Welcome to this week’s edition of Goalside Gossip!

It was a fairly quiet but surprising weekend in the NWSL, with late drama, heat delays, and big headlines off the pitch. Washington Spirit drew 2-2 with Racing Louisville thanks to a stoppage time equalizer, while Michelle Alozie lifted the Houston Dash past Gotham FC 2-1 with a last gasp winner. Elsewhere, the Utah Royals and Angel City finished scoreless, Bay FC fell 2-1 to the San Diego Wave, and first place Kansas City Current were held 0-0 by Orlando Pride.

Off the field, record heat in Kansas City sparked criticism of the league’s scheduling, fans joked about the “National Taylor Swift League” after TS12 buzz took over, and the Chicago Stars made waves by naming Martin Sjögren as their new head coach.

• NWSL: Washington Spirit vs Racing Louisville (2-2)

• NWSL: Gotham fc vs Houston Dash (1-2)

• NWSL: Utah Royals vs Angel City FC (0-0)

• NWSL: SD Wave vs Bay FC (1-2)

• NWSL: KC Current vs Orlando Pride (0-0)

• News: Record heat halts NWSL clash, draws criticism

• News: NWSL or NTSL?

• News: Chicago appoint new head coach

Washington Spirit vs
Racing Louisville (2-2)

The Washington Spirit fought back for a 2-2 draw against Racing Louisville on Friday night at Audi Field, salvaging a point thanks to Rosemonde Kouassi’s stoppage time equalizer. The Spirit controlled much of the match, highlighted by Aubrey Kingsbury’s record setting 147th regular season start and key saves, as well as Sofia Cantore’s historic first NWSL goal in the 39th minute, making her the league’s first Italian scorer. Watch the Spirit Spotlight on her historic goal here. Louisville struck back with a second half own goal by Rebeca Bernal and a Savannah DeMelo penalty in the 80th, but Washington pressed on and Kouassi curled in the dramatic leveler in the 100th minute.

Gotham FC vs
Houston Dash (1-2)

Michelle Alozie scored in stoppage time to lift the Houston Dash to a 2-1 win over Gotham FC on Sunday in Harrison, NJ after a two hour weather delay. Gotham opened the scoring in the eighth minute with Esther Gonzalez’s league leading 11th goal, but the Dash equalized early in the second half when Emily Sonnett’s back pass slipped past goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger for an own goal. Despite being outshot 15-2, Houston held firm, and Alozie’s late strike—her first of the season—secured the victory, extending the Dash’s unbeaten run to three matches while ending Gotham’s four game streak.

Utah Royals vs
Angel City FC (0-0)

The Utah Royals battled to a 0-0 draw with Angel City FC on Friday night at America First Field, creating plenty of chances but failing to find the net. Utah fired 14 shots, five on target, but couldn’t beat goalkeeper Hannah Seabert, while Royals keeper Mandy McGlynn, known for her acrobatic saves, made two saves to secure the clean sheet. The second half saw three yellow cards handed out, including two to Utah players. With only two goals in their last five matches and just 12 total on the season, the Royals remain last in the league with seven points, but will look to regroup when they visit Gotham FC on August 23.

Bay FC vs
SD Wave (1-2)

Bay FC fell 2-1 to the San Diego Wave on Saturday night at PayPal Park after conceding twice in the second half. Following a scoreless opening 45, Kimmi Ascanio broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute before Kenza Dali doubled the lead with a strike off an Adriana Leon assist. Bay responded in the 75th when Caroline Conti converted a penalty won by Tess Boade, marking her third of the season and a new club record. Listen to what she had to say about it here. Despite late pressure and the return of Asisat Oshoala off the bench, Bay couldn’t find the equalizer. They now turn their focus to a marquee matchup against the Washington Spirit next weekend at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

KC Current vs
Orlando Pride (0-0)

The Kansas City Current stayed unbeaten with a 0-0 draw against the Orlando Pride on Saturday at CPKC Stadium, securing their fourth straight shutout and ninth of the season. Goalkeeper Lorena recorded her league best eighth clean sheet as Kansas City’s defense limited Orlando to just five shots, with the Pride’s only effort on target coming in stoppage time. The Current created several close chances through Temwa Chawinga, Debinha, Claire Hutton, and Zaneratto but couldn’t find the finishing touch. The result keeps Kansas City atop the NWSL table with 40 points and extends their shutout streak to 428 minutes, just 25 shy of the club record. They next face the Portland Thorns on Aug. 23 at Providence Park.

