It’s been a few years since the Utah Royals have been part of the National Women’s Soccer League, and it’s safe to say a lot has happened since then.
But with three games remaining in the regular season, now seems as good a time as any to become reacquainted with all that is going on in the NWSL.
Playoff Race
Heading into the weekend, the defending NWSL Championship winners, Portland Thorns, lead the league, but with only five points separating the top five teams the Regular Season title is very much up for grabs. Four of the top five teams face one another in their upcoming matches, with Portland hosting second-place San Diego Wave and the fifth-place OL Reign hosting fourth-place North Carolina Courage, the results of which should clear up the top-half of the standings.
Meanwhile, sixth through 10th place are separated by three points, all vying for one of the remaining postseason playoff positions. This weekend ninth-place Racing Louisville will play the Chicago Red Stars, who sit at the bottom of the table. A win for the Kentucky side could see them move above the playoff line.
As the regular season races to a close, teams will be jockeying back and forth often, with the final playoff positions likely being determined in the final matches on October 15.
End-of-Season Award Watch
In the same way that the playoff race will likely come down to the wire, this year’s Golden Boot race is still very much in the air with a three-woman race between Portland Thorns’ Sophia Smith, Washington Spirits’ Ashley Hatch and North Carolina Courage’s Kerolin. Smith leads the way with 11 goals, while Hatch and Kerolin are close behind with nine goals apiece.
The Thorn’s trio of Sam Coffey (7), Smith (5) and Morgan Weaver (4) sit in first, second and third place for the most assists this year, respectively.
The Golden Glove award looks to be a four-way sprint between Jane Campbell (Houston Dash) and Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage) who both have seven clean sheets this year, and Kailen Sheridan (San Diego Wave) and Katie Lund (Racing Louisville) who are close behind with six shutouts.
Utah Connections
There are currently five players within the NWSL who hold connections to the state of Utah, including forwards Ashley Hatch, Cameron Tucker and Michele Vasconcelos, and midfielders MIkayla Cluff and Olivia Moultire. All but Moultrie attended Brigham Young University, with the aforementioned forward growing up in Utah before signing with Portland Thorns as a teenager.
As mentioned above, Hatch is vying for her second Golden Boot award, having previously won the award in 2021. Additionally, Hatch is looking to tie Kim Little and Heather O’Reilly for most penalty kick goals in a season with six, the forward being just one away from equaling their record and two away from taking the title for herself.
Eighteen-year-old Moultrie recently had her option exercised by Portland, keeping her in the Rose City for the next year, after which she will become a Restricted Free Agent. This year Moultrie has recorded two goals and three assists in 18 matches.
Finally, Cluff has appeared in all 19 matches for Orlando Pride, recording two goals and one assist, while Tucker has played in 12 matches for the Houston Dash.
Happenings Around the League
In case you live under a rock, Angel City and United States Women’s National team midfielder Julie Ertz retired from professional soccer with a send-off match this past Thursday, captaining the team for the first half in her final farewell before hanging up her cleats.
Former Utah Royal Kate Del Fava became the second player to reach 50 appearances for Kansas City Current in the team’s 2-1 win over San Diego Wave.
The NWSL announced its list of unrestricted and restricted free agents ahead of the upcoming offseason, the list for which can be found here. Utah Royals can now begin talking to players to add to its roster for the 2024 season.
Finally, the NWSL unveiled it would be expanding to 15 teams in 2026, with an expansion team being added to the city of Boston.
