The top four teams during the NWSL regular season are the last four teams standing in the playoffs, setting up for a competitive batch of semifinals with a trip to the Championship in Kansas City on the line.
The field of semifinalists comes as no surprise, but most enter the penultimate round of the postseason after tightly-contested quarterfinal games. While the Orlando Pride coasted through the Chicago Red Stars, the other three semifinalists – the Washington Spirit, reigning champions NJ/NY Gotham FC and the Kansas City Current – all won by one goal margins last week. The games revealed each side’s strengths and weaknesses, but their excellence all season long makes each of these games a toss-up.
Ahead of the semifinal action, here’s how the CBS Sports team thinks this weekend’s games will shake out.
Postseason format and bracket
The NWSL Playoffs began last week with the quarterfinals and continue on Saturday with the semifinals. The last four teams are competing for a spot in the championship game on Nov. 23 at Kansas City’s CPKC Stadium, the first stadium built for a professional women’s soccer team in the country.
Semifinals schedule
All times Eastern
Saturday, Nov. 16
Washington Spirit vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 12 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
Sunday, Nov. 17
Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current, 3 p.m. (ABC)
