Thanks to our partnership with inStat, we should have advanced stats for the NWSL season in addition to the stats you’ve been seeing on my Twitter account (@chris_awk) for international matches. I’ll try to get one of these up for each game that has advanced stats available, though be forewarned that not every game was scored last season.
Up first is a rematch of last season’s championship final between Portland and North Carolina. The Courage finished with a 1-0 victory in a match where the scoreline flattered the Thorns.
| North Carolina Courage | Portland Thorns | |
|---|---|---|
| 54% | Possession | 46% |
| 17 (4) | Shots (On Goal) | 3 (1) |
| 12 | Corners | 1 |
| 367 (74%) | Passes (% Complete) | 259 (65%) |
| 47 | Challenge % Won | 53 |
| 48 | Aerial Challenge % Won | 52 |
| 55 | Successful Dribble % | 58 |
| 66 | Tackles Won % | 63 |
Woman of the Match – Crystal Dunn (NC)
73% Actions Successful
86% Passes Complete
2 Key Passes Complete
2 Crosses Complete
17 Challenges Won
6 Dribbles Won
71% Tackles Won
4 Ball Recoveries
2 Fouls Won
Dunn proved immediately why she’s a contender for league MVP with an all-action performance in the opener. Dunn’s 86% pass completion was a match high. No other field player even hit 80%.
Crystal Dunn’s Completed Passes
Crystal Dunn’s Completed Key Passes
Other Standouts:
2. Abby Erceg (NC)
Key Stat: 8 aerial challenges won
Erceg was again in fine form, dominating in the air and also recovering 18 balls.
Abby Erceg aerial challenges won
3. Sabrina D’Angelo (NC)
Key Stat: 81% passes complete
Admittedly, Portland made it really easy on D’Angelo, but her distribution was miles ahead of AD Franch on the day.
Sabrina D’Angelo passes complete
4. Abby Dahlkemper (NC)
Key Stat: 7 challenges won (out of 8)
Dahlkemper wasn’t overworked by a limp Portland offense, but she did what she had to and combined well with Erceg in central defense again.
5. Debinha (NC)
Key Stat: 7 dribbles won
The match winner drifted to the right and terrorized Portland’s defense, winning 5 dribbles in the final third.
Debinha dribbles won
Ballon D’Nope (Minimum 30 minutes played)
1. Tyler Lussi (POR)
Key Stats: 4 passes complete, 5 of 6 challenges lost, all three aerial challenges lost
It’s not like Lussi got a lot of support, but brought in to provide a spark to a languid offense, Lussi didn’t accomplish much in a half-hour’s work.
2. Meghan Klingenberg (POR)
Key Stat: 10 of 16 challenges lost
Klingenberg had to deal with both Crystal Dunn and then Debinha drifting into her zone. Her passing wasn’t horrific considering the context of her teammates, but she also completed just one cross and struggled defensively.
Meghan Klingenberg challenges lost
3. Emily Sonnett (POR)
Key Stat: 68% pass completion
Sonnett put up some solid defensive numbers, but her long, aimless balls forward in poor weather hurt more than helped Portland’s cause.
Emily Sonnett incomplete passes
Interesting stuff since I thought Sonnett played rather well defensively. I guess her passing numbers hurt her a lot but I’m curious, if I go back, how many short or med passing options she had in many of those situations. Just going by what I say and how the Courage of typically forced teams to play against them, I’d guess that it’s not a lot.