Tag: NWSL

Who Are the NWSL Team MVPs?

Posted on by RJ Allen

Every year there is a conversation on who the NWSL MVP should be. We here at Backline Soccer decided to offer 9 nominations, one from each NWSL team.

Chicago Red Stars: Sam Kerr
~Charles Onley

Sam Kerr, who else? It’s not that Chicago doesn’t have other potential options. Julie Ertz is a game-changer; Yūki Nagasato has become one of the league’s most incisive providers; Katie Naughton has grown by leaps and bounds into her defensive role; Dani Colaprico remains as solid as ever. But Sam Kerr is the best player on the planet right now. After missing the opening month of the season for World Cup qualifiers, it took her a few games to settle in with her new team. But since then it’s been vintage Kerr. She’s still scoring goals at almost the same clip as in her record-setting 2017, and is also finding a lot more room for link-up play, thanks to a much stronger supporting cast. At Sky Blue, it was Kerr or bust. Now that she doesn’t have to put the team on her shoulders every week, we’re seeing some livelier and more sophisticated play. Sometimes the easy answer is also the right one. Kerr is the best player in the world, and she should probably be the MVP, even if she did miss a quarter of the season.

Rachel Daly: Houston Dash
~Erica Ayala

Rachel Daly is the solid MVP choice for the Houston Dash. She has nine goals in 20 games this year, good enough for fourth in the league. Daly has been a bright spot for a struggling franchise since her rookie season in 2016. She tallied four goals and three assists in 16 games. The next season, she led the team with five goals and two assists. When healthy, Kealia Ohai is a solid choice for MVP of the Dash. She has four goals and three assists on the season. Sofia Huerta is another honorable mention for the Dash. She has tallied three goals and two assists since being traded to Houston in June.

McCall Zerboni: North Carolina Courage
~RJ Allen

The whole of the starting XI for the Courage should be in contention for MVP. From tip to tail this team has been outstanding on and off the ball. But the heart of the team and the reason it all flows so brilliantly is the work of one McCall Zerboni. Without Zerboni doing what she does to both control the midfield and protect the defense, players like Dunn, Williams and O’Sullivan wouldn’t be having the seasons they are. Someone has to clean up on each team and that role is done expertly than how Zerboni does it for the Courage. 

Orlando Pride: Dani Weatherholt
~Luis Hernandez 

In a season of inconsistent play from a star-studded squad, this year’s Orlando Pride “most valuable player” is Dani Weatherholt. The former Santa Clara midfielder drafted in the first pick of the fourth round at the 2016 NWSL college draft has grown and developed as a versatile mainstay since the team’s first year of existence. As a third year professional, she has translated her defensive grit into offensive tenacity. Coach Tom Sermanni praised Weatherholt’s performance this season after a 2-2 home draw with Sky Blue FC by saying, “I’ve said this before but I would love 10 Dani Weatherholts out on the field and that’s what she’s been for us this season. She’s a person that’s really dragged our team along in games quite often. Whether that’s been a decisive tackle, a decisive run, a decisive goal like it was tonight, or whatever. She’s just been magnificent this year. As I’ve said, I need 10 players doing that. If we had 10 players doing that then I think we would be a little bit further up the table.”

Christine Sinclair: Portland Thorns FC
~Allison Cary

There were lots of options for MVP for the Portland Thorns this season. Lindsey Horan is having a fantastic season, as well as Tobin Heath and Hayley Raso. But my choice for MVP is Christine Sinclair. Sinclair is a versatile midfielder, who has a noticeable impact on both defense and offense. She is ranked No. 5 in the league with seven goals and leads the league in assists with six. Sinclair has worn the Captain’s armband this season and has lead her team to a potential playoff run. Sinclair featured in the June NWSL Team of the Month.

Imani Dorsey: Sky Blue FC
~Charles Olney

Well, it has to be someone. Imani Dorsey gets credit for showing up late after finishing up her degree—and therefore missing some of the worst parts of the season. Since joining the squad, she’s been a breath of fresh air, and provided some of the crucial attacking width and pace that has often been missing for the New Jersey club. Three goals in nine games isn’t going to challenge for the golden boot, but it’s a perfectly serviceable tally, particularly on a team that has struggled so mightily to find the net at times. Her time on the team has coincided with some of their few bright moments on the season, with Dorsey seemingly functioning as the key that has finally unlocked some of the creative potential in the attacking ranks. When and if Sky Blue do find that elusive first win, you wouldn’t go wrong betting on Dorsey to be the goal-scorer.

Megan Rapinoe: Seattle Reign FC
~Erica Ayala

It’s hard to think of anyone but Megan Rapinoe for MVP of the Seattle Reign in 2018. In 15 games, she leads the team in both goals (7) and assists (5). Rapinoe is crafty on the ball, making her a threat to score or create chances for her teammates. She is both exciting for fans and aggravating to opponents, making her entertaining to watch (even aside from her National Team popularity). Lydia Williams has 35 saves and eight clean sheets for the Reign in 12 appearances. The Reign have the least goals allowed (15) and sit in second place behind the North Carolina Courage.

Rachel Corsie: Utah Royals FC
~RJ Allen

The Utah Royals have had an odd season. Players that otherwise would have been in the XI every week have been hurt or in some cases just played poorly. Their attack has been anemic far too often this year but the one player who has been pretty outstanding every week has been Rachel Corsie. The Reign centerback turned Royal’s centerback has shown all the more with Sauerbrunn having missed some games. Her calm on and off the ball and a few Save of the Week wins have really cemented her place as the team’s MVP. 

Aubrey Bledsoe: Washington Spirit
~Allison Cary

My MVP for the Washington Spirit is Aubrey Bledsoe. While it has been a tough year for the Spirit, Bledsoe has been a bright spot. This is her first year with the Spirit, following a trade with the Orlando Pride in the offseason. Bledsoe leads the league with 93 saves and has earned four shutouts this season. With a defense that has struggled, Bledsoe often faces many shots throughout the game and has been forced to make some creative saves. She has earned her share of Save of the Week nods throughout the season, and in Weeks 11 and 12, was named the NWSL Player of the Week.

The NWSL International Player Power Rankings

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL has some truly outstanding international soccer talent rostered on the nine current teams in the league.

We are all incredibly lucky to be able to watch some of the best in the world, week in and week out in this league. You have five time FIFA Women’s Player of the Year, Marta, playing in Orlando. Women’s World Cup winner, Nahomi Kawasumi, putting in crosses for Seattle. The former New Zealand captain and Olympian Abby Erceg defending the goal in North Carolina.

One evening I was talking with a friend about Kim Little and the impact she had on the league. After the conversation ended, I started to think about the wealth of talent in the NWSL and the players who have come and gone in the league. We often talk about the NWSL as a training round for the future of the USWNT but other countries have sent us their best and brightest and reaped the benefits for themselves.

I came up with my own ranking. But I wanted to see if my thoughts held up so I then reached out to the masses of the internet to get their feeling on who should be ranked where.