Where We Stand
So Far

The NWSL table is starting to take shape with KC Current running away at the top — they’ve been nearly flawless, winning 13 of 16 matches and opening up an 11-point lead. Behind them, things are much tighter, with San Diego Wave, Orlando Pride, and Washington Spirit all clustered between 28–29 points, setting up a fierce battle for the second and third spots. Portland Thorns and Seattle Reign are hanging just behind, while Racing Louisville rounds out the current playoff zone. Gotham and North Carolina sit level on 20 points and could still make a push, but the bottom half has ground to make up: Houston, Bay FC, and Angel City are stuck in the teens, while Chicago Stars and Utah Royals look adrift at the bottom, each with only one win all season. The playoff race looks wide open outside of KC, but the margin for error is shrinking fast.

Record Heat Halts NWSL
Clash, Draws Criticism

Saturday’s Kansas City Current vs. Orlando Pride match ended 0-0 but was defined by a three and a half hour heat delay after wet globe temperatures exceeded the NWSL’s safety threshold. Originally set for 3 p.m., kickoff was pushed to 6:28 p.m., leaving players and fans waiting in dangerous conditions. Both sides created chances but couldn’t break through, marking the first time the Current failed to score at their new stadium.

The delay drew criticism, with Orlando coach Seb Hines calling it “too hot to play” and pointing to confusion around communication. Kansas City players said they stayed focused by watching highlights and listening to music, while coach Vlatko Andonovski emphasized player safety as the priority. The incident reignited debate over midafternoon summer kickoffs, with calls for evening matches clashing against broadcaster demands. In this case, the delay also meant the game was dropped from CBS’s main broadcast in favor of NFL preseason coverage, underscoring the tension between safety and scheduling.

NWSL or
NTSL?

Taylor Swift’s announcement of her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, set the internet ablaze this week—and the NWSL wasted no time joining the fun. Fans were quick to draw connections between Swift’s iconic number 13 and Alex Morgan’s famous jersey number, while also recalling the 2019 Teen Choice Awards when Morgan and Swift crossed paths in matching orange vibes. The album’s official orange aesthetic sparked playful tributes across the league, blending soccer culture with Swiftie lore.

Kansas City lit up CPKC Stadium in orange, with Travis Kelce himself chiming in online. Houston highlighted their own No. 12, Kiki Van Zanten, while Gotham leaned into the theme with Midge Purce’s Broadway-style “showgirl” moments. Boston Legacy tied it all back to Gillette Stadium’s deep Swift history—from her first ever stadium show to the legendary “rainiest rain show” of the Eras Tour. Across the league, teams proved once again that when Taylor drops an album, even the NWSL becomes the National Taylor Swift League.

Chicago Appoint
New Man in Charge

The Chicago Stars have appointed Martin Sjögren as their new head coach, with the veteran Swedish manager officially taking over in January 2026 after finishing the season with Hammarby. Until then, his longtime assistant Anders Jacobson will serve as interim coach before moving into the first assistant role. The Stars selected the duo after an extensive search that included more than 60 candidates worldwide, emphasizing experience at both the club and international levels. General manager Richard Feuz praised the pair for their leadership qualities and alignment with the club’s long term vision of building a high performance, family driven environment. Listen to what Feuz said about dismissing Donaldson not long ago. 

Sjögren, 48, brings two decades of experience across Swedish clubs and six years as head coach of Norway’s women’s national team, guiding them through two Euros and a World Cup. His club résumé includes league titles with LdB FC Malmö and Linköpings FC, and more recently, success with Hammarby in Sweden’s top flight. He has worked alongside Jacobson for more than a decade, and together they plan to bring tactical, possession oriented football blended with the NWSL’s physicality. With Chicago sitting near the bottom of the table, Sjögren hopes to instill stability and a sustainable style of play, saying his focus is on building something lasting rather than quick fixes.