NWSL

A dominant Washington Spirit take on the scrappy Chicago Red Stars in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday, as each vies for its first National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) crown.

The Red Stars pulled off a 2-0 upset over the Portland Thorns in their semifinal on Sunday, despite seeing star forward Kealia Watt exit the game with an injury in the first half, and will hope to shake off the disappointment of past years on Saturday.

ONE. DAY. AWAY.

After a period of dominance that yielded every trophy (2020 Fall Series, 2021 Challenge Cup, 2021 Women’s ICC, 2021 Shield) apart from the one that really matters, the top-seeded Portland Thorns suffered heartbreak on Sunday in the NWSL playoff semifinals to the Chicago Red Stars, despite the underdogs missing Mal Pugh, Casey Krueger, Kayla Sharples and losing Kealia Watt to injury in the 29th-minute. 

It was Watt’s substitute — Katie Johnson — who gave the Red Stars the advantage in the 37th minute with a shot from an impossible angle that caught Bella Bixby napping. 

With the OL Reign taking center stage at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma on Sunday, all eyes were on the attacking riches of the No. 2 seed in the NWSL playoffs, including the USWNT duo of Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle, France’s Eugénie Le Sommer, Germany’s Dzsenifer Marozsán and Wales’ Jess Fishlock.    

They were collectively outplayed and humbled by the Washington Spirit’s 19-year-old sensation Trinity Rodman and 22-year-old attacker Ashley Sanchez.

Less than two weeks after the Kansas City Current revealed its new team name and logo, the National Women’s Soccer League’s newest expansion team in San Diego announced its new name. The Current now has its biggest rival: San Diego Wave FC.

San Diego Wave FC

It's official...We are WAVE FC! ️⚽️

There was a large sense during the USWNT’s last two friendlies against South Korea that the team was growing stale.