NWSL 2024 Week 25 (Ultimo)

Hopefully NWSL works out a proper Decision Day with their multiple broadcast partners next year. Would be very easy for Sunday to be entirely meaningless if DC+NJY win their games and POR+BAY don't lose theirs.

 

I just watched the summer cup finale between KC and Gotham. It was pretty obvious from the beginning that KC was going to win over a depleted (by international duties) Gotham team. I watched the game mostly to see if any unfamiliar players showed up big time. I was impressed with both Sheehan and Stephens for Gotham. Both are good on the ball.

Chawinga for KC is all-world. I predict that KC, although they're only 4th place in the NWSL will win the championship in upcoming playoffs. They've got the best offense in the league -- and their defense is pretty good too.

 

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Well that's a low blow to end a sad season to have your last home game ripped away with barely any notice

 

Honestly, as a Spirit fan, I'm kinda dreading these next two weeks. There's such a massive gap between the top four and everyone else this season that semifinals should be a pretty safe bet for the Spirit (and all the top four teams).

However, the Spirit's bogey team is North Carolina, as I've detailed in a previous thread. Simple reminder: NC have won in DC the last three times they've visited, including eliminating WAS from playoff contention last year.

For the second season in a row, the Spirit face NC on the final day of the regular season.

If NC win (in NC, where they are undefeated this year) and KC gets even a point in their match tomorrow, then that sets up for NC to visit WAS in the quarterfinals... And they're not scared of Audi at all. It's not unlikely that the Spirit's 2024 season ends with two straight losses to NC.

 

Just crazy, that they can't find a field to play on in or near San Diego.

The field conditions just deteriorated so fast once college football season started. When I was at a game back in June, the field was in good condition or a game against Orlando.

I don't see how Snapdragon can possible host so many teams (rugby also shares this stadium)...how are they going to add an MLS team to this?

It's a great city for sports, but clearly they need another stadium.

 

Great game, at least from a Portland fan's perspective, between the Thorns and Angel City last night, celebrating Christine Sinclair's last game. Fittingly, she scored the first goal. It was one of the Thorns best-played games in a long time. Rollicking crowd of 23,212.

I first saw Christine play on September 21, 2001, when she was a freshman at the University of Portland and they were playing Texas A&M in an early-season tournament in Seattle at the University of Washington. To my credit as a brilliant observer of talent, after the game I said to my wife, "She's the real thing!" Since then, we have had the privilege of seeing her play, in person, in around 150 games as a University of Portland, Portland Thorns, and Canadian National Team player and a couple of times to briefly converse with her. She has been the same humble, self-conscious, attention-avoiding person the entire time.

 

Hot damn! Checking on the NC-WAS game halftime stats and the shots are 0-9 in favor of the visitors, who are up a goal! Hope?

 

Bay FC hands Houston the Wooden Spoon and also locks Louisville out of the playoffs before they get to try playing for it. Definitely need to have a proper simultaneous Decision Day next year. There's nothing to play for tomorrow aside from Chicago picking who they want to travel to for the QFs