After a long and very consequential offseason, we finally got our first look at all 16 NWSL teams in regular-season action, including new teams in Denver and Boston. There is a lot to learn about these new teams, especially after so many high-profile players changed teams, including one that was finalized on Monday. There is a fine line between being open to new evidence and overreacting to one game, so let’s see exactly how close we can get to that line.

• The Chicago Stars should be embarrassed.

The only good thing I can say about this game is that it was marginally less embarrassing than the opening game of last season, when Chicago lost to the defending champion Orlando Pride 6-0. At least Chicago kept it close in the first half.

There is plenty of blame to go around, but I think most of it has to fall on the Chicago Stars management. This team finished bottom of the table last season and allowed 54 goals, 12 more than any other team in the league. I cannot fathom why they thought they could basically trot out the same squad (albeit with another new manager) and see different results.

Chicago’s defense was just as bad as the score indicates, but I thought their real problem was their inability to handle Angel City’s press. Chicago’s possessions were all either one-touch passes that resulted in a turnover or hopeless long balls. There were a couple of times that Stars FC was able to string together a few nice passes, but they never really threatened Angel City’s goal.

That resulted in relentless pressure that broke down Chicago’s defense. When Chicago tried to pressure to win the ball back, Angel City easily broke them down. That was bad enough, but the real problem was how many times Angel City had attacking players unmarked in the box. If you didn’t know any better, you would think Chicago was a man down. That would have been the only excuse for the defensive lapses.

Speaking of defensive lapses, I think this is the worst game I have ever seen Alyssa Naeher play. She got her hands on the first goal but let it slip past her. She handed the ball to Angel City while trying to play out of the back on the third goal. There was nothing she could do on the second goal, which saw an inexcusable breakdown on a corner kick, but it was a far cry from the high standard Naeher has set for herself. Naeher clearly loves Chicago, and the Stars are fortunate she wanted to return after last season’s disaster, but I think both parties would benefit from a breakup if Naeher is amicable. Chicago might be able to convince some team that Naeher would be better with a real team in front of her, and pretty much any team would give Naeher a better chance at the postseason than she would have in Chicago. Otherwise, I fear this will be another long season.

• It is great to see Savy King back.

Angel City defender Savy King returned to play for the first time since her open-heart surgery that was the result of a cardiac event suffered during a game in May. She subbed into the match for Emily Sams in the 63rd minute. Angel City’s back line seems set after they allowed the third-most goals in the league last season. Sams and former Star Sarah Gorden were great in the middle, while I was impressed by both Evelyn Shores and Gisele Thompson on the outside. I still need to see them play against reasonable competition, but it is hard to see how King is going to crack the lineup, barring injury.

• Nérilia Mondésir is legit.

In a game featuring Barbra Banda and Jacquie Ovalle, I thought Nérilia Mondésir was probably the best player on the field. She provided the assist on both Seattle goals, and those may not have even been her best plays. She looked dangerous attacking on the wing all game, and, for my money, she was the biggest reason Orlando started the game on the back foot.

• Washington needs more from Gift Monday.

I think Monday is a very good player, but coming off her eight-goal season last year, she was barely noticeable Friday night. Washington needs someone to take some of the defensive attention away from Trinity Rodman, and Monday is their best bet. Rodman and Monday will both undoubtedly be better in the future, but forcing the ball to Rodman was not working.

• We don’t want no draws.

It may turn out to be a one-week blip, but I thought it was interesting that none of the eight games over the weekend ended in a draw. Each game was decided by one goal outside of Chicago’s drubbing at the hands of Angel City. There were 51 draws in 182 matches last season, up from 32 in 2024. The results from this weekend may not indicate that we are going back to having fewer draws, but I am hopeful that is the case. I think more wins and losses are better for the league, and hopefully will lead to a more interesting title race. The Current finished 21 points clear of second place last season, in part because they had four fewer draws than any other team in the league. That may not be as much of an advantage this season.

• Is San Diego now a playoff team?

