The NWSL may be an American soccer league, but many of its best players come from outside of the United States. This series takes a look at those playersand analyzes their style of play, the role they take on in their national team, and the role they play in their club. This week, we’ll take a look at Australian international Alanna Kennedy of the Orlando Pride.
Who Is She?
Alanna Kennedy is a 22-year-old defender/defensive midfielder. Towering at nearly 6-feet-tall, Kennedy started as a midfielder, then moved to the role of central defender, and now alternates between the two positions depending on which team she is playing for and under what circumstances. She has been in the Australian system for nearly a decade but made her formal debut with the senior team in 2012 against New Zealand. She has played at the senior level since she was fifteen-years-oldwhen she joined Sydney FC. In her career, she has won the Australian W-League Premiership and the NWSL Championship. In 2015-2016, she was named Sydney FC’s Player of the Year.
The Matildas
Kennedy has played with the Matildas since 2012 when she made her debut against regional rival New Zealand. Kennedy spent her early career playing under Tom Sermanni, who is now her head coach with the Orlando Pride. Earlier this season, Sermanni spoke about how Kennedy joined the Matildas as a midfielder, but at 17-years-old, he thought she was too “gangly” and couldn’t keep up with the pace of the midfield. He moved her to the role of central defender, where she still plays with her national team today. Kennedy has been with the team throughout their rise, starting with the Women’s World Cup in 2015. Since then, she has also played in the 2016 Rio Olympics (where the Matildas reached the Quarterfinals) and won the inaugural Tournament of Nations against the United States, Brazil, and Japan.
Orlando Pride
Kennedy joined the Orlando Pride this offseason, after winning the NWSL Championship with the Western New York Flash (now the North Carolina Courage). Early in the season, Kennedy became a consistent starter, playing in the role of central defender. As the season went on, Toni Pressley earned herself a consistent starting role and Sermanni decided to move Ali Krieger from outside defender to central defender, pushing Kennedy to her current role in the defensive midfield. Since that move, Kennedy has scored three goals and earned one assist. She has appeared in all 17 matches for the Pride this season, earning 16 starts. Her goal with this team is the same as it was in New York: to win a championship.
6 Takeaways from NWSL: Week 15 – Jordan Small, Luis Hernandez, and Elizabeth Wawrzyniak break down their takeaways from week 15 including a tide change in international competition, the youth movement of the Spirit, the final NWSL playoff spot plus much more.
As the NWSL season gets closer to the playoffs, we are seeing some distance between the top 3 and bottom 3, but movement in the middle. Let’s take a look at the upcoming games for the weekend.
Game 1: Washington Spirit vs. Boston Breakers
Washington Spirit record: 4-9-3
Position: 9th
Total Points: 15
Boston Breakers record: 3-7-6
Position: 8th
Total Points: 15
The Spirit are finally back at home after playing two games on the road and are looking to salvage the rest of their season. After a tough offseason, this is about where they were expected to end up, but they certainly won’t be satisfied and will want to tighten things up to close out the year. Their defense was in shambles against Orlando earlier this week so that will be the biggest thing to figure out with this quick turnaround. I don’t see a reason why their captain, Shelina Zadorsky, has been stuck on the bench. If she really has been worse in training than Kallman and Church, then the Spirit have bigger problems than we even knew.
Boston will be looking to pull out a win on the road and start another uptick in their season. They showed some good signs last week with a draw against FCKC but will need to get production from a broader range of players–last week it was pretty much Rosie White or bust–if they want to get more out of this match. If they can improve the attack, they should be able to get behind the Spirit backline, and hopefully, find some chances to finish.
Game 2: Orlando Pride vs. Sky Blue FC
Orlando Pride record: 6-6-5
Position: 5th
Total Points: 23
Sky Blue FC record: 7-8-2
Position: 6th
Total Points: 23
The Pride are in must-win mode as they try to recover from a slow start and grab that fourth spot in the playoffs. They are coming off a dominating win against the Spirit and need to carry that momentum into this game. There weren’t major defensive problems against the Spirit midweek, but the floating right back position has caused distress, and with Sam Kerr back, they’ll need to get everything they’ve got to shut her down. Kristen Edmonds has been a liability for the Pride most of the season and if she can’t get her turnover ratio under control, Sky Blue will exploit it. The Pride attack, however, has seemed to find their groove, with Alex Morgan coming back into form and Marta staying on the top of her game. They’ll be facing a defense that has conceded the most goals in the league, and with their attack options ready, they should find the back of the net.
