In the latest round of NWSL action, Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage got wins in high-scoring affairs, and the top two spots remain with the top two defenses in the league.
Utah remains in third, but lost out on the chance to close the gap. Carolina earned two victories during the week, strongly buoying their push up the ladder. Racing Louisville is showing weekly improvement, while Chicago continues to falter offensively.
Portland’s Pietra Tordin scored the first hat-trick of her young career, but the Thorns got the devastating news that fellow young superstar Olivia Moultrie ruptured her ACL during training this week and will be out for the rest of the season. Washington got lit up for the first time all season, and Gotham opened some space at the top.
North Carolina nets two in the second to claim victory at DenverCarolina took their time, but were eventually able to solve Abby Smith for a road win at Denver. The first half saw good defense by both sides, holding their opponents to shots from distance that both keepers handled easily. Denver’s best chance came early off the foot of Yazmeen Ryan, and Kailen Sheridan pushed it over the bar. The Courage had their best go a few minutes later, a shot outside the box from Erica Parkinson that Smith turned aside. The half ended knotted at zero, but the tempo would change quickly after the restart.
Just one minute into the second, Parkinson made a run into the box. Eva Gaetino closed to make the play and took down the Courage attacker. The referee pointed directly to the spot, and Riley Jackson tucked it home for the lead. From that point, Tash Flint and the Summit fired away at Sheridan, but again, largely from distance. Then, in the 81st minute, Carolina got the insurance goal. Ally Schlegel got onto a ball dropped in from midfield, and muscled it through a charging Smith. Schlegel followed the ball to the line and hammered home. With the win, Carolina remains firmly entrenched in a playoff position, while Denver slips further out.
Racing outlasts Orlando in shot-filled matchShooter legs and goalkeeper hands must have been tired after this one. The defenses were hard pressed to keep up with the constant attacks thrown at them, and it didn’t take long to open the scoring. Just 16 minutes in, Racing’s Katie O’Kane sent a corner into the box. Audrey Mckeen timed her run perfectly and put a header past Anna Moorhouse. The two sides each hit the other’s crossbar among eight shots sent in each. Both Moorhouse and Louisville’s Jordyn Bloomer were constantly harried, but no other goals were scored in the half.
The teams came out of halftime and immediately continued to pepper the keepers with more shots. Louisville’s Lauren Milliet hit the bar again just five minutes in, and then she and Emma Sears teamed up to light the lamp. Halfway through the frame, Milliet sent Sears down the right side. Sears cut to the middle, then sent a shot into the far netting beyond Moorhouse’s reach. The two teamed up again 18 minutes later for almost the exact same goal. Milliet sent a ball ahead to Sears on the right side, Sears cut in to the middle and then sent her shot into the far netting again.
Orlando got one back in stoppage time when Kerry Abello sent an extremely long-range rocket past Bloomer, but that would be all for the home team. After a terrible start to the season, Louisville has now won three of their last four. Orlando is slipping, having dropped five of their last seven.
Gotham beats San Diego with their favorite scorelineSince 31 May, Gotham FC has played 10 matches. They have won five of those matches by identical 1-0 scores. The latest victim of the Bats’ one-and-done? The San Diego Wave.
Gotham started off on the front foot, with Guro Reiten nearly opening her NWSL account, but catching the far post. San Diego took over from there, testing Ann-Katrin Berger several times in the half. After a period of quiet, the home side got their goal just before half after some strong work by Jordynn Dudley. She fought and gained the ball at the top of the box, then passed over to Jaedyn Shaw on the left side. Shaw took a touch, then sent a beautiful curler inside the far post.
Then the second half began, and the legendary Gotham lockdown defense came in to play. The Bats limited the Wave to just two shots in the second half, only one of which was on frame. Gotham only tested Sandra Paños once, a Jaelin Howell header that she easily gobbled up. Gotham now goes four points clear of Washington at the top of the table, San Diego is in a rough patch, with just one win in their last five.
Jacobs winner gives Carolina the points in shoot-out with WashingtonWhen the Washington Spirit plays, you expect a low-scoring, tight defensive affair. Coming into this match, the side had only allowed 13 goals in 18 matches. And right now, North Carolina’s Evelyn Ijeh is scoring like no tomorrow, and she really doesn’t care about expectations.
