2019 National Women's Soccer League season
Seventh season of the National Women's Soccer League
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The 2019 National Women's Soccer League season was the seventh 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 thirteenth overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States.
| Season | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Champions | North Carolina Courage |
| NWSL Shield | North Carolina Courage |
| Matches | 108 |
| Goals | 282 (2.61 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Sam Kerr (18) (NWSL Record) |
| Biggest home win | NCC 5–0 ORL (April 17) POR 5–0 HOU (July 24) |
| Biggest away win | POR 0–6 NCC (September 11) |
| Highest scoring | CHI 4–4 POR (April 20) |
| Longest winning run | 5 games Chicago Red Stars (July 13 – August 10) |
| Longest unbeaten run | 7 games Washington Spirit (May 4 – July 6) |
| Longest winless run | 9 games Orlando Pride (April 14 – June 15) Sky Blue FC (April 13 – July 6) |
| Longest losing run | 5 games Orlando Pride (April 27 – June 1) Sky Blue FC (May 11 – July 6) |
| Highest attendance | 25,218 POR 2–1 NCC (August 11) |
| Lowest attendance | 1,321 SKY 2–2 POR (April 28) |
| Total attendance | 798,056 |
| Average attendance | 7,389 |
← 2018 2020 →
All statistics correct as of October 12, 2019. | |
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 and take the financial burden of individual clubs.
Teams, stadiums, and personnel
Stadiums and locations
The Dash does not make its stadium's entire capacity available for home games, instead restricting ticket sales at a lower level. The full capacity of this venue is included in parentheses and italics.
Two stadiums were renamed during the season. First, on June 4, Exploria Resorts acquired the naming rights to Orlando City Stadium, which was accordingly renamed Exploria Stadium.[1] Then, on June 13, the U.S. arm of the Spanish multinational bank BBVA announced a rebranding of the U.S. operations from "BBVA Compass" to "BBVA". As part of the rebranding, BBVA Compass Stadium became simply BBVA Stadium.[2]
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|
Personnel and sponsorship
Note: All teams use Nike as their kit manufacturer.
| Team | Head coach | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Red Stars |  Rory Dames |
— |
| Houston Dash |  James Clarkson |
— |
| North Carolina Courage | Paul Riley |
Continental AG |
| Orlando Pride | Marc Skinner |
Orlando Health |
| Portland Thorns | Mark Parsons |
Providence Health & Services |
| Reign FC |  Vlatko Andonovski |
Zulily |
| Sky Blue FC | Freya Coombe (interim) |
Meridian Health |
| Utah Royals FC | Laura Harvey |
Conservice |
| Washington Spirit | Richie Burke |
GEICO |
Coaching changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Incoming manager | Date of appointment | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Spirit | Tom Torres |
End of interim period | September 2, 2018 | Richie Burke |
January 8, 2019 | [3][4] |
| Orlando Pride |  Tom Sermanni |
Mutual separation | September 14, 2018 | Marc Skinner |
January 14, 2019 | [5][6] |
| Houston Dash |  Vera Pauw |
Mutual separation | September 20, 2018 | James Clarkson |
December 11, 2018 | [7][8] |
| Sky Blue FC | Denise Reddy |
Fired | June 28, 2019 | Freya Coombe (interim) |
September 4, 2019 | [9][10] |
League standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina Courage (C) | 24 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 54 | 23 | +31 | 49 | NWSL Shield |
| 2 | Chicago Red Stars | 24 | 14 | 2 | 8 | 41 | 28 | +13 | 44 | NWSL Playoffs |
| 3 | Portland Thorns FC | 24 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 40 | 31 | +9 | 40 | |
| 4 | Reign FC | 24 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 27 | 27 | 0 | 38 | |
| 5 | Washington Spirit | 24 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 30 | 25 | +5 | 34 | |
| 6 | Utah Royals FC | 24 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 34 | |
| 7 | Houston Dash | 24 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 21 | 36 | −15 | 26 | |
| 8 | Sky Blue FC | 24 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 20 | 34 | −14 | 20 | |
| 9 | Orlando Pride | 24 | 4 | 4 | 16 | 24 | 53 | −29 | 16 |
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,[11] 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 tiebreaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format.
