On the Weaver goal I'm not sure that Hina-san wasn't going for the dummy there. Thought it looked like it from the north end.
Overall? I'm good with this. Good attacking intensity and better overall connections. Not sure whether Racing looked bad because they're bad, or whether the Thorns made them look bad...
Still things to work on. Finishing? - another shots-to-SOG mismatch (20/6? C'mon). Playing out of the back? Midfield-to-forward passing? This wasn't Orlando, but it wasn't Seattle, either...
Absolutely a dummy: Hina-senshu made no attempt to play the ball.
Agreed, re: finishing. And the midfield-to-forwards connection. And I'll add being more careful with possession when closing out a match. Love where we are in the table, to be sure...but there are improvements to be made that we'll need to win the Shield and the championship.
But here's something interesting: Cassie Miller started in goal in both of KC's wins this week. Franch was rostered and available, so I wonder if she is getting a re-set right now?
I've heard this kind of speak before. It's HC micromanagement by the FO, and perhaps the majority owners, because the HC doesn't want to follow the analytics folks. I'm guessing the powers-that-be wanted someone they could control and who would implement what the data-jockeys recommend, rather than a HC who was in charge of soccer. It's not about "communication" and "leadership," it's about decision-making power.
Given that Franch sat, Mace was in the midfield, and Soto is now starting in the backfield, I'm guessing that others wanted Potter to make changes after the 0-3 start, Potter reminded them that he's got nearly a starting XI out with injuries and that he wanted to stay the course and do things his way. In response, the FO treated him like the night shift manager at Wendy's. When you look at the KC org chart, you see that they've made a massive investment in staffing, and that the "team" page is very large and includes the GM.
That's what happened to Joe Maddon with the Angels last year, when they went from a hot start to a long losing streak. Maddon's replacement, Phil Nevin, hasn't had any greater success than Maddon had -- he's been thoroughly .500, as was Maddon -- despite having healthy Ohtani and Trout. And, obviously Maddon knows what the hell he's doing (2x World Series champion, 3x Manager of the Year, almost 2700 games managed with .532 percentage), while Nevin is still cutting his teeth (.440 percentage in 125 games). Maddon has complained that the Angels FO wanted to manage the manager, turning him into someone whose job was implement what the analytics recommended, not actually rely upon his own experience and judgment.
We'll see how it goes. Whether it's the right move or the wrong move will be down to whether they get results. So far they've won their last two matches, each by 2-0 scores.
This is the KC Star story, posted on AOL. Is that even still a thing this century?
My takeaway: Yeah, no thanks, KC.
Communication and collaboration is one thing, but give me the version that KK and Norris have, not the version that Ashton wanted with Potter.
It makes me wonder just how much collaboration and communication there has been around things like the Lynn Williams trade and the Minniss situation.
Also that reference to "trust"... How much "trust" can there around there these days?
I had forgotten that Ashton had been a Manager of Talent Development for WWE, responsible for talent recruitment and management. Now THERE's a healthy org culture!
Lol'd at this one. I did read somewhere that it was performance-based. Poor Franch...not how you want to go into these intense last trial months before the WC.
Although, put Miller in against the Thorns in that game and I'm unsure she does any better. The defense has been a major problem...hopefully they aren't set on Miller just because she kept a clean sheet against *checks notes*...Orlando.
Miller's not a bad nor inexperienced GK. She used to be backup in Chicago and played the remainder of the 2021 season after Naeher's Olympic injury, including keeping a very fatigued and broken Chicago in the 2021 final until ET.
She's not Franch though. And yes, KC's defense has been a big problem, but there have been saves that Franch should done better on. Hope it's just a small thing and Franch gets back to her usual level.
VAR pulling Weaver's goal back was BS. Sure, the replay they showed the ref looked bad, but the end line camera had a much better view of the natural movement of her arm and how close it was to her body.
The rule, per IFAB, is: “As the interpretation of handball incidents has not always been consistent due to incorrect applications of the law, the members confirmed that not every touch of a player’s hand/arm with the ball is an offence... Accidental handball that leads to a team-mate scoring a goal or having a goal-scoring opportunity will no longer be considered an offence.”
In this instance this means: (1) did the ball touch her arm; and (2) was it accidental. For VAR, there must be "clear, incontrovertible video evidence of the infraction in order to overturn the referee's call". So this VAR call was incorrect - there is not a single frame that shows the ball in contact with Leon's arm. Assuming "it must have touched her" is NOT adequate to overturn. I don't understand why the referee allowed this to be overruled when the most basic evidence is not there.
What bothers me the most is that PRO seems to not understand the fundamental purpose of VAR, which is to overturn CLEAR errors and let the other calls stand.
Yeah, picking apart every goal after it's scored and then either waiting 5 minutes to refute it or kickoff after a goal is given takes so much momentum away from the team in control. Last night it was so bad.
I'd be in favor a 30 second rule for VAR - the clock starts after the goal is scored or pen is awarded. No decision within 30 seconds means the call stands. The one exception being offisde which I understand can take a while to get the angles right and use the software to draw the lines.
For NWSL (as I believe for MLS) they don't draw the lines for offside. If it's not discernable by eye, it's even. But the camera angle issue is valid and still applies to any VAR review.
I'm with you on the need for a VAR time-limit. 30 seconds might be too short though, especially in NWSL where this is still new. I also think there should be an expiration - how far back can you go for things like fouls during a goal review?
That was a really bad call. I simply didn’t see the ball hit the hand/arm of Leon on the replays, nor did I see unnatural movement by the ball or arm. If they called it back for an earlier handball (Kling might have had it when she intercepted the ball to start the attack), I wouldn’t have had a problem with it. But that was really poor officiating there.
It definitely hits her arm, but ball-hand with the arm in a natural position is perfectly legal under the current laws of the game, which state that “a player is judged to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand is not justifiable by the player’s body movement for that specifically situation.” The position of Leon’s arm is perfectly justifiable based on how she’s running and the proximity of the ball.
Handball is the worst, most vague rule in all of sports. If the point of VAR is “clear and obvious,” I’m not sure how that gets overturned. Of course, refs just guess on handballs based on vibes so I’m not particularly surprised.
directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper
immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental"
The sticking part for me isn't whether it's a foul or not - it's immediate, she plays the cross right after - but that it takes so long to call doesn't seem, to me, to be a clear and obvious error.
I don't really see that as what happened- I interpret that rule to mean the player who committed the offense is the one to score, such as when a player uses their hand to control the ball in the box prior to shooting. It's the same reason many major leagues (PL included) now emphasize that accidental handballs in the build-up shouldn't be called as frequently.
But yes, it's certainly not "clear and obvious" considering that it wasn't called....which is the bigger issue.
More like EIGHT touchdowns. If you compare total points per NFL game (~44) to total goals per NWSL game (~2.6), it works out that a soccer goal is equivalent to about 16 tackle-football points. So Smith's 4 goals are worth around 8 touchdowns!
I watched the game on TV and my impression is that neither Sam or Howell had bad games, much better than my PP view. Howell was a bit better than Sam. Vlatco may have been even more impressed by Demello. She is really good and has a hell of an engine.
I think a bit of praise for Kling is needed. She is amazing and doesn't get enough credit.
I have always thought being at the park gave me a better global view than TV, but I think sometimes your view is weighted towards what you have the best view of. In 113 I was really impressed by Kristen Davis, Carson Pickett and JMac. They all had good games, but after watching the game on TV Demello, Kling and Hubly really caught my eye. Nally looked pretty good and Menges looked fast.
I still need to watch on tv, because I think it's totally true about in person vs tv. I tend to be a bit harsher in person, and often I rewatch and it's like 20% better than I thought....
