Week 16 had everything: late equalizers, defensive masterclasses, milestone moments, and one of the wildest goals of the season. From gritty clean sheets to teenagers chasing history, the weekend showcased the full spectrum of NWSL chaos. Here’s how it all went down.
In front of a rowdy Audi Field crowd on Friday night, the Spirit settled for a 2-2 draw against Louisville. Sofia Cantore opened her NWSL account – and became the first Italian scorer in league history in the process – after converting Gift Monday’s setup, but an own goal and a Savannah DeMelo penalty swung the advantage to Louisville. The Spirit, however, snagged a point thanks to Rosemonde Kouassi’s curling strike in the 100th minute, the second-latest goal for the club.
Defense ruled in Utah as Angel City and the Royals settled for a scoreless draw. Making her NWSL and club debut, goalkeeper Hannah Seabert earned a shutout for Angel City, the eighth goalkeeper to make their NWSL debut this season. Mina Tanaka and Kennedy Fuller threatened at opposite ends, but neither side could break through despite several second-half chances.
The two top teams heading into the weekend settled for a draw on Saturday. Despite remaining unbeaten in 16 matches extending back to last season, Kansas City was unable to clinch a win to set a new NWSL record for consecutive wins. Good news for the Current: it’s the ninth clean sheet of the season for goalkeeper Lorena. They also retained their hold on the top spot in the standings. For Orlando, it’s another missed opportunity for them to grab points to chip away at the Current’s lead.
Saturday's match action continued with the North Carolina Courage hosting the Portland Thorns. Portland midfielder Olivia Moultrie etched her name into the record books once again, scoring her 13th career regular-season goal, tying Jaedyn Shaw for most goals scored by a teenager in NWSL history. North Carolina answered after the break through Tyler Lussi, and the Courage pushed hard for a winner only to be denied repeatedly by goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold.
San Diego grabbed a crucial road win at PayPal Park, holding off Bay FC 2-1 in front of their home crowd. Kimmi Ascanio pounced on a loose ball to open the scoring before Kenza Dali doubled the advantage with a stunning strike assisted by Adriana Leon. Caroline Conti converted a penalty – her third of the season, making her 100% from the spot – for Bay to set up a tense finish, but late chances were cleared by San Diego who held firm for all three points. The Bay must now implement the lessons learned before they focus on their special home game at Oracle Park, home of MLB’s San Francisco Giants, to host the Washington Spirit. San Diego, meanwhile, ended the weekend in the second spot in the standings.
Houston stunned Gotham in the final minutes of the lone Sunday match, securing a 2-1 win with Michelle Alozie’s stoppage-time strike in the 93rd minute. Gotham had struck early when Esther González tucked away Rose Lavelle’s rebound, her 11th of the season, but an Emily Sonnett own goal gifted Houston an equalizer after halftime. In the Dash’s last two games, Sophie Schmidt played the hero with late game goals but this time, Michelle Alozie saved the day with a late winner, her first of the season. It’s Houston’s second straight victory and extends an unbeaten run that now has them just outside the playoff picture.
Chaos reigned at Lumen Field on Monday night to close out the match week, as Seattle and Chicago dueled to a late-game draw. Jess Fishlock and Jordyn Huitema powered the Reign to a commanding advantage, with Emeri Adames adding a third immediately after halftime. Not to be counted out, however, Chicago stormed back, with goals from Ludmila and Camryn Biegalski narrowing the gap. But the moment everyone is talking about came in the final minutes of the game. Before a wild corner kick scramble, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher ran across the field to join the fray, ultimately smashing home the loose ball. The result left Seattle fans frustrated but for fans of chaos and lore, it was a game to remember.
