NWSL faces World Cup year
Key storylines to follow as competitive season opens
The National Women’s Soccer League kicks off its eighth season Saturday with this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup as a prominent backdrop.
While the NWSL regular season runs from April to October, much attention will be paid to players in the lead-up to the tournament, which starts in France on June 6. Outside the World Cup, this year’s NWSL season is shaping up to be one of the most competitive yet. Nine teams will vie for hardware this season, which includes a few key storylines to follow.
Here are some of the biggest:
Will the North Carolina Courage’s run continue?
For the last two years, the NWSL’s top dogs have resided in Cary, N.C.
The North Carolina Courage is the defending league champion and the twotime defending Shield winner. Strictly speaking, the club’s run started well before its inaugural 2017 season. The Courage are the rebranded and relocated Western New York Flash that also won the 2016 NWSL title with many of the same faces.
North Carolina had a dominant 2018, boasting a 17-1-6 record. It scored the most goals while conceding the fewest and finished the campaign 15 points ahead of the more-than-competent Portland Thorns, who finished second.
While the Courage ran away with the Shield, there was more parity among Portland, Seattle Reign, Chicago Red Stars and Utah Royals, who also finished in third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, and were all within seven points of another by the end of 2018.
Obviously, there’s a large gap between that pack and the Courage. It would be remarkable to see North Carolina dominate in a similar way this season, especially because the quartet behind it has plenty of top talent in its own right.
All eyes on the FIFA Women’s World Cup
NWSL stands to send dozens of players across many nationalities to compete in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which runs from June 6 to July 6 across France.
The brunt of the league’s players, though, will compete with the United States women’s national team.
Players will leave their respective teams in May for World Cup camp, though league play will continue until June 2, at U.S. forward Tobin Heath (17)
which point the NWSL breaks until June 15.
The U.S. will play three friendlies on American soil before kicking off its World Cup campaign against Thailand on June 11 in Reims.
The first friendly is on May 12 against South Africa in Santa Clara, Calif; the second is May 16 against New Zealand in St. Louis, Mo.; the third is May 26 against Mexico in Harrison, N.J.
The U.S. has had a bumpy road in the lead-up to defending its 2015 world champion title.
A 6-0 rout of Belgium on April 7 helped ease tensions about the Americans’ form and coaching, which has come under question in recent months, particularly after the U.S. failed to win the She Believes Cup that it hosted as a tune-up for World Cup competition.
However, the NWSL’s reputation is on the line at the World Cup — and not just with the U.S.
Strong performances by NWSL players — regardless of the nation they represent — will ultimately reflect on league’s quality.