The 2025 NWSL season opener unfolded just as expected. All 14 teams competed in their respective high-intensity fixtures, producing some remarkable score lines. However, not everyone was impressed with the results—particularly regarding one of the league’s individual honors—leaving fans in disbelief.

To break the ice, the NWSL awards a few honors each week to recognize standout performances. One of these is the Goal of the Week award. Now, with Matchweek 1 concluded, some intriguing entries have made the cut for this recognition. The first to earn a nomination is Orlando Pride star Barbra Banda. The Zambian forward netted a brace against the Chicago Red Stars in the final moments of the match, helping her side secure a dominant 6-0 victory.

While her first goal was an impressive finish—nutmegging her opponent before slotting the ball into the net just inside the 6-yard box—it was her second strike that earned her this recognition. A misplaced pass from a Chicago player gifted Banda possession, and before the two center-backs could react, she unleashed a powerful long-range shot, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance to save it.

The next contender was Michelle Cooper, who netted KC Current’s second goal in their emphatic 3-1 victory over Portland Thorns. The forward unleashed a stunning long-range strike into the top-left corner. For the third nomination, Bay FC midfielder Kiki Pickett delivered a brilliant left-footed volley that struck the crossbar before slamming into the net from nearly 25 yards out. Her goal proved crucial, as it erased Utah Royals’ early lead.

Lastly, NJ/NY Gotham FC star Gabi Portilho secured the fourth spot with her strike against Seattle Reign. Though it was a volley inside the 18-yard box, a fortunate deflection helped the midfielder score her debut goal. Now, while all the goals demanded crucial effort and utmost precision, there had to be a winner. Ladies and gentlemen, that honor went to none other than Kiki Pickett, who netted a stunning off-the-post volley from outside the 18-yard box.

While many may agree with the result, others are furious, believing that at the very least, other nominees deserved the recognition instead. No wonder it created a havoc on the internet.

Supports slam NWSL over poor judgment

Interestingly enough, the NWSL always takes fans’ opinions into account. To gauge their thoughts, the league created a poll on X, sharing a video featuring all four shortlisted goals. The results showed Barbra Banda leading with 33.3% of the votes, followed by Michelle Cooper at 28.4%. Kiki Pickett placed third with 25.4%, while Gabi Portilho finished last with just 12.9%.

Judging by the fan votes, Banda was the clear winner of the Goal of the Week award, right? Yet, surprisingly, the distinction went in favor of Pickett. One can’t help but question the criteria the NWSL used to reach this decision. No wonder this fan took a cheeky dig at the league:

“Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe 33 is higher than 25 right?!?!”

Are the people at NWSL sure they have drawn the correct result? Clearly, Pickett was hardly near Barbra Banda in terms of the votes. Precisely, in third place. Yet, we see the Bay FC midfielder take the award home. Just imagine the frustration of those fans who fervently voted for their favorite star, only to see the league roll out the results on their own:

“So do the votes not matter? It wasn’t even close and she wasn’t even 2nd.”

We wouldn’t be surprised to see if the majority of the fans just stopped giving their votes in these honors. It’s not like we are trying to undermine the efforts of Kiki Pickett, but clearly, fans had Banda or Cooper as their favorites. In fact, this fan is hardly ready to believe that this goal was even a volley, given how the NWSL has glorified it as “pure class.”

“Not a volley”

Interestingly, after winning the Matchday 1 Goal of the Week, Pickett expressed her gratitude for the honor, while thanking those who voted for her. She wrote, “We did it!!! Thank you to everyone who voted 🤗🤗🤗 These nominations were 🔥, can’t wait to see what WEEK 2 has in store.” Well, it seems this fan is pretty much okay with the goal:

“CONGRATULATIONS KIKI!!! bay’s midfield sniper we love youuuuuuuuu“

Despite all the talking points, in the end, the award has already been drawn in favor of Kiki Pickett. Now, there’s hardly anything fans can do. Perhaps there must be some deeper reason as to why the NWSL decided to rule this honor in her favor. Was it the curve or the ball hitting the sidebar? We’ll never know! Regardless, this fan is happy to celebrate this feat:

“Always a joy to see you do your thing. Have enjoyed watching you play since your Stanford days.”

Be that as it may, this is just a glimpse of the reactions that you saw from the netizens. While some are happy, others clearly aren’t. Regardless, let’s hope such doesn’t transpire in the future matchdays.