2017 National Women's Soccer League season
5th season of the National Women's Soccer League
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2017 National Women's Soccer League season was the fifth season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), it was the eleventh overall season of FIFA- and USSF-sanctioned top-division women's soccer in the United States. The league is operated by the United States Soccer Federation and receives major financial backing from that body. Further financial backing is provided by the Canadian Soccer Association; both national federations pay the league salaries of many of their respective national team members in an effort to nurture talent in those nations.
| Season | 2017 |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 15–October 14 |
| Champions | Portland Thorns FC |
| NWSL Shield | North Carolina Courage |
| Matches | 120 |
| Goals | 344 (2.87 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Sam Kerr (17 goals) |
| Biggest home win | ORL 5–0 SKY (Aug 12) |
| Biggest away win | HOU 0–4 NC (Sep 27) |
| Highest scoring | SEA 5–4 SKY (Jul 22) SKY 5–4 SEA (Aug 19) |
| Longest winning run | 5 games North Carolina Courage (Aug 5 – Aug 30) Orlando Pride (Aug 8 – Sep 2) |
| Longest unbeaten run | 9 games Orlando Pride (Aug 8 – Sep 30) |
| Longest winless run | 10 games Boston Breakers (Jul 7 – Sep 10) |
| Longest losing run | 6 games Houston Dash (May 6 – Jun 17) |
| Highest attendance | 21,144 POR 3–1 CHI (Sep 30) |
| Lowest attendance | 428 KC 2–1 POR (Aug 16) |
| Total attendance | 609,957 |
| Average attendance | 5,083 |
← 2016 2018 →
All statistics correct as of October 1, 2017. | |
The reigning champions Western New York Flash did not play under that name; the franchise was sold, relocated to Cary, North Carolina and rebranded as the North Carolina Courage.[1]
After schedule disruptions in the previous two years caused by the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, NWSL teams in 2017 once again played 24 games, a schedule last played during the 2014 season.[2] The Courage won the NWSL Shield (the regular season), topping the Portland Thorns by two points.
The NWSL Playoff semifinals were held October 7–8, 2017, and were won by the Thorns and the Courage. The NWSL Championship Game was held on October 14, 2017 at Orlando City Stadium in Orlando, Florida.[3] The Thorns won 1–0, becoming NWSL Champions, their second championship.
Teams, stadiums, and personnel
Stadiums and locations
Two teams, the Dash and Reign, do not make their stadiums' entire capacity available for home games, instead restricting ticket sales at a lower level. The full capacities of their venues are included in parentheses and italics.
|
|
Personnel and sponsorship
Note: All of the teams use Nike as their kit manufacturer.
| Team | Head coach | Captain | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Breakers |  Matt Beard |
 Julie King Natasha Dowie |
Steward Health Care |
| Chicago Red Stars | Rory Dames |
Christen Press |
Illinois Bone and Joint Institute |
| Houston Dash | Omar Morales (Interim) |
Kealia Ohai Amber Brooks |
BBVA Compass |
| FC Kansas City |  Vlatko Andonovski |
Becky Sauerbrunn |
Domino's |
| North Carolina Courage | Paul Riley |
 Abby Erceg |
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina |
| Orlando Pride |  Tom Sermanni |
Ashlyn Harris Ali Krieger |
Orlando Health |
| Portland Thorns | Mark Parsons |
 Christine Sinclair Tobin Heath |
Providence Health & Services |
| Seattle Reign FC | Laura Harvey |
 Jess Fishlock Lauren Barnes |
Microsoft |
| Sky Blue FC | Vacant | Christie Pearce |
Meridian Health |
| Washington Spirit | Jim Gabarra |
Shelina Zadorsky |
ProChain Solutions, Inc. |
Coaching changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Incoming manager | Date of appointment | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina Courage | Franchise relocation | Paul Riley |
January 30, 2017 | [5] | ||
| Houston Dash | Randy Waldrum |
Mutual separation | May 29, 2017 | Omar Morales (interim) |
May 29, 2017 | [6] |
| Sky Blue FC |  Christy Holly |
Mutual separation | August 16, 2017 | [7] |
Competition format
- Each team played a total of 24 games, 12 home and 12 away.
- The four teams at the end of the season with the most points qualified for the playoffs.
League standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina Courage | 24 | 16 | 1 | 7 | 38 | 22 | +16 | 49 | NWSL Shield |
| 2 | Portland Thorns FC (C) | 24 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 37 | 20 | +17 | 47 | NWSL Playoffs |
| 3 | Orlando Pride | 24 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 45 | 31 | +14 | 40 | |
| 4 | Chicago Red Stars | 24 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 33 | 30 | +3 | 39 | |
| 5 | Seattle Reign FC | 24 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 43 | 37 | +6 | 34 | |
| 6 | Sky Blue FC | 24 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 42 | 51 | −9 | 33 | |
| 7 | FC Kansas City | 24 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 29 | 31 | −2 | 31 | |
| 8 | Houston Dash | 24 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 23 | 39 | −16 | 24 | |
| 9 | Boston Breakers | 24 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 24 | 35 | −11 | 19 | |
| 10 | Washington Spirit | 24 | 5 | 4 | 15 | 30 | 48 | −18 | 19 |
Tiebreakers
The initial determining factor for a team's position in the standings is most points earned, with three points earned for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. If two or more teams tie in point total, when determining rank and playoff qualification and seeding, the NWSL uses the following tiebreaker rules,[8] going down the list until all teams are ranked.
- Head-to-head win–loss record between the teams (or points-per-game if more than two teams).
- Greater goal difference across the entire season (against all teams, not just tied teams).
- Greatest total number of goals scored (against all teams).
- Apply #1–3 to games played on the road.
- Apply #1–3 to games played at home.
- If teams are still equal, ranking will be determined by a coin toss.
NOTE: If two clubs remain tied after another club with the same number of points advances during any step, the tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format.
Weekly live standings
Considering each week to end on a Sunday.
| Week → | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team ↓ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina Courage | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Portland Thorns | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Orlando Pride | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Chicago Red Stars | 9 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Seattle Reign FC | 5 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Sky Blue FC | 6 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| FC Kansas City | 2 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Houston Dash | 1 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Boston Breakers | 8 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Washington Spirit | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
Washington Spirit and Boston Breakers were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 18 on August 26, 2017 after losing their respective games.[9][10] FC Kansas City and Houston Dash were both eliminated in Week 20 on September 9, after the Chicago Red Stars gained one more point in a tie against FC Kansas City.[11][12] Sky Blue FC was eliminated later that weekend after a loss against the Washington Spirit.[13] Seattle Reign was the last team to lose a playoff spot after a defeat in Week 21.[14]
In Week 19, North Carolina Courage was the first team to clinch a playoff spot.[15] Later that week, Portland Thorns clinched the second playoff spot.[16] Both Chicago Red Stars and Orlando Pride clinched the remaining two spots in Week 21.[17]
Attendance
Average home attendances
Ranked from highest to lowest average attendance.
| Team | GP | Attendance | High | Low | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Thorns FC | 12 | 211,830 | 21,144 | 14,471 | 17,653 |
| Orlando Pride | 12 | 74,233 | 14,452 | 4,273 | 6,186 |
| Houston Dash | 12 | 54,938 | 6,707 | 1,258 | 4,578 |
| North Carolina Courage | 12 | 52,672 | 7,020 | 2,383 | 4,389 |
| Seattle Reign FC | 12 | 48,449 | 6,041 | 2,727 | 4,037 |
| Washington Spirit | 12 | 41,891 | 5,200 | 2,365 | 3,491 |
| Chicago Red Stars | 12 | 38,379 | 4,934 | 1,827 | 3,198 |
| Boston Breakers | 12 | 34,754 | 4,321 | 2,276 | 2,896 |
| Sky Blue FC | 12 | 31,355 | 3,451 | 2,008 | 2,613 |
| FC Kansas City | 12 | 21,456 | 3,340 | 428 | 1,788 |
| Total | 120 | 609,957 | 21,144 | 428 | 5,083 |
Updated to games played on October 1, 2017.[18]
Highest attendances
Regular season
| Rank | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance | Date | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland Thorns FC | 3–1 | Chicago Red Stars | 21,144 | September 30, 2017 | Providence Park |
| 2 | Portland Thorns FC | 2–0 | Houston Dash | 19,672 | August 19, 2017 | Providence Park |
| 3 | Portland Thorns FC | 4–0 | Washington Spirit | 19,141 | September 2, 2017 | Providence Park |
| 4 | Portland Thorns FC | 2–0 | Boston Breakers | 18,637 | May 27, 2017 | Providence Park |
| 5 | Portland Thorns FC | 2–1 | Washington Spirit | 18,478 | July 22, 2017 | Providence Park |
| 6 | Portland Thorns FC | 2–1 | Houston Dash | 18,243 | August 5, 2017 | Providence Park |
| 7 | Portland Thorns FC | 4–1 | Orlando Pride | 18,193 | October 7, 2017 | Providence Park |
| 8 | Portland Thorns FC | 1–0 | North Carolina Courage | 16,804 | July 15, 2017 | Providence Park |
| 9 | Portland Thorns FC | 1–3 | Sky Blue FC | 16,736 | June 17, 2017 | Providence Park |
| 10 | Portland Thorns FC | 3–0 | FC Kansas City | 16,199 | June 28, 2017 | Providence Park |
Updated to games played on October 7, 2017.[18]
Statistical leaders
Top scorersUpdated: October 1, 2017[NWSL Stats 1] |
Top assistsUpdated: October 1, 2017[NWSL Stats 1] |
NWSL Playoffs
The top four teams from the regular season competed for the NWSL Championship. In one semifinal, the North Carolina Courage defeated the Chicago Red Stars 1–0 on a dramatic 89th-minute goal. In the other, Portland Thorns FC defeated the Orlando Pride 4–1. One week later, in the final on October 14, Portland defeated North Carolina 1–0 to claim the NWSL Championship.
