Tonight, the Orlando Pride will take on the North Carolina Courage, who have been far and away the best team in the NWSL this season. Two of the league’s five teams that are part of a club with both men’s and women’s teams, the two sides’ experiences have shown the difference between starting a team from scratch and acquiring a relocated team.
Of the five teams that are part of a club that also fields an MLS or USL team, only the Portland Thorns formed with the start of the NWSL and have remained in the same city.