Kling has been a total beast. She's just been solid, and has her positioning down well so she doesn't get beat. She appears to be getting up the field even higher than usual, which is a little concerning...but I think she's smart enough to know when it's a good idea or not. There was one time specifically I remember last game where she was caught way high up after a turnover, and Broon was left to cover two players. Luckily nothing came of it....but again, do that against the Reign and Balcer or Lavelle will take it all the way. Even Nally looked a little more comfortable getting higher up than she did last season....still don't really wanna see her at RB, but I'm more comfortable with her there than Reyes, for now. I have a feeling we see Hubs and Menges again vs AC...Becky has been dealing with a lingering foot injury apparently and that's why she eventually came off. I'm guessing they're gonna wanna be conservative with recovery time, esp for Captain America. I hope Menges is fit for at least 75 mins, if not a full 90.
Kristin Davis is a decent young player, but looked like Hubly was totally getting into her head...a few good/hard tackles from Hubs and she kinda shrunk a bit. I've only seen limited minutes from Kayla Fischer, but she has seemed really good/confident on the ball. It's hard for unknowns/rookies to catch the eye, but she has the last couple games she's played in with Racing.
It’s weird to win a game, but still not feel like it looked that great. We have quantity, but quality still seems to be an issue. A little more clinical tonight imo, but not by much. The two goals were great team goals, but there would’ve been 3 more if Weaver or Soph would just pass the ball when they don’t have a clear shot. Soph had two great assists, so her passing is coming along for sure, but Weaver in particular was bad with her passing on the night. After Weaver had her goal taken away, she was determined to get it back…and so her tunnel vision really set in. Rockets to nowhere, and some missed passes in on goal to D’Aquila just to dribble into 3 defenders had me frustrated…not as frustrated as D’Aquila probably was, though.
Anyways, our passing map looked how it felt. Connection is still rough all around the field. CB's haven't been going up the middle at all...they're pretty disconnected from Sam in the midfield. And then Sam was totally disconnected from any of her other midfielders, as well as the forwards. With Dunn and Sinc on the field, Sam tends to get isolated and kinda hung out to dry in the midfield because often the attacking mids and F's turn the ball over and Sam is left with way to much space on her own. Dunn was tenacious as always but her passing was pretty bad on the night. Hina is just sinking out on RW…on an island and with little help because the positioning of our rookie RB was still a bit…weird. And also, because it's just not a good fit for her. It seems like Reyes overcorrected from the last couple games and stayed pushed back so much so, that there was a Grand Canyon between her and Hina.
This will all work fine against poor teams because we have a ton of individual talent, but we’ll get owned by our rivals up North if we don’t clean it up. Got the W, but still hasn’t quite come together…OL Reign score goals that look simple because everyone knows their role, anticipates passing and space well, and work together as a team unit. We still have work to do to get to that...the chaos game we play is unpredictable, in the best and worst ways.
Also random note, but Vlatko was seen at PP last night as well. Wasn't a great game from Sam imo, so that's too bad for her...
“OL Reign score goals that look simple because everyone knows their role, anticipates passing and space well, and work together as a team unit.” This is a really good point and apples to the two goals the Thorns scored. Not so for most of the rest of the potential final balls in the box where our shooter couldn’t/didn’t handle the pass well enough to score.
Yeah, there's still a lot of editing that needs o happen in the final 3rd. It's great that Soph is scoring and assisting up a storm, but damn, I'd love to have some of our other players step up to that as well! Soph is gonna be gone in about 2 months, and we're gonna need to figure out the scoring (and assisting) without her....
Also, she is not immune from a sudden injury...we need to have other players getting into the mix.
Reign’s goals might look simple but until the Red Stars they were having their scoring issues. I go back to....when you play better teams it’s harder to score
Yeah, in situations when Weaver is attacking on the dribble out left and Soph and/or Hina are open centrally, you can pretty much count on Weaver skying a shot five feet over the crossbar...
Yeah, totally correct. The volume of passes she connected with Soph was great, but I think these charts don't really account for the ones that players miss....whether skying it over the net, or holding onto it when they clearly should've passed. She connected well, but she also still makes poor decisions on the ball which lead to a dead ball or a turnover from a great chance. The charts are great for additional info, but I don't think cover the full nuance of watching a player a full game...you can see that this chart only covers start through minute 45. Towards the middle to end of the second half is when her decision-making started to slip. There are a few times though that she does send a good ball in, and no one is there to get on the end of it....or they aren't ball side (which is something forwards learn like age 10! ) Our attack just needs to continue to work on their passing, and looking for/getting open for each other.
That’s funny, as I was sitting at the game, a random thought popped into my head that I could sense Vlatko there… maybe I was reading Sam Coffey’s audition energy.
Yeah, I think it's a function of having both Sinc and Dunn on the field. They're both attacking minded AND were turning the ball over high up, and Sam was just tasked with way too much to cover on her own. Rocky instead of Sinc or Dunn would balance the midfield a whole lot better imo.
Kinda related also...the sub for Crystal/Sinc and Rocky needs to happen sooner. They start looking exhausted at the hour mark because of all the pressing and attacking they're doing.
Really? I don't know that I even noticed Howell on the field except when she was getting bypassed (through no fault of her own) by the Dunn/Sinc combo. Wouldn't say she was bad, but not particularly impressive imo.
Of the two young midfielders they have, I remain much more impressed by DeMelo.
We watched a different game, I am pretty sure. That happens. =)
Or, rather, perhaps we watch for, and notice, different things and view from different locations. As I read here on STF, I'm sure of that! And that's what makes it fun and edifying.
I sat a couple of rows off the pitch, near midfield, on the old "Key Bank" side.
A few things I saw:
Howell drove some attack in the first half, after the Thorns lost momentum in their post-Pretty Footy period.
Howell took the ball off a few people. Indeed, she turned right around after picking up a foul (61st minute?) and then did the same exact thing right at the center of the pitch to disrupt and take the ball.
Howell had a header in the 59th, off a beautiful cross from Borges, that Bix had to save. She just needed to aim it down and it would have been a goal,
Howell also had a shot in the 83rd that went a bit high.
Howell is their captain.
Coffey didn't look like the more impactful young 6 last night. That happens.
Obviously, Coffey had an incredible rookie season while Howell underperformed. This year, I'd say Howell is showing more what was expected of her, and meanwhile Coffey is off to a bit of a slow start. That too happens.
I'd be happy to have either one on my team, though they do different things.
Fair! We definitely agree that Howell was better than Coffey last night if we're doing a 6 vs. 6 comp. I'd also agree that Howell has been much better overall this season in comparison to last year.
My issue with Howell is that I thought she'd be a young version of Ertz after watching her in college- She obviously has plenty of time to grow, but I find she really struggles to impose herself on games in the way I expect/want to see from her, even at this stage in her career. She certainly has moments, particularly when she reads an attack and makes an important tackle, that make me go "Oh yeah, that's FSU Jaelin Howell," but they're too few and far in between.
Rough start for Louisville, losing one of their FBs immediately with what looked to be a hamstring injury. Great goal by Sinc, but Portland do what they often do when they get an early lead -- they fall in love with playing pretty footy instead of burying the opponent. first and then playing pretty footy. So, despite some lovely ball and many opportunities, Portland went 47 minutes without a 2nd goal. I was quite relieved when Weaver bagged the 2nd goal right before the end of the half, because there were plenty of moments when it looked like Louisville might equalize before then.
Even in the 2nd half, there were some moments when it looked like Louisville might pull themselves back into the match.
I was quite surprised to see J-Mac sub off in the 56th minute.
Louisville are still a work in progress but they're not far from being competitive. Howell is much improved, Borges quite impressed me, and Lund had some terrific saves. They have a lot of size (Howell, Erceg, J-Mac, Davis), and they have some real skill across the pitch.
I would be surprised if Louisville are not vying for playoffs this year. And that's really saying something when you consider that: in some order, 1-2-3 are probably Puget Sound WoSo Team, Portland, and San Diego; Houston, Gotham, and Washington are all improved; KC won't be this dreadful forever; and world-class help is on the way to ACFC's midfield,
Weird game. For large stretches Racing seemed the better side. This is one where statistics don't always tell the full story: yes, Portland outshot 20-12, but there seemed a lot of the play where there wasn't control.
