It hasn’t been easy for Sky Blue FC and it got that much harder after a 2-1, self-inflicted, loss to Orlando City on Saturday. A handball and own-goal are how the Pride scored their goals, leaving the New Jersey crew to wonder if luck is also against them in yet another disastrous season.
“I’m going to give a lot of credit to Sky Blue,” said Orlando head coach Marc Skinner after the game. “I knew they were going to be dangerous, that’s why we paid them respect and sat deeper and didn’t let them have the spaces because I think they’re pretty good.”
Sky Blue wasn’t lifeless in this game. Jen Hoy had the game’s first opportunity in the ninth minute but Orlando goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer was more than up to the task. Later on in the game, when trailing, lazy defense opened up an opportunity for Hoy to feed Raquel Rodriguez at the top of the box. The shot was saved by Hopmeyer who all but kept Sky Blue from their first win of the season.
Both of Orlando’s goals came from defensive mistakes. The first in the 32nd minute when Elizabeth Eddy threw her body in front of a shot which deflected and hit her arm. The referee made the call, awarded a penalty kick and was converted by Chioma Ubogagu. The second came late in the contest when a cross from Marisa Viggano deflected off of Gina Lewandowski for an own-goal.
Orlando escaped New Brunswick with their first win of the season and leave Sky Blue in a darker place with no answers to their dismal play. Next is a trip to Chicago on July 6th where Sky Blue will play a Red Stars team that has their sights set on leaping into playoff contention.
Tag: Haley Kopmeyer
The NWSL Podium: Top Performances in Week 10
The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week.
We’re right around the midpoint of the NWSL season, and the table is starting to take shape. With the exception of the midweek battle between the North Carolina Courage and the Portland Thorns, Week 10 challenged each team to play without their U.S Women’s National Team members, who are currently in Salt Lake City preparing for a pair of friendlies against China. Despite losing six players to the national team camp, the North Carolina Courage narrowly maintained their unbeaten streak with a 1-1 draw against the Houston Dash on Sunday night. The Utah Royals found their first road win of the season against Sky Blue FC, who are still looking for their first win after nine games. The Chicago Red Stars also bounced back with a 2-0 win over the Washington Spirit in a match that was delayed over five hours due to weather. Overall, there were 12 goals scored across five matches in Week 10. Here is a full list of scores:
Portland Thorns vs. North Carolina Courage (1-4)
Sky Blue FC vs. Utah Royals (1-2)
Washington Spirit vs. Chicago Red Stars (0-2)
Houston Dash vs. North Carolina Courage (1-1)
Seattle Reign vs. Orlando Pride (0-0)
Top Three Goalkeepers
1. Haley Kopmeyer— Kopmeyer would probably be a starting goalkeeper on most rosters, but it’s difficult to break out of Ashlyn Harris’s shadow (just ask Aubrey Bledsoe). With Harris away on national team duty, Kopmeyer earned the start against the Seattle Reign, whom she played with before being traded to Orlando this past offseason. Kopmeyer took advantage of her opportunity. She faced 15 shots from the Reign and made five saves, including one in the 51st minute that earned her a nomination for NWSL Save of the Week. Naomi Kawasumi took a shot from distance and Kopmeyer jumped into the air, punching the ball over the net. Even without Megan Rapinoe, it isn’t easy to get a clean sheet against Seattle. But Kopmeyer managed to shutdown the likes of Jess Fishlock and Naomi Kawasumi, giving the Pride their fourth clean sheet this season, and helped her team earn a point on the road.
2. Emily Boyd— Like Kopmeyer, Boyd also stands in the shadow of a national team goalkeeper. But with Alyssa Naeher away on national team duty, the rookie out of California earned her first NWSL start. The Washington Spirit were lacking two of their stars on offense– Mallory Pugh, who is out with a knee injury, and Francisca Ordega, who is representing Nigeria in a pair of World Cup Qualifiers against Gambia. But Boyd still faced eleven shots from the Spirit and made four saves. Her save in stoppage time earned her an NWSL Save of the Week nomination. The Spirit managed to slot a ball behind the defense, and it landed at the feet of Ashley Hatch. Boyd saw that her defenders couldn’t get there, and she came off her line, sliding to the ground and putting her body in front of the ball. She got hit in the face with Ashley Hatch’s foot, but still managed to jump back up, although the second effort from the Spirit went over the net. A clean sheet and three points on the road— not a bad way to make your NWSL debut.
