| Season | 2013 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Portland Thorns FC |
| NWSL Shield | Western New York Flash |
| Matches | 88 |
| Goals | 238 (2.7 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Lauren Holiday (12 goals) |
| Biggest home win | NJ 5–1BOS (June 1) WNY 4–0DC (June 28) |
| Biggest away win | SEA 0–3SBFC (May 19) |
| Highest scoring | 7 goals: DC 2–5BOS (July 27) POR 4-3KC (June 6) |
| Longest winning run | 5 gamesSky Blue FC (May 11 – June 1) |
| Longest unbeaten run | 10 gamesFC Kansas City (June 23 – August 4) |
| Longest losing run | 9 gamesSeattle Reign FC (April 16 – June 21) |
| Highest attendance | 17,619POR vFCKC (August 4) |
| Lowest attendance | 688NJ vCHI (May 8)[1] |
| Total attendance | 375,763 |
| Average attendance | 4,270 |
2014 → | |
The2013 National Women's Soccer League season was the inaugural season of theNational 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 theWomen's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), this was the seventh overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States. The league was (and is) operated by theUnited States Soccer Federation and received major financial backing from that body. Further financial backing was provided by theCanadian Soccer Association and theMexican Football Federation. All three national federations paid the league salaries of many of their respective national team members in an effort to nurture talent in those nations.
The league started on April 13 withFC Kansas City hostingPortland Thorns FC. The last regular season matches were played on August 18, with the Western New York Flash topping the standings to win theNWSL Shield. This was followed by postseason playoffs, which culminated in a final on August 31.[2] In the final,Portland Thorns FC defeated theWestern New York Flash 2–0 to win the inauguralNWSL Championship.[3][4]
Locations of teams for the 2013 National Women's Soccer League season.
|
Note: All teams usedNike as kit manufacturer.
Players were acquired through the2013 Allocation of national team players announced on January 11, the2013 NWSL College Draft on January 18, and the2013 NWSL Supplemental Draft on February 7, along with free agency, trading and loans.
The Portland Thorns received an allocation with a notably strong offensive record includingAlex Morgan andChristine Sinclair, the 2012 U.S. and Canadian Players of the Year and leading scorers for their national teams respectively, as well as a U.S. allocation (Morgan,Tobin Heath, andRachel Buehler) that accounted for 1/3 of their national team's assists in 2012.[9][10][11]
The regular season began on April 13 and ended on August 18. Each team played a total of 22 games: 11 at home and 11 away. Each team played
The four teams at the end of the season with the most points qualified for the playoffs. Two semifinal games were played on August 24, with the winners advancing to the league final to be played on August 31.[12]
| Abbreviation and Color Key: Boston Breakers – BOS •Chicago Red Stars – CHI •FC Kansas City – KC •Portland Thorns FC – POR Seattle Reign FC – SEA •Sky Blue FC – NJ •Washington Spirit – WAS •Western New York Flash – WNY Win • Loss • Tie • Home Game | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Match | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | |
| Boston Breakers | WAS | WNY | CHI | WAS | KC | WAS | NJ | WNY | CHI | NJ | SEA | NJ | SEA | POR | NJ | POR | KC | WAS | WNY | POR | KC | WNY |
| 1–1 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 5–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 2–5 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2-1 | |
| Chicago Red Stars | SEA | POR | BOS | NJ | POR | WNY | POR | BOS | KC | KC | WNY | SEA | WNY | WAS | KC | WAS | SEA | POR | SEA | WAS | NJ | KC |
| 1–1 | 0–2 | 4-1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2-1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 1-0 | 3–3 | 1–2 | |
| FC Kansas City | POR | SEA | SEA | WNY | BOS | NJ | POR | SEA | CHI | CHI | WAS | NJ | POR | WAS | WNY | CHI | SEA | BOS | NJ | POR | BOS | CHI |
| 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 4–3 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 1-0 | 1–2 | |
| Portland Thorns FC | KC | SEA | CHI | WAS | CHI | NJ | WAS | SEA | CHI | KC | SEA | NJ | KC | BOS | WNY | BOS | CHI | NJ | KC | BOS | WNY | SEA |
| 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 4–3 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 2-1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | |
| Seattle Reign FC | CHI | POR | KC | KC | NJ | WAS | NJ | POR | KC | POR | WNY | BOS | CHI | BOS | WNY | WAS | KC | CHI | CHI | WNY | WAS | POR |
| 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 1–2 | |
| Sky Blue FC | WNY | WAS | WNY | CHI | SEA | POR | SEA | KC | BOS | WNY | BOS | POR | KC | BOS | WAS | BOS | WNY | KC | POR | WAS | CHI | WAS |
| 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 5–1 | 0–3 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | |
| Washington Spirit | BOS | WNY | NJ | POR | BOS | SEA | POR | BOS | WNY | KC | WNY | KC | NJ | CHI | SEA | CHI | BOS | WNY | NJ | CHI | SEA | NJ |
| 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–5 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | |
| Western New York Flash | NJ | WAS | BOS | NJ | KC | CHI | BOS | NJ | WAS | CHI | SEA | WAS | CHI | KC | SEA | POR | NJ | WAS | BOS | SEA | POR | BOS |
| 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | |
Scores listed as home-away
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western New York Flash | 22 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 36 | 20 | +16 | 38 | NWSL Shield |
| 2 | FC Kansas City | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 34 | 22 | +12 | 38 | NWSL Playoffs |
| 3 | Portland Thorns FC(C) | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 32 | 25 | +7 | 38 | |
| 4 | Sky Blue FC | 22 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 31 | 26 | +5 | 36 | |
| 5 | Boston Breakers | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 35 | 34 | +1 | 30 | |
| 6 | Chicago Red Stars | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 32 | 36 | −4 | 30 | |
| 7 | Seattle Reign FC | 22 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 22 | 36 | −14 | 18 | |
| 8 | Washington Spirit | 22 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 16 | 39 | −23 | 14 |
The top four teams from the regular season qualified for the championship playoffs. In the semifinals, the regular season winner hosted the fourth-placed team and the regular season runner-up hosted the third-placed team. The highest-seeded semifinal winner then hosted the championship final. All match-ups were one-game series (as opposed to home-and-away series).
