The National Women’s Soccer League playoffs continue Sunday as the semifinals kick off on CBS Sports Network, when second-seeded OL Reign host the third-seeded Washington Spirit at Cheney Stadium at Tacoma, Washington. Spirit head into Tacoma off a quarterfinal win over 2019 NWSL Champions North Carolina Courage, and the Reign are hosting their first home semifinal since 2015. Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming match on Sunday:
Reign vs. Spirit viewing information
- Date: Sunday, November 14 | Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Cheney Stadium — Tacoma, Washington
- TV: CBS Sports Network
Storylines
OL Reign: Head coach Laura Harvey returns to the NWSL semifinal with the Reign for the first time since 2015 and has her squad playing impressive, cohesive soccer, ahead of this match. The team has players who have been at this level before with Harvey, and the added playoff experience of Olympique Lyonais players Sarah Bouhaddi, Dzsenifer Marozsán, and Eugeine Le Sommer will only enhance the clubs odds in the match against a less experienced Spirit side. The Reign’s offense led the league in several offensive areas, and they produced the most goals with 34. The team also averaged an assist per game during the season — the most in the NWSL. Harvey’s adjustment of Sofia Huerta into the fullback position to allowed the coach to have more of her best players on the pitch, and Huerta’s six assists are tied for first in the league with Spirit rookie Trinity Rodman.
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Washington Spirit: The franchise is participating in its first NWSL playoffs since 2016 where the Spirit lost the NWSL championship final on a penalty kick shootout against the Western New York Flash. The team’s sole representative of that 2016 roster, Tori Huster, is unavailable for the match due to an injury she sustained during the quarterfinal. Interim head coach Kris Ward and his squad have had a remarkable run form during the final months of the regular season, going on a five-game winning streak and a 10-game unbeaten streak stretching back to Aug. 7. Since then, they are 7-3-0, including last week’s playoff victory. The Spirit’s attacking core features Rodman and is led by 2021 NWSL Golden Boot winner Ashley Hatch.
Game prediction
Both teams play a tight match on a narrow pitch and the home sides come out victorious. Pick: OL Reign 2, Washington Spirit 1.
