Abby Erceg – North Carolina Courage (American National Women’s Soccer League)

No, your eyes do not deceive you. For the second time in three seasons Abby Erceg has lifted the NWSL championship trophy, as captain no less. A 3-0 win over Portland Thorns did the trick. But… record scratch. How did we get to this point? Please do cast back your mind to last Thursday…

The cyclone had delayed kick-off for the semi-final between the North Carolina Courage and Chicago Red Stars, with the game being moved to the artificial turf in Portland, which is weird because the final would also be hosted there despite the Courage being the home team and Portland Thorns actually contesting that one. Americans don’t always make a lot of sense, as we know.

The duel between Rosie White and Abby Erceg was delayed first by weather and then by line-up choice with Rosie left on the bench for the semi – understandable given Sam Kerr and Yuki Nagasato are as good as it gets as a strike pairing in this league. With that kind of firepower, Chicago had no reason to fear coming up against the best team in the league and sure enough they made their intentions known early with Nagasato striking the crossbar in the third minute. Lynn Williams had already gone close for NCC by then, an absolutely frantic beginning, and we weren’t even five minutes in when Jess McDonald scored the fasted goal in NWSL playoff history, sneaking through down the left and then showing too much pace to hold off Julie Ertz and score.

Sam Kerr rattled the post in the ninth min after an incredible turn and strike on the edge of the area, the Aussie looking as dangerous as always. Then it was Abby Erceg’s time to shine. A defensive header only made it as had as Morgan Brian but Erceg recovered instantly to block her attempt out for a corner. Soon after she was the first to get to the near post to hack away a low cross, a slight bit of miscommunication with the backup keeper who was in here thanks to injury. Then another strong header to safety from a corner. Massive pressure from Chicago but NCC, with their incredible defence, held on.

Roughly half an hour in the Courage finally got in control. They were already winning but now they were dominating the ball and shrinking the shots they had to deal with at the back. Debinha went close to doubling the lead. However without putting away a second goal they left themselves vulnerable and the odd half-chance for Chicago kept things interesting – almost all of them involving Sam Kerr in one way or another. It wasn’t a game where the ball fell for her but she was never not a threat.

For three straight years Chicago had made the semis but lost in the final four. Facing that prospect for a fourth time, it was a bit annoying not to see Rosie White introduced earlier, some kind of spark off the bench and an extra number going forward. That sub did happen… but not until after Sam Mewis made it all but certain for NCC with five minutes left when she smashed in a goal worthy of winning any semi-final in any competition on the planet. Rosie had a few minutes to run around and try kickstart a miracle but of course it didn’t happen. 2-0 to North Carolina, whose unbelievable season continued on strong. They were too good, too sharp.

Thus we had a rematch of last season’s final - which Portland Thorns won in a slight upset with Lindsey Horan’s goal the only one for a 1-0 result. Since then the Courage have put together the single greatest regular season the NWSL has ever seen so all eyes on the rivalry over in Portland. First off, however, some media day festivities.

And then the grand final, the game that the entire season, nine teams playing 24 times each with two semi-finals, had been building towards. The biggest game of the year, the entirety of shared hopes and expectations. This is everything that North Carolina and Portland had been playing for this entire year… and it was a bit of a walkover.

It’s not that Portland didn’t put up a mean fight but North Carolina have just been so good all year and when a defensive error allowed Lynn Williams to sneak in twelve minutes into the context, it took a deflection to deny her but there was Debinha ready to follow up the rebounding ball off the frame of the goal for the opener.

The Thorns had to come from behind to make the final so that was hardly a killer blow, and with league MVP Lindsey Horan on hand they were always in it. Yet it was Jess McDonald who scored next, late in the first half, and she added her second twenty minutes into the second half. The Courage had 23 shots in this game. They weren’t without their nervous moments and yet they were always the team in control. A comprehensive way to cap off an utterly incredible season and, most fittingly of all, a clean sheet at the end from Abby Erceg and the rest of that defence. 

Start the celebrations.