I guess this didn’t technically happen in Week 1, but since it was reported while I was writing this article, I’m going to go ahead and include it. San Diego’s roster is solid enough, but there are no real standout names. Signing Catarina Macario from Chelsea gives them star power and a true goal-scoring threat. San Diego did not have a single player score more than five goals last season, and while they managed to score enough by committee to finish third in the league in goals, they now have a consistent threat up top. I think Macario could be particularly good for Dudinha, who scored five goals in just 10 appearances last season. Defenses will have to load up to stop Macario, which should give Dudinha more room to operate on the wing.

I think integrating a great player in the middle of the season will be a challenge, and will likely have some growing pains. Jacquie Ovalle never really got going with Orlando last season and I wouldn’t be shocked if the same thing happens with Macario in San Diego. San Diego generated an eye-popping 19 shots against Houston and put nine of them on target, but they failed to find the back of the net. Ludmilla alone had six shots, including three that were saved by Houston Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell. If Catarina Macario is in the squad, I think its likely San Diego at least gets a point.

• I like Houston’s orange kits

I would say I was mostly underwhelmed when the NWSL teams revealed their kits last month, but it is always different seeing them on the pitch. I really liked Houston’s all-orange kits. They popped on television against the backdrop of the green pitch and in contrast to San Diego’s dark blue kits.

• Denver’s Defense is a work in progress

Bay FC’s first goal was way, way too easy. Alex Pfeiffer basically just dribbled in front of the goal, and nobody stepped up to stop her. It's pretty inexplicable. That being said, I thought they were actually better after they fell victim to the softest red card I have ever seen.

Denver’s defense was pretty solid on the second goal. They closed down much better on Pfeiffer despite having fewer defenders and forced a difficult shot that was blocked in front. They were just unfortunate that it was deflected back to goalkeeper Abby Smith’s left. I thought Smith had a great game overall. She will likely be tested again next week against the Orlando Pride, but I think she could rack up saves for fantasy. Only the aforementioned Jane Campbell had more saves than Smith in week 1.

• Is Racing Louisville underrated?

North Carolina was probably the better team, especially in the first half, but Racing Louisville had a very nice goal to tie the score right before halftime, and they had a couple of very strong chances for goals in the second half. They actually outshot North Carolina 17 to 15, and both teams put five shots on goal. Racing is a big underdog at home to the Washington Spirit next week, but based on how they both played over the weekend, you would be hard-pressed to guess why. I don’t want to overreact to one gameweek, but it's not like Washington was that much better than Louisville last season. Washington finished seven points ahead in the table, and they defeated Louisville on penalties in the quarterfinals.

• North Carolina looks like a title contender.

I’m probably getting out over my skis, considering the Courage didn’t even make the playoffs in 2025. That being said, Kailen Sheridan looked like a complete game-changer in her debut with her new club, and I was impressed with North Carolina’s ability to find the back of the net without their leading goalscorer. When Manaka Matsukubo returns from the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, North Carolina will be even more formidable.

• Is Gotham the weirdest team in the NWSL?

I saw the box score before I watched this match, and I thought the result was pretty much what we would expect. Esther led Gotham with 13 goals last season, so it wasn’t surprising that she scored their lone goal or that they kept a clean sheet against the expansion Boston Legacy. When I got a chance to watch the game, I realized it was anything but usual. Esther and Jordynn Dudley both began the game on the bench but came on at halftime. Midge Purce started at right back for the first time since 2021, when she started at right back once in the NWSL and once for the USWNT in the SheBelieves Cup. Gotham also had Tierna Davidson on the bench for the first time since she tore her ACL last season, though she did not get into the game. Gotham has a ton of talent, and apparently, it doesn’t matter who starts or where they play. That being said, I have to imagine they want to get Esther, Midge Purce, and Tierna Davidson starting in their natural positions sooner rather than later. When that happens, the rest of the league should watch out..

• The Kansas City Current is unfair.

Kansas City actually fell behind in this game after they did a really poor job defending on a corner kick, but adding Croix Bethune to a team that finished 21 points clear of second place during the regular season is patently unfair. Even without two-time NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga, the Current were too much for Utah. Bethune scored Kansas City’s first goal off a great assist by Kayla Sharples, while Ally Sentnor got the game-winner off an assist from Debinha. How do you compete with that? We will find out this season if anyone can.