By OkayGoal 
The Golden Boot race in the NWSL is the closest it’s been in years. Last season, Barbara Banda and Temwa Chawinga were going head to head for most of the season before Chawinga ran away with the title, scoring 20 goals. This season, every single player in the top 5 of goals scored is within one goal of each other. Here’s a closer look at the Golden Boot race in the NWSL.
5. Riley Tiernan – 6 goals (21 shots, 52% shot on target rate)
Riley Tiernan has to be the biggest surprise on this list, but she has earned it without a doubt. Tiernan was invited into Angel City camp and had to win her spot to make the team. Since then, Tiernan has emerged as the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. The former Rutgers star has the best shot-on-target rate among the top 5, demonstrating her accuracy and ability to test goalkeepers more effectively than others. With teams aware of who Tiernan is, it’ll be tougher for her to stay in the top 5, but her aggressive and opportunistic style of play should help her get to double-digit goals this season at least.
4. Ashley Hatch- 6 goals (23 shots, 35% shot on target rate)
Ashley Hatch has been a key contributor for Washington since she joined the Spirit in 2018. Hatch has scored 42 goals for the club, with six goals already this season. Hatch is a goal-poacher who can finish well when she receives good service in and around the box. Her shot on target rate suggests her finishing could be a bit better, but Hatch is always a familiar fixture in the Golden Boot race; she’s been a top 5 goal scorer in the league for a while. Expect her to sit in the top 5 for the rest of the season with her consistency.
3. Temwa Chawinga – 6 goals (28 shots, 50% shot on target rate)
Last year’s Golden Boot winner and MVP is not nearly at the same pace she was at last year. Kansas City’s offense is still a juggernaut, but opposing defenses seem motivated to slow Chawinga down. Half of Chawinga’s shots are still on target, showing she’s in great form. However, teams might be starting to wise up to KC’s strategy of playing long balls over the top, with Chawinga getting behind defenses. The Malawian international might not reach her mark of 20 goals this season, but 12-15 goals is still a viable target for the reigning league MVP.
2. Esther González – 7 goals (30 shots, 47% shot on target rate)
No matter where she is, all Esther González does is score goals. Gotham understood it’s impossible to win a title without a consistent goal scorer which is why they went and added her from Real Madrid. Esther’s game is similar to Ashley Hatch’s, where she needs to get the ball in the box to be the most effective. While the Spirit are dealing with injuries, Gotham is a healthy, skilled, and experienced roster with plenty of chemistry. Esther is the centerpiece of the team. If she’s scoring goals then Gotham are doing well, if she’s not the team will struggle to get results. Based on Esther’s finishing abilities, she’s going to lead Gotham to a top 4 finish and should get to 12 goals this season at the minimum. Now, if she gets chosen for Spain’s roster at the Euro, that’s a different story; she could miss valuable NWSL time. But if Spain doesn’t pick her, Gotham will be thrilled this summer.
1. Barbara Banda – 7 goals (42 shots, 50% shot on target rate)
After losing out to Temwa Chawinga last year, Barbara Banda leads the pack for the Golden Boot race this season. Banda couldn’t keep pace with her African rival, but this year, she has the chance to leave Chawinga in he dust. What’s most impressive about Banda is that she has taken the most shots of any player in the top 5 and still has a shot on target rate of 50 percent. Even for the volume that Banda is shooting at, she finds a way to test the goalkeeper. Having watched the power and precision with which Banda plays, we know that most of those shots end up in the net or force an amazing save out of the keeper. Banda and Orlando’s primary focus is winning games and repeating as champions. But I’m sure there’s a part of Barbara Banda that says she wants to win this Golden Boot, because strikers will always want credit for the goals they’re expected to score.
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