Tag: Sky Blue FC

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 19

Posted on by RJ Allen

[media-credit name=”Kelley Piper” align=”aligncenter” width=”300″][/media-credit]

Backline Soccer Recap:

Quick Fire Week 19 Game Previews:

We are winding down in the 2017 NWSL season but the race for the playoffs is heating up. Let’s take a look at what the matches on deck have for us this weekend. 

Game 1: Portland Thorns vs. Washington Spirit

Portland Thorns record: 11-5-4
Position: 2nd
Total Points: 37

Washington Spirit record: 4-12-4
Position: 10th
Total Points: 16

Portland at home and Portland on a hot streak should make this a fairly easy match if the streak continues. Tobin Heath has also been added to the active roster but is not expected to play this weekend. The main focus for Portland this weekend will be to continue to add elements to their attack and keep the pressure moving forward. 

What can we say about Washington at this point? With more potential injuries to Estelle Johnson and Franny Ordega in the midweek game, the Spirit are hurting for healthy players. It is unknown if Steph Labbé will be available this weekend which I believe is another story in and of itself. Overall with the Spirit officially eliminated from the playoffs, this week, they just need to focus on keeping themselves in the game. I expect to see some sparks from their attack with Cheyna Williams leading the charge. But one of the biggest weaknesses is their defense, and if Johnson is unavailable to play, the already weak backline potentially without Labbé in-goal will have a heck of a time containing Portland at full strength. 

Game 2: Orlando Pride vs. Boston Breakers

Orlando Pride record: 9-6-5
Position: 4th
Total Points: 32

Boston Breakers record: 3-10-7
Position: 9th
Total Points: 16

The Pride did not play their prettiest soccer last week against FCKC but pulled out the last-minute win. This week they are looking to secure another three points against the Breakers as they push for their playoff spot. The team is playing like the roster on paper was expected to play for the majority of the season. This week they logically should not have a whole lot of trouble with Boston but if we have learned one thing from this season, it is that any team can win or any given day. Their last match against Boston was also not their best so they will need to focus on getting service through to their attack and shoring up the back-end in the defense. If Alex Morgan and Marta can link up early in this match it will be very hard for the Breakers to stop them both. The defense has also looked a lot better and more compact throughout August so they should make sure to keep that progress, and not let poor turnovers cost them points. 

Boston should have Rose Lavelle back this week and she may get some minutes. Since they are out of playoff contention, they do not have much more to lose, so playing spoiler will most likely be their game for the rest of the season. The Breakers have the ability to get behind but they are missing the creativity to close their games, something Lavelle was doing for them at the beginning of the season. This week, their biggest focus will be finding a way to shut down the Morgan/Marta duo and finding a way behind the newly compacted backline of Orlando. 

Game 3: FC Kansas City vs. Sky Blue FC

FC Kansas City record: 6-9-5
Position: 7th
Total Points: 23

Sky Blue FC record: 9-9-2
Position: 5th
Total Points: 29

FCKC’s winning streak came to an end last week but they still have the ability to keep the ship upright and continue their winning ways. They held Orlando most of the match and let a silly foul at the end cost them at least a point. This week they will need to work on keeping someone on Sam Kerr throughout the match. That task will most likely come down to either Becky Sauerbunn or Becca Moros. FCKC very much has the ability to win this match if they can get a goal or two early and then hold down the back-end of the game from there. 

Sky Blue is still in the hunt for a playoff spot on the back of the magical Sam Kerr. I say it every week but really, I think their season would be much different without her. They do not seem to have an identity outside of “Sam Kerr,” which I think will need to be solved, especially if they make the playoffs. She scored the game-winning goal last week but was otherwise quiet. This week expect to see a bit more from her, knowing what is on the line. Sky Blue will have their work cut out for them with FCKC’s attack of Sydney Leroux and Shea Groom. Sky Blue’s defense is already shaky so if FCKC can get in behind and put the pressure on, Sky Blue will have their work cut out for them.

Game 4: Chicago Red Stars vs. North Carolina Courage

Chicago Red Stars record: 9-6-5
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 32

North Carolina Courage record: 14-5-0
Position: 1st
Total Points: 42

Chicago has some work to do to maintain their playoff spot in the last few weeks of the season. They pulled out the win last week but it was not pretty. The once strongest defense in the league is having a lot of trouble sustaining that title and keeping opposing players out of their final third. The Red Stars need to see more from Sofia Huerta in these last few weeks as she has seemingly not been as active on the field as she was with Christen Press for the majority of the season. Christen Press did her thing in the waning minutes to give Chicago the win last week but I would like to see more from her throughout this match against a strong Courage side. Chicago is going to need everything she has got to pull out the win here. Alyssa Naeher is another one to watch for in this match as she still seems to be struggling with the strain suffered at the Tournament of Nations, which has slowed down her game a bit.

The Courage have been pretty much dominating the entire season. They still are fighting for first place but are in the playoffs. With short rest, I think they key here will be who starts the match for them, knowing they still have an extra game to make up against the Dash and are in the playoffs. The Courage bench is quite deep so almost any formation they field will give Chicago good opposition. The Courage attack has not produced that many goals this season but that does not seem to matter much considering their positioning on the table. The focus this week will really just to pad the first place run more. Chicago has more to lose, so the Courage should expect a fight. 

