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Tag: footed

  • US star Rose Lavelle scores late to give Gotham FC another NWSL title

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    (Photo credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images)

    SAN JOSE, Calif. — Rose Lavelle already was a queen of international football.

    Now she is finally an NWSL champion after leading Gotham FC to the title, scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit on Saturday.

    The 30-year-old U.S. women’s national team star fired home an 18-yard left-footed shot in the 80th minute. Bruninha, who came off the bench in the second half, dribbled the ball down the left flank and rolled the ball across the top of the box. Lavelle ran onto it from the right side and blasted a shot into the left side of the net.

    Washington had a chance to equalize in the third minute of second-half stoppage time when Gotham goalie Ann-Katrin Berger spilled an attempted catch outside the 6-yard box. The Spirit’s Paige Metayer was first to the ball, but her right-footed shot went wide to the left.

    Gotham FC completed a surprise run through the playoffs after sneaking in as the eighth and final seed. They upset the top-seeded Kansas City Current in quarterfinals 2-1 with a goal in the 121st minute before edging the fourth-seeded Orlando Pride 1-0 in the semifinals on a goal in second-half stoppage time.

    Lavelle starred for the U.S. women’s national team when it won the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, scoring a goal in the final, and she added a gold medal to her trophy case at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her only previous appearance in an NWSL final came with OL Reign in 2023, when they lost 2-1 to Gotham in the final despite a goal from Lavelle.

    The Cincinnati, Ohio native was named Most Valuable Player of the finals.

    On Saturday, Lavelle knocked the opening kickoff a few yards forward, and teammate Jaedyn Shaw ran onto it and immediately booted a shot toward the Washington goal, with Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury far off her line. Had the attempt been on target, Gotham would have been ahead within five seconds, but the ball sailed harmlessly wide of the left goalpost.

    Then in the fifth minute, Gotham striker Esther Gonzalez put another scare into the Spirit when she appeared to score, but the play was called back for an offside call.

    Neither team had another significant chance until the 45th minute, when Shaw chested down the ball to Gonzalez near the penalty spot. Gonzalez nearly had an open look at the net, but Washington defender Tara McKeown made a last-ditch block.

    Washington got its first corner kick of the night in the 67th minute, then had two more in quick succession but didn’t generate a scoring opportunity from any of them.

    The game might have been the NWSL farewell for Washington striker Trinity Rodman.

    Rodman entered to a roar from the crowd in the 57th minute. She was out for a month due to a knee injury before returning to the field for the final few minutes of the Spirit’s 2-0 win over the Portland Thorns in the semifinals last weekend.

    On Saturday, Rodman wore a wrap around her right knee and did not appear to be running at full strength.

    The 23-year-old U.S. women’s national team forward is weighing offers from teams in other leagues, even as NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman vowed Thursday that her league will ‘fight’ to retain her.

    Gotham FC won the title for the second time, adding to its 2023 crown. The Spirit, who won their lone championship in 2021, fell in the final for the second year in a row.

    –Rick Kaplan, Field Level Media

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  • Fire end playoff-win drought, KO Orlando in East wild-card game

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    (Photo credit: Talia Sprague-Imagn Images)

    Hugo Cuypers recorded a second-half brace and the Chicago Fire picked up their first playoff win in 16 years with a dominating 3-1 triumph over Orlando City in an Eastern Conference wild-card match on Wednesday night in Bridgeview, Ill.

    Brian Gutierrez also scored for the eighth-seeded Fire, who ended the longest playoff-victory drought in MLS history. It also was Chicago’s first postseason match since 2017.

    The Fire advance to play the top-seeded Philadelphia Union. Game 1 of the best-of-three first-round series is Sunday at Chester, Pa.

    Tyrese Spicer scored the lone goal for ninth-seeded Orlando City, who struggled on offense. The Fire outshot the Lions 25-7 and had a 9-4 edge in shots on target.

    Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady registered three saves, while Lions counterpart Pedro Gallese had six stops.

    The Fire broke a scoreless tie with two goals early in the second half.

    In the 48th minute, Jonathan Dean sent a cross to the left side and Gutierrez collected the ball. Gutierrez then booted a right-footed shot into the left corner of the net.

    Three minutes later, Gutierrez had another opportunity, but his right-footed shot hit the right goalpost.

    In the 57th minute, the ball came toward Cuypers, who hit it forward. He rushed after it and Gallese came out to kick it away, but the ball smacked off Cuypers’ shin and bounced into the net to give the Fire a 2-0 advantage.

    Orlando City had a good chance in the 60th minute, but a left-footed blast by Marco Pasalic was stopped by Brady.

