As USWNT stars return from a triumphant Paris 2024, there’s plenty to look out for as NWSL gets back in action
An Olympic gold medal has made it a summer to remember in U.S. women’s soccer, Emma Hayes’ side triumphing at Paris 2024 despite the coach only taking charge nine weeks before the Games got underway. But as the NWSL prepares to return this weekend, there is still plenty for fans to look forward to before the year is out.
There are just four points between the top three teams in the battle for the NWSL Shield – and a couple of sides further back are sure to fancy their chances of emerging as a contender for that title, with there still 30 points to play for.
There will be plenty of twists and turns when it comes to sealing playoff spots as well. While the Chicago Red Stars, in seventh, have a five-point cushion to Bay FC in the eighth and final postseason place, there are four teams just outside that are breathing down the neck of the expansion side.
So, as the NWSL prepares to resume on Saturday, what should you be looking out for? GOAL picks out 10 things to keep an eye on in the final 10 games of the regular season.
Getty Images1Olympians to be honored
Angel City was the only NWSL club not represented at this summer’s Olympics, with the 50 stars the league sent to the Games expanding to a total of 58 via the mid-season transfer window. Twenty-nine of those landed on U.S. soil this month with an Olympic medal to show for their efforts, and they will get a chance to show off those prizes over the next few weeks.
Gotham has plans to welcome back its seven Olympians on Saturday when it plays the Portland Thorns. The Washington Spirit is going to celebrate its representatives over the course of its next three home games and there are more and more plans being unveiled by clubs across the league as the NWSL prepares to resume.
AdvertisementUSA Today Images2Golden Boot race
Among those returning Olympians are two names in the mix for the NWSL Golden Boot, with Barbra Banda and Sophia Smith both out to pick up where they left off in the battle for that accolade.
Banda is tied at the top of the goal-scoring charts with Temwa Chawinga, having scored 12 goals in 12 games. She exited the Olympic tournament earlier than she would’ve liked, as Zambia crashed out in the group stage, but she did maintain her fantastic form with four goals in three games and will hope to continue that with the Orlando Pride.
Creeping up behind the two African superstars is Smith, who won the accolade last year and has 10 in 2024 for the Portland Thorns. She could be at a disadvantage in this race because the USWNT’s gold medal-winning efforts will likely mean she gets a longer break and might not be back this weekend. However, you’d be brave to count the 24-year-old out of what, with 10 games to go, promises to be a thrilling battle to be crowned the NWSL’s top-scorer.
USA TODAY Sports3Orlando Pride’s unbeaten streak
No team in NWSL history has ever gone unbeaten for an entire season – but the 2024 Orlando Pride has as good a chance as any at becoming the first. Through the first 16 games of the year, it is yet to lose, winning 11 of those matches and drawing five.
The best season in league history was achieved by the North Carolina Courage in 2018 when it lost just once, beating the Seattle Reign's record of twice from 2014.
It’s been a remarkable year so far for the Pride, with the franchise on the brink of qualifying for the playoffs for just the second time ever after years of underachievement. But could it be record-breaking? It’ll take something special to beat this team and it’ll be fascinating to watch on and see if that happens in these next 10 games, or if Orlando can hold on and do something truly historic.
USA TODAY Sports4Alex Morgan’s form
When Hayes unveiled her USWNT roster for Paris 2024, the big news was that it did not feature Alex Morgan, the two-time World Cup winner and 2012 Olympic champion. Though she had been involved with the U.S. throughout the year and shown, on and off the pitch, some glimpses at how she could contribute, there was just no room for the veteran in an 18-player squad.
Still, it doesn’t feel like that omission means Morgan has no future with the USWNT. She is a quality player with plenty of experience that this young group can benefit from – but if she wants to get back into the picture, she’ll need to get back into form.
The 35-year-old has yet to find the back of the net in the NWSL this season in what has been a tough year for the San Diego Wave, the 2023 NWSL Shield winner sitting 10th after 16 games. However, there’s no doubt that Morgan’s absence from Hayes’ latest roster will only motivate her more to turn things around.