The NWSL Playoffs Have Kicked Off

The NWSL Playoffs have Kicked Off

This weekend was the start of the NWSL Playoffs. After what has been a historic season for many teams in the Nwsl, everything still had to come to an end, but for eight teams, that history had another chance to be continued. Friday night was the first quarterfinal match between the number 1 team, Orlando Pride, against the 8th seed Chicago Red Stars. It was bound to be a tough game for Chicago because of the star power that Orlando yielded with Forward Barbra Banda and legendary midfielder Marta. From the moment the game started, it was easy to see that the chances of advancing were not looking good for the Red Stars as Orlando’s top scorer, Banda, scored two goals and caused trouble for the whole backline of Chicago. In the 56th minute, Marta was able to slot away a penalty kick; she scored her 10th goal of the season across all competitions. Chicago was able to score a goal in the 60th minute, but it was just a consolation goal as Orlando went on to win the game 4-1. The dominant performance was the perfect start to the Pride’s run to the Championship game.

Saturday was the game that Orlando was tuned in for as they watched on as the NWSL Golden Boot winner, Chawinga, scored the game-winning goal to move KC Current past NC Courage in what was a close 1-0 win. The first semifinal game was in the book after Saturday, with Orlando Pride hosting KC Current next weekend.

On Sunday, the focus shifted to the other side of the bracket, where the 2023 Champions Gotham FC awaited. Game one on Sunday was the number two seed Washington Spirit Vs Bay FC. Looking at the rankings, many people thought it would be a similar score to the Orlando game, but this is the playoffs, and Bay FC was not bowing down. The score was deadlocked at 0-0 for a majority of the game, when in the 82nd minute, Asisat Oshwala was able to put the ball in all odds, put Bay FC ahead, and had the set forth only eight minutes left to play. But just when Bay FC started to believe the upset could be possible, the Spirit scored just four minutes later, crushing the hopes of Bay FC getting the upset. With the game tied 1-1, even after nine minutes of added time, the final whistle blew, and the game was set for overtime. Overtime was set for two halves of 15 minutes, but the Washington Spirit got blessed in the 96th minute by an own goal from Bay FC defender Caprice Dydasco. The Spirit whipped in a cross that bounced through a couple of players, and Dydasco, in an attempt to head the ball out, ended up heading it right into her own goal. A crushing blow to Bay FC’s season after they became just the second expansion team to make the playoffs in their first year. For Washington, this game was a wake-up call that no team can be overlooked. The Final game of the quarterfinals was the defending champs Gotham FC facing off against Portland Thorns. This game was a back-and-forth game, with both teams able to score. With the game tied 1-1, it looked certain that the game would be heading to overtime, but the sideline ref put up the board that read seven added minutes. Just seven more minutes till both teams could regroup, but Gotham had other plans. In the 97th MINUTE, the one and only Rose Lavelle scored the game-winning goal, ending the game and Portland’s season.

While Gotham gets to continue on their road to going back-to-back, for Portland, it was a sad goodbye to legend Christine Sinclair as she played her final minutes of soccer in her career. With this win, the semifinals were locked in for next weekend; we will see Orlando vs. KC and Washington vs. Gotham FC. Who will be able to get the win and secure their spot in the Championship match on November 23rd in Kansas City, MO?