NWSL Weekend Take-Off: Sinead Farrelly returns, Thorns and Wave flex

A big moment, two teams in top form, and lots of wind in the NWSL weekend that was

It’s only week two in the NWSL, but we’re already getting mid-season levels of intensity and weirdness.

One long weather front extending from the Atlantic coast to deep into the Midwest resulted in a lightning delay in New Jersey and a goal scored by a gust of wind in Chicago. We had a two-goal comeback, a remarkable return to the field for Sinead Farrelly, and a month’s worth of league drama packed into one game between Angel City FC and the Orlando Pride.

If you’re the Portland Thorns or San Diego Wave, another thing at mid-season levels is the performance quality. These two seem, at least right now, head, shoulders, and arguably whole torsos ahead of the rest of the pack. It’ll come around for at least a few other teams, but for now, two of the preseason favorites seem to be meeting any expectation fans might have placed on them.

Let’s get into this weekend’s action: