2023 FINISH: Expansion crew for 2024.
COACH: Albertin Montoya.
KEY PLAYERS: Deyna Castellanos, Racheal Kundananji, Asisat Oshoala.
OUTLOOK: Bay FC went on a spending spree heading into its first season and if coach Albertin Montoya can get all of the components on the identical web page, the San Francisco Bay Area crew ought to do nicely. Zambia ahead Racheal Kundananji commanded the biggest switch charge ever in girls’s soccer when Bay FC paid $788,000 to Madrid CFF. Deyna Castellnos, who received a nationwide championship with Florida State in 2018, got here to Bay FC from Manchester City. And Asisat Oshoala, a six-time African participant of the yr, arrived from Barcelona.
2023 FINISH: Expansion crew for 2024.
COACH: Amy Rodriguez.
KEY PLAYERS: Michele Vasconcelos, Imani Dorsey, Ifeoma Onumonu.
OUTLOOK: Former U.S. girls’s nationwide crew defender Amy Rodriguez is making her debut as a head coach for the Royals. Utah comes again in 2024 after what was basically a hiatus for 3 years. The Royals have been a part of the NWSL from 2018 to 2020, an incarnation of founding membership FC Kansas City, which folded in 2017. Former Orlando Pride midfielder and Utah native Mikayla Cluff was the crew’s first signing. Imani Dorsey took final season off to concentrate on her psychological well being after spending her first 5 seasons with Gotham. Fellow Gotham ahead Ifeoma Onumonu joins her on the Royals.
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2023 FINISH: 8-7-7, NWSL champions.
COACH: Juan Carlos Amorós.
KEY PLAYERS: Rose Lavelle, Crystal Dunn, Lynn Williams.
OUTLOOK: After successful the league championship as a sixth seed, Gotham basically assembled a brilliant crew, bringing in Crystal Dunn from Portland, Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett from Seattle and Tierna Davidson from the Chicago Red Stars. Those new gamers complemented an already stellar roster that included Lynn Williams, Midge Purce and Jenna Nighswonger, final yr’s NWSL Rookie of the Year. With the NWSL championship, Gotham pulled off a large turnaround for a crew that completed final within the NWSL in 2022 with 17 losses.
2023 FINISH: 9-8-5, Fourth.
COACH: Laura Harvey.
KEY PLAYERS: Jess Fishlock, Jordyn Huitema, Quinn.
OUTLOOK: The Reign performed within the NWSL championship recreation final season, falling to Gotham 2-1. The crew misplaced two key gamers from that squad within the offseason, Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett, who each went to Gotham FC. Megan Rapinoe retired from soccer after tearing her ACL moments into the ultimate. Laura Harvey’s squad remains to be proficient, with Canadians Jordyn Huitema and Quinn, and defenders Sofia Huerta and Alana Cook. The crew additionally has two of the league’s originals: Jess Fishlock and Lu Barnes have performed for the Reign because the league was based in 2013.
2023 FINISH 10-11-1, Seventh.
COACH: Seb Hines.
KEY PLAYERS: Marta, Barbra Banda, Adriana.
OUTLOOK: After a sluggish begin, Orlando completed simply outdoors the playoffs final season. The Pride made a splash within the offseason by signing Zambia ahead Barbra Banda for the second-highest switch charge ever. Banda is remembered for her back-to-back hat tips on the Tokyo Olympics. The Pride acquired some disappointing information within the preseason when Simone Charley ruptured her Achilles tendon throughout coaching. The crew nonetheless has Marta, in addition to fellow Brazilians Adriana, Angelina and Rafaelle.
2023 FINISH: 7-6-9, Eighth.
COACH: Jonatan Giráldez Costas (Adrián González interim).
KEY PLAYERS: Trinity Rodman, Ashley Hatch, Casey Krueger.
OUTLOOK: Barcelona coach Jonatan Giráldez Costas is because of take over the crew in June after he wraps up the season. The Spaniard led Barcelona to the Champions League title final yr. He’ll take over a crew that appeared to underperform final season underneath Mark Parsons, former coach of the Portland Thorns. The crew traded away Ashley Sanchez to the Courage and Sam Staab to the Red Stars, however added Casey Krueger. The crew’s prime scoring choices are Trinity Rodman and Ashley Hatch.
2023 FINISH: 7-12-3, twelfth.
COACH: Lorne Donaldson.
KEY PLAYERS: Alyssa Naeher, Mallory Swanson, Sam Staab.
OUTLOOK: After a last-place end within the league final season, the Red Stars have a brand new coach in Lorne Donaldson, who led Jamaica to the spherical of 16 ultimately yr’s Women’s World Cup. Donaldson is nicely revered, having coached gamers together with Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith on the elite youth stage. Swanson, considered one of Chicago’s marquee gamers, is coming off a patellar tendon harm in April that sidelined her for the remainder of the season and saved her off the U.S. squad for the World Cup. The Red Stars even have veteran goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. Tierna Davidson and Casey Krueger departed within the offseason.
