2019 NWSL season: Players from New England to watch for

Samantha Mewis will yet again play in the NWSL in 2019. (Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

A massive season in women's soccer awaits, and all eyes are on France.

The European nation will host the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup from June 7 to July 7, and the U.S. women's national team will look to defend its place atop the world's game.

Before that unfolds, the seventh season of the National Women's Soccer League is set to get underway this weekend. It's the longest-running professional women's soccer league in American history, featuring global stars across nine teams.

Sprinkled in is a handful of New England's best and brightest players, ones who are set to leave a profound mark on the 2019 NWSL season. When games get underway April 13, here are the locals to watch for when streaming games online or watching in person. The championship is set for Oct. 26.