The NWSL Quarterfinals were must-see TV. Every single matchup was close, and we saw the NWSL Shield curse return. Gotham pulled off the upset over the Kansas City Current, ending their incredible regular season. Will we see more upsets in this round? Let’s take a closer look at the NWSL Semifinals.
No. 2 Washington Spirit vs. No. 3 Portland Thorns, Saturday, November 15th, 12:00 pm EST/9:00 am PST, CBS, Paramount+
The Spirit almost fell victim to the same fate as the KC Current. A late goal in stoppage time against Louisville sent the game to extra time, where both sides had close chances. In the end, Aubrey Kingsbury was too good in the penalty shootout. Now, they face a Portland Thorns team that dispatched San Diego 1-0. While the score was close, Portland was in control for most of the game, and their midfield trio of Olivia Moultrie, Jessie Fleming, and Sam Coffey is playing at the highest level. The Thorns have a team capable of going into Audi Stadium and winning. In fact, they’ve actually won at Audi Field three times before, and they have had the Spirit’s number in the past. Overall, the Thorns have won 15 times with 9 draws and only five wins for the Spirit.
The numbers and history favor Portland, but the return of Trinity Rodman could be the difference. Rodman scored the winner the last time these two teams met after her long layoff from injury. After watching her reactions on the sideline from the last game, she is itching to get back out there and help her team. There isn’t much to separate these teams, but I’m taking the Spirit to edge this out in penalty kicks.
Prediction: Spirit win 1-1 (PK shootout)
No. 4 Orlando Pride vs. No. 8 Gotham FC, Sunday, November 16th, 3:00 pm EST/12:00 pm PST, ABC, ESPN+
Orlando handled business in front of their home crowd to take down Seattle 2-0. They certainly would’ve expected to travel to Kansas City, but thanks to Gotham, they now host the Semifinals in Florida. Gotham, on the other hand, is coming into town with a full head of steam. After pulling off their incredible upset, their belief as a team has to be through the roof going into this game. Gotham leads the all-time series with 11 wins to seven for Orlando, with 9 draws in between. These two teams have split their last four matchups, highlighting how close this matchup should be, regardless of seeding.
Marta has been incredible for the Pride, and she’ll have to be at her best again if Orlando is to get back to the final and repeat as champions. Both teams are playing at a high level, and both teams have been strong defensively. This is going to be a very cagey game, similar to what Gotham did against Kansas City. Keep the game low scoring until the second half and find the right time to strike. A game of this magnitude usually won’t have a ton of goals, although we all would love a goal fest here. I think this game goes to extra time, and Gotham does it again. Gotham was the last team to make the playoffs during their title run two years ago, and here we are: they’re the No. 8 seed, the last team to qualify for the playoffs. Gotham is going to steal this game. Jaedyn Shaw has changed the dynamic for this team, and she should play a major role.
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