NWSL Decision Day storylines: Gotham, San Diego Wave chase Shield, last playoff spots up for grabs
The Seattle Reign, North Carolina Courage and Denver Summit are all in the running to finish in the eighth and final playoff berth
• 4 min read
There may still be a regular-season weekend left on the NWSL calendar, but for a few of the league's teams, Sunday's fixtures will see them slip into postseason mode a week in advance with plenty on the line on Decision Day.
The main characters will be Gotham FC and the Seattle Reign, each in control of their fate with different tasks ahead. Gotham have a chance to win the NWSL Shield for the very first time in Sunday's clash against the Utah Royals, with inconsistency in the final months of the season pushing the race for the trophy to the last day of the regular season. They are favored to collect the prize but have a formidable foe in the San Diego Wave, whose chances took a hit with last week's draw against the Boston Legacy.
The Reign, meanwhile, face the Orlando Pride in a game they must win to secure a spot in the playoffs. The North Carolina Courage are just two points behind them, and the Denver Summit three, with those two facing off against each other in the hope that the Reign slip up and hand one of them the chance to overtake.
Here's a look at what's to come as the NWSL regular season comes to a close.
Gotham, San Diego Wave battle for the Shield
Gotham have been favored to win the NWSL Shield for months, to the point that they had a seven-point lead in late summer. Even in a stretch of late-season ups and downs, though, their grip on first place has loosened but never slipped, leaving them well placed to win the trophy for the first time on Sunday. They boast a three-point lead over the Wave on Decision Day, a draw against the Royals enough to clinch the Shield, no matter what happens in the Wave's trip to Bay FC.
The bigger question for Gotham, though, is whether or not they will be at full strength a week before the playoffs begin. Jaedyn Shaw and Rose Lavelle both missed last week's 2-1 win at the Pride, while Shaw was also an unused substitute in a 1-0 loss at the Washington Spirit a week earlier. The pair have been Gotham's most impactful attackers this season, racking up a combined 22 goal contributions along the way; Shaw in particular has been both a goalscoring threat and a creative outlet, so much so that Gotham's attacking output fades considerably when she's not on the pitch. The league leaders might survive Sunday's clash without the U.S. women's national team standouts, the playoff-bound Royals set to enter the postseason with a middling defensive record.
Three teams, one playoff spot
Seven of the eight playoff spots are already booked, with three teams now vying for the final berth, and the margins will be tight for each of them. The Seattle Reign currently sit in eighth with 42 points, a win over the Pride enough to seal the deal. If they slip up, there are two teams in the waiting -- the North Carolina Courage and the Denver Summit, who play each other on Sunday. The Courage need to win and hope the Reign drop points to land in the top eight, while the Summit need to win plus a Reign loss to make the playoffs in their inaugural season.
There's a layer of unpredictability naturally baked into the scenario. The Reign not only have the easiest path -- win and they're in -- but they face a team whose playoff hopes were dashed some time ago. Their defense has really propped them up, conceding just 33 goals despite posting 39.96 expected goals against this season. Their rivals have their own strengths, the Summit finding form thanks to Lindsey Heaps' seven goals and three assists since her midseason arrival. The Courage, meanwhile, have this season's cheat code in Ashley Sanchez and speaking of...
Ashley Sanchez chases NWSL history
With 20 goals this season, Sanchez's MVP argument writes itself at this point, but she has a chance to bolster her campaign on Sunday and make history along the way. She would set the NWSL's single-season goalscoring record if she scores against the Summit, while that goal or an assist would allow her to break Temwa Chawinga's single-season goal contributions record. It would be a worthy reward for Sanchez, whose conversion to left wing this season has been transformational and resulted in a well-earned return to the national team, thrusting her fully into the conversation for a spot on next summer's Women's World Cup roster.
It is almost inconceivable, then, that her powers alone will not at least guarantee the Courage a spot in the postseason. Then again, they have maybe been overly reliant on Sanchez's form, the winger contributing to nearly half of the team's goals this campaign. They have been sunk, though, by a leaky defense, the Courage ranking in the league's bottom six for goals conceded. Missing the playoffs is unlikely to jeopardize Sanchez's MVP case, but it will speak to the Courage's limitations if they cannot sneak above the playoff line on the final day of the regular season.
Decision Day Schedule
Sunday Nov. 1, all times ET
Angel City vs. Boston Legacy, 5 p.m. (ESPN+)
Bay FC vs. San Diego Wave, 5 p.m. (ESPN+)
Gotham FC vs. Utah Royals, 5 p.m. (ESPN, ESPN Deportes)
Houston Dash vs. Portland Thorns, 5 p.m. (ESPN+)
North Carolina Courage vs. Denver Summit, 5 p.m. (ESPN+)
Racing Louisville vs. Kansas City Current, 5 p.m. (ESPN+)
Seattle Reign vs. Orlando Pride, 5 p.m. (ESPN+)
Washington Spirit vs. Chicago Stars, 5 p.m. (ESPN+)
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.