Attendance
Average home attendances
Ranked from highest to lowest average attendance.
| Team | GP | Attendance | High | Low | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Thorns FC | 12 | 241,181 | 25,218 | 15,581 | 20,098 |
| Utah Royals FC | 12 | 129,288 | 18,015 | 5,777 | 10,774 |
| Washington Spirit | 12 | 73,661 | 19,871 | 2,097 | 6,138 |
| North Carolina Courage | 12 | 70,496 | 9,563 | 4,053 | 5,875 |
| Orlando Pride | 12 | 66,783 | 9,415 | 3,703 | 5,565 |
| Chicago Red Stars | 12 | 65,406 | 17,388 | 2,023 | 5,451 |
| Reign FC | 12 | 62,551 | 7,479 | 3,032 | 5,213 |
| Houston Dash | 12 | 48,631 | 5,327 | 2,933 | 4,053 |
| Sky Blue FC | 12 | 40,059 | 9,415 | 1,321 | 3,338 |
| Total | 108 | 798,056 | 25,218 | 1,321 | 7,389 |
Updated through end of regular season on October 12, 2019.[12]
Highest attendances
Regular season
| Rank | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance | Date | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland Thorns FC | 2–1 | North Carolina Courage | 25,218[13] | August 11, 2019 | Providence Park |
| 2 | Portland Thorns FC | 0–0 | Washington Spirit | 24,521[14] | October 12, 2019 | Providence Park |
| 3 | Portland Thorns FC | 5–0 | Houston Dash | 22,329[15] | July 24, 2019 | Providence Park |
| 4 | Portland Thorns FC | 1–0 | Houston Dash | 21,022[16] | September 21, 2019 | Providence Park |
| 5 | Portland Thorns FC | 3–1 | Washington Spirit | 20,895[17] | August 17, 2019 | Providence Park |
| 6 | Washington Spirit | 2–1 | Orlando Pride | 19,871[18][19][20] | August 24, 2019 | Audi Field |
| 7 | Portland Thorns FC | 3–0 | Chicago Red Stars | 19,461[21] | June 2, 2019 | Providence Park |
| 8 | Portland Thorns FC | 0–1 | Reign FC | 19,116[22] | July 5, 2019 | Providence Park |
| 9 | Portland Thorns FC | 1–1 | Sky Blue FC | 19,070[23] | August 3, 2019 | Providence Park |
| 10 | Portland Thorns FC | 4–3 | Orlando Pride | 18,909[24] | July 14, 2019 | Providence Park |
Updated through end of regular season on October 12, 2019.[12]
Statistical leaders
- As of October 12, 2019[25]
Shutouts
|
Hat-tricksTo date, 2019 had the most hat-tricks in a single NWSL season, with five.
4 Scored 4 goals
|
NWSL Playoffs
The top four teams from the regular season compete for the NWSL Championship. The North Carolina Courage secured the number one seed on September 21, winning their third straight NWSL Shield.
| Semi-finals | Championship | ||||||||
| 1 | North Carolina Courage | 4 | |||||||
| 4 | Reign FC | 1 | |||||||
| 1 | North Carolina Courage | 4 | |||||||
| 2 | Chicago Red Stars | 0 | |||||||
| 2 | Chicago Red Stars | 1 | |||||||
| 3 | Portland Thorns FC | 0 | |||||||
Semi-finals
| Chicago Red Stars | 1–0 | Portland Thorns FC |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Championship
Attendance: 10,227
Referee: Rosendo Mendoza
Individual awards
- As of October 16, 2019
Monthly Awards
Player of the Month
| Month | Player of the Month | Club | Month's Statline | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | | Crystal Dunn | North Carolina Courage | 4 Goals in three games, 2 Assists and 3 chances created.[26] |
| May |  | Sam Kerr | Chicago Red Stars | 4 Goals in three games.[27] |
| June |  | Jess Fishlock | Reign FC | 3 Goals in three games. 1 Assist, 8 shots, and 7 chances created.[28] |
| July | | Kristen Hamilton | North Carolina Courage | 4 goals in a single match. 5 goals and 2 assists in July.[29] |
