Week 9: NWSL Power Rankings

We had two big games that ended in draws, but did we see any movement in the power rankings?

NCC is unbeaten in their last five games. Credit: North Carolina Courage

Week 9

1. NJ/NY Gotham FC - They were the better side against Washington Spirit, but settled for a draw.

2. OL Reign (+1) - A nice rebound win over a shorthanded Angel City FC side, but the real test comes this Saturday against rivals Portland Thorns.

3. Portland Thorns (-1) - The xG for this team always comes out higher than their opposition, but it does not seem to matter as much this season. The finishing problems on this team has been evident in big games. All of their wins have come against the bottom 5 of the NWSL Table. Can they get a statement win at Lumen Field?

4. Washington Spirit - This team continues to grind out results against good competition. However, they to struggle to put away teams and play down to competition. Not sure if they have another gear.

5. San Diego Wave - Played in a low block the entirety of the match and on the counter for attacks. That type of football against top tier teams is not the answer.

6. North Carolina Courage (+1) - NCC is now unbeaten in their last five and currently 6th in the playoff picture. They just got a huge road win at Racing Louisville. Nahas is an early COTY favorite.

7. Racing Louisville (-1) - Not getting a result at home against North Carolina is tough to handle. The inconsistencies of this team is showing up too often. Fortunately, there’s a lot of football left this season.

8. Houston Dash (+2) - The Dash got a much needed three points with a win at Kansas City. Ordóñez and Salmon seem to not be playing together anymore, could we see one of them traded? Alozie has been very good at right wing.

9. Orlando Pride (-1) - Alyssa Naeher will be in their nightmares for a very long time. Soccer is brutal. They dominated the game against Chicago and still lost. They outshot the Red Stars 19-2 (6-2 on goal). Team is still on the right track.

10. Angel City FC (-1) - The goal scoring drought finally stopped, but they got beat handily on the road. After leading 1-0 thanks to the amazing Olimpico from Emslie, they conceded four goals unanswered. They have a ton of injuries, but need to find a way to get results.

11. Chicago Red Stars (+1) - Alyssa Naeher! What a performance!

12. Kansas City Current - The early season favorites are definitely one of the worst teams in the NWSL. The defense and backline have been terrible. If they’re going to make another late playoff run, it’s got to start now. They still have a fun reinforcements incoming, but time is running out.

*Key: Teams with (+ or -) moved up or down from last week’s rankings

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Tier 1 - Favorites: Gotham, OL, Portland
Tier 2 - Outside Contender: Washington, San Diego
Tier 3 - Playoff Chase: North Carolina, Louisville, Houston, Orlando, Angel City,
Tier 4 - Nope: Kansas City, Chicago Red Stars

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What does your power rankings look like? How about tiers?