Portland Thorns win Supporters Shield!

[beefchips]

Best record in NWSL in 2021. And on the strength of that record the Thorns are going into the playoffs with a first-round bye and home field advantage! #BAONPDX!!

[AMGtech]

@beefchips have you been to a thorns game? They're a blast

[beefchips]

@amgtech Season ticket holder

[Italia]

@beefchips how do pro women's teams in the USA stack up against the European equivalent? I know how good individual national teams are but nothing about leagues.

[beefchips]

@italia From what I have seen we're roughly at parity now. In fact we have cross-Atlantic friendlies from time to time. Many players move back and forth between the leagues.

Next big step for NWSL is that they need a real TV contract. It would make fandom a lot easier to have a reliable place to watch games and it would bring a lot more money into the league that they could use for player development. NWSL is relying pretty heavily on universities now for players whereas they could be getting players from their own academies.

[Italia]

@beefchips I hope they have or setup a relegation system. I think this is the main thing that will make sure that MLS is never taken seriously on a word stage. It's too easy for a team to just not be good and stick around forever acting as a retirement home for once great players.

[beefchips]

@italia MLS is big enough where this could happen, and a lot of clubs actually do have a second team. NWSL is only 10 teams right now, with another 2 expansion teams joining next year. So still not quite big enough, but maybe in a few years!