NWSL playoff race tightens with 2 weeks left

With just two weeks left in the season, the race for the playoffs is almost complete. Here’s a recap of Week 22 in the NWSL

Eight of the nine teams played on Saturday with Utah being the lone team with a bye. The race for the final playoff spot tightened down to just two teams with Orlando and Houston being officially eliminated. A win from Portland and a draw for Seattle means it will come down to the Cascadia rivalry match on the final Friday of the regular season to determine who will be hosting a playoff game.

Late goal for North Carolina forces Seattle to settle for draw

The league’s top two teams faced off in a midday game on the west coast with Seattle having a chance to further separate themselves from the third place spot. A goal in the 67th minute from Theresa Nielsen would put Seattle in very good position to take home the victory. But North Carolina’s unbeaten streak against Seattle wasn’t going to end without a little fight from the Shield winners.

In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Lynn Williams found the back of the net on a scrappy play in the box to preserve the tie. Seattle goalkeeper Lydia Williams made a few saves but was never able to coral the rebound to keep North Carolina’s Williams from scoring. With the draw, North Carolina ended their away slate without losing a game, a feat that had never previously been done in the NWSL.

Sam Kerr comes up big to keep Chicago’s postseason dreams alive

With Chicago playing down in Orlando in their third to last game of the year, it was important the the Red Stars set the tone early. Well, a goal by Sam Kerr just as the halftime whistle was to blow assured that the momentum was on the side of Chicago heading into the locker room. Vanessa DiBernardo’s goal just one minute after halftime made sure that Chicago’s grip on the game was even tighter. That’s when Sam Kerr did her thing.

Kerr pickpocketed her Australian National Team teammate Alanna Kennedy at the top of the 18 yard box and easily slotted it past Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris. Alex Morgan would get one back in the 65th minute for Orlando, but it was too little, too late and Orlando were officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Tobin Heath’s goal is the difference maker in Washington

On Saturday night, the Washington Spirit welcomed the Portland Thorns to the Nation’s Capital for a special NWSL game. In July, Audi Field was officially opened as the new home of Major League Soccer’s D.C. United. Saturday night’s game was a special occasion as it was the very first NWSL match ever to be played in Washington, D.C.

The change in venue, however, didn’t help the Spirit break out of their losing ways as they failed to score once again. Tobin Heath’s goal early in the first half was all Portland needed to pick up three points. With the win, Portland sit just two points out of second place with the chance to host a playoff game.

Despite a dominating win, Houston fail to qualify for the playoffs

Coming into Saturday night, Houston sat in seventh place, just three points out of the fourth and final playoff spot. At the end of the day, they failed to qualify for the final playoff spot and were eliminated, but they did not go down without a fight.

At the half, Houston had a 1-0 lead over Sky Blue. But once the second half rolled around, the flood gates opened up. The Dash scored five goals in the second half and would go on to win the game 6-1. The most impressive stat to come out of the game was the fact that there were six different goalscorers on the night.

Coming up

The battle at the bottom of the table will continue on Saturday evening when Sky Blue travel to Washington to take on the Spirit. This will be the last game for the Washington Spirit, while Sky Blue will play two more games after that. Rosters will be limited for both sides with multiple countries playing friendlies during the FIFA break.