Give Light and People Will Find the Way

^{*the quote in the title is from activist Ella Baker}

Author: Sylvia Bullock

Hello faithful readers. I’m going to get straight to it, putting out anything this week has been hard. I’ve been trying to give myself space and grace the past few days, knowing there is much work to be done in the coming years. Feel every feeling because it is one of the most human things we do. And, then, let’s do what we would regardless of who is the face of power. Organizing isn’t an every four year endeavor, it is an everyday one. The most vulnerable are the most vulnerable every day and they need us to follow their lead. Take your rest, find your why, and fight like hell for what is now but a dream of something better. And, in the meantime, we will still be here, trying to bring you a little joy, a little love, and a little light, and to making sure that the Black women in our lives are always celebrated.

Notable Goals

^{*italicized names and numbers denote the goal scorer and the minute(s) the goal(s) were scored}

International Friendly

USA 3, Argentina 0 - Naomi Girma 37, 49

Barclays Women’s Super League

United 1, Arsenal 1 - Melvine Malard 82

Chelsea 5, Everton 0 - Ashley Lawrence 83

Brighton 1, Leicester City 0 - Nikita Parris 20

Manchester City 3, Crystal Palace 0 - Khadija “Bunny” Shaw 73

Liverpool 2, Aston Villa 1 - Taylor Hinds 26, 43

National Women’s Soccer League

Portland Thorns 3, Angel City FC 0 - Sophia Smith 26

Gotham FC 4, Utah Royals 1 - Yazmeen Ryan 15, Mandy Freeman 17

Orlando Pride 3, Seattle Reign 2 - Ally Watt 9

Bay FC 3, Houston Dash 2 - Rachel Kundananji - 21, 54

Kansas City Current 3, Chicago (Red) Stars 1- Michelle Cooper 23, Nichelle Prince 33

San Diego Wave 3, Racing Louisville 1 - Jaedyn Shaw 3

This week’s most prolific goal scorers were defenders, with Naomi Girma and Taylor Hinds both having braces in their matches. Mandy Freeman scored her first NWSL regular season goal against Utah. This won’t happen often, but we should enjoy it when it does.

Black In Action: Taylor Hinds

It’s been a whirlwind of a few weeks for Taylor Hinds. Born in England and of Jamaican descent, she made the switch from being an England youth international to the Jamaican senior women’s national team and played her first match for her new country in this latest window. While Jamaica did not fair too well against France, Hinds took the momentum of the past few weeks and channeled it for club. She scored a brace for Liverpool against Aston Villa and gave her team a 2-1 to keep them in the race for third place in the FA WSL. This is important because the top three teams in the league qualify for the Champion's League. If you watch the goal above, know that her second goal was scored from almost the exact same position. Hinds is a defender by trade, but often pushes up as a fullback to get into positions where she can help create and take shots herself. I enjoy watching her play football as an ideal fullback for the modern game, and as a vice-captain for her club, she already shows the traits of a steadfast leader. She’s going to be around for a while, at a top level, and I encourage you to watch her play if you get the chance.

Anatomy of a Goal: Rachel Kundananji

I need y’all to know, it was very, very hard to focus solely on Rachel Kundananji’s goal in a section about dissecting a goal this week. My favorite thing she did in this match did not result in a goal, but it was one of the many times she cut up against Houston. In the words of Courtney Thee Stats, she had me hootin and hollerin during this match because she was the most audacious she’s been since entering the league. The truth is, I think we’ve all been waiting for this version of Kundananji this season. She’s found herself in a lot of goal scoring positions throughout the year, but with the price of her transfer, she has underperformed in the final third. That wasn’t the case this match, and she shined brightest when her team needed her to. This goal is all her. She receives the pass with her back to goal from Savvy King and runs with the ball on her right foot. She keeps the first defender on her strong side by splitting the defense with her run, and switches the ball to her left foot for a single touch to evade the last defender while keeping the ball on her shooting foot. Her eyes are only on the goal, and once she makes that last move, she slots the shot home with her dominant right foot, just over the keeper. This is a goal that would normally get the dreaded “pace and power” label, but her intelligence to keep defenders on her strongest side from the left is really what makes this play work. By playing Kundananji on the left, thus allowing her to invert (this means a player plays on the side of the pitch that is the opposite of their dominant foot), it allows her to fight through defenders with her strength and agility. It truly is a moment of individual brilliance and I hope this is the Kundananji we get to see all season next year. I cannot wait!