I set forward the criteria as 1) The players impact on the league while playing, 2) Their impact on the league after they left, if they are no longer playing in the league, 3) Their personal awards (MVP, Best XI, ect) and if they have any 4) NWSL titles.

What follows is a list of the power rankings (based on votes) of the greatest international players the NWSL has seen in it’s six year history.

The French midfielder was an impactful player from the get-go, on a team that was full of impactful players. She played just over 30 games for the Thorns before heading back to Europe but having the 2015 Silver Ball winner in the league did bring a little elevation to the league.

While her time with the English women’s national team has been choppy as of late, the English forward has been one of the true bright spots in Houston. Playing in both the attack and the defense for Houston has kept them much more alive this season than they were expected to be the first week of the season.

While the focus has largely been on the American World Cup winners in the last few years, it should not be understated that Naho has shown just why she has a World Cup winner’s medal at home. Her two stints on the Seattle Reign have shown her ability to cross the ball on to a player’s head or foot with astonishing ability.

Stories like Nadim’s go far past just a feel good sports story. During her time in the NWSL, Nadim brought into focus a world many here in the US didn’t often think about in terms of the human element. She was also a PK champion during her time for Sky Blue FC and Portland.

Angerer was a solid goalkeeper during her years for the Thorns. But it is maybe her impact on the league as the Thorns goalkeeping coach that puts her as high on this list as she is. Her work with the goalkeeping unit in Portland has shown just how impactful a coach can be.

Abby Erceg may go down as one of the best, if not the best, non-federated defenders in NWSL history when all is said and done. On top of her work in the NWSL, highlighting the New Zealand federation’s lack of support for their women’s national team has, hopefully, helped make things better for her fellow Kiwi’s.

Marta brings a legitimacy to whatever team and league she is on. There is no way of getting around that fact. Her name on a roster might mean more in terms of marketing dollars than nearly any other name in women’s soccer. She might be a step or two slower than a decade ago, but she still makes magic happen when she touches the ball.

If you look at the list of top goal scorers in NWSL history, Little still finds herself near the top. Even being out of the NWSL, she still has left her mark on the league in the history she helped create. It was Little who Kerr had to pass for the scoring record (more on Kerr in a minute). It was Little who Rapinoe had to pass for the Seattle scoring record. She might be gone but her name still lives on in the league’s records.

Jess Fishlock makes every player around her better. She makes a mark, cleat or otherwise, on every game she plays in. And when she is in the match, other teams have to pay attention to her in ways that few other players command. She has scored game winners, assisted them and brought to Seattle two NWSL Shields.

What is there to say about Sam Kerr? She owns the single season scoring record, and the most goals in NWSL history. Kerr nearly brought Sky Blue FC to the 2017 playoffs behind some of the most brilliant moments the season had to offer, including a four goal game against two time NWSL Champions FC Kansas City. Sam Kerr will go down among the all time greats of the league and is on pace to do so for the sport at large. 

Backline Chat: High and Lows as the NWSL Returns

Posted on by RJ Allen

Charles Olney (@olneyce): Welcome to our midweek Backline chat. The international break is over. The NWSL is back. There’s plenty to cover, but let’s start with the playoff race. Did this weekend’s results change anyone mind about who will make the cut?

RJ Allen (@TheSoccerCritic): I knew the results of the Orlando game going in. But boy oh boy did they not look like a playoff team.

Allison Cary (@findingallison): I literally was just typing the same thing.

RJ Allen: It was almost shocking how not put together they were for a game they should have gotten 3 points on. They needed 3 points on it, really.

Charles Olney: The first half of that game was dreadful, on both sides. And while Orlando put together a nice 20 minutes or so in the second half, they also stumbled wildly for parts. It certainly wasn’t the sort of performance that screams ‘we’re a playoff team.’

RJ Allen: Utah didn’t look great, and they need some help to get there, but they did look more put together than they had been. The math is wildly not in their favor but in terms of the eye test they were better than Orlando.

Allison Cary: Luis had a good tweet about it, he said “Orlando Pride playing to the level of their opponent once again” on the first Sky Blue goal. That summarizes my feelings on the whole game.

Charles Olney: We feel very far removed from that ridiculous performance the Pride put up against Chicago a month or so ago. But they could easily turn it back around and blow someone out of the water again. It’s just so hard to tell with them.

RJ Allen: At this point the playoffs almost have to be North Carolina, Seattle, Portland, Chicago just on the numbers, right? I feel like something would really have to go wrong for it not to be that mix. Even if Portland and Chicago swapped.

Charles Olney: I wouldn’t bet against Orlando yet, but they’ve given themselves very little margin for error.

Allison Cary: Orlando is unpredictable. But I think NC, Seattle, Portland, and Chicago is a reasonable prediction/assumption.

Charles Olney: They do have two games against other contenders left, and a game against Sky Blue. If they can get nine points there, they’re probably in. If not, they may be out, unless they can steal some points from Carolina.

RJ Allen: It’s funny because any other year Seattle, Portland, Chicago, Orlando would be a great playoff. But with North Carolina blowing everyone out of the water it leaves everyone trying not to be 4th on top of making the playoffs.

Charles Olney: Chicago have a brutal run-in, but that also means they have more chances to pick up important points. You’d have to say that this weekend went about as well as you could hope for on their part. And they didn’t even play!

RJ Allen: I really can’t wait for more teams for a longer playoff. 6 teams in the playoff, with a first round advance for 1 and 2, I think is a real sweet spot in a 12 team league. And I hope the NWSL gets to 12 solid teams soon.

Charles Olney: I’ll disagree there. As I think we’ve covered here before, I don’t really like playoffs at all, so maybe that’s coloring things. But I especially don’t like playoff systems where 50% of the teams make it. I’d be happy keeping it to four teams for the foreseeable future.

RJ Allen: I would be happy with every team making the playoffs and the regular season used for seeding. So you and I might never agree there.

Charles Olney: That is fair.

Alright, so do we have any thoughts about Seattle? They’re not quite locks yet, but you’d have to like their odds at this point. Securing those three points this weekend was huge.

Allison Cary: Admittedly, I’ve missed a lot of Seattle’s games because of the time difference. But I like what I see.

RJ Allen: There once was a soccer team from Seattle. When they were good they were very, very good and when they were bad they were … still pretty good and will likely force Lifetime to host a playoff game in a place Lifetime does not want to host a playoff game in.

Charles Olney: I have to say, Memorial is a garbage venue, but it’s OUR garbage venue and Lifetime just needs to get over themselves and put it on TV. It’s not THAT bad.

RJ Allen: I think if this was the first year that the team played there, I might get Lifetime’s worry. But we all know where Seattle plays and what it looks like.

Allison Cary: Agreed.

RJ Allen: I am fascinated by the goalkeeping in Seattle. I get the stats pack and Betos and Williams are nearly identical this year. Vlatko gave Barnhart like 92% of all minutes when FCKC was still a thing. And now he’s a swapper.

Allison Cary: Yeah, is there a reason Betos didn’t start this weekend? I was a bit surprised to see Williams in goal after she played all of ToN. I would have thought he would go with the better rested option.

