It was a tough October for all teams in the NWSL after subscription-based sports website ‘The Athletic’ published serious allegations against one of the League’s most successful Head Coaches. Shockwaves were felt across the sport – and not just in the US. By the end of the month the league had appointed a new (interim) Commissioner, Marla Messing, and both FIFA and US Soccer had committed to thorough investigations. Week 19 was played in Week 20(ish) and – despite the fact that they only picked up six points during the month – Portland secured the Regular Season ‘Shield’ with a game to spare…

Week 20/21 – Ok, where are we?

With week 19 being cancelled some matches needed to be shoe-horned into a hastily arranged midweek programme to ensure that the regular season could still be completed by the end of the month. Even the NWSL itself wasn’t quite sure what week they should be attributed to. Anyways, within this set of fixtures was a clash of of the titans as top-two Portland and OL Reign went head to head. But more of that later…

Washington Spirit made it three wins from four, beating a profligate North Carolina Courage on their own patch. It was fairly comfortably in the end.

Courage forward Lynn Williams hogged all the chances in the opening twenty minutes but, as can so often be the way with the US international, she didn’t make them count. She half-volleyed one effort over the bar, fired another wide and then didn’t get enough power on her third attempt to beat Aubrey Bledsoe who gathered the ball low to her right.

The Spirit took some time to find their way into the match, but got their first good look of the Courage goal in the 33rd minute when the ‘Ashleys’ – Hatch and Sanchez – combined to force a good save out of Casey Murphy, the keeper pushing Sanchez’s shot around the left-hand post.

Sights set, the visitors were in front six minutes later – with North Carolina playing out a comedy of errors to help them. Meredith Speck got her back pass to Merritt Mathias all wrong, so Spirit wing-back Tara McKeown stole in and headed down the left towards the Courage by-line. McKeown’s cross for Hatch was blocked but a defender inexplicably played the ball across the penalty area, straight to Washington’s Trinity Rodman. Rodman struck her shot well but it may have been drifting past the post. Courage centre back Abby Erceg made sure it didn’t, blasting into her own net. 1-0 Washington. [The league credited Rodman with the goal, Ed.]

The hosts equalised on the hour. Debinha sent Jess McDonald through a seam on the left, the forward put in a low cross that evaded everyone stampeding into the six-yard box, but Speck arrived at the far post and stabbed the ball past a despairing Bledsoe.

Williams resumed her duel with the Spirit keeper in the 68th minute but couldn’t beat her from 18-yards.

The Spirit went down the other end, won a corner and took the lead again. Dorian Bailey drove the ball in from the right, a Courage head got the first contact but it looped to to half-time sub Julia Roddar who volleyed it home through all sorts of traffic.

Seah Nahas’s side looked for a positive reaction once again. Debinha played Amy Rodriguez into a channel on the right but Bledsoe made the stop. Then McDonald rattled the cross bar from point blank range. Moments later McDonald provided a delivery from the right for Williams, but yet again Bledsoe was equal to the effort, saving low to her right.

A 2-1 defeat left the Courage’s playoff ambitions hanging by a thread as they dropped to sixth, in the knowledge that Gotham still had two games-in-hand to overhaul them. Kris Ward’s Washington had hit a rich vein of form through October and this victory lifted them back into the top three.

The Chicago Red Stars scored early and were able to hold on against an Orlando Pride team that missed a first half penalty and ended the match with their playoff aspirations fading away…

In the 5th minute Chicago winger Kealia Watt hared past Ali Krieger down the left but wasn’t able to beat Ashlyn Harris, who deflected the ball into the side netting.

It was a warning Orlando didn’t heed. Sixty seconds later Mallory Pugh’s corner wasn’t dealt with and found it’s way to Watt, completely unmarked, at the far post. She struck the ball first time on the half-volley, it looped over Harris and crashed into the net via the underside of the crossbar.

Rachel Hill nearly extended the Red Stars’ lead but Harris kept her at bay before Krieger blocked a second attempt.

Becky Burleigh’s team hadn’t offered much but were given a lifeline just before half time when Casey Krueger brought down Sydney Leroux in the penalty area. Alex Morgan took on the responsibility but put her spot kick wide.

After the break the pairing of Pugh and Watt continued to cause havoc for the Pride’s back line. In the 54th minute Pugh raced on to a fine ball from her strike partner down the left, took on two defenders hit a sweet drive from 15-yards that Harris just about tipped on to the bar.

The Pride laboured to make chances. On 77 minutes Morgan sand-wedged into the penalty box from midfield, Leroux controlled the ball off her chest but couldn’t keep her volley down.

Harris blocked Pugh’s low shot in the 81st minute and then made a good double stop off Katie Johnson’s distance strike two minutes later.

Orlando sub Erika Tymrak offered some attacking spark in the final twenty, combining with Jodie Taylor and Morgan to get the latter in for a strike at the death. Red Stars keeper Cassie Miller made the stop at her near post.

Pugh could have added some sheen to the result in stoppage time, racing in behind the Pride defence, but she attempted to round Harris who got the slighted touch on the ball and this unbalanced the young forward just enough for her to blast it wide.