Last week, Sky Blue was missing Sam Kerr (and Kelley O’Hara) and we saw a lot of cracks in their game. They’ve rescued plenty of results this year, thanks to some late match magic from Sam Kerr, but what is there to this team if she’s not around? She will be back this time, but they need to figure out the rest of the team and how they play because depending on Kerr can only get you so far. The defense is in trouble, and I’d like to see some changes. They’ve got injury problems, but what they’re doing now isn’t working and needs some tweaks. The big question marks this week will be the injury statuses of Kailen Sheridan, who was clearly in pain toward the end of the last game, and Kelley O’Hara, whose status has not been updated since the Tournament of Nations. If Kerr can get loose against the Pride and the defense can hold the strong Pride attack, we should be in for one exciting game.
Game 3: Chicago Red Stars vs. Portland Thorns
Chicago Red Stars record: 8-3-5
Position: 2nd
Total Points: 29
Portland Thorns record: 8-4-4
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 28
The top three are quite compacted right now and so this is a must-win game for Chicago to hold on to that 2nd place spot. They should have all of their usual starters back after resting some of them last week against Orlando. With Sofia Huerta reminding people that she can score goals, expect to see even more link up between her and Christen Press this week against Portland. Chicago has a lot of luck at home and with probably the strongest defense in the league, they’ll like their chances of shutting Portland down. As long as Press or Huerta can get in behind, they should see success.
Portland is starting to come into their game, after quite a few struggles over the season. For a while, it seemed like they were just waiting for Tobin Heath to return. But as that looks increasingly less likely, they’ve finally started to make adjustments and pulled themselves back up toward relative playoff safety. Christine Sinclair has come into herself a bit more in the last few games, and that will need to continue if Portland wants to keep this run going. Nadia Nadim should also be back from the Euros, which will give the attack an extra boost. Overall, it will be hard to beat Chicago at home, but if they can shut down Press or Huerta, they may have a fighting chance.
Game 4: Houston Dash vs. FC Kansas City
Houston Dash record: 6-8-2
Position: 7th
Total Points: 20
FC Kansas City record: 3-8-5
Position: 10th
Total Points: 14
The Dash are back at home and ready to face FCKC after a disappointing result against Portland. The Dash struggled with their formation and had trouble making anything of the few chances they did create. Their sub choices also left a bit to be desired. FCKC is struggling, so this is a prime opportunity for the Dash. But in this league, anything can happen on a given week. Sometimes the Dash are their own biggest enemies, so if they can put some shots on frame, they will give themselves a good chance to pick up some points.
I feel at this point I am spinning a broken record with FCKC but they just do not seem to be able to figure it out. Sydney Leroux is not the pure scorer/striker they need, and they don’t seem to have any other solutions available. My colleague Jacob Cristobal has a piece on the coaching situation this week. It’s been a tough year, but KC just need to try to finish out the season on a positive note. Despite their struggles, they do have most of the pieces. If they can just figure out how to fill some of the void of Amy Rodriguez, there’s room to build.
Game 5: Seattle Reign vs. NC Courage
Seattle Reign record: 6-4-6
Position: 4th
Total Points: 24
NC Courage record: 11-5-0
Position: 1st
Total Points: 33
This is a back-to-back matchup. Last time, the Reign fell 1-0 away. This time, they’ll like their chances better–at home and with both Megan Rapinoe and Jess Fishlock (seriously, can I get her healing regimen? Because my goodness …) for the first time in a couple months. Their difficulties on the road may well cost them a playoff spot, so they’ll need to be even better than usual at home to compensate. This week, with Rapinoe working back into the fold, they will need to find a way to get past the Courage defense. If Rapinoe is shut down, they will need to find another option to get into the attack. Seattle are pushing for that playoff spot but will need consistency across the weeks to make that happen.
The Courage will be looking to continue their reign at the top of the table. That may be tough since they’ll be coming off of short rest after the makeup game Thursday night, but if any team has the fitness to handle that run, it’s NC. Plus, unlike last weekend, this time they’ll have an in-form Rapinoe to deal with. The Courage attack has gotten the job done this year but needs a bit of a kickstart. Lynn Williams has been relatively quiet this season (at least compared to her performance in 2016) but was the difference maker last match. If they can ramp their attack and keep Rapinoe at bay, we should see another hard-fought game.
