The race to finish above the playoff line continues to tighten as only the Chicago Stars are officially eliminated with just four matches to play. Gotham, Orlando, and Seattle all scored crucial victories, while Gift Monday netted the third hat trick of the season in historic fashion.

Gotham are heating up at the right time 

Gotham FC are clicking into gear at an opportune time. Their 3-0 drubbing of the Portland Thorns extends their unbeaten run to nine matches in all competitions. The result also included a series of firsts for Gotham.

This week in the National Women’s Soccer League, the Kansas City Current officially made history as they won the Shield. Meanwhile, backup goalkeepers continued to make their mark, and clubs continue to drop in and out of the vaunted playoff positions. Let’s discuss.

Vlatko Andonovoski and Kansas City Current clinch Shield at historic clip

The first job is done for the most dominant, consistent, and complete team in the NWSL this season. 

With a comprehensive 2-0 win at home over the Seattle Reign, the Kansas City Current lifted its first domestic hardware in its four-year history and officially etched itself into league history books. 

They are now the fastest team to win the Shield, having won the league title with five games to spare. The narrative wrote itself as the peerless Temwa Chawinga scored her side’s second goal on her 27th birthday. As a result, she retook the lead in the Golden Boot race, as she is tied on goals with Esther Gonzalez but has more assists. Records are still being written, as the Current’s back line has not allowed a goal in 812 minutes and has kept 14 clean sheets this season, and counting.

It is a meaningful accolade for head coach Vlatko Andonovski. The Current hired him three months after the USWNT’s disappointing quarterfinal exit from the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. His move back to Kansas City served as a homecoming of sorts, as Andonovski was at the helm of FC Kansas City for five years and won consecutive NWSL Championships in 2014 and 2015. There was one title that had eluded him until now: the NWSL Shield. 

With the regular season title officially in hand, the Current will now set its sights on finishing the job and taking its first Championship title back to CPKC Stadium.

Renewed Royals relish the role of spoiler

Don’t look now, but the Utah Royals are among the most in-form teams in the NWSL. Yet another second-half renaissance appears to be underway for Jimmy Coenraets’ side. The Royals extended their unbeaten run to a club record 6 matches after staving off a late comeback from Racing Louisville on Friday night to win 3-2. All three first-half goals were stunners in their own ways as Cloé Lacasse and Janni Thomsen netted their first goals of the season. However, Mina Tanaka’s finesse and finish were a true marvel. 

This week, the playoff hunt continued as the top of the table faced off, former frontrunners fell, youngsters shined, and the league handled a medical emergency. Let’s discuss.

Teams, league make the right and only call in response to Savannah DeMelo’s medical incident

Savannah DeMelo experienced a medical emergency towards the end of the second half of Sunday’s match between the Seattle Reign and Racing Louisville, prompting both teams to elect to take an early halftime. DeMelo was transported to a local hospital. Commentator Jordan Angeli returned to the broadcast audibly in tears. Several Seattle players (some of whom were visibly emotional) then emerged and applauded their fans. The game was officially abandoned and will resume at the start of the second half on Tuesday evening behind closed doors. DeMelo is “awake and in good spirits at a local hospital,” per a Monday update from Racing.

Angel City wins two in a row as transfer rumors involving Alyssa Thompson heat up, the Kansas City Current clinch a playoff spot before Labor Day, bottom teams continue to make things interesting, and Racing Louisville drop yet more points in stoppage time.

Where does Angel City stand amidst Alyssa Thompson’s reported transfer interest?

Angel City earned a 2-1 win over California counterparts Bay FC, and now sit just outside the playoff line in ninth place. Monday night’s result, however, feels like a burial of the lede, as it was set in the backdrop of multiple departures. On Wednesday, the club announced the transfers of Alana Kennedy and Katie Zelem to the Lion City Lionesses for an unspecified fee. Those exits were soon overshadowed by bombshell reports of Chelsea’s interest in 20-year-old star winger Alyssa Thompson. The deal is reportedly in “advanced talks” prior to the FA Women’s Super League’s deadline day on September 4, as Thompson was an “excused absence” from Monday’s match.   

For yet another week, other storylines overshadowed the actual soccer in the National Women’s Soccer League. We saw a record number of draws, more heat disruptions, and a dramatic game in Washington, D.C., where the most moving action took place off the field. No matter what or where those storylines come from, there is always much to discuss in the most competitive league in the world. So let’s discuss.

Draws aplenty; goals not so much

The restart from the summer international break has seen a clear pattern: lots of draws and very few goals. For the first time in NWSL history, league play resulted in a majority of draws for three consecutive weeks. There have been a total of 13 draws since the league resumed action on August 1, 62% of all results. Comparatively, there were just five draws during the same span this time last season. 

For the first time since April 2019, the National Women’s Soccer League saw its second consecutive matchweek produce draws in more than half of its matches. That fluke was not the main storyline, as the league tried to stir up “Rivalry Week” across three different fixtures, while off-the-field issues hogged the spotlight.

The North Carolina Courage’s messaging own goal

It was a regrettable 72 hours for the North Carolina Courage front office in terms of communication, regrets entirely of their own making. 

It was a midsummer’s dream for fans of women’s soccer, as the month of July played host to three memorable continental tournaments. Common throughlines ran through the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), UEFA Women’s Euro, and CONMEBOL Copa America Feminina, such as dramatic and well-attended finals, epic penalty shootouts, familiar champions, and gripping matches from start to finish. However, as a brighter spotlight shines on the international women’s game, it also illuminates the disparities and inequities that persist within.

On-field action

The winner’s medals belonged to familiar faces, as Nigeria completed Mission X with their 10th continental title, England overcame Spain to claim their second straight Euro, and Brazil outlasted Colombia to lift their ninth trophy. 

ZURICH, Switzerland – Special players have the ability to turn matches on their heads. After 113 minutes, one wonderred if such a player was going to emerge from the 0-0 deadlock in which Spain and Germany found themselves on Wednesday in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 semifinal.

But then, Aitana Bonmatí produced a signature moment of magic in in that 113th minute to break the deadlock and send Spain to their first Euros final. 

The coolness in the air (65 degrees Fahrenheit at kick-off) flowed through the tempo of play throughout normal time. Absent was the overt physicality or fiery dramatics of past knockout matches. This, instead, would be a tempered and tactical slow burn.

BASEL, Switzerland — The last quarterfinal of UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 featured an epic battle royale in Basel. 

It was déjà vu of the worst sort for France, as Les Bleues fell victim to more profligacy in front of goal to fall short in a major tournament again. Germany’s steely mentality, personified by Ann-Katrin Berger’s legend-making performance in goal, ultimately won out.