What to Watch For in the NWSL, Matchday 17
The NWSL came back with a bang last week. There were goals galore to go with some surprising results, shaking up the league standings in the process. The Thorns recaptured their spot at the top, and the Orlando Pride are somehow three points out of the last playoff spot with a 5-0 thumping of Chicago. Here’s what to watch for Matchday 17 in the NWSL.
Orlando Pride vs. San Diego Wave: Friday, August 25 at 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT, Paramount+
With a win, Orlando would take San Diego’s spot in the playoffs. That was an unthinkable statement if you looked at the table halfway through the season. The Pride have won four of their last six, racking up 12 points, leapfrogging the remaining teams from 8th-12th. Watch out for a hungry Orlando team to come out flying against San Diego.
This Pride team beat San Diego 3-1 back in April on the road. The Wave has a decent road record, 5-1-7, and the Pride’s record at home is in the same ballpark at 5-1-4. Everything about this game screams an Orlando win, but this might be an emotional letdown spot after a huge 5-0 win. The Wave is coming off a huge win at Gotham and has Alex Morgan back against her former team. San Diego likely gets their revenge from the loss at home to Orlando earlier this season.
Houston Dash vs. Kansas City Current: Saturday, August 26 at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT, Paramount+
Houston and Kansas City square off in a showdown between two teams that are not out of the playoff race by any means. A win for either side would put them one win outside the playoff hunt. If either team catches fire at the right time, they can sneak into the playoffs. However, Houston continues to be disappointing this year.
While we’ve talked ad nauseam about their defense, now it’s their offense that is sputtering. They’ve allowed 13 goals this season, which is best in the league by a lot, but they’ve also scored the fewest goals at 11, which isn’t even close to the next team (Gotham/Current, 18). A lack of goals means they aren’t playing the most exciting brand of soccer. Whereas Kansas City is the opposite. They have a great mixture of young talent and veterans working together. The Current pulled off a huge win over the OL Reign last weekend, and it’d be a shock not to see KC continue this run.
Debinha is back, which makes her must-see TV alongside Lo’eau Labonta running the show. They’re a fun attacking team between Kristen Hamilton, CeCe Kizer, Michelle Cooper, and Hailie Mace. Houston has to figure something out, or this game could get ugly.
North Carolina Courage vs. Chicago Red Stars: Sunday, August 27 at 2:00 PM ET/11:00 AM PT, Paramount+
After getting smashed 5-0 by Orlando, Chicago has to come back and respond against one of the best teams in the league on the road. All the odds are stacked against the Red Stars as they sit at the bottom of the table. Red Stars management has a decision to make at this point in the season. Do you keep trying to compete for a playoff spot, or do you start to give the younger players more time to get league experience and not worry about results?
Another loss wouldn’t knock them out mathematically, but they would need a miracle to make the playoffs. The biggest storyline to keep an eye on is how many goals the North Carolina Courage will score. NC is on a two-game losing streak and could exert all their frustration on Chicago. Kerolin is tied for second in the Golden Boot race with 8. Expect her to add to her tally in this game as well.
Washington Spirit vs. Portland Thorns: Sunday, August 27 at 5:00 PM ET/2:00 PM PT, Paramount+
Washington was on the verge of picking up three big points over Houston, but a last-second equalizer meant more dropped points for the Spirit. They’ve missed out on 13 points this year because of their inability to hold onto a lead. If they’d had six of those 13 points, they’d be at the top of the table right now. They cannot seem to find any consistency, which has cost them.
On the flip side, Sophia Smith is back and is not showing any rust after the World Cup. Smith scored within the first minute of coming onto the field, and that would be the game-winner as well. Of course, the matchup we want to see is Sophia Smith versus Trinity Rodman and which young star can lead their team to victory.
Rodman did not play in last week’s game, but seeing Ashley Sanchez back means Rodman could at least be a sub in this matchup. While Washington has all the talent in the world, Portland is still the better overall team. Plus, Sophia Smith netted a hat-trick the last time these two played. Expect Portland to push for the NWSL Shield and get another win in DC.
Gotham FC vs. Racing Louisville: Sunday, August 27 at 5:30 PM ET/2:30 PM PT, Paramount+
Gotham against Louisville is an interesting matchup between two teams in solid form. Racing Louisville managed to pull out the draw thanks to Kristen Davis in the second half. Gotham is coming off a loss to the Wave when they seemed headed for a draw. Watch out for Gotham to bounce back in this one. They haven’t lost two games in a row this season. They’ve always found a way to bounce back with a win more often than not.
Factoring in a poor road record for Louisville at 2-4-5 and a strong home record for Gotham at 5-2-1, Gotham has a clear advantage here. Keep an eye on if Esther Gonzalez makes her debut after just signing; if not, Jenna Nighswonger is fun to watch on the same side as Midge Purce. The left side of the field will be huge for Gotham’s chances in this game.
Angel City vs. OL Reign, Sunday, August 27 at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT, Paramount+
Angel City has been playing much better as a team under interim manager Becki Tweed. ACFC had a lead in one of the tougher environments in the league at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville.
The OL Reign are coming off a tough loss where Jordyn Huitema missed a penalty to tie the game in the second half. At one point, the OL Reign were at the top of the table, and they slid down to fifth with one win in their last five games. Watch out for which stars are able to return for the OL Reign. If Rose Lavelle, Megan Rapinoe, Alana Cook, and Sofia Huerta are all still out, then Angel City has a great chance to pick up more points.
OL Reign has the depth, but that only proved useful for the Challenge Cup. It’s hard to say which OL Reign team will show up, but at their best, Angel City will have a tough task defensively slowing them down.
It’s the primetime game, which means this game should be fireworks. Let’s hope we get some goals to go with it.
Featured image via @nwsl on Instagram
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