1. Seattle legend Jess Fishlock subs on and scores game-winner in 3-2 victory
Women’s soccer legend Jess Fishlock is going out with a bang in her retirement season scoring the late game-winner for Seattle Reign less than two minutes after substituting on.
The Reign took a 2-0 lead only 10 minutes in with goals by Mia Fishel and Maddie Dahlien in the sixth and 10th minutes respectively. Bay FC then responded with a goal of their own in the 14th minute by Hannnah Bebar. Bay FC created a few more chances
than the Reign in the second half and equalized in the 75th minute with a set piece in which Keira Barry was hiding and got completely open in a wide area.
Bay FC pushed for the winner in the next few minutes, but the Reign weathered the storm then took advantage of a counter in the 85th minute. Seattle stole a throw-in pass by Bay near the midfield and quickly sent a long ball up to Fishlock. The Welsh legend allowed the long ball to bounce once and headed it forward before knocking it in with her right foot for the win.
2. NC Courage decimate Orlando Pride
The North Carolina Courage ended a three-match losing streak on Friday night when they decimated the Orlando Pride with a 5-0 win at home. The Courage scored early in the fourth minute with a goal by Lauryn Thompson, then featured a hat trick for Swedish forward Evelyn Ijeh.
3. Royals overcome quick goal in 5-1 beatdown against Portland Thorns
The Thorns opened the match as perfectly as an away side can hope for with a goal only one minute into the match by their star forward Sophia Wilson. However, the Royals went on to put up five goals against the Thorns the largest amount in a single match in club history.
The victory also marked the Royals’ 10th win of the season a total that Utah hasn’t reached since the 2019 NWSL season.
4. Gotham FC take first place with victory over Houston Dash
Gotham FC took a one-point lead in the NWSL Shield race with their 1-0 win on the road against the Houston Dash. The two sides played a relatively even first half, which included a penalty earned by Jordynn Dudley and a miss by Sam Kerr in the 23rd minute that went just wide of the net.
However, Kerr redeemed her miss to open the second half with a goal to open the second half which was all Gotham needed for the win as they didn’t allow Houston to create any quality scoring opportunities the next 45 minutes. The goal also solidified Kerr’s record as the leading all-time scorer for Gotham FC.
5. Wave win first-ever road match at Audi Field
San Diego Wave earned their first ever road victory against the Washington Spirit in a 1-0 win at Audi Field on a rainy Sunday. The Southern California side came out strong to start the first half, but couldn’t score though they greatly limited the Spirit’s chances. The Wave scored in the 60th minute after good midfield defense created a breakaway opportunity for Trinity Byars who just subbed on and ended with a chipped goal for Lia Godfrey.
The Wave took both matches in the season series, but the Spirit still hold a four point lead in the standings in second place.
6. Kansas City Current and Angel City FC split points
The Kansas City Current continued their 2026 home unbeaten streak, with their second home draw in a row against a Southern California club with their 1-1 draw against Angel City FC. The home side created more chances and doubled Angel City’s shot total with 16, but couldn’t find a game-winner. NWSL rookie Taylor Suarez got back in the starting XI for the dirst time since May 31, and scored her first professional goal in the 14th minute.
Angel City are now set up for an exciting match against the Seattle Reign who share an identical record through 16 matches.
7. Louisville emerge from last place over Chicago Stars
It’s hard to draw much out of a match between the two teams at the bottom of the table, but Racing Louisville distinguished themselves with a 2-1 win at home against the Chicago Stars. Chicago dominated possession, but failed to create quality chances in Louisville’s final third only managing one shot in the first half, then a few more in the second after the opposition already took the lead.
Racing Louisville scored twice in seven minutes with goals by Miran Gacioch, the first of her professional career, and Kayla Fischer putting them two points ahead of the Stars on the standings into 15th place. The two sides face off once again in Chicago on August 23, 2026.
8. Expansion clubs split points in Denver
The two 2026 NWSL expansion clubs are even on the table with 20 points, though the Summit do hold two games in hand compared to the Legacy. After Sunday’s match the clubs remained even and each scored a goal in the 1-1 draw. The two clubs were equal in possession, and while the Summit passed the ball much more in the opposing half and box, the Legacy did not concede a goal in the run of play, only conceding a penalty. Sammy Smith scored in the 35th minute for the Legacy for her second goal of the season and Janine Sonis equalized in the 72nd minute via a penalty for her seventh goal of the year.
