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Preview: Chicago Red Stars at Sky Blue FC

Chicago Red Stars (3) head to New Jersey to take on Sky Blue FC (8) Sunday, September 15 at 5pm ET on Yahoo Sports.

Sky Blue comes off a hard loss against North Carolina Courage on September 7th. An own goal in the first minute by Erica Skroski started Sky Blue off on the back foot. Carli Lloyd brought Sky Blue back into contention in the 13th minute, but unfortunately that would be the only goal for Sky Blue. Courage won 2-1 after Crystal Dunn scored the go-ahead in the 57th minute.

Red Stars faced a hard, but victorious, battle against Orlando Pride earlier this week. Pride GK Ashlyn Harris shut down all but one of the Red Stars’ attempts. Casey Short finally converted in the 5th minute of end-game stoppage time, with an assist from Sam Kerr.

Sky Blue was victorious the last time these two teams met, back in mid August after Paige Monaghan scored her first career brace. Chicago has turned their loss streak around since then, however, so it’s very possible that this game will have much different results. Red Stars absolutely need the points, as Utah Royals FC and Reign FC sit only 4 points behind.

The game can be streamed on Yahoo Sports at 5pm ET/2pm PT.

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Preview: Reign FC at Washington Spirit

Reign FC (5) head on the road to meet Washington Spirit (7) at 7:30pm ET on Saturday, September 14 on Yahoo Sports.

Reign is coming off a 3-1 win over Orlando Pride last Saturday.  Darian Jenkins opened up scoring early when she scored in the 3rd minute and again in the 12th with assists from Bethany Balcer and Stephanie Catley, respectively. Beverly Yanez was assisted by Rosie White just five minutes later to bring Reign to a 3-0 lead at halftime. The lone goal by Pride player Camila kept the game from being a clean sheet for Reign.

Washington is also coming off a win over Orlando, albeit a win from before the off week. The game started quickly when Crystal Thomas scored in the 9th minute. Orlando’s Marta found the equalizer in the 31st minute and the tie held through half time. Tori Huster assisted Ashley Hatch for the go ahead in the 59th minute and Pride was unable to answer.

It’s been a few weeks since Washington was on rotation, will they be well-rested, or rusty? Meanwhile, Megan Rapinoe has returned to club play and was subbed in during Reign’s outing against Pride. With Utah Royals FC’s loss to Houston Dash this week, there is blood in the water, now it’s just time to see if Reign or Spirit is the shark.

The game can be streamed on Yahoo Sports at 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT.

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Preview: Orlando Pride at North Carolina Courage

Orlando Pride (9) head out to take on North Carolina Courage (1) Saturday, September 14 at 7pm ET on Yahoo Sports.

Pride is on the road after losing 1-0 to the Chicago Red Stars on Wednesday. The lone goal came near the end of stoppage time for the second half from Casey Short. Even with taking one goal, Pride GK Ashlyn Harris was phenomenal. Red Stars ended the game with just under twice as many shots as Pride, but only one goal.

Courage, however, are coming off much different results in Portland, where they dominated the Thorns 6-0. Lynn Williams comes out of the game with a hat trick after goals in the 21st, 24th, and 68th minutes. Debinha, Crystal Dunn, and Kristen Hamilton also come away with goals.

It seems the Pride has benefited from Ali Krieger’s return, but continues to hurt without attacking players like Marta and Alex Morgan. Courage, meanwhile, is on the final hunt for points. Beating Portland put them back on top, but the race to the finish is not over, and every point continues to count.

The game can be streamed on Yahoo Sports starting at 7pm ET/4pm PT.

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Preview: Utah Royals FC at Houston Dash

Utah Royals FC (4) travel to Texas to take on Houston Dash (7) Friday, September 13 at 8:30pm on ESPNEWS.

Utah heads back out on the road after a successful home game against Portland Thorns FC last week. The lone goal of the game came in the 36th minute from defender Becky Sauerbrunn with an assist from Christen Press.

Houston’s last game, on August 24th, ended much differently after Sky Blue FC player Carli Lloyd scored a brace in the first half. Kealia Ohai kept the game from being a shut out when she was assisted by Ariana Calderón for a goal in the 94th minute to bring the final score to 2-1 Sky Blue.

Dash needs the win to keep any hope of playoffs alive, while Royals are looking to add to their 6 game no-loss streak.

