The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week.

Week 22 has come and gone, and the NWSL playoffs are starting to take shape. This week, the Portland Thorns clinched their ticket to the playoffs with a 2-1 win over Sky Blue and followed it up with a 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit in their game at Audi Field. The Orlando Pride were eliminated from the playoffs after a 3-1 loss at the hands of Chicago Red Stars. The Dash were also eliminated from the playoffs despite their 6-1 victory over Sky Blue on Saturday, leaving the Red Stars and the Utah Royals competing for the last playoff spot. Here is a full breakdown of the scores from Week 22:

Seattle Reign vs. Houston Dash (2-0)

Washington Spirit vs. Utah Royals (0-1)

Portland Thorns vs. Sky Blue (2-1)

Seattle Reign vs. North Carolina Courage (1-1)

Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Red Stars (1-3)

Washington Spirit vs. Portland Thorns (0-1)

Houston Dash vs. Sky Blue (6-1)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Lydia Williams— Williams has had an amazing season, and she put forth two great performances in Week 22. Seattle’s first match of the week was on Tuesday night against the Houston Dash. Williams earned her 10th shutout of the year, making three saves out of thirteen shots faced. But her skills really shined against the North Carolina offense on Saturday, where she made twelve shots out of 29 shots faced. Jess McDonald challenged Williams early on. McDonald snuck behind the defense and launched a shot at Williams, who blocked the shot with her hands and Megan Oyster cleared it off the line. In 27th minute, McDonald had a solid header right in front of Williams. Williams reacted instantly, blocking the shot with her hands and then jumping on the ball to end the play. That save earned her an NWSL Save of the Week nomination. 

2. Adriana Franch— The Portland Thorns faced two of the weaker offenses in the NWSL this week— Sky Blue and the Washington Spirit. But Franch made some important saves in both matches, shutting down any opportunities from the opposing team. In the first match against Sky Blue, Franch faced fourteen shots and made four saves. In the 21st minute, Savannah McCaskill got her head on a nice cross, but Franch was there to calmly collect the ball. In the 69th minute, Raquel Rodriguez sent the ball into the box and Franch caught it, shutting down the Sky Blue offense. In the weekend match against the Spirit, Franch faced nine shots and made two saves. In the 33rd minute, Rose Lavelle launched a rocket from the edge of the eighteen-yard box. Franch got her hands up in time, knocking the ball away and collecting it before the Spirit offense could gain control. The match marked Franch’s third shutout of the year. 

3. Jane Campbell— While Campbell failed to get a shutout in either of her matches this week, she faced a solid offensive effort from both opponents and made some impressive saves. In the Houston Dash’s first match of the week against the Seattle Reign, Campbell faced 16 shots and made six saves. In the 45th minute, Rapinoe tried to send a free kick into the top corner of the net and she might have succeeded, but Campbell read the play and hit the ball over the net. In the 53rd minute, Rapinoe handed the ball off to Jess Fishlock, who took a shot from outside the 18-yard box. Campbell got both hands to it, knocking the ball out of play. That save earned her an NWSL Save of the Week nomination. In the Dash’s match against Sky Blue, Campbell faced fourteen shots and made four saves. 

Top Three Defenders

1. Theresa Nielsen— Nielsen had an impressive week for the Seattle Reign, playing the full 90 minutes in both matches. She had a notable offensive impact in addition to her defensive skill. In the first match against the Houston Dash, Nielsen assisted on Jodie Taylor’s first goal of the night. In the match against the North Carolina Courage, Nielsen scored her first goal of the season. In the 66th minute, Jess Fishlock took a corner kick that went to the far end of the 18-yard box. Nielsen headed the ball, and Jodie Taylor and Katelyn Rowland collided, allowing the ball to bounce past both of them and into the net. Nielsen then turned around and had a goal-line save in the 88th minute. Abby Erceg got her head on a North Carolina corner kick, but Nielsen was able to get her head to the ball as well and clear it off the line.

2. Becky Sauerbrunn— Sauerbrunn played an important role in Utah’s 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit. In the 15th minute, Mallory Pugh tried to sneak a pass past the Utah Royals, but Sauerbrunn intercepted the pass and cleared the ball. In the 61st minute, Pugh was on the move again. She tried to pass the ball in the 18-yard box to Ashley Hatch, but Sauerbrunn stretched and blocked the pass. The Utah Royals are still in the playoff hunt, with their final game of the season against the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday Sept. 8th. 

3. Lauren Barnes— Barnes also put in two 90 minutes shifts for the Reign this week in the central defense. In the game against Houston, she had a particularly nice block and strip on Rachel Daly. As Daly ran with the ball, Barnes blocked her and gained control of the play. She turned and cleared the ball, sending Houston down to the other side of the field. In the match against North Carolina, she tackled Jess McDonald and regained possession for the Reign. Barnes has been a critical part of the Seattle defense this year and will continue to be going into the playoffs. 

Top Three Attackers

1. Sam Kerr— It was a critical week for the Chicago Red Stars— playing a match on the road against another team vying for the playoffs— and Kerr showed up. She earned two goals and an assist in Chicago’s 3-1 victory over the Orlando Pride on Saturday night. Her first goal came in the 44th minute. Colaprico sent the ball down field, and Nagasato kept the ball rolling towards Kerr, who slipped past most of the Pride defense. She dribbled the ball a bit, getting herself into the best position to slide the ball past Ashlyn Harris and into the net. But Chicago wanted more before the halftime whistle, and Kerr helped make it happen. In the first minute of stoppage time in the first half, Kerr got the ball at her feet, but didn’t have the angle to take a shot. She sent the ball into the box and Vanessa DiBernardo finished off the play, giving Chicago their second goal of the night. In the 59th minute, Kerr stripped Kennedy of the ball and buried her shot in the back of the net, putting Chicago up 3-0. Kerr was voted NWSL Player of the Week in Week 22. 

