If you caught the women’s soccer fever during the United States’ championship run at the World Cup, there’s plenty more where that came from. The members of the Women’s National Team all play for club teams in the National Women’s Soccer League. It’s the middle of the season for the NWSL right now, so here are a few things to keep in mind if you tune into the games this weekend.
Utah Royals FC vs. Portland Thorns FC
Assuming this week finally sees the return of the USWNT stars to their club teams, this matchup will be loaded with big names. The Royals have Christen Press, Kelley O’Hara, and Becky Sauerbrunn, while the Thorns have Lindsey Horan, Tobin Heath, Emily Sonnett, and Adrianna French.
Portland is coming off a thrilling 4-3 victory over Orlando last week, while Utah is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 1-0 loss against the last place Sky Blue FC. The three points tied Portland for first place in the league with the North Carolina Courage, while Utah’s loss denied them a chance to move into fourth place and pass the Washington Spirit, who were off last week.
Getting the World Cup players back should give Utah a boost, though the same could be said for an already great Portland team. Having Sauerbrunn and O’Hara back on defense will help Utah immensely, but Portland will counter with returning Heath and Horan to complement the great season of Midge Purce. Purce has scored six goals so far this season, third most in the NWSL. She had a chance to shine after the USWNT players left and capitalized on it. It should be enough to earn her a starring role going forward.
Washington Spirit vs. Houston Dash
Washington caught a lucky break with Utah’s loss last week, keeping them in fourth place by one point just in time for the return of Rose Lavelle and Mallory Pugh. The Spirit have been struggling recently, going winless since June 1. They’ve been able to grab two points through draws, but the victories have been missing. Washington had last week off after a tough loss to Orlando.
Houston has had a rough go of it recently as well, with Rachel Daly away on behalf of England for the World Cup. Sofia Huerta and Kristie Mewis have done what they can to keep the team going in Daly’s absence, but the offense has been lacking. Houston’s last win came on May 11, with their last six matches resulting in three draws and three losses. They are only five points out of fourth place, putting them very much in the playoff race, but they will need to find a way to top Washington if they want to keep within arm’s length.
Orlando Pride vs. Sky Blue FC
The league’s two worst teams meet up this week, which means it’s an excellent time for the USWNT ladies to return. Orlando will get back Alex Morgan, Ali Kreiger, and Ashlyn Harris and Sky Blue awaits the return of Carli Lloyd. The Pride have picked it up recently, led by the legendary Marta, who has four goals in the last three matches. Pride goalie Haley Kopmeyer is second in the league in saves, but has allowed ten goals in the last three games. Orlando should improve with Morgan’s return, but its probably too late for them to get back into the playoff race.
Sky Blue is in the same position. Both teams have only eight points, though Sky Blue is on a two game winning streak against pretty good teams. Jen Hoy scored in both wins, with one coming in the 92nd minute of a 0-0 game against Utah. With both teams struggling to stick with the rest of the pack, the highlights of this game will probably be the return of the international players and seeing if either team can slow down Hoy and Marta.
Chicago Red Stars vs. North Carolina Courage
The Courage have Crystal Dunn, Jessica McDonald, Sam Mewis, and Abby Dalhkemper all returning from World Cup action and Heather O’Reilly returning from her World Cup analysis role for Fox Sports to continue her final NWSL season. If you were impressed by Dunn’s aggressive play on defense during the World Cup, just wait until you see her at her natural forward position for the Courage. Dunn is tied for sixth in the league with four goals, despite missing a ton of time for the World Cup, while her teammates Kristen Hamilton and Lynn Williams are second and fourth in the league with seven and five goals respectively. Williams also has four assists, tying her atop the league with her teammates Jaelene Hinkle and Merrit Mathias. There is no doubt that North Carolina has one of the toughest offenses to slow down and have earned their spot atop the league table.
Chicago counters with a tough defense, though, that will see the returns of Julie Ertz, Morgan Brian, and Tierna Davidson, along with goalie Alyssa Naeher. Australian star forward Sam Kerr has also been back from her World Cup experience for a few weeks now to continue her dominant season. Kerr leads the league with nine goals, including a hat trick in Chicago’s 3-2 win over Orlando on June 30th. Though Chicago is in the middle of the pack right now, the returning players should give them a boost as they chase the Washington Spirit for fourth place. With so much returning star power, this matchup is the perfect choice for ESPN’s weekly game. It should be a great showdown between the best team in the league and a team with an opportunity to jump ahead.
A Storm of Sports 