| August | | Christen Press | Utah Royals FC | 3 Goals, 13 shots on goal, 12 chances created.[30] |
| September | | Sam Kerr | Chicago Red Stars | 5 Goals, 14 shots on goal, 3 assists.[31] |
Team of the Month
| Month | Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April |  Kailen Sheridan, NJ |
Casey Short, CHI Becky Sauerbrunn, UTA  Abby Erceg, NC Meghan Klingenberg, POR |
Christine Sinclair, POR  Yuki Nagasato, CHI Crystal Dunn, NC |
Christen Press, UTA Sam Kerr, CHI Tobin Heath, POR |
[32] |
| May | Aubrey Bledsoe, WAS |
Casey Short, CHI Rachel Corsie, UTA Sam Staab, WAS Merritt Mathias, NC |
Yuki Nagasato, CHI Jordan DiBiasi, WAS Vero Boquete, UTA |
Sam Kerr, CHI Amy Rodriguez, UTA Ashley Hatch, WAS |
[33] |
| June | Aubrey Bledsoe, WAS |
Casey Short, CHI Sam Staab, WAS Megan Oyster, RFC Katherine Reynolds, POR |
Andi Sullivan, WAS Jess Fishlock, RFC Kristen Hamilton, NC |
Midge Purce, POR Amy Rodriguez, UTA Ifeoma Onumonu, RFC |
[34] |
| July | Kailen Sheridan, NJ |
Casey Short, CHI Sarah Gorden, CHI Abby Erceg, NC Merritt Mathias, NC |
Vanessa DiBernardo, CHI  Debinha, NC Gabby Seiler, POR |
Kristen Hamilton, NC Sam Kerr, CHI Marta, ORL |
[35] |
| August | Aubrey Bledsoe, WAS |
Jaelene Hinkle, NC Emily Menges, POR Abby Erceg, NC Casey Short, CHI |
Debinha, NC Christine Sinclair, POR Lo'eau LaBonta, UTA |
Midge Purce, POR Christen Press, UTA Amy Rodriguez, UTA |
[36] |
| September | Alyssa Naeher, CHI |
Jaelene Hinkle, NC Lauren Barnes, RFC Julie Ertz, CHI Casey Short, CHI |
Beverly Yanez, RFC Debinha, NC Morgan Brian, CHI |
Yuki Nagasato, CHI Sam Kerr, CHI Lynn Williams, NC |
[37] |
Weekly awards
| Week | Player of the Week | Goal of the Week | Save of the Week | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | Player | Club | Player | Club | ||
| 1 | Tobin Heath | Portland Thorns FC | Tobin Heath | Portland Thorns FC | Ashlyn Harris | Orlando Pride | [38][39][40] |
| 2 | Christine Sinclair | Portland Thorns FC | Alanna Kennedy | Orlando Pride | Kailen Sheridan | Sky Blue FC | [41][42][43] |
| 3 | Yuki Nagasato | Chicago Red Stars | Tobin Heath | Portland Thorns FC | Kailen Sheridan | Sky Blue FC | [44][45][46] |
| 4 | Aubrey Bledsoe | Washington Spirit | Kealia Ohai | Houston Dash | Aubrey Bledsoe | Washington Spirit | [47][48] |
| 5 | Sam Kerr | Chicago Red Stars | Andressinha | Portland Thorns | Haley Kopmeyer | Orlando Pride | [49][50][51] |
| 6 | Sam Kerr | Chicago Red Stars | Jordan DiBiasi | Washington Spirit | Honorary Morgan Andrews Winner Britt Eckerstrom | Reign FC Portland Thorns |
[52][53][54][55] |
| 7 | Aubrey Bledsoe | Washington Spirit | Bethany Balcer | Reign FC | Paige Nielsen | Washington Spirit | [56][57][58] |
| 8 | Kristen Hamilton | North Carolina Courage | Margaret Purce | Portland Thorns | Jane Campbell | Houston Dash | [59][60][61] |
| 9 | Jess Fishlock | Reign FC | Amy Rodriguez | Utah Royals FC | Haley Kopmeyer | Orlando Pride | [62][63][64] |
| 10 | Ifeoma Onumonu | Reign FC | Jess Fishlock | Reign FC | Haley Kopmeyer | Orlando Pride | [65][66][67] |
| 11 | Sam Kerr | Chicago Red Stars | Tyler Lussi | Portland Thorns | Haley Kopmeyer | Orlando Pride | [68][69][70] |
| 12 | Kristen Hamilton | North Carolina Courage | Marta | Orlando Pride | Aubrey Bledsoe | Washington Spirit | [71][72][73] |
| 13 | Marta | Orlando Pride | Tyler Lussi | Portland Thorns | Haley Kopmeyer | Orlando Pride | [74][75][76] |
