Much like the league's top teams, individual NWSL MVP contenders continue to make their mark coming out of the Olympic break.
KC Current forward Temwa Chawinga now tops the 2024 Golden Boot race, having scored her season's 13th goal last weekend against the Spirit. In that same game, Washington midfielder Croix Bethune tied Tobin Heath's single-season assist record with her 10th of the year.
Stacked field means big choice for award voters
With so many deserving candidates, 2024's MVP award-winner could come down to whichever factors voters value the most.
Chawinga sits first in the league in goals scored and second in assists this season, finding the back of the net against nine different teams along the way. But Orlando forward Barbra Banda isn't far behind. Banda scored one less goal in four fewer games played than Chawinga, all while guiding the Pride to an unprecedented unbeaten streak.
Bethune likely has Rookie of the Year on lock, but she's also on the MVP watchlist with five goals and 10 assists in her debut season.
USWNT attackers also in the NWSL award hunt
Another steady presence on the leaderboard, 2022 MVP Sophia Smith has racked up 10 goals and six assists for the Thorns so far this season, while USWNT teammate Trinity Rodman has also kept herself award-relevant, registering her season's sixth goal last weekend.
This season's attacking firepower has truly set a new standard, leaving many worthy award candidates likely to garner votes by the time NWSL Championship weekend rolls around.
With just 10 regular season matchdays left, the NWSL retakes the pitch tonight complete with returning Olympians, refreshed rosters, and a new CBA. The league has a lot to celebrate after a busy Olympic break — and a new club record might just join that list.
Orlando winning streak could make NWSL history
League-leaders Orlando haven’t dropped a single one of their last 17 games, setting themselves up to book the longest regular-season undefeated streak in NWSL history. A win or a draw tonight against 12th-place Houston will break Orlando's 17-game tie with second-place Kansas City, whose own record unbeaten streak was snapped by the Pride in July.
Should Orlando’s run extend even longer, they could overtake the Washington Spirit’s overall 20-game record set across 2021-22 — though they’ll have to defeat the Current again in September to do it.
NWSL Golden Boot goal-scoring race heats up
With 12 goals each, KC's Temwa Chawinga and Orlando’s Barbra Banda are inching closer to ex-NWSL striker Sam Kerr’s single-season record of 19 goals as they both lead this season's Golden Boot race.
Fifth-place Portland's Sophia Smith isn't far behind the pair with 10 goals on the season, and she'll have the chance to tack on a few more when the Thorns play fourth-place Gotham on Saturday.
Other NWSL games to watch this weekend
On Saturday, 10th-place San Diego and 11th-place Angel City will battle to keep their playoff dreams alive, before ninth-place Louisville introduces seventh-place Chicago to their recently revamped roster.
Then on Sunday, the third-place Spirit will take aim at the Current — who top Washington in the standings by a single point — before WSL rivals Arsenal and Chelsea meet for a friendly in the second half of the Audi Field doubleheader.
It once again required extra time to break the deadlock, but the USWNT defeated Germany on Tuesday thanks to a Sophia Smith strike in the 95th minute.
The 1-0 win ensured them a spot in their first Olympic gold medal match since 2012.
With little rotation to the starting XI, the US and Germany played to a 0-0 stalemate in regulation despite positive early opportunities for the USWNT to pull ahead. After more than 90 minutes of frustration, linkup play generated by Naomi Girma, progressed by Sam Coffey, and then sent through the back line by Mallory Swanson finally reached the target.
Alyssa Naeher provided one final — and exceptional — kick-save to see the result out, as the USWNT survived a much narrower rematch of their 4-1 group stage win.
USWNT win ends five-year title game drought
Saturday's gold medal match will be the USWNT's first title game since the 2019 World Cup, and the 2024 Olympic tournament has other parallels to past successes as well. The US hasn't trailed in France thus far, and they've only seen one other Olympic Games (2004) through without falling behind. They've also won three World Cups without trailing.
Plus, they've now defeated Germany five times in major tournament knockout rounds, most recently in the 2015 World Cup.
