Sophia Smith is the frontrunner for NWSL MVP, despite having missed almost 25% of the season due to the World Cup and a knee injury.

The 23-year-old forward missed more than 40 days with an MCL sprain before making her return last Saturday, but in that time she maintained her place atop some of the NWSL’s most important statistical categories. Smith still leads the league in goals (11), goals per 90 (0.87), goals and assists (16), shots on target (38) and shots on target per 90 (3.02).

Her goals and assists average per 90 (1.27) nearly doubles that of second-place Kerolin, who sits at 0.74 for the North Carolina Courage. She also leads in non-penalty goal categories, shot-creating actions per 90, goal-creating actions and goal-creating actions per 90.

Simply put: Smith has been, statistically, one of the best players in the league once again, after becoming the youngest MVP in league history last season. And to top it all off, Smith is nominated for the Ballon d’Or.

Other MVP candidates, including Orlando’s Adriana, North Carolina’s Kerolin and Washington’s Ashley Hatch, have put together solid seasons. But no team has an answer for Smith.

In five matches without Smith, Portland lost four matches and won just one. In 16 matches with Smith, the Thorns went 9-2-5 (W-L-D). So Smith’s presence on the pitch certainly provides a boost, both for the Thorns in their quest for back-to-back NWSL championships and for Smith in her quest for back-to-back MVP awards.

The 2023 Golden Boot race is nearing the finish line, with Portland Thorns forward Sophia Smith holding a one-goal lead over her nearest competitor.

Still, North Carolina Courage forward Kerolin (10 goals) would need a brace to overtake Smith (11 goals), as the reigning league MVP holds the tiebreaker. The final day of the 2023 regular season will decide the playoff and Golden Boot races.

Ahead of decision day, Just Women’s Sports takes a look back at the history of NWSL Golden Boot winners.

2022: Alex Morgan, San Diego Wave, 15 goals

In San Diego’s inaugural season in the NWSL, Morgan put on a show, tallying 15 goals in 17 games. A career-best for the star forward, the total included three braces, plus four goals in one game to tie an NWSL record.

2021: Ashley Hatch, Washington Spirit, 10 goals

Hatch earned the 2021 Golden Boot with just 10 goals in 20 games, the lowest total needed to earn the award in league history. Her 10 goals were a career best, which Hatch has nearly matched with nine goals in 2023.

2019: Sam Kerr, Chicago Red Stars, 18 goals

In 2019, Kerr broke her own single-season goal scoring record with 18 goals, a mark that still stands. She also won her third consecutive scoring title; no other player has won more than once. Kerr still stands alone atop the NWSL with 77 career goals, despite departing for the Women’s Super League after the 2019 season.

2018: Sam Kerr, Chicago Red Stars, 16 goals

Kerr also won the scoring title in 2018, along the way becoming the first player to reach 50 goals in NWSL history. She finished the season with 59.

2017: Sam Kerr, Sky Blue FC, 17 goals

For Kerr’s first of three scoring titles, the Australian phenom set a single-season record that she broke herself two years later. Kerr scored 17 goals in 22 games, none of them on penalty kicks. She also became the first player in NWSL history to reach 50 career points.

2016: Lynn Williams, Western New York Flash, 11 goals

Lynn Williams capped her second NWSL season with the Golden Boot. For the first time in league history, two players atop the goals leaderboard, as Williams and Kealia Ohai Watt both finished with 11. But Williams held the tiebreaker, with five assists to Watt’s four.

2015: Crystal Dunn, Washington Spirit, 15 goals

Dunn had a standout 2015 season, scoring 15 goals to take home the Golden Boot. At 23 years old, she also became the youngest player in league history to take home the league MVP award, a milestone eclipsed by Smith in 2022.

2014: Kim Little, Seattle Reign FC, 16 goals

With 16 goals in 23 games, Little went on scoring tear. From May through June, Little scored a goal in six consecutive games. She had a goal against each NWSL team that season, including five against the Dash.

