NWSL Power Rankings After Matchday 19: Gotham FC Leads, Wave Stages Comeback

The latest Matchday 19 power rankings placed NJ/NY Gotham FC atop the 16-team league despite a 1-1 draw with Portland, while several clubs shifted positions after recent results.

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• Gotham FC – Extended its unbeaten run to ten matches, a club record, after drawing with Portland. Jaedyn Shaw opened scoring with a low-probability chance.

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• San Diego Wave – Came back from two goals down to beat Racing Louisville 3-2, the second such comeback in franchise history. Trinity Byars added two goals and an assist; Kenza Dali supplied the winner.

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• Utah – Earned its first win, 2-1 at Orlando, with Cloé Lacasse scoring the equalizer and assisting the winner, tying the league assist lead.

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• Portland Thorns – Drew 1-1 at Gotham, the first away point there since October 2022. Sophia Wilson converted her ninth penalty.

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• Washington Spirit – Ended a four-game home losing streak, 1-0 over Bay FC, via a goal credited to Paige Metayer.

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• Seattle Reign – Stayed above the playoff line with a 1-0 win at Houston; Maddie Dahlien scored the winner.

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• Kansas City Current – Won 3-2 at home over North Carolina; Croix Bethune earned the ESPN #2 overall player ranking.

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• North Carolina Courage – Lost 3-2 after a congested schedule and injuries to centre-backs Maycee Bell and Natalie Jacobs.

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• Denver Summit – Thrashed Chicago Stars 6-1 in their first meeting; Yuzuki Yamamoto contributed a goal and an assist.

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• Angel City FC – Won 5-2 over Boston Legacy, their first victory in eight games; Ally Sentnor opened scoring, Prisca Chilufya added a brace.

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• Boston Legacy – Conceded five goals, bringing total goals allowed to 15 in the last four matches.

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• Orlando Pride – Fell 2-1 at Utah despite Barbra Banda’s first goal since July 10.

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• Racing Louisville – Surrendered a 2-0 lead to the Wave; the remainder of their schedule features many top-half opponents.

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• Houston Dash – Suffered a second straight 1-0 loss, generating a season-low one shot on target.

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• Gotham FC: 10-match unbeaten streak (club record).

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• Cloé Lacasse: 10 assists, tied for league lead.

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• Trinity Byars: 4 goals, 2 assists in last two games.

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• Sophia Wilson: 9-for-9 from the penalty spot.

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• Denver Summit: 6-1 victory, highest margin of the week.

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Interim head coach Shaun Harris concluded his tenure as Juan Carlos Amoros returned from paternity leave with Gotham FC. Maddie Dahlien, speaking at halftime for Seattle Reign, called for the team to become “more ruthless in the box,” a sentiment reflected in her match-winning goal.

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Match reports highlighted comeback victories, defensive lapses, and individual brilliance. Utah and the Wave used halftime adjustments; Boston Legacy and Chicago Stars struggled with organization and shot creation.

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No contradictory statistics or disputed facts were identified among the sources.

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Portland Thorns host their next match on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET. Racing Louisville faces a tougher second half of the season as many remaining opponents sit in the league’s top half. Playoff-bubble teams, including Orlando Pride and Houston Dash, will look to convert limited chances into points.

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