NWSL Flavors of the Week 2026

US-e youngsters that I'm not familiar with who played this weekend:
Seattle
Ainsley McCammon 18 mf started
Emily Mason 23 (2nd year) CB started
Orlando
Seven Castain 21 f started
Portland
Maddie Padelski 18 f subbed in (listed height 4'12", apparently someone is not familiar w/ Imperial measurement system)
Shae Harvey 21 mf subbed in
Washington
-
Gotham
Jordyn Dudley 21 f subbed in
And, they started 34 year old Katie Lampson (Stengel)!)
Boston
Annie Karich 22 mf started
Current
Katie Scott 18 dm started
Gianna Paul 21 f subbed in
Utah
Kherrington Ream 16 f subbed in
Kalea Eichenberger 22 f subbed in (signed March 10th)
Bay
I hadn't heard of Pfeiffer until this weekend 18 f started
Denver
Devin Lynch 22 mf started
Natalie Means 22 D subbed in
Yuna McCormack 21 D subbed in
Olivia Means 20 f subbed in
Courage
-
Racing
Sarah Weber 23 f started
Ella Hase 23 listed as a defender on roster but played as a forward? started
Quincy McMahon 23 D started
Taylor White 21 f subbed in
Macy Blackburn 22 D subbed in
Audrey McKeen 17 F subbed in
Wave
Barcenas 18 f subbed in
Note that Wave only started 2 US-e's, both defenders, + Corley (is she US-e?)
Dash
Kate Faase 21 f started
Linda Ullmark 19 mf started
Kat Rader 19 mf started
Leah Klenke 21 D started
ACFC
Carina Lageyre 22 mf subbed in
Taylor Suarez 20 mf subbed in

I'm amazed. That's 13 forwards that are 23 and under that I've never heard of the played. 4 started. And of those 13 forwards, 5 are 20 or younger.

 

Ya, I was counting the number of US-e's that played for each team. But, that concept annoys some people, so I dropped it. But, ya, I was very pleasantly surprised by the number of US-e's that were playing. Some teams only played 2 or 3 imports. Last year I posted wondering why nwsl teams seem to lean so hard into journeyman imported players. Seems like domestics would be cheaper and more likely to stay from year to year. Maybe I was wrong about the numbers last year. But, this year, there are soooo many US-e's playing.

 

Eichenberger is a weird one. I looked her up. Attached her bio from UW. 5 goals in 56 appearances for the Huskies. And, most of those goals were in the NCAA tournament her final year there.

Was a try-out invitee signed at the last minute by Utah. Very similar to Tiernan, who didn't put up huge numbers (but better than Eichenberger) in college and made LAFC as a last minute signing. May Eichenberger have a similar rookie year. I feel like, of all sports, soccer is one where you're so dependent on your teammates, that as players rise in level, players will emerge that no one ever gave much thought to, or that were labeled as not very good.

That said, there seems to be so many young forwards in the league, even on benches, that it's surprising that Utah didn't do a deal for one. But, I love that she's getting an opportunity.


Kalea Eichenberger Signs With NWSL’s Utah Royals - University of Washington Athletics

 

Thanks for the scoop on Dudley.
I don't think anyone is 4'12", I just thought it was a funny typo.

 

Thanks for the heads up.

 

Week 2 FotW stats
Goals:
2 Sanchez
1 Thompson
Sears
Tordin
Turner
Sentnor
Huff
Rader
Moultrie
Pfeiffer
Fuller
Shores
Ratcliff
Anderson
Robbe
Milazzo
Weber
Bethune
(I love the fact that there are two 32 year old forwards on this list)
Assists:
2
Sears!*
Fuller
Tordin
1
Rader
Graham
Moultrie
Ullmark
Sharples
Linnehan
Pfeiffer
McCutcheon
Goal contributions
3
Sears
Tordin
Fuller
2
Sanchez
Pfeiffer
Fuller
Rader
Moultrie

I'm immersed in March Madness so this is just a stat report. But, stoked to see Sears match her assist total from last season in the first two matches. I said last season that she gets forward so much, she should be getting assists. She's delivering. If she adds assists to her game, she's going to be making a case to start for the WNT.

Like I said a couple of weeks ago, I think Fuller has a similar talent profile to Hutton. And, here she is with 3 goal contributions in the first two matches. Hope she continues to thrive.

Look at 21 year old rookie Kat Rader, two matches, two goal contributions.

Tordin and Turner were picks to click for me at the start of the season. Both are talented enough to get into the fight with Dahlien (who I'm a fan of) for a spot. Look at Tordin with three contribs in 2 matches.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------Tordin
----------Moultrie-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sears
-----------------------------------------------------------------Fuller
-----------------------------------------Rader-----------------------------------Godfrey
Shores----------------------------Hiatt-----------------------------------Jacobs------------------------Thompson
----------------------------------------------------------------Abby Smith

Second outstanding match for Abby Smith.

I moved Moultrie to Forward to make room for Fuller. Could have left Moultrie at AMid, and then that LW spot would be Sentnor (not a LW) or Turner (RW)

 

]Week 3 FotW stats
Goals:
3
Lia Godfrey
2
Sanchez
Moultrie
Turner
Tordin
Ratcliffe
Sanchez
Milazzo
Pfeiffer
Barcenas (no starts)

Assists:
2
Sears
Fuller
Tordin
Pfeiffer


Goal contributions
4
Pfeiffer
Tordin
3
Godfrey
Sears
Tordin
Fuller
Moultrie

 

Response to both:

Ya, Armas was a terrible hire. That said, Sentnor plays way better for the NT than for club. I think she had maybe 3 goals last season?

I think Shaw has been injured?

I don't know what's going on with Rodman, but Sears may be ahead of her right now.

Jonsdotter: AC has completely revamped their midfield. Niehues, Borges, Martin is way better than whatever they were running out last season. That said, I'm looking at the line-up sheet from NWSL's website. It shows Fuller as an AW. If that's true, that is a total bummer. That's not her position. I was afraid she was going to get squeezed out by the imports. She started the season as a central player, if she's moved wide, it's going to hurt her numbers bigly and slow her development. She's a phenomenal 10. She's going to stagnate as a winger. I hope she can get the hell out of AC if this is the way this season is going to go.

Rose just seems to go through very long fallow periods with her clubs (staying with the horticultural theme). She then shows up w/ the NT and does her thing. How long will that continue?

I'm hoping Turner continues to play well and forces herself into the CF discussion.

Vignola - I've always been curious about her. She was capped, like three years ago? A couple of years ago, I was watching her pretty closely and decided there was something missing in her game. I don't even remember what it was now. And, didn't she get a stretch where she was tried as an AW? I haven't had time to watch matches w/ March Madness happening, but M.A. is showing out well in the sofascore rankings. Looks like she's working things out.

Regarding our production of fullbacks, the back line is where the bulk of the opportunities are for US-e's in NWSL. If you look at the line-ups each week, the backlines are usually 3, often 4, US-e's. The midfield may not have any. Look at LAFC, one US-e' in the MF (Martin, who seems to be playing really well), in the back they have Sams, King, Gordon, Shores (who appears to be off to a fantastic start), Thompson. And, Fuller, a fantastic AM is getting squeezed out wide.

Just so it's not a sample size of one, I'll look at ACFC's opponent last Friday: And ..... it totally contradicts my point. Wow, Houston is US-emazing! They've got one import starting. And, of their US-e's, Robbe, Graham, and Rader seem to be really capitalizing on their opportunities, in addition to Patterson. And, the team is playing well. 2-1, +3 goal diff. Good on them!