NWSL Week 15: Goals galore, Gotham posts their favorite scoreline twice, and Evelyn Ijeh blows up

NWSL Week 15: Goals galore, Gotham posts their favorite scoreline twice, and Evelyn Ijeh blows up Kansas City and North Carolina went on scoring sprees in Week 15 of the NWSL, while Washington and Gotham maintained the top two spots. Racing Louisville had an up-and-down week, and San Diego scored a very important road win. Seattle & Bay gave us the match of the week on Saturday, and Utah shook off an early goal to absolutely pummel Portland. With several sides missing key players due to the ongoing WAFCON tournament , teams were shuffling lineups throughout the week. Several players found the twine more than once, leading to some eyebrow-raising scorelines. If you like goals aplenty, NWSL Week 15 was the week for you. 2 braces lead Kansas City past Racing Louisville The week started with an old-fashioned whooping. A Kansas City side that needed a win to match pace with the league leaders hosted a Racing Louisville side mired in last place. The Current showed the difference between the sides on this night almost before Racing had their bootlaces tied. Haley Hopkins started things off just five minutes in. Lo’eau Labonta sent a hard shot on frame that Jordyn Bloomer stopped. Unfortunately for the Racing keeper, the rebound came directly to Hopkins, who quickly hammered home. The Current stayed on the attack, and doubled in the 15th minute. The ball came into the box where Hopkins headed it over to Debinha. The Brazilian international quickly sent a falling shot into the near post for the 2-0 lead. Kansas City needed but five minutes to make it 3-0. Croix Bethune sent an excellent ball to Amelia White coming down the right wing. She kept her line, closed the distance, and sent the ball beyond Bloomer. Embed from Getty Images The half couldn’t end fast enough for Louisville, but the second offered no respite. Just three minutes in, Hopkins scored almost the same goal that she had in the first half. Another strong shot led to another juicy rebound that came directly to the Current striker. She blasted home immediately, and the rout was official, but not over. A mere four minutes after that marker, Debinha became the second player for the home side to garner a brace. She ran a perfect give-and-go with Bayley Feist, and buried the return pass. Racing got one back late after Katie Scott was called for a hard foul on Emma Sears in the box. Taylor Flint stepped up to take the penalty and beat Marisa Jordan to get Louisville on the board. That was for the visitors, however, and they remained bottom of the table. Kansas City passed Portland for the fifth spot. Washington withstands furious Utah attack for road win Utah was a hungry side in this one, and threw wave after wave at the visiting Spirit. Washington held strong, and made good on one of their few opportunities. The Royals came out flying, with the highlight of the match being Cloe Lacasse’s run early on. The Canadian international may be the most in-form player in the league right now, and she showed it on this attack. After making her defender miss badly on two moves, she unleashed a shot that beat Sandy MacIver, but sailed just wide of the far post. Lacasse’s play this season has been phenomenal. Washington was able to wait out the Utah storm, and got the only goal of the match in the 28th minute. In what must have looked like deja-vous to keeper Mandy McGlynn, Paige Metayer fed Trinity Rodman in front of goal. The two had combined for this play just five minutes earlier. That attempt was sent wide by Rodman, but the second go struck home. Lacasse and Mina Tanaka kept after the Washington defense, but could not break through. The second half belonged to Utah, as the ball seldom left the Washington side of the stripe. For the match, the Royals sent 20 shots MacIver’s way, with four of those heading for the back of the net. However, the Spirit keeper and her defence held firm. Washington’s win put them top of the table, while Utah remains in fourth position. Purce scores early as Gotham holds on against Bay This one featured the earliest goal of the week, and was an excellent all-around match for Gotham. The offence showed up in spades, the league’s best defence was put to the test, and also benefited from a controversial VAR ruling. The PayPal Park faithful had barely sat down when their team gave up the first goal. Gotham earned a corner in the 2nd minute, and Jaedyn Shaw sent in an excellent ball. Jaelin Howell headed it down, and Midge Purce slid