Heading into Week 24, the possibilities felt endless. Clubs across the table had a chance to clinch or collapse, but by weekend’s end, only the reigning champions, Orlando Pride, officially punched their ticket to the playoffs, while the Utah Royals became the third side mathematically eliminated from contention. But that’s not all that happened this weekend. Here’s what you might have missed.
Racing Louisville FC 1, Chicago Stars FC 1
Racing stayed the course with a late equalizer at Lynn Family Stadium, turning an 85th-minute setback into a stoppage-time response to maintain their trajectory towards the postseason. After Louisville controlled territory and chances for much of the night, Chicago struck against the run of play when Ivonne Chacón found Jameese Joseph for a close-range finish. But Louisville kept pressing and was rewarded in the 90+3′. Janine Sonis’s driven service skipped through the area and into the path of Bethany Balcer, who stretched to toe-poke home her first of the season. Racing ended the weekend in eight in the standings.
Orlando Pride 1, Portland Thorns FC 0
Orlando climbed to third in the standings with a late winner and by Sunday evening, secured the third playoff spot. The Pride applied steady pressure and outshot Portland but had to wait until second-half stoppage time for the breakthrough, when Marta’s near-post corner was turned in via an own goal in the 90+2′. The Thorns defended resolutely for long stretches and generated moments in transition, but couldn’t find the final pass or finish on the night. The corner kick was Marta’s 327th for the Pride, the most any other NWSL player has made for one club, and is the perfect morale boost at the reigning champs head into the playoffs.
Seattle Reign FC 1, Bay FC 1
Seattle Reign and Bay FC settled for a point each to round out Saturday’s slate of matches. The visitors pressed well early and found the opener in the 31′ when Racheal Kundananji’s driven cross met Taylor Huff’s back-post run for a one-touch finish, her second goal in as many matches and fourth of the season. Seattle grew into the game, however, forcing sharp work from Jordan Silkowitz and testing Bay’s backline. The pressure ultimately paid off in the 84′ as substitute Jess Fishlock pounced on a loose ball and sent it into goal without hesitation. Seattle will then have to wait for another weekend to grab a postseason spot but as for Bay, who already know what they’re doing after November 2 (going to Cancun), giving up a late goal and leaving without a win will sting a bit.
Kansas City Current 2, Gotham FC 0
Kansas City recorded another milestone victory at a sold-out CPKC Stadium, becoming the first team in NWSL history to reach 20 wins and 62 points in a single season. After a defensive opening half-hour between two of the league’s stingiest units, the hosts broke through in the 34′ when Izzy Rodriguez’s cross found Bia Zaneratto for a precise header. The assist was Rodriguez’s sixth of the season. Zaneratto then turned provider seven minutes after halftime, threading Temwa Chawinga through for her league-leading 15th goal. And if that wasn’t enough, Lorena’s 14th clean sheet also set a new league record, overcoming the one set last year by Orlando’s Anna Moorhouse.
North Carolina Courage 1, Washington Spirit 1
In rain-soaked conditions in Cary (seriously, it was looking like a monsoon out there at times), the Courage and the Spirit settled for a draw, and an entertaining one at that. After a tight first half in which the Spirit held the Courage without a shot on target, the visitors struck in the 53′ when Trinity Rodman beat her defender and sent the ball arcing over goalkeeper Casey Murphy for her fifth of the season. North Carolina twice thought it had equalized only to be denied by offside calls before Shinomi Koyama caught a rebound in the box to tie things up. Both sides pushed through eight minutes of stoppage time without a winner, a fair outcome for a match that was heavily balanced.
Utah Royals FC 2, San Diego Wave FC 3
After the final whistle in Cary, North Carolina sent its rain to Utah for a match between two teams battling for points to stay in the playoff race. San Diego was declared the winner,, overturning an early deficit and snapping Utah’s eight-match unbeaten run. The Royals started fast, with Janni Thomsen’s ninth-minute strike from the right channel giving the hosts the lead, but the Wave responded with a composed 30′ equalizer from Dudinha off a Delphine Cascarino feed – her sixth of the season – and then nudged in front before halftime when Kenza Dali’s corner was redirected in via a deflection. Utah leveled soon after the break through leading scorer Mina Tanaka’s opportunistic finish from a throw-in sequence, only for Dali to restore San Diego’s advantage with a high, floating effort from 20 yards that beat the keeper. The Wave ended the match back above the playoff line and Utah’s playoff hopes were officially snuffed out.
Angel City FC 2, Houston Dash 0
Angel City kept its postseason hopes intact with a measured home win at BMO Stadium, scoring on either side of the hour and limiting Houston to three shots on target. The hosts threatened early and finally broke through in the 54′ when Kennedy Fuller reacted quickest to a spilled cross and guided a low finish into the far corner for her fourth of the year. The Dash found their footing and started to test LA, but the home team managed the game well and added insurance late: Jun Endo’s inventive back-heel flick released Maiara Niehues, who calmly steered around Houston’s goalkeeper before sending it home.