| Semi-finals | Championship | ||||||||
| 2 | Portland Thorns FC | 4 | |||||||
| 3 | Orlando Pride | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | Portland Thorns FC | 1 | |||||||
| 1 | North Carolina Courage | 0 | |||||||
| 1 | North Carolina Courage | 1 | |||||||
| 4 | Chicago Red Stars | 0 | |||||||
Semi-finals
| Portland Thorns FC | 4–1 | Orlando Pride |
|---|---|---|
Henry  12'  80'Sonnett 15'Raso 71'Sinclair 82' |
Report Report |
Kennedy 23' |
Championship
| North Carolina Courage | 0–1 | Portland Thorns FC |
|---|---|---|
| Report Report |
Heath 41' Raso 45+1'Horan 50'Brynjarsdóttir 72' |
Individual awards
Monthly awards
Player of the Month
| Month | Player of the Month | Club | Month's Statline | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | |
Rose Lavelle[19] | Boston Breakers | 1 goal, 1 assist in 3 games; Breakers 2-1-0 in April |
| May |  |
Sam Kerr[20] | Sky Blue FC | 2 goals, 2 assists in 5 games; Sky Blue FC 3-2-0 in May |
| June | |
Sam Kerr[21] | Sky Blue FC | 3 goals, 1 assist in 4 games; 30th career goal |
| July | |
Megan Rapinoe[22] | Seattle Reign FC | 5 goals in 4 games; Reign FC 2-1-1 in July |
| August | |
Alex Morgan[23] | Orlando Pride | 7 goals, 2 assists, 13 shots on goal, 11 chances created |
| September |  |
Marta[24] | Orlando Pride | 2 goals, 13 chances created, 85.5% passing accuracy |
Team of the Month
Weekly awards
Annual awards
| Award | Winner | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Boot [85] | Sam Kerr |
Sky Blue FC | 17 goals |
| Coach of the Year [86] | Paul Riley |
North Carolina Courage | NWSL Shield Winner |
| Rookie of the Year [87] | Ashley Hatch |
North Carolina Courage | 7 goals, 1 assist, 1,200 minutes |
| Goalkeeper of the Year [88] | Adrianna Franch |
Portland Thorns FC | 11 shutouts, 80 saves, 0.83 GA/A |
| Defender of the Year [89] | Abby Dahlkemper |
North Carolina Courage | Played all 2,160 minutes |
| Most Valuable Player [90] | Sam Kerr |
Sky Blue FC | League record 17 goals |
| NWSL Best XI | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | First team [91] | Second team [92] | ||||
| Goalkeeper | Adrianna Franch | Portland Thorns FC | 11 SO; 80 saves | Katelyn Rowland | North Carolina Courage | 8 SO, 39 saves |
| Defender | Casey Short | Chicago Red Stars | 2,004 minutes | Steph Catley | Orlando Pride | 2,032 minutes |
| Defender | Abby Dahlkemper | North Carolina Courage | 2,160 minutes | Abby Erceg | North Carolina Courage | 1 goal, 2 assists |
| Defender | Becky Sauerbrunn | FC Kansas City | 1,980 minutes | Meghan Klingenberg | Portland Thorns FC | 6 assists |
| Defender | Ali Krieger | Orlando Pride | 2,160 minutes | Emily Menges | Portland Thorns FC | 2,063 minutes |
| Midfielder | Jess Fishlock | Seattle Reign FC | 7 goals, 2 assists | Danielle Colaprico | Chicago Red Stars | 1,093 minutes |
| Midfielder | Sam Mewis | North Carolina Courage | 6 goals, 3 assists | Julie Ertz | Chicago Red Stars | 4 goals, 3 assists |
| Midfielder | McCall Zerboni | North Carolina Courage | 23 starts | Lindsey Horan | Portland Thorns FC | 4 goals, 2 assists |
| FW // MF | Marta | Orlando Pride | 13 goals, 6 assists | Sofia Huerta | Chicago Red Stars | 6 goals, 4 assists |
| Forward | Sam Kerr | Sky Blue FC | record 17 goals | Alex Morgan | Orlando Pride | 9 goals, 4 assists |
| Forward | Christen Press | Chicago Red Stars | 5 GWG | Megan Rapinoe | Seattle Reign FC | 12 goals, 1 assist |
| NWSL Championship Game MVP | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | Record |
| Lindsey Horan |
Portland Thorns FC | Scored the game-winning goal |