NWSL Week 8 round-up: San Diego goes top of table, Utah remains red-hot

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·21 May 2026

NWSL Week 8 round-up: San Diego goes top of table, Utah remains red-hot

NWSL Week 8 was full of exciting action, with several teams and players continuing their terrific run of play. A newly returned superstar keeps finding the net, and staunch defense has been the name of the game for several squads.

Temwa Chawinga netted a brace one week after a hat trick, Barbra Banda continues to lead the Golden Boot race, and both expansion sides netted another win this week. Here is the breakdown of NWSL Week 8.

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Boston extends point streak to four with last minute PK

One of the league’s debutantes in Boston Legacy continued an impressive run of late. Hosting Orlando, the Legacy found itself down early. After a foul was called on a corner, the Pride was awarded a PK just 14 minutes in. The legendary Marta stepped up to the spot and calmly fired past Casey Murphy. From that point on, the host side took control of the match, with several good chances garnered by Boston. The breakthrough would come in the second half.

After the restart, Boston continued to apply the pressure, and were awarded in the 72nd minute. Amanda Gutierres took a long ball in the box and headed deftly back to Aleigh Gambone. The right-back was able to run onto it and take her shot in stride. Anna Moorhouse could only look on as the equalizer sailed in. The sides exchanged chances into extra time, and then, controversy hit. Boston had a corner, and the ball struck Orlando’s Luana in the arm. The play looked to be clean, with no intent or arm in an unnatural position, and play continued.

A full minute after the play, the VAR call came down. The Legacy was awarded the penalty kick, much to the chagrin of Orlando. Gutierres got the call, and smoked her shot low into the left corner for the winner. Boston is currently on a four game point streak, while Orlando has lost three of four.

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Chawinga leads Kansas City to victory again

Temwa Chawinga is a scoring machine, plain and simple. After being in the starting line-up for Kansas City for just two weeks, she is already the team leader in goals, and ranks third league-wide. Her latest victims were the visiting Houston Dash, a team already reeling. It would get no better for the Dash on this day.

Just 15 minutes in, Michelle Cooper unleashed a shot from in close. Jane Campbell got a piece of it, but not enough to keep the ball out. Credited as an own goal, Campbell was struck by the Chawinga Express just two minutes later. A strong Current attack found Cooper with the ball at her feet inside the box and Campbell out of position. Cooper fed the wide-open Chawinga, who easily tapped home.

Houston came out better in the second half, and had several good chances. Kat Rader had an excellent strike stopped by Lorena, and the home side started to take control back. Kansas City put the game away in the 68th minute on a beautifully run 3-on-2 attack. Haley Hopkins ran the ball through center, with Cooper on her right and Chawinga on her left. Hopkins fed Cooper, who quickly passed back across the box to Chawinga. She slammed it home, and the Current continue climbing up the table.

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Boston keeps point streak going, draw with Bay FC

Boston extended its point streak to five matches (2W, 3D) with a tremendous effort against Bay. The home side came out strong, testing Casey Murphy often in the first half. The Legacy netminder stood strong, and the best scoring chance of the half came to Boston’s Amanda Gutierres. Her rising shot got past Jordan Silkowitz, but glanced off the crossbar. Just after that, the Legacy went down to ten players, as captain Bianca St. Georges was sent off for a high tackle in the 42nd minute. The booking forced Boston to change tactics for the second half.

The second half was where all the scoring occurred. Taking advantage of the open space, Bay got on the board at 51 minutes. Claire Hutton drove the box and fed Dorian Bailey. The winger tried to feed it in front, but the defense cleared it right back to her. Bailey went down the left side and placed it perfectly by Murphy. The Legacy withstood continued pressure, and equalized at 64 minutes. Aissata Traoré went in to make a play on a deep cross, and Silkowitz came out to meet her. Silkowitz go her knee up and took down the Boston striker. The referee awarded a PK, and Gutierres buried it. Bay had some chances to take the lead, particularly in the 90th minute, but Boston held firm. The points were shared, and expansion Boston looks better every week.

San Diego goes top of table with win over Washington

The Wave scored early, the Wave scored late, and it was enough to defeat the visiting Spirit. The match was but six minutes old when the home side opened the scoring. Trinity Byars drove into the box and laid off to Kimmi Ascanio. The ball came right back to Byars, and her long-range rocket went top bin for the lead. The visitors equalized at 33 minutes off an excellent set piece. Leicy Santos sent a corner in, and Rebeca Bernal came flying in, unmarked. She headed past Didi Haracic, and the two sides went into half-time all square.

San Diego came out hard in the second half, and was pressing Washington throughout. The Wave actually put the ball in the net halfway through the frame, but were deemed offside in the buildup. Washington get a good look late, but Haracic stopped Trinity Rodman’s offering. And then, just before the full time, San Diego nabbed the winner. Kenza Dali’s corner fell right into the middle of the box. Sandy MacIver could not knock it away, and Ascanio headed home. The Wave supplant Portland for first in the table.

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Gotham defense stifles Seattle for seventh clean sheet of season

The fearsome Gotham defense showed up again this weekend, and held yet another opponent off the score sheet. The visitors played a patient, possession-heavy game, and was rewarded for it. Following one long range shot off a giveaway that Ann-Katrin Berger easily stopped, Gotham wore down Seattle. A build-up attack that started in the Gotham end found its way to the back of the Seattle net. Jaelin Howell started the attack down the right side, found Jordynn Dudley in the box, and she sent out high to Savannah McCaskill at the top. McCaskill sent it to Jaedyn Shaw, who took one touch, turned, and fired. Her shot beat Claudia Dickey, and the visitors led. Gotham controlled the rest of the half, and did not allow Seattle to mount any serious attack.