2. Sofia Huerta— The Houston Dash had a rough start to Week 22 with a 2-0 to the Seattle Reign, but there offense bounced back with a 6-1 win over Sky Blue later in the week. She had one goal and one assist, and drew the penalty that lead to Rachel Daly’s goal in the 67th minute. In the 48th minute, Huerta sent a cross into the box and Veronica Latsko got her head on the ball, getting a nice bounce on the ball that Kailen Sheridan couldn’t stop. In the 65th minute, Huerta got a goal of her own. Kealia Ohai sent the ball into the box and Sofia Huerta got her foot on it. It wasn’t clear if she intended it to be a shot, but the ball went into the far side of the net. She ended the night with seven shots and four shots on goal. 

3. Tobin Heath— Heath scored two goals in two games for the Portland Thorns this week, against Sky Blue and the Washington Spirit. In the match against the Spirit, she dribbled around the defense and put her ball just under the crossbar for the lone goal of the match. The goal earned her the NWSL Goal of the Week honors. In the match against Sky Blue, Heath scored off a free kick. Her ball took a good bounce and went past Sky Blue goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan. She had seven shots and four shots on goal across both games.

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week.

With only a handful of games left for each team this season, the race for a spot in the NWSL playoffs is heating up. In Week 20, the Seattle Reign moved closer to cementing their spot as a playoff team with a 1-0 win over the Utah Royals in a hot and smoky afternoon match. The Chicago Red Stars earned a point against the North Carolina Courage, which they needed to keep their playoff hopes afloat. The Orlando Pride seem to be slipping from that playoff spot, losing 2-0 at home to the Portland Thorns this weekend. While the Seattle Reign are starting to pull away in second, this week did little to clarify who will be going on to the postseason and who’s season will soon come to an end. Here is a full breakdown of the scores from Week 20:

Utah Royals vs. Washington Spirit (1-0)

Chicago Red Stars vs. North Carolina Courage (1-1)

Utah Royals vs. Seattle Reign (0-1)

Sky Blue vs. Houston Dash (1-2)

Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns (0-2)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Adriana Franch— Franch had an outstanding night for Portland against the Orlando Pride in Week 20. She faced thirteen shots from the Pride offense and made six saves, earning her second shutout of the year. In the opening minutes of the game, the Orlando Pride earned a corner and Franch had to punch the ball twice to keep it out of the net. In the 63rd minute, Marta took a shot that forced Franch to make a diving save, which earned an NWSL Save of the Week nomination. When Marta launched another shot in the 88th minute, Franch was able to get her fingertips too it and knock the ball over the net to keep her clean sheet.

2. Abby Smith— Smith returned to the Starting XI for the Utah Royals this weekend after missing a few weeks due to injury, and the Seattle Reign decided to test her early. Rapinoe started things off with a powerful shot in the tenth minute. Smith positioned herself correctly, but with the strength on the ball, she juggled it a bit before making the final catch. Rapinoe took another shot from about 30 yards out in the 17th minute. But Smith fell to her right and blocked the ball. That stop earned her an NWSL Save of the Week nomination. Overall, Smith made five saves and faced ten shots from the Seattle Reign. 

3. Jane Campbell— The Houston Dash are keeping themselves alive in the playoff picture with 26 points, just four points off the No. 4 Orlando Pride, but there chances are distant. Still, they wanted to leave New Jersey with three points and that meant holding off a Sky Blue offense that had scored three goals in the two matches prior to this one. Campbell faced sixteen shots from Sky Blue FC and made five saves.  Houston dominated the attack at the beginning of the match, scoring an early goal. But the Sky Blue offense came charging forward in the 29th minute. Imani Dorsey had a good ball served to her, and she got behind the Houston defense, forcing Campbell to bat the shot away. Savannah McCaskill settled the rebound, but sent the ball flying over the net. That save earned her an NWSL Save of the Week nomination. 

Top Three Defenders

1. Abby Erceg— We’ve run out of superlatives for the North Carolina Courage, and the same is quickly becoming true of Abby Erceg. She has been on the NWSL Team of the Month every month this year for a reason. In the match against the Chicago Red Stars, she faced a stronger offense than the Courage had seen in previous weeks. In the first part of the match, Erceg did a good job at heading the ball any time it got near the 18-yard box. Chicago’s offense built more momentum at the end of the first half, but the North Carolina defense denied them too many serious chances. One example of her importance could be seen in the second half, when Chicago tried to mount an attack on North Carolina. Chicago was trying to get the ball into the box, but twice in the 74th minute, Erceg just sent the ball back to the midfield before Chicago could put an attack together. 

2. Katie Naughton— Naughton played in the central defense alongside Julie Ertz in the match against the North Carolina Courage and they both did a fantastic job at holding off the North Carolina offense. Naughton had a particularly impressive moment towards the end of the match, when North Carolina was looking for that second goal and three points on the road. The ball came into the box for Lynn Williams, and Alyssa Naeher tried to grab the ball but Williams got their first. Naughton covered Williams while Naeher got back on her line, and Naughton tracked Williams up and down the box, until she had no choice but to send a poor cross/shot in that Naeher grabbed easily. 

3. Taylor Comeau— Comeau put up another solid performance for the Houston Dash on Saturday night against Sky Blue. She played at right-back and helped her team get the ball forward to create scoring chances. Her best defensive moment of the night came in stoppage time, when Sky Blue was searching for the equalizer. Comeau cleared the initial chance, blocked a shot from Sky Blue, and tracked her player forcing Sky Blue to make an awkward cross into the ball for another attempt. 

Top Three Attackers

1. Rachel Daly— Daly had a brace this week against Sky Blue FC, helping her team secure three points on the road. The first goal came in the 7th minute, after Ohai did some nice work to get the ball down the field. Daly finished off her cross, heading the ball past Kailen Sheridan and into the back of the net for an early lead. Daly’s second goal came off a penalty in the 72nd minute, after Raquel Rodriguez was called for a hand ball. Daly sent Sheridan the other way and put the ball into the top corner. Daly had five shots and four shots on goal that night. 