it past Jordan Silkowitz. Following that goal was where the controversy came in. Bay looked to have equalised just five minutes later after some excellent play in the Gotham box. Sydney Collins sent a ball in that was headed away from keeper Shelby Hogan. The ball fell to Kennedy Fuller, and she put it in. Two minutes after the goal, the call came down to review. Even though it appeared as though a Gotham player had obviously played the ball first after a Bay goal kick, the review determined that Karlie Lema had been in an offside position in the buildup. The call was certainly questionable, and the home fans were rather displeased. Both teams had several chances in the half, but none of those was very troubling for either keeper. The second half was decidedly in Gotham’s favour, and Silkowitz made several strong saves to keep hope for her side. Her stop on Jordan Dudley in the 86th minute was truly spectacular, but Bay could not get the equaliser. Gotham earned their 9th clean sheet of the season, while Bay falls down the table. Ijeh’s hat trick paces North Carolina’s thumping of Orlando This one was a beat-down, plain and simple. The two sides have had similar seasons thus far, and were almost mirror images of each other as far as goals scored and allowed. And none of that mattered once the match started. Carolina started early, scoring in the fourth minute. Erica Parkinson sent a long ball ahead to a quickly running Lauryn Thompson. She outfought her defender and quickly fired by Anna Moorhouse for the early lead. This was just the opening act for the upcoming Evelyn Ijeh show. Embed from Getty Images The Swedish international got her first of the night on a wonderful deflection 26 minutes in. The menace Ashley Sanchez started the play, then went to the box and took her shot. Heading far post, it hit directly off of Ijeh’s leg and back the other way for no chance at a save. Nine minutes later, Ijeh got her brace off of a cross from Thompson. Ijeh took the pass in the middle of the box, made a wonderful turn, and sent it by Moorhouse. Carolina’s striker would then wait until the second half to finish her act. In the 70th minute, Sanchez sent a ball in toward Ijeh that was deflected away from her by Orlando’s Coriana Dyke. Unfortunately for the Pride, the ball struck the post and came right to the star of the night. She instantly fired it in for her hat trick, the second of the league season. Then, late in stoppage time, Sanchez added one of her own for good measure on a terrific spin move. North Carolina jumps over Orlando for a playoff spot, with the Pride outside looking in on goal differential. Racing Louisville passes Chicago with win These two sides have had difficult seasons each, and they have been the bottom two sides in the table for most of the season. Racing’s troubles have stemmed from their porous backline, while Chicago is having systemic problems. This match started off as one would expect, with chances being few and far between. Both Louisville’s Jordyn Bloomer and Chicago’s Katie Atkinson had to make only one save, and those were not difficult for either keeper. The second half brought a much more offensive showing for both sides, creating an exciting match. Racing opened the scoring ten minutes into the second. Off a free kick, Arin Wright sent the ball into the box. Mirann Gacioch rose highest and headed home past Atkinson. The home side wasted little time doubling the lead. A bad giveaway in the defence sent the ball to Emma Sears. She spotted Kayla Fischer all alone in the middle, and Fischer was able to pick her spot. Chicago clawed one back in the 80th minute on a strong shot from Nádia Gomes. Following a set piece that was not fully cleared, Gomes uncorked a blast from well outside the box. Bloomer got her hands on it, but the ball deflected off of her, hit the crossbar, and dropped in behind the Louisville keeper. The Stars could not find the equaliser, though, and fell back to the bottom of the table. Racing is on a decent run of late, earning points in three of their last four. Kansas City and Angel City trade first-half goals for a draw Kansas City enjoyed the better of the match with their chances, but Angel City was more efficient. The two sides played each other evenly, and the scoreline reflected that. Visiting Angel City struck first through Taylor Suarez. After a period of control, the team switched fields and headed forward. Claire Emslie found Carina Lageyre above the box, and she sent a pass on a line to Suarez. She moved to the middle and finished perfectly