Gotham FC claimed the NWSL Shield for the best regular-season record with a 2-0 victory Sunday over the Utah Royals on Decision Day, when all 16 of the league’s teams play simultaneously.
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16 → claim → teams
With the top seed, Gotham (18-5-7) claimed home field advantage throughout the playoffs and will host the No. 8 seed Seattle Reign next Sunday in the quarterfinals.
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Gotham → claim → quarterfinals
Guro Reiten and Jaedyn Shaw scored for Gotham and Ann-Katrin Berger made two saves for her 11th clean sheet of the season.
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Berger → score → season
“This was obviously amazing to win the shield,” Shaw said.
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Shaw → win → shield
“We are so happy to finally achieve this.”
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We → achieve → this
San Diego Wave defender Mimi Van Zanten led her team to a 1-0 road win over Bay FC to secure the second seeds.
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Zanten → lead → seeds
The Wave (18-8-4) will host the seventh-seeded Royals (14-11-5) on Friday.
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Wave → host → Friday
The Washington Spirit secured the No. 3 seed with a 2-0 victory over the last-place Chicago Stars.
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Spirit → secure → Stars
Trinity Rodman scored for the Spirit (17-9-4), who will host the sixth-seeded Portland Thorns in the quarterfinals next Sunday.
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who → score → quarterfinals
The Kansas City Current took down Racing Louisville 2-0 to clinch the No. 4 seed.
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Current → take → seed
The Current (16-9-5) will host No. 5 seed Angel City on Saturday.
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Current → host → Saturday
North Carolina Courage forward Ashley Sanchez won the league’s Golden Boot with 20 regular-season goals, tied with Temwa Chawinga’s mark set in 2024 for the most in a single season.
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Sanchez → win → season
It is the second time the Golden Boot winner will miss the playoffs.
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winner → miss → playoffs
The other time was in 2017 when Sam Kerr of Sky Blue FC led the league.
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Kerr → lead → league
Reign clinch final playoff spot
Jordyn Bugg scored the winner to clinch the final playoff spot for the Seattle Reign (14-11-5) in a 1-0 home win over the Orlando Pride.
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Bugg → clinch → Pride
Bugg broke the deadlock off a corner kick in the 68th minute.
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Bugg → break → minute
Claudia Dickey did not need to make a save for her ninth clean sheet on the season.
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Dickey → need → season
The Pride (11-16-3) dropped consecutive matches to end their season.
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Pride → drop → season
Courage win, but miss out on the playoffs
An own goal provided the Courage (14-13-3) the 1-0 home win over the Denver Summit (11-11-8).
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goal → miss → Summit
Kailen Sheridan made four saves for her ninth shutout of the season.
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Sheridan → make → season
Wilson’s brace lifts the Thorns
Sophia Wilson scored twice to lead the Portland Thorns (14-8-8) to a 2-0 win over the Dash (9-15-6) in Houston, bringing her season total to a career-high 15 goals.
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Wilson → lift → goals
Wilson is the first NWSL player to score more than 10 goals in four separate seasons.
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Wilson → score → seasons
She converted a penalty in the 70th minute after Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell saved her initial attempt.
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Campbell → convert → attempt
The penalty was awarded after defender Paige Nielson fouled Caiya Hanks in the penalty area in the 62nd minute.
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Nielson → award → minute
A review found that Houston’s Lisa Boattin entered the area before Wilson struck the ball, prompting a retake.
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Wilson → find → retake
Wilson opened the scoring in the 34th minute after Hanks raced down the left flank and crossed to Reilyn Turner, whose heel flick set up the shot.
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flick → open → shot
Rodman nets 12th goal of the season
Rodman scored in the 85th minute to seal a 2-0 win for the Washington Spirit (17-9-4) over the previously eliminated Chicago Stars (5-23-2) at Audi Field in Washington.
Rodman finished a pass from Clara Luvanga after being left unguarded in the penalty area.
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Rodman → net → area
An own goal by Stars defender Michelle Alozie gave the Spirit the lead in the 62nd minute.
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goal → give → minute
Wave prevail on the road
Van Zanten scored the first goal of Decision Day in the ninth minute for the win over Bay FC (7-17-6) in San Jose, California.
Van Zanten powered home Kenza Dali’s pass through the penalty area, and Wave goalkeeper Sandra Paños made four saves to preserve the shutout over already eliminated Bay.
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Paños → prevail → Bay
Emslie scores in Angel City rout
Claire Emslie scored the final goal as Angel City (15-8-7) earned a 4-1 win over the Boston Legacy (9-15-6) at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
Emslie finished Taylor Suarez’s pass across the box just 10 minutes after entering the match.
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Emslie → score → match
Suarez also set up Sveindís Jónsdóttir on a counterattack in the 72nd minute for Angel City’s third goal.
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Suarez → set → goal
Jónsdóttir had assisted Evelyn Shores’ go-ahead goal in the 53rd minute, delivering a cross that Shores headed home for a 2-1 lead.
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Shores → assist → lead
Nealy Martin scored her first professional goal in the 17th minute to give Angel City an early lead.
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Martin → score → lead
Aïssata Traoré’s touch outside the penalty area set up Amanda Gutierres to equalize for Boston in the 37th minute.
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touch → set → minute
The Legacy has already been eliminated.
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Legacy → eliminate → ?
Sharples and Hopkins score for the Current
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Sharples → score → Current
The Kansas City Current earned a 2-0 win over Racing Louisville (7-20-3) at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky.
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Current → earn → Louisville
Kayla Sharples opened the scoring in the 15th minute, heading Vanessa DiBernardo’s corner into the back right corner of the net.
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Sharples → open → net
Haley Hopkins sealed the win in similar fashion, heading home another DiBernardo corner in the 59th minute.
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Hopkins → seal → minute
The Aporia