The Red Stars were very wasteful in this match but a 1-0 score line would be enough. Rory Dames’ side moved back to fifth in the standings but Gotham’s games in hand meant there was (probably) still work to do to extend their campaign. Orlando now had zero room for error in their final two matches to make the post-season, one of those would be a return fixture with Chicago on the final day…

Kansas City showed that they still had teeth despite their lowly position in the table, unceremoniously dismantling a Houston Dash team that hadn’t lost in five.

Legends Field had become a happier hunting ground in recent times for KC. They hadn’t tasted a home defeat since the end of June (Week 7), and were in the midst of a five-game unbeaten run, during which they had taken three points from OL Reign, as well as shutting out Portland and North Carolina (twice). The Dash arrived on the back of a three-match win streak, but just couldn’t get going here.

In the 18 minute KC forward Darian Jenkins cut in from the left and fizzed the ball into the far corner of the goal for 1-0.

Kiki Pickett nearly doubled that lead on the half-hour when she burst through midfield and rifled a 25-yarder against the cross bar. Just one minute later Lo’eau LaBonta carbon-copied Pickett’s effort with the horizontal still vibrating.

Huw Williams’ side eventually got their second in the 36th minute. Kate Bowen whipped in a right-wing cross to the far post and Elizabeth Ball nodded it back across Jane Campbell with the ball squirming under the Dash keeper. It was a collector’s item for the home fans – defender Ball hadn’t scored all season.

The ‘cross bar challenge’ resumed in the second period. Addie McCain’s 35-yard firecracker was arguably the most spectacular of the night.

Kansas City deserved to make their lead more emphatic, and did so in stoppage time after substitute Jessica Silva was tripped going round Campbell in the penalty area. LaBonta placed the ball and buried it low to the keeper’s right.

Elated with a 3-0 score line, this win was just the third victory of their campaign, but any thoughts that Kansas City were simply going to roll over and hand points to their opponents were firmly dispelled against a shell-shocked Houston. For the Dash they were lucky that their good form over the previous weeks had prevented them dropping below fourth, but (like Chicago) they still had to secure points to ensure a top six finish.

The midweek fixtures concluded with an exciting Cascadia rivalry clash between the league’s top two teams at Providence Park. But there would be no separating the Portland Thorns and OL Reign by the end of the evening as Megan Rapinoe delivered another clutch play in the closing stages of the game.

While Reign fans were going to have to wait until the last five minutes of the match for their goal celebration, the Rose City contingent was on its feet ramping up the noise in the opening five, courtesy of their number one and two picks from the 2020 draft.

Sophia Smith hustled through several half-baked defensive challenges and fed Morgan Weaver in the penalty area. Weaver spun her marker and fired past Sarah Bouhaddi. Just 5 minutes on the board, it was the perfect start for the home side.

Down, but by no means out, the visitors slowly felt their way into the contest. Jess Fishlock’s head met Rose Lavelle’s cross in the 17th minute but it was catching practice for Thorns’ keeper Bella Bixby.

Chances came at either end. ‘Rocky’ Rodriguez’s chipped effort from 30-yards cleared the Reign cross bar. Eugénie Le Sommer’s volley followed a similar path after Fishlock had nodded Dzsenifer Marozsán’s centre back across the goal mouth.

Weaver and Angela Salem both shot wide within the space of a couple of minutes as Portland tried to increase their lead before the break.

On the hour Christine Sinclair went close for the Thorns curling the ball just past the post from 25-yards.

Rapinoe joined the fray as a substitute in the 62nd minute. By the 64th the she had already had her first sight of goal, heading over Sofia Huerta’s right-wing delivery.

The talismanic National Team winger drove into the side netting in the 75th minute. Portland sub Simone Charley couldn’t get her low shot on target in the 79th.

With five minutes to play, Portland were penalised for an apparent handball in their penalty area. There can’t be too many things in the sport that Rapinoe enjoys more than scoring at Providence Park, and she didn’t disappoint here sending Bixby the wrong way to secure a share of the spoils.

A 1-1 draw kept the teams within a point of each other and both were guaranteed a playoff berth.

Week 21 – Portland Win their Second Shield

With matches coming thick and fast in the NWSL it was just a matter of time before one of the top two blinked first. It was the Reign who caved, losing to the highly energised Washington Spirit. That left the way open for Portland to secure their first regular season Shield since 2016, if they could beat Houston Dash at the BBVA. The ladies in orange made it a tough encounter, but the Thorns got it done…

English striker Ebony Salmon was in sparkling form as Racing Louisville drove a fatal stake through the heart of Orlando Pride‘s playoff ambitions at the Lynn Family Stadium.

And yet the match had started with a very different tone when Alex Morgan threaded Jodie Taylor in behind the Louisville defence and the Orlando forward clipped the ball past Katie Lund for a 3rd minute lead.

Morgan attempted to join her team mate on the score sheet in the 17th minute firing off target from the edge of the penalty box.

In front of their biggest home crowd of the season (8,448) the Louisville players started to get to grips with the pace of the game. Lauren Milliet went close from 18-yards in the 34th minute, before Salmon equalised in first half injury time.

