NWSL (USA)

The NWSL week kicked off with two teams looking for their first win of the season, having Reign FC hosting Sky Blue FC.

The goals came early when Sky Blue scored the first goal of the match just 10 minutes into the match. Not to be outdone, Reign found the equaliser just three minutes later. They provided more offense outshooting Sky Blue 20 shots to seven shots.

Finally, in the 78th minute, Seattle was rewarded with the go-ahead goal.  They would hold onto to win 2-1, securing the team’s first victory of the season.

Steph Catley started the game for Seattle and tallied 46 minutes before being subbed off.  This game was her first time playing this season since she was recovering from a right calf strain.

Lydia Williams was an unused sub and Elise Kellond-Knight was not available due to a hamstring injury.

The second game of the week was between the Portland Thorns and the Washington Spirit.  Portland entered the game still unbeaten this season and looking to extend their streak to five games.

The Spirit would get out to an early lead in the 16th minute with an Amy Harrison assist. The game seemed to settle down in the first half with no other goals in the first 45 minutes.

Just after the start of the second half, the Spirit was awarded a corner kick. The ball bounced around a few times and eventually off a Thorn’s player’s head for an own goal and the Spirit’s second goal of the game.

Even with the two-goal deficit, Portland continued to put pressure on the Spirit’s defence. In the 67th minute, the Thorns were able to cross a ball in from the right side where Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic won the ball in the box and saw a wide-open Caitlin Foord. 

The 2-1 scoreline would not last long when the Spirit scored their third game of the match in the 71st minute. The game would end in a 3-1 victory for the Spirit giving the Thorns their first loss of the season.

Foord and Ellie Carpenter played a full 90 minutes for the Thorns while Hayley Raso was an unused sub. Chloe Logarzo notched 90 minutes for the Spirit and Amy Harrison played 70 minutes. 

The final game of the week took place between the Chicago Red Stars and the Houston Dash. The early goals would continue in this game with a Red Stars goal in the eighth minute.

A perfectly placed through ball found Sam Kerr just outside the box. She carried the ball around the outstretched goalkeeper and slotted the ball into the net. 

Kerr and the Red Stars would get on the scoresheet just five minutes later. Kerr played a nice wall pass with her teammate just at the half field line.

Fellow Aussie, Clare Polkinghorne, tried to stop the well-paced Ker but her tackle only derailed Kerr for a moment. She then got inside the box and smashed the ball into the roof of the net.

The goal resulted in Kerr’s sixth goal of the season.

The Dash would be able to find a goal of their own in the 26th minute then the game settled down and there were no more goals resulting in a 2-1 win for the Red Stars.

Kerr played 90 minutes for Chicago while Polkinghorne played the full match for the Dash and Kyah Simon came on in the 54th minute.

Toppserien (Norway)

This week had the final round in the Toppserien before all the teams take a break for the World Cup and pick back up in July. Klepp IL squared off against Kolbotn.

Both teams are in the top part of a very tight race for first place. The game proved what a competitive league that the Toppserien is with the game resulting in a 0-0 tie.

Tameka Yallop played all 90 minutes for Klepp.

Úrvalsdeild Kvenna (Iceland)

Grace Maher came on as a substitute in KR's loss 2-1 to Fylkir mid-week which keeps the side in ninth spot on the ladder.