As if this week wasn’t rewarding enough, there were more awards on offer. Abby Erceg was picked in the NWSL Best XI along with a handful of teammates. After a long run of Team of the Month nods this was always a good chance and a deserving bit of recognition. Abby also got the goods from the Courage’s team awards, winning both for Defender of the Year and also the Leadership Award.

NWSLsoccer.com: “North Carolina Courage defender Abby Erceg played every minute (2,160) in 2018, one of five players to do so, as the Courage allowed the fewest goals in the league and earned 11 clean sheets. She made 110 clearances (2nd in the NWSL), 21 blocks (4th), 50 interceptions and 19 tackles won. She won 116 duels, including 81 aerial duels, which ranked 5th in the league. She held an 81.9% passing accuracy (1047 passes) and added two goals and two assists.”

NCCourage.com: “Team captain Abby Erceg was voted Defender of the Year by her peers for shoring up a defense that conceded only 17 goals this season, a NWSL record, on their way to a record-breaking 17 wins. Erceg was also voted the recipient of the Leadership Award, given to the player who has shown consistent guidance on and off the field, as her skills were focused on keeping the backline in check. Erceg won 75 percent of her tackles while conceding only eight fouls over 24 games played in the regular season. The New Zealand international also recorded two goals and two assists in 2018.”

Up Next: Savouring it all offseason

Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)

Two points from five games is nothing to brag about, not even when those five games were all away games for some reason. But the Loons needed only to get back to Minnesota to taste victory once again by blowing out the Portland Timbers in the first half.

It was a hectic start with both teams testing the keepers early, but seventeen minutes on the clock and Darwin Quintero (of course) set up Romario Ibarra for the opening goal and seventeen minutes later that same bloke doubled it. Then Romario went off with a bung hamstring… but just before the break it was 3-0 and the goal came in the most delicious form imaginable: a thunderous strike from Mike Boxall, straight down the middle of the goal but still not giving the keeper a chance.

Michael Boxall: “I blacked out because I think I did about three or four different celebrations all within the few seconds after it went in.”

E Pluribus Loonum: “Michael Boxall added a third goal in the 42nd minute off of a rocketing volley. Rumor has it, that shot had a power level over 9,000. The halftime whistle eventually blew, and the squad headed in after what was a stellar half of soccer.”

But things got slippery from there. Alvas Powell scored ten minutes after the break to give Portland a lifeline with an incredible strike off a half-cleared corner kick and while they chose not to extend that lifeline to Bill Tuiloma sitting on the bench they did at least score again to make it 3-2, Sebastian Blanco getting open on a cut back move to score. Prospects got even worse for Minnesota when Fernando Bob was shown a red card with a minute to play plus injury time. A raised elbow was the issue. Boxall argued his mate’s case but to no success. Still, Minnesota managed to hold on for six minutes of injury time to claim the three points.

Oh and he also got engaged this week so… pretty memorable few days for the Boxall clan. Shout outs and congratulations.

Up Next: Hosting NYC FC at 1pm on Sunday (NZT)

Chris Wood – Burnley (English Premier League)

Things have been tough for the Clarets. The Europa League campaign started early enough that it had a big effect on their preseason – for better and worse – and they just haven’t clicked yet this season. Even in the Europas they relied on fitness and determination in extra time to progress from their first two ties rather than unstoppable tactical excellence. Heading into their game with Bournemouth they were bottom of the table with no more continental stuff to excuse them. Not a happy place to be.

So Sean Dyche sat the lads down and gave them a real heart to heart. A deep and meaningful. Reminded them how far they’ve come and how proud he is to work with them but also that nothing comes easy in this sport and you’ve got to continue to earn it all. It helped that for the first time all season he wasn’t affected by midweek games, international breaks, and excessive injuries. Still a few folks working their way back to fitness but it was as close to a full squad as they’ve had all season.

That didn’t work out great for Woody getting back into the starting XI. There was a change up front but it was Matej Vydra coming in for Ashley Barnes, not Chris Wood. Ah well, so it goes.