Seattle came out with some vigor in the second half, and had a few promising attacks, but none that came to fruition. Gotham then continued its wonderful, methodical style, and took back control. The side was rewarded in the 57th minute, doubling the lead through center-back Tierna Davidson. Guro Reiten’s corner was pushed to the top of the box, where Sofia Cook directed it toward Davidson. She sent a one-timer past Dickey into the top corner. Gotham nearly made it three on another set piece, but Midge Purce’s shot hit the post. Seattle nearly got one back late, when Brittany Ratcliffe found herself alone in front with only Berger to stop her. Ratcliffe’s shot couldn’t get by Gotham’s keeper, and the match ended 2-0 for the visiting side. Gotham’s defense is a treat to watch this season.

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North Carolina pummels struggling Chicago

Chicago entered the clash in a three match goalless drought, hoping to right the ship against a North Carolina side trying to get into a playoff position. Unfortunately for the visitors, this would not be the day to do so. The first half of the match was even, and the Stars had several good chances. Neither they nor Carolina could convert, even after Chicago keeper Alyssa Naeher had to leave the match early with a hamstring pull. The two sides went into the half all square, with neither team having clear control of the match.

And then the second half began. Just three minutes into the second frame, Ashley Sanchez sent a ball into the box for Evelyn Ijeh. She rose perfectly and sent her header past Halle Mackiewicz to give the Courage the lead. Less than 15 minutes later, the Courage duo struck again, with roles reversed. On 61 minutes, Ijeh received the ball in the box. She laid it off to Sanchez on the left side, and the winger made a quick move to open herself up and fire past Mackiewicz to double the lead. Sanchez is an absolute menace in an opponent’s box this season.

Just three minutes later, the home side struck again. Manaka Matsukubo got the ball at the top left of the box and spotted Ally Schlegel wide open in front. Schlegel took the pass, turned, and sent it past a helpless Mackiewicz. The home team finished the scoring through Matsukubo in the 86th minute. Following a Carolina corner, she got the ball at the top of the box. The Japanese international picked her way through traffic, then fired into the far corner. The Courage sits eighth, while Chicago is bottom of the table and in complete freefall.

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Denver rises as Orlando falls

The NWSL’s two expansion sides are both having impressive runs, and Denver’s has it in the top half of the table. The Summit handled the visiting Orlando Pride, who dropped matches to both expansion sides in less than a week. Denver started out quickly in this one. Following a corner that the Pride could not clear, the ball came to Eva Gaetino right in front of goal. The center back easily tapped in for a lead just 11 minutes in. Denver had the better of the play throughout the half, and the sides went with Gaetino’s marker the only one. The second half was waiting with plenty of action to come.

Five minutes in to the half, Yazmeen Ryan was breaking down the right side of the box when Oihane Hernandez body-checked her out of the box with no attempt to play the ball. The referee immediately called for a penalty, and Denver captain Janine Sonis placed a perfect shot to up the lead to 2-0. Things got worse for the Pride in the 63rd minute when Angelina was sent off for violent conduct for a hair pull on Delanie Sheehan. The NWSL has been very consistent on that front all season. The Pride got their one moment of joy in the 76th minute. Haley McCutcheon sent a great through ball to a streaking Barbra Banda, and the league’s leading goal scorer made no mistake. The joy was short-lived, as less than 90 seconds later, Sonis got her brace when she came in late and placed another perfect shot in the corner. Denver leap-frogs Orlando in the table.

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Portland and Angel City match each other in scoreless draw

This match was the most evenly fought one of the week, and the result is the absolute exact reflection of that. The first half did not see either side with terrific chances. Portland’s Mackenzie Arnold made the only save of the half early on, while Angel City’s Angelina Anderson was never tested. The two defenses held their opposite number at bay, and the half ended as it had started.

The second half provided more offense, but still no results. Portland’s Sophia Wilson made an acrobatic diving attempt early on, and Anderson made just as impressive a save. Angel City did some pressing and earned several corners, but no great scoring opportunities arose. The Thorns came inches away from a win in stoppage time. Following a series of corners, Jessie Fleming sent in a low shot that beat Anderson, but bounced off the post. The two sides share the points, and Portland slips from the top of the table.

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Red hot Utah wins again, stops Racing Louisville

The Utah Royals lost the first two matches of the year, and haven’t lost since. The play has the Royals second in the table, with the latest three points coming at the expense of a snake-bitten Racing Louisville side. The season-long bad breaks hit Louisville early in this match. In the 22nd minute, Utah’s Paige Cronin sent the ball across the face of goal. Jordyn Bloomer got a hand on it, but tipped it directly into the path of defender Lauren Milliet. The ball went straight in for an own-goal, and the Royals had the lead. Utah maintained the pressure, with Racing sending a strong chance off a late set-piece that Mandy McGlynn handled.

The second half saw action at both ends, and it was the visitors who tallied for the equalizer. 68 minutes on, McGlynn tried to start play from a goal kick, but Ana Tejada could not control the pass. The ball came straight to Kayla Fischer, and she sent an absolute screamer into the Utah net. The Royals came back quickly, as in the 77th minute, Cece Delzer turned the entire right side of Louisville’s defense inside out, then sent a cross into the middle. Mina Tanaka was waiting, and she roofed a shot that Bloomer had no chance at. Utah is now but one point out of first, while Louisville is but one point out of last.