2. Jess Fishlock— The Utah-Seattle match was important for both sides, and both teams were desperate to walk away with three points. Fishlock was the difference-maker for Seattle, scoring the only goal of the match in the 48th minute. Utah cleared the ball after a short corner, but Megan Oyster kept the ball in play, sending it into the box for Fishlock who was able to get her head to it and send it past Abby Smith. Fishlock had two shots in the match, both of which were on goal. 

3. Hayley Raso— Raso was on fire for the Portland Thorns in Saturday night’s match against the Orlando Pride. In another match-up critical to the playoff race, Raso solidified her team’s 2-0 win with a goal in the 53rd minute. After getting the ball from Ana Crnogorcevic, Raso charged past the Pride defenders and beat Harris in front of the net. Raso had a couple of other close chances, including one in the 16th minute that went off the post. Overall, she played a critical role in helping her team create chances. She had four shots in the match, one of which was on goal. 

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week. 

The NWSL returned to action this week following the international break, and it did not disappoint. Of the four matches in Week 18, all played on Sunday night, the Orlando Pride vs. Sky Blue may have been the most exciting. With goals from Marta, Dani Weatherholt, Imani Dorsey, and Shea Groom, the match also featured a Carli Lloyd red card, a missed PK from Marta, and Sky Blue’s first lead of the season.  The Houston Dash hosted the Utah Royals in a defensive battle that saw the Royals mount a comeback to win the game 2-1 after going down a goal at the end of the first half. And the North Carolina Courage officially clinched the NWSL Shield with a month of games left to play thanks to their 2-1 victory over the Portland Thorns. Here is a full breakdown of this week’s scores:

North Carolina Courage vs. Portland Thorns (2-1)

Orlando Pride vs. Sky Blue (2-2)

Houston Dash vs. Utah Royals (1-2)

Seattle Reign vs. Washington Spirit (2-0)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Lydia Williams— Despite falling over like a baby giraffe at one point (her words, not mine) to come out and get the ball, Williams put forward another solid goalkeeping performance this week that marked her sixth victory and seventh clean sheet of the season. She faced twelve shots and made two saves against the Washington Spirit. Both saves came in the second half. The first came in the 48th minute— a bad giveaway by the Reign on a free kick allowed Ashley Hatch time and space to take her shot. She tried to sneak it in under the crossbar, but Williams made a leaping stop and pushed the ball over the net. The second save, which earned her an NWSL Save of the Week nomination, came in the 80th minute. A failed clearance by the Seattle defense allowed Caprice Dydasco to come grab the ball and take a quick shot inside the 18-yard box. But Williams read the shot and was able to block the ball. It bounced off her right hand, then her left, and fell to the feet of defender Theresa Nielsen. 

2. Kailen Sheridan—  Sky Blue asked a lot of their goalkeeper on Sunday night, but Sheridan’s performance met those demands. She faced 21 shots from the Orlando Pride and made six saves. After Dani Weatherholt equalized for the Pride in the 73rd minute, Orlando thought they could win the three points and started pressing hard. Just five minutes after the Weatherholt goal, Alex Morgan took a shot from inside the 18-yard box. She aimed to slide it under the crossbar, but Sheridan jumped up and pushed the ball over the crossbar. That save earned her a Save of the Week nomination. But it was her final save that secured her team a point on the road. In the dying minutes of stoppage time, Carli Lloyd earned a red card in the box for a hand ball and the Pride were given a PK, which was taken by Marta. Sheridan blocked the attempt. The Pride tried to put something together with the remaining time, but they were unable to do so, and Sky Blue went home with a point. 

3. Ashlyn Harris— The Sky Blue offense were out possessed by the Pride on Sunday night, but the strikers for the New Jersey side took advantage of their opportunities. Harris faced nine shots from Sky Blue and, perhaps due to her shaky defense, had to make four saves. In the 28th minute, Savannah McCaskill slipped a ball through the Pride defense and to Imani Dorsey. Dorsey went one-on-one with Harris, who came off her line and made the save. In the 68th minute, Harris made another brilliant save off a shot from Carli Lloyd. Harris got her fingertips on the ball, sending it over the crossbar. That stop earned her a Save of the Week nomination. 

Top Three Defenders

1. Becky Sauerbrunn— Despite starting in two matches for the United States in the Tournament of Nations and playing 180 minutes, Sauerbrunn showed no signs of exhaustion against the Houston Dash. The Royals defense was challenged within the first minutes of the match, but Sauerbrunn and Corsie were an impenetrable wall. Sauerbrunn had eleven clearances, four interceptions, and three tackles on the night. At the end of the match, when some of her teammates seemed to be suffering from tired legs, Sauerbrunn seemed to move into the midfield, maintaining possession for Utah and trying to help the team create more scoring opportunities to secure their lead. The Utah Royals held onto that 2-1 lead, and earned three points on the road. 

2. Clare Polkinghorne— Polkinghorne started in all three matches for Australia in the Tournament of Nations, coming off only in the 29th minute of the final match against Japan. Yet just three days later, Polkinghorne was the strongest defender on the Houston Dash backline. She played in the central defense alongside Amber Brooks, making the match a real defensive battle. Polkinghorne had five tackles, eight clearances, two interceptions, and one block against the Utah Royals. Ultimately, a bad defensive mistake by Amber Brooks and a brilliant ball to Katie Stengel from Erika Tymrak lost them the match at home. 

