NWSL: Week 3 Roundup, Standings, and Team of the Week

Some NWSL teams showed us who they are in Week 3 while others just added to the confusion.

There was a big debate over who was the top team in NWSL this offseason. After three weeks the North Carolina Courage have proved to be the cream of the crop so far. After topping Orlando 3-1, they are the only undefeated team left in the league and are three points clear of everyone else.

The forward combination of Jessica McDonald and Lynn Williams picked up where they left off and the addition of Debinha in midfield has just added another big threat to the Courage attack. They have to take their show on the road the next two weeks but look to be the premier team in NWSL.

The losing end of that match was the Orlando Pride and they had some drama afterwards. After a winless three matches, goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris had some words for the team.

Harris let her frustrations known, and this early in the season things could be going south very quickly in Orlando. There is no ideal time to throw teammates under the bus, most would recommend against it entirely. Week 3 however, is way too early to have this level of drama.

Speaking of drama, the Go90 streams had issues again after an improvement in Week 2. Fans hoping to catch the Seattle Reign FC and Boston Breakers matchup saw the Washington and Houston game, for a short time that match showed up under the Washington/Houston link.

The league was aware of the issue and said the problem would be fixed. During the first half of the two matches the streams switched back and forth multiple times before eventually settling in the correct spots.

It is still early in the season but patience with the new streaming platform is growing thin, and the league and Go90 will need to get things together to build back some good will.

Standings

1. NC Courage: 9 pts, +4 GD
2. Boston Breakers: 6 pts, +2 GD
3. Portland Thorns FC: 6 pts, +2 GD
4. Houston Dash: 6 pts, -1 GD
5. Seattle Reign FC: 4 pts, +1 GD
6. Sky Blue FC: 4 pts, 0 GD
7. FC Kansas City: 3 pts, 0 GD
8. Chicago Red Stars: 3 pts, -2 GD
9. Washington Spirit: 1 pt, -2 GD
10. Orlando Pride: 1 pt, -4 GD

Match Recaps

Portland 1 – Chicago 0

Portland got an early penalty kick goal from Nadia Nadim and held on for all three points against Chicago. Chicago has all the talent in the world but has had a tough time putting together complete performances. It’s starting to look like a trend early in the season.

Boston 3 – Seattle 0

If you say you’ve figured out Reign FC you’re lying. After a 5-1 win, they looked lifeless against Boston as they found themselves down quickly to the Breakers and couldn’t recover. On the other hand, Boston looked fantastic, getting a goal from rookie sensation Rose Lavelle.

North Carolina 3 – Orlando 1

Orlando got a very nice goal from Camila, but was unable to slow down a relentless attack from the Courage. Lynn Williams and Jessica McDonald both found the back of the net and Sam Mewis struck a penalty kick to get another three points.

Washington 0 – Houston 1

Injuries have not been kind to the Spirit at all and Houston took advantage. Kealia Ohai scored again for the Dash and the defense kept Washington at bay, Jim Gabarra is still trying to manage through all the injuries and find something that works for his squad.

Sky Blue FC 1 – FC Kansas City 0

In a game that didn’t have a lot of chances, Raquel Rodriguez took advantage of a loose ball coming off a corner kick to score the only goal of the match.

Team of the Week

Next: Alex Morgan Advances to UEFA Champion's League Final

Adriana Leon had an outstanding week with a goal and two assists. With four shutouts this week, there were plenty of good defensive and keeping performances to choose from. North Carolina and Boston each got three goals and three players on the team of the week.