The Scouting Report:
We went live on Monday night with our weekly TSR and Sunday night with our USA vs. Japan recap. A reminder that you can catch TSR live every Monday night at 8pm EST on our YouTube channel. Make sure to follow the podcast on Twitter @ScoutingPodcast.
In case you missed the two episodes, catch up here:
UNPOPULAR… BUT SURELY A PROVOCATIVE OPINION Most of the time I look past whenever people are playing the occasional hashtag game on Twitter. However taking part in #ConfessYourUnpopularOpinion, our very own fearless leader RJ Allen tweeted something that sure was provocative.
Full disclosure, what I am about to say here is based on limited knowledge about the team as in I don’t have day-to-day access/insights to them, what their fans are saying, etc. And while their biggest victories came at the expense of the team I am a fan of, I am very much a fan of Vlatko Andonovski. That said …
I disagree with the idea Andonovski should be dismissed after this season, but I sure see why RJ thinks he should be. And likely others are thinking the same thing but don’t want to admit to it. It has been a problem for them to find a solid goal scorer not named Amy Rodriguez. Unfortunately, the cruel bastards that are the Soccer Gods deprived us (and them) of her, and now FCKC can’t score for the life of them. You might be saying: well, it’s on the coach to adjust his plan to handle the situation dealt, but it’s really easier said than done.
Look at the Seattle Reign FC last year. Simply put, teams figured out how to play against Seattle. And it took Laura Harvey and the squad pretty much the entire season to come up with something new. In fact, they’re still in the midst of that process. The 2017 NWSL has no room for error and will not hesitate to punish a team that’s still looking to make adjustment. For Kansas City, the strike force going into the year looked good. But once Rodriguez went down, it’s been rough going. Sydney Leroux’s successful comeback from 2016 was reliant on Amy Rodriguez doing her thing. Can’t count on Shea Groom, when she is being chief instigator more than the chief creator. And Brittany Ratcliffe and Maegan Kelly are fine players, but they’re still wet behind the ears as far as getting comfortable with the pace of the NWSL. Kelly played two seasons overseas after being drafted by KC in 2014 and Ratcliffe is only in her second season as a pro.
I remember when FCKC were up here in Seattle a couple months ago. It was the game where Reign defender Lauren Barnes was issued the straight red four minutes in. Kansas City should have won that match, being up a player the whole game. But they couldn’t get it done. After the game, Andonovski said that it was just too risky to go all in on Seattle, even with the player advantage, knowing how tough they are at Memorial Stadium. No one is going to dispute that, given Andonovski’s prestige in the league.
But even without a full assault, they had plenty of chances. They just couldn’t do anything with them. Largely because, of all things, they kept sending crosses into the box hoping, apparently, that Leroux had suddenly become a target forward who could get a head on the ball. But if Leroux was ever that player, she sure isn’t now. And there was no way Shea Groom was going to bail her out when she basically had her right arm in a 90-degree angle all match. A friend post-match was wondering the same thing: “Why are they sending crosses into the box like Syd can get to them? They blew this game.”
We know Kansas City has a solid defense, with Becky Sauerbrunn there and Nicole Barnhart in goal. They just can’t score, and it’s upsetting the whole balance of the team. Still, I don’t think it warrants Andonovski getting his walking papers at the end of the season. Maybe it’s a silly thing, but I think winning your league’s championship puts some credit in the bank, and it takes more than one lost season to squander it. Yes, a playoff format means that the NWSL functions a bit like a Random Champion Generator, but still … winning two in a row is some feat.
In 2017 FCKC won’t be making the playoffs. Once the season is put to rest, we’ll all look back and wonder “what could have been?” If Rodriguez didn’t tear her ACL and if the team could have built around her. Would Leroux have looked better in her more natural role? Would Groom have been able to play off the other two more easily?
Andonovski certainly won’t try to shift the blame. He’ll tell you that the bad results are his responsibility. But I think his resume is solid enough that he deserves some benefit of the doubt. Maybe there were some mistakes, and maybe they shouldn’t have relied so heavily on Rodriguez. Maybe they missed out on an international signing or a trade that could have turned the ship around earlier. But that’s all speculation. What we know from the record is the Vlatko put in an earnest effort, and sometimes things go wrong. A big injury to a key player can ruin a season. But he deserves a chance to show what he can do in the offseason.
