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What we learned from Week 14 in the USL Super League

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Week 14 saw Tampa Bay Sun hand Carolina Ascent its first loss of the season, and who else but Lexington scored the 100th goal in Super League history. 

Here are the biggest three takeaways from last week’s matches: 

Carolina hit a plateau and Tampa Bay is on the rise 

Sooner or later, someone was going to end Carolina Ascent’s undefeated run, but it’s actually not much of a surprise Tampa Bay Sun FC was the one to do it. The Ascent have looked a little out of sorts and barely scraped a couple points out of its last few matches, while the Sun have started to take form with their new roster additions. 

Going back to Ascent’s draw against Dallas on October 25, Carolina was one offside call away from losing 3-2, on top of the Trinity outshooting Carolina 19-4. The team was fortunate DC Power missed a penalty kick in its next match as Meagan McClelland single-handedly preserved the 1-0 win. Then against Spokane, the Zephyr hit the woodwork three times in a scoreless draw at American Legion Memorial Stadium. Carolina’s once-ironclad defense was destroyed on Saturday by Tampa Bay’s balls over the top. At the same time, the Ascent’s offense has fallen flat and struggled to create good looks on goal. 

Meanwhile, the Sun have bounced back from two losses at the end of October with three strong performances. Cecilie Nielsen and Natasha Flint were the perfect targets to put into a starting lineup that was failing to capitalize on its final third entries, especially combining with the speed and agility of Carlee Giammona and Sydny Nasello. Viv Bessette and Paige Almendariz were all over the pitch Saturday night, and Carolina couldn’t progress through the midfield because of them. The two teams are on complete opposite trajectories, which made for a perfect storm and thrilling upset. 

Lexington needs to find Amanda Allen more often 

Madi Parsons has likely been the top player on the scouting report for Lexington’s opponents recently, but last Wednesday’s match brought another name into the spotlight. Orlando Pride loanee Amanda Allen recorded eight shots – four of which were on target, three more of which were blocked – and two chances created against Spokane. Aside from the equalizer, nearly every opportunity Lexington had came through Allen. 

This is not to say that she is just now showing her abilities. Allen is second on the team in shots with 14 behind Parsons’ 19 while having played three fewer matches, and she is third in chances created. However, she had been playing more centrally, and her move out wide completely opened up the field for Lexington against Spokane. Allen has so much speed and skill that she can either cut inside and rip a shot, or she can beat her defender and send a cross into the box. Continuing to get her involved in the attack will result in even more goals for this high-scoring team. 

DC needs help at both ends of the field 

It’s no secret DC Power has struggled with efficiency at the offensive end; the club has the fewest goals in the league (6) while recording the third-most shots (132). Two of those goals came from penalty kicks in the same match. Another one was an own goal by the opposing team. Every time a DC player has a breakaway and is 1v1 with the goalkeeper and you think a goal is on the horizon, it’s not. Credit to Brooklyn’s Sydney Martinez for the five saves in Wednesday’s match, but one of those has to go in if DC wants to turn its season around. 

And things are not much better on the other end of the pitch. DC took a page out of Lexington’s book and allowed three goals within a span of 13 minutes last week. Again, Luana Grabias deserves all the recognition for three well-deserved and entertaining goals; however, the turnovers in the defensive third and the inability to clear lines followed by the immediate arguing and finger-pointing after conceding is not a good look for the backline. 

What we learned from Week 11 in the USL Super League

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Comeback wins and set piece golazos highlighted the matches from Week 11 as all eight clubs were in action. 

Here are three things we took away from the matches: 

1. Lineup changes can be hit or miss 

Week 11 saw a plethora of lineup changes across the league with many players earning their first starts and minutes on the field. Whether it was due to players on international duty or in an attempt to break a losing streak, the lineup tweaks produced mixed results. 

Brooklyn made a huge statement by benching its top goal-scorers of Jess Garziano and Isabel Cox in Wednesday’s match against Tampa Bay Sun. However, Dana Scheriff shined in her first start, scoring the equalizer and drawing the foul in the box that led to the go-ahead penalty kick. She earned the start in Brooklyn’s second match of the week where she scored another goal and recorded three shots on target. 

In Spokane, Hope Hisey got her first start in goal in place of Izzy Nino. The University of Arizona alum made five saves to record the Zephyr’s first clean sheet and win since September 22 against DC Power. The performances of both Scheriff and Hisey could force head coaches Jess Silva and Jo Johnson to reevaluate if they will be regular starters going forward. 

