Four teams vie for title ahead of NWSL semifinals

Following the international break with the USWNT playing two friendly games against Colombia (a 0-0 draw in Utah and a 3-0 win in San Diego), focus once again turns to domestic action with the semifinals of the 2023 NWSL Championship coming up this weekend.

After a tightly contested regular league stage with most of the league’s 12 clubs in contention for a playoff place going into the final day of the season, it looks like reigning champions Portland Thorns and Alex Morgan’s San Diego Wave are the teams to beat.

Standing in their way are NJ/NY Gotham FC who face the Thorns on Sunday, 5 November at Providence Park in Portland, with kickoff for the match set for 7 p.m. ET.

In their two league meetings this season, the Thorns overcame Gotham FC in their last match-up in Oregon in a 1-0 win with Sugita getting the only goal of the October game. In their earlier season encounter, Gotham beat Portland 2-1 in July. That defeat was the only time Portland have only lost to Gotham since 2018 with the Thorns winning seven and six games drawn.

Following the first semi-final, the focus turns to California where the San Diego Wave FC take on an OL Reign side who secured a semi-final berth and their first playoff victory since 2015 by virtue of a win over Angel City. The Snapdragon Stadium clash will also pit USWNT legends Alex Morgan against Megan Rapinoe with the 38-year-old Rapinoe set to hang up her boots at the end of the season.

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Despite starting the game as favourites, the home side have yet to beat OL Reign having played the side from Seattle on eight occasions, managing two draws and six defeats.

The winners advance to the finals of the 2023 NWSL Championship with the showpiece game set for Saturday, 11 November.