So, while I don’t think Vlatko Andonovski should lose his job at the end of this season, the seat will definitely be hot come 2018. Not like the dead man walking situation of former Houston Dash head coach Randy Waldrum this season, but plenty of eyes will be on Andonovski to show that those championships were for real. For me, I think the key is to get a forward with a proven resume of goals at the club and international level to compliment Rodriguez. Get that done, and FC Kansas City is back in the mix come 2018. Imagine if Kansas City pulled a coup and got someone like Jodie Taylor fresh off her Golden Boot-winning campaign from the Euros.
Is it guaranteed that Andonovski will turn it around? Nope. And will he definitely get the chance? Maybe not. Perhaps the KC ownership will make a change. That would be a little unfair, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world. He certainly wouldn’t be unemployed for long. And if it did happen, at least there would be some chaos in the game, which is only more fun for us media folks–from the fully established folks all the way to yokel bloggers like me.
What RJ tweeted probably is incredibly unpopular, and I disagreed with it, but I also understand why she thinks it. And disagreeing about contentious things is ultimately what this thing is all about, right?
WEEK 16 PREDICTIONS
The race for the playoffs is on.
Washington Spirit and Boston Breakers play to a DRAW.
Washington clowned Sky Blue last weekend. Orlando clowned Washington on Tuesday. Boston is rested but they’re still Boston. I still think Boston can jack up one of the teams hoping to get into the playoffs, but this weekend it’s going to be a meh match between these two.
Sky Blue FC and Orlando Pride play to a DRAW.
I think should there be a winner and a loser in this, yet I struggle to think which team could get the full 3 points. Orlando has momentum after taking care of Washington. At the same time, Sky Blue got humiliated by Washington last weekend and wants get that out of their system. If anyone does lose, their campaign is close to over, so there might be a lot of fear about getting that L and falling out of contention. So I’m going to be lame and say it will be a draw, with both teams taking the point and struggling on to the next battle.
Chicago Red Stars OVER Portland Thorns.
One Chicago player who wore the number 23 made mincemeat pie out of a Portland team so many years ago. I think the current Chicago player wearing the number 23 will do much the same this time.
Houston Dash and FC Kansas City play to a DRAW.
This is a game that the Dash should win because KC is bad and can’t score to save themselves, yet they’ll somehow hang with Houston and the Dash will rue not getting the full points.
Seattle Reign FC OVER North Carolina Courage.
It won’t be a fireworks spectacle like the last Reign FC home match, but they’ll get the points to keep their playoff hopes alive. Memorial is still a fortress. It’s the road games that will make or break Seattle’s season.
As I write this, the Pacific Northwest is in the middle of a crazy heat wave. It’s hot in the room I am typing this and my brain has melted.
NWSL ALL-STAR GAME? SURE WHY NOT I just finished watching the 2017 MLS All-Star Game in which the league’s best players took on Real Madrid – maybe you’ve heard of that upstart team from Spain. Yes, the game had the significance of navel lint and I’m sure I could have spent the time better continuing watching GLOW or something. However, it did give thought to maybe someday the NWSL could have an All-Star Game.
I recall asking Megan Rapinoe about the idea for the league to have one after the Reign picked up the win in a bonkers, nine-goal game against Sky Blue FC before the league went on international break. She said she’d like the league to have it and yeah, who wouldn’t? Of course, entertaining the idea of an All-Star Game is a really, REALLY long ways away. There are so many other things the league needs to do in terms of ensuring sustainability, we know this. But let’s say in the distant future, if/when the conditions are met, how could a NWSL All-Star Game look like?
There have been some suggestions that it could be the best of the NWSL taking on a women’s club team from Europe, much like the format the MLS has. It’s not a bad idea. Another suggestion is NWSL East versus NWSL West. Again, not a bad idea. I’m sure what I’m about to say is not an original idea as I’m sure it’s been proposed on Twitter or (shudders) the black hole of WoSo fandom, Tumblr, but what about one team made up of NWSL players from the United States, Canada, and Mexico versus NWSL players from the rest of the world. Being that the league started off with the federations of Canada, Mexico, and the United States – there’s enough talent there to field a starting eleven with adequate subs. Then with the NWSL Internationals, I think we can safely assume that by the time anything All-Star Game related is actually materialized, the league will have grown and be sustainable enough that there are just as many international players in the league as there are from North America. Schedule it around a mid-season FIFA break and in addition to the game, you can have NWSL Skills competition like a free kick competition, have fans vote for say team captains or the final roster spots for each team, and make it a day or weekend of festivities. It could work, right?
