With a trio of old and new rivalries on deck, the 2025 NWSL season's fifth matchday promises budding top-table rivals, a bicoastal clash, and one of the league’s longest regional feuds.
Plus, with only two points separating the No. 5 and No. 12 teams in the standings, clubs will be focused on securing all three points as they strive to keep up with the season’s three remaining undefeated teams.
While the NWSL’s official Rivalry Week is still months away, this weekend’s key matchups provide some sneak-peek showdowns:
- Seattle Reign FC vs. Portland Thorns, Friday at 10 PM ET (Prime): In the first Cascadia Clash of the season, the Thorns — fresh off their first 2025 win — face a Seattle team trying to turn around a two-game losing streak.
- Angel City FC vs. Gotham FC, Friday at 10:30 PM ET (NWSL+): A classic East Coast vs. West Coast battle sees Gotham chasing Angel City up the table, as LA tries to keep their unbeaten streak alive against one of the league's more dangerous rosters.
- Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit, Saturday at 5:05 PM ET (ION): The Pride downed the Spirit at the 2024 NWSL Championship before Washington enacted revenge in the 2025 Challenge Cup, with both powerhouses now aiming for regular-season bragging rights.
As NWSL teams push for early-season positioning, this weekend’s action promises to up the stakes by tapping into rising tensions and rivalries — both old and new.
Angel City hires new coach in Bundesliga's Alexander Straus
On Thursday, Angel City announced that the club officially filled its head coaching vacancy, hiring Frauen Bundesliga manager Alexander Straus to take over the LA team after his current season leading Bayern Munich ends on June 1st.
After more than a decade coaching in the club and youth national system of his home country Norway, Straus took charge of Bayern Munich in 2022, leading the German team to back-to-back league titles.
His 2024/25 squad is on track to claim a third straight Bundesliga trophy, and recently exited the competitive UEFA Champions League tournament in the quarterfinal round.
Following manager Becki Tweed's firing in December, ACFC tapped Sam Laity to serve as interim head coach as the club conducted an extensive global search for the permanent position.
"When we set out to hire our head coach, we looked for specific characteristics such as a dominant style of play, a proven winner at the highest level, a focus on player development, a collaborative mindset, and a leader in high performance," said ACFC sporting director Mark Parsons in a club statement. "Alex fits this profile at every measure."
Still undefeated entering the fifth matchday of the 2025 NWSL season, Angel City will continue under Laity until Straus's arrival.
The interim manager will then shift into an assistant coach capacity as Straus leads the 2022 expansion franchise as it hunts a second-ever postseason berth.
The 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League semifinals begin this weekend, as four powerhouse clubs familiar with the UWCL spotlight kick off their first matches of the two-leg round.
France's Olympique Lyonnais, Spain's Barcelona FC, and England's Arsenal and Chelsea will battle it out, with just two tickets to the winner-take-all May 24th final in Portugal on the line.
"The coolest thing about big tournaments and high-stake games is you might be expecting something, and you get something completely different," Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Lindsey Heaps told reporters this week. "That's when you see the best teams come out, and they're able to adjust."
Champions League semis pit WSL against European elite
Arguably topping the four-contender list are defending champs Barcelona, with the Spanish side hunting a fourth UWCL title in five years. First, however, they'll have to contend with a stacked Chelsea team hungry to lift a first-ever Champions League trophy — one that could clinch a historic quadruple.
Meanwhile, with both the men's and women's sides reaching this season's Champions League semifinals, Arsenal will square off against eight-time champions Lyon in a quest to claim their first UWCL title in over 18 years.
Both WSL titans are chasing history against their European opponents, with Arsenal still the only UK team to ever win Champions League.
The Gunners will kick off the round by hosting Lyon in their 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium.
"Playing at the Emirates, and the hunger and the belief that we have as a team at the moment, we're going to go and play our game to the best we can," said Arsenal manager Renée Slegers.
With an estimated 40,000 tickets sold for the pivotal clash, Emirates provides an environment even Arsenal's opponents look forward to competing in.
"You always want these kind of crowds and this kind of atmosphere," Heaps said of the Saturday matchup. "Even if it's against you, it's the best thing in the world."
How to watch the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League semifinals
The first-leg matchups of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League semifinals kicks off on Saturday, when Arsenal hosts Lyon at 7:30 AM ET.
Then on Sunday, Chelsea will travel to Barcelona to take on the reigning champs at 12 PM ET.
Both matches will air live on DAZN.
In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins examines Angel City FC's early success in the young 2025 NWSL season.
Off to an undefeated 2025 campaign, a stat only the 2024 championship-winning Orlando Pride and powerhouse Kansas City Current also share, 2022 expansion side Angel City launched itself into the early contender conversation after missing the NWSL Playoffs entirely last season.
Watkins digs into the LA club, chatting through the team's star-studded formation, its early days, as well as its young core, highlighted by star sisters Alyssa and Gisele Thompson — all while weighing if the squad is truly ready to level up into the league's title-seeking echelon.