Burnley started with as much fire as they have throughout this drought, effort has never been their issue, but in-form Bournemouth still looked like they could cut them open at the first mistake. Josh King and Callum Wilson with pace and skill to burn. Yet same as always Burnley had their chances too. Sam Vokes missed a great one at the far post when he got his feet tangled and swung an air kick. At the other end Nathan Ake’s shot took a deflection and looped up off the crossbar. A tight contest then.

It was… right up until it wasn’t. Vokes nodded the ball down to Ash Westwood but his shot was blocked. His second attempt was also blocked… then Vydra, on starting debut, popped up at the right place in the right time to score. Huge for Burnley who hadn’t held a lead in a game since Jack Cork scored in extra time against Istanbul Basaksehir seven games ago. It was their first lead in the Premier League all season.

But no sooner had they scored one than they’d scored a second with Johann Berg Gudmundsson putting in a lovely delivery for Aaron Lennon to finish. Crazy stuff. Bournemouth then began to hog the ball as they tried to get back into it and a couple half-chances later Dyche figured he might need another one and right on the hour mark in came Christopher Wood, first sub off the bench. The Woodsman almost immediately got in on the act too, chipping a smart ball back into danger before soon flicking a header over the bar.

He didn’t get his goal. He’s still waiting for that first league strike after a couple in the Europa League. But Ashley Barnes did, coming in off the bench and scoring a double to really put the polish on Burnley’s first win of the season. 4-0 aye. How about that? All it was missing was that Chris Wood goal but he’ll get his opportunities this week with a couple games on the horizon – away to Burton in the League Cup and then away to Cardiff on Monday morning.

Up Next: Burton vs Burnley, Wednesday at 6.45am (NZT)

Erin Nayler – Girondins Bordeaux (French Division 1 Féminine)

The two straight clean sheets to start the season didn’t last, Bordeaux were held to a 1-1 draw to home to Fleury 91. Not a terrible result, to be fair. Fleury only lost 1-0 to PSG in the opening weekend and then won both their next two games to nil. A 1-1 draw here keeps both teams in the top four and ensures FCGB remain unbeaten through their first three games. PSG and Lyon are going to run away with this season by the looks of it (a combined eight wins from eight with 35 goals scored and 1 conceded) so third and fourth are not bad places to be – especially for Bordeaux with a game in hand.

Fleury took the lead inside ten minutes as Kelly Gadea got up with the header from a free kick swung into the box. Nayler had come for it but couldn’t get out far enough. She soon made amends with an outrageous save to tip Gadea’s volley off target, somehow diverting it over the crossbar. Then shortly before the break Maelle Garbino put in a pinpoint cross to Rose Lavaud and eventually the FCGB forward was able to slide it into the net for 1-1. Both teams had opportunities to win it in the second half but both keepers were up for the challenge. And so did it finish.

Up Next: Away to Dijon at 12.30am on Sunday (NZT)

Katie Rood – Bristol City (English Super League)

Right so you know how Bristol City were having to play Manchester City, Chelsea and then Manchester City all in a week’s space? Well after getting comfortably beaten by City in the WSL Cup to start all that, they hosted Chelsea and managed to keep the defending champs to a scoreless draw. Not a game that Katie Rood was going to really get a chance to shine in when they spent so much time on defence. She might’ve been a useful asset on the counter attack but instead was left on the bench as Sophie Baggaley had a ripper in goal to preserve the clean sheet and a valuable point.

Similar story away to Man City a few days later, with Roodie again an unused sub sadly, but this time Bristol City came out firing with a first half goal and a lead to defend. Baggaley was in good form once more but Man City seemed strangely off, allowing Danique Kerkdijk to open the scoring after quarter of an hour before Juliette Kemppi robbed the goalie and then chipped her to double the lead in the second half.

A famous victory might have been on the cards had that not woken up the sleeping beast. Man City threw the kitchen sink for a goal and got one with eight minutes left as Nikita Parris converted a penalty she’d won herself and then Steph Houghton scored with only a few mins remaining in the game to salvage a draw. Unbeaten in two league games against the two best teams though, that’s something to build from and then some.

