Maybe...it might be a lock if poor weather forces a home side to relocate a match to a minor league baseball park w/ a pitch that looks about twenty yards wide on video.
If the team keeps going like this? He'll be a lock, imo. Obviously I don't expect them to win out (do I?), but if they continue this march towards the top of the table and have a successful playoff run (which for _this_ team means reaching the Finals, I'd say), then I don't think the owners and GM are going to be thinking they need someone else, regardless of who's on the market. "If it ain't broke..."
For all the early hype about KC's attackers, or Bethune, Banda, Yates, etc., let us note that Soph is once again leading the league in goals and assists well into the season. In fact her goals alone match anyone else in total points.
Suggestion to the capos; there’s a Nadeshiko song. It’s super catchy and simple; “Nii-ppon, vamos Nippon” (yes, “let’s go” in Spanish. Go figure…) So you replace “Nippon” with “Hina-San”. Google it, you can hear the tune. Same syllables. And there it is; instant Sugita song, easy to learn and sing.
Gale came out and said that the Reign’s 3-game week factored into his game plan, bringing on the faster wingers late knowing that Seattle would be gassed. That would explain the slow starting. 11, and the night-and-day difference in the second half
Credit to Kelli, who had her best game in a long while. This was, admittedly, the exact type of opposition against whom she should thrive, but she played well.
I think the world of both of them, but this reminded me of Celeste Bourielle at her best, where she was calmly decisive even when her every touch and action made me nervous all match long. Hubs' goal-line clearance was her best play in recent memory-glad I was there to see it.
Been meaning to mention this for a couple seasons: seeing Hina's technique warming up can be worth the admission price. Also, tonight Dias launched a couple of absolute rockets warming up, and Sam seems so disciplined I keep thinking she'll be a Tai Chi master some day.
See above; there’s a classic Nadeshiko song (“Vamos Nippon”) that 1) works with her name in place of “Nippon”, and 2) she will recognize and, I think, enjoy.
Remember back when Raso and then Charley were our sole designated speed merchants? Now we've got speed to burn up front and a fullback who can outpace just about anyone on the globe. As a fan, I feel spoiled and decadent.
Vindication, per Equalizer "The Professional Referee Organization announced this week that the handball called against Sofia Huerta against the Thorns was in error, and there should not have been a penalty kick awarded. Sophia Smith converted the penalty to make it 2-0 in the 80th minute. The Thorns added two goals in stoppage time to win it 4-0. I’ll have more thoughts on VAR in this space in the coming weeks."
They removed that portion of the law, it no longer matters if it comes directly off another part of the player's body. I wish it weren't, but by the letter of the law it's a handball.
Pretty sure this exact scenario happened in the Smith knee injury game last year only it was a Thorn called for the handball. I'm glad it was given, I was livid about that call last year.
You're exactly right. And it was wrong then, and it's wrong now, though (I think?) they removed the wording that explicitly exempts the deflection from being called.
not able to watch, but looking art stats, would say Gish are handing it to us. How is such a bad team able to control the flow of play, Giving up that possesion, where the heckk is our midfield? Probably better not watching.
They're not at all actually. Thorns didn't play their best, but all of Seattle's chances have been from set pieces, many of which should not have been given in the first place.
That said, bad lineup from Gale. Way too slow and narrow.
Hate hate hate this start and game plan. No high pressure against a Seattle team who can't keep the ball to save their lives, Moultrie out wide where she's useless, and Sinc alone up top with Soph shunted to the wing. First noticeably bad series of decisions from Gale.
watching from up high on 208 in the first half, the Thorns were lined up ni a very distinct 4-1-4-1 pattern, with the front 5 rotated between positions. Not sure if that translates to something different, nomiinally,
First lineup with all three of Fleming, Moultrie, and Hina. Looks like a 4-2-2-2 unless one of those three shifts out wide. Makes sense to at least test against Seattle's low block given the Thorns should, in theory, have most of the ball. Payne will need to be an outlet wide.
Also, hear me out, but this is the weirdest NWSL season yet.
Maybe...it might be a lock if poor weather forces a home side to relocate a match to a minor league baseball park w/ a pitch that looks about twenty yards wide on video.
Serious question: how well does Gale have to do in order to earn the full HC title? Is it even possible?
Because I’m honestly pretty high on Rob Gale right now 🤷🏽
If the team keeps going like this? He'll be a lock, imo. Obviously I don't expect them to win out (do I?), but if they continue this march towards the top of the table and have a successful playoff run (which for _this_ team means reaching the Finals, I'd say), then I don't think the owners and GM are going to be thinking they need someone else, regardless of who's on the market. "If it ain't broke..."
