What to Watch For in the NWSL, Matchday 14
The NWSL is entering a period where World Cup stars will likely be sitting out across the board. This means new, unheralded players will get the chance to shine, and coaches can evaluate their talent in real game situations. Not only that, there are only five points between the playoff teams in the standings. A lot can change with a win or loss, making each and every game important. Let’s look at what to watch out for in the NWSL Matchday 14.
OL Reign vs. Racing Louisville: Saturday, July 1 at 3:30 PM ET/12:30 PM PT, Paramount+
This will be one of the weekend’s best matchups, with both teams in great form. The OL Reign bounced back from their 2-0 defeat to rivals Portland with three wins and a draw. Racing Louisville had won two and drawn two games before losing to the North Carolina Courage 1-0. Although holding the red-hot Courage to just a goal is a big result at this stage in the season. The key here to look for is the depth of both teams.
The OL Reign might be the team impacted the most with their star players going to the World Cup. Racing Lousiville won’t have their engine Savannah DeMelo, but players like Kristen Davis Wright have picked up the goal-scoring slack when needed. This is a great chance to watch Jaelin Howell in the midfield for Louisville. On the flip side, can Bethany Balcer and Tziarra King find a breakthrough against Louisville’s tough rearguard? This will be a close one to call, but the Reign should still be slightly favored going in.
Washington Spirit vs. Orlando Pride: Saturday, July 1 at 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT, Paramount+
Since their upset win over Portland in primetime, Orlando has had a rough stretch with three straight losses. Marta and Adriana likely won’t be playing, allowing Messiah Bright to shine. The Spirit will be without Ashley Sanchez and Trinity Rodman, but the player to watch is Ashley Hatch.
Hatch could very well go on a revenge tour for getting left off the World Cup roster and catch up to Sophia Smith in the Golden Boot Race. She’s at seven goals, and if the Spirit can get her the ball where she’s comfortable, it could be a long day for Orlando trying to stop her.
North Carolina Courage vs. Houston Dash: Saturday, July 1 at 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT, Paramount+
The Courage is on a four-game winning streak but will be without Casey Murphy, Kerolin, Denise O’Sullivan, and Emily Fox. Those are four key starters, and it’ll be a great opportunity to see if the Courage still develops young talent, as history suggests. Houston has a bit of an advantage in attack with Maria Sanchez and Diana Ordonez.
What’s strange is the Dash lead the league in the fewest goals allowed but also have only scored ten goals which is why they are outside of the playoffs looking in. Houston does rely heavily on their captain Sophie Schmidt in the midfield, but she’ll likely be gone for Canada.
Still, Houston has enough in defense and offense to end North Carolina’s winning streak. This could be a turning point for the Dash if they can get three points off the Courage.
Chicago Red Stars vs. San Diego Wave: Saturday, July 1 at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT, Paramount+
The theme for this game is young talent. The San Diego Wave has two bright young future stars in Jaedyn Shaw and Melanie Barcenas. At just 15, Barcenas dazzled against Angel City, looking far beyond her years on the pitch, and she is not showing any issues with the physicality of the NWSL.
The Red Stars have lost four in a row and need their young players like Ava Cook and Ally Schlegel to give them a lift to end the skid. This is the best chance they’re going to have with Alex Morgan, Naomi Girma, and Kailen Sheridan out of the picture. This is a futures game; keep an eye on the young talent on display.
Portland Thorns vs. Kansas City Current: Saturday, July 1 at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT, CBS Sports Network
With how Portland does with developing their whole roster, they should be just fine during the World Cup period. Sam Coffey and Olivia Moultrie should get extended minutes and are always fun to watch when they’re out there.
However, this matchup against Kansas City will be tougher than expected. It’s a veteran team that will only be missing Debinha. Whereas they still have a large portion of their offense with Kristen Hamilton, Cece Kizer, and Michelle Cooper up front and Vanessa DiBernardo and Morgan Gautrat in midfield. Portland will have a younger team out on the pitch and expect a veteran Kansas City team to take advantage of that.
Gotham FC vs. Angel City: Sunday, July 2 at 5:30 PM EST, 2:30 PM PST, Paramount+
Since Angel City sacked Freya Coombe, they’ve looked like a completely different team. They created more chances in their last Challenge Cup victory than they have in a home game all season. It’s great to see Jasmyne Spencer playing on the wing where she belongs instead of defending.
They’re starting to show some cohesion in attack, with Savannah McCaskill at the center of it. Sydney Leroux is still making an impact, and Lily Nabet looks fantastic distributing and doing the dirty work in the midfield.
Gotham will still have stars present like Allie Long, McCall Zerboni, and Midge Purce, but a large portion of their stars will be with their respective national teams. Expect this to be a closer game than you think, despite where these teams are in the standings.
Featured image via Getty Images
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