NWSL: K.C. Current still unbeaten, Giráldez’s Spirit move up
Credit to Author: Joseph Lowery| Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2024 17:21:31 EST
It’s Monday, and another week of NWSL action is in the books, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.
Our rankings are derived from a combination of key season statistics (points per game, goal differential, expected goal differential), recent performance, the Opta computer ratings and the observations of our writers.
Who’s climbing the table? Who’s in free fall? Our writers and statistical models have ranked all 14 clubs in the league after Matchday 14. Let’s dive in.
Previous ranking: 1
Next match: Saturday vs. Houston Dash, 8 p.m. ET
The impressive wins just keep coming for Kansas City. Dropping four goals and only allowing seven passes into the box on the road at Providence Park is an absurdly difficult accomplishment. But the Current have made the wild look routine in 2024. They’re getting production from their forwards, from their attacking midfield line, and from Lo’eau LaBonta deeper in midfield. The veteran added a brace for her team on Sunday night.
Lo’eau LaBonta goal 31st minute Portland Thorns FC 0-1 Kansas City Current
Previous ranking: 2
Next match: Monday at. Angel City, 7.30 p.m. ET
Barbra Banda is a menace, Marta is ageless, and the Pride are dominant. What else is new? Orlando blitzed Utah on Friday, scoring a half dozen goals and conceding none to kick off the weekend. Giving the Pride even an inch of space to exploit on the counter continues to be a death sentence for every backline in the league.
Previous ranking: 4
Next match: Sunday vs. North Carolina Courage, 7.30 p.m. ET
New Spirit manager Jonatan Giráldez arrived in the nation’s capital last week, though he wasn’t in charge on Sunday for Washington’s 2-0 win over Gotham. Will the former FC Barcelona coach shift the Spirit’s tactical approach to look more like that of the European giants? Or will he let his players maintain their transition-heavy style? Time will tell. At the moment, though, Washington have taken hold of third place in the NWSL table and the third spot in these rankings.
Previous ranking: 3
Next match: Sunday vs. Seattle Reign, 1 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)
After being carved up by the Spirit for a goal inside the first 30 minutes and watching as Yazmeen Ryan was sent off before halftime, Sunday could’ve gone much better for Gotham. They controlled the tempo and moved the ball into dangerous areas but spent too much time down a player to hang on against an excellent Washington team.
Previous ranking: 5
Next match: Saturday vs Utah, 10 p.m. ET
While they’ll be eager to forget this weekend, it seems clear that the Portland Thorns are the last member of the distinct top five teams that headline the NWSL standings right now. The Thorns have lost just two of their past 10 matches, losing only to the Pride and the Current in that stretch. They’re a trophy threat, but they’re not an Orlando or a Kansas City-level threat.
Previous ranking: 7
Next match: Sunday vs. Washington, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Courage’s perfect start to the season at home is over, but they are still undefeated at WakeMed Soccer Park after drawing 0-0 with Orlando. Nobody is going to complain too much about taking a point off Orlando, especially after the way NC sold out to keep their clean sheet. They kept Banda in check, which is deserving of a trophy on its own.
Previous ranking: 6
Next match: Friday vs. Chicago, 10 p.m. ET
Casey Stoney can’t seem to solve the issue of how to get more attacking threat from a team that, on paper, is filled with reliable weapons. Unsurprisingly, San Diego limited Houston’s quality looks on Kailen Sheridan‘s goal. But frustratingly, they took their worst shots of the year, averaging strikes from 21.6 yards, per FBref.
Previous ranking: 9
Next match: Saturday vs. Bay FC, 4 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)
No team in the NWSL has collected more draws this year than Racing, who snagged its seventh of the year on Sunday in a 1-1 tie with Seattle. While a low-scoring affair was always probable between the two not-good-but-not-horrible attacks, Louisville infused drama into the match. An early red card to Arin Wright changed the game, as did Reilyn Turner‘s 97th minute equalizer. Take a breath, Racing.
Previous ranking: 8
Next match: Friday at San Diego, 10 p.m. ET
Mallory Swanson gave Chicago an early lead against North Carolina, but sloppy turnovers in their own half unraveled what could’ve been a valuable road point. They look comfortable, but not consistently threatening, in their 4-4-2 under Lorne Donaldson. It’s difficult to imagine this club transforming into a real force in 2024.
Mallory Swanson’s nice finish makes it 1-0 Red Stars
Previous ranking: 10
Next match: Saturday at Racing, 4 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)
Tess Boade is an awesome story. After being selected into the 2024 expansion draft by newcomers Bay FC, the 25-year-old has impressed, even in a squad with much bigger names. The former North Carolina Courage attacker leads the team in goals (with three) and has already hit career-highs in minutes and goal contributions. It was Boade’s go-ahead goal against Angel City that secured her team three points.
Previous ranking: 11
Next match: Sunday vs. Orlando, 7:30 p.m. ET
Angel City continue to be … unremarkable. After a fun 3-2 midweek win over Racing Louisville, the Angles put up a goose egg in a narrow defeat to Bay FC on Saturday. Claire Emslie, their most productive scorer in 2024, was isolated as she pushed forward in the attacking half. On the whole, Angel City left the margins too thin.
Previous ranking: 12
Next match: Friday at Kansas City, 8 p.m. ET
We’re still waiting for Fran Alonso’s team to put together 90 minutes of high-flying, adventurous, creative and effective soccer. They’ve checked three of those boxes in a bunch of games this season. But hitting all four in the same match has eluded them. Houston created just six shots to the tune of 0.3 xG at home against the Wave on Saturday. At least they kept San Diego quiet and picked up a result?
Bethany Balcer puts Reign in front from the penalty spot
Previous ranking: 13
Next match: Sunday at Gotham, 1 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)
Dropping points at home against a shorthanded Louisville team stings for Seattle. After taking a lead in the 10th minute via a Bethany Balcer penalty, the Reign conceded a set-piece goal deep in second-half stoppage time to end the match with a solitary point. On the bright side, Seattle Reign officially has new owners — a group that includes MLS club Seattle Sounders FC purchased the club for $58 million. With the ownership situation finally settled, much-needed reinforcements are reportedly on the way.
Previous ranking: 14
Next match: Saturday vs. Portland, 10 p.m. ET
After snapping their six-game losing streak last weekend against Bay FC, Utah fell back into their losing ways against Orlando on Friday. Manager Amy Rodriguez tried shifting to a three-back shape to give her team more cover against the Pride’s high-flying attack, but the formation shift did virtually nothing to slow the opposition. Needless giveaways in the back didn’t help, either. Back to the drawing board.