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The NWSL's Golden Boot Race Is Red Hot

Across the 2024 and 2025 NWSL seasons, Temwa Chawinga scored 35 goals, more than many players could hope to score in their entire careers. She won the Golden Boot and MVP both years, and deserved to. The Kansas City Current forward was simply inevitable.

There’s a real pleasure in watching an athlete like Chawinga, who provides the near certainty that if you flip on a game they’re playing in, they'll do something that knocks your socks off. Scoring is the hardest thing to do in soccer, not to mention doing it with such consistency and for so long. Chawinga’s scoring pace over the last two years left little doubt that she’d sweep the league’s end-of-season awards.

This year, we’ve been treated to nine goals from Chawinga so far, putting her at an astounding rate of 1.06 goals per 90 minutes played. That she’s kept up her scoring is all the more impressive considering that Kansas City is nowhere near as good of a team as they have been the last two campaigns; she’s able to put a team on her back and not feel the weight of it.

The NWSL's Golden Boot Race Is Red Hothttps://defector.com/the-nwsls-golden-boot-race-is-red-hotOpen linkView original on feddit.online
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BSG and turning her brain off: name a more iconic duo

Her second goal was an altogether different beast. Aïssata Traoré had equalized for Boston seven minutes into second-half stoppage time, and it looked like Boston would steal two points that the Courage desperately wanted to get some cushion above the playoff line. Then, Bianca St-Georges turned her brain off and conceded a foul in the box on the other end of the pitch. After a long VAR review, the ref gave a penalty to North Carolina. It wasn’t obvious, however, who the Courage would send to take it; the team's previous two pens were taken by Riley Jackson, who was out injured. Ultimately, Sanchez stepped up to the spot in the 17th minute of stoppage time. The penalty kick had both her team’s place in a tight Shield race and Sanchez’s place in the Golden Boot race in the balance. Rock solid as ever, she put it away calmly.

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Following the notifications for this game was infuriating. I saw the equalizer so late and was so happy that we could get a point out of the game. Apparently the VAR took absolutely forever, because the late PK didn't happen until 90+17'. I had long thought the game was over at that point.

😭

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