Game 5: Houston Dash vs. Seattle Reign

Houston Dash record: 7-10-2
Position: 8th
Total Points: 23

Seattle Reign record: 7-7-6
Position: 6th
Total Points: 27

The Dash have not had much time to practice or get together as a team this week due to Hurricane Harvey so this match will be tough for them mentally and physically. At the beginning of the week, I picked Houston to pull out the win here against a bit of a declining Seattle side but with limited team practice and the loss of two big players in trades–Lydia Williams and Morgan Brian–I think this game is a bit harder to predict. Additionally, the Dash have added Kristie Mewis. I also do not think Carli Lloyd will be available to play either. All of this adds up to a very tough match up for the Dash. This week they really need to focus on finding their form in the attack; perhaps Mewis will be able to help in that department. But their main focus should be their backline. They needed defensive depth and recently added Meghan Cox, who may see some minutes. They have struggled to hold off high pressure from attacking teams and if they are not finding the goals, their backline has to salvage something. 

Seattle gained a world-class goal keeper in Lydia Williams this week so it will be interesting to see what comes of this. Will she stay? Is she a part of another trade?   Hayley Kopmeyer has had issues this season in her first full starting season out from under Hope Solo, but I do not think they are worth losing her starting spot. I would still not be surprised to see Lydia Williams get some minutes. The biggest thing Seattle needs to work on starting this week is their defense. The defense has struggled to hold off most of the teams in this league and without Megan Rapinoe adding goals at the other end, the defense has been under more pressure to do their job and keep the opposing team at bay. I expect to see some shift in Seattle this week as they fight for a playoff spot. 

The Scouting Report:

We took a hiatus from TSR this week but not to fret, we will be back next week, Monday at 8pm EST, with our recap from the weekend’s NWSL action.

Soccer Takes From Jake: The Final Four (Weeks)

Posted on by RJ Allen

First and foremost, nothing but love for everyone in Houston and surrounding towns/communities around them. I don’t have any stories from time spent in Houston, say for last year’s NWSL Championship, because I wasn’t able to make the trip down there. But the NWSL media colleagues I’ve talked to who were able to make it all said they enjoyed their time and met wonderful people. I am optimistic everyone there will recover as best as they can. The outpouring of support has been inspirational because it’s the right thing to do. Stay strong, Houston.

For the rest of the season and beyond, this series will be called Soccer Takes From Jake. Why the change? Well we’re simply honoring a request from a soccer podcast called The Unused Sub to avoid confusion. Easy enough right?

WEEK 19 PREDICTIONS
Four games left and the playoff picture still isn’t completely set in stone. Oy.

PORTLAND THORNS OVER WASHINGTON SPIRIT
Having witnessed how important it was – from player to supporter – to finally win at Memorial Stadium last weekend against their rivals, Seattle Reign FC, the Thorns keep it rolling and stay right on North Carolina’s heels for the NWSL Shield.

ORLANDO PRIDE OVER BOSTON BREAKERS
Speaking of another solidifying their position, Pride are looking safe-ish for that third playoff spot.

FC KANSAS CITY AND SKY BLUE FC PLAY TO A DRAW
A game that Sam Kerr & The Pips should handle just fine is going to frustrate them. FC Kansas City has virtually nothing left to play for (apart from making judgments about 2018), but if they can be a nuisance to a playoff hopeful, why not?

NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE OVER CHICAGO RED STARS
After the Courage went into Memorial Stadium and beat the Seattle Reign FC, head coach Paul Riley said in his post-match conference that they don’t pay attention to their position on the table. Just go about their business in the match in front of them; don’t give any thought to what happens everywhere else in the league. And it certainly is easy to see it from their point of view when they’ve been sitting at the top of the table for most of the season. That will continue against the Red Stars. Chicago may have stopped their skid, but North Carolina will kindly start up another one for them, making the race for the fourth and final spot between them, Sky Blue FC, and Seattle Reign FC incredibly dramatic. And frustrating.

SEATTLE REIGN FC OVER HOUSTON DASH
The Reign FC need to win out and get a little bit of help to make it to the playoffs, and will need to do some scoreboard watching to measure their chances. The Dash will certainly be inspired to play for their city and its people, even if the match itself has been relocated to Frisco, Texas. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a draw, but after losing back to back home matches for the first time since they moved to Memorial Stadium, this is gut-check for Seattle. Time to step up and show they still have it in them and haven’t raised the white flag.

And here is your music video break to get you started for Labor Day Weekend.

Song: “Houston Is Hot Tonite” | Artist: Iggy Pop

3 Things Sky Blue Needs to Address Before the End of the Season

Posted on by RJ Allen

[media-credit name=”Leanne Keator” align=”aligncenter” width=”300″][/media-credit]

The door has not shut on Sky Blue making the playoffs in 2017. Even with 41 goals given up, the historic season Sam Kerr has put together has kept Sky Blue in the picture far longer than some predicted.

While it is not totally under their control–they would have to make up 4 points as they own neither the tiebreaker with Chicago or Orlando who both sit ahead of them–there are some factors they can control.

With both Christy Holly and Christie Pearce gone for this year the team here are three things Sky Blue needs to do if they want to not only make the playoffs but have a chance at winning a title.

Find an Identity

Figuring out who they are as a team is something Sky Blue must do if they want to find a way into the playoffs.

Are they the underdog? Are they the team that always comes up a dollar short and a minute late? Are they overachieving? Underachieving? Are they peaking at the right time? 

