“I think it’s essential to bring some of the innovations, perhaps even from the NWSL,” said Emma Hayes earlier as she compared the American women’s soccer league to England’s WSL. Coming from someone who spent over a decade in the league and won 16 trophies, that’s high praise. While it’s unclear exactly what changes the new USWNT boss would like to see in her former league, it seems the NWSL might even have an edge over the men’s Premier League—at least after hearing the key distinction that veteran McCall Zerboni was able to figure out.

In the latest episode of The Attacking Third podcast, the 38-year-old joined host and journalist Sandra Herrara as well as KC Current midfielder Lo LaBonta to discuss the greatest NWSL rivalries. Everyone agreed that the Cascadia rivalry between Seattle Reign and Portland Thorns tops the chart. This led LaBonta to also share her thoughts on their recent matchup. “When I was watching that game, I could hear the fans so loud,” remarked the Current midfielder.

Assuming she was watching the game on TV, it’s still quite impressive how the entire Lumen Field was literally audible to the midfielder. Notably, the match was being played at the Reign’s home turf, Lumen Field. While it would be natural for the hosts to have their fanbase in numbers, LaBonta insisted that the Thorns supporters weren’t less as well, cheering at the highest pitch they could.

While it was the home side that secured the crucial three points, thanks to a fourth-minute strike from Maddie Dahlien, LaBonta expressed that she’s more excited about the return clash when Seattle visits Portland’s Providence Park. Interestingly, this sentiment was echoed by McCall Zerboni, who noted that the three-hour drive makes it easy for away fans to attend their rivals’ games without any restrictions on numbers.

In fact, Zerboni pointed out how this is something even the so-called “greatest league in the world” doesn’t allow. “In the Premier League, they limit the amount of fans that can come from the away team. But the NWSL will eventually have to get there one day where they don’t want it to be louder from away fans. So they’re going to have to limit who can attend who you’re representing,” asserted Zerboni.

Notably, according to Premier League regulations, away fans must be allocated at least 3,000 tickets or 10% of the stadium’s capacity if it holds fewer than 30,000 spectators. Meanwhile, the UEFA rulebook states that the visiting team’s supporters receive 5% of the total stadium capacity, with seats reserved specifically in a designated section. This clearly means that there’s little impact that the away fans can have while supporting their team that is playing out from home. Meanwhile, the NWSL doesn’t seem to have any sort of rule. Then again, it doesn’t mean it’s all roses in the American women’s domestic league; there are some drawbacks as well!

NWSL lacks ‘grace’ for players, unlike European leagues!

Previously, Tobin Heath applauded Europe’s more relaxed approach to scheduling, pointing out how players overseas get sufficient downtime after international tournaments—something that’s often missing in the NWSL or even the MLS. “‘Boom, you’re back in the NWSL, make the playoffs, win the Shield, win the championship.’ And you’re like, ‘Can I get a break?’ I think that’s really, really hard,” Heath shared on the RE—INC podcast, expressing how exhausting the cycle can be.

She also noted that in years with major international competitions, the latter half of the NWSL season tends to take a hit. That’s largely due to how early the league starts, making it tough for players to reintegrate post-international duty. On the other hand, European leagues allow players more time to gradually transition back during preseason before their domestic campaigns officially resume.

Who knew European leagues, both men’s and women’s hold such an advantage over the American domestic leagues? Regardless, share your thoughts in the comments as well.