Ryan Williams is always striving to be better.
That drive has led Williams to become one of the best outside back in the NWSL and a critical piece of the North Carolina Courage.
“I always want to have goals for myself. I think it’s important to always strive for something. There is always room for growth. When I get good at something that I really wanted to do or meet a goal I set for myself, I want to make sure that I’m still able to push myself with something else,” Williams told NCCourage.com
The Courage right back leads all NWSL defenders in tackles won and interceptions this season and she ranks second overall in both. For Williams, as much as those stats demonstrate her own success on the field, it is a reflection of a total team effort.
“It really comes from the team being organized. I don’t get those opportunities if the team isn’t set up correctly and making plays predictable for me from front to back. The stats reflect me individually, but they are really for the whole team,” Williams said.
She hasn’t just been a rock-solid defender this season, In addition to her rock-solid defense, Williams is also getting involved on the offensive end, leading all defenders in passes into the final third. Adding her offensive involvement to her ball-winning defensive abilities, Williams is on her own private island compared to other NWSL defenders.
The Courage’s playoff-clinching win over the San Diego Wave was a prime example of Williams’ well-rounded game, where she led the Courage in accurate passes, duels won, possessions won, tackles won, and interceptions.
That game, as seen in this passing map, was also a prime example of Williams’ ability to connect with Ashley Sanchez and Kerolin Nicoli and form a combination that terrifies opposing left flanks.
“It’s really fun when the players around me are so technical and really want the ball. They want to combine and do similar things that I want to do, which is basically make it really hard for the other team to win the ball and then combine and be dangerous. It’s been really fun creating a relationship on the field with Ash and Kero now that she is back. I think there is room for growth and improvement, but I am happy with what we’ve been able to do,” Williams said, another nod to her constant desire for improvement.
While not credited with an assist, it was Williams’ cross that found Manaka Matsukubo’s head for the game-winning and playoff-clinching goal in that game, demonstrating the impact of her offensive involvement on the final result. While a defender’s deflection cost her the assist, she created the chance.
Williams’ total passing metrics are more comparable to a center back with her volume and overall accuracy. In fact, just teammates Kaleigh Kurtz and Malia Berkely have completed more passes in an NWSL season since 2016, when Opta began tracking stats for the league.
The connection between Kurtz and Williams has given the Courage a stout combination on the right side of the back line. Kurtz knows better than anyone exactly what Williams’ ability means for the players around her.
“It makes my job a lot easier. The speed at which she can get back helps me not get pulled out of my position. I can halfway come out and it forces the forward to make a decision if they want to come at me, but Ryan is always sprinting back. She’s usually the one that can make the tackle or interception. It makes my job easier with her having that recovery speed and I know that no matter what, she is going to make that run. She would have to have both legs broken to not make that run back,” Kurtz said of her defensive partner.
That stable reliability has been a cornerstone of the entire Courage defensive unit’s strength this season and Williams is a prime example of that reliability.
“Something that doesn’t get talked about enough, especially with our backline, is the consistency at which we play at such a high level. She is someone that is reliable, she is going to get stuck into tackles, she’s gotten so much better with her feet over the years, as have I. The coaching staff have really helped us develop in that way. But she is just someone that is so reliable,” Kurtz said.
Heavy defensive involvement, high-volume and accurate passing plus an engine to get forward and create. Williams has everything an outside back needs and is executing at the highest level.
The conversations about where Ryan Williams ranks among the NWSL’s best defenders are long overdue, but we here at NCCourage.com are glad those conversations are finally being had.
