3 most important takeaways from Week 1 of the 2024 NWSL season
We waited 126 days for the return. This past weekend, we were rewarded for our patience, having the privilege of witnessing six enthralling opening NWSL fixtures.
Show-stopping saves? It had it. Cheeky finishes? Of course. Impressive debuts? Well, there were multiple of those. Week one was just a taste of what is to come. Next week, there are seven contests, two on Friday, four on Saturday, and one enticing semifinal rematch to close out the weekend in the Pacific Northwest.
Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves though. Before we dive into what the next week looks like, why not break down some of the biggest takeaways from the action on St. Patrick's Day weekend? Here are our three biggest observations on what occurred from Cary to California.
1. Bay FC's defense ironically steals the headlines after splashing cash up front
From an interview with CBS's Attacking Third after the expansion draft, Bay FC's sideline leader Albertin Montoya made it pretty clear he prefers to attack than defend. He also said, he may not like defending, but his defenders sure do. So, in order to secure the club's first-ever three points, what did the manager lean on? Well, his goalkeeper and backline.
Captained by a rock between the sticks, Bay's defense looked much more cohesive than you would think in the franchise's first run out. The club spent well over $1 million in the offseason to bring ruthlessness in front of the net to the team. We're going to have to wait to see that evolve.
“They saved me, I saved them. This is what a team is for.”@LysianneProulx on the impressive defensive performance that kept a clean sheet for Bay FC. pic.twitter.com/LYTQgXCBlS
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) March 18, 2024
Angel City FC was far and away the more threatening side in its home opener. The only problem: it just couldn't get past Lysianne Proulx and company. Kayla Sharples, Emily Menges, Savy King, and Caprice Dydasco were excellent alongside Alex Loera at the base of the midfield. The rookie and the midfielder combined for seven tackles won, three fewer than the entire ACFC team combined.
The Bay executed 34 clearances compared to ACFC's 16 throughout the 90 minutes. Asisat Oshoala's one moment of class in the final third was all that was needed to propel the northern California outfit to opening day success. Seven of the last eight shots were owned by the home outfit, three of which had an over 0.20 post-shot expected goals total.