[NWSL] The National Women's Soccer League will kick off its first season the weekend of April 13-14. The first game on April 13 will pit the Portland Thorns with Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair at FC Kansas City, which will play its game at 6,150-seat Shawnee Mission North District Stadium but has yet to commit to a venue for the league opener.

(Click here for schedule.)

The remaining six clubs in the league will begin their respective campaigns the next day with three games: Chicago-Seattle, Sky Blue FC-Western New York Flash and Boston-Washington.

Most teams will play at small venues. Shawnee Mission North District Stadium, where FC Kansas City has already sold more than 1,000 tickets, is the third-largest venue after Portland's Jeld-Wen Field (capacity: 20,323) and Western New York's Sahlen's Stadium (13,768).

-- Each of the league's eight clubs will play a total of 22 games during the regular season that will conclude the weekend of Aug. 18.

-- The top four teams will qualify for the playoffs and compete in the semifinals Aug. 24. The NWSL will crown its inaugural champion on Aug. 31.