Week 12 Preview: NWSL Pitch Notes | National Women's Soccer League Official Site

17 June 2023By: NWSL Editor

Week 12 Preview: NWSL Pitch Notes

A selection of moments to watch for and notes to know entering Week 12 of NWSL regular-season action

Below is a selection of moments to watch for and notes to know entering Week 12 of NWSL regular-season action. Week 12 match coverage begins today as San Diego Wave FC takes on Angel City FC in a 4 p.m. ET matinee at Snapdragon Stadium.

NOTES TO KNOW

SOCAL SHOWDOWN
Week 12 action kicks off with the second rivalry meeting between the NWSL’s two Southern California expansion sides, with Angel City FC traveling to San Diego to take on the Wave at Snapdragon Stadium. San Diego currently holds the series advantage over Angel City, having won three of its five matches in all competitions against the LA-based club, including shutout wins in each of their last two meetings.

The Wave extended their unbeaten run in league play to five straight games with a 0—0 draw against Louisville last Friday and has allowed just one goal in those five matches, the fewest goals conceded over a span of five league games in the club’s history.

WORLD CUP ROSTER WATCH
With just 33 days before the 2023 Women’s World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand, federations around the world have begun naming their respective national teams. Fifteen players have already been named to preliminary rosters while six have been named to final rosters for this year’s event, including forwards Michelle Alozie, Ify Onumonu and Uchenna Kanu, who each earned call-ups for Nigeria, midfielders Jun Endo and Hina Sugita, who will represent Japan, and Wave FC forward Sofia Jakobsson, who will don the yellow and blue for Sweden.

More than 60 active NWSL players have a solid chance of representing their respective countries on the world stage.

BRAZIL'S BEST
Brazilian excellence was on full display during last weekend’s Week 11 matches. Last Saturday, North Carolina Courage forward Kerolin recorded her first hat trick in the NWSL with a trio of goals in the club’s 5-0 rout of the Chicago Red Stars. On the hunt for her first NWSL Golden Boot, the São Paulo native now sits alone atop the scoring charts with seven goals in regular season play.

The following night, Orlando Pride striker Adriana joined in on the scoring fun as the club faced Portland Thorns FC at Exploria Stadium. After going down 1-0 in the first half, the Pride rallied to secure a 3-1 victory thanks to a pair of goals – including the game winner – from the 26-year-old Brazilian international. With her brace – the first of her NWSL career – and Kerolin’s hat trick, the league’s Brazilian contingent have scored 18 goals so far this season.

MILESTONES AND RECORDS

CLOSING IN
NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Lynn Williams scored her 74th goal across all NWSL competitions in the club’s 1-1 draw with Houston last Sunday, breaking a tie with Portland Thorns forward Christine Sinclair for second-most goals in NWSL history. Only former Chicago Red Stars striker Sam Kerr has more goals across all NWSL competitions with 78. With 63 goals in 128 matches, Williams continues to close the gap with Kerr in regular season scoring.

2^ND TO 200
With a start in Gotham FC’s Sunday matinee against Racing Louisville, Zerboni will become just the second player to appear in 200 regular season matches. The veteran midfielder has played in the NWSL since its inception, beginning her career with the Western NY Flash. She enjoyed stints with the Portland Thorns, Boston Breakers and North Carolina Courage before joining Gotham FC in 2020.

OL Reign defender Lauren Barnes was the first player in league history to achieve 200 regular season matches last week in the club’s 2-1 win over Kansas City.

LEADING LOU
Adding to the long list of achievements in her breakout season, Racing midfielder Savannah DeMelo is one goal away from tying the club record for regular season goals – currently held by forward Nadia Nadim – with eight across her two seasons. The May Player of the Month, DeMelo has already matched her regular season scoring totals from 2022. With 11 weeks of play remaining, the Bellflower, California native enters Week 12 with four goals and two assists in 10 matches.

OFF THE PITCH
HONORING JUNETEENTH
The NWSL announced a collaboration with the Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI) on Friday, as part of this weekend’s commemoration of Juneteenth. The partnership, which is part of the NWSL’s ongoing efforts to expand its Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion programs and initiatives, will focus on promoting equality and social justice within the sports community and society at large.

Ahead of this weekend’s matches, all NWSL players will wear a custom Juneteenth T-shirt, designed in partnership with the Black Women’s Player Collective, for pre-match walkouts and the singing of both the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, and the National Anthem. The Juneteenth T-shirt will also be available for purchase on NWSLShop.com. A portion of all net proceeds will go to both the BWPC and MPJI in support of each organization’s respective initiatives and advocacy work.

BACK ON THE BIG SCREEN
Saturday’s rivalry showdown between Angel City and San Diego is the first of two NWSL matches set to air on the CBS Television Network this weekend. Following coverage of the SoCal rivalry, CBS will air Racing Louisville’s home meeting with Gotham FC on Sunday. Coverage of both contests will begin at 4 p.m. ET on CBS. Fans can also stream the match live on Paramount+.
The league’s first CBS match of the season, a rematch of the 2022 NWSL Championship between Kansas City and Portland on April 1, garnered 475,000 viewers, becoming the most-watched regular season match in NWSL history.

WEEK 12 MATCH SCHEDULE

NWSL Pitch Notes