Top 5 Goals: NWSL, Women’s Champions League, Barclays FA WSL

The return of the NWSL makes everything better from a women’s soccer perspective. All the biggest stars from around the world are playing simultaneously now. When this happens, the quality of play skyrockets, as we’ve seen through the first two weeks of the NWSL season. Not only has the play in America been enthralling, but the stakes on the European side haven’t been higher. The Women’s Champions League featured some incredible matches this past week, along with some major moments in England’s domestic league. Let’s look at the best women’s soccer goals from the NWSL, Women’s Champions League, and the Barclays FA WSL. 

5. Katie McCabe – Arsenal

Still not over this goal from @Katie_McCabe11 😱#BarclaysWSL @ArsenalWFC pic.twitter.com/nr2RmP4OTU

— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) April 3, 2023

Arsenal plays some of the best soccer you’ll ever see, with stars spread out across their Starting XI. One of those stars provided a moment of magic for Arsenal emphatically.

Irish international Katie McCabe was as direct as she could be when receiving the ball. More often than not, when a short corner is taken, the player that receives it puts the ball into the box. Well, McCabe did the opposite and noticed she had space in front of her to run into.

Once McCabe picked her head up, one thing was on her mind: stick the ball in the top corner. The ball flew into the top corner with ease. No keeper was going to stop that shot. 

4. Alexandra Popp – VFL Wolfsburg

Super goal by @alexpopp11 to put @VfLWolfsburg_EN 2-0 up on aggregate!

Watch the @UWCL live on the @DAZNFootball YouTube channel.#UWCL #WatchWithAta

📽️ @DAZNFootball pic.twitter.com/X72VMhgIsI

— ata football (@atafball) March 30, 2023

Wolfsburg is one of the European giants that are forgotten about because of how dominant Lyon usually is in winning the Champions League. The German side has won the competition twice and now has a chance to win a third with Lyon out of the way.

Wolfsburg handled Lyon’s counterpart PSG in the quarterfinals thanks to Alexandra Popp, who is relentless in front of goal. I’m not even sure how to describe what Popp did here. She ran onto the ball; it was slightly ahead of her, so she slid into her shot, and it was something in between a chip shot and a normal shot.

Either way, the result was the same–a gorgeous goal to help seal the victory for Wolfsburg. The German side awaits Arsenal in the Champions League Semifinal.

3. Sophia Smith – Portland Thorns

Sophia Smith has the first hat trick of the 2023 NWSL season.

That second goal 🤌

(via @NWSL) pic.twitter.com/IEbcLT6ueX

— B/R Football (@brfootball) April 1, 2023

Sophia Smith continues to show that she is head and shoulders above everyone in the league right now. This goal she scored against Kansas City is proof of that.

Four different Current defenders try to get Smith off the ball. None were strong enough to get her off the ball without fouling. That’s the conundrum that defenses have with Smith. If you make a play on the ball and miss, it’s an automatic penalty. None of the defenders wanted that, but it gave Smith a chance to show off her strength, balance, and footwork.

Most players would have either taken a dive or given up, but Smith stuck with it and embarrassed the Kansas City defense in the process. 

2. Ary Borges – Racing Louisville

Don't believe you can hit it better than this, @_aryborges! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/fmwPlt4jhE

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 1, 2023

Washington was dominant against Racing Louisville in the first half of their matchup, but the second half was a different story. Louisville stormed back from two goals down to end up tying the match 2-2.

Ary Borges took matters into her own hands and scored this screamer. Washington was punished for not clearing the ball properly. Instead, the ball dropped right into Borges’ path, and she timed her half-volley to perfection, and her strike nestled into the top corner.

That’s the beauty of this league. If you don’t take care of the ball, the talent in this league will make you pay every time. Borges made the Spirit pay on this goal and took two points away from them in the process. 

1. Frida Maanum – Arsenal

MAMMA MIA MAANUM!

1-1 on aggregate after @FMaanum puts @ArsenalWFC in front at the Emirates.

Watch the @UWCL live on the @DAZNFootball YouTube channel.#UWCL #WatchWithAta

📽️ @DAZNFootball pic.twitter.com/raDwAnfrXJ

— ata football (@atafball) March 29, 2023

This is some of the best interplay I’ve ever seen, and it’s fitting that Arsenal is at the center of it. Their style of play involves a lot of quick, first-touch passing if given the opportunity.

Watch how quickly this ball moves between three players before the layoff to Frida Maanum. It’s in the blink of an eye and so incredibly slick from those three involved. Maanum does the move justice by not taking an extra touch and hitting it on the one-time instead.

The ball glided over the keeper’s outstretched hand and then clanged off the crossbar before going in. This goal was too sumptuous, and it had to take the top spot on this week’s list. 

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