RJ Allen: I have not been able to tell when he is going to play one or the other. By man oh man what a gift to be able to have both as an option.

Charles Olney: I think Williams is clearly better, but that it’s also to have two solid options, and I do think your points are interesting: that the numbers are so similar and that Vlatko is rotating.

RJ Allen: They have the rights to Solo too. I mean now that could be a fun 23 person roster with those three.

*crickets*

What? What did I say?

Charles Olney: Okay, final question about the playoff-bound: North Carolina wrapped up the Shield this weekend, surprising absolutely no one. Any thoughts on them, or have we run out of superlatives?

My take is that they played at maybe 75% of their potential this weekend, and in doing so brushed aside arguably their biggest rival without too much trouble. That’s scary.

RJ Allen: They are the best team the NWSL has fielded in 6 years of play. I think they have, as much as it pains me to say, passed the 2014 Seattle Reign. They have a bunch of “no name” players who put in work that has sent 6 to the USWNT. And yeah, yeah Dunn was on the radar but not like she was before this year.

Charles Olney: All the other teams in the league have to be hoping that they run into the same playoff troubles as the Reign.

RJ Allen: Well Holiday has retired and ARod isn’t going this year most likely. Unless Seattle trades for her. For max lol’s.

Allison Cary: The only team that seems to be able to consistently draw points from NC is Utah. Maybe they could share that magic with NC’s playoff opponents?

RJ Allen: I do wonder what a North Carolina vs Seattle final in Portland would look like though.

Allison Cary: Not that I’m looking for them to lose. I’m just not seeing who is going to beat them.

RJ Allen: What will happen first: Sky Blue wins a game or North Carolina gets their second loss?

Charles Olney: Sky Blue! Somehow, they’ve actually been okay in their last few games. And I have a feeling that the climax to this weekend’s game will be enough to draw the team together a bit. I really hope that they’re able to at least pull themselves up to Breakers level of respectability. There’s too much talent on that team for them to be THIS far adrift.

RJ Allen: I don’t know. They are playing teams that need points to survive and that might sink them.

Charles Olney: My case for Sky Blue: the combination of Dorsey, McCaskill, and Groom (and Lloyd when she’s back from her suspension) is finally starting to click. They also have Rodriguez back, and while she isn’t quite the player they need, that’s a big upgrade from Thaisa. And Gibbons is back in the mix. That’s a team that COULD win a couple games in a row. At least in theory.

RJ Allen: Maybe neither happens and the season runs out before either do?

Allison Cary: I’m tempted to go with that answer. Although I think Sky Blue is getting better and might be able to sneak in a win.

Charles Olney: Yeah, ‘neither’ is quite possibly the best bet here.

Slightly turning the conversation, here’s a (not so fun) thing I noticed: if you combined the points from Washington and Sky Blue, they’d still be in last place. By nine points. That is rough.

Allison Cary: Yikes.

Charles Olney: Which leads to an obvious question: if you actually combined their rosters, would they in fact still be in last place? Or would that provide enough depth to paper over some of the problems?

RJ Allen: There is no way either coach can survive, is there? I think they would be higher with a single roster. At least some of the issues with not having XI quality starters would be gone.

Charles Olney: I’d be very surprised if Gabarra is back next year. I wouldn’t be shocked if Reddy is back…assuming that Sky Blue continues to exist. But I have major doubts about that premise, and if there are changes it’s very hard to see Reddy sticking.

Charles Olney: I agree. Both teams struggle defensively, but combine the options and you could get a serviceable backline out there. Then again, neither team should be nearly this bad even just looking at the actual rosters they have, so…

RJ Allen: I don’t know how the league doesn’t step in on Sky Blue after this year. Governor of New Jersey or not. Gibbons might be able to play in the midfield!

Charles Olney: From your lips to god’s ear.

Alright, one more little topic, on a slightly goofier note: imagine that you’re starting a brand new franchise next year. You’re given the option of poaching any single player in the league to build your team around. Who do you pick and why? (I think there’s an obvious answer, but I’m curious if y’all agree)

RJ Allen: Sam Kerr. 100% Sam Kerr.

Allison Cary: Yeah, Sam Kerr is where my brain immediately went.

Charles Olney: Yeah, that’s the one. So if we all agree there, who would be your NEXT choice?

RJ Allen: McCall Zerboni. You can’t build a house without a solid base and I can get good defenders farther down the line. There is not around midfielder who can who what she does as well.

Allison Cary: I have no idea after Sam Kerr, but I like RJ’s answer lol.

Charles Olney: I’m torn here. I’d want to take someone on the younger side, who still has room to grow and you can count on getting quite a few good years from. I think I might take Sam Mewis if she were fully healthy, but that’s a gamble at the moment. It’s hard to argue with Horan, though I’ve never quite been a true believer there.  I can’t really justify not taking Rapinoe, if given the option. Or Dunn. Ertz gives you flexibility. In conclusion: I don’t know, but also like RJ’s answer.

Allison Cary: Horan and Dunn both crossed my mind.

RJ Allen: So I’m working on a “Non American/Non Canadian NWSL Player Power Ranking” to look at the talent from outside of the US and Canada that the league has hosted.

I gave the selection criteria as:

  1. Impact on the league while playing
  2. Impact on the league after they left, if they are no longer playing in the league
  3. Personal awards (MVP, Best XI, ect)
  4. NWSL Titles

100ish votes in, any guesses on the top 5 the world of Twitter has put forward and who would be on your top 5’s?

Charles Olney: I can’t see much of an argument against Little, Fishlock, and Kerr being the top three, so I’m guessing (hoping) they are in the top 5.

RJ Allen: They are all top 5, yes. But one name is much lower than the other two.

Charles Olney: I’m tempted to include Erceg, though I’d be surprised if she is in the top five.  Based on the second criteria, I think you could make a case for Angerer, who has contributed a lot as both player and coach. It’s hard to argue against Marta. And Alanna Kennedy would be in the mix for me as well. And there are plenty that fall into the category just below this group.

RJ Allen: Right now it is:

  1. Sam Kerr 101/105
  2. Marta 91/105
  3. Jess Fishlock 90/105
  4. Kim Little 73/105
  5. Abby Erceg 71/105

No one else is higher than 58, which is Amandine Henry. Angerer is 44.

Allison Cary: Interesting. I actually would not have thought people would vote for Henry. Catley is up there for me.

Charles Olney: I’m disappointed that the top four aren’t all unanimous, but what can you do? It’s a pretty solid list.

RJ Allen: I do think it’s interesting that players who, I would argue have made a huge impact like Nadim aren’t super high. I don’t know if it’s who is voting, if they are trying to not vote for some in place of making others higher or what. But I thought it was neat. The NWSL has a ton of non-American or Canadian talent.

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances in Week 18

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week. 