3. Lydia Williams— Williams, who has been alternating with Betos throughout the season, earned another clean sheet this week against the Orlando Pride. Like other teams, the Pride had a somewhat diminished offense, lacking the talents of Alex Morgan and Marta. But Chioma Ubogagu, Sydney Leroux, and others can be equally threatening. Williams faced 12 shots and made two saves on Sunday night. In the 74th minute, the Pride set up a shot from Emily Van Egmond. Williams managed to stick her foot out and make an instinctive kick save, knocking the ball to her left where it was eventually knocked out of play. The scoreless draw marked Williams’ third clean sheet of the year.
Top Three Defenders
1. Amber Brooks— The North Carolina Courage may have been missing a few key attackers in their weekend match against the Houston Dash, but the Houston defense was still going up against Jessica McDonald and Lynn Williams. The Houston defense looked shaky early on in the game, but eventually they settled down, and Brooks played a critical role in the central defense to keep the Courage from setting up their shots. The Courage were only able to get eight shots in that match, including three shots on goal. Brooks made a couple of key blocks and dispossessions throughout the match, again preventing the Courage from developing a firm rhythm. With Brooks and Van Wyk in the central defense, and Allysha Chapman and Haley Hanson on the outside, the Houston defense is shaping up to be competitive with the best in the league.
2. Katherine Reynolds— Reynolds is one of the best defenders in the NWSL. In Portland’s midweek match against the North Carolina Courage, Reynolds made her 100th career NWSL appearance. While the Thorns ultimately allowed four goals in, including a penalty given away by Reynolds in the 30th minute, Reynolds also had some shining moments. One of those moments came in the 50th minute, when Reynolds got in front of Lynn Williams to block her shot. But Reynolds best moment of the night came– surprisingly– on offense. A free kick was given to the Thorns in the 88th minute, just outside of the 18-yard box. Heath took the free kick and sent the ball towards the edge of the 18-yard box. With no other players there to grab it, Reynolds set up her shot and slotted it across the keeper to the back of the net. The goal is Reynolds first in her career.
3. Jess Fishlock— Fishlock is not usually a name one expects to hear on defense. And while she had some spectacular moments on offense in this weekend’s match against the Orlando Pride, it was her save in the 50th minute that earned her a spot on the highlight reel. Leroux had the ball at the edge of the 18-yard box, and tried to send a cross into the middle. But Fishlock anticipated the play and jumped in front of the ball, sending it out of play.
Top Three Attackers
1. Lynn Williams— It’s been a slow start to the season for Lynn Williams. She’s started in nine of the Courage’s 12 matches, but prior to this week, she had scored only one goal. But in the midweek match against the Portland Thorns, Williams started to find her rhythm again, scoring her second and third goals of the season. She opened up the game in the 30th minute, when Debinha was taken down in the box by Katherine Reynolds and the Courage earned a penalty. Williams took that penalty, slotting the ball into the bottom corner. She found the back of the net again in the 62nd minute. A corner kick was sent into the box, and bounced off the heads of a couple of Courage players before Williams was able to get her left foot on it and send it into the back of the net. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to carry that momentum into the weekend against the Houston Dash. The Courage just couldn’t get going on offense, and Williams was substituted out in the 56th minute.
