Kelly found an onrushing Ratcliffe who bundled her shot straight at the keeper.

Second, a lack of strength in the air. It’s not that Sky Blue is weak in this department, but they did suffer a few minor communication breakdowns and missed clearances—precisely the sort of thing you’d expect from a young defense. Christina Gibbons, in particular, delivered a few excellent crosses, one of which Ratcliffe put into the net only to have it (perhaps incorrectly) ruled offside, and another in the 42^nd minute that Leroux just missed converting. And on a late corner, Sauerbrunn was left unmarked at the back post and almost scored.

So, on the one hand, there were some positives for Kansas City. They were held scoreless, yes, but they did put the ball in the net twice (even if neither counted) and produced a half dozen other good chances. On the other hand, they won’t face many defenses this year as inexperienced as Sky Blue’s on Sunday, and for all the chances they created, none of them produced a goal.

Is the 4-2-3-1 hopeless?

So what does this mean? Should KC abandon the 4-2-3-1? Not necessarily. After all, it does come with real advantages, and Leroux isn’t terrible in the role by any means. It’s certainly not her best usage, but she is talented enough to convert a limited set of chances into goals at a reasonable rate.

Moreover, once Groom returns, that might allow for a slightly more effective variation, bringing Bowen into the center in place of Kelly, and letting Groom rampage down the right flank. And once Laddish is back (and if Tymrak ever comes back into favor), they’ll have other decent options for that central role—allowing some additional flexibility.

Still, even at its best, given the available personnel the 4-2-3-1 will remain a basically conservative option: stifle the game, produce a few chances, and hope for a 1-0 victory. But against the stronger attacking teams in the league, that may not be enough, so they’ll need to consider other options.

One alternative would be to move to a 4-4-2 diamond, with Leroux and Groom as forwards, bringing the midfield in more tightly, and relying on the fullbacks for width. And over the course of the season, that might be their best setup. Gibbons has shown flashes of her excellent attacking qualities at left back (see the discussion of her crosses above) but has also looked raw in defense and prone to getting pulled out of position. So for now, it would probably be a mistake to put too many of the attacking eggs in her basket.

Given the solidity of their defense—with arguably the best back five in the league—and the ability to deploy two high-quality disruptors in the holding midfield role, FC Kansas City is going to be tough to beat this year. But if they can’t find a way to restore some voltage in the attack, they’ll find it difficult to score enough to really challenge for the playoffs.

6 Takeaways From NWSL Week 3

Posted on May 2, 2017 by RJ Allen

Week 3 in the young NWSL season is at a close, and the standings are a bit unexpected. Do we believe the top five are the best of the best this season? Or will one of the current bottom-dwellers be able to right the ship and turn their season around? Verizon’s go90 streams aside, it’s been a sweet season so far, with plenty of action and upsets. (Sorry, Pride fans, but hey, at least you had #MartaWatch.)

Here’s what we took away from the matches going into Week 4.

The Dash Bounce Back in Washington — Jordan Small

Last week, the Houston Dash fell to the Seattle Reign 5-1 and for a ninety painful minutes, it seemed as if we were seeing the Dash of old again. With multiple starters out and a rookie goalkeeper making her professional debut, it was not the best performance from Houston.

One week later, they put in a stronger performance against a struggling Washington side. The backline of Cari Roccaro, Bruna, Janine Van Wyk, and Camille Levin was solid and eliminated most of the danger before it got to goalkeeper Lydia Williams. A goal from captain Kealia Ohai in the 28’ gave the Dash the lead and ultimately the 1-0 win. If the Dash can continue to have a consistent defense and constant production from Ohai and Rachel Daly, Houston will continue to pick up points. This is a very talented Dash team that can win on the road and at home.

Lack of Goalscoring is Crushing the Spirit in Washington — Jordan Small

Through three games this season, the Washington Spirit have only given up three goals. That seems like it would be few enough to pick up a couple of points for the Spirit. But if you thought that, you would be wrong. The Spirit have only earned themselves one point through three matches thanks to a lack of scoring.

Last year, the Spirit relied heavily on Crystal Dunn and Estefania Banini to carry the scoring load. With both of them heading overseas to play, Washington was left without a pure goalscorer. This has come back to bite them in the butt, especially with all of the injuries that are piling up. Goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé and the backline of Estelle Johnson, Whitney Church, and Shelina Zadorsky have remained positive through the whole process, despite the heavy workload they have had to take on. While they are one of the stingiest defenses in the league, the lack of finishing in the final third is a real problem for the Spirit.

North Carolina Courage Aren’t Just a Flash in the Pan –Luis Hernandez

Okay, I’ll admit it. I didn’t think the Courage would replicate the success from the end of the 2016 season going into 2017. I was sure they would be good, just not the best team in the league. Yes, two of the three wins are against the current ninth and tenth place teams, but it’s how North Carolina beat Washington and Orlando both times yielding possession and making the most of their opportunities.

