NATIONAL WOMENS SOCCER LEAGUE - NWSL - USA

 

GAME PREVIEW: BOSTON BREAKERS VS. SEATTLE REIGN FC

(July 30, 2015) – Beverly Yanez and Seattle Reign FC continue the push for their second-consecutive NWSL Shield when they go on the road Saturday to face Alyssa Naeher and the Boston Breakers.

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Yanez scored twice in five minutes – including just 27 second into the second half – to spur Seattle onto a 3-0 victory over rivals Portland Thorns FC in Week 15. The goals were the seventh and eighth of the season for the forward and pushed her within one of Washington Spirit forward Crystal Dunn for the league lead.
The Reign also received a big performance from their corps of star midfielders – with Jess Fishlock notching her second game-winning goal of the season, Kim Little assisting on both of Seattle’s first two goals and Megan Rapinoe adding an assist of her own.
Seattle goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer made two saves to record her second-consecutive shutout and fourth of the year.
The win – coupled with the Chicago Red Stars’ draw against the Washington Spirit a day earlier – vaulted the Reign into first place for the first time since after Week 1, ending Chicago’s 10-week hold on the top spot in the NWSL.
However, coach Laura Harvey will be keen to keep her side on track as the Red Stars have a game in-hand over Seattle, who have managed just a 2-3-2 record away from home this season.
On the other hand, the Breakers have collected 10 of their 12 points this season at Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium and will be out for three more on Saturday as they look to bounce back from a 3-1 road loss to Sky Blue FC that left them at the bottom of the table. 
Boston enters the game in last place for the first time in 10 weeks and will be seeking improved performances in several facets of the game – in particular on the defensive end.
The three goals allowed against Sky Blue FC represented the sixth time this season the Breakers have conceded three or more goals in a game – the most in the NWSL. Naeher made a season-high nine saves against SBFC in the loss.
Coach Tom Durkin will also want his side to get off to a fast start. Boston has conceded the first goal in nine of their 14 matches this year – tied with Portland Thorns FC for the most in the league. The Breakers are 0-6-3 in the games in which they have given up the opening score and 3-2-0 in the games in which they’ve scored first.


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GAME PREVIEW: WASHINGTON SPIRIT VS. HOUSTON DASH

Lloyd extended her incredible personal streak with a stunning 30-yard strike in the 85th minute to score the game-winning goal in a 3-2 victory Wednesday over FC Kansas City.

The U.S. international has scored in three consecutive games – including game-winning goals in the last two contests – since returning to the Dash following the World Cup in Canada, where she scored in the final four games of the tournament.

Defender Ellie Brush and forward Jessica McDonald also scored in the match – finding the back of the net six minutes apart in the first half as Houston won a game in which they gave up the first goal for the first time this season.

The goal for McDonald was her sixth of the season – tied for third most in the league, while Brush became the first Dash player to score in the first 15 minutes of a game this season. Houston has been outscored by their opponents 4-1 over the first quarter-hour in matches this year.

Despite this, coach Randy Waldrum’s side have been incredibly consistent and is one of just three teams (along with the Chicago Red Stars and Seattle Reign FC) to have a positive goal difference in both halves of games this year.

For Washington, Dunn continued her fantastic season with an 83rd-minute goal to earn the Spirit a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Red Stars in Week 13. 

The tally was the third in the last for games for the North Carolina product and her league-leading ninth goal of the season to go along with two assists.

Goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris made four saves as Washington rallied to earn a point for the first time this season in a game in which they trailed after the 75th minute. It was the seventh point recovered from a losing position by the Spirit – the most in the NWSL.

Mark Parsons’ side has also done well in matches decided by one goal this year – posting a 1.14 points-per-game record in seven contests this season, the second best per-game return in the league.

The match Saturday is the last in a three-game home stand for the Spirit, who are undefeated at Maureen Hendricks Field Maryland SoccerPlex in seven games this season with a 5-0-2 record. Following the match, Washington will play four of their next five contests on the road – where they are 1-4-1.

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HOUSTON DEFEATS KANSAS CITY, 3-2

The 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Golden Ball winner continued her goalscoring romp and produced a rocketed shot from 30 yards out in the 87th minute to pull out at 3-2 win for the Houston Dash against FC Kansas City on Wednesday night at BBVA Compass Stadium.

The Dash fell behind early in just the third minute as Heather O’Reilly picked out Lauren Holiday at the top of the box. Dash goalkeeper Erin McLeod dove left for Holiday’s shot, but it deflected off the inside of defender Ellie Brush’s foot on its way to goal and caromed the opposite direction and into the goal.

Brush atoned for the unlucky bounce less than 10 minutes after. Dash forward Kealia Ohai saved a ball in the corner and floated a cross to the middle of the penalty area in the 12th minute. Brush, still forward from a corner kick, picked the ball out of the air with a nifty side-volley around her defender to beat FCKC keeper Nicole Barnhart. The goal was Brush’s first in the NWSL.

The Dash followed up shortly thereafter with Jessica McDonald adding her team-leading sixth goal of the season in the 17th minute. Racing down the left side of the field, McDonald cut into the box and beat Barnhart with a near post shot from close range.

