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The NWSL Golden Boot race is tightening, with Ashley Hatch closing in on league leader Sophia Smith.
While Smith scored her 11th goal of the season for the Portland Thorns last week to extend her lead, Washington Spirit forward Ashley Hatch made up ground this week. That, combined with the fact that Smith went down with an injury in the Thorns’ 1-1 draw with the Spirit, means the race could tighten even further in the coming weeks.
Hatch hasn’t slowed down since the NWSL returned from the World Cup break. As a matter of fact, she didn’t slow down during the break, as the USWNT snub had a great showing in the Challenge Cup — but those goals don’t count toward the Golden Boot.
The 28-year-old forward helped the Spirit avoid the loss Sunday, pulling the team level with a penalty kick goal in stoppage time to secure a 1-1 draw.
ASHLEY HATCH IN STOPPAGE TIME TO LEVEL IT. 😤 pic.twitter.com/4fttSTFFEU— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) August 27, 2023
ASHLEY HATCH IN STOPPAGE TIME TO LEVEL IT. 😤 pic.twitter.com/4fttSTFFEU
The 2021 Golden Boot winner already has matched her career-high for goals in a season, and she is trending upward as we head into the final five games of the season.
Williams’ total puts her four goals off the lead, but she still is producing at an elite level for Gotham FC. Her .45 goals per 90 (xG) is good for fourth in the league, and she has recorded 65 shots, 29 of them on target, which puts her second in the league in both categories. She also is generating 2.17 shots on target per game – one of just two players above 2.0 in the NWSL. Smith is the other at 3.04.
What does Williams need to do in order to push into the center of the Golden Boot conversation? Convert those shots into goals. And that shouldn’t be difficult for the USWNT star as she recalibrates after the international break.