NWSL Decision Day: Racing Louisville book playoff spot, Kansas City Current stay dominant, quarterfinals set
Racing Louisville is playoff bound for the first time in its history, booking the final playoff spot as the NWSL regular season ends in entertaining fashion.
Louisville wins 1-0 Bay FC took them two points ahead of the North Carolina Couragewho were in the hunt for a playoff spot but their 3-2 win against Gotham FC was not enough to get them across the finish line. The combination of results also propelled Gotham from seventh place at the start of Decision Day to eighth place, leaving them with one win in their last seven and ensuring they will meet the in-form players. Kansas City Current in the quarter-finals.
THE Portland Thornsmeanwhile, made the biggest progress on Sunday, moving from sixth to third place thanks to a 2-0 victory over Houston Dash and book a home playoff game in the process. Deyna Castellanos And Jessie Fleming scored both goals, winning three of his last four en route to the playoffs and setting up a meeting with the San Diego Wave in the quarterfinals.
Here are the takeaways from NWSL Decision Day and what Sunday’s results could mean for the playoffs.
NWSL Decision Day Results
- Kansas City Stream 2, San Diego Wave 1
- North Carolina Courage 3, Gotham FC 2
- Utah Royals 1, Spirit of Washington 0
- Orlando Pride 1, Seattle’s reign 1
- Racing Louisville 1, Bay FC 0
- Chicago Stars 2, City of Angels 1
- Portland Thorns 2, Houston Dash 0
NWSL Playoff Quarterfinal Matches
All US and Eastern times
Friday November 7
Orlando Pride vs. Seattle Reign, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
Saturday November 8
Washington Spirit vs. Racing Louisville, 12 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
Sunday November 9
Kansas City Current vs. Gotham FC, 12:30 p.m. (ABC)
Portland Thorns vs. San Diego Wave, 3 p.m. (ABC)
Louisville books first-ever playoff berth
Racing Louisville booked the last remaining playoff spot with a 1-0 win over Bay FC on Sunday, enough to finish two points above the North Carolina Courage and move ahead of the two-time NWSL champions for their first-ever trip to the playoffs. The only goal of the match was the result of Ella Hase in the 48th minute, the rookie scored his first professional goal on a day where Louisville’s dominant performance met the moment in a must-win game. Their ability to reach the playoffs is a testament to their steady improvement under head coach Bev Yanez, now in her second year in the job, although the road doesn’t get any easier from here – they’ll face a Washington Spirit team that has reached second place, although an injury crisis could make the championship race trickier than they’d like.
Current restore championship credentials
The Kansas City Current could have done without the injured Temwa Chawinga but they did very well on Sunday, earning a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Wave for one last victory of the regular season. The Wave did indeed open the scoring with a goal of Dudinha in the eighth minute but Current’s depth stole the show, first with Débinhathe equalizer in the 54th minute and Nicole PrinceThe goal 20 minutes later. Debinha is a pillar of the Current’s training, just like his departing colleague Bia Zaneratto and a healthy Chawinga, all three enough to mount a title challenge. But that only scratches the surface of the Current’s attack – rising stars of the United States women’s national team Michelle Cooper and Ally Senator started Sunday and added another dimension to their offense, while Prince’s contribution off the bench shows head coach Vlatko Andonovski has no shortage of options as they begin to mount a deep playoff run.
Gotham’s slide continues
The most enticing matchup in the quarterfinals will see Gotham take on the Current in Kansas City, but which version of Gotham will appear in a week’s time is the biggest question as the NWSL moves from the regular season to the playoffs. They were already assured of a playoff spot before Decision Day, but the Courage split their defense in a 3-2 victory, an unusual performance for a Gotham team that is usually anchored by defensive determination. There may be an argument to be made that conceding more than two expected goals and three actual goals is an anomaly, but Gotham couldn’t muster an expected goal from 14 shots in the 86th minute, with their late goals flattering their performance. They were too dependent on Spain international Esther Gonzalezwho has scored nearly 40 percent of the team’s goals this season but was unavailable Sunday, and enters the playoffs with just one win in his last seven. Gotham is the exact type of team that can turn things around in the span of a week, with a mix of NWSL winners and players with international titles on their roster, but their eighth-place finish in the regular season indicates there’s plenty of room for improvement.