On the other hand, Fort Lauderdale United FC did not see as much success with changes to its defense on Sunday. Newly-signed Sabrina McNeill got the start at right outside back, a position the team has frequently rotated players through this season, and Makenna Gottschalk made her first start in goal. The three goals allowed were the highest for the team this season despite Gottschalk’s eight saves. A lot of defensive miscues have led to FTL UTD’s back-to-back losses, a disappointing feat after winning three straight. 

2. Beware of the set piece 

Set pieces can potentially be dangerous scoring opportunities, and DC Power, Brooklyn and Spokane Zephyr all capitalized on them last week.  

The brace from DC’s Allie Flanagan will go down in history for the club’s first come-from-behind win. After sending in the equalizer from outside the box in the 52nd minute, Flanagan headed in the game-winner off a corner kick from Katie Duong, who leads the league in crosses and chances created. 

Brooklyn has recently adopted the short corner formula, and after the technique resulted in Allison Pantuso’s first goal in Week 10, the team tried it again on Sunday. Mackenzie Pluck set up a lingering Sam Kroeger at the top of the box, and the midfielder took a touch before blasting the ball far post for the first of three goals in Brooklyn’s win. 

The last goal of the weekend came from Spokane’s Marley Canales after drawing a foul for the free kick that led to her opportunity. The ball into the top of the penalty area took a deflection off a Tampa Bay player and landed right at the feet of Canales, who hit a screamer into the top-right corner of the net for the 1-0 win.

3. Pros and cons of a double matchweek

Brooklyn and Tampa Bay were the two of eight clubs who took the field twice in Week 11, and while positive momentum can carry from one match to the next, the same can be said for the losing side.

In Wednesday’s match, Tampa Bay jumped out early and took a 1-0 lead over the home side with a fifth-minute goal by Sydny Nasello. Brooklyn grew into the match, though, and took a 2-1 lead into halftime that ended as the final score. Brooklyn just looked more composed and more aggressive, despite the Sun holding on to nearly 58% of possession.

Heading into Sunday, Brooklyn looked arguably the best it has all season and went on to secure another home win. Tampa Bay made the cross-country trip from New York to Washington within five days just to play equally as listlessly against Spokane Zephyr. Aside from Nasello, the Sun have struggled to create threatening looks and don’t take advantage of their scoring opportunities. A two-loss week dropped the team to seventh in the standings.

Defenders show scoring prowess in opening months of USL Super League season 

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If you tune into a USL Super League match this season, chances are you’ll see a defender sending the ball into the back of the net.  

Every team has had at least one defender score within its first seven matches of the season. Whether it’s from outside the box or on a set piece or from the penalty spot, those on the backline have become the players to watch. 

The numbers still favor the forwards and midfielders: only 17 of the 58 goals (excluding own goals) came from defenders and just 13 of the 37 goal scorers are listed as defenders. But in the moments that have mattered most, a lot of the time it’s been the defenders who have stepped up to the plate. 

Take Carolina Ascent. Three of its eight goals have been scored by players on the backline. Vicky Bruce scored the league’s inaugural goal, which was the game-winner in the 1-0 victory. Renée Guion scored that incredible Olimpico that kick-started a 2-1 victory against Fort Lauderdale. Sydney Studer’s header against Spokane took all the wind out of the Zephyr’s sails in that 2-0 road win. 

Then you have players like Lexington center back Sydney Shepherd, who is tied for second in the league with three goals this campaign. Her most recent? A stoppage-time winner against Spokane last Sunday night, which earned the club its first win of the season.  

Lexington’s Sydney Shepherd in the match against Spokane Zephyr on Sunday, Oct. 13 at ONE Spokane Stadium in Spokane, WA.

Madison Wolfbauer stepped up for DC Power to convert two penalty kicks in one match just weeks after joining the team in September.  

Brooklyn’s Allison Pantuso scored an incredible header earlier this week to prevent the team from suffering its third loss in a row. 

The execution of these goals has also been on point. Defenders have scored 10 of the 14 headers and four of the eight goals from outside the box this season. The Tampa Bay Sun’s Brooke Hendrix and Dallas Trinity’s Hannah Davison both headed home goals to split points in their first matchup. Spokane’s Haley Thomas redirected the perfect header on frame to lift the team to its first win of the season. Fort Lauderdale’s Reese Klein blasted a shot off a cleared corner kick to take home the win in the team’s home opener. 

Of all the goal scorers, defenders and non-defenders are shooting at about the same accuracy: 56.96% and 54.85%, respectively, However, defenders are converting at a 44.11% rate compared to other goal scorers at 24.95%. Obviously, forwards and midfielders take more shots, but when the defenders have taken their chances, they have proved to be just as, if not more effective than everyone else. 

While it’s unlikely any defenders will be making waves in the Golden Boot race, how many more center backs can we expect to get a goal to their names this season?