* Playoffs! First round bye! Home playoff game! Well done Thorns!
* Sugita and Moultrie had awesome games, as did Weaver. I guess I'd give WOTM to Sugita, because goal, but it's close.
* Big props to the defense too for the clean sheet. Gotham's chances were pretty limited - they had a lot of shots, but almost all were from well outside the box.
* Bixby and Moultrie both had huge saves - Bixby's in stoppage time of Williams's upper-corner shot, and Moultrie of that close-range header after a cross. If we manage to win the shield I'm going to remember those two blocks as key moments. Well done!
* Sinclair was used the right way, as a late sub - in this case to help kill off the game.
* Coffey's cross to Sugita for the goal was picture-perfect. It really looked like she saw the space in front of Sugita and targeted it with precision.
* Smith might be good for 60 minutes, or even 90, by playoff time. That's huuuuge.
* If we can beat Angel City, I'll be happy with the shield even if we don't collect another star. To me the shield is a better indicator of team quality. Winning both, of course, is the dream, but that would require that we win four in a row and that just seems impossible for this team.
I should give an extra shout-out to the outside backs for containing Lynn Williams so well, and the center backs and Coffey for doing the same to Esther González. On the flanks this was mostly done by Klingenberg, but IIRC Williams switched sides later in the game so Kuikka did the work too. Dunno why Williams and teammates, confronting Kling, didn't just boot it long and outrace Kling, but Kling had some kind of juju to stop this from happening. Partly Kling stayed home more than usual this season, but still you'd think she'd have been vulnerable. Nope.
Look at the OPTA site; Kling’s juju was Norris not pushing her up as high as he usually does. Kuikka went forward a bit more in the first half, then they both sat deep in the second.
Hard to evade the guards when they’re sitting on top of the safe, eh?
Yeah, I noted this elsewhere in this thread or the one just before this one re: Lynn and Midge's unused speed. I do think Kuikka and Kling did a pretty good job (though Midge did round Kling a few times) of containing the wingers. I think it had more to do with Amoros, though. He's trying to play a more Spanish possession-based style, but his wingers don't fit that role really at all. Midge and Lynn are most notable for their speed and ability to get into good spaces....not necessarily for their technical abilities. They definitely could have punished us SO many times when there was a transition and our FB's were caught high, but instead I saw them more often than not stop their runs, and then hold the ball up and pass inside to progress play. I was baffled everytime it happened because it's like they nuked their own chances to take advantage of a moment (San Diego would NOT have done that.) It looked very intentional because generally Lynn Williams is a player who knows she can beat everyone in a foot race and it's what she's been doing since college (she's said as much in the past.) Anyways...seems more like a coach imposing his system on his players and not necessarily exploiting the qualities of his players. I'm not saying his system is all wrong at all, but his wingers seem like a mismatch. It worked better when they also had more experience in the midfield to hold possession better (ie Long, Zerboni, and Mewis.)
Love love love the Amoros/wingers observation- I said before the SD game that I was more worried about Gotham because of their pace, but Gotham really didn’t utilize that asset at all. Didn’t get to watch live, but I was surprised that Gotham didn’t really manage to open the game up.
In fact, I went back and watched the full game, and not only does they not really go vertical, he really seems to be trying to get them to invert and combine like the Spanish NT. Now that they have Gonzalez, I wonder if he tries to build the roster more in his image....but you don’t really have that (the ability to bring in tactic-specific players) luxury quite yet in the NWSL. Will be interesting to see what happens down the line.
I agree. I could see Amoros was frustrated every time an attack died on the wings of the attacking third and it seem to me it was with Purse and Williams. He may have felt that they should be working it around with Esther being the fulcrum. But as you note neither Williams or Purse are that kind of player. Kling and Kuikka both can dissemble those two if it is not a foot race and they did. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him trade one of those players and lots of teams would love to have Midge or Lynn.
Agree across the board. I can only slightly downplay the victory by noting how poorly Gotham played. They really missed Mewis and Long to a lesser extent. Even Zerboni would have helped. You’ve got Williams, Purce and Gonzales and can only manage 6 shots midway thru the second half. Maybe one or two of those shots was on frame. Ryan was especially guilty of error after error. A win takes three and that’s all that matters at this stage.
Whoa! ACFCNFT comes back from 1-0 down at half to win 2-1. They're still alive and sitting on 28.
Houston is all but eliminated, as they could still tie OL Reign or any other team that lands on 29 but are well behind in GD.
Well, I don't know what that changes about next weekend's match. Either they were going to be hungry for a playoff spot or they were going to be hungry to play spoiler for our shot at the Shield.
Either way, I'd say the answer is to go down to LA and rehearse delivering SoCal Beatdowns.
Shows the eye test does not lie: watching NCC is like watching a WSL club.
"The Courage love their long, slaloming passing sequences -- they lead the league in 10-plus pass sequences with 251 (more than double second-place Portland, who have 123), though the next step has to be more efficiency in the final third. "
I can't comment on the site, so I'll do it here. I liked your section on keeper distribution. One thing that ties into the Betfort discussion is that Betfort presses like crazy and very nearly caught Haught several times. The press certainly forced Haught into some shorter distribution and to Purce's side. Both Purce and Williams have speed, but Kling was staying home more and Broon was smothering Gonzalez all game, so it definitely helped us out.
I did a massive study on keeper distribution in 2015 or 2016 when I wrote for the Slide Rule Pass site which, unfortunately (because the original blogger hung ‘em up and stopped paying the hosting fee) has disappeared into the woods of the Interwebs. But the gist was what’s concluded in the piece; keeper long distribution is largely a) highly dependent on the midfield receiving the kick/punt, and b) washed away by other field actions.
In a tiny handful of occasions - my guess is perhaps a handful of times a season - the kick or punt is either brilliant (as in “keeper assist”-level brilliant) or utterly appalling (think last year’s quarterfinal) to the “change the game state” degree.