Depending on who you are, or who you ask, you might ask any of these questions, and get any number of answers.

Even with the awe inspiring season that Sky Blue has had, they have never really had a coherent identity other than “Sam Kerr is magic and will fix everything.” And while yes, Sam Kerr is 100% magic, that isn’t really an identity that a team can rally around.

Building a stronger defense and being the team that will stifle you like a North Carolina, who has given up only 14 goals all season, is an identity. If Sky Blue can find a solid identity it can go a long way toward them being able to build on their past success. 

 

Find Some Midfield Personality

The Sky Blue midfield is the white bread of the NWSL. Unoffensive but lacking a depth that you only realize you’ve been craving when you see midfields with more zest.

Raquel Rodriguez has been forced to give up her better position in the attack to play farther and farther back, plugging up this season’s defensive holes. Not only does it render her best qualities mute but she has struggled at times to be able to battle with more experienced players in this new role.

Sky Blue would do well to push Rodriguez higher into the attack so her natural nose for goal and playmaking skills can be work to their advantage in the forefront of the attack. She can be one of the truly great playmakers in the league if allowed to shed some of the defensive duties and moved into a more attacking role more often.

Corboz, Stanton, and Galton all have some flair built into their games, though they each have very different styles, but what they often lack are other players on the field with them who are on the same page at the same time. Sky Blue has frequently had to rely upon moving the ball up the field from the back, over the midfield to the feet of Sam Kerr. While this has worked for them so far, it becomes the type of predictable play that allows teams like Orlando to beat them 5-0, easily countering Kerr’s attack.

If Sky Blue can find a way to get the whole midfield not only on the same page but working in tandem, they have a shot at controlling more games and helping the forwards get better chances overall. We’ve seen what they can do when the midfield clicks, it’s a matter of having it click more often. 

 

Find Some Veteran Presence

Without Christie Pearce no longer active with the club it falls to the more senior players on the team to lead. Sky Blue does have a host of players who have spent four or five years with the club. Taylor Lytle has been at Sky Blue since 2013, Maya Hayes and Nikki Stanton have been there since 2014.

This core of players, along with newly minted dual captains Kelley O’Hara and Sam Kerr, is tasked with leading a team that has previously only ever known one player to take the title of Captain in the NWSL era. A team that features only three players not born in the 90s on the active roster and only eight players 24 or older.

It’s a tall order to expect relative rookies to step up, and taller still for the current leadership pairing to have to take the reins this late in the season, and with little prior experience at captaining a team, but if Sky Blue wants to find themselves in the post-season, they’re all going to need to out-perform themselves. The balancing of guiding the team while handling their own duties on the field is going to be a test as they head into the last handful of games of the season.

Irreplaceable: 5 Reasons Christie Pearce Should Stick Around

Posted on by RJ Allen
Leanne Keator

Earlier this year Christie Pearce stated that this would be her last season playing professionally. So when it was reported that she was finished for the season because of an accumulation of injuries I felt my heart drop to my stomach. I wasn’t ready for it. In my mind, she was always that constant on the pitch. She has always been around. Ever since I was a kid watching the ’99 World Cup. And then she was just gone. In a second. And I didn’t like it one bit. I still don’t. I thought I had at least six more matches to watch her play. And now it looks like that won’t be the case. But there is a slim chance that she returns next season. In what capacity? I don’t know. And what are the chances of that happening? It’s hard to say. But all I know is that the sport needs her to stick around. Whether that is as a player, a coach, a commentator, or an ambassador for the sport, it doesn’t matter. We still need her…And maybe some of us still aren’t ready to let her go.

Regardless, here are the five reasons Christie Pearce should stick around:

She’s Still Good At Her Job

It’s easy to say that Christie Pearce was still a competitor in the league this year. She was the fastest defender in the league, she was tough to beat in a one-v-one on the back line, and she could help be that steady, calming force for Sky Blue FC. But her job wasn’t simply to be a center back. It hasn’t been for a long time. She is Captain America. She is a leader, and an on-field player-coach when she needs to be. She is a mentor to younger players, and a role model for the league veterans to idolize. She inspires the next generation by being the living legend of the sport. It’s a lot of responsibility. And sure, someone else would step up if she walked away from the sport for a while. But it wouldn’t be the same. No one else could juggle so many roles so effortlessly.

 

Her Soccer IQ Is Off The Charts

There isn’t anyone in the league that has a higher Soccer IQ than Pearce. She simply knows how to win, and how to innovate, and how to inspire a team. So even if her insanely good skillset isn’t utilized on the pitch, it could definitely be taken advantage of off of it. Because I think she still has more to give to the game. She has coached Sky Blue to a championship before while she was playing in 2009. Why not use that knowledge of the sport as a full-time coach? She will succeed in it. And I guarantee it will be much less stressful than the last time she coached. Why not make a run at being the next Alex Ferguson?

 

The League (and Everyone Else) Respects Her

No one speaks a bad word about Christie Pearce. She holds herself to a standard that all athletes should. She is poised and humble, but still commands respect from her peers. And through the years her prior peers have become ambassadors for the league, commentators, or coaches. Now her peers are twenty-somethings that look at her as if she walked on water. Everyone, including the fans, will support her in whatever decision she decides to make for her future. Because she has made some pretty great choices in her career this far. I mean, I don’t see any other 42-year-old players on the pitch with two World Cup wins, three Olympic Gold Medals, and a Women’s Professional Soccer Championship, so she must be doing something right. So if she decides to hang up her boots and call it a day, everyone will respect her choice. And if she decides to stick around, in whatever capacity that is, her choice will be welcomed with open arms.

