Five Observations from Week Three of the Super League

You Were Worried About Us? How Cute.
So, any thoughts shared last week about Sporting JAX struggling were put to bed and tucked in nighty night after this past weekend. The 2-0 win over Dallas Trinity, along with other results, leaves Sporting JAX sitting all alone at the top of the table. Three wins in three games is as good as a team can do. But what’s been impressive has been how Sporting has won. Each game required something different, and the team met the challenge each time. They stole a game late against a Ft Lauderdale United side that outplayed them most of the way. The offense answered the bell in the 2nd half against Tampa Bay Sun and scored three times for the win. And this past weekend Sporting JAX put on a masterclass in defense, limiting Dallas Trinity to just six shots (zero on target). This group of players is not only quite talented, but they are flexible, adaptable, and have a high soccer IQ collectively. Mind you, they have been doing this without Paige Kenton for the last two games.

DC Power Gets a Statement Win
DC Power believers, your time has arrived! They kept a talented corps of players after last season. They brought in a good group of new players. But DC needed a statement win in order to truly show their progress. And wow, did they ever - going to Lexington and winning 2-1 in a match that DC largely controlled. By the end of the first half, DC had outshot Lexington 11-2. And by the time Gianna Gourley and Alyssa Walker were subbed in, DC had built a two-goal lead. Last season the talk was about how DC was able to create so many chances but could not capitalize on enough of them. So far this season the team has six goals in three games. If DC Power continue to score at this pace, with their solid backline and improved goalkeeping, there may be more statement wins to come, and a playoff spot to be had.

Tampa Bay Sun Gets a Statement Win (Of a Different Kind)
The Carolina Ascent-Tampa Bay Sun match was the first game of this season that felt like a playoff game, and Tampa Bay played the role of the rude guest in spoiling Carolina’s home opener. Did the Sun control the match? Nope. Did they put on an impressive offensive performance? Not exactly. Well then, what did Tampa Bay do? They battled. They fought. They made the most of their opportunities. And they have on the roster a legitimate difference maker in Sydny Nasello. After Carolina had tied the game and nearly went ahead due to Reese Tappan’s head, Nasello scored a goal scorer’s goal: a sliding redirection placed just out of the reach of Sydney Martinez. But Nasello cannot do it on her own (see last season), and from the sample size we have so far it doesn’t look like she will have to this season. Shea Connors has stepped up on offense. Jordan Zade is becoming a factor. And Erika Zschuppe is quickly finding a role in the attack. But it was the fight and determination Tampa Bay showed that should give their fans hope for this season.

All This Possession, And Yet…
63.9, 67.2, 58.2 - these are the possession percentages Dallas Trinity has put up in their first three matches. And for all of this possession, the team has scored two goals and has only one point out of nine to show for it. Even worse, they have been scored upon six times by the three teams who have had much less of the ball. So what happened to this offense that looked like it could be a powerhouse? The new coaching regime stressed possession and building from the back, and on that end the team is doing exactly that. The number of passes Dallas has made so far this season is way above any other club. But a lot of that possession and passing is happening on their side of the midfield. Once Dallas crosses the midfield, maintaining an attack has been a challenge. If you just listened to the audio of last weekend’s match with Sporting JAX, you would have wondered if Onyeka Gamero and Seven Castain had started because their names were rarely mentioned. That’s not a good sign. This roster is too talented to be almost at the bottom of the table, but a shortened season does not give the coaching staff a lot of time to make adjustments. But something does need to change, or this shortened season will be one of disappointment.

We See You, Haley Craig
Last season, the talk about top goalkeepers focused on Hope Hisey, Kat Asman, and Kaitlyn Parks, and that made sense since they were putting up good numbers while playing for good teams. Then there was Haley Craig making multiple highlight reel saves game after game for a team that was struggling on defense. It was easy to overlook Craig’s efforts. But this season is looking quite different for Ft. Lauderdale United. A win against Brooklyn this past weekend put them in the mix for the final playoff spot. And the difference in the match was Haley Craig, who made a number of big saves including two big ones after United had scored in the early part of the 2nd half to keep Brooklyn off the scoreboard. If United can stay in the playoff chase, Craig’s shot blocking ability will do more than simply fill a highlight reel.

by John Howard-Fusco

Be sure to listen to the Super Show, Week 3 Preview: Baylee DeSmit Doing Baylee DeSmit Things with John HF & Dan Vaughn