| Semi-Finals | Championship | ||||||||
| 1 | Western New York Flash | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Sky Blue FC | 0 | |||||||
| 1 | Western New York Flash | 0 | |||||||
| 3 | Portland Thorns FC | 2 | |||||||
| 2 | FC Kansas City | 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Portland Thorns FC (AET) | 3 | |||||||
| FC Kansas City | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | Portland Thorns FC |
|---|---|---|
| Tymrak Henderson Scott Buczkowski | Report Report | Heath Dougherty Long Weimer |
| Western New York Flash | 2–0 | Sky Blue FC |
|---|---|---|
| Lloyd Huffman | Report Report | Makoski Adams |
| Western New York Flash | 0–2 | Portland Thorns FC |
|---|---|---|
| Johnson Martin | Report Report | Heath Williamson Long Ellertson Sinclair |
| Team | Average Attendance |
|---|---|
| Boston Breakers | 2,427[14] |
| Chicago Red Stars | 1,713[14] |
| FC Kansas City | 4,626[15] |
| Portland Thorns FC | 13,320[15] |
| Seattle Reign FC | 2,306[14] |
| Sky Blue FC | 1,677[14] |
| Washington Spirit | 3,626[16] |
| Western New York Flash | 4,485[15] |
Highest Attendance: 17,619[17] (August 4, Kansas City at Portland)
Lowest Attendance: 688[1] (May 8, Chicago at Sky Blue)
Total Attendance: 375,846[14] (88 games total)
League Average: 4,271[14]
Semifinal 1, Portland at FC Kansas City: 4,016[18]
Semifinal 2, Sky Blue at Western New York: 7,316[19]
Championship, Portland at Western New York: 9,129[20]
(Minimum of 540 Minutes Played)
| Rank | Goalkeeper | Club | GP | MINS | SOG | SVS | GA | GAA | W-L-T | SHO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western New York Flash | 22 | 1978 | 119 | 98 | 20 | 0.909 | 10–4–8 | 7 | |
| 2 | Sky Blue FC | 18 | 1619 | 83 | 65 | 17 | 0.945 | 9–4–5 | 8 | |
| 3 | FC Kansas City | 20 | 1800 | 86 | 67 | 19 | 0.950 | 10–5–5 | 10 | |
| 4 | Portland Thorns FC | 21 | 1890 | 114 | 92 | 23 | 1.095 | 11–5–5 | 7 | |
| 5 | Boston Breakers | 9 | 765 | 47 | 36 | 11 | 1.222 | 4–2–2 | 2 | |
| 6 | Chicago Red Stars | 6 | 540 | 31 | 23 | 8 | 1.334 | 3–2–1 | 1 | |
| 7 | Seattle Reign FC | 14 | 1260 | 101 | 81 | 19 | 1.357 | 5–6–2 | 0 | |
| 8 | Chicago Red Stars | 16 | 1430 | 92 | 64 | 28 | 1.750 | 5–6–5 | 4 | |
| 9 | Boston Breakers | 11 | 945 | 51 | 32 | 20 | 1.818 | 2–5–4 | 1 | |
| 10 | Washington Spirit | 18 | 1620 | 118 | 85 | 33 | 1.882 | 2–11–4 | 1 | |
| 11 | Seattle Reign FC | 7 | 630 | 49 | 34 | 14 | 2.000 | 0–6–1 | 0 |
Source:[21]
| Month | Player of the Month | Club | Month's Statline | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | Christine Sinclair[22] | Portland Thorns FC | 2 G, 1 A in 3 games; Thorns 2–0–1 in April | |
| May | Brittany Cameron[23] | Sky Blue FC | 0.5 GAA, 4SHO in 6 games; SBFC 4–1–1 in May | |
| June | Lauren Cheney[24] | FC Kansas City | 6 G, 1 A in 5 games; FCKC 4–2–1 in June | |
| July | Erika Tymrak[25] | FC Kansas City | 3 G, 1 A in 6 games; FCKC 3–0–3 in July | |
| August | Mónica Ocampo[26] | Sky Blue FC | 3 G, in 3 games | |
| Week | Player of the Week | Club | Week's Statline | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Brittany Cameron[27] | Sky Blue FC | 5 SVS, SHO | |
| Week 2 | Jessica Fishlock[28] | Seattle Reign FC | 1 G (74') | |
| Week 3 | Heather O'Reilly[29] | Boston Breakers | 2 G (16', 83'), GWG | |