3. Abby Erceg— Erceg, who has just been named to the July Team of the Month, is definitely a contender for Defender of the Year. In her performance against the Portland Thorns on Sunday, she quietly went about doing the things that she does to make the North Carolina Courage one of the best teams in the world. For example, in the 11th minute of the match, the Portland Thorns gained possession of the ball. But before they could set up any sort of attack, Erceg intercepted a pass from the Thorns and regained possession for her team. Similarly, in the 72nd minute, McCall Zerboni lost the ball and Christine Sinclair tried to set up an attack for the Thorns. She sent the ball down the field, hoping to find Raso, but Erceg beat her 15there. Erceg passes the ball off to Rowland, but her kick only goes as far as Sinclair. She again passes the ball to Raso, but Erceg is there, and is able to beat Raso on the header, giving possession back to the Courage. Being able to contain the Portland offense is no small task, but the Courage— captained by Erceg— were able to do just that. 

Top Three Attackers

1. Lynn Williams— Williams earned herself a brace in North Carolina’s 2-1 victory over the Portland Thorns and she now leads the race for the Golden Boot. While she is tied in number of goals with Lindsey Horan, Williams has four assists on the year while Horan only has two. Williams first goal of this match came off a quick counterattack in the 37th minute. Jessica McDonald had the ball out wide and sent it into the box, where Williams was able to tap it past Adriana Franch and into the bottom corner. The Courage tend to score their goals close together, and this match was no exception. Just eight minutes after that first goal, Williams found her second of the night. Merritt Mathais sent a ball into the box, and after it bounced around a bit, Williams was able to tap it into the corner. The brace was enough to lift the Courage to their 15th win of the season. 

2. Dani Weatherholt— Weatherholt played a critical role in both of the goals for the Pride this week. While it does not count as an assist, it was the deflected shot from Weatherholt that Marta tapped in for the Pride’s first goal in the 51st minute. In the 73rd minute, Alex Morgan headed the ball to  the feet of Camila, who passed the ball to Weatherholt but was taken down by Sky Blue defenders. Many anticipated the play to be blown dead, but Weatherholt kept going. She muscled past the Sky Blue defenders, and when Sheridan was unable to collect the ball, Weatherholt was able to finish off the play  and head the ball into the back of the net. Weatherholt showed determination on the field on Sunday night, and was rewarded with her second goal of the season. 

3. Imani Dorsey— Dorsey earned her third goal of the season on Sunday night against the Orlando Pride. The goal came in the 53rd minute, only a few minutes after Marta’s goal. Shea Groom, who was surrounded by Pride defenders, got a pass off to Dorsey, who remained unguarded in the box. Dorsey went one-on-one with Harris, as she had in the first half, but this time she won the battle. She recorded two shots on the night, both of them shots on goal. This is the second game in a row where Dorsey has scored for Sky Blue. She is now tied with Carli Lloyd and Savannah McCaskill for the most goals for Sky Blue this season. 

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week.

With the U.S. Women’s National Team players at training camp for the upcoming Tournament of Nations, Week 17 of NWSL action tested the depth of many rosters. It was a week of strong defensive action, with only six goals scored across four matches and only one team scoring more than one goal. The Utah Royals earned more points against the North Carolina Courage this week, playing to a scoreless draw in Rio Tinto Stadium. The Orlando Pride had an opportunity to take over the second place slot with a win against Seattle, but Jodie Taylor destroyed their hopes with a 70^th minute equalizer that gave the Reign a point on the road. The playoff race remains tight, with only eight points separating No. 8 (Utah Royals) from No. 2 (Seattle Reign).

Here is a full breakdown of this week’s matches:

Utah Royals vs. North Carolina Courage (0-0)

Orlando Pride vs. Seattle Reign (1-1)

Sky Blue vs. Portland Thorns (1-2)

Washington Spirit vs. Houston Dash (0-1)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Jane Campbell— Campbell earned her second shutout of the season in Sunday’s match against the Washington Spirit. Rachel Daly gave the Dash the early lead, but it was Campbell’s job to defend those points. She faced 23 shots from the Spirit offense and made nine saves. Her best save came towards the end of the match, when Ashley Hatch launched a shot from just outside the 18-yard box. Hatch was aiming for the top corner, but Campbell was able to punch the ball out of bounds. Campbell’s performance earned her the title of NWSL Player of the Week. 

2. Haley Kopmeyer— Kopmeyer earned her second start of the season due to Ashlyn Harris being with the U.S Women’s National Team ahead of the Tournament of Nations. Kopmeyer also faced her former team, the Seattle Reign, for the second time this season— although this team it was on the Pride’s pitch. Kopmeyer faced 18 shots and made six saves. In the 17th minute, the Reign took a free kick and Seattle headed the ball towards goal, but Kopmeyer forced the ball into the air before catching it. Jodie Taylor also had a good shot in the 37th minute that Kopmeyer deflected off the tips of her fingers. This earned her an NWSL Save of the Week nomination.

3. Britt Eckerstrom— Eckerstrom found herself between the posts again this weekend after Adriana Franch received a call-up to the U.S Women’s National Team. Eckerstrom came up big for the Thorns when they traveled to face Sky Blue. Despite a final score that favored the Thorns, Sky Blue had more than twice as many shots. Eckerstrom made four saves, including one in stoppage time that stopped Imani Dorsey from picking up a late equalizer. The shot came off a beautiful cross from Savannah McCaskill, who got ahead of the Portland defense. Dorsey was right in front of the net, but Eckerstrom had an impressive kick save that sent the ball back into the box. A follow-up shot was blocked by Ellie Carpenter. This save earned the two players an NWSL Save of the Week nomination.

Top Three Defenders

1. Rachel Corsie—Corsie had another stellar week in the Royals scoreless draw against the North Carolina Courage. She finished the match with four clearances, two interceptions, and one block. That block came in the 88th minute, when Heather O’Reilley played a long ball to Lynn Williams to start a North Carolina counterattack. Williams made her way into the box, but Corsie sprinted down the field and came in to clear Williams’ shot. She won the Week 17 Save of the Week honors, giving her the title for the second week in a row.

2. Becca Moros— Moros also had a great game for the Utah Royals. She had a game-high of 97 touches, won nine out of her ten duels, and made two interceptions. In the 31st minute, Lynn Williams tried to launch a North Carolina counterattack. But Moros followed the striker down the field and picked the perfect moment to strip her of the ball.