2. Yuki Nagasato— Nagasato is an unsung hero for the Chicago Red Stars, and she proved that again this week with a goal and an assist in the Red Stars 2-0 win over the Washington Spirit. The first goal was set up by Nagasato when the Red Stars earned a free kick in the center of the pitch, a few yards outside of the 18-yard box. Nagasato slotted it towards the bottom corner, forcing Kelsey Wys to make a diving save. While Wys was able to successfully block the shot, she couldn’t grab onto it nor could she jump up in time to stop Sam Kerr, who came in with the second effort and found the back of the net. Nagasato found a goal of her own in the 48th minute. She brought the ball down inside the 18-yard box, settling it and passing it off to Alyssa Mautz. Mautz then sent it right back to Nagasato, who found some space and sent the ball back into that bottom corner. This time, Wys wasn’t quick enough to stop it, and Chicago found themselves with a 2-0 lead. This was Nagasato’s first goal and second assist on the season.
3. Sam Kerr— Kerr made her seventh start of the season on Saturday night, and did plenty to make her presence known. She scored the Red Stars first goal of the night in the 25th minute, after a terrific free kick by Nagasato bounced out of the hands of Kelsey Wys. Kerr was able to get to the ball before the Spirit defenders and kick it into the back of the night to give Chicago the lead. While Kerr would be limited to one goal that night, she had a couple of other fantastic chances. In the 20th minute, she took a shot from outside the 18-yard box that sailed just over the top of the net. And then in the 64th minute, Alyssa Mautz threaded a ball through the Spirit defense to Kerr, who couldn’t get a good angle and sent the ball just wide of the post. In those seven appearances, Kerr has scored five goals for the Chicago Red Stars, including three goals in her last two games.
Draft Class Magic: Late Round Picks that Paid Off
The NWSL draft has brought some truly outstanding players into the league from the world of college soccer: Crystal Dunn, Rose Lavelle, both Mewis sisters, the list of first round picks could go on and on.
But past the second round the chances of success can fade. I’ve gone back as far as the very first draft in 2013 to pick out my top 10 picks from the 3rd or 4th rounds, to see who went late and paid off for their clubs.
Each of the ten I picked are starters (at least are when both ACLs are healthy), and have made major impacts for their clubs since coming on board.
2015 – 19th Overall Pick – Caprice Dydasco – Washington Spirit
Dydasco was the very first pick on the third round of the 2015 NWSL draft. While she only played 6 games, with 1 start, in 2015 it was 2016 where she really started to shine. With 12 appearances, all starts, the speedy defender proved her worth to the Spirit, helping take them to the NWSL championship game. While she ended up with a torn ACL before half time, she has made a quick recovery and already returned to the pitch in 2017, which will surely be a delight for Spirit fans far and wide.
2015 – 21st Overall Pick – Sabrina D’Angelo – Western New York Flash
Only two goalkeepers were taken in the 2015 draft. FC Kansas City selected Katelyn Rowland with the 17th pick, which was followed by the Flash taking D’Angelo four spots later. While the two would end up as teammates during the Flash’s 2016 championship run, it is D’Angelo who has come out on top in terms of playing time and accolades. The Canadian international has been quite good since coming in to the NWSL. And no one can forget her 3 PK saves during the title game in 2016.
2016 – 23rd Overall Pick – Erica Skroski – Sky Blue FC
In 2016 Sky Blue took four players, each still on the current roster. Their third pick was used to snag Rutgers defender Erica Skroski, who made an immediate impact on the Sky Blue starting XI. Her speed, calmness under pressure, and willingness to put in the work have made her a mainstay in a young Sky Blue backline, where she has brought maturity far beyond what most second year players can find. Some minor injury worries have limited her time somewhat this year, but once she is back to 100%, her tough defending will once again be a rock in that back four.
2017 – 23rd Overall Pick – Kailen Sheridan- Sky Blue FC
Goalkeepers always go late. It’s a fact of the draft. But if early returns are any indication, a few coaches might have wanted to take a bigger risk in 2017. Sheridan won the starting job right out of the gate for Sky Blue and hasn’t looked back since. Her performances seem to only get better week to week. While some young goalkeepers have struggled coming into the league in the past it seems that Sheridan is thriving under the pressure.
2013 – 24th Overall Pick – Amber Brooks – Portland Thorns FC
Amber Brooks is one of those players who sometimes struggles to find playing time, despite performing extremely well whenever she actually gets the chance to take regular minutes. She is smart on the ball, able to play a hard position, holding mid, well and has a rocket of a shot when she takes it. It is against all reason that Brooks has not been in the USWNT picture since a brief stint in 2013.
