2021 National Women's Soccer League season
Season | 2021 |
---|---|
Champions | Washington Spirit (1st title) |
NWSL Shield | Portland Thorns FC (2nd shield) |
Challenge Cup | Portland Thorns FC (1st cup) |
Matches played | 120 |
Goals scored | 278 (2.32 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Ashley Hatch (10 goals) |
Biggest home win | POR 5–0 CHI (May 16) NC 5–0 LOU (May 28) |
Biggest away win | LOU 0–4 HOU (Sept 26) |
Highest scoring | RGN 5–1 HOU (Aug 7) |
Longest winning run | 4 games NC (June 19 - July 4) POR (July 7 - Aug 26) WAS(Oct 9 – Oct 31) |
Longest unbeaten run | 8 games NJY (June 5 – Aug 7) POR (July 3 – Aug 26) RGN(Aug 14 - Oct 13) NJY (Sept 4 – Oct 31) |
Longest winless run | 13 games KC (May 15–Aug 15) |
Longest losing run | 6 games KC (May 26–July 27) |
Highest attendance | 27,278 RGN vs. POR (August 29, 2021) (NWSL Record) |
Lowest attendance | 1,929 HOU vs. POR (July 24, 2021) |
Total attendance | 567,072 |
Average attendance | 5,155 |
← 2020 2022 →
All statistics correct as of October 31, 2021. |
The 2021 National Women's Soccer League season is the ninth 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 is the 15th overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States.
This season is the first in which the NWSL has been fully self-governing. After the 2020 season, the league terminated its management contract with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF or U.S. Soccer), which nonetheless continues to provide major financial support to the NWSL.[1] 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 a major financial burden off of individual clubs.
On November 18, 2020, the NWSL announced new competition formats for the 2021 season.[2] The Challenge Cup became a league cup competition played before the start of the regular season. The Cup was followed by the 24-match regular season, which began on May 15 and concluded on October 31. The playoffs were expanded to include the six teams, with the top two seeds receiving a first-round bye. Playoffs started on November 6 and concluded with the NWSL Championship on November 20.[3]
In the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, Portland Thorns FC and NJ/NY Gotham FC won the West and East Divisions, respectively, earning the right to play in the final. As Portland had the better record, they hosted the final, which was played on May 8 in Providence Park in Portland, Oregon. The game was a 1–1 draw after 90 minutes; Portland won the ensuing penalty shootout 6–5 to win the cup.[4]
In the regular season, the Portland Thorns won the most points and thus earned the NWSL Shield.
In the playoffs, the Washington Spirit and Chicago Red Stars progressed to the final, which was played on Nov. 20, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky. The Spirit prevailed 2-1 in overtime, winning the NWSL Championship.
The season was also marked by a sexual misconduct controversy that erupted on September 30, when The Athletic published an investigation into North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley that accused him of a pattern of sexual coercion and abuse, and also alleged numerous inappropriate comments about players' physical appearance and sexuality. More than a dozen players from every team Riley had coached since 2010 spoke to the publication, and two named players went on the record with allegations against him. The Courage fired Riley that day, and U.S. Soccer immediately suspended his coaching license.[5] The next day, the NWSL called off all of its scheduled matches for that weekend, both FIFA and U.S. Soccer announced they were starting their own investigations into Riley, league commissioner Lisa Baird resigned, and league general counsel Lisa Levine was dismissed. Further reporting revealed systemic failure by NWSL leadership to investigate allegations against Riley, including some made in the 2021 season. [6][7]
Teams, stadiums, and personnel[]
Team names[]
Before the start of the season, Sky Blue FC rebranded as NJ/NY Gotham FC with new team insignia, jerseys, and colors.[8]
The new Kansas City team, which played the 2021 season under the placeholder name of Kansas City NWSL, announced its permanent identity of Kansas City Current at its final home game on October 30.[9]
Stadiums and locations[]
Capacities listed here are full capacities, and do not reflect COVID-19 restrictions.
|
|
Personnel and sponsorship[]
Note: All teams use Nike as their kit manufacturer.