 

Soccer Mom/Mentor

After the news broke of the end of Pearce’s season, Lifetime reported on it before their Match of the Week. And during their report, they stated that the young players of Sky Blue FC call Christie Pearce ‘Mom.’ And I get it. She is that person that they can always call on for reassurance or advice or a swift kick in the ass. But it isn’t just the Sky Blue women that see her in the mentoring role. It’s almost hard to not see her as that. She has seen more games and more situations than anyone else in the league. And going back to the second reason, she is great at knowing what to do and how to advise these women on the game. So if she hangs around, regardless of her position, she is still going to be looked to for the answers. Because she has seen it all – three separate professional leagues, pay disparities, and a bunch of FIFA politics. To put it simply, her input for these women and this league is invaluable.

 

We Don’t Want To Let Her Go

I get it if she wishes to walk away. She deserves a break. She deserves a happy retirement. She has been playing professionally for longer than any other active player. Think about the players that came and went during her career; how many of her friends she watched retire while she kept going. But then I think about her not being around to mold and shape the future of the sport and I have a difficult time thinking that anyone else wouldn’t want her to stick around. The players, the coaches, the fans, and the league hold her to a higher standard. And it is a standard that no one else has reached yet (and maybe never will). But the real question is if we are ready to let her go. I don’t think that we are. We can if we have to, but like that first Sky Blue match without her, it will be a strange experience.

At the end of the day, the choice is Christie’s. And we will all respect it no matter what, whether she stays or takes her much deserved retirement to be with her family. And maybe this article is a selfish plea to get her to stick around. I recognize that. I also recognize that my opinion undoubtedly holds zero weight in Christie Pearce’s mind. The whole point of this article is to highlight how she still holds a very meaningful place in the sport. One that cannot be filled by anyone else. And it doesn’t matter how she would decide to fill that place if she does. We will take anything that she is willing to give us. Because for us, she is irreplaceable.

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 18

Posted on by RJ Allen

[media-credit name=”Leanne Keator” align=”aligncenter” width=”300″][/media-credit]

Backline Soccer Recap:

Quick Fire Week 16 Game Previews:

The playoff picture is getting tighter and tighter but as evidenced by last weeks results, anything can happen! Let’s dive in to this weekend’s games. 

Game 1: FC Kansas City vs. Orlando Pride

FC Kansas City record: 6-8-5
Position: 7th
Total Points: 23

Orlando Pride record: 8-6-5
Position: 4th
Total Points: 29

A month ago this match would not have had many implications but it has some pretty serious ones now. 

Let’s just imagine where FCKC would be with a healthy Amy Rodriguez and a few more games left the schedule….ok are we there? Now let us come back to the present. KC don’t have Rodriguez but they’re starting to put it together anything. If FCKC can continue their path, they will make it tough for Orlando. While we have seen some miscues from Becky Sauerbrunn this season, she is still their best option in the back to clean up a lot of mess. Sydney Leroux has seemed to hit herself a bit of a streak. Their focus this week will be to find a way to shut down the firing duo of Alex Morgan and Marta. Nicole Barnhart can expect to see a lot of work unless the FCKC defense can compact themselves a little better. 

Orlando is playing some of their best soccer in their short team history and that is a good thing. They are in the middle of the playoff hunt, and going strong. Their early season struggles with finishing made a bit of a reappearance in their match last week against the Breakers, and without Alex Morgan, the game would have been much different. But they do have Morgan and Orlando fans everywhere should be rejoicing. With her and Marta working well together, they’ll put some real pressure on KC. The defense will also need to hold strong against KC’s renewed attack. But this is Orlando’s game to lose. If Morgan and Marta can continue on the same path, they’ll be in good shape. 

Game 2: Seattle Reign vs. Portland Thorns

Seattle Reign record: 7-6-6
Position: 5th
Total Points: 27

Portland Thorns record: 10-5-4
Position: 2nd
Total Points: 34

The Reign will be out for revenge this week, against their old rivals. After blowing a 3-0 lead to Sky Blue, they really need to pick up all 3 points here. Their defense once again let them down and it will be put to the test again, with Portland coming to town. It will be a tough few weeks for the Reign without Megan Rapinoe, but they should be able to get through it if they can just figure out the defense issue.  

The Thorns have hit their stride, and have some good news on the horizon with Tobin Heath close to a return. But will she fit in right now? And should she? They may try to ease her in slowly, but we can save further speculation for when she’s actually back. For now, it’s about Seattle, where the Thorns will hope to capitalize on their defensive woes. Expect them to keep up constant pressure as they push the ball up and keep it on throughout the final third. The Thorns are still not playing at their fullest potential to me, especially some of their bigger players, but it goes to show how deep they are that even playing below their potential they’re still solidly in second place. 