2013 – 25th Overall Pick – Jen Hoy – Chicago Red Stars
Jen Hoy is often the odd woman out for Chicago when people discuss their many attacking options. And there are certainly plenty of other names to focus on there. But while she might not have the panache of Press or the outright speed of Huerta, Hoy has some beautiful footwork, great vision and had put in work over her time on the Red Stars. 2015 may serve as her high water mark with 1110 minutes played over 18 matches, with 4 goals scored but I think given the chance she has more in the tank.
2014 – 25th Overall Pick – Emily Menges – Portland Thorns FC
Over the last 3 years, Menges has been one of the best defenders in the NWSL. She’s the kind of player who rarely gets the recognition she deserves–solid no-nonsense defenders are often underappreciated. Always solid, she has developed one of the most sophisticated readings of the game, and her defending has only grown over the years.
2016 – 27th Overall Pick – Abby Smith – Boston Breakers
Another goalkeeper, another late round gem. Of the 5 goalkeepers who were selected in the 2016 NWSL draft Smith is the only one starting games. Lindsey Luke, Caroline Casey, Madalyn Schiffel, Britt Eckerstrom have all found themselves on NWSL rosters as backups, while Smith (when not fighting off nasty injuries) is the clear #1 in Boston. Her play has even gotten attention from the USWNT, as she was called into the US roster for the recent friendlies in Norway and Sweden Smith was on hand. Though she watched both games from the bench it was still a deserved call up.
2015 – 30th Overall Pick – Whitney Church – Washington Spirit
29 players had their names called before Whitney Church in 2015, nine of them defenders. And while you might not argue with Gilliland or Dahlkemper going before her it is clear that Washington got a bargain when they took Church 30th overall. Speed has never been Church’s primary feature but her brains on the pitch and her skill in the air have kept her in the Spirit’s lineup every game so far in 2017.
2013 – 31st Overall Pick – Haley Kopmeyer – Seattle Reign FC
Maybe the greatest late round draft pick of all time. Haley Kopmeyer joined a Seattle team already populated by the likes of Michelle Betos and Hope Solo and outlasted both of them. She joined in 2013 as a clear 3rd choice, but has taken the time spent as a backup to craft and hone her trade, growing by leaps and bounds into a top 3 goalkeeper this year. Her growth is in no small part to the Reign’s commitment to develop her and to Hope Solo’s mentorship of her during her time on the team. From second-to-last to one of the best isn’t too shabby.
A Conversation on Goalkeeping: The Top 5 NWSL Keepers of the First Third
Goalkeeping is hard. Really hard. And 8 weeks into the season Jordan and I picked out the five NWSL goalkeepers we think have done the best job of doing a hard thing well.
We’re not saying they have been perfect. No goalkeeper ever is over this many games. But these five, we feel, have really stood out.
Number 5 – Nicole Barnhart – FC Kansas City
RJ Allen:
I know some of you might be tuning your pitch forks because Barnie is so low. But hear us out.
Jordan Small:
So here we have Barnie. Can we think of a more consistent goalkeeper over the last five years? This weekend she made her 300th career save. That should speak for itself.
She also has the benefit of having a really great defense in front of her which definitely helps.
RJ Allen:
Averbush and Sauerbrunn might be the best centerback pairing in the NWSL right now. And Barnie really has benefited from having them in front of her. Not her fault but it does knock her a bit down the list. She just hasn’t had as much to do.
Jordan Small:
I think when you look at the other goalkeepers in the league that won’t make our list, it makes a lot of sense where she ended up. She’s just the first one up on a great list of five.
RJ Allen:
She really is great at organizing her backline. Which, when you have who she has on her line might sound easier. But still experienced players sometimes need a firm hand too.
Jordan Small:
That has always been one of her best qualities. Great leader back there.
