Top 5 Goals: Women’s Champions League Final & NWSL Regular Season

As Europe’s domestic leagues are coming to an end, the NWSL regular season is now in full swing. Plus, the Women’s Champions League Final was a spectacle to behold between Lyon and Barcelona.

This week featured a little bit of everything, some long-distance strikes, great team goals, as well as pinpoint finishes. Let’s take a look at the best women’s soccer goals from the Women’s Champions League Final and the NWSL regular season. 

5. Lauren Milliet – Racing Louisville

Tic-tac-toe ending with a solid finish from @MillietLauren! @RacingLouFC | #RacingLou pic.twitter.com/lqOnkRcmqv

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 22, 2022

This was a beautiful piece of team soccer with the ball barely stopping; this move flowed from start to finish. Louisville picked up the ball in their own half of the field, but once the ball got to CeCe Kizer, it only took five touches between her, Jessica McDonald, and Lauren Milliet for the ball to find the net.

When the passing is this precise, it’s almost as if the defense was never even there; no one on Gotham got anywhere near the ball in the build-up. Overall, a great team goal for Louisville, who won back-to-back games for the first time in franchise history. 

4. Mallory Pugh – Chicago Red Stars

.@MalPugh gets in on the fun!@chicagoredstars | #MKOT pic.twitter.com/PQ7DEZQuSX

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 23, 2022

Mallory Pugh for MVP is a slogan that Red Stars fans will push until the end of the season as she continues to embarrass opposing defenses. Orlando was punished on multiple occasions for turnovers in their own half, and they paid the price.

This is too easy for Mallory Pugh. All she needs is an inch of daylight, which she creates with a quick touch before firing into the bottom corner. If not MVP, she’s definitely going to be in the running for the Golden Boot. 

3. Alexia Putellas – FC Barcelona

pic.twitter.com/5fAw7QcgER That's what a captain does! 💪

Watch the UWCL on https://t.co/u3Zn3Qkatz with @DAZNFootball#WatchWithAta #UWCLfinal

— ata football (@atafball) May 21, 2022

FC Barcelona’s perfect La Liga season was spoiled by Lyon. However, Barcelona did make things interesting with a late goal courtesy of Caroline Graham Hansen and Alexia Putellas. The cross from Graham Hansen is special, a perfectly weighted ball in, right onto the foot of Putellas. Putellas does the rest with a calm and collected finish, but it was unfortunately too little too late for Barcelona this time around. 

2. Sophie Schmidt – Houston Dash

.@hay_hanson 🔗 @sophieschmidt13

The @HoustonDash double their advantage!#PORvHOU | #CueTheChaos pic.twitter.com/aBaNI7bOFq

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 21, 2022

Sophie Schmidt is one of the many mainstays in the NWSL who has been rock solid for any team she plays for. Her defensive work in the midfield is one of her strengths, but her ability to score is underrated.

Haley Hansen set up a nice give n’ go with Schmidt, and the Canadian found herself in behind. However, the angle looked impossible, and with the defender denying the cross, Schmidt decided to go near post.

Keepers generally should not get beaten on the near post like this, but this gets a pass because Schmidt’s strike had the power and accuracy to beat most keepers from that angle. A huge win for Houston to keep them in the top four of the standings. 

1. Amandine Henry – Lyon

pic.twitter.com/AELuYYl0T7 😐 is this the real life?

Watch the UWCL on https://t.co/u3Zn3Qkatz with @DAZNFootball#WatchWithAta #UWCLfinal

— ata football (@atafball) May 21, 2022

This was the viral goal of the weekend, and there was absolutely no doubt it would be the best goal of the week. Amandine Henry has a habit of showing up in the biggest of moments, and there are few moments bigger than a Champions League Final.

Henry did well to win the ball back first, then she had the space, picked her head up, and let it fly from at least 30 yards away. Watching the path of the ball as it arrowed into the top corner is something special. It simply does not get better than that. Amandine Henry is one of the best we’ve ever seen, and this goal is evidence of that. 

_

GIRLS SOCCER NETWORK: YOUR SOURCE FOR GIRLS SOCCER NEWS