2013: Lauren Holiday, FC Kansas City, 12 goals

The future Hall of Famer won the inaugural NWSL scoring title with 12 goals for FC Kansas City. She also ranked fourth in shots and shots on goal, registering a goal or an assist in 10 consecutive games. Holiday also was named league MVP in 2013.

Kerolin pulled within one goal of Sophia Smith for the top spot in the NWSL Golden Boot race in the latest match week, setting up for an exciting end to the season.

With just two games remaining in the regular season, Kerolin could overtake the injured Smith if she scores in each of the North Carolina Courages’s final two contests. But Smith has been back in training with the Portland Thorns, and she could make a surprise return before the playoffs.

And while it’s likely too late for Alex Morgan to take the title, she did get her first goal in four months, bringing an end to her scoring drought. Several other players joined her in scoring their sixth goals on the season, with Adriana and Bethany Balcer also finding the back of the net over the weekend.

Trending upward: Kerolin, North Carolina Courage

Kerolin’s goal against OL Reign provided the game-saver the Courage needed to stay in the running for the NWSL Shield. Her goal in the 1-1 draw assured her team of a crucial standings point. It also marked her second in the last three games, so the 23-year-old is peaking at the right time.

With just two games left in the regular season, the Brazilian forward will need to stay hot to overtake Smith for the Golden Boot. She needs two goals to do so, as the tiebreaker would go to the Thorns forward.

All tied up!

Kurtz over the top to Kerolin to even the score. pic.twitter.com/qxMCv5uOWu

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 2, 2023

Things we love to see: An Alex Morgan goal

Entering the most recent NWSL weekend, it had been far too long since Alex Morgan scored a goal – for club or country. A four-month drought is not something we’re accustomed to seeing from the star striker, so to have her score in the San Diego Wave’s 2-0 win over the Portland Thorns – a key win in the race for the Shield – was like taking that first sip of ice-cold water on a hot summer’s day.

The goal was nothing to sneeze at, either, with Morgan heading the ball from 10 yards out on a cross from Christen Westphal. And with a new head coach coming soon to the USWNT, one can only hope that the goal-scoring extends to the international level.

🚨ALEX MORGAN GOAL🚨@alexmorgan13 doubles San Diego's lead!! pic.twitter.com/GGAUaNnISa

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 1, 2023

NWSL leaderboard

• 11 goals
  • Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns
• 10 goals
  • Kerolin, North Carolina Courage
• 9 goals
  • Ashley Hatch, Washington Spirit
• 8 goals
  • Debinha, Kansas City Current
• 7 goals
  • Lynn Williams, Gotham FC
  • Morgan Weaver, Portland Thorns
• 6 goals
  • Messiah Bright, Orlando Pride
  • Bethany Balcer, OL Reign
  • Adriana, Orlando Pride
  • Alex Morgan, San Diego Wave
• 5 goals
  • Savannah DeMelo, Racing Louisville
  • Crystal Dunn, Portland Thorns
  • Cece Kizer, Kansas City Current
  • Tyler Lussi, North Carolina Courage
  • Ashley Sanchez, Washington Spirit
  • Jordyn Huitema, OL Reign
  • Jaedyn Shaw, San Diego Wave

Sophia Smith may be out with an injury, but so far nobody has come close to touching the Portland Thorns star in the NWSL Golden Boot race.

While it’s tight atop the table, with just four goals separating six players, Smith has retained the lead despite missing two consecutive matchweeks with an MCL sprain. She leads the way with 11 goals, while Ashley Hatch and Kerolin have nine, and neither of them found the back of the net this weekend.

So what makes the 23-year-old forward the front-runner for the Golden Boot, even with her injury keeping her off the pitch?