Glad you called out Chesky for her "All muggings in box tonight: FREE" promotion, because I expended a lot of needless energy yelling at my teevee, on account of not getting the memo. Decking wee Dunn is one thing, but Betfort? Been awhile since I took physics, but that's a whole other thing entirely.
Agree with you on Betfort, and on Sinc. And I think the problems they face are actually quite similar, but the solutions are different.
Sinc can no longer do what she used to do all the time. Betfort can't consistently do what she's shown on occasion that she can do.
It's a confidence and coordination thing.
Sinc no longer has the coordination and has utterly lost the confidence.
Betfort has yet to gain the coordination and form the confidence.
One is on the way down and out. One is on the way up and hopefully will continue to be here as a 3rd forward.
I'd say give Sinc a hearty standing ovation when she subs in on November 5, and give Betfort another full season to develop before we pass judgment on her.
Agree on Betfort; I think she’s a “project”. I reeeeally like her now as a late-match-goal-up sub; she’ll press like a madwoman and disrupt the opponent. If that fails she’s a prospective fullback or DM conversion.
Sinc? Whatyagonnado? Her pace is glacial. She has no obvious role in defense, and who’d you sit for her even if she had? She’s just a boat anchor 96% of the time now, and her 4% isn’t worth everything else you lose with her.
Even if soccer had a DH - someone who came on to take penalties - her PK misses have become so frequent she’d still be on the bench.
I was gonna say, maybe get weird with it and go CB with Betfort? Sometimes having a big body to go out and play goon enforcer can come in handy, probably not have her on at the same time as Hubly but given her tendency to accumulate cards some depth would be good
Betfort *was* a CB and was converted to striker lol
(I think she kinda is what she is. Probably has a little bit more to grow and has shown some improvement, but she’s 24 and isn’t someone I want any higher on the depth chart than 3 when everyone’s healthy and available)
I don't see her as anything more than a "good squad forward", and that's IF she can start converting consistently. (OTOH, I thought that about Purce, too, at one time...)
But you need good squad players! So if that's her peak, I'm good with that. And if not - because I love her engine! - then conversion back to defending isn't beyond question...
I think she got moved where she is because she has some actual finesse that's more typical of an offensive player. You see it on the goals she's scored and on her passing. I still think it's a confidence and coordination issue, and we'll know better what to make of her after one more season.
Yeah I’d agree- She seems like a more natural attacking player this year.
I have no real issues with giving Betfort some more time to grow. I don’t, however, believe a team of Portland’s stature and ambition can afford to have her be the primary backup to Sophia Smith. Almost every team in the league has a better backup striker at this point, and it’s something we need to address this offseason.
(Also brings the Izzy issue to the foreground. The coaching staff clearly don’t see her as someone they can trust to do much of anything atm)
Ah should've figured, at least she's got some of the skillset down already! I genuinely like her a lot as a team member, she's ALWAYS showing up in the various practice/BTS clips/etc as being super goofy, high energy, and loving on everyone around her, just gotta find a good place for her on the field, relying on her goal-scoring hasn't really done it
Okay, is it officially part of the Thorns “identity” that we make no attempt to get open on throw-ins, or make any attempt to to stop the other team from receiving the ball on throw ins?
Consistent source of frustration, and like a hoops squad that attracts full-court press defenses, teams know to play us tight on throwins, magnifying the shortcoming.
Need to find a Demelo with the range and accuracy to make the defense back off for fear of surrendering a fast break/toss directly into the box.
Believe Chief has started quantifying throwin outcomes. Not pretty.
Or a Rapinoe like player who makes very quick throw-ins. Also, they need to remember that on a corner kick, goal kick, or throw-in you can't be offside, so spread the field!
She's a good example--decisive and seems able to will the ball onto the desired spot. Jess McDonald, of course, can knock someone's head off with it.
I remember when Kornieck was playing at Colorado, they also had a gal who did flip throwins, I think mostly for the entertainment value. That squad was a hoot to watch, maybe not so much for visitors.
Came in as pure journeywoman, had a terrific 2014 season that coincided with 1) Riley (spit!) stinking up the joint and 2) Morgan as the franchise player a) getting hurt and giving McD space to shine then b) returning and relegating Jess to the bench. She was pissed, Alex wasn’t happy…nobody was happy, and so Jess got dealt before 2015. Just a bad deal all around, and I’ve always felt that the club did poorly by her.
Also we don't seem to have the concept of a *quick* throw-in. It's always, walk over to pick up a ball, look around for a while, do a couple fakes, and *then* toss it. As FDChief has pointed out, it's like we treat a throw-in as a chance for a brief break and rest. Which is fine sometimes, like late in a game when we're ahead, but we also need to have the quick throw in our toolkit. Especially because, as I understand it, analysts who study throw-ins say success depends on how quickly they're taken - more time just gives the defense time to set up. Kling occasionally does a quick one but Kuikka, never.
I didn't see it as "a brief break and a rest" - indeed, there's always a LOT of fidgeting, ducking, and weaving by the thrower, especially - but a failure of training to move to space and/or use the "no offside" gimmick to go long.
And Kling, instead of Kuikka, is usually the most frustrating, standing for long periods peering about as if she can see someone we can't who IS moving to space.
It's not jakin' it, it's poor training and as David points out, it's been a Thorns problem for many years.
Got the tally up, and the imbalance is uuuugleee. See the match report link above, but tl:dr Gotham improved on 69% of their throws, the Thorns 29%. Portland turned the ball over 41% of the time, Gotham 11%. That's even worse that usual.
Morgan Weaver has been a favorite of mine since I first noticed her during her Senior year, but her goal against Lyon beating Wendy Renard, Christine Endler and past Amadine Henry (a galaxy of talent). Impossible angle so some luck there, but then all that elation, exhilaration, celebration. She is a real good player and a joy to watch.