2023 FINISH: 8-12-2, eleventh.
COACH: Vlatko Andonovski.
KEY PLAYERS: Debinha, A.D. Franch, Lo’eau LaBonta.
OUTLOOK: Coach Vlatko Andonovski is again the place it began after a stint with the U.S. nationwide crew. Andonovski was the coach at FC Kansas City, one of many league’s founding groups, from 2013 to 2017, when the crew folded. He additionally coached two seasons with the Reign earlier than taking up the United States from Jill Ellis. He parted methods with the nationwide crew following the U.S. exit on the World Cup final yr. This is a defining season for the Current, who open the nation’s first stadium devoted to girls’s professional soccer.
2023 FINISH: 11-7-4, First.
COACH: Casey Stoney.
KEY PLAYERS: Alex Morgan, Jaedyn Shaw, Naomi Girma.
OUTLOOK: The Wave received the Supporters Shield final season, vaulting above the Portland Thorns. The crew is loaded with expertise, together with veteran ahead Alex Morgan, U.S. Soccer Player of the Year Naomi Girma, and teenager Jaedyn Shaw, who’s rising as a nationwide crew star with 4 targets in her first 4 begins for the United States. The Wave introduced in Savannah McCaskill from rival Angel City and Hanna Lundvist from Sweden to shore up a proficient roster.
2023 FINISH: 8-7-7, Fifth.
COACH: Becki Tweed.
KEY PLAYERS: Alyssa Thompson, Ali Riley, Melissa Bright.
OUTLOOK: Angel City took successful within the offseason when Jun Endo was misplaced for the upcoming season with an ACL harm. The crew signed Giselle Thompson, Alyssa’s youthful sister, and added Casey Phair, who turned the youngest girl to play in a World Cup final yr when she performed for South Korea. Melissa Bright scored six targets in 22 video games with the Orlando Pride final season — and was a Rookie of the Year nominee — however requested a commerce for private causes. Savannah McCaskill, who led the crew with six targets within the common season and Challenge Cup, departed the crew for rival San Diego.
2023 FINISH: 10-7-5, Second.
COACH: Mike Norris.
KEY PLAYERS: Sophia Smith, Sam Coffey, Christine Sinclair.
OUTLOOK: Crystal Dunn was probably the most notable offseason departure however Portland stays loaded with expertise, together with nationwide crew regulars in Sophia Smith, Sam Coffey, Becky Sauerbrunn and promising younger star Olivia Moultrie. They even have ahead Christine Sinclair and introduced in fellow Canadian Jessie Fleming. The Thorns have been vying for the Supporters’ Shield final season on Decision Day however misplaced to Angel City 5-1. The Bhathal Family, buyers within the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, finalized the deal to purchase the crew in early January, ending a year-long effort to promote the membership.
2023 FINISH: 6-7-9, Ninth.
COACH: Bev Yanez.
KEY PLAYERS: Savannah DeMelo, Jaelin Howell, Taylor Flint.
OUTLOOK: Last season was the third straight yr that Racing has completed in ninth. Looking to take the subsequent step, Racing employed coach Bev Yanez within the offseason. Racing misplaced Nadia Nadim, now with AC Milan, and Thembi Kgatlana, who was acquired by Tigres in Liga MX for a switch charge. But they added Taylor (Kornieck) Flint from the Wave and introduced Arin Wright residence through a commerce with the Chicago Red Stars. In all, Louisville is bringing again 16 gamers from final season. Savannah DeMelo stood out final season and received a spot on the U.S. crew that went to the Women’s World Cup.
2023 FINISH: 6-8-8, Tenth.
COACH: Fran Alonso.
KEY PLAYERS: Maria Sanchez, Cece Kizer, Jane Campbell.
OUTLOOK: The crew introduced in coach Fran Alonso from Celtic FC, which received Scottish Cup titles in each 2022 and ‘23, as well as the Scottish Premier League Cup in 2021. The team also re-signed 28-year-old forward Maria Sanchez to a three-year deal with a mutual option for a fourth, making her among the highest-paid players in the league. The team also acquired winger CeCe Kizer in a trade with the Current. Jane Campbell was named the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year for final season.
2023 FINISH: 9-7-6, Third.
COACH: Sean Nahas.
KEY PLAYERS: Ashley Sanchez, Casey Murphy, Tyler Lussi.
OUTLOOK: The Courage defied expectations and completed third final season within the standings, however similar to the Portland Thorns they have been knocked out of the playoffs by eventual champion Gotham FC. Brazil ahead Kerolin is out after tearing her ACL within the regular-season finale final yr, and Emily Fox departed for Arsenal. But the Courage added Ashley Sanchez in a draft day commerce from the Washington Spirit. The Courage additionally added Germany defender Felicitas Rauch. The Courage have been the highest crew in possession final season.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