RJ Allen:
One of the very few downsides is she has lost about 1/4 of the step in the last year or two. And sometimes that does show when she’s coming out for a ball or trying to get a shot. She’ll get a glove on it but not make a grab like she could before. But Father Time pulls no punches.
Jordan Small:
And I think that is what makes her great performances even better. She is just that skilled. I hope to see her for another few years because she is so much fun to watch.
RJ Allen:
She really is fun to watch. And like you said, hitting that 300 saves mark is pretty amazing.
Jordan Small:
She’s obviously doing something right.
#4 – Abby Smith – Boston Breakers
RJ Allen:
The is one of the moves on our list. We tackled the top 10 in our very first look at the goalkeepers. Smith was 6th on our first list. Why the move up, Jordan?
Jordan Small:
Because she is just getting better and better each week. She is making tough saves look easy which is the sign of a great goalkeeper. She has really proven that she has recovered from her injury. And now she has a much deserved call up to the US squad for her efforts.
RJ Allen:
I was really happy to see her called up to the senior team. We don’t know if she will be playing at all against Norway or Sweden but just being on the trip I think is a great reward for her level of play.
Jordan Small:
I think she has been the best goalkeeper in the US system so far this season so I hope she gets at least a few minutes.
RJ Allen:
I really do agree with you on that. We’ll talk about another American later on but they haven’t gotten a sniff at from either the U teams or the full NT. With Smith I think she does have a chance to challenge for a spot.
Jordan Small:
Unlike Barnie, she really isn’t working with a great backline so I think she should be given a lot of credit. I mean who would have thought that Boston would have been able to shutout a team like Seattle? Smith deserves a lot of recognition for her efforts so far this year.
RJ Allen:
She is already better than her first game at knowing when to hold back and knowing when to challenge. That’s a lot of improvement in a pretty short window.
Jordan Small:
Her ability to read the game is amazing. And her distribution is one of the best in the league which is a really underrated skill.
RJ Allen:
If she’s like this now I can’t wait to see what some NT training and more games does to her game.
Jordan Small:
She can only get better from here.
#3 – Kailen Sheridan – Sky Blue FC
RJ Allen:
This is the biggest jump on our list. From #8 to #3. We have been talking about this update for a few weeks and every time we do we seem to move Sheridan higher and higher.
Jordan Small:
We even moved her higher today. I’ve been incredibly surprised with her play. Back when we originally did this, we had her as the third-ranked Canadian goalkeeper. Over the past few weeks, I really see her competing for that second spot and maybe even the first because I think she has played better than D’Angelo as of late.
RJ Allen:
I’ve been to the last three Sky Blue home games and it seems like at each game she is just leaps and bounds better than the game before. She hasn’t been perfect but I have to keep reminding myself she is a rookie. She is playing like someone who has no fear.
Jordan Small:
I think the midweek game vs. North Carolina and then the Orlando game just after that were her two best games. She was playing out of her mind in both of those games. I think she has put in a serious case for Rookie of the Year. She has been that good so far.
RJ Allen:
Honestly I am really thinking she should be in the three nominations for Goalkeeper of the Year. Not that Rookie of the Year isn’t important, it is, but I think she has moved past the rookie designation and just been flat out one of the best in her position.
Jordan Small:
I totally agree with that. I really think our top three all have great cases for Goalkeeper of the Year. It’s been an incredible year for goalkeepers.
RJ Allen:
One other thing I think it’s worth taking note of for Sheridan. Her first choice backline? Two rookies, a sophomore and the GOAT of defending. Mandy Freeman and Kayla Mills are both rookies, Erica Skroski is a second-year player, though Christie Pearce’s resume couldn’t fit on a foot of parchment at 10 point font.
Jordan Small:
I’ve mentioned this on The Scouting Report many times, Christie Pearce has helped so much. I would take just about anyone on my backline if that meant having Pearce back there. A goalkeeper’s dream, especially a rookie goalkeeper.
RJ Allen:
You can tell Sheridan is learning from her which is great to see. And Sheridan has been more vocal and taking more more of the duties that Pearce had taken on herself that should be on the goalkeeper at the start of the season. It’s really one of the best mentorships in the league.
