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September is over in terms of National Women’s Soccer League agreements. We have now booked two teams for play -off games and officially eliminated. The rest still has four games to mention their affairs, and the soft center of the competition could change a lot in the past month.
This is how the clubs form most of week 22:
Cream of the crop
Z-Kansas City Current (18-2-2, 56 points; vs Stars, 3-1): The power gave a goal at the weekend and ended their remarkable Shutout streak at 870 minutes, including nine full matches. But no worries. They were without Hailie Mace and Kayla Sharples and they never left in the game. And even with the permitted goal, Lorena has more clean sheets (12) than the goals that have been specified (11). Can they win 20 games?
Title candidates
NJ / The Gotham FC (9-6-7, 34 points; vs Thorns, 3-0): It is no longer speculative. Last week I said that the thorn match was a chance, and it was an opportunity that was made. Holet through a sublime, one-touch, Jaedyn Shaw Assisting to Rose Lavelle, Gotham ran circles around the thorns and announced himself as legitimate title candidates. Wednesday’s Concacaf confrontation against the Spirit could be a semi -final (and Rematch) and the visit of 11 October to Kansas City is one to circle.
X-Washington Spirit (11-4-7, 40 points; vs Houston Dash, 4-0): Booked a play-off place with a 4-0 Beatdown from the dashboard that was anything but in the bag during the break. Gift Monday was the star of the show with the fourth hat trick in the first half in the history of NWSL. The first was Crystal Dunn, in front of the dashboard, and this was the first regular seasonal trick of the club of any kind in the decade.
The ever -growing atmosphere of mediocrity
Seattle Reign FC (9-7-6, 33 points; US Courage, 2-1): Nice rally to beat the courage and jump into a hosting position. Maddie Dahlien gradually appears as one of the most important players in the competition. She hit the winner in this after she called the potential opener back because he was scary outside.
Orlando Pride (9-8-5, 32 points; @ wave, 2-1): The players’ reactions after the last whistle blew in San Diego how the nine-game Winless Streak-Die extended until June-on we weighed. And they may have gone away with this one. Anna Moorhouse was a stone wall along the piece, reconciling for her giveaway action so that the Golf could bind the game. Hard to read about how well the version of this year’s pride can be, but they now have at least a small insulation in the top 8.
Utah Royals FC (5-11-6, 21 points; @ Bay, 2-0): The current version of the royals has a three-game extraction streak for the first time after he has taken it to Bay FC. It was a stark contrast to the season opener when a Dodgy performance was the first early red flag that 2025 might not go completely according to plan in the Wasatch -Valley. Mia Justus is now 2-from-2 in terms of the target in goal.
Portland Thorns FC (8-7-7, 31 points; @ Gotham, 0-3): If we measure the Doornen by comparing the weekend trip to Gotham with last year’s play -off game, this is not a great comparison. As much as the thorns have come out of their Sans-Sophia Wilson roster this season, they seem to lose ground at the top.
San Diego Wave FC (8-7-7, 31 points; vs Pride, 1-2): You can claim that the Golf has surpassed the thorns and proudly over the past two weeks, but they only have one point to show for the two games. Looking at the future, the Golf is urgently needed a Finisher to get more out of their best football moments. In the short term they are three points free from the play-off line and two points from a quarter-final hosting position, and what way they discuss the last four games is one of the more intriguing storylines around the competition.
North Carolina Courage (7-8-7, 28 points; @ Reign, 1-2): If you get a casual offside conversation to keep you scoreless, and then a nice header from Hannah Betfort to take the lead on the road, it is better to get on the plane with something to show it. However, the courage was unable to capitalize and fell 2-1 on Lumen to not only stay empty-handed, but also on the wrong side of the play-off line. The game winner was also a must-save for Marisa Jordan, her first big mistake since the start of the starting nod away from Casey Murphy.
Racing Louisville FC (8-9-5, 29 points; vs Angel City, 1-0): Probably the most important victory of the weekend moves the battered racing side of the status ‘faltering on the Brink’ from last week to the coveted eighth sheet position on the table. Just closing the game with a lead of one goal must have been satisfactory, given the amount of points they have fallen from the 90th minute since the beginning of August. Emma Sears, who helped with the goal, is an MVP candidate for dark horses.
Houston Dash (7-10-5, 26 points; @ spirit, 0-4): Abby Smith got the start for wounded Jane Campbell and the defense was a hot mess against the mind. The dashboard is clearly getting better, but this was one to forget on Audi Field. And yes, they are only three points on drift of the Playoff line (with an inferior target difference) and two teams to pass.
The problems at the bottom
Angel City FC (6-10-6, 24 points; @ Louisville, 0-1): The abundance of teams that make the play -offs is essentially the only thing that has not stamped the season of Angel City. Evelyn Shores and Sveindís Jónsdóttir are recent additions that seem ready to contribute in the future. Sara Doorn-Khajeh has not yet shown it completely. And is it time to ask if we ever see Sydney Leroux playing football again?
E-chicago Stars FC (2-11-9, 15 points; @ electricity, 1-3): The stars broke the shutout streak of the current record and should have break it earlier, but for a Phantom error call against Ludmila. But a large part of the 90 minutes they had absolutely no answer to the top team of the competition. That hardly makes them unique. But officially eliminated from play -off rack, at least for this week.
Bay FC (4-11-7, 19 points; vs Royals, 0-2): Complaints about the last weekend may have some validity, but also the idea that this is now the lower team in the NWSL. And with reported changes to the top of the organization on the road, not to mention the Lame-Duck status of Albertin Montoya as head coach, the list of questions for 2026 is in abundance.
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