I thought the midfield was working to move the ball much more quickly today, but all of them--Coffey, Sinclair, Dunn--were loose in possession. I'm not sure if the coach can really do much about that, but Rocky was really good when she came on, in part because she was moving the ball quickly and accurately.
A couple of other thoughts, in no order:
Soph is developing other aspects of her game, which is good because teams are absolutely trying to deny her space in behind.
Reyes seems to be a big confidence player: early on, she got out of tight spaces well, defended and stepped well, and then she had a bad 5 minutes and she kind of fell apart. Was lucky not to be booked.
I'm not agreeing the comments about finishing. Yeah, there were 20 shots: but how many from good positionsin the box? The Thorns ended with 1.44 xG and scored twice.
VAR: I'm sorry, but it sucks. If it takes 4 minutes to go back and take away a goal, then it is not a clear and obvious error. I don't care about getting it right: if it takes you five different looks slowed down to 25% speed it's not clear and obvious. Furthermore, waiting around is terrible, and the league said we would get the replay of the decision in the stadium. We got a tiny look that was inconclusive. For those of you interested, PRO does an inside video review recap, and the penalty VAR awarded to Gotham last weekend was an incorrect use of VAR. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_4g6c93bQQ&pp=ygUPVkFSIHJldmlldyBud3Ns
I agree with you, Aidan. After the first 20-odd minutes, the momentum shifted and Louisville looked like they might get on the board. In fact, there were a few times when we were fortunate that Louisville *did not* get on the board. Also portions of the 2nd half where Louisville, not Portland, were in charge. Some of that is ebbs-and-flows of a match, but some of that is also that Louisville is much improved and Portland didn't always play their best last night. Bix, Hubs, and Sinc had to make some big plays last night to keep Louisville off the scoreboard. When Portland was at their best, though, they were definitely the better side.
I don’t know that I’d say Racing ever looked the better side- It definitely wasn’t the Thorns best performance (thought Coffey in particular was not up to her usual standard), but it never felt out of control to me.
The Thorns aren't going to be a huge possession team this season. Norris has them set up to play in transition, and starting the two attacking 8s instead of Rocky really reflects that. There's been a major difference in how Dunn looks under Norris compared to how she looked under Parsons simply because there’s so much more space for her to operate in. People (me included) complained about how slow this team would play with Sinc....which has not been the case at all. They almost feel a little 2018 Courage-y at times with the press and pace up front.
Ultimately, the Thorns want to get Weaver, Soph, Dunn, and even Sinclair(!) in space in dangerous positions and that sometimes leaves Coffey isolated and unable to play through pressure. I think that this will be slightly more concerning against the Reigns of the world who can punish them a little more, but most teams simply can't keep up.
Agreed re: Soph- she was a much more willing and composed passer last night. Same with the finishing comment. VAR sucks- And it was still the wrong call.
I agree to an extent about not being a huge possession team: the high pressing clearly points to wanting to be a team in transition, and when you think about the strengths of this team that makes sense.
I do think you probably want some more control, though, especially at home. We weren't really creating much in transition. I also think two attacking 8s doesn't necessarily point to transition per se; Pep does it, and he's the most possession oriented coach on the planet. Wiegman does it for England and it's about possession for her too.
With that being said, control isn't just about possession. It can be about positioning and I think that was what bothered me: it felt like we too easily let Racing get into our half, which meant some of our counter attacks were literally Soph and Morgan. The better ones had Sinclair, Dunn, Hina, even Kling getting in support
Yeah the issue isn't that the system dictates that the 8s stay high, it's the personnel: Sinc and Dunn are both natural attackers who now play midfield.
I think we forget this sometimes with Dunn both because she plays at left back for the nats and has exclusively played in midfield in Portland....but she's a former golden-boot winning striker. Sinc is obviously a natural striker as well. Puts a ton of pressure on Sam.
"So, now we know. Clear your diaries, circle the date, and get those hotels booked. Manchester City versus Manchester United in the 2023 FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday, 3 June.
"The team in blue going for a Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup Treble. The team in red going for a domestic cup double.
Saw the game at PP but I would like to see the game on TV now. My impression at the park was that Sam had the worst first half that I have seen from her, but she seemed to right the ship in the second half. The other number 6 in this game Howell seemed invisible. I was looking for her because I was thinking that her and Soph would be in a battle Royale and they know each other so well. Racing seemed to be triple teaming Smith and she was finding teammates, that is a good sign for the future.
Even though the Thorns were pretty dominant in the first half, there were a lot of bad passes. Reyes, particularly, but she has some great skills she just needs to connect more of her passes.
Even though Sophia didn't score I am sure Vlatco was pleased with what he saw from her. When she didn't have a shot she looked to pass and most of her shots were good ones either stopped by the goalie or a bit unlucky.
On the Racing side, especially in the first half Kirsten Davis really impressed me, it is good for her development that she is playing with Jess McDonald because they are similar in a lot of ways, tall strong and not afraid to drive at defenders.
Leon again was very active and I like her game a bit more than Janine Beckies game.
The next game will be a similar test; LAFC, a team trying to put the pieces together.
1. For the first time in years, there were moments when the Thorns put on a SHOW. Not just good soccer, but actual entertainment with the audience oooing and ahhhing. I haven’t since that since peak Tobin, and there’s no other team in the league playing this way.
2. Reyes played better last night. Oddly, she was again being consoled by Hogan after halftime, even though I didn’t see any significant mistakes from her. More confident and connected. Izzy has seemed like a Thorn from day 1 to me, and I hope she gets the development investment to grow into a top tier striker. We’ll be relying on her during the WC.
3. It’s so sad to me seeing Rocky as a late game sub.
4. Leon doesn’t quite feel like a thorn yet, though I don’t think we should expect her to. A little bit out of sync (Sinc?). Hopefully she has enough time with us to have time to shine.
5. Did Coffey seem a little invisible, or is it just the standard thankless job of the 6?
6. I’m glad they gave Nally some minutes to help her get her confidence back after the OG.
7. Menges looked like Menges! Does anyone know if she and RW have set a date yet?
They did that last August against NC, going up 2-0 pretty easily but then started playing pretty footy and didn't put NC away. Wound up with a 3-3 draw out of it. Dropping those 2 points plus 2 more at Gotham on last day of the season... that's how you lose a Shield!
She's certainly rough around the edges --she's a rookie defender playing on the wrong side-- but she's clearly physically and technically gifted enough to play real NWSL minutes. She just needs to play simple and slow down a little.
Think there's a lot of confidence at play here. She started really well. Made a couple of errors, got nutmegged, and then started panicking.
She also doesn't look fit to me, which makes sense since a) it's the step up to professional from college and b) she had a late start to pre-season and didn't get a lot of minutes there. I'm guessing they didn't plan on starting her but then Kuikka was sick.
Yeah, I thought she had some good saves, but it's like generic basic pro fullback stuff you should expect at this level. I won't discount the good saves/tackles she did make though. She has a good read and isn't afraid to get stuck in. I still think she's a bit slow and uncomfortable on the ball though. I was just waiting for an opposing player to poke the ball away from her, because she takes too long to get the ball set correctly on her foot. She's gotta strengthen the weight of her passes as well.
It was an improvement over the last couple times she's played, but she still clearly looks more comfortable on the left. If I'm feeling more comfortable with Nally at RB, I know the bar is low. Random people around us in the stadium were talking about how she just didn't look ready to be playing these games yet either....so I don't think it's just me being harsh. She's a rookie and totally can develop, but even basic things like her passing and ball control has looked shaky and needs work. At least we've had improvement each game, though!
On a related note, since people on here are into watching amazing female athletes, if you haven't made it to Oaks Bottom to see Scald Eagle skate, you are missing out. She is a force of nature and maybe one of the, if not *the*, best roller derby player of all time. Here's a video of her blowing up an opposing player: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3KL1Rlqj4I
"All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox is expected to miss Game 5 of Sacramento’s first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center after being diagnosed with a broken finger. Fox suffered a fractured left index finger in a Game 4 loss to the Warriors on Sunday at Chase Center in San Francisco, a league source told The Sacramento Bee, confirming a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
"Fox will be listed as doubtful when the Kings play host to the Warriors in a pivotal Game 5 with the series tied at 2-2. Fox averaged 31.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 2.5 steals while shooting 44.7% from the field and 34.2% from 3-point range over the first four games of the series. He had 38 points, nine rebounds and five assists in a 126-125 loss to the Warriors in Game 4. Fox may have sustained the injury with 4:35 remaining in the fourth quarter.