3. Toni Pressley— Pressley made the news this week for her attacking skill, but she had a solid defensive game for the Pride as well. Her goal came in the 21st minute. Chioma Ubogagu sent a ball into the box, and it bounced to the feet of Pressley. Pressley was able to keep the ball away from the defenders and use her strength launch a shot that Williams had no chance to stop. But Pressley also had an important block at the start of the second half, when Jodie Taylor was looking to equalize for the Reign. Kopmeyer came off her line to try to block Taylor, but Pressley backed her up. The ball bounced off Pressley’s back and then she cleared it out of bounds.

Top Three Attackers

1. Haley Raso— Raso opened up scoring early for the Portland Thorns in their match against Sky Blue. Christine Sinclair sent the ball forward and Raso was quicker than the Sky Blue backline. She only had to beat Dominique Richardson, which she did with a nice side-step. She put the ball past Caroline Stanley in the 4th minute to put the Thorns on the board. Raso also played a role in the second goal, just three minutes later. She pressured the defense, forcing Stanley to make a bad pass that was intercepted by Ana Crnogorcevic and sent into the back of the net. Raso finished the night with two shots and four clearances.

2. Jodie Taylor—Taylor was critical in earning her team a point on the road when they visited Orlando this weekend. She scored the Reign’s lone goal of the night in the 70th minute, finishing a cross from Nahomi Kawasumi and beating her former teammate, Haley Kopmeyer. Taylor created most of the chances for the Reign, getting six shots and four shots on goal. Her equalizer is her sixth goal of the year.

3. Imani Dorsey— Dorsey has two goals for Sky Blue in their last three matches, and is only one goal behind Carli Lloyd and Savannah McCaskill for the team leader. Dorsey’s goal against Portland came in the 27th minute, when Savannah McCaskill sent a ball through the defense and Dorsey was able to take the shot, beating Britt Eckerstrom. That same duo nearly scored the equalizer in the final moments of the match, but were denied by a brilliant stop from Eckerstrom. Dorsey finished the game with two shots and four crosses.

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week.

The playoffs are inching closer and closer, but Week 16 did little to clarify who will make it and who will fall short. North Carolina officially clinched a playoff spot after their 4-0 win over Sky Blue FC on Saturday night. The Houston Dash and the Utah Royals are starting to fall behind after losing their weekend matches, but they are still only eight and seven points, respectively, away from the No. 4 spot. And the Seattle Reign dropped points on the road, eliminating any buffer they had created in the No. 2 spot. Here is a full breakdown of the scores from this week:

North Carolina Courage vs. Washington Spirit (2-0)

Houston Dash vs. Orlando Pride (3-1)

Seattle Reign vs. Utah Royals (1-0)

Sky Blue vs. North Carolina Courage (0-4)

Utah Royals vs. Orlando Pride (1-2)

Chicago Red Stars vs. Seattle Reign (1-0)

Portland Thorns vs. Houston Dash (3-1)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Nicole Barnhart— Barnhart proved on Saturday night why she is exactly the type of player you want as a back-up goalkeeper. In the 67th minute, Abby Smith took a rough fall and couldn’t continue the match. Barnhart warmed up on the sidelines and came in at the 72nd minute. Immediately, she was tested by Sydney Leroux. In the 73rd minute, Leroux had Barnhart at the post and Leroux tried to sneak the ball past her, but Barnhart blocked the shot with her knee. While Utah lost the game 2-1, no goals were scored after Barnhart came on. In the final 20 minutes of the match, she made two saves.

2. Katelyn Rowland— Rowland earned two shutouts this week in North Carolina’s matches against the Washington Spirit and Sky Blue. In her match against the Washington Spirit, she faced six shots and made four saves. Her best save of the night came in the 83rd minute, when Ashley Hatch snuck past the North Carolina defense and took a shot, but Rowland got in front of the ball and pushed it out of bounds, forcing an unsuccessful corner kick. In her match against Sky Blue, she faced twelve shots and made five saves, including a great save in the 25th minute after Savannah McCaskill got behind the defense. Rowland ran right up to McCaskill and blocked her shot. Rowland now has four shutouts and 35 saves on the season.

3. Alyssa Naeher— Naeher earned her sixth shutout of the season in a must-win match for the Chicago Red Stars against the Seattle Reign. She faced thirteen shots and made three saves on the night. Most of her saves came early on in the match, shutting down the attacking skills of Megan Rapinoe and Jodie Taylor. But her best save came in the 78th minute, when Jasmyne Spencer outran the Chicago defense and took a shot. Naeher followed the ball and punched it out of bounds.  

Top Three Defenders

1. Rachel Corsie— Corsie was one of the few Utah defenders left for Saturday’s match, after a spate of injuries and yellow card accumulations decimated the ranks. And Corsie made her presence known against the Orlando Pride, earning an assist on the only Royals goal of the match and creating some pretty impressive defensive moments. Orlando tried to get things started early in the game, and one clear example of Corsie’s skill came in the 4th minute, when Chioma Ubogagu sent a ball into the box with Alex Morgan and Rachel Hill in the area. Corsie was able to stick to her spot and clear the ball, keeping the Orlando offense at bay. But her best moment of the game came in the 65th minute. Abby Smith was at the edge of the 18-yard box and kicked the ball away to the feet of Sydney Leroux. Leroux sent the ball over Smith’s head, but Corsie had already run behind her goalkeeper and managed to get the slightest touch on the ball with her head, sending it wide of the net. The moment was enough to earn her a Save of the Week nomination.

2.  Lauren Barnes— Barnes played the full 90 minutes for Seattle in both of their matches this week, which saw the Reign earn three points against the Utah Royals at home but drop points against Chicago on the road. In the match against Chicago, she had a couple of particularly impressive moments against Sam Kerr. In the 77th minute, Sarah Gorden sent a ball in for Kerr, but Barnes was able to disrupt the play and the ball landed easily into the arms of Michelle Betos. And just a few minutes later, Kerr came charging down the field past Megan Oyster, but Barnes was able to make a clean sliding tackle and dispose Kerr. The Seattle Reign currently sit in the No. 2 spot on the table, with Barnes having started in 11 out of their 17 matches.

