The Wait Is Over

NWSL 2022 Matchday Seven

Lifetime has come to Yurcak Field for this week's Game of the Week, with the 1-5 Philadelphia Charge facing 1-4-1 Sky Blue FC in the league's most prominent Eastern Conference rivalry.

Jenn Hildreth: Two teams staring way up at the top of the Eastern Conference standings collide this afternoon in a battle for three points and the slightest bit of momentum coming out of the international break, with the Philadelphia Charge coming to Yurcak Field to face Sky Blue FC. Good afternoon, I'm Jenn Hildreth. Sky Blue pulled off a mini-upset their last time out, defeating the defending NWSL champion Vancouver Legacy 2-0. Let me bring in my broadcast partner, Aly Wagner. Aly, has Sky Blue found a groove or was that result a fluke?

Aly Wagner: I think they will be able to take advantage of teams who underestimate them, like Vancouver did two weeks ago. Any team that can trot out the likes of Sam Kerr, Sarah Killion, and Rocky Rodriguez is very difficult to keep off the scoreboard, and if the back line is able to hold together well and limit the number of shots Kailen Sheridan faces, they should be able to defeat the Charge.

Sky Blue kicked off and immediately pressured the Charge goal, with Kerr and Killion teaming up on a goal in the fourth minute. Ten minutes later, Julie Johnston Ertz inadvertently knocked down a shot from Rodriguez with her hand resulting in a penalty kick which was converted by Killion to make it 2-0. Philadelphia trimmed the lead to one by way of a Cali Farquharson tally, but Sky Blue entered halftime up 3-1 with Kerr picking up her second goal of the game. As the teams came out for the second half, there was a notable absence on the Sky Blue sideline. Head coach Christie Pearce had not returned from the locker room, leaving Jill Loyden in charge of the squad. Sky Blue stretched their lead to three goals when Rodriguez re-directed a Katherine Reynolds cross past DiDi Haracic. The final half hour saw the Charge pick up goals from Jessica McDonald and Ertz, but the rally was unable to be completed and Sky Blue squeaked out a 4-3 win.

Following the final whistle, Carli and Jill embraced at the midfield stripe, then turned toward the locker room to check on Christie. When they got to her office, they found her alert but very weak. Carli went back to the field and asked Erin to take care of the perfunctory post-match media availability on her behalf so that her and Jill could get Christie to the hospital. When Carli returned, Jill left temporarily to find Sky Blue general manager Saskia Webber and alerted her to Christie's condition. Jill then went to the far side of the field, where Rylie and Reece were waiting for their mom to come out. She informed them of her current state and said that they would be loading her into the ambulance shortly to take her to the hospital. The girls went back to the locker room with Jill, who updated the team and left Saskia to manage closing up shop. From there, they met Carli and Christie at the ambulance. Carli rode along with Christie, with Jill, Rylie, and Reece following in Jill's car.

***

 A sell-out crowd at Maureen Hendricks Field welcomed the Washington Spirit for tonight's game against the Houston Dash. This evening marked Joanna Lohman's first match in charge of the Spirit and hopes were high that the Dash would be the perfect elixir for what ailed the defending Eastern Conference champion. A long period of cat-and-mouse between the teams resulted in few shots from either side, and halftime came with no goals on the board. Lohman made a sub at halftime, bringing Lindsey Agnew on in place of an injured Havana Solaun and moving Mallory Pugh back to left midfield. The move didn't pay off immediately, but the increased forward pressure from Washington's front four eventually led to the game's first goal, when a cross from Arielle Ship was deflected out of the 18 to Tori Huster, who trapped the ball and shot it past a screened Jane Campbell. As Houston brought more offensive players onto the field, their back line became exposed and they surrendered a second goal in the 77th minute, with Pugh taking a lead pass from Agnew and shooting it past a sliding Campbell. The 2-0 result for Washington left the Dash as the only team in the league without a win.