Hidden Figures: Mandy Freeman’s First Goal

The goal above was Mandy Freeman’s first NWSL regular season goal, and my goodness, was it a beautiful strike. You can see how happy her teammates are for her, and they should be. Freeman has, for me, been the unsung hero of this year’s Gotham squad. There has been a ton of buzz around Gotham as this year’s super team, and rightfully so. They signed multiple USWNT players as free agents in the off season, and added Ann-Katrin Berger, Jess Carter, and Jessica Silva during the season. However, their best players have been those with not in the spotlight, such as Delanie Sheenan, Nealy Martin, Yazmeen Ryan (though that has changed), and Ella Stevens. But Freeman, Gotham’s longest tenured player, is the embodiment of what this team can be, able to step in and step up whenever called upon. She has been rock solid in defense for a team missing its biggest defensive star in Tierna Davidson for much of the season. Additionally, her distribution has been elite, and her tackling has improved by leaps and bounds. Simply put, when given the chance, Freeman seemed to determine that she wasn’t giving her spot back. A winner at the college and professional level, she has raised her game at an age where many players began to decline. It is a remarkable feat for a player that often just needed a chance to prove her talent. I am so happy she is getting that chance this season, and so is Gotham, because they’ll need her if they want to repeat. Shine on Mandy Freeman, shine on.

It’s Been a Season: A Brief NWSL Playoff Preview

Welp, this NWSL regular season was a ride. We had world class goals, surprise teams, disappointing teams, and an all-time performance from Temwa Chawinga. And while there was less parity this season, with the top four clubs well ahead of the rest of the league, the playoffs are a new season. In a one off tournament, the best team rarely wins it all, and this post-season can easily give us the same outcome. Let’s look, briefly, at the matchups this weekend. Can North Carolina, Portland, Bay FC or Chicago get the upset?

Orlando Pride vs Chicago Red Stars - I expect Orlando to win this game comfortable. Of the four matches this weekend, I find it hardest to find a path for Chicago to get the upset. They backed into the playoffs, mostly on the ineptitude of the teams that just missed. They have a superstar in Mal Swanson, but they struggle to score goals, their best defender, Sam Staab, is out for the season, and while they are defensively sound, they struggle to keep clean sheets. Orlando, meanwhile, comes in as the top seed and has scored 46 goals this season. They have the silver boot winner in Barbra Banda, a Marta that has seemingly aged backwards, and the top defense in the league. They will be motived to end this match early and I believe they will do so. My prediction, Orlando 3, Chicago 1.

Kansas City Current vs North Carolina Courage - The 4/5 matchup in any post season is usually a pick em’ match. This matchup doesn’t quite feel like that to me. On paper, North Carolina seems like the team outside of the Top 4 most capable of making a run. They beat or drew with every team in the Top 4 this season, and they have the roster talent to beat anyone, when healthy. But, the are missing key players like Kerolin and Courtnee Vine, and they are going up again a Kansas City team that is the most in form team in the league. Despite losing to Carolina at home this season, I don’t expect Kansas City to lose this match, even if Temwa Chawinga is limited or benched. They have so much attacking power, from their front line and their midfield, that I do not see North Carolina keeping them from scoring multiple goals. That’s bad news for the Courage, who rarely manage more than one goal a match for themselves. An upset here is possible, but unlikely. My prediction, Kansas City 4, North Carolina 1

Washington Spirit vs Bay FC - Okay, now we’re getting to the matchups where I can argue for an upset, even if it is unlikely. The Spirit are bleeding bodies right now. They lost likely Rookie of the Year in Croix Bethune right after the Olympic break, and their leader, Andi Sullivan, went down in the Orlando match with a season ending ACL injury. They have been resilient since then, picking up wins, not just draws, on their march to the post-season, exceeding expectations along the way. They also had success against the other top teams, beating Gotham twice and Kansas City once. Their bugaboo team is Orlando, but they would not meet them until the final. However, DC is bleeding bodies, particularly in the middle, and have deployed very young midfield to combat this. Bay FC will know this, and that their backline is shaky at times. Bay FC has an attack that has come together at the right time. While they still struggle to score goals, Rachel Kundananji has found her form at the exact right time, and Bay FC has turned their season and their defense around with the addition of hometown defender Abby Dahlkemper. Bay is still shaky in goal, and DC still has one of the best “f it, I’ll do it myself” player Earth in Trinity Rodman. I expect DC to win at home, but they are vulnerable enough not to. My prediction, Washington Spirit 3, Bay FC 2, after extra time (AET)

Gotham FC vs Portland Thorns - This is the last match of the weekend, and, for me, the most likely upset. I know it’s very wild to say, I do not think Portland is a good team. I think they have been better in the last month, when they had to get points to win. But they are deeply inconsistent and overly reliant on Sophia Smith and Hina Suguita being healthy. Their defense if incredibly shaky, though they have talent, and their goal keeping situation has made Bella Bixby look like prime Endler in her absence. Furthermore, Gotham won both regular season meetings this year and is arguably the most loaded team in the league. Yazmeen Ryan, Rose Lavelle, and Ella Stevens are playing very well, and the Esther of late last season seems to be back. But, Portland does have a healthy Sophia Smith and Hina Suguita, and they will have revenge on their mind after losing to Gotham in this round last year. I have no reason to bet on Portland, but I also have no reason to bet against big game Sophia Smith. To me, she is still the best player on the pitch between both teams, and that may matter. My prediction, Gotham 2, Portland 1, after extra time (AET)