Aug 26, 2026; Cary, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Courage midfielder Ashley Sanchez (2) scores a goal and celebrates with teammates during the first half against Angel City FC at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images
Week 20 saw the Shield race tighten, another huge day for Ashley Sanchez, and another rock-bottom performance from the Stars. Here are 11 thoughts from the weekend. We’ll do this every Monday following NWSL match weeks. Some points will be factual, some will be opinion based, and some will just be random statements or observations.
Before I dig in, a tip of the hat to Arianna Cascone for her excellent work filling in the last two weeks while I was off the grid on a personal matter. Now, to the good stuff…
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