So, NWSL North America versus NWSL International. Thoughts?
WEEK 15 PREDICTIONS I’m glad the break is over and the league resumes. Here are this weekend’s predictions.
Boston Breakers OVER FC Kansas City. I don’t know if the break has given Vlatko Andonovski the time to come up with something new so the ball gets to Sydney Leroux or Shea Groom and they’re actually putting shots on target. That’s Kansas City’s problem and I have my doubts they can find the trick. I said before that Boston is going to be a problem for some teams as the push for the playoffs heats up and I think a win here starts that momentum that enables them to look at the playoff contenders with bad intentions.
Sky Blue FC OVER Washington Spirit. Sky Blue will look to avenge that bonkers game against Seattle before the break, and they will take it out on Washington.
Portland Thorns FC and Houston Dash play to a DRAW. I have no idea if moving the kick-off time will play an advantage to either side. The extreme heat that’s blanketing the Pacific Northwest is going to result in a game where everyone moves like wet sponges.
North Carolina Courage OVER Seattle Reign FC. I’d like to be proven wrong in that Seattle will pick up a major win on the road with this one given North Carolina will have the make-up game against FC Kansas City after this before they travel to Seattle for the return leg of this series the following weekend. That said, the side that’s hosting does not lose in this league. Also, who knows if this one will kick-off on time.
Chicago Red Stars OVER Orlando Pride. Last time I said Chicago Red Stars would do good and win, Christen Press claimed a brace. So clearly she saw my predictions and went, “I like the cut of this guy’s jib.” Red Stars keep their hold at the top of the table.
In this weekly series, I will be highlighting a player from the weekend who was their respective team’s unsung hero, win, lose or draw. A player who does the dirty work, does the little but important things in a game, and someone who didn’t exactly fill up the stat sheet but found other ways to contribute.
This week I’ve chosen Chicago Red Star defender Katie Naughton.
The Elk Grove Village native was selected in the 2016 NWSL College Draft in the second round, going 19th overall to Chicago. She was one of seven players selected to join Rory Dames’ squad that year, and one of the three local players selected by the team. The 23-year-old center back played her college ball at Notre Dame, appearing 87 times while scoring 11 goals in her four-year career. In her rookie season, she played in 17 matches and quickly became an important building piece for Chicago. So far in 2017 Naughton has played in 14 games, and has become one of the five defenders Dames can rely upon to rotate in and out of the starting XI on a game-to-game basis.
Chicago 2-1 Orlando:
Chicago is undefeated at home and they don’t get scored on very often. In fact, the Red Stars have only allowed 13 goals (second-best) and just five goals at Toyota Park, also second-best. But heading into this game, Chicago were without their two regular starters: Julie Ertz and Sam Johnson (Ertz would enter the game in the second half). Orlando, on the other hand, were coming off an explosive 4-1 win over Kansas City, surely taking the field with a bit of confidence. I had thought that the game would be a little more even, to be honest, especially considering that Sermanni had moved Marta into the middle, the spot where Ertz would’ve been. And initially, Orlando took advantage of that mismatch, dominating and controlling 70 percent possession in the first 20 minutes.
Naughton had the challenge of handling not one world class player, but two; international-level competitors Marta and Alex Morgan. It was certainly an adjustment period for the Red Stars with Ertz and Johnson not around, but like I discussed in an earlier piece centered around Arin Gilliland, this group is capable of rotating players on the backline and being successful no matter who is lined up. Wave after wave of Orlando attacks came, but Naughton and her teammates held on, not getting down or panicking for even a second.
In the 22nd minute, Orlando had a nice spell of possession, switching fields and finding Marta to distribute from her central role. Pride midfielder Dani Weatherholt attempted to speed the play up, wanting to slip a pass to the cutting Morgan. Naughton read the intention just in time, stepping in front to escape the possibility of Morgan receiving it and turning for a 1v1 with Chicago goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
Throughout the first half, Naughton and her backline were clearly doing some extra communication, realizing that Orlando were building confidence after each run into the final third. Leading the way for the Red Stars defense were Casey Short and Naughton, working to make sure the outside backs Gilliland and Taylor Comeau were on the same page positioning-wise. And while the Pride continued to put pressure, no matter how much knocking they did, Chicago answered the door every time.
