Tag: North Carolina Courage

Portland Thorns in another bananas 3-3 draw, this time at NC Courage

The Thorns are guaranteed entertainment these days

If you’re a chaotic neutral and want guaranteed entertainment, your best option right now might be to just watch the next Portland Thorns game.

For the second straight week, Portland found themselves in a bonkers 3-3 draw, this time on the road against the North Carolina Courage. The Thorns trailed three times, but kept coming back thanks to an ability to conjure up spectacular goals from Crystal Dunn — who had a brace — and Olivia Moultrie.

Not to be outdone, the Courage had tremendous strikes of their own, with Kerolin and Victoria Pickett (after scintillating footwork from Olivia Wingate) getting in on the action.

“Still just trying to wrap my head around how we went down three times in the game, but we’ve come back, so [I’m] proud,” said Thorns head coach Mike Norris in his post-game press conference.

Last week’s Thorns 3-3 draw involved the absurdity of a goalkeeper scoring an equalizer seven minutes into stoppage time, and this week’s picked things up inside the first minute. Ryan Williams’ cross clipped Emily Menges, sneaking in at the near post before Bella Bixby could dive over to claw it to safety.

That just set the stage for the first of Portland’s many equalizing goals. The Courage stood off of Sophia Smith in space on the left in the 22nd minute, and the U.S. women’s national team star patiently waited for a window to find Dunn (playing her first full 90 minutes since becoming a mom) for a simple finish.

The assist is Smith’s fifth in six league matches; no other player in the NWSL has more than two.

Just four minutes later, the Courage offered a perfect response. Kerolin fought through a challenge with Sam Coffey, then unleashed a pinpoint long-range shot that tucked into the bottom corner.

Somehow, that wouldn’t end up being the best goal of the night. Early in the second half, the Thorns authored a glorious team goal, winning possession in the Courage’s half and stringing together 30 seconds of possession before an unreal one-touch sequence between Meghan Klingenberg, Morgan Weaver, Christine Sinclair, and Smith pried open NC’s defenses.

Klingberg ended up crossing for Dunn, who guided home her second on the night.

“I think that second goal was a collective goal,” said Dunn after the match. “Players were able to penetrate the ball, some layoffs there. Soph obviously had an amazing backheel to Kling that continued her run in. Actually the joke was, [Klingenberg] was actually about to shoot it, but I had yelled, ‘Hey, Kling, you got me in the box!’ and she was able to find me.”

A goal like that can leave any team shook, but the Courage were totally undeterred. Rookie Olivia Wingate continued her impressive start to life in the NWSL, dragging Menges wide before nutmegging the veteran to set up Victoria Pickett — who only just barely got to North Carolina after being traded by NJ/NY Gotham FC — for a clinical 70th minute finish.

Somehow the saga continued, with Portland producing yet another brilliant goal. This time, it was just about all one player, with Moultrie — despite challenges from either side — curling home a 24-yard left-footed effort.

As good as the goal was, it came with some added drama, as VAR checked a possible foul from Dunn on Pickett. After a few tense seconds, the goal stood, which may have been why Courage head coach Sean Nahas jokingly started his post-game remarks with a request to not be asked about the refereeing.

“We knew we were going to need [resilience] coming back as the defending champs,” said Moultrie. “That’s kind of the momentum I was carrying in that moment. And yeah, then it’s just, [Natalia Kuikka] drove in and gave me a great pass, I saw the space and I was like ‘alright, I’m gonna go for it.'”

Given that mental strength, the raw entertainment value and the wildness of Portland’s last two games, and with their outstanding early-season results, it seems like they should be atop any sort of NWSL must-watch list right now.

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NWSL Weekend Take-Off: Youth movement on display as league makes history

NWSL is always bonkers, but this weekend was off the charts

Even by NWSL standards, this past weekend was truly outlandish.

It’s perhaps fitting that this weird, wonderful league’s 1,000th game came mere hours after a weather delay of over three hours resulted in a match being called with fewer than 90 minutes played for just the third time ever. It just feels right that the sequence of events here was a 52-minute game in which a lack of a clear process seemed to be a problem, then a major league milestone in terms of longevity, with both followed by the league’s second-ever goalkeeper goal. That’s just the NWSL for you.

In the midst of all that chaos, though, some of the league’s best young stars produced incredible moments, and the Orlando Pride authored the shock result of the season thus far. Settle in as we look back on what could stand as the league’s wildest weekend of 2023.