3. Abby Erceg— Erceg is one of the best defenders in the league, having been named to the NWSL Team of the Month in both May and June. This week, she made her way onto the scoresheet, in addition to helping her team earn two shutouts. She scored the first goal for North Carolina against Sky Blue— a scorching header off a cross from Kristen Hamilton. But even with that offensive effort, it was her work in the back that was most important. In the 40th minute of the match against the Spirit, Estefania Banini sent a pass forward to Ashley Hatch inside the 18-yard box, but Erceg was able to get ahead of Hatch and kick the ball out for a throw-in. About 10 minutes later, the Spirit tried to set up something, but when the ball came into the box, Erceg was able to clear it and it landed at the feet of her teammate. Erceg has started in all 18 matches for the Courage this season.

Top Three Attackers

1. Lynn Williams— Williams became the second player this season to score a hat trick after she found the back of the net three times against Sky Blue on Saturday night. The goals all came in the second half, starting with her first goal in the 56th minute. Debinha sent the ball forward for Williams and Kristen Hamilton. The ball fell to Hamilton’s feet, forcing Sheridan off her line. Instead of shooting, Hamilton passed the ball off to Williams, who was able to tap it into the back of the net. In the 72nd minute, Debinha sent the ball down the field to Williams, who went one-on-one with Sheridan and was able to put the ball past her into the bottom corner of the net. She wrapped things up in the 89th minute, capitalizing off a mistake by Sheridan. Williams now has 8 goals on the season and is in third place for the Golden Boot behind Lindsey Horan and Sam Kerr.

2. Sam Kerr— Kerr came up with another important goal this week when the Chicago Red Stars hosted the Seattle Reign on Saturday night. The game was scoreless despite the teams having a combined total of 32 shots and nine shots on goal throughout the game, including seven shots and four shots on goal for Kerr. Kerr changed that scoresheet in the 87th minute. Nagasato was able to capitalize off a poor goalkick by Michelle Betos, heading the ball right to the feet of Kerr who was unmarked. Kerr sent the ball to the far corner and it slid right past Betos. The goal was enough to earn the Red Stars three points at home and marked Kerr’s 9th goal of the season, putting her equal with Lindsey Horan for most goals this year.

3.  Lindsey Horan— After a couple of rough matches, the Portland Thorns are starting to find their rhythm again and that means more goals from Lindsey Horan. Horan scored two of the Thorns three goals this weekend in their home match against the Houston Dash, starting in the 16th minute when Emily Sonnett sent a ball into the 18-yard box. The ball drew Jane Campbell off her line and Horan was able to head the ball past her. Her second goal came in the 31st minute when Heath sent a free-kick into the 18-yard box. Crnogorcevic got her head on it first, but the ball bounced off the crossbar and to the foot of Horan who just taps it in. Horan had six shots and four shots on goal that night.

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week.

Another week gone in the NWSL, and we are no to figuring out who will finish in those last three playoff spots. Week 15 was packed with goals, with an average of four goals scored in each of the five matches. It was also a good week for the home team, with only Sky Blue dropping points at home. The Orlando Pride picked up three points at home thanks to a crazy last-minute goal from Marta. Sam Kerr, who left Sky Blue in the offseason to join the Chicago Red Stars, scored her first hat-trick of the season against her former team. And Friday night’s matchup between the Utah Royals and the Portland Thorns saw three Thorns players earn a goal and an assist. Here is a full breakdown of the scores from this week:

North Carolina Courage vs. Chicago Red Stars (4-1)

Portland Thorns vs. Utah Royals (4-0)

Sky Blue vs. Chicago Red Stars (1-3)

Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit (2-1)

Seattle Reign vs. Houston Dash (3-1)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Adriana Franch— Since returning from injury last month, Franch has been on fire for the Portland Thorns. However, this was her first clean sheet since coming back and the only clean sheet in Week 15. In the Portland Thorns 4-0 victory over Utah, the Royals had some trouble getting their offense going. Franch only faced seven shots, making three saves. But those saves were critical to keeping the clean sheet and preventing the Royals from creating any sort of comeback. Her best save came in the 57th minute. Katrina Gorry found a window and launched her shot from outside the 18-yard box. Franch reached up and caught the ball, pulling it down smoothly. It was enough to earn her an NWSL Save of the Week nomination.

2. Aubrey Bledsoe— Bledsoe has been a star for a Washington Spirit roster that has otherwise struggled. While she gave up two goals in the Spirit’s loss against her former team, she also had some fantastic saves that kept the Spirit in the match. The Pride created their first real scoring opportunity in the 7th minute. Krieger slipped through the Spirit defense and passed the ball to Marta, who was unmarked. Marta sent a rocket at Bledsoe, who was able to dive and push the ball out. In the 27th minute, Marta came charging down the field. She passed the ball off to Chioma Obogagu, who tried to put the ball in just under the cross bar. Bledsoe jumped and got her fingers on it, tapping the ball over the net and keeping the Pride at bay. Overall, Bledsoe faced 31 shots from the Pride and made 10 saves.

3. Alyssa Naeher— The Chicago Red Stars had a busy week, facing the North Carolina Courage on Wednesday before flying to New Jersey to take on Sky Blue on Saturday. Naeher didn’t have the best game against the Courage— the Red Stars lost 4-1 on the road. But she and the rest of her team rebounded on Saturday against Sky Blue. Their opponents looked to score early on in the match, with Carli Lloyd sending a ball through the defense to Imani Dorsey. Dorsey was one-on-one with Naeher, but Naeher made the call to come off her line and made a sliding save just as Dorsey got her shot off. Naeher had another impressive save when Savannah McCaskill managed to get behind the Sky Blue defense and passed the ball off to Imani Dorsey. Dorsey took her shot, but Naeher blocked the shot and the ball deflected. Naeher faced nine shots from Sky Blue and made four saves on the night.

