NWSL Review | Matchweek 10
Victories for all the top four teams but defeats for Angel City and Seattle Reign, plus the winless runs go on for Utah Royals and Chicago Stars. This is our review of Matchweek 10 in the NWSL.
With an international break now taking place this week was a chance for the clubs to take one last bit of momentum with them before the upcoming break. Five clubs were able to get the win this weekend and in doing so it has create a few gaps between teams in the table.
Ten weeks down and it feels like two clubs in particular are struggling and all but able to write off this season barring an unbelievable turnaround in their fortunes. While others will be hoping that after the break they can get some form going and challenge for a top-eight finish.
Every matchweek, we will provide you with a recap of the weekend’s action from the National Women’s Soccer League, reviewing some of the match details and talking points that happened.
Utah Royals 1-3 Orlando Pride
It was back to winning ways for Orlando this weekend after three games without a win. A Barbra Banda first-half hat-trick gave the Pride all three points in Utah against a struggling Royals side.
Banda opened the scoring after six minutes when she slotted home an Ally Watt cross past Mandy McGlynn. However, the lead didn’t last long as eight minutes later the Royals were level when Brecken Mozingo got her second goal of the campaign for the club. After that though, Orlando were able to take control of the game and show their dominance for the rest of the first half with Banda adding her second after 37 minutes. A minute later, she completed her hat-trick following a fast break and she was able to put home a great pass by Haley McCutcheon.
In the second half, Utah Royals were trying to find a way back into the game, but none of their chances were able to beat Anna Moorhouse in the Orlando goal. For Orlando, the win was a good thing, but they do stay in third place on 19 points, whilst Utah remain second from last on five points.
Seattle Reign 1-2 Washington Spirit
Washington Spirit made it two wins out of their last three by defeating Seattle at the weekend, with all the goals in this one happening in the first half of the game.
The opening ten minutes were all in the Spirits’ favour having three chances including a potential goal for Gift Monday which was ruled out after a VAR review due to offside. However, it did not stop the away side from eventually getting in front as a few minutes later they took the lead when Croix Bethune netted her first goal of the season, getting on the end of a Casey Krueger cross.
Seattle found a way back into the game not too long after when Shae Holmes took an effort with her left foot which went past Aubrey Kingsbury to level things up. Ten minutes before the break, Ashley Hatch put the Spirit ahead again and added to her tally for the season with her sixth goal via a close-range shot. The forward who celebrated her 30th birthday on Saturday now actually sits one goal shy of tying Alex Morgan in fourth place in the all-time NWSL leading scorers chart.
Washington Spirit move back up to fourth having overtaken Portland Thorns in the standings as the Thorns weren’t in league action this past weekend. There’s no change in the table for Seattle Reign who have now lost two of their last three.
Chicago Stars 1-3 Kansas City Current
Vlatko Andonovski’s side continues to lead the way in the NWSL this season with their eighth win of the campaign and in this game against bottom-of-the-league Chicago Stars, goals came from Bia Zaneratto, Temwa Chawinga and Kayla Sharples, making light work of Chicago who are still struggling to find any good form this season.
The hosts did score one goal early in the second half when Shea Groom pulled one back to make it 2-1, but less than ten minutes later, Sharples made it 3-1. The Current won this even without Debinha and Alana Cook, with the latter now being placed on the season-ending-injury list after suffering an ACL, MCL and Meniscus tear last weekend.
Another great week for the Current keeps them four points clear at the top of the table, whilst Chicago remain rooted to the foot of the table now losing three games in a row for the second time this season.
Houston Dash 2-2 Bay FC
Both of these teams took a point each from this game and Bay FC went close to winning as a whole but they didn’t hold on towards the end of the game against Houston Dash who are near them in the NWSL standings.
Defender Avery Patterson broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute for Houston after shooting into the top corner. The run from Bárbara Olivieri before she found Patterson played a big part in this goal when she dribbled past four Bay FC players in the process. The away side came out firing in the second half though as they found two goals in the space of three minutes with Penelope Hocking making it 1-1 in the 53rd minute and then Rachel Hill scored at the near post to make it 2-1.
As said, Bay FC failed to hold on for the win that would have helped them climb the table as Messiah Bright equalised in the 88th minute for Houston. Olivieri was involved again for Houston Dash, doing a bit of a touch-and-go with Bright and it’s the first goal of the season scored by the forward. Houston stay twelfth while Bay FC drop to 11th.
Angel City 2-3 Racing Louisville
Racing Louisville pulled off a big victory over Angel City, which has moved them into the top eight and that is despite going down to ten players in the second half when Kayla Fischer was dismissed.
Taylor Flint gave them the lead from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute with the only goal of the first half. The second started with Angel City’s rookie standout Riley Tiernan bagging another goal for this season in the 48th minute. Things didn’t stay level for very long however, as Emma Sears restored Louisville’s lead in the 53rd minute with a header from close range.
The lead even got strengthened a few minutes later with Savannah DeMelo making it 3-1 and Louisville seemed to put themselves in a good position, only to make things nervy when the Fischer sending off then happened and Alyssa Thompson making it 3-2 from the penalty spot.
The result stayed at 3-2 and Bev Yanez’s Racing Louisville inflicted a fourth defeat of the season on Angel City, plus managed to make it a third win for themselves in their last four games.
San Diego Wave 5-2 North Carolina Courage
Two of the in-form teams collided to end week ten in the league and San Diego Wave produced another statement showing by scoring five at Snapdragon Stadium against North Carolina Courage.
The Courage actually had it go their way to begin with when Felicitas Rauch headed in on the 12th minute, but as has been the story of this weekend, the lead didn’t last when Perle Morroni levelled the game in the 25th minute and then fifteen minutes later, Adriana Leon scored her first of the game give San Diego the lead heading into half-time.
Manaka Matsukubo was on the scoresheet again for North Carolina this season when the attacking midfielder made it 2-2 in the 51st minute. From then on though, San Diego took the game into their advantage. It all started with defender Kristen McNabb restoring the lead at 3-2 and then Adriana Leon’s second goal was scored minutes later. Maria Sanchez capped it all off with the fifth goal in the 95th minute.
A sixth win for San Diego Wave keeps them second and in a great frame of mind with this long unbeaten run that they find themselves on right now. It’s a disappointing loss for North Carolina looking at the scoreline and it knocks them to tenth position.
