2013 National Women's Soccer League season

The 2013 National Women's Soccer League season was the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), this was the seventh overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States. The league was (and is) operated by the United States Soccer Federation and received major financial backing from that body. Further financial backing was provided by the Canadian Soccer Association and the Mexican Football Federation. All three national federations paid the league salaries of many of their respective national team members in an effort to nurture talent in those nations.

The league started on April 13 with FC Kansas City hosting Portland Thorns FC. The last regular season matches were played on August 18, with the Western New York Flash topping the standings to win the NWSL Shield. This was followed by postseason playoffs, which culminated in a final on August 31. In the final, Portland Thorns FC defeated the Western New York Flash 2–0 to win the inaugural NWSL Championship.

Personnel and sponsorship
Note: All teams used Nike as kit manufacturer.

Player Acquisition
Players were acquired through the 2013 Allocation of national team players announced on January 11, the 2013 NWSL College Draft on January 18, and the 2013 NWSL Supplemental Draft on February 7, along with free agency, trading and loans.

The Portland Thorns received an allocation with a notably strong offensive record including Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair, the 2012 U.S. and Canadian Players of the Year and leading scorers for their national teams respectively, as well as a U.S. allocation (Morgan, Tobin Heath, and Rachel Buehler) that accounted for 1/3 of their national team's assists in 2012.

Competition format
The regular season began on April 13 and ended on August 18. Each team played a total of 22 games: 11 at home and 11 away. Each team played


 * three other teams (based on an east/west geographical split) four times each: twice at home and twice away
 * two other teams twice each: once at home and once away
 * and the remaining two teams three times each: one twice at home and once away, the other vice versa

The four teams at the end of the season with the most points qualified for the playoffs. Two semifinal games were played on August 24, with the winners advancing to the league final to be played on August 31.

Results table
 Scores listed as home-away 

NWSL Championship
The top four teams from the regular season qualified for the championship playoffs. In the semifinals, the regular season winner hosted the fourth-placed team and the regular season runner-up hosted the third-placed team. The highest-seeded semifinal winner then hosted the championship final. All match-ups were one-game series (as opposed to home-and-away series).

Average home attendances
Highest Attendance: 17,619 (August 4, Kansas City at Portland)

Lowest Attendance: 688 (May 8, Chicago at Sky Blue)

Total Attendance: 375,846 (88 games total)

League Average: 4,271

Playoff attendance
Semifinal 1, Portland at FC Kansas City: 4,016

Semifinal 2, Sky Blue at Western New York: 7,316

Championship, Portland at Western New York: 9,129

Top scorers
Source:

Top assists
Source:

Goalkeeping
(Minimum of 540 Minutes Played)

Source:

Scoring

 * First goal of the season: Renae Cuellar for FC Kansas City against Portland Thorns FC, 3rd minute (April 13)
 * Earliest goal in a match: 2 minutes
 * CoCo Goodson for Sky Blue FC against Washington Spirit (April 27)
 * Latest goal in a match: 90+6 minutes
 * Lori Chalupny for Chicago Red Stars against FC Kansas City (July 14)
 * Widest winning margin: 4 goals
 * Sky Blue 5–1 Boston Breakers (June 1)
 * Western New York Flash 4–0 Washington Spirit (May 4)
 * Most goals scored in a match: 7
 * Washington Spirit 2–5 Boston Breakers (July 27)
 * Portland Thorns 4-3 FC Kansas City (June 6)
 * First Own Goal: McCall Zerboni of Western New York Flash for Sky Blue FC (April 14)
 * Average goals per match: 2.705

Discipline

 * First yellow card: Kristie Mewis for FC Kansas City against Portland Thorns FC, 43rd minute (April 13)
 * Most yellow cards in a match: 6
 * Portland Thorns FC 2–1 Seattle Reign FC – 3 for Portland (Allie Long, Angie Kerr, & Nikki Washington) and 3 for Seattle (Elli Reed, Christine Nairn, & Jessica Fishlock) (April 21)

Streaks

 * Longest winning streak: 5 games
 * Sky Blue FC, games 5–9
 * Longest unbeaten streak: 10 games
 * FC Kansas City, games 11–20
 * Longest winless streak: 13 games
 * Washington Spirit, games 7–19
 * Longest losing streak: 9 games
 * Seattle Reign FC, games 2–10
 * Longest shutout: 435 minutes by Brittany Cameron for Sky Blue FC
 * Longest drought: 541 minutes for Washington Spirit

Other firsts

 * First player to score twice in a match: Heather O'Reilly for Boston Breakers against Western New York Flash (April 27)
 * First come-from-behind victory: Boston Breakers 2–1 Western New York Flash (April 27)

Home team record
(Regular season only)


 * 8 wins, 8 losses, 6 ties – 1.364 PPG
 * 28 goals for, 26 goals against – +2 GD