NWSL Power Rankings: Look out! Sophia Smith is fired up

Every matchweek of the 2023 season, The Striker will publish Power Rankings to evaluate who is trending up and down the league as the season progresses. It'll serve as a way to keep tabs on, highlight certain players or narratives, and analyze every team's performance throughout the year.

The three main talking points from the second week of the 2023 NWSL season were bad weather, an abundance of penalty kicks and  Sophia Smith is in scintillating form. 

Tornado warnings in Louisville, the harshest of icy winds in Chicago, and a 2-hour rain delay in New Jersey were the main takeaways from NWSL vs. the elements.

Officiating-wise, there were five penalty kicks across the six matches this past weekend. Add that to the four penalty kicks from last week, and the NWSL is averaging a league record of 0.75 penalty kicks per match. The VAR is indeed VARing. 

When it comes to the masterful soccer of Smith ... we're stopping there shortly, Without further ado, let's get to the Power Rankings!

Key:
#Ranking - Team Name (Change in ranking)
Matchweek result

1. Portland Thorns (+1)

KC Current 1-4 Portland Thorns 

The Thorns have scored four goals in back-to-back matches, putting the rest of the league on notice. Portland is not missing a beat. Mike Norris' team has quickly silenced any notions from NWSL fans and media memberes (raises hand nervously) who thought the team would have some drop off from their championship-winning 2022 season. 

2. OL Reign (-1)

NJ/NY Gotham 0-2 OL Reign 

Last week, the Reign were elected to remain in the number one spot in Power Rankings despite a 1-0 defeat. This week, Laura Harvey's team registered a convincing 2-0 win on the road and got bumped down a spot. Their Pacific Northwest neighbors to the South are to blame. 

Despite being knocked off the summit, it was a much better weekend for the 2022 Shield winners. After underperforming their xG by -2.2 in Matchweek 1, this time they overperformed the same statistic by +0.7. Jess Fishlock's opening howitzer, which finished off a slick back-to-front passing move on the half-hour mark, was exactly the remedy the team needed to build its confidence in front of goal. 

Perhaps even more impressive than their improved finishing in New Jersey was the team's defensive work. The Reign looked press resistant against Gotham. Calm, composed, and professional at the back throughout, goalkeeper Phallon Tulils-Joyce didn't have a single save to make. 

3. San Diego Wave FC (-)

San Diego Wave FC 3-1 NC Courage 

Opening 2023 with back-to-back home matches, with huge crowds to boot, has definitely helped San Diego's perfect start to the NWSL season. You can't argue with six points from two matches, even if there's been plenty of chaos (nine total goals in two matches) at Snapdragon Stadium. 

The good news is that for the second season in a row, Casey Stoney's team is one of the most efficient chance creators in the league. The Wave doesn't need much of the ball to create something out of nothing. In both matches, San Diego has trailed in possession and passing statistics. 

Jaedyn Shaw's opener started from a goal kick, knocked on by the head of Taylor Kornieck. San Diego's second goal was ignited by Danielle Colaprico pouncing on a loose pass. Five seconds after the turnover, Alex Morgan slots the ball into the back of the net. 

4. Houston Dash (+4)

Chicago Red Stars 1-2 Houston Dash 

It was a day of milestones for Houston. Sam Laity got his first-ever win as permanent NWSL head coach in Chicago, and now, after failing to win in the "Windy City" on its first 10 trips, the Dash has consecutive victories against the Red Stars away from home. Despite the personal milestone, the Englishman was quick to praise his players and was low-key in getting too carried away with his first three points. 

There was so much to like about Houston's win. The opening Dash goal saw their front three all link up and get involved in cutting open the Red Stars. Diana Ordonez dropped into the bottom of the inverted forward triangle, and wingers Ebony Salmon and Maria Sanchez kicked on to assist and score respectively. 

Incredibly windy conditions gifted the Red Stars an own-goal equalizer from a corner kick, before VAR awarded the Dash a penalty, correctly, after the referee had missed some contact in the box on Ordonez. The Texan dutifully stepped up to score the winning goal, her first for Houston, from the spot. It was the first match in NWSL history to have two Mexican national team players score in the same game. 

5. Washington Spirit (+2) 

Racing Louisville 2-2 Washington Spirit  

Mark Parsons' Spirit team cannot catch a break with match conditions. After playing on a dreadful pitch in Matchweek One, Washington had to battle the wind and the cold in Matchweek Two. Throwing away a 2-0 lead following an Ashley Hatch brace can't feel good, but a point on the road isn't a bad result either. 

All the way through the preseason, the narrative around the Spirit was that 2023 was going to be a soft rebuild, a work in progress. Parsons double-downed on this by saying midweek that his team wouldn't develop their preferred style until 10-15 matches into the season. 

Undoubtedly Washington's head coach and his players deserve a lot of credit for not only being competitive through two weeks but fighting for their lives and creating good chances in quick transitions. It's difficult to know if the scrappy and direct Spirit is here to stay. NWSL teams that can play in multiple ways are also very dangerous. 