Chicago would find a goal in that first half, courtesy of Sofia Huerta and Christen Press (of course). This partnership has certainly been profitable for the Red Stars side; the team is 5-0-2 this season when these two link up for a goal or assist.
Just before halftime, though, Naughton was called upon again. This time it was Marta who attempted to take her to the end line on the left side. The Brazilian and five-time FIFA Player of the Year was doing her dance, hoping to shake Naughton to get into the box. Access completely denied, Naughton waited patiently, not diving in for one second. I enjoyed this play because the Red Star showed off her footwork. She contained the forward long enough and won the ball; not many defenders that go up against Marta wouldn’t have already been on the ground at this point. Chicago went into the locker room with a 1-o lead.
The second half was a different story for Chicago. To reduce the amount of time and space they were giving Orlando in the middle, they brought Ertz to shape things up. Immediately Orlando pressured once again on the left side, with Marta sliding over to make it to the end line of Chicago but Naughton once again stood her ground and won the encounter. The presence of Ertz was clearly helpful, as she took on some of the defensive duties, while Naughton and Casey switched the attack more to try and get Orlando unbalanced.
In the 88th minute, Naughton would make one more play to beat Morgan’s attempt at scoring, beating the USWNT star to header, clearing it to squash the chance of Morgan turning in Chicago’s own 18.
Part of the problem for Orlando was they were not willing to have patience in the final third. Too many times they rushed passes, tried to force themselves forward, and just did not get into the box enough. For Chicago, they were opportunistic, making a few passes before all the sudden they were off to the races, with Press leading the way. While Orlando did manage to score, it was in the 93rd minute and too late. While it wasn’t a perfect defensive game for Chicago, Naughton and the backline got the job done well enough to grab all three points.
With the loss, Orlando slipped to seventh place with 19 points while Chicago pushed past North Carolina into first place with 28 points.
The Curse of California – RJ Allen interviewed Raquel Rodriguez. She talked about her time with Sky Blue, the Costa Rica National Team, plus much more.
We have arrived at week 14 of the NWSL and the last week of matches before a break for the USWNT Tournament of Nations with Japan, Australia, and Brazil all participating. Let’s dive into some previews.
Game 1: Chicago Red Stars vs. Orlando Pride
Chicago Red Stars record: 7-3-4
Position: 2nd
Total Points: 25
Orlando Pride record: 5-5-4
Position: 6th
Total Points: 19
The Red Stars are finally playing a game at home after coming off a last-minute draw against Sky Blue last week. They will be looking to shut down the Pride attack that came alive last week against FCKC. Chicago, for all of its efforts, is still struggling to finish their chances as well even with the play of Christen Press and Sofia Huerta this season. If Chicago can keep stringing passes together and start to make something of their chances, Orlando may be in trouble.
Orlando is coming into this game hoping for a much-needed, big win on the road against Chicago. The attack came alive last week, with four different players scoring the four goals. However, Orlando’s biggest problem all season has been staying consistent. If they can stay consistent, bring numbers forward, and make sure their chances are being finished, we should see a very good game. Their biggest threat from Chicago will be two-fold. One, figuring out a way to slip past the Chicago defense, who don’t leave much room for breakaways. Two, making sure, again, the attack is not stifled and making scoring opportunities happen.
Game 2: FC Kansas City vs. North Carolina Courage
FC Kansas City record: 3-7-4
Position: 9th
Total Points: 13
North Carolina Courage record: 9-5-0
Position: 1st
Total Points: 27
FCKC is struggling this season. There is unfortunately just no other way to say that. They have a lot of talent but are missing a few very key players whose voids have not been filled. For all of the struggles, the team has remained positive but the mental game has been quite strong. Sydney Leroux is still not being used in ways that best suit her game, which is a big part of why they may be floundering on that front. They will have their hands full this week against a very tough Courage attack. The biggest test at home will be if their defense is up to the task.
North Carolina is coming into the week still at number one. Will anyone knock them off of the pedestal? Even though they are playing FCKC this week, the parity of this league has reared its head on more than one occasion this season, so anything can happen. They will be best suited to continue their strong wave of attack, making sure to keep up the pressure against FCKC’s backline, and challenge Nicole Barnhart as much as possible.