"Warriors guard Jordan Poole was called for a non-shooting foul as Fox was driving to the basket. As Fox continued to the basket for a layup attempt after the whistle, Warriors center Kevon Looney swatted at the ball, striking Fox’s left hand."
Don't give up yet. There's always a chance Draymond punches somebody in the Crown Royal sack. Of course, that's more likely if LeBron is on your team...
Alex looking a bit like Zerboni in that match. Could have picked up a couple of yellows. Got a talking to by the ref earlier in the match that probably deserved a card. Had it been some rookie probably would have been.
Honestly, she's a pretty brutal player, I've noticed. Some of that's just a matter of her being so big (smaller players are going to lose those "50/50" contact situations), but she's also just a bit of a blunt instrument out there.
And therein lies one of the fundamental issues with VAR- How do you miss that? Who know's if it ultimately impacts the goal, but still a foul. You CANNOT miss that call and make the non clear and obvious decisions like the Leon handball.
Are we looking at two different clips posted by Nielsen?
There's the longer one on top, viewed from behind the goal, and then there's a shorter one as viewed from the sideline right below it. Are those the same play from different angles, or are they different plays?
In that second video clip, the jersey number starts with a 2, which means it's either Kornieck or Barcenas, not Morgan.
On closer viewing, I think that's Barcenas (sorry for badmouthing you Too Tall Taylor!), because the player has long dark hair but isn't as tall as Kornieck.
There's somebody else for SD running into the scene briefly, who is taller and blonder than the player who did the two-handed shove; that's gotta be Jakobsson. And while Jakobsson is fairly tall, she's not as tall as Taylor. So, that leads me to think the SD Shover is Barcenas. She's fitting right in!
The larger point, which I think we can all acknowledge, is that San Diego is doing a fair amount of pushing and shoving. STOP THAT!
So, it's Morgan throwing the shoulder, but Barcenas with the two-handed shove in the back. And Nielsen left picking turf out of her teeth not once but twice.
Barcenas didn't play yesterday, neither did Kornieck. Both the videos above are just two diff views of Alex Morgan shoulder-checking Nielsen. I would say it definitely affected the goal scored by Jakobsson. Morgan took out Nielson who was tracking Jakobsson inside, and then vacated the space needed for Jakobsson to cut back on her left for a nice wide open space to shoot. The overhead view is obvious. Surprised that VAR didn't call that goal off after the foul in the build-up by Morgan, though. They've called off goals for much less. It was a veteran striker foul by Morgan...I'd say she knew what she was doing and that she knew it was very possible she'd get away with it. She knows Koraleva doesn't whistle often, either. We hardly see Morgan get called for fouls, like ever...she totally knows that lol.
Seriously, though... did Freya build this roster? Is Freya responsible for all the injuries? Did Freya cause the defensive breakdown and ricochet that beat Haracic in the 75th tonight? Did Freya lose Gilles to OL?
You can't polish a turd, but you can roll it in sprinkles, stick a sparkler in it, and toss some confetti.
That's ACFC thus far... and Freya didn't do that.
Have you looked at their bloated lists of technical staff, in the front office, and in ownership? Truly, none of us is as dumb as all of us. Maybe Freya isn't communicating and collaborating enough???
I agree. I didn’t watch enough ACFC last season to get a good gauge on Coombe’s coaching, but this is a veryy poorly constructed roster.
On the other hand, Coombe was a high profile hire who I imagine does have some say in roster building. The flash over substance jokes write themselves, but that doesn’t mean they’re not accurate. My best guess that it is very much a too many cooks etc situation.
Isn't a head coach at least partially responsible for the roster construction? And if she has no say in how the roster is being built, why would she stay there? (Money might be the answer to that.) And don't minutes allocation and sub patterns contribute to injuries?
Angel City needs to decide if they want to be primarily a brand or a soccer club. Maybe the FO and key ownership is content with being a mid-table brand enterprise. If that is the end goal, they've very much nailed the roster construction.
And Angel City fans, at least the internet ones, tend to lean toward 'favorite players can do no wrong' so then try to blame the coach or other players, even if the tape and stats don't support that narrative.
Surely has some say, but when I see such a large, brand new organization of people who are used to consuming all the oxygen in the room, I think there's a likely a "too many cooks in the kitchen" problem.
Totally agree that ACFC is all style and no substance so far. Everything looks first class except for the actual soccer, roster, and results.
It is encouraging that Sinc recognizes they "didn't play like Thorns", despite the win. I'm glad expectations are higher. Credits a long, challenging week and says they can play better. Definitely worth reminding that Thorns played a game away three days before, where Racing did not have a midweek game at all, and were already on the west coast from playing in LA the week prior. Think this upcoming LA game will be a better reveal of where the team is at.
Ha! I relate to this personally...not the carpal tunnel, but the knitting like a grandma lol. Bella knits, and is teaching Sam to knit as well. Read that on a recent article on Sam...which reminds me. It was a great article! I'll have to link it here...
On the Weaver goal I'm not sure that Hina-san wasn't going for the dummy there. Thought it looked like it from the north end.
Overall? I'm good with this. Good attacking intensity and better overall connections. Not sure whether Racing looked bad because they're bad, or whether the Thorns made them look bad...
Still things to work on. Finishing? - another shots-to-SOG mismatch (20/6? C'mon). Playing out of the back? Midfield-to-forward passing? This wasn't Orlando, but it wasn't Seattle, either...
Absolutely a dummy: Hina-senshu made no attempt to play the ball.
Agreed, re: finishing. And the midfield-to-forwards connection. And I'll add being more careful with possession when closing out a match. Love where we are in the table, to be sure...but there are improvements to be made that we'll need to win the Shield and the championship.
Oh Hina definitely dummies on the second goal, no question.
Yeah, it was a gorgeous dummy, and that plus perfect placement is what beat Lund, because Lund didn't miss it by much.
Definitely a dummy! Weaver mentions the Hina dummy after the match in one of their IG stories....
Sugita's sure looked like a dummy to me: She starts to move toward the ball then stops her motion to let it roll by.
Dunn and Sugita need to collaborate on a book: Dummies for Dummies.
PSA: ACFC with Ertz is not your old ACFC.
Also, Alex Morgan drawing a foul for decking McCaskill is 100% amusing.
Pass the popcorn!
Orlando....
Ask not for whom the Wooden Spoon spoons.
It spoons for thee.
KC win 2-0 on goals from Debinha and Kizer.
But here's something interesting: Cassie Miller started in goal in both of KC's wins this week. Franch was rostered and available, so I wonder if she is getting a re-set right now?
https://www.kctv5.com/2023/04/22/kc-current-address-reasons-split-head-coach/
I've heard this kind of speak before. It's HC micromanagement by the FO, and perhaps the majority owners, because the HC doesn't want to follow the analytics folks. I'm guessing the powers-that-be wanted someone they could control and who would implement what the data-jockeys recommend, rather than a HC who was in charge of soccer. It's not about "communication" and "leadership," it's about decision-making power.
Given that Franch sat, Mace was in the midfield, and Soto is now starting in the backfield, I'm guessing that others wanted Potter to make changes after the 0-3 start, Potter reminded them that he's got nearly a starting XI out with injuries and that he wanted to stay the course and do things his way. In response, the FO treated him like the night shift manager at Wendy's. When you look at the KC org chart, you see that they've made a massive investment in staffing, and that the "team" page is very large and includes the GM.