Team | Head coach | Captain | Shirt sponsor |
---|---|---|---|
Chicago Red Stars | ![]() |
![]() |
|
Houston Dash | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
MD Anderson Cancer Center |
Kansas City | ![]() |
![]() |
Palmer Square Capital Management[15] |
NJ/NY Gotham FC | ![]() |
![]() |
Avaya[17] |
North Carolina Courage | ![]() |
![]() |
Continental AG |
OL Reign | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Black Future Co-op Fund[18] |
Orlando Pride | ![]() |
![]() |
Orlando Health |
Portland Thorns FC | ![]() |
![]() |
Providence Health & Services |
Racing Louisville FC | ![]() |
![]() |
GE Appliances[20] |
Washington Spirit | ![]() ![]() |
IntelliBridge[22] |
Coaching changes[]
Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming coach | Date of appointment | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Racing Louisville FC | Preseason | ![]() |
August 12, 2020 | [23] | |||
Kansas City | Preseason | ![]() |
December 7, 2020 | [24] | |||
OL Reign | ![]() |
Resigned | July 2, 2021 | 9th | ![]() |
July 2, 2021 | [25] |
Orlando Pride | ![]() |
Resigned | July 23, 2021 | 5th | ![]() |
July 25, 2021 | [26][27] |
OL Reign | ![]() |
End of interim period | August 9, 2021[a] | 6th | ![]() |
July 15, 2021 | [30] |
Washington Spirit | ![]() |
Re-assigned[b] | August 10, 2021 | 7th | [33] | ||
NJ/NY Gotham FC | ![]() |
Mutual separation | August 30, 2021 | 7th | ![]() |
August 31, 2021 | [34][35] |
Racing Louisville FC | ![]() |
Terminated for cause | August 31, 2021 | 9th | ![]() |
August 31, 2021 | [36] |
North Carolina Courage | ![]() |
Terminated | September 30, 2021 | 3rd | ![]() |
September 30, 2021 | [37] |
- ^ Although Harvey was appointed on July 15, 2021, she officially took up the position on August 9, 2021.[28][29]
- ^ Initially re-assigned to the front office, Burke was suspended by the team one day later pending an investigation by the league.[31] He was terminated for cause on September 28, 2021, after the league concluded its investigation.[32]
Regular season[]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Portland Thorns FC | 24 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 33 | 17 | +16 | 44 | NWSL Shield |
2 | OL Reign | 24 | 13 | 3 | 8 | 37 | 24 | +13 | 42 | Playoffs – Semi-finals |
3 | Washington Spirit | 24 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 29 | 26 | +3 | 39 | Playoffs – First round |
4 | Chicago Red Stars | 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 38 | |
5 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 24 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 29 | 21 | +8 | 35 | |
6 | North Carolina Courage | 24 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 28 | 23 | +5 | 33 | |
7 | Houston Dash | 24 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 32 | |
8 | Orlando Pride | 24 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 27 | 32 | −5 | 28 | |
9 | Racing Louisville FC | 24 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 21 | 40 | −19 | 22 | |
10 | Kansas City | 24 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 15 | 36 | −21 | 16 |
Tiebreakers[]
The initial determining factor for a team's position in the standings (and hence playoff qualification and seeding) is 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 are tied in points, the NWSL uses the following tiebreaker criteria in the order listed:[38]
- Head-to-head win/loss record, or points per game if more than two teams, between the teams tied in points.
- Greatest goal difference (against all teams, not just tied teams).
- Greatest total number of goals scored (against all teams, not just tied teams).
- Apply #1–3 to games played on the road.
- Apply #1–3 to games played at home.
- Coin toss or drawing of lots.
Note: If two clubs remain tied after another club with the same number of points advances during any step, tiebreaker determination restarts at step 1.
Attendance[]
NWSL attendance in 2021 was impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many early-season matches were closed to the public because of COVID restrictions, and when games were opened, many teams had lower average attendances than the most recent regular season in 2019.
Average home attendances[]
Ranked from highest to lowest average attendance.
Team | GP | Attendance | High | Low | Average |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portland Thorns FC | 9 | 112,992 | 17,584 | 5,819 | 12,555 |
Racing Louisville FC | 12 | 79,042 | 8,488 | 5,843 | 6,587 |
OL Reign | 12 | 62,885 | 27,278 | 2,104 | 5,240 |
North Carolina Courage | 12 | 59,837 | 7,064 | 3,523 | 4,986 |
Kansas City | 12 | 58,043 | 6,345 | 3,449 | 4,837 |
Orlando Pride | 12 | 50,728 | 5,755 | 3,407 | 4,227 |
Washington Spirit | 10 | 41,304 | 6,002 | 2,233 | 4,130 |
NJ/NY Gotham FC | 12 | 45,516 | 9,532 | 1,924 | 3,793 |
Houston Dash | 13 | 44,017 | 4,792 | 1,929 | 3,386 |
Chicago Red Stars | 12 | 37,710 | 4,488 | 2,265 | 3,143 |
Total | 116 | 592,074 | 27,278 | 1,924 | 5,104 |
Updated through 2021 season. A total of 2 matches were not reported, mostly resulting from the absence of fans due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Portland Thorns FC were the only club to not report matches (versus Louisville June 5 and Kansas City June 20). Two matches (September 4 Washington at Portland and September 12 OL Reign at Washington) were declared forfeits by Washington due to COVID protocol violations and not played.