McKaskill scored the winner in overtime and, unfortunately, did not receive a yellow. AC playoff hopes are kept alive. Saturday is gonna be nuts across the league.
1-0 to Houston at HT. If AC lose, they're out of the playoffs. Not sure how this would affect next week's game. Sometimes teams with nothing to play for play looser and better, sometimes they're dispirited and flat.
Started even and very back and forth, if not slightly favoring AC, but Houston was dominating more so the latter 20 mins of the half. Have had a ton of point-blank shots that they've missed...it should really be like 3/4-1 Houston. AC had one of those...Endo scuffed it right in front of goal. AC looks out of sorts in midfield and on defense. You can definitely tell coach is going all in on the attack, and so far it's not paying off. AC have had a ton of crosses and CK's, though (more at the beginning of the match.) I am not scared of this current iteration of AC. Thompson on the bench, to my confusion. MA Vignola not even listed as a sub. So far, AC out of the playoffs.
Yes, thank you! I didn't make it back here to update lol. I'm bummed LA won because that club is insufferable (and it had to be McKaskill ugh), but Houston missed like 4 sitters so they didn't deserve it honestly. I would be delighted to crush the Hollywood ending for AC, and win us a shield in the process. BMO is gonna be a rowdy sellout, I'm sure. I hope the Thorns come in, happy to be the villain, and thrive off of the energy. LFG gals.
So..... I think I want the Reign in the playoffs. They’re slow as hell, have been the opponent in two of the best 3-4 Thorns performances of the season, and are really struggling to score. Either way, win-win. It’s hilarious if they don’t make it, makes the field weaker if they do. I think Orlando (and you could make the argument for ACFC and Louisville) is a straight up better team at the moment.
My ideal scenario is the Thorns winning the shield and playing the winner of a 4-5 Reign-Louisville game at home. A lot of games would have to go a very particular way for this to occur, but it could happen!
Not that you will remember last year clearly but how are people feeling this year compared to last? Feeling more positive, less positive, or about the same for this team to win their final game claim the shield and/or become back to back champions for the first time in club history?
Last year we were 10-8-3 heading into the last weekend. When we drew against Gotham 3-3 to drop the shield for Reign to pick up. Still wondering if over using players in the build up and the WICC were going to scuttle the team's chances to lift any silverware that year. The team had found ways to drop wins to ties but were mostly finding ways to not lose. Last year after heavy and worrying rotation and use of a 3 back system the team and coach seemed to be in synch, making mostly fan approved lineups and subs for the last half of the season. Coaches showing some skill in making mid game tactical changes.
This year we are 10-5-6 heading into the final week with a win we only finish 1 point short of last year and a shield to boot. Sticking to a strict probably to the detriment of the team lineup has not been judged to be putting in the preferred starting line ups or subs until maybe post World Cup and maybe never for some people. Facing time out recovering from a minor knee injury for Sophia Smith, this team not being able to score from the run of play without her, still manages to keep the tie with Spirit and wins over Reign and Gotham to lock in the first round bye.
In some ways very similar in some ways not. How are people feeling about the team? With the home playoff game and bye locked in is everything else just gravy, or does 1 or 2 pieces of silverware needed for this to be a successful year for you?
I'm concerned, but not so much because of any huge issue I see with us, save perhaps Sophia Smith not being available for more than about 30 minutes. I'm concerned because ACFC are playing for their playoff lives. That's at least as much of a motivator as the Shield, I'd say, and they'll be going all out. Mind you, their "all out" may not be good enough (they've been playing below their roster strength all season), but regardless, we're gonna see it. Plus, it's going to be an away match in front of a huge crowd. Not easy...
Oh, and talk about arriving late at the optimal (minus Soph) lineup: Norris _finally_ played Hina centrally. And she had one of her very best matches as a Thorn. The chorus of "told yas" from these parts was likely audible in Mongolia.
Happily Louisville, SD's opponent, are also playing for their playoff lives, with a very good shot at playoffs if they win. A win puts them on 30 points, which would move them from their current 9th place up to 4th place in the table because they have a very good (+3) goal difference by mid-table standards. It won't be the same table anymore after everyone else's games, of course, but they'd be in the playoffs unless three of the teams they had leapfrogged manage to leapfrog them back.
Long story short: Louisville will be fighting like wild dogs for a win. Sending you good vibes, Dr. Nadim and friends....
One unfortunate circumstance for Lou in a must win game....I'm pretty sure DeMelo got her 5th yellow last match and will miss the last match of the season. That's tough considering what that game means for us as well...
I think she's fine actually. She served her 5 card suspension a few weeks ago and has only managed to get two more yellows since then. She's a great player but needs to get the fouling under control. She's spent two games this season out for suspensions.
Howell and Ary Borges have both been injured recently, but are both sitting on 4 cards. Really says something that Louisville has had that many cards between all it's starters.
Oh goood! Maybe it was the announcers (?) that said so, I can’t remember, but glad to hear they were wrong! I did read from a Louisville reporter that Howell and Borges should be back from injury (although, they could be rusty), and Wang Shuang is back from int’l duty as well. Only a week to reincorporate 3 players could make things messy, though! Hoping they can at least pull a draw!
This. Becki Tweed seems much more competent than Coombe was. And if Thompson is regaining some of that early form, that could be rough for us with her speed.
In '22 coach spent the early season with her weirdass formations and lineups and I think folks were relieved that she had evidently got over the tinkering phase in the second half. She also decided not to give a crap about Challenge and International cups, which may have kept the main squad a little fresher?
I don't really grok Norris and just hope he no longer has any lingering thoughts about holding obvious starting XI players back Because Reasons. His paralyzed trigger finger on the substitution gun remains a frustration, especially when we're showing obvious weak spots defensively. Counter that with the squad seeming to be cohesive and positive, with the last two years' turmoil seemingly behind them. Also mostly in good health.