The NWSL returned to action this week following the international break, and it did not disappoint. Of the four matches in Week 18, all played on Sunday night, the Orlando Pride vs. Sky Blue may have been the most exciting. With goals from Marta, Dani Weatherholt, Imani Dorsey, and Shea Groom, the match also featured a Carli Lloyd red card, a missed PK from Marta, and Sky Blue’s first lead of the season.  The Houston Dash hosted the Utah Royals in a defensive battle that saw the Royals mount a comeback to win the game 2-1 after going down a goal at the end of the first half. And the North Carolina Courage officially clinched the NWSL Shield with a month of games left to play thanks to their 2-1 victory over the Portland Thorns. Here is a full breakdown of this week’s scores:

North Carolina Courage vs. Portland Thorns (2-1)

Orlando Pride vs. Sky Blue (2-2)

Houston Dash vs. Utah Royals (1-2)

Seattle Reign vs. Washington Spirit (2-0)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Lydia Williams— Despite falling over like a baby giraffe at one point (her words, not mine) to come out and get the ball, Williams put forward another solid goalkeeping performance this week that marked her sixth victory and seventh clean sheet of the season. She faced twelve shots and made two saves against the Washington Spirit. Both saves came in the second half. The first came in the 48th minute— a bad giveaway by the Reign on a free kick allowed Ashley Hatch time and space to take her shot. She tried to sneak it in under the crossbar, but Williams made a leaping stop and pushed the ball over the net. The second save, which earned her an NWSL Save of the Week nomination, came in the 80th minute. A failed clearance by the Seattle defense allowed Caprice Dydasco to come grab the ball and take a quick shot inside the 18-yard box. But Williams read the shot and was able to block the ball. It bounced off her right hand, then her left, and fell to the feet of defender Theresa Nielsen. 

2. Kailen Sheridan—  Sky Blue asked a lot of their goalkeeper on Sunday night, but Sheridan’s performance met those demands. She faced 21 shots from the Orlando Pride and made six saves. After Dani Weatherholt equalized for the Pride in the 73rd minute, Orlando thought they could win the three points and started pressing hard. Just five minutes after the Weatherholt goal, Alex Morgan took a shot from inside the 18-yard box. She aimed to slide it under the crossbar, but Sheridan jumped up and pushed the ball over the crossbar. That save earned her a Save of the Week nomination. But it was her final save that secured her team a point on the road. In the dying minutes of stoppage time, Carli Lloyd earned a red card in the box for a hand ball and the Pride were given a PK, which was taken by Marta. Sheridan blocked the attempt. The Pride tried to put something together with the remaining time, but they were unable to do so, and Sky Blue went home with a point. 

3. Ashlyn Harris— The Sky Blue offense were out possessed by the Pride on Sunday night, but the strikers for the New Jersey side took advantage of their opportunities. Harris faced nine shots from Sky Blue and, perhaps due to her shaky defense, had to make four saves. In the 28th minute, Savannah McCaskill slipped a ball through the Pride defense and to Imani Dorsey. Dorsey went one-on-one with Harris, who came off her line and made the save. In the 68th minute, Harris made another brilliant save off a shot from Carli Lloyd. Harris got her fingertips on the ball, sending it over the crossbar. That stop earned her a Save of the Week nomination. 

Top Three Defenders

1. Becky Sauerbrunn— Despite starting in two matches for the United States in the Tournament of Nations and playing 180 minutes, Sauerbrunn showed no signs of exhaustion against the Houston Dash. The Royals defense was challenged within the first minutes of the match, but Sauerbrunn and Corsie were an impenetrable wall. Sauerbrunn had eleven clearances, four interceptions, and three tackles on the night. At the end of the match, when some of her teammates seemed to be suffering from tired legs, Sauerbrunn seemed to move into the midfield, maintaining possession for Utah and trying to help the team create more scoring opportunities to secure their lead. The Utah Royals held onto that 2-1 lead, and earned three points on the road. 

2. Clare Polkinghorne— Polkinghorne started in all three matches for Australia in the Tournament of Nations, coming off only in the 29th minute of the final match against Japan. Yet just three days later, Polkinghorne was the strongest defender on the Houston Dash backline. She played in the central defense alongside Amber Brooks, making the match a real defensive battle. Polkinghorne had five tackles, eight clearances, two interceptions, and one block against the Utah Royals. Ultimately, a bad defensive mistake by Amber Brooks and a brilliant ball to Katie Stengel from Erika Tymrak lost them the match at home. 

3. Abby Erceg— Erceg, who has just been named to the July Team of the Month, is definitely a contender for Defender of the Year. In her performance against the Portland Thorns on Sunday, she quietly went about doing the things that she does to make the North Carolina Courage one of the best teams in the world. For example, in the 11th minute of the match, the Portland Thorns gained possession of the ball. But before they could set up any sort of attack, Erceg intercepted a pass from the Thorns and regained possession for her team. Similarly, in the 72nd minute, McCall Zerboni lost the ball and Christine Sinclair tried to set up an attack for the Thorns. She sent the ball down the field, hoping to find Raso, but Erceg beat her 15there. Erceg passes the ball off to Rowland, but her kick only goes as far as Sinclair. She again passes the ball to Raso, but Erceg is there, and is able to beat Raso on the header, giving possession back to the Courage. Being able to contain the Portland offense is no small task, but the Courage— captained by Erceg— were able to do just that. 

Top Three Attackers

1. Lynn Williams— Williams earned herself a brace in North Carolina’s 2-1 victory over the Portland Thorns and she now leads the race for the Golden Boot. While she is tied in number of goals with Lindsey Horan, Williams has four assists on the year while Horan only has two. Williams first goal of this match came off a quick counterattack in the 37th minute. Jessica McDonald had the ball out wide and sent it into the box, where Williams was able to tap it past Adriana Franch and into the bottom corner. The Courage tend to score their goals close together, and this match was no exception. Just eight minutes after that first goal, Williams found her second of the night. Merritt Mathais sent a ball into the box, and after it bounced around a bit, Williams was able to tap it into the corner. The brace was enough to lift the Courage to their 15th win of the season. 

2. Dani Weatherholt— Weatherholt played a critical role in both of the goals for the Pride this week. While it does not count as an assist, it was the deflected shot from Weatherholt that Marta tapped in for the Pride’s first goal in the 51st minute. In the 73rd minute, Alex Morgan headed the ball to  the feet of Camila, who passed the ball to Weatherholt but was taken down by Sky Blue defenders. Many anticipated the play to be blown dead, but Weatherholt kept going. She muscled past the Sky Blue defenders, and when Sheridan was unable to collect the ball, Weatherholt was able to finish off the play  and head the ball into the back of the net. Weatherholt showed determination on the field on Sunday night, and was rewarded with her second goal of the season. 

3. Imani Dorsey— Dorsey earned her third goal of the season on Sunday night against the Orlando Pride. The goal came in the 53rd minute, only a few minutes after Marta’s goal. Shea Groom, who was surrounded by Pride defenders, got a pass off to Dorsey, who remained unguarded in the box. Dorsey went one-on-one with Harris, as she had in the first half, but this time she won the battle. She recorded two shots on the night, both of them shots on goal. This is the second game in a row where Dorsey has scored for Sky Blue. She is now tied with Carli Lloyd and Savannah McCaskill for the most goals for Sky Blue this season. 

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances in Week 17

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week.

