North Carolina Courage vs Seattle Reign NWSL Game Review April 27, 2024

hey guys welcome back to my channel where I talk about the nwsl women's soccer just soccer only soccer in this video/ podcast I'm going to be discussing the nwsl regular season match between the Seattle rain and the North Carolina courage I'm actually looking forward to this one because there's a certain German player on the courage her name is f raal and I'm hoping to see her again um she used to play for Vell Wolfsburg but um obviously I'm going to be covering the Seattle rain but I'm still looking forward to seeing Ral anyway um so when it comes to the Seattle rain they're not doing too well um after four back-to-back losses the most recent one being a onew loss to the Chicago Red Stars it's clear the rain team needs a new strategy moving forward one that focuses on a more aggressive and direct plan of attack right from the GetGo in their matches against the red stars in Bay FC the rain didn't get settled until the second half this is where the team would start playing with more urgency and intensity and where we would see better movement and connection in the Midfield and attack going into this match against the Courage the rain shouldn't wait till the second half to sort out their attack as seen in the match against the red stars the rain were down N2 at halftime and despite the team performing better in the second half it was already too late the rain needs to take control early on in the first half the team has shown they have the ability to move connect and create chances and instead of waiting till the second half waiting till the opposing team scores even um there needs to be initiative and incentive to score early and Score first this all goes back to the Rain needing to maintain control and keep possession in the Midfield additionally there needs to be better awareness in the Reigns back line I don't know what's up with the backline as of recent the backline has been struggling to deal with Runners and is getting caught off guard during opposing teams Transitions and counterattacks it's just surprising to see the rains back line getting broken down so easily especially when their defense has been a central focus of the rain for multiple Seasons like I don't know if you guys remember this but the rain were known to have the best defense in the league I think for the past two seasons looking at the Reign's performance in their last few games it appears as though nothing is changing unless the rain can make changes in regard to their offensive defensive and Midfield strategy basically everything as well as their mentality the team is going to continue falling apart this season if something isn't done something has to change that being said let's get into the lineup for this match all right so the line lineup we have Laurel Ivory in the goal for Defenders Lou Barnes Alana cook Sophia wera and Phoebe McClaren for midfielders Quinn angaro James Turner Jess fishlock and G so Yun almost said Jess Carter there for forward zerra King and Veronica latco Claudia dicki and Jordan hear are still out with injuries the rain appears to be playing in a 442 it seems as though there might be more of a focus on controlling the Midfield and keeping possession hopefully we'll see better control movement and stability in the Midfield as well as better connection in the attacking Third King was able to get a goal back for the rain in the match against the red stars and it's going to be interesting to see whether her whether both her and lco will be able to connect and grab a goal or two in this match preferably two goals additionally I would like to see G make her presence more known in the attack aler OTAs and Wier are available Off the Bench and will most likely come on in the second half OTAs and Wier could be good changes to the reain attack in the second half when it comes to the back line wera cook and Barnes are tried and true Defenders however maybe starting Ryan Brown and sheay Holmes would be a good change up to the back line in regard to this match against the courge hopefully we'll see a change from the rains previous games that being said let's get into the first half all right so the first first half we are off I would like to think the rain can come away with the win but seriously there needs to be a change from their last few games Okay so the courage are in a 433 the rain are in a 433 with g king and lco in the attack one minute long ball up to lco kicked away some good touches and movement in the Midfield Quinn down holding their knee or Shin ref doesn't blow the whistle rain players pointing to them even the courage player narumi was trying to call for the ref trainer out to check on Quinn not sure if they can continue they're coming off four minutes rain substitution Quinn out vandag in not good hopefully they're okay 5 minutes courage cross defended away rain counter courage foul rain ball six minutes ball in for latco headed away Rouch it's raal I know we don't have that sound in English and it takes some practice but my German buddies were wondering how American commentators were um would pronounce her name Ral was a Wolfsburg player so I'm pretty familiar with her 7even minutes courage cross rain recovers 9 Minutes Vander yag scrapping courage making a run McLaren with a tackle fouls courage player down courage free kick defended away rain unable to counter 12 minutes courage making a run tapped away courage cross courage header Ivory saves there was an opening there in the rain back line that is not good you guys 15 minutes lco in the Box plays it back to g g over to McLaren McLaren cross saved too many touches I wish lco just crossed it 17 minutes ball behind the rain back line courage cross blocked courage corner kick short sent in defended away Ral attempt SK it 19 minutes cook up for King King attempt saved 20th minute ball to the Rain box Ivory collects 22 minutes rain giveaway in the Midfield courage cross McLaren collects rain offside courage ball 23 minutes long ball up to ajt offside 24 minutes Barnes fouled Barnes down she's okay rain free kick Barnes sends it up defend it away 26 minutes ball to the Rain side cook heads it away 27 minutes courage touch ball in the rain box Ivory collects long ball to the Rain box ivory catches it 28 minutes ball up for a fish lock offside 29 minutes King foul late challenge courage ball it's like once the rain attack gets the ball they don't really know what to do with it also it's R every time you hear me say her name just know the commentator pronounced it wrong 32 minutes courage corner kick short sent in Ivory catches it once again it's Ral I mean this is good practice for me cuz I usually have I usually have a problem pronouncing that the sound uh 33 minutes that could have been bad by wera she went for a tackle but didn't get the ball just tripped up the courage player though 34 minutes courage cross Ivory saves courage