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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 4h

Best player on the pitch!

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

More American players should move to Europe to experience the tactical variety and quality of the CHaMpiONS lEAguE

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Byars, Tordin and Shores I'm not surprised by as first-time call-ups. I also wouldn't have been surprised had Ascanio and Klenke been in consideration

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

All this Atlanta talk has me going back through old WUSA teams. Among others, the Beat had Brianna Scurry, Sun Wen, Homare Sawa and Charmaine Hooper...

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Houston siege defending now and they have one of the best siege defenders in Paige Nielsen

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Disorganisation in the KC block for Denver to open the scoring. Poor coverage from the Current frontline leaves LaBonta and DiBernardo exposed 3v2. Far too easy for the Summit to find a free midfielder and play from there

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Love the way that nestles in the bottom-right and rebounds into the bottom-left. Lavelle-Shaw is fundamentally unfair and against the spirit of the league

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Boston started okay but passing in midfield got loose, Seattle capitalised, and there's been nothing since. It's experiment mode ahead of next season, but I still don't know what Patao's best line-up is. Smith playing up front today in a two...she ain't a striker.

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Sam and Kristie Mewis on Vlatko's management style and success with clubs vs. failure with national team. Interesting stuff. youtu.be/1qc2i1JBst4?...

youtu.be

Kristie’s Moving Meltdown, Mewis Sisters Take NYC & Get Honest About Vlatko Andonovski

YouTube video by The Women's Game

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Reposted by Blair Newman

The Women's Game @womensgamemib.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Full episode with Sam and Evelyn on YouTube or wherever you get your podcast: 📺 youtu.be/WKz4T9QGQ1s?... 🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/3zqZ...

youtu.be

Evelyn Ijeh on Her Breakout NWSL Season, Life at North Carolina Courage & Playing for Sweden

YouTube video by The Women's Game

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Reposted by Blair Newman

Tim Stillman ⭐️⭐️ @tim-stillman.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Three year deal. Understand there was interest from the NWSL this summer, one very big offer in particular, rebuffed. 👇🏻🔴⚪️🦊🇺🇸

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Reposted by Blair Newman

The Equalizer @equalizersoccer.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

After a 5-match unbeaten run, Angel City sits in sixth place in the NWSL standings. @secondball.bsky.social argues these results have been entirely deserved, and indicate a side not revolutionized but reset: equalizersoccer.com/2026/09/23/t...

equalizersoccer.com

Tactics Talk: How Angel City found their level

Angel City are currently on a five-game unbeaten run. Their run of four wins and one draw is fully deserved, with the only bone of contention being that they really should have beaten the Denver Summi...

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Another interesting conversation on coaching. Harvey talks, among other things, about recruitment consultancy firms and how they use data to find head coaches, and why that puts a lot of women candidates at a disadvantage www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvq6...

youtube.com

Laura Harvey on NWSL vs. WSL Hiring and the Importance of Female Head Coaches

YouTube video by The Women's Game

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Hernandez final ball is a real attacking weapon. Assisted for Gambone in Utah, Aissata today, and sets up Gutierres. She crosses on the run beautifully, first time. More of an attacking threat than Reale, defensively I dunno, but it's an interesting conversation to have.

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That is a *superb* early cross by Nicki Hernandez. Asking to be attacked. And it's an Aissata Classic, a deflection, of any body part, pure opportunism between the posts.

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Nichelle Prince's movement off the last line has been a real bright spark for Boston. Makes me wonder why not play her up front more often

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Early days, but Olwethu Makhanya is probably the best defender in Scottish men's game I've seen in a few years. A real class act.

Mercado has to be Seattle's starting striker going forward, not a support or rotational forward. Not just for goals; I think she brings more to the game than Fishel overall and I say that as a Big Fish believer. Harvey's style requires the striker to get involved in build-up, always has.

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Man United playing...quite well. Is this the Olid era properly starting, sort of, maybe, potentially?

