McCall Zerboni is less than a year out of the NWSL, but she just can’t stay away from the game and league she loves. As an analyst for NWSL+, Zerboni is offering her insight on all things football.
Before the second half of the NWSL season kicks off, Zerboni shares some of her biggest takeaways from the first 13 weeks and predictions for the rest of the season.
BIGGEST STORYLINES
First year without draft
The NWSL’s decision to eliminate the draft ahead of the 2025 season left some skeptical of how things would shake out. With strong performances from rookies like Riley Tiernan, Lilly Reale, and Trinity Armstrong, the experiment seems to have paid off, Zerboni said.
“These players can choose where they want to go instead of just being drafted by a team that maybe had too much depth in their position or that style of play. When they have the draft order it’s like, ‘Okay, we'll have the opportunity now to pick this player or this player. They're not really what we're looking for. We already have so much depth in that position, but we’ve got to choose something.’
“Now all of a sudden, rookies are actually taking their time, finding a club that fits their style of play, has space for them to make an impact right away, whereas before, maybe they’d be riding a bench for two or three years because there are amazing, experienced pros in front of them that they're never going to beat out out of the lineup.”
Kansas City Current
Heading into the summer break, the Current were on a six-game winning streak and had only lost two games. Zerboni said the time, money, and work that has gone into the club has paid dividends.
“I think that’s a direct correlation of everything that the club has done for the players in that city – the resources, the facilities, the access to everything. It’s very much: What you water will grow. They’re watering their players, watering the development, and now we’re starting to see how much it will really pay off if we give the women’s side everything that the men have or any professional sport. They’re watering the flowers, and they’re coming in colorful. They’re expressing themselves. They’re reaching maximum height. It’s really neat to see the direct correlation between investment and production.”
Orlando Pride
The first game Zerboni called after her retirement was the season opener in Orlando, when the Pride overcame the Stars, 6-0. After double-dipping to win the 2024 NWSL Championship and Shield, Orlando was a question mark for Zerboni.
Could that momentum carry over into the next season? Well, yes, it seems it can.
“It's extremely hard to have back-to-back successful years in this league because it is so competitive. So for me, that opening story of Orlando just smashing Chicago was like, ‘Yeah, we won it all last year, but we're not slowing down and we have every intention to repeat that this year as well.’
“This is what we love about the NWSL. From last to first, now they've arrived. They're here, and it can flip like that on any given Sunday here in the NWSL because there is so much talent. If a club decides to start investing and increasing their resources, it's anybody's game.”
BIGGEST SURPRISE
No team had a more dramatic offseason than the San Diego Wave. After winning the 2023 NWSL Shield, the Wave took a disappointing turn, finishing in 10th in 2024. Between last season and this, San Diego lost a generational talent in Alex Morgan, who retired, transferred Naomi Girma to Chelsea, traded Jaedyn Shaw, all while onboarding a new head coach in Jonas Eidevall.
“They went from high to very low, and they realized they had to make some changes. To do it all in just one offseason, for me, is incredible,” said Zerboni.
They’re an entirely different team than they were this time last year, but rather than stumble, they’ve hit their stride.
“They went through a whole roster rebuild, brought a whole bunch of players, not only interchange within the league but also amazing international players who have never played in the league before. For them to have so much turnover in one season and to be in third place for the first half of the season, putting together amazing, consistent performances in, getting all those players on the same page, playing the same style of play, tactically understanding each other, players from all over the world with a new coach – for me, that’s been the most magnificent and surprising storyline.”
ROOKIES
Zerboni couldn’t talk about the rookies who are shining without going back to the elimination of the draft. For her, it’s directly connected.
“Statistically, the league is getting younger and younger, which says to me, the existence of the league has driven the developmental pipeline narrative and increased the quality of the entire chain from youth to pros. These players are now ready sooner, and they're better earlier in their careers because they have a league to see what it takes. That quality trickles down into all facets of the youth ranks and the developmental system. It's kind of like when you see it, you can be it.”