That's what happened to Joe Maddon with the Angels last year, when they went from a hot start to a long losing streak. Maddon's replacement, Phil Nevin, hasn't had any greater success than Maddon had -- he's been thoroughly .500, as was Maddon -- despite having healthy Ohtani and Trout. And, obviously Maddon knows what the hell he's doing (2x World Series champion, 3x Manager of the Year, almost 2700 games managed with .532 percentage), while Nevin is still cutting his teeth (.440 percentage in 125 games). Maddon has complained that the Angels FO wanted to manage the manager, turning him into someone whose job was implement what the analytics recommended, not actually rely upon his own experience and judgment.
We'll see how it goes. Whether it's the right move or the wrong move will be down to whether they get results. So far they've won their last two matches, each by 2-0 scores.
https://www.aol.com/news/kc-current-gm-camille-ashton-234423408.html
This is the KC Star story, posted on AOL. Is that even still a thing this century?
My takeaway: Yeah, no thanks, KC.
Communication and collaboration is one thing, but give me the version that KK and Norris have, not the version that Ashton wanted with Potter.
It makes me wonder just how much collaboration and communication there has been around things like the Lynn Williams trade and the Minniss situation.
Also that reference to "trust"... How much "trust" can there around there these days?
I had forgotten that Ashton had been a Manager of Talent Development for WWE, responsible for talent recruitment and management. Now THERE's a healthy org culture!
Lol'd at this one. I did read somewhere that it was performance-based. Poor Franch...not how you want to go into these intense last trial months before the WC.
Although, put Miller in against the Thorns in that game and I'm unsure she does any better. The defense has been a major problem...hopefully they aren't set on Miller just because she kept a clean sheet against *checks notes*...Orlando.
Miller's not a bad nor inexperienced GK. She used to be backup in Chicago and played the remainder of the 2021 season after Naeher's Olympic injury, including keeping a very fatigued and broken Chicago in the 2021 final until ET.
She's not Franch though. And yes, KC's defense has been a big problem, but there have been saves that Franch should done better on. Hope it's just a small thing and Franch gets back to her usual level.
AD = Already Demoted? Already Done?
Yep, Thorns faced her in the 2021 semifinals.
VAR pulling Weaver's goal back was BS. Sure, the replay they showed the ref looked bad, but the end line camera had a much better view of the natural movement of her arm and how close it was to her body.
The rule, per IFAB, is: “As the interpretation of handball incidents has not always been consistent due to incorrect applications of the law, the members confirmed that not every touch of a player’s hand/arm with the ball is an offence... Accidental handball that leads to a team-mate scoring a goal or having a goal-scoring opportunity will no longer be considered an offence.”
In this instance this means: (1) did the ball touch her arm; and (2) was it accidental. For VAR, there must be "clear, incontrovertible video evidence of the infraction in order to overturn the referee's call". So this VAR call was incorrect - there is not a single frame that shows the ball in contact with Leon's arm. Assuming "it must have touched her" is NOT adequate to overturn. I don't understand why the referee allowed this to be overruled when the most basic evidence is not there.
What bothers me the most is that PRO seems to not understand the fundamental purpose of VAR, which is to overturn CLEAR errors and let the other calls stand.
Yeah, picking apart every goal after it's scored and then either waiting 5 minutes to refute it or kickoff after a goal is given takes so much momentum away from the team in control. Last night it was so bad.
I'd be in favor a 30 second rule for VAR - the clock starts after the goal is scored or pen is awarded. No decision within 30 seconds means the call stands. The one exception being offisde which I understand can take a while to get the angles right and use the software to draw the lines.
It's unfortunately never going to happen, but it's the way to go. If you can't see it within 30 seconds it's not clear and obvious.
For NWSL (as I believe for MLS) they don't draw the lines for offside. If it's not discernable by eye, it's even. But the camera angle issue is valid and still applies to any VAR review.
I'm with you on the need for a VAR time-limit. 30 seconds might be too short though, especially in NWSL where this is still new. I also think there should be an expiration - how far back can you go for things like fouls during a goal review?
That was a really bad call. I simply didn’t see the ball hit the hand/arm of Leon on the replays, nor did I see unnatural movement by the ball or arm. If they called it back for an earlier handball (Kling might have had it when she intercepted the ball to start the attack), I wouldn’t have had a problem with it. But that was really poor officiating there.
It definitely hits her arm, but ball-hand with the arm in a natural position is perfectly legal under the current laws of the game, which state that “a player is judged to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand is not justifiable by the player’s body movement for that specifically situation.” The position of Leon’s arm is perfectly justifiable based on how she’s running and the proximity of the ball.
Handball is the worst, most vague rule in all of sports. If the point of VAR is “clear and obvious,” I’m not sure how that gets overturned. Of course, refs just guess on handballs based on vibes so I’m not particularly surprised.
That's not quite true. From IFAB: https://www.theifab.com/laws/latest/fouls-and-misconduct/#direct-free-kick
"It is an offence if a player:
scores in the opponents’ goal:
directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper
immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental"
The sticking part for me isn't whether it's a foul or not - it's immediate, she plays the cross right after - but that it takes so long to call doesn't seem, to me, to be a clear and obvious error.
I don't really see that as what happened- I interpret that rule to mean the player who committed the offense is the one to score, such as when a player uses their hand to control the ball in the box prior to shooting. It's the same reason many major leagues (PL included) now emphasize that accidental handballs in the build-up shouldn't be called as frequently.
But yes, it's certainly not "clear and obvious" considering that it wasn't called....which is the bigger issue.
When it comes to VAR, NWSL refs are like little kids with training wheels on their bikes.
https://twitter.com/OptaJack/status/1650571809824071692?s=20
lol lmao
Carried the ball for almost 800 yards in 4 games. 4 TDs too. Got a strong case for the Heisman there, Soph!
Four rushing TDs AND four passing TDs imo
Need to learn her cereal brand, stat.
More like EIGHT touchdowns. If you compare total points per NFL game (~44) to total goals per NWSL game (~2.6), it works out that a soccer goal is equivalent to about 16 tackle-football points. So Smith's 4 goals are worth around 8 touchdowns!
I watched the game on TV and my impression is that neither Sam or Howell had bad games, much better than my PP view. Howell was a bit better than Sam. Vlatco may have been even more impressed by Demello. She is really good and has a hell of an engine.
I think a bit of praise for Kling is needed. She is amazing and doesn't get enough credit.
I have always thought being at the park gave me a better global view than TV, but I think sometimes your view is weighted towards what you have the best view of. In 113 I was really impressed by Kristen Davis, Carson Pickett and JMac. They all had good games, but after watching the game on TV Demello, Kling and Hubly really caught my eye. Nally looked pretty good and Menges looked fast.
For me watching on TV is a better viewing experience, but going to the ol’ ballpark is a better game time experience
I still need to watch on tv, because I think it's totally true about in person vs tv. I tend to be a bit harsher in person, and often I rewatch and it's like 20% better than I thought....
Kling has been a total beast. She's just been solid, and has her positioning down well so she doesn't get beat. She appears to be getting up the field even higher than usual, which is a little concerning...but I think she's smart enough to know when it's a good idea or not. There was one time specifically I remember last game where she was caught way high up after a turnover, and Broon was left to cover two players. Luckily nothing came of it....but again, do that against the Reign and Balcer or Lavelle will take it all the way. Even Nally looked a little more comfortable getting higher up than she did last season....still don't really wanna see her at RB, but I'm more comfortable with her there than Reyes, for now. I have a feeling we see Hubs and Menges again vs AC...Becky has been dealing with a lingering foot injury apparently and that's why she eventually came off. I'm guessing they're gonna wanna be conservative with recovery time, esp for Captain America. I hope Menges is fit for at least 75 mins, if not a full 90.
Kristin Davis is a decent young player, but looked like Hubly was totally getting into her head...a few good/hard tackles from Hubs and she kinda shrunk a bit. I've only seen limited minutes from Kayla Fischer, but she has seemed really good/confident on the ball. It's hard for unknowns/rookies to catch the eye, but she has the last couple games she's played in with Racing.