The Courage have an identity and stick to their game plan. Orlando’s mental miscues allowed the cool, calm and collected Carolina side to put away easy finishes. The Pride attacked the Courage with individual effort all match long, so the NC defense was a bit relaxed, and allowed Orlando to score the first goal against them in team history. Had Orlando been able to attack with greater numbers, we might have seen a different result. North Carolina were never really under any pressure, and looked comfortable allowing Orlando to be ineffective against D’Angelo in net. Hopefully, the match against the Breakers will test the Courage better. The defending champs have not looked uncomfortable for any stretch of time this season, and Boston would be wise to do what they did to Seattle at home against the Courage. Otherwise it’s four-in-a-row for North Carolina.

FC Kansas City Still Figuring Things Out After Injuries –Luis Hernandez

The injury bug hasn’t been kind to the Blues. The Amy Rodriguez injury is still a sad point in the NWSL season, and I’m not even a fan of FCKC. In Week 3 Shea Groom joined her on the injury report with a broken rib, so Coach Vlatko Andonovski turned to the 4-2-3-1 for the first time this season with Sydney Leroux as the lone striker, away from the 4-3-3 of the two previous matches. Unfortunately, FC Kansas City couldn’t manage any goals while Raquel Rodriguez managed to get one past Nicole Barnhart, and FCKC now sits at 8th on the table going into Week 4.

The upcoming match for the Blues could be just what the doctor ordered, as FCKC hosts Orlando at Children’s Mercy Victory Field. The Pride have yet to figure things out this season, and the possible return of Groom and more time to practice in the 4-2-3-1 could provide FCKC some momentum in the first of a two-game homestand. Kansas City can’t afford to get mired near the bottom of the table after such optimism entering the season. Was A-Rod’s injury just a premonition of how the season was going to turn out? We’ll just have to see.

Boston is a Little Scary —Leigh Nieves

After defeating Sky Blue FC last week in a less than convincing win, Boston came away this week with an impressive 3-0 victory against Seattle. Yes, you read that correctly. Boston is now on a two-game winning streak, and both of the games were shutouts. Rose Lavelle scored her first professional goal against Seattle while Dowie and Leon put away two more to secure the win. While Seattle wasn’t playing their best game and made plenty of mistakes defensively, Boston is becoming more and more convincing as a potential middle-to-top of the table team.

I’m not saying that I told Rose Lavelle after I interviewed her in February that Boston was going to prove people wrong this season, but I told Rose Lavelle after I interviewed her in February that Boston was going to prove people wrong this season.

Do We Actually Miss the YouTube Streams? –Leigh Nieves

It’s Week 3 and we have yet to have a weekend where something hasn’t gone wrong with go90 or Lifetime. Whether it’s continuous commercials about quarterbacks, a black screen, or a random movie with Viola Davis interrupting our starting lineup, the whole viewing experience of Season 5 has been less than pleasant. We understand that there are kinks that need to be worked out from time to time, but is it time we, in a Carrie Bradshaw-esque way, ask ourselves: Do we actually miss the dependability of YouTube streams?

Of course Youtube had its flaws: the poor video quality, sound issues, etc. But, every week we at least knew that we would be able to see the games we wanted. While the production quality of the new Go90 and Lifetime streams are much better, their ability to deliver a consistent product each week leaves us a little less than confident.

There you have it, folks. Our big takeaways from Week 3 are starting to heat up like the weather heading into the summer on a four p.m. kick-off. We want to hear from you on these and any thoughts. Consider leaving us a comment, and we’ll see you for Week 4.

Backline Soccer Archive

Tag: FC Kansas City

Route Two Soccer – NWSL Teams at the Break: Buy/Sell/Hold?

1. North Carolina Courage (18 points, GD +4): SELL

2. Chicago Red Stars (16 points, GD +4): HOLD

3. Portland Thorns (15 points, GD +6): BUY

4. Sky Blue FC (13 points, GD -1): SELL

5. Seattle Reign (12 points, GD +6): SELL…BUY…HOLD?

6. FC Kansas City (11 points, GD +0): BUY

7. Orlando Pride (8 points, GD -1): BUY

8. Boston Breakers (8 points, GD -3): HOLD

9. Washington Spirit (7 points, GD -5): HOLD

10. Houston Dash (6 points, -10 GD): BUY, WITH RESERVATIONS

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 8

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 7

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 6

The Scouting Report:

6 Takeaways From NWSL: Week Five

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 5

The Scouting Report:

6 Takeaways From NWSL: Week Four

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 4

The Scouting Report:

Route Two Soccer – Sky Blue 1 – 0 FCKC: Vlatko Struggles to Compensate For the Loss of Rodriguez

A forced return to the 4-2-3-1

Sky Blue’s weak backline, and KC’s difficulties exploiting it

Is the 4-2-3-1 hopeless?

6 Takeaways From NWSL Week 3