Top Three Defenders

1. Denise O’Sullivan— O’Sullivan is a versatile midfielder who can often be found on the scoring sheet for the North Carolina Courage. But this week, O’Sullivan found herself with a Save of the Week nomination. Her superb defensive moment came in the 16th minute. Danielle Colaprico sent a corner into the box that found the head of Morgan Brian. It looked like the ball was going into the top corner but O’Sullivan jumped up with a header of her own and saved the ball on the line. Her follow-up header allowed the North Carolina Courage to clear the ball and the match remained scoreless. The Courage went on to win the match 4-1.

2. Amber Brooks— Much of the talk about Brooks this week isn’t about her defensive skill, but about the goal she scored against the Seattle Reign in the 12th minute. The goal— a lower header off the corner from Sofia Huerta—  is Brooks’ first goal of the season. But her defensive skill in the match against the Seattle Reign should not be overlooked. Brooks had five tackles, nine clearances, six interceptions, and one block against Seattle.

3. Estelle Johnson— Despite disappointing results, Johnson and Church have been solid central defenders over the last few weeks. The Pride offense roared with life against the Spirit, and it took a lot of defensive effort to keep the Spirit in the match. In the 33rd minute, Leroux tried to twist around Johnson and take a shot, but Johnson blocked it and the ball went into the side-netting. She had another good block in 52nd minute, when Marta passed the ball off to Sydney Leroux just outside of the 18-yard box. Leroux got a lot of power into the shot, but Johnson stuck her foot out and stopped it. In almost the same position just two minutes later, Johnson blocked another similar shot from Marta. 

Top Three Attackers

1. Sam Kerr— Kerr returned to Yurcak Field on Saturday night to face her former team, Sky Blue. After being frustrated in Wednesday night’s match against the North Carolina Courage, Kerr found a rhythm in New Jersey. Her first goal came in the 40th minute. Alyssa Mautz sent the ball into the box a little behind Kerr, but Kerr was able to backtrack and get possession. She set up her shot on the edge of the 18-yard box and sent her shot into the bottom corner. She kept that momentum going right at the start of the second half. In the 46th minute, Kerr received a nice ball inside the box from Yuki Nagasato. Kerr brought the ball down and launched her shot into the far bottom corner. The ball went through the legs of Madison Tiernan and into the back of the net. But she wasn’t finished yet. In the 63rd minute, Nagasato sent another brilliant ball in for Kerr, who slipped behind the defense. She went one-on-one with Sheridan and won, once again playing the ball in the bottom corner. This is Kerr’s first hat trick of the season. She leads the league with eight goals this season. 

2. Tobin Heath— The Thorns had been shaky going into Week 15, and they knew they needed to pick up three points at home. Heath started things early in the match against the Utah Royals. Her goal—  the first of four for Portland that night—  came in the 2nd minute. Crnogorcevic and Heath were surrounded by Utah defenders, but Crnogorcevic set up the shot for Heath and she chipped goalkeeper Abby Smith. It took nearly 30 minutes for them to score again, and this time it was Heath and Horan who teamed up for the goal. The Thorns won a free kick and Heath sent the ball into the 18-yard box. Horan jumped up and got her head on it, sending the ball into the back of the net. The Thorns went on to win the match 4-0, with one goal and one assist from Heath, Crnogorcevic, and Horan. 

3. Marta—  With Alex Morgan out due to injury, Marta took over at the center-forward position for the Orlando Pride in their match against the Washington Spirit. From the beginning, you could tell that Marta was going to find the back of the net. She recorded a total of eleven shots that night, five shots on goal, and created a total of eight chances. But her best moment came in the 86th minute. The game was tied 1-1 thanks to goals from Ashley Hatch and Sydney Leroux, but the Pride wanted the three points at home. They were being frustrated by the Washington Spirit, and had a goal from Dani Weatherholt called back due to a foul. As leaders do, Marta saw an opportunity and stepped up to the plate. She received the pass from Leroux and ran down the field, with the Spirit defense trying to keep up. When Marta got into the box, she had Whitney Church in front of her and Estelle Johnson a little farther back. Marta stepped from side-to-side, finally getting around her defenders and took the shot. It went over the fingertips of Aubrey Bledsoe and bounced off the cross-bar, into the back of the net. The goal was enough to get the Pride those three points and keep the Pride in the hunt for the playoffs. 

The NWSL Podium: Top Performances is a weekly series that looks at the best attacking, defensive, and goalkeeping performances each week.

Week 14 was packed with action, with three midweek matches and four matches over the weekend. After winning their match against the Washington Spirit in Week 13, the Pride dropped to 3rd place after losing both of their Week 14 matches. The Chicago Red Stars extended their unbeaten streak, defeating the Washington Spirit 2-0 on Sunday and pulling themselves into the 4th place slot. And many new faces made an impact this week, with Christen Press scoring her first goal in a Utah Royals kit on Saturday night against Sky Blue, and Morgan Brian making her 2018 NWSL debut as a substitute for Chicago. Here is a full breakdown of the scores from this week:

Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash (1-2)

Utah Royals vs. Seattle Reign (0-0)

Portland Thorns vs. Sky Blue (1-1)

Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage (0-3)

Utah Royals vs. Sky Blue (3-1)

Seattle Reign vs. Portland Thorns (1-0)

Chicago Red Stars vs. Washington Spirit (2-0)

Top Three Goalkeepers

1. Adriana Franch— Franch started in both of the matches for the Portland Thorns this week, allowing just two goals in two games . Against Sky Blue, she had three saves and faced fourteen shots. She had a great save in the 38th minute off a shot from Imani Dorsey. She made another important stop in the 87th minute, when Sky Blue thought they could steal three points at the last minute. Shea Groom got around her defender and tried to slot one past Franch, but the Portland goalkeeper blocked the shot with her knee. Portland’s second match this week was on the road against the Seattle Reign. Megan Rapinoe launched a couple of rockets during that game, but Franch managed to keep them out. One such save in the 87th minute earned Franch an NWSL Save of the Week nomination. In total, she made eight saves and faced eighteen shots against Seattle. 