Marta-less Brazil upsets World Cup champs Spain
Now guaranteed to improve on their Tokyo Olympics bronze medal finish, the USWNT will turn to another familiar opponent: Brazil.
Brazil produced the upset of the tournament in Tuesday's second semifinal, dominating Spain to win 4-2 in regulation. An own goal had the reigning World Champions reeling early, followed by goals from Gabi Portilho, Adriana, and Kerolin.
Salma Paralluelo scored a late brace to get Spain back into the contest, but Brazil held tight in a successful effort to give footballing legend Marta a shot at her first gold medal in her last international tournament.
Ultimately, one year after Europe ruled the 2023 World Cup, the 2024 Olympic Final will instead see this year's Concacaf W Gold Cup finalists face off again. And with both the US and Brazil overachieving throughout this tournament, the gold is truly anyone's to grab.
In another YouTube exclusive of The Late Sub, Claire talks through an epic Olympic soccer semifinal round that saw both the USWNT and Brazil rewriting narratives about the state of international women’s soccer. She discusses set pieces, Naomi Girma’s exceptional talent, and getting through difficult moments. She then wraps things up with a quick preview of Saturday’s gold medal game.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
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The USWNT's record remains perfect after two matches of Olympic group play, taking down Germany 4-1 on Sunday in a performance that put the rest of the field on notice.
Sophia Smith scored a brace while Mallory Swanson and substitute Lynn Williams added individual tallies to give the US their biggest win over Germany since 2010.
USWNT set to advance to Olympic knockouts
The win guarantees the USWNT a place in the quarterfinals with one group stage match still to play, a feat only mirrored by reigning world champions Spain after a wild second day of Olympic women's soccer action.
A win or a draw against Australia on Wednesday would see the US finish atop Group B, though the team's +6 goal differential could also land them in first even if they lose. Along with their goal differential, the USWNT leads the field in scoring with seven goals in their first two matches.
Rising above European soccer expectations
The US entered Sunday as a slight underdog, facing a higher-rated team in the FIFA rankings for the first time since 2015. However, the US found the back of the net first on a well-worked attacking sequence that featured a goal by Smith, an assist by Trinity Rodman, and a savvy dummy move by Swanson.
Germany then equalized on a nicely orchestrated strike from outside the box by Giulia Gwinn, but the US piled on the goals to end the half. Swanson scored on a ball deflected by German keeper Ann-Katrin Berger, and Smith benefitted from a heavy deflection just before halftime to make it 3-1.
The US managed to keep the momentum flowing through the second half, an effort punctuated by Williams's second career Olympic goal in the 89th minute.
Elsewhere in the Olympic soccer tournament
Colombia leads on goal differential in Group A after defeating New Zealand 2-0, while embattled defending gold medalists Canada kept their Olympic dreams alive with a dramatic 2-1 victory over host country France.
Japan bolstered their hopes of advancing from Group C with a comeback 2-1 win over Brazil, while Spain took hold of their destiny with a 1-0 win over Nigeria.
Australia notched a four-goal comeback to win a wild match against Zambia 6-5, one that saw Zambia striker Barbra Banda become the all-time leader in Olympic women's soccer hat tricks with her third.
Who does the USWNT play next?
Next up, the US squares off against Australia on Wednesday, July 31st at 1 PM ET, with live coverage across NBC networks.
This week, JWS podcast host Claire Watkins breaks down the days leading up to the first USWNT Olympic send-off friendly, discussing player performances, things that worked well on the pitch, and what still needs developing as coach Emma Hayes's team moves towards a crucial Olympic competition set to will dictate the future of the team.
She then sets her sights on the WNBA, previewing WNBA All-Star Weekend and chatting with Gatorade Women’s Basketball Player of the Year Joyce Edwards alongside Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally.
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The 13th match weekend is fast approaching in the NWSL, with two season-long unbeaten streaks on the line.
League-leaders Kansas City and Orlando will attempt to survive the weekend with their unbeaten runs intact, as the Current host Chicago on Friday and the Pride travel to North Carolina for Saturday's match.