Game 3: Washington Spirit vs. Chicago Red Stars

Washington Spirit record: 4-10-4
Position: 10th
Total Points: 16

Chicago Red Stars record: 8-6-5
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 29

The Spirit just traded away Kristie Mewis, but got a nice deal in return. A top pick next year will help set them up, and they also picked up Morgan Proffitt who might be able to contribute now, maybe shoring up a defense suffering from some injuries.  The Spirit backline has been their best hope for salvaging some points this season, but it will depend on formation. Last weeks lineup was able to hold the Courage pretty tough for a while before the breakaway and an own goal. But there is just not much happening with the Spirit attack. And while we all praise a good defense, you still need to score goals to win. Look for the Spirit to try to hold their own against Chicago, who is also having its struggles. If we see a similar defensive lineup this week, they may just be able to hold Chicago. 

Chicago, what can we say? After a very successful run through the middle of the season, the Red Stars are sputtering. The biggest issues seem to stem from personnel choices, which have been compounded by some nagging injuries to star players. Christen Press, after admitting to having ankle issues since the early season match against Portland, has not been herself for a few games. Alyssa Naeher is also dealing with a groin strain from the Tournament of Nations and has had her struggles in goal.We have seen a drop off from the otherwise stalwart defense and Casey Short can only take on so much herself without someone else stepping up to help. Overall, Chicago needs to keep stringing their passes together and find their attack again. Look for them to try to right the ship this week and get back to their winning ways. 

Game 4: Sky Blue FC vs. Boston Breakers 

Sky Blue FC record: 8-9-2
Position: 6th
Total Points: 26

Boston Breakers  record: 3-9-7
Position: 9th
Total Points: 16

Seriously, where would Sky Blue be without Sam Kerr? Nowhere close to contention, certainly. It showed in the pure dominant performance she put in last week to bring Sky Blue out of a hole to win. But she will not always be able to score three or four goals every single game to dig her team out. No player can produce at that level every game. So we will see which Kerr comes out this week. And even with Kerr, Sky Blue can’t survive if they keep conceding four or five goals a game. They’ll have to do something about their defensive problems and the goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan’s struggles, too. But if they’re looking for a confidence boost, a struggling Boston side might be a good place to look.

After starting strong, Boston have drifted down the table over the season. Their biggest hope now is to just try to salvage a bit of this season and maybe play spoiler to a few playoff hopeful teams. Maybe they could have been more with Rose Lavelle all season.  She’s finally ready to return, but they will probably be careful with their young star as she eases her way back. This week, they need to capitalize on Sky Blue’s defense and figure out a way to shut down Sam Kerr. Orlando did a good job of it a few weeks ago, so the template is there. If they can follow it, Boston may be able to salvage some points in this match.

Game 5: Houston Dash vs. North Carolina

Houston Dash record: 7-10-2
Position: 8th
Total Points: 23

North Carolina record: 13-5-0
Position: 1st
Total Points: 39

This game has been postponed, due to Hurricane Harvey bearing down on the Texas coast.No official date has been set for the game to be played.

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 the episode, catch up here:

Route Two Soccer – Handicapping the Playoff Run-in

Posted on by RJ Allen

The NWSL season is entering its squeaky-bum period, with five weeks to go and very little settled. North Carolina are as close to a lock as you can get at this point, with a five point lead over second place and a game in hand (against last place Washington) to boot. But outside of the Courage, the table is full of questions.

So let’s take a run through the teams still in the playoff hunt, and assess their chances for making the postseason.

Portland Thorns (34 points, GD +9)

  • Seattle Reign (away)
  • Washington Spirit (home)
  • Boston Breakers (away)
  • Orlando Pride (away)
  • Chicago Red Stars (home)

Portland have finally hit a decent vein of form. It’s taken a lot longer than expected, and their recent loss against Kansas City shows that there are still some gaps here. But the Thorns of late have looked much closer to the dominant possession-based team that we all expected. This team has a lot of attacking talent but has struggled to get everyone working together. In recent weeks Sinclair has been the fulcrum around which everyone has moved, and things have looked much better. It still remains to be seen if those improvements can be preserved as the squad returns to full strength.

With a seven point cushion on fifth place, they are close to a lock to make the playoffs. The real question is whether they can hold off Orlando and Chicago to secure a home match in the semifinals. And there’s still an outside chance that they could catch North Carolina for first place. But realistically, the final month is more about settling in for the playoffs than anything else.

Chicago Red Stars (29 points, GD +2)

  • Washington Spirit (away)
  • NC Courage (home)
  • FCKC (away)
  • Houston Dash (away)
  • Portland Thorns (away)

It seems like just a few weeks ago that Chicago were riding high—even briefly sneaking into first place. The offense was starting to click and the defense was solid. Since then, coach Rory Dames has tinkered a bit and found absolutely nothing working. The past three weeks have seen them lose three consecutive home matches, looking worse and worse each game. Some of it has been injuries. Despite a generally great bill of health on the season, they’ve picked up a few nagging injuries recently and have had trouble sorting things out. But ultimately, the Red Stars’ recent struggles are a bit part to sort out.

The talent is obviously still here, and you probably wouldn’t go wrong expecting some mean reversion. But the slide has been worrisome, turning what looked to be an easy playoff coronation into a genuine fight. They’re now tied with surging Orlando, only two points ahead of Seattle. With four away games out of their five remaining fixtures, Chicago is in a precarious position, and will need some good results soon to right the ship. They’re not yet in crisis, but anything less than three points this weekend against Washington and things really will start to get dangerous.

Tiebreakers: Chicago would win a tiebreaker against Orlando (which is why they’re currently in 3rd despite equal points and a worse goal difference) and Sky Blue, but would lose against Seattle.

