Women's Football

The Top 10 Best NWSL and USWNT Goals in May

By OkayGoal
The Top 10 Best NWSL and USWNT Goals in May


May was a great month for football. We had the Women’s Champions League Final, league winners were crowned across Europe and Australia, the NWSL, and half of an international break. There were plenty of goals to choose from, but the best of the best came from the NWSL and one goal from the USWNT’s match versus China. Let’s get into the best of the best NWSL and USWNT goals from the month of May.

 

10. Messiah Bright – Houston Dash

 

The Dash needed help in attack, which is why they acquired Messiah Bright in the offseason. Bright is starting to come through for her team, as this was a great team goal that was finished well. The move started all the way in Houston’s half, and Natalie Jacobs’ longball found Bright, who played a nice give-and-go with Maggie Graham. The former TCU star did the rest by reading Abby Dahlkemper’s body positioning well. Dahlkemper tried her best to force Bright toward the endline, but Bright was too fast with the ball at her feet. The striker cut inside and found the far corner with a striker’s finish. This is the version of Messiah Bright that Houston will want to see more often.

 

9. Manaka Matsukubo – North Carolina Courage

 

The North Carolina Courage have a diamond in the rough with Manaka Matsukubo. The Japanese international is only 20 years old but is making plays like this regularly. Matsukubo only needed one touch before deciding to go for the goal. Her connection on the strike had to be perfect; if she didn’t put enough power on it, Alyssa Naeher would’ve caught it. Yet all Naeher could do was helplessly watch the ball float over her hand and into the net, a perfect strike from Matsukubo.

 

8. Penelope Hocking- Bay FC

 

Penelope Hocking is starting to hit her stride in the Bay with three goals in her last three games. This goal is a striker’s finish and pure class. Hocking made the strike look way easier than it was. Watch how Hocking ran to the ball here, and it shows how eager she is to score. Most players would have taken a touch and then lined up the shot, but that also would have given time for defenders to get back into position. Hocking knew this and got her feet set to run onto the ball and hit a one-timer before anyone could block it. Her execution is perfect; Angelina Anderson didn’t stand a chance of saving it.

7. Sam Coffey – USA

 

Team USA looked great against China and Jamaica in the two recent friendlies. This goal was definitely the biggest highlight because of how well it worked. The move started with Lily Yohannes playing a beautiful pass behind. Alyssa Thompson used her speed to get in front of the defender and win the ball. Yet Thompson wasn’t finished there. She took on the defender at the byline and played a great cross to Cat Macario, who laid it off to Sam Coffey. You can tell from Coffey’s reaction as she stroked the ball in with her left foot that she felt good about. She’d mentioned doing it in practice all the time, but making it happen in the game has to be the best feeling.

 

6. Ashley Hatch – Washington Spirit

 

One of Ashley Hatch’s best traits as a striker is her conviction. She’s not afraid to shoot and challenge the keeper, no matter where she is on the pitch. This goal is no different as she fired this ball in without hesitation. Hatch took a great touch to roll the ball back into her path, but her awareness of where the goal is located is special. Even then, the angle didn’t favor Hatch to score from there, but her contact was perfect. There was nothing that Mandy McGlynn could do about it.

 

5. Avery Patterson – Houston Dash

These are the kinds of plays that Avery Patterson has been making for Houston all season. This would explain Emma Hayes’ utmost confidence in her by putting her in the starting lineup for the USWNT against China. Patterson has done nothing but get better since entering the league. The former UNC star is starting to figure it out. This rocket was her first goal of the season, and it was from a ridiculous angle. The Racing Louisville defender does the right thing. Her defense is good by forcing her outside. Yet all Patterson needed was an inch of daylight to get the shot off, and the result is a firecracker of a goal.

 

4. Avery Patterson – Houston Dash

 

Avery Patterson followed up her first goal of the season with an even better goal for her second. It’s similar to the first in that she received the ball on the right wing, but with one difference. On the first goal, Patterson shot with her right foot. In this second clip, she cut inside onto her left and still found the far corner. That’s the sign of a great player, to be able to use the weaker foot this effectively. Now, defenders will be in a bind going forward because there’s film of Patterson scoring with both feet. Patterson can control what direction she wants to go; the defenders have no clue which way she’s going to dribble moving forward. Patterson is making big strides already.

 

3. Taylor Flint – Racing Louisville

 

Taylor Flint is more known for her ability to score headers, but every once in a while, she’ll score a world-class goal from outside the box. Flint did well to scan the field and run into the empty space while receiving the ball. A quick touch and turn now set her up for the long-range effort, and Flint absolutely unleashed this rocket into the top corner. It’s decisive, intelligent, and strong play from Taylor Flint. Racing Louisville just needs this from her a little more often.

 

2. Christen Press – Angel City

 

This is one of the best stories of the season, if not the year. Christen Press scored within 20 seconds of checking into the game against the Utah Royals. The best part about this is that it wasn’t just a tap-in, it was a vintage CP23 goal, and you could argue it’s one of the best goals she has scored in her career. The commitment to sprint and run into the space, followed by the cutback to leave the defender on the ground, is sublime. Then the audacity, confidence, and execution to curl it with her left foot into the far corner. It’s an insanely tough goal for anyone to score, but Christen Press, being the player she is, made it look easy.

 

1. Riley Tiernan – Angel City

 

Riley Tiernan has taken the NWSL by storm and is already among the league’s top scorers in the Golden Boot race. This clip sums up Tiernan’s play and why she’s had so much success. The former Rutgers star is attacking defenders and getting shots on target at a higher rate than any other rookie. Watch how she danced past two defenders while a third came over to try and stop the shot. Instead, Tiernan generated enough power to go across her body and rip the ball into the far corner. That’s a ridiculous finish from that angle. Tiernan is proving to be an incredible find for Angel City this season, and she isn’t showing any sign of slowing down.

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