Four MVP finalists headline the NWSL Best XI, announced on Thursday. Sam Kerr, Marta, Sam Mewis and Christen Press were all named to the roster, as well as Goalkeeper of the Year finalist Adrianna Franch. The NWSL Shield winning Courage have the most players on the team with three.         The NWSL awards are voted […]

Four MVP finalists headline the NWSL Best XI, announced on Thursday. Sam Kerr, Marta, Sam Mewis and Christen Press were all named to the roster, as well as Goalkeeper of the Year finalist Adrianna Franch. The NWSL Shield winning Courage have the most players on the team with three.[Youtube oembed has failed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWfc0cVqPYM] The NWSL awards are voted on by club officials, players, media that cover the league on a consistent basis and fans. Take a closer look at the stats and more top plays from the Best XI below. If they were to gather for a match, the squad would line up in a 4-3-3 formation.

GK: Adrianna Franch, Portland Thorns FC

One of six players to play all 2,160 minutes, Adrianna Franch set a new NWSL record with 11 shutouts in a single season. The Goalkeeper of the Year finalist finished the season with the best save percentage (80%), made 80 saves and recorded a .83 goals against average as the Thorns gave up the fewest goals — allowing just 20 in 24 games.

D: Casey Short, Chicago Red Stars

Casey Short helped lead the Red Stars backline, which finished as the third best defense in the NWSL in 2017. A Defender of the Year finalist, Short also scored her first goal of the season in a 3-2 win over the Dash that clinched the Red Stars a spot in the playoffs.

D: Abby Dahlkemper, North Carolina Courage

A finalist for Defender of the Year, Abby Dahlkemper took a league-high 121 corner kicks in 2017, contributing two assists a long the way. Dahlkemper was also one of six players to play every minute of the season, helping to anchor a backline for the Courage that allowed just 22 goals this season (second-best in the league) and was the best in the league at denying shots on goal.

D: Becky Sauerbrunn, FC Kansas City

Becky Sauerbrunn finished the 2017 season second in the league in clearances with 157 and led the NWSL in blocks with 24. A Defender of the Year finalist, she also contributed on offense, scoring a goal and adding two assists. Her header goal won Goal of the Week in Week 7.

D: Ali Krieger, Orlando Pride

A Defender of the Year finalist, Ali Krieger is the third member of the 2017 Best XI to play every minute of the season. The center back contributed 99 clearances and 49 interceptions. She also tallied two assists on the season.

M: Jess Fishlock, Seattle Reign FC

Jess Fishlock won Player of the Week twice — in Week 2 and then again in Week 22 to close out the season. In 20 games, she scored seven goals and two assists for the Reign.

M: Sam Mewis, North Carolina Courage

A finalist for MVP, Sam Mewis scored six goals and added three assists as the Courage won the NWSL Shield. She was named the Week 16 Player of the Week after scoring twice in a 2-1 road win over the Reign.

M: McCall Zerboni, North Carolina Courage

McCall Zerboni scored three goals, added an assist and helped anchor the Courage midfield, starting 23 games for North Carolina. She scored the first goal in Courage history, the game-winner in their Week 1 win over the Spirit that set the tone for the season.

F: Marta, Orlando Pride

After joining the Pride in their second game of the season, Marta finished second in the league in both goals (13) and assists (6). A finalist for MVP, she created a league-high 64 chances, 17 more than her closest competitor. She closed out her first NWSL season by winning Player of the Month in September.

F: Sam Kerr, Sky Blue FC

Sam Kerr set a new league record with 17 goals in a single season, becoming the new all-time leading scorer in the process. A finalist for MVP, Kerr won Player of the Month twice (May and June). She also became the first player in league history to score two hat tricks in a season and the first to ever record a four goal game. Kerr also had four assists in 2017.

F: Christen Press, Chicago Red Stars

Christen Press scored 11 goals and four assists in 2017, including five game-winning goals for the Red Stars. She won Player of the Week in Week 6 after scoring a goal and an assist in Chicago’s 3-1 win at North Carolina.