That is exactly how, Zerboni said, a player like Angel City FC’s Riley Tiernan gets to show up and make an immediate impact. As it stands, Tiernan is fourth in the Golden Boot race with seven goals in the first half of the season – up there with players like Esther González, Temwa Chawinga, and Barbra Banda.
With one more goal, she’d be just the second rookie in league history to score eight goals.
“I have to talk about Tiernan at Angel City, not only because she’s a rookie in the Golden Boot race and just popping in goals like she’s been here for years, but just how she arrived in this league. She had to go into preseason camp hoping to earn a spot, was a nonroster invitee and was just like, ‘I’ve got to take a chance and go in there and show what I can do.’
“When speaking with her head coaching staff, interviewing them at times during the preseason, they said, ‘We can’t ignore her. Every time we look at film, where there are good things we want to highlight about what we did, she’s involved in the play – every single time.’ That’s mostly what it is. You make yourself undeniable. She believed in herself. She grinded it out. Not only that, but making a roster, getting a contract, working her way into the lineup and now becoming their leading goal scorer and competing with some of the best in the league – that’s a story that needs to be told.”
MOST IMPACTFUL INTERNATIONAL SIGNINGS
The NWSL continues to attract global talent at an impressive rate, proving that the best footballers in the world play here. Look no further than the Current’s Lorena, who already has six clean sheets on the season.
Zerboni said the Brazilian keeper has leveled up an already strong Current team.
“Kansas City knew their backline was one of their weaknesses, and it takes a good keeper behind you to have a solid backline. You need to trust what’s behind you. You need to trust what’s in front of you. A lot of that is important chemistry, communication, and organization, and I think she really solidified the confidence in the organization of that backline for Kansas City. She’s made great saves and has been really, really important for the club.”
But Zerboni couldn’t resist sneaking another international signing into her list, choosing to highlight an international field player – Kenza Dali.
“Everybody knows who she is on the world stage, but there’s a transition coming into the NWSL, because it is so transitional, it is such a physical league. It’s very taxing on the body, and it’s a high press league. The French don’t really high press. The English don’t really high press. They’re more possession orientated. She’s really transferred her game well to adapting to what the NWSL needs to shine. Her performance is so consistent and it’s just incredible to watch what she’s brought to San Diego, and I think she’s a key reason they’ve been doing a lot better this year.”
BEST FREE AGENCY MOVE
Maitane Lopez transferred to the Chicago Stars in December 2024 and has been a consistent force on their defense, starting 10 and notching two assists.
Zerboni said Maitane’s presence has been a bright spot for a Chicago team that has struggled to string together wins so far this season.
“I think she's really showing what she can do. What she does isn't super shiny, but she's having an opportunity to now get games and minutes and anchor that midfield and string passes together. I think she was a little bit pigeonholed at Gotham and didn't get the opportunities that she wanted and was kind of forced to play in the back line. Really, she's a midfielder that connects the front line to the back line and is really showing what she can do in that Spanish possession oriented way.”
BREAKTHROUGH PLAYERS
The kids are alright – or something like that.
Zerboni list of breakthrough players is less specific names and more a generation on the rise.
“I've been impressed with the rookies, how much they've translated. Again, it just shows how much more they're prepared for this league than they have been in the past. I think before it was throwing them to lions. The gap was very large, but now that they have the opportunity, more preparation, knowledge, and resources to guide them into the pros. They're making more of an impact – like a Lilly Reale, like a Sarah Schupansky, like a Maddie Dahlien.
“Even young players like Avery Patterson. The story of Avery Patterson, for me, I know she's not new to the league, but she's still fairly young. To see what she's been able to do for her career this year, and now how important she is for the USWNT even, she's been able to shine. It's the year of Avery in my opinion.”
For more expert analysis and insight, check out Jill Loyden's keepers to watch, Merritt Mathias's players to watch in the second half, Saskia Webber’s difference makers to watch, Jordan Angeli’s playmaker picks, and Lianne Sanderson's MVP predictions.