Group 3 of the National Women’s Soccer League preseason tournament featured the Challenge Cup return of key national team players. World Cup winners from the United States returned to their domestic teams, and they didn’t just bring name notoriety; they brought excitement and goals. Also, one team stamped their ticket for the Challenge Cup final on May 8.
NJ/NY Gotham FC v. NC Courage
Gotham FC and the away side NC Courage did something in 14 minutes that eight teams had trouble doing in the second group of Challenge Cup matches: they scored a lot of goals. There were five goals, sending the match into halftime at a 3-2 Gotham advantage.
The first half was wide open, and both teams capitalized off opposing team errors. Gotham’s Midge Purce received a pass near midfield and dribbled all the way into her own offensive penalty box, scoring her first. Purce took advantage of a misstep by the Courage defense that allowed an easy cut onto a breakaway.
In the 22nd and 24th minutes, Courage midfielder Debinha slotted home two goals to give North Carolina a brief lead. The 27th minute brought a little confusion.
Forward Paige Monaghan sent in a cross that squeaked past goalkeeper Casey Murphy and two Courage defenders. Purce buried it, tying the match. The referee called the goal off for potential offsides until she spoke with her line assistant. Gotham received the goal call and they would get their lead back in the 32nd.
US international forward Carli Lloyd, who recently celebrated her 300th cap in international play, scored Gotham’s third goal. Defender Imani Dorsey found Lloyd making a run into the box.
Courage Head Coach Paul Riley made three substitutes at halftime. In them was the removal of both starting center backs, Cari Roccaro and Schuyler DeBree. Also removing midfielder Hailie Mace. Their defense improved off the moves.
Their lead didn’t last five minutes into the second half. On a playback to goalkeeper DiDi Haracic, the ball took a high bounce. Courage forward Jessica McDonald made contact with her head for the game-tying goal, right before Haracic collided with the forward.
After the match’s sixth goal, the game had its first sustained stretch of defensive stops. Carolina and Gotham both kept the ball out of dangerous areas. Ifeoma Onumonu provided her second game-winning assist in as many matches in the 92nd minute. Onumonu sent in a low cross, just before the ball crossed the goal line, to substitute Evelyne Viens for the game-winner.
Gotham FC 4 NC Courage 3
Chicago Red Stars v. Kansas City NWSL
Chicago had good news before their third Challenge Cup match. The US forward Mallory Pugh, who they received in a trade from Sky Blue FC in the offseason, made the starting XI. Chicago, like most NWSL sides, had players return from international duty. Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, and defender Tierna Davidson and midfielder Julie Ertz also started, and Ertz moved out of the defensive backfield to her natural midfield role. In years past, Ertz played as a center back in her domestic minutes with Chicago.
The first half looked an awful lot like the Red Stars match against Portland. Kansas City NWSL played on the back foot; absorbing a lot of Chicago pressure. Chicago had five corners, 53% of the possession, 17 crosses, and six shots. Only one was on goal though.
Pugh’s speed was dangerous, but not having played competitively since a substitute appearance in the Fall Series, for then-Sky Blue, came excitement. That energy led to hastily made passing decisions that didn’t amount to true attempts on goal.
Since she is coming back from an injury, she came out of the match in the 35th minute. Forward Katie Johnson took her place. Both teams went into the half at 0-0.
Kansas City looked like a different team in the second half. They came out making better moves off the ball, allowing themselves more sustained possession and chances on goal. Chicago’s defenders Davidson and Sarah Gorden held KC forward Amy Rodriguez in check until an error in the 80th minute.
On a goalkeeper clearance by Abby Smith, the towering ball landed in the Chicago defensive zone. The ball bounced towards Gorden, with Rodriguez charging, and miscommunication between Gorden and Naeher hurt Chicago. Gorden thought Naeher was coming for the ball, but instead, Naeher was backing into a position to make a save. The former US forward Rodriguez converted off the mistake for the 1-0 lead. The lead didn’t last long.
In the 82nd minute, Red Stars fullback Arin Wright sent in a cross from the midfield. Johnson got on the end of the cross, tying the match at 1-1. The score stayed that way even with Chicago chances; 15 shots but only three made it on goal.