Attacking midfielder Yuki Nagasato – in for the suspended Savannah McCaskill – dispossessed ‘Gunny’ Jónsdóttir and found Salmon hovering on the edge of the Orlando ‘D’. Salmon moved the ball on to her right foot and curled it into the keeper’s top left-hand corner – a classic ‘postage stamp’ execution (or ‘top bins’ as the kids say…)

Three minutes after the interval Racing were almost two goals to the good when Katie McClure’s 20-yarder was tipped over the bar by stand-in keeper Erin McLeod.

Four minutes later McClure got her first NWSL goal. Taylor Otto played the ball into Salmon’s feet on the edge of the penalty area. McClure started to run in behind the backline and Salmon’s cheeky back heel dovetailed beautifully with it, the 22-year driving the ball across McLeod into the far corner.

Orlando could have clawed a goal back in the 66th minute, but Morgan lashed Taylor Kornieck’s chipped cross over the bar.

That miss buoyed the home side to go on and get their third – a killer third in Orlando’s case. It was a nicely worked team goal with Erin Simon and Salmon working a 1-2 down the right that allowed the English forward to bomb into space, providing a low cross that Nagasato controlled and slotted in two touches.

Louisville could have made it even more comfortable in the 85th minute when CeCe Kizer burst into the 18-yard area, but McLeod was equal to the pacey forward’s close range effort.

Racing Louisville were never expected to mount much of a playoff challenge in their first season as a franchise and, once head coach Christie Holly was fired, they struggled to find consistency and cohesion under Mario Sanchez. Indeed, they had been on a winless run since week 12, but there are still good players in the group that can hurt opponents that don’t bring their ‘A’ game. A 3-1 victory was no more than they merited.

For Becky Burleigh and the Orlando Pride, well they’ll need to figure out over the off-season why it is such a talented squad of players was unable to force their way into the playoffs when they were top of the pile after the first six weeks of the campaign. They accrued 15 points from their opening 7 matches. But that nosedived to just 13 points in the next 16, including a four-game losing streak during the run-in.

‘Own goal’ was back on the score sheet at the SeatGeek as the Chicago Red Stars all-but-secured their spot in the post-season championships, narrowly beating Kansas City with the benefit of some line officiating that laid bare the complexity of offside law interpretation in real time.

Katie Johnson nearly put hosts Chicago ahead inside 5 minutes hitting the post after good work from Kealia Watt down the left.

Watt herself fired wide in the 19th minute and Mallory Pugh also couldn’t get her shot on frame a few minutes later as the Red Stars reprised some the wastefulness that had characterised their victory over Orlando in midweek. This was brought into sharper focus when Johnson hit the post again in the 24th minute – this time from about 2-yards.

But the hosts finally forged ahead in the 34th minute with one of the scrappiest goals of the NWSL season. A right-wing corner was half-cleared, Tierna Davidson headed it back into the six-yard box and the ball bobbled off defender Kristen Edmonds into her own net.

That lead lasted less than three minutes. KC won a corner on the right, Lo’eau LaBonta went short to Kate Bowen, she crossed immediately and Hailie Mace powered in from 10-yards.

Now Huw Williams’ side had a foothold in the game they sought to take a lead into the break. Maddie Nolf’s 20-yard drive called keeper Cassie Miller into action with the Red Stars keeper tipping the ball over her cross bar. Nolf, a central defender, now had a taste for the high-life and tried her luck again from a similar range with the ball sailing over the bar.

Kansas forward Darian Jenkins swung in a superb cross from the right in the 50th minute that Kristen Hamilton met at the back post, only for Cassie Miller to make the block.

Less than a minute later Chicago were back in front, working the ball from one end of the pitch to the other. Watt and Makenzy Doniak combined in midfield before Morgan Gautrat tried to thread Pugh in behind the Kansas back four. Mace intercepted but Pugh, coming back from an offside position picked her pocket and sent Watt racing away down the left. The winger crossed, Doniak had followed the play and applied a sliding finish into the roof of the net.

The debateable moment here was Pugh’s involvement. She was clearly (yards) offside when Gautrat played the original through ball, but Mace’s interception seemed to negate her from being judged ‘active’ by the line official – only for Mace to be dispossessed immediately by Pugh in the very next moment of play!

The decision went for the hosts and that goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of Kansas City. They wouldn’t significantly trouble Miller again.

Meanwhile, Chicago full back Casey Krueger clipped the top of the bar with a cross from the right, and both Watt and Pugh missed presentable chances to make the game more comfortable. A 2-1 result would see Chicago going into the last match of their season in fourth. Kansas City could still climb off the bottom of the table mathematically, but would need to win both of their remaining fixtures to do so – and hope Gotham FC could beat Louisville…twice in a weekend!

Bang-in-form Washington Spirit stunned OL Reign at the Cheney Stadium, with a victory that not only kept their excellent run-in going, but also guaranteed the club their spot in the playoffs.

The Reign hadn’t lost in eight, and the last time the teams had been scheduled to clash Washington were required to forfeit after breaching Covid-19 protocols.

The visitors made the early running. Ashley Hatch spun her defender 20-yards out but fired over the bar. Then Tara McKeown nicked the ball off left-back Lauren Barnes, sped into the penalty box, but dragged her shot wide.

