Weekend Matchups Could Shift NWSL Standings
Written by Oluwaseun Oyediji
With five regular-season National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) matchdays left, every point counts as teams jockey for postseason seeding, with this weekend’s lineup potentially shifting the standings.
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After Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman exited last week’s match with a back spasm, the forecast for Friday’s tilt between 10th-place Angel City FC (ACFC) and second-place Washington Spirit went from fairly uneventful to fairly uncertain.
If Rodman’s deemed unfit to play, ACFC could capitalize on the striker’s absence to snatch up the three points needed to catapult them over the postseason cutoff line.
On Saturday, an early afternoon battle pits third-place Gotham FC against fourth-place Kansas City, with a second-place spot possibly on the line.
And while North Carolina’s fifth-place positioning is all but guaranteed, their Saturday evening match with sixth-place Chicago will see the Red Stars looking to enhance their playoff security.
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Meanwhile, Awards races are heating up going into the NWSL’s final stretch, with 2024 Golden Boot race frontrunners Temwa Chawinga and Barbra Banda leading the charge for Most Valuable Player (MVP).
With 16 goals, Chawinga’s on pace to lap ex-Red Star Sam Kerr’s 2019 single-season scoring record of 18.
With 13 goals of her own, Banda tied Orlando teammate Marta’s 2017 franchise best, while her six game-winners put her on par with the NWSL’s single-season record.
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Even considering Portland’s struggles, Sophia Smith’s 11 goals and six assists on the season can’t be discounted.
Despite her season-ending injury, Washington’s Croix Bethune still seems like a lock for Rookie of the Year with five goals and a league-record-tying 10 assists.
Relatively, Orlando Pride keeper Anna Moorhouse and her single-season record of 12 shutouts lead the Goalkeeper of the Year campaign.
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