What to Watch For in the NWSL, Matchday 16
The NWSL regular season is back with a bang, as all 12 teams are in action this weekend. Six games to savor, along with a World Cup final sandwiched in between. Does it get any better than that? The biggest storyline as the NWSL returns is which stars from the World Cup are back and which aren’t. Whoever does return could have a major impact, while others are taking some much-deserved time off to recover from the World Cup. Here’s what to watch for in the NWSL Matchday 16.
Kansas City Current vs. OL Reign: Friday, August 18 at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT on Paramount+
The first game of the weekend is a tale of two different teams. The OL Reign is firmly in the playoffs at the moment, whereas Kansas City is bottom of the table. The Current was incredible over the World Cup window in the Challenge Cup with three wins and a draw and made it to the semifinals.
The Reign locked up the No. 1 seed in the cup, meaning they did just fine without their stars as well. The biggest key to watch for is if Debinha plays for KC, she was reported to be back with the team in their last match but didn’t play. If she returns, it’s a huge boost for this team. The Current hasn’t tied a game all season, which means they’re either getting the win or taking the loss.
The OL Reign still has too much depth. Expect Laura Harvey’s side, led by Jess Fishlock, to be too much for the KC Current.
Racing Louisville vs. Angel City: Saturday, August 19 at 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT on Paramount+
Both Louisville and Angel City had some success during the Challenge Cup. In fact, Louisville also did enough to make the semifinals. However, they lost their last two games as they definitely missed World Cup stars like Savannah DeMelo, Ary Borges, Thembi Kgatlana, and Uchenna Kanu.
DeMelo likely won’t be back, but if any of the other three are, they’re a formidable outfit. Angel City could desperately use Jun Endo to create chances as she did for Japan. If she’s not back, Angel City will have a tough time scoring in this one.
Angel City might be able to pull out a draw as they have five total ties on the road this season, but Lynn Family Stadium has been a fortress for Louisville. Their record is 7-3-1 this year at home, making it a tough ask for Angel City to get a result. Expect Louisville to come away with a win.
Houston Dash vs. Washington Spirit: Saturday, August 19 at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT on Paramount+
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The Dash are one win out from the last playoff spot, while the Spirit are looking to hold onto their spot in the playoffs. Washington is playing better at the moment, with two wins in a row, while Houston has just one win in their last nine games.
Houston’s defense has been outstanding, and Jane Campbell is as solid as ever, but Diana Ordonez hasn’t been able to reach her output as a rookie last year with North Carolina. Keep an eye on her and Maria Sanchez. If they can combine well, Houston can still make the playoffs. If not, they won’t score enough to make it.
The Spirit still hasn’t found enough consistency and is sure to welcome back Trinity Rodman, Ashley Sanchez, Andi Sullivan, and Aubrey Kingsbury with open arms. If they get even one of those players back, they’ll have an advantage and should be favored to win this game.
Yet, based on Washington’s results, they haven’t won two in a row on the road all season. I feel a Houston upset brewing. They might finally end their skid against a Spirit team that hasn’t been consistent at all this season.
San Diego Wave vs. Gotham FC, Saturday, August 19th, 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT on Paramount+
San Diego has proven to be star dependent, as seen by a horrid slide that’s seen them go from first to the last playoff spot at six. The Wave have one win in their last 11 games, which was against Gotham. Such bad form could put them out of the playoff picture if they aren’t careful the rest of the season. Alex Morgan likely won’t be back yet, and neither will Sofia Jakobsson after playing in the World Cup Semifinal for Sweden.
The Wave are giving their young talent a chance to develop but at what cost? They’re taking on an experienced Gotham team that is looking to avenge that loss on June 4.
Gotham has far more continuity with their veteran leaders like Ali Krieger, Allie Long, and McCall Zerboni. The Wave is spiraling, and Gotham might end up compounding those issues with a win in San Diego. Gotham has five wins this year on the road, including wins out West against Angel City and the OL Reign. A win would complete the sweep, and they should be ready to get it done.
Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Red Stars: Sunday, August 20 at 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT on Paramount+
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Both teams have been looking to develop their young talent, each with mixed results. Both sides have nearly identical records since June 14. Chicago is 3-1-4, and Orlando is 2-1-5, and both have young strikers who are future stars in this league. Penelope Hocking has been on a tear with three goals over the last four games for the Red Stars. Messiah Bright leads all rookies with four goals this year.
When each team constructs its game plan, Hocking and Bright will have to be an area of focus to try and stop the other from making an impact. It’s hard to say how this game will go unless one team makes a mistake. This game should be a draw.
Portland Thorns vs. North Carolina Courage: Sunday, August 20 at 10:30 PM ET/7:30 PM PT on Paramount+
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The top two teams in the league square off for an epic primetime showdown as the game of the week. The Courage have two losses to Angel City and Gotham, respectively, over their last seven games, but in the other five, it’s been utter dominance. In those five wins, they’ve outscored their opponents 16-0. The World Cup period didn’t affect their performance at all, whereas the opposite can be said for the Thorns.
Portland won twice in their last seven and did score four goals in each game, but they also lost four games with a draw mixed in. Sophia Smith can’t come back soon enough for Portland. Christine Sinclair might be back, but she won’t play the full 90 minutes. Add to that, the Courage have only lost once at home this season (7-5-1), and the Thorns have an 0-2-1 road record in their last three.
This is set up for the Courage to extend their lead atop the standings. Whether Kerolin is back or not, Brianna Pinto has looked like one of the pickups of the season for North Carolina and she’s the x-factor for the Courage in this game.
Featured image via @racinglouisvillefc on Instagram
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