Things are heating up in the NWSL standings but there’s still plenty of season left. Here’s a recap of what you might have missed this last weekend.
Friday, June 21
Orlando Pride 6, Utah Royals 0
Barbra Banda led the Orlando Pride to their most dominant performance in club history with two goals and a brace, alongside goals from Summer Yates, Marta, and Ally Watt, in a decisive victory over the Utah Royals. Banda opened the scoring in the 27th minute, and Yates doubled the lead before halftime by capitalizing on a defensive error.
In the second half, Marta scored after collecting a deflected cross, and Banda secured her fourth brace of the season by outrunning Utah’s defense and slotting home a loose ball. Banda then assisted Marta for another goal, sacrificing her chance for a hat trick. In the final moments of extra time, Ally Watt capped the night by scoring off a deep cross from Banda.
Watch the full highlights here.
Saturday, June 22
Houston Dash 0, San Diego Wave 0
San Diego Wave traveled to Houston and played the home team to a 0-0 draw Saturday afternoon but it wasn’t for a lack of trying that the match remained scoreless. Three shots from the Wave and a shot from Houston required both goalkeepers to make diving saves and in the 63rd minute, a goal from Wave forward Kyra Carusa was called offside. The match ended with clean sheets and points for both sides in what is surely a disappointing result for the Wave, who sit just outside a spot in the playoffs.
Watch the full highlights here.
The atmosphere was electric in the Bay Area on Saturday night when Angel City FC traveled to San Jose to face Bay FC for the second time this season (and in club history). Last time the two clubs met, Bay FC was declared the victor by a single goal and this time was no different as a lone goal from Tess Boade was the deciding factor for who was awarded all three points. In the 33rd minute, Emily Menges slipped a cross to Tess Boade in front of the goal, who diverted it into the far corner of the goal with no chance of being saved by ACFC goalkeeper DiDi Haračić. Both sides traded opportunities the rest of the match but ultimately, the score remained the same and in favor of the home team.
Watch the full highlights here.
Sunday, June 23
Portland Thorns FC 1, Kansas City Current 4
Lo'eau LaBonta captained the Kansas City Current to a commanding victory against the Portland Thorns Sunday morning in a repeat of the season opener. LaBonta herself opened the scoring in the 30th minute, which was followed by a goal from Stine Ballisager and then another goal from LaBonta. In the 47th minute Temwa Chawinga scored her ninth goal of the season and in the 73rd minute, Sophia Smith scored, getting her squad on the score sheet and giving them hope for a late match comeback. Kansas City goalkeeper Adrianna Franch made five saves and Shelby Hogan recorded three saves for Portland. An unsung hero for the Current, Elizabeth Ball assisted two goals and made 6 clearances.
Watch the full highlights here.
NJ/NY Gotham FC 0, Washington Spirit 2
The Spirit secured a 2-0 victory over NJ/NY Gotham FC, their second victory against the reigning champs this season. Rookie Courtney Brown netted her first career goal with an assist from Croix Bethune in the 27th minute, breaking the deadlock. Yazmeen Ryan would ultimately be awarded two yellow cards, leaving Gotham FC with ten players.
Early in the second half, Trinity Rodman extended the Spirit's lead with her fourth goal of the season. Despite Gotham's attempts to rally, including a missed penalty by Katie Stengel in the 88th minute, Kingsbury's crucial saves preserved the shutout.
Watch the full highlights here.
North Carolina Courage 3, Chicago Red Stars 1
The Chicago Red Stars faced off against the North Carolina Courage for the first time this season in Cary, NC, with the home team emerging victorious despite an early setback. Red Stars forward Mal Swanson opened the scoring in the 12th minute, but it proved to be their only goal of the match. The Courage responded with goals from Ashley Sanchez and Meredith Speck, securing the win, and Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy contributed with three key saves. The Red Stars are now winless in their last five matches and must secure points next weekend to halt their slide in the standings.
Watch the full highlights here.
Seattle Reign FC 1, Racing Louisville FC 1
Seattle Reign hosted Bev Yanez and Racing Louisville Sunday with both teams having to settle for a draw. In the 9th minute, Racing went down a player when Arin Wright was given a red card after a foul in the box, which Reign forward Bethany Balcer calmly converted. The remainder of the match was fairly quiet, with Claudia Dickey providing most of the entertainment to the crowd in the form of gravity-defying saves. In the final minutes of the match, Reilyn Turner made a gravity-defying move of her own, sliding and extending her leg out to redirect the ball into the goal, tying the game up. This marked Turner's second late stoppage-time goal of the season, with all three of her rookie career goals occurring after the 87th minute.