It’s weird to win a game, but still not feel like it looked that great. We have quantity, but quality still seems to be an issue. A little more clinical tonight imo, but not by much. The two goals were great team goals, but there would’ve been 3 more if Weaver or Soph would just pass the ball when they don’t have a clear shot. Soph had two great assists, so her passing is coming along for sure, but Weaver in particular was bad with her passing on the night. After Weaver had her goal taken away, she was determined to get it back…and so her tunnel vision really set in. Rockets to nowhere, and some missed passes in on goal to D’Aquila just to dribble into 3 defenders had me frustrated…not as frustrated as D’Aquila probably was, though.
Anyways, our passing map looked how it felt. Connection is still rough all around the field. CB's haven't been going up the middle at all...they're pretty disconnected from Sam in the midfield. And then Sam was totally disconnected from any of her other midfielders, as well as the forwards. With Dunn and Sinc on the field, Sam tends to get isolated and kinda hung out to dry in the midfield because often the attacking mids and F's turn the ball over and Sam is left with way to much space on her own. Dunn was tenacious as always but her passing was pretty bad on the night. Hina is just sinking out on RW…on an island and with little help because the positioning of our rookie RB was still a bit…weird. And also, because it's just not a good fit for her. It seems like Reyes overcorrected from the last couple games and stayed pushed back so much so, that there was a Grand Canyon between her and Hina.
This will all work fine against poor teams because we have a ton of individual talent, but we’ll get owned by our rivals up North if we don’t clean it up. Got the W, but still hasn’t quite come together…OL Reign score goals that look simple because everyone knows their role, anticipates passing and space well, and work together as a team unit. We still have work to do to get to that...the chaos game we play is unpredictable, in the best and worst ways.
Also random note, but Vlatko was seen at PP last night as well. Wasn't a great game from Sam imo, so that's too bad for her...
Passing map: https://twitter.com/arielle_dror/status/1650199740468920324/photo/1
“OL Reign score goals that look simple because everyone knows their role, anticipates passing and space well, and work together as a team unit.” This is a really good point and apples to the two goals the Thorns scored. Not so for most of the rest of the potential final balls in the box where our shooter couldn’t/didn’t handle the pass well enough to score.
Yeah, there's still a lot of editing that needs o happen in the final 3rd. It's great that Soph is scoring and assisting up a storm, but damn, I'd love to have some of our other players step up to that as well! Soph is gonna be gone in about 2 months, and we're gonna need to figure out the scoring (and assisting) without her....
Also, she is not immune from a sudden injury...we need to have other players getting into the mix.
Reign’s goals might look simple but until the Red Stars they were having their scoring issues. I go back to....when you play better teams it’s harder to score
Yeah, in situations when Weaver is attacking on the dribble out left and Soph and/or Hina are open centrally, you can pretty much count on Weaver skying a shot five feet over the crossbar...
Actually it’s more likely she’ll send a good ball in right in front of the goal and no one is there to tap it in.
I really need to learn to read these charts. Doesn’t the chart say that Morgan passed the ball well? I’m probably not seeing that correctly
Yeah, totally correct. The volume of passes she connected with Soph was great, but I think these charts don't really account for the ones that players miss....whether skying it over the net, or holding onto it when they clearly should've passed. She connected well, but she also still makes poor decisions on the ball which lead to a dead ball or a turnover from a great chance. The charts are great for additional info, but I don't think cover the full nuance of watching a player a full game...you can see that this chart only covers start through minute 45. Towards the middle to end of the second half is when her decision-making started to slip. There are a few times though that she does send a good ball in, and no one is there to get on the end of it....or they aren't ball side (which is something forwards learn like age 10! ) Our attack just needs to continue to work on their passing, and looking for/getting open for each other.
That’s funny, as I was sitting at the game, a random thought popped into my head that I could sense Vlatko there… maybe I was reading Sam Coffey’s audition energy.
https://twitter.com/tayvincent6/status/1649965423004360704?s=20
Poor Sam did herself no favors with Vlatko in town :(
Yeah, I think it's a function of having both Sinc and Dunn on the field. They're both attacking minded AND were turning the ball over high up, and Sam was just tasked with way too much to cover on her own. Rocky instead of Sinc or Dunn would balance the midfield a whole lot better imo.
Kinda related also...the sub for Crystal/Sinc and Rocky needs to happen sooner. They start looking exhausted at the hour mark because of all the pressing and attacking they're doing.
No, but Howell did.
Really? I don't know that I even noticed Howell on the field except when she was getting bypassed (through no fault of her own) by the Dunn/Sinc combo. Wouldn't say she was bad, but not particularly impressive imo.
Of the two young midfielders they have, I remain much more impressed by DeMelo.
We watched a different game, I am pretty sure. That happens. =)
Or, rather, perhaps we watch for, and notice, different things and view from different locations. As I read here on STF, I'm sure of that! And that's what makes it fun and edifying.
I sat a couple of rows off the pitch, near midfield, on the old "Key Bank" side.
A few things I saw:
Howell drove some attack in the first half, after the Thorns lost momentum in their post-Pretty Footy period.
Howell took the ball off a few people. Indeed, she turned right around after picking up a foul (61st minute?) and then did the same exact thing right at the center of the pitch to disrupt and take the ball.
Howell had a header in the 59th, off a beautiful cross from Borges, that Bix had to save. She just needed to aim it down and it would have been a goal,
Howell also had a shot in the 83rd that went a bit high.
Howell is their captain.
Coffey didn't look like the more impactful young 6 last night. That happens.
Obviously, Coffey had an incredible rookie season while Howell underperformed. This year, I'd say Howell is showing more what was expected of her, and meanwhile Coffey is off to a bit of a slow start. That too happens.
I'd be happy to have either one on my team, though they do different things.
Fair! We definitely agree that Howell was better than Coffey last night if we're doing a 6 vs. 6 comp. I'd also agree that Howell has been much better overall this season in comparison to last year.
My issue with Howell is that I thought she'd be a young version of Ertz after watching her in college- She obviously has plenty of time to grow, but I find she really struggles to impose herself on games in the way I expect/want to see from her, even at this stage in her career. She certainly has moments, particularly when she reads an attack and makes an important tackle, that make me go "Oh yeah, that's FSU Jaelin Howell," but they're too few and far in between.
Gonna talk about last night's other team...
Rough start for Louisville, losing one of their FBs immediately with what looked to be a hamstring injury. Great goal by Sinc, but Portland do what they often do when they get an early lead -- they fall in love with playing pretty footy instead of burying the opponent. first and then playing pretty footy. So, despite some lovely ball and many opportunities, Portland went 47 minutes without a 2nd goal. I was quite relieved when Weaver bagged the 2nd goal right before the end of the half, because there were plenty of moments when it looked like Louisville might equalize before then.
Even in the 2nd half, there were some moments when it looked like Louisville might pull themselves back into the match.
I was quite surprised to see J-Mac sub off in the 56th minute.
Louisville are still a work in progress but they're not far from being competitive. Howell is much improved, Borges quite impressed me, and Lund had some terrific saves. They have a lot of size (Howell, Erceg, J-Mac, Davis), and they have some real skill across the pitch.
I would be surprised if Louisville are not vying for playoffs this year. And that's really saying something when you consider that: in some order, 1-2-3 are probably Puget Sound WoSo Team, Portland, and San Diego; Houston, Gotham, and Washington are all improved; KC won't be this dreadful forever; and world-class help is on the way to ACFC's midfield,
Weird game. For large stretches Racing seemed the better side. This is one where statistics don't always tell the full story: yes, Portland outshot 20-12, but there seemed a lot of the play where there wasn't control.
I thought the midfield was working to move the ball much more quickly today, but all of them--Coffey, Sinclair, Dunn--were loose in possession. I'm not sure if the coach can really do much about that, but Rocky was really good when she came on, in part because she was moving the ball quickly and accurately.
A couple of other thoughts, in no order:
Soph is developing other aspects of her game, which is good because teams are absolutely trying to deny her space in behind.