Orlando Pride (29 points, GD +10)

  • FCKC (away)
  • Boston Breakers (home)
  • Seattle Reign (home)
  • Portland Thorns (home)
  • NC Courage (away)

It took them awhile, but Orlando have finally hit their stride, scoring 10 goals in their past three games while only conceding one, on their way to a fairly easy nine points. The return of Alex Morgan has been everything that Pride fans hoped it would be. She’s provided that clinical finishing and intelligent movement that was so missing in the early season, and given Marta more freedom to play a flexible role. Orlando still doesn’t really have much of a midfield, but coach Tom Sermanni has done an excellent job of finding ways around that problem. It also helps that a number of players have excelled in new roles this season. The ability to move players like Kennedy, Edmonds, and Camila in and out of the midfield has given Sermanni a great deal of tactical flexibility—allowing him to structure the team to best facilitate his world-class attackers given what opponent and game situation demand.

At this point, the big question is whether Orlando’s form is the new normal, or if this is just high tide from which things will inevitably recede a bit. The way the Pride have been playing, it’s getting harder to see them not taking a playoff spot, but there are still some reasons for caution. They have looked great, certainly, but these three big performances came against Washington, Sky Blue, and Boston—three of the weakest teams in the league. And we’re still not that far removed from them getting comprehensively outplayed by Chicago last month.

The Pride have two more ‘easy’ games coming up—though anyone who’s watched KC recently might question that designation, before they close out the year with matches against playoff contenders. If they can earn four or six points from these next two weekends, that will put them in good position. But if they slip up against KC or Boston, they could very easily find that final playoff spot slipping just out of their grasp.

Tiebreakers: Orland would win a tiebreaker against Sky Blue and lose against Chicago. They’re currently tied with Seattle, so that game will be even more important than it would normally – a ‘seven pointer’ rather than a ‘six pointer.’

Seattle Reign (27 points, GD +6)

  • Portland Thorns (home)
  • Houston Dash (away)
  • Orlando Pride (away)
  • FCKC (home)
  • Washington Spirit (away)

Oh, Seattle. You could be 3rd in the table right now, in poll position to reach the playoffs. But you fell victim to one of the classic blunders: never go in against Sam Kerr when death is on the line. So instead you’re in fifth place, needing to make up some ground, with time running out and Megan Rapinoe still unavailable.

Still, things aren’t all grim for Seattle. Even without Rapinoe, they’ve been playing well, with the players settling into the team’s new rhythm—lots of movement, lots of dangerous runs, and one intense Welsh dragon keeping it all together in the middle. Beyond that, they have a reasonably friendly run-in. This weekend’s match against Portland will be tough, certainly, but after that they’ve got some slightly less threatening matches. And while they do need to play Orlando, that is also a huge opportunity to take points from one of their main competitors. That game is actually even more important than it seems, because Seattle and Orlando are currently tied in head-to-head, which means if Seattle can win it will effectively a ‘seven pointer’ rather than just a ‘six pointer,’ since it will give them the points as well as the advantage in the tiebreaker. All of which means Seattle’s season is still very much in their own hands. It’s just a matter of executing. And staying away from any Australians.

Tiebreakers: Seattle would win a tiebreaker against Chicago. They’re tied in head to head against Sky Blue, so it would revert to goal difference, where Seattle is way ahead. The tiebreaker with Orlando is still up in the air.

Sky Blue (26 points, GD -7)

  • Boston Breakers (home)
  • FCKC (away)
  • Washington Spirit (home)
  • NC Courage (home)
  • Boston Breakers (away)

Halfway through their match on Saturday night, Sky Blue’s season was effectively over. Then, they executed an astonishing comeback to earn the three points and resuscitate their chances. It’s still a difficult lift, given their defensive frailty and other issues. I wrote about Sky Blue at length last week so won’t belabor the point much here. This team really has no business making the playoffs, but they’re only three points out, and you would have to be nuts to bet against Sam Kerr right now. Beyond that, they have (by a pretty big margin) the easiest run-in of the teams in the playoff hunt, with three home matches, two games against Boston, another against Washington, and one against KC. There are no gimme games in this league, and all of those teams could easily beat Sky Blue. But the opportunity is there, if they can hold it together and seize it.

Tiebreakers: Sky Blue would lose the tiebreaker against all the teams. Technically they’re tied with Seattle in head-to-head games, but there’s no chance of them recovering from the gap in goal difference.

Still alive with a hope and a prayer: FCKC and Houston

FC Kansas City and Houston are both sitting on 23 points, which puts them six points out of a playoff spot. With only 15 points left on the table, it’s very hard to see either doing enough to make up that difference (and leapfrog) all the teams in between. But it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility. KC, in particular, seems to have finally settled in a bit (three straight wins, including results over Portland and Chicago), and their run-in is basically all against the other teams in the playoff hunt—and four of those games are at home, too. Pick up 12 points from those games and they really could make it.

I certainly wouldn’t be on it, but there’s plenty of quality in both of these teams. So it’s certainly worth keeping an eye on them.

Predicting the final table

With everything so close, it’s hard to draw clear distinctions. But for the sake of argument, I’ll make a guess. Accounting for quality, form, and schedule, I see the final results shaking out as follows:

  1. North Carolina
  2. Portland
  3. Orlando
  4. Chicago
  5. Sky Blue
  6. Seattle
  7. FCKC
  8. Houston
  9. Boston
  10. Washington

Agree? Disagree? Let us know your predicted final table in the comments.

