Weโre about a third of the way through the NWSL season and we are finally getting some separation at the top of the table. San Diego is still in first with 21 points, followed by Utah and Portland with 20. Washington and Gotham are within striking distance, but everyone else is two wins out of top position as we approach the monthlong summer break.ย
Letโs look at some of the top storylines through Week 8.
Utah unbeaten in eight straight
With a 2-1 victory against Racing Louisville on Sunday, the Utah Royals climbed into second place in the league standings. Even though their 468-minute shutout streak ended, they dominated possession 65-35 and fired 18 shots in the match.
Since starting the season 0-2, Utah holds a 6-0-2 record and is 3-0-2 on the road.
โWeโve put in a lot of hard work,โ Cece Delzer told reporters after the game. โThis has been a really big project and a large project, and I think that youโre finally seeing those results and the hard work paying off.โ
Delzer assisted on Mina Tanakaโs go-ahead goal in the 77th minute. It was her second goal of the season and it set up Tanakaโs third, which tied her with Cloรฉ Lacasse for the team lead.
Tatumn Milazzo and Lara Praลกnikar each have two, presenting a pretty balanced attack for the Royals. Mandy McGlynn has recorded four clean sheets with eight saves and just one goal allowed. Mia Justus had another two clean sheets at the start of the teamโs run.
The Royals will face the Denver Summit and Portland Thorns before the break.
Boston has also put together a little run and is unbeaten in five straight. They are 2-0-3 in that span and have scored at least one goal in each. Their recent run of form has moved the Legacy up into 14th place with 9 points.
Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast and Women’s Sports Daily
We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the womenโs sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of womenโs sports news and analysis. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to subscribe!
Trinity Byars shines in first start
San Diego forward Trinity Byars earned her first start on Friday and made the most of it, scoring just six minutes into the Waveโs 2-1 victory against the Washington Spirit. The goal, a curling shot from the top of the box, was the first of Byarsโ career. She had been limited to just 76 minutes through four previous matches, while recovering from an ACL injury sustained at the University of Texas.
The Golden Boot race is on
Even though she missed Kansas Cityโs first four matches, two-time MVP Temwa Chawinga has jumped back right into the Golden Boot race. She has five goals in her last two matches, all in the run of play.
Orlandoโs Barbra Banda still leads the league with nine goals in 10 matches and North Carolinaโs Ashley Sanchez is in second with six in nine. Banda has created twice the opportunities, however, with 24 shots on target to Sanchezโs 12.
Chicago continues to look lost
The Stars generated some excitement this week as Mallory Swanson returned to the pitch for the first time in 554 days, but it wasnโt enough to secure a victory against North Carolina.
Including that match, Chicago has been shut out in four straight and is now in last place with a 2-8-0 record. They have one more match on this three-game road swing against Bay FC and then they return home for the top-ranked Wave. Maybe they can reset after the break.