Open Extended Reactions
It’s Monday, and one other week of NWSL motion is within the books, which suggests it is time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.
Our rankings are derived from a mix of key season statistics (factors per recreation, objective differential, anticipated objective differential), current efficiency, the Opta pc rankings and the observations of our writers.
Who’s climbing the desk? Who’s in free fall? Our writers and statistical fashions have ranked all 14 golf equipment within the league after Matchday 25. Let’s dive in.
1. Kansas City Current
Previous rating: 2
Next match: Sunday at Chicago Red Stars, 3 p.m. ET (watch dwell on ESPN+)
San Diego, should you thought you had been going to flee the wrath of Temwa Chawinga, you had been lifeless improper. With her objective in opposition to the Wave, Chawinga has now scored in opposition to each workforce within the league this 12 months — and she or he turned the primary participant in NWSL historical past to bag 20 targets in a single season. San Diego’s protection was no match for the league’s most dynamic assault in a 4-1 win for KC.
2. Orlando Pride
Previous rating: 1
Next match: Saturday vs. Seattle Reign FC, 5 p.m. ET
Going 23-straight video games unbeaten to begin the season is sufficient to purchase anybody a bunch of goodwill. In that sense, dropping the Pride out of the highest spot after simply their second lack of the 12 months is harsh; they nonetheless have a four-point cushion on prime of the desk.
Losing back-to-back video games, although, together with a 3-1 defeat to Gotham? Not nice. It’s not time to panic, but when anybody in Orlando wanted a reminder of how fragile the throne is within the NWSL, the final two video games have been that.
Adriana reacts throughout Orlando’s shock 3-1 loss to Gotham on Sunday. John Jones-Imagn Images3. Washington Spirit
Previous rating: 3
Next match: Saturday at North Carolina Courage, 7:30 p.m. ET
At Audi Field on Sunday, there have been fireworks through two pink playing cards, one to the Spirit’s Rosemonde Kouassi and one to the Red Stars’ Ludmila. There had been targets. And there was the reminder that the Spirit are going to be a extremely robust out come playoff time. They outshot, outscored, and outplayed Chicago in a 2-0 win.
4. NJ/NY Gotham FC
Previous rating: 4
Next match: Friday at Utah Royals FC, 9:30 p.m. ET
With a 3-1 win over Orlando, Gotham’s unbeaten run has now stretched to seven video games within the common season. On a Sunday the place USWNT stalwart Kelley O’Hara was honored forward of her retirement, it was solely becoming that Gotham earned all three factors. With two targets from set items — one from the primary part and one from the second — it was a stunning outing.
5. North Carolina Courage
Previous rating: 5
Next match: Saturday vs. Washington Spirit, 7:30 p.m. ET
Despite their 58% possession on the street in opposition to Bay, North Carolina solely managed 99 touches within the last third — that is their fourth-lowest tally in 2024, in accordance with FBref, with their joint third-lowest shot tally of the 12 months in addition. The flat attacking efficiency and 1-0 loss helped present that the Courage are clearly outdoors the top-tier of the Pride, Current, Spirit, and Gotham.
6. Portland Thorns
Previous rating: 6
Next match: Friday vs. Angel City FC, 10 p.m. ET
Remember final weekend, when the Thorns ended their seven-game winless run by snapping the Pride’s season-long unbeaten streak? Okay, good, me neither. Unlike the final three years the place Portland completed first within the NWSL in xG, in accordance with FBref, the offense is way extra pedestrian in 2024. They completed Saturday fourth within the league’s xG desk and did not create sufficient in opposition to Louisville in a 1-0 loss. Playoffs aren’t a assure.
7. Bay FC
Previous rating: 8
Next match: Saturday at Houston Dash, 9:30 p.m. ET
With a vastly necessary 1-0 win over the Courage on Saturday, Bay saved themselves in rivalry to make the playoffs throughout this enlargement marketing campaign. A late objective from Abby Dahlkemper was the game-winner, placing Bay within the pole place to say the eighth and last playoff spot within the common season finale in opposition to Houston.
8. Utah Royals
Previous rating: 11
Next match: Friday vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 9:30 p.m. ET
A birthday objective? Great. A birthday objective that is additionally a banger of a free kick? Just ask Claudia Zornoza the way it feels. The 34-year-old obtained Utah on the board on her birthday on Sunday. She’s been a revelation since becoming a member of in July, with two targets and three assists in her 9 matches for the Royals.
It’s no coincidence Utah have picked up extra factors since Zornoza debuted than they did within the 16 video games previous to her arrival. They’re out of playoff rivalry, however there is a twinkle of optimism in Utah proper now.
9. Racing Louisville FC
Previous rating: 10
Next match: Sunday at San Diego Wave, 5:30 p.m. ET (watch dwell on ESPN+)
“Hey Siri, present me a basic Racing Louisville win.”
A low-scoring affair the place Louisville left a lot of the possession to their opponents and capitalized on a late set piece objective? Yeah, that sounds just like the Louisville workforce I do know. By beating Portland 1-0 on Saturday, Racing saved themselves within the playoff hunt. Their battle with San Diego on Sunday will likely be huge within the seek for the membership’s first postseason berth.
10. Chicago Red Stars
Previous rating: 7
Next match: Sunday vs. Kansas City Current, 3 p.m. ET (watch dwell on ESPN+)
The final two video games have given us a actuality verify in relation to Chicago. Last Saturday, they fell to Gotham, taking simply two photographs in a 2-0 loss. This Sunday, they fell to the Spirit, dropping 2-0 and looking out just like the clear second-best workforce on the sphere. Though the Red Stars are nonetheless sitting in sixth, it is unattainable to view this workforce as a real contender.
11. Angel City FC
Previous rating: 9
Next match: Friday at Portland Thorns, 10 p.m. ET
Eliminated from playoff rivalry earlier than their recreation in opposition to Utah kicked off on Sunday, Sydney Leroux pulled out a stunning objective within the second half to salvage a degree for her workforce. Still, this Angel City squad made little or no actual progress in 2024. Their factors per recreation tally is the bottom of their three-year existence they usually have the second oldest workforce within the league, weighted by FBref primarily based on minutes performed. There are extra questions than solutions.
12. Seattle Reign FC
Previous rating: 13
Next match: Saturday at Orlando Pride, 5 p.m. ET
With their playoff desires crushed, no less than Seattle managed to interrupt their five-game dropping streak by topping Houston 2-1. Seeing Nerilia Mondesir open her NWSL account in her first begin is one constructive as focus shifts to subsequent season.
13. San Diego Wave FC
Previous rating: 12
Next match: Sunday vs. Racing Louisville, 5:30 p.m. ET (watch dwell on ESPN+)
When the ultimate whistle blew on San Diego’s 4-1 loss to Kansas City on Friday, the Wave’s season got here to an unceremonious finish, albeit with one recreation remaining on their schedule. They went from profitable final 12 months’s NWSL Shield as the perfect workforce within the common season to changing into of the league’s bottom-feeders within the span of a calendar 12 months. Things change shortly round right here.
14. Houston Dash
Previous rating: 14
Next match: Saturday vs. Bay FC, 9:30 p.m. ET
Up in opposition to the Seattle Reign, the Dash put up lower than a single non-penalty anticipated objective for the sixteenth time this season, in accordance with FBref. The assault continues to look misplaced. At least Zoe Matthews’ debut offers some hope for the long run, with the 17-year-old changing into the youngest participant to ever see NWSL motion for Houston.
Source: espn.co.uk
