By OkayGoal 
The NWSL has absolutely lived up to the hype so far this season with two new teams entering the fray. Every single team has at least one win now and the two teams at the bottom of the table are only five points back from the last playoff spot. Portland have asserted themselves to be the dominant team in the league at the moment but it’s a long season and the standings will look vastly different in a few weeks. There are going to be some must-see matchups that you won’t want to miss. Here’s five great games this month in the NWSL that you need to watch.
Gotham FC vs. Boston Legacy, Saturday, May 9th, 6:30pm EST/3:30pm PST, ION
This is a rematch from Boston’s first game as a new franchise in front of their fans at Gillette Stadium. Boston were in the game for most of the match at 0-0 before Esther Gonzalez scored in the 55th minute. Both of these teams have a defense-first identity which will help Boston in this matchup. Gotham are on a nice run as well with three wins in a row. However, this Boston team is finally starting to find their stride. The Legacy took a 2-0 lead against North Carolina before unfortunately settling for a draw. Boston followed that up with a jaw-dropping comeback from 2-1 down to win 3-2 against Denver with two goals in stoppage time. This team is starting to get their footing within the league and Gotham has to be careful coming into this matchup. A surprise result could be on the cards, or Gotham will prove they are still championship contenders.
San Diego Wave vs. Washington Spirit, Friday, May 15th, 7:00pm EST/4:00pm PST, Victory+
Two of the league’s best teams will matchup on May 15th but with two contrasting runs of form. The Spirit are on fire with four wins a row over Orlando, Louisville, KC and Bay FC. That could change with a trip to Seattle in between but the injury to Jess Fishlock will hurt the Reign a little bit. Trinity Rodman is playing at an MVP-caliber level and should be one of the frontrunners to win it this year. On the flip side, the San Diego started really well but have lost their last two games. The schedule won’t get easier for them as they have to play in a rivalry game against Angel City before facing the Spirit at home. The Wave need a win over a team like this for their confidence after some tough losses but the Spirit seem like a team on a mission this year. We’ll see how Rodman and the Spirit do on their trip out West.
Portland Thorns vs. Angel City, Sunday, May 17th, 6:00pm EST/3:00pm PST, ESPN2, ESPN App
Every time these two teams play it’s going to be fireworks. There have been some iconic moments in this rivalry over the years. There was goalkeeper Bella Bixby’s late goal to equalize and salvage a draw for Portland. There’s Angel City destroying Portland on the last game of the season to make the playoffs from a few years ago. Their last matchup from this season was also closely contested. Angel City dominated Portland for most of the game, spending a lot of time in Portland’s box. Yet their inability to score was their downfall as Portland ruthlessly scored twice before Angel City would finally get a goal in stoppage time. Can Angel City get their revenge against a Portland team that is clicking in all areas, or will Portland prove they are going to be the early favorite to pish for the NWSL Shield? You’re not going to want to miss this game.
Kansas City Current vs. Portland Thorns, Sunday, May 24th, 1:00pm EST/10:00am PST, CBS, Paramount+
Portland will have a much tougher stretch of games coming up in May because after they play an Angel City team that will do everything to beat them, they then have to face the Kansas City Current. The Current have started slow and are surprisingly out of the top 8 but they’ve won two of their last three games with wins over Gotham and North Carolina. The Current also have a slightly favorable schedule with Chicago and Houston upcoming before this matchup with Portland. That’s more than enough time for them to get their season back on track coming into this matchup with Portland. The aforementioned Thorns are hot and Sophia Wilson seems to be back to her old self. This will be a nationally televised game on CBS as well, the whole country is going to be watching this one.
San Diego Wave vs. Orlando Pride, Sunday May 24th, 7:00pm EST/4:00pm PST, Victory+
San Diego will host Orlando at the end of the month in a matchup that Orlando has mostly dominated. Barbara Banda is the clear frontrunner to win the Golden Boot with 7 goals in 7 games. However, they’ve got some defensive issues that they’ll need to sort out if they want to climb back into the top 8 playoff spots. This matchup against San Diego is a huge opportunity for them at the end of the month to build some momentum back along with some matchups against Denver and Boston along the way. With San Diego’s form and Orlando looking to improve, this is going to be a great game to watch.
Featured image via @olpride
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