#2 – Stephanie Labbe – Washington Spirit
RJ Allen:
Here is where I turn everything over to Jordan and just let her tell you why Steph Labbé is a rock star.
Jordan Small:
Where do I even begin? First, I want to take a saying from our good friend Sandra and just say that Steph Labbé, we do not deserve you.
She picked up her first shutout of the year this past weekend after making eight saves. Each and every week it seems as if she has a save that could be a Save of the Week candidate. She does not have the greatest backline but somehow she still it keeping them in games. Aside from the week against Seattle, she has been a straight up beast.
RJ Allen:
It’s like she has decided that she is going to keep Washington from being blown out each and every game through sheer force of will.
Jordan Small:
And when we talk to her after the game, it seems that way too. It was nice to see her hard work pay off and to finally have a happy Labbé after a game. Can’t wait to see her play with Canada this week.
RJ Allen:
I say it on The Scouting Report all the time. Canada right now has the best cabal of goalkeepers in the world. It’s really amazing how deep they are and Labbé is leading the way for them.
Jordan Small:
Absolutely. If I’m John Herdman, I’ve got to be loving life right now.
RJ Allen:
I do wonder if there does come a point she just can’t keep up with Washington’s bad backline. That’s a lot of saves, a lot of amazing saves too, she has to make every week. Does there come a point she hurts herself trying to save them or just gets really lit up?
Jordan Small:
She is in such great shape, I hope that helps her. I never want to think about players getting hurt.
RJ Allen:
No, that’s never a fun place to go to. But as long as she keeps playing like she does Washington has a shot to get a few wins under their belt after the FIFA break.
Jordan Small:
I sure hope so. I think the shutout was good for everyone’s confidence.
#1 – Haley Kopmeyer – Seattle Reign
RJ Allen:
Who else but Kopmeyer?
Jordan Small:
Where do you even start with Kopmeyer? She has been amazing all year. I mean looking at the game vs. Chicago this weekend, it seemed as if all the tweets from Seattle were about saves from Kop. The girl is having herself a year. She is definitely embracing this starter gig.
RJ Allen:
She has 38 saves this year according to the NWSL stats. She had 34 all of 2016 with her 11 games. So already she is putting in more work with a backline that, frankly, should be better than how they are playing.
Jordan Small:
You and I both would love to see her with the NT but for some reason it just isn’t happening. It’s frustrating.
RJ Allen:
It is. She has more than proved at this point that she has room for growth. She has the size, frankly something the US hasn’t always had on their side, she reads the game beautifully, she is vocal, she is athletic but doesn’t overcompensate with it. I don’t understand the lack of attention.
Jordan Small:
And she learned from the best.
I just hope she keeps proving Jill Ellis wrong and continues to get better.
RJ Allen:
I really think we haven’t seen her best soccer yet. Which with how she is playing is something big to say.
Jordan Small:
There are a few areas that I think she can improve on and if she does, it’ll be scary for other teams in the league.
Final Thoughts
RJ Allen:
We’ve talked about our top five, Jordan, any final thoughts as we look back at the first 8 weeks of the 2017 NWSL season?
Jordan Small:
A cool stat that I found today is that 11 different goalkeepers have shutouts this season. I love great goalkeeping and I love seeing goalkeepers get clean sheets. It has been really exciting so far.
RJ Allen:
I really think the goalkeeping in the league has taken a giant step forward this season. Each game now I’m expecting goalkeepers to have big games. And often times I’m not disappointed.
Jordan Small:
Even the goalkeepers that struggled at the beginning of the season have improved. That is great for the league.
RJ Allen:
It really is.
So, what do you say? Revisit the wonders of goalkeeping say around week 16?
Jordan Small:
If it was anything like the first 8 weeks, it should be fun!
Thank you everyone for reading. You can catch Jordan and I talking about the great goalkeeping in the league and more every Monday at 8 pm ET on YouTube. The feed is also up on iTunes, Podbean and Spreaker.
Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 1
Welcome to our first installment of “Off the Bench,” the latest Backline Soccer weekly series.