2. Jane Campbell— The Houston Dash played just once this week, earning a 2-1 victory over the Orlando Pride. In that match, Campbell faced 21 shots and made five saves. Early in the match, she made an impressive kick save off a shot from Kristen Edmonds. In the 63rd minute, Edmonds sent the ball into the box and Dani Weatherholt got a shot off her heel. But Campbell knew where the ball was and leapt up to save it. Finally, after the Houston Dash had taken the lead, Chioma Ubogagu tried to send in a cross into the box, but Campbell punched the ball away, ensuring that her team earned three points on the road. 

3. Michelle Betos— The Seattle Reign have alternated between Lydia Williams and Michelle Betos throughout the season. Betos got the start in their midweek draw against the Utah Royals, while Williams got the start in their 1-0 victory over Portland over the weekend. Betos faced sixteen shots from the Utah Royals and made six saves. The Royals got a lot of shots off early, but Betos was able to shut down their opportunities. Christen Press tested her luck in the 16th minute, taking a shot from outside the 18-yard box, but Betos made a diving save. She made almost the exact same save against five minutes later, off another shot from Christen Press. In the 64th minute, Press dribbled the ball into the box and tried to send the ball in front of the net while she had Betos distracted, but Betos got her hand on it and ultimately the ball was cleared by the defense. The Royals had more than twice as many shots that night as the Reign did, so it is a testament to Betos and the Seattle defense that they were able to get the point and the clean sheet. 

Top Three Defenders

1. Becky Sauerbrunn— Sauerbrunn is one of the best defenders in the league, and usually finds herself somewhere on this list every week. In Week 14, the Utah Royals played two matches and earned four points, with Sauerbrunn playing the full 90 minutes in both games. Their first match was a scoreless draw against the Seattle Reign. While the Reign have one of the strongest offenses in the league, the Utah defense was able to limit them to just seven shots on the night. In that match, Sauerbrunn had five clearances, two tackles, and one interception. On Saturday, she appeared with Sam Johnson for the first time since the blockbuster trade between Houston, Chicago, and Utah. Sauerbrunn had three clearances, four interceptions, and one block, and the Royals went on to win the match 3-1. 

2. Megan Oyster— The Seattle Reign also walked away with four points in two matches this week. Oyster played the full 90 minutes in both matches, and her impact was particular noticeable in the match against the Utah Royals. The Royals had eighteen shots on the night, and with the likes of Christen Press and Amy Rodriguez leading the Utah attack, it’s impressive that the Seattle defense was able to keep the game scoreless. Oyster had six interceptions on the night. 

3. Caprice Dydasco— The Washington Spirit only had one match this week, playing the Chicago Red Stars on Sunday night on the road. It seems that the Spirit always seem to attract storms, and while the game thankfully wasn’t cancelled or delayed, the Spirit and the Red Stars dealt with less-than-ideal field conditions. While the Spirit would ultimately lose that match 2-0 thanks to goals from Casey Short and Yuki Nagasato, Dydasco was a bright spot on the Washington defense. In the 51st minute, she had a good interception when Sam Kerr sent a ball across the box to Alyssa Mautz. Dydasco read the play and was able to slide in front of Mautz, keeping the ball out of the danger zone. In the 67th minute, Dydasco made another important interception. This time Michele Vasconcelos had an opportunity to score on the counter attack, with Kerr and Nagasato to her right and only Dydasco there to stop them. But again, Dydasco read the play and was able to intercept the pass to Kerr. 

Top Three Attackers

1. Katie Stengel— While all the talk has been focused on another Utah Royals striker this week, Katie Stengel made her presence known in the Royals Saturday night match against Sky Blue. Stengel scored two goals in this match, making her the only player across the NWSL to get a brace in Week 14. Stengel found her first goal in the 24th minute, thanks to a nice service from Christen Press. Press was able to place the ball right where it needed to be, and Stengel out-ran the Sky Blue defense. She went one-on-one with the goalkeeper, Kailen Sheridan, and was able to find the back of the net. Her second goal came in the 28th minute, off a free kick from well outside the 18-yard box. Katrina Gorry sent the ball into the box and Stengel was able to get her head on it, sending the ball into the top-left corner. After her second goal, she ran to the throne on the Utah Royals sidelines and celebrated like royalty.

2. Debinha— The North Carolina Courage had another impressive performance this week against the Orlando Pride, thanks in part to an assist and a goal by Debinha. She opened up scoring in the 37th minute. Crystal Dunn sent a ball into the box and there was a swarm of Courage players ready to pounce on it. Ultimately, Debinha got her foot on it and sent a powerful shot towards Ashlyn Harris. Harris got her hand on it, but there was too much momentum on the ball, and it slid past Harris’s fingers and into the goal. Only two minutes later, Debinha assisted on Merritt Mathias’s goal. Denise O’Sullivan originally intercepted the ball from the Pride defense. She passed the ball on to Debinha in the middle, who set up the shot for Mathias on the right. Mathias was able to step up and launch her shot, which bounced through the Pride defense and past Harris, giving the Courage their second goal in as many minutes. They would go on to win the match 3-0, scoring their third goal a minute later. 

3. Yuki Nagasato— Nagasato is proving to be one of the more important players on the Chicago Red Stars roster. This week, she earned her third goal of the season in the 60th minute of the Red Stars home match against the Washington Spirit. Sam Kerr got the ball and ran down the left side of the pitch. She sent the ball into the box and Nagasato stepped up with a diving header, sending the ball past Aubrey Bledsoe. Nagasato now has three goals and two assists on the season for Chicago.