Kansas City and the Dash traded chances throughout much of the rest of the game. McLeod, fresh off a 12 save performance against the Western New York Flash on Saturday, was called into action five times on the night, including a full-stretch, diving punch on a shot from Holiday curling away from the keeper. Barnhart did her part as well, getting a toe on a one-on-one attempt from McDonald in the 56th minute to keep the deficit at one.

FCKC began to put more pressure on as the game wore on, finally paying off in the 85th minute of play. Liz Bogus received a pass in the box and banged a shot off the near post, but the ball rebounded directly to substitute forward Sarah Hagen. With McLeod out of position after diving for the initial shot, Hagen passed the ball into the open net for the equalizing goal.

The joy was short lived for Kansas City, as Lloyd scored in her seventh consecutive match and her second game-winner in a row just two minutes later. Lloyd received a pass from Niki Cross—playing in her final game in Houston after announcing her retirement—and took a touch into space 30 yards from goal. Lloyd hammered the ball into the upper 90 to put the Dash ahead for good.

The win vaulted the Dash over FC Kansas City in the NWSL standings, into the fourth and final playoff spot. Houston travels to take on the third-place Washington Spirit on Saturday.

Houston Dash (5-4-5; 20 points) vs. FC Kansas City (5-6-3; 18 points)
NWSL regular season
July 29, 2015 – BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 6,425

Goals by period         1          2          Total

Houston Dash              2          1          3
FC Kansas City            1          1          2

Scoring Summary:

FC Kansas City:  Lauren Holiday 1 (unassisted) 3
Houston Dash: Ellie Brush 1 (Kealia Ohai 4) 12
Houston Dash: Jessica McDonald 6 (unassisted) 17
FC Kansas City: Sarah Hagen 2 (unassisted) 85
Houston Dash: Carli Lloyd 4 (Niki Cross 1) 87

Houston Dash: Erin McLeod; Ella Masar ©, Ellie Brush, Toni Pressley, Meghan Klingenberg; Morgan Brian (Niki Cross 46), Andressa, Carli Lloyd; Melissa Henderson (Camila 64), Jessica McDonald, Kealia Ohai (Tiffany McCarty 88)

Substitutes Not Used: Bianca Henninger, Jordan Jackson, Rachael Axon

TOTAL SHOTS: 15 (Carli Lloyd 7); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Carli Lloyd, Jessica McDonald tied with 2); FOULS: 7 (Ellie Brush 2); OFFSIDES: 1 (Kealia Ohai 1); CORNER KICKS: 7 (Melissa Henderson 7); SAVES: 5 (Erin McLeod 5)

FC Kansas City: Nicole Barnhart, Leigh Ann Robinson, Amy LePeilbet, Becky Sauerbrunn ©, Becca Moros (Sarah Hagen 80); Mandy Laddish (Frances Silva 90 +1), Jen Buczkowski; Heather O’Reilly, Lauren Holiday, Erika Tymrak (Liz Bogus 62); Amy Rodriguez

Substitutes Not Used: Katelyn Rowland, Yael Averbuch 

TOTAL SHOTS: 20 (Lauren Holiday 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Lauren Holiday 4); FOULS: 3 (Leigh Ann Robinson, Jen Buczkowski, Erika Tymrak tied with 3); OFFSIDES: 1 (Amy Rodriguez 1); CORNER KICKS: 11 (Lauren Holiday 11); SAVES: 3 (Nicole Barnhart 3)

Disciplinary Summary:

None.

Referee: Matthew Mercier 

Assistant Referees: Jennifer Garner, Christa McCurley
Fourth Official: Kyle Phillips    

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THORNS FC REGISTER 2-0 SHUTOUT AGAINST FLASH

Behind goals from forward Christine Sinclair and midfielder Allie Long, Portland Thorns FC secured a 2-0 shutout on the road against the Western New York Flash in front of 2,979 fans on Wednesday night at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester, N.Y.

Sinclair gave Portland a 1-0 lead in the first half and Long added a goal late in the second half to move Thorns FC up to sixth place in the NWSL standings through 14 games. With the win, Portland improves to 4-6-4 (16pts) overall, leapfrogging the Flash (4-7-3, 15pts) in the standings with six games remaining on the regular-season schedule.

After seeing several close chances miss in the first half, Thorns FC took a 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute. Receiving a ball from forward Ayo, Sinclair took a quick touch and chipped a left-footed shot near the edge of the penalty box over goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo, who was off her line. The assist was the first of Ayo’s NWSL and Thorns FC career, while Sinclair netted her second goal of the season.

Thorns FC nearly doubled their lead in the 36th minute when Sinclair was knocked down in the box by midfielder Becky Edwards and drew a penalty kick. Long stepped to the spot to take the kick, but D’Angelo dove to her left to make the save. Near the end of the first half, Sinclair changed the point of attack with a cross for midfielder Sinead Farrelly inside the box. Farrelly cut the ball back and fired a shot that hit off the underside of the crossbar and out.