Angel City is beginning to see some payoff from its early developmental strategy, with Watkins pointing out that taking winger Alyssa Thompson straight out of high school is now providing major returns.
"She's got three goals in four games in 2025, she's the second youngest NWSL player to hit 10 goals and 10 assists in her career," noted Watkins. "Teams are having trouble accounting for her despite knowing that she is their offensive focal point at this moment."
That said, even with Thompson's prowess, Watkins does expect the club's hot start to cool, though she does predict a 2025 NWSL Playoff berth for the LA team.
"They are getting through on moments of brilliance, on chemistry and mental fortitude," noted Watkins. "It's a long season, and those kinds of things can start to slip as you get tired and other teams get used to the way that you play."
About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on the USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.
Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) handed Barcelona star Mapi León a two-game suspension last week, finding the defender guilty of "unsporting conduct" during a Liga F match against Espanyol.
While lining up for a set piece in the 15th minute of the February Catalan derby, León appeared to say something to Espanyol center-back Daniela Caracas before seemingly touching her inappropriately.
The incident garnered condemnation from Caracas’s club, who said that León "violated the privacy of Caracas" and that the action was “unacceptable and should not go unnoticed." Espanyol's support of Caracas included the club offering their legal services to the Colombian international.
In response, the RFEF banned León for two matches, though the defender continues to deny the allegations, saying she simply touched Caracas's leg.
"I am very upset and disappointed," León stated immediately after the February 9th incident. "That is why I reserve the right to take legal action against anyone who intends to take advantage of this situation to damage me and continue defaming me on unfounded evidence."
In León's defense, Barcelona both appealed the RFEF’s ruling and unsuccessfully asked Spain's Sports Administrative Court to suspend her ban until the club's appeal.
Without an appeal hearing or a pause on the ban, León sat out her club’s 6-0 win over Atlético Madrid on Sunday. She is due to serve the second game of her suspension during Barcelona’s Wednesday matchup with Sevilla — clearing her for next weekend’s UWCL semifinal.
Chelsea FC kept their quadruple dreams alive this weekend, advancing to the 2025 FA Cup Final with Saturday’s 2-1 semifinal win over Liverpool in their quest to lift four major trophies in a single season.
With the 2025 League Cup already secured last month, the Blues will continue hunting a sixth straight WSL title when they dive back into league play next week.
The WSL leaders have yet to lose a league match this season. Chelsea currently holds a six-point lead over both London rival Arsenal and Manchester United at the top of the table, with just four matchdays separating the club from their second piece of 2024/25 hardware.
A first-ever UWCL title could clinch a Chelsea quadruple
If the Blues take home the 2025 FA Cup after their May 18th battle with Man U, they will need just one final championship to clinch the quadruple — the 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League trophy.
First, however, Chelsea must book a spot in the UWCL's championship match on May 24th. To do so, first-year manager Sonia Bompastor’s squad must outlast Champions League powerhouse Barcelona in the tournament's two-leg semifinals, which kick off next weekend.
Should they go on to lock down the 2025 FA Cup, WSL, and UWCL titles, the Blues will become just the third team to ever win a quartet, joining the 2006/07 Arsenal squad and last season's dominant Barcelona roster.
China PR pulled out of their June 3rd friendly against the USWNT, according to a Friday US Soccer release which announced that Jamaica will replace the 2022 Asian Cup winners at Energizer Park in St. Louis.
As of now, China will still face the USWNT on May 31st in St. Paul, marking the first of the US’s upcoming two-game international break.
"After initially agreeing to play two matches during the upcoming FIFA window, the Chinese Football Association subsequently informed US Soccer that its Women’s National Team could play only the first match," USSF said in its statement.
The federation did not provide an explanation for China’s cancelation, quickly tapping Jamaica as stand-ins.
USWNT to contend with Concacaf foes Jamaica
Despite sharing a confederation, the US and Jamaica have only squared off six prior times, with June's match marking the teams' first meeting in three years.
The last clash between the pair occurred at the 2022 Concacaf W Championship, where the US walked away from the pitch with a 5-0 victory over the Reggae Girlz.
Led by Manchester City striker Khadija "Bunny" Shaw, Jamaica earned spots in the last two World Cups, advancing to the Round of 16 for the first time ever in the 2023 edition.
The pair's upcoming seventh meeting will also serve as a celebration of retired USWNT captain and local product Becky Sauerbrunn, with US Soccer calling the decorated defender "the greatest female player in St. Louis soccer history."
The top three NWSL teams continued their reign over the standings this weekend, with the Orlando Pride, Kansas City Current, and Washington Spirit all rattling off wins in the league’s return from April's international break.
On the top trio's heels is Angel City, whose unbeaten streak lives on after the LA club earned their second straight win in a promising season start for the young team.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Stars, Portland Thorns, and Gotham FC managed to break into the win column for the first time this season, leaving only the North Carolina Courage and Utah Royals still searching for their first three-point performances of 2025.