Agreed on all points.
Me too--and all the people I came to the game with. After each of the last few games, the players comments indicate they like him a lot too.
For all the early hype about KC's attackers, or Bethune, Banda, Yates, etc., let us note that Soph is once again leading the league in goals and assists well into the season. In fact her goals alone match anyone else in total points.
Suggestion to the capos; there’s a Nadeshiko song. It’s super catchy and simple; “Nii-ppon, vamos Nippon” (yes, “let’s go” in Spanish. Go figure…) So you replace “Nippon” with “Hina-San”. Google it, you can hear the tune. Same syllables. And there it is; instant Sugita song, easy to learn and sing.
So tell me why we don’t do that..?
She'd surely recognize it, too...which would be awesome.
That was totally why I want us to sing it! A little reminder of home…
I’m gonna mark that down as a win.
"I love Hina. I am the biggest Hina fan" -Soph lolol
An hour of tension followed by forty minutes of pure beatdown. Against Seattle? Give me more of THAT.
Seattle really faded badly in the second half and when the Thorns turned it into a track meet, Fishy and company were cooked.
Gale came out and said that the Reign’s 3-game week factored into his game plan, bringing on the faster wingers late knowing that Seattle would be gassed. That would explain the slow starting. 11, and the night-and-day difference in the second half
Yep. Here I was worried about making Moultrie’s goal stand up..!
Tense and worrisome up to the pen, and then pure catharsis w/ the late deluge.
Credit to Kelli, who had her best game in a long while. This was, admittedly, the exact type of opposition against whom she should thrive, but she played well.
I think the world of both of them, but this reminded me of Celeste Bourielle at her best, where she was calmly decisive even when her every touch and action made me nervous all match long. Hubs' goal-line clearance was her best play in recent memory-glad I was there to see it.
Absolutely--Kells played really well!
Agreed. Big match from Hubs.
Kept her focus all match...that seems to be the key for her.
Defense kept a clean sheet. Nice
Nice of ref to give Thorns so much stoppage time to build their GD after screwing them most of the match.
Sophia with the assist hat trick. There a name for that?
https://twitter.com/SportsGuyJeremy/status/1789515891685937286/photo/1
DESTROY THEMMMMM
EMBARRASS THEM PAYTON!!!
Why are there no ole chants from the crowd cmon now guys
I was just saying we gotta get that GD up
Holy technique Hina!
Been meaning to mention this for a couple seasons: seeing Hina's technique warming up can be worth the admission price. Also, tonight Dias launched a couple of absolute rockets warming up, and Sam seems so disciplined I keep thinking she'll be a Tai Chi master some day.
Goddamn it, why don’t we have a Sugita song? Or a Smith song?
I want someone to do the "ohhhh HI-NA SU-GEEEE-TA, ohhhh HI-NA SU-GEEE-TA"
A la this dorky video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvY8M8mWLc8 but you get the gist. The syllables work.
See above; there’s a classic Nadeshiko song (“Vamos Nippon”) that 1) works with her name in place of “Nippon”, and 2) she will recognize and, I think, enjoy.
Yeah I def like that too!! They both deserve one, I’m not sure why new chants aren’t created…
And with her "off" foot, at that!
Positively balletic finish as shown from the reverse angle. Superb body control as always.
We need a theatrics coach added to our technical staff. Seattle are milking this shit.
Ah, but he doesn't call that one through the back on Janine. What are we doing?
AND THAT ON HINA??? Thanks god he gifted us the pen because he's been outright atrocious in favor of Seattle otherwise.
Exactly. That penalty was a soft call but he had given so many soft calls in favor of Seattle, we had to benefit from at least a couple going our way.
Payne has completely shut down Rodman and King b2b weeks. V impressive.
Remember back when Raso and then Charley were our sole designated speed merchants? Now we've got speed to burn up front and a fullback who can outpace just about anyone on the globe. As a fan, I feel spoiled and decadent.
Payne all the way! She's gotta be a starter.
Yep. She’s bossed two danger women like…a boss.
Athletic and smart...loving what we're seeing from her.
Maybe ball tells little white lies.
Probably the wrong call...but a bit of a make-up for all the soft crap he's hit us with.
Agreed.