Game 3: Houston Dash vs. Boston Breakers
Houston Dash record: 5-7-2
Position: 7th
Total Points: 17
Boston Breakers record: 3-6-5
Position: 8th
Total Points: 14
The Dash are coming in on a streak and I think it’s sufficient to say that the presence of Carli Lloyd and their renewed faith in their play have both contributed to that. I am of the belief that interim Head Coach Omar Morales does not have a whole lot to do with that, but rather playing a consistent starting line-up has helped a lot. This week against a Breakers side–who are also stringing a few more things together–the Dash will need to remain consistent. This will include preventing silly giveaways but also making sure the defense is on point.
The Breakers are looking to tally a few more positive results together to get themselves on a run too. With Houston, their thing will be to find a way to score. Sounds easy enough, but Boston is having trouble making that happen, especially since Rose Lavelle went out. The Breakers will have their hands full with Carli Lloyd back in the mix but will also have Allysha Chapman back from suspension as well, who has been an asset for them this season.
Game 4: Seattle Reign vs. Sky Blue FC
Seattle Reign record: 5-3-6
Position: 5th
Total Points: 21
Sky Blue FC record: 7-6-2
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 23
Seattle has been one of the bigger head scratchers of this season for me, points and playing wise. One week, they seem to be on a tear, and then the next, they weaknesses predicted at the beginning of the season rear their ugly head. My co-worker, Charles Olney wrote a great piece about this struggle this week. Facing a Sky Blue team with Sam Kerr in the form she is in, is no easy feat. Their job is to find a way to contain Kerr and not let her produce some late match magic. Megan Rapinoe also had a quiet game last week and with Jess Fishlock out for the foreseeable future, there is even more pressure for her to be on her game.
Sky Blue is the team of late-match magic this season. They have been inconsistent in stretches and then seem to come back at the very last-minute and put games away. Their defense without Mandy Freeman and some other key players has been struggling a lot this season and if Seattle can capitalize on that, they will be in trouble. While Sky Blue has many different pieces, without Sam Kerr, I believe we would be looking at a much different team right now as she has been the one to usually save the game in the end.
Game 5: Portland Thorns vs. Washington Spirit
Portland Thorns record: 6-4-4
Position: 4th
Total Points: 22
Washington Spirit record: 3-7-3
Position: 10th
Total Points: 12
Portland, while pulling out a big win against the table leaders last week at home, still seem to be having trouble just figuring out what it is they want to do as a team. Chemistry on a team that has not seen a lot of turnover plus lack of play from some big names is a bit concerning. Christine Sinclair, for all of her international prowess, has been almost non-existent for the team and Adrianna Franch’s distribution issues and weaknesses are starting to be brought more into the light. But somehow, for the most part, they keep etching out wins. They may not have too much trouble this week against a struggling Spirit side, but ultimately, it may be their own lack of chemistry and togetherness that sees the Spirit potentially pull one out on the road.
The Spirit are at the bottom of the table, seemingly struggling from injuries but also from the predicted outcomes from the beginning of the season. They have some of the pieces capable of turning it around but with Franny Ordega out, their attack has taken another big hit. The Spirit are in desperate need of a turnaround and I am not sure on the road against Portland will do them any favors in that regard. However, if they can just keep their head down and high pressure up against a Portland side that is also struggling with consistency, they might have a chance. Ultimately, the Spirit will need a big game from Mal Pugh and will rely on consistency from core players, Estelle Johnson in the back, Steph Labbé in-goal, and Tori Huster in the midfield.
The Scouting Report:
We went live on Monday night with our weekly TSR. A reminder that you can catch TSR live every Monday night at 8pm EST on our YouTube channel. Make sure to follow the podcast on Twitter @ScoutingPodcast.
In case you missed this week’s episode, catch up here:
First and foremost, a big thanks to my Backline Soccer colleagues for wishing me a happy birthday last week.
AS I TOOK ANOTHER STEP IN BEING OLD, I CAN’T HELP BUT GET REFLECTIVE
On Sunday, the UEFA Women’s European Championship started.
The second half of the NWSL season is underway and with it comes the push for the four playoff spots.
Next week there will be the Tournament of Nations in which the United States, Australia, Brazil, and Japan take part in, across three cities in the US.
Needless to say, times are good for women’s soccer.
Yes, there are still strides to be made in regards to accessibility for fans and media alike to watch a match on a television, computer, or mobile device. Yes, collectively attendances could always use more people going through the turnstiles and attending matches live. Yes, there are jamokes whose sad minds need to be changed from “LOLWOMENSSPORTS” and give these professional athletes, and human beings, the proper respect. That said, it’s pretty remarkable where the women’s game started compared to where it is today.