But while Kansas City and Orlando have been the gold standard this year, they're still a number of wins away from tying Washington's record for longest unbeaten streak in a single NWSL season. In 2021, the Spirit went 20 games without a loss en route to the club's first NWSL championship.
Both Gotham and Louisville are carrying momentum into their matchup on Saturday. Louisville is unbeaten in three games, and they’re looking to finally leapfrog Chicago and claim sixth place in the league standings. Gotham, on a seven-game unbeaten run, is into fifth place.
Portland and Seattle will face off in the Cascadia Clash this weekend, with Golden Boot contender Sophia Smith absent, as the decorated forward was shown a red card last weekend for time-wasting on the bench.
The Reign could use a win against their long-time rivals, as a difficult start has 13th-place Seattle registering only two wins amid nine losses so far this season.
Elsewhere in the league, 2024 expansion teams Bay FC and Utah meet for the first time this weekend, as both look to rise from the bottom half of the standings. And Washington will ride a four-game winning streak into Saturday's game against a San Diego side that's earned two hard-fought draws in recent weeks.
Watch more: "Sophia Smith is INNOCENT!" on The Late Sub with Claire Watkins
The USWNT cruised through their final game prior to naming their 18-player Olympic roster on Tuesday, defeating Korea Republic 3-0 in a rain-soaked game that saw significant rotation to the starting XI.
Manager Emma Hayes replaced nine of Saturday's starters with players vying for a major tournament roster spot, a move that resulted in interesting returns. Alex Morgan was back in the starting lineup, while center-back Sam Staab earned her first international start in her second game with the team.
FORWARD CRYSTAL DUNN WITH THE GOAL
— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) June 5, 2024
(Via @USWNT)
pic.twitter.com/RlqXwKsXLh
Crystal Dunn started the match as a forward then opened the floodgates with her first goal in 75 international matches. Sophia Smith came on as a reserve in the second half alongside Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman, promptly doubling the scoreline at a tight angle for a sharp finish. Casey Murphy started in goal, making a number of clutch saves to keep South Korea off of the scoresheet.
But the biggest moment of the game belonged to Ajax midfielder Lily Yohannes, who scored in her first-ever USWNT cap.
The teenager was immediately mobbed by her teammates — including most of the US bench — in celebration as nearly 20,000 fans gave her a standing ovation. Just a few days shy of her 17th birthday, Yohannes is the third-youngest to score for the national team and the youngest player to make her debut since USWNT legend Kristine Lilly took the field for the first time in 2001.
16-YEAR-OLD LILY YOHANNES WITH A GOAL IN HER USWNT DEBUT
— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) June 5, 2024
(Via @USWNT)
pic.twitter.com/nJJ1GZhHKP
Yohannes is likely on the Olympic roster bubble, but is of great interest to the US as a talented connecting midfielder. But having been born in Virginia before moving to Amsterdam as a child, Yohannes could still possibly decide to play for the Netherlands national team.
Hayes will be making final roster decisions in the coming weeks, setting the Paris-bound squad up for two send-off friendlies at the end of July. 18 players will make the official Olympic roster, alongside four alternates for training purposes and in case of injury.
The USWNT officially kicks off the Emma Hayes era in style this weekend, going up against South Korea in the first of two pre-Olympic friendlies.
The matches will serve as the final two opportunities to impress before Hayes names her 18-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. After formally taking over late last week, the ex-Chelsea coach has gotten nothing but praise from the American side.
"Anyone in the soccer world knows Emma Hayes," forward Sophia Smith told reporters at USWNT training camp. "She's a legend and her resume speaks for itself. We all just trust her. Obviously trust is something you build. What she's done for the game and for the sport, we all trust her and are excited about her. I'm sure we'll learn a lot in the next week. We already have learned a lot in the first few days."
Of course, the USWNT has carried a chip on their shoulder following a disappointing World Cup last year. And as they look to the Olympics, Smith says it’s a good thing that the team is operating that way.
