Week 2 Preview: NWSL Pitch Notes | Week 2 Preview: NWSL Pitch Notes | National Women's Soccer League Official Site

21 March 2024By: NWSL Editor

Week 2 Preview: NWSL Pitch Notes

Below is a selection of moments to watch for and notes to know entering Week 2 of NWSL regular season action. Week 2 match coverage begins Friday, March 22 as the Orlando Pride host Angel City FC at Inter&Co Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video.

NOTES TO KNOW

TUNE IN

Last week’s season kickoff marked the start of the NWSL’s landmark media rights agreements. Viewers tuning in this year can catch more than 120 matches across CBS, ESPN, ION and Prime Video. The remaining matches will be available for free on NWSL+, the league’s first-ever domestic direct-to-consumer streaming platform. Full details on how to watch all Week 2 matches can be found here.

REGULAR SEASON DEBUTS

NJ/NY Gotham FC and San Diego Wave FC begin their regular season campaigns this weekend after squaring off last week in the 2024 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup, which does not count toward regular season standings. San Diego, who won the match, 1-0, will kick off its regular season slate at home against the Kansas City Current on Saturday, March 23. The match will air live on ION at 10 p.m. ET as part of the platform’s doubleheader coverage of the NWSL. Gotham FC is set to take the pitch on the road against Portland Thorns FC on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, airing on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

TEEN TAKEOVER

Saturday night’s matchup between 2024 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup Champion San Diego Wave FC and the Kansas City Current will showcase some of the brightest young talent in the league, including 19-year-old Wave forward Jaedyn Shaw, who earned Best XI honors last season with six goals and three assists. This match could mark the first minutes of 2024 for 16-year-old forward Melanie Barcenas, who became the youngest player in league history to record an assist last season. Last week against the Thorns, Kansas City forward Alex Pfeiffer became the NWSL’s youngest goal scorer in regular season history at 16 years and four months. Pfeiffer plays alongside 18-year-old midfielder Claire Hutton, who scored six goals for the United States U-17 National team at the 2022 Concacaf Championship and recently captained the U-19 team at the 2023 PanAm Games.

RETURNS AND REUNIONS

BRIGHT IS BACK

Angel City FC will face the Orlando Pride at 8 p.m. ET on Friday night, marking forward Messiah Bright’s first match back in Orlando since being traded this offseason. Bright excelled with the Pride as a rookie in 2023, scoring six goals, including two game-winners. The Dallas, Texas, native scored three goals in August, including her first career brace, and became the first player to win Player of the Month, presented by EA Sports, and Rookie of the Month, presented by Ally, in the same month. Bright made her Angel City debut in the 83rd minute against Bay FC last week, completing all four of her passes in 15 minutes.

RODRIGUEZ REUNION

Head coach Amy Rodriguez and Utah Royals FC host Sean Nahas and the North Carolina Courage on Friday night in an exciting coaching battle. Rodriguez spent her final NWSL season as a player with the Courage in 2021 while Nahas was an assistant, making 15 appearances for the club, scoring three goals.

CRYSTAL’S CASCADIA COMEBACK

The Thorns host Gotham FC on Sunday, marking Crystal Dunn’s first match back in Portland since signing with the defending NWSL champions in free agency. The talented forward tallied five goals and two assists in 19 starts last season. Across three seasons with Portland, Dunn totaled six goals and four assists, winning the NWSL Shield in 2021 and the Championship in 2022.

MILESTONES AND RECORDS

SCORING AND SHUTOUTS

With a successful penalty kick against the Washington Spirit last week, Seattle Reign FC forward Bethany Balcer brought her career goals total to 29. Her next score will make her the 24th player in league history to reach 30. Meanwhile, Orlando Pride forward Marta’s next PK goal will make her the seventh player in league history to reach 10 penalty kick goals, and the fifth to do so with one club. Houston’s Yuki Nagasato and Gotham FC’s Crystal Dunn, both in their first season with their respective clubs, each have 24 career assists in the regular season. The next assist for either forward would make her just the ninth player in league history to reach 25. Chicago Red Stars keeper Alyssa Naeher has earned 39 shutouts and 49 wins with the club. No keeper has ever reached 40 clean sheets or 50 wins with a single club. Portland is on the cusp of history, as the next shutout for the Thorns would be the 75th in club history, a milestone that no club has reached yet.

STARTS AND APPEARANCES

San Diego midfielder Danielle Colaprico has earned 149 regular season starts in her NWSL career, sitting one away from 150, a mark only reached by 15 players in league history. Nagasato’s next start will be the 100th of her career, while Katie Lund and Gotham FC midfielder Yazmeen Ryan are each one away from 50.

WEEK 2 MATCH SCHEDULE

Friday, March 22

Saturday, March 23

Sunday, March 24

Portland Thorns FC vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC | Providence Park | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN2, ESPN+

NWSL Pitch Notes