Simply put: Other players have failed to step up. Her Thorns teammate Morgan Weaver is the only player to have been consistent in her scoring over the last three weeks, tallying three goals in three games to bring herself within four goals of Smith. Weaver is tied with Debinha of the Kansas City Current and Lynn Williams of Gotham FC with seven on the season.

Yet with three games left in the regular season, the idea that Weaver, Debinha or Williams could tie or overcome Smith is a stretch.

Looking at the two players just two goals behind to Smith, Hatch has two goals in her last five games for the Washington Spirit. And while she had not gone more than one regular-season match without scoring since June, that changed in September, as she has not scored in each of Washington’s last two games.

While Hatch could get two goals in the next three games to close out the season, that would be a big ask against Kansas City, OL Reign and the North Carolina Courage. Both the Reign and the Courage have been defensively sound this season.

Additionally, Hatch hasn’t scored against Kansas City or OL Reign yet in the 2023 regular season, and she scored just once against North Carolina all the way back in April.

Kerolin’s output has been similar, with two goals in the last five games for the Courage. Her stats are buoyed by a hat trick scored against Chicago in June. And with games against OL Reign, the San Diego Wave and the Spirit coming up, it could be difficult for her to close the gap with Smith. The 23-year-old forward failed to score in North Carolina’s first game against the Reign and scored one each against San Diego and Washington.

And even if either Kerolin or Hatch were to match Smith’s 11 goals, Smith holds the edge in the tiebreaker with five assists, which sits second in the league behind teammate Sam Coffey. Kerolin has just three assists, while Hatch has two. So both players more than likely would need to surpass the 11-goal threshold to beat Smith, which would mean scoring at least a goal in each of their final three games.

While not statistically impossible, that does mean Smith still holds the best odds to take home the Golden Boot for the 2023 NWSL season. The reigning league MVP scored six goals in June ahead of the World Cup, and that surge could propel her to the trophy even as she remains sidelined week-to-week with her knee injury.

Sophia Smith is THAT girl.

A video to remind you 🌹⚽️#WePlayHere pic.twitter.com/r6z8w3KZYB

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 23, 2023

The U.S. women’s national team is bringing in a few fresh faces for their September friendlies against South Africa next week, as the team says goodbye to a couple of legends and transitions into the next chapter. After head coach Vlatko Andonvoski’s resignation following the team’s disappointing World Cup run, interim manager Twila Kilgore now has the tricky job of retaining the parts of the USWNT’s identity that were working, and jettisoning the tactics that were inhibiting them from playing their best.

As we saw many times under Andonovski, bringing in new talent is only as effective as the system they play in. Here is how I think the USWNT can most effectively integrate their non-World Cup players into what will likely be a familiar system with a few tweaks.

Mia Fishel, F, Chelsea

Fishel is known internationally as a goal-scorer, after dominating with Tigres in Liga MX Femenil since debuting as a professional in 2022. She has a knack for putting the ball in the back of the net as a forward, something she’s shown since starring for UCLA in college. Now, the question is how she’ll fit into the USWNT system if they retain the 4-3-3.

Fishel is a player not unlike Sophia Smith, who can fit into different positional areas but who seems to thrive when allowed to move into non-traditional spaces in between the wings and a classic center-forward position. At this moment, she’s probably best-suited for the top of a 4-4-2 formation with just one attacking partner. But if given the green light to collaborate without strict positional restrictions, Fishel can showcase all of her assets as an attacker rather than simply that of an experienced goal-scorer.

Jaedyn Shaw, M/F, San Diego Wave

Shaw can play as a winger, having done so successfully in San Diego since joining the team in 2022. It’s possible she’s been brought in as a replacement for a player like Mal Swanson, or even Smith as she’s been used by the USWNT in the past. But Shaw has more tools in her arsenal than just the ability to run toward goal from a wide position, and clarity around her role could be crucial for her development with the team for the next World Cup cycle.

