The National Women’s Soccer League’s August Team of the Month has been announced. Portland Thorns midfielder Lindsey Horan makes her fifth Team of the Month appearance after leading her team to a 4-1-0 record and clinching a playoff berth in August. Chicago Red Stars forward Sam Kerr earns a spot for the second straight month […]

The National Women’s Soccer League’s August Team of the Month has been announced. Portland Thorns midfielder Lindsey Horan makes her fifth Team of the Month appearance after leading her team to a 4-1-0 record and clinching a playoff berth in August. Chicago Red Stars forward Sam Kerr earns a spot for the second straight month after scoring five goals and chipping in one assist this month. Kerr also took the lead in the Golden Boot race in August with 14 goals.Seattle Reign FC take the lead in representation on the August Team of the Month with goalkeeper Lydia Williams and defenders Megan Oyster and Theresa Nielsen. The Reign backline went undefeated in August and conceded just one goal for a 3-0-2 record to close out the month. The August Team of the Month was selected by the NWSL Media Association. The team lines up in a 4-3-3 formation. [Youtube oembed has failed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dlEAaExYZ0]

 GK: Lydia Williams, Seattle Reign FC

Lydia Williams made 23 saves in August, as the Reign went undefeated on the month. In five appearances, Williams conceded just one goal and helped the Reign earn four clean sheets. Williams has 10 clean sheets in 2018 and with one more she will tie the individual record.

D: Abby Erceg, North Carolina Courage

Abby Erceg was essential in holding the Courage’s backline together and helping her team win the 2018 NWSL Shield. The captain remains the only Courage player to have played every minute of the season after logging another 360 minutes in North Carolina’s four games in August (2,070 total). She picks up Team of the Month honors for the fourth straight time this year. Erceg maintained an 85.97% passing accuracy, won 22 duels, made 25 clearances, nine interceptions and eight blocks in August.

D: Megan Oyster, Seattle Reign FC

The Reign FC defender makes her first appearance this season on Team of the Month. Oyster led the Reign to an undefeated five-game run in August and started every game. She earned one assist in the Reign’s 1-0 victory over Utah Royals FC at the beginning of the month. She made 24 clearances, 21 interceptions, two blocks and won 20 duels in August.

D: Theresa Nielsen, Seattle Reign FC

Neilsen is another key piece to the Reign’s undefeated run in August. The defender scored her first NWSL goal in Seattle’s 1-1 draw with the North Carolina Courage in Week 22. Nielsen also earned an assist in Seattle’s 2-0 win over Houston in Week 22. Nielsen finished the month with 23 duels won and is third in the league in tackles won with 47. She also capped off August with 17 clearances and eight chances created.

D: Taylor Comeau, Houston Dash

Taylor Comeau earns a spot on Team of the Month for the first time this season after chipping in two assists for the Dash in August. The defender played in all five of the Dash’s games this month and created seven chances. She ended the month with nine clearances, seven interceptions, two blocks and 20 duels won.

M: Vanessa DiBernardo, Chicago Red Stars

Vanessa DiBernardo helped the Red Stars to an undefeated run in August (1-0-3) — scoring one goal and adding two assists. The midfielder created 15 chances this month on 259 touches. She won 23 duels and made eight interceptions.

M: Lindsey Horan, Portland Thorns FC

A familiar face to the Team of the Month roster, Lindsey Horan makes her fifth-straight appearance in the line-up this year. Horan scored two goals in August and is in third place in the Golden Boot race with 11 goals this season. The midfielder won 66 duels and created four chances this month. Horan currently leads the league in total touches with 1,759 this season.

M: Sofia Huerta, Houston Dash

Sofia Huerta helped the Dash to three wins in August (3-2-0 record) by scoring three times and adding two assists. The midfielder finished the month with 27 shots, 12 on target, 13 chances created on 292 total touches. She also won 32 duels. Huerta is tied for second in the league in assists with six.

F: Tobin Heath, Portland Thorns FC

Tobin Heath had a month to remember, scoring three times and also dishing out three assists. The midfielder created 12 chances on 328 total touches. In 197 passes, she finished the month with a 78.98% passing accuracy. Heath picked up Week 22’s NWSL Goal of the Week for her left-footed stunner into the near post to give Portland a 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit.

F: Sam Kerr, Chicago Red Stars

Once again, Sam Kerr’s August goal tally leads among her fellow honorees on the Team of the Month squad. The forward exploded for five goals in August, topping the month off with back-to-back two-goal performances. Kerr took the lead in Golden Boot race after scoring twice in the Red Stars 3-1 win over the Pride in Week 22. In that same game, Kerr also had an assist. In addition to taking over the league-lead in goals with 14, Kerr created eight chances for her team and led the Red Stars to an unbeaten four-game run in August.

F: Lynn Williams, North Carolina Courage

In August, Lynn Williams scored a brace to secure the 2018 NWSL Shield for the Courage in Week 19. The forward was also named Week 19 Player of the Week. Williams made the Team of the Month roster after helping the Courage to a 2-0-1 record and scoring four goals. Williams is second in the Golden Boot race with 12 goals — two shy of Kerr’s leading 14 goals. Williams finished the month with 26 shots and nine on target. She created seven chances for her team and won 27 duels. She continues to lead the league in shots with 88 this season and is second in shots on target with 39. The NWSL Team of the Month is selected each month of the regular season by the NWSL Media Association, a collection of writers that cover the league on a consistent basis. For more information on the NWSL Media Association, follow them on Twitter.