NWSL Weekend Take-Off: Ertz changes Angel City, Williams and Kizer standing out

Big names are shaking things up in the NWSL

The NWSL returned to regular season play after its first dalliance with the new Challenge Cup format, and gave fans plenty to think about.

Julie Ertz made her first appearance in the league in over two years, and the early signs are that her presence will change a lot about how Angel City FC executes. That follows some positive changes that came in part from Lynn Williams arriving with NJ/NY Gotham FC this winter, while Cece Kizer’s return to fitness has opened up missing elements for the Kansas City Current.

Unless you’re the Portland Thorns, change is good at this part of the season. For some teams, that means staying the course in anticipation of changes for the better coming to fruition. In other cases, we may have a couple of teams who need to consider more marked changes to avoid being left in the dust.

Here’s your look back at another eventful weekend in the NWSL:

NWSL Weekend Take-Off: Broadcasting woes and new wrinkles for Reign, Red Stars

Once fans could watch last weekend’s games, they got plenty of drama

The international window is over, and NWSL came back with its customary mix of thrills and drama on the field.

Two stoppage-time winners, a two-goal comeback in LA, two teams hanging onto road results under intense late pressure, a league record broken, a team people wrote off putting four goals past a projected contender, and some spectacular goals? That sounds like the NWSL.

Unfortunately, so does a broadcasting own goal that is arguably the major story from this weekend’s games. The NWSL giveth, and the NWSL taketh away.

Pro Soccer Wire‘s NWSL Weekend Take-Off is here to cover all of the highs and lows:

NWSL Weekend Take-Off: Sinead Farrelly returns, Thorns and Wave flex

A big moment, two teams in top form, and lots of wind in the NWSL weekend that was

It’s only week two in the NWSL, but we’re already getting mid-season levels of intensity and weirdness.

One long weather front extending from the Atlantic coast to deep into the Midwest resulted in a lightning delay in New Jersey and a goal scored by a gust of wind in Chicago. We had a two-goal comeback, a remarkable return to the field for Sinead Farrelly, and a month’s worth of league drama packed into one game between Angel City FC and the Orlando Pride.

If you’re the Portland Thorns or San Diego Wave, another thing at mid-season levels is the performance quality. These two seem, at least right now, head, shoulders, and arguably whole torsos ahead of the rest of the pack. It’ll come around for at least a few other teams, but for now, two of the preseason favorites seem to be meeting any expectation fans might have placed on them.

Let’s get into this weekend’s action:

NWSL Weekend Take-Off: Thorns imperious, VAR off to a rocky start

Tactics, VAR controversy, and spicy quotes? NWSL’s not wasting any time

The NWSL is back for 2023, and immediately produced a characteristic mix of quality play (we see you, Portland Thorns), strangeness, and controversy.

Pro Soccer Wire will be bringing this look at one aspect from every game to you every Tuesday throughout the season. Great goals? Tactical nuance? Spicy quotes? It might be week one for NWSL teams, but there’s so much to tackle. We saw the return of some banter between old rivals, several glorious goals, a total change in system from one team, and VAR’s debut resulting in a pivotal call.

Without further adieu, let’s dive into the takes:

NC Courage captain Abby Erceg was absolutely incensed over a trade of her teammate

Per their team captain, the Courage still “suck” at trades.

After finishing seventh in the National Women’s Soccer League table last season, the North Carolina Courage felt like they needed to make a deal to acquire a few more pieces in the NWSL Draft on Thursday night, apparently.

So, the Courage shipped Diana Ordonez and the No. 30 overall pick to the Houston Dash in exchange for the No. 8 overall pick, a 2023 international roster spot, the Dash’s 2024 first-round pick and $100,000 in allocation money.

Ordonez was the Courage’s first-round pick in last year’s draft and impressed mightily as a 20-year-old rookie, scoring 11 goals in 19 games. That was the second most for North Carolina behind Brazilian midfielder Debinha, who left the team via free agency to join the Kansas City Current. It seemed, for a moment, that Ordonez was due for a starring role.

Naturally, some of Ordonez’s Courage teammates were unhappy with the transaction.

One vocal critic was the team’s longtime captain, centerback Abby Erceg.

Fellow Courage teammate Carson Pickett chimed in with a tweet too, saying, “Hate this for us, love it for you.”

