Sam Kerr, the people’s princess! I’ll get into her a bit later, but this gal is a happy camper today, me being the gal in question. Let’s get into the myriad weekend games and talk about tonight’s matchup.
NC Courage (5) vs. Orlando Pride (0)
Bangers after bangers for the Courage. Evelyn Ijeh had a hat trick, Ashley Sanchez scored in extra time, and rookie Lauryn Thompson got her first NWSL goal in the 8th minute. As we get further and further away from Orlando’s magical 2024 season, one wonders what the next step in their evolution will be, if one is even possible with this roster and this coach. Orlando had 2 shots on goal with a 0.57 xG, and they have dropped to 10th in the standings. Marta is neutered, and without Barbra Banda they have no one to plug in to her place that is at all comparable. Sebastian Hines better figure something out quickly or I fear his job is in jeopardy. Way to go, Courage, this was a fun one to watch!
Racing Louisville (2) vs. Chicago Stars (1)
Completely unsurprising result, Racing looked better because they are the better team. If Chicago had any post-season hopes, they have been all but dashed.
Kansas City Current (1) vs. Angel City FC (1)
For Angel City, this is a win. They scored first, kept KC to one goal in the first half, and got a point at the insanely difficult CPKC Stadium. Taylor Suarez is a revelation for this Angel City offense, as she’s really creative with great instincts around the goal. Unfortunately, our Icelandic princess Sveindís Jónsdóttir suffered a pretty gnarly injury around the 90th minute, and was escorted off the field in tears, which does not bode well for the rest of Angel City’s season. KC had a decent game over all, but when they can’t even win a game against a middling Angel City on their home turf, they’re in trouble.
Houston Dash (0) vs. Gotham FC (1)
The haters are quiet! Gotham winning this one was big, coming off a brutal road trip where Emily Sonnett was ruled out for the rest of the season, Esther González left the team, and starting goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger sat for two games. Backup GK Shelby Hogan held it down, making 6 saves, at least 3 of which were absolutely phenomenal. Houston looked decent, with former Gotham player Khyah Harper playing some solid minutes in her debut with the Dash, but Gotham looked better. They dominated possession, xG, and passes, and came out on top in the Lone Star State. Sam Kerr’s goal in the 46th minute was a thing of beauty, and we are so lucky she is back in the NWSL. Thank goodness they got to come home after that one, finally.
Bay FC (2) vs. Seattle Reign (3)
Some late game heroics from Reign captain Jess Fishlock secured three points on the road for Seattle. Mia Fishel and Maddie Dahlien got on the board early for Seattle, with Hannah Bebar and Keira Barry responding in kind for Bay FC. The game was quite even overall, which I was expecting, and I do think Seattle is proving to be a tenacious team that can grit it out. Things are starting to fall into place for them, and it makes for some very exciting soccer as a neutral.
Washington Spirit (0) vs. San Diego Wave (1)
Color me shocked at this result, in Rowdy Audi of all places. This was a tough game, with torrential downpours throughout the entire 90 minutes. San Diego played extremely well, with rookie Lia Godfrey scoring the lone goal in the 60th minute. Washington looked discombobulated, only recording two shots on goal. The Wave were able to completely disarm Trinity Rodman, with this being her first time in four games without a goal or assist, and her first of the last five home games for the Spirit with no goal contribution. It’s possible the weather played a part in this loss for them, because it looked miserable, but they will want this one back in a big way.
Utah Royals (5) vs. Portland Thorns (1)
So, Sophia Wilson scored within the first 40 seconds. And that was pretty much the bright spot for Portland in this game. They got routed, they got spatchcocked, they got turned every which way but forward in this game by the indomitable Utah Royals. five goals by four different players is pretty brutal, especially for a team of the Portland Thorns caliber. Their defense has been pretty solid, but they have now been without a win since their 4-0 creaming of Louisville, which was on July 5th. Utah is good, and them winning is not a surprise, but them winning by this much is somewhat shocking. Portland needs to do some soul-searching and figure out what it is they’re missing, because at this rate a home-field playoff berth is looking farther and farther away from their grasp.
Denver Summit (1) vs. Boston Legacy (1)
While a tie in its official capacity, this is a win for the Legacy and a loss to the Summit. These two expansion teams have been a real case of haves and have-nots this season, with the Summit setting a standard of excellent football that other expansion teams, the Legacy included, have struggled to reach in their first year in the league. That being said, Boston has been improving throughout the season. Acquisitions like Lilly Reale have made their defense one of the better of the league in recent weeks, an even without their lead scorer in Aïssata Traoré, they were able to score relatively early against a great Summit team. The Summit of course came back with a Janine Sonis penalty kick, but Boston will happily take this point on the road. The summit weren’t able to capitalize in ways they like, and this was not an amazing game for Lindsay Heaps. It brings me back to a theory my good friend and subscriber Sarah and I have, which is that Heaps is potentially wanting her remaining playing years to be a victory lap in the NWSL, and we don’t believe she has the speed to keep up, both metaphorically and literally. Only time will tell, but this game was potentially a marker of less-than-stellar performances from her.
Alright folks, tonight’s game!
Denver Summit vs. North Carolina Courage
7 PM PT, CBS Sports
I am anticipating an even, and hopefully exciting, game between the Summit and the Courage this evening. The real question is, will NC be able to keep their offensive momentum going in high altitude? I would hope so! I would love for Ashley Sanchez to get this Golden Boot, and another goal or two from her tonight would do wonders in that race. If Denver can frustrate Ashley Sanchez on the wing and delay her excellent service into the box, they will be in decent shape. If NC can just outrun Lindsay Heaps and stay vigilant on Janine Sonis, they will be in better shape. I’m going to go Denver 2-3 NC. Let’s see!
Thanks for reading everyone, enjoy your Wednesday, and I’ll be back with a recap of tonight’s game later this week!
Anna