Let's all take a collective deep breath. One of those slow ones. Then, prepare yourself again because the regular season doesn't mean the NWSL comes to an end. Call your friends up. Grab your favorite snacks, and get ready for tonight under the lights at Lumen Field. Coming off a thrilling Decision Day in the league, the playoff bracket is set with the San Diego Wave leading the charge after securing the NWSL Shield.
One team that was out of the picture jumped into the top five while one of the last two league winners missed out. You can say whatever you want about the play style. Like it or not, this league is a "bucket up, not once, but twice" type of competition. The game of women's soccer in the United States is growing. The emergence of this league is a massive reason why.
The best part, it's only going to get even more enticing. This is what clubs have worked for all campaign long. Here is our predictions for what this weekend might look like in the NWSL.
Predicting the NWSL Postseason Quarterfinals
No. 3 seed: North Carolina Courage vs. No. 6 seed: NJ/NY Gotham FC
Date: Sunday, October 22, 7:00 p.m. EST
How to watch: CBS Sports Network
Including the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup, these two sides have encountered each other four times in 2023. So, the familiarity is there. There are no secrets between these two. The film is out there. It is all about who wants it more. No two teams have spent more time with the ball than these two in the regular season. NJ/NY Gotham FC took two of the matchups with the remaining fixtures being draws.
The last meeting was by far the most enthralling. Down by two goals at two different points on the road, Juan Carlos Amorós' team came back from the dead to earn a 3-3 draw in Esther González's first NWSL contest. It allowed the club to carry momentum into an eventual win the following week.
Despite that, out of all the sides in the postseason right now, Gotham is by far the most out of form. With just one point in the final three games, the northeast outfit relied on its opponents to earn the final postseason berth.
On the other end of the spectrum, North Carolina Courage are unbeaten in its last three league fixtures. The Courage jumped into the three-seed with a gritty road victory in the nation's capital to close out the regular season. Home field is massive for this club. The last time someone walked into Cary, North Carolina in any competition with a win was back in April.
The discouraging thing (no pun intended) is the Kerolin injury issue. The MVP contender unfortunately suffered a knee injury last weekend. If you just watched one NC game, it is clear she is at the core of everything the club does going forward. The Brazilian international plays a completely different role for her club compared to international. For the most part, the Courage's No. 9 contributes on the right flank, switching over to the left at times. Sean Nahas and the entire team have preached the collective unit the entire year.
During training this week, defender Kaleigh Kurtz expressed confidence in her team, stating, "If she isn't able to play, I think we're going to do just fine. We have people that have been training against her, training with her, and learning from her the entire year."
There is no question the home side will be able to hang if the club's star is unable to go. As of the time of writing, her status is unknown. Almost everyone is going to count out NC if she cannot take the pitch. That's the easy route. Superstars go down all the time. Just look at the Las Vegas Aces. Soccer is a team sport, and on Sunday, the Courage are going to demonstrate why.
Prediction: North Carolina 2-1 NJ/NY Gotham FC (Final in ET)
No. 4 seed: OL Reign vs. No. 5 seed: Angel City FC
Date: Friday, October 20, 10:00 p.m. EST
How to watch: Paramount+
A lot has changed since the Reign blasted ACFC 4-1 at Lumen Field in May. Against the defending champions on Decision Day, Becki Tweed's team heads into the quarters riding a mountain of momentum.
Angel City not only denied Portland Thorns the NWSL Shield, but it also provided one of the league's most consistent franchises with its first loss by four or more goals since September 2019. The L.A. outfit has won three out of its final five fixtures, finishing the campaign with the same goal total as the Wave. If I'm a team in the postseason, ACFC is the last opponent I want to see on my schedule. Tweed has resurrected this club from a poor start. You know the vibes are immaculate when Sydney Leroux is out here scoring off a bicycle kick.
Keep an eye on the left side of the pitch. The first three goals for ACFC against Portland last weekend came from either a service or a progressive run from that area. Mary Vignola and Scottish forward Claire Emslie own that flank for the L.A. side.
OL Reign has made a name for itself through regular season performances. The Seattle outfit is known to cave into the pressure in those matches with everything on the line. Now, that could change, but that trend continued in the 2023 Challenge Cup. The last playoff contest the Reign won was in 2015. Yeah, that's not an error. Eight years ago. It has blown a lead, and been shut out at home over this drought.
The positive is some of Laura Harvey's most important players are beginning to return to the lineup. Sofia Huerta came on against Chicago last weekend while Rose Lavelle was in the squad. There is no question that in a contest of this magnitude, both will play a role. How ready they will be is the question though.
Prediction: OL Reign 0-2 Angel City FC
The semifinals will take place on November 5 with Portland hosting the earlier kick-off against the winner of NC/Gotham while San Diego gets the victor of ACFC/OL Reign at 9:00 p.m. EST.