Courage coach Sean Nahas later told reporters that Ordonez – a native of Mexico – wanted to be closer to her family.

Erceg has been with the Courage since the team relocated to Cary, N.C. from western New York in 2017. So, she’s been there for the good (two NWSL championships in 2018 and 2019) and the bad (the firing of Paul Riley and a recent decline in attendance). Erceg has also played in four World Cups for New Zealand and has been named to the NWSL’s Best XI or Second XI four times. So, perhaps she knows a good goal-scorer – like Ordonez – when she sees one.

The trade for Ordonez and previous deals gave the Courage four first round picks in Thursday’s NWSL Draft. North Carolina selected Notre Dame forward Olivia Wyngate, Cal defender Sydney Collins, Florida State midfielder Clara Robbins, and Virginia forward Haley Hopkins.

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Following Yates investigation, USA Curling board backs former NWSL commissioner Jeff Plush

Amid calls for Plush’s resignation, USA Curling is sticking with the former NWSL commissioner

The aftermath of the Sally Yates investigation into NWSL misconduct has reached beyond the pitch, and onto the ice.

USA Curling released a statement Thursday affirming that it will keep former NWSL commissioner Jeff Plush on as its CEO.

“The USA Curling Board of Directors called a special session and immediately commissioned an investigation of the information contained in the Yates report regarding USA Curling CEO Jeff Plush’s actions during his time as NWSL Commissioner,” read the statement from USA Curling’s Board of Directors.

“After reviewing the results of this investigation, the USA Curling Board of Directors is confident in Jeff’s ability to continue as an effective leader of the organization. The findings in this investigation, Jeff’s candor during interviews with the Board, and his actions during his time as USA Curling CEO reassured the Board about his strong commitment to upholding the very highest standards for athlete well-being. Additionally, the Board is encouraged by Jeff’s willingness to fully cooperate in the ongoing NWSL and its Players Association investigation.”

Plush did not respond to investigators

Plush, whose tenure with the NWSL ran from 2014 to 2017, has been the subject of calls to resign after the Yates investigation. Several of the major complaints that went ignored happened during Plush’s time as commissioner, and the report specifically said that he “never responded to (the investigation’s) outreach.”

Per the investigation’s findings, Plush did seem to facilitate some level of information sharing between the NWSL, its clubs, and U.S. Soccer. However, according to the report, Plush — despite Mana Shim emailing him directly with her allegations against Paul Riley — did not take action to prevent the Western NY Flash from hiring Riley after he had been fired for cause by the Portland Thorns. Riley would remain in the league, coaching the Flash and North Carolina Courage, until 2021.

Courage owner Stephen Malik told investigators that when he asked Plush about Riley’s departure from Portland, “Plush either demurred that he would look into it or declined to share,” citing legal confidentiality as a reason for the inaction.

Plush was also said to have received a survey in which players said former Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames had created an abusive work environment. Though Plush emailed officials at U.S. Soccer to call the survey “disturbing,” no action was taken against Dames or the Red Stars while Plush was with the league.

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What are my NWSL team’s playoff chances? Your guide to the last two matchdays of the season

There’s so much potential for NWSL chaos this weekend

The NWSL season has just two rounds of games left, with every team having two more chances to pick up points.

Eight teams are alive in the playoff race, and somehow only the Portland Thorns know that they’re definitely going to the postseason. The table is packed like the stands at Snapdragon Stadium! It’s as crowded as a storage container locker room at Segra Field! It’s a lot to take in, is what we’re saying.

NWSL Chaos is in the eye of the beholder, and while we can all agree on an idea like a seven-team tie was the wildest thing out there last week, that dream is over. We now have a wide range that are all arguably the most bonkers outcome.

The last version of this piece was omakase; you got one incredible scenario to savor, but no choices. This time, you’ve got the whole menu to look over, with truly wild scenarios peppered throughout this piece.

What are my NWSL team’s playoff chances? Your guide to the last two weeks of the season

What if everyone finishes tied for first? The NWSL wants to find out!

There are less than two weeks left in the NWSL regular season, and yet no team has clinched a playoff spot. Only three teams are officially out of the running, and the prospect of a truly bonkers final table — we promise, there is a possible scenario detailed below that is a true mind-melter — is still very much looming over proceedings.

Here, then, is Pro Soccer Wire‘s breakdown of every team’s situation heading into the last 12 days of the season.