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Don't agree with everything but strong discussion about impact of coaches. "Good assessors of talent far more important than being tactical masters". Yes! And many coaches get obsessed with being tactical grandees to the point of wrong profiling and limiting talent as opposed to platforming it

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What I like most about Ascanio is those counterintuitive turns she does on the ball. Doing almost a full 360 over several touches, to open a new angle or buy herself a tiny bit of extra space

San Diego a few times sort of lucky to be giving the ball away so early. They've not expanded into their attack and have players back to defend the box, and Kansas City don't have any space to run into

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San Diego have had Morroni deeper on the left while Van Zanten pushes up on the right, and I think they can play more directly down the right side. But that will more urgency and intent to play there and Barcenas to stop dropping so deep, in front of LaBonta

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

It took San Diego about 3 minutes 40 seconds to break out of their own half for the first time. A team that like to play through the lines and find one of numerous creative players with ball to feet, versus a Kansas City side that effectively doubles and triples up on play through their lines.

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Yazmeen Ryan in Denver and Yazmeen Ryan in Houston are like two different players

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Feels like one of those games where Seattle *could* be on for a hammering. They have to be more front-footed, which they don't enjoy. And Angel City can wait for the counter-attacking opportunities, which should suit them just fine.

Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Lema can give herself a better chance here. Anticipate the next wave of attack, move to improve angle and view of goal. With the early service she is good. It's with these more built-up attacks she can develop still.

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Emma Hayes' warning signs about USWNT future are...tiring. After the 2023 World Cup she wrote about how so many of the squad playing in the NWSL was a problem. Spain won that tournament and basically none of their players had ever played outside of their own country.

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Inverted full-backs...why? Here's an example of Sofia Huerta taking the role for Seattle versus Bay, showing how it can work and what she specifically brings to the role.

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Not Girelli's best work but she's on the rebound again...she's always on the look-out when her teammates take a shot

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Nighswonger with the dipping shot that bounces right in front of the goalkeeper. Reminding all that she isn't really a left-back

Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Rybakina...I counted 17 unforced errors in three sets. She was unbelievable Winners & Forcing Shots - Unforced Errors 1: Rybakina 22-3 / Sabalenka 26-14 2: Rybakina 27-10 / Sabalenka 32-8 3: Rybakina 19-4 / Sabalenka 14 - 14 Total: Rybakina +51 (68-17) / Sabalenka +36 (72-36)

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Based on the way the game has gone Angel City should win but that probably means they will not win

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

So Denver go long and wow, does that Angel City midfield just not move. They enjoy pressing forward, but have to do better going back. Denver ate up the second ball with ease. Sonis scores a banger, but the lead-up to it is so poor from an Angel City perspective

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Angel City will equalise if Denver keep taking same risks in build-up Using Abby Smith + 2CB + 2CM to try and find midfielders to feet They have numbers advantage as Angel City don't commit both CMs forward. But it's very narrow & angle isn't always there More when, not if, Angel City capitalise

Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Can officially confirm I have been sacked as tennis analyst.

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Gauff Rybakina a fascinating match, into a third set...Rybakina serving first. Rybakina targeted Gauff's forehand at end of the second set and got some easy points. But I'd never bet against Gauff in these situations

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Blair Newman @secondball.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

I've seen enough to say "can you imagine if Ascanio played for Barcelona" What a player.

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Lovely header from Gambone but it's the run, so many Boston midfielders just don't make that gambling run. Great cross from Hernandez too. Can Gambone play "off" the forwards? Allen has looked lively in moments too the last couple of games

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Can't believe it. Aissata makes a run and gets in behind the left-back off a direct ball. Plays it across the face of goal and nobody bothers to support. Clearly has people telling her not to do it. Yes, let's have her turn around and pass it back to Ivory. Come on now Boston

Boston playing short from the back even if it almost always puts them in peril

Already warning signs of the classic Boston game, could swing from 1-1 to 1-4 or 4-4 or 4-1, no idea

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Aaaannd a McGlynn missile over the top is all it takes to undo Boston's defence. I mean good on McGlynn, it's a long old boot, but that is a punt and a finish. Terrible goal to concede from a Legacy standpoint

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Keep an eye on Aissata v Rabano, because Aissata is winning that battle every time early on and it's clear Boston are playing to it

Aissata is such an opportunist. Desperate to score and quick to react. So many of her goals come from that ability to get a shot away somehow, or to pounce on something before the defender

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Boston lining up with Traore on the right flank, up against Rabano, and targeting her directly. Some good lay-offs early on