Chicago Red Stars 1 Kansas City NWSL 1
Orlando Pride v. Washington Spirit
Orlando came into this match after their first two ended in late, game-altering, goals. Goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris decided that it wasn’t about to happen again.
Sydney Leroux, who had a great outing against Gotham in last week’s match, benefited from the return of her forward teammate Alex Morgan. In the 11th minute, Morgan sent a direct pass through the midfield to Leroux, who gave the Pride an early 1-0 lead.
Then in the 26th, a peculiar refereeing decision took the equalizer off the board. On a free-kick, just a few yards outside of the penalty box, Washington took it quickly. Veteran fullback Kelley O’Hara scored on a powerful strike. As the Spirit celebrated, the referee called it back, saying that Washington didn’t wait for her to allow the kick. A call that doesn’t happen too often. It wasn’t the last opportunity for Washington.
The Spirit’s front three of Ashley Hatch, Ashley Sanchez, and Trinity Rodman had seven shots combined. Joining them were defenders O’Hara and Tegan McGrady each with three of their own. Harris saved them all. The biggest coming in the second half.
In the 64th minute, Orlando’s Phoebe McClernon took Hatch down in the penalty box. Hatch took the penalty that Harris saved with a diving effort. After the save, Harris laid on the turf for a couple of minutes with a calf problem. The injury didn’t keep her from making more saves and playing the entire contest. In the 91st minute, Harris saved a chance from just outside of the six-yard box, from Washington substitute Kumi Yokoyama. The match ended with Orlando’s first win in 13 matches, stretching back to 2019.
Overall, the match was aggressive defensively. Six cards were issued, and O’Hara had two in six minutes, meaning the ref sent her off for accumulation. In the first half, Ali Riley was lucky to not get two herself, after she had troubles keeping Rodman from making moves.
If it wasn’t for the outstanding play of Harris, their winless streak may still be going.
Orlando Pride 1 Washington Spirit 0
Portland Thorns v. OL Reign
Wednesday’s final of three matches was the most anticipated. Thorns versus OL Reign is part of a long-standing regional rivalry between Portland and the Seattle area. Both teams had big names returning to their rosters. The selection of those players varied. Portland had six lineup changes. Included was Canadian goal scorer Christine Sinclair and four US internationals: defender Becky Sauerbrunn, midfielders Crystal Dunn and Lindsey Horan, and forward Sophia Smith.
For the Reign, head coach Farid Benstiti kept US legend Megan Rapinoe and Wales midfielder Jess Fishlock on the bench. Canadian midfielder Quinn got the start after returning from international duty. On the field, the influx of talent on the Thorns was too much for OL Reign to take.
Horan had full control over the midfield. Her speed and pressing put Portland into many positions to put shots on net. In the first half, they shot nine, with five on target, compared to three by the Tacoma side. In the 17th minute, Horan scored the first goal of the match on a free-kick. From a yard outside of the 18-yard-box, Horan curled a shot over the wall, into the top left corner.
The most dangerous chances came from forward Simone Charley. Charley used her speed to get past the Reign defense but never enough to score a goal. Until the second half. In the first minute of the second half, Horan took a shot on goal. The rebound off the save turned into a well-deserved Charley goal.
In the 51st and 57th minutes, Fishlock and Rapinoe substituted into the match, but by that point, it was too late. Portland’s two goals put the match out of reach. The Thorns’ third win in as many matches puts themselves in the Challenge Cup final, winning the West division.
Portland Thorns 2 OL Reign 0
Tournament Standings
BWS XI
The BWS XI chooses the best 11 players from the most recent group of Challenge Cup matches. In group three, there are some Challenge Cup internationals but also names that have featured in all three groups of 2021.
Upcoming Matches
The Challenge Cup is off until Monday. Four more matches are scheduled for April 26th and 27th:
Monday, April 26 – Racing Louisville FC v. NC Courage – 6:00 pm ET
Monday, April 26 – Kansas City NWSL v. Houston Dash – 8:30 pm ET
Tuesday, April 27 – Washington Spirit v. NJ/NY Gotham FC – 7:00 pm ET
Tuesday, April 27 – OL Reign v. Chicago Red Stars – 10:00 pm ET
Check back to Beyond Women’s Sports throughout the year for more from the NWSL, WNBA and more.
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