The NWSL saw several dramatic matches over the weekend, beginning with the Seattle Reign and Houston Dash’s rain-soaked game on Friday. A few teams pulled off big feats: the Utah Royals maintained their unbeaten record, the Boston Legacy won the franchise’s first game, and the Portland Thorns’ 2-0 win over the Chicago Stars was couched in 20-year-old Olivia Moultrie‘s historic match.
KC Current bounce back with a win
The 2025 Shield winners have had trouble finding a groove this season, entering the game tied for a league-worst 13 goals allowed. Of course, last week’s 4-0 loss to Washington was a big factor there.
The Current came out with a lot of energy from the moment the match began, with Croix Bethune scoring in the eighth minute of the game to set the team up for their ultimate win. The goal was her second since she was traded from the Washington Spirit.
Michelle Cooper buried the team’s go-ahead goal in the 23rd minute. Manaka Matsukubo scored for the Courage in the 83rd minute of the game.
“You don’t often win the game in the first half,” Current head coach Chris Armas told reporters, “but the two-goal lead gave us a cushion. We pushed for more and had to fight them off late, but awesome start. Really proud of the team.”
With their third win, the Current tied the Courage with nine points. Kansas City is now in 11th and North Carolina is in ninth.
Utah Royals edge out Angel City to maintain unbeaten record
The Utah Royals managed to hold on to their unbeaten record with a 1-0 win over Angel City on Saturday.
The match marked the return of Royals goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn to the starting lineup after making her season debut last week. She faced four shots on goal, but secured the club’s third straight shutout. On the other end of the pitch, Cloé Lacasse extended the Royals’ record of 16 consecutive matches with a goal.
The game was a tough one for Angel City, who were forced to play with 10 players on the field after Maiara Niehues was booted just before the half. “I’m really proud of the second half,” the team’s head coach Alex Straus told reporters. “[The team] went for it 100 percent in the second half with one player less.”
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 women’s sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of women’s sports news and analysis. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to subscribe!
Moultrie powers Portland win in Chicago
The Portland Thorns defeated the Chicago Stars on Sunday in a game that saw 20-year-old Olivia Moultrie become the youngest player to reach 100 appearances. Prior to Moultire, the record was held by Trinity Rodman (who earned it when she was 23).
“I can’t believe I’ve hit 100 games, it doesn’t feel like that at all,” Moultrie told reporters. “I get to show up and do what I love every day and it doesn’t feel like a chore. I can’t wait for 100 more, and being able to do it with the Thorns and build a career here has been really special to me thus far. I hope there’s a lot more to come.”
The match also marked the Thorns’ fifth clean sheet this season.
Boston Legacy net their first regular-season win against the Denver Summit
The Boston Legacy overcame a significant expansion team hurdle to win their first match of the regular season against the Denver Summit.
The team’s first goal was due to the combined efforts of Natasha Flint and Yazmeen Ryan, who managed to work together and get past the Summit’s Casey Murphy in the game’s 18th minute. The Legacy’s Nichelle Prince answered with the team’s own point in the 44th.
The Summit pulled things up to even in the 77th before the Legacy’s Aïssata Traoré fired off a game-tying point in the 90th minute. Bianca St-Georges ultimately won the game for the Legacy in stoppage time.