With the U.S. Women’s National Team players at training camp for the upcoming Tournament of Nations, Week 17 of NWSL action tested the depth of many rosters. It was a week of strong defensive action, with only six goals scored across four matches and only one team scoring more than one goal. The Utah Royals earned more points against the North Carolina Courage this week, playing to a scoreless draw in Rio Tinto Stadium. The Orlando Pride had an opportunity to take over the second place slot with a win against Seattle, but Jodie Taylor destroyed their hopes with a 70th minute equalizer that gave the Reign a point on the road. The playoff race remains tight, with only eight points separating No. 8 (Utah Royals) from No. 2 (Seattle Reign).

Here is a full breakdown of this week’s matches:

Utah Royals vs. North Carolina Courage (0-0)

Orlando Pride vs. Seattle Reign (1-1)

Sky Blue vs. Portland Thorns (1-2)

Washington Spirit vs. Houston Dash (0-1)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Jane Campbell— Campbell earned her second shutout of the season in Sunday’s match against the Washington Spirit. Rachel Daly gave the Dash the early lead, but it was Campbell’s job to defend those points. She faced 23 shots from the Spirit offense and made nine saves. Her best save came towards the end of the match, when Ashley Hatch launched a shot from just outside the 18-yard box. Hatch was aiming for the top corner, but Campbell was able to punch the ball out of bounds. Campbell’s performance earned her the title of NWSL Player of the Week. 

2. Haley Kopmeyer— Kopmeyer earned her second start of the season due to Ashlyn Harris being with the U.S Women’s National Team ahead of the Tournament of Nations. Kopmeyer also faced her former team, the Seattle Reign, for the second time this season— although this team it was on the Pride’s pitch. Kopmeyer faced 18 shots and made six saves. In the 17th minute, the Reign took a free kick and Seattle headed the ball towards goal, but Kopmeyer forced the ball into the air before catching it. Jodie Taylor also had a good shot in the 37th minute that Kopmeyer deflected off the tips of her fingers. This earned her an NWSL Save of the Week nomination.

3. Britt Eckerstrom— Eckerstrom found herself between the posts again this weekend after Adriana Franch received a call-up to the U.S Women’s National Team. Eckerstrom came up big for the Thorns when they traveled to face Sky Blue. Despite a final score that favored the Thorns, Sky Blue had more than twice as many shots. Eckerstrom made four saves, including one in stoppage time that stopped Imani Dorsey from picking up a late equalizer. The shot came off a beautiful cross from Savannah McCaskill, who got ahead of the Portland defense. Dorsey was right in front of the net, but Eckerstrom had an impressive kick save that sent the ball back into the box. A follow-up shot was blocked by Ellie Carpenter. This save earned the two players an NWSL Save of the Week nomination.

Top Three Defenders

1. Rachel Corsie—Corsie had another stellar week in the Royals scoreless draw against the North Carolina Courage. She finished the match with four clearances, two interceptions, and one block. That block came in the 88th minute, when Heather O’Reilley played a long ball to Lynn Williams to start a North Carolina counterattack. Williams made her way into the box, but Corsie sprinted down the field and came in to clear Williams’ shot. She won the Week 17 Save of the Week honors, giving her the title for the second week in a row.

2. Becca Moros— Moros also had a great game for the Utah Royals. She had a game-high of 97 touches, won nine out of her ten duels, and made two interceptions. In the 31st minute, Lynn Williams tried to launch a North Carolina counterattack. But Moros followed the striker down the field and picked the perfect moment to strip her of the ball.

3. Toni Pressley— Pressley made the news this week for her attacking skill, but she had a solid defensive game for the Pride as well. Her goal came in the 21st minute. Chioma Ubogagu sent a ball into the box, and it bounced to the feet of Pressley. Pressley was able to keep the ball away from the defenders and use her strength launch a shot that Williams had no chance to stop. But Pressley also had an important block at the start of the second half, when Jodie Taylor was looking to equalize for the Reign. Kopmeyer came off her line to try to block Taylor, but Pressley backed her up. The ball bounced off Pressley’s back and then she cleared it out of bounds.

Top Three Attackers

1. Haley Raso— Raso opened up scoring early for the Portland Thorns in their match against Sky Blue. Christine Sinclair sent the ball forward and Raso was quicker than the Sky Blue backline. She only had to beat Dominique Richardson, which she did with a nice side-step. She put the ball past Caroline Stanley in the 4th minute to put the Thorns on the board. Raso also played a role in the second goal, just three minutes later. She pressured the defense, forcing Stanley to make a bad pass that was intercepted by Ana Crnogorcevic and sent into the back of the net. Raso finished the night with two shots and four clearances.

2. Jodie Taylor—Taylor was critical in earning her team a point on the road when they visited Orlando this weekend. She scored the Reign’s lone goal of the night in the 70th minute, finishing a cross from Nahomi Kawasumi and beating her former teammate, Haley Kopmeyer. Taylor created most of the chances for the Reign, getting six shots and four shots on goal. Her equalizer is her sixth goal of the year.

3. Imani Dorsey— Dorsey has two goals for Sky Blue in their last three matches, and is only one goal behind Carli Lloyd and Savannah McCaskill for the team leader. Dorsey’s goal against Portland came in the 27th minute, when Savannah McCaskill sent a ball through the defense and Dorsey was able to take the shot, beating Britt Eckerstrom. That same duo nearly scored the equalizer in the final moments of the match, but were denied by a brilliant stop from Eckerstrom. Dorsey finished the game with two shots and four crosses.

Interviews with Emma: Angela Salem

Posted on by RJ Allen

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

I first met Angie when she played for the Atlanta Beat in 2011. Prior to that she was with Sky Blue FC and a season in Finland. Since then: the WNY Flash, Australia league, Washington Spirit, Boston Breakers and now the Portland Thorns!

Birthdate:  

7/24/1988

Nickname from teammates:  

Ang

Hometown:

Akron, OH

Age started playing:  

Four

College/major:

Francis Marion University/Psychology

Career aspirations after soccer:  

Clinical Mental Health Counselor

Why did you pick your particular uniform #:

I have always been number 6 or 26 but both those numbers were unavailable for the first time ever for Portland so I chose 36 to keep the 6 in it

Pregame meal:

Avocado Toast with Eggs

Workout music :

Anything Hip Hop

Favorite cartoon character :

Scooby Doo

Fave movie:

Blow

Fave actress:

Sandra Bullock

Mentor (in soccer or life):

Marty Beall, my college coach

Fave charity/cause:

MZ Emmers

Life motto:  

Never Give Up

Superstitions:

Only on game days; I have to wear a head band.

Pets:

None but I eventually want a pitbull

If you were going on Amazing Race, which teammate would you want as a partner, and why?

Katherine Reynolds because she’s the ultimate competitor and closest friend.

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances in Week 16

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week.