foul in the Box runs into Ivory Vanda yaged down trainers out to check on her not sure if she'll continue she seems all right though going back to wera they showed the replay of that tackle and she did get the ball 6 minutes game starts up again courage cross courage scores courage 1 nil poor defunding and marking there Ivory is livid um it kind of sucks because the rain haven't been doing all bad in the Midfield like they're actually doing pretty well there 38 minutes rain foul courage ball 39 minutes rain offside announcers talking about boser coming in honestly if this is how the rain attack is playing and there isn't much of an attack right now boser is not going to make much of a difference 40th minute G attempt saved courage cross Ivory stops the attempt again that was just bad from the back line too much space too many openings 43 minutes cook clears courge felll hand ball rainball 44 minutes McLaren up for fish lock kicked away 45 minutes King attempt off the Post 6 minutes of ahed time brain cross headed away 46 minutes McLaren and fouls courage freak kick sent in kicked away 47 minutes long ball to the Rain box cook back to Ivory 48 minutes G fouls courage free kick short sent in goes out 50th minute courage cross headed away courage cross Ivory saves courage cross courage header goes over 51 minutes whistle blown First St ends courage 1 nil all right so it's not a bad first half performance from the rain they were there were definitely areas where the rain is showing some Improvement control passing and movement in the Midfield has gotten better the rain were doing well when it came to keeping control and maintaining possession however the Midfield and back line needs to respond better to the courage's counterattacks and transitions there especially needs to be better awareness from The Defenders when it comes to long passes and through balls behind the back line while the Midfield is starting to find themselves I guess um there wasn't much from the rain attack in regard to connection creating chance and making attempts on goal it's clear the rain are still needing to work on building their attack and connecting in the attacking third going into the second half the rain needs to get their attack forward and work on creating more chances that being said let's get into the second half all right so the second half we are off the rain has a chance to come back I mean it would be great if they could come back 46 minutes ball to the Rain box Ivory collects 47 minutes ajt steals it away up for G blocked King cross ajt attempt goes wide um that's somewhat better 48 minutes rain cross King Touch goes wide very close 49 minutes courage making a run ball in the Rain Rain box Ivory collects 52 minutes courage attempt goes over 53 minutes WTA fouled rain free kick ball sent in kicked away 54 minutes rain corner kick short nothing from it g latco latco attempt goes over 56 minutes fish lock touch to g g attempt blocked 57 minutes rain cross kicked away fish lock gets it back where to Low cross kicked away 58 minutes courage Sanchez down from earlier no contact but it looks like she stretched something the announcers were saying that she might have stretched or pulled her groin yep that is indeed painful but I'm I'm not sure if that's what it is trainers out to check on her she appears to be all right um if she did pull her grind I I can tell you from experience she probably wouldn't be on the field um as for the rain they're doing well in this first half maybe some subs could help 60th minute game starts up again cook up for King headed away um King cross rain header defended away 61 minutes rain corner kick worth a header lco header goes wide the services and Crosses are coming in which is great but no finishing 63 minutes courage cross blocked 64 minutes ball touched in for fish lock can't get to it King attempt saved 65 minutes where to cross goes wide um dude the announcer just said hi to acros coming in well I I once said wherea scores when haa scored once 67 minutes courage Murphy yellow card for time wasting ball to the rains side kick back to Ivory 69 minutes finally some substitutes but first courage head coach Naas um yellow card for some reason 70th minute rain substitution latco McLaren and ajt out boser Adamas and brown in 70 71 minutes wera cross goes out 72 minutes vanag fouled rain ball 74 minutes courage touch defended away courage attempt Ivory saves 76 minutes Adamas cross blocked Brown throwing defended away 79 minutes we tough fouls courage free kick outside the box headed away courage cross headed away rain gets it away eventually 81 minutes rain cross goes out rain substitution King out Wier in 82 minutes courage cross kicked away courage cross again tapped away 83 minutes Vander Yak down trainers out to check on her she seems to be okay maybe and once again it's Ralph 85 minutes B in the rain box Ivory collects Ralph does a somersault which isn't out of the usual for a Wolfsburg player 86 minutes ball in the rain box Ivory collects 87 minutes courage cross courage attempt Ivory um blocks and collects Brown fouls courage free kick 88 Minutes ball to the Rain box kicked away 89 minutes G fouls courage ball 85 I mean 5 minutes have added time 90th minute courage cross kicked away 91 minutes rain cross Wier goes down in the the Box no foul courage cross goes wide stop saying Rouch 92 minutes G cross Baler and a courage player down in the box after a collision baller is okay trainers out to check on the courage player 95 minutes game starts up again ademus cross rain attempt saved 96 Minutes rain corner kick head headed around rain unable to finish no surprise rain cross defended away rain cross cleared 97 minutes G cross boster header saved then whistle blown second half ends rain lose 1 nil okay so the second half was somewhat better for the rain early on in the second half the rain were able to create some crosses and services for the attack there was also good control and movement from the rain team in general then as the second half went on the courage were able to get back in control and were getting back on the attack the rain got back on the attack late in the second half but it was already too late while a fifth straight loss is disappointing it's clear that the rain have been improving when it comes to maintaining control and possession in the Midfield it still needs more attention but at least the rain can consider it a positive the attack is something that needs more work and attention the rain needs to be more aggressive in the attacking third and they need to create more chances Connection in the attack and finishing is still an evident problem for this team um so in general it wasn't the rain's worst match or performance but I feel like the team still isn't where they should be as of yet anyway I'm just going to leave it at that that is all I have for you guys today or tonight and I'll see you all in the next one later