Catching practice ensued for both goalkeepers. Reign striker Eugénie Le Sommer drove straight at Aubrey Bledsoe. Ashley Sanchez offered an equally straightforward stop for Sarah Bouhaddi.

In the 22nd minute Washington got their final ball right and took the lead. Julia Roddar put in a cross from the left to the far post, Taylor Aylmer met it on the half-volley and the ball looped over Bouhaddi to give the midfielder her first professional goal on her first professional start.

Two minutes later Emily Sonnett found Trinity Rodman in the penalty area, who generated half a yard of space but couldn’t beat Bouhaddi at her near post.

Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle combined on the stroke of half time to create a shooting opportunity for Jess Fishlock in the ‘D’, but the Welsh international couldn’t get her shot on frame.

Kris Ward’s side extended their lead around the hour mark with a goal that materialised out of thin air. Ashley Hatch picked up the ball from Rodman midway in Reign’s half. There didn’t look to be much on in that moment, but rather than hold the ball up and wait for support, Hatch unleashed a low drive that fizzed past Bouhaddi into the bottom left-hand corner.

Three minutes later the Spirit nearly scored again. Ashley Sanchez broke through midfield and played Rodman into all sorts of space on the left of the penalty area. The winger nutmegged an onrushing Bouhaddi but was probably as surprised as everyone else in the stadium to see Fishlock appear from nowhere to make a sliding clearance off the goal line.

To their credit, Reign endeavoured to make chances until the end (they had 15 attempts), but none of their players were able to apply the quality finish – particularly Le Sommer, who had a frustrating night in front of goal.

A 2-0 win for Washington put them in the enviable position of being able to make decisions on whether to rest key players ahead of their last regular season match. Spirit boss Kris Ward had options, of course, to retain his starting eleven and build on their winning momentum going into the playoffs.

The Reign could find themselves in the same boat as Washington for entirely different reasons. They were already assured post-season soccer – and a semi-final spot to boot. But Laura Harvey’s side had been pursuing Portland for the ‘Shield’ which was why she had continued to name strong sides. This defeat wiped out any margin for error. OL Reign knew the Thorns would take the regular season title if they could beat Houston Dash.

While some teams were finding form at just the right time others were heading into the abyss. This stark contrast was neatly evidenced at the WakeMed Soccer Park where NJ/NY Gotham FC took their unbeaten run to five at the hands of a beleaguered North Carolina Courage who now had just one win in their last eight.

North Carolina were their own worse enemies, though, with national team forward Lynn Williams spurning a trio of very presentable chances in the opening half hour.

Gotham started to hit their stride and find a route to goal after these. Carli Lloyd’s angled shot was dealt with by keeper Casey Murphy at her near post, then McCall Zerboni’s distance effort was hauled in by the Courage stopper.

The visitors took the lead in the 54th minute working the ball from left to right through Lloyd, Nahomi Kawasumi, Ifeoma Onumonu, Midge Purce, Zerboni and Caprice Dydasco. The full back’s low cross deflected off Courage midfielder Havana Solaun, allowing Purce to arrive in the right spot to stroke past Murphy on the half volley.

Tails up, Scott Parkinson’s side went looking for a second. Lloyd’s long-ranger was parried by Murphy on the hour, but the keeper was unable to keep out Purce four minutes later, who got was in the right place to hoover up after Onumonu’s initial shot had been blocked.

Two minutes after the Courage restart, Gotham scored again. Estelle Johnson played the ball infield to Lloyd, who spun away from her marker on to her left foot and drilled past Murphy from 20-yards.

Gotham keeper Kailen Sheridan had had a fairly quiet afternoon given the opposition, but her shift wasn’t quite done – palming Debinha’s effort on to the upright.

Before the end Lloyd headed wide but it mattered little as a 3-0 win lifted them above North Carolina into fifth.

North Carolina were now out of the playoff six and not only needed to win their last match of the season, but keep their fingers crossed that other results went their way. Their final opponent, however, would be the Portland Thorns – who on the same evening were trying to win the Regular Season outright…

It was by no means an easy night, but the Portland Thorns secured their second NWSL ‘Shield’, beating a spirited Houston Dash with the only goal of the game.

It had been a highly competitive season and Head Coach Mark Parsons had been juggling Portland duties with international management (for the Netherlands) all season. After defeating Houston their win percentage was a little over 56%, they had the best defence in the league and the second best attack.

The depth of quality in their squad had been cited back in May as the main reason that pundits felt they would be favourites for the regular season title. And Parsons’ rotation of his group had suffered very few hiccups, despite a bit of a wobble in weeks 18 and 19. They even won the WICC trophy seeing off Euro giants FC Barcelona and Olympique Lyon.

The pace and fearlessness of youth blended beautifully with the experience and composure of their international players, and this was on show for Portland’s 43rd minute winner. Sophia Smith bulldozed her way through several defensive challenges before squaring the ball to Morgan Weaver. Weaver teed up Lindsey Horan on the turn and Horan rattled a 15-yard drive into the keeper’s top left-hand corner.

The result won’t show how much Dash brought to this game in the second half as their playoff aspirations hung in the balance. Kristie Mewis headed Nichelle Prince’s cross wide in the 54th minute, and the same player clipped a daisy cutter inches past the post after good approach play by Bri Visalli and Rachel Daly.