Reyes seems to be a big confidence player: early on, she got out of tight spaces well, defended and stepped well, and then she had a bad 5 minutes and she kind of fell apart. Was lucky not to be booked.
I'm not agreeing the comments about finishing. Yeah, there were 20 shots: but how many from good positionsin the box? The Thorns ended with 1.44 xG and scored twice.
VAR: I'm sorry, but it sucks. If it takes 4 minutes to go back and take away a goal, then it is not a clear and obvious error. I don't care about getting it right: if it takes you five different looks slowed down to 25% speed it's not clear and obvious. Furthermore, waiting around is terrible, and the league said we would get the replay of the decision in the stadium. We got a tiny look that was inconclusive. For those of you interested, PRO does an inside video review recap, and the penalty VAR awarded to Gotham last weekend was an incorrect use of VAR. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_4g6c93bQQ&pp=ygUPVkFSIHJldmlldyBud3Ns
I agree with you, Aidan. After the first 20-odd minutes, the momentum shifted and Louisville looked like they might get on the board. In fact, there were a few times when we were fortunate that Louisville *did not* get on the board. Also portions of the 2nd half where Louisville, not Portland, were in charge. Some of that is ebbs-and-flows of a match, but some of that is also that Louisville is much improved and Portland didn't always play their best last night. Bix, Hubs, and Sinc had to make some big plays last night to keep Louisville off the scoreboard. When Portland was at their best, though, they were definitely the better side.
I don’t know that I’d say Racing ever looked the better side- It definitely wasn’t the Thorns best performance (thought Coffey in particular was not up to her usual standard), but it never felt out of control to me.
The Thorns aren't going to be a huge possession team this season. Norris has them set up to play in transition, and starting the two attacking 8s instead of Rocky really reflects that. There's been a major difference in how Dunn looks under Norris compared to how she looked under Parsons simply because there’s so much more space for her to operate in. People (me included) complained about how slow this team would play with Sinc....which has not been the case at all. They almost feel a little 2018 Courage-y at times with the press and pace up front.
Ultimately, the Thorns want to get Weaver, Soph, Dunn, and even Sinclair(!) in space in dangerous positions and that sometimes leaves Coffey isolated and unable to play through pressure. I think that this will be slightly more concerning against the Reigns of the world who can punish them a little more, but most teams simply can't keep up.
Agreed re: Soph- she was a much more willing and composed passer last night. Same with the finishing comment. VAR sucks- And it was still the wrong call.
I agree to an extent about not being a huge possession team: the high pressing clearly points to wanting to be a team in transition, and when you think about the strengths of this team that makes sense.
I do think you probably want some more control, though, especially at home. We weren't really creating much in transition. I also think two attacking 8s doesn't necessarily point to transition per se; Pep does it, and he's the most possession oriented coach on the planet. Wiegman does it for England and it's about possession for her too.
With that being said, control isn't just about possession. It can be about positioning and I think that was what bothered me: it felt like we too easily let Racing get into our half, which meant some of our counter attacks were literally Soph and Morgan. The better ones had Sinclair, Dunn, Hina, even Kling getting in support
Yeah the issue isn't that the system dictates that the 8s stay high, it's the personnel: Sinc and Dunn are both natural attackers who now play midfield.
I think we forget this sometimes with Dunn both because she plays at left back for the nats and has exclusively played in midfield in Portland....but she's a former golden-boot winning striker. Sinc is obviously a natural striker as well. Puts a ton of pressure on Sam.
O/T This is a thing that happened.
"Brighton 0-0 Man Utd (Man Utd win 7-6 on pens)
"So, now we know. Clear your diaries, circle the date, and get those hotels booked. Manchester City versus Manchester United in the 2023 FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday, 3 June.
"The team in blue going for a Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup Treble. The team in red going for a domestic cup double.
"It's going to be epic!"
Saw the game at PP but I would like to see the game on TV now. My impression at the park was that Sam had the worst first half that I have seen from her, but she seemed to right the ship in the second half. The other number 6 in this game Howell seemed invisible. I was looking for her because I was thinking that her and Soph would be in a battle Royale and they know each other so well. Racing seemed to be triple teaming Smith and she was finding teammates, that is a good sign for the future.
Even though the Thorns were pretty dominant in the first half, there were a lot of bad passes. Reyes, particularly, but she has some great skills she just needs to connect more of her passes.
Even though Sophia didn't score I am sure Vlatco was pleased with what he saw from her. When she didn't have a shot she looked to pass and most of her shots were good ones either stopped by the goalie or a bit unlucky.
On the Racing side, especially in the first half Kirsten Davis really impressed me, it is good for her development that she is playing with Jess McDonald because they are similar in a lot of ways, tall strong and not afraid to drive at defenders.
Leon again was very active and I like her game a bit more than Janine Beckies game.
The next game will be a similar test; LAFC, a team trying to put the pieces together.
Random morning thoughts:
1. For the first time in years, there were moments when the Thorns put on a SHOW. Not just good soccer, but actual entertainment with the audience oooing and ahhhing. I haven’t since that since peak Tobin, and there’s no other team in the league playing this way.
2. Reyes played better last night. Oddly, she was again being consoled by Hogan after halftime, even though I didn’t see any significant mistakes from her. More confident and connected. Izzy has seemed like a Thorn from day 1 to me, and I hope she gets the development investment to grow into a top tier striker. We’ll be relying on her during the WC.
3. It’s so sad to me seeing Rocky as a late game sub.
4. Leon doesn’t quite feel like a thorn yet, though I don’t think we should expect her to. A little bit out of sync (Sinc?). Hopefully she has enough time with us to have time to shine.
5. Did Coffey seem a little invisible, or is it just the standard thankless job of the 6?
6. I’m glad they gave Nally some minutes to help her get her confidence back after the OG.
7. Menges looked like Menges! Does anyone know if she and RW have set a date yet?
They did that last August against NC, going up 2-0 pretty easily but then started playing pretty footy and didn't put NC away. Wound up with a 3-3 draw out of it. Dropping those 2 points plus 2 more at Gotham on last day of the season... that's how you lose a Shield!
I disagree about Reyes. She was getting owned out there. If there was a Thorns 2, I'd be advocating for her to go develop there.
Leon still needs to gel with the team but has already looked better than Beckie.
She definitely was not getting "owned."
She's certainly rough around the edges --she's a rookie defender playing on the wrong side-- but she's clearly physically and technically gifted enough to play real NWSL minutes. She just needs to play simple and slow down a little.
Think there's a lot of confidence at play here. She started really well. Made a couple of errors, got nutmegged, and then started panicking.
She also doesn't look fit to me, which makes sense since a) it's the step up to professional from college and b) she had a late start to pre-season and didn't get a lot of minutes there. I'm guessing they didn't plan on starting her but then Kuikka was sick.
Yeah, I thought she had some good saves, but it's like generic basic pro fullback stuff you should expect at this level. I won't discount the good saves/tackles she did make though. She has a good read and isn't afraid to get stuck in. I still think she's a bit slow and uncomfortable on the ball though. I was just waiting for an opposing player to poke the ball away from her, because she takes too long to get the ball set correctly on her foot. She's gotta strengthen the weight of her passes as well.
It was an improvement over the last couple times she's played, but she still clearly looks more comfortable on the left. If I'm feeling more comfortable with Nally at RB, I know the bar is low. Random people around us in the stadium were talking about how she just didn't look ready to be playing these games yet either....so I don't think it's just me being harsh. She's a rookie and totally can develop, but even basic things like her passing and ball control has looked shaky and needs work. At least we've had improvement each game, though!
Oh wow, a Thorns2. New owners should do it!!
Rosebuds or Rosehips would be cute lol
Other options, all of which must be preceded by Rose City
Rosencrantz
Roseannes
Rosannas
Roseannadannas
Rose Byrnes
Rosamunds
Rosaritas
Rosalitas
Rosaries
Rosebuds is already taken by Portland's reigning national champion roller derby youth team... https://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/rose-city-rosebuds-are-junior-roller-derby-association-champions/article_fde015fa-c4ec-56a6-a4ce-bc98183b2128.html
On a related note, since people on here are into watching amazing female athletes, if you haven't made it to Oaks Bottom to see Scald Eagle skate, you are missing out. She is a force of nature and maybe one of the, if not *the*, best roller derby player of all time. Here's a video of her blowing up an opposing player: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3KL1Rlqj4I
Haha okay okay maybe rhododendrons is too hard to spell.