Up Next: Bristol City vs Birmingham on Monday 15 October at 3am (NZT)

Ali Riley – Chelsea FC (English Super League)

Ali is yet to feature for Chelsea yet this season since transferring from Rosengard thanks to injury. An injury which, if you listen to her podcast, you’ll know is technically a case of plantar fasciitis… a heel thing for those of you who don’t speak medicine. It’s been frustrating for a player who so rarely misses any games, not even for the national team, but she’s close to a return. There’s even hope she might be back for the Champions League game against SFK 2000 on Thursday – a game with very little at stake given Chelsea won the away leg 5-0. Be pretty hard to lose from there so a nice way to ease into things.

And Chelsea could really use her too, not so much on defence where they’ve yet to concede in their past five games in all competitions, but definitely for those overlapping runs down the flank. Three straight 0-0 draws have Chelsea sitting mid-table after three rounds of the Super League.

While we wait for her to fully recover, every episode of Ali’s podcast Girls With Balls is worth instant listening but her latest with Footy Ferns teammate Hannah Wilkinson is incredible so chuck that on as your soundtrack to the rest of this week’s article.

Up Next: Chelsea vs SFK, Thursday at 6.30am (NZT)

Stefan Marinovic – Vancouver Whitecaps (American Major League Soccer)

The Whitecaps were always going to be up against it when they played FC Dallas but that first half saw plenty of pressure being applied at the right end. The Caps had several chances to score, most of them involving phenom Alphonso Davies in one way or another, but somehow they failed to make them count and then Dallas goes down the other end, wins a free kick, whips it into a dangerous area, catches the head of Santiago Mosquera and Stefan Marinovic had no chance.

Stef got down low to make an important save early in the second half but his team kinda needed to win this to keep their playoff hopes as any sort of realistic possibility. So get the ball to that Davies kid then. Dude slices past a defender, chops it across, and Kei Kamara nods in the leveller with 25 mins remaining. Back in it. Stef was again too good to be beaten at the near post by Michael Barrios, parrying his shot away after he’d sprinted in behind the defence, but with only a few minutes left they for some reason decided they could defend a corner despite leaving Barrios unmarked at the near post to flick on a header which Matt Hedges finished off from about a metre out because again there was nobody standing on the back post. Keeper had no chance once more.

FC Dallas held on to win it 2-1 and the Caps might not be out of it with five games yet to play but they’re in one hell of a hole. This was a missed opportunity too many, you have to think.

Up Next: LA Galaxy vs Vancouver, Sunday 3pm (NZT)

Hannah Wilkinson & CJ Bott – Vittsjö GIK (Swedish Damallsvenskan)

That midseason run of results seems a while ago now as Vittsjö just fell to their third defeat in four games. Rakel Honnudottir’s 55th minute goal was the difference at home against Limhamn Bunkeflo. Both Wilko and Bott were picked to start, with Wilkinson replaced after 65 minutes. A frustrating result that allows their opponents to close the gap between them to only three points – LB sitting in the second relegation spot at the moment. Still a fair bit of work to do to survive the drop then, which is what happens when you don’t take your chances against the teams beneath you.

Up Next: Home vs Rosengård on Monday at 2am (NZT)

Jeremy Brockie – Mamelodi Sundowns (South African Premier Soccer League)

Did we finally get that first official Sundowns goal for Jeremy Brockie this week?

Nope. In fact for the fourth game in a row he was an unused substitute. New signing Lebohang Khosana Maboe has hit the ground running with a couple goals already in his first month with the club – including the winner last Thursday in a 1-0 result away to Golden Arrows. They desperately needed that win too as their team-wide struggles in front of goal – it ain’t only Jerry – have seen the Sundowns knocked out of the Champions League and MTN8 Cup with six points already dropped in their first five league games as well. A little context from Goal.com:

“While the core of the Sundowns team remains the same, the departures of Percy Tau and Khama Billiat left a void that has undoubtedly been difficult to fill. This is important to note as the attacking duo contributed 19 goals in Sundowns league campaign last season alone. None of Sundowns' strikers currently look as though they will reach those kind of figures, but it all comes down to how they will eventually settle. Jeremy Brockie in particular, certainly has a knack for goals and if he does find the back of the net consistently, Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane may not have too much to worry about.”

