NWSL week 8 preview: Letters to a young Dash

With just two weeks to go before the World Cup break, the table is a mess. The Red Stars have put a little space between themselves and everyone else, heading into week eight with a four-point lead at the top, but the rest of the thing is basically one giant jumble, with just four points separating second place Washington from last place Sky Blue.

Washington and Portland first met this season three weeks ago, playing to a 2-2 draw at Providence Park. In that game, the Spirit took an early 2-0 lead before allowing the Thorns to score a pair of unanswered goals to salvage the draw.

Both Portland and Washington have so far put together inconsistent seasons, looking dominant one week and totally flat the next. The Spirit couldn’t pull off a win last weekend against the formerly struggling Flash, while the Thorns are coming off a loss to the Dash.

Equatorial Guinea international Genoveva Anonma, brought in by Paul Riley to bolster a Thorns’ offense left severely depleted by World Cup call-ups, has yet to look totally comfortable in her two NWSL appearances. But it’s not just Anonma -- despite having some players that aren’t listed as being away for the World Cup, Portland’s entire offense has gone MIA. The Thorns have been shut out for two consecutive games, a goalless streak dating back to the 51st minute of that game with the Spirit, and now at 219 minutes.

FC Kansas City saw a four-game unbeaten streak -- and four game shutout streak -- brought to an end by Chicago last weekend. The Blues will try to rebound against a Boston team that’s finally found a way to at least earn a point in two consecutive games for the first time this season. The Breakers brought their unbeaten streak to two last weekend with a draw against Sky Blue FC.

Saturday marks the first meeting of the season between Boston and Kansas City. Through six meetings all time, the Breakers have beaten the Blues just once, in August of 2013, and were outscored 11-2 in those games. Boston heads into this weekend with a league-worst minus-six goal differential, having allowed 13 goals on the season. The good news? FC Kansas City is one of the NWSL’s lowest scoring teams. The Blues’ six goals are better -- and only one better -- than last place Sky Blue FC.

Boston defender Cat Whitehill, who hasn’t played since April 11 -- the Breakers’ first game of the season -- due to bruised ribs, officially announced her retirement this week. Whitehill was due to miss additional time because of commitments as part of the commentating team for the World Cup. The 33-year-old Whitehill was capped more than 100 times for the U.S., playing in two World Cups and winning Olympic gold in 2004. She played for the Washington Freedom and Atlanta Beat in WPS before coming to Boston in 2012. Whitehill’s time in Boston, where she played in WPSL Elite prior to the formation of the NWSL, also included stints as both Breakers captain and player-coach.

Last season, the Red Stars were the team that finally ended Seattle’s unbeaten run. The Reign had made it 17 games without a loss -- an NWSL record -- before rolling into Chicago and falling to Rory Dames’ Red Stars. A year later, it’s the Red Stars rolling into Seattle as the league’s hottest team and with an unbeaten run on the line. Granted, Chicago’s only played six games, but they haven’t lost a single one and have drawn just two, keeping them steadily at the top of the table since opening weekend. Chicago hasn’t slowed down since losing its World Cup-bound players either. Rookie forward Sofia Huerta’s five goals have her tied with Crystal Dunn atop the league scoring list, and two more rookies, Cara Walls and Danielle Colaprico, have also found the back of the net for the Red Stars.

Dear Houston,
When you rolled into this league that we were already in, copped our color scheme and pulled it off at least as well, we didn’t get upset. We tried to do the right thing, embrace the new kid, and become some weird twins, start doing everything else together too. We paid homage to of all those terrible teams who wore blue and orange before us (Hi, Mets), kicking around at the bottom of the table, together. It wasn’t cool, but it was like, our thing, man and who cares if no one “got” it. Our art just wasn’t for the mainstream, but you and us, Houston, we were just some light blue peas in an orange pod, and we had each other.

But now, Houston, you’ve changed. What happened to the One-Win Club? We were going to make it a thing and it was going to be amazing. The tree for the clubhouse was all picked out. Maybe you didn’t see the minutes from the first official meeting? We laid out the rules. One: Win no more than once. Two: Try not to score (opponents’ own goals, while not encouraged, may be allowed on a case-by-case basis). That was it. So imagine our surprise when, after keeping up our end of the bargain and playing to a 1-1 draw last weekend in Boston, we turned on our iPad and saw that you had traveled to Portland and beaten the Thorns. Not cool. That’s two wins, and then, to add insult to injury, we look at the league table and all of a sudden you’re all the way up there in fourth place?! That’s like, a playoff spot. Meanwhile, we’re still down here, holding it down in last place, alone.

Anyway, we hear you’ll be visiting New Jersey this weekend. Hopefully we’ll have a chance to catch up and figure out a way forward. Just call us when you’re on the way and let us know which color you’re planning on wearing. It’d be super embarrassing if we showed up in matching outfits.

Sincerely,
Sky Blue FC

P.S. Please fold this note back into a triangle shape when you’re done reading it. If there’s a lightning delay or whatever you can use it to play a game. You just make your fingers into uprights like the other football.