He better call that after all these other soft calls
Never a pen, can't believe he gave it
Vindication, per Equalizer "The Professional Referee Organization announced this week that the handball called against Sofia Huerta against the Thorns was in error, and there should not have been a penalty kick awarded. Sophia Smith converted the penalty to make it 2-0 in the 80th minute. The Thorns added two goals in stoppage time to win it 4-0. I’ll have more thoughts on VAR in this space in the coming weeks."
VAR! VAR! VAR!
(This is a brutal call against Seattle if given btw)
Probably shouldn't be a PK, sadly: deflected off her foot onto her forearm.
They removed that portion of the law, it no longer matters if it comes directly off another part of the player's body. I wish it weren't, but by the letter of the law it's a handball.
Ah, I missed that change...thank you!
It's not obvious, it hits Huerta's leg first and her hand is in a perfectly natural position. I wouldn't give it if I was the ref.
Pretty sure this exact scenario happened in the Smith knee injury game last year only it was a Thorn called for the handball. I'm glad it was given, I was livid about that call last year.
You're exactly right. And it was wrong then, and it's wrong now, though (I think?) they removed the wording that explicitly exempts the deflection from being called.
Yes they did which was the only thing that stilled my rage last year 😂
Every damn time a Reign player goes down it's given. Completely ridiculous
And they go down like they were hit by sniper fire on every contact.
I would too if I were them! He's giving them every call and it's their only form of offense!
Wonderful run Janine, but that's gotta go to the wide open Sophia Smith
This ref is nonsense levels of soft. Absolutely nothing from Payne on Balcer there.
NONSENSE LEVELS OF SOFT
Zonal marking: Once again, trash.
not able to watch, but looking art stats, would say Gish are handing it to us. How is such a bad team able to control the flow of play, Giving up that possesion, where the heckk is our midfield? Probably better not watching.
They're not at all actually. Thorns didn't play their best, but all of Seattle's chances have been from set pieces, many of which should not have been given in the first place.
That said, bad lineup from Gale. Way too slow and narrow.
The Force is with Hubs just then
Maybe at the half they can figure out which game this ref is watching
Hell of a save by Kelli
Hubs, that was MAGNIFICENT!
Thought Fishlock was going to dive the Reign into an equalizer there...
I’ve been giving her shit all half for poor passes and bad decisions, but she paid all the freight right there.
Fishlock is such a diver! She's constantly doing it...
Don't call her Fishflop for nothin'!
I'm sorely tempted to retract my generous words from earlier this week.
Hogan's was equally spectacular too! Awesome from the pair of them.
Ref is giving Seattle a ton of realll weak shit so far. At least two dangerous FKs awarded for the softest of calls.
Well, that's what Liv DOES do!
Also, the evolution of Soph: She shoots that from a terrible angle 10x/10 last year.
I know she's had a few half decent matches, but christ is Sinc a waste of space 90% of the time. Beckie or Linnehan would be instant upgrades.
NWSL+ color person has some, ah..."interesting" pronunciations of player names: "Moul-trey" and "Soderbrunn," for example.
Think this is a Linnehan game. Need to get one of Sinc or Moultrie out of the game imo.
Continuing from previous matches: balls into Hina (who's just ditched her marker and burst towards goal) that Usain Bolt couldn't reach...
Hate hate hate this start and game plan. No high pressure against a Seattle team who can't keep the ball to save their lives, Moultrie out wide where she's useless, and Sinc alone up top with Soph shunted to the wing. First noticeably bad series of decisions from Gale.
....and Gale notices it's not working, Soph appears to be back central, but the three are rotating. Think we're going to need a bigger HT change.
I like how he's not afraid to make quick changes. Too many gaffers stick with an obviously problematic plan until the half.
I wish Liv was just a little bit faster. She kinda lumbers around out there.
Nope, no 4-2-2-2. Soph and Moultrie on the wings.
watching from up high on 208 in the first half, the Thorns were lined up ni a very distinct 4-1-4-1 pattern, with the front 5 rotated between positions. Not sure if that translates to something different, nomiinally,
Looked more like a straight 4-2-3-1
Man, just not entirely sure what we're supposed to expect out of Liv on the wing. Just not where she shines.
LFG peeps!
Lay waste to the Lords of the Ringless!
First lineup with all three of Fleming, Moultrie, and Hina. Looks like a 4-2-2-2 unless one of those three shifts out wide. Makes sense to at least test against Seattle's low block given the Thorns should, in theory, have most of the ball. Payne will need to be an outlet wide.
Gonna be a hot one, with at least one hydration break.
This will be the first real test of how Sinc does when it's not 60 degrees or cooler.