Friday, September 13
North Carolina Courage 1, Bay FC 1
North Carolina Courage and Bay FC played to a 1-1 draw at WakeMed Soccer Park in front of a large home crowd on Friday night to kick off week 19’s match action. Bay FC opened the scoring in the 10th minute with Asisat Oshoala finishing a Tess Boade assist in front of a wide open net. The Courage quickly responded as Denise O’Sullivan's interception led to Ashley Sanchez netting the equalizer in the 28th minute. Despite sustained pressure and several chances in the second half, including a crucial save by Casey Murphy and a few more good looks on goal from Sanchez, the match ended in a draw. A fitting end to the first meeting between the two, and for the Courage, their unbeaten home streak continues.
Orlando Pride 0, Kansas City Current 0
In the second match of the night, the rematch between the Kansas City Current and Orlando Pride ended in a draw. With both teams sporting two of the best offenses and defenses in the league, both sides created multiple scoring opportunities, but goalkeepers Almuth Schult and Anna Moorhouse made crucial saves to preserve the clean sheets. Schult’s massive performance in goal secured her second consecutive shutout for Kansas City, while Moorhouse's clean sheet placed her among the top five in league history for shutouts in a single season.
Portland Thorns 0, Chicago Red Stars 1
The Chicago Red Stars secured a 1-0 victory over the Portland Thorns in front of a huge home crowd in the PNW, ending a three-match losing streak with their first win since before the Olympic break. Ally Schlegel scored the lone goal in the 16th minute, capitalizing on a defensive error by Portland. Chicago had a chance to extend their lead early in the second half, but Mallory Swanson's penalty was saved by goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold. Despite late pressure from the Thorns, including chances from Sophia Smith and Morgan Weaver, Chicago held on for the win.
Saturday, September 14
Racing Louisville FC 2, Angel City FC 1
Angel City FC fell 2-1 to Racing Louisville FC on the road, with goals from Bethany Balcer and Janine Beckie securing the win for the hosts. Angel City opened the scoring in the 18th minute when Meggie Dougherty-Howard capitalized on a rebound after a blocked shot by Claire Emslie. Louisville quickly equalized in the 26th minute when Balcer headed in a diagonal pass from Ary Borges. Both teams created chances in the second half, but Louisville took the lead in the 68th minute when Beckie intercepted a pass and fired a shot past Angel City’s defense.
Utah Royals FC 1, San Diego Wave FC 2
San Diego Wave FC secured a 2-1 victory over the Utah Royals, marking their first road win of the season. Amirah Ali scored the fastest goal in club history, just 27 seconds into the match, redirecting a cross from Delphine Cascarino into the net. The Wave doubled their lead in the sixth minute when Makenzy Doniak set up Cascarino’s first career goal for San Diego. Utah responded in the 59th minute with a long-range shot from Cloé Lacasse, but Cascarino's first NWSL goal stood as the game-winner for San Diego.
Sunday, September 15
Washington Spirit 3, Houston Dash 0
The Washington Spirit defeated the Houston Dash 3-0, securing a regular season series sweep against their fourth opponent this year. The Spirit got on the board early thanks to an Ashley Hatch penalty. Trinity Rodman played a key role, assisting the second goal and scoring the third, her eighth of the season. Rodman’s goal brought her career total to 23, tying her for second most in Spirit history. The Dash were unable to provide an answer and accepted defeat on the road. The Spirit’s win brought their season goal tally to 42, just one behind league leaders Orlando Pride.
Monday, September 16
Seattle Reign 0, NJ/NY Gotham FC 2
Seattle Reign FC fell 2-0 to Gotham FC at home, with a goal scored by the visitors in each half. Claudia Dickey made several key saves in the first half, but Gotham took the lead in the 41st minute through Delanie Sheehan. In the second half, the Reign pushed for an equalizer but conceded again in the 76th minute when Esther doubled Gotham’s lead. Late efforts from Ji So-Yun and Nérilia Mondésir were saved, sealing the 2-0 defeat for the Reign.