Resilience puts injury-laden Washington Spirit on top
While they haven’t been perfect, Washington’s continued success could be the season’s most impressive so far, as the team digs out wins despite its onslaught of availability issues.
Saturday's 2-0 road victory over Racing Louisville, for example, came from a Spirit side missing 10 players from its roster — including regular starters Croix Bethune, Casey Krueger, and Hal Hershfelt.
The talent-packed Spirit stepped up in their stead, with midfielder Leicy Santos notching the 58th-minute game-winner before striker Ashley Hatch found the back of the net for the fourth time in as many games in the 75th minute.
Hatch now leads the NWSL's Golden Boot race, with her Saturday goal registering as her 50th in regular-season play for the Spirit — the third-most for a single club in league history.
Though the 2025 NWSL season is only four matchdays old, the race to the Shield could depend on a club's resilience — making the Spirit, with their ability to pick up points when the going gets tough, an early favorite.
2025 NWSL Standings: Week Four
1. Orlando Pride (4-0-0)
2. Kansas City Current (4-0-0)
3. Washington Spirit (3-1-0)
4. Angel City FC (2-0-2)
5. Gotham FC (1-1-2)
6. Portland Thorns FC (1-1-2)
7. Seattle Reign FC (1-2-1)
8. Bay FC (1-2-1)
9. San Diego Wave FC (1-2-1)
10. Houston Dash (1-2-1)
11. Racing Louisville FC (1-2-1)
12. Chicago Stars FC (1-3-0)
13. North Carolina Courage (0-2-2)
14. Utah Royals FC (0-3-1)
Incoming NWSL expansion team Denver announced more infrastructure news on Thursday, naming the squad's first-ever employee in decorated sports executive Jen Millet, who will serve as club president.
"Jen stood out amongst an extensive list of qualified candidates," said controlling owner Rob Cohen in a club statement. "Jen’s understanding of soccer, building world-class brands, ability to engage the community, and passion for creating a culture of excellence made her the ideal fit to run our club."
Previously, Millet served as the chief operating officer for 2024 expansion team Bay FC, a club she led to the league's top in merchandise sales and top-three in ticketing revenue in the franchise's inaugural season.
The Denver post, in which Millet will lead all of the club's business operations, will return Millet to her hometown as she takes on another NWSL launch.
"People might say I'm crazy to do back-to-back builds," Millet told The Athletic. "But I actually love this kind of work, and so I'm excited to get going."
With a new dedicated stadium and training facility in the works, plus record season ticket sales and, now, NWSL-savvy leadership, Denver looks prepared to hit the ground running as the league's 16th team in 2026.
The NWSL returns this weekend, bouncing back from April’s international break as teams who excelled early attempt to prove they belong on the top half of the table.
The fourth matchday of the 2025 NWSL season is loaded, as the league resets with pairings from all over the standings — leaving teams jockeying to shift or solidify their positions for the long season ahead.
Given that only five points currently separate first and eighth place, each match carries significant weight. Plus, with national team players returning on short rest after a busy international spin, expect squad rotation to play a major role in this weekend's results.
Rising teams take aim at league-leaders
With the defending champion Orlando Pride riding last season's dominant play to a three-win 2025 start, a rising Seattle club faces a tough task this weekend.
The Reign, who finished second-to-last in 2024 play, already bounced back to claim sixth place on the table — but they'll still need significant home-pitch advantage to topple the league-leaders on Saturday.
This weekend's docket also features the NWSL's only other three-win squad, as the second-place KC Current hits the road to take on San Diego.
Like the Reign, the fifth-place Wave have put together a similar turnaround after missing last year's postseason cut. To keep that momentum, however, they'll have to combat 2024 NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga’s high-flying attack on Saturday.
On the other end of the table, two clubs with high 2025 expectations enter this weekend still scrambling for a first season win, as the talent-laden Gotham FC and NC Courage will pit their robust rosters against each other in New Jersey on Sunday.
How to watch this weekend's top NWSL games
Saturday kicks off when Orlando visits Seattle at 7:30 PM ET, before San Diego hosts Kansas City at 10 PM ET. Both games will air live on ION.
Then on Sunday, the Courage will battle Gotham at 4 PM ET, with live coverage on Paramount+.
Hit JWS podcast The Late Sub is back in action. We're kicking off a brand new season with staff writer Claire Watkins’s expert takes on the world of women’s soccer. And we're starting with the youth movement in the USWNT.
This week, Watkins talks through USWNT star Trinity Rodman’s splashy return. She later discusses the national team's current youth development movement. Lastly, she tackles head coach Emma Hayes's quest to find a successor for retired starting goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. And all the while, she gives her own women's soccer analysis.
"McGlynn stresses me out sometimes. She’s a player with a high upside, and also sometimes she does have those mental moments," Watkins says of USWNT goalie prospect Mandy McGlynn.
"I like [Phallon] Tullis-Joyce, would love to see a lot more from her," the host said of another top goalie contender, currently rostered at Manchester United. "I think she deserves more call-ups."
About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on all things USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.
Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.