Comparing final sixes, there's not a lot separating the two years. Getting that W next weekend will brighten up the joint and there's the very real factor of a month with no Sophia.
'22 L, W, D, W, W, D,
'23 W, L, D, W, L, W
Last year's virtual final was SD, and I will not be surprised to see that repeated in '23. I also think with their gaudy goal total, this squad has earned the shield.
ETA SD has best last-6 form with 4-1-1, while NCC has NO wins in theirs at 0-2-4. Weird, eh?
I share David's concern; Angel City NEEDS this win. We'd "like" it...but I'm not sure how much. Houston looked a LOT like we do; got tons of chances, only buried one, then derped away two goals. I can easily see that happening this coming weekend.
Down to the final game of the season, and the Thorns take the shield with a win. Fortunately, the only way we can lose the shield is if San Diego wins their game. Clinching the bye week is a big deal for this team, as it allows an extra week for Sophia to heal up and get game fit. It was great to see her on the pitch, and she showed some speed before she shut that run down. We are going to need her to play if we want to win in the playoffs. Lets take down ACFC and roll to the Championship!
I think San Diego WILL win their game, a home one against 9th-place Louisville, which means we have to win ours to win the shield. I do wonder if our Thorns were sleepwalking during last year's final game against last-place Gotham, particularly after going up 2-0, and that's why we drew (and lost the shield). Hopefully that's a lesson we'll take to heart this year. It's always harder in away games but hopefully we'll smash Angel City.
Louisville is actually undefeated against San Diego so far. Last year there was a 0-0 at SD and 1-0 win at home. This year a 0-0 draw at home. So, maybe there's a chance. Kanu will be back from her red card suspension, so likely to be a highly transitional match.
I watched that match, and the ref was absolute garbage. Ridiculously inconsistent in what constituted a foul, huge chip on her shoulder in terms of players saying _anything_ back to her,* and just flat blew multiple calls. The second Greenwood yellow was for "time wasting" (at c. 35th minute? Riiiiiight...) with _zero_ warning beforehand.
* To be fair, the league has tightened up on dissent...but that ref was still pathetically over-defensive.
The ref swallows her whistle on Lawrence's lazy late challenge to Hemp, who comes down hard on her shoulder and hits her head on the turf. No yellow! Ah, that's OK. Hemp will get one of her own here in about 6 minutes, and another one 14 minutes later.
Hemp's dissent and the one issued to Roord at halftime appear incredibly soft.
So too was Hemp's second yellow, as James took a dive.
Chelsea scored the equalizer on a rat scramble off a set piece when they were playing 11 v 8 (Kennedy was on the sideline).
Wonder what the Ladbroke's line was on this match? Everything was done to give it to Chelsea.
This ref! Would love to see her in the NWSL. She'd turn every match into a small-sided scrimmage. Can you imagine how quickly she'd send off McCaskill?
Remember the name: Emily Heaslip. Had to be escorted off the field!
Re: officials, good piece in ESPN.com about how one of the huge VAR issues in this league is the lack of cameras; about eight per match compared to thirty-odd in a typical EPL match.
So it’s not just training or experience; the tech itself is under resourced.
Totally agree on this. I suspect that if the NWSL got itself more involved with EA Sports, as the FAWSL have, we'd have more cameras and better camera angles. Just a thought.
I'm sure that'd help. But it's also a huge broadcast deal thing. Having SKY or ESPN or any other "big" network would help pay for more cameras; I mean, that's what they DO. Paramount+ and CBSSN and Twitch? Nope. Ain't gonna happen.
And to make it all even better, Man City already had someone sitting out on a 3-match suspension after being sent off last week and Ellie Roebuck has yet to appear in goal after ending last season on a red card.
So, according to this article, Trinity Rodman plays for Gotham. Gave me pause. As much as I adore Weaver, and I do, how has Kling never won this award? She is the heart and soul of the team- best pregame speeches anywhere. Kinda breaks my heart.
Ouch, she will definitely need the rest and she is crucial in the midfield. Against SDW with both her and Rocky being sub-optimal was an issue. Rocky, Crystal and Liv are going to have to be 100%.
* Playoffs! First round bye! Home playoff game! Well done Thorns!
* Sugita and Moultrie had awesome games, as did Weaver. I guess I'd give WOTM to Sugita, because goal, but it's close.
* Big props to the defense too for the clean sheet. Gotham's chances were pretty limited - they had a lot of shots, but almost all were from well outside the box.
* Bixby and Moultrie both had huge saves - Bixby's in stoppage time of Williams's upper-corner shot, and Moultrie of that close-range header after a cross. If we manage to win the shield I'm going to remember those two blocks as key moments. Well done!
* Sinclair was used the right way, as a late sub - in this case to help kill off the game.
* Coffey's cross to Sugita for the goal was picture-perfect. It really looked like she saw the space in front of Sugita and targeted it with precision.
* Smith might be good for 60 minutes, or even 90, by playoff time. That's huuuuge.
* If we can beat Angel City, I'll be happy with the shield even if we don't collect another star. To me the shield is a better indicator of team quality. Winning both, of course, is the dream, but that would require that we win four in a row and that just seems impossible for this team.
I should give an extra shout-out to the outside backs for containing Lynn Williams so well, and the center backs and Coffey for doing the same to Esther González. On the flanks this was mostly done by Klingenberg, but IIRC Williams switched sides later in the game so Kuikka did the work too. Dunno why Williams and teammates, confronting Kling, didn't just boot it long and outrace Kling, but Kling had some kind of juju to stop this from happening. Partly Kling stayed home more than usual this season, but still you'd think she'd have been vulnerable. Nope.
Look at the OPTA site; Kling’s juju was Norris not pushing her up as high as he usually does. Kuikka went forward a bit more in the first half, then they both sat deep in the second.
Hard to evade the guards when they’re sitting on top of the safe, eh?