The visitors wasted no time in this one. Just two minutes in, Shinomi Koyama dropped a ball into the box, and the menace Ashley Sanchez got under it to open the scoring. The Ijeh show started quickly thereafter. The Swedish international netted in the ninth and 15th minute — the first on a feed from Ally Schlegel. the second from the menace Sanchez. The half belonged to the Courage, and they were cruising.
And then, the second half came. The Spirit looked like a new team, and roared back quickly. Just two minutes into the half, Kate Wiesner fed Trinity Rodman for a perfectly placed goal. Three minutes after that, Wiesner put the ball into the box, and Sofia Cantore ended up with it directly in front of goal. She chipped in, and the home side was only down one. The Spirit completed the comeback in the 90th minute. Wiesner made the play again, sending in a corner that Rebeca Bernal headed on goal. Kailen Sheridan saved, but the rebound came right back to Bernal and she made no mistake.
And then, at the height of their joy, just as Washington thought they had fought all the way back to gain a well-earned point, Natalie Jacobs struck. Five minutes into the six added for extra time, Felicitas Rauch spotted her center-back making a run. Rauch fed Jacobs perfectly, and she fired past Sandy MacIver for the winner. Carolina is on a three match win streak, while Washington has uncharacteristically lost two straight.
Rader’s PK earns draw for Houston against Kansas CityThis match was very evenly played throughout, and the final score accurately reflected the efforts of the teams on the pitch. Visiting Kansas City tested Jane Campbell early, and she made two important if easy saves. The hometown Dash responded, with Kat Rader sending a hard shot at Marisa Jordan that the Current keeper looked all the way into her gloves. Late in the half, the visitors broke the deadlock. After breaking up a set piece by Houston, Croix Bethune and Debinha came back two-on-one against Houston’s Paige Nielsen. The defender did all she could to slow the attack, and even partially blocked Debinha’s attempt. Unfortunately, Nielsen didn’t wholly block the shot, and the ball went off of her and into the net.
The second half saw Houston come out charging at goal, and the Dash nearly tied it. Maggie Graham unleashed a shot near post that got past Jordan, but didn’t get past said near post. The home side finally got through in the later stages. 72 minutes in, Alyssa Chapman took a pass inside the box. Liz Ball closed to make the defensive play, but more body-checked Chapman than played the ball. The referee called the penalty, and Rader stepped up to the spot. She came around the ball, and sent Jordan right while she fired left. Rader nearly won it for Houston late, but her last minute free kick sailed just over the bar. The draw sees Kansas City remain middle of the pack, while Houston languishes near the bottom.
Sonis answers Milazzo’s late goal, gives Denver win over UtahThe drama came late in this one. The Summit and the Royals played an exciting match from whistle to whistle, and this one would only be decided in extra time. The first half was filled with chances for both sides. Halfway in, Denver’s Abby Smith made a huge save to deny Kiana Palacios. Five minutes later, Utah’s Mandy McGlynn returned the favor against Yazmeen Ryan. The half ended with nothing to separate the sides.
Denver got on the board early in the second. In the 51st minute, Janine Sonis placed a perfect ball right onto the foot of Ryan. She took one touch, then sent it far side to win this second battle with McGlynn. An amazing save by McGlynn late kept Utah within one, and then the late heroics began. Brecken Mozingo sent a cross into the box that went off of a Denver defender. The ball popped to Tatumn Milazzo, who quickly settled it and sent it top bins.
Into extra time, the Summit earned a free kick just outside the box, and Sonis stepped over the ball. She surveyed the pitch, then sent a low shot past the wall and just inside the near post for the win. Sonis should garner some Top XI and even MVP looks this season, as she has been in form from the opening day whistle. Denver strengthens their playoff hopes, while Utah misses out on a chance to overtake Washington for second in the table.
Portland holds off Boston comeback behind Tordin’s first hat trickPortland’s Pietra Tordin recorded the first hat trick of her young career, and it almost wasn’t enough to beat Boston. The visiting Thorns jumped out early on the Legacy, then withstood a furious second half comeback. Tordin started off very early, putting home a free kick just outside the box just 85 seconds in. Portland didn’t let Boston catch their breath, and doubled just four minutes later. Marie Müller sent Sophia Wilson through, and she sent it past Casey Murphy for the second. The Thorns kept the foot on the throttle, and Tordin struck four minutes later. Jessie Fleming intercepted a clearing attempt and immediately sent it to her striker just inside the box. Tordin took one touch, then finished to Murphy’s far side.
