Below is a roundup of notes from Week 7 of NWSL regular season action.
Below is a roundup of notes from Week 7 of NWSL regular season action.
ALONE AT THE TOP
With a win over expansion side Angel City FC, the Washington Spirit sit alone atop the NWSL standings as the last remaining unbeaten squad in regular season play. After finishing 11th in the league last season, the club has already eclipsed its win count from last year with its fourth victory of the 2023 campaign, and currently boasts a 4-0-3 record. Portland Thorns FC, the only other unbeaten team heading into Week 7, dropped a 2-1 decision to the Houston Dash last Friday, ending an 11-game undefeated stretch dating back to last September.
GOLDEN GOAL, GOLDEN BOOT
Spirit forward Ashley Hatch, whose penalty-spot conversion was the difference in Washington’s 1-0 win over Angel City last, currently leads the race for the NWSL’s 2023 Golden Boot, awarded to the league’s top scorer in the regular season. The forward won the 2021 award after scoring 10 goals in 20 regular-season appearances en route to the Spirit's first ever Championship title. With her fifth tally of the season, Hatch is the eighth player in league history to score 35 regular-season goals for one club. The Gilbert, Arizona native joined the Spirit in 2018 after being selected second overall by the North Carolina Courage in the 2017 NWSL Draft. Hatch’s penalty kick goal also marked the 250th regular-season goal for the Spirit. The D.C. club is the fourth team in league history to achieve the feat, joining the Chicago Red Stars, OL Reign and the Portland Thorns in reaching the mark.
EVERYONE WINS
Taking down the Chicago Red Stars by a 3-0 margin, Racing Louisville FC earned its first win of the regular season. Midfielder Wang Shuang, one of the goal scorers for the Kentucky-based club, secured her place in the league history book as the first Chinese international to score a goal in the NWSL. Thanks to the Wuhan, China native’s goal, her first in the league, the NWSL now boasts goal scorers from 34 national teams. In the same match, Chicago Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher appeared in her 150th NWSL match. The only keeper to reach the 150-game mark, Naeher also became just the second one to record 500 saves in the league, joining retired veteran Ashlyn Harris in achieving the feat.
A HISTORIC STREAK ENDS
In addition to snapping a four-match winless stretch, the Houston Dash’s all-important win over Portland also ended a historic streak for the Thorns. Until the team’s 2-1 setback against the Dash, the Thorns had not lost a match in which they maintained a halftime lead since August 16, 2017, when the team failed to hold off a 2-1 comeback effort from FC Kansas City. Houston’s win over the Thorns saw goals from midfielder Joelle Anderson and forward Ebony Salmon, who with her first tally of the 2023 season became the youngest player in Dash history to record 10 goals for the club. The Birmingham, England native notched a hat trick in her third appearance with the club last season following her trade from Racing Louisville.
IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME
Despite suffering a 2-0 loss to San Diego Wave FC, the Kansas City Current enjoyed its largest home crowd in club history, welcoming 12,969 fans to Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday. The nearly 13,000-person crowd is the latest record in a string of attendance booms across the NWSL. The club set its previous home attendance mark earlier this season when it faced the Portland Thorns in front of 11,301 fans.
WEEK 7 MATCH RESULTS
May 12, 2023
Racing Louisville FC vs. Chicago Red Stars | 3-0 Houston Dash vs. Portland Thorns FC | 2-1
May 13, 2023
Angel City FC vs. Washington Spirit | 0-1
May 14, 2023
North Carolina Courage vs. OL Reign | 1-0 NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. Orlando Pride | 0-0 Kansas City Current vs. San Diego Wave FC | 0-2