Thorns striker Christine Sinclair nearly took the match away from the Dash with twenty minutes left but was denied on the goal line by Canadian international team mate Allysha Chapman.

The hosts pressed hard for a goal that would salvage them a point. Substitute Veronica Latsko cut in from the left and drove straight at Bella Bixby from 20-yards. In stoppage time Mewis glanced another good chance wide of Daly’s right-wing delivery with Latsko unable to get a contact at the far post. It had been a good performance but just wasn’t their night.

A 1-0 defeat would leave Houston perched precariously in sixth above North Carolina. They needed to match or better the Courage’s score on the final day. The Dash faced a trip to face the league’s in form team Washington Spirit, while North Carolina travelled to Providence Park to take on the newly crowned Shield winners…

A New (but Temporary) Commissioner

Following the weekend’s action, the League announced that it had appointed Marla Messing as the Interim Commissioner. She was probably most well known to women’s football followers as one of the masterminds behind the highly successful Women’s World Cup of 1999 when the US played to packed out stadiums, won the tournament and spawned the highly talented (and marketable) ’99ers’.

Messing could demonstrate both experience and success in senior executive roles for the Los Angeles Olympic / Paralympic Bid Committee, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and in Major League [men’s] Soccer. She had also been a consultant to the MLS’s Los Angeles FC, and Spain’s FC Barcelona.

She later sent out a personal message to NWSL fans:

“As I step into this interim role, I fully recognize the meaningful change that still needs to occur, the trust that needs to be rebuilt and the accountability that must be enforced. I can assure you that while I am in this role, I am committed to working closely with the board of governors, the players and all of you to make important changes across the league that will allow us to emerge as a stronger, more inclusive organization where player safety, welfare and respect are central to everything that we do.”

Marla Messing, Interim CEO, National Women’s Soccer League, via nwslsoccer.com 18/10/2021

The search for a permanent replacement continued unabated but the hope was that Marla Messing could provide a safe pair of hands until at least the conclusion of the playoffs.

Week 21 – Captain’s Supplemental…

NJ/NY Gotham FC had been dragging behind the rest in terms of completed fixtures. So, they would face a midweek trip to Kansas City FC to partly catch up, before starting and ending the final weekend of games with two matches against Racing Louisville…

The Kansas / Gotham game ended in a 1-1 tie which made no material difference to the table depicted above. It did confirm Kansas as the club that would finish bottom of the 2021 standings. Gotham, meanwhile, would only need to match Houston or North Carolina’s final result to make the post-season.

Gotham opened the scoring in the 25th minute when McCall Zerboni intercepted a poor pass out of defence and sent Midge Purce on her way. The winger held off three defenders, raced into the penalty box and drilled the ball into the far corner.

Kansas had become a stubborn force to contend with at Legend’s Field and equalised just before half time from the penalty spot after Kristen Hamilton was clattered by Erica Skroski in the 18-yard area after picking the defender’s pocket.

Defender Kristen Edmonds placed the ball and calmly clipped it past DiDi Haracic, who had guessed right but couldn’t get a glove on it.

Haracic would still finish the match a hero, though, showing all the necessary reflexes and agility to tip Addie McCain’s close range volley over the cross bar in the 61st minute…

==

Ayr United Development and Dunipace have won the Scottish Women’s Football League South and West divisions respectively, joining SWFL East winners Armadale Thistle who were also presented with their trophy today.

Having won the league last week, Armadale Thistle were in the capital at Peffermill to play Edinburgh University Thistle and won 3-1 through Katie Hay, Meg Reilly and Khya McGurk to complete an impressive invincible season.

The team, formed from the old Livingston Reserves, has flourished since moving to Volunteer Park and will now test themselves in SWF’s League One, the fourth tier of women’s football in Scotland.

They will be joined by Denny side Dunipace, who started the day two points ahead of Drumchapel United in second, and needed an away victory against former League One side Gleniffer Thistle. Drumchapel played their part, beating Alloa 4-1 at home, but Dunipace secured the league title with a 6-0 victory.

In SWFL South, Ayr United needed only a point from their match against Ardrossan Winton Rovers but claimed the title in style, running out 7-0.

As development sides cannot be promoted, second-placed Kilwinning will be offered the opportunity to play national league football after the beat Bishopton 3-0.

The promoted teams join SWFL North winners Inverurie Locos, who won the title last month.

One game remained in SWF League One, fourth-placed Bonnyrigg Rose ending their season on a high by beating league runners-up Forfar Farmington 3-2 at Poltonhall.

The Shield had already been wrapped up by Portland going into the final weekend of the NWSL season. OL Reign were cemented in second so the two bye-spots were taken. Now five other teams had to contest four playoff places, with Houston Dash and North Carolina Courage fighting it out for the final berth. Washington, Chicago and NJ/NY Gotham all confirmed their participation in the post season, but were jostling for home advantage. Attacking midfielder Carli Lloyd had an emotional 10 days, making her 316th and final international appearance for the USWNT, and then scoring in her last ever regular-season match for New Jersey…

Following week 21 of the NWSL, the US Women’s National Team regrouped for a double-header against South Korea, as the Carli Lloyd ‘Farewell Series’ of matches came to an end.