Statistical leaders[]
Top scorers[]
|
Top assists[]
|
Clean sheets[]
|
Hat-tricks[]
|
Playoffs[]
Beginning this season, the top six teams from the regular season competed for the NWSL Championship, with the top two teams receiving a first-round bye.[2][41]
First round | Semi-finals | Championship | ||||||||||||
1 | Portland Thorns FC | 0 | ||||||||||||
4 | Chicago Red Stars | 1 | 4 | Chicago Red Stars | 2 | |||||||||
5 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 0 | 4 | Chicago Red Stars | 1 | |||||||||
3 | Washington Spirit (a.e.t.) | 2 | ||||||||||||
2 | OL Reign | 1 | ||||||||||||
3 | Washington Spirit (a.e.t.) | 1 | 3 | Washington Spirit | 2 | |||||||||
6 | North Carolina Courage | 0 |
First round[]
Chicago Red Stars | 1–0 | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
---|---|---|
|
Report |
Washington Spirit | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | North Carolina Courage |
---|---|---|
|
Report |
Semi-finals[]
Championship[]
Washington Spirit | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Chicago Red Stars |
---|---|---|
Report |
|
Championship MVP: Aubrey Bledsoe (WAS)
Challenge Cup[]
The 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup was a tournament-style competition starting on April 9 and ending with a final played on May 8, before the start of the regular NWSL season. The tournament was organized as a group stage with two five-team, geographically-chosen groups playing a round-robin, followed by a single-game final featuring the top team from each group. NJ/NY Gotham FC won the Eastern Division and the Portland Thorns won the Western one. In the final, held at Providence Park in Portland, these two teams tied 1-1 after 90 minutes and went straight to a penalty-kick shootout, with Portland prevailing 6-5 in seven rounds of penalties.
East Division[]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 8 | Qualification for the Championship |
2 | North Carolina Courage | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 7 | |
3 | Orlando Pride | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | |
4 | Washington Spirit | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 4 | |
5 | Racing Louisville FC | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 2 |
West Division[]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Portland Thorns FC | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 10 | Qualification for the Championship |
2 | OL Reign | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 | |
3 | Houston Dash | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 | |
4 | Chicago Red Stars | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 2 | |
5 | Kansas City | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 1 |
Championship[]
Portland Thorns FC | 1–1 | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
---|---|---|
Report |
|
|
Penalties | ||
6–5 |
Individual awards[]
- As of November 20, 2021
Annual awards[]
Award | Winner | Nominees | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Golden Boot | ![]() |
Washington Spirit | [42] | |
Coach of the Year | ![]() |
OL Reign | ![]() ![]() |
[43] |
Rookie of the Year | ![]() |
Washington Spirit | ![]() ![]() |
[44] |
Goalkeeper of the Year | ![]() |
Washington Spirit | ![]() ![]() |
[45] |
Defender of the Year | ![]() |
NJ/NY Gotham FC | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
[46] |
Most Valuable Player | ![]() |
OL Reign | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
[47] |
NWSL Championship Game MVP | ||
---|---|---|
Player | Club | |
![]() |
Washington Spirit |
Monthly Awards[]
Player of the Month[]
Month | Player | Club | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
May | ![]() |
Orlando Pride | [49] |
June | ![]() |
North Carolina Courage | [50] |
July | ![]() |
Washington Spirit | [51] |
August | ![]() |
OL Reign | [52] |
September | ![]() |
OL Reign | [53] |
October | ![]() |
NJ/NY Gotham FC | [54] |
Team of the Month[]
Weekly awards[]
References[]
- ^ Linehan, Meg; Rueter, Jeff (January 12, 2021). "NWSL news galore: Sacramento is in, the USSF is out, Utah investigation buried". The Athletic. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ^ a b "NWSL Announces Innovative 2021 Competition Framework". NWSL. November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ^ "NWSL Challenge Cup Set to be Played in Home Markets, Kickoff Scheduled for April 9". NWSL. January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ Donovan, Mike (May 8, 2021). "Challenge Cup Championship Recap | Portland Thorns FC 1 (6), NJ/NY Gotham FC 1 (5)". Portland Thorns FC. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "North Carolina Courage fire coach Paul Riley amid 'serious allegations of misconduct'". ESPN.com. September 30, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ "NWSL postpones weekend matches over misconduct allegations". ESPN.com. October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ Carlisle (October 1, 2021). "NWSL postpones weekend matches over misconduct allegations". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ Gastelum, Andrew. "NWSL Club Sky Blue FC Rebrands as NJ/NY Gotham FC". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ "Kansas City Current Reveals Name and Crest at Inaugural Season Finale" (Press release). Kansas City Current. October 30, 2021.
- ^ "PNC Completes Acquisition of BBVA USA" (Press release). PNC Financial Services. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ Dornbrook, James (December 8, 2020). "Ownership group scores approval to bring professional women's soccer back to Kansas City". Bizwomen. The Business Journals. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
The new team will begin play in 2021 at JustBats Field at T-Bones Stadium in Kansas City, Kan., which is being renovated.
- ^ Goff, Steven (November 8, 2019). "Washington Spirit to split home matches among three venues next season". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Goff, Steven (May 24, 2021). "Spirit moves home opener to Houston after construction delays, friction with D.C. United". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
- ^ KC NWSL [@KCWOSO] (August 4, 2021). "Will Captain CorsieTrade mark sign get the ball right on the line? Watch till the end" (Tweet). Retrieved August 4, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ "KANSAS CITY NWSL ANNOUNCES PALMER SQUARE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT AS INAUGURAL SEASON FRONT OF JERSEY PARTNER". Kansas City NWSL. April 8, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ NJ/NY Gotham FC [@GothamFC] (April 8, 2021). "Your captain could never