The game can be streamed on WatchESPN or on the ESPN App, at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT, but authentication may be required.

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Preview: North Carolina Courage at Portland Thorns FC

North Carolina Courage (2) heads west to take on Portland Thorns FC (1) Wednesday, September 11 at 10:30pm on Yahoo Sports.

Courage is coming off a 2-1 win over Sky Blue FC on Saturday. An own goal for Sky Blue gave North Carolina the advantage from the 1st minute. Carli Lloyd evened the playing field when she scored in the 13th minute. But ultimately, Courage prevailed when Crystal Dunn gave the go ahead in the 57th minute with an assist from Kristen Hamilton, who was coming off her first appearance with the USWNT over the break. 

Portland is heading home after a difficult loss to Utah Royals FC on Friday. The lone goal of the game came from Becky Sauerbrunn in the 36th minute. That wasn’t the only problem for Portland this game as Emily Sonnet was shown a red in the 77th minute. Sonnet will have to sit this game out.

When you’re so far up the table, there aren’t many chances to steal points from a team ranked higher than you, so Courage is hungry for the win. After many weeks in a relatively safe position, Portland is back in the danger zone this week. Six points is all that separates 1st and 5th place, everyone needs the win.

The game can be streamed on Yahoo Sports at 10:30pm ET/7:30pm PT.

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Preview: Chicago Red Stars at Orlando Pride

Chicago Red Stars (3) head on the road to take on Orlando Pride (9) Wednesday, September 11 at 7pm ET on ESPNEWS.

The Red Stars broke their three game losing streak Sunday, after a 3-0 win over Houston Dash. Sam Kerr scored early, in the 7th minute, with an assist by Morgan Brian, and then again in the 44th minute with an assist from Yuki Nagasato. Savannah McCaskill scored the final goal of the game in the 65th minute with an assist from Casey Short.

Orlando faced Reign FC on Saturday, to much different results. Reign player Darian Jenkins scored a brace by the 12th minute, and Beverly Yanez scored again just five minutes later to bring the score to 3-0 going into halftime. A penalty in the box in the 77th minute allowed for Camila to end the shutout and bring the final score to 3-1.

Chicago is still on the hunt for more points as the end of the season draws near, but Orlando has been known to throw a wrench in more than a few teams plans. With Ali Krieger back this week, the Red Stars need to up their  game if they want to walk away with the three.

The game can be streamed on WatchESPN or on the ESPN App, at 7pm ET/ 4pm PT, but authentication may be required.

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Hello lovely readers!

So, I do my best to keep these previews impartial. I mostly started them cause the stats in the NWSL website previews were often confusing or irrelevant to an upcoming match.

But

I actually have a lot of opinions that I want to share. Preferably in podcast form. Soooo....

Anybody wanna help me make a podcast?!

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Preview: Houston Dash at Chicago Red Stars

Houston Dash (7) head to Illinois to take on Chicago Red Stars (5) Sunday, September 8 at 6pm ET on Yahoo Sports.

The Red Stars are heading back home after a devastating 3-0 loss to Portland on August 25. The Thorns opened up scoring in the 12th minute when Tobin Heath assisted Christine Sinclair. A brace by Midge Purce sealed the Red Stars’ fate. This was the second game in a row where league leader Sam Kerr was unable to score, and the 3rd loss in a row overall.

A brace was also what kept Dash from the win in their most recent game, on August 24, when Carli Lloyd scored in the 26th and 41st minutes. Houston was able to end the shut out when Ariana Calderón headed a pass to Kealia Ohai in the 4th minute of stoppage time at the end of the second half.

Chicago fell a position in the standing last night when Reign FC was able to best Orlando Pride. That being said, a win for the Red Stars in this game would give them a points tie with Utah Royals FC, a win by more than two goals would put them solidly in 3rd place. Houston, on the other hand, needs the win if they want to keep any hope of making a playoff appearance alive. Currently, they are 8 points behind Reign FC, it’s an uphill climb but not an impossible one.

The game can be streamed on Yahoo Sports starting at 6pm ET/3pm PT.

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Preview: Orlando Pride at Reign FC

Reign FC (5) head home to face Orlando Pride (9) Saturday, September 7 at 10pm ET on Yahoo Sports.