The playoffs are inching closer and closer, but Week 16 did little to clarify who will make it and who will fall short. North Carolina officially clinched a playoff spot after their 4-0 win over Sky Blue FC on Saturday night. The Houston Dash and the Utah Royals are starting to fall behind after losing their weekend matches, but they are still only eight and seven points, respectively, away from the No. 4 spot. And the Seattle Reign dropped points on the road, eliminating any buffer they had created in the No. 2 spot. Here is a full breakdown of the scores from this week:

North Carolina Courage vs. Washington Spirit (2-0)

Houston Dash vs. Orlando Pride (3-1)

Seattle Reign vs. Utah Royals (1-0)

Sky Blue vs. North Carolina Courage (0-4)

Utah Royals vs. Orlando Pride (1-2)

Chicago Red Stars vs. Seattle Reign (1-0)

Portland Thorns vs. Houston Dash (3-1)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Nicole Barnhart— Barnhart proved on Saturday night why she is exactly the type of player you want as a back-up goalkeeper. In the 67th minute, Abby Smith took a rough fall and couldn’t continue the match. Barnhart warmed up on the sidelines and came in at the 72nd minute. Immediately, she was tested by Sydney Leroux. In the 73rd minute, Leroux had Barnhart at the post and Leroux tried to sneak the ball past her, but Barnhart blocked the shot with her knee. While Utah lost the game 2-1, no goals were scored after Barnhart came on. In the final 20 minutes of the match, she made two saves.

2. Katelyn Rowland— Rowland earned two shutouts this week in North Carolina’s matches against the Washington Spirit and Sky Blue. In her match against the Washington Spirit, she faced six shots and made four saves. Her best save of the night came in the 83rd minute, when Ashley Hatch snuck past the North Carolina defense and took a shot, but Rowland got in front of the ball and pushed it out of bounds, forcing an unsuccessful corner kick. In her match against Sky Blue, she faced twelve shots and made five saves, including a great save in the 25th minute after Savannah McCaskill got behind the defense. Rowland ran right up to McCaskill and blocked her shot. Rowland now has four shutouts and 35 saves on the season.

3. Alyssa Naeher— Naeher earned her sixth shutout of the season in a must-win match for the Chicago Red Stars against the Seattle Reign. She faced thirteen shots and made three saves on the night. Most of her saves came early on in the match, shutting down the attacking skills of Megan Rapinoe and Jodie Taylor. But her best save came in the 78th minute, when Jasmyne Spencer outran the Chicago defense and took a shot. Naeher followed the ball and punched it out of bounds.  

Top Three Defenders

1. Rachel Corsie— Corsie was one of the few Utah defenders left for Saturday’s match, after a spate of injuries and yellow card accumulations decimated the ranks. And Corsie made her presence known against the Orlando Pride, earning an assist on the only Royals goal of the match and creating some pretty impressive defensive moments. Orlando tried to get things started early in the game, and one clear example of Corsie’s skill came in the 4th minute, when Chioma Ubogagu sent a ball into the box with Alex Morgan and Rachel Hill in the area. Corsie was able to stick to her spot and clear the ball, keeping the Orlando offense at bay. But her best moment of the game came in the 65th minute. Abby Smith was at the edge of the 18-yard box and kicked the ball away to the feet of Sydney Leroux. Leroux sent the ball over Smith’s head, but Corsie had already run behind her goalkeeper and managed to get the slightest touch on the ball with her head, sending it wide of the net. The moment was enough to earn her a Save of the Week nomination.

2.  Lauren Barnes— Barnes played the full 90 minutes for Seattle in both of their matches this week, which saw the Reign earn three points against the Utah Royals at home but drop points against Chicago on the road. In the match against Chicago, she had a couple of particularly impressive moments against Sam Kerr. In the 77th minute, Sarah Gorden sent a ball in for Kerr, but Barnes was able to disrupt the play and the ball landed easily into the arms of Michelle Betos. And just a few minutes later, Kerr came charging down the field past Megan Oyster, but Barnes was able to make a clean sliding tackle and dispose Kerr. The Seattle Reign currently sit in the No. 2 spot on the table, with Barnes having started in 11 out of their 17 matches.

3. Abby Erceg— Erceg is one of the best defenders in the league, having been named to the NWSL Team of the Month in both May and June. This week, she made her way onto the scoresheet, in addition to helping her team earn two shutouts. She scored the first goal for North Carolina against Sky Blue— a scorching header off a cross from Kristen Hamilton. But even with that offensive effort, it was her work in the back that was most important. In the 40th minute of the match against the Spirit, Estefania Banini sent a pass forward to Ashley Hatch inside the 18-yard box, but Erceg was able to get ahead of Hatch and kick the ball out for a throw-in. About 10 minutes later, the Spirit tried to set up something, but when the ball came into the box, Erceg was able to clear it and it landed at the feet of her teammate. Erceg has started in all 18 matches for the Courage this season.

Top Three Attackers

1. Lynn Williams— Williams became the second player this season to score a hat trick after she found the back of the net three times against Sky Blue on Saturday night. The goals all came in the second half, starting with her first goal in the 56th minute. Debinha sent the ball forward for Williams and Kristen Hamilton. The ball fell to Hamilton’s feet, forcing Sheridan off her line. Instead of shooting, Hamilton passed the ball off to Williams, who was able to tap it into the back of the net. In the 72nd minute, Debinha sent the ball down the field to Williams, who went one-on-one with Sheridan and was able to put the ball past her into the bottom corner of the net. She wrapped things up in the 89th minute, capitalizing off a mistake by Sheridan. Williams now has 8 goals on the season and is in third place for the Golden Boot behind Lindsey Horan and Sam Kerr.

2. Sam Kerr— Kerr came up with another important goal this week when the Chicago Red Stars hosted the Seattle Reign on Saturday night. The game was scoreless despite the teams having a combined total of 32 shots and nine shots on goal throughout the game, including seven shots and four shots on goal for Kerr. Kerr changed that scoresheet in the 87th minute. Nagasato was able to capitalize off a poor goalkick by Michelle Betos, heading the ball right to the feet of Kerr who was unmarked. Kerr sent the ball to the far corner and it slid right past Betos. The goal was enough to earn the Red Stars three points at home and marked Kerr’s 9th goal of the season, putting her equal with Lindsey Horan for most goals this year.

3.  Lindsey Horan— After a couple of rough matches, the Portland Thorns are starting to find their rhythm again and that means more goals from Lindsey Horan. Horan scored two of the Thorns three goals this weekend in their home match against the Houston Dash, starting in the 16th minute when Emily Sonnett sent a ball into the 18-yard box. The ball drew Jane Campbell off her line and Horan was able to head the ball past her. Her second goal came in the 31st minute when Heath sent a free-kick into the 18-yard box. Crnogorcevic got her head on it first, but the ball bounced off the crossbar and to the foot of Horan who just taps it in. Horan had six shots and four shots on goal that night.

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances in Week 15

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week.

