- NWSL Fall Series gets underway on 5 September
- Nine teams in three groups
- Eighteen matches in seven weeks
Just a few days after the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League between Olympique Lyon and VfL Wolfsburg, the world of women’s football now turns its attention to the USA, where the NWSL Fall Series begins on 5 September. The Fall Series consists of 18 matches played over seven weeks. The nine participating teams are split into three groups to keep travel to a minimum, with every team in each group playing each other.
“I’m excited that we’ve been able to put together a schedule that gets our players back out on the pitch and allows them to demonstrate their immense talent to a global audience while limiting travel as much as possible,” said NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird in an interview with FIFA.com. “The health and safety of our players and staff is our top priority. I can hardly wait to see the Fall Series.”
The groups at a glance
West
- OL Reign
- Portland Thorns FC
- Utah Royals FC
Northeast
- Chicago Red Stars
- Sky Blue FC
- Washington Spirit
South
- North Carolina Courage
- Orlando Pride
- Houston Dash
“It’s very difficult to pick a favourite,” said Baird. “Houston Dash were a real surprise success story at the NWSL Challenge Cup, so I’m excited to see how they fare. Nobody should underestimate North Carolina Courage, as they have a strong squad. And Orlando with Sydney Leroux weren’t at the Challenge Cup, so it will be interesting to see how they come out. Alex Morgan is also back to training after taking a break to have her baby.”
*The remaining fixtures will be announced over the coming week.
Opening match
Washington Spirit – Sky Blue FC | 5 September, 19:00 (CEST)
These two teams met recently during the NWSL Challenge Cup in June/July 2020, with Sky Blue FC eventually winning 4-3 on penalties in the quarter-final.
The stars
Fans across the world will be able to watch several stars from the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™ in action, including many of USA’s key players such as Crystal Dunn, Becky Sauerbrunn, Lindsey Horan and Alex Morgan.
Brazil stars Debinha and Marta, Canada’s international goalscoring record-holder Christine Sinclair, New Zealand veteran Abby Erceg, Costa Rican stars Shirley Cruz, Rocky Rodriguez and former Spain captain Vero Boquete will also be participant.
There will also be exciting young players to watch, most notably number one draft pick and FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™ graduate Sophia Smith.