Last week, we celebrated the anniversary of the July 10, 1999, Women’s World Cup final where which defender Brandi Chastain converted the winning penalty and subsequent iconic photo. The interest of women’s soccer, let alone soccer, in general, was so far from my radar of interests, that it’s really surreal that here I am, typing out a weekly musings piece for a women’s soccer website.
Like any other world of sports fandom, the fanatics that make up the soccer world, no gender caveat specific, is sure a fascinating one. Yet I would not trade it for anything else in the world.
SO YOU WANT TO BE IN THE NWSL PLAYOFFS? “HIYA” SAYS BOSTON
With the second half of the NWSL season well underway, I think we can be safe in saying it will be North Carolina plus three other teams that will make up the playoff field for the NWSL Championship. Where things stand in the table at the moment, I think those other three will be the Chicago Red Stars, Sky Blue FC, and Seattle Reign FC. That being said, the teams in the middle aren’t too far off from the playoffs either. There are several squads who–with some strategic wins–could find themselves above the cutoff in that number four spot. But having seen Boston in person last weekend at Memorial Stadium, and watching them hold the Reign FC to just a point, I think the Boston Breakers will do enough to affect the playoff chances of either Portland or Orlando.
In the final two months of the regular season, the Breakers meet Orlando twice (one home, one away) and host Portland. If Boston gets a draw in those three matches and/or somehow get a victory one of them, it could be a proverbial bump in the road on them trying to get into the NWSL playoffs.
When Boston was in Seattle last week, head coach Matt Beard said they had a plan for Megan Rapinoe. You don’t have to look far as to how 2017 Megan Rapinoe has been playing–she’s at the top of her game. But the thing about Boston is … their plan worked. Historically, whenever the Reign FC score first at home, they smell blood in the water. Seattle scored first last weekend and if some final balls didn’t lack that last bit of quality, Seattle could have easily been up one or two goals on Boston, especially some of the chances midfielder Lindsay Elston had.
Yet Boston’s defense did not break; hell it barely bent considering the firepower capabilities Seattle had in Rapinoe and Nahomi Kawasumi. Goalkeeper Abby Smith and a defensive line led by Julie King stayed in constant communication and their switches and swarming the ball when they needed to worked as well as anyone could expect. If the Breakers are going to disrupt any playoff spot-chasing team in August and September, it’s going to be because of their defense. And we really need to start giving those back five the attention that they deserve. In talking to defender Amanda Frisbie after the match against Seattle, she sounded like a player that was totally into Matt Beard’s program. Previewing the season, I said that Boston could give people a lot more trouble and I’m sticking with it. So at the risk of making two strong and vocal fan bases really mad at me, yeah – Orlando and Portland, do not sleep on the Boston Breakers.
They could very well muck any thoughts you had of playoff soccer.
IN ADDITION TO MY GENERALLY BAD WEEKEND PREDICTIONS … I am going to add a blurb or two as to what I see when looking at the matchups that leads me to make the predictions. And yes they’ll be from the same sound logic that is my brain and what I think I know about soccer.
Chicago Red Stars OVER Orlando Pride
Red Stars have a stout defense. And they have players up top to actually put shots on goal – I think they’re going to knock Orlando back to reality. And maybe out of that eyebrow-raising power ranking.
North Carolina Courage OVER FC Kansas City
Yes, for the most part, the side that is hosting historically gets the result. However, I don’t think KC will recover from Orlando’s four goals in time for a North Carolina side that is probably still annoyed at being handcuffed last week in Portland.
Houston Dash and Boston Breakers play to a DRAW
Houston will probably dominate the numbers and feel like they “should” win but the Breakers will be a barrier that won’t be broken.
Seattle Reign FC OVER Sky Blue FC
This will be a goal-fest, like four or five. Headlined by Pinoe and Kerr trying to top each other. And in the final minutes, a Seattle defender will get that match winner.
Portland Thorns FC OVER Washington Spirit
Remember that time Portland traveled to Maryland and Washington won because Portland looked lethargic? Yeah, the Thorns remember and will get their retribution.
And here is your music video break.
Song: “The Heavy Entertainment Show” | Artist: Robbie Williams
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Leanne Keator made the trip down to Orlando to take in the Washington Spirit vs Orlando Pride game. Here are her photos.
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Backline Soccer Archive 