NWSL Week 3 preview: Ladder of success

Four teams head into the third week of the season unbeaten. On Saturday, the still-perfect Thorns head to Chicago to take on the also-perfect Red Stars. On Sunday, unbeaten Houston pays a visit to Boston to try to spoil the winless Breakers’ home opener, and a re-energized Washington team makes the short trip north to New Jersey, where Sky Blue hasn’t lost since last July.

The Red Stars and Thorns head into this weeked as the league’s only remaining perfect teams. The Red Stars have played just one game so far thanks to a bye in the first week, but when that one game is a dramatic stoppage time win against the rival Reign, what else do you need?

Portland will be without Alex Morgan, who’s dealing with an injury, but Paul Riley is probably not too concerned because Allie Long is the one who has been doing all the scoring lately. Long has three goals in two games for a Thorns squad that currently sits atop the table.

Morgan’s absence is likely good news for a Chicago side that looked shaky defensively at times last weekend against Seattle. The Red Stars allowed two goals in that game, both the result of some shoddy marking -- one on a corner kick and the other directly following a corner kick. That’s something that could be problematic against a Thorns team that’s not exactly lacking in the offensive threat department. The Red Stars will also need another big performance from Christen Press against a Portland team that’s allowed just a single goal so far this season. Press was involved in all three of Chicago’s goals in the win over Seattle, scoring twice and assisting on the other en route to Player of the Week honors.

Chicago and Portland met three times last season, and all three games ended in draws.

Last season, when things got really tough, at least Boston and Houston had each other. The actually expansion Dash, the perpetually expansion-like Breakers. Peas in a pod. BFFs, down in the basement, eating Pringles and helping each other out when their hands got stuck in the can, Smashmouth blasting through those blown-out boombox speakers, belting ou—MOM! LEAVE US ALONE! WE’RE FINE! -- sorry, she’s sooooo lame. Belting out that chorus and really feeling it. Even though somebody once told them the world was gonna roll them, they still knew they were All-Stars. Life was good.

But alas, nothing lasts forever.

Eventually someone gets a job and a dog and a life and Carli Lloyd and Morgan Brian and realizes that song is really annoying and suddenly they’re second on the table and it’s like we don’t even know you anymore, Houston. You used to be so cool. Now you’re up there, competing with the best, winning, climbing on the ladder of success.

Somehow, Sky Blue FC has not lost yet this season. In fact, somehow, Sky Blue FC has not lost since July 27 of last year. And this is not even the most mystifying thing about this matchup. That honor would go to the Washington Spirit, who followed up an all-around terrible performance in the first week with a convincing 3-1 win against defending champs FC Kansas City last weekend.

Christine Nairn scored a pair of ridiculous goals in that win, one on a free kick and one from so far away she was pretty much already in New Jersey. Nairn’s ability to score from anywhere could prove particularly dangerous for a Sky Blue side that features notorious wanderer Brittany Cameron in goal and a less-than-100 percent Christie Rampone anchoring the back line.