Full slate of games on tap this weekend as all teams are back in action this weekend in week three of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The schedule kicks off with two games on Friday night.
Friday, May 13
Sky Blue FC vs. Boston Breakers
Sky Blue head into week five coming off a 1-2 loss to Western New York to face a bottom-of-the-table Boston squad still looking for its first goal and first win of the season. Sky Blue started the season strong with a surprising 2-1 win over a Seattle squad many picked to contend for the league title once again. In the weeks since, however, the team has leveled off but the midfield partnership between Sarah Killion and Raquel Rodriguez continues to flourish.
For Boston, it’s a copy-and-paste paragraph from last week: despite the team’s record and scoring woes, the Breakers continue to make progress. Against the Red Stars, the Breakers held most of the possession, for example, and created chances. Boston’s defense has bent but not completely broken despite what the win-loss record says. It’s weird to write that and still be hopeful for the Breakers, but the goal(s) will come. To increase its scoring chances, the club has signed forward Eunice Beckmann, most recently of FC Bayern Munich in Germany, to help alleviate the scoring drought. The real question is whether the players can remain positive.
Player to Watch
Raquel Rodriguez. Each week the Costa Rican international has improved. Against Washington, it was Rodriguez’s pass that found Maya Hayes to put Sky Blue on the board. Rodriguez is still adjusting to the pace of the league, but those intermittent flashes of brilliance will change into more consistent play by season’s end.
Injury Report
Goalkeeper Abby Smith is out for Boston and will require season-ending surgery for a torn right patellar tendon. Danielle Schulmann is listed as doubtful with a right hip flexor strain.
FC Kansas City vs. Chicago Red Stars
Kansas City has had a less-than-desirable start to the season: the two-time defending champs have one point through their first four games. The prior two seasons saw memories of slow starts erased by championship trophies. And while it’s still early to call time on Kansas City’s reign, there are distressing signs for the club. The loss of Lauren Holiday and Amy Rodriguez is evident. And Erika Tymrak has been strangely quiet so far. And Becky Sauerbrunn hasn’t been Becky Sauerbrunn. Expect head coach Vlatko Andonovski to make lineup changes to try and add some urgency to his side.
It’s hard to say a team sitting in second has been less than impressive but Chicago hasn’t shown the offensive flare it did a year ago. Defensively, the Red Stars have been solid, in particular Arin Gilliland and Casey Short. Alyssa Naeher has been Alyssa Naeher and the Red Stars are coming into this week with three straight shutouts. Oh, yeah, Chicago has Christen Press, and while Press hasn’t seemed to connect with her team in full yet this season, you can never leave her unmarked on the field (as Boston inexplicably did) because she will crush your hopes and dreams in the blink of a half-volley.
Player to Watch and One of the Most Underrated
Jen Buczkowski She’s retiring after tonight’s game. “Buzz” is the quintessential professional, starting her professional career with Sky Blue FC in the Women’s Professional Soccer league. Here is a case in which stats don’t do a player justice: with Buczkowski on the field, teams always have a shot, as evidenced by her three league titles (WPS, 2009; NWSL, 2014, 2015). Unfortunately, Buczkowski joins a long list of players who never got a legitimate chance at the international level. She will be missed. Thanks, Buzz.
Injury Report
A whole list of players listed as probable for Kansas City: Caroline Kastor (adductor strain), Alexa Newfield (adductor strain), Katelyn Rowland (strep throat), and Erika Tymrak (metacarpal fracture). For Chicago, Amanda DaCosta (quad strain) and Julie Johnston (groin inflammation) listed as probable, and Cara Walls out with an ankle sprain.
Saturday, May 14
Washington Spirit vs. Houston Dash
How the tables have turned. Remember when the Spirit and Dash sucked? Four games into the 2016 is a bit early to start dusting off a place on the shelf for a championship trophy for either team. Truth be told, the league-leading Spirit have yet to really run any team off the field but have put in typically workman-like performances that get the job done. The Spirit have a deep team and its back line has been terrific. What it needs is to finish its chances and put down teams early. That back line might be tested by a Dash side that has shown well without Carli Lloyd in the mix.
The one blip for the Dash was a 1-3 loss to Orlando in which the team got going late in the game. Dash rookies have done well and the addition of Denise O’Sullivan added spark in the second half against FC Kansas City. The back line will need to stay organized and need help from its midfield to keep Spirit attack in check.
Player to Watch
Crystal Dunn. Cut and paste, right? The back line might be the most vulnerable line for a Dash team that has a lot of depth elsewhere, and Dunn can have a field day if the Spirit midfield possesses the ball for long stretches of the game.
Injury Report
Laura del Rio is out with an ankle cartilage defect. For the Dash, Melissa Henderson and Carli Lloyd both out with knee sprains.
Orlando Pride vs. Western New York Flash
The Pride are back at home this week against fellow mid-table colleagues. The Pride’s defense has been excellent, and goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris has typically made the big saves when called upon. The Flash are fast and the back line could be in for a rough one on a big field if the midfield doesn’t hold play up. Head coach Tom Sermanni made the tactical adjustments he needed to in a win over Seattle last week by playing route-one ball and bypassing the Reign’s midfield. Western New York has a good midfield too, led by a quietly-everywhere Sam Mewis and Sermanni might look to implement similar tactics to keep Western New York’s defense on its heels. Get Alex Morgan the ball in other words.
The Flash scored a goal in the run of play! The Flash are slowly coming into their own and you can start to see head coach Paul Riley’s imprint taking shape. This is a team that is fast from top to bottom but has yet to really exploit defenses and create scoring opportunities. It’ll be tough against Orlando’s strong defense, leaving the onus on the midfield to keep possession and make the Pride’s midfield work.
Player to Watch
Steph Catley. Catley has been superb this season, provided defensive cover but also adding to the offensive threat.
Injury Report
Orland’s Cami Levin had an emergency appendectomy and is out. Jeon Ga-Eul is listed as probable for the Flash.
Seattle Reign FC vs. Portland Thorns FC
Ah, a derby. Who doesn’t love it? But add this sentence to a long line of others that have expressed dismay at the Reign’s lackluster start. Nevertheless, expect this one to be appropriately chippy. Coming off a 0-2 loss to Orlando, the Reign will need to regroup against a talented Thorns team. In that loss, the Reign looked disinterested and out of ideas. Seattle is without Megan Rapinoe and Jess Fishlock and it showed. The defense has yet to find a consistent rhythm and will be tested again this week with the return of Christine Sinclair for the Thorns.
The Thorns add one but lose one, as Tobin Heath will be unavailable after picking up two yellow cards against the Washington Spirit last week. Heath has been a terror all season and the Thorns will miss her playmaking. On paper, the Thorns have the league’s most high-octaned (is this even a word?) offense but it hasn’t translated onto the field.
Player to Watch
Christine Sinclair. Sinclair has been out all season with an Achilles injury so how long she can go in this game is up in the air. The Thorns will need her in the absence of Heath and a forward line that has struggled. Chemistry and fitness are what to watch here.
Injury Report
Megan Rapinoe is still recovering from ACL surgery and Jess Fishlock is out with a tibia fracture. Sinclair is listed as probable for the Thorns, and Michelle Betos is out with nerve compression in her shoulder. Kat Williamson is out after undergoing a knee meniscectomy.