NWSL Power Rankings: Who’s on top after week one

With one match in the book for every club, we’re rolling out the first installment of our NWSL Power Rankings. Who is on top and who has work to do?

After the dust cleared on Sunday evening, the first NWSL standings were released. But numbers aren’t everything, so here are the NWSL power rankings based on their opening weekend performances.

NWSL Power Rankings for week 1

1. Portland Thorns

After a divisive victory, the Thorns remind everyone exactly why they’re the reigning champions. They took Orlando down in a 4-0 victory that saw goals shared between four different players, including 2022 MVP Sophia Smith. The Thorns are as strong as ever, starting their season out with a victory at the top of the table in power and in the standings. 

2. Chicago Red Stars

Even though they didn’t walk away with the win, the Red Stars had the better game against the Wave. They played aggressively and defended well against one of the best offensive lines in the league. This was a game that could’ve easily gone either way, with a few key touches making the difference. The Red Stars are here to compete, and their opener proved that.

3. San Diego Wave

There’s no denying the power and stature of the San Diego Wave, especially after they stepped up their midfield during the off-season. Between the attack of Alex Morgan, the defense of Naomi Girma, and the goalkeeping of Kailen Sheridan, the Wave possess a strong foothold in the league. They pulled out the win against the Red Stars on Saturday night with the roar of Snapdragon behind them, already looking playoff ready.

4. Gotham FC

When the going gets tough, Gotham steps up. With a little luck and a whole lot of tenacity, Gotham pulled out the win in what was the most controversial game of the weekend. There’s no questioning that there were a few calls that helped Gotham on the way to victory. But there’s also no contesting that Gotham worked hard for their win, with a Lynn Williams banger and relentless pressure on Angel City, the Gotham FC comeback is here and just getting started.

5. Angel City FC

Angel City had a rough game in terms of luck, but their chances were there. Alyssa Thompson opened the scoring with an exceptional strike from distance, sparking Angel City into a more energetic form of play. The home side had exceptional support at BMO stadium and fought through some tough calls. If Angel City can keep their energy up the entire game and fix a bit of the passing in the midfield, they’ll be well on their way to playoffs.

6. OL Reign

The Reign might have lost their opener, but they still played a quality game, utilizing their key players very well and maintaining a high press, and completing 25 crosses. The Reign are still very much in top form and have a great shot at the shield again. They continue to find excellent space through the midfield and work their way into amazing opportunities. Once they finish their shots, they’ll leap to the top of the table.

7. North Carolina Courage

The Kerolin and Tyler Lussi combination was more powerful than anyone could’ve envisioned. Mixing brilliant forward chemistry with a midfield under the direction of Denise O’Sullivan and a defense helmed by Emily Fox and Kaleigh Kurtz yielded excellent results and changes for the Courage. The Courage are looking better than anyone expected and could build into something even more special as the season goes on.

8. Washington Spirit

The Washington Spirit won their home opener, but barely. A combination of an OL Reign side that was unable to finish their shots and a stunning goal from Trinity Rodman got them their three points to start the season. There were bright spots in their performance as far as Rodman, Sanchez, and Sullivan but their defense was easily broken down and looks a bit in shambles as players struggled with playing out of their typical positions.

9. KC Current

The Current are suffering from an injured bench, with nine players out for their match against the Courage. They had a positive game but couldn’t keep up with the pace of the Courage, chasing the ball and often struggling with control during moments of possession. Once their roster has healed, they’ll likely look much stronger, and be able to capitalize on created opportunities.

10. Houston Dash

Although the Dash game ended scoreless, there were significant chances generated by the home side and their forward line was able to cause some serious trouble for Racing’s backline. They had a good press with Ordoñez, Gareis, and Salmon up the center. If they can continue to build chances on the wings and establish a stronger backline presence, they’ll have another chance at playoff this season.

11. Racing Louisville

Racing has something going, in particular, their backline is looking very well put together with Pickett and Ergec at the helm. Similar to the Reign, they’ll become more powerful when they can finish their shots. Until then, they’ve got the brick wall of Katie Lund backing them up and a deep bench that is ready and waiting to make some changes and overcome expectations.

12. Orlando Pride

The Pride suffered a tough loss to Portland, but that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. It’s still early in the season with lots of time to recover from the defeat at Providence Park. It’s hard to beat a Portland side that looked as good as it did on Sunday. The Pride struggled with getting the ball out of their own half, and created too many turnovers, leaving them with little chances to recover from the Thorn’s goals.

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