6. NJ/NY Gotham FC (-2) 

NJ/NY Gotham FC 0-2 OL Reign 

One could argue that the most disappointing team of the weekend is Gotham FC. After a stirring comeback win on opening day, New Jersey/New York crashed back down to earth for their home opener. 

Zero shots on goal and league-worst Matchweek xG of 0.50 will have plenty of people questioning Juan Carlos Amoros' patterns of play. Not only was the shot selection ambitious, and not executed well enough to test OL Reign, but the overall chance creation was minimal. Slashing at the ball tight angles around the box isn't going to be enough. 

Brazilian fullback Bruninha did put in another good performance on the right side of the Gotham defense, though. She is quickly becoming one of the NWSL newcomers to watch. Brave on the ball, she's not afraid to take opposition players on, carry the ball forward, and play progressive passes. Gotham's number two is a joy to watch. 

7. Angel City FC (-1) 

Orlando Pride 1-2 Angel City FC  

Chaos. Pure chaos. At one point in the second half, it looked as though ACFC head coach Freya Coombe was in danger of tearing her hair out as her team missed big chance after big chance, and then Claire Emslie missed a penalty kick. 

But with literally the last kick of the match, in the 10th minute of stoppage time, Katie Johnson headed home and Coombe and her hairdresser could breathe a sigh of relief and return to California with three points. 

In a match with so many ups and downs, injuries, substitutions, and dubious refereeing decisions, it was hard to truly evaluate either one of these teams. Alyssa Thompson, who was limited to 58 minutes of match time, again looked like a spark and won the first penalty. 

8. KC Current (-3)

KC Current 1-4 Portland Thorns  

It is still too early in the season to say that everything is unraveling in Kansas City but the club has been brought into turmoil on and off the pitch. 

On Friday, Nicole Minniss, the mother of Current draftee Mykiaa, made claims that the Kansas City NWSL club had mistreated her daughter during the preseason. The rookie was not given a contract, and according to Minniss was denied adequate care, amenities, reimbursement for travel, or any explanation by the head coach on what in her performance led to her being cut. The NWSL and NWSLPA are looking into the situation. 

With these criticisms hovering over the club, the Current, missing several starters through injury were trounced by the Thorns. Matt Potter's team continues to struggle in its new 4-2-3-1 shape, looking woefully passive and lacking in confidence. Aside from a brief surge to start the second half, it was one-way traffic in front of a club-record 11,301 fans. 

9. Racing Louisville (+2)

Racing Louisville 2-2 Washington Spirit 

For a club that has struggled so much in its first two seasons in the NWSL, it feels like success for Racing to be undefeated heading into the international break. 

Two of Louisville's new offseason signings, Abby Erceg and Ary Borges, scored at the weekend in a come-from-behind draw that gave the small crowd at a frigid Lynn Family Stadium something to remember. Borges' delicious swerving half-volley into the top corner, followed up with a bit of dancing to celebrate, was just the sort of razzle and dazzle the NWSL should be trying to attract. 

After limiting Houston in the season opener, Louisville's defensive struggles did creep back in last weekend. However, with much more firepower in the attack this year, Racing does not look like a team that will be out of the playoff race with half a dozen matches still to play again. 

10. North Carolina Courage (-)

San Diego Wave 3-1 North Carolina Courage

One for the sickos. Wave vs. Courage was about as big of a clash of styles as you could get in the NWSL this week. San Diego, knocking it long and creating something out of nothing, clashed with North Carolina's pass-pass-pass strategy. 

11. Chicago Red Stars (-2)

Chicago Red Stars 1-2 Houston Dash

Two matches, two defeats by a one-goal margin. The Red Stars are competitive but far too open at the back and careless in key moments. Both this defeat to Houston and last week's loss to San Diego were decided by second-half penalty kicks.

With five goals conceded in two weeks, Chicago has the NWSL's second-worst defensive record behind only Orlando Pride. Chris Petrucelli's back three left far too much space behind them in the first half, then in the second half, were unable to cope with the Dash's ball movement and attacking options. 

However, there's still Mal Swanson. With help from the wind, her corner kick created the first goal. The USA forward's penetrative runs almost found an equalizer late on, if not for some last ditch Houston defending. It's impossible to count Chicago out with some of the talent they have in their starting XI, but they have to start limiting their opponents' chances and touches in the box. 

12. Orlando Pride (-)  

Orlando Pride 1-2 Angel City FC

Ladies, thems and gentlemen, may I present to you Messiah Bright!

Yes, the Pride have started the season with two consecutive defeats but what a performance and first-ever professional goal from their rookie forward. Bright only entered this match off the bench because of a first-half injury to Julia Doyle, then, in the 51st minute, she made light work of two Angel City defenders and cooly poked the ball past a charging Didi Haricic. It almost felt like the former TCU forward has played in the NWSL for years. 

A topsy-turvy affair that could easily have gone either way or ended in a draw, the Pride were understandably crushed to lose their home opener in the 10th minute of stoppage time. Head coach Seb Hines called the disappointment a lesson in his post-match press conference. Orlando fans will just have to hope that this young and promising Pride team learns quickly.