The Challenge Cup is over and now all that’s left for the 10 NWSL teams is a 24 match regular season. Before the first match kicks off on Saturday, May 15, Beyond Women’s Sports presents the first edition of NWSL Power Rankings. Each week, BWS will rank the teams overall based not just on wins, losses, and draws but also on current form and team news.
Use this preseason ranking as a baseline and a mini-review/preview for each team. The first team on the list should come as no surprise.
The Portland Thorns aren’t first in the NWSL power rankings just because they won the Challenge Cup. It’s how they did it. They came away with victories from their first two matches, where they played without big international names like Crystal Dunn, Lindsey Horan, and Christine Sinclair. Against Kansas City, they did it through dominating play. Against Chicago, they absorbed pressure and won on a counter attack goal.
When their first team returned, they gave rival OL Reign no chances in a 2-0 victory. In their last group stage match, after they already secured their place in the final, they came back for a draw. A draw where they had complete control, if not for Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell making save after save.
It took penalty kicks, and losing a lead, to lift the Challenge Cup, but still looked like the better team, against Gotham FC. They’ve shown early that they’re adaptable, especially when they lose players in June, July, and August for the Olympics. They’re the team to beat.
Next match: Sunday, May 16 v. Chicago Red Stars – 7:00 p.m. ET
Against NC Courage, in their second Challenge Cup match, Gotham FC looked scary. They scored four goals and the return of forwards Midge Purce and Carli Lloyd looked to have put the league on notice. Then their final two matches of the Challenge Cup group stage saw no goals scored, but also no goals allowed. Gotham’s defensive backline and normally backup goalkeeper in DiDi Haracic were the source of the team’s success.
Haracic made big saves throughout the tournament, and her biggest coming in the 87th minute of the final on a diving fingertip save off Portland’s Sinclair. Now that they’re in the regular season, Canadian international keeper Kailen Sheridan seems likely to start, but Haracic makes the choice difficult for head coach Freya Coombe. A great problem for any coach.
If the defense continues, Gotham will show the league their 2020 growth, and the 2021 East Division winning Challenge Cup isn’t a fluke.
Next match: Saturday, May 15 v. Houston Dash – 7:00 p.m. ET
In 2021, NC Courage may lead the league in goals allowed. Why does that put them all the way at three to start the season? Because they’ll also lead the league in goals scored. Propelling this side is one of the best players in the world, in Brazil’s Debinha. Debinha won the Challenge Cup MVP on top of three goals in four matches. Playing alongside her is forward Jessica McDonald. The striker scored two and assisted on three. Their success in the box score doesn’t even include US forward Lynn Williams, yet.
The Courage are also getting a potential boost in the rumored return of midfielder Sam Mewis. She’d miss time for the Olympics, but if she returns after the international tournament, she propels the Courage to the top of the league as teams you don’t want to face in the playoffs.
North Carolina is hard to stop. Their underdog mentality, combined with the world-class player, puts them as a favorite to win their third straight NWSL title in a row.
Next match: Saturday, May 15 v. OL Reign – 10:00 p.m. ET
Houston’s Challenge Cup seemed a little unfair. By the time that forwards Rachel Daly, Nichelle Prince, and midfielder Kristie Mewis joined the team, Portland already locked up the West Division. In two matches, at full strength, they scored four goals and gave Portland their toughest match of the group stage.
Teams create their own luck though. Their first two matches saw a different team up and down the lineup. They didn’t score a goal against the Chicago Red Stars or OL Reign. This doesn’t bode well for the weeks these players will be away this summer, but when full strength they’ll go toe-to-toe against anyone in the league.
Next match: Saturday, May 15 v. NJ/NY Gotham FC – 7:00 p.m. ET
The OL Reign that supporters saw in the Challenge Cup tournament is going to look a lot different in the regular season. In their second campaign under ownership by world football giants Lyon, they want to stretch their domination to the United States. It’s coming in the form of loans and the potential return of a US international.
On April 19, they brought in goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi and midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsán; two players that have a trophy case including multiple Champions League and Division 1 Feminine league titles. May 12, another loanee joined in the form of forward Eugénie Le Sommer. To make them even more dangerous, sources told the Equalizer that US midfielder Rose Lavelle joining. OL Reign secured her rights from the Washington Spirit, in 2020, as she moved to Manchester City.
Time will tell if these loans are only till Lyon’s regular-season starts in the fall or through the NWSL season. If it lasts all 2021, they won’t stay in the middle of the power rankings.
Next match: Saturday, May 15 v. NC Courage – 10:00 p.m. ET
The 2021 Washington Spirit didn’t have the Challenge Cup that the public expected. They won just one match, in the 93rd minute, lost two, and earned one draw. Their first loss came at the feet of the Courage, who put three past Washington. Against Orlando, they lost on an early goal but had many chances kept out by great Orlando goalkeeping.