Shaw is more of a tweener in her movement, with a keen ability to exploit space. She can run to the endline to send crosses in, or move into spaces in front of the opponent’s penalty area to feed teammates and take shots from distance. Her savviness in motion and quality on the ball actually evokes the image of famed USWNT attacking midfielder Rose Lavelle, as much as the cavalry of wingers the team has favored in recent years. As Lavelle continues to deal with an injury that could limit her minutes, giving Shaw the keys as a playmaker could be a huge stepping stone for the future.

Sam Coffey, M, Portland Thorns

Coffey excels both at disrupting play and distributing the ball at the club level, which made her inability to become a core member of the 2023 World Cup squad something of a puzzle. Based on the way Andonovski used Julie Ertz in the run-up to the tournament, and Emily Sonnett in the team’s Round of 16 match against Sweden, it’s possible that a perceived lack of physicality on the defensive end might be what held Coffey off the final list.

It’s difficult to suddenly insert a talented player into a flawed system, but the success of the team in a 4-2-3-1 against Sweden does lend credence to the idea that the best way to integrate Coffey is to give her a midfield partner. Andi Sullivan and Coffey have similar player profiles, but a delineation of roles in the midfield could vastly improve the USWNT’s ball movement.

Tierna Davidson, D, Chicago Red Stars

Davidson has had an up-and-down season at the NWSL level, slowly regaining her form as the leader of a defense that has struggled under destabilizing circumstances in Chicago. But the team has bounced back since the Red Stars’ final ownership sale, and Davidson could start to look more like her former self in a more settled environment.

Davidson’s superpower has long been her deceptive speed and vision, with an ability to open play up with a single long and diagonal pass. Her weaknesses in 2023 have more to do with her defensive positioning, but a partnership with new USWNT stalwart Naomi Girma might give her the support she needs to rediscover her 1v1 defending abilities. With Julie Ertz retiring, the race for the second starting center-back role for the U.S. is back on, and Davidson could walk right into that opening with renewed confidence.

Ashley Hatch, F, Washington Spirit

Hatch is considered the 24th player of the USWNT World Cup 23, the first player left off as Andonvoski sacrificed a forward slot to bring attacking midfield depth. Her absence from the roster was less an indictment of her as a player, and more a concession that the USWNT had more playmaking issues than Andonovski had accounted for in the run-up to the group stage. Had Hatch traveled to New Zealand, she likely would have suffered in a way similar to Alex Morgan, who had to temper her strengths at central forward to play more connective football.

Hatch should be allowed to play more like herself (as should Morgan) in her return. Hatch has the ability to play with her back to goal and to run in behind with authority. She is calm in front of goal and can score just as effectively with her head as she can with her feet. Her weaknesses in Andonovski’s system came when she was trying too hard to be a passing outlet in the midfield, and ideally she can move with more freedom as she works her way back into the squad.

Casey Krueger, D, Chicago Red Stars

Krueger is a true outside back, with the ability to defend 1v1 on both sides of the field and tuck in centrally when needed to support the central defense. In the past, she’s been considered limited when aiding the attack, but in 2023 she has been one of Chicago’s most dangerous playmakers from a wide position. She can send a cross in on a dime and not lose key defensive coverage when giving attacking support.

At the World Cup, the USWNT’s outside-backs played with a certain amount of timidness, as if cutting loose in the final third would cause a key mistake in defensive transition. The team’s defense proved to be incredibly sturdy that way, but the fullbacks unwillingness to create width also made the team’s attack very predictable and easy to defend. Krueger should be relied upon to take a few more risks and stretch the South Africa defense, with the comfort of knowing she can recover well on the other end.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

When Ashley Hatch took the field on June 18, the world didn’t know the U.S. women’s national team roster. But Hatch did — and she knew she wasn’t on it.

So as the 28-year-old forward suited up for the Washington Spirit, she felt like she was “suffering in silence,” she said on the latest episode of the “Snacks” podcast.