Would be hard to put in a badge lol
Rhododendrons?
OT welp, it was fun while it lasted, yo.
"All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox is expected to miss Game 5 of Sacramento’s first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center after being diagnosed with a broken finger. Fox suffered a fractured left index finger in a Game 4 loss to the Warriors on Sunday at Chase Center in San Francisco, a league source told The Sacramento Bee, confirming a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
"Fox will be listed as doubtful when the Kings play host to the Warriors in a pivotal Game 5 with the series tied at 2-2. Fox averaged 31.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 2.5 steals while shooting 44.7% from the field and 34.2% from 3-point range over the first four games of the series. He had 38 points, nine rebounds and five assists in a 126-125 loss to the Warriors in Game 4. Fox may have sustained the injury with 4:35 remaining in the fourth quarter.
"Warriors guard Jordan Poole was called for a non-shooting foul as Fox was driving to the basket. As Fox continued to the basket for a layup attempt after the whistle, Warriors center Kevon Looney swatted at the ball, striking Fox’s left hand."
Le sigh
Don't give up yet. There's always a chance Draymond punches somebody in the Crown Royal sack. Of course, that's more likely if LeBron is on your team...
Tough break. I was rooting for Sac. Sacramento has a nice nucleus for the future
You never know though. GS has not been good away from home
https://twitter.com/weareangelcity/status/1650319767969087489?s=20
Check out the replies on this...AC fans are not happy with Coombe lolol
Alex with the assist lol
https://twitter.com/Paigenielsen/status/1650370234128400384
Alex looking a bit like Zerboni in that match. Could have picked up a couple of yellows. Got a talking to by the ref earlier in the match that probably deserved a card. Had it been some rookie probably would have been.
Wasn't that Too Tall Taylor, not Alex Morgan, shoving someone in the back and sending them sprawling?
Honestly, she's a pretty brutal player, I've noticed. Some of that's just a matter of her being so big (smaller players are going to lose those "50/50" contact situations), but she's also just a bit of a blunt instrument out there.
Nope, that's Alex!
And therein lies one of the fundamental issues with VAR- How do you miss that? Who know's if it ultimately impacts the goal, but still a foul. You CANNOT miss that call and make the non clear and obvious decisions like the Leon handball.
Are we looking at two different clips posted by Nielsen?
There's the longer one on top, viewed from behind the goal, and then there's a shorter one as viewed from the sideline right below it. Are those the same play from different angles, or are they different plays?
In that second video clip, the jersey number starts with a 2, which means it's either Kornieck or Barcenas, not Morgan.
On closer viewing, I think that's Barcenas (sorry for badmouthing you Too Tall Taylor!), because the player has long dark hair but isn't as tall as Kornieck.
There's somebody else for SD running into the scene briefly, who is taller and blonder than the player who did the two-handed shove; that's gotta be Jakobsson. And while Jakobsson is fairly tall, she's not as tall as Taylor. So, that leads me to think the SD Shover is Barcenas. She's fitting right in!
The larger point, which I think we can all acknowledge, is that San Diego is doing a fair amount of pushing and shoving. STOP THAT!
No, it's only one clip (from two angles) and it's Morgan. Kornieck was injured and didn't play yesterday. Neither did Barcenas.
If you watch the full replay of the goal you can see it's Morgan a little more clearly. https://twitter.com/NWSL/status/1650313189777887234?s=20
Right you are! That first number is a 1 not a 2, and that's Morgan playing bully ball. Well, crap!
#13, throwin' the shoulder like a boss.
https://twitter.com/Paigenielsen/status/1650392115120345088?cxt=HHwWgMDUnc64r-ctAAAA
So, it's Morgan throwing the shoulder, but Barcenas with the two-handed shove in the back. And Nielsen left picking turf out of her teeth not once but twice.
Barcenas didn't play yesterday, neither did Kornieck. Both the videos above are just two diff views of Alex Morgan shoulder-checking Nielsen. I would say it definitely affected the goal scored by Jakobsson. Morgan took out Nielson who was tracking Jakobsson inside, and then vacated the space needed for Jakobsson to cut back on her left for a nice wide open space to shoot. The overhead view is obvious. Surprised that VAR didn't call that goal off after the foul in the build-up by Morgan, though. They've called off goals for much less. It was a veteran striker foul by Morgan...I'd say she knew what she was doing and that she knew it was very possible she'd get away with it. She knows Koraleva doesn't whistle often, either. We hardly see Morgan get called for fouls, like ever...she totally knows that lol.
Yep, I got a mouthful of delicious crow I am chewing down now.
Paige deleted her tweet. Morgan has been trending on twitter all day.
I hear Potter is suddenly available....
Seriously, though... did Freya build this roster? Is Freya responsible for all the injuries? Did Freya cause the defensive breakdown and ricochet that beat Haracic in the 75th tonight? Did Freya lose Gilles to OL?
You can't polish a turd, but you can roll it in sprinkles, stick a sparkler in it, and toss some confetti.
That's ACFC thus far... and Freya didn't do that.
Have you looked at their bloated lists of technical staff, in the front office, and in ownership? Truly, none of us is as dumb as all of us. Maybe Freya isn't communicating and collaborating enough???
Article today on Equalizer says that ACFC has 98 full-time staff! 98! And they are proud of that.
I am no mathemagician, but that's, what, 11 staff for every regular season win in franchise history?
I guess you can just blame it on SoCal overcrowding.
I agree. I didn’t watch enough ACFC last season to get a good gauge on Coombe’s coaching, but this is a veryy poorly constructed roster.
On the other hand, Coombe was a high profile hire who I imagine does have some say in roster building. The flash over substance jokes write themselves, but that doesn’t mean they’re not accurate. My best guess that it is very much a too many cooks etc situation.
Yep! She was hired in advance, and left Gotham before the end of the season for it
Isn't a head coach at least partially responsible for the roster construction? And if she has no say in how the roster is being built, why would she stay there? (Money might be the answer to that.) And don't minutes allocation and sub patterns contribute to injuries?
Angel City needs to decide if they want to be primarily a brand or a soccer club. Maybe the FO and key ownership is content with being a mid-table brand enterprise. If that is the end goal, they've very much nailed the roster construction.
And Angel City fans, at least the internet ones, tend to lean toward 'favorite players can do no wrong' so then try to blame the coach or other players, even if the tape and stats don't support that narrative.
Surely has some say, but when I see such a large, brand new organization of people who are used to consuming all the oxygen in the room, I think there's a likely a "too many cooks in the kitchen" problem.
Totally agree that ACFC is all style and no substance so far. Everything looks first class except for the actual soccer, roster, and results.
It is encouraging that Sinc recognizes they "didn't play like Thorns", despite the win. I'm glad expectations are higher. Credits a long, challenging week and says they can play better. Definitely worth reminding that Thorns played a game away three days before, where Racing did not have a midweek game at all, and were already on the west coast from playing in LA the week prior. Think this upcoming LA game will be a better reveal of where the team is at.
Post-match: https://youtu.be/ji54pG-qvW4
Side note: what's up with Sinc's wrist cast thing??
You mean it's *not* a carpal tunnel flare-up from knitting while sitting in her rocking chair? =)
Knowing Sinc she's knitting with wool still attached to the sheep. Never not be overachieving.
Ha! I relate to this personally...not the carpal tunnel, but the knitting like a grandma lol. Bella knits, and is teaching Sam to knit as well. Read that on a recent article on Sam...which reminds me. It was a great article! I'll have to link it here...
https://theathletic.com/4369351/2023/03/31/sam-coffey-portland-thorns-uswnt/
Just really makes you love Sam!!