Reign last faced North Carolina Courage on August 24th. The loss happened after Lynn Williams scored the only goal of the game in the 84th minute. However, Reign forward Megan Rapinoe was seen practicing with the USWNT during the off week and her name has since been taken off the injury report. There is no word on whether or not she will play, but it does seem like a possibility.

Orlando Pride, on the other hand, has had a rough few weeks. Their last game, also on the 24th, ended in disappointment after Washington Spirit scored in the 9th and 59th minutes. The lone Orlando goal came from Marta in the 31st minute with an assist from Rachel Hill. Unfortunately, Marta will be out this game, as will Alex Morgan and Ali Krieger, who has proven to be very instrumental in organizing the Pride’s defense.

Now that we’re in September, the playoffs are in sight and Reign is eyeing that fourth place position. Four points separate 2nd and 5th, and a win for Reign would see them usurp the Chicago Red Stars, at least for the time being. With Rapinoe possibly returning and so many integral players out for Orlando, this might be Reign’s time to retake their playoff spot.

The game can be stream on Yahoo Sports at 10pm ET / 7pm PT.

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Preview: North Carolina Courage at Sky Blue FC

North Carolina Courage (2) head to New Jersey to take on Sky Blue FC (8) Saturday, September 7 at 3pm ET on Yahoo Sports.

The Courage head on the road after a 1-0 win over Reign FC on August 24. The lone goal of the game came in the 84th minute by Lynn Williams with an assist from Crystal Dunn.

Sky Blue is hoping to continue an impressive streak of 2 wins, 2 ties and only one loss in the last five games, a major improvement from earlier in the season. Their latest game, also on the 24th, against Houston Dash ended 2-1  in Sky Blue’s favor. Carli Lloyd scored both goals for Sky Blue in the 26th and 41st minutes with assists from Jennifer Hoy and Raquel Rodriguez. Kealia Ohai’s goal in the 94th minute was the only thing keeping Kailen Sheridan from a clean sheet. Sheridan has recently taken over the lead for saves from Washington Spirit GK Aubrey Bledsoe.

The Courage is currently tied for second by points, and only hold the lead due to goal differential.

The game can be streamed on Yahoo Sports starting at 3pm ET/12pm PT.

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*Edit: The original article said Saturday, September 6. The game is Friday, September 6.

Portland Thorns FC at Utah Royals FC Preview

Utah Royals FC (4) return home to take on Portland Thorns FC (1) Friday, September 6 at 9:30pm ET on Yahoo Sports.

In their last outing, on August 21, Utah faced off against Washington Spirit. Though Amy Rodriguez had at least one good opportunity to score, the game ultimately went to Spirit’s Aubrey Bledsoe and the Royal’s own Nicole Barnhart as both goalkeepers added another clean sheet to their record in the 0-0 tie. Barnhart still leads in clean sheets with 9.

Portland heads out to Utah after a three game win-streak at home. Their last game, on Sunday, August 25, was against the Chicago Red Stars. Christine Sinclair was assisted by Tobin Heath for the first goal of the game in the 12th minute. Midge Purce headed in the next goal in the 24th minute. The second half continued in the Thorns’ favor when Purce scored a brace in the 56th minute to bring the final score to 3-0.

Both teams had prominent members playing during the off week as a part of the USWNT Victory Tour. The most recent game, which took place in St. Paul, Minnesota on Tuesday, saw Tobin Heath, Emily Sonnet, Becky Sauerbrunn, Christen Press and Lindsey Horan all take the field. Horan scored the final goal for team USA in that game with an assist from Press. None of these players played more than a single half, most likely so they will be well rested for this approaching game. There is still no word on when fellow USWNT member Kelley O’Hara will return to the Royals.

As the season winds to a close, the race for the playoff gets tighter and tighter. Portland’s win over the Red Stars gives them a tidy 5-point lead over the second place team, North Carolina Courage. The Royals are in a bit more of a tenuous situation, as there are currently only 4 points separating second and fifth places. A win for the Royals will give them a tie for second place by points, and third place after goal differential.

The game can be streamed on Yahoo Sports starting at 9:30pm ET/ 6:30pm PT.

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Portland Thorns FC at Utah Royals FC Preview

Utah Royals FC (4) return home to take on Portland Thorns FC (1) Friday, September 6 at 9:30pm ET on Yahoo Sports.