Yeah, I noted this elsewhere in this thread or the one just before this one re: Lynn and Midge's unused speed. I do think Kuikka and Kling did a pretty good job (though Midge did round Kling a few times) of containing the wingers. I think it had more to do with Amoros, though. He's trying to play a more Spanish possession-based style, but his wingers don't fit that role really at all. Midge and Lynn are most notable for their speed and ability to get into good spaces....not necessarily for their technical abilities. They definitely could have punished us SO many times when there was a transition and our FB's were caught high, but instead I saw them more often than not stop their runs, and then hold the ball up and pass inside to progress play. I was baffled everytime it happened because it's like they nuked their own chances to take advantage of a moment (San Diego would NOT have done that.) It looked very intentional because generally Lynn Williams is a player who knows she can beat everyone in a foot race and it's what she's been doing since college (she's said as much in the past.) Anyways...seems more like a coach imposing his system on his players and not necessarily exploiting the qualities of his players. I'm not saying his system is all wrong at all, but his wingers seem like a mismatch. It worked better when they also had more experience in the midfield to hold possession better (ie Long, Zerboni, and Mewis.)
Love love love the Amoros/wingers observation- I said before the SD game that I was more worried about Gotham because of their pace, but Gotham really didn’t utilize that asset at all. Didn’t get to watch live, but I was surprised that Gotham didn’t really manage to open the game up.
In fact, I went back and watched the full game, and not only does they not really go vertical, he really seems to be trying to get them to invert and combine like the Spanish NT. Now that they have Gonzalez, I wonder if he tries to build the roster more in his image....but you don’t really have that (the ability to bring in tactic-specific players) luxury quite yet in the NWSL. Will be interesting to see what happens down the line.
I agree. I could see Amoros was frustrated every time an attack died on the wings of the attacking third and it seem to me it was with Purse and Williams. He may have felt that they should be working it around with Esther being the fulcrum. But as you note neither Williams or Purse are that kind of player. Kling and Kuikka both can dissemble those two if it is not a foot race and they did. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him trade one of those players and lots of teams would love to have Midge or Lynn.
Agree across the board. I can only slightly downplay the victory by noting how poorly Gotham played. They really missed Mewis and Long to a lesser extent. Even Zerboni would have helped. You’ve got Williams, Purce and Gonzales and can only manage 6 shots midway thru the second half. Maybe one or two of those shots was on frame. Ryan was especially guilty of error after error. A win takes three and that’s all that matters at this stage.
Whoa! ACFCNFT comes back from 1-0 down at half to win 2-1. They're still alive and sitting on 28.
Houston is all but eliminated, as they could still tie OL Reign or any other team that lands on 29 but are well behind in GD.
Well, I don't know what that changes about next weekend's match. Either they were going to be hungry for a playoff spot or they were going to be hungry to play spoiler for our shot at the Shield.
Either way, I'd say the answer is to go down to LA and rehearse delivering SoCal Beatdowns.
This is fun:
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/38617590/nwsl-superlatives-data-numbers-analytics-best-worsts-2023-season
Shows the eye test does not lie: watching NCC is like watching a WSL club.
"The Courage love their long, slaloming passing sequences -- they lead the league in 10-plus pass sequences with 251 (more than double second-place Portland, who have 123), though the next step has to be more efficiency in the final third. "
Match report: https://rivetingpdx.com/2023/10/09/thorns-fc-won-and-in/
I can't comment on the site, so I'll do it here. I liked your section on keeper distribution. One thing that ties into the Betfort discussion is that Betfort presses like crazy and very nearly caught Haught several times. The press certainly forced Haught into some shorter distribution and to Purce's side. Both Purce and Williams have speed, but Kling was staying home more and Broon was smothering Gonzalez all game, so it definitely helped us out.
I did a massive study on keeper distribution in 2015 or 2016 when I wrote for the Slide Rule Pass site which, unfortunately (because the original blogger hung ‘em up and stopped paying the hosting fee) has disappeared into the woods of the Interwebs. But the gist was what’s concluded in the piece; keeper long distribution is largely a) highly dependent on the midfield receiving the kick/punt, and b) washed away by other field actions.
In a tiny handful of occasions - my guess is perhaps a handful of times a season - the kick or punt is either brilliant (as in “keeper assist”-level brilliant) or utterly appalling (think last year’s quarterfinal) to the “change the game state” degree.
Glad you called out Chesky for her "All muggings in box tonight: FREE" promotion, because I expended a lot of needless energy yelling at my teevee, on account of not getting the memo. Decking wee Dunn is one thing, but Betfort? Been awhile since I took physics, but that's a whole other thing entirely.
Play on.
Little Thornando (LT) recognized Chesky and said "Uh oh. We have a bad referee today."
I asked LT "How can you tell her apart from all the other bad referees in this league?"
LT said "I recognize her. We've had her before and she was bad."
I said, "Again, how can you tell her apart"?
Agree with you on Betfort, and on Sinc. And I think the problems they face are actually quite similar, but the solutions are different.
Sinc can no longer do what she used to do all the time. Betfort can't consistently do what she's shown on occasion that she can do.
It's a confidence and coordination thing.
Sinc no longer has the coordination and has utterly lost the confidence.
Betfort has yet to gain the coordination and form the confidence.
One is on the way down and out. One is on the way up and hopefully will continue to be here as a 3rd forward.
I'd say give Sinc a hearty standing ovation when she subs in on November 5, and give Betfort another full season to develop before we pass judgment on her.
Agree on Betfort; I think she’s a “project”. I reeeeally like her now as a late-match-goal-up sub; she’ll press like a madwoman and disrupt the opponent. If that fails she’s a prospective fullback or DM conversion.
Sinc? Whatyagonnado? Her pace is glacial. She has no obvious role in defense, and who’d you sit for her even if she had? She’s just a boat anchor 96% of the time now, and her 4% isn’t worth everything else you lose with her.