The Unused Sub: The Home Stretch

Posted on by RJ Allen

THE TABLE IS SILLY, THE SEASON IS SILLY
Turnabout is fair play in the NWSL. Seattle beats Sky Blue in a bonkers 5-4 match because of a stoppage time winner, Sky Blue beats Seattle in a bonkers 5-4 match with a goal in stoppage time too. Look, can we just agree now that all regular season matches between the two just be scoreless draws in 2018? It will save a lot of aggravation for everyone, physically and mentally.

And yes I still miss the sharp-dressed man, Christy Holly.

Looking at every team’s position over the course of the season, a couple thoughts.

That moment in the sun where the Houston Dash were in first place. Also let’s pour some out for Boston Breakers and their two-week run of being in the top four.

No surprise that Seattle and Sky Blue have been hanging around the 4 to 6 neighborhoods all season long. That final spot in the playoffs is going to come down to the final week, I think so buckle the hell up for one crazy ride.

If the Chicago Red Stars keep this fall and finish level on points with Seattle, they are going to rue that midweek loss against Seattle. They should have closed the game out and for Seattle, if they get into the playoffs, that milestone win against Chicago is going to look back as the win that saved their season.

It’s spectacular that Orlando spent a month at the bottom, have been subpar for most of the season and are right in the mix for playoff spot. I can certainly understand why Tom Sermanni has a good case for Coach of the Year considerations.

WEEK 18 PREDICTIONS
Bottom line for this weekend’s predictions: nothing will get settled as far as painting a clearer picture of who is joining the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL Playoffs.

FC Kansas City OVER Orlando Pride.

The Fightin’ Vlatkos will continue their hot streak and jack up the road to the playoffs to make everyone think louder and stronger, “HMMM…. Could they?!”

Seattle Reign FC and Portland Thorns play to a DRAW.

A win gives either team their 50th in league history. Seattle needs it more than Portland does. For one weekend, both Seattle and Portland soccer teams on the NWSL and MLS will be in Seattle for big ol’ derpy rivalry weekend and yeah, the ladies will play to a draw. Seattle Reign FC fans will continue to live in anxiety as to if this team can claim a playoff spot with four games left to go.

Washington Spirit and Chicago Red Stars play to a DRAW.

Spirit get the lead and will carry the lead long enough to make us think yep Chicago is falling off the cliff but then will get some stoppage time equalizer and we’ll all go ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Boston Breakers OVER Sky Blue FC.

I hilariously called it right the first time at the start of the season and I’ll stick my neck out and say the Breakers do it again.

And honestly, with the forecast of Hurricane Harvey hitting land around Friday or Saturday, it’s probably fair to wonder if Houston Dash versus North Carolina Courage will even happen. Yes, the game is scheduled for Sunday. It’s hard to say at the time of writing this what the result of that match will be because we may not even get a match on Sunday. So for now, Houston Dash versus North Carolina Courage gets a ¯_(ツ)_/¯ prediction from me.

And here’s your tunes to send you into the weekend.

Song: “Shot At The Night” | Artist: The Killers

Off the Bench with Backline Soccer: 2017, Week 17

Posted on by RJ Allen

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Backline Soccer Recap:

Quick Fire Week 16 Game Previews:

We are getting a battle now for the fourth place spot for the playoffs and also seeing some top teams face some surprising defeats. Let’s dive in to this weekend’s games. 

Game 1: North Carolina vs. Washington Spirit 

North Carolina record: 12-5-0
Position: 1st
Total Points: 36

Washington Spirit record: 4-9-4
Position: 10th
Total Points: 16

The Courage have pulled five points away from the second place team coming into this weekend. They will look to build on that and continue to solidify their spot at the top. They’ve had some bumps along the way, but just keep pulling out wins, even if they are not so pretty. And it’s been a full team effort. The two players who did so much for them last year–Lynn Williams and Jessica McDonald–have really not done a lot this year. Instead, we’ve seen players like Sam Mewis stepping up. This week, with the Spirit struggling, the Courage should not have many issues. But as we have seen from recent games, the table only tells us so much. The Spirit may be in last, but the Courage will still need to be on top of their game. Look for Mewis to continue her hot streak.

The Spirit need work and time but their young players are settling in, and may be setting up for a decent 2018 season. This season, while they could end up playing spoiler, at this point there’s no realistic hope for the playoffs. Against the Courage they just need to focus on their basics. Expect to continue to see a solid shift from Steph Labbé, Mal Pugh to try to get herself on the scoreboard, and a defense led by Estelle Johnson to try to hold off the Courage attack. 

Game 2: Boston Breakers vs. Orlando Pride 

Boston Breakers record: 3-8-7
Position: 9th
Total Points: 16

Orlando Pride record: 7-6-5
Position: 5th
Total Points: 26

Boston has been bitten by the injury bug for several games now.

With several key players out, facing off against a red-hot Pride will be a test. They might still pull off a win, but the chances don’t look good. To get anything, they’ll need to stay organized on defense and find a way to split or shut down the Alex Morgan and Marta connection. Their attack has also been lacking, especially without someone spurring it from the midfield. Orlando will leave them some space to operate; the only question is whether they can find their way through the pockets.