    Gallese made a solid save on Jonathan Bamba’s left-footed shot in the 66th minute and the ball went directly to Gutierrez. With the net open, Gutierrez hit the right goalpost to miss his opportunity for the brace.

    Cuypers got his brace two minutes later when he drilled a right-footed shot past Gallese.

    Orlando spoiled Brady’s shutout bid in the 89th minute. Spicer advanced in and took a left-footed shot that hit off the goalie’s hands and went into the top of the net.

    Chicago controlled the first half and had a 9-1 advantage in shots.

    The Fire had a big opportunity in the 36th minute when Cuypers broke in and a sliding Gallese knocked aside his left-footed shot.

    Orlando City took their first shot in the second minute of first-half stoppage time when Rodrigo Schlegel sent a header wide left.

    –Field Level Media

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  • NWSL roundup: Pride edge Thorns on own goal

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    (Photo credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images)

    A Portland own goal during second-half stoppage time gave the Orlando Pride the needed tally to notch a 1-0 victory over the visiting Thorns on Friday night.

    Marta took a corner kick in the second minute of extra time and her boot went toward the mass of people flocking in front of the net. Portland goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold was eyeing the ball but teammate Mallie McKenzie tried to clear it and the ball hit off the side of her head and went into the net.

    The victory was the second in three matches for Orlando (10-8-6, 36 points), which won for just the second time in their past 12 NWSL matches (2-5-5). The Pride jumped into third place in the standings with the sixth-place Seattle Reign set to play later Friday night.

    Arnold made five saves for Portland (9-8-7, 34 points) and kept the match scoreless with a stellar save on a right-footed shot by Orlando’s Ally Watt in the 61st minute. The Thorns are tied for fifth with Seattle, pending the outcome of the latter squad’s match against Bay FC.

    Watt put two balls into the net in a three-minute span late in the first half but was flagged for being offsides on both. She was clearly offside on the first attempt but the second one was extremely close as shown by multiple replay angles.

    Anna Moorhouse had four saves for Orlando.

    Racing Louisville 1, Chicago Stars 1

    Bethany Balcer scored in the third minute of second-half stoppage as Louisville earned the tie against visiting Chicago.

    Balcer was in position near the net when the pass from Janine Sonis came in her direction. She put her left foot on the ball and knocked it into the upper portion for Racing Louisville (9-9-6, 33 points), who are undefeated over their past three matches (2-0-1).

    Jameese Joseph scored for last-place Chicago (2-11-11, 17 points). The Stars are winless in their past five matches (0-2-3).

    The match was scoreless in the 85th minute when Ivonne Chacon slid the ball from the left side to the right. Joseph arrived just as the ball neared and she delivered a right-footed shot into the left corner to put Chicago ahead.

    Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher made eight saves, including a big stop on Ella Hase’s shot in the fourth minute.

    Jordyn Bloomer’s only save for Louisville was a crucial one as she stopped Ally Schlegel’s header in the 54th minute.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Own goal in 90th minute hands Thorns victory over Louisville

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    (Photo credit: EM Dash-Imagn Images)

    An own goal in the 90th minute snapped a tie and allowed the Portland Thorns to post a 2-1 victory over Racing Louisville on Friday night in Louisville, Ky.

    The sequence began with Portland’s Mallie McKenzie having possession on the right side and delivering a cross toward the net. Jessie Fleming then sent a close-range left-footed shot on net that was deflected by Louisville goalkeeper Jordyn Bloomer, but the ball caromed off the leg of teammate Ellie Jean and into the net.

    Julie Dufour scored in the first half and Mackenzie Arnold made five saves for Portland (8-6-5, 29 points), which halted a three-match winless stretch (0-2-1).

    Katie O’Kane had a first-half goal for Louisville (7-7-5, 26 points), which had a four-match unbeaten run (1-0-3) snapped. Bloomer made seven saves, including her third-penalty kick stop in 27 days.

    Louisville struck first on O’Kane’s goal in the 22nd minute. Sarah Weber had the ball close to the end line and passed it back to O’Kane, who booted a close-range right-footer into the net.

    The Thorns knotted the score nine minutes later. Reilyn Turner’s left-footed blast was stopped by Bloomer and the rebound went to Dufour, who headed the ball off the right goalpost and into the net.

    The score was still tied when Thorns captain Sam Coffey stood at the spot for a penalty kick in the 48th minute. However, Coffey’s right-footed shot to the bottom left corner was easily stopped by Bloomer, who blocked two penalty kicks in one match on Aug. 9 against the Orlando Pride.

    Louisville’s Emma Sears had a chance to break the tie in the 76th minute but her right-footed shot hit the left goalpost.

    –Field Level Media

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