"If a team going into the Olympics doesn't have a chip on their shoulder, there's a problem there," Smith continued. "This team for so many years has set the standard, has been the best in the world, and that's what we want to continue on. We want to honor what this team has done before us, but we also want to set new standards and just be a different version of this team and be the best in the world."
Hayes appears to be the right person to propel that standard forward. And the goal, according to Smith, is to win a gold medal.
"The goal is to win a gold medal, but right now we have a new coach, we have a new system," she added. "The main goal and priority is the process and just learning and adapting and growing and taking each day as a chance to get better and grow with this group.”
"I think for me, it's just [having] the leader again, and the voice and when you get on field it's awesome," echoed USWNT captain Lindsey Horan. "You get some jokes here and there but [Hayes is also] just demanding a lot out of us and keeping the standard, but also the positive encouragement feedback as well and giving voices to us as well."
Hayes will have a short runway to manage the high expectations of the job, with the US looking to put their previous performances behind them as quickly as possible. And the stacked Olympic lineup will be no easy challenge for the 2019 World Cup Champions as they vie for their first gold medal since 2012.
Speaking with media on Friday, Hayes said that it’s been "such a joy" to be back in the States, saying that her aim is to protect the team's long legacy going forward.
"We all know the main ingredients of the American DNA," she said. "That will not change under my stewardship."
She also noted that the team has come along nicely under interim coach's Twila Kilgore's leadership, comparing the players to sponges for their ability to take in a lot of information quickly.
"I think the tactical understanding is there more than I anticipated," she said, while also saying she anticipates some "tired brains."
Luckily, a few fitness concerns appear to have subsided, as a number of recently injured call-ups returned to the pitch in last weekend's NWSL games. Alex Morgan, Jaedyn Shaw, and Naomi Girma all made appearances for San Diego last Thursday after dealing with lingering knocks, while defender Tierna Davidson and club and country teammate Rose Lavelle have consistently been working their way back onto the field with Gotham.
The biggest question mark going into Saturday's match will be Smith, who missed Portland's showdown with Orlando due to a leg injury last Friday.
USWNT regulars Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson furthered their cases for Olympic inclusion with their respective club victories on Saturday and Sunday.
After a roller coaster of a week that saw former Thorns head coach Mike Norris reassigned and a flurry of last-minute roster reshufflings as Friday's trade window closure loomed, the NWSL sprung to life over the weekend with standout performances from ninth-place Portland and third-place Chicago, among others.
After her blocked attempt at goal set up a volleying sixth-minute opener from veteran Christine Sinclair — now the only player in history to record a goal in all 11 NWSL seasons — Smith swiftly netted her own in the 27th minute off a breakaway run that eluded Houston's backline. The goal represented Smith's third of the season as well as her 35th for the Thorns, ultimately leading to the home side's first win of the season in a 4-1 routing of the Dash.
But that wasn't Smith's only stat of the evening. The star forward also lapped former Chicago Red Star Sam Kerr to become the youngest player to reach 50 NWSL goal contributions across all games, chalking up 40 goals and 10 assists at the age of 23 years and 254 days.
"Obviously it feels good to get a win," said Smith in a post-match press conference. "But this is the standard the Thorns have always had. So a win is great, but a win is the expectation — we're hungrier than ever after the way we started."
170 miles up the road, Lumen Field similarly showcased some promising Olympic prospect footwork on Sunday. In Chicago's 2-1 victory over the lagging 13th-place Seattle Reign, striker Mallory Swanson racked up an impressive counterattack assist on fellow forward Ally Schlegel's fourth-minute goal. Swanson went on to find the back of the net herself before halftime, lacing an explosive ball into the top corner in the 31st minute, her second of the season after returning from a lengthy sidelining injury.
Speaking of injuries, fellow USWNT favorites Alex Morgan and Tierna Davidson were not as fortunate as their national squad teammates this weekend. Each exited their club matches early, Morgan with an ankle knock in San Diego's loss to Orlando and Davidson with an apparent hamstring incident early on in Washington's win over Gotham.