Previous ranking: 7
Next match: Friday vs. Washington Spirit, 8 p.m. ET
Look, there’s no shame in conceding a goal to Banda or in losing to Orlando right now. Both of those things happened for Louisville on Sunday. Without Savannah DeMelo (concussion) and with both Jaelin Howell and Reilyn Turner starting this one on the bench, there simply wasn’t a ton of firepower in the spine.
Previous ranking: 8
Next match: Sunday vs. Utah Royals FC, 5:30 p.m. ET
While their midweek matchup with the Spirit was a game to forget, a pragmatic victory against Bay FC on Sunday set a solid blueprint for this team as they march through 2024. There weren’t a ton of frills for the Red Stars with 41% possession, but a nice bit of direct play on Penelope Hocking’s goal pushed Chicago towards a result.
Previous ranking: 12
Next match: Wednesday vs. Kansas City Current, 10 p.m. ET
Seattle prevailed in a red-card riddled matchup with the San Diego Wave on Friday, despite playing with 10 for all but nine minutes of the game. There’s no ill a misplay from the opposing goalkeeper and a set piece goal can’t fix, though.
Previous ranking: 6
Next match: Wednesday vs. Utah Royals FC, 10 p.m. ET
That opposing goalkeeper? Well, that was Kailen Sheridan, whose turnover in buildup helped Seattle level things in the first half. Savannah McCaskill was the only one of San Diego’s four attacking dynamos — Jaedyn Shaw, Maria Sanchez, Alex Morgan, and McCaskill — to start on Friday. It’s hard to win games without your best players (and when you make game-changing mistakes).
Previous ranking: 9
Next match: Sunday vs. Houston Dash, 7:30 p.m. ET
Angel City got the job done against Utah on Friday, but with just five shots against Utah, it’s fair to have questions about Angel City’s attack right now. Now, two of those shots found the back of the net thanks to a Sydney Leroux goal and Claire Emslie’s penalty kick. But there’s room for more.
Previous ranking: 11
Next match: Saturday at Orlando Pride, 7:30 p.m. ET
Until Bay fix their defensive issues, their efforts to be a fun, free-flowing possession team won’t amount to much. Their crooked offside line for Chicago’s opener on Sunday set a poor tone for a team in a tough spot.
Previous ranking: 13
Next match: Wednesday vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 8 p.m. ET
Eking out a point against the Kansas City Current isn’t a terrible result, but to do so at home while suffering shot after shot puts a damper on the Dash’s weekend outing.
Previous ranking: 14
Next match: Wednesday at San Diego Wave FC, 10 p.m. ET
We’re still waiting on that second win for the Utah Royals. They haven’t picked up three points in a single contest since a victory over the Courage got them on the board back in March. Utah continue to look flat and didn’t produce enough in a 2-1 loss to Angel City on Friday.