Ahead of the 2023 World Cup, Hatch received a call from USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski, who let her know that she would not be making the trip to Australia and New Zealand. But the public announcement wouldn’t come until the following week, which left Hatch in limbo.

Just one day after Hatch’s call with Andonovski, the Spirit were scheduled to fly to Kansas City to face the Current. Hatch asked if she could postpone her own flight by one day, so she could process the “really difficult” emotions that came along with the World Cup snub. Four of her NWSL teammates — Trinity Rodman, Ashley Sanchez, Andi Sullivan and Aubrey Kingsbury — had made the cut.

“I was aware that my teammates had made it and I didn’t want to take away from their incredible accomplishment,” she said. “So I actually had a phone call with our coach. And I was like, ‘I think it’s best for me, but also best for the team if I just come a day later. I need a little bit of extra space.’ I also don’t want to be this dark cloud looming over these four other players who made it for the first time and I know the team wants to celebrate them.”

Hatch gave credit to the Spirit coaching staff and her teammates for giving her the space she needed to cope with the loss of her World Cup dream. In the two years leading up to the tournament, she had been a regular feature on the USWNT roster.

A solo training session at the Spirit facility helped her get back on track. She flew out to Kansas City the next day to join the team for the road match.

“I needed to find my purpose and re-center myself and also step out on the field without any pressure or any eyeballs from anyone,” she said.

Still, throwing herself back into the spotlight proved difficult, even though the wider public did not yet know about the USWNT roster. She played the first 45 minutes of hte match, but she asked to be removed after halftime.

“It was really difficult. It almost felt like I was suffering in silence because the whole world didn’t know yet,” Hatch said. “It was a lot. I actually ended up asking if I could be subbed at halftime, just because I couldn’t take it emotionally and mentally. But I was proud of myself for trying and taking that step.”

For the past four years, Hatch has worked with a mental performance coach, which helped her navigate her feelings about the snub.

“I feel like if I was younger in this situation, I probably would have pushed through a lot more pain,” she said. “I still pushed through some pain, but I knew how much pain to push through in order to get myself in a better spot.”

Ashley Hatch is using her 2023 World Cup snub as motivation to make an even bigger comeback to the U.S. women’s national team.

Despite her steady presence on the squad for the last two years, Hatch did not make the cut for the 23-player tournament roster. The 28-year-old forward made her snub look even more surprising during the NWSL Challenge Cup, where she thrived with the Washington Spirit.

On the latest episode of the “Snacks” podcast, Hatch said her snub is “definitely” pushing her to return to the USWNT better than ever. But she also acknowledged the difficulty of navigating the emotions that came with the snub — especially since she never got a detailed explanation as to why she did not make the team from former head coach Vlatko Andonovski or his coaching staff.

“The hard part for me is, I didn’t get a ton of closure or [a] specific reason of why I didn’t make it,” she said. “And so I feel like that’s hard to grasp onto this one thing that I know I need to do better to be able to make it.”

As a forward, “you need to score goals,” Hatch knows. So that is an area she’s continuing “to try and be be better at” – and succeeding. She has nine in the NWSL regular season, second in the league behind Sophia Smith.

Even before the World Cup, though, she could count herself as one of the few USWNT forwards that had scored a goal in 2023. Overall, she has five international goals through 19 appearances.

“Snacks” co-host Lynn Williams, who found herself in a similar position to Hatch ahead of the 2019 World Cup, offered up some advice as Hatch looks to put her snub in perspective.

“I had to take a step back and recognize that it’s a subjective opinion and it’s always going to be subjective,” Williams said. “That doesn’t reflect me as a player. I could be the best Lynn Williams I can possibly be, scoring a billion goals, and if a coach doesn’t see me in the group, I just can’t change that.

“It’s not overnight because you’re still devastated, but I’m just going to be the best Lynn Williams I can be. You can only be the best Ashley Hatch you can possibly be and if the coach doesn’t see that then the coach doesn’t see that.”