| Week 4 | Sydney Leroux[30] | Boston Breakers | 3 G (26', 74', 84'), GWG | |
| Week 5 | Abby Wambach[31] | Western New York Flash | 2 G (34', 39'), GWG | |
| Week 6 | Christie Rampone[32] | Sky Blue FC | 180min, 0 GA | |
| Week 7 | Lianne Sanderson[33] | Boston Breakers | 3 A | |
| Week 8 | Lisa De Vanna[34] | Sky Blue FC | 2 G (14', 56'), 1 A | |
| Week 9 | Abby Wambach[35] | Western New York Flash | 1 G (82'), 1 A | |
| Week 10 | Lori Chalupny[36] | Chicago Red Stars | 1 A | |
| Week 11 | Karina LeBlanc[37] | Portland Thorns FC | 7 SVS | |
| Week 12 | Carli Lloyd[38] | Western New York Flash | 3 G (3', 22', 56') | |
| Week 13 | Sydney Leroux[39] | Boston Breakers | 3 G, 2 Games | |
| Week 14 | Karina LeBlanc[40] | Portland Thorns FC | 5 SVS | |
| Week 15 | Erika Tymrak[41] | FC Kansas City | 1 G (86'), 1 A | |
| Week 16 | Megan Rapinoe[42] | Seattle Reign FC | 2 G (6', 68'), 1 A | |
| Week 17 | Lauren Holiday[43] | FC Kansas City | 2 G (23', 55') | |
| Week 18 | Diana Matheson[44] | Washington Spirit | 1 G, 1 A in 2 Games | |
| Week 19 | Jen Hoy[45] | Chicago Red Stars | 2 G (45', 92') | |
| Award | Winner | Runner-up | Third place | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Boot[46] | FC Kansas City | 12 Goals | Western New York Flash | Boston Breakers | |||
| Rookie of the Year[47] | 6 Goals, 4 Assists | Western New York Flash | Boston Breakers | ||||
| Goalkeeper of the Year[48] | 10 Shutouts | Western New York Flash | Portland Thorns | ||||
| Defender of the Year[49] | 1710min, 1.00 GAA | Sky Blue FC | FC Kansas City | ||||
| Coach of the Year[50] | 11–6–5, 2nd reg. season | Sky Blue FC | Western New York Flash | ||||
| Most Valuable Player[51] | 1st in G and A, 4th in S and SOG | Western New York Flash | Chicago Red Stars | ||||
| NWSL Best XI[52] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | First team | Second team | ||||
| Goalkeeper | FC Kansas City | 10 shutouts | Western New York Flash | 98 Saves | ||
| Defense | Sky Blue FC | 1.20 GAA | Portland Thorns FC | 1.15 GAA | ||
| Defense | FC Kansas City | 5 assists | Sky Blue FC | NWSL youngest player | ||
| Defense | FC Kansas City | 1.0 GAA | Washington Spirit | 1 goal | ||
| Defense | Western New York Flash | 3 goals, 4 assists | FC Kansas City | 0.84 GAA | ||
| Midfield | Chicago Red Stars | 5 goals, 4 assists | Seattle Reign FC | 5 goals, 1 assist | ||
| Midfield | Seattle Reign FC | 4 goals | FC Kansas City | 1.00 GAA | ||
| Midfield | FC Kansas City | 12 goals, 9 assists | FC Kansas City | 6 goals, 4 assists | ||
| MF // FW | Washington Spirit | 8 goals, 3 assists | Portland Thorns FC | 8 goals, 5 assists | ||
| Forward | Boston Breakers | 11 goals, 2 assists | Boston Breakers | 5 goals, 7 assists | ||
| Forward | Western New York Flash | 11 goals, 8 assists | Portland Thorns FC | 8 goals, 2 assists | ||
| NWSL Championship Game MVP[4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | Record |
| Portland Thorns FC | Scored game-winning goal in first league Championship Game | |
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Breakers | Chicago Red Stars | 4–1[57] | May 4, 2013 | |
| Western New York Flash | Washington Spirit | 4–0[58] | June 28, 2013 |
(Regular season only)