Remaining on the front foot in the second half, Ayo and Sinclair linked up again this time in the 49th minute. After a quick flick in the box over the top by Sinclair, Ayo hit a looping shot over D’Angelo, but defender Whitney Engen tracked back and cleared the ball off the goal line.

Making her 10th start of the season, goalkeeper Michelle Betos made four saves in the match, earning her second clean sheet of the season. Betos made critical stops in both halves, including a save less than 10 minutes into the match to deny forward Lynn Williams on the breakaway and then again in the 59th minute, cutting down the angle on forward Jasmyne Spencer’s attempt inside the goal box.

Long tallied her team-leading sixth goal of the season, while Sinclair registered her first assist of the 2015 campaign in the 80th minute. Sinclair juggled the ball over a Flash defender and dribbled into the box before slotting a pass back across the box for Long to finish from close range, giving Portland a 2-0 lead.

Thorns FC improve to 3-1-3 all-time against the Flash, including a record of 1-0-2 on the road. The win at Sahlen’s Stadium was the first for Portland during regular-season play since 2013.

Portland returns to the Rose City for back-to-back home matches beginning with a midweek contest against the Boston Breakers on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at Providence Park. Kickoff for Wednesday’s match is 7 p.m. (Pacific) with a web stream broadcast on www.FOXSportsGO.com and on tablets and mobile devices via the FOX Sports Go app.  

Notes:                                                                                               

• Defender Emily Menges made her 22nd consecutive start, dating back to the 2014 season.
• With the goal, forward Christine Sinclair is tied for second in career points (37) with forward Alex Morgan.
• Forward Ayo registered her first career NWSL assist in the match.
• Portland is 3-1-3 all-time against the Flash in regular-season play and unbeaten in three regular-season meetings (1-0-2) at Sahlen’s Stadium.
• Thorns FC picked up its first win on the road since June 21, 2014, and its first win of the 2015 season away from Providence Park.
• Long (18) and Sinclair (17) rank first and second, respectively, on Thorns FC’s all-time goal-scoring list.
• Sinclair tallied her fifth career game-winning goal, moving into a tie for first place in career game-winning goals with Morgan.
• Long has scored in consecutive matches against the Flash, registering the game-winning goal in the last meeting between the two teams on April 18.
• Portland is 4-0-1 this season and 13-0-3 since 2013 when Long scores in a game.
• Long has tallied a goal or an assist in eight of Thorns FC’s 14 matches this season.
• Portland improved to 14-0-5 all-time when leading at halftime.
• Thorns FC are 19-1-4 all-time when scoring at least two goals in a match.
• Playing 85 minutes, Long became the first Thorns FC player to reach 5,000 career minutes played.
• Midfielder Mana Shim made her 50th career appearance for Portland, becoming the second player to play 50 matches for the club, while midfielder Kendall Johnson made her 50th career NWSL appearance.
• Portland has limited its opponents to single-digit shot attempts in nine of its 14 matches this season.
• Thorns FC have a record of 20-2-5 all-time when scoring the first goal in a match.
• During the month of July since 2013, Sinclair has seven goals and four assists in 15 career matches.

Portland Thorns FC (4-6-4, 16pts) vs. Western New York Flash (4-7-3, 15pts)
July 29, 2015 – Sahlen’s Stadium (Rochester, N.Y.)

Goals by Half                            1          2           F
Portland Thorns FC                   1          1           2
Western New York Flash           0          0           0

Scoring Summary
POR: Sinclair (Ayo), 33
POR: Long (Sinclair), 80

Misconduct Summary
POR: Williamson (Caution), 28
POR: Zerboni (Caution), 79

Lineups & Stats
POR: GK Michelle Betos, D Rachel Van Hollebeke, D Kat Williamson ©, D Emily Menges, M Clare Polkinghorne (Johnson, 90+2’), M McCall Zerboni, M Sinead Farrelly, M Tobin Heath, M Allie Long (Kyle, 85), F Ayo (Shim, 74), F Christine Sinclair

Substitutes Not Used: GK Nadine Angerer, D Steph Catley, F Jodie Taylor

TOTAL SHOTS: 9 (Long, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Long, Sinclair, 2); FOULS: 4 (Four players, 1); OFFSIDES: 11; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 4

WNY: GK Sabrina D’Angelo, D Elizabeth Eddy (Fields, 76), D Abby Dahlkemper, D Whitney Engen, D Jaelene Hinkle, M Sam Mewis, M Halimatu Ayinde (Lady Andrade, 62), M Becky Edwards ©, F Lynn Williams, F Michelle Heyman, F Jasmyne Spencer

Substitutes Not Used: GK Chantel Jones, M Ashley Nick, D Kristen Edmonds, D Brittany Taylor

TOTAL SHOTS: 9 (Mewis, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Mewis, Spencer, 2); FOULS: 1 (Williams, 1); OFFSIDES: 3; CORNER KICKS: 10; SAVES: 3

Referee: Brandon Artis
Assistant Referees: Alicia Messer, Lauren Dearman
4th Official: Steve Montanino
Attendance: 2,979
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 88 degrees