While the Koreans would be regarded by many observers as mere cannon fodder for the World Champions, they did not lie down in the first match, holding the US to a goalless draw.

But the Americans came out bullishly in the second match, taking a 9th minute lead from Lindsey Horan’s deflected shot. Just before half time they got a second. Andi Sullivan made contact with Catarina Macario’s in-swinging corner but it was Cho who diverted the ball into her own net.

Lloyd was subbed off in the 65th minute. Surely only someone with a stone heart could be unmoved watching the veteran of 316 caps (and 134 goals) wrestle with her emotions as she slowly left the field (see end of article).

Her replacement, Alex Morgan, scored pretty much straight from the restart, running on to Megan Rapinoe’s delicious outside-of-the-boot pass and lashing the ball through the keeper’s legs.

Rapinoe added a flamboyant fourth in the 85th minute, half-volleying Emily Sonnett’s cross in off the bar.

Morgan then put Rose Lavelle in behind the Korean defence and the Reign midfielder finished right footed – a collector’s item for the packed Allianz Stadium in Minnesota.

Tobin Heath provided the assist for Lynn Williams’ close range effort to make it 6-0 in stoppage time.

Week 21.9 – The stragglers finally catch up…

The weekend began early with Racing Louisville and NJ/NY Gotham FC playing a catch-up fixture to align with everyone else on 23 completed matches. Gotham were pegged back after scoring early as Louisville looked to finish their inaugural NWSL season in style…

The visitors got their noses in front in the 7th minute. Midge Purce and McCall Zerboni combined to engineer space for Nahomi Kawasumi on the left. Kawasumi played inside to Carli Lloyd, who eluded two defenders with quick feet and squared for Ifeoma Onumonu – the striker scoring with her second attempt.

Lloyd – working the left channel again – nearly doubled that lead but centre back Gemma Bonner got just enough of a block on the ball to send it careering wide of the far post.

Louisville’s best chance of the first period was more about opportunism, with Yuki Nagasato swirling a shot just over the cross bar from the edge of the penalty area.

Gotham could have put the game beyond their opponents in the 51st minute. Caprice Dydasco’s corner from the left had been dealt with but the full back got a second chance to cross and located Onumonu at the far post. The striker put her header against the foot of the upright.

It was to prove a costly miss. Just sixty seconds later Lauren Milliet sent Katie McClure galloping through all sorts of space in midfield. Ebony Salmon offered a run to her right, but strayed offside. Instead, McClure opted for CeCe Kizer to her left; the versatile Louisville attacker keeping her cool and firing past Kailen Sheridan.

Scott Parkinson’s side now had a ‘stick-or-twist’ dilemma. Winning could lift them to third in the standings, but equally they didn’t want to over commit, possibly lose this match and then end up in a final day dogfight with Houston and North Carolina.

Lloyd and Purce weren’t entertaining such concerns. The original ‘Jersey Girl’ played a beautiful lofted pass over the Louisville backline in the 81st minute. Purce won the footrace and got her shot away but defender Kaleigh Riehl’s last-ditch lunge took just enough pace off the ball for Katie Lund to gather it in.

Nevertheless, Gotham fans would have their hearts in their mouths in stoppage time. Cheyna Matthews showed great strength to spin away from Elizabeth Eddy in the penalty area, rifling a half-volley towards the top left corner that Sheridan acrobatically tipped over the cross bar.

Racing Louisville completed their home programme with a nice, neat four wins, four losses and four draws with plenty of positives to take into next season. Taking out the Challenge Cup attendances of spring, they averaged around 6,500 per match which confirmed that there’s at least as much of an appetite for NWSL in Kentucky as anywhere else in the country.

NJ wouldn’t seal their playoff spot here, but knew that a point on the final day would be enough. They had a good handle on their opposition. It would be Racing Louisville again! But this time they would square up at the Red Bull Arena…

Week 22 – Carli Closes her account. Oh, and some playoff stuff…

The Chicago Red Stars ended their regular season campaign on a high, beating Orlando Pride on their own patch to secure home advantage in the forthcoming playoff quarter finals.

Mallory Pugh and Arin Wright had first half attempts for the visitors but couldn’t hit the target.

The Pride were similarly wasteful with Gunny Jónsdóttir and Alex Morgan failing to test Cassie Miller in the Red Stars’ goal.

In the end the Red Stars simply had more at stake than their opponents. Morgan Gautrat teed up Kealia Watt in the 65th minute and the attacker curled the ball past Erin McLeod for the only goal of the game.

Orlando ended their schedule with a five-match losing streak and Head Coach Becky Burleigh announced that she would be stepping down in line with what had been agreed with Pride general management.

Chicago, conversely, closed out their fixtures on the back of three wins and would host Gotham FC on the 7th November at the SeatGeek Stadium. It would be the sixth consecutive year that Chicago had made the post-season.

Kansas City left it until the last game of the season to announce their new name, branding and colours for next year, but were then royally battered by OL Reign on the pitch.