In their last outing, on August 21, Utah faced off against Washington Spirit. Though Amy Rodriguez had at least one good opportunity to score, the game ultimately went to Spirit’s Aubrey Bledsoe and the Royal’s own Nicole Barnhart as both goalkeepers added another clean sheet to their record in the 0-0 tie. Barnhart still leads in clean sheets with 9.

Portland heads out to Utah after a three game win-streak at home. Their last game, on Sunday, August 25, was against the Chicago Red Stars. Christine Sinclair was assisted by Tobin Heath for the first goal of the game in the 12th minute. Midge Purce headed in the next goal in the 24th minute. The second half continued in the Thorns’ favor when Purce scored a brace in the 56th minute to bring the final score to 3-0.

Both teams had prominent members playing during the off week as a part of the USWNT Victory Tour. The most recent game, which took place in St. Paul, Minnesota on Tuesday, saw Tobin Heath, Emily Sonnet, Becky Sauerbrunn, Christen Press and Lindsey Horan all take the field. Horan scored the final goal for team USA in that game with an assist from Press. None of these players played more than a single half, most likely so they will be well rested for this approaching game. There is still no word on when fellow USWNT member Kelley O’Hara will return to the Royals.

As the season winds to a close, the race for the playoff gets tighter and tighter. Portland’s win over the Red Stars gives them a tidy 5-point lead over the second place team, North Carolina Courage. The Royals are in a bit more of a tenuous situation, as there are currently only 4 points separating second and fifth places. A win for the Royals will give them a tie for second place by points, and third place after goal differential.

The game can be streamed on Yahoo Sports starting at 9:30pm ET/ 6:30pm PT.

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Preview: Chicago Red Stars at Portland Thorns FC

Chicago Red Stars (3) take on Portland Thorns FC (1) in Portland on Sunday, August 25 at 3pm ET on ESPNEWS.

The Red Stars are heading on the road after a loss at home on Wednesday against Orlando Pride. Pride opened up scoring in the 13th minute when Chioma Ubogagu assisted Rachel Hill. Hill then assisted Ubogagu in the 61st minute to pull Orlando ahead by two. In the 90th minute, however, Orlando player Alanna Kennedy was given a red card, after denying Sam Kerr a goal scoring opportunity. Tierna Davidson managed to avoid the shutout when she scored her first NWSL career goal at the very tail end of stoppage time to bring the total to 2-1 Orlando.

In their last home game last Saturday, the Thorns achieved a different result when they bested the Washington Spirit 3-1. Hayley Raso scored first in the 5th minute, and was quickly followed by Emily Sonnett with an assist from Tobin Heath in the 19th. In the second half, it was Christine Sinclair’s turn when she too scored in the 63rd minute. A goal from Andi Sullivan in the 68th minute kept the game from being a shut out, but ultimately, the Thorns were victorious.

The Red Stars are dangerous when it comes to scoring, as everyone knows, and if their last two games are anything to go by this is especially true in the last few minutes of stoppage time. That being said, they are on a two game losing streak and those stoppage time goals have only kept the games from being shutouts, against Orlando Pride and Sky Blue FC, of all teams. Portland, however, seems to be hitting their stride again. Both of these teams are in relatively safe positions in the standings, but with only six points separating 1st place and 5th, neither team can afford to drop any points.

The game can be streamed on WatchESPN or on the ESPN App, at 3pm ET/ 12pm PT, but authentication may be required.

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Preview: Sky Blue FC at Houston Dash

Houston Dash (6) host Sky Blue FC (9) on Saturday, August 24th at 8:30pm ET on Yahoo Sports.

Sky Blue tied Reign FC in their last outing last Sunday, at a game that had record setting attendance for the New Jersey team. The only two goals of the game came late in the first half. Elizabeth Eddy, assisted by Kenie Wright, helped Sky Blue open up the scoring in the 36th minute and then Reign answered back just two minutes later, leaving the game at a 1-1 draw.

Houston hopes to turn their 1-0 win against Orlando Pride on August 10th into a win streak. The Orlando game had several controversial minutes and ended with two Pride players being shown red cards. Ultimately, Rachel Daly scored the only goal of the night, to give the Dash the lead.

Sky Blue has had a couple of very interesting outings lately that include beating the Red Stars 2-1 on the 14th and their tie with Reign on the 18th. It will be interesting to see if they can continue this upswing as they head out on the road.