Even if soccer had a DH - someone who came on to take penalties - her PK misses have become so frequent she’d still be on the bench.
I don’t have a good answer. It’s just sad.
I was gonna say, maybe get weird with it and go CB with Betfort? Sometimes having a big body to go out and play goon enforcer can come in handy, probably not have her on at the same time as Hubly but given her tendency to accumulate cards some depth would be good
Betfort *was* a CB and was converted to striker lol
(I think she kinda is what she is. Probably has a little bit more to grow and has shown some improvement, but she’s 24 and isn’t someone I want any higher on the depth chart than 3 when everyone’s healthy and available)
I don't see her as anything more than a "good squad forward", and that's IF she can start converting consistently. (OTOH, I thought that about Purce, too, at one time...)
But you need good squad players! So if that's her peak, I'm good with that. And if not - because I love her engine! - then conversion back to defending isn't beyond question...
I think she got moved where she is because she has some actual finesse that's more typical of an offensive player. You see it on the goals she's scored and on her passing. I still think it's a confidence and coordination issue, and we'll know better what to make of her after one more season.
Yeah I’d agree- She seems like a more natural attacking player this year.
I have no real issues with giving Betfort some more time to grow. I don’t, however, believe a team of Portland’s stature and ambition can afford to have her be the primary backup to Sophia Smith. Almost every team in the league has a better backup striker at this point, and it’s something we need to address this offseason.
(Also brings the Izzy issue to the foreground. The coaching staff clearly don’t see her as someone they can trust to do much of anything atm)
Ah should've figured, at least she's got some of the skillset down already! I genuinely like her a lot as a team member, she's ALWAYS showing up in the various practice/BTS clips/etc as being super goofy, high energy, and loving on everyone around her, just gotta find a good place for her on the field, relying on her goal-scoring hasn't really done it
Okay, is it officially part of the Thorns “identity” that we make no attempt to get open on throw-ins, or make any attempt to to stop the other team from receiving the ball on throw ins?
I agree that it certainly appears that way more often than not, which is a bit maddening given that it’s such a basic part of the game.
Consistent source of frustration, and like a hoops squad that attracts full-court press defenses, teams know to play us tight on throwins, magnifying the shortcoming.
Need to find a Demelo with the range and accuracy to make the defense back off for fear of surrendering a fast break/toss directly into the box.
Believe Chief has started quantifying throwin outcomes. Not pretty.
Or a Rapinoe like player who makes very quick throw-ins. Also, they need to remember that on a corner kick, goal kick, or throw-in you can't be offside, so spread the field!
She's a good example--decisive and seems able to will the ball onto the desired spot. Jess McDonald, of course, can knock someone's head off with it.
I remember when Kornieck was playing at Colorado, they also had a gal who did flip throwins, I think mostly for the entertainment value. That squad was a hoot to watch, maybe not so much for visitors.
Jess McD is seriously underappreciated in NWSL history:
17th in minutes played
4th in appearances
4th in goals
3rd in playoff goals
1st in assists
Her tenure here was really unfortunate.
Came in as pure journeywoman, had a terrific 2014 season that coincided with 1) Riley (spit!) stinking up the joint and 2) Morgan as the franchise player a) getting hurt and giving McD space to shine then b) returning and relegating Jess to the bench. She was pissed, Alex wasn’t happy…nobody was happy, and so Jess got dealt before 2015. Just a bad deal all around, and I’ve always felt that the club did poorly by her.
Yep. Got tallies for 19 of the 21 so far. Going to keep that up and do a deep dive in the offseason,
Also we don't seem to have the concept of a *quick* throw-in. It's always, walk over to pick up a ball, look around for a while, do a couple fakes, and *then* toss it. As FDChief has pointed out, it's like we treat a throw-in as a chance for a brief break and rest. Which is fine sometimes, like late in a game when we're ahead, but we also need to have the quick throw in our toolkit. Especially because, as I understand it, analysts who study throw-ins say success depends on how quickly they're taken - more time just gives the defense time to set up. Kling occasionally does a quick one but Kuikka, never.
I didn't see it as "a brief break and a rest" - indeed, there's always a LOT of fidgeting, ducking, and weaving by the thrower, especially - but a failure of training to move to space and/or use the "no offside" gimmick to go long.
And Kling, instead of Kuikka, is usually the most frustrating, standing for long periods peering about as if she can see someone we can't who IS moving to space.
It's not jakin' it, it's poor training and as David points out, it's been a Thorns problem for many years.
I've harped on this, too: the team has ALWAYS been awful at throw ins. Like...from the very first season.
genuinely HOW ARE WE SO BAD AT THEM
Lol we were trying to count the bad throw-ins yesterday too. My partner was like "I can't unsee it, they're all so bad!"
Got the tally up, and the imbalance is uuuugleee. See the match report link above, but tl:dr Gotham improved on 69% of their throws, the Thorns 29%. Portland turned the ball over 41% of the time, Gotham 11%. That's even worse that usual.
Doesn’t Draco Malfoy’s moneyball crew have some stats on this for Nori?
Anybody else here feel like the Opening Weekend destruction of KC was a lifetime ago?
Everyone go vote for Hina so McCaskill doesn't win (and, Hina!): https://twitter.com/NWSL/status/1711409650132803640
You _know_ I did...
Too late; McCaskill took it in a walk.
Was she shaking her head, complaining, and holding her arms up in a Y as she walked?
Knowing McCaskill? Sure! And probably after shanking half a dozen complaints.
Booooooo
Smithers, are they booing me?
Sir, they’re saying boo-urns! Lol what a great one.
Congratulations to my girl Morgan Weaver! Been watching her since her Freshman year. Super proud of her. She’s on the Mount Rushmore of Coug athletes
Morgan Weaver has been a favorite of mine since I first noticed her during her Senior year, but her goal against Lyon beating Wendy Renard, Christine Endler and past Amadine Henry (a galaxy of talent). Impossible angle so some luck there, but then all that elation, exhilaration, celebration. She is a real good player and a joy to watch.
