Pre-Olympic Break Personnel Changes Pervade NWSL
Written by Oluwaseun Oyediji
Amid an influx of National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) dismissals and resignations, the Utah Royals relieved Amy Rodriguez of her head coaching duties last weekend, 15 games into the club’s return to the league.
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After Saturday’s scoreless draw with Portland Thorns’, Rodriguez — a two-time Olympic gold medalist and 2015 World Cup champion with the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) — departs Utah with a 2-11-2 record.
The last-place Royals, who have conceded 27 goals while netting just seven this season, also parted ways with goalkeeper coach Maryse Bard-Martel and president Michelle Hyncik.
Assistant coach Jimmy Coenraets was appointed interim head coach, with acting Royals’ operations leader and Real Salt Lake president John Kimball stating that the club is “focused on building a team off and on the field that can compete at the highest levels for years to come.”
In the weekend’s on-pitch action, the Orlando Pride and Kansas City Current added to their unbeaten streaks with twin shutouts.
Forward Temwa Chawinga’s second-half brace carried the Current to Friday’s 2-0 win over the Dash and placed the Malawi national at the top of the Golden Boot race with 11 goals on the season.
Joining Chawinga atop the scoring tally on Sunday was Orlando’s Barbra Banda, who capped her team’s 3-0 defeat of Angel City with an extra-time 11th goal of her own.
With 35 points apiece, it's now impossible for any team to catch up with the Pride and Current before the Olympic pause, regardless of next weekend’s outcomes.
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Of course, the only teams able to beat either of the pair are themselves, as Kansas City Current faces Orlando Pride for the first time this coming Saturday.
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The rest of the teams above the playoff line mostly maintained their standings over the weekend, including the third-place Washington Spirit, who remain at 31 points after Saturday’s 1-0 loss to the sixth-place North Carolina Courage — their first loss since May 4th.
The lone club bucking the trend was Bay FC: Striker Asisat Oshoala’s 76th-minute penalty — the club’s first-ever Penalty Kick — lifted the NorCal squad to a 1-0 victory over Racing Louisville and secured an eighth-place standing.
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