After settling down, Boston got the first back 31 minutes in. Sammy Smith sent a ball all the way across the face of goal, and Bianca St. Georges calmly finished to put the home side on the board. Portland answered five minutes later, as Mackenzie Arnold sent Tordin off to the races with a perfect goal kick. The young star took the ball on one bounce, then chipped over Murphy for her first career hat trick. Boston was not done though, and grabbed a second just before half. Barbara Olivieri ran across the top of the box, then laid off to Alba Caño. She quickly fired into the left post, just beyond Arnold’s reach.
The second half took it’s time before a goal was scored, and that goal added to the drama. Early in the half, Portland manager Robert Vilahamn was sent off after he played a ball that came at his feet. In the 70th mniute, Boston did everything but score on a scramble that Arnold finally controlled. Boston got their third late, when Aleigh Gambone ran around the entire Portland defense and sent the ball back to the middle. An unmarked Amanda Gutierres easily sent it home, and the home side had closed to within one. That was as close as they would get, however, and Portland got a desperately needed win. The debutante Legacy are a threat every week, and their success in wonderful to see.
Atkinson shines again as Chicago draws with BayChicago has been relying heavily on their star netminder this season, as Katie Atkinson has been averaging over six saves per match, while her team is averaging a league-worst 0.50 goals per match. And in this match against Bay, those two story lines held true again. Chicago did put the ball in the nest halfway through the first off the foot of Anna Gasper, but Nàdia Gomes was offside in the buildup. There was little action otherwise, with each side managing just one shot on target.
Bay put on more pressure in the second, and that is where Atkinson shined her brightest. A stop on an Alex Pfeiffer breakaway in the 52nd was the first great save. After two easier saves, Bay did put one past her, but this was also offside. Extra time was where Atkinson earned all the accolades. On basically the last play of the match, Bay’s Karlie Lema chased a ball down in the Chicago box. Atkinson charged out to meet her, and got to the ball just before the Bay attacker. The match ended as it had began, with the two sides filling out two of the last three spots in the table. While they did earn a point, Chicago must solve their offensive woes. The side has only scored five goals in their last 12 matches, and has been blanked in 13 of 18 matches played this season.
Angel City surrounds two Seattle goals for the drawAngel City scored the first and last goals of the match, and Seattle the two between for a very entertaining draw to end the week. The match took a while to get going, with both Angel City’s Angelina Anderson and Seattle’s Claudia Dickey having little to do. Visiting Angel City opened the scoring 32 minutes in on a wonderful piece of ball control from Gisele Thompson. Ary Borges sent her forward, and the US international worked her way across, then came back and tucked the ball just inside the near post. The half ended with no further action, but the second would be a different story.
Seattle found their offense quickly, beginning in the 50th minute. The Reign forced a turnover, and Mia Fishel dropped a ball in to Sally Menti in the box. She took a touch across herself, then made a sublime finish back the other way to equalize. Just two minutes later, and the home side took the lead. Following up on a broken play, Menti passed to Mia Fishel at the top of the box. She sent a wonderful curler top bins, and Seattle was up.
Only until Angel City made the substitution that made the difference, however. Prisca Chilufya came on in the 69th minute, and tied the match just three minutes later. Evelyn Shores sent a ball over the top, and Chilufya was the first one to it. The Zambian international quickly chipped over Dickey, and the sides were level again. Angharad James-Turner had an excellent late chance for Seattle, but Andersen tipped it over the bar. The draw sees the sides tied at 24 points, with Angel City holding the advantage on goal differential.
NWSL Week 16 results in full- Denver Summit 0-2 North Carolina Courage
- Orlando Pride 1-3 Racing Louisville
- Gotham FC 1-0 San Diego Wave
- Washington Spirit 3-4 North Carolina Courage
- Houston Dash 1-1 Kansas City Current
- Denver Summit 2-1 Utah Royals
- Boston Legacy 3-4 Portland Thorns
- Chicago Stars 0-0 Bay FC
- Seattle Reign 2-2 Angel City FC
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