She has multiple big game goals like that! She is a big game player, for sure. Always shows up for those.
Will be watching the AC game later today and hoping for a McKasill yellow. She's on 4, and would be out next weekend if she gets one today.
Let us know if that or anything else of consequence happens. The game is on CBSSN, so not everyone has access.
I really hope we have better options for viewing next year.
McKaskill scored the winner in overtime and, unfortunately, did not receive a yellow. AC playoff hopes are kept alive. Saturday is gonna be nuts across the league.
1-0 to Houston at HT. If AC lose, they're out of the playoffs. Not sure how this would affect next week's game. Sometimes teams with nothing to play for play looser and better, sometimes they're dispirited and flat.
Update: AC is running out with a 2-3-5 according to their graphic lmao...
(I'm guessing two of those actually play defense, but they legit have listed 5 players as playing F in their lineup)
AND Koroleva is the ref?! Wooden spoon derby number two is gonna be fun for the neutrals lol.
HT: Hou up 1-0.
Started even and very back and forth, if not slightly favoring AC, but Houston was dominating more so the latter 20 mins of the half. Have had a ton of point-blank shots that they've missed...it should really be like 3/4-1 Houston. AC had one of those...Endo scuffed it right in front of goal. AC looks out of sorts in midfield and on defense. You can definitely tell coach is going all in on the attack, and so far it's not paying off. AC have had a ton of crosses and CK's, though (more at the beginning of the match.) I am not scared of this current iteration of AC. Thompson on the bench, to my confusion. MA Vignola not even listed as a sub. So far, AC out of the playoffs.
FT 2-1 Angel City.
Yes, thank you! I didn't make it back here to update lol. I'm bummed LA won because that club is insufferable (and it had to be McKaskill ugh), but Houston missed like 4 sitters so they didn't deserve it honestly. I would be delighted to crush the Hollywood ending for AC, and win us a shield in the process. BMO is gonna be a rowdy sellout, I'm sure. I hope the Thorns come in, happy to be the villain, and thrive off of the energy. LFG gals.
Lynn Williams not Trinity Rodman.
A friend calls a mistake like that not a typo but rather a thinko.
So..... I think I want the Reign in the playoffs. They’re slow as hell, have been the opponent in two of the best 3-4 Thorns performances of the season, and are really struggling to score. Either way, win-win. It’s hilarious if they don’t make it, makes the field weaker if they do. I think Orlando (and you could make the argument for ACFC and Louisville) is a straight up better team at the moment.
My ideal scenario is the Thorns winning the shield and playing the winner of a 4-5 Reign-Louisville game at home. A lot of games would have to go a very particular way for this to occur, but it could happen!
Not that you will remember last year clearly but how are people feeling this year compared to last? Feeling more positive, less positive, or about the same for this team to win their final game claim the shield and/or become back to back champions for the first time in club history?
Last year we were 10-8-3 heading into the last weekend. When we drew against Gotham 3-3 to drop the shield for Reign to pick up. Still wondering if over using players in the build up and the WICC were going to scuttle the team's chances to lift any silverware that year. The team had found ways to drop wins to ties but were mostly finding ways to not lose. Last year after heavy and worrying rotation and use of a 3 back system the team and coach seemed to be in synch, making mostly fan approved lineups and subs for the last half of the season. Coaches showing some skill in making mid game tactical changes.
This year we are 10-5-6 heading into the final week with a win we only finish 1 point short of last year and a shield to boot. Sticking to a strict probably to the detriment of the team lineup has not been judged to be putting in the preferred starting line ups or subs until maybe post World Cup and maybe never for some people. Facing time out recovering from a minor knee injury for Sophia Smith, this team not being able to score from the run of play without her, still manages to keep the tie with Spirit and wins over Reign and Gotham to lock in the first round bye.
In some ways very similar in some ways not. How are people feeling about the team? With the home playoff game and bye locked in is everything else just gravy, or does 1 or 2 pieces of silverware needed for this to be a successful year for you?
I'm concerned, but not so much because of any huge issue I see with us, save perhaps Sophia Smith not being available for more than about 30 minutes. I'm concerned because ACFC are playing for their playoff lives. That's at least as much of a motivator as the Shield, I'd say, and they'll be going all out. Mind you, their "all out" may not be good enough (they've been playing below their roster strength all season), but regardless, we're gonna see it. Plus, it's going to be an away match in front of a huge crowd. Not easy...
Oh, and talk about arriving late at the optimal (minus Soph) lineup: Norris _finally_ played Hina centrally. And she had one of her very best matches as a Thorn. The chorus of "told yas" from these parts was likely audible in Mongolia.
Happily Louisville, SD's opponent, are also playing for their playoff lives, with a very good shot at playoffs if they win. A win puts them on 30 points, which would move them from their current 9th place up to 4th place in the table because they have a very good (+3) goal difference by mid-table standards. It won't be the same table anymore after everyone else's games, of course, but they'd be in the playoffs unless three of the teams they had leapfrogged manage to leapfrog them back.
Long story short: Louisville will be fighting like wild dogs for a win. Sending you good vibes, Dr. Nadim and friends....
One unfortunate circumstance for Lou in a must win game....I'm pretty sure DeMelo got her 5th yellow last match and will miss the last match of the season. That's tough considering what that game means for us as well...
I think she's fine actually. She served her 5 card suspension a few weeks ago and has only managed to get two more yellows since then. She's a great player but needs to get the fouling under control. She's spent two games this season out for suspensions.
Howell and Ary Borges have both been injured recently, but are both sitting on 4 cards. Really says something that Louisville has had that many cards between all it's starters.