Backline Soccer Recap:
This last week on Backline Soccer, we posted all ten of our 2017 NWSL team previews. If you haven’t yet read them, please visit our site to check them out and let us know what you think!
NWSL Week One Game Recaps:
What a great first weekend back for the NWSL we had! Let’s dive straight into a recap of the five matches we had this past weekend.
Game 1: Houston Dash 2 vs Chicago Red Stars 0
Houston Dash record: 1-0-0
Chicago Red Stars record: 0-1-0
Attendance : 4,484
First up, to kick off the 2017 NWSL season, the Houston Dash took on the Chicago Red Stars at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston. Kealia Ohai opened up the scoring giving the 2017 season its first goal in the 15th minute. Alyssa Naeher stuck to her line a little too long and Ohai made her pay. Then, in the 80′ minute, Rachel Daly sent a rocket past Naeher, for goal number two, and was featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter for it!
Game 2: Portland Thorns 2 vs Orlando Pride 0
Portland Thorns record: 1-0-0
Orlando Pride record: 0-1-0
Attendance : 16,145
The first Lifetime Game of the Week started shortly after the Houston game, with the Portland Thorns taking on the Orlando Pride. It was a pretty even game for most of the match. The 24th minute saw a killer diving header from Ashlyn Harris to keep the Thorns from scoring but an unfortunate handball on Alanna Kennedy in the 32nd minute led to a converted PK by Nadia Nadim. Christine Sinclair netted home the final goal to seal the Thorns’ win in the 67th minute.
Game 3: Washington Spirit 0 vs North Carolina Courage 1
Washington Spirit record: 0-1-0
North Carolina Courage record: 1-0-0
Attendance : 2,400
Next up were the Washington Spirit and North Carolina Courage, in their inaugural match. McCall Zerboni scored the game’s lone goal–and the first in NC Courage history–in the 19th minute but it was Spirit goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé who put on a spectacular performance that kept the Courage from scoring any more after that. With one spectacular save after another, Labbé demonstrated to everyone just what an asset she will be for the Spirit this season. Unfortunately for the Spirit, Joanna Lohman went down in the first half with what was confirmed on Monday as a torn ACL in her left knee.
Game 4: Seattle Reign 1 vs Sky Blue FC 1
Seattle Reign record: 0-0-1
Sky Blue FC record: 0-0-1
Attendance : 3,521
The final match of the day was between the Seattle Reign and Sky Blue FC, which ended up being the game of PKs. A foul committed by a Sky Blue player saw Megan Rapinoe convert a PK in the 56nd minute. Then in the 62nd minute, a foul by a Reign player saw Sarah Killion bury a PK to level the game. Seattle Reign goalkeeper, Haley Kopmeyer, who had a player of the week worthy game as well on Saturday, almost stopped the PK taken by Killion.
Game 5: FC Kansas City 2 v. Boston Breakers 0
FC Kansas City record: 1-0-0
Boston Breakers record: 0-1-0
Attendance : 3,340
The final game of the first weekend back for the NWSL between FC Kansas City and the Boston Breakers saw the return of Amy Rodriguez and Sydney Leroux to the pitch after maternity leave. Leroux kicked off the party early with her first goal in over a year in the 7th minute. Amy Rodriguez decided she wanted to be part of the goal scoring party too and netted herself one in the 48th minute. Then in the 58th minute, we all held our breath as Rodriguez went down with a non-contact injury and was stretchered off shortly after. Official confirmation has not been given but it was reported to be the left leg which was then immobilized with a brace.
The weekend ended with the Dash, Thorns, Courage, and FCKC all taking home 3 points, while Sky Blue and the Reign each left with a point. Held winless and pointless in the first weekend were the Red Stars, Pride, Spirit, and Breakers.
The Scouting Report:
The Scouting Report went live last night with the first official NWSL weekly TSR recap of all NWSL games from the weekend. Make sure to tune in every Monday at 8pm EST to catch our weekly series!
You can find last night’s TSR here:
Come back next week for the next edition of Off the Bench!
Backline Soccer Archive 