As Hatch processes her emotions, she is immersing herself in the Spirit’s playoff hunt, but she still feels the sting.

“It is hard when you feel like you did everything you were asked to do and then you still don’t make it,” Hatch conceded. “So I feel like I’m still going through the process of [that] becoming a motivator. Right now, in the spot that I’m at right now, it still hurts a lot.”

Two rising stars made the biggest moves in the NWSL Golden Boot race over the weekend. North Carolina Courage forward Kerolin moved into a tie with Ashley Hatch for second place with her ninth goal, while Portland Thorns forward Morgan Weaver added to her tally.

Weaver now has six goals on the season, tying her with Messiah Bright and Debinha, while Lynn Williams remains behind Hatch and Kerolin with seven goals. Sophia Smith holds onto the top spot with 11 goals, though she may lose ground as she continues to nurse a week-to-week MCL sprain.

Jaedyn Shaw and Jordyn Huitema also scored over the weekend, bringing their season totals to five goals each.

Trending upward: Kerolin (9 goals)

At one point this season, Kerolin was neck-and-neck with Smith for the Golden Boot award, and she appears to be heading back in that direction after scoring in North Carolina’s 3-3 draw with Gotham on Saturday. After an outstanding June in the NWSL, the 23-year-old Brazilian has returned from the World Cup in form.

It's the Kero show📽️🪄 pic.twitter.com/o8nMNwkSkv

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 3, 2023

Kerolin has been particularly efficient in front of net, with her nine goals coming on just 40 shots and 15 on target. That gives her a 60 percent success rate on converting shots on target into goals. In comparison, Smith has converted 29 percent of her 38 shots on target. If Kerolin continues to make the most of her chances, she could overtake Smith in the final four games of the regular season.

Staying put: Sophia Smith (11 goals)

The good news is that Smith avoided a worst-case scenario, and instead is considered week-to-week with a mild MCL sprain in her right knee.

But there’s no clear timetable for Smith’s return. With four games remaining, including Portland’s rivalry match against OL Reign on Sept. 16, Smith’s injury has come at a less-than-ideal time for both her and the Thorns.

NWSL leaderboard

• 11 goals
  • Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns
• 9 goals
  • Ashley Hatch, Washington Spirit
  • Kerolin, North Carolina Courage
• 7 goals
  • Lynn Williams, Gotham FC
• 6 goals
  • Messiah Bright, Orlando Pride
  • Debinha, Kansas City Current
  • Morgan Weaver, Portland Thorns
• 5 goals
  • Bethany Balcer, OL Reign
  • Savannah DeMelo, Racing Louisville
  • Crystal Dunn, Portland Thorns
  • Cece Kizer, Kansas City Current
  • Tyler Lussi, North Carolina Courage
  • Alex Morgan, San Diego Wave
  • Ashley Sanchez, Washington Spirit
  • Jordyn Huitema, OL Reign
  • Jaedyn Shaw, San Diego Wave

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.

Trending upward: Ashley Hatch (9 goals)

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

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.

Dark horse: Lynn Williams (7 goals)

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.

NWSL leaderboard

• 11 goals
  • Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns
• 9 goals
  •  Ashley Hatch, Washington Spirit
•  8 goals
  • Kerolin, North Carolina Courage
• 7 goals
  • Lynn Williams, Gotham FC
• 6 goals
  • Messiah Bright, Orlando Pride
  • Debinha, Kansas City Current
• 5 goals
  • Bethany Balcer, OL Reign
  • Savannah DeMelo, Racing Louisville
  • Crystal Dunn, Portland Thorns
  • Cece Kizer, Kansas City Current
  • Tyler Lussi, North Carolina Courage
  • Alex Morgan, San Diego Wave
  • Ashley Sanchez, Washington Spirit
  • Morgan Weaver, Portland Thorns