Column: NWSL's best-in-class status a mixed bag for Wave

Last time we saw the San Diego Wave FC in Mission Valley, a crowd of 16,000 got a sour taste of why team president Jill Ellis rates the National Women’s Soccer League as best in class.The April 29 match between the unbeaten Wave and winless Orlando produced a 3-1 victory for the Pride — and stunned silence from the Saturday night crowd at Snapdragon Stadium.

Wave striker Alex Morgan, 33, stands as FIFA’s No. 2-ranked player, while her U.S National Team-mate, Thorns striker Sophia Smith, 22, leads the NWSL in goals plus assists a year after winning MVP awards of the regular season and championship. Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan and Thorns midfielder Christine Sinclair own stamp-laden passports as well, thanks to travels with Canada’s national team, now ranked sixth in the world.

Soccer being the world’s game, it’d be a mistake to assume the NWSL’s competitive depth and star power will make its champion a de facto world champion.For example: Barcelona of Spain’s top league is 28-1-1 and has outscored opponents 118-10. FIFA has recognized Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas, 29, as the world’s No. 1 player each of the past two years. English stars Keira Walsh and Lucy Bronze are among her teammates.

It is no secret that the soccer played by Major League Soccer, America’s top men’s league, falls levels below the best-in-world standard. It’s a credit to the Mission Valley-bound MLS that it’s still kicking, three decades after its launch. In other countries, men’s soccer has reigned as the most popular sport for many decades.

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