USL W-League: 8 Teams to Look Forward to Next Season
The USL W league is massive and only getting bigger. With seven divisions and 44 teams, there is a lot of talent on the field at any given moment. South Georgia Tormenta FC just won the championship of this 2021-2022 season, but we are already looking forward to next season. Here are a few teams you should watch this coming season.
Chattanooga Red Wolves
CHEERS! And HAPPY #NationalSoccerDay from your Chattanooga Lady Red Wolves! 🐺❤️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/7jYlEb8EpV
— Chattanooga Lady Red Wolves SC (@ladyredwolves) July 29, 2022
Red Wolves FC missed the top spot in the South Central division by just one point. Aside from one extra loss, their record was basically identical to South Georgia Tormenta FC.
Their midfielder Hannah Tillet leads the team with six goals out of 17 for the entire season. Their top scorers are a mix of offensive and defensive players, which is a tell for a strong team regarding set pieces.
Red Wolves FC has only been around since 2018, basically brand new. However, with this kind of showing so early in the club’s history, we’re sure they’ve got much more potential.
Greenville Liberty
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It’s easy to root for the top dog, but when it comes to Greenville Liberty, you kind of have to. Greenville finished top of the South Atlantic division, and both their regular season losses were nail-biters.
But the biggest honor and accomplishment from Greenville this season goes to Christian Brathwaite, the first-ever winner of Player of the Year in the USL W-league. And what’s even more impressive, Brathwaite is a rising high school senior. Brathwaite was one of Liberty’s leaders for goals and assists, but she wasn’t number one in either category.
Brathwaite will be playing for the University of Georgia, and while she’ll be missed, we bet that forward Caroline Conti and midfielder Carly Thatcher can pick up the slack.
NC Courage U23
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Just below Greenville Liberty in the South Atlantic division is NC Courage U23. The U23 team for the NWSL NC Courage, this young team has a lot of promise. With just two more ties than Greenville, NC Courage has a sharp front line and a super reliable starting keeper with Emmie Allen, who made 15 saves in one game.
As a youth off-shoot for an established pro team, the NC Courage is packed with talent and ready to stretch its legs in the 2022-2023 season.
Christos FC
Christos FC, out of the Mid Atlantic division, had a good showing this season, but with definite room for improvement. With a 6-3-1 record, Christos FC fell to McLean twice, the team that ultimately went on to top the division.
Thanks for the mere 13 goals against, in large part, goes to defender Zoe Vidaurre who played a total of 653 minutes this season. Christos also had the longest winning streak in their division, with four in a row. Were it not for that rough patch after game two, this season could have turned out very differently.
Queensboro FC and Cedar Stars
The Metropolitan division was the closest division of the entire USL W-league this past season, with just two points separating the teams tied for third and the first-place finisher.
We could talk about the first place Morris Elite, but I’d rather talk about third place. Those third-place teams, Queensboro and Cedar Stars, had near identical stats, the same amount of points, and even lost to the same teams—including one win and one loss a piece in the two games they had against each other.
Under the leadership of Nadia and the rest of the sporting staff this team came together as a family. They will always be remembered in QBFC history for their incredible performance this season. @USLWLeague pic.twitter.com/jof8YLUs12
— Queensboro FC (@QueensboroFC) July 12, 2022
After a shaky start with two losses and one tie in the first three games, Queensboro ran away on an eight-game winning streak.
Cedar Stars had more ebbs and flows in their season but did finish on a four-game hot streak. While Cedar Stars have a bigger point spread across their front line, Queensboro saw most of their goals from midfielder and Player of the Year nominee Mia Asenjo. These two teams finishing so close together in an already tight division is remarkable and should make for some fun competition in the coming season.
Do we smell a rivalry in the making?
Indy Eleven
Great Lakes division looked a lot like the Metro division by the end of the season, except Indy Eleven. While Midwest United, Racing Louisville, and AFC Ann Arbor were duking it out for second and third, Indy Eleven was sitting pretty at the top of the table with not a single loss all season.
Much like Metro, this tight finish will surely create a sense of tension and rivalry come 2022-2023, and Indy Eleven will be a huge target. Indy Eleven might be more worried if they didn’t have Mackenzie Wood in the goal. Starting keeper Wood allowed only seven goals all season, capturing 46 saves and 747 minutes played. With Wood as the last line and top scorers, Madison Williams and Katherine Soderstrom leading the charge, Indy Eleven will be a hard team to knock down a peg.
Minnesota Aurora FC
Minnesota Aurora FC actually had the best season not just in the Heartland division but in the whole league. They started their season with a 1-1 tie against Green Bay Glory and won all 11 games after.
Aurora FC finished with the most points in the league and was poised to take the whole thing in the championship match but lost to South Georgia Tormenta, which didn’t have nearly as nice a record (7-1-4). What makes Aurora FC one to watch for 2022-2023 isn’t just their killer stats but rather the fire they’ll have for coming so far and falling short.
To lose by one point in OT 2 after a nearly perfect season would cause anyone to come back with a vengeance. And did I mention this is the team’s first season in the league?
Featured image via @mnaurorafc on Instagram
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