Gap narrows in top four spots

• by Soccer America , Jul 22, 2013

[NWSL REWIND: Week 15] The gap between first and second place is back to one point and between first and fourth is five as the Western New York Flash beat NWSL leader Sky Blue FC, 3-0, and the Portland Thorns FC rallied to win, 2-1, at the Boston Breakers.

The Flash has now handed Sky Blue three of its four losses this season.

Abby Wambach, who is tied with Boston's Sydney Leroux for the league scoring lead with 10 goals, assisted on goals by Carli Lloyd and Samantha Kerr and was involved in the play that resulted in the other Flash goal scored by Brittany Taylor.

Sky Blue FC's two Australian stars, Lisa De Vanna and Caitlin Foord, both left the game with injuries in the first half.

-- Midfielder Meleana Shim scored the game-winning goal in the 86th minute and Alex Morgan added a goal and an assist for the Thorns in front of a sellout crowd 2,978 at Dilboy Stadium. The goal was Morgan’s team-leading sixth of the season and her first goal in a month and a half.

Portland improved its league-best road record to 5-1-2 and earned its first come-from-behind win of the season.


Saturday ...

FC Kansas City extended its undefeated streak to seven games thanks to a 2-0 win over Seattle Reign FC on goals by Lauren Holiday and rookie Erika Tymrak. The result ended Reign FC's six-game unbeaten streak.

Holiday, the former Lauren Cheney who is married to NBA All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday, collected a pass across the top of the penalty box from Tymrak and hit a hard line-drive shot across the goal to the far side of the net for a 1-0 halftime lead to the delight of the 5,271 fans at Verizon Wireless Field.

Tymrak added an insurance goal -- her sixth goal of the season -- when she collected a throw-in from Jen Buczkowski and dribbled through four Seattle defenders before curling a shot around the outstretched arms of Hope Solo.

-- An own goal by Tiffany McCarty, moving from her usual forward position to make an emergency start in the injury-ravaged Spirit defense, gave the Chicago Red Stars a 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit, now winless in 10 straight matches.

U.S. national team defender Ali Krieger did not travel with the Spirit while she continues to be evaluated for concussion symptoms, and Canadian center back Candace Chapman was a late scratch due to a right knee strain.

NWSL RESULTS, Week 15
Sunday, July 21
Western NY 3 Sky Blue FC 0
Boston 1 Portland 2

Saturday, July 20
Chicago 1 Washington 0
Kansas City 2 Seattle 0

NWSL STANDINGS
PTS TEAM W-L-T +/-
31 Sky Blue FC 9-4-4 25/18
30 Portland 9-4-3 21/15
28 FC Kansas City 8-4-4 26/17
26 Western NY 7-4-5 28/17
22 Chicago 6-6-4 20/23
20 Boston 5-6-5 24/24
15 Seattle 4-10-3 16/28
7 Washington 1-11-4 11/29

NWSL LEADING SCORERS
G PLAYER (TEAM)
10 Abby Wambach (Western NY)
10 Sydney Leroux (Boston)
9+1 Lauren Holiday (FC Kansas City)
6+1 Alex Morgan (Portland)
6+1 Erika Tymrak (FC Kansas City)
6 Sophie Schmidt (Sky Blue FC)
6 Diana Matheson (Washington)

NWSL SCHEDULE, Week 16
Wednesday, July 24
FC Kansas City vs. Boston
Thursday, July 25
Seattle vs. Chicago
Saturday, July 27
Washington vs. Boston
Sunday, July 28
Portland vs. Chicago

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