Another week gone in the NWSL, and we are no to figuring out who will finish in those last three playoff spots. Week 15 was packed with goals, with an average of four goals scored in each of the five matches. It was also a good week for the home team, with only Sky Blue dropping points at home. The Orlando Pride picked up three points at home thanks to a crazy last-minute goal from Marta. Sam Kerr, who left Sky Blue in the offseason to join the Chicago Red Stars, scored her first hat-trick of the season against her former team. And Friday night’s matchup between the Utah Royals and the Portland Thorns saw three Thorns players earn a goal and an assist. Here is a full breakdown of the scores from this week:

North Carolina Courage vs. Chicago Red Stars (4-1)

Portland Thorns vs. Utah Royals (4-0)

Sky Blue vs. Chicago Red Stars (1-3)

Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit (2-1)

Seattle Reign vs. Houston Dash (3-1)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Adriana Franch— Since returning from injury last month, Franch has been on fire for the Portland Thorns. However, this was her first clean sheet since coming back and the only clean sheet in Week 15. In the Portland Thorns 4-0 victory over Utah, the Royals had some trouble getting their offense going. Franch only faced seven shots, making three saves. But those saves were critical to keeping the clean sheet and preventing the Royals from creating any sort of comeback. Her best save came in the 57th minute. Katrina Gorry found a window and launched her shot from outside the 18-yard box. Franch reached up and caught the ball, pulling it down smoothly. It was enough to earn her an NWSL Save of the Week nomination.

2. Aubrey Bledsoe— Bledsoe has been a star for a Washington Spirit roster that has otherwise struggled. While she gave up two goals in the Spirit’s loss against her former team, she also had some fantastic saves that kept the Spirit in the match. The Pride created their first real scoring opportunity in the 7th minute. Krieger slipped through the Spirit defense and passed the ball to Marta, who was unmarked. Marta sent a rocket at Bledsoe, who was able to dive and push the ball out. In the 27th minute, Marta came charging down the field. She passed the ball off to Chioma Obogagu, who tried to put the ball in just under the cross bar. Bledsoe jumped and got her fingers on it, tapping the ball over the net and keeping the Pride at bay. Overall, Bledsoe faced 31 shots from the Pride and made 10 saves.

3. Alyssa Naeher— The Chicago Red Stars had a busy week, facing the North Carolina Courage on Wednesday before flying to New Jersey to take on Sky Blue on Saturday. Naeher didn’t have the best game against the Courage— the Red Stars lost 4-1 on the road. But she and the rest of her team rebounded on Saturday against Sky Blue. Their opponents looked to score early on in the match, with Carli Lloyd sending a ball through the defense to Imani Dorsey. Dorsey was one-on-one with Naeher, but Naeher made the call to come off her line and made a sliding save just as Dorsey got her shot off. Naeher had another impressive save when Savannah McCaskill managed to get behind the Sky Blue defense and passed the ball off to Imani Dorsey. Dorsey took her shot, but Naeher blocked the shot and the ball deflected. Naeher faced nine shots from Sky Blue and made four saves on the night.

Top Three Defenders

1. Denise O’Sullivan— O’Sullivan is a versatile midfielder who can often be found on the scoring sheet for the North Carolina Courage. But this week, O’Sullivan found herself with a Save of the Week nomination. Her superb defensive moment came in the 16th minute. Danielle Colaprico sent a corner into the box that found the head of Morgan Brian. It looked like the ball was going into the top corner but O’Sullivan jumped up with a header of her own and saved the ball on the line. Her follow-up header allowed the North Carolina Courage to clear the ball and the match remained scoreless. The Courage went on to win the match 4-1.

2. Amber Brooks— Much of the talk about Brooks this week isn’t about her defensive skill, but about the goal she scored against the Seattle Reign in the 12th minute. The goal— a lower header off the corner from Sofia Huerta—  is Brooks’ first goal of the season. But her defensive skill in the match against the Seattle Reign should not be overlooked. Brooks had five tackles, nine clearances, six interceptions, and one block against Seattle.

3. Estelle Johnson— Despite disappointing results, Johnson and Church have been solid central defenders over the last few weeks. The Pride offense roared with life against the Spirit, and it took a lot of defensive effort to keep the Spirit in the match. In the 33rd minute, Leroux tried to twist around Johnson and take a shot, but Johnson blocked it and the ball went into the side-netting. She had another good block in 52nd minute, when Marta passed the ball off to Sydney Leroux just outside of the 18-yard box. Leroux got a lot of power into the shot, but Johnson stuck her foot out and stopped it. In almost the same position just two minutes later, Johnson blocked another similar shot from Marta. 

Top Three Attackers

1. Sam Kerr— Kerr returned to Yurcak Field on Saturday night to face her former team, Sky Blue. After being frustrated in Wednesday night’s match against the North Carolina Courage, Kerr found a rhythm in New Jersey. Her first goal came in the 40th minute. Alyssa Mautz sent the ball into the box a little behind Kerr, but Kerr was able to backtrack and get possession. She set up her shot on the edge of the 18-yard box and sent her shot into the bottom corner. She kept that momentum going right at the start of the second half. In the 46th minute, Kerr received a nice ball inside the box from Yuki Nagasato. Kerr brought the ball down and launched her shot into the far bottom corner. The ball went through the legs of Madison Tiernan and into the back of the net. But she wasn’t finished yet. In the 63rd minute, Nagasato sent another brilliant ball in for Kerr, who slipped behind the defense. She went one-on-one with Sheridan and won, once again playing the ball in the bottom corner. This is Kerr’s first hat trick of the season. She leads the league with eight goals this season. 

2. Tobin Heath— The Thorns had been shaky going into Week 15, and they knew they needed to pick up three points at home. Heath started things early in the match against the Utah Royals. Her goal—  the first of four for Portland that night—  came in the 2nd minute. Crnogorcevic and Heath were surrounded by Utah defenders, but Crnogorcevic set up the shot for Heath and she chipped goalkeeper Abby Smith. It took nearly 30 minutes for them to score again, and this time it was Heath and Horan who teamed up for the goal. The Thorns won a free kick and Heath sent the ball into the 18-yard box. Horan jumped up and got her head on it, sending the ball into the back of the net. The Thorns went on to win the match 4-0, with one goal and one assist from Heath, Crnogorcevic, and Horan. 

3. Marta—  With Alex Morgan out due to injury, Marta took over at the center-forward position for the Orlando Pride in their match against the Washington Spirit. From the beginning, you could tell that Marta was going to find the back of the net. She recorded a total of eleven shots that night, five shots on goal, and created a total of eight chances. But her best moment came in the 86th minute. The game was tied 1-1 thanks to goals from Ashley Hatch and Sydney Leroux, but the Pride wanted the three points at home. They were being frustrated by the Washington Spirit, and had a goal from Dani Weatherholt called back due to a foul. As leaders do, Marta saw an opportunity and stepped up to the plate. She received the pass from Leroux and ran down the field, with the Spirit defense trying to keep up. When Marta got into the box, she had Whitney Church in front of her and Estelle Johnson a little farther back. Marta stepped from side-to-side, finally getting around her defenders and took the shot. It went over the fingertips of Aubrey Bledsoe and bounced off the cross-bar, into the back of the net. The goal was enough to get the Pride those three points and keep the Pride in the hunt for the playoffs. 

 

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances in Week 14

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week.