Orlando is hitting its stride and from now to the end of the season, their biggest test will be themselves. They must remain consistent, and keep turning in solid performances. This week, the key is to take Boston seriously. On form, this one should be easy, but underestimate Boston and they can cause problems if Orlando takes the foot off of the pedal. The Pride attacking duo of Alex Morgan and Marta seems to be firing on all cylinders right now and they are looking dangerous. Both have 3 goals each in the last 2 games. The Pride defense, led by Ali Krieger, has also looked much better over this recent run, but has been shaky in the past. With the always vocal Ashlyn Harris back in goal, the Pride have to like their chances. 

Game 3: Sky Blue FC vs. Seattle Reign

Sky Blue FC record: 7-9-2
Position: 6th
Total Points: 23

Seattle Reign record: 7-5-6
Position: 4th
Total Points: 27

This is the first match for Sky Blue since coach Christy Holly stepped down from the position. It will be tough going to rise up from the problems of the past month and push themselves back into playoff contention. Sam Kerr has saved the team many times this year, but couldn’t get much going against Orlando last week, but that is because no one was getting her the ball. The absence of Kelley O’Hara is a big part of that. They’ll need to sort out their distribution if they want to have a chance here. Christie Pearce has been a workhorse all season in the backline for Sky Blue, especially with such a young line set up around her. But she had some issues shutting down the Pride last week as she had very little help to do so. Sky Blue need to make some changes this week at home to try and right the ship against the Reign. 

Seattle is coming in after a last minute comeback midweek against the Red Stars. They will also continue to be without Megan Rapinoe. They gritted out the win against Chicago but really did not look that great throughout the match. If not for a stand-out game for Haley Kopmeyer, there wouldn’t have been a chance of getting back into it in those final minutes. Seattle will need to shut down Sam Kerr; she is hungry to get her team back on track. They will also need to diversify their attack to deal with Rapinoe’s continued absence. While the Sky Blue defense has its struggles, the Reign will still have their hands full getting past the likes of Christie Pearce in the middle. A little creativity will go a long way here.

And if last match was any indication, this game may very well be another one for the books. 

Game 4: Portland Thorns vs. Houston Dash 

Portland Thorns record: 9-5-4
Position: 2nd
Total Points: 31

Houston Dash record: 7-9-2
Position: 7th
Total Points: 23

Portland had been riding a hot streak going into the midweek, but then suffered a surprising defeat to FC Kansas City. Which is another lesson to not underestimate any team in this league. They will look to bounce back against the Dash, who will be riding high after a great midweek performance of their own. The key for Portland is to get some more players involved in the run of play. With Allie Long back in the picture this week, they’ll look to bolster their passing game. But I would like to see more from players like Amandine Henry and Christine Sinclair. Additionally, Nadia Nadim has had limited minutes since coming back from the Euros; if she can get back up to playing a full 90, it would help the attack a lot. 

When Carli Lloyd went down, many expected that it would be the death knell for their playoff push. But the team has set out to prove everyone (including me) wrong. Without Lloyd, they made a great showing during their midweek game, with other players step up to the plate, with Sarah Hagen scoring twice and Rachel Daly turning in one of her best performances in a while. It was against an injury-ravaged Boston side, which means it has to come with a grain of salt. But still, it was an indication.  If the Dash can consistently put out this product, even without Lloyd, they still have a shot for that fourth spot. This week though, especially on the road at Portland, they will have a tough challenge.  

Game 5: Chicago Red Stars vs. FC Kansas City

Chicago Red Stars record: 8-5-5
Position: 3rd
Total Points: 29

FC Kansas City record: 5-8-5
Position: 8th
Total Points: 20

The Red Stars have lost their last two games at home and will be looking to reverse course and get the much-needed three points from FCKC. Even with the recent difficulties, I do not think there is a whole lot to be concerned about with the Red Stars. They will have to take a look at their personnel, identify what is working and what’s not, and make a few adjustments. But the players are good and should pull through. Alyssa Naeher missed the game against Seattle (another USWNT player who picked up a knock at the Tournament of Nations…which is a conversation for another day) but hopefully will be back in goal soon. 

Many of the Red Stars stalwarts did not look great against the Reign, including Christen Press. But one theme of the season is that when Press turns in a subpar performance she usually comes back that next week and grinds out a great one, so I fully expect to see her right back on her train and leading the Red Stars past FCKC. If Press is on this Sunday and we see the defense shift back to the starters, I think the Red Stars will be fine. Even with their 3 minute meltdown midweek, this defense is the best in the league and has enough to stifle the FCKC attack. 

FCKC is coming into this weekend after a big win against the Thorns at home. After everyone had pretty much written them off, they turned on the jets the last two games, reminding us that they’ve still got some fighting spirit. They still have a lot of work to do and still need to figure out how to provide more help to Sydney Leroux, but they’ve done well to find alternate avenues for scoring–like those wonderful free kicks from Yael Averbuch–and are starting to look a little more like a classic FCKC team. The biggest test this weekend will be penetrating that Chicago defense. They’ll need to get service into their forwards, but also need players like Leroux and Shea Groom to come back to help build the attack. Look for FCKC to try and contain Christen Press as much as they can to keep Chicago off of the board early. 

The Scouting Report:

We went live on Monday night with our weekly TSR and Thursday night with our recap of the midweek NWSL games. 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: