Top 5 Goals: NWSL Regular Season Week 13

This was quite a week for the NWSL as teams still welcomed back the Olympians to their respective rosters. While the league deals with consistent controversy both on and off the pitch, the soccer on the pitch has been amazing to watch. The league table continues to shuffle with some surprising results from around the league. Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the best women’s soccer goals from the NWSL Week 13. 

5. Jodie Taylor – Orlando Pride 

Jodie's on fire, your defense is terrified ?#ORLvPOR | https://t.co/0LtSAUK1Jw | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/vM3L945WF7

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 14, 2021

Jodie Taylor now has two goals in two games for her new club, it’s nice to see her performing well after things didn’t work out with the OL Reign. The England international will be able to score plenty of goals for this Orlando team, assuming she gets the right service from her teammates. This was a great cross in from Courtney Petersen, it had pace and was right in between the defenders. All Jodie Taylor did was run into the open space, elevate, and dispatch the header into the far corner. That’s the kind of headed goal that any striker would be happy to score. 

4. Simone Charley – Portland Thorns

Set-piece Simone ⚽️✨#ORLvPOR | https://t.co/0LtSAUK1Jw | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/1w0mmVDH21

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 15, 2021

Simone Charley’s growth into a legitimate offensive threat in every game is a great sight to see. Whether it’s with her pace to blow by defenders, her clinical finishing, or in this case, heading the ball, Charley has shown she can do it all. Meghan Klingenberg is known for her crossing ability and she put in a perfect ball for her teammates to attack. Charley ended up judging the ball in the air better than her defender which helped her position for the header. Even though the defender went up at the same time as her, Charley used her strength to shield the defender and head the ball into the far post at the same time. Unreal stuff from the former collegiate track star who clearly made the right career choice with soccer. 

3. Ify Onumonu – Gotham FC

Oh my, Ify ??#NJNYvLOU | https://t.co/0LtSAUK1Jw | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/orrjssrcA9

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 15, 2021

Ify Onumonu continues her great form for Gotham FC. Not only is she consistently putting herself in threatening positions but she’s taking chances, and ruthlessly at that. In this scenario, she barely gave anyone time to react before firing this ball into the net. Onumonu does well to put her back to her defender, but the defender could’ve gotten closer after her initial touch. It just doesn’t seem like anyone out there expected Onumonu to take the shot like that. By the time Michelle Betos even realized it, the ball was already flying past her and into the net. This was a great goal from a player who continues to get better each and every week. 

2. Tori Huster – Washington Spirit

150 games, 1 stunning goal ?#HOUvWAS | https://t.co/iecT7II54a | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/QiGjbun3qP

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 14, 2021

Tori Huster is one of the unsung heroes of the game, she has quietly spent her entire career in the NWSL. Huster is only 31 but has made 150 NWSL appearances. She has to be the favorite to pass Lauren Barnes to hold the record for most games in the NWSL one day. However, Huster does not score very often, therefore watching her go on a spectacular solo run and finish was a welcome surprise. We’ve seen Huster’s perfect technique from set-pieces before, and this is another great example of how to strike the ball. Her follow-through is perfect and the ball nestles into the far corner, a well-deserved goal for Tori Huster. 

1. Paige Nielsen – Washington Spirit

All THAT power from Paige ⚽️?#HOUvWAS | https://t.co/iecT7II54a | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/cll2t9SN6O

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 14, 2021

Paige Nielsen is one of the best defenders in the league and she’s known for her commanding presence at the back. What she is not known for is scoring screamers from outside the box but that is exactly what happened here. The defender showed she’s got some great technique and skill with this strike. The Dash must’ve thought they’d cleared the danger with the headed clearance, but instead, it lands right on the foot of Nielsen who smashes it into the bottom corner. That ball was in the goal before Jane Campbell could even try to dive for it, that’s how clean and powerful of a strike it was. Kudos to Paige Nielsen for taking the top spot in the Top 5 Goals for the week. 

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