Week 14 was packed with action, with three midweek matches and four matches over the weekend. After winning their match against the Washington Spirit in Week 13, the Pride dropped to 3rd place after losing both of their Week 14 matches. The Chicago Red Stars extended their unbeaten streak, defeating the Washington Spirit 2-0 on Sunday and pulling themselves into the 4th place slot. And many new faces made an impact this week, with Christen Press scoring her first goal in a Utah Royals kit on Saturday night against Sky Blue, and Morgan Brian making her 2018 NWSL debut as a substitute for Chicago. Here is a full breakdown of the scores from this week:

Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash (1-2)

Utah Royals vs. Seattle Reign (0-0)

Portland Thorns vs. Sky Blue (1-1)

Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage (0-3)

Utah Royals vs. Sky Blue (3-1)

Seattle Reign vs. Portland Thorns (1-0)

Chicago Red Stars vs. Washington Spirit (2-0)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Adriana Franch— Franch started in both of the matches for the Portland Thorns this week, allowing just two goals in two games . Against Sky Blue, she had three saves and faced fourteen shots. She had a great save in the 38th minute off a shot from Imani Dorsey. She made another important stop in the 87th minute, when Sky Blue thought they could steal three points at the last minute. Shea Groom got around her defender and tried to slot one past Franch, but the Portland goalkeeper blocked the shot with her knee. Portland’s second match this week was on the road against the Seattle Reign. Megan Rapinoe launched a couple of rockets during that game, but Franch managed to keep them out. One such save in the 87th minute earned Franch an NWSL Save of the Week nomination. In total, she made eight saves and faced eighteen shots against Seattle. 

2. Jane Campbell— The Houston Dash played just once this week, earning a 2-1 victory over the Orlando Pride. In that match, Campbell faced 21 shots and made five saves. Early in the match, she made an impressive kick save off a shot from Kristen Edmonds. In the 63rd minute, Edmonds sent the ball into the box and Dani Weatherholt got a shot off her heel. But Campbell knew where the ball was and leapt up to save it. Finally, after the Houston Dash had taken the lead, Chioma Ubogagu tried to send in a cross into the box, but Campbell punched the ball away, ensuring that her team earned three points on the road. 

3. Michelle Betos— The Seattle Reign have alternated between Lydia Williams and Michelle Betos throughout the season. Betos got the start in their midweek draw against the Utah Royals, while Williams got the start in their 1-0 victory over Portland over the weekend. Betos faced sixteen shots from the Utah Royals and made six saves. The Royals got a lot of shots off early, but Betos was able to shut down their opportunities. Christen Press tested her luck in the 16th minute, taking a shot from outside the 18-yard box, but Betos made a diving save. She made almost the exact same save against five minutes later, off another shot from Christen Press. In the 64th minute, Press dribbled the ball into the box and tried to send the ball in front of the net while she had Betos distracted, but Betos got her hand on it and ultimately the ball was cleared by the defense. The Royals had more than twice as many shots that night as the Reign did, so it is a testament to Betos and the Seattle defense that they were able to get the point and the clean sheet. 

Top Three Defenders

1. Becky Sauerbrunn— Sauerbrunn is one of the best defenders in the league, and usually finds herself somewhere on this list every week. In Week 14, the Utah Royals played two matches and earned four points, with Sauerbrunn playing the full 90 minutes in both games. Their first match was a scoreless draw against the Seattle Reign. While the Reign have one of the strongest offenses in the league, the Utah defense was able to limit them to just seven shots on the night. In that match, Sauerbrunn had five clearances, two tackles, and one interception. On Saturday, she appeared with Sam Johnson for the first time since the blockbuster trade between Houston, Chicago, and Utah. Sauerbrunn had three clearances, four interceptions, and one block, and the Royals went on to win the match 3-1. 

2. Megan Oyster— The Seattle Reign also walked away with four points in two matches this week. Oyster played the full 90 minutes in both matches, and her impact was particular noticeable in the match against the Utah Royals. The Royals had eighteen shots on the night, and with the likes of Christen Press and Amy Rodriguez leading the Utah attack, it’s impressive that the Seattle defense was able to keep the game scoreless. Oyster had six interceptions on the night. 

3. Caprice Dydasco— The Washington Spirit only had one match this week, playing the Chicago Red Stars on Sunday night on the road. It seems that the Spirit always seem to attract storms, and while the game thankfully wasn’t cancelled or delayed, the Spirit and the Red Stars dealt with less-than-ideal field conditions. While the Spirit would ultimately lose that match 2-0 thanks to goals from Casey Short and Yuki Nagasato, Dydasco was a bright spot on the Washington defense. In the 51st minute, she had a good interception when Sam Kerr sent a ball across the box to Alyssa Mautz. Dydasco read the play and was able to slide in front of Mautz, keeping the ball out of the danger zone. In the 67th minute, Dydasco made another important interception. This time Michele Vasconcelos had an opportunity to score on the counter attack, with Kerr and Nagasato to her right and only Dydasco there to stop them. But again, Dydasco read the play and was able to intercept the pass to Kerr. 

Top Three Attackers

1. Katie Stengel— While all the talk has been focused on another Utah Royals striker this week, Katie Stengel made her presence known in the Royals Saturday night match against Sky Blue. Stengel scored two goals in this match, making her the only player across the NWSL to get a brace in Week 14. Stengel found her first goal in the 24th minute, thanks to a nice service from Christen Press. Press was able to place the ball right where it needed to be, and Stengel out-ran the Sky Blue defense. She went one-on-one with the goalkeeper, Kailen Sheridan, and was able to find the back of the net. Her second goal came in the 28th minute, off a free kick from well outside the 18-yard box. Katrina Gorry sent the ball into the box and Stengel was able to get her head on it, sending the ball into the top-left corner. After her second goal, she ran to the throne on the Utah Royals sidelines and celebrated like royalty.

2. Debinha— The North Carolina Courage had another impressive performance this week against the Orlando Pride, thanks in part to an assist and a goal by Debinha. She opened up scoring in the 37th minute. Crystal Dunn sent a ball into the box and there was a swarm of Courage players ready to pounce on it. Ultimately, Debinha got her foot on it and sent a powerful shot towards Ashlyn Harris. Harris got her hand on it, but there was too much momentum on the ball, and it slid past Harris’s fingers and into the goal. Only two minutes later, Debinha assisted on Merritt Mathias’s goal. Denise O’Sullivan originally intercepted the ball from the Pride defense. She passed the ball on to Debinha in the middle, who set up the shot for Mathias on the right. Mathias was able to step up and launch her shot, which bounced through the Pride defense and past Harris, giving the Courage their second goal in as many minutes. They would go on to win the match 3-0, scoring their third goal a minute later. 

3. Yuki Nagasato— Nagasato is proving to be one of the more important players on the Chicago Red Stars roster. This week, she earned her third goal of the season in the 60th minute of the Red Stars home match against the Washington Spirit. Sam Kerr got the ball and ran down the left side of the pitch. She sent the ball into the box and Nagasato stepped up with a diving header, sending the ball past Aubrey Bledsoe. Nagasato now has three goals and two assists on the season for Chicago.