At the moment he’s got to wait his next chance out on the bench but you know what Brockie’s like, first goal he scores he’ll probably go on and score a hatty. Always been one to score ‘em in fits and spurts.

Up Next: Bloemfontain Celtic vs Mamelodi Sundowns, Thursday at 6.30am (NZT)

Emma Rolston & Meikayla Moore – MSV Duisburg (German Frauen-Bundesliga)

Can’t really say too much about a 4-0 defeat. MSV played away at Bayern and conceded just on either side of half-time to dig a big old hole that they couldn’t get out of, a couple more goals killing it off and giving Duisburg their second defeat in two league games this season. Lina Magull scored the first from the penalty spot after she’d been fouled by Pia Rybacki and then Jill Roord doubled it from a corner. Magull added her second from long range before Mandy Islacker polished it off in the 87th minute. That’s a bit dumb… but Meikayla Moore got ninety minutes in and Emma Rolston made her German league debut off the bench, the first sub introduced, in the 74th minute replacing Geldona Morina. So that’s something to hang on to.

Up Next: A better chance to do something on Monday morning at home to Werder Bremen (NZT)

Ria Percival – West Ham United (English Super League)

Good old West Ham played their first ever WSL game this week. Home against reading and they drew 0-0. A solid result against a team that’s very proven at this level. Ria Percival was named on the bench despite impressing a few days earlier in the WSL Cup but she was brought into the action in the 73rd minute, helping preserve an improbable scoreless draw in a really entertaining game. Peep the highlights.

No sooner was game one over than preparation began for game two. A Wednesday night game followed by a Sunday arvo game. Not an easy one either, away to Arsenal who’d just beaten Yeovil Town 7-0. Good luck with that, you might say, except they had something even better than luck: they had a couple goals. Kate Longhurst capping off a lively team move to give WHU the early lead. Danielle van de Donk took one back but then Longhurst scored again and West Ham were 2-1 up.

This game was live streamed on Facebook and Ria Percival played the whole thing, so peruse the replay if you’re so inclined. It really was a fantastic game. Arsenal levelled four minutes before the break through van de Donk and DVDD completed her hat-trick in the 63rd minute. The Gunners probably though they’d sealed this one when Kim Little made it 4-2 but a late goal from Claire Rafferty made for some late drama. But 4-3 was the way it ended. Valiant effort.

Up Next: WHU vs Yeovil on Monday at 3am (NZT)

Tommy Smith & Deklan Wynne – Colorado Rapids (American Major League Soccer)

https://twitter.com/HotSpotSoccer/status/1043666939237740544

Hey, if you can spot it then you’re doing better than most.

As you might expect, the sloppy Rapids defence was instantly on the back foot against Columbus Crew and Gyasi Zardes managed to beat the offside trap after quarter of an hour to have the Crew in front. Give it another ten minutes of Crew domination… until a quickly struck free kick by Shkelzen Gashi caught everyone off guard and the Rapids had their first goal for 394 minutes… bloody hell.

The Rapids actually shaded the possession stats in the first half but they only had three shots in the entire contest and one was from that free kick. They might have been able to dig in for a draw with eleven men but once Deklan Wynne got his phantom red card they never had a chance. Federico Higuain scored six minutes later and Columbus cruised to a 2-1 win. Colorado are really bad, man. Really bad.

Guts to Deklan though. This was his first start in two and a half months in the MLS and now he’s suspended for the next few. Tommy Smith also played the full thing, getting booked in injury time. Apparently it was a knee that got him sent off, at least according to the referees mimes, but all that tells you is that this ref has never played lower leagues in Aotearoa.

Last Word on Soccer: “Both teams were in it after the first half, but the red card to Wynne decided the game. Colorado were only getting a few chances and the sending off forced them to bunker, having already spent a sub on an injured Marlon Hairston. With no fullback support and the midfield overrun, Columbus bossed the game.”

Up Next: On the road in Seattle at 9am on Sunday (NZT)

Be a generous jerry on Patreon if you reckon this stuff deserves some remuneration and smash an ad to support the TNC hustle while you’re here