Oh goood! Maybe it was the announcers (?) that said so, I can’t remember, but glad to hear they were wrong! I did read from a Louisville reporter that Howell and Borges should be back from injury (although, they could be rusty), and Wang Shuang is back from int’l duty as well. Only a week to reincorporate 3 players could make things messy, though! Hoping they can at least pull a draw!
Ah yes, Yellow DeMelo!
That, and ACFC are no longer a trash heap. They've come together and have a relatively strong lineup.
This. Becki Tweed seems much more competent than Coombe was. And if Thompson is regaining some of that early form, that could be rough for us with her speed.
In '22 coach spent the early season with her weirdass formations and lineups and I think folks were relieved that she had evidently got over the tinkering phase in the second half. She also decided not to give a crap about Challenge and International cups, which may have kept the main squad a little fresher?
I don't really grok Norris and just hope he no longer has any lingering thoughts about holding obvious starting XI players back Because Reasons. His paralyzed trigger finger on the substitution gun remains a frustration, especially when we're showing obvious weak spots defensively. Counter that with the squad seeming to be cohesive and positive, with the last two years' turmoil seemingly behind them. Also mostly in good health.
Comparing final sixes, there's not a lot separating the two years. Getting that W next weekend will brighten up the joint and there's the very real factor of a month with no Sophia.
'22 L, W, D, W, W, D,
'23 W, L, D, W, L, W
Last year's virtual final was SD, and I will not be surprised to see that repeated in '23. I also think with their gaudy goal total, this squad has earned the shield.
ETA SD has best last-6 form with 4-1-1, while NCC has NO wins in theirs at 0-2-4. Weird, eh?
I share David's concern; Angel City NEEDS this win. We'd "like" it...but I'm not sure how much. Houston looked a LOT like we do; got tons of chances, only buried one, then derped away two goals. I can easily see that happening this coming weekend.
What's Mandy's form been like?
Down to the final game of the season, and the Thorns take the shield with a win. Fortunately, the only way we can lose the shield is if San Diego wins their game. Clinching the bye week is a big deal for this team, as it allows an extra week for Sophia to heal up and get game fit. It was great to see her on the pitch, and she showed some speed before she shut that run down. We are going to need her to play if we want to win in the playoffs. Lets take down ACFC and roll to the Championship!
I think San Diego WILL win their game, a home one against 9th-place Louisville, which means we have to win ours to win the shield. I do wonder if our Thorns were sleepwalking during last year's final game against last-place Gotham, particularly after going up 2-0, and that's why we drew (and lost the shield). Hopefully that's a lesson we'll take to heart this year. It's always harder in away games but hopefully we'll smash Angel City.
Louisville is actually undefeated against San Diego so far. Last year there was a 0-0 at SD and 1-0 win at home. This year a 0-0 draw at home. So, maybe there's a chance. Kanu will be back from her red card suspension, so likely to be a highly transitional match.
Chelsea and Man City drew yesterday, 1-1.
But holy hell, look at all the pretty autumn colors! So much yellow and red!
https://twitter.com/womenstransfer/status/1711012235714129952
7 yellows in the 1st half, including 4 in a 4-minute stretch and Greenwood picking up 2 yellows within 21 minutes.
Not to be outdone, Hemp picks up 2 yellows in 14 minutes in the 2nd half! So Man City played 2 players down for the last 22 minutes of the match.
Man City scored in the 7th minute, then Chelsea finally equalized in the 96th minute.
I watched that match, and the ref was absolute garbage. Ridiculously inconsistent in what constituted a foul, huge chip on her shoulder in terms of players saying _anything_ back to her,* and just flat blew multiple calls. The second Greenwood yellow was for "time wasting" (at c. 35th minute? Riiiiiight...) with _zero_ warning beforehand.
* To be fair, the league has tightened up on dissent...but that ref was still pathetically over-defensive.
I'm just starting the 2nd half of this one.
The ref swallows her whistle on Lawrence's lazy late challenge to Hemp, who comes down hard on her shoulder and hits her head on the turf. No yellow! Ah, that's OK. Hemp will get one of her own here in about 6 minutes, and another one 14 minutes later.
Hemp's dissent and the one issued to Roord at halftime appear incredibly soft.
So too was Hemp's second yellow, as James took a dive.
Chelsea scored the equalizer on a rat scramble off a set piece when they were playing 11 v 8 (Kennedy was on the sideline).
Wonder what the Ladbroke's line was on this match? Everything was done to give it to Chelsea.
This ref! Would love to see her in the NWSL. She'd turn every match into a small-sided scrimmage. Can you imagine how quickly she'd send off McCaskill?
Remember the name: Emily Heaslip. Had to be escorted off the field!
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2023/10/08/emily-heaslip-referee-wsl-manchester-city-chelsea-red-cards/
Re: officials, good piece in ESPN.com about how one of the huge VAR issues in this league is the lack of cameras; about eight per match compared to thirty-odd in a typical EPL match.
So it’s not just training or experience; the tech itself is under resourced.
Totally agree on this. I suspect that if the NWSL got itself more involved with EA Sports, as the FAWSL have, we'd have more cameras and better camera angles. Just a thought.
I'm sure that'd help. But it's also a huge broadcast deal thing. Having SKY or ESPN or any other "big" network would help pay for more cameras; I mean, that's what they DO. Paramount+ and CBSSN and Twitch? Nope. Ain't gonna happen.
And to make it all even better, Man City already had someone sitting out on a 3-match suspension after being sent off last week and Ellie Roebuck has yet to appear in goal after ending last season on a red card.
So, according to this article, Trinity Rodman plays for Gotham. Gave me pause. As much as I adore Weaver, and I do, how has Kling never won this award? She is the heart and soul of the team- best pregame speeches anywhere. Kinda breaks my heart.
Ouch, she will definitely need the rest and she is crucial in the midfield. Against SDW with both her and Rocky being sub-optimal was an issue. Rocky, Crystal and Liv are going to have to be 100%.