There was a feelgood feeling in the 6,300+ crowd with the prospect of the NWSL’s first purpose-built stadium in the City on the horizon and a fancy launch video circulating on social media. From this point on, KC are going to be known as the Kansas City Current – a reference to the river next to which the ground will be situated. D2B is not going to lie: it’s going to take some time for that name to sink in and start sounding normal to our British earholes…

On the field, however, the current was against them as OL Reign largely dominated. Dzsenifer Marozsán’s half volley in the 3rd minute was brilliantly tipped over by Adriana Franch and the keeper was in the right place ten minutes later to deny Eugénie Le Sommer with her legs.

Eventually the dam cracked and Reign took a 35th minute lead. Marozsán located Sofia Huerta on the right and the winger whipped in a trademark cross that deceived intended target Rose Lavelle, whisked across Franch and ricocheted off defender Kiki Pickett into an empty net.

Marozsán tried her luck from inside the ‘D’ in first half added time but Franch was equal to it again.

But Kansas City were unable to hold out for long after the restart. Megan Rapinoe’s corner from the left seemed perfect for Lavelle, but she shanked her volley across the goal. Le Sommer put the ball in at the far post.

Just after the hour Rapinoe volleyed wide from another pinpoint Huerta delivery. But the Reign deservedly increased their lead three minutes later with a wonderful team goal. Jess Fishlock, Rapinoe and Marozsán wove a path down their left, ‘Pinoe’ crossed and Le Sommer met it with a bullet header from six-yards.

They should perhaps have made the result look more comfortable with Le Sommer and substitute Bethany Balcer missing chances, but credit to Franch in the KC net who never offers up an easy goal if she can help it.

OL Reign would get a week off to prepare for the highest seeded winner from the playoff quarter finals. The Tacoma club had enjoyed a very good run-in, though, with just one defeat in their last ten games. The team really found its groove after new Head Coach Laura Harvey arrived and implemented some of her ideas, so they’d be confident that they could go one better than the regular season and clinch the NWSL Championship…

Kansas City finished the season bottom of the table, but defeat to the Reign was their first home loss since the end of June so there will surely be hopes in the City that a fresh start and a shiny stadium can breath new life into Huw Williams’ squad for 2022. Talking of which…

North Carolina Courage kept their dwindling playoff hopes alive with a goalless draw at the home of Shield Champions the Portland Thorns. Sean Nahas’ side had to endure a lot of pressure but were arguably robbed of a perfectly good goal by the Assistant Referee…

Less than three minutes had been played when Courage left back Carson Pickett curled in an inviting free kick delivery that Kaleigh Kurtz headed in at the far post. The celebrations began and then abruptly ceased, but it was never quite clear why the goal was chalked off. No one looked offside and Kurtz didn’t appear to foul anyone in her quest for the ball.

After some wry smiles – but limited protests – the match resumed. Thorns forward Morgan Weaver fired wide shortly afterwards, following a typically brisk run and cross from striker partner Sophia Smith.

Portland started to ramp up the pressure. Christine Sinclair’s deflected effort was hauled in by keeper Casey Murphy. Then Smith missed a sitter after Lindsey Horan had teed her up. The young striker drove wide in the 41st minute and finally got one on target two minutes later, only to find Murphy perfectly positioned to make the parry.

Weaver’s snapshot early in the second period cannoned off the upright, then Sinclair drove another attempt over the cross bar. Just after the hour mark Horan conjured up a cross from the left, but Weaver couldn’t keep her header down.

With Mark Parson’s side having ‘one of those days’ in front of goal, there was always the chance that North Carolina could smash and grab victory. Jess McDonald bulldozed her way past makeshift full back Kelli Hubly and drew a good save from Bella Bixby at her near post. McDonald got to the rebound first but blazed over.

With two minutes to go McDonald was the target for Pickett’s out-swinging corner but powered her header off the cross bar.

A 0-0 draw was probably just about fair given Portland’s relentless pressure versus North Carolina’s chalked off goal. The Thorns had nothing on the game and just needed to avoid injuries. While it would have been nice for their fans to condemn a fierce rival to the ignominy of no post-season their highest attendance of the campaign seemed to enjoy the occasion nonetheless.

For Sean Nahas and his squad, they finished the match hanging on to a playoff berth by the skin of their teeth. But the Courage would need Washington Spirit to do them a favour the following day against Houston. The Dash only needed to match North Carolina’s result to ensure they took their place in Championship quarter finals…

Houston Dash blew their playoff dreams with a single-goal defeat to form side Washington Spirit at Audi Field. James Clarkson’s side started okay, but their ambition faded and they decided to dig in for a point. The Spirit scored late and Houston couldn’t sufficiently reignite their attack as time ebbed away…

A nice aside before kick off, Spirit veterans Tori Huster and Kelley O’Hara celebrated their 150th and 100th NWSL games respectively before the match. Then it was down to business, well for O’Hara anyway.

Houston keeper Jane Campbell was in action early, pawing away Ashley Hatch’s close range header at full stretch.

The Dash found their way into the game, though, with Haley Hanson heading Kristie Mewis’s left-wing corner over the bar in the 12th minute. Nichelle Prince played Rachel Daly in behind the Spirit defence but the English international flashed the ball across the face of goal with no one in support.

The teams traded distance efforts. Dash midfielder Sophie Schmidt hammered her effort straight at Aubrey Bledsoe from the edge of the penalty box. At the other end Ashley Sanchez drove over the bar from a similar range.

