NWSL’s 22-match regular season is in the books, and after a wild home stretch in which teams jockeyed for playoff positioning and OL Reign wound up atop the table thanks, in part, to a slip-up by their bitter rival, the playoff picture for the league’s 10th season is set.
OL Reign and the Portland Thorns, whose blown 3–1 lead vs. last-place Gotham FC cost the club a third NWSL Shield in club history, have earned the byes and will host semifinal matchups. Should they both advance, they’d be on a crash course for a final rife with subplots.
Plenty stands in the way, though. First and foremost is the expansion San Diego Wave, the third overall seed led by league golden boot winner Alex Morgan (15 goals, one more than Portland and fellow U.S. women’s national team forward Sophia Smith). San Diego went 1-0-1 against Portland, its would-be semifinal opponent, during the regular season.