| 14 | Sam Kerr | Chicago Red Stars | Christen Press | Utah Royals FC | Adrianna Franch | Portland Thorns FC | [77][78][79] |
| 15 | Kristen Hamilton | North Carolina Courage | Christen Press | Utah Royals FC | Jane Campbell | Houston Dash | [80][81][82] |
| 16 | Sam Kerr | Chicago Red Stars | Sam Kerr | Chicago Red Stars | Aubrey Bledsoe | Washington Spirit | [83][84][85] |
| 17 | Christen Press | Utah Royals FC | Amy Rodriguez | Utah Royals FC | Adrianna Franch | Portland Thorns FC | [86][87][88] |
| 18 | Paige Monaghan | Sky Blue FC | Christen Press | Utah Royals FC | Kailen Sheridan | Sky Blue FC | [89][90][91] |
| 19 | Midge Purce | Portland Thorns FC | Kealia Ohai | Houston Dash | Ashlyn Harris | Orlando Pride | [92][93][94] |
| 20 | Crystal Thomas | Washington Spirit | Tiffany McCarty | Washington Spirit | Lainey Burdett | Orlando Pride | [95][96][97] |
| 21 | Darian Jenkins | Reign FC | Becky Sauerbrunn | Utah Royals FC | Nicole Barnhart | Utah Royals FC | [98][99][100] |
| 22 | Lynn Williams | North Carolina Courage | Heather O'Reilly | North Carolina Courage | Ashlyn Harris | Orlando Pride | [101][102][103] |
| 23 | Sam Kerr | Chicago Red Stars | Tobin Heath | Portland Thorns FC | Alyssa Naeher | Chicago Red Stars | [104][105][106] |
| 24 | Jodie Taylor | Reign FC | Rose Lavelle | Washington Spirit | Ashlyn Harris | Orlando Pride | [107][108][109] |
| 25 | Jessica McDonald | North Carolina Courage | Marta | Orlando Pride | Casey Murphy | Reign FC | [110][111][112] |
Annual awards
| Award | Winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Boot[113] | Sam Kerr |
Chicago Red Stars | 18 goals (NWSL Record) |
| Coach of the Year[114] | Vlatko Andonovski |
Reign FC | First head coach to win award for two different teams |
| Rookie of the Year[115] | Bethany Balcer |
Reign FC | 6 Goals; 2 Assists |
| Goalkeeper of the Year[116] | Aubrey Bledsoe |
Washington Spirit | 86 Saves; 9 Shutouts |
| Defender of the Year[117] | Becky Sauerbrunn |
Utah Royals FC | 87.6% PassIng accuracy (1st in league) |
| Most Valuable Player[118] | Sam Kerr |
Chicago Red Stars | 18 goals; Player of the Month twice; Player of the Week six times |
| NWSL Team of the Season[119] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Best XI | Second XI | ||
| Goalkeeper | Aubrey Bledsoe | Washington Spirit | Alyssa Naeher | Chicago Red Stars |
| Defender | Ali Krieger | Orlando Pride | Lauren Barnes | Reign FC |
| Defender | Becky Sauerbrunn | Utah Royals FC | Abby Erceg | North Carolina Courage |
| Defender | Abby Dahlkemper | North Carolina Courage | Kelley O'Hara | Utah Royals FC |
| Defender | Casey Short | Chicago Red Stars | Emily Sonnett | Portland Thorns FC |
| Midfielder | Lindsey Horan | Portland Thorns FC | Bethany Balcer | Reign FC |
| Midfielder | Julie Ertz | Chicago Red Stars | Crystal Dunn | North Carolina Courage |
| Midfielder | Rose Lavelle | Washington Spirit | Yuki Nagasato | Chicago Red Stars |
| Forward | Christen Press | Utah Royals FC | Kristen Hamilton | North Carolina Courage |
| Forward | Sam Kerr | Chicago Red Stars | Carli Lloyd | Sky Blue FC |
| Forward | Tobin Heath | Portland Thorns FC | Megan Rapinoe | Reign FC |
| NWSL Championship Game MVP | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | Record |
| Debinha |
North Carolina Courage | Scored opening goal |