The game can be streamed on Yahoo Sports starting at 8:30pm ET/ 5:30pm PT.

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Preview: Orlando Pride at Washington Spirit

Orlando Pride (8) head to Maryland to take on Washington Spirit (7) Saturday, August 24 at 7:30pm ET on Yahoo Sports.

The Pride is coming off a 2-1 win against the Chicago Red Stars on Wednesday. Alex Morgan had her first start since the World Cup, but was subbed out in the 13th minute for precautionary measures. She was replaced by Chioma Ubogagu, who quickly assisted Rachel Hill on the first goal of the night in the 33rd minute. In the 61st, Hill returned the favor by assisting Ubogagu with the second goal for Orlando. Tierna Davidson, of the Red Stars, was able to stop the shut out in the 96th minute, when Orlando was down a player due to another red card.

In Maryland, Washington had a rough game against Utah Royals FC that ended in a 0-0 draw. Both teams had several opportunities that they weren’t able to convert to points because of excellent goalkeeping by both Aubrey Bledsoe and Nicole Barnhart. Bledsoe still leads the league with 62 saves, and is only behind Barnhart in clean sheets with 7.

Orlando seems to finally hit a stride in both their scoring and defending, while Washington is hoping the tie against Utah has broken their loss streak well enough to turn it around. Six points is all that separates Washington from a playoff spot.

The game can be streamed on Yahoo Sports starting at 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT.

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Preview: Reign FC at North Carolina Courage

Reign FC (5) take on North Carolina Courage (3) Saturday, August 24 in North Carolina at 7pm ET on Yahoo Sports.

Reign is coming off a tie against Sky Blue FC last Sunday in a game that broke attendance records for Sky Blue. Sky Blue started with the lead in the 36th minute when Elizabeth Eddy scored with an assist by Kenie Wright. However, Reign was able to tie up the game just two minutes later when Jodie Taylor teamed up with Allie Long to find the equalizer in the back of the net. A scoreless second half kept the score at 1-1.

North Carolina suffered a devastating loss in their last game against Portland Thorns FC on August 11. Crystal Dunn opened up scoring early in the 4th minute, allowing for a promising start for the Courage. But mistakes by Courage players Stephanie Labbe and Abby Erceg that led to own goals put the Thorns on the winning side of their 2-1 outing.

As August winds down into September, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on points. Utah Royals FC have been on a war path; their win against Orlando Pride last week tied them points wise with Reign, and knocked Reign out of the playoffs by goal differential. On the other side of the coin, North Carolina has dropped two places since their loss to the Thorns. They are currently tied with the Royals and only hold onto third by goal differential. It’s still anyone’s game, as two points and a handful of goals is all that separates the 2-5 place teams, but neither team can afford the loss, and they both need the win.

The game can be streamed on Yahoo Sports at 7pm ET / 4pm PT.

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Orlando Pride at Chicago Red Stars Preview

Chicago Red Stars (2) host Orlando Pride (9) Wednesday, August 21 at 7:30pm ET on Yahoo Sports.

Both teams are coming off losses in their games last week.

In Orlando, the Utah Royals FC shut out the Pride after Lo’eau LaBonta and Christen Press teamed up again in the 60th minute. Amy Rodriguez scored the only other goal in the 77th minute with an assist from Vero Boquete to seal Pride’s 2-0 fate. Fans were glad, however, to see that Alex Morgan has finally come back to club play as Orlando did sub her in during the second half of the game.

The Red Stars were upset by Sky Blue FC Wednesday in New Jersey. The 2-1 loss came after rookie Paige Monaghan scored her first goal and brace of her career with assists from Carli Lloyd and Julie James. Chicago was able to answer back in the 91st minute when Sam Kerr was assisted by Yuki Nagasato for the equalizer. Unfortunately, Monaghan’s second goal came just two minutes later in the 93rd to give Sky Blue the go-ahead.

The Red Stars find themselves in a precarious position as Utah Royals FC play Washington Spirit at the same time. A win for the Royals could mean the Red Stars drop down to 3rd place. Two points is the current difference between making it into the playoffs or not.

In terms of what to expect for this game, Orlando needs to keep pressure on both Kerr and Nagasato, which shouldn’t feel too unlike their last game against Press and Rodriguez.

The game can be streamed on Yahoo Sports at 7:30pm ET/ 4:30pm PT.