in the bottom corner. The Current equalised just over ten minutes later. Izzy Rodriguez sent a ball into the box from the left side. Haley Hopkins expertly struck the ball out of the air first time, and the match was tied. The sides traded chances throughout the rest of the match, with neither able to convert. Suarez was all over the pitch and had several chances, as did the Current’s Lo’eau Labonta. She narrowly missed the corner in stoppage time, and the sides shared the points. For the Current, this is acceptable, as they are comfortably fifth in the table. Angel City is in a three-way tie for the final playoff spot, and will be loath to leave points on the pitch. Early second-half goal gives Gotham win at Houston Houston played the league leaders equal for the match, and then, in the blink of an eye, Sam Kerr struck to send the Dash to defeat. Houston tested Shelby Hogan often, and she passed all of those tests. The first half was cautious, as neither side wanted to allow the other to break the press. Houston had a great chance in the 12th minute when Kat Rader rattled the woodwork. Gotham had a glorious opportunity to take the lead 10 minutes later. Leah Klenke took down Jordan Dudley in the box, and the referee pointed straight to the penalty spot. Sam Kerr stepped up, but sent her attempt wide of the post. Embed from Getty Images Gotham got on the board immediately after the restart. Guro Reiten got the ball deep in the box and sent it into the middle. Kerr stuck her leg out perfectly and deflected the ball past Campbell for the lead just 34 seconds into the half. Houston sent several attempts at Hogan throughout the rest of the match, and she was on her game. Gotham’s keeper not only made the saves, but she also controlled the ball on rebounds so that they never went to a dangerous place. Gotham moves back to the top of the table, while Houston is currently out of playoff contention. Fishlock’s late tally gives Seattle win over Bay in exciting tilt Perhaps the most entertaining fixture of the week, this match had a bit of everything. Early goals, late goals, legends featuring alongside rookies, and action all over the pitch. It was one of those rookie sensations that got things started for the Reign. Just five minutes in, Maddie Dahlien (this author’s pick for NWSL ROY) got the ball in the box and ran it down to the goal line. She sent a pass into the middle and Mia Fishel tapped in past Jordan Silkowitz. Only two minutes after that, Dahlien stole the ball and looked to double the lead, but Silkowitz sent her offering wide. It was merely prolonging the inevitable. In the 10th minute, Dahlien received a through ball, accelerated past her defender, and put the ball far side beyond Silkowitz. Bay got back in the match quickly. 13 minutes in, Hannah Bebar charged at the Seattle defence, broke right, and fired a rocket top bins. Shortly thereafter, Bay’s Dorian Bailey put a second past Claudia Dickey, but she had come from an offside position. Embed from Getty Images The match settled down for a spell until the 75th minute, and an absolutely perfect set piece from Bay evened the score. Kennedy Fuller sent a free kick to Bebar, who sent the ball into the box. An unmarked Keira Barry came streaking in from the left and sent the ball into the far side. And then, the legend got the winner. Welsh international Jess Fishlock came into the match for Seattle in the 84th minute. She won the match for Seattle in the 85th minute. An over-the-top pass from Emeri Adams fell right into Fishlock’s stride, and the former NWSL MVP outraced the Bay defence. She closed on Silkowitz and finished into the side netting. The win keeps Seattle tied for the last playoff spot, while Bay slips further down the table with their third straight loss. Godfrey’s second-half strike sends San Diego by Washington While it might not have been a cold, rainy night in Stoke, it was a warm, exceedingly rainy night in Washington for this one. The pace of the entire match was slow, and three matches in seven days may also have affected the home Spirit. The side did not display their typical ball-control offence, while San Diego looked more comfortable and played a perfect road game. The Wave controlled the offence for the first half, but most of their shots came from distance. The wetness of the pitch did not allow for quick attacks or breakout runs. Both sides finished with two shots on target, none of which troubled Sandy MacIver or Sandra Paños. Washington’s shots at Paños did not come until stoppage time, and were very