Hello and welcome back to NWSL Crunchtime. The Cutback’s newsletter for the business end of the National Women’s Soccer League season.
If you missed last week’s NWSL Crunchtime, then get all caught up right here.
Once again, the most esteemed soccer league in the United States chose to have absolutely zero chill.
From on-pitch upsets to star names signing contracts and undergoing surgery, to another — yes, another — head coach sacking, it is all happening right now with just six matches left to play in the regular season.
Banda signs with Pride until 2029
Three-time Ballon d’Or nominee, former BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year and NWSL champion Barbra Banda has signed a contract extension to keep her at the Orlando Pride until the end of 2029.
Banda has dominated the NWSL since joining Orlando in 2024, racking up 41 goals in 61 matches. She won the league and championship double in her first season, and then helped the Pride to a fourth-place and semi-final finish in 2025.
The Athletic reports that Banda has signed a ‘High Impact Player’ deal, allowing the Pride to pay up to $1 million of extra salary outside the league’s $3.7 million salary cap. ESPN also reports there is no release clause in the contract, which could allow Orlando to recoup a large transfer fee should any club come after Banda.
Banda was due a pay bump to keep her in line with other top players in the NWSL and around the world. Getting this deal over the line is also a major relief for the Pride and general manager Caitlin Carducci, who have seen both results and squad depth decline in 2026. Orlando’s future is more solid with Banda front and centre.
This news also came fresh off Banda scoring a brace in the 11th-place Pride’s 2-2 draw away to the sixth-place KC Current. She is now up to 16 goals this season as Orlando chases a third consecutive playoff appearance.
Houston, we have a head coaching vacancy
The fourth head coach sacking of the NWSL season arrived on Sunday. Less than 24 hours after the Houston Dash were beaten at home 1-0 by the Utah Royals, the club parted ways with Fabrice Gautrat.
Houston are 12th in the table and a seemingly insurmountable 11 points off the playoffs. The team currently ranks 13th for both goals scored (29) and goals conceded (34), and even worse for expected goals scored (14th, 30.5) and expected goals conceded (15th, 47.5).
Gautrat was a first-time head coach and led the Texas club for almost two seasons, overseeing 50 matches and winning 15. The Dash finished 10th in his first season in 2025.
With the 2027 NWSL season starting earlier than usual in mid-February, it makes sense for Houston’s hierarchy to get a head start on hiring their next coach. Gautrat didn’t move the needle, and it’s hard to know exactly what he was consistently improving with this group.
That being said, the Dash were one of the worst-run and worst-performing teams in the NWSL when he arrived. And, in March, Houston sold Yazmeen Ryan and Delanie Sheehan for a combined transfer fee of $1 million, which has not been significantly invested back into the team. The jury is out on who can turn this team around.
Macario ruled out for the year
Catarina Macario’s season is officially over, and her long-awaited debut in her hometown of San Diego will go on. On Monday, the team announced that the 27-year-old has been placed on the NWSL’s season-ending injury list after undergoing minor knee surgery.
This ends a nine-month stint where Macario had been sidelined with a heel injury, dating back to her final half-season with Chelsea in 2025. Her last time on a football pitch dates back to a Champions League match against AS Roma in December last year.
Fourth in the table, San Diego are flying high and have picked up Italian international Barbara Bonasea on loan from Juventus to try and bolster their attack as the league approaches its climax. The Wave won 2-1 at home to the league’s top scorers, the NC Courage, this past weekend.
Macario is also set to miss the United States’ World Cup and Olympic qualifiers in November. The earliest she could return is during the next NWSL pre-season in January 2027.
Are the Spirit bad at home now?
The Washington Spirit’s home stadium, Audi Field, has been lauded as one of the most intimidating environments in football.
And yet, after a 3-0 home loss to the lowly Boston Legacy, the second-place Spirit have now lost four of their last five home matches. Over the course of the season, they have lost five times at home from 12 matches (42%).
A shoutout to Amanda Gutierres (above), who scored an audacious long-range goal after nicking the ball off of Tara Rudd and spotting Sandy MacIver off her line. The Brazilian suitably cupped her ears right in front of the Spirit hardcore. You love to see it.
The Spirit need only three more wins, or roughly 10 points, to clinch a playoff spot. They will also likely host a playoff game for the third consecutive season too. Time will tell if this is just a blip or the legendary “Rowdy Audi” is not so rowdy anymore.
Goodnight Chicago
Au revoir to the Windy City. Yes, the bottom-of-the-table Chicago Stars have become the first team to officially be knocked out of playoff contention after a 1-1 draw away to the Portland Thorns. (Which isn’t a bad result in isolation, actually.)
It has absolutely been a season to forget for Chicago, who recently sold their best young player, Jameese Joseph, to the Utah Royals in exchange for a transfer fee of up to $840,000.
Who will spend that money? We just don’t know yet. The Stars are looking for a new general manager and head coach. The end of the season can’t come soon enough.
What to watch out for
This upcoming weekend will see a few top teams and playoff hopefuls go head-to-head. Will this make the chaotic playoff picture any less chaotic? I doubt it. But that’s why the NWSL is so much fun.
For my money, there are two must-watch games this weekend, both happening on Saturday in a double-header.
The first sees Banda, her new contract and the Pride host the wobbling Portland Thorns, who are winless in their last three [4:00 p.m. ET U.S. / 9:30 p.m. BST]. Orlando are seven points off the playoffs and absolutely must win to stay in the hunt. The Thorns feel vulnerable.
Then the late show on Saturday will see the league’s top scorers, the Courage, take on the sturdiest defence, Gotham FC [6:30 p.m. ET U.S. / 11:30 p.m. BST]. Gotham need to maximise their points down the stretch to stay top of the table and win a first-ever NWSL Shield.