Washington had just one match with their first team together, in the Orlando loss. In the attack, they have a dynamic trio in Ashley Hatch, Ashley Sanchez, and 19-year-old rookie Trinity Rodman. Rodman scored in her debut and dazzled supporters throughout her Challenge Cup tournament. As she continues to adjust to the league, and develop better decision-making, they’ll start scoring a lot of goals in the nation’s capital.
Defensively, the influx of US internationals Kelley O’Hara and Emily Sonnett should excite Spirit fans. The stronger they are defensively, the more their offensive talent has chances to excel.
Next match: Sunday, May 16 v. Orlando Pride – 6:00 p.m. ET
For Orlando, Ashlyn Harris dominated the storylines in the Challenge Cup. Harris had 14 saves. In the midfield, Marta didn’t get on the scoresheet but got Orlando into positions that turned into offensive chances. Sydney Leroux had a strong tournament, full of shots on target, and got better when forward Alex Morgan returned from US duty.
Their position at seven in the power rankings is because, without big saves by Harris, the Pride wouldn’t have had a shot to make the tournament final. Four matches is a standout performance, but it will be difficult to continue that form for 24 straight matches. The defense in front of Harris caused two penalty kicks, that ended up getting saved. If those goals converted, their Challenge Cup would look much different. They did show signs of improvement as the cup ended.
They gave up no goals in their last two matches, and the last match being against score-on-demand NC Courage. If the Pride continue this upward trajectory, they can finally deliver a consistent team for Orlando supporters.
Next match: Sunday, May 16 v. Washington Spirit – 6:00 p.m. ET
There is only one thing keeping Chicago out of the top tier of the NWSL – the ability to score goals. On just two occasions did they score impactful goals in the Challenge Cup, but it wasn’t due to lack of trying. In all four of their matches, they sustained pressure on their opponents for long periods of time. Offensive playmakers Vanessa DiBernardo and Kealia Watt led the league in crosses, with DiBernardo sending in 17, followed by Watt’s 16. They couldn’t find anyone that could finish.
This same issue haunted their 2020 seasons, going stretches without finishing but 2021 could be the year they start finding it. Forward Mallory Pugh is slowly returning to 90 minutes. When she had minutes this preseason, she gave Chicago their best looks on goal, even converting one in the 2-3 loss to OL Reign. Outside of the final third, Chicago is one of the more dangerous teams in the NWSL.
Their midfield is stacked with Moe Gautrat, Sarah Woldmoe, and Julie Ertz. On the defensive backline, Tierna Davidson and Sarah Gorden provide speed and playmaking at center back.
If they clear up their offensive woes, they’re not only a playoff lock but can challenge for their first trophy in NWSL history.
Next match: Sunday, May 16 v. Portland Thorns – 7:00 p.m. ET
Racing Louisville FC didn’t register a win in the Challenge Cup but still exceeded expectations for an expansion team. Head coach Christy Holly took a young team and instilled a fast-paced, high-intensity, game plan. Regardless of the opponent, Louisville broke down opponents with high pressure and making the best of their opportunities.
CeCe Kizer scored twice and assisted on one. Midfielders Savannah McCaskill and Lauren Milliet forced interceptions and disrupted opponents’ play. Fullbacks Erin Simon and Emily Fox both had an assist and also produced on the defensive end. What hurt Louisville were the mistakes of an inexperienced team that’s still learning to play together.
They lost four points in the table in the last 10 minutes of matches. In the 93rd minute, they lost to the Spirit. In the 84th minute, against the Courage, an own goal gave North Carolina the victory. As the season progresses and they add names on defense like new signing Gemma Bonner and the return from injury for Addisyn Merrick, these late lapses could be a thing of the past.
If they can sustain their energy throughout a long season, and take advantage of teams being down their biggest stars during the Olympics, making the playoffs wouldn’t be a surprise for this young club.
Next match: Saturday, May 15 v. Kansas City NWSL– 5:00 p.m. ET
Kansas City comes up at the bottom of the power rankings. They gave up eight goals and scored just four. They’re the only team in the league to score a goal in all four matches though, which is an accomplishment for a side that came together in a whirlwind three months. Since the move from Utah, a core of players stayed with Kansas City. Forward Amy Rodriguez scored twice and midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta played well in the midfield.
Defense and possession are two areas where real work needs to be done. Throughout the four-match tournament; they didn’t have sustained time periods where they controlled a match. Their best stretch came at the beginning of their final match, against OL Reign. They had offensive opportunities and gave the Reign’s defense fits. Forward Mallory Weber, playing her first minutes for Kansas City in 2021, scored a beautiful goal to give them an early lead.
If that kind of attacking continues, and gives their defense a break, they may be able to put together a string of good matches. Fortunately, they have big help coming their way. On May 10, they signed Jéssica Silva, a Portuguese international that played the last two seasons with Olympique Lyonnais. The Champions League winner will give Rodriguez more space to work, as she’s currently the focal point for any team they go up against.
Next match: Saturday, May 15 v. Racing Louisville FC – 5:00 p.m. ET
Follow Beyond Women’s Sports all season to see how your team moves up and down the NWSL Power Rankings. To catch up on the changing rosters of the teams, check out the preseason team previews below:
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