Spirit open up NWSL play at Audi Field in Week 22 action

ORLANDO, FL - JULY 07: Washington Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe (1) saves a shot on goal during the soccer match between the Orlando Pride and the Washington Spirit on July 7, 2018 at Orlando City Stadium in Orlando FL. (Photo by Joe Petro/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

With just one playoff spot up for grabs, here is a preview of Week 21 action.

In the three midweek games, two more playoff spots were secured. On Tuesday, Seattle picked up a playoff spot with a 2-0 win over Houston. Then Portland beat Sky Blue FC 2-1 to also pick up a spot. Now Utah, Chicago, Orlando, and Houston all sit within three points of the final spot. Everyone except Utah will be in action on Saturday.

Game to watch

Chicago and Orlando face off on Saturday evening in their final meeting of the season. In the previous two meetings, Orlando came out victorious. They won 2-0 in the first matchup and 5-2 in the second meeting. Currently, Chicago sit in fifth place with 31 points and Orlando are in sixth with 30 points, one and two points out of the playoffs, respectively.

If Chicago wants to avoid a season sweep from Orlando, they will need to control the game on defense. In two games against them this season, Chicago have given up seven goals, with Marta not scoring any. If Orlando wants to pick up the victory, they need to play better as a team. In the past two games, they have given up two or more goals and have failed to score in both games as well.

Noteworthy

The Washington Spirit and Portland Thorns will face off at the new Audi Field in Washington, D.C. this weekend. This will be the first time in NWSL history that a game has been played in the nation’s capital.

This game will be especially important for Washington, who fired their head coach on Tuesday. It has now been 574 minutes since the Spirit have scored a goal. For Portland, they have the chance to put a stronghold on a higher playoff seed while also getting in playoff form. The Thorns are currently on a three-game point streak and sit four points clear of fourth place in the standings.

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Schedule

Saturday, August 25

Seattle Reign vs. North Carolina Courage – 4:00 p.m. ET Seattle, Washington

Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Red Stars – 7:30 p.m. ET Orlando, Florida

Washington Spirit vs. Portland Thorns – 8:00 p.m. ET Washington, D.C.

Houston Dash vs. Sky Blue FC – 8:30 p.m. ET Houston, Texas

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