pedestrian. The second half was played at the same pace as the weather did not lessen. Washington only had one chance for the half, a 57th-minute riser by Rebeca Bernal that glanced off the top of the bar. The breakthrough finally came in the 60th minute. Washington attempted to start a build-up from the back, but turned it over at midfield. Trinity Byars got the ball and sent it forward into the box. Gia Corley raced forward and chipped it over MacIver for the game winner. Washington pressed for the equaliser, but the Wave held strong in their defence. San Diego stays close to the league leaders, while Washington slips to second. Utah puts five past Portland, keeps pace with league leaders The Royals allowed the quickest goal of the season thus far, putting the Thorns up less than a minute into the match. And that was about the only thing that went wrong for the home side. Just 30 seconds into the match, Pietra Tordin spotted the speedster Sophia Wilson breaking up the pitch. Tordin sent a perfect through ball ahead, Wilson beat the Utah defenders to it, and then fired past Mandy McGlynn. The two sides played evenly for some time, and then the floodgates opened. 36 minutes in, Utah turned Portland over at midfield. Kiana Palacios got the ball at the top of the box and slid a nice pass over to CeCe Delzer coming down the right side. She took one touch and chipped over Mackenzie Arnold. Delzer then earned her brace two minutes after the half. Cloe Lacasse got the ball on the left side and saw three of her teammates in the Portland box. She dropped in a ball, and Delzer easily tapped home. Embed from Getty Images Wilson should have tied the score 59 minutes in, going around McGlynn and looking at a wide-open net. Unfortunately, she sent her shot into the outside netting, and Utah pounced on the missed opportunity. The Royals tallied ten minutes after that, and then every ten minutes after that until the final whistle. First, Lacasse got her second assist, finding Brecken Mozingo in the middle of the box. Mozingo calmed the ball, then sent it far side. Next, Miyabi Moriya sent a perfect ball into the box that Palacios finished with a cheeky backheel. And lastly, the deadly Utah corner struck again. Lacasse sent it in, and Kate Del Fava finished with a nice header. Utah holds with the two leaders, while Portland slips to sixth. Denver & Boston draw, successful expansion seasons for each continue The Summit and the Legacy have been having tremendous debut seasons this year, and have nearly identical records thus far. The final battle of the debutantes took place in Denver, with Boston winning the first on home soil. The visitors nearly scored early in this one, when Aleigh Gambone stole the ball in the box and chipped Abby Smith. The shot went just wide, however, and Denver started to press forward. Boston’s Casey Murphy made several key saves, and then the Legacy found their offence. 35 minutes in, Murphy made another save, then looked up to see Sammy Smith sprinting up the middle. The Boston keeper dropped a perfect ball into her striker, who then quickly fired into the Summit net. The half ended with that scoreline, and Denver looked for the equaliser. The home team came out firing, but still could not solve Murphy. The chance to tie came 70 minutes in. Denver mounted another attack, and the ball was sent in. Tash Flint went into the box and was taken down heavily by Boston’s Bianca St’ Georges. The referee pointed to the spot, and Janine Sonis stepped up for Denver. The Canadian international danced across the box and calmly put the ball past Murphy. Sonis is perfect on PK’s this season, and has seven total goals to lead the Summit. The two sides saw out the rest of the match, and remain tied in points, with Denver ahead on goal differential. Both sides still have a very realistic chance to make the NWSL playoffs. NWSL Week 15 results in full Kansas City Current 5-1 Racing Louisville Utah Royals 0-1 Washington Spirit Bay FC 0-1 Gotham FC North Carolina Courage 5-0 Orlando Pride Racing Louisville 2-1 Chicago Stars Kansas City Current 1-1 Angel City FC Houston Dash 0-1 Gotham FC Bay FC 2-3 Seattle Reign Washington Spirit 0-1 San Diego Wave Utah Royals 5-1 Portland Thorns Denver Summit 1-1 Boston Legacy More articles from Her Football Hub: ÖFB Frauen Bundesliga round-up: Sturm Graz go top after eight-goal thriller as St. Pölten gain revenge West Ham Women’s New Faces: Analysing the Hammers Summer Signings Ahead of the 26/27 WSL Season WAFCON: Rui Costa is the architect behind Cape Verde’s meteoric rise