NWSL Results: Pride top Gotham; Spirit and Courage draw

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Sunday evening in the National Women’s Soccer League featured four matches, including a highly anticipated Cascadia derby.




Washington Spirit 0, North Carolina Courage 0



The Skinny: On Sunday evening at Audi Field, the Washington Spirit and North Carolina Courage played to a scoreless draw. Though the first half was an even affair, the second half was where all the action happened. The best chance of the match for the Spirit came in the 59th minute when Trinity Rodman made a fantastic run, beating Carson Pickett down the wing before crossing to Ashley Sanchez, whose shot was saved by Courage keeper Casey Murphy.

Rodman Sanchez BUT saved by Murphy! #WASvNC pic.twitter.com/dw9udb8TzR
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) August 29, 2021

But at the other end, the Courage began to find their rhythm after the hour mark and kept Spirit keeper Aubrey Bledsoe busy. Mayhem in front of goal in the 70th minute almost put the Courage ahead, but the Spirit defenders were able to clear the ball from in front of goal when Debinha got in behind Bledsoe. Then just minutes later, a fantastic ball from Debinha to Jessica McDonald gave the Courage their best chance of the match, but Bledsoe was up to the task.




One Key Moment: The moment of the match came in the 76th minute with Blesdoe’s game-saving stop on McDonald. Debinha’s ball forward beat Kelley O’Hara, and McDonald ran onto it and was in alone against Bledsoe. But the Spirit keeper timed her challenge perfectly, made herself big, and her outstretched arms got a touch on McDonald’s shot to deny a goal.

Huge save by Bledsoe to come out and deny McDonald!#WASvNC | 0-0 pic.twitter.com/6k92d1dL4h
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) August 29, 2021

Inside the Game: Sunday’s draw featured enough quality chances for both sides that they will both be disappointed to walk away with just a point each. While the Spirit had more of the first half chances and Sanchez’s dangerous second half shot, the Courage finished off the match as the more dangerous side, with Debinha and McDonald pushing for a winner late. With the draw, the Courage remain in second place in the standings, while the Spirit sit in fifth.




Off the field, the last few days brought significant personnel news for North Carolina. On Thursday, the Courage announced that Sam Mewis will be out for six to eight weeks as she recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery. And just hours before the match, a trade that sent Abby Dahlkemper from North Carolina to Houston was announced. In return, the Courage received $25,000 in allocation money and performance-based bonuses. Dahlkemper played for the Courage for five NWSL seasons before playing for Manchester City in the FAWSL in early 2021.




— Emily Dulhanty




Orlando Pride 1, NJ/NY Gotham FC 0



The Skinny: Erika Tymrak’s goal stood as the only of the match as the Orlando Pride picked up three important points on the road in the playoff race. Gotham is now winless in six straight and losers of three straight as the Freya Coombe era comes to an end. Sunday was Coombe’s final match in charge as she exits her post as head coach to take the same position for 2022 expansion team Angel City FC.




One Key Moment: Tymrak’s goal proved to be the difference, and while it might look like a schross at first glance, she checks Gotham goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan’s position with her final look before striking a looping shot to the back post.

SCHROSS ALERT, but we know @eTYMrak meant it #NJNYvORL | https://t.co/0LtSAUK1Jw | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/aWSi0aA74y
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 29, 2021

Inside the Game: Gotham’s success this season has been built on stingy defense — often outperforming their expected goals against — and winning tight games despite less than stellar offensive production. There has been some regression to the mean in August, during this six-game winless streak, but Gotham had opportunities on Sunday.




Carli Lloyd forced Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris into a sprawling save less than a minute into the match, and Harris came up big again from point-blank range in the second half to deny an equalizer by Lloyd, who was active throughout the evening at the No. 9 role. That second-half save by Harris on Lloyd was Harris’ 469th in NWSL career history, making her the league’s leader in saves.




Orlando is now 2-1-2 under interim head coach Becky Burleigh, steadying a ship which had wobbled in the final games of the Marc Skinner era. The Pride leapfrogged Gotham to move into playoff positioning and leave Gotham in seventh, below the red line.




The Goals:

1. Orlando Pride — Erika Tymrak (Sydney Leroux), 49’

— Jeff Kassouf

‘I needed a break’: How Erika Tymrak rediscovered her love for soccerExtra

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