Spirit rookie Trinity Rodman had been quiet in the first half but started to come to life after the break, offering herself for Kelley O’Hara’s cut back in the 54th minute but clipping the ball high and wide of the goal frame.

A minute later Rodman was on the left flank, cruising inside her defensive shadow before unleashing a fiercely hit shot that Campbell was grateful to gather without any drama.

With 20 minutes remaining James Clarkson revealed his hand, subbing off pacey attacker Jasmyne Spencer for defender Megan Oyster. The Dash hadn’t been able to get anything going in the second half so holding out for the draw would be the play.

Washington dropped a grenade on that strategy six minutes later from a simple ball over the top. Centre back Sam Staab clipped a nicely weighted forty-yarder into Rodman’s path, she won the foot race with Abby Dahlkemper and smashed the ball past Campbell on the half-volley.

Now Houston needed a goal. Desperately. Kristie Mewis generated half a yard on the edge of the Spirit penalty area in the 82nd minute hitting a low drive that Bledsoe fielded low to her right.

The hosts almost wrapped the result up three minutes later, but Sanchez’s 25-yard free-kick didn’t dip quite enough to trouble Campbell.

Clarkson’s last roll of the dice was to throw forwards Michaela Abam and Veronica Latsko into the fray. But it was defensive substitute Oyster that nearly found him an equaliser, getting on the end of another Mewis corner but directing her header straight at Bledsoe.

A 1-0 win for Washington Spirit meant Kris Ward’s side finished their regular season in third place. Plus they were heading into a home playoff quarter final on the back of four straight wins and with Golden Boot winner Ashley Hatch in good form. They hadn’t been beaten on a football pitch since Week 12 (they had forfeited two games in the meantime due to breaches of Covid-19 protocol). In a season where they had seen a manager fired for player abuse and had to endure all sorts of off-field drama involving the fans and the club’s owner, this exciting (mostly young) Washington Spirit side had been a joy to watch.

For the Dash, well they hit the skids at exactly the wrong time. Three straight defeats in their run-in saw them plummet from third to seventh – even though they had enjoyed a much better second half of the season than North Carolina.

But it was really the manner of defeat in their final match that was so disappointing – they had so much more at stake than their hosts on the day. The Dash clearly had a talented group; when they were firing they were a very tough proposition. But the team never got out of a low gear against Washington. Performance levels aside, fans could also argue that decisions on subs took too long, and that an emphasis on defending the draw carried more risk than trying to go on the offensive. The playoffs would be poorer without them…

Carli Lloyd closed out her regular-season career with NJ/NY Gotham FC with a second half goal. But Racing Louisville would once again find a way back against them with CeCE Kizer ensuring the points were shared.

The point gained in this fixture would ensure that Lloyd’s elongated farewell to domestic and international soccer would continue into the playoffs, but you know what: it’s refreshing to see the entire league making such a fuss of a genuine living legend who, at 39-years old, has been able to maintain such high standards right up to her last kick of the ball.

The match itself was not a classic to be fair. Ifeoma Onumonu went closest in the first half, heading wide from Caprice Dydasco’s 24th minute free kick.

The story was Lloyd, though, and she gave the home fans what they craved in the 53rd minute. Midfielder Allie Long played the ball out to Elizabeth Eddy on the left; the full back fizzed a superb cross into the six-yard-box where Lloyd was arriving to power past Katie Lund. It was a picture perfect strike from one of the sport’s iconic attacking midfielders.

That could have been the moment for Louisville to head to the beach, mentally, but they rallied and Savannah McCaskill’s left-wing delivery somehow duped Long into a bizarre handball inside her own penalty area. CeCe Kizer had scored in the draw with Gotham three days prior to this contest and looked confident stepping up to take the spot kick. Rightly so too, because she clipped the ball plum into the postage stamp of Kailen Sheridan’s top left-hand corner.

Dydasco tried her luck from 20-yards with a few minutes remaining but a 1-1 draw was a somewhat fitting result for this final fixture of the season. Including the Challenge Cup these teams had met four times since the spring and had tied all of them!

Louisville would head into the off season to consider where improvements could be made to the squad with the prospect of expansion and college drafts on the horizon.

Gotham FC headed into the playoffs for the first time since 2013 (when they were Sky Blue). They would travel to Chicago to take on the Red Stars knowing that they had been beaten fewer times than any other team in the NWSL regular season (just 5 losses). They were also on an eight-match unbeaten streak, the second time that Gotham had put such a run together during their campaign. Dark horses for the Championship? Carli’s final season. Stranger things have happened…

[There would normally be a final standings image in this spot. But for reasons known only to the NWSL they didn’t drop a table on Social Media..! Ed.]

The team of the month was announced at the start of November:

The Quarter Final matches in the playoffs would be played on November 7th, at good times for ‘Brits’ and other western European countries.

Chicago Red Stars host NJ/NY Gotham FC at 3.00pm ET which is 19:00 GMT.

Washington Spirit then take on North Carolina Courage at 5.30pm ET which is 21:30 GMT.

For information, the Portland Thorns and OL Reign have a bye to the semi-finals where they will both get home advantage against the QF winners with Portland getting the lower seeded team.

==