Courage and Reign Remain Unbeaten, NWSL Week 2 Recaps and Highlights
North Carolina Courage win inaugural home opener (Photo: Andy Mead/isiphotos.com)
Week one in the NWSL had it's fair share of story lines but week two has given fans of the league plenty to talk about. The defending champion, Western New York Flash... Oops... The North Carolina Courage have picked up right where they left off in 2016, winning, improving to 2-0 on the season in front of a raucous home crowd. The Orlando Pride welcomed Marta to the fans and with an incredible display, the Brazilian superstar helped the Pride fight back to earn a draw.
The NWSL also announced this week the site of the 2017 NWSL Championship which will be held this season at Orlando City Stadium.
Plenty more to get caught up on in week two, game-by-game recaps along with highlights of each match are below:
Chicago Red Stars vs. FC Kansas City (Red Stars 1-0)
The Chicago Red Stars offense put pressure on FC Kansas City throughout the contest and it finally paid off late in the first half. Midfielder, Julie Ertz found the back of the net in the 41st minute to give Chicago a 1-0 lead heading into the half. Early in the second, the Red Stars had a chance to double their lead when Ertz was taken down in the box. Christen Press missed the penalty kick and left the door open for and Kansas City comeback. However, Red Stars goalkeeper, Alyssa Naeher made three saves to help keep KC off the scoreboard and preserve the win.
Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit (Draw 1-1)
In front of a Orlando crowd of 14,452 fans the Orlando Pride fought back for a 1-1 draw against the Washington Spirit. After a scoreless first half in which both sides produced quality opportunities the goalkeepers stood tall. The much anticipated debut of Marta came in the 59th minute but was quickly spoiled when Line Sigvardsen-Jensen found the back of the net to give the Spirit a 1-0 lead in the 60th. Washington became a bit complacent and allowed the Pride to attack. Marta made her presence know with some magical footwork and dangling her way through the defense. In the 86th, Danica Evans benefited for being at the right place at the right time and buried home the equalizer. The Pride outshot the Spirit 21-11 in the match.
North Carolina Courage vs. Portland Thorns FC (Courage 1-0)
The North Carolina Courage welcomed 6,000+ at their inaugural home opener in Cary, North Carolina on Saturday and did not disappoint. After earning their first win in franchise history last weekend, the Courage picked up a thrilling 1-0 victory over Portland this weekend. Midfielder Debinha picked up her first NWSL goal with a phenomenal header in the 81st minute to give North Carolina the lead. The Courage defense only allowed one quality look on net and Sabrina D'Angelo was there to answer the call. North Carolina improved to 2-0-0 on the season and are in sole possession of first place in the league.
Seattle Reign FC v. Houston Dash (Reign 5-1)
Seattle’s offense came alive on Saturday as five different players scored in a 5-1 victory over the Houston Dash. Jessica Fishlock started the scoring for the Reign on a great assist from Christine Nairn in the 18th minute. Megan Rapinoe and Kristen McNabb scored four minutes apart (27' & 31' respectively) to build a 3-0 lead just 31 minutes into the match. Houston didn't go down quietly, the Dash continued to pepper shots on net but Haley Kopmeyer stifled almost every chance. The Reign added two more goals in the second half with Beverly Yanez (55') and Katlyn Johnson (74') putting this one out of reach for the Dash. Seattle remains unbeaten in the first two weeks of the season.
Boston Breakers vs. Sky Blue FC (Breakers 1-0)
The Boston Breakers welcomed Sky Blue FC for their home opener at Jordan Field in Boston on Sunday. No. 1 overall draft pick Rose Lavelle found Breakers veteran, Natasha Dowie sneaking in behind the defense to give Boston a 1-0 lead in the 37th. The Breakers defense held firm and Abby Smith made four huge saves to keep Sky Blue off the sheet. SBFC is off to a tough start